The platinum blonde haired seven-year-old bit his lip in frustration. He could not concentrate. The young boy watched as the sunlight streamed into the Manor's main library through the tall bay windows.
The Pure-blood mother canted her eyebrow as she looked at her only child. She shook her head laughing. The boy looked up at her wide-eyed.
"Alright, Draco," Narcissa Malfoy had said, cupping the boy's chin, looking into his eyes. "I think we can end your lesson for today. Why don't you go play outside?"
The little boy nodded as he sprang out of his seat. She watched her son rush out of the library. "Hey, don't forget, you have your Occlumency lesson with your father later this afternoon."
"Alright, Mum," the little boy yelled back at the witch. His mother, an expert Legilimens, although unknown to the rest of the Wizarding World, just shook her head, still smiling.
o-o-o
He had never told his friends that his parents had secretly trained him in both Legilimency and Occlumency since he was five. Draco thanked Merlin for that fact at the very moment.
He looked deep into the child's grey eyes. He concentrated, communicating with her silently as he continued with his malicious diatribe aloud.
"Drew," the young father began telepathically. "Don't listen to what you hear me saying out loud. I'm going to get your mother and you out of here. But you have to do exactly as I say."
Drew's eyes were like saucers as she held her breath. She concentrated on her father's voice in her head. She canted her head looking him straight in the eyes questioningly as if she hadn't "heard" right. She gulped before she reared her left leg, her dominant one. She shut her eyes tight and with all her might she connected with her father's midsection.
Draco was slightly surprised at the child's strength as he fell to one knee, gasping for air. He still held onto Drew's shirt as he held her to the floor for a moment. Then he whipped around and hurled her on her back across the floor toward her mother as if she were a curling stone.
Drew skidded to a stop at the legs of the Muggle-born witch. She turned on her side for a moment, trying to catch her breath.
The small group of Death Eaters that surrounded Draco earlier made a movement towards the child. Draco held his arms up, halting their progress.
"I'll end it myself," he said through gritted teeth, loud enough so that Roxanne called off the others. Draco stalked towards the child and her mother.
o-o-o
"Mommy, your shoulder," Drew said as she quickly went to the witch's side. The little girl touched the blood stained shirt. Hermione groaned softly.
"I'm all right, Drew," she said opening her eyes looking straight at the little girl. Hermione took in a breath as she felt the little palm on her shoulder. She blinked upwards at her daughter.
"Mommy, Daddy was saying some mean things," Drew said as her eyes fluttered.
"Drew, Daddy was just pretending," Hermione tried to reassure her.
"I know, Mommy," the child said, taking a deep breath. Drew's eyes were like saucers again as tears slowly flowed down her cheeks. "Mommy, I kicked Daddy in the stomach."
Hermione actually laughed at the thought. "It's okay, Drew."
"He told me to, Mommy," Drew cried as Hermione just nodded her head. "Daddy's heading this way."
"Everything's going to be all right, Drew," Hermione said softly.
"Mommy," Drew said excitedly, "Uncle Harry, Uncle Dean and Auntie Pansy are here!"
Even in her weakened state, Hermione reacted quickly. She bolted straight up. "Stay behind me, Drew," the Muggle-born mother said, putting herself in between her daughter and the combat zone that was about to unfold.
o-o-o
Draco's heart almost leapt out of his chest as he saw the scarred wizard and the rest of the Ministry aurors. He turned back towards the small group of Death Eaters, turning his wand on them.
"Traitor!" Roxanne screamed at him before she and the rest of the small group dispersed.
Draco tracked the tall dark haired wizard, once his good friend. All he wanted to do now was to rip him to pieces.
Kellen Tanner aimed his wand at the oncoming wizard, yelling out a stunning spell. Draco deflected it. The two former Slytherins dueled as the rest of the wizards and witches seem to pair off as well.
Duels had erupted all over the place; offensive and defensive spells careened off workbenches. Draco dueled zealously against Kellen. They both used shielding spells to thwart the other's offense.
"You should be ashamed of yourself," the hazel-eyed wizard sneered as he deflected a shot. "Allying with blood traitors and Mudbloods, specifically with one whom you swore you'd wipe off the face of the earth given the chance!"
