Chapter 10 - Breakable
Blaise followed Draco as he weaved his way around the prison cells of Azkaban, skillfully avoiding any Dementor attention.
The wind whipped their robes around them as the storm grew exceptionally worse. Draco walked easily through the fierce wind as he remembered the way to his father's cell as he had visited him once before. Back when he was first sent to Azkaban after Draco was married to Astoria he had visited his father Lucius Malfoy. Lucius had been able to attend his only son's wedding before being hauled away by Dementors.
As Blaise turned the corner to follow Draco he nearly tripped over him. Draco was on his knees face to face with a Dementor. Blaise was forced against the hard stone wall as he tried to reach for Draco, to pull him away from the Dementor sucking at his soul.
Draco fought to keep his soul intact as the Dementor sent him to his knees, he thought of Ivie and his son. Scorpius he would name him, he would marry Ivie and they would be a family finally.
"Draco!" Blaise roared trying to free himself from his invisible bonds.
Draco thought about his father stuck here in Azkaban never to see daylight again, the sombre thoughts allowed the Dementor to suck away his happiness. Sorrow filled Draco as he knew Lucius couldn't help him break is marriage to Astoria, he had no wand, no magic. He couldn't be with Ivie, he couldn't see his son. All hope was lost.
Blaise managed to reach for his wand tucked away in his robes. "Expecto Patronum!" He shouted. A large wolf appeared and charged the Dementor attacking Draco, allowing Blaise to drag Draco out of the open corridor and down towards the inmates cells
"Here" Blaised whispered as he passed Draco a piece of chocolate. "What was that all about? He asked.
"Because he's my son" A gruff voice said behind them.
Draco's head snapped around and met with the grey eyes of his father. Lucius was a shadow of a man cowered in the corner of his cold and damp cell, it reminded Draco a little of the dungeons at Malfoy Manor. Lucius' once platinum blonde hair was now a grey colour, his alabaster skin covered in dirt and grime from not being able to shower regularly. His eyes were gaunt and his once dazzling silver eyes now a dull grey.
"Lucius" Blaise nodded.
"Zabini" Lucius replied, nodding in Blaise' direction.
"Father, it is good to see you" Draco said quietly.
"Draco, why are you here?" Lucius snapped. "I told you it isn't safe for you to be here, you have a wife and hopefully children"
Draco laughed lightly. "Father there is much to discuss. But there is a child on the way"
"Oh? Astoria is pregnant?" Lucius replied in surprise.
Draco and Blaise glanced at each other before Draco cleared his throat and explained.
"Father Astoria is not pregnant. I have met someone else."
"What?!" Lucius growled quietly as to not alert the Dementors. "Draco you bring shame to our family name"
"There will be no shame" Draco said sincerely. "Astoria is a fickle woman and she does not satisfy me anymore"
Lucius let out a haughty laugh. "You think any man is completely satisfied by his wife? You have much to learn my son"
"I have found someone who does. She is a stunning, kind woman whom I would die for" Draco stated.
"Who is this woman Draco? Is she a pureblood? She's not a mudblood is she?" Lucius scoffed.
"She is a pureblood." Draco stated. "She is from the Anacardia family in the Netherlands, she studied at Beauxbatons and finished top of her class." He said proudly.
"Ah, I have met her father, a great powerful man. He was a Death Eater for Grindelwald when he was a teenager much like you Draco" Lucius explained. "I met Ivie when she was just a child, a pretty little thing. Your mother and I even proposed your marriage, but she was already betrothed to another"
Blaise and Draco shot surprised looks at one another, he could have married Ivie years ago but her parents gave her to that brute of a man. Draco frowned at the thought.
"Draco, you know you cannot be together if you are both married. I understand she was married into the Bredenberg family, where is this man?" Lucius asked. "Surely he would not let her go to you willingly"
"No but he willingly lays his hands on her" Draco stated darkly.
Suddenly the hair on the back of Draco's next stood up and he had a strange feeling he couldn't quite work out what is was. He closed his eyes slowly and rubbed the back of his neck inhaling deeply.
"What is it?" Blaise asked.
"I'm not sure, maybe after effects from the Dementor" Draco said.
Lucius eyed his son suspiciously. "Draco why are you here? Surely you haven't come to tell me about your love woes"
Draco thought for a moment then dove his hand into his robe pocket and produced his platinum wedding ring. It was a slim band with three small emeralds placed separately at the top. Draco held out the band in the palm of his hand for his father to see. The band needed to be destroyed for the spells to be broken and Draco to be free.
