DRACO'S POV:
I cursed myself as the large door to the Manor clicked shut behind me. I felt like a snivelling coward. Certainly wouldn't be the first time, the hissing voice said in my head. I shuddered, securing the cloak tighter around me, and took off to the far side of the mansion. The Manor has definitely been neglected since I left. The massive gardens that Mother walked with a horde of elves, ready to tend to any ill flowers, every day, now looked more like a memorial for what the garden was. The bushes and bushes of roses were withered and brown. The one tree standing in the center, that could grow any fruit you desire, was bare and black, charred from dark magic...Someone squeaked, then there was a thud.
"Shh!" a quiet voice hissed. I held up the wand Harry gave me, pausing again when it gave an excited pulse. What a peculiar wand! I approached the voices slowly, nearing the back of the Manor.
"Honestly, Alastor!" a woman huffed. "We knew from the beginning I was a clutz! You can't expect me to stand on solid ground and nothing happens!" The man's voice grumbled something about pink-haired pixies, then yelped. "I told you not to call me that!" I chanced a look around the corner, which made me feel foolish, realizing I was under the cloak, but I didn't move.
It was a group of around fifteen witches and wizards. I could recognize the werewolf, Lupin, and the Auror, Mad-Eye Moody, and I was suprised to see Severus standing there, with a look of annoyance on his face. There was a tiny woman standing near Mad-Eye, her hair caught between a wild shade of orange and white. Lupin was pacing, looking up at the walls of the mansion, his face a sickly shade of white. There were also quite a few Ministry officials there, but I couldn't think of their names. Lupin casted a quick Tempus charm.
"We have twelve more minutes," he groaned, bouncing on his feet impatiently. Mad-Eye and a few others shushed him, getting a glare in return.
"Easy, Remus." The slight woman said, warmly. He gave her a small smile, then continued looking at the Manor wall. I took a step forward, then winced. Mad-Eye Moody's magic eye whipped around in its socket and zeroed in on me. I could tell it could see me. Its focus was to precise.
"Come on out, Mr. Malfoy." Mad-Eye grumbled. "The ferret-thing was a one-time deal."
"So, it was you?" I asked, removing the cloak. He smiled. I balled the fabric up, shrinking it and stashing it in my pocket.
"No," his smile grew into a smirk. "But Harry was more than happy to tell me what had happened." I sneered, which made him chuckled. The small woman stepped forward, stumbling over her own two feet.
"Draco," she started, nervously. "I'm Nymphadora Tonks, your cousin, but please, call me Tonks." She held out her hand, the simple act making her fight for balance. Her hair transformed to solid white, shocking me to take a step back. She held out her hands, giggling. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to mention that I'm a Metamorphmagus." She lowered one hand, offering the other to me. I took it and shook. Her hair gradually grew dark green. She ran a hand through it, admiring it. "That's a new one. Very Slytherin-y." I smiled, despite myself. Mad-Eye jumped between us, waving his wand around like a lunatic.
"Enough with the reunion! We've got to storm the Mansion! We have five minutes." The wizards visibly bristled, brandishing their wands. He walked up to me, coming almost nose-to-nose. "Any way in besides the front door, boy?" Boy?! I stood straighter, using my height to stand a head over him.
"There is a tunnel under the house. My sister," I choked on the word, but pressed on, "My sister and I used it to hide things from our parents." He grunted in agreement, before standing back, urging me to lead them.
"Where?" Tonks asked. Her hair turned orange again, and her eyes turned almost cat-like, anticipating the tunnel's darkness, I guess.
"This way." I started walking towards the stone fountain directly across from the garden. The fountain was similar to the one in the Ministry. All the different magic creatures in the Wizarding world standing on different levels with water pouring from each one. The water wasn't running, though. I've never seen the fountain so dry before. This and the garden spoke volumes on how much of this Manor's excellence was my mother's doing. Worry crept back up in my heart thinking that if I didn't hurry, this mansion would stay dry and dead. If they didn't already think my mother was responsible for that article, me coming for her would definitely put them on her trail. Not to mention Harry coming after me. I sighed.
That foolish, Gryffindor bastard! What made him think I was more capable of finishing this than he was was beyond me! I accepted a long time ago that he was more powerful, taking comfort that I knew more about the world we're in than he did. It was a hard road to trek, believe me. I never thought there would ever be a day that I would accept that no matter what I did, he would always be better.
"Is this it?" Tonks spoke up, pulling me out of my thoughts. She had a hand stretched towards the mermaid's tail, pointing towards the crack running up the carved scales. "Draco, is this how you get in-oomph!" She tripped on a blade of grass, landing on the edge of the fountain, head hanging in the main basin.
