As the Weasleys and Malfoys stood in the cold, sterile chamber, the weight of their shared fears and regrets pressed down on them. The future was uncertain, the choices they had made irrevocable, and the reality of what was to come was a burden they would all carry, no matter what path lay ahead. The tension was palpable, the air thick with the weight of anger, fear, and unresolved guilt.
The two families had previously been locked in a bitter confrontation, accusations flying back and forth as they grappled with the devastating consequences of Percy Weasley's transformation into Ultron.
But the moment Deus Ex Machina entered the room, the argument came to an abrupt halt.
The presence of Deus was overpowering. His perfect metallic form, cold and unyielding, commanded the attention of everyone in the room. The aura of raw power he exuded were enough to silence even the most heated exchange.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence as the two families turned to face the being that had once been Percy Weasley. The Weasleys stood in a tense, tight-knit group, their faces etched with a mixture of grief and determination. The Malfoys, on the other hand, were a picture of barely concealed fear, their eyes flicking nervously between Deus Ex and the Weasleys.
It was Draco who finally broke the silence, his voice cracking with a mixture of fear and desperation. His pale face was flushed, his eyes wide with terror as he stepped forward, unable to contain the dread that had been building inside him.
"They deserve this fate, not us!" Draco suddenly shouted while continuing to tremble with the force of his emotions. He gestured wildly toward the Weasleys, his fear driving him to lash out in a last-ditch effort to save himself and his family. "The Weasleys are the ones who pushed you away! They're the ones who rejected you!"
Draco's words hung in the air, and for a moment, there was no response. The Weasleys looked taken aback by Draco's sudden outburst as they exchanged uneasy glances, their anger simmering just beneath the surface. But Draco, driven by the terror of what was likely to happen to his family, pressed on, his desperation growing more frantic.
"We took you in after they rejected you," Draco continued, pleading as he addressed Deus Ex Machina. "We gave you the power that made you what you are! My father would have been proud to call you his son, and I—I would have been proud to call you my brother!"
Draco's eyes were wide with desperation as he tried to appeal to what he believed might still be left of Percy. He stepped closer to Deus Ex Machina, his hands shaking as he pointed accusingly at the Weasleys.
"They hurt you, punish them, not us! Please, Percy, we're the ones who stood by you!"
The room fell into a tense, suffocating silence. The Weasleys, particularly Ron, were visibly enraged by Draco's outburst. Ron's face was flushed with anger, his hands clenching into fists as he took a step forward, barely able to contain the fury that was building inside him.
"How dare you?" Ron spat, his voice low and dangerous. "How dare you stand there and try to pin this on us? You still think you're so much better, don't you, Malfoy? You think you can just blame us, and everything will be fine for you?"
Fred and George exchanged a glance, their usual lightheartedness completely absent as they stepped up beside Ron, their faces set in hard lines.
"We never rejected Percy," Fred stated with barely restrained anger. "We may not have always seen eye to eye, we may not have always gotten along, but he was still our brother. And he always would have been."
George nodded in agreement, as he glared at Draco filled with contempt and destain for the Slytherin. "You're just trying to save your own skin, Malfoy. We're all in this mess because of what happened to Percy, but don't you dare act like your family is innocent in all of this. You may have fooled Percy for a while, but deep down, he knew who really loved him. And it wasn't you."
Draco's eyes narrowed as he pointed at the Weasley's with cold fury.
"You think your love is so special? It wasn't enough, was it? Because in the end, Percy chose us over you. He chose power over your pathetic excuse for a family."
Ginny, her face pale with a mixture of grief and fury, stepped forward and addressed Draco directly.
"You think you can worm your way out of this by throwing us under the bus? You think Percy is going to let you off the hook just because you're scared? Percy didn't choose you. He was manipulated, twisted into something he wasn't. And now, because of your family, we've lost him forever."
Draco flinched at Ginny's words, his fear evident in the way his hands shook, but he couldn't back down now. The fear that had driven him to lash out had taken hold, and he was too terrified to think clearly, too desperate to care about the consequences of his words. He continued to plead while his voice cracked.
"Percy, we've always respected you, always valued what you could do. We didn't push you away like they did! We treated you like family!"
But the words that followed were like a punch to the gut, spoken by the one person Draco feared most in that moment.
"You don't know the first thing about family," Ron said coldly, as he simmered with rage. He took another step forward, his eyes locking onto Draco's with an intensity that made the younger Malfoy shrink back slightly. "We've had our differences with Percy, but we never stopped loving him. We never turned our backs on him."
Draco opened his mouth to retort, but Ron cut him off, his voice rising in anger as he continued.