Draco clenched his teeth, remembering his own words. He stepped up his offense. "She's contributed more to our Wizarding World than you will in your lifetime," Draco said tersely.
"That won't change the dirty blood that runs through her veins," Kellen spewed, flinging a hex at his former friend. "Mixing your Pure-blood line with her muddied one won't change the fact that your half-breed is just as filthy as your Mudblood wife!"
"You shit! You have no right to call her that!" Draco said, snapping curse after curse at his former Housemate. Draco looked like he was about to get the upper hand when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.
o-o-o
Hermione saw the fashion model speed towards her and Drew. Hermione again brought Drew behind her as she got into a defensive position. Hermione did not have her wand or any other weapon. She would have to rely on her hand-to-hand combat skills. She took a deep breath as she saw the blonde witch point her wand at the pair.
Hermione pushed Drew out of the way before bracing herself. She hit the ground violently as the Cruciatus curse ripped through her body. She could barely hear Drew call for her.
The blonde Slytherin was within a meter of the pair. Fashion model or not, she had trained to be a Death Eater. She pulled the Muggle-born witch up by her hair. Hermione's knees almost buckled as she looked up at Draco's ex.
"I hate you," Roxanne hissed at the injured witch. "You've ruined the Wizarding World I know. Now I'll finish what our so-called Slytherin Prince wasn't able to because of his weakness for such trash.
"I'll make sure your half-breed will meet the same fate," the witch continued as she pointed the wand at the small child. Drew whimpered.
A shot of adrenaline ran through the Muggle-born witch's system. She reared back and head butted the rival witch causing blood to flow from the pristine face. The force behind the hit caused the wand to fly out of Roxanne's hand. For a moment, both women were dazed. Hermione grabbed onto the witch in front of her. The two grappled.
o-o-o
Draco watched as the blonde witch forced her brunette counterpart to one knee, sneering at her. Draco hesitated. Kellen was able to hit Draco squarely with the torture curse. Draco slammed himself uncontrollably into the wooden floor as the Cruciatus coursed through his body. Kellen stood over the fallen wizard. He spat on him, before he too caught sight of the two witches fighting. He left Draco floundering on the floor.
Kellen stalked toward the pair. He pointed his wand at the Muggle-born's back, ready to use the killing curse on her. He uttered it on the move towards the pair. He was shocked at the turn of events.
o-o-o
Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Drew watched her mother and the other witch wrestle with each other. She also saw the mean wizard walk towards them aiming the slender stick at her mother's back.
"Mommy," Drew said as she caught her mother's eyes. She yelled, "Turn!"
Hermione did not even hesitate. She did as the child suggested. Hermione's brown eyes grew large as she looked at the blue-eyed witch in her arms. Her breath caught in her chest as the former Slytherin had one last look of shock cross her face. Hermione almost felt sorry for her attacker. The fashion model slumped into the former Gryffindor's arms. Hermione's knees buckled as they both went to the floor.
The hazel-eyed Death Eater was infuriated. He came at Hermione raising his wand. He hit her with another Cruciatus, making her writhe. As Kellen closed the distance between himself and the witches, he took in a strained breath, seeing his lover, dead on the floor.
Drew went quickly to her mother's side. The brown-haired witch trembled in pain. "Mommy," the little girl cried as she clutched at her mother's shoulder.
Kellen kicked Hermione in the midsection, sending both mother and daughter skidding a meter away from their original spot. Drew was a bit dazed.
The infamous torturer aimed his wand at his former classmate again. "You'll pay for that, you fucking Mudblood!" he yelled at the fallen witch as he uttered the torture curse at her again, doubling the strength of the previous one.
Drew acted quickly. She knew she had to do something. She rushed at the wizard who didn't even sense the child until he doubled over. "You stop hurting my mommy," the little girl said after she delivered a double-fisted punch into the Death Eater's crotch.
He took in a deep breath before he smacked the child to the ground. Then he did the unthinkable. He uttered the Cruciatus curse again.
"Let's put you in your place, right now. You are lower than the crap on the bottom of my boot," the wizard said scathingly as he watched the little child tremble in pain. He raised his boot about to stomp on the little girl. Drew stared up at the wizard, her grey eyes wide with fear.