"I need you to break my wedding vows, I need to be rid of Astoria father. Ivie is pregnant with the heir to the Malfoy fortune he cannot be born a bastard. I love her." Draco explained.
"Astoria is already bringing shame to your name Sir, she attracts attention from the Daily Prophet regularly." Blaise added.
"It cannot be done" Lucius snapped. "Draco I do not have a wand, I am the only one who can break the spell and without my wand it cannot be done" He hissed.
"Tell me how I can get around the spells" Draco pleaded.
Lucius thought quietly for a moment, Draco watched him intently still holding out the band in front of them.
"There is only one way" Lucius whispered.
"Tell me" Draco urged.
"Astoria must kill a Malfoy, then she would be cast of the family forever. It is the only other way" Lucius explained.
Draco's eyes went wide in shock. "But there is only the three of us left." Draco gasped.
"You could bring her here, finish the job before the Dementors" Lucius offered.
"No, she would never do it willingly. She wishes to torture me forever" Draco growled.
Draco slammed his fist onto the stone floor in anger. His other hand squeezing the ring in his fist as if to crush it. "It's no use, my only hope is to get you out of Azkaban and your wand returned. It will take years but I will fight, for Ivie and my son." Draco stated.
Suddenly a wave of nausea hit Draco and his head ached painfully, grabbing his stomach he gasped.
"You need to get him away from here Zabini" Lucius hissed.
Draco cried out as the wedding ring in his fist burnt his skin, it rolled in front of them stopping at the opening of Lucius' cell. The emerald jewels were glowing a bright green.
"I don't think it's the Dementors" Blaise whispered as he eyed the glowing ring.
Suddenly the ring started melting slowly until it was a pool of molten silver, the emeralds had stopped glowing and turned black.
Draco grabbed his head as a shooting pain hit him, he heard someone scream his name in the distance.
"It is done" Lucius gasped. "Your vows are broken. Astoria has killed a Malfoy"
"What?" Blaise gasped.
"Ivie!" Draco roared as he disapparated instantly leaving Blaise and Lucius gaping at each other. He had heard Ivie's screams before his father had explained.
"Go Zabini!" Lucius growled and Blaise disapparated.
Draco apparated into Ivie's apartment and searched for her frantically, he went straight to the library which was her favourite place to relax alone. She wasn't in any room he searched in her large apartment, but he spotted blood on the cream carpet in the library.
"Ivie!" Draco called.
Blaise apparated into the foyer of Ivie's apartment and spotted Crabbe and Goyle lying still on the floor. He checked both their bodies for any sign of life, exhaling deeply when he discovered they were dead. Killed by the killing curse. Avada Kadavra.
"Draco!" Blaise yelled. Draco was too busy searching frantically to listen. Blaise grabbed his by his shoulders roughly to stop him. "Stop. Crabbe and Goyle are gone, I don't think Astoria did this alone" He glowered.
"Let me go Zabini" Draco snapped trying to push him out of the way.
"No. You need to stop and think for a second or you will never find her" Blaise yelled. "Stop and think. Get something of hers quickly, preferably with her hair. I know a tracking spell"
Draco ran to the bathroom and produced Ivie's hair brush and thrusted it to Blaise who quickly muttered the spell. It didn't work the first time so Blaise said it louder this time. "Reperio"
A golden light slowly wrapped around the hair brush covered in Ivie's hair. "It normally doesn't take this long" Blaise stated.
"Because she's dying Blaise" Draco whispered as he watched the tracking spell work it's magic intently.
Spotting the vague picture of Malfoy Manor Draco disapparated immediately, Blaise followed.
As Draco and Blaise apparated into the foyer of Malfoy Manor they spotted Astoria escape out of the side doors in the sunroom to the right of the foyer.
"Astoria!" Draco roared as he chased after her, his rage consuming him.
He knew she would have known he was here for her, her wedding ring would have disintegrated like his had only moments ago.
"Blaise!" Narcissa cried from the adjoining dining room.
Blaise ran to aid Narcissa who was tied to the chair, he pointed his wand at the ropes and muttered a spell and they unravelled freeing her hands and legs.
"The dungeons" She said.
Blaise stared at her for a moment. "Go!" Narcissa urged him and he disapparated down into the dungeons.
