Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers

Chapter 53

Draco's POV

"How did you..." I breathed and a shiver went down my back at the glint in her eye as her fake smile fell.

"Surprised Draco?"

An infinitesimal moment ticked by when my heart ceased beating and my breath turned to ice in my chest and poked into me uncomfortably.

My lips twitched until slowly they cocked into a grin, as I pulled her closer into me, her heat well over mine and grabbed the spoon from her hand and dug into the pie, scooping a blueberry mound and holding it to my lips,

"Of course I am. I'm utterly flabbergasted. How did you make this? I wouldn't have thought you capable of making toast let alone a pie this delicious."

She looked down at me, her pupils dilating at my response and I felt the familiar prodding on my mental barrier and I laughed hollowly, "Alya, no need to infiltrate my mind. I swear, I do find it delicious."

I was accustomed to the slight invisible probing, especially from her. When I first arrived at the Manor and begun enacting my amiable approach towards her, I had been bombarded with legilemency spells for days, she obviously distrusted my newfound affection for her.

So in order to win her over I had taken a huge risk and let her in... Pass the fortress I trained to maintain for most of the year. It was a precarious branch of magic, and something I practiced rigorously over the months. To let one in and show them only what you wished to was not only difficult but it called for such control over your emotions I knew I couldn't possibly be able to do so now. Not when my emotions were on the verge of breaking me from the inside.

She rested her elbows on my shoulders and loomed above me, "Why the occlumency Drake, unless you have something to hide."

I scoffed, "Of course I do." I ran a finger over the curve of her waist and up to her left breast, "I can't have you finding all my secrets now."

She licked her lips and leaned forward and my right hand spanned her waist, "Oh I don't need legilemency to find out all your secrets Drake."

She pressed her lips to mine and I glanced at the pie that she placed on the floor as she massaged my tongue, she caught my eye movement and she leaned back, "Prefer the pie to me then?"

I snickered and kissed her neck, "I'm just curious is all."

"Oh... about?"

The last word came out as a moan as I flickered over a particularly sensitive spot. I had sacrificed so much to release mother, to make Alya believe that I actually cared for her. I showed her images of my most personal moments, memories when I was wracked with tears at the mission that was passed onto me.

I had practically taken her in the Drawing Room the first day, pretending to be thirsty for passion as I clutched at the straws that were my life. I couldn't jeopardise it all by making one wrong move. One poorly chosen word.

I released her neck, a blemish glaring down at me on her pale skin and I leaned back, against the grass and sighed, "You seemed... different. Like that pie... I don't know." I cocked my head up at her expressionless face, "Pie was some sort of big reveal."

I felt the grass prickle at my back as she magicked my shirt away, she ran her hands across my chest and I bit my lip, pretending like her touch had an effect on me, when in reality I was a bundle of nerves just to find out the truth.

I felt her tongue flicker at my abdomen and I prevented a squirm and cancelled my attempt to regain calm. Any increase in breathing and heart rate could easily be blamed on her ministrations.

I glanced at the pie again, there was no mistaking it. That was the pie Granger had made for Theo. The scarlet bow that adorned it was a trademark of hers; why else would she bring out the pie... it had to be significant... unless she had found out about Kyra? Didn't Theo give Liam a pie for Kyra's birthday... That would mean Alya broke through the wards in my quarters?

They would be no way she would believe any feigned ignorance on my part, I was hiding Kyra in my quarters after all... what was the purpose of the pie though? If Alya found out about Kyra why not disclose the information... or use it to her advantage. The pie was an absurd addition to this whole matter... unless... Alya loved dramatics... this was her way of...oh Salazar Liam and Kyra are probably-

"Theodore Nott is dead."

Her blue eyes leered up at me from her spot at my navel, I watched as they bore into me, taking in everyone of my reactions which I couldn't even feel as my whole body was petrified by her words,
"What?" I gasped.

She cocked her head to the side as I scrambled up, my palms pressed to the grass, her lips twitched and I fought the urge to curse her right then and there for her pleasure in my pain, my elbows shaking as the pressure on my palms increased.

"You seem surprised?" Her right brow arched, a raven line of inquisition and I glanced back at the pie. Theo? No? Impossible?

Her look of scrutiny faded fast, replaced by a placating face feigning sympathy and she touched my cheek and I stilled my body, preventing the flinch, "Drake, darling, relax. I'm actually happy at your surprise. I see you are truly confused and that makes me all the more ecstatic. After all I don't even know what I would do if I was with someone who knew their best friend fucked mudbloods."

