The Way of the Cursed Sun

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/59800267.

Rating: Explicit
Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Categories: F/M, Multi
Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Bellatrix
Black Lestrange/Voldemort, Nagini/Voldemort (Harry Potter), Lucius
Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy, Luna Lovegood/Harry Potter, Neville
Longbottom/Pansy Parkinson
Characters: Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley, Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Black Malfoy,
Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Severus Snape, Delphi (Harry Potter),
Luna Lovegood, Lavender Brown, Voldemort (Harry Potter), Bellatrix
Black Lestrange, Amycus Carrow
Additional Tags: Unplanned Pregnancy, Pregnancy Kink, Magical Pregnancy, Breeding
Kink, Vaginal Sex, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Rebounded Spell
Death, Ron Weasley Bashing, Dark Ron Weasley, tagging as we go,
Unhinged Bellatrix, Good Draco Malfoy, Good Lucius Malfoy, Good
Narcissa Black Malfoy, Forced Pregnancy, Forced Cohabitation,
Updating tags as I go, Horcrux Hunting, Good Severus Snape, Stalker
Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy is Good at Sex, Draco Malfoy Has a Large
Cock, Draco Malfoy Has a Breeding Kink, Not Beta Read, Not Brit
Picked, Underwater Sex, Minor Character Death, First Time, not a slow
burn, Fuck Like the World is Ending
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2024-10-16 Updated: 2025-01-12 Words: 67,650 Chapters:
24/?
 The Way of the Cursed Sun
by PaintedMuse

Summary

After the Harry, Hermione, and Ron are captured and sent to Malfoy Manor, the others
escape leaving a wounded Hermione behind. Draco Malfoy is sent to heal Hermione from the
Black family cursed blade and they are sent into hiding while Harry and the others continue
on their search for Horcruxes. Hermione learns Draco story and their relationship changes
from perceived enemies to lovers in their time alone.
Or...
Draco Malfoy is sent off with Hermione to help her heal from the cursed blade and their
forced close contact leads to romance, sex, and them saving their world instead of the Golden
Trio.
There is a character death but NOT with the main characters, no graphic description of S.A.

Notes

This fic will be completed and as of this first posting, 10/16/2024, and it is more than
halfway written. I have several stories going at once.
There is a rape/non-consensual tag but it is implied, no graphic description of rape, she is
implied as underage, but is 16, and while the castle is under Death Eater Rule/The Carrows.
Sex between Ginny and Severus was a punishment for Severus for disloyalty but saved
Ginny from certain death. That scene is implied.
Hermione and Draco and Ron Weasley and Lavender are underage (sex, pregnancy) but are
17/18 Year six at Hogwarts.
Voldemort Sex is cringe but also awful, but it was fun to write. LOL. I read it to my husband
who was completely mortified and disturbed, so I think that's ideal.
I don't do a ton of notes... sorry.
 Chapter 1

Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley/Lavender

Brown, Bellatrix Lestrange/Voldemort, Severus Snape/Ginny Weasley, Others

Summary: After the Harry, Hermione, and Ron are captured and sent to Malfoy Manor, the
others escape leaving a wounded Hermione behind. Draco Malfoy is sent to heal Hermione
from the Black family cursed blade and they are sent into hiding while Harry and the others
continue on their search for Horcruxes. Hermione learns Draco story and their relationship
changes from perceived enemies to lovers in their time alone.

Disclaimer: This work of Fanfiction belongs to me (Painted Muse) but the characters belong
to JK Rolling. I am merely borrowing them to create alternate universes as I please. I make
no income off this fiction and ask that you do not steal my words, work, or the like, and ask
permission before translating. Do not repost. Thank you kindly for reading and your kind
reviews. This work is not Beta’d and I edit it myself so the mistakes are all mine.

The Way of the Cursed Son

By: Painted Muse

Chapter One

“You wanted to see me, my lord?”

“Ah, Lucius, my most dedicated servant. It is with gravitas you finally graced us with your
presence this night.”

“Of course, my lord,” Lucius occulated to hide the irritation he felt with the dark lord’s
words. As if the decrepit old man wasn’t squatting at Lucius’ ancestorial home, sacrificing
people at his dining room table before meals, or torturing his only son under threat of harm of
his parents.

“It’s been brought to my attention that the three have resurfaced.”

Lucius schooled his surprise.

“I was not aware.”

“No?”
“We were at Hogsmeade, my lord, visiting our son for the holiday.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie.

“Ah, sentimental. Mawkish precious moments with one’s progeny warm even the coldest of
hearts, no doubt,” Voldemort cooed.

Bellatrix cackled. “Where is the precious itty-bitty baby dragon, hmm?” Her salacious grin
showed off her rotting teeth as she ran her hand down her brother in law’s chest and then
cupped his cock for emphasis.

“Draco has returned back to Hogwarts.” Lucius bit out.

“Aww, bless.” She gave another cupped flex of Lucius’s flaccidity with a huff. “You knew
what I was referring to,” She whispered darkly into his ear. He stood stoically and unamused.
Bellatrix cackled before dropping her hand on him. “Curse those cursed family heirlooms
obscuring a wee bit of fun, hmm Lucius? Cissy was never good at sharing. No matter.”

Bellatrix turned her attentions to a more willing partner with the Dark Lord and sauntered
over to him. She slowly lifted her leg in between Voldemort’s legs. She slowly pulled up her
satin and lacy skirts. He watched as she pulled out a flask out of her garter belt high on her
thigh.

She tipped the flask up, as if she was taking a large swig and then mounted Voldemort’s lap
in a straddling position.

“Ah, sweet Bella,” Voldemort crooned in monotone as she lifted the flask and poured the
tainted fire whiskey between his parted lips.

Voldemort instantly seemed to ease; his glossy eyes moved over the witch before him with
synthetic amorous lust. The audience around them dutifully tried to ignore the actions of the
crazy, wretched witch as she made quick work of the dark lord’s trousers to pleasure him. Her
mouth slurped his snake down her throat as red eyes fixed on Narcissa’s hardened posture.

Lucius felt the chill down his spine as he positioned himself in front of his beloved wife.

“Ah, Lucius,” Voldemort huffed in annoyance as he cupped Bella’s riot of hair in his fist,
pushing her more firmly down on his erection. “I revel in the attention your wife wishes to
grant me, yet you seek to deprive me. No matter.” He chuckled.

Lucius remained quiet, knowing anything he said wouldn’t come out in his or his wife’s favor
with the dark lord. It was best to just take the quips indifferently.

It disgusted Lucius that Voldemort always lusted over his wife, but he knew the protections
placed on their marital rings wouldn’t allow any kind of infidelity on either of their parts. It
was something he was thankful his ancestors placed of the goblin wrought silver. It kept the
Malfoy’s pure and the heir legitimate. Any unwanted touch upon his wife or his skin would
readily activate an ancient curse. One that the Dark Lord had the misfortune of learning
firsthand when three fingers on his left hand aged and mangled after the slightest caress.
Voldemort’s anger of the curse had been brutal and swift and nearly killed Lucius. It was
lucky that Snape had shared his knowledge of healing dark curses to heal the Sectumsempra
curse Voldemort lashed upon Lucius in the bit of rage.

The dark lord tried to get around the curse, of course, with the clause of her wanting and
welcoming her dark lord’s touch, but the curse remained.

Voldemort hadn’t touched Narcissa since.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t make her watch him fuck, especially when it’s her sister or
when he’s pretending Bella is Narcissa to be especially cruel to either woman. There were
also the unfortunate times that he made Lucius mount his wife as Voldemort watched and
dictated.

Revels were not pleasing to anyone other than the dark lord.

“You were saying the trio have resurfaced?” Lucius tried to get him back on track.

“Mm,” Voldemort hummed. He closed his eyes as Bellatrix stood and pulled her skirts up as
she shifted herself down upon him.

She was desperately trying to please him quickly though he wasn’t helping in any of her
satisfactory needs.

“It’s imperative we gain access to the castle for the final battle,” The Dark Lord huffed as
Bellatrix coated his cock with her spit.

Snape wandered into the room without anyone’s notice and said nothing.

Bellatrix moaned desperately, filling the room with her squelching and feign cries of pleasure
even though her master seemed unaffected in her actions.

“They will be desperate, hungry, and tired of running,” Voldemort mused, “and that is when
we’ll strike.”

“We should hope so, my lord. Our son stated the cabinet is fixed and ready for our arrival
when the time is right.”

“This pleases me,” Voldemort sighed pulling at Bella’s skirts until his hand was under the
lacy fabric. He felt around and Bellatrix suddenly screeched out a simulated orgasm. It was
probably more pain than pleasure since Voldemort’s rat-like claws were sharp.

Finally, the dark lord made a slightly strangled groan moments before he pushed Bellatrix off
his lap and on to the floor. She lay there crumpled and watching.

Everyone else’s eyes darted away from Voldemort’s rigidly cold, and ghoulishly grey cock
that he was now palming in sweeping motions. There was a tinge of Bella’s red blood at the
tips of his fingernails before he splurged his essence again over the marble floors with a
strangled groan as his red eyes rolled back.
Lucius avoided gagging as the essence was like acidic poison on the sleek slate floors, but
Bellatrix cackled and crawled upon the floor, moving forward like a crab as her skirts wedged
up to her hips, like they had a sticking charm. Her bloodied cunt smeared the floor as she
went to sit over the spilled essence and scooping the vile cum into her body with a noticeable
shudder.

“Ah, the fleshly pleasures and warmth are too fleeting,” Voldemort grinned, his glossy red
eyes roaming over Bellatrix and then darted to Narcissa as he raked over her form. “Is it not,
Lucius?”

Voldemort’s eyes darted glaringly onto Lucius until he gave a curt nod in agreement, “Yes,
my lord.”

“Nagini,” Voldemort called.

Nagini, who was coiled in a pet bed by the wall, suddenly perked her head up and then
slithered across the floor up the dark lord’s leg. In seconds, her head was parallel to the dark
lord’s and awaiting command.

Parseltongue floated through the air as the dark lord set the snake to task and the she curled
herself around his still stiffed dick to finish the job. It was known that the dark lord enjoyed
potions to let him last for longer than one his age normally would or could.

It was also necessary since Voldemort’s current body was what was left of the corpse of his
late father.

“One mustn’t be picky upon finding an adequate body to reanimate when needed,” Peter
Pettigrew had told the delicate form of the dark lord cradled in his arms that fateful night in
Godric Hallow. With the added offering of Harry Potter’s blood, Pettigrew’s rattish hand, and
Nagini’s blood placed into the potion, and add the powerful soul sacrifice of the Hufflepuff
heir with Cedric Diggory, it was the best they could do in such a tight spot.

“My Lord,” Narcissa moved forward, trying to keep her eyes lowered to not meet
Voldemort’s, but high enough that she could avoid the snake’s display of affections as she
spoke, although an unavoidable feat as she accidently saw the grey grotesque mushroom head
of cock slipping from the snakes slithery grasp at times. “Now that Bellatrix has adequately
cleansed the floor, may I suggest that we move into a more comfortable setting for tea, if that
is amenable to you, of course.”

“Go ahead, dear Narcissa.” He grinned showing his layers of snakelike teeth with a little
wave before he stroked the snake as she continued her rolling slither over his lap.

They all knew he could be there a while.

Snape silently moved through to the tearoom with Lucius and Narcissa before he warded the
doors closed which silenced them inside. Any eavesdroppers would only hear mumbling with
music but nothing discernable. Bellatrix wouldn’t follow them as she would retire to her
rooms, busying herself trying to impregnate herself with the dark lord’s offering as usual.
“Sev, how is Draco?” Lucius asked.

Narcissa nodded, “Yes, do tell us. Is he safe?”

Snape gave a curt nod that confirmed their only son was indeed safe.

“Draco is safe and spends most of his time in the Room of Requirement… alone.”

“Good,” Narcissa’s tension dissipated. She hated that they lied to Voldemort about their
whereabouts, but it was necessary.

“He has made haste with the cabinet,” Snape eyed the door using his power to read the minds
of the guards in the room with Voldemort. The dark lord was speaking in tongues to his
beloved snake as it continued to writhe on his lap. Snape spent too much time over the years
learning Parseltongue and it was never good to understand what the dark lord was saying to
his beloved snake. “However, I need to get into the Black family vaults at once.”

“Of course,” Narcissa agreed quickly. “I can accompany you tomorrow.”

“Can we get away today?” Snape hissed. “When does he leave?”

“He has a port key for this afternoon since he’s bringing his guard with him to recruit.”

Snape frowned. “Your sister?”