He wasn't paying attention. He was lifted off the floor as the Muggle-born witch tackled him into the ground. For a moment, Kellen couldn't catch his breath. He recovered quickly. He pulled her up by her hair.
Hermione fought back. They grappled. In the scuffle, the wizard's wand broke. Kellen pushed her off him towards where the little girl shuddered on the floor. Hermione's shoulder ached. She could feel blood trickling down from the wound again. She looked up at the displeased wizard. His face turned crimson. He yanked the Muggle weapon from his robe quickly cocking the modified nine millimeter.
o-o-o
Draco stood up, shaking himself out of his daze. He saw the two fighting. He watched in horror as the Death Eater overpowered the defenseless witch. He watched as Hermione brought the child under her, trying to protect her from any wayward bullets. Draco knew he had to act fast.
o-o-o
Drew watched from under her mother's arm as the Muggle-born witch tried to protect her only child. Drew's grey irises caught the hazel ones of the wizard who was shooting at them. She flinched after each of the three rounds that were fired from the Muggle handgun. Her eyes grew large as she watched the wizard drop to both knees.
Kellen Tanner looked down at the blood that flowed out of the three bullet wounds at the center of his chest. He coughed before he slumped to the ground.
o-o-o
Draco's breath hitched. He didn't know whether he had cast Protego quickly enough. Everything seemed to have happened so quickly. He saw Hermione cover up Drew and the former Slytherin pulling the trigger of the Muggle weapon. He remembered seeing the hooded serpent encircle Drew and Hermione. He didn't remember how many shots Kellen had fired off. He saw him drop to his knees before toppling over. A few moments later, he saw Hermione collapse onto her side.
Around him, the duels seemed to dwindle. The Ministry aurors were rounding up the surviving Death Eaters. Draco made his way towards the fallen witch just as both Harry and Pansy reached them.
The former Slytherin saw his ex-girlfriend lying on the floor, a glint of silver around her neckline. He took a strained breath and turned to see the bleeding corpse of his former Quidditch teammate. Draco's knees buckled as he heard his daughter sob as she grabbed her mother's shoulder. He saw the blood stain on her scrub top start to grow again. He stumbled towards his wife.
"Pansy," Harry said as he grabbed Drew who struggled for a moment. "Get her out of here."
"She's burning up," Pansy noticed the child's skin turning flush.
"Get her to Hogwarts," Draco said as she nodded. He watched her side-along apparate with the toddler.
"Is Hermione shot, Harry," Draco asked as he finally arrived at Hermione's side.
"There's bleeding from her shoulder, Draco," Harry said as he looked at Hermione's left shoulder.
"Her stab wound opened up," Draco said as he touched the wound. "Harry, I stabbed her with the Dagger of Irses when I was under Obliviate."
"The Dagger?" Harry asked surprised. He turned to his oldest friend and then back towards his former childhood rival, "We have to get her out of here now."
Draco nodded as he felt for her pulse. His eyes widened with fear, as he looked straight at Harry. "I can't feel a pulse."
Harry acted quickly, straddling her hips. "You're the breather," he instructed Draco who assumed his position just as quickly.
Draco said a quick prayer in his head as he quickly waited for Harry to finish his chest compressions. He gave her two quick full breaths before allowing Harry to give her thirty more compressions. He blew two more breaths before the two saw her chest begin to rise and fall on its own. Draco nodded at the scarred wizard as he felt a pulse.
"We have to get her out of here now," Harry said standing up.
Draco nodded in agreement as he, too, stood up. Harry nodded at Dean Thomas. Dean gave him the thumbs up as if to say they had everything under control.
"Wait," Draco said as he rushed towards the female Slytherin. Harry brought the brunette witch into his arms as he watched Draco stoop over the blonde witch. 'This is not the time to be sentimental, Draco,' Harry yelled in his mind. He watched the former Quidditch seeker swipe at the fallen witch's neck.
He rushed back with a silver chain in his hand. Draco took a deep breath as he locked eyes with Harry. "Give her to me," Draco said as he held out his arms.
Harry hesitated but eventually gave Hermione to Draco. Harry grabbed Draco's shoulder and waved his wand, apparating everyone out of the crime scene.
13