The Leader

Chapter 58

Narcissa closed her eyes as she began to meditate from where she sat in the conservatory. The sun was warm against her skin, but Narcissa didn't feel it, or the breeze that filtered through the open window. Her son had dropped off into a fitful sleep, which would last maybe an hour or so before he was awake again. The thought of it had Narcissa swallowing thickly. Lunch time was the only time she allowed herself to cry, only when she was alone of course, she was a pureblood and she had decorum. Yet traitorously a tear ran down the side of her face. Day by day she was losing her son, she'd already lost him, really, there was no miracle waiting for them despite her hopes and prayers.

No, no miracle, just her son begging – his own mother – to end his life. It wasn't something Narcissa had the strength to do, even if it saved her son suffering further. Draco was all she had, all she had truly loved with one hundred percent purity in her entire life. Hastily wiping the tear away as the House-elf placed a camomile tea in front of the small round green table she was sat at.

Oh, she had been so furious with Lucius when she found out what he'd allowed to happen to their son. He'd been so proud of himself, as if it was some sort of guarantee that Draco would be safe and well. instead he had signed his son up for a life of torture and pain at the hands of a dangerous psychopath. A wizard would be more willing to torture and kill than let Draco do anything in life. It was the first time she truly contemplated killing her husband. She was smarter than Lady Zabini, Zabini could do it and get away with it, so too could she.

Lucius had felt the full face of her wrath, he'd slept in the spare bedroom from the day he brought Draco home with the mark until his death. She'd barely spoken to him, even when Lucius begged and pleaded for her forgiveness after realizing what he'd done. The first time his son was called, tortured, and hurt was when he realized his own mistakes. But Narcissa had not forgiven him for it.

She hadn't forgiven him until she whispered the words after the funeral, but they were no good then.

She didn't know whether to take it back or not. Her son…he was going to see his father much sooner than Narcissa ever wished. She would follow, the thought of living without her son made her feel sick to her stomach. Rubbing her face tiredly, sipping the tea the House-elf had brought. She knew that she could trust Severus. If he said there wasn't a way to save him, then she knew it to be true. If there was anyone who would do anything for the people, he cared about…it was him.

Swallowing her traitorously dry throat, the tears threatening to fall again, slumping forward slightly. Hair obscuring her face, she was so tired, so very afraid. Part of her wanted someone to help her, to hug her, chase away all her fears and doubts. It was a part of her that hadn't been crushed by the demands of her family then of course her husband. With the war then her son's health she hadn't truly had any chance to revel in her sudden freedom, she could have done anything she wished without answering to another.

Breathing evenly, she picked up her cup and sipped the tea, suddenly wishing it was something much stronger. Whiskey, enough so that she would be rendered unconscious perhaps? Anything was better than living with this dread inside her that that doubled every day as her son withered away in front of her. He was so weak that he couldn't stand in order to go to the toilet anymore.

Narcissa's cup rattled as she replaced it, the ding she heard alerting her to someone being here. Severus had already come with potions earlier that day, he'd never came twice a day. Her heart pounded furiously as she stared at the doorway, frozen in fear. Not even thinking of going for her wand.

Like a puppet with its strings cut, when she saw Severus she bowled over in relief. Thank Merlin for that, oh, dear Merlin, she had been terrified. "Severus, you…what are you doing here?" not about to admit to even Severus that she'd been scared. Judging by the look he was giving her, he knew anyway, and confirmation wouldn't do much of anything. Except make her feel and look even weaker. The relief left her a little shaky, but she sat up straighter, "Tea?" she asked her etiquette training wouldn't allow her to do anything but.

"Make it a whiskey," Severus murmured, as he moved into the conservatory and sat down on the metal chair. Keeping his back to the sun, so the sun's glare didn't bother him while he was explaining everything.

"Dear, Merlin, yes," Narcissa agreed, standing up she moved over to the 'bar' at the left-hand side of the conservatory where a few alcoholic drinks lay behind it. She snatched the glasses, ice and water before making her way hastily towards Severus. Placing the whiskey into the glass, leaving the ice and water to sit, it was his decision how he wanted it after all. Personally, Narcissa wanted it as strong as possible, but did add a cube of ice to make it cold it was quite warm at the moment. She'd probably regret this, she'd need to tend to her son in perhaps forty-five minutes. It wasn't a good idea to be drunk.

Narcissa honestly didn't care right now as she downed the amber liquid down her throat. She wouldn't be able to get Severus to talk before he was ready. She knew from personal experience, so she remained quiet and let Severus gather his thoughts. She didn't think she could take more bad news.

Narcissa didn't think for a moment that Severus was there for anything other than something bad.