"It is now." I said, dryly. She sat up, confused. I walked over to her, bending around to reach the snake coin, embedded in the stone, hidden under the rim. I felt the engraved words with my fingertips and I could recall Issy holding her breath under the water, trying to read the words. The accidental discovery we had when she said the words aloud. "Sum puritatis superbiae sanguis Malfoy."
A loud, thundering rumble came from under the fountain. The stone shook, causing the wizards to back away nervously. Tonks struggled to her feet and stood behind me, amazed. I watched as the stone in the bottom of the basin slid away in panels, into the rim and the earth behind it, revealing a spiralling stone staircase.
"Merlin, Draco!" Tonks gasped. I ignored her, climbing over the rim, and starting down the stairway.
"Come on!" I called. "We don't have much time." I heard more than saw the others climb into the fountain, following me. When we were underground, there were almost a dozen voices murmuring 'Lumos' before the entire tunnel was as bright as the outside. We made our way towards the Manor, the way falling before me easier than I thought. Memories of me and Issy running through the paved tunnels under the house ran through the room with us like ghosts. More than once I could hear her laugh.
Tonks once again, stumbled, almost taking me with her. "Wotcher, Draco." I rolled my eyes. Certainly this clumsiness wasn't a Black trait! "Where does this lead?" The question fell dead when we reached what me and Issy called the Spider Room. Eight tunnels broke off in front of us, some crumbling with what look like spell damage, the others perfectly intact. "Which one?" she asked.
I shook my head, unsure. "This one," I pointed to the one in the center, "leads to the library and sun room." I pointed to the tunnel on the far left. "That one leads to the forest bordering our grounds." I pointed to the crumbling one next to it. "We tried that one, and I think it led to the kitchen, but it had caved in a long time ago." Mad-Eye grumbled impatiently. I sighed. "Look, we don't have time to try each one."
"Then point the one closest to You-Know-Who." Mad-Eye snapped.
I whirled around to face him, my face twisted in a sneer. "If I knew, do you think I'd be standing here?" He moved closer, so close I could smell pepper on his breath.
"Look, kid, if we lose Harry because you're standing here wasting time, I will personally make your life a living Hell."
"And if I lose Harry because I'm standing here bickering with you, I'll pitch myself off the roof of this house!" I heard someone suck in a breath. I didn't care to find out who. "Now that we understand each other..." I turned back to the tunnels, trying to picture how the tunnels fit under the layout of the house. "Now, if that tunnel," the tunnel on the far right, that was completely inaccessible, "leads to the gates, then that one," the one next to it, "leads to my father's study." The main ballroom was next to the main parlour and down the hall from the dining room. "It might be this one," pointing to the decaying tunnel on the right of the center tunnel.
"Might?" That crazed, whirly-eyed Auror repeated.
"Yes, if you would rather Apparate into the dungeons and save snake-face the trouble of capturing you, if not killing you, then by all means, help yourself." He started towards me, but Lupin grabbed his arm, pulling back the ruffled Auror.
"It's alright, Alastor." The werewolf's voice was soft, but worry made the words jagged, forced. "If Mr. Malfoy thinks this is the way, then we best hurry." The Auror snatched his arm back, glowering.
"I hate kids!" He mumbled. I smirked, starting down the tunnel. Everyone, including the embarrassed Mad-Eye, followed.
The tunnel was dark, with only one wand illuminated. Tonk's held up the lone light, smiling at me. She was the only one walking beside me in the narrow pathway. The rest were far back, whispering.
The tunnel weaved and ducked, sometimes narrowing our group to pass through it one at a time. Tiles and dirt periodically fell on our heads, scraping our faces and blinding us in dust. We continued on as quick as we could, despite the decaying tunnel's obstacles. We eventually reached a small trapdoor in the ceiling of the tunnel. The panel was hot to the touch and I could faintly smell soot. We were near the massive fireplace in the ballroom. We heard footsteps above our heads and faint echoes of people talking.
"This is it!" I said, relieved. This was the right one. Harry is right above us, waiting. Now to just open the door-I pushed the latch free and pushed the panel. It didn't budge. My heart sank. "No!" I shoved my body weight into the door. Still wouldn't budge. I grabbed the lock shaking it, trying to loosen the hinges of the panel, when a burst of magic exploded, sending me back into the opposite wall. I faintly heard Tonks crying out my name, but my Mind's Eye swallowed my vision:
Spells flying everywhere. Witches and Wizards, both light and dark, firing spells rapidly...gracefully, like dancers. A woman with white hair dragging a young man with unruly black hair towards a hole in the floor. A snake-face maniac and a curly-haired woman intercepting them, throwing spells. The white-haired woman defending the man, who was defenseless. The two separate. The maniac corners the man. The man faces him, bravery shining like fire in his green eyes. Another flash of green. The eyes lose light. He dies.
