The Bond of Brothers
A/N: While this does use elements and certain events from HBP, please bear in mind that it does not make this story canon. This is not DH compliant nor is it compliant with the second half of HBP – meaning no Horcruxes.
And thank you to my reviewers! Kari Minamoto, sailorroxy, HarryPotterFan
Again, I just want to apologize for choosing to rewrite this story rather than continue the old version. Personally, I just felt it wasn't my best, and I really wanted to do the story justice. I wasn't inspired to write anymore, and trying to re read it I realized I had a lot of room for improvement. Hopefully, you all like this one just as much or even better than the last!
Chapter One:
July 31, 1996 – 23:56
He should be asleep. Ron certainly hadn't had any trouble drifting off if his muffled snores were anything to go by. He should be happy and content. Mrs. Weasley had certainly put in enough effort to make his birthday special. He should be grateful that he was at the Burrow, surrounded by people who considered him family. He most certainly shouldn't be only thinking about the people who weren't there, who'd never be there anymore.
Yet, as he laid in the dark, soft moonlight trickling in through the window, his thoughts inevitably drifted back to the Department of Mysteries. Memories of what he lost that night, of what he'd caused, would have been more than enough, but coupled with the haunting words of the prophecy, Harry found himself unable to think about little else.
He still didn't understand how words could hold such a sway over his life. It just didn't seem fair that he wasn't given a choice. What happened to the belief that each man decides his own fate? Well, he thought bitterly, he did have one choice – kill or be killed.
His friends knew something had happened between him and Dumbledore, and they'd tried on more than one occasion to get him to share it with them. Each time, however, he'd changed the subject or simply ignored them. He wasn't sure why he hadn't told them, the rational part of his mind telling him that they would stand by him no matter what. And yet, it was this very reason that made him afraid. His life was tied to the very black heart of the coming war, and he didn't want to see Ron and Hermione drug down with him.
Strangely, he found it harder to hold his tongue around Ginny. The two had grown closer since the Department of Mysteries. For the first time, he'd begun to realize that Ginny was much more than just his best mate's little sister. She was stronger than she looked, had a temper to match her fiery hair, and seemed to understand him better than anyone else. Lately, he found himself wanting to share everything with the girl, to tell her all his fears and doubts. But, if he was afraid to put Ron and Hermione in danger, he was terrified of pulling Ginny into the line of fire. She'd already been through enough because of Riddle, and he couldn't bear the thought of putting her in more pain.
He glanced over at the clock, noting that he had only one more minute left of his birthday.
Born as the seventh month dies…
The night whispered in his ears. He shut his eyes tight, breathing deeply to clear his mind. As sleep continued to evade him, he wished, as he'd done every night this summer, that he'd tried harder to learn Occlumency. Silently, he vowed that this next year would be different. He'd spent enough of his life reacting in defense. It was time to go on the offensive, even if he had to do it alone.
000
July 31, 1996 – 23:59
The firewhiskey burned all the way to the pit of her stomach, but the pain didn't deter her from taking another swig from her glass. She drank the disgusting liquid only once a year, and that was this night.
"Happy Birthday," She whispered into the empty room, her voice bitter, her face lined with defeat.
The years had not been kind to Narcissa Malfoy. Yes, she still looked every bit the part of the aristocratic, pure blood wife on the outside. That was all an act, however, a careful front she'd been putting up for most of her life. Just below the surface, a place no one bothered to look, was the portrait of a broken mother who had failed to protect the ones she loved.
Her thoughts drifted to the boy, for he was still a boy, who was sleeping in his bedroom two floors up. Hot anger made her vision flare. She'd known from the beginning that the Dark Lord was a sadistic bastard who cared for no one, obsessed with only his own power and the acquisition of more. She'd tried, Merlin knows she'd tried to shield Draco from him, from Lucius' foolish devotement to that madman. All through his childhood, she worked secretly behind her husbands back, trying to instill Draco with not only cleverness but morals, ones she knew he'd never learn from his father. And, although she could not blot out Lucius influence completely, she had been thankful that her son had been able to avoid direct involvement with the Dark Lord, even after his return.
That is, until two days ago.
Now her precious son had been branded with that monsters mark, and given a suicide mission in punishment for his father's failure.
Growling with rage - at herself, at her husband, at the Dark Lord - she through her now empty glass into the barren grate where it smashed into a dozen jagged pieces.
"Bluffy!" She called out, and a second later a small house elf popped into the room.
"Yes, Missus?" The elf squeaked.
"Clean that mess up," She ordered, waving at the remains of her glass. The elf started forward, conjuring a brush and a dustpan.
"Wait," Narcissa spoke, a steely glint in her eyes. "First, fetch my cloak." The elf bobbed her head, popping away only to return with an elegant yet plain black traveling cloak. Taking it, she slung it over her shoulders and secured it, pulling the hood up to cast her face in shadow.
"Will the Missus be gone long?" Bluffy inquired.
"I'll be back before dawn," Narcissa replied, walking briskly to the door. For sixteen years she'd stood on the sidelines, but the Dark Lord had just broken the last straw. She was a descendant of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, after all, and it was not in her nature to accept failure. She'd vowed to protect her family, and it was time to be true to that promise. "I need to visit an old friend."
She flung wide the door. The night was oppressively dark, the stars and moon shrouded by low hanging clouds, but Narcissa barely noticed "Do not speak of this to Draco," She ordered Bluffy before spinning on the spot, disappearing with a small pop.
A few minutes later found her standing outside of a dingy looking house in the middle of a sleepy muggle neighborhood. Lifting her pale hand, she knocked sharply on the door, exercising great restraint to keep herself from barging straight in without waiting for an answer. Finally, after what seemed like ages, the door opened revealing the sallow face of Hogwarts' Potions Master.