“Staying here with Greyback.”

Snape sneered. That was not ideal. “Memorize this,” he pulled out a piece of parchment and
let the couple read it before it self-incinerated.

“Does anyone know you’re here,” Lucius asked worriedly.

“No,” Snape said quickly. “No one saw me but the two of you under my new disillusionment
potion.” He pulled out a box and resized it before handing it over to Lucius.

Lucius opened the box to see rows of glass vials nested in green velvet with a swirling green
shimmery color liquid inside.

“That sounds promising,” Narcissa grinned.

Snape nodded and pulled out one of the vials and swirled it around. “Lucius, use these to get
into the vaults and take one again just after the waterfall. It’s important that only Narcissa is
seen by the Goblin escort. The dragon is blind, but she can hear you, so take these.”

He pulled out a bundle wrapped in clothe that he resized to its natural state.

“What is this?”

“Dragon treats essentially.” Snape opened the cloth to show bags of biscuit treats shaped as
the various goblins.
“Adorable,” Narcissa giggled as Lucius gave an amused smirk. “I didn’t know you baked
cookies.”

“I don’t.” Snape chuckled. “They will keep the dragon asleep as well as give her the healing
nutrients enough to take flight in the event of an escape.”

“Lovely,” Narcissa grinned. She loathed seeing the poor dragon trapped in front of Bellatrix’s
vault. It always reminded her of her son, Draco. It was how she would imagine him to look if
he were ever to take a dragon form. “What do I take from the vault?”

“I expect you to be intently watched, so you will be adding insignificant items as you wax
poetically with the goblin. Lucius will be in hiding and he will take the sword of Gryffindor
and replace it with a replica.”

“How?”

Snape tilted his head towards Voldemort’s direction. “Things have been recently added to the
vaults he wishes to keep secure, and this is one entrusted to your sister’s protection. It is
believed there is other items of use, but it is still unknown.”

Everyone’s thoughts went to the blasted diary of Tom Riddle that Lucius was forced to place
in his vaults for years until the day he was directed to remove it and place it in the youngest
Weasley’s cauldron. The magical suggestion of having a seventh daughter as a powerful
sacrifice was an utter failure. Many children almost died because of that ruse, including
young Harry Potter, and it still grated on the Malfoy’s to have to go through Voldemort’s
bidding when he demanded it.

At least the visage of young Tom Riddle was no longer able to syphon energy from Ginny
Weasley when Harry got the diary, but by then it was too late for the girl. She was to be the
sacrifice in which would resurrect teenage Tom into another human incarnation. The diary
was destroyed by the Basilisk fang by Harry, killing young Tom- the piece of Voldemort’s
soul that resided within the diary.

Since then, Draco and Snape have been going into the chamber collecting the fangs and
bones of the Basilisk skeleton. They were actively trying different ways to use them in
potions in hopes of poisoning or weakening Voldemort without much success, so far.
Voldemort never ate nor drank anything offered by others, if at all. Only Bellatrix was trusted
enough on rare occasions and usually for the means of their coupling. She fed him anti-
impotence potions mixed with fire whiskey allowing him to temporarily function sexually for
a couple of hours.

It was suspected she also added powerful love potions into the flask as well as other
questionable potions like fertility and lust, which she also consumed.

“We shall see if something stands out,” Lucius sucked on his teeth as he played with the
handle of his wand. Draco had carved a piece of the Basilisk fang as a handle for his wand
and painted it black to hide its identity, hoping that it could be of use someday for protection.
He also made one for his mother, and Godfather as well.
“We’ll meet at the address on the slip of paper you read after you retrieve it,” Snape said
quickly, eyeing the door. “He’s reached completion is satiated for now, but he will be curious
of the wards if they aren’t released immediately.”

Lucuis nodded before gesturing his oldest friend towards the floo. The Malfoy’s watched as
Severus disappeared within the green flames as Narcissa used a flame from the tip of her
wand to cleanse the air of any lingering scents of the floo or of their friend and replaced them
with the protective and calming embers of Rosemary and Lavender herbs.

The wards were released, and they moved out of the room willing Snape’s plan to work.
 Chapter Two

Chapter Two: A Letter from the Dead

Draco Malfoy carded his hand through his wispy blond hair as he sat on Theodore Nott’s
vacated bed. Theo had left for France through the Floo in McGonagall’s office before it- and
all other passages into the castle were closed by the vile, evil Carrow twins.

He envied his friend for being able to escape.

Draco didn’t have extended family like Theodore who was far removed from the war. His
family deeply integrated into the swallow of war ever since his grandfather had implored
Lucius to take the mark for on his behalf. His Aunt Andromeda, cousin Nymphadora, and
Uncle Sirius were on the opposite side of the fight than his own family with Bellatrix, his
mother, and father who remained under the dark lord’s thumb.

Theo had a view of the caves within Black Lake that were guarded by the merpeople and
Gryndelows. One of their precious golden eggs sat within the water of one such cave and it
was a cherished moment when the egg opened, and he could hear the melodic voices usually
trapped within the egg. Draco often wondered if the eggs were the eggs of their offspring or
perhaps some kind of sound healing that he once overheard some of the muggleborns talking
about in Ravenclaw.

Either way, it gave Draco a bit of peace, at least.

Theo said he couldn’t hear the music at all, oddly enough, and neither could Blaise, Vincent,
or Greg. Pansy gave Draco an odd look when he asked her about the egg, but he quickly
learned she misunderstood his inquiry when she started detailing the trials of being a female
witch and their menses.

“Hey,” Draco’s friend, Gregory Goyle peeked his large head through the door and eyed Draco
for a long moment. “I thought I’d find you here when you weren’t in your dorm. You had an
owl come by.” He handed Draco the slip of parchment that still had the waxy seal showing
the confidence had not been compromised. The seal wasn’t one he could recall, nor did he
care.

“Thanks,” Draco said quietly, tucking the parchment into his robes before he looked back at
the golden egg in the water.

“Want company?”

Draco didn’t answer as Greg shuffled from one leg to the other before he finally sat down on
Theo’s chair. They both looked out the window towards the egg, watching the sunlight hit the
water just right causing thousands of shimmering bubbles to race to the lake surface. It was
often speculated the bubbles escaped from their underwater dungeons where they resided and
that they were sinking farther into the depths of the lake, but simple spells, charms, and
protective wards wouldn’t allow the sentient, ethereal castle to degrade. Draco believed there
were other monsters in the lake beside the giant squid, namely other hatchings of the ancient
dead Basilisk. He could have sworn he saw the head of a young Basilisk chomping on the
bones of a Grindylow once, but thankfully never saw proof of them when he went down into
the chamber.

Vincent once added he thought it was flatulence from the giant squid which made everyone
laugh and broke the tension of what else lurked the murky depths.

Draco’s room, unlike most of the other dorm rooms, sported a balcony encased in an almost
impenetrable bubble shielding the room from the pressure of the lake. He could step out into
the space and look up, down, and into the lake.

Sometimes things looked back at him.

When he was a first year, Draco and his friends teased one of the merpeople into stabbing the
bubble with their trident, but it wouldn’t go through. He only once managed to warble the
bubble just enough to flood his private rooms. But then he got scolded by the house elves
who was tasked to clean it.

His view was the vast, cold emptiness of the Black Lake where he could sometimes see the
boats arriving on the surface or the giant squid peeking into his rooms. Other witches and
wizards found it amusing. He did not. It was nosey and he could bet that Dumbledor or
Hagrid could manage information from the giant beastie.

“Father says it will be soon,” Greg said solemnly.

“I know. Sometime after Christmas would be my guess. Probably in the Spring.”

“Will you go home for Christmas?”

“Yes. I don’t have the choice.” Draco spat.

Greg ignored Draco’s petulance as he was used to doing, “At least they came to Hogsmeade
for Samhain.”

Draco nodded, “They try to come to Hogsmeade for most holidays. It alleviates us from the
subjection of our… houseguests.” He bit out thinking of the time he fed Nagini at the table.
“My mother is partial to any sort of the celebrations so that she may make an offering to her
beloved deities.”

“Like what?”

Draco could tell Greg was trying to distract Draco into having him as company and he
allowed it fleetingly. There weren’t many places to go freely in the castle anymore. As the
holidays grew steadily closer, it wasn’t as if there was anything else to do.

“She mainly offers seeds, flowers, and herbs from her gardens. She felt the need to offer
more with the severity of the times for added protection and to ward against death.
Greg nodded remembering how his mother was like-minded, and his father enjoyed
humoring her gentle intuitions.

The egg suddenly opened distracting Draco, and the musical notes trickled into his head as he
listened to the beautiful mermish words he couldn’t understand.

Greg watched Draco for a long moment. “Well, I’ll see you at dinner.”

Draco didn’t respond. He watched the egg as if he was possessed by it, so Greg slipped out
the door just before the egg closed again.

He slumped and curled away from the window before he closed the door and warded it
locked and silent. Draco pulled out the rolled parchment from his robe and did a diagnosis to
make sure it wasn’t cursed before he opened it.

One couldn’t be too careful.

The Phoenix eyed him while turning a fiery red- orange with the diagnostic charm before it
relaxed back into a muddied red. The large phoenix squawked holding a slip of ribbon within
its mouth until he opened it and then ribbon fell showing it was unfastened.

Draco was amused with the amount of creative spell work such a seal would need for privacy.

He read:

“Dear Draco,

If you receive this, I have perished.

You have failed no one, Draco, especially yourself.

Draco took in a sharp breath of cold, dank air, knowing instantly who it was from. His hands
started to shake as he held the letter.

I know you suffered greatly before and after my death and you agonize over the mission
greatly even now.

It saddens me to know that you have been so troubled, and I’ve done little to unburden you
before now.

It is my hope this letter rectifies the injustice.

My irreversible fate was sealed long before you were tasked as a mission to take it.

You see, I am cursed by one of Tom Riddle’s artifacts that he cursed with parts of his soul.. A
ring that was afflicted with a piece of Tom Riddle’s soul called a Horcrux. I gladly took on
the curse so I may be able to save another from it, thus saving him from a certain and swift
death.

It was my humble request to my friend, Severus, to end my suffering.

 Tom never expected you to end me either, Draco.

It was a test.

If you could, then you most certainly could kill him.

Allow me to explain...

As you know, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley have been on the run for
a while now. What you don’t know is that they are hunting the Horcruxes that house the
fragmented remains of Tom’s soul. It is believed that destroying those fragments will weaken
Tom enough for the final battle to finally destroy him for good.

Potter may be the boy who lived, the chosen one, the one to end Voldemort.

However, Draco, you are the boy who had no choice.

You very easily could have been in Potter’s place and the Dark Lord has always been wary of
that fact, and with great reason. This is why he never strays too far from your family and
from you, especially when you are all at home.

You see, your mother, like Potter’s mother, she did what she could to protect you.

The foretold prophecy uncovered several male children expected to be born on the last day of
July, all three from the most powerful magical families.

The Malfoy heir

The Longbottom heir
The Potter heir

With this knowledge, no doubt obtained by Severus who wished to protect the children, she
endeavored to misrepresent your conception date.

She drank potions that caused accelerated fetal growth and gave birth to you almost eight
weeks early. Otherwise, you would’ve been born at the end of July like Harry and Neville
instead of the beginning of June.

Doing such extremes came at a price.

You were impossibly small and struggled to survive, as did your mother. She was unable or
perhaps unwilling to have other children. The hesitation of your parents to subject other
children to Tom, as you have been made to do, was an undeniable factor in their choice.

It is a great honor and opportunity that I beseech you this:

There were other prophecies and one your father managed to obtain that night in the
Ministry.

It is foreseen that you will soon come to a fated choice.

 Protect Harry.

He will do the same for you.

You’re in this together and share a common goal to see this end.

You no longer are the boy that had no choice but the young man who has the only choice.

It continues or ends with you, Draco.

It is up to you.

Upon such a choice made well a key to a vault in Gringotts’s will present itself to you as
bequeathed. Present the key to the goblins after Christmas to retrieve the item inside.

It will be under your name and only you can be there for the door to open.

Highest regards, Draco,

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledor

Draco rolled up the scrolled parchment and placed several protective hexes upon it to make
whoever tried to read would only gibberish as well as hiding the existence of the bequeathed
vault.

He was already trying to work out how he was going to get to the unknown vault without his
parents knowing or suspecting anything amiss. He didn’t trust that his father wouldn’t use
whatever was in there as leverage to Voldemort nor did he trust his mother’s occluding skills
enough to protect anything getting out.

Best they don’t know and go on his own.

