A/N: Happy Friday (almost Saturday...it's late)!
A small heads-up for this chapter. It is very narrative/exposition heavy, but, for those of you who really like the magic in this story, it's the star of this chapter, so you should enjoy it. I hope everyone still likes this chapter despite the heavy exposition.
Also, for readers of all my other stories, especially "Life As We Know It" and "Morgan le Fay"...I'm really sorry for how long it's been since they've been updated. Just a lot going on and a lot of writer's block. Doing my best to work through it!
If you do enjoy this chapter, please, leave a review. Have a good weekend!
Chapter 59
Draco placed his homework—of which very little had gotten done in the last few days since Severus had collapsed from Voldemort's assault through his Mark—on top of Harry's and stood somewhat shakily from the chair he'd spent the last four days in. While the severe draining of their magic had eased, Voldemort clearly focused more on killing Severus slowly in order to break their bond and take magic from him, the draining of him and Harry was still there, keeping their magic unstable and leaving them weakened. He glanced at Severus still unconscious in the infirmary bed, distressed, before joining Harry to follow Leif from the Hospital Wing.
Out in the corridor, a man and a woman in professional deep blue robes with embroidered patches over their hearts were conversing quietly with Professor Siguard, briefcases in their hands. Draco shared a puzzled look with Harry, neither of them knowing who these people were or why they were there to talk to him and Harry. At least, Draco was confused until they were close enough to see the emblem on their chests. Draco's eyes widened in recognition. The two turned to him and Harry, gazes curious, while Leif stood behind them and Siguard stayed next to the man and woman.
"Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy," Siguard introduced, gesturing to them respectively. "Please meet Mr. Finberg Beauregarde and Madam Nicoletta Ramsay, representatives for the Board of Theoretical Magical Education and those who will be assessing you for admission to the Magical Theory course."
"Pleasure," Draco greeted with a small incline of his head as he'd been taught. He wished he could have put more enthusiasm into his voice, especially when he saw a small twitch in Beauregarde's eyebrow, making it arch ever so slightly.
"Magical Theory," Harry muttered next to him and Draco winced at the clear moment of utter confusion. "Wait, that's today?"
Draco sighed and dropped his head when Beauregarde and Ramsay shared a glance, turning back to him and Harry with eyebrows high in their disappointment.
"Indeed it is," Ramsay said slowly, clearly unimpressed.
"I…I'm sorry," Harry stammered. "It's just…"
Leif's hand suddenly came to rest warmly on Draco's shoulder as the immortal stepped up behind them, torso nearly pressed to his and Harry's backs.
"We apologize," Leif said. "There has been a family emergency the last few days and it has had us all quite out of sorts."
"And you are?" Ramsay asked politely.
"Their godfather and, currently, their temporary guardian," Leif replied.
Beauregarde and Ramsay looked at the three of them curiously.
"Our father, he's…" Draco attempted to explain, "he's in a coma of sorts and we don't know if he'll wake up."
"There is a…force harming him," Leif added.
"Would this be the mark that was to be the subject of your project?" Ramsay asked, looking between the boys.
"Yes, ma'am," Draco and Harry replied together.
The two assessors glanced at each other again before looking back at Draco and Harry.
"While we understand the circumstances, we must clarify," Beauregarde said. "Are we to understand you will not be completing your project demonstration today?"
Draco looked at Harry and then at Siguard, seeing the sadness in the professor. The man had known what was going on with Severus and, like all of them, had likely not realized their demonstration day was approaching.
"No, sir, we won't be," Harry answered with a small shake of his head. "It's just…Dad was supposed to be a part of it and our magic's not been right. I'm not sure we could do it even if we wanted to."
"You understand this is your only opportunity to enter Magical Theory, correct?" Beauregarde confirmed. "We cannot and will not reschedule."
Harry's head dropped and Leif's hand moved to rub gentle circles on Draco's back.
"We understand," Draco said, swallowing thickly around his growing sadness and guilt as he saw Siguard sigh. He and Leif and Alexei had done so much over the months to help them follow this path to extraordinary careers, but now they had to give it all up. "We apologize for wasting your time, though we appreciate the opportunity you provided us."
"Very well then," Beauregarde said with a disappointed frown.
"We do hope your father recovers and we wish you well in your future endeavours," Ramsay added, sounding sincere despite the disappointment and slight annoyance that remained in both the assessors' faces.
"Thank you," Harry and Draco murmured.
"Good day, young gentlemen," Beauregarde said with a bow of his head.