Severus copied Narcissa and downed the alcohol, not that it really affected him anymore. It was more of the knowledge that calmed him down oddly enough. That and Narcissa might be easier to deal with after she was a little tipsy. He honestly didn't want her screeching in his ears, it would be more painful than usual due to his extended hearing.

Pursing his lips, he knew he was better off just coming out with it. "I have a way that may save Draco's life, I say may, because there are no guarantees, this is the Dark Lord's magic, he doesn't make makes." He informed Narcissa back stiff, sitting straight. Watching her closely, Narcissa was under immense stress, he could see it from every line of her body, as well as smell it. She smelt of coffee and teas more than anything else, which indicated a lack of sleep.

The empty tumbler which held whiskey moments ago clattered onto the table. Hope began to brew like an inferno within Narcissa. She tried to taper it down, find out first, but she knew Severus, he would not bring it up unless he was sure it would work. At long last a Miracle was presenting itself to her. "What needs to be done?" she asked, the urge to drink more was overwhelming, but she refused to let her faculties be impaired when dealing with something so important.

Severus absently moved to right the tumbler, staring at Narcissa, before nodding to himself. determining that Narcissa could deal with this information. "The first procedure would be simple enough, I would suck the poison from him, don't worry a few blood replenishers would ensure he didn't lose any blood."

"And the second procedure?" Narcissa asked, eyeing Severus shrewdly, body thrumming with anticipation and excitement. There was something that could be done for her boy, it was a miracle. She was so happy, she didn't care what it took, her son was going to live.

"That is a little more complicated," Severus sighed, finally showing wariness, rubbing his eyes tiredly, but it wasn't a sleepy kind of tired, it was just an emotional one.

"I figured as much," Narcissa confessed, Severus was acting quite uneasy, not that an outsider would be able to tell. She knew Severus very well, and knew when he was uneasy, this was one of those moments. "Just do as you always do, let it rip," she added, anything was better than losing her son.

Severus snorted, "You say that now!" Severus pointed out with grim amusement.

"Anything is better than losing my son, Severus," Narcissa pointed out softly, her hand on her heart.

"Perhaps," Severus conceded, "I do not think I should do this without Draco's consent,"

"He is not well!" Narcissa protested, "I should have every say in it!" he may well be delirious for all she knew.

"He is Lord Draco Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa, and he's nineteen-years-old," the same age as his mate, his partner, not something he wanted to dwell on. "If he's operated on without his consent, he could have me in Azkaban, so I will not do it without his written consent." Severus said determinedly. Operate, such a serious word for what they were doing, and they weren't even healers. Not that he was really worried about it, he just wanted Draco to know and realize what his life was going to be life afterward.

Narcissa pursed her lips, "Very well, Severus, what exactly requires consent?" her tone clipped and serious.

"You must understand that the poison, it adapts, it begins to move faster at the repetitions of having the poison imbibed from him." Severus explained why phase one couldn't just continue to be done. "It also makes the pain more unbearable. I speak from personal experience, Narcissa, so it's truly not possible just to continue removing the poison whenever required."

"I see," she answered, well it had been one of her idle thoughts, but she hadn't focused much on it though.

"The only way for the poison to be theoretically stopped," Severus ignored the flinch Narcissa gave off at the word theoretically. Faltering in saying what was really on his mind, "There is only one way I can think of, to save Draco, by draining the poison, then cutting off his lower arm just above the dark mark."

Narcissa gaped at the Potions Master as if she couldn't believe her eyes or ears.

"Narcissa?!" Severus snapped out, trying to bring Narcissa out of whatever state she'd worked herself into. "Are you with me?" he demanded, trying to see whether she was well or not. Last thing he wanted to do was deal with Narcissa in shock while Draco was in pain.

"You want to cut my sons arm off?" Narcissa asked, "I assume its only temporarily and it will be grown back?" she warned.

"No, Narcissa, you know as well as I there's no such thing as re-growing arms, bones are one thing, bones, veins, flesh and feeling is quite another!" Severus cried out exasperatedly, Narcissa was just being deliberately obtuse and he did not like it. "It's permanent, Draco would lose the use of his left arm, but the fact of the matter is…he would be alive to complain."

Narcissa deflated at that, which was true enough, her son would be alive to complain about his aches and pains. "He wanted to be a potions master, Severus, he wanted to be the same as you." She whispered quietly, "He has done for years you know, Lucius used to scoff and think it was a phrase, Malfoy's didn't work after all. Yet, in secret I brought him all the books he'd need to know what he needed in order to pass and work at his Mastery."