Her pale, slender shoulders shook as she shivered to express her disgust with the matter but I pushed her hand off my face.

"Theo doesn't fuck mudbloods Alya." I stood, "Whatever your source-"

"He said so himself."

I swallowed, my hands were shaking and my lips trembled. Dead? Theo?

"Last night." She laughed, "You should have seen Nott's face. I thought he would literally explode, I've never seen anybody that angry before." Her eyes widened in excitement, "I always thought he was a bit plebeian... thick really considering he's part of the Muggle Hunting Committee. You know they leave that for the dullest of the bunch but I truly saw why the Dark Lord chose him has head now! It was horrific," She laughed, "Blood everywhere, and that Theodore had such cheek. He admitted to the whole thing when confronted, even stood to strike his father when he called the mudblood a bitch. Drake?"

She rose, her hand outstretched as I backed away. Theo? Nott found out? Fuck... no... no...

Her smile fell and she walked towards me, her face stern and blotched with angry red spots in reaction to my ashen faced shock, "Draco! After everything I've told you, you're mourning over the boy! HE FUCKED A MUDBLOOD! He BESMIRTCHED his heritage, his blood line, his very SKIN with that FILTH! And he had the sheer AUDACITY to DEFEND the BITCH!"

My head was shaking and her thin fingers wrapped around my elbows and she shook me, a useless attempt as even at my weakened state I was stronger than her, I pushed her hands off me and ran into the Manor, half pushing, half leaning on the large oak doors for support.

I knew this would happen. Salazar I knew, I knew! Fuck!

"Draco!" Mother gasped, running from the Drawing Room, "What's the matter." She quickly wiped my face which was lathered with tears and pulled me to her, staring at Alya who had just walked in.

She shrugged innocently, "I was just telling him about Theodore Nott."

"What about Theodore?"

He can't be dead. No.

"Trevor Nott found out that his son was fornicating with a mudblood. He half blew the whole Manor apart with rage, which would be such an improvement considering the place looks just ghastly. You'd think it was designed in the dark which is no far cry considering they seem to be opposed to lighting a lamp. Oh and the retched smell, like rotting corpses." She laughed, "Maybe old Trevor takes his work home with him."

I turned in one movement and had her plugged against the wall in the next, "Shut up."

It was a whisper, but it was quite an accomplishment on my part as my throat was so constricted air was barely making its way through.

She laughed louder, cocking her head to the side as I felt mothers hands at my back, "Drake, when will you let it sink in. The BOY is DISGUSTING. Imagine, having SEX with a MUDBLOOD! I don't think you're getting it! He's been SCREWING a MUDBLOOD!"

I'll kill her. Why was I even wasting my time with coercing her and manipulating her? I'll just fucking kill her and then all this misery of having her hands, her scent, her fucking lips on me will be gone.

"Ahhh." I let go of Alya as if she were fiendfyre and snapped around, mother had sunk to the floor, holding her head in pain.

"Mother." Her screams never stopped and I pulled her to my chest, "ALYA! STOP IT!"

She scoffed, "I'm not doing anything. Don't you know, this is just how your mother deals with stress? Or should I say doesn't deal with it." She sighed in condescension, "I'll fix it. Stupefy."

"DON'T touch her!" I snapped, holding her tighter but I felt the effects of the spell weigh mother down as she sunk in my arms. I'll kill her... I'll kill her...

If I kill her though, Blishwick and Bellatrix will kill me and then how would mother handle that. I let our weight sink into the floor and I ran a hand through her hair and I looked up at Alya, her angry blue eyes and scarlet cheeks and my chest shook, the floor shook, everything shook.

And then... stillness. No more tears, no more screams... absolute calm.

"I'm sorry." I ducked my head down, concentrating on mothers blonde locks as my fingers trembled, "I'm... I can't believe this. Theo and I... I would never have imagined... are you absolutely sure?" My voice was soft yet clear.

She sighed and fell into the sofa, crossing her bare legs with an offhand expression upon her porcelain face, "I told you, he admitted to his guilt. He admitted to loving the thing Draco. I know you must be in shock, I can only imagine, but you do see why he deserved it now, right?"

Mother's soft breathing caressed my neck and I looked down at the white carpet, biting my lip as if the pain will rein in my anger, "You... you seem well informed on this whole matter..."

She smirked, "That I am. Considering I was the one that informed poor Nott-"

"You told!" Her eyes glinted at the tone in my voice but I couldn't control the rage, my hands shook at mother's waist.