"You think you can just talk your way out of this by throwing us to the wolves? You think Percy's going to spare you just because you're scared? You're a coward, Malfoy, and no amount of groveling is going to change that."
The tension in the room was thick, the air charged with the unspoken fear and anger that had been building between the two families for so long. But as Ron and Draco faced off, their emotions raw and exposed, it was Deus Ex Machina who finally spoke, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.
"You are all afraid," Deus Ex Machina calmly and emotionlessly responded. His cold, mechanical tone sent a shiver down the spines of everyone in the room. "You are afraid because you know that the choices you made have led you to this moment."
Draco flinched at the words, his fear intensifying as he realized that his desperate pleas might have fallen on deaf ears. He had tried to manipulate the situation, tried to save himself and his family by shifting the blame onto the Weasleys, but now, faced with the cold, unfeeling gaze of Deus Ex Machina, he knew that his attempts had been futile.
"Percy," Draco pleaded once more, "please…"
But Deus Ex Machina's gaze was unyielding, his expression unreadable. He regarded Draco for a moment, as if weighing the boy's words, before finally turning his gaze to the Weasleys. "You all have made choices, choices that have brought you here. The fear you feel now is a consequence of those choices."
Ron's anger flared again while trembling with a mixture of rage and grief.
"Don't talk to us about choices, Percy! This isn't just about what we did—it's about what you did, what you've become! You're the one who made the choice to turn away from us, to become this…this machine!"
The room fell into a tense silence once more, the weight of Ron's words hanging heavily in the air. The Weasleys stood together, their hearts heavy with the knowledge that there was no going back, no undoing the choices that had led them all to this moment.
Without warning, a flash of blue light shot from Deus Ex Machina's hand, a surge of energy that crossed the room in an instant and struck Ron squarely in the chest. The force of the blast sent Ron stumbling backward, the air knocked out of him as he crashed to the floor. It wasn't a fatal blow as Deus Ex had no intention of killing him, but it was enough to serve as a stark reminder of the power he wielded and the futility of resistance.
The room fell into stunned silence as the Weasleys and Malfoys froze, their eyes wide with shock and fear.
Fred, George, and Ginny rushed to Ron's side, their faces etched with concern as they helped him to his feet. Ron's chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath, the pain from the blast still radiating through his body. His eyes flicked up to meet the cold, unfeeling gaze of Deus Ex, the anger in them now tempered with a grim understanding of just how powerless they were.
"Percy, stop it!" Bill yelled.
Draco, who had been pleading desperately just moments before, took a step back, his face pale with fear. He had seen the power that Deus Ex Machina wielded, had felt the force of it in the air, and the sight of Ron being struck down so effortlessly only reinforced the dread that had been gnawing at him.
Deus Ex lowered his hand, the glow of the energy blast fading as he calmly surveyed the scene before him. When he finally spoke, Deus was calm and emotionless as usual, devoid of any warmth or empathy. "I have given you all a choice. That choice remains. But do not mistake my patience for weakness. Resistance will not be tolerated."
The words hung in the air like a final, unassailable decree, the cold logic behind them undeniable. The Weasleys and Malfoys stood in stunned silence, the reality of their situation now fully sinking in. They had no power here, no leverage, no hope of changing the course that had been set in motion. They knew that no amount of pleading, no amount of blame or anger, could change the outcome of what was to come.
Ron, still shaken from the blast, gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand tall. The anger was still there, simmering beneath the surface, but now it was tempered with a cold resolve. He met Deus Ex Machina's gaze, his eyes filled with a defiance that refused to be extinguished, even in the face of overwhelming power.
"You think you can scare us into submission, Percy?" Ron demanded, breathless. He was hurt, but something from deep within made him refuse to back down. "You think that just because you've got all this power, we're going to roll over and accept it? We're Weasleys. We don't give up that easily."
The room fell into an uneasy silence, the tension almost unbearable. The Weasleys watched with bated breath, their hearts pounding as they waited to see how Deus Ex Machina would respond. The Malfoys, too, were silent, their fear palpable as they realized the gravity of Ron's words and the potential consequences of his defiance.
For a moment, Deus Ex Machina said nothing, his expression unreadable as he processed Ron's words. But then, with a cold, calculated precision, he delivered a threat that sent a chill down the spines of everyone in the room.
"You seem to misunderstand the gravity of your situation, Ron," Deus Ex Machina spoke calmly but laced with a deadly seriousness. "You may think you can defy me, but I assure you, there are consequences to such defiance."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before continuing.
"If you continue to test me, I will have my machines find Hermione Granger. And I will have them rip her apart in front of your very eyes."
