All of Harry Potter and anything related to it are the sole property of J.K. Rowling.
(Each title is derived from a song that, I believe, complements the overall narrative, if not the individual chapter.)
*TRIGGER WARNING – EXTREAM SEXUAL FORCE (S.A)
Somewhere on the edge of London, 21 July 1997
Draco's Point of view
"I won't take it," Hermione screamed at me even as she marched past her parents in the kitchen, ignoring their bewildered expressions.
"Yes, you will," I shouted back, my fear for her feeling like a pit of tar in my stomach. I followed her into the entrance hallway, the kitchen now behind us, and pulled her to a stop by grabbing onto her arm. She spun to glare at me, her brown eyes blazing with anger and defiance, but I didn't let go. She had to listen to me; she had to understand.
"I will smash it before I take it," she threatened, making me seethe.
"I'll Obliviate you then," I sneered back at her. She stepped into me, so I had to narrow my eyes down at her.
"If you dare, I promise I will never forgive you," she seethed right back, her voice trembling with emotion. She appeared to be sincere, and I felt a pang of pain in my heart. But I pushed it aside, focusing on the bigger picture. "Or have you no intention of reversing it?" she accused venomously.
"Do we know what they're arguing about?" Daniel Granger asked his wife in the background.
"Not a clue," she replied, just as bewildered.
"I am merely attempting to protect you," I growled back at her, wishing she would be reasonable.
"I said no!" Hermione shouted back, not backing down an inch.
"Obliviation it is then," I told her with a decisive nod. I cared more about her safety than her being angry with me in the future. If we even had a future, which I was starting to fear we didn't.
"Oh, really? And what of Aiden? What about what he needs from me?" She queried smugly, poking me in the chest. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration.
"Honey? How about you and I take Aiden for a walk around the block?" Emma Granger suggested to her husband as something occurred to her.
"Why?" Her husband inquired, not at all uncomfortable witnessing the fight. He liked seeing his daughter stand up to the arrogant clod. The boy was growing on him, but he had no intention of making things too easy on him. A father had a right to be tough on and disapproving of the man who was so obviously stepping into his shoes in his daughter's life. He never imagined he'd be letting her go to a husband this soon.
"I'll tell you on the walk," she replied with meaning.
"Shit," he said with feeling, suddenly getting it. "You get Aiden. I'll be outside," he told her before he started for the front door. "Chased from my own home. This is bloody ridiculous," he grumbled darkly as he passed the arguing pair.
"You are not hearing me!" I yelled as Emma Granger slipped by us unnoticed.
"I hear you, and you can stick your 'I'm the man, and I make the rules' where the sun don't shine," Hermione told me crudely.
"That was uncalled for, and I have never treated you that way," I replied in hurt frustration. I respected her and admired her. I damn well love her and merely want to save her life. Then we heard the front door close, making us both turn towards it.
"What was that?" Hermione inquired, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"I'm unsure," I replied, and then we both rushed to the door to make certain everything was alright. I yanked it open, and we both came to a stop to behold the Grangers walking away with Aiden in his pram.
"Fine!" Hermione spat and turned for the stairs. "I think I need some space too," she declared as I watched her begin to ascend them. I closed the front door and then marched back towards the backyard, where all of this had begun. I reached the backdoor when I realised we were alone in the house. I spun around immediately. I halted at the foot of the stairs and saw Hermione standing at the top, gazing out in the direction her parents and Aiden had recently disappeared, as if she could peer through walls. She then lowered her gaze and met my eyes with her own angry but speculative ones.
I pointed my finger up at her, still furious myself, and said, "I am going to fuck some sense into you." Then began a predatory stalk up the stairs. She watched me for a moment with a smug expression.
"You can certainly try," she replied with challenge in her voice. She then turned and ran for the bedroom, causing me to race after her while still having the presence of mind to perform the Contraceptive Charm on myself.
Stepping into the bedroom, she backed away, but her expression was daring, and I slammed the door behind me. She stared back at me, and her eyes were equally as hot as mine as I stalked towards her.
She pointed her wand at me, causing me to halt in my progress and arch an eyebrow at her. My wand was held at my side, so I smirked and used a dark spell to disintegrate her clothes, moving my wand in a circular pattern. A resounding bang echoed through the house. I was unsure what it was and, frankly, didn't care. She glanced down at herself in astonishment and then glared at me.
"Dissuo," she hissed shapely and brought her wand down in a shape arc, obviously overpowering the charm on purpose. All the stitching on my clothing was removed, and the fabric fell to the floor around me. I laughed, even as she seized the opportunity to disarm me. She didn't even attempt to catch my wand; she simply allowed it to sail past her.
"Well played, Lady Malfoy," I drawled, my laughter echoing in the room. "You certainly know how to keep things interesting. Now drop it," I commanded, not at all concerned that I was without my wand right now. She continued to point the wand at me in defiance.
"Make me," she said, sounding smug. I smirked at her, extended my hand, and, with a swift motion, banished her wand from her grasp. It clattered to the floor, coming to a stop against the wall under the window. Her mouth dropped open in shock.
"I am going to put that mouth to good use," I told her, and I reached for her roughly by the head, her untamed hair tangling in my fingers, and brought her face to mine. I kissed her so hard that our teeth collided, but she didn't appear to care anymore than I did.
I spun and pushed her against the door, feeling her body against mine, and it was like touching heaven. I leaned back to tell her all the ways I was going to make her submit to me, but the mere sight of her face brought me back to my senses. We held each other's gaze for a moment, our breaths ragged, and then the fury dissipated, leaving behind only fear and, more significantly, love.