"Of course." She shook her head adorning me with a pitying expression, "That is the responsibility of a pureblood Draco. Our kind makes such things our business because it truly is everyone's business when one of our own consorts with such filth. Surely you would have done the same if you found out first?" She stood, "Enough of this. I understand this is shocking but Morgana, stop this." She gestured to the floor where I was kneeling with mother in hand, "You're taking longer to process than Theodore Nott is taking to die."

"What?"

There was a loud chiming that echoed through the Manor and Alya clutched her chest in stupefaction, "It's six! Draco, the party is at seven. Get Aunt Cissy up and dressed!"

Is...is taking to die.

"Draco?" Her voice heightened in exasperation and she pointed her wand again at mother, "Ennervate."

Mother began twisting in my hands and I let her fall out of my arms without objection.

Is taking to die.

"I'm taking Aunt Cissy upstairs to change." I glanced up to find her pulling mother to her feet, "I suggest you do the same." She shook her head at me one last time, all previous attraction and teasing swept off her face by the miserable image that I posed.

Is taking to die.

Trevor Nott was a sadistic bastard; his methods of torture were legendary. They say that he's never used the killing curse on a muggle before. He was the kind of sick, perverted, unscrupulous bastard that would break a man emotionally and physically... surely he would treat his son better?

No... there would be no mercy. If the Malfoys and Blacks had pureblood mania, the Notts had a hatred for muggles to the same degree. Not just wanting to keep them out but to rid the world of them on a whole. Theodore's grandfather was the author of the Pure-blood Directory, outlining the sacred twenty eight families... Trevor would kill before he lost his place in that fixture...

"Draco?"

I snapped my head up at the feminine voice, drowning in my thoughts my feet led me to my quarters and into Liam's room.

Is taking to die.

I glanced away from the table where Liam and Kyra were framed in astonishment and turned on my heel. I heard the clatter of silver on porcelain as I ran to my room, I was halfway to my fireplace before a firm hand fell on my shoulder.

"Draco! What is it, you like you've seen a grim or something? What's happened?"

I pushed off Liam and grabbed the floo powder but it was knocked out of my hand.

"Fuck off Liam!" I shouted, grabbing for the powder for a second time but finding it disappeared, I turned and glared at him, only to find Kyra tentatively holding the pot of glistening powder in her trembling, unsure hands.

I swallowed, reminding myself of her sensitive condition considering her gender and took a deep breath, "Kyra, hand me the powder."

"She's not giving you the powder." Liam straightened up, exposing his true height in the expansion of his chest, "Not until you tell me what's the matter?"

"I don't have time for this!" I growled, walking towards the girl but meeting the sandy haired fool instead, "Liam! Theo's life depends on this! GIVE me the FUCKING powder!"

"Theo?" He said dumbly whilst the ebony skinned woman flinched at my tone, "His life... what is it?"

I glanced back at the fireplace, I didn't have time for these games! Merlin knows how long he was... he could be...

"I can't do this now Liam, please, just... time is-"

"Draco, you need to calm down." I felt hands on my shoulders and I shrugged it off.

"There's NO time for calm LIAM! Theo is lying half dead or dying or something somewhere and... They've FOUND out! That bastard of his father found out about Granger and I KNEW! I TOLD him a hundred times that THIS would happen!"

I grabbed at my hair and fell back into my armchair. There was no good that could come of this, yes he was happy, sickeningly so but what's the use now.

I stood, there was no time for all of this. I walked towards Kyra as Liam looked stupefied by my very words but as I reached the girl she flung the pot against the wall.

As the powder floated to the floor I screamed in agitation, half lifting my hand to strike the damned woman but halting my action by closing my palm into a fist that attacked the mantelpiece.

"DRACO!" Long fingers closed on my arms and I was turned about, "Please, you must not-"

I pushed the woman off me and walked to the door, I'd have to use mother's. I pulled the knob but it wouldn't open.

"FUCKING HELL LIAM-"

"You can't-"

"-IF YOU DON'T UNLOCK-"

"-just barge in there-"

"-THIS DAMNED DOOR-"

"-you're acting like-"

"I'LL FUCKING-"

"DAMN GRYFFINDOR!"

I froze at his shout and glared at the boy as he made his way quickly over to me, taking advantage of my silence, "You must think Draco! Think this through! Theo would have wanted it. He wouldn't want you to just barge in! You can't just take his side! Not when they've found out what his done. Please... just tell me... let's think this through."