"Professor," Ramsay said to Siguard. "Would you accompany us out?"
"Of course," Siguard agreed, inclining his head, and they all turned to begin walking away. Draco watched, already broken heart breaking even more for all new reasons.
"Wait, if you could," Leif suddenly called out and Draco looked back at him, confused. The immortal turned him and Harry around, looking at them earnestly. "Severus would be furious if you gave up this opportunity."
"We can't," Harry said, shaking his head.
"Your project is complete, is it not?"
"Yeah, but not for Dad being like this," Draco protested. "Everything we've got might not work. It was designed to change benign magic, not fight active Dark Magic."
"Plus, our magic is hardly working without Dad as our ground," Harry added. "We were supposed to anchor to him, but we can't with most of his magic gone."
"Use your bond," Leif told them. "Anchor to your Pure Magic."
"But…" Harry muttered while Draco stared at Leif uncertainly.
"This is how we save Severus," Leif said firmly. "You are how we save him. Your bond and magic are meant to protect all of you."
"Our…our runes might not be right," Draco argued weakly. "Our intentions were different."
"We've not got as much power as we'd planned," Harry said quietly.
"Then we change it," Leif said, and looked over them at Siguard and the assessors. "Could we ask you to give them just a little time to prepare?"
Beauregarde and Ramsay looked at each other, silently conversing.
"Would thirty minutes suffice?" Ramsay asked after just a few seconds.
"Certainly. Thank you," Leif said, turning back to Draco and Harry. "Get your project and bring it all to the infirmary. Hurry."
Casting a still unsure glance at Harry, Draco nodded and took off down the corridor, Harry jogging next to him. They were silent as they ran through the castle, each, Draco was sure, lost in their racing thoughts. Draco's were all over the place as were his emotions, unsure what to think or feel in the contradictory possibilities of both losing Severus and maybe being able to save him.
They pushed into Severus' quarters and hurried to their room, heading straight for their shared desk to grab their packages of notes. Draco gazed down at his, skimming his notes on crafting and the steps he'd have to take and how his part crossed over with Harry's. He could already see cracks in their plan now Voldemort was actively using Severus' Mark and taking his magic.
"Do you think Leif's right?" Draco asked. "Can we save him?"
"I don't know," Harry admitted, "but we've got to try, haven't we?"
Love and protection can save the bond…close the door…save your light…
Draco looked up at the voice, meeting Harry's eyes, the Gryffindor having clearly heard Lady Magic too. There was a pulse in his chest and the air around them warmed briefly. Their bond fighting to survive, Draco and Harry hurried back up to the infirmary. The assessors were standing with Siguard a couple beds away from Severus, talking quietly, while Leif and Alexei were next to Severus, also conversing. Draco led the way to Leif and Alexei, glancing at the assessors, and their mentors looked up as they approached.
"Drake," Alexei called and Draco turned to watch Siguard excuse himself from the assessors, joining them questioningly. "Could you assist in reviewing the boys' runes and ensure they will still work in these circumstances?" He gestured to Severus' unconscious and twitching form.
"Of course," Siguard said, taking Harry's package at the same time Leif took Draco's.
Draco moved to stand next to Leif at the man's gesture, watching the immortal pull over a rolling table and conjure a quill that he handed to Draco. They spent the next few minutes going through Draco's notes and making changes together before bringing in Harry, Alexei, and Siguard to connect the two and rework the process' timeline.
"The last thing is your magic," Leif said and Draco nodded. "You are going to use your Pure Magic to anchor, and then you are going to take some of mine and Alexei's magic to replenish your own."
Draco's eyes widened. "You…you want me to siphon from you?"
Leif and Alexei nodded.
"No, I can't…I won't. I'll…I'll go too far and…" Draco refused, trailing off. "We're already losing Severus."
"We have a lot of power and we will only allow you to take as much as you need," Leif replied.
"We can cut your connection to us if we need to, remember," Alexei added. "You need more magic and we can give it to you."
Draco shook his head in adamant refusal. The mere idea of connecting to Leif and Alexei in that way was terrifying, bringing up the memory of Malfoy Manor. He couldn't risk hurting Leif and Alexei that way, couldn't risk hurting them at all. If Severus died, Leif and Alexei were all they would have left, but they wouldn't even have the immortals if he hurt them. He couldn't do that, couldn't be the reason he and Harry were alone again.
"Draco. Draco, breathe." Leif's voice broke through his spiralling and he blinked, finding Leif in front of him and holding his arms, bowed so their eyes could meet. "Breathe, paidí."