I kissed her again, and it was gentle, and she sighed against me. Her body melted into tenderness as she wrapped her arms around me in a different kind of surrender than I had thought I wanted a moment ago. The kiss became sweet and passionate, and I felt a surge of emotions. I realised how much I had missed her this past week, despite our constant proximity. It sounded crazy, but it felt like we had been apart in some way that had nothing to do with kilometres or time.
I picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around me. I turned and laid us gently on the mattress, and somehow our fingers became laced together above her head even as we kissed. I ground my hard cock against her wet pussy, making her cry out into my mouth. The sound sent a thrill through me. I arched back and thrust into her, and we both froze at the surprising tightness.
"That is so wrong," she said, but it was still a moan, and I laughed with my mouth against her neck.
"A wizard definitely created those potions," I told her, and she laughed as well.
"We are supposed to be fighting," she told me, and I laughed again at the absurdity of the statement.
"No, were not," I disagreed and began to move, making her moan again. I watched her face, and she opened her eyes to watch me. The love in her eyes was a miracle to me, and I had to kiss her again even as I picked up a bit of speed, rocking into her. I felt like I was home inside her, wrapped in a warm cocoon of comfort and security.
Both our endings were calm, peaceful, and full of love, like a gentle wave washing over us. I still hated the term 'making love' but if there was ever a time to use it, that time was definitely now. I kissed her again, softly and tenderly, and then whispered while gazing into her beautiful brown eyes that still reminded me of leaves on a forest floor, "I love you so much."
"And I love you," she told me, her voice low and sweet. "However, I refuse to take that potion when I leave this house." I pressed my forehead against hers and had to take a calming breath, feeling a surge of panic rising in my chest.
"Something has happened, Hermione. Something has happened to delay Severus. He should have been here days ago," I told her, and felt a tremor of anxiety rock me as I pondered what could have hindered him from fulfilling his promise to me. Sev didn't make promises lightly, and he had never broken one he made to me.
"Perhaps we could enlist someone else to start the binding," she said, but I saw the desperation in her eyes. She was aware there was nobody else we could trust with this now—nobody who would understand our need, let alone accept us as a couple.
"The Dark Lord is going to summon me, Hermione. Even now, I can feel him thinking about me. He's aware that I'm alive, and he is making certain I'm cognizant of it. He scratches down the tattoo merely to remind me that I belong to him," I told her with fear, not daring to reveal what my intention was when that happened. She shivered with fear too, and tears gathered in her eyes, making them shine like liquid amber.
"Please, Draco. I simply cannot. I understand what you are saying, but I had to see you after you took it, and it was heartbreaking," she told me, her voice cracking with emotion.
"I still wanted you," I told her, gazing into her eyes. But she shook her head, denying my words.
"You may have wanted to sleep with me, but you didn't look at me with love. You didn't trust me, and you constantly watched me for signs of impending betrayal. It hurt," she told me, and a tear slid down her face. I kissed it away and then kissed her lips again.
"I will kidnap you if I have to, merely to get you back in that room, but you have to protect Aiden," I told her.
"And how do you propose I keep supplying him with milk if I don't remember him?" She inquired, her tone bitter and angry. She sounded sad and scared too, afraid of losing the bond she had with him.
"You're aware there is a solution to that," I told her honestly, while attempting to spare her feelings.
"So much for wanting the best for him," she said, turning her head away in an attempt to prevent me from perceiving her pain.
"Please," I begged her, bringing her face back to mine. I cupped her cheek in my hand and stroked it gently, even as I buried the other back into her hair.
"Can't we compromise? I'll take the potion with me, and then at first sign of trouble, I will take it," she promised, her eyes beseeching as they met mine.
"And how will you explain that to your two friends?" I queried. I hated to consider that she wasn't perceiving things clearly when it came to those two. I hated that she was going to be hurt when they inevitably failed to accept us.
"I don't know," she responded honestly. "But anything is better than forgetting either you or Aiden." She reached up and touched my face, tracing my features with her fingers. I studied her face for a moment, attempting to gauge the sincerity of her words.
"Promise me," I pleaded intently. "Promise me that you will take it the moment things appear grim." I held her gaze, searching for any sign of doubt or hesitation, and she frowned at me.
"That can be interpreted in a multitude of ways, but I will promise to take it if it looks like I have no way out," she said. It wasn't enough and was a dangerous notion, but I didn't have the strength to fight with her anymore. I laid heavily atop her for a few moments, pulling her into my arms and hugging her tightly, needing to feel our hearts beat as one.
"On your Muggle theatre screen (I'm acquainted with the name; I simply prefer my interpretation), your father watches the news. Things are getting worse out there, and even the Muggles are noticing that something unusual is occurring. We should convince them to leave. I'm aware some of those homes that have been attacked are Muggle-born residences," I conveyed to her, gazing back down into her eyes.
Her brown eyes held mine; they were full of fear and determination. "I want to wait until the end of the week. Should Professor Snape remain absent by that time, we'll take my parents away and hide them somewhere," she replied hopefully.
I sighed and kissed her forehead. "I hope we have that much time," I told her pessimistically.
She wrapped her arms tighter around me and buried her face in my chest. "Please don't leave me yet. Not even in your mind," she begged. "Without hope, you feel so far away, and it feels so much like we are back at Hogwarts." I comprehended that she was referring to the final day, and it killed me a little. I closed my eyes and accessed my Occlumency.