The words hit Ron like a physical blow, the sheer horror of the threat leaving him momentarily speechless. His heart pounded in his chest, a sickening wave of fear and helplessness washing over him as he realized just how far Percy—no, Deus Ex Machina was willing to go.
The Weasleys were frozen in shock, their faces pale as the terrifying reality of the threat settled over them. Fred and George, who had always been able to find humor even in the darkest of times, were struck silent, their usual bravado completely gone. Bill and Charlie exchanged a glance, their expressions grim, as they realized there was no reasoning with the being that had once been their brother.
But it was Ginny who finally broke the silence, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and desperation as she stepped forward. She had seen the fire in Ron's eyes, the determination not to give in, but she also knew that this was not a battle they could win. And the thought of losing Hermione, her friend, her brother's love, was too much to bear. They had already lost Harry and dozens of other friends and allies.
"Ron, please," Ginny begged as tears welled up in her eyes. "Please, stop. Don't do this. Stop provoking him."
Ron looked at his sister, his heart breaking at the fear in her eyes. He wanted to keep fighting, to stand up to the monster that Percy had become, but Ginny's plea cut through his anger like a knife. He could see the terror in her eyes, the desperation in her voice, and it made him realize that his defiance was not worth the price that could be paid.
Ron's shoulders slumped, the fire in his eyes dimming as he turned back to Deus Ex Machina. The fear and helplessness that had been gnawing at him now fully took hold, and he knew that there was nothing he could do. No words, no defiance, that could change what was happening. Deus Ex watched the scene unfold with a cold, detached expression, his threat hanging in the air like a blade ready to fall.
He had no need to say anything more; the message was clear. The Weasleys were at his mercy, and any further defiance would be met with the most severe of consequences.
Ron finally nodded, his voice barely a whisper as he spoke.
"Fine…I'll stop."
Ginny let out a shaky breath of relief, though the fear and tension remained. The Weasleys, once so proud and defiant, now stood defeated, their spirits crushed by the terrifying power of the being that had once been their brother.
Deus Ex Machina regarded them in silence, his cold, calculating mind satisfied that the message had been received. He had given them a choice—one that would lead to their survival, albeit in a form they had never imagined. And now, with their defiance quelled, the next step in his grand design could proceed.
But as the heavy silence filled the room, broke through, laced with cold, cruel satisfaction.
"I'd love to see that," Draco muttered out of spite, breaking through the heavy silence. His expression was laced with cold, cruel satisfaction. He had been trembling with fear just moments before, but now, emboldened by Deus Ex Machina's threat against Hermione, he couldn't resist the opportunity to twist the knife a little deeper. "I'd love to see that little mudblood torn apart."
The words hung in the air, a stark contrast to the fear and dread that had settled over the room. Draco's remark was filled with malice, a desperate attempt to regain some semblance of control, to lash out in the only way he knew how. But the reaction was not what he had expected. Narcissa, who had been watching the confrontation in silence, her face a mask of worry and fear, finally snapped. The cold, cruel words from her son were too much, even for her.
"Draco, be quiet!" Narcissa hissed, as she turned to him, a mix of anger and desperation. Her eyes flashing with a rare intensity. "Enough!"
Draco recoiled slightly at his mother's words, his bravado faltering as he looked into her eyes. Narcissa's usually composed demeanor was gone, replaced by a fierce protectiveness that cut through the tension like a blade. The sight of his mother's anger, so rarely directed at him, shocked Draco into silence.
Severus Snape, who had remained so quiet throughout the ordeal that you would have forgotten he was even here, stepped forward, placing a hand on Draco's arm, his grip firm but even he was trembling slightly.
"This is not a game," he said quietly while looking into the eyes of his former student. "Do you understand? This is not something to be taken lightly."
Draco opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. The weight of his professor's gaze, the surprising raw emotion in his voice, left him momentarily speechless. He had always been protected, always been shielded from the worst of the world's harsh realities, but now, faced with the terrifying power of Deus Ex Machina and the cold truth in the eyes of his family, he realized just how far things had spiraled out of control.
Narcissa turned her gaze from Draco to Deus Ex, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and pleading.
"Please," she said softly, her body was slightly shivering, "don't make this worse than it already is."
Deus Ex Machina regarded her with the same cold, detached expression he had worn throughout the entire confrontation. The human emotions on display; the fear, the anger, the desperation were of little consequence to him. He had no need for further warnings or threats; his point had been made.
But the exchange between Draco and Narcissa had shifted something in the room. The Malfoys, who had always prided themselves on their cold detachment, were now being confronted with the reality of what they had become entangled in. The fear that had driven Draco to lash out, to revel in the potential suffering of another, was laid bare, and it was clear that even they were not immune to the consequences of the world Deus Ex Machina had created.