Draco obeyed, taking deliberate breaths. Despite the erratic nature of their magic right then, Draco was still able to feel Leif's and Alexei's magic, the way it drifted around them, trying to calm them, and felt the way his and Harry's magic still fought to hold each other despite the turmoil in the bond. Everything that had once been so easy and natural between them had become difficult and sporadic as Voldemort assaulted their bond and stole Severus' grounding magic, leaving them untethered. As he calmed, Leif's hands slid up to cup his neck, thumbs brushing his cheeks.
"You will not hurt us," Leif assured. "It is time to believe us and trust us as we trust you. you are not Lucius and you can prove it now."
He gazed at Leif before letting his eyes slide to Alexei and Harry who was being held to the vampire's chest from behind.
"It is time to find yourself," Alexei said gently, making him remember their conversation all those weeks ago.
"And fight for those you love," Leif said with a look at Harry. "You have your magic for a reason and this is it: to save your father, to find your home, to give us all a life we'd given up on."
Draco met Harry's eyes, feeling a rush of power he hadn't felt in days. Turning back to Leif, he nodded.
"Okay."
Leif smiled and pressed a kiss to his forehead while Alexei hugged Harry tightly. They took another few minutes to arrange and setup, Harry and Draco now on Severus' left side, the man's mutilated left forearm exposed. Leif and Alexei stood opposite them, and the assessors stood at the foot of Severus' bed with Siguard, both now holding clipboards and quills at the ready.
Draco did his best to keep his breathing steady in his nervousness, sharing a look with Harry that told him the Gryffindor was feeling the same. With everything ready, even if he and Harry weren't, Draco turned to Beauregarde and Ramsay.
"We will be assessing you on your technique, your application, and your results," Beauregarde explained. "Successful use of magic in your intended process is what we want to see in order to demonstrate skill and a thorough understanding of magical theory and its application."
"As you have both indicated possession of Aether and Elemental Magic as well as intention to pursue careers as Crafters and Rune Mages, we will also be evaluating your use of and skill with your individual magic and runes," Ramsay continued
"I will also be using this demonstration as your Runes final," Siguard jumped in.
"We have read your proposal as it was submitted with your applications by Professor Siguard," Ramsay said with a nod at Siguard.
"However, we still want you to explain your intentions and plans, particularly as things seem to have changed due to unfortunate circumstances."
"Yes, Madam," Draco said and swallowed nervously, glancing at Harry once more. "Originally, our plan was to switch the connection that currently exists between a mark and its creator to a different holder, to us. We also intended to change the magic to flow the opposite direction and remove the ability to cause pain."
"While that is still the main part of our project, we have to actually break the connection now and replace it with a new one," Harry continued. "Because the mark is actively being used, we have to also combat active Dark Magic."
"I intend to break the connection with my Aether Magic while anchoring the both of us to our father's magic due to magical compatibility and a Life Bond that exists between us," Draco said, seeing the eyebrows rise on the assessors. "I will also be the one to create the new connection through crafting and by tying al our magic together and into the runes Harry will be creating."
"The Dark Mark is not a traditional rune, but it operates as one," Harry said. "I am going to create Elemental runes with particular meanings and intentions, and they will be activated by their corresponding element. As Draco said, while I create these runes, he will put our magic into them and I will use my magic to lock it into each rune using their elements."
"It is our goal to give our father a new mark that is connected to us," Draco said.
"It will emphasize our Life Bond and compatible magic while also allowing him to feel us and call for us," Harry said.
"We just want to free him from this and save him," Draco finished quietly.
"We're the reason this is happening," Harry said, voice strained.
Draco saw the pity that entered Beauregarde's and Ramsay's expressions as they finished jotting notes. Glancing at Leif and Alexei, he saw the sympathy there and sighed as he finally looked at Severus.
"Very well," Beauregarde said. "When you are ready."
Gazing at Severus, Draco took a few deep, slow breaths, trying to calm himself so he could easily slip into the magic and see. It took longer than it normally did, his weakness from Voldemort impacting all of his abilities, but after a couple minutes of effort, he was looking at the wide array of magic around him. Given they were in the Hogwarts infirmary, there was a ton of magic and he reached out a hand to put on Harry's arm, telling his brother to wait as he pushed all the magic he didn't want to focus on to the background. Soon, he was focused on Severus, the Mark, and their bond with Leif, Alexei, and Harry just on the periphery, waiting.