"Okay, Love. We'll wait for Sev, and then everything will be great. We'll be married, and you would have saved me," I told her with a grin. "And then we'll get Aiden and your parents to safety."
"You're lying and doing it wonderfully, but thank you," she said, smiling weakly, and another tear slid down her face that I brushed away with my thumb. "I really do need to learn how to do that," she added, wrapping her arms around my neck and dragging me back down to her lips. I had to dial back the Occlumency but that was becoming easier to do. I wanted my emotions fully when I was with her, but I could perceive how she also needed me to block the negative now. "Merlin, my parents are going to be absolutely livid," she abruptly fretted.
"Why's that?" I queried, amused by her tone.
"I suspect you've blown all the fuses in the house. They're likely going to need an electrician," she explained, her tone laced with exasperation.
"I'm not entirely certain what that is, but rest assured, I'll cover any necessary repair costs," I responded, my tone nonchalant yet sincere. She smiled at me and then laughed for some reason that I couldn't fathom. "Do you suppose your parents have returned yet?" I inquired.
"Do you care?" she replied with a questioning grin.
"Not particularly," I confessed.
"Good, because you feel amazing right where you are, and I am feeling greedy for you," she told me with blunt honesty. Without another word, I took her mouth with mine and began to move once more, loving that my cock had only gone down to half-mast before hardening inside of her once again. She reached down to hold my arse cheeks, pulling me tighter to her, and I loved that too.
Snape's Point of view
It had taken me too long to rejoin Draco and the Grangers. The Dark Lord had us on a tight leash, summoning us to endless and disturbing meetings to reinforce our roles in the coming days. Sending us on tasks that made me stain my hands with deeds I loathed and having me brew potions that served his purposes.
Thankfully, I was able to make the ones the ritual required without discovery, though that was a close thing. He was watching our every move when we were in the Manor as if to gauge our continued loyalty. He was more paranoid than usual now that a large part of his plan was about to come into effect.
I had already been to the hospital; it was a strategic move to obscure my failure to return with Draco. The Dark Lord had demanded his presence today, and I was supposed to deliver him. Using the Imperius Curse, I compelled a nurse to guide me through two distinct rooms: one with a comatose young man whose injuries matched Draco's, with enough equipment coming out of him to obscure his looks; the second room lay empty, awaiting an occupant.
She then delivered the lines I had fed her, telling me that the boy in the room had been taken away by his relatives. I had planted an image of a plain Muggle girl in her mind and made her believe that she was the one who spoke to the nurses and signed Draco out. I hoped I was not making a mistake, but I had to protect myself. I still had a vital role in this war, and I could not fulfil it if the Dark Lord killed me. I couldn't risk being exposed as a traitor or a spy.
I Apparated into the backyard of the Grangers' residence once again, feeling uneasy about the possibility of being watched by unwanted eyes. I wished I could order them all to leave this place at once, but Draco and Miss Granger had to stay here to perform, or rather attempt to perform, the ritual. I hoped I hadn't made a grave error by suggesting it, but it was the only chance I had found to save Draco from the Dark Lord.
I was caught off guard when Draco dashed out of the back door and embraced me in a hug that seemed to express his relief at seeing me. I was not fond of any displays of affection, so I merely stood there, stiff and silent. Affection meant lowering one's guard and one's Occlumency shields, and I could not afford to do that now, not when so much was at stake.
"I apologise if I have alarmed you, but we have a lot to accomplish and very little time to do it," I said to Draco in a curt tone. He stepped back and gave me a quick once-over, then nodded.
"I expected you a week ago! Are you alright?" he asked.
"As well as can be expected when one is subject to another's whims. Now, as I said, our time is short."
"I have prepared some things, but of course I could not brew the Bonding Potion. Even the aphrodisiac seemed too risky to concoct in the home of Muggles," he explained, running his hand through his hair in agitation. My godson had clearly let his Occlumency shield slip, and I hoped he had not neglected his meditation exercises.
"And the House Elf and the Granger girl? They have both consented?" I asked him with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, and you really need to stop referring to her as that," Draco said with a hint of gravity in his voice. I preferred that from him. It reminded me more of the boy I had always known. He was no longer a boy according to our society, but he still looked so young to me, and I still remembered the child he had been not so long ago.
I gestured towards the house. "Shall we?"
"Yes, of course," he agreed, and we both stepped into the dining room that adjoined the kitchen. Miss Granger was standing there with a tiny baby in her arms.
She smirked at me. "Your highness." I raised an eyebrow at her while Draco chuckled and went over to kiss her cheek, even as he stroked a casual hand over the baby's head.
"Should I call you, my Lady?" I asked dryly.
She tilted her head. "Depends."
"On what?"
She looked me in the eye. "On whether you can bow as well as Draco." He laughed again, louder this time. His face was radiant with joy and happiness. It was a sight his mother would have cherished, if only she could accept the reason for it.
"I thought you found it funny when I did that?" Draco asked her with a grin.
She smiled back at him. "I did. It was unexpected, but you also looked gorgeous doing it." Her eyes sparkled with love and admiration. I felt a surge of hope that this might work after all.
I snorted. "I assure you, I have never looked gorgeous doing anything." She smirked at me again. Draco was indeed turning her into a Slytherin.
"Mr. Snape," Mrs. Granger said politely as she came into the room, her husband right behind her. "It's nice to see you again." I doubted she meant that, but it was still a civil thing to say. Her husband extended his hand to me, which seemed to be his customary greeting. "We have already finished dinner, but there is some left if you are hungry." The woman said to me.