He tucked the parchment into his pocket with an everlasting sticking charm knowing it would
be safe.

Then, he went to dinner.

...

Lucius moved through the manor swiftly, barely glancing at his sister-in-law who pulled at
one of her black riotous ringlets that were fading into white. All three Black sisters had
lovely hair that seemed particularly enchanted. Upon a quick glance it appeared black and
white, but to those who looked closely, there was a slight tinge of midnight blue separating
the black from the white.

It was one of his favorite things about his wife.

Even when Draco was born, he had the faintest tint of blue, matching his steely eyes.

A stunningly beautiful son.

Her sister, Bellatrix, also had the heirloom trait, but her blackened hair seemed blue under a
halo of light. Unless, of course, it was in its current severely filthy state.

Narcissa’s niece, Nymphadora Tonks’s hair was often a bright cobalt blue hue entirely. She
was a gifted metamorph and could change her appearance, hair, and body at will, though no
other within the Black family seemed similarly gifted. He often wondered if the inherited
blue hair was a small part of the metamorph genes in the Black family and often wondered if
Draco could have inherited the same gene regressively since he got the Malfoy heirloom
white locks and only a tinge of blue nor any special morphing gifts.

Perhaps if he was born to term it would have been different, though Lucius doubted it. The
Malfoy genes were strongly apparent in Draco, though their son inhabited kindness and
compassion that was not normally affluent on either patriarchal or maternal ancestral sides.

Lucius moved from the room where Bellatrix sat catatonic and found his wife in their
solarium amongst her favorite flowers and plants.

Tea was set before her as cakes and biscuits appeared along with another setting for him.
“Your sister looks to have put on weight, darling.”

“An impolite observation to start a conversation, my love,” Narcissa, who was sitting with a
tea in hand stilled as she looked at her husband with a practiced grin, “It would do you well
not to mention it.”

“Oh?” Lucius smirked as he took the seat opposite her.

“Mm,” Narcissa nodded, pouring tea into his cup along with a couple lumps of sugar as he
liked it. “You may be delighted to know that she was successful in her endeavors with the
dark lord.”

“She’s-”

“As I said, it is improper to speak of such things, of course,” Narcissa pursed her lips as she
took a slight sip of her warm tea. “I wouldn’t be speaking of it now, but you brought it up.”

Lucius chuckled at his lovely wife’s harping. “They’ve had countless relations before with no
such luck with the dark lord nor has she produced the heir for her husband. How now?”

“I thought the very same way, my love. The trick was that she used a rather strong love
potion, so I’ve heard. Brewed herself, she said, just downstairs in the laboratory by the
dungeons. I don’t recall her being so proficient in potions to manage such a concoction.
Perhaps she manipulated a certain brooding potions master to procure it or stole it.”

“Severus,” Lucius’s thoughts went straight to their dear friend and son’s godfather. He knew
the man would never purposely make such a concoction even under duress. She must have
gained entrance from his stores and mixed something viable for her will.
“I cannot be certain.” Narcissa waved the thought away as if it was a bother. “What is certain
is that she has managed to produce the heir as she sought to do to gain his favor.”

Lucius shuddered and he eyed his wife to see if what she said was in jest. “The heir of
Slytherin.”

“Mmhmm,” Narcissa nodded as they watched a couple of snatchers unload their treasures
onto the drawing room marble floor through the glossy windows that separated them.
Luckily, the windows and room were enchanted so they wouldn’t be seen or heard.
Voldemort sat on one of their dining chairs as if it was a throne vaguely observing the
snatchers presented wares.

“Does he know?” Lucius asked as Voldemort nodded for the removal of the snatchers. They
were given coins and potions in a small satchel and sent on their way.

“She mentioned it to him once she found out, no doubt seeking his praise and approval, as
usual,” Narcissa scoffed at such atrocities.

“And how did he react?”

“Not as she expected. Indifferent. I don’t think either thought it was truly possible. He goes
from being pleased to punishing in the same breath in any given moment as it is, but I think
he is keen to consider the child as-”

“As something he could possess.”

“I would expect it since he’s tried unsuccessfully so far with other host bodies.”

Both knew the dark lord was trying to separate another slice of himself for the task- albeit
unsuccessfully, hence the snatchers trying to bring in artifacts that may be a viable vessel.

“I agree.” Lucius sneered. “The only reason he’s in bodily form presently is because that
piece of the dark lord’s soul Pettigrew conjured is housed in his father’s corpse. Imagine if
the host body was still alive.”

“I wish you’d stop bringing that bit up. Positively ghastly,” Narcissa suppressed her gag
behind her teacup.

“My apologies, love.”

“I cannot imagine either one tending to a weeping babe and changing nappies.”

“He can do it from afar with those dark magic tentacles he possesses,” Lucius chuckled.
“Surely helpful with especially soiled nappies.”

“That would be ideal considering the stench,” Narcissa agreed with a giggle along with her
husband. It was these teasing moments that kept her stable considering the dire circumstances
they lived with daily.

“I wonder if he will have his father’s unfortunate nose.” Lucius chuckled darkly.
“In its current state, one should hope not,” Narcissa swatted at her husband in jest before she
sobered and said, “It is a girl, Lucius. The dark lord won’t be pleased.”

“Cissy,” Lucius frowned seeing the spark within his wife’s eyes. He recalled that same look
every time her eyes fell onto their only child. She wanted to protect and nurture the baby just
as fiercely, “I know that look.”

Narcissa shrugged.

“Tell me.”

“Does the child’s care fall on us if they were to…succumb to their end?’

A sharp intake of breath from Lucius made Narcissa still. It wasn’t something he thought of
yet. “I suppose it would.” He took a sip of his tea as Narcissa nodded gravely. “This
complicates things.”

“My love, for that reason alone, no one must know Bellatrix had a child. How would anyone
overcome such an unfortunate parentage? With proper caring parents, he or she may have a
chance at life.”

“Agreed.” Lucius frowned looking at his wife’s slight frame. “The dark lord is taking leave
for recruiting again soon. Draco he won’t arrive back here until the Beltane holidays in May.”
Lucius added.

“By then the baby will be born!” Narcissa hissed. “He won’t be there?”

“No. I don’t feel it would be wise for him to be, either.” Lucius picked at the biscuit Narcissa
placed on his plate after she refilled his teacup. “Just as he isn’t doting on her. That is up to
her husband, is it not?” Lucius pinned her with an intent look as Narcissa nodded.

Voldemort was the most likely the father and not her husband. She couldn’t imagine how
Rudolphus must be feeling about such a betrayal.

“To the dark lord the child is a mere collation, if what he’s been saying to the snake is any
inclination of his feelings.”

Narcissa gasped in shock recalling the horrific and tragic memory of the meal presented to
Nagini of the professor of muggle studies. She felt a huge wave of protectiveness overcome
her but there wasn’t anything she could do just yet. “That is not an acceptable outcome.” She
took a scalding sip of tea before hurriedly placing a dollop of whipped cream into her cup and
then one in Lucius.

Lucius smirked in amusement at his indulgent wife and stirred the sweet into his tea, even
though he preferred sugar.

“If she’s choosing to skip the recruitment, do you think she would she stay away from the
battle if one comes to be?”

Lucius shook his head, “I doubt she’d want to miss a battle, my love, baby or no baby.”
“I don’t see how she could raise a child, especially in her current mental state. It will surely
fall to the elves or myself.”

“Agreed.” Lucius frowned. He couldn’t fathom why the wretched witch would want a child
with the dark lord to begin with but there was a child coming.

Narcissa sniffed, “Although, many of us didn’t have desirable ancestry, I do think there’s
hope for the child if we could spare her.”

“Let us hope for the child’s sake that this is true.”

...
 Unfortunate Parentage, Indeed
Chapter Summary

The baby is born...

Chapter Three: Unfortunate Parentage, Indeed.

The manor was filled with screams as Bellatrix strained to give birth to her child.

She refused care at St. Mungos knowing they would likely take the child from her and lock
her away again in Azkaban.

In some bit of sanity, Bellatrix expressed that she didn’t want anyone, especially Mungo’s, to
know she had a child whatsoever and was keen to keep it secret.

Instead, with hexes flying rampant around the room, she cursed at the house elves and her
sister who struggled to bring the baby into the world.

Bellatrix’s husband sat in a chair just outside the door reading The Daily Prophet about all the
names of those who have died thus far in the war.

He envied the names, seeing their end as advantageous from what he currently was
compelled to deal within the Malfoy home under Voldemort’s thumb and insanity. He had
zero sympathy for his vile wife and oft wondered if it would be easier to take a time turner
and redo his pitiful life without a slagging unhinged spouse.

A sharp wail suddenly filled the space and Lestrange sighed as he took his time to fold up the
newspaper before rising from his chair to glance into the room.

The elves took the infant to cleanse and clothe her, which took mere moments, and returned
her to Narcissa. Narcissa cradled the baby in blankets as Bellatrix lay almost comatose in the
bed and presented the baby to her sister, who barely looked at her child.

“What is it, Cissy?” Bellatrix hissed with a toothy (albeit rotten) grin. “Were they wrong? Is
it an itty-bitty baby boy? That would please the dark lord and gain his favor.”

“No, Bella.” Narcissa showed Bella the simpering baby. “She is a perfect baby girl.” She
went to place her upon Bella’s bare breast to feed but Bellatrix hissed and pushed the child
away before glancing up at her husband who stood in the doorway.
“No. No, no, no! That cannot be right.” Bellatrix recoiled away. “He wanted a boy if at all! I
can try again. Do it again.”

“Bellatrix, she’s your baby. You can start anew, raise her with your husband as his own. I am
sure he can forgive-”

“A Lestrange raising the dark lord’s spawn as his own?” Bellatrix scoffed at her sister’s
words, “He would sooner wish for death- her death and mine!”

A scoff sounded from the door.

Bellatrix hissed at him as he looked at the newborn’s soft features. “Don’t look so smug.”

He ignored her, as always, and left the room.

“Bella-” Narcissa started, but she knew that there was no love between Rodolphus and
Bellatrix. They married out of expectation and duty per both families wishes.

“Hide her before he kills her, too.” Bellatrix hissed.

She doubted that Rodolphus would come after is wife’s child. He was a death eater, but not a
monster like his wife and Voldemort.

“Of course, Bella. Rest now.” Narcissa was trying not to appear ecstatic with the day’s
events. It was taking everything in her not to fold the baby under her robes and run away with
her.

But there was still more to do.

Bellatrix yawned as she folded herself into the bed to sleep. She whispered, “Do this last
thing for me, sissy. He can’t know, Cissa. No one must know of her.”

“He already knows of a child, Bella.”

“He can’t know she survived!”

Narcissa nodded in agreement, not the Bellatrix could see, “I can take her as my own, dear
sister. No one will know.”

“Yes,” Bellatrix’s eyes glittered with unshed tears. “Yes. No one will know.”

Narcissa suspected her sister did care for her child in some capacity.

She had to in some ways to keep her to term, birth her, and try to protect her- even if it was
from the man she thought that she loved. Had Bellatrix been her normal insane self, she
could’ve easily taken a wand to the baby just as her lover did to baby Harry Potter all those
years ago.

And he would no doubt do it again.

“Yes. that will do. He may not even ask… forgotten altogether just as I wish to do.”

“Shall I modify your memory then? I will be gentle.”

Bellatrix’s eyes lit up in joy, “Yes. Yes. Out of sight, out of mind.”

“I promise to love and raise her as my own,” Narcissa raised her wand at her sister’s slumped
form and watched she as fell into a deep sleep.

Bellatrix slept dead to the world on normal days, so this was no different under a simple
sleeping spell. Narcissa then modified the memory of her sister and replaced it as they
discussed. When her sister would wake, she would think the baby boy had not survived his
birth and she would express the news to her husband to present it to the dark lord.

Rodolphus Lestrange reentered the room just as Narcissa was fishing bits of memory into a
small vial as Bellatrix slept.

He watched as Narcissa altered his wife’s memory and wondered how often she had made
such modifications to the wretched woman and then decided he truly didn’t care.

Bellatrix was not a loving wife, and her last betrayal hurt.

She refused to give him his own child, his heir, when they were much younger and free to do
so. Yet, she would it for her master, and then toss it aside.

“You sure you want to be here?” Narcissa sighed, watching Rodolphus lurking in the
shadowed corner. He blended in as well as a ghoul with his pale features and bald head.

“Can you do mine next where I forget her entirely?” He scoffed darkly.

Narcissa turned to look at her brother-in-law since he never made such jokes.