I looked away from his pleading hazel eyes and at the carpet, he was right. Salazar he was right but time. "There's no time."

"There will be no time if you act in haste, better a belated well thought out plan than a premature hasty one, the latter almost always ends up with someone dying! Draco, just let me help you. Let me help Theo. He's my friend as well."

I clutched my forehead as a piercing pain shot through it, "Liam, I don't think we can." I swallowed as my voice choked out and I growled, "Alya told his father about Granger and Nott's got him... I don't even know! She just said that he's dying. Slowly. I don't know." I fell back into my armchair, the grief immobilising me as it sunk in. Theo... dead...

"Alya told you this." Liam whispered and I looked up, my head lowering with the heaviness of it all.

"Yes. She was baiting me with Granger's pie, trying to see if I would react and judging... I can't believe... I knew this would..." I stood, "She said he is dying! I have to go!" I walked to the fireplace... is! Is! IS!

"No. You're not going! Don't you see what she's done? She's baiting you! Testing you! She wants to see you go there. She wants to see if you help him! Draco, you go there and you'd be assuring her that you're not on her side! She'll know you've been playing her!"

"I CAN'T JUST LEAVE HIM THERE!" I shouted, "I can't just...I can't... I...I..." His words sunk in and I leaned on the mantelpiece for support... he was right... so right... it would be just like her to do this... do this... sacrifice Theo's life just to..."What have I done. Salazar..."

"You've not done a thing Draco. Sit." I was pushed into a seat, "Now listen, if you're right we really do not have a lot of time. We might have run out of time already. We need to go to Theo."

"You don't really." Her voice trembled much like her hands did but confidence grew on at my defeated stature, "What you need is... Mungo's. Right. We can just floo call the hospital-"

"They'll never make it pass the guards and the call can be easily traced back here but you are right Kyra." There was a hint of pride in his voice as he looked upon the girl, "He needs Mungo's so that's where we take him."

"That's what I was trying to do before she destroyed my chance of doing that." I muttered, Alya said this happened last night, it was almost night again. Twenty four hours. Surely anything...

"Draco, Alya probably has people over there, ready to convey the message if you arrive. Get up." I let him pull me to my feet, unable to resist even if I tried. Theo and I have been friends since we were five. He was the only one that ever challenged me. He and Blaise were like... Salazar... how was I going to tell Blaise?

"Polsky!" There was a click and the elf appeared.

"You summoned, Mister Rheines."

"Yes. Master Malfoy needs help with his dress robes; he is not feeling too well."

"What?" I looked at the boy, "I'm not-"

"You are. You have to dress as quick as possible and go downstairs. Make sure she sees you're downstairs. Leave it to me-"

"No." I snapped, "You can't-"

"NO Draco! YOU can't. You can't let her find out. You can't have done all of this for nought. You can't just throw it all away. I'll be OK. You just make sure you get down as soon as possible."

"No-"

"Draco." I glanced down at the soft touch and I half wanted to fall into her. It had been such a long time since I felt anything warm, Alya was so cold, even if her skin was soft it was so invasive, "Please. Listen to Liam."

"I am." I turned back to the boy, "Don't you think she'll realise you're gone as well. You doing this will be just as good as me doing this."

Doubt flickered across his features but before the boy could speak there was a flash of green flames.

"KYRA!"

Liam ran to the fireplace but it was too late, the girl was gone. He ran to the door but I grabbed him, a sudden clarity doused on me, "You can't follow her. Change quickly and meet me downstairs-"

"I can't-"

"YOU HAVE TO! We can't go after her, even if we use the other channels we lose our alibi, you have to change, quickly, go downstairs-"

"BUT KYRA!"

"Trust her!" I snapped, "She was smart enough to sneak some powder and make use of our distraction..." I swallowed, "And if they are guards... she has a wand right. You've been teaching her."

"Stupid household charms!" He looked at the fireplace with longing. "Merlin... Draco I have to go after her."

"I know you want to... but..."

"You don't understand... I love her!" He spat, half desperation to follow her and frustration at my prevention.

I opened my mouth, a thousand reasons to facilitate my need for him to remain behind, the base being he needed an alibi, if he didn't have one I might as well kiss away any hopes of manipulating Alya under my wing, all that hard work... gone...

Yet not a word fell out, I just looked at the boy, in utter defeat and stepped out of his way.