"I'm not hungry, thank you," I said, hoping they would not offer me anything else. I had little appetite after the weeks of endless bloodshed I was forced to take part in.
"Is there anything we can do?" Mr. Granger asked.
"We need to keep magic to a minimum at the chosen site," I said to Draco, making sure he understood. "Has the site been chosen?"
"Yes," he confirmed.
Turning back to the older Muggle man, I told him, "If you know where it is, you could hang something to create a bit of privacy." He nodded and walked out the back door without glancing at anyone.
"Hermione and I will be upstairs until you need us," Mrs. Granger announced.
"We will?" she asked her mother in surprise.
"Yes," she insisted, and started dragging her daughter and grandchild away until she stopped and turned back to look at Draco. "He isn't going to blow up any of my appliances, is he?"
Draco shrugged helplessly. "I can't promise anything, Mrs. Granger." Mrs. Granger made a resigned sound and then continued to drag her daughter away. I raised an eyebrow at Draco, and he gave me a sheepish look. "Electrical items hate me," he said.
"Unsurprising. Most purebloods can't be around them," I said as I walked further into the kitchen. Draco followed me but leaned against the counter.
"I had heard that Muggle power didn't work in the magical world, but I didn't understand until now. First of all, I thought using Muggles and power in the same sentence was a contradiction of terms," he said, making me smirk at the statement, "but I had no idea things would explode just because I touched them."
"Explode?" I asked as I withdrew bananas, dark unsweetened chocolate, and milk from the fridge, glad to see they had plenty of the items.
"Mrs. Granger wanted to show me the microwave one day," he said. "I barely had my hand near it when smoke began to rise from it. We both thought it was just a malfunction. Yesterday, however, Hermione, her mother, and Aiden went shopping. They left me here because they were going to a Muggle underwear store that I was told most males are courteous enough to avoid."
"Mr. Granger and I were left here, and we had no idea what to do with ourselves, so we went into the living room, and he asked me to push the button of the theatre box. Now that was a big explosion," he explained with amusement. I allowed my lip to twitch at all that, knowing a lot of men liked going to those stores, and wondered which of the Granger females came up with that lie. Blowing things up was also amusing.
"As I am a half-blood who grew up in a Muggle home, I will not blow things up in that way. Only wanded magic can cause problems for me, and that is usually only if I direct the magic towards the electrical device," I told him. "Call your House Elf so he may assist and see how everything goes together."
"Jomny belongs to Hermione's now," he said. I shrugged. It didn't matter to me.
A short time later, we were still in the kitchen, and Mr. Granger had rejoined us. I assumed that meant they had everything ready to hang; otherwise, it should have taken longer. He seemed most interested in what everything was and how it worked.
"They are going to be drinking chocolate and banana smoothies? Hermione isn't a huge fan of bananas," he commented.
"The drink symbolises the duality of male and female, light and dark, and sweet and bitter. The drink will also conceal the flavour of the more unpleasant ingredients in the Bonding Potion. The Aphrodisiac Potion, on the other hand, will add to the sweetness," I explained to him.
"I don't think they need that one," Mr. Granger muttered without pleasure. I raised my brow at Draco again, and he gave me a cocky grin. I shook my head and turned back towards the House Elf.
"They must consume two hundred millilitres each, precisely every hour," I said to him. "Add one teaspoon of the Aphrodisiac and one drop of the Bonding Potion to each dose. After twenty-four hours, replace them with entire phials of the Sleeping and Healing Potions." I paused and looked at him expectantly. He nodded in understanding.
"Why so little of the bonding one?" The man asked. I tried not to be impatient with the Muggle man, but I really did hate explaining things. I knew that was counterproductive to my line of work, but I had never intended to become a teacher, and after all these years, it had not grown on me at all.
"Because it is poison," I told the man bluntly, and he paled. Draco narrowed his eyes at me but turned towards his father-in-law.
"It is not poison," Draco said with a convincing tone of indifference. "It simply has ingredients in it that are not always the most suitable to use together. Unicorn blood is highly potent and can come with severe side effects if used incorrectly," he elucidated. I observed his performance with admiration. He was lying through his teeth, but he did it so flawlessly that I almost believed him myself. He must have been, at the very least, worried at the prospect of consuming such a volatile concoction, one that could easily drive a wizard mad or worse. The mere idea would make me pause.
"Does my daughter know all of this?" He asked, still concerned.
"Hermione has studied this recipe extensively the last week. I assure you, she understands exactly what is being requested of her," Draco told him. The man muttered something under his breath, but neither Draco nor I caught it, so we just continued.
"Go change your clothes. Inform your wife; it is time," I said to Draco. He grinned and nodded. Mr. Granger grimaced. "And Draco," I called after his retreating back. "No wands." He raised his hand in acknowledgement.
"I'm not sure this even counts as a wedding," Mr. Granger said as he watched Draco leave the room.
"In the magical world, it will be quite real," I said to him as I handed the potions to the House Elf. "But if you require a Muggle ceremony as well, I doubt they will object in the future," I added with a hint of condescension.
"This is all ridiculous. How is this even going to last? They are both almost babies themselves. They'll grow bored of each other, and then I will have a devastated daughter to comfort and a young man I will want to murder," he glared at me.
"You, I believe, would have been sorted into Slytherin. You have a penchant for bloodshed," I told the man.
"Is that an insult?" he asked curiously, just further proving my point. A Gryffindor would have been affronted, even though they too were a bloodthirsty lot.
"Not at all," I said coldly. "And as for your insinuation that they will not last... Divorce is a rarity in the magical world." I added with a sneer.