They were not close, but he was usually reserved and restrained in his hexes and curses,
especially around the children fighting.

Most of the Death Eaters did the same. They never expected to be fighting school children,
let alone killing them.

Just as Lucius, Rodolphus’ mark was forced upon him by his father as well.

An unwanted hereditary gift.

“I could,” Narcissa grinned wickedly as she twirled her wand around in jest.

“She did the right thing in the end,” Rodolphus said quietly. “I cannot say the same for
myself.”
Narcissa eyed him speculatively, “You did nothing but observe as far as I could see,
Rodolphus.” She bounced the sleeping baby in her arm to prove her point.

“You were already planning to take the baby,” he narrowed his eyes. “Male or female heir,
you were going to erase it from her.”

Narcissa sighed, “Our fate is not one I’d wish upon any innocent child, dear brother.”

He nodded, eyeing the little girl and her delicate features. Her pink skin held nothing of her
father’s pallor parentage of reanimated corpse grey, thankfully.

The baby girl was already quite lovely with the Black family features.

“I’d like to say she could be a good mother, but I would be lying. It matters not if the target is
a child or not to either of them. She tried to kill our own cousin pushing him through the veil,
after all. Who knew he’d come out the other side of it. But you, just like Lucius, often take a
gentler hand against the children. They could have been easily taken care of in mere seconds
if you were of that mind. You’re empowering the children to grow stronger as well, though I
wouldn’t say that out loud to anyone else.”

He couldn’t argue nor acknowledge such a concept.

Such thinking would have him killed and he’d will it to be.

“I’ve come back to say goodbye.”

“Oh?”

Rudolphus nodded, “I am leaving here to visit my brother. If anyone asks, you can say we are
recruiting. I will take care of my own memories and remove it entirely to keep your daughter
safe.”

Narcissa felt like crying but beside the slightest quivering lip, it was unnoticeable, “I would
owe you a life debt.”

“I won’t accept it,” He looked at Narcissa and then the baby, “Be well.”

He swiftly moved out of the room completely unaware of Lucius’s wand aimed at him as he
stood hidden with the help of Severus’s potion.

Narcissa went back to her task as she added bits of information swiftly into Bellatrix’s
memories:

Narcissa in thick robes often worn for maternity, a charmed small snippet of Narcissa
birthing Draco only this time it showed a little blonde girl in leu of explaining the
appearance of another child.

When she was done, she looked down and noticed that the baby was staring at Narcissa with
bright soulful grey eyes as if she understood the hushed birth and rush to save her before her
dark lord progenitor returned.
They’ve seen the dark lord raise his wand upon a baby before and Harry Potter survived
where his parents did not. They could bet he wouldn’t blink to end his daughter's life if it
meant any threat to his own.

“Take care, Mistress,” the little elf waved over Narcissa’s robes cleansing them from the
stains of the birth. “The elves be cleaning up Mistress Bellatrix, madame.”

“Good. Thank you.”

The house elf soon took the baby, and she cradled her in her arms before she placed her in a
bassinet under a starry night sky in the nursery.

“Shall I charm you to feeds little mistress yourself?” The elf beamed.

“You can do that?”

“We cans, mistress,” The elf, Lolli, nodded vigorously.

Narcissa readily agreed and watched as the nursemaid elf waved her wand over Narcissa’s
body. She instantly felt her body react and lurch in pain as the familiar cramping of her
abdomen overcame her.

“To show you birthed the child, mistress,” The elf smiled softly, slightly cringing.
“Sometimes we feeds the babies and use the magic to help.” She gestured over Narcissa’s
bosom, and she felt the gentle weight of milk coming in before the letdown.

Narcissa gasped, grabbing her leaking breasts in shock.

“Alright?”

“Of course. It is fine, I was just surprised.” She vanished the milk soaking her robes and then
lifted her arms to grab the baby from the bassinet. She shuffled her robes aside as the elf
helped prop up the baby to feed. Narcissa watched as her baby started to suckle, with tears of
joy. She vowed to protect her, even if it was from her birth parents and those around her that
wished her harm. She instantly started protective charms as the baby quietly nursed. Narcissa
watched her little rosebud mouth pucker before the gentle soul fell straight asleep.

It had been so long since she held Draco as a baby, or any baby really.

He had been premature, not much bigger than a Cornish Pixie, and he struggled to nurse.
Narcissa expressed the milk for as long as she could but being under the Dark Lord’s thumb
made Draco’s delicate care more difficult. She often had the elves hide him away in her
cottage in France when she could.

Narcissa stole a few moments to look at her new daughter and noticed her icy blonde hair had
a little bit of wispy blue. Lucius took that moment to show himself by wandering deeper into
the room quietly.

“Finally, you show yourself,” She jeered playfully looking up at her husband with
unfathomable joy.
“I had to make sure my girls were safe,” he whispered as he looked down at her exposed
breast with his fingers. A bead of milk wet his fingertip before he rubbed it away with his
fingers. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you so happy, my love. I would have put you
with child sooner had I known your joy.”

Narcissa giggled brightly at her playful husband’s antics. Only she and Draco got to see his
kind nature. Outwardly, to all others, he was stoically cruel and calculating.

“I might have let you,” Narcissa giggled. “I still might.”

Lucius gave her a dark stare before the moment passed and reality came to mind.

“She’s beautiful, Cissa. Have you considered a name?”

“I have,” Narcissa beamed at the small sleeping baby nestled softly in the Black family
quilts.

“As have I,” he chuckled darkly.

“Oh? Go on then. Do tell.”

“How about… Voldemorticia after her progenitor and your distant Aunt, Morticia Addams?”

“Lucius, Auntie Morticia would be honored, to be sure, but I cannot fathom an easy or gentle
childhood with such a name derived from the dark lord.”

“Perhaps you’re right, my love. Share what you choose, and we’ll go with that.”

“In keeping with the D names after Draco, I’d like to name her Delphine Luna Malfoy,” She
murmured, kissing the baby’s head softly. “Delphi for short.”

Delphi meant womb and Luna mean Moon.

“Welcome home, Delphi Luna Malfoy.” Lucius added the name and dates to the Malfoy
tapestry without another thought, “And so she is.”

It was in that moment, Narcissa finally let herself weep.

…
 House Guests
Chapter Summary

*Short Chapter*
Snatchers bring guests to inspect...

Chapter Four: House Guests

It took less than three days for Bellatrix to forget she even had a child completely.

Her body recovered quickly with the help of doused and ingested potions along with the
elves’ magic. Rodolphus Lestrange, her husband, agreed to an unbreakable vow to keep the
secret parentage of the child for everyone’s collective protection, willingly, as it was an
embarrassment his wicked, psychotic wife laid with another man, especially the decrepit,
snake-like megalomaniac dark lord.

However, in the upcoming weeks, they started to notice that the torturous birth, subsequent
absent child, and memory modification did more damage to Bellatrix’s already fragile psyche
than they could fathom. She cackled or cried out at odd times and declined cleansing by
natural and magical means. Her hair seemed to stand on end, her eyes manic, her putrid
breath was to be avoided at all costs.

Voldemort’s absolute avoidance of the manor didn’t help her decline.

He was only to be summoned if the trio were snatched up and brought forth for inspection.

Twice over the past several months, the bloody snatchers summoned the dark lord, and his
vengeance was swift. He slayed every last one of the snatchers and managed to maim the
Alpha werewolf, Greyback, so badly that he sunk back into the depths of the forest with his
pack to heal.

However, the snatchers left behind their prize… Luna Lovegood.

Luna, a slight, gentle, lovely young witch a year younger than Draco didn’t fit in with the
chaos that surrounded her. Narcissa took an instant liking to Luna as she was benevolent
company in a house of horrors. Thus, Narcissa managed to keep the young girl’s
imprisonment within their home tolerable. She was fed, clothed, and worked outside of the
dungeons to rid the grounds of pixies, bogarts, and gnomes during the day. By night, she slept
in a cot next to another prisoner named Ollivander, the wand maker. She listened patiently to
his ramblings, pushing vast knowledge and secrets of wandlore upon the patient witch.
Since Draco was also there, he slept in his own cot just in front of the bars with them to also
listen to the wandlore.

“Narcissa!” Bellatrix screeched.

Narcissa stilled her walk around the garden and shuddered. Her wide eyes darted to Luna as
one of the house elves suddenly popped in front of them.

“Mistress’s presence is requested in the drawing room immediately.” Mipsy bowed.

“What is the manner of the request?”

“Snatchers have brought guests for inspection, madame.” Mipsy raised her hands up to take
the babe. “Do hurry.”

“Please escort Miss Luna to the back of the dungeons so she may not be seen and protect
little Delphi Luna within the elves’ private rooms. She cannot be reached there.”

The elf nodded before she grabbed Luna’s hand and cradled Delphi before she apparated
them away. Narcissa straightened her robes before she popped from the grounds to the
drawing room in the next moment trying to control the slight shudder of anxiety.

Narcissa was swiftly greeted by Lucius who pulled her behind him, and she eyed a bleary-
eyed Draco who seemed overly rigid and pale.

She gave Draco a questioning look, but he just shook his head minutely.

Her attention went to the three new snatchers and Greyback who was holding a boy
struggling within his grasp.

The boy’s face, hexed and disfigured, was bordered by a mop of long, messy black hair. His
eyes were swollen shut with glasses struggling to stay on his puffy face.

Narcissa’s eyes darted to the youngest Weasley boy named Ronald and then the muggleborn
witch, Hermione Granger, both stared at them with beseeching eyes. They were dreadfully
malnourished and filthy, most likely from trying to escape their captors for so many months
in the wilderness.

Her eyes landed again onto the black-haired boy in instant horror as he resisted his forced
submission.

“Draaaaco,” Bellatrix cooed darkly but Narcissa held him back for a moment as she bid him
forward to see if he recognized the hexed boy. It seemed pretty obvious that he was Harry
Potter and had Bellatrix not been compromised mentally, recently, she would’ve quickly
noticed as well.

“Be sure, Draco.” Narcissa urged letting Draco into her mind. We don’t want him to come
here. We need Harry to end this... we need to protect Delphi…
Lucius was spouting off how the dark lord would be pleased with them if it was the golden
trio, but his mind was screaming otherwise entirely. We will not survive him this time, Draco.

I know. What do you expect me to say?

Anything to get them to leave at once, son. Lucius sneered. Protect them if you must.

The hex shall wear off and that will be too late! Draco, he would save you. I am sure of it…
Please Draco.

Draco flinched avoiding his parent’s mental screams only to catch the eyes of his nemesis,
Harry. In that moment he didn’t care that they were not friends, that they were set to hate
each other and be rivals. He didn’t care that Harry was on the Phoenix side and Draco was
forced onto the Death Eater side. It was never going to end. Bellatrix would be gleeful to
present boy wonder to her corpse-like lover and Voldemort would happily go back to
squatting in their home indefinitely.

“I can’t be sure,” Draco said after a moment and stepped away.

“Check her wand!” Bellatrix screeched, twisting away from the black-haired boy. “See the
last spell she cast!”

There was a shuffle as the wand and the trio were searched and they were sent into the
dungeons.

Draco looked on in horror as the sword of Gryffindor was pulled out of Hermione’s little bag
by one of the snatchers. The sword that was supposed to be in the vaults in Gringotts, in
Bellatrix’s vault specifically.

“Where did you get that?” Bellatrix sneered. She bounded upon Hermione as the young girl
whimpered either out of fear or the rancid breath coating her face. It was probably both.
“How did you get that?”

“I don’t know!” Hermione cried.

Draco dipped into her mind, seeing how Harry had come back with the sword, soaking wet as
Ron happily bounded forward behind him. She didn’t seem pleased to see Ron with Harry, if
at all, which was puzzling. He skipped forward watching as the boys crushed the locket that
was once Salazar Slytherin’s locket and said they did so with the Gryffindor sword.

Curious.

She started screaming, Hermione’s mind went black in pain and booted Draco straight out of
it. He watched in horror that Bellatrix was cutting his classmate with her cursed knife.

Hermione screamed and fought but she was no match for Bellatrix who had her stuck in place
with magic as she tortured her.

Harry and Ron had been sent off to the dungeons whilst Draco was in Hermione’s mind.
Draco took several steps forward as Hermione’s eyes caught his, pleading with him, and his
mother grasped his arm to still him.

He gave Hermione a curt nod, not sure what he could do to help her, but started murmuring
spelled hexes onto Bellatrix to irritate and distract her.

Bellatrix raised to her feet, looking around at who was hexing her before Hermione’s cries
caught her attention again. She glared down at her and then at her handy work, dipped her
head back and cackled.