Diving deeper, he went into their Life Bond as it existed in Severus, the place where their Pure Magic was, finding the ropes made of all the colours in their magic drifting around as though just waiting to be used. He reached out with his magic to wrap around his and Harry's own Pure Magic, guiding both to latch onto Severus' rope, only letting go when he saw the three ropes melt together, their magic and bond flowing through all of them. They were officially magically anchored to Severus' Pure Magic, preventing any incompatible magic from entering and interfering with their own.
Anchored, Draco turned to Leif and Alexei, staring at their cores. He hesitated. He was finally starting to believe Malfoy Manor wasn't his fault and that he was better than his father, and he knew Leif and Alexei were powerful enough to stop him if he lost control, but he still worried. They had no way of knowing what could happen when they all connected with the Dark Magic currently flowing through Severus. They couldn't anticipate the extent of what Voldemort could do should he realize what they were doing. It was completely possible that the entire situation could open Draco's door and allow Voldemort into all of them, into every side of their bond.
"Hey."
Harry's quiet voice made him turn to his brother.
"It's for him," Harry whispered. "You can do this."
Harry's nod at Severus made Draco look back at the man that had become his father, the father Lucius should've been. As he stared, he saw a small thread of gold escape the consuming black fractals and reach out, twisting loosely around the thin strands of his and Harry's magic that had automatically gravitated to Severus. It was a stuttering, light touch, a struggle in the pulsing Dark Magic, but it was there. Nothing could conceal the love in Severus' touch.
Everything that had happened, everything he'd been through, everything that had led them all to that moment…it all had to have been for something…for this.
Resolved, Draco nodded and moved his gaze back to Leif's and Alexei's cores. He took a deep breath and gathered his magic, morphing it into a rope that he pushed towards the two immortals, making it branch into two as he got close, and he guided them to touch the cores and then melt into them.
Due to the instability of his magic, Draco felt the connection form immediately, his magic desperate for replenishment and some kind of steady hold. Power started to flow through his magic before he even started drawing on their cores. A small bead of panic appeared in his chest as he felt himself losing control, but then the flow of magic stopped and a hand gripped his firmly. Upon Harry's touch, their magic flew to each other, wrapping together as tightly as possible despite their weakness. Their magic tangled together as it had so many times before and their struggling connection settled in place, waiting to facilitate flowing and shared magic.
Holding Harry's hand tightly and taking another deep breath, Draco began to pull as Leif and Alexei lifted their barriers, their magic travelling up through his. Leif's swirled around Draco's core, mixing with the same, if weaker magic it found, while Alexei's followed Draco's guidance and flowed into Harry. Feeling stronger than he had in days with a steady stream of Leif's and Alexei's magic flowing through him, he turned to Severus, gaze quickly finding Severus' golden magic and two separate Dark Magic sources.
One he knew; he'd seen it dozens of times. It was the sharp, dense black ball that was attached to Severus' core, drawing on his magic, not to consume it, but to strain it and keep it entwined with the Dark Mark, keeping the connection between Severus and Voldemort alive. It was pulsing, the source of the agony Severus had been and was still in.
The other Dark Magic was more…alive. It was writhing and wriggling…and growing. Severus' magic was clearly fighting back, trying to destroy the Dark Magic and escape, but every time a golden thread got too close, the Dark Magic lashed out and consumed the thread. With every thread taken, the Dark Magic grew, creeping ever closer to Severus' core. There were even a few paper-thin strands extending from the mass, reaching for the stuttering core of swirling gold and black.
Aware he was about to have his magic stretched and connected in more ways than he ever had before, Draco gathered more Aether Magic and pushed it at the Dark Magic. As he got closer, he morphed his magic into a criss-crossing net design and pulled at Harry's magic, bleeding Fire Magic, which turned a blueish colour, like blue flames, into his net, weaving the complementary strands into his. He wanted to explore and contemplate the inexplicable change in Harry's Fire Magic, but it would have to wait. He pulled in more of Leif's magic, needing power to grow his net and wrap it around the Dark Magic ravaging Severus.
He winced and let out an audible gasp which had Harry squeezing his hand when the Dark Magic reacted to his defence of forceful confinement. There was a hard, heavy pressure as though the Dark Magic was trying to push on his net hard enough to snap it only to then turn viciously sharp, feeling like razors were slicing along not only his magic, but his nerves as well. He ground his teeth and felt his fingernails dig into Harry's hand.
Despite the pain and growing weakness coursing through his body, Draco managed to push the active Dark Magic away, cutting off most of its reaching fractals. Some still made it through, lashing angrily at any enemy strands they could reach, while others crashed sharply against his net. Any that came into contact with the strange blue Fire Magic fizzled to ash.