A loud boom sounded through the room, pulling me out of my vision. My vision was blurred with tears and I could barely hear Tonks and Snape calling my name over my sobs. I took Snape's robes in my hand, panicked.
"They're going to kill him, Professor! Harry's going to die!" The Potions Master took a grip in my hair, the pain helping me focus on his voice.
"Go and take him somewhere safe." His voice, though calm, cut through my mind like a finely-honed knife. "Save him and your vision won't come true." I nodded, now seeing the wizards disappearing above into the ballroom. Spells and shouts sounded through room above, fuelling my desperation to reach Harry. "Go!" He shouted. I went.
The ballroom was absolute chaos. Spells and jinxes flew inches above my head. The fray was just as I saw it, but the only thing on my mind was getting to Harry. My mother would find him and try to bring him to safety. If I am with them, if there was another wand, maybe, just maybe...
The two were in the middle of the battle, hopelessly searching for an escape. All the entrances were blocked by wizards duelling. Mother was frantic, throwing up defensive spell after defensive spell over Harry while fighting off Death Eaters. Harry stood there, tense, at a complete loss without a wand. I rushed over to them, dodging spells and bodies as they flew all around me.
"Mother!" I called. She spun, wand drawn, then sighed in relief. Harry looked up at my voice, too, his face blurred by the magic shielding him. Mother embraced me tightly, the smell of her hair, lavender, made me want to break down, hold her forever, but a Killing Curse grazed us, singing her hair, pulling us back to reality.
"I missed you, my son." She said over the noise. Harry stepped toward me, but my mother's stern look stopped him. "You stay in there, Mr. Potter! You're the one who needs to live." My heart swelled as I watched my mother protect him as fiercely as she would protect me, if I weren't throwing my own share of spells.
One of the Carrow brothers stepped forward, sneering. My mother was distracted, weaving another shield around Harry. I met his challenge, knowing Harry was in good hands for now. We raised our wands, then he threw a Stinging Jinx. I blocked it, returning with a Body-Bind. He jumped out of the way, letting it hit another Death Eater, who crumpled to the ground in front of Mr. Weasley. He sent a Slicing Spell. I countered with a Sleeping Jinx.
He was getting angrier with each spell. Each spell he sent grew more dangerous, deadly. The determination behind it seemed to make it more than just being on opposite sides. He sent off a Cruciatus Curse, then I knew this is personal. During the duel, my mother and Harry were swallowed by the crowd, completely out of sight. I needed to get out of here and take them with me.
"You slick-haired, spoiled brat!" He yelled, sending another Cruciatus. I blocked it, but just barely, sending back a Disarming Spell. He sent it away as if batting away a wasp. "You and your sister both were so absorbed in yourselves! You thought yourselves so high and mighty!" I fell to the ground to avoid a Burning Hex. "The two of you needed to get a serious reality check, but no one would take the job. So it was up to me..." I scrambled to get up, dread flowing through me like lead. He stalked closer, but I was trapped. A solid wall of duelling wizards surrounded us, and I couldn't see Harry or Mother anywhere. I held up a feeble shield under the angry onslaught of his spells. "Your little bitch of a sister was such a snot-nosed prude!" His choice of words made the dread stronger, but a small spark of anger flared, making myself stand straighter. "She was the Dark Lord's little princess, a Malfoy, his little favorite band of Purebloods, then she had the nerve to not want it. She had you convinced, too, but you were still young. I knew if I left you alive you would come around."
Rage surged through my veins like fire. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the wand Harry gave me glow brilliantly, as if it was hot metal. He fired off another Stinging Hex. I returned with a Choking Hex. He barely ducked it before he kept talking, "That night by the pond was the perfect opportunity." He shot a Leg-Locking Jinx, and it hit. I fell to the ground, my wand landing an inch too far from my hand. I reached for it, but couldn't get it. My heart sank as he stood over me. "You were so pathetic, Draco. Screaming, crying, and fighting like a girl. Your sister was more impressive. She put up the fight of her life." He swatted away my outstretched hand, leaving the wand just barely out of reach. His fingers curled around my throat, squeezing. I gasped, fighting for air, my blood pounding in my ears. "Her thrashing and her screaming made her impossibly tight, Draco. I never thought I would ever have such a good fuck again. Then I realized I still have you. I can't wait to spoil that lily-white arse of yours, little Malfoy." Suddenly, the fingers disappeared with an 'oomph'. I barely caught a mess of black hair before I saw Harry pinning Carrow to the ground.