“She is dead to me,” Draco muttered. “If I ever get the chance-”

“Shh,” Narcissa said but gave a curt nod in agreement. Seeing the child crying on their floor
in pain as her arm bled was horrific.

“Draco, I understand. Get me the Black Family potion. Do you know the one?”

He eyed his mother, seeing the potion in her mind that cured dark curses. Without it,
Hermione would be dead in less than a year, if that, “Yes, mother.”

“Make haste, get the potion.”

“Bellatrix, step aside from the child and see to the sword.” Lucius said.

Bellatrix’s attention darted from Hermione to the sword, and she bound forward to grasp it
from the snatchers.

Draco left the drawing room by apparation into their private quarters and grabbed the vials
before popping into the kitchens. Bellatrix was busy dealing with the snatchers, and he could
hear them running out of the manor, vowing to kill his aunt. “Get in line,” Draco hissed. He
took a bag of breads, cheeses, and pocket pies the elves must have made for his trip back to
Hogwarts, then he stuffed whatever else he could find quickly like jam and butter jars. He
then moved to his quarters and clutched a satchel that housed most of his clothes, trunks, and
books in the little expendable bag.

He called on Dobby, the elf that once belonged to his father, but he had since aligned to Harry
after receiving his sweaty sock. It was a laughable moment in the family now, though it was
an embarrassment to Lucius for a long while in jest.

He still was able to come and go into the manor as it housed his elven family.

“Master Draco called upon Dobby?” The quirky elf’s large eyes grew wide.

Draco shushed the elf “Hermione has been poisoned by my aunt. I have no doubt she’s
summoned the dark lord by now. We need to get them out. Harry, Ron, Luna, and Ollivander
are in the dungeons, and they will go with us. Get them out first. Come back for me and
Hermione.”

The elf popped out of the room with a nod as Draco shrunk what food he could get.
He took a deep breath before moving into the drawing room.

Hermione was lying on the floor with absent eyes as tears puddled in with the blood on the
floor. Bellatrix was holding the sword, inspecting it as a small goblin was lying to her that it
had to be a fake.

“Did you get it?” His mother whispered as she placed her wand in his pocket secretly. He
gave a curt nod.

“Draco,” His father said in a loud demanding voice, “Take the girl to the dungeons with the
others.”

“Yes father,” Draco cupped his mother’s hand before she dropped it.

“Be safe, Draco.” His mother whispered as she watched her son walk to the traumatized girl.

She whimpered as he gently picked her up, cradling her to his chest as the warm blood
instantly soaked his arm.

“Don’t worry, Hermione. I’ve got you.” He whispered. He watched her eyes fluttering, trying
to stay open after the torture she endured in his home. They moved from the drawing room
and down the darkened halls of the manor almost at a run.

“No dun,” she muttered. “Dun… no dun,”

“No, love. No dungeon. Trust me.” He murmured gently. “It’s okay to sleep.”

Hermione’s eyes finally fluttered closed as he got far enough away from the others to
apparate without being heard. He saw Dobby move out from behind a large, vacated portrait
and whisked them away to the others.

…
 Chapter 5: Shell Cottage
Chapter Summary

Hermine wakes up..

(Tags have been updated.)

Chapter Five: Shell Cottage

They landed on a sandy beach with a small stone cottage.

The beach was surrounded by trees that stood tall in the distance, a barrier from the outside
world looking in.

Draco looked around warily but could only see vast amounts of ocean on one side and then
dense forest on the other like they were on the edge of a sliver of land.

Unplottable.

He zeroed in on the small cottage in front of him. “Where are we, Dobby”

“The Mistress gave Dobby a list of houses. I am forbidden to say where.”

“You’ve been helping them,” Draco surmised.

“That is also forbidden to know.” Dobby’s overly large eyes looked imploringly at Draco.

“I understand.”

He did.

It wasn’t safe to know where people’s safehouses were and this one was obviously on the list
as a last resort. He was grateful for grabbing food since they would need it as the place
looked abandoned and destitute.

“Are the others inside?”

Dobby hesitated answering, twisting his fingers in agitation.

“What happened?”

“As soon as Dobby took Mister Potter to the other place loud sirens sounded and they all
disappeared into a cave. Dobby tried to get them out.”
“They apparated away?”

“No, another wizard took them, snatched them. Sent them away.”

“Who?”

“The dark Professor.”

Snape.

Draco nodded.

Dobby avoided using names in case they were enchanted like the dark lord’s was when
people spoke it out loud.

“Do they know where we are?”

Dobby fidgeted again.

“Tell me,” Drace gritted out as Hermione whimpered at his change of tone but she didn’t
wake.

Dobby glanced around and pulled on Draco’s robes before they all found themselves inside
the stone house. It was expanded inside with a set of stairs that led upwards to the upper
floors and downwards into what was probably a ground cellar. The walls were reinforced
with thick concrete which had tons of seashells embedded decoratively in the walls from
someone who must have spent hours of collecting them on the beach. The floor was riddled
with sandstone, slate, and sand. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

“Miss is too weak to go to with them.”

“Are they safe?”

Dobby nodded.

“But you won’t tell me where they are.”

“The professor has promised Mistress they be safe and sound with hims, Master Draco. I take
you when miss is better.”

Draco nodded, before he pulled the vials of potion out from the satchel. He cupped
Hermione’s chin and held the potion up to her fluttering eyes to show her.

“I need you to drink this, love.” He whispered as she recoiled and whimpered. “It’ll
counteract the curse inflicted upon you from the blade.”

He didn’t wait for an answer that wouldn’t come. He shook the potion making it glow bright
purple before he poured the liquid down her throat.

Luckily, she didn’t fight it sliding down.

Meanwhile, the little elf popped through the house unpacking Draco’s bag and snapping
fingers to start boiling water on the stove. He shook out blankets and fluffed pillows, before
laying out some comfortable pajamas.

“Dobby will come back with more food but cannot be coming back here after.”

“I understand. Knowing my aunt, she would have you traced, if she knew. Hermione always
wore a small purse. The snatchers and Bellatrix had it last. I think she would probably want it
here so if you can get it safely, please bring it.”

The little elf gave a nervous giggle while pulling at his ears. “Dobby will tries for the purse,
Master Draco. Dobby will sends message when to leave here.”

“Good. Thank you, Dobby.”

The little elf nodded then popped out of the house leaving a sleeping Hermione and mystified
Draco behind.

All he could do was watch and wait for Hermione to wake up.

The week dragged on slowly.

Hermione had fitful nights where she’d scream the same torturous screams and it was all
Draco could bear to cry through it next to her. He tried speaking to her, calming her with
whispered words stating she was safe.

Sometimes, it worked.

Other times, his voice seemed to make the nightmares worse.

He’d give her a sip of calming drought, some pain potion, sips of water or juice, and set to
watching her all over again, wondering when she would finally wake up.

He cleaned her wounds and the other messes that came with someone in a comatose state,
without a second thought. Draco wondered if she’d be embarrassed or grateful.

Perhaps it didn’t matter.

He’d carry her lifeless body to the bathroom and sink her into the water. He’d watch her
shudder, lip quiver, as he washed her hair, rinsed it, and gently combed it out for her.

Dressing her in a nightgown, they’d lay on the couch he transfigured into a bed by the
fireplace.

He watched her wound, angry, red, and bleeding soak countless bandages he’d wash himself
in the sink. It gave him something to do, a purpose.
But getting food into Hermione was by far the hardest. He finally decided to liquify some
breads and meats and used a straw to make sure she wouldn’t choke.

Scratching their twelfth day off the on the slate, made him worry. Perhaps he wasn’t healing
her at all. Perhaps he was doing more harm than good, even though the wound seemed
slightly better. It still oozed black goo after the allotted potion, but he only had a handful left
and was wondering if he could trust Mungo’s with her care.

No… he decided.

He couldn’t.

“You’re strong Hermione,” He whispered to her one night as he was moving her legs and
arms to help her maintain movement. Draco ignored that he could see ribs and hip bones as
he bathed her. He’d endeavor to try to feed her more… if only she’d wake up.

Draco heard the kettle whistle and was happy to be set to task as he left Hermione lying on
the couch, still asleep by the fireplace. The day had turned cold with rough seas from the
incoming storm.

He went straight to the kitchen and pulled out the breads he pilfered and set them on the
table. In the background, he could hear Hermione’s soft whimpers in her sleep and Draco
wondered if he could find something stronger. Something to take the nightmares and pain
away.

He could use a little of that himself.

Placing some of the dried tea leaves in each cup, he quickly stirred in a bit of sugar. He
looked around for any cream, milk, or sweetened whipped cream as his mother secretly
preferred, but there was only the butter he managed to grab and very little of it left. He
managed to duplicate their stores of food, but each time it became more bland.

“Sugar will have to suffice,” Draco sighed.

“Hello? Who’s there?”

Draco stilled.

“Hello?”

He turned his head towards the living room as anxiety coursed through him.

“Hermione?” He called back, his voice cracking slightly.

“Yeah… who’s there?” Hermione said. “I’ve my wand- show yourself!”

Draco smirked, thinking how adorable she sounded but then he remembered she had to be
terrified waking up in a different place, in different clothes, and with someone she didn’t
know.

Well, she knew him, but she didn’t really know him… or like him.

“It’s just me, Draco.” He said as he grabbed his teacup and one for Hermione. He moved
slowly into the room trying not to startle her. She was lying on the couch cupping her arm
against her chest as if it was a broken wing, which it basically was.

“Draco?”

He ignored the sharp intake of breath shudder with fear.

It was well deserved, if he was being honest with himself, since they’ve always been at odds.
She went through a traumatic incident (if you can call the withstanding the crutiatus curse as
well as someone carving into your flesh slurs with a poisoned knife a traumatic incident)
within his home that made her comatose for the past fifteen days. “Yes. Hello, Hermione…
you are safe. I got you away from Bellatrix and we were brought here.”

“Where?”

He shrugged, looking around. “I’m not sure… I was hoping you would know. It’s wherever
Dobby brought us to make a quick escape. Do you remember anything? Being brought to my
house, the snatchers and Greyback… my aunt?” Hermione nodded, recoiling into herself
protectively, and cradling her arm protectively.

“All of it,” she said coarsely as she watched him slowly and deliberately prepare their tea.

He knew not to make sudden movements as they could be jarring and frightening.

“That’s okay,” Draco said calmly, knowing she was in shock as she started to shake
uncontrollably. “You’re tea is ready when you are, and I’ve taken liberty to add extra sugar to
help with the shock.”

He set her tea in front of her and slowly sat in a nearby chair.

“What happened after-”

“After you fainted from the pain and distress?”

Hermione nodded.

“I picked you up and took you away and Dobby apparated us here. We were supposed to go
with Potter and the others, but they were taken somewhere else. I don’t know where.” He said
before she could ask. “By the time Dobby came back for us, that location was compromised
so here we stayed.”

“Stayed? How long?”

“How long have we been here?”

Hermione nodded as her eyes darted around the room, no doubt looking for her wand and the
exit points.

“I mentioned it before, but today marks fifteen days.” Draco said gently. Hermione looked
stricken for a moment before she whimpered.

He had no doubt she was putting everything together in her brilliant mind and how she’s been
alone with him for over two weeks. She looked down and noticed she was clean, bathed with
clean, untangled hair and fresh clothes.

“Where’s the others? Where’s Harry?”

Draco tilted his head to the side, looking at Hermione curiously. He noticed she didn’t ask
about where Ron was and found that intriguing although he could be considered in the
‘others’ grouping of her inquiry.

“I am sorry, but like I said, I don’t know. I imagine Harry and the others are in another
safehouse. That’s my best guess.”

Hermione nodded and looked away from the boy she always knew as a bully, who was now
sitting in front of her in loose pajamas and a worried, probing stare.

He couldn’t possibly be worried about her.

That was obtuse.

It wasn’t something she wanted or was ready to think about. Instead, she glanced around their
shared space.

Even though the house looked recently deserted, she could recall Molly talking about their
unplottable house on the seashore where Fleur and Bill Weasley usually lived with their child
when they weren’t working as curse breakers at Gringotts or visiting Fleur’s family in
France.

She took a long sip of her tea as she noticed all the shells decorating the walls and bordering
the windows. There was a wall of various colors of recycled windows that made the side wall
of a greenhouse attached to the house just off the kitchen.

The greenhouse was mostly barren with only a few plants that were still alive under a stasis
charm.

“I think it’s the shell cottage that belongs to Molly’s ancestry line, the Prewett’s, but I have
never been.”