"He will be able to brew, Narcissa, the only problem would be learning how to use magic to top the cauldrons just so in order to pour it into vials." Severus pointed out perplexed, it seemed to him that she was trying to argue against saving her sons life all for the want of an arm. He decided then, that he would let Narcissa deal with this, her and Draco. "What I will do is remove the poison tonight. I will leave directly afterwards, the pain will have greatly diminished, during that time you can tell him the potential way to save his life. It's up to you both whether it gets done or not. I will return tomorrow night, then and only then will I accept an answer and do it."

Narcissa opened her mouth to protest heavily against Severus leaving, what if he didn't survive? What if he died during the night and they had the ability to save him all along? Yet she could tell by the lines on Severus' face that he would not be swayed. He would definitely not do it today, and he would require Draco's consent before they begun, his written consent. "Very well," Narcissa agreed, "Is there anything you need?"

"A bucket," Severus replied as he stood, ready to get this over with. "Perhaps mouthwash and a large glass of water."

"Both are available in Draco's room," Narcissa explained, before she too stood, and both of them left the conservatory.

Narcissa and Draco had moved to a small villa in France, quite secluded, magical too. She'd bought the property until the name of Natalia Martian. She'd taken out twice the amount that the villa was on offer for, in order to disguise how much, she'd paid for the place. She didn't want to be found, and all of it was done via owl order for anonymity. Only met once when she signed the papers and handed over the money. The Dark Lord had followers everywhere, and she wasn't taking any chances.

It didn't take long for both to stalk through the kitchen, sitting room and into the downstairs bedroom where Draco was situated. The inside of the room was pitch dark, the curtains drawn to keep the light out of the room. Narcissa knew the room well, since she moved around and lit up two of the oil lamps in order to see better.

The room was done in a tasteful green colour, which didn't really surprise Severus. Draco had always favoured that colour. It was nothing to do with Slytherin or Hogwarts either, since Draco had been choosing his own colour schemes since he was five years old. The bedding was soaked with sweat, and Draco was lying there looking like death warmed over. Slick with sweat himself, and his hair in utter disarray, normally Draco would never allow anyone – not even his mother – to see him that way.

"Draco, son? Your godfather is here to see you," Narcissa crooned softly to her son, wiping away some of the sweat with a cloth. "I gave him a sleeping draught forty minutes ago." She explained.

Severus grabbed the bucket, then poured a glass of water from the pitcher still ice cold. He placed the glass on the bedside cabinet, and placed the bucket at his feet, banishing the rubbish with a flick of his wand. There, that was the best he was going to be able to do. Removing the cover to find Draco's chest bared, there was just no point to putting much on him with the amount of sweat he was exuding.

Severus winced at how close the poison was to his heart, he definitely needed to do it tonight lest Draco die in the night. Turning his arm around Severus leaned over, biting into his wrist, and sucked the poison out only to gag and grimace before spitting the offending taste into the bucket. Gagging some more, he quickly drank some water, trying to get the taste away. How on earth had Harry done it without so much as protesting? It was utterly foul, and he was going to have to do it again.

Breathing deeply, he stiffened his spine, before sinking his fangs into the same place, and pulling the poison out again. As soon as his mouth was full, he spat it out and continued the cycle. Slowly but surely, the black veins began to recede, the blackness didn't fully disappear, but it wasn't all encompassing or angry looking. In fact, he reckoned if he wasn't a vampire, he wouldn't be able to see that it was discoloured at all.

Severus felt nothing but gratitude when the last of the poison was pulled out. He never wanted to taste anything like that again as long as he lived. He most certainly didn't want to contemplate doing it again. For Draco's sake, he rather hoped both Narcissa and the boy could come up with a solid yes to the procedure.

He wondered if it was worse due to the Veela blood.

"Give him a full dose of Blood Replenishing draught," Severus explained, only more than just slightly surprised Draco remained unconscious for the duration of the cleanse. He remembered vividly the feeling of Harry's fangs entering him and sucking out the poison. To begin with it had been horrifyingly painful, but towards the end, the diminished pain had been a godsend, he'd almost bowled over in relief.

Narcissa yanked open the medicine cabinet, and plucked out the blood red vial, that had the name – Blood replenisher – inscribed in Severus' spidery scrawl. Seeing as her son was asleep, she tapped the vial with her wand, murmuring Latin under her breath, and just like that the vial began to empty. A few moments later, Draco's face began to bloom with colour, a subtle red, which was of course, a good thing. A healthy flush.

"Does he need anything else?" Narcissa asked as she hovered over her son, with nothing else she could do for him and feeling a little lost and useless.