Draco forced it all to the peripheral of his attention, keeping just enough focus on it to keep the magical barrier in place, enduring the never-ending agony scraping along his nerves and magic. He turned to the other Dark Mark's magic, the last of his part before Harry would begin with his Elemental runes. He gathered his magic once more, a feat growing more and more difficult, and pushed it in a fourth direction, now stretching his magic and himself far beyond anything he'd done before. Beneath the pain, a deep ache in his chest was growing, an indication that, even with Leif's magic, he was at the edge of magical depletion.
He couldn't stop though. If he stopped, Severus would die and that simply wasn't an option.
He flinched as the Dark Mark snapped at him, slicing at his magic as he connected to the dark mass holding to Severus' core. As he wrapped his silvery-white threads around the Dark Magic like spiderwebs, Draco had to release Harry and catch himself on the edge of the mattress, his knees nearly buckling under the pain and weakness flooding his body.
"I will take all of you!"
Voldemort's voice echoed in his head and Draco's fingers dug into the mattress as all the pain pulsed. Grinding his teeth, he looked back at all the magic.
His magic had begun to retreat from the Dark Mark's magic and his net had weakened. Feeling himself beginning to shake from the strain, he pulled hard at Leif, needing power. He thought he heard a low groan and a whisper, but he kept his focus on the Dark Mark where his wispy magic was crawling over it again. As his magic travelled up the dark rope connected to Severus' core, Draco wrapped his threads around the rope. Fully wrapped, Draco tugged hard and the rope snapped.
Excruciating pain had Draco's knees crashing to the stone and a shout finally escaping him.
"He's mine!"
Eyes having fallen shut, Draco forced them back open and glared at the Dark Magic.
"No, he's not," Draco growled. "Harry, now!"
They began to work in tandem, Harry's colourful strands joining the mess, but bypassing the Dark Magic to go directly for the Mark itself. Gritting his teeth and clenching the blanket in his hands, Draco dove into the Mark's magic and began to pull it apart, thread by thread. In each, he found what part of the connection it held and where in the Mark it sat, directing Harry there. He flooded the strands with power, dissolving their intention and, by extension, burning away that part of the Mark. Once the connection was gone, Harry began to draw a rune using one of his elements and Draco morphed the strand he held, changing it to hold a new magic and intention. He saw the black fractal shift, transforming in form and colour as the newly crafted magic took on existence.
When Harry's rune was complete, melting into Severus' skin with a colourful glow of the base element attributed to the rune's purpose, Draco pulled at their connected threads, twined them with Severus', and pushed their braided magic into the waiting rune. After a few seconds, it glowed brightly and then faded, leaving behind the first lines that would make up the new design that would replace the skull and snake.
The process continued, Draco destroying parts of the Mark, Harry creating runes, Draco crafting the new magic, and then all three of their magics bleeding into the new rune, cementing the new intention. All the while, the Dark Magic fought back, even managing to break a rune or their connective threads and requiring them to start that rune all over. The excruciating pain never eased and they both grew weaker, Harry bowed over the bed to support himself and stop from joining Draco on the floor. Voldemort echoed in their heads, screaming as he fought to keep his hold on Severus. Draco trembled and ground his teeth so hard he felt them crack. Blood flowed from his nose, making him taste the rusty metallic liquid as it trailed over his lips and dripped off his chin.
By the time they were on the final rune, Draco's vision was blurred and spotty, and his ears were ringing. He tied all of their magic to the final rune and released everything he'd been holding for the past thirty minutes. All the runes Harry had drawn reappeared briefly, glowing beneath the lines that were slithering around on their own, completing the new design and gaining colour. All the Dark Mark dissipated into black dust and Draco sagged, feeling Harry finally collapse next to him.
Before Draco slipped from the bed, he glimpsed the new design on Severus' forearm, seeing the rivers of colour that cut through the black lines. He gave a weak smile and fell, sprawled across the stone. He heard voices, muffled by his still ringing ears, and felt someone beside him, but everything was tunnelling away.
Except for the warm tingle on his left hand.
With a frown, he shakily lifted his hand and turned it on the stone slightly, just able to see his palm. A thin rainbow rope was twirling around his middle finger and dancing over his palm. Everything was nearly dark by the time it disappeared and he only just managed to glimpse a delicate black line with something glittering in it before he finally lost consciousness, feeling Harry fall limp against him as the Gryffindor did the same.