Chapter 7: The Consequences
The room was silent except for the clashing of swords as the twins sparred.
It was like they were dancing with their swords to the music that the blades were making.
Harry decided to break the silence.
"I'm ok you know," he said easily.
He dodged to the left as Draco tried to strike right.
Draco didn't reply sarcastically, he knew exactly what Hadrian was talking about.
"I didn't like seeing you like that. You nearly died, Hadrian," Draco said solemnly.
His eyes watered as he remembered the horrific events.
He tried to harden himself.
He wouldn't cry.
"I didn't though, Draco, I'm still here and still strong," Harry said unusually soft.
His bright green eyes were trained on Draco despite the two clashing blades.
"I thought you were dead. When I woke up in that bed and looked at you surrounded by all those aids I thought I'd lost you. I thought that you'd never wake up again," Draco croaked, tears sliding from their prisons for the first time.
Harry threw his sword to the side and embraced his brother.
It was rare to see Draco cry.
Only twice since they were seven had Harry ever seen Draco cry.
Their father thought crying was for a lesser wizard so they'd learnt themselves how not to cry.
"I know how you feel Draco, that feeling of complete devastation is crippling. That time in first year when I thought you were gone, I was so scared, so lost. We're twins and we're not supposed to be apart," Harry whispered squeezing his own tears back.
"We nearly were," Draco muttered, hiding his face.
"What that bastard has done to us, Draco, will never leave us. We'll be scarred for the rest of our lives because of him but we're stronger than him and his mind games. What we went through will help us be stronger. We'll never underestimate him and we know how he ticks. When the time is right we can use that. This summer was trying and it damn nearly killed us but it will help us towards our goals," Harry said firmly.
He believed every word he'd just uttered.
"And what about father? He sold us out, Hadrian, surely you're angry about that? We can never trust him to hold our interests first," Draco said venomously.
Harry winced.
He'd tried to push their father's actions away from his mind.
"His betrayal hurt me more than any torture could have, Draco," he finally breathed. "The thought that his loyalty to his master is higher than his love for us, tore into me. I'll never completely trust him again but at the same time something in me screams at me that there must have been a reason why this happened. Why he did what he did,"
"It's because he's a coward. He values his own life over ours!" Draco snarled. "When we're stronger I will show him just why he was wrong to doubt us,"
Harry couldn't fault that.
"Why didn't the curse kill me?" Draco asked after a moment.
"I survived when I was a baby so perhaps it's something to do with us been twins?" Harry shrugged having no idea.
"Hadrian I'm not stupid enough as to think that just because we're twins that we have the same level of power. You have far more power than what I can ever hope to have," Draco said dryly.
"Power is in our veins," Harry stated venturing a guess. "Perhaps our constant blood promises we made built up,"
Draco looked at him for a moment before nodding slowly. "Assuming it can be passed like that then it would make sense. We've been doing them since we were old enough to remember but what happens if it's because of Pettigrew?"
Harry motioned for his brother to elaborate.
"Well I saved Pettigrew's pathetic life from Sirius and Lupin in third year. That automatically made him owe me a life debt. Voldemort used Pettigrew's flesh to regain himself so maybe the magic surrounding the life debt made it impossible for him to kill me because of that," Draco said slowly.
"We'll look in to it. For now though Draco you must realise that just because I'm out of your sight does not mean I'm half dead or in danger," Harry said firmly.
Draco looked away.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of Draco. I'm much more settled when I can see you too but we have to get over this. If Voldemort realises our weakness then he could exploit it, he could use it against us and we'd be helpless to stop him," Harry said shaking his head.
The thoughts that had just ran through him made him determined to get back to how they were.
Draco cringed but nodded.
"When we use the time turner tonight to get you your sleep, I won't be going to bed too," Harry stated looking Draco in the eye.
Draco's fear rose in him but Harry put his hands on his shoulders.
"I swear to you that I will not get into anything life threatening when you sleep,"
Draco settled at his brother's promises.
Harry wouldn't go against that promise lightly.
Halloween came and as soon as the two stepped into Malfoy Manor they were met with a torture curse each.
They swallowed their screams down not willing to scream for the monster before them.