It looked battered by the beach and ocean elements and held together by magical
enchantments and charms.

Some windows were stained glass while others were enclosed by thick lead soldered and re-
soldered again throughout the years. There were a few that seemed more like crystal as the
wisps of sunlight casted rainbows around the space as the clouds moved along. There were
hundreds of clay pots of all shapes and sizes, some with soil, but the plants left behind
seemed locked in limbo under stasis charms. She imagined the walls filled full of plants and
food growing in the greenhouse and gardens, fishing in the nearby ocean for dinner, and
toddlers seeking seashells to add their imprint into the walls.

She glanced warily at the kitchen, the lone teapot on the stove simmering water, the empty
ice cabinet with the door ajar, the old fireplace that took up a whole side wall itself and
housed what looked like a medieval woodfire oven on one side of it. She bet three grown
men could fit in the oven, easily. She imagined a giant cauldron once sitting in the flickering
fire, bubbling away at stews and soups as the aromas mixed with the sea air. Instead, the
cauldron sat empty on the floor below, dusty with ash and coal. She imagined cuts of jerky
drying above the heat and smoke of the fire as herbs hung in bundles from the wood ceiling
above. She could almost hear the ghostly remnants of laughter as if the trove of redheaded
Weasley’s would bound through the house at any given moment from beach, while others lay
lazily over the chaise with a good book and a warm blanket that was knitting itself.

This was supposed to be a place of family and belonging, of joy and leisure.

It seemed so unfathomable with the emptiness of the home which had long lost its heart and
warmth.

Draco hummed. “That makes sense on why my mother knew of it to send Dobby here.”

His comment brought Hermione out of her head. “What? How?”

“The Black and Prewett families are related. Narcissa is from the House of Black, like Sirius
and-” Draco watched Hermione shudder at the almost mention of Bellatrix’s name, “-and I
am also a Black which is why I am able to access and see the home.”

“But if you can see it so can your aunt.” Adrenaline spiked over her skin in a rush of fear and
anxiety. Pain laced through her body at the sudden reaction causing her to hiss.

“That is true, I suppose,” Draco slowly rose to his feet and made his way to the potions,
plucking a small pain one that he magicked a duplicate off the original bottle. He handed her
the vial to drink. “But you should know that my aunt is not quite sane anymore, if she ever
was in the first place. I doubt she could recall her last breakfast with clarity, let alone the
three of you being taken into the manor or that you left. So, it’s safe to say she couldn’t be
bothered to recall an old heirloom house on a beach in the middle of nowhere.”

“But she still could seek us out-” Hermione protested.

“I suppose, but it’s unlikely. If you knew my mother, and I do, she probably helped us by
sedating her sister by now.” Draco ran his hand through his hair to get it out of his face. He
desperately needed a haircut. “Her fleeting mental state is also why she didn’t recognize any
of you when you came to the house with the snatchers. It’s pretty obvious who two wizards,
one with glasses and black hair and the other tall with flaming red hair and a witch that looks
exactly like the Hermione Granger, would be upon arriving. It’s quite laughable they didn’t
know that the same people they seeked to find for months on, right under their nose, hiding in
plain sight.”
“She’s sane enough to carve into my skin,” Hermione pointed out gesturing over her injured
arm that housed a filthy word embedded in her skin.

MUDBLOOD

“I don’t think anyone sane would do that to someone else, Hermione,” Draco said softly
looking at her wounded flesh. He was quite aware of it since he’s been trying to clean and
heal it for the past two weeks.

He watched as Hermione started to protest and did his best to calm her.

“Look, she did what she did because could see that you were dressed more like a muggle, it
wasn’t because she specifically knew who you were. I am so sorry what happened to you and
that it happened in my home. My mother is probably beside herself that it ever happened in
our home. Not that we’ve been able to control the state of things there, lately.”

Hermione nodded in understanding, and she could see how Bellatrix could conjure up that
she was muggleborn in her jumper and denim jeans where both Harry and Ron wore jumpers
and trousers.

“Luckily, the treatment has been working, albeit slowly. You probably won’t have that scar
forever.”

Hermione’s golden eyes darted to Draco’s stormy grey in question.

“I don’t know if you remember, but you were given a potion to counter the curse earlier…
when we first got here I gave it to you. Eventually the blood seeping out to cleanse it will
soon seep black as the poison is expelled and then back to red before it will close and heal. It
shouldn’t scar.”

“Did you give me the potion?”

Draco eyed Hermione carefully for several moments. “I did.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, love,” He inwardly cringed at the term of endearment his parents always
used, but Hermione didn’t seem to notice, or if she did she didn’t react. She was watching the
blood still seep out of the wound and onto absorbent bandages, he must have added them
when she was asleep.

…For two weeks.

Hermione cringed with that wayward thought coming up again.

She didn’t want to think about how Draco’s had to clean her messes and bather her. She
didn’t want to think about how he fed her or that he’s seen her completely naked.

“It will stop bleeding?”

“Not until the poison is completely expelled. It has taken several dispenses of potions and is
still healing.”

Hermione nodded. “Thank you for getting me away safely.”

“You were practically screaming at me in my head to do so,” Draco chuckled, looking away
because he said too much.

He cleared his throat and rose from his chair to where he set up the bread and pastries and
started to make plates.

“I was glad to do it, though. I’m glad we both got away.”

“Me too,” Hermione mused. “I can’t imagine living with… you know…. I never really
thought about it, but you must have been a prisoner in your own home.”

Draco swallowed the bile that was rising in his chest.

He tried to avoid thinking about things like that, especially when he left his mother and new
baby sister behind so quickly.

Hermione frowned, seeing the color drain from Draco’s face and his hands started to shake.
Under his darkened eyes, tears pooled but didn’t fall.

With a wave of his hand, the stress of the moment was wiped clear, and he righted his posture
easily, carrying their small meal in his hands towards her as if nothing ever happened. “Yes,
well… We should eat the meat pies first since you’re losing so much blood and we both need
our strength. They are the third duplicate of the original pies so not super pleasant. I
managed to get some potions, too, but I grabbed the lot of what was there and am not sure
what medicines we have left-”

“I appreciate that you’ve taken such good care of me, Draco. I know you’ve been through
trauma, too. If you want to talk about it, let me know. I’ll listen. It’s the least I can do for such
kindness.”

He eyed her speculatively before he gave a curt nod, blinking back at the thoughts that tried
to escape.

He worried about his mother and Delphi and how helpless they both were with the dark lord
in the house.

He worried about the return of the dark lord and what would happen if he wanted to see the
baby.

There was really nothing he could express now, so he shoved the plate of bread and pastry
pies towards her, muttering a slight acknowledgement of gratitude.

Hermione rose a shaking hand to grab a meat pie.

Draco set the platter down close enough for her to reach it and then placed a plate on her lap
for the crumbs.

“You said my arm may not scar?”

“I did, but I really don’t know. I hope not.” He absently cuffed his hand over the stained skin
from his tattoo.

It was embarrassing to be so exposed as a Death Eater.

...
 Chapter 6: Getting to Know you...
Chapter Summary

More dialogue as these two learn about each other and how they perceived things...

Chapter 6: Getting to know you..

Hermione wasn’t sure but she did recall overhearing Lavender comment about how Astoria
was said to have a blood curse and that would be the main reason for her father wanting to
pair her off early before the curse ran its course. She could bet Draco also knew this rumor
and was refraining from expressing it.

“Tell me about your childhood?’

“What? Whatever for?”

“Conversational purposes,” Draco grinned. “So, we can get to know each other since we’ll be
co-habituating for the foreseeable future."

“As a muggle or a witch?”

“Whatever you want to say is fine.”

“Well, my childhood before Hogwarts was entirely boring, if I am being honest.” Hermione
shrugged, happy to have a change in subject even if she was the topic. Her eyes darted to his
and found his imploring gaze, willing her to continue as if he was truly interested in what she
had to say. “My parents were both dentists, err, tooth doctors, and they work together. I went
to primary school, but I didn’t fit in with other students in maturity and in cognitive skills. I
was advanced, what muggles would call a savant, or perhaps I’m just a philomath… a person
who greatly enjoys learning and studying. I picked up the curriculum quickly and went
through several years of primary schools at an exceeding, accelerated rate. I surpassed those
in my age group academically and had trouble assimilating with those in my peer groups.”
She shrugged, though her face showed she was bothered by what she just said.

“I can see that. I was quite similar, but with private tutors. Although I don’t enjoy studying.”
Draco smiled. “The other kids were unkind?”

Hermione nodded. “They deemed me odd and avoided me. As my peers were finishing
learning their sounds, numbers and letters, I was skipping ahead reading books and doing
arithmetic. My parents finally pulled me from school once I completed all levels of the
school’s offered curriculum, and I had private tutors, too, to help excel my education from
there.”

“And when you go your letter to Hogwarts?”

“When I was eleven, as is everyone else, but I had to wait almost a year due to my birthdate
since school had already started. I took that time to learn what I could about being a witch,
doing spells and charms. I loved learning the new curriculum and was excited to go to
Hogwarts. My parents were able to get books sent to further my studies from Professor
McGonagall who graciously took me under her wing.”

“I am impressed and not at all surprised you took to magic so easily.”

Hermione frowned.

She knew she was not great at adjusting and making friends. “Yes, well, it was all I had to do
whilst I waited. I didn’t have muggle peers. When I got on the train, I was excited to be with
other magically talented kids but soon learned that they hadn’t really learned a lot of magic or
even simple spells.”

“Yeah, some parents don’t allow underage magic.” Draco shrugged. Not his parents, per say,
but others, probably.

“Harry was my first friend that was kind to me and always seemed grateful for my
knowledge and he easily accepted my insight. He barely knew anything of magic, and didn’t
know he was famous. Neither did I, as I grew up muggle, too. I think he liked that about me.”

“I was thrilled to meet him,” Draco scoffed. “I had practiced what I’d say, and it didn’t go
over well. Hated me from the start.”

Hermione grinned. “You were quite pompous, Malfoy.”

“So, Harry liked you and loathed me, entirely. Go on…”

Hermione bit her lip. She didn’t realize Malfoy was actually quite humorous. “Like I said,
Harry never teased me about being logical and studious, unless playfully. He was always first
to ask for my help since I was also a muggle and understood the overwhelming plight of
magic and spell work. He didn’t have the luxury of learning anything based in magic
beforehand, but with my help and notes, he got caught up quickly.”

Draco nodded as he finished off his simple meal and refilled both of their cups with hot tea.

“And the weasel?”

Draco watched her lips shut in a tight pinch before lining in thinly veiled contempt.

“Ron was… different,” She stated bluntly, hotly, with a bit of annoyance. “The Weasley’s,
although outwardly kind and helpful enough, have always been closer to Harry and by my
association with Harry, barely tolerated me.”
“How so?”

“They’ve took it upon themselves to have him at hand as if they’ve adopted him in some
ways but left him behind when it mattered most.”

“I suppose I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Ever since the first day on the train, it was like the Weasley’s targeted Harry. They helped
him onto the magical platform, they introduced themselves and Ron and set the stage for their
friendship. Ronald befriended Harry and prejudiced him to things he might have been more
tolerable to and able to accept.”

“Ah, like when Ron told Harry I would be the wrong sort of friend for him to have.”

“Exactly that. You didn’t do yourself any favors there, either, Malfoy. You’ve been unkind to
me throughout school because I am muggleborn which is partially expected because of how
you were raised, but Ron has been cruel to me on many occasions without cause,
consideration, or justification.”

“That’s because the weasel has always acted accordingly to his own beliefs, discrimination,
and jealousy that he was brought up with within The Order and having his own Pureblood
parentage.”

“What? No…” Hermione gaped a moment before as her mind raced with this information.

“Absolutely, yes.”

“I suppose he hides it better, but I think I see what you’re saying. It is definitely there. He’s
always vied for Harry’s attention and is often jealous when said attention is placed
elsewhere… like towards me.” Perhaps she refused to see it or overlooked it, but what Draco
implied made sense.

“My Godfather, Severus, told me that Ron was placed to be in Potter’s world as his best
friend on purpose. I would say they didn’t factor you in the dynamic which is why they
fought so hard to exclude you until they found use for you.”

“I’m not excluded or just ‘of use,’ Malfoy.” Hermione said with thinly veiled annoyance.
“They took me shopping for my magical things, had me at the Burrow, and helped when my
parents couldn’t-”

“I’m not saying they weren’t gracious hosts, Granger,” Draco lifted up his hands in a
calming gesture and small, teasing smile. “Don’t get me wrong. Molly Weasley is known for
her doting. But do remember that Ron was also raised as a pureblood by purebloods, even
though they are considered blood traitors by most. Weasel may have a sympathetic father
towards muggles, but Molly has never been of the sort. She comes from The House of
Prewitt, after all, and they are known for their intolerance just as harshly as the Malfoy’s,
Black’s, Lestrange, and countless others.”