I could request many things of Liam, but the one thing I couldn't do was prevent him from going after the woman he loved.

It would be truly hypocritical of me.

"Liam," He turned, halfway to the door, taking deep breaths to fuel his sprint to mother's fireplace, "Be careful. Theo is a priority but... either way I don't expect to lose a friend tonight."

He nodded, "Just dress and go downstairs Draco, let us fix it."

"I thought you were in France?"

His dark grey eyes tore away from the paper, sometimes I wondered if that was all he did, surely there wasn't enough news in the world to keep you constantly consumed by it all.

"I could hardly leave when Narcissa was taken ill; I suppose it is best I accompany her to the Fawley's."

I busied myself with getting comfortable in my armchair rather than concentrate on his words. I was far from naive, I knew mother was a beautiful woman that was aging gracefully and when compared to her sister I can hardly blame Rodolphus for... caring for her... as long as that's all he was doing...

"You don't have to bother, I'll be there."

He scoffed, tearing his eyes away from the print to cock a brow at me, "I doubt you'd have enough time to breathe let alone look after your mother. I was a young pureblood once, I know what those things are like. You'd think you were a ware in a street market, none are as generous and accommodating as a competitive girl." He sipped his whiskey and flicked a long black strand out of his eyes, "Speaking of which-"

"Oh, not you too." I sighed, glancing up the stairs. It had been twenty minutes since Liam left and I was having a harder time than I thought possible remaining calm. His charcoal orbs flittered up the stairs as well, "Not that it's any of your business," I spat, intending to distract him with my rudeness.

It worked as he turned back to his paper with a shrug, "The future of this family is not just your business, but is all of ours, especially with Lucius unable to..." He sighed and turned his attention back to the paper, "Oh fuck it. Just don't wait too long on it or you'll get left behind."

There was an amused glint in his eye due to the absurdity of a Malfoy heir being left behind and I was justly distracted by his unusual conversation. Rodolphus was not a man of words and when he was he almost never was a man of so many words. I knew Aunt Bella and him had a terrible marriage marred with contrasts of complete indifference or constant fighting.

There was the distinct sound of heels on tiles when Alya ran into the room, her cheeks flushed and blue eyes wide, they fell on me instantly and I bit back a smile. Something obviously happened, as this was what we were waiting for.

I stood as Rodolphus paid no attention to her presence and Alya walked forward, scrutinizing my every feature, I laughed, "You stare any harder and you'll make me blush."

Her lips were in a firm line, "Where is Rheines?"

"Liam is here, Alya darling." Mother walked in with Liam on her arm, looking debonair in the slick backed do, hazel eyes bright and staying far away from my silver one's, "That dress looks wonderful on you, I knew green was your colour."

Her face remained stoic as she took in Liam, from his immaculate grey dress robes to the comfortable complexion on his face; it looked like he had been ready and waiting all afternoon. She glanced back at me, her electric blue eyes darting from my shoes to my cufflinks and for once I was grateful for father insisting I dress perfectly with magic, it saved such a tremendous amount of time.

"How are you feeling?" I walked towards mother, taking in her soft face that looked pale in her black gown.

She waved her hand in dismissal in response, "I'll be fine. I was just..." She tilted her head up at me, "I never expected this of Theodore. I still can't believe..." She clutched her chest, "Surely Trevor could have spoken to him. To think him... dead... when just the other day..."

I glanced at the walls, pretending discomfort, knowing by Liam's calm presence that all was well.

"He isn't dead." Alya spat out in annoyance, "He was checked into St. Mungo's a few minutes ago. Turns out someone rescued him from Nott Manor." Her eyes fell on me and I leaned forward, intrigued.

"I can't pretend I'm not a little relieved by that." I smiled down at her and her blood red upper lip twitched, I lifted her French manicured fingertips to my arm and walked to the fireplace, "It was wrong what he did, I know that, but I don't think death was the answer."

"You're too soft. Just like whoever managed to save the blood traitor." She moaned, but there was a mischievous glint in her eye that betrayed her words. Alya may have run down here, thinking to find me absent but she was very pleased at my presence.

She was happy that I stayed.

"Oh, and it is the answer."

"Pardon?" I tossed the glistening green powder into the large fireplace and gestured her to go ahead. She walked into the green flames camouflaging her green dress.

"For betrayal. There's no level. Betrayal is betrayal, whether it is against father, family, lineage... lover. The answer is always... death."

The word slithered off her lips like silk and with a burst of flames she was gone...

Please review!

Kalina