Draco caught up to Astoria easily as he was much faster than her, she had probably never run a lap in her pampered life. He held her against the outside wall in the gardens by her throat, he held his wand to her chest with the other hand.
His fingers squeezing her throat harshly and she coughed and gasped for air. Her tiny hands scratching at his arms trying to escape his grasp.
"Draco" She managed to say.
"You have dug your own grave Astoria." He hissed. "You did this. You broke our vows all on your own. Killing a Malfoy was the only other way out of our marriage, I suppose you didn't know that when you killed my son" Draco spat as he squeezed her throat tighter.
'Draco'
Draco let Astoria go as he heard his name whispered. He grabbed his chest as his heart ached.
"Draco go" Narcissa said as she pointed her wand at Astoria. "Go to the dungeons now. I'll take care of Miss Greengrass"
Astoria glowered at Narcissa at the use of her maiden name. "You are no longer a Malfoy" Narcissa hissed.
With that Draco disapparated to the dungeons to find Blaise holding Ivie's limp body in his arms. He noticed the pool of blood on the ground behind them.
Ivie's blond hair was coated red with her crimson blood, her lips were wet with blood also as it leaked down her chin.
Draco took her lifeless body from Blaise's arms, a small sob escaped his lips as he held her.
"She's still alive, go take her to St Mungo's she doesn't have long" Blaise urged him.
With that Draco disapparated to the magical hospital, entering the emergency foyer with a pop.
"Please someone help" Draco cried as he lay Ivie in the stretcher beside him.
"Mr Malfoy!" A nurse called. "What has happened? Miss Anacardia is not scheduled until next month."
Draco let out a strangled sob and the nurse gasped as she spotted the blood covered Ivie. Noticing where the source of the blood was coming from she called for help and four other nurses and Healers rushed towards them.
Draco kissed Ivie tenderly on the forehead as the Healers went to wheel her away. "I love you" He whispered. The Healers rushed her away behind the double doors leaving Draco in the foyer alone.
"We will take good care of her Mr Malfoy" The brunette nurse stated as she followed them behind the swinging doors.
Draco paced the room for a while before sitting in the seats along the wall, exhaling deeply as he put his head into his hands. Resting his elbows on his knees he focused on his breathing, silent tears roll down his cheeks and his heart aching.
With small pop Blaise apparated next to him. "How is she?" He asked.
"I don't know, they've been in there for an hour" Draco said quietly, he looked up at Blaise with puffy bloodshot eyes.
Blaise frowned slightly, he placed a reassuring hand on Draco's shoulder. He felt sorrow for his friend.
"I spoke with Riley who will be notifying her parents. They should be here soon." Blaise stated. "Astoria was working with him Draco, he kidnapped Ivie, killed Crabbe and Goyle. Astoria was fucking him."
Draco scoffed loudly. "I'll deal with him later" He spat. "And what of Astoria now? Did my mother kill her?"
"No. Aurors took her to Azkaban" Blaise explained.
"Good" Draco said quietly. "I can't lose her Blaise, I've already lost my son" He whispered as he closed his eyes.
"She will be fine, she's a fighter" Blaise said quietly.
They both looked up as several apparition pops sounded in the infirmary foyer. Draco had never met Ivie's family but he assumed they were as her mother had identical honey blonde hair to Ivie, except hers was pinned elegantly into a bun on the top of her head. Her father had light brown hair with specs of grey scattering the sides.
"Malfoy" Thadeus Anacardia nodded his head towards Draco.
"Oh Draco dear." Ivie's mother Alexandra wrapped her arms around Draco as she saw his distraught features. "Tell us everything" She whispered as she pulled him away to look into his eyes.
Draco sighed and explained what had happened, how Astoria had broken the wards and Dimitri had killed Crabbe and Goyle who guarded Ivie. He struggled to explain to them how he found Ivie and to tell them that his now ex wife had killed their son. He knew that Riley had explained that Dimitri had harmed their daughter before.
Alexandra gasped and let out a strangled cry, Thadeus held his wife in silence, he had not said a word other than to greet Draco.
Riley and Mina had arrived with Ivie's family, Riley ran to Blaise and sobbed into his chest as he cradled her in his arms. They had developed a tender relationship and Blaise had never looked at another woman again. He had finally found the one and he would never let her go, he planned to ask her to marry him he had already purchased a dazzling ring. But he would wait now, out of respect for his best friend.