"He's taken, bastard!" Harry began throwing punches, each one harder than the last. Carrow cowered under the assault. I ran over to them, pulling Harry off of him.
"Harry, stop!" He struggled against me, bucking and screaming in rage.
"He's mine!"
"Harry!" He looked at me, outraged. I held him to me, willing him to calm down. He relaxed only a fraction, but pulled back.
"What are you doing, Draco? He killed Issy!" The Death Eater was still on the ground, stunned, unaware of the battle dwindling behind him, our side outnumbering the Death Eaters. I looked into his eyes. Those nasty, dark eyes that have haunted my memories for years. Endless nightmares where I wanted to be the hero, but only ended up another victim.
"He's mine." I said, darkly. Harry gripped my arm, but I shook him off. He protested weakly, but both of us knew. We shared the memory, so I knew as well as Harry did that this would end the nightmares. This would give me the courage to face Issy's gravestone for the first time. The hissing voice in my head slithered around my thoughts.
Kill, I shuddered. Harry sucked in a sharp breath behind me. Kill. Carrow looked me in the eye, and paled considerably. I couldn't stop staring at his face. His big, burly form that so easily overpowered me and Issy. Issy screaming for help. Her little brother drowning in a pond swirling with his sister's blood, and being pulled out with her corpse. Kill. I reached for the wand, the blue of the wood darkened and smoke curled from the tip. Kill. Anger boiled inside me, overflowing. I held my wand in front of his face, staring coldly in his eyes. Harry placed a hand on my shoulder, as if saying Whatever you do, I'm here. My hand shook as I wove the wand in a complicated pattern.
"Incarcerous." Chains, instead of ropes, snaked around Carrow's body then locked tightly around him, sure to leave bruises everywhere the links touched. I could hear Harry's sigh in relief, then sucked in a sharp breath again in pain.
"He's here." He said through gritted teeth. "You need to get out of here. Take your mother and go back to Hogwarts." I stood, turning on him.
"Me!? What about you? You're the one who's prophecized to die!" Harry cringed in pain, holding his forehead. I took his shoulders, holding him up. He leaned into me, before shoving me away.
"If you stay alive, I'll do what I have to."
Merlin, I thought, He's going to kill him. "No. I'm not leaving you. It doesn't have to be you." All around us, the Order was gathering Death Eaters, piling them together for the Aurors. Surely, some were coming, right? "I'm staying with you."
"No, you are not. Dobby!" The elf appeared with a crack, cowering at our feet. "Take Draco and his mother back to Hogwarts." Mother walked over to us, covered with sweat and burns, but otherwise, untouched.
"Come, Draco." She said softly. "Mr. Potter has the Order of the Pheonix to protect him. We aren't needed here." A lump rose in my throat. I can't leave him. There isn't anything in the world that could tear him away from Harry right now.
"I'm not leaving you, Harry!" I took his shoulders roughly and shook him. "You can't make me!" He shoved me away again. This time I fell.
"Yes, I can!" He said coldly. His face shifted, hard as stone, and hate blazing in his eyes. "Go back to your little room and hide there like the snake you are!" The words hit me like a punch, knocking the wind out of me. I stood, shakily, fighting the burning tears in my eyes.
"You don't mean that." I replied.
"Mean what? That you're a loathsome little arse of a man that always has to have his way or he'll show the world what a little whiny bitch he is? Then, yes, I mean it. Get out of here, Draco." He stretched his neck to the side, grimacing. When his eyes opened again, they looked like the eyes of a snake. "Get the hell out of here, you freak!" He pushed me again, then Dobby. "Take them." Mother took my hand, savagely crushing my fingers in hers, then took the elf's hand. Dobby bowed his head to Harry, then a nod to Mother. Mother loosened her grip on my fingers as the room swirled away from us, and we were immersed in a confusion of sound and color.
My Mind's Eye seared inside my head. An image of Harry's face flashed behind my eyes. His stone hard face crumpled, and the burning in his eyes disappeared as a single tiny tear fell down his cheek. He's going to die! My voice screamed. I scrambled for any solution, any way to go back. Dobby would never take me back. Mother would lock me up in chains if she thought that was the only way to keep me safe, so only one solution could be done.
I braced myself, holding my breath, as I yanked my hand from my mother's grip and Apparated back to Malfoy Manor. Apparating when I don't know how?...Splinching myself for the simple task of going back?...Possibly killing myself just to save the love of my life? How ridiculously Gryffindor-ish of me!