Hermione contemplated his words for several long moments.

“That explains so much, actually. No one could get too close to Harry without Ron being
there, too. I often wondered what friends we all would have made otherwise if we were
sorted into other houses and if Ron hadn’t prejudiced Harry from all Slytherins. I feel like if I
would have been sorted in Ravenclaw as the hat insisted, I would’ve been closer to Luna
rather than Ginny.” Hermione shrugged as she pondered this new information. She never
really thought of the Weasley’s as token pureblood’s, but there were signs of prejudice, even
against her.

She felt Ron was always there to tag along with Harry. He liked the attention he got being
Harry’s best mate, and all that came with it.

But Ron was always coming between her and Harry, and Harry and others.

“Molly Weasley comes from substantial wealth. That is how they can sustain such a large
family, multiple homes, and large expensive meals on Arthur Weasley’s sole meager Ministry
salary. Molly Weasley was not always intended for a Weasley.”

“No?” Hermione gasped.

“No.” Draco said quietly. “Molly had two older brothers as heirs, so essentially it wouldn’t
matter who she married as she was the youngest and only daughter. That was until her older
two brothers died leaving her the sole heiress for the House of Prewett. Her parents were
older, and she was the only one left of child bearing age. That means her family would be set
on securing a betrothal with a family of means. Her family agreed to a contract with my
father’s parents, and she was ordered to marry my father.”

“Oh, no! What a fright!” Hermione barked out a gasping laugh, “I can just picture Molly with
your father, pushing knitted sweaters over his silver snake head cane.”

“That would be a welcome improvement to the cane. Those fangs are sharp.” Draco chuckled
as he rubbed a spot on his hand. “As you can see, they were not well suited, Molly and my
father. She wanted a large family and as you remember, the Malfoy’s usually had only one or
two children at most. None of that mattered. One look from my father upon my mother and
his heart was set on her, only her.”

“So, that is why there is tensions between the Malfoy’s and Weasley’s…”

“Not entirely, no. It added to it, to be sure.” Draco took a long sip of his tea, hearing the
soothing waves crash the shore as the tide rolled in. They’d need to make a fire soon to
combat the cold night air. “Back to Molly Weasley for a moment… I know you harbored
amorous feelings for Ron-”

“What?” Hermione sputtered as her tea cup jostled, “I don’t-”

“A crush perhaps,” Draco appeased with a wink.

Hermione huffed, righting herself on the couch. She gave a long moment of silence collecting
her thoughts and then shrugged, “Perhaps there was a slight school girl crush, but not now
and never again…”
Draco watched her intently waiting for her to continue but she didn’t. “I didn’t mean to cause
upset for a silly observation. It was pretty well expressed to the student body, though, that
you were with either him or Harry.”

“No,” Hermione sighed. “Neither.”

Perhaps in time she’d confide on why her feelings had changed, but it didn’t seem like it was
the time, so he pushed on with the point of his topic.

“Please do not take this the wrong way, and it has nothing to do with you- and everything to
do with her- but I seriously doubt Mrs. Weasley would never consider or support a
relationship between you and her son, Ron, as a suitable match.”

“Oh, I know. She does tend to believe every terrible thing about me in the paper,” Hermione
frowned, playing with the crumbs on her plate. “Not that any of it is true.”

“Hm… I would even go as far to bet that Mrs. Weasley already has him sorted out with
another witch and her family even if he’s unaware or obtuse in the matter.”

“Why do you say that?” Hermione looked at Draco curiously as he propped a pillow under
her arm and changed her bloody bandages with new ones before sitting back down.

“He’s the sixth son of six sons so there would be no need for a betrothal unless the girl in
consideration is in need of an heir for her family’s house. He would be an ideal and
formidable match to such a witch, and he would be taking on her family name.”

“That makes sense. He’s had a couple of love potion mishaps from other witches, after all.”

“I am not surprised, being the best friend of the Harry Potter along with Ron making it onto
the quidditch team may appeal to some.” Draco shrugged. “Witches wanting families
immediately after schooling would definitely want to secure such a match.”

“Of course. Right,” Hermione nodded, thinking of how protective and jealous Lavender
Brown has always been of her just by her proximity to Ron. “It’s Lavender Brown, isn’t it?”

“I can’t be sure, but it would make sense,” Draco said honestly. “Securing a Weasley brother
would be ideal for the Brown’s as the Weasley’s are known to have many children and the
Brown’s would need to secure an heir for their House. A Weasley could easily procreate an
heir for the house of Brown since he’s not necessarily needed for the House of Weasley. That
falls with the first born.”

“Of course,” Hermione’s mind was spinning.

Draco rose from his chair again and wandered towards the fireplace. He took out the wand
and aimed it at the wood and created a small fire, “And that’s why Ginny is all but betrothed
to Potter.”

“Malfoy!” Hermione sputtered, “She’s not… they’re not-” Her words fumbled as her mind
came to terms with such a concept.
“No?” Draco chuckled. “Are they not dating?”

“They are, or at least they were before we left in such a hurry.” Hermione explained. “He
was also interested in Cho Chang but-”

“That was thwarted?” He smirked knowingly and winked.

“Actually, yes, by the Weasley twins. Harry sent them off before he and Cho shared a kiss.”

“And what came of them after the kiss?”

“Well… come to think of it, nothing came of it,” Hermione shook her head. “She chose
Cedric for the Yule Ball, then he died. They shared a kiss, but then she outed the D.A to
Umbridge and that was it.”

“Convenient. And… enter Ginny Weasley being everything Harry could ever want or need.”
Draco gave a whimsical sigh to prove his point.

“How can you know all of this?” Hermione shivered as a gust of wind came up from the
shore and rattled the doors and windows. The day was turning quickly into night now that the
sun had gone down.

“The History of Pureblood Society Matches and Courting,” Draco said as he grabbed up a
blanket from the cedar chest and pulled it over Hermione’s small form. She gave him a
beautiful yet grateful smile. He grinned back but then went and busied himself with the
fireplace to set to task, piling more wood on the struggling fire. He set the logs in place and
set the new logs aflame with his wand. “I can get you a copy if you’d like to read it. The
chapter: Consummation of Marital Vows and Expectations, is especially interesting and quite
possibly the most disturbing. I cannot be sure of what the ‘wifely duties’ side of the book
consists of, but the husband’s side of things is quite a literal masterpiece in the art of
seduction and consummation.”

Draco winked and followed with a smirk. His eyes then coursed over her body slowly as he
rubbed his finger over his lip.

“You jest,” Hermione gasped, blinking at what just transpired and his blatant flirt.

“I am quite serious. Along with hand drawn or painted pictures, depending on the quality of
the edition of the book, it is quite informative. Just know, that one may never consider the
simplicity or complexities of a lock and key as it pertains to the sexual compatibility the same
way after reading. It is also the reason handfasting was popular. That allowed those betrothed
to try out the lock and key before settling in and usually they moved forward to a viable
marriage with the right tutelage.”

“Which means they were successful in procuring the heir.” Hermione surmised.

“Of course, and in olden times, with help and gentle guidance.”

“No!”
“I do not jest. If the couple was having… troubles, there would be help provided.”

“Help provided?” Hermione looked confused as her mind raced with possibilities.

“Within a year of no heir provided, the husband’s relatives may set to task-”

Hermione’s mind went blank with shock. “You can’t be serious!”

“It’s commonplace to help the witch and wizard along. Our family has no such issues, but in
some couplings, the need may arrive to pair the witch with a viable wizard within his side of
the family for procreation purposes.”

“Absolutely fascinating how far magic has come along but how far behind the evolution is of
the wizarding world.”

“We’re quite aware of the outside world and it’s evolution, Hermione. We just have been
raised in ways of thinking that keeps those Wizarding traditions going. Which, I’ll remind
you, is the world you are a part of now.”

“Right,” Hermione nodded. “Which includes marriage and babies with someone who would
be willing to have children with a muggleborn, forgoing a career and dreams-”

“Or perhaps you will just marry someone you love,” Draco said quietly, “and the children,
dreams, and career will all fall into place.”

“That’s funny,” She laughed.

“What?”

“You’re the first wizard that said love, first. It is always: first the betrothal, the marriage, then
children, the wife staying home to raise the children, and then perhaps, eventually love- as
explained to me by Molly Weasley.”

“It’s not uncommon for the husband to provide for his family, but there are plenty of witches
and wizards interested in maintaining careers. Most pureblood wives don’t have much of a
hand in child rearing as they rely on their staff to rear them. Making them, yes, raising them,
no...”

“I would want to raise mine. You?”

“Absolutely. And trying making them as often as possible as permitted.” He winked again.
Draco liked to wink at Hermione, which always flustered her to his amusement.

Hermione cleared her throat, rising her chin at such a concept.

“That seems pretty private information, Malfoy.”

“You misunderstand, so I think I should clarify, Granger.” Draco stared intently into
Hermione’s eyes.
Hermione nodded. “Out with it, then.”

“Hermione, my wife will never want for anything unless it’s me. I want her to want me as
intensely and passionately as I want her. I don’t want a submissive or vapid wife. My wife
will have desires and profound, protective love just for me. She and I will adore, love, and
dote on our children. She will have fire in her eyes and heart, and she will take on the world
until it is at her mercy. I will not stand in her way. I would praise and adore her for it.”

It wasn’t lost on her that he called her by her first name in his rant. His intensity was all
consuming and with his unwavering stare she almost thought he was talking about her
specifically as his future wife. Hermione whispered, “Doesn’t everyone want that? Isn’t that
normal?”

“No. Not normal.” Draco sighed, breaking the intensity of their stare. “Pureblood wives are
meant to be seen, not heard, to lay but not feel, to procreate but not have passion. It seems
like a waste of life, yet they seem to thrive for it. I have seen death a thousand times and in a
thousand ways, and I do not wish for my wife to be just as cold as the grave when she greets
me. I would sooner lie in my early grave than be with such a wife.”

Hermione bit her lip. “So, you’re saying that if you want love, you don’t want a pureblood
witch.”

“That is exactly what I’m saying, Hermione.”

“Just because they are purebloods doesn’t mean they are incapable of love, Draco. I am sure
they want to be loved and to give love, too.”

“Oh, absolutely, like with my parents relationship. But could they be truly in love with me?
Would they see me as the man they love or as the Malfoy heir? Would they see a future
potions master with an emphasis on healing potions or as a vile death eater? My vaults and
name may give me the spouse who wishes to use it to her and her family’s advantage, but it
wouldn’t promise her love.”

“I see you’re point.”

“It doesn’t matter, anyway. My future wife would have the stigma of my affiliation with the
dark lord to always overcome and that may be too big of a burden to bear.”

“To the right witch, I don’t think it wouldn’t matter.”

“Would it matter to you?”

“Pardon?”

“Would it matter to you? Me being a death eater, the Malfoy heir, endless vaults of gold,
dreams of a simple life creating healing potions, with a loving wife, children… would any of
it matter to you?”

“I don’t see what you mean, if it would matter to me. You don’t really like me, Malfoy. In
fact, you have hated me from the moment you set eyes on me first year.”
Draco let out the breath he was holding. “I was raised to hate you, yes, and I treated you
unforgivably bad as a child. I cannot even begin to express my regret and seek your
forgiveness.”

“I could forgive you. After all, you did save me and bring me here and you did help Harry,
and the others escape. Those are redeemable attributes.” She smiled softly. “So, I will forgive
you for picking on me and for the things in your life that happened to you that were beyond
your control.” Her eyes fell onto his tattoo.

“Thank you, Granger. And I will forgive you for breaking my nose in third year.”

“I did not break your nose!”

“You did!”

“Well, it seems we both have suffering to atone for and seek forgiveness not yet known.”

“I didn’t hate you, Granger. Ever. Complete opposite, in fact.”

“Is that so?” Hermione giggled, looking much healthier bathed in the warm firelight.

Draco nodded, holding her stare. “It is so… there were several of us planning to request your
hand at the Yule Ball, but we thought you would go with either Weasley or Potter. That was
implied.”

“Definitely not.” Hermione scoffed. “Harry asked Cho, but she was already going with
Cedric and well, Ron didn’t really ask me. He pointed out one day that I, ‘was a girl and how
it was one thing for a guy to go alone, but that it was just sad for a girl to go alone.’
Extremely rude, really. I told him that I wouldn’t be going alone and that someone had
already asked me, and I said, yes.”