"Uh huh," he said with a bit of sarcasm. "Is that because it is frowned upon or because people are forced to stay magically happy?" I grinned at the man, and he grimaced while shaking his head.
"I won't need magic to make Hermione happy," Draco said confidently with a grin, coming back into the room in just a pair of soft white linen pants, his bare feet even whiter than the rest of him. He really hadn't wasted any time at all.
"Where are the rest of your clothes?" Mr. Granger asked with exasperation, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Consider yourself lucky that he is wearing anything at all," I said to him. "According to the book, most forgo clothes altogether just to save on time," I told him. The man turned away with a look of disgust.
"Hermione and her mother will be down in a minute," Draco said to me. "She's just feeding Aiden." He smiled softly.
"Let's go outside," I said. "Not that I doubt your competence, but I want to inspect the location myself. The last thing we need is interference from Muggle infrastructure." Draco nodded without protest.
"I do have a second location picked out. It is in a wooded area down the street, but it offers no privacy or protection," he told me as all four of us walked towards the area beyond the pool where tarps were hanging.
"Hardly ideal," I agreed. The House Elf, Draco, and Mr. Granger stopped by the outdoor table while I proceeded to use a trace of magic to delineate the area that was to be used.
Mr. Granger shook his head as he looked at the area. "This is embarrassing," he muttered, glancing towards his fence line. "I hope none of the neighbours notice." Draco looked in the other direction, so the man couldn't see his expression while also choosing not to comment. I ignored them both. I had more important things to worry about.
"This will suffice," I said to them, and turned to the House Elf. "Have the first doses prepared for when they complete their oaths. They will already be feeling the effects of the Basilisk skin."
"Basilisk skin?" Mr. Granger asked, and I sighed again.
"Picture a serpent as vast and long as the road out front," I said to him. "Every inch of it is lethal."
"More poison?" he asked me, proving once again that he was smart enough not to believe the lie Draco smoothly told.
"Indeed," I responded curtly, and he turned an accusing look at Draco. He was about to say something, but the women had come out to join us. Hermione, clad in a white sundress that tied behind her neck. For the first time, I acknowledged her beauty. Even on the day when she was all but naked and embarrassed under my scrutiny, my focus had been one of morbid horror at the tangible evidence of my godson's recklessness.
Now, however, I felt a sense of relief. Draco's fate would have been sealed had I returned him to the Dark Lord. The baby in her arms seemed to have forged a bond between the pair, facilitating this ritual that I doubted would be occurring without his existence. She approached Draco directly and handed over the baby. He embraced and kissed his son with evident affection.
"You look stunning," he said to Hermione.
"You are always gorgeous," she replied at once. Draco smirked as if he were well aware of that fact and pleased with it. I rolled my eyes at the pair.
"Be good to your grandparents, little dragon," he said tenderly to the uncomprehending infant, and I frowned as I felt something sting in my chest. I called on my Occlumency to suppress any unwanted feelings. Mrs. Granger took the baby from him, and then Draco and Hermione walked towards me hand in hand. I stood inside the tarped area where a corner was lifted so the Grangers could witness their oaths.
"I believe for this it would be prudent that you use your full magical name," I told Draco, who looked at me with contemplation and then nodded and turned to his wife.
"In the world of purebloods," Draco started to explain and ignored the slight grimace we both saw on her face, "the tradition of godparent naming is still held in high regard. This practice is more than a mere custom; it is a form of magical protection bestowed upon the child by the godparent. The godparent pledges their loyalty to the child, a vow that holds precedence even over the child's parents."
"This oath is not to be taken lightly. The consequences of betrayal are physical, as opposed to magical, like so many other oaths are. I am not certain what that would entail, but I am aware it is a testament to the gravity of the commitment."
"The godparent carries a subtle mark of this bond, a magical tattoo on their dominant wrist, invisible until the need arises to reveal it. The name given by the godparent is a closely guarded secret, known only to the parents, the godparent, and the child. This name cannot be stolen or forged, further enhancing the protective magic it carries."
"And you are Draco's godfather?" Hermione Granger asked me with a frown.
"Indeed," I intoned. With a deliberate motion, I presented my right wrist. There, etched in silver, lay a small tattoo of the Malfoy family crest, and draped across it the name 'Draco Lucius Vindictus' unfurled on a scroll.
Her gaze shifted back to Draco, and she began to ask, "So, Luna…?" I raised a curious eyebrow at the choice of their child's godparent but didn't comment.
"We will talk about it more later. I must confess, I have never had occasion to use the name Sev chose for me before, as rituals are so rarely performed these days. However, I'm aware that Gringotts will require it when I make changes to the vaults," he admitted to her.
"Alright," she conceded with a slight frown, then quickly dismissed her doubts with a shake of her head, smiling at him. "However, I expect there to be a book—or some sort of literature—on the subject." His laughter rang out, joyous at her characteristic reply.
"I believe there is some information I can send Jomny to retrieve from the Malfoy vault, but I believe it's contained within a scroll." Draco smiled at her in amusement before planting a kiss on her cheek. She nodded and smiled back at him.
"Are we finally able to begin? I, unlike you two, do not have the luxury of squandering the entire day," I declared, opting to ignore their behaviour and press on while I was still relatively young. "Before we commence, I want to ensure that you are both ready for what awaits you," I said to them. "There will be pain involved. Otherwise, no one would have ever failed. I have no notion of how or when it will begin. But long before the end, I assure you, you will be wanting it to stop. You must not! If you part for even an instant, all this will have been futile, and you will endanger your lives."