"I can't do this again, we have to stop him" She cried.
Riley had taken Ivie to the hospital the last time she was left for dead by her husband. She was the reason Ivie had escaped Dimitri the first time.
Draco turned around to face Mina, who looked at him sombrely. Her arm still in a brace around her neck. Dimitri had tortured her and eventually forcing her to drink a Veritaserum potion so she would give up Ivie's whereabouts
"Draco, I'm sorry" She sobbed.
"It's not your fault" He replied.
It had been hours with no word on Ivie from the Healers, Draco paced the halls as her friends and family waited in the seated area. Narcissa had joined them over an hour ago, sitting with Blaise and Riley.
Draco eyed Blaise' hand as he gently stoked Riley's knuckles, Draco was happy for his friend as he thought he would never find anyone and he would end the Zabini line.
"Mr Malfoy" Healer Strout called.
Draco spun around to face her, his eyes wide with anticipation. "Yes" He called as he walked up to her quickly.
"She is asking for you" She said quietly.
Draco exhaled.
"I will allow the family to see her in a little while, she is much too weak just now" She stated to the anxious group in the waiting room."Come with me Mr Malfoy"
Draco followed Healer Strout closely through the halls towards the ward, Ivie had been placed in a private room with a spectacular view. Dating a Malfoy had it's perks in London.
Healer Strout led Draco to the room and allowed him to enter alone, she closed the door softly behind him.
"Ivie" Draco breathed as he rushed to her bedside, placing his hands softly around her face and kissed her lightly afraid he would hurt her.
"Draco" She whispered, wincing in pain slightly as she tried to move. "I'm sorry" a silent tear fell down her cheek.
Draco moved away from her and looked into her green orbs. "Don't. Don't blame yourself for this. I left you alone. I used wards Astoria could get through. I didn't find him and kill him when I had the chance. I'm sorry" He kissed her forehead.
Ivie lifted her left hand slowly to touch Draco's face, her eyelids felt heavy as sleep tried to claim her. Her body was not ready to be conscious.
Draco touched her hand with his, pulling it away slowly he noticed her golden wedding band as he kissed the back of her hand tenderly. He knew she had it glamoured almost permanently, he had never seen it with his own eyes.
"I will fix this" Draco whispered as sleep claimed Ivie once more.
Draco watched her intently for hours as she slept, he would not leave her side. Her parents and her friends had come in to see her but had left hours ago. Draco would not leave, he would not sleep or shower. He would not leave her side until she was home with him. He would take her back Malfoy Manor to live with him where he could protect her with new wards.
He had instructed Blaise and his mother to remove all of Astoria's belongings and redecorate every room that Draco and Astoria had resided in together. Draco pleaded with his mother to switch Master suites with him, hers was the larger of the two, she was somewhat reluctant to give it up. Draco offered her to do all of the re-decorating herself if she would swap, he would not make a single complaint.
Ivie had spent the next eight days in St Mungo's in and out of consciousness, Draco only left her side once when Blaise had forced him to take a shower.
After the 10th day Ivie started to get her energy back, Draco helped her walk gingerly down the halls. He held onto her waist firmly so she wouldn't fall as she struggled to get her balance back.
After the 15th day she could walk down the halls without Draco's assistance and the Healer's were happy to let Draco take her home to the Manor.
Draco helped Ivie into the back of the black Escalade, muggle transport being the safest way to get her home being so weak still.
"What's happening with my apartment" Ivie asked him.
"Riley and Blaise have been staying there.I was waiting for you to tell me what we should do." Draco explained.
"I will sign the deed over to Riley after the weekend, will you call my lawyer please" Ivie stated.
"First thing Monday" Draco stated.
"Thank you" Ivie said as she stared vacantly out of the car window.
Draco watched her searching for any sign of emotion across her face, she had not been herself since she had recovered. Draco had come to terms with his grief for his lost child, he pushed away his emotions so that he could care for Ivie. She had only cried for their son once and she would not talk about her attack. The Healers explained to Draco that Ivie might be suffering from PTSD and PPD, the loss of a child no matter how far along in pregnancy can cause despair.
Draco waiting patiently for her to open up to him, he looked after her tenderly and left her to her own devices so that she would not scold him for coddling her. He would wait by her side until she was ready, no matter how long it would take. He would wait.