"Just let him rest, save the conversation until he's had something to eat and drink, give him a Pepper-up just before his meal, that too will perk him up." Severus added absently, sealing the puncture wounds he'd created on his arm. He didn't bother going over the food he should eat, no doubt Narcissa was following it to the letter. "He should be alert, more coherent, perhaps even able to get up for a while,"

"Thank you, Severus," Narcissa said sincerely, sitting on her son's bed, just wiping him down now, the severe sweating seemed to have halted at least.

"Just remain seated," Severus signalled with his hand to prevent Narcissa following him, "I know my way around, just remain with your son. I'll see you both tomorrow, alright?" she was clearly exhausted since she didn't protest, and normally a woman of Narcissa's standing most certainly would.

"Try and get some rest," he added before he apparated away.

Severus appeared next to the warehouse, closing his eyes he enhanced his senses. More specifically his hearing, trying to pinpoint where his mate was. He was most assuredly there, at least he'd planned on it, things could have changed but Harry rarely changed his plans. Being his mate, he should be able to sense him, and bingo, thought Severus in wonder as he found the bond very easily.

He'd never tried before and felt very foolish. At least now he was aware he could do it and how easily it was done.

He nodded to the others as he passed them, entering the warehouse and making his way up the stairs. He was soon able to hear the conversation Harry was having with Tonks and Shacklebolt, judging by the pleasantries he must have just gotten there moments before he returned.

"How are you feeling?" it was Harry who spoke.

Severus opened the door and slid inside, he must be welcome otherwise Harry would have told him to leave. He wasn't one for shying around what he wanted or didn't want whatever the case may be.

"Fine," was Tonks' dull reply, never taking her sight off her leg…or what was left of it.

"You're alive, it's more than can be said for the others who came before you," Harry retorted sharply, annoyance wafting from him. Apparently, he didn't deal well with those who indulged in self-pity, whether its warranted or not.

"Were they all killed?" Shacklebolt asked, his tone deep and suspicious, it was obvious to both vampires he was suspecting them to be behind it.

"No," Harry replied curtly, "I have also questioned them," he added, his tone losing its curtness.

Severus narrowed his eyes at the back of Harry, that tone was usually used when he felt sorry for someone.

"So…you know…you know who was behind this, don't you?" Shacklebolt also picked up on Harry's tone, considering how smart the Auror really was, Severus wasn't really surprised.

"I do," Harry informed him with a nod, remaining standing between them.

"Who?" Tonks hissed, sounding like a feral cat as apposed to the human she was.

Harry ran his hand though his hair, "If you read any of the files…you probably already know. That spell they used was the biggest give away." In each case, there was always a use of that spell, along with dozens of others so it wasn't a surprise those investigating the case didn't catch it. The same spell that had been used to remove Tonks' leg…well, part of it.

Tonks mutely shook her head, she didn't want to believe it, she was already in shock and terrified for her life without confirmation.

Shacklebolt hobbled out of the bed and over to his partner, sitting on the seat, his body sagging with tiredness but clutching Tonks' hand tightly.

"Dumbledore," he confirmed, triumph and smug satisfaction coated his scent despite his solemn gaze on the pair of Aurors. He would need to find a way to thank them, for they had given him everything he needed in order to bring down the old fool once and for all.

Tonks sobbed out in heartbreak, Dumbledore had effectively ruined her life.

"If you need to hear it for yourself…I will lead you to them, if you'd prefer it in a courtroom, it will be a longer wait I'm afraid." Harry stated, ignoring the weeping. "They are going straight to prison until their trial, which is already being set up." Not that they'd be able to inform anyone, the spells he'd cast would prevent that. Oh, they'd be able to testify but any questions about them would not be answered.

Harry then glanced at the door, a tolerant on his face, Severus could hear and smell Poppy as well.

"You're both welcome to stay here until then," Harry informed them both, after turning to face them again. "I have no idea if Dumbledore will find out, and how quickly he will find out…and what he will do afterwards to anyone who poses a threat to his continued freedom."

Both Auror's blanched, "Thank you," Shacklebolt said weakly.

"Poppy will see to both of you, if you have any questions, just call out, if I'm not here the others will find me," Harry explained with a small amount of kindness. This wouldn't be required if they had just listened to him. It was a harsh lesson to learn, but one they had learned nonetheless.

And there we go! No point to having them interrogated twice after all with Harry then the Wizengamot! I want to write everyone's reaction to it all :D it's going to be so much fun! Will Dumbledore end up in Numengard along with Grindelwald as the only two people in the prison? Or will Dumbledore end up in Harry's? but put in solitary constantly due to everyone having a bone to pick? 'for Dumbledore's own safety' of course ;) Or will he die at Voldemort's hand before Voldemort himself is felled by Harry's wand? Read and Review please!