I added, "Of course, saying that, the potion will magnify the pleasure, joy, and love you feel for each other. You will also lay bare to each other more than just your bodies. There will be nothing you can conceal from each other during the ritual. Every wound, every scar, every trauma you have ever experienced will be laid bare."
"You will experience each other's deepest regrets, darkest fears, and most shameful secrets. Everything will be shared without any barriers or filters." I knew it sounded like I was dissuading them from this path. But nothing could be further from the truth. I merely needed them to consent freely. Part of the ritual was total acceptance of each other. I saw the older Grangers share concerned looks.
"We understand and agree," Hermione said to me in a steady voice. I felt a modicum of respect for the girl who had always irritated me. Draco smiled at her with pride.
"Open your mouths," I told them without further delay. Draco did so first, and I used a Sticking Charm to hold the piece of Basilisk skin to the roof of his mouth. It would dissolve if they lasted for twenty-four hours. He grimaced at the taste but watched as I did the same for his wife. They exchanged amused looks that I disregarded.
"Face each other. Draco, link your left hand with Hermione's right." She glanced at me in surprise at the use of her given name, but once again, I ignored it. "Press your forearms together and brace yourselves for discomfort. You will be in this position for thirty-two hours." I touched my wand to their arms and silently cast the charm for a variation of the unbreakable vow. A thin tongue of brilliant flame issued from my wand and wound around their arms and up to their hands. Neither hissed in pain, but I saw the tightening of their eyes.
Until the completion of their oaths, it would feel like a red-hot wire around their skin. The book claimed the pain would subside, but the thin magical binding would not release them until the ritual was done. Whether that was in completion or failure depended on the pair facing the trials to come. "You may give your oaths," I said to them.
"I, Draco Lucius Vindictus Malfoy, swear to share my soul freely with Hermione Jean Granger. I freely surrender my soul to you so you may usurp any control my master has over me." He looked into her eyes with fierce intensity. "I swear to share your mind, body, and spirit from this moment on, in joy and sorrow, in health and wellness, in harmony and discord, with honour and respect for the remainder of this life and all of the next." She smiled at him with love evident in her eyes.
"I, Hermione Jean Granger, swear to share my soul freely with Draco Lucius Vindictus Malfoy. I freely join my soul with yours and will fight for your freedom and make you mine." Draco chuckled a little at that but looked incredibly happy. "I swear to share your mind, body, and spirit from this moment on, in joy and sorrow, in health and wellness, in harmony and discord, with honour and respect for the remainder of this life and all of the next," she promised him.
I removed my wand from their joined arms. There was no need for me to say anything else as I saw the binding soften until it could barely be seen, and they both looked relaxed and happy. The House Elf handed them each a cup to drink from. Not a moment could be wasted, so I left the pair at once, flipped the tarp down, and quickly headed over to the older Grangers, not wanting to hear what was about to commence.
"Come along now?" I told them and strode towards the back entrance of the house. They followed silently, but I had seen their dissatisfaction.
"I'm so worried about them. Why did they have to do this outside? I know it is not cold, but surely they could have had a blanket. It will be dark in just a few hours. And why didn't you say, 'you may kiss the bride' like a normal wedding?" Mrs. Granger asked me, unsure of the ceremony she had just witnessed. I closed the door behind us all, leaving the newlyweds alone.
"Believe me when I say that you would not have wanted to see me utter those words to them. This is not a normal wedding; this is a soul bond. This magic is extremely raw, very powerful, and ancient, which requires them to be as close to nature and therefore natural as possible. They will be fine," I ended dismissively.
"But they won't be able to… you know," she said, waving her hand vaguely, and a blush crawled over her cheeks. "Without taking breaks."
"I assure you they can and will if they want this to be successful," I replied to the uncomfortable woman.
"But how?" She blurted with embarrassment and confusion.
"The brew they must consume hourly," I said indifferently, shrugging my shoulders. Loud groans interrupted us, and the two Grangers paled visibly. We hastened deeper into the house as a group.
Then Mr. Granger astonished us all by laughing and inquiring, "Where do I get some of that brew?" His wife turned a disbelieving look at him. I scoffed a laugh at the man, unwilling for once to suppress my amusement.
"There is an ample supply of the Aphrodisiac Potion. But I warn you, do not exceed three doses in one night, or you may suffer a cardiac arrest," I said with some amusement, though the caution was genuine. A Muggle, or even a squib, would not survive an overdose. Emma Granger was so mortified that she fled with the sleeping infant in her arms. Her husband sniggered at her retreating backside.
"I can truly take some?" he asked seriously. I nodded curtly, and his smile widened.
"You will both have to consume it," I clarified. "I have something to convey before I depart. I doubt I will return, but much is happening that cannot be ignored."
"Okay?" he asked curiously.
"I urge you to take your wife and grandchild and vacate this house immediately. Hermione and Draco will remain here for the time being, and the House Elf will guard them, but you are no longer safe here. Due to some foolish and envious remarks by Draco's associates, the Dark Lord is more alert to your daughter than he ever was when she was merely the Muggle-born ally of Harry Potter. In a few days, our war will take a dire turn, and families like yours will be marked for death," I explained as bluntly as possible.
"According to Hermione, you are on the side that wishes harm to those who are like my daughter," the man said boldly.
"Correct," I concurred instantly. "But sometimes there are things that transcend one man." He scrutinised me for a moment and then nodded.
"My daughter greatly despises you," he informed me.
"I am aware," I concurred. He nodded once more. A pleasured scream issued from out back, and the man looked ill again but also determined to ignore it.