"Narcissa," Severus greeted as he caught sight of her. "What a pleasant surprise."
"I must speak with you," Narcissa declared, brushing past Severus as she made her way into his house, not bothering to wait for an invitation.
Severus raised an eyebrow, the corners of his thin mouth turning down. "But, of course," He replied, closing the door on the now empty doorstep, following her into his own sitting room. She wasted no time in shedding her traveling cloak, laying it neatly over the back of the sofa and sitting down. Folding her hands in her lap, she looked at Severus with impatience.
Only hesitating for a moment, Severus mirrored Narcissa, settling himself into the armchair across from her, a puzzled look on his features. "What can I do for you, Narcissa? I only assume it must be urgent to call at such a late hour."
Narcissa ignored the undertones of annoyance in the Potions Master's voice, choosing instead to get straight to the matter of her visit.
"Severus," She started, her voice firm. "You are aware of the task the Dark Lord has set to Draco?" She was sure she already knew the answer, and was unsurprised when Severus inclined his head in affirmation.
"Is this why you have come to call? You know there is little I can do to convince the Dark Lord to relieve Draco of the assignment," Severus drawled, arching a lazy eyebrow.
"Of course not," Narcissa waved her hand at the obvious statement. She was not so foolish to hope that anyone could persuade the Dark Lord once he had made up his mind. "I have come to ask your help on another matter."
Severus sat up straighter. "And that matter is?"
Narcissa sighed, preparing for the coming conversation, one she was sure would be filled with many hard questions and equally hard explanations.
"You're Draco's favorite teacher, Severus, and you are an old friend of both mine and Lucius. If it had been up to me, you would have been named his godfather." Severus' eyes widen slightly at this admission, but he made no move to interrupt. "I have always trusted in you, and not simply because of your service to the Dark Lord."
"Oh? What else have I done to garner such trust?" He calmly asked.
"You have been, and still continue to be, a spy for the light." Narcissa watched Severus carefully as she spoke, awaiting his reaction.
At first, he stilled, not even blinking, but, quickly regaining his composure, he replied, "Yes, it is true I have passed on valuable information to the Dark Lord-"
"You know that is not what I said," She cut Severus off. "I trust you because you are a spy for Dumbledore. You do not blindly follow the Dark Lord as does my husband and my sister. I trust you because you, too, have lost someone you loved by his hand."
Severus slumped back in his chair in utter shock, his eyes slightly pained with the ghosts of the past. "I don't understand," was the only reply he could manage. If the situation had not been so grave, Narcissa surely would have laughed out loud. It was not often the surly potions professor found himself flummoxed or at a loss for words.
"I am a very observant woman, Severus. More so than my sister Bella, for which you should be grateful. I see things many people do not."
Severus shook his head, trying to adjust to the unanticipated situation. "I thought you were a supporter?"
"Although most forget or assume incorrectly, I am not a Death Eater," Narcissa stated, her voice tinged with annoyance. "I have never believed in the Dark Lord. I am, however, not stupid enough to outright oppose a powerful mad man. I have only ever supported Lucius because he is my husband, and I have done everything in my power to shield Draco from his influence. In this task, I am afraid, I have failed." Narcissa turned her sad gaze down as she finished, her voice filled with guilt.
There were a few moments of silence, and then Severus spoke, "I don't understand how I never saw your actions for what they truly where. I'm sorry I doubted you." His voice was sympathetic. He, too, knew what it felt like to fail to protect the ones you hold dear.
"I never meant for anyone to," She replied, lifting her eyes to meet his. "And now I need your help, Severus. I need you to protect Draco. I refuse to lose him to this war. I cannot stand to see him driven to the limits his father has been pushed to."
Severus nodded, his dark eyes serious. "I promise you, I'll do anything in my power to protect the boy. But you must understand, he has been assigned a difficult task."
"And it is my hope that he will never have to complete it."
Severus' eyebrows furrowed at the statement. "If Draco is to survive, I see no other solution but for the task to be done, one way or another."
"There is always another option, Severus. You just have to know where to look."
"Clearly, you have already found it."
Her gaze drifted off to the side, a haunted look in her eyes. "It was never truly lost to begin with, just buried so deep I was too scared to even think of it before. I realize now that I have waited far too long."
Severus waited for her to continue, but when it appeared she was lost in thought, he leaned forward and gently placed his hand on her arm.
"Narcissa?" He asked quietly, successfully grabbing her attention. She turned to look at him with wide eyes, and he could see the trace of a solitary tear at the corner of her eye.
"Only three other people know of what I am about to tell you. Two of them are dead, and the other was voluntarily obbliviated to erase all knowledge of the secret. The Dark Lord must never know," She paused, staring directly into his eyes.
"Will you make the Unbreakable Vow?" She whispered.
Severus didn't even pause. "I will."
And so, in the hush of the night, the wizard and the witch who were neither of them as they seemed, linked hands and a vow was made. Then, for the first time in her life, the witch divulged her most guarded secret, praying to any deity that might be listening that she was making the right choice.
000
End Chapter One. Please Review!
And don't forget to give me your opinion on what you'd like to see:
1- Harry/Ginny Ron/Hermione Draco/Astoria(although this pairing would only be alluded to if anything)
2- Harry/Ginny Draco/Hermione Ron/Luna(this pairing would mostly be in the background)
I really am still undecided. It's just so strange for me to think of deviating the relationships from canon. I admit, I'm leaning more towards Draco/Hermione, but it could go either way.