"Please tell me how on earth you are expecting to be the best of the best when you take it upon yourselves to skip classes?" Voldemort hissed angrily as he lifted the spell.
Hadrian spotted Lucius looking tense by the window.
Was he angry at Voldemort's urge to put them in pain? Or was it because of the detentions and letters he'd received from school?
Harry snorted to himself.
When the hell did Lucius ever mind them being in pain?
"Well?" Voldemort thundered.
"We needed a personal day, my lord," Draco murmured. "A day to go over our plans for the year,"
"And you couldn't do this in an evening?" Voldemort demanded.
"There are too many listening ears in an evening," Harry stated simply. "The walls have ears and we decided that during class time would be the best time to slip away to plan for the rest of the year without Dumbledore's spies following,"
Voldemort glowered at them.
"I expect you to find a way to keep your conversations away from Dumbledore's ears without skipping classes. If another letter comes home about your unknown absences from classes then I promise you that the consequences will be unpleasant for you. Do I make myself clear?" he demanded.
"Crystal," Draco muttered.
"Let us move onto the tests. You've being practicing?" Voldemort questioned leading the way out of the room.
The twins nodded.
Lucius watched as his sons performed perfectly during the tests that the Dark Lord had laid out for them.
Their movements were swift and graceful, their magic more powerful than ever and the fact they could now perform their spells wordlessly effortlessly, something that some of the other Death Eaters struggled with, had Lucius brimming with pride.
Even the Dark Lord himself seemed surprised.
Lucius wondered though as the boys held themselves erect and fearless, if they would come out of all of this unmarred.
The Dark Lord had obvious plans for them and their effortless triumphs would mean the plans would be put forwards.
Inwardly he had to resist the urge to take them and hide, he knew everything happening was for the sake of a better future.
Voldemort watched his two apprentices as they stood waiting for him to talk.
Their behaviour was a complete turn around from what it had been during the summer.
They now stood looking at them waiting for instruction rather than having to be forced into the simplest of things.
He handed them two books on wards.
"You will read this book until you can memorise the very pages within it. It will be your bible for the next couple of months because your next task I have you do will require a deep understanding and ability for the magic that is in there," he said firmly.
"Warding?" Harry asked looking at him, making sure his suspicion wasn't showing on his face.
Voldemort inclined his head.
"Will you give us warning before our next task?" Draco quizzed cautiously.
Voldemort smirked.
They took that as a no.
"When you accepted my tutorial you pledged your loyalty. The only questions I will answer will be the ones I want to and you will do what I say whether those questions have been answered or not. I do not bow to you, you bow to me," Voldemort said coldly before forcing them both to their knees.
Hadrian had to bite his tongue to stop himself protesting.
He wasn't made for bowing to others.
"While your detentions do not bother me, I will not allow you to raise more attention onto yourselves. You will achieve high grades, complete any extra work I want you to and you will also keep an eye on Neville Longbottom for me, ready to report back at Christmas,"
The twins shared a look.
Neville?
"My lord, Neville is our friend. A loyal friend. Is your interest in him the same as Dumbledore's?" Harry asked bluntly.
He needed to know why they were all so interested in Neville all of a sudden.
He would protect his friend any way he could.
"The fool is expressing his interest?" Voldemort asked sharply.
"He watches him, subtly but enough for us to pick up on it," Draco said carefully.
"And the boy does he react?"
Harry snorted.
"Neville despises Dumbledore just as much as we do,"
"For the sake of your friend, you had best hope it remains this way," Voldemort said coldly before dismissing them.
The twins shared a look as they returned to Hogwarts.
One thing was for sure.
They were going to have to train Neville in order to help him keep up with the manipulations that were obviously coming his way.
AN: Well there we go after a bit of a wait Chapter 7 :) I hope everyone had a good Christmas and a great New Years :)
Dragons-Twilight1992 - More here : ) Hope you had a good Christmas and New Year : )
cocobyrd87 - I have to agree Daphne brings it on herself maybe if she weren't such an utter twat Hadrian wouldn't be as bad to her. He's not that bad with Indigo after all ;) Haha I have to agree the twins could get into heaps of trouble but Hadrian had a bit of an ulterior motive when he got Draco to skip : ) Hope you had a good Christmas and New Year : )