"I hate the idea of leaving my daughter behind," he said.
"I understand," I said to him. I loathed the notion of Draco being exposed to such peril and with so little protection, but the Muggles were useless in this matter. He surveyed the remnants of his nearly empty house.
"We had planned to stay here until mid-August. The movers are due then. Our flight to Australia is booked for early September. We didn't want to expose the baby to air travel too soon," he elaborated. I observed him silently, having nothing to contribute. "I suppose we'll have to get his Lordship a ticket," he said with a touch of sarcasm. I showed him my teeth in a mock grin. Clearly, Draco had omitted to mention that he was unable to relocate permanently to another country, but I left that for him to deal with.
"The House Elf will be seeking tasks to fill his time between dispensing potions. I guarantee he can pack the remainder of your house in a few minutes if you ask him," I informed him, and struggled not to react to the summons I sensed from my arm.
"They won't notice if we are not here, will they?" He asked as we heard more sounds of pleasure coming softly through the walls from the backyard.
"The House Elf will struggle to divert their attention enough to make them consume the potions," I said, nearly hissing in pain at the insistent summons. "I have no choice but to leave. Be safe if you can." I then Apparated right in front of him.
The Dark Lord looked around with exaggeration, as if he must be missing something, when I stepped into his throne room without Draco.
"Am I about to be disappointed in you, Severus?" He asked me, his red eyes narrowing in his noseless face.
"I went to the hospital, My Lord, but Draco was absent," I reported, and I saw from the corner of my eyes, Narcissa look at me sharply. "A nurse told me that his family had retrieved him." I had used the moments between arriving outside and arriving in the throne room to strengthen my Occlumency shields and bring forward the memories I wanted available to Voldemort, and as always, hoped he didn't see through my defences.
"Show me," Voldemort hissed, and he came at me as a black mass of smoke. He forced me down until I was flat on my back on the floor, and he hovered above me. I felt him invade my mind violently, inflicting pain on purpose, just because he liked us all to feel pain from him. He saw my encounter at the hospital as well as my memory of the boy with bandages, tubes, and wires that appeared as a past memory of Draco at the hospital. Then he tilted his head at the face of the unknown blonde girl when he witnessed my own invasion of the female nurse's mind.
"Do we know this Muggle girl?" he questioned me. I shook my head. He then looked over at Narcissa, where she just stared at the shade of her husband with eyes as dead as her beloveds.
"Narcissa," he said, looking over at her, even as he continued to hover over me. She turned her head reluctantly to look at him. The shade was inert for now. It was no more than a scar imprinted onto the wards of the Manor. It did not resemble his final agony. When active, it repeated his apologies to Draco and then cried out Narcissa's name in anguish. Voldemort delighted in her flinching every time.
"I believe I have seen who has replaced you as Lady of this Manor. How does it feel to be replaced by a mud-blood?" he inquired. I was only watching her from the corner of my eyes, but I saw her blanch and shake her head.
"Draco would never do that," she uttered in a lifeless voice.
"Still. I will gift you her head, and you can reclaim your rightful place," he told her with an encouraging, if deranged, grin.
"Thank you, My Lord," she said softly, knowing he required the acknowledgement. He looked back down at me.
"I reward loyalty," he said with a smile. "What else have you done this day, Potions Master?" he asked me, and just from the name change, I knew I was about to hurt. But not before I answered.
"I considered that the girl could have been Granger Polyjuiced, and perhaps the elder two with her were Potter and Weasley disguised also. Though that was improbable, and I had no clue how she would find Draco's whereabouts, they had used the potion before. It took some time to locate the residence of the Grangers, but it was deserted and all but bare. I remembered that the parents had some kind of Muggle shop. I interrogated a neighbour and obtained the details from her. I had wondered if they were concealed in the building, but that place was also vacant," I recounted.
"Very well," he said, and then reformed in a squat next to me. "I have told you before, Severus. I think, and you do. But that seems to be a concept you have trouble with."
"Yes, My Lord," I answered, looking at him only because I knew looking anywhere else would enrage him.
He raised his wand and said casually, "Curcio," with a flick of his wrist. I felt a surge of agony rip through my body, making me convulse and gasp on the floor. I bit my tongue to stop myself from screaming. He enjoyed hearing suffering, but I refused to give him that satisfaction. I was his servant and spy, but not his toy when I could choose not to be.
He kept the curse on me for thirty long seconds, then switched to Slashing Hexes, cutting my flesh with invisible blades. He avoided hitting any vital organs, of course. He needed me alive for his plans, but he also needed me broken and obedient.
He bent down over my face again and smiled at me. His face was blurry in my vision, but I could see his serpent tongue flicking out of his mouth. He licked the blood from my face with lover-like care, making me want to shudder with revulsion. He did not do this out of lust, like he did with Bellatrix. He did this out of dominance, to remind me and everyone else, who was the master here. He opened his mouth to say something else, but then he frowned and looked at his arm.
For thirty-two hours, all present or unlucky enough to arrive at the Manor endured our masters twisted and renewed desire to hold an orgy. He used to throw them in the first war when he was bored and wanted some entertainment. He had not renewed the tradition until now. The orgy, he declared, was a delightful success; multiple people had vomited, and Narcissa was almost catatonic even as tears streamed down her face, and she tried in vain to hide her naked body from everyone in the room.
Bella, on the other hand, was dancing around like the mad witch she is, spinning in circles, cackling, and clapping at random moments. She revelled in every moment of what the Dark Lord announced would be a regular occurrence from now on. I appeared to be one of the few to witness the Dark Lord's shrieks of agony, with most everybody else still otherwise occupied, just minutes before he ended the celebration. I made sure to turn my gaze back towards the ceiling from where I once again lay on the floor, so he didn't know I had seen his pain.
I fervently hoped that no one dared to lay another finger on me anytime soon. Even under the most favourable of circumstances, I have always found physical contact to be... distasteful. The last thirty-two hours had pushed me past my limit of tolerance.
Voldemort's Point of view
I, Lord Voldemort, felt a sharp pain travel from my left forearm and straight into the muscle that pumped blood through my young-looking body. I was fucking Dolohov in the arse while he and Lestrange double-teamed Bella. Nagini was wrapped around my leg and was the only one permitted to fuck me.
A small token of my affection for her and one of the few ways I could reward her for her loyalty that was more pure than any other of my followers. I indulged her in some ways, enjoying her fierce jealousy of Bella, but I drew the line at letting her murder the witch, as my snake frequently threatened.
It had been delightful, especially because I knew Dolohov was not a lover of men, and he also didn't seem to enjoy the feel of scales against the side of his arse. The pain made me scream at its intensity, but I didn't think anyone noticed even as I orgasmed at the same time. Even with the pain still upon me, I grinned to see my potent and superior essence puddling inside Dolohov's arsehole.
I could have chosen to forget the first unexpected pain, but it returned with a vengeance. A searing agony tore through my chest and arm as I screamed again, and I felt my connection to Draco Malfoy sever.
I had no idea why the death of the boy had caused me pain, but I did wonder if it had something to do with the cursed knife. It only took a second to dismiss that thought, however, when I looked over at the shade of Lucius Malfoy staring vacantly at his wife. It took time for the memory to repeat itself. There had not been any pain when Lucius perished. I made a mental note to investigate this later but wouldn't let it distract me from my coming triumph.
"Are you alright, Master?" Nagini hissed even as I looked around to make sure nobody had noticed, scanning the room for any sign of doubt or defiance among my followers. The few who dared look questioningly in my direction I gave a look that promised death if they dared to question me aloud.
"I am fine," I hissed back with a sneer even as she uncoiled from my leg and moved onto the floor. "Go sit on my throne and keep an eye out for dissension."
"Of course, Master," she responded, swiftly slithering across the cold marble floor to the throne of skulls and bones. She ascended the high back, her scales glistening in the dim light, casting an eerie glow that seemed to command attention.
She was more than a mere pet; she was a sentinel, a guardian of my dominion and my soul. As she settled in, her eyes remained ever watchful, reflecting a deadly cunning that matched my own. Together, we would quell any hint of rebellion, ensuring that my rule remained unchallenged.
I sneered at the few who still watched me, too afraid to look away, with contempt as I headed towards the far exit and announced that this was a delightful success and that there would be many more to come. I enjoyed the look on Narcissa's face and made sure to caress it tenderly on my way past. She didn't react; just continued to cry silently. I left the room, knowing I still had tasks to complete and things to attend to before I could claim my rightful place in the world. And killing Harry Potter was just one of them.
As I made my way up the stairs, my thoughts turned to the tool that lay above and what its condition was at this moment since nobody had been available to attend it in the last day and a half. I had no doubt it was still alive, but perhaps in desperate need of some tending.
I considered ordering Bella to attend it, but I knew the witch was becoming attached despite my demand that she keep her distance. I even suspected that my most loyal Death Eater had named the tool, not that I blamed her. I understood that she was female and, therefore, much more emotional about such things. I had already decided I would have to send the tool away, but choosing the right person to watch over it until such a time that it was useful was also not simple.
I needed the tool to be kept in good health so as the soul and, subsequently, its magic grew to its full potential. Few of my followers could be trusted with such a task without taking liberties of one sort or another that would be detrimental to its very being. One day the tool would provide more power to Lord Voldemort, and once I had consumed the soul within its form, I would be able to create even more Horcruxes. I was the greatest wizard to ever live, after all, and would be the greatest to ever live forever.
I remembered the day the tool entered the world. Bella's concern had been palpable, fretting over its female form—believing that I wanted the male heir traditionally favoured by Lords, but Lord Voldemort could not have been more pleased.
Many seemed to forget how much closer females were to creation than males. All of my research had shown just how powerful covens had become in the past before the practice was outlawed. Lord Voldemort himself could see the prudence behind such assemblies, but I also recognised that the original mandate was steeped as much in envy and trepidation as it was in governance.
Wizards were not able to combine their power like witches could, and the wizards at the time had worried that witches would try to subjugate them. What those wizards failed to consider was the weakness of females as a whole. They would never seek to lead because they are simply incapable of living without a male to look after them and guide them.
Seeing Bella's weakness for the tool just proved these points in my mind. She seemed a strong and powerful witch, but she had no control over her emotions at all. Females, no matter what skin they came in, were weak creatures and needed males to show them the errors of their ways.
I was halfway up the stairs when the bells rang through the wards of Malfoy Manor in a happy melody. Draco Malfoy was indeed alive, but he had just signed his own death warrant. Him and his new bride.
Authors Note:- Vindictus Viridian was Headmaster of Hogwarts in the late 1600's. He held Mastery's in both Potions and DADA and published a book called Curses and Counter-Curses. He has two portraits in the castle. One in the Headmaster's office and one guarding the entrance to the Room of Rewards.
:- To everyone who is reading my story, I want to say thank you. And to OCansino and Rkook1210, thank you for leaving reviews.