“I remember. We were all so jealous of Krum,” Draco chuckled remembering the night
vividly, “Quidditch star getting the Golden girl. You must know that you had many admirers
that night.”

“Of course, I didn’t.”

“Oh, yes… You did.” Draco nodded, carding his hair through his hair nervously. “I was one
of them. You were the most beautiful witch there and I could hardly catch a breath when I
saw you standing on the top of the stairs.”

“Malfoy!” she gasped in disbelief, feeling her whole body warming in curious ways.

“I’m being honest. If I could have made you mine that night, you would still be mine now as
I wouldn’t ever let you go. How Krum managed to get you and to let you go is beyond me.”

“Viktor and I are just friends,” she whispered with a small grin. “He was polite and
respectful, but he knew I was just fifteen. We agreed to stay friends and with the distance,
school, his career, and the war, nothing more came of it.”
“Glad to hear,” Draco grinned, shifting in his seat. “How did Weasley take the news?”

“When Ron found out who I was going with, he was even more upset at me. He was such a
big fan of Krum’s. I do think he would’ve liked to have been Krum’s date himself if given the
chance.”

“No doubt,” Draco chuckled.

“Ron won out in the end and ruined the night for me.”

“Of course he did.”

“Why do you say that?”

“He’s an idiot,” Draco said unapologetically. “He still thought he fancied you enough to
move from having some sort of friendship to a relationship, though, right?”

“I guess. I thought he was my best friend next to Harry, but I learned we did not have a
reciprocal friendship or relationship. We were both friend’s with Harry more than we ever
were with each other, but he was often jealous of Harry.”

“Explain that, please.”

“I guess the only way I can is to say that I don’t know if Ron truly fancied me. It was more
like he didn’t want me to get too close to Harry and he used stringing me along with just
enough attention that it worked.”

“Obviously.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Like I mentioned before, Harry Potter is either knowingly or unknowingly betrothed to

Ginny Weasley, Ron’s sister. In his eyes, you absolutely can’t interfere in that match.”

“The more you say that the more it makes sense but still stings because it was never like that
with Harry and I.. we’re more like siblings.” Hermione scolded.

“Hear me out?”

“Lay it on me.”

Draco’s eyes moved over Hermione’s form with a slow cocky grin. “Yeah?”

“You know what I mean, Draco!” Hermione huffed with reddened cheeks and a soft giggle.
She absolutely enjoyed the rush his attention gave her.

“Ron needed you for help in school, with keeping them both to task, and keeping them alive
and out of trouble. He especially did not see you as a girl, like he said during the Yule Ball,
nor even a love interest until someone else showed a vested interest in you that he deemed
competition. That’s when he decided he wanted to get closer to you so no one else could have
you.”

“I see you’re point,”

“He waited until Krum was distracted and let his jealousy surface, giving you the brunt of his
anger and frustration for everyone to see, publicly. He can’t be upset at his idol, Krum, but he
can ruin the chance of you being happy with Krum and he did just that. He’s always been a
selfish and jealous bloke. To him, people are possessions. He wouldn’t like sharing what he
perceived as his… even you. Even if it was in the capacity of a best friend role in leu of a
lover. And especially when it came to Harry or the threat that your attentions may veer away
from him as he definitely enjoyed the attention.”

Hermione thought about how Draco saw Ron and her dynamic. It wasn’t something she
really noticed, but it was curious to see from someone on the outside looking in.

“Is there a chance he thinks you’re in a relationship now? That you’ll wind up together?

“No. I thought at one point, but… no.” Hermione said quietly.

“He’s not trying to court you?”

Hermione laughed. “He has never tried to court me, no. He did call me a ball of light in his
life which I thought was endearing at the time, but no.”

“No?”

…
 Chapter 7: Little Blue Light or Stalking Privileges?
Chapter Summary

Draco and Hermione continue their talk...

Chapter Seven: Balls of Light or Stalking Privileges?

“A ball of light?” Draco was confused at the sentiment.

“When we were in hiding, Ron was always watching Harry and I together talking or the like,
but never really said anything for a good while. The longer we were there, the longer we had
to take turns holding the horcrux locket. It affected Ron differently than it did Harry or me.
The more Ron would wear it, the more he would start accusing Harry and I of being closer
than we were and hiding our relationship, being more than friends, which we weren’t. Ron
and I weren’t together, either, but it was as if we were in his eyes. Any misguided feelings I
may have had for Ron were cemented shut when he left us in the forest of Dean after
accusing me of having romantic feelings for Harry and not him. He didn’t confront Harry,
just me.”

“That makes sense. It goes right back to the rules of courting, especially if Potter was set to
betroth Ginny, but go on.”

Hermione’s eyebrows furrowed and she frowned at Draco’s words. She reluctantly went on
with the story.

“No one could find us, not his family, friends, or snatchers, not even the dark lord could tell
where we were hiding. But one day, a particularly bad day, Ron left us after exchanging
words-”

“Bloody Hell.”

“When Ron left us, Harry and I decided it was best we didn’t stay. We left that spot soon after
packing up. Ron wouldn’t have been able to find us unless he had a trace on us or had help…
I don’t know. That part always felt off to me because I set the protections myself. I did
everything right. Hermione took another sip of her tea and watched the fire sprites dance
before her within the hearth as she collected her thoughts for a moment. “Harry wondered off
while he thought I was sleeping that night. He saw a patronus and stupidly followed it.”

“What kind of patronus?”

“A doe like his Mum’s,” Hermione said simply. “The patronus led him to a small pond fed by
a stream that we were using for water. The pond was frozen. Yet, someone had been there-
knew we were there and left the Gryffindor sword deep in the water. Harry went for it, of
course, but he didn’t take off the locket. Once he grasped the sword, the locket reacted and
tried to choke and down Harry. Oddly enough, Ron just happened along and was there to
save Harry at the last moment before Harry drowned. How is that possible? Ron was able to
pinpoint our location and find us when no one else could? It didn’t make sense, and I don’t
trust it. They got the sword from the pond and used it to destroy the Horcrux.”

“How did Ron say he found you?” Draco asked, his nerves felt too close to the surface in that
moment.

“Dumbledore’s deluminator.” Hermione said simply and let out a sharp laugh. “It was
bequeathed to him by Dumbledore in his will. One of a kind, made by Dumbledore himself.
Ron stated he was sitting in a bar after an altercation with snatchers and he said he bested
them and got their wands. He said he opened the device, and it showed him a ball of light
with my voice in it calling out for him, ‘just my name,’ he said, and he followed that little ball
of light right to us.”

“So, either Ron or the deluminator has a trace on you or on Harry or both.”

“Perhaps. Although it puts out lights for anyone, so it may be able to trace a patronus. I
thought it seemed more likely a manipulation of the device, like a portkey. Maybe it was set
to locate Harry or me. After Dumbledore left it for Ron in his will, we went to Hagrid to ask
about it. Hagrid only knew that Dumbledore had it when he dropped Harry off at his Aunt’s
house that fateful night. The only ones who knew Ron had it is Snape, McGonagall, the late
Minister for Magic, Harry, me, and perhaps the Weasley’s… but no one else. If Ron was
playing with it in the bar, like he said he was, everyone there could take notice of such a
curious device. If the ball of light could be traced like a Patronus, they could have followed
him that way as well, I would think.”

“Right. You said Ron had an altercation with snatchers, and he bested them of their wands?”

“That is what he told us upon handing Harry and I, their wands. He was probably drunk and
thought he fooled them. I think it’s more likely that they knew who he was and gave their
wands to him on purpose even if they made it seem otherwise. That way they could use the
wands to trace us. He could have led them to our camp, even if it was by accident, because
the snatchers came just days after Ron showed up and the snatchers easily overpowered us
after catching us by surprise outside our protective wards.”

“I can see that happening.”

What she was implying was practical and horrifying.

Draco pierced his lips as he thought about the implications she was stating. He set his tepid
tea down so he could watch it all play out in her mind. She went through her thoughts again,
analyzing every word and moment she could recall.
Draco was able to follow her thoughts easily and without her noticing, but he also knew the
poison would soon start to seep and he wanted to get her some pain potions in case it hurt
before going to sleep.

He excused himself and waved his wand, replacing the cooled kettle with hot water and
Hermione quickly went to steeping new tea for them to share.

He watched as her thoughts drifted towards the sorting hat and how it fumbled on which
house it wanted to place her in as a first year. She knew what to expect as it was all in her
first (and favorite) wizarding book called: Hogwarts, A History.

She recalled the way Draco reached out to Harry to be friends with his slicked-back blond
hair and bright blue eyes. She remembered what a beautiful boy he was, so unlike any she
went to primary with, and Draco could help but smirk of her mind hinting of a crush even as
a first year. He couldn’t fault her in wondering how things were to be different had Draco and
Harry managed to be friends. But he didn’t know it was Ron who snuffed that out that
friendship firsthand by telling Harry that all Slytherin’s were evil. Harry was overly trusting
and happy to have found an easy friendship with Ron.

Draco always felt that was on Potter, but thinking back Potter wouldn’t and couldn’t have
known anything of Draco or the other houses to know differently.

Draco was also a bit of a git back then. A pompously peacocking sod around school acting as
if he owned it.

Hermione hissed, diverting Draco’s attention as her mind went straight to her arm, “Does it
hurt? I can get the potion. You are probably ready for another dose before bed.”

Hermione grimaced as she watched the blood turn from red to black as it wept over her skin
and into the bandages. “It is manageable pain,” She lied. “Snuck in out of nowhere.”

“You’ve had enough pain to last a lifetime, Hermione. Manageable pain is not pain less,” He
rummaged through the vials until he came up with a couple options and set them in her free
hand. “Take them when you’re ready.” He said kindly. “This one will make you want to
sleep, and this one will make you want to eat. This green glowing one is for the cursed
wounds.”

“I am feeling quite tired, and I just ate,” she mumbled before he took her plate and put a
stasis charm over all of their food to help it keep longer.

“Would you like to sleep here or in the room upstairs?”

Hermione bit her lip eyeing the stairs fleetingly.

“I can carry you; you know.” He chuckled as she flushed red.

“Where would you sleep?”

Draco rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t really explore the options when you were asleep.
I just stayed here, close by, but I can transfigure something into a bed if there’s only the one
or sleep on the couch.”

“Thank you, Draco.” She whispered. “For everything.”

His cheeks warmed as he gave a slight nod. Draco watched as Hermione tipped back the
potion and instantly yawned.

“I think I’ll stay here tonight, on this couch by the fire.”

“Good call.”

“Draco?”

“Yes?”

“I know it’s unplottable and hidden, but do you think you can ward it, too? I don’t want
anyone looking in and seeing inside.” She looked out the window towards the blackened sea
and knew they could never be too careful. “Only so your elves or Harry can come in.”

“I’ve done but will do it again. Get some rest.”

“And Draco?”

“Yes?” He chuckled.

“I am glad you’re here with me. I feel safer somehow.” She gave him a shy grin; her cheeks
became rosy from the medication kicking in and her embarrassment.

“I am glad to be here with you, too, love.”

She gave a small hum before she laid back down and fell deep asleep.

Draco set to task setting up wards and protections.

No one except Dobby or the Malfoy elves could enter the home directly without setting off
alarms. Everyone- anyone else would have to track through the sand for several hundred feet
before the ward would allow their presence to breech it.

He didn’t trust Ron and he didn’t trust that Ron wouldn’t use Harry’s hair for Polyjuice to get
at Hermione.

He set a secondary ward to diffuse any hidden spells or potions including body modification
and manipulating spells, charms, or potions.

Once complete, Draco pulled the chair forward and transfigured it into a couch next to hers to
watch over her and maybe even to get a bit of sleep.

...
 Chapter 8: One Blond Hair will do...
Chapter Summary

Death Eater Summons and Snape finds a blond hair that will do...

Chapter 8: One blond hair will do…

Severus Snape moved through the castle with his robes flaring behind him.

He sneered at other students walking by as usual and docked points to anyone who was
giving him direct eye contact.

Lily’s boy was safe.

Harry was at the Prince family home on the border of France with Ron, Luna, and Ollivander
for the next week while Hermione healed.

They were all okay and safe.

He shuddered as a chill moved through him.

It didn’t feel that way, though.

Snape felt as if he was choking and pulled at his collar, knowing it would be of little help. He
choked back a sob as he thought of his dearest friend, Lily. He still couldn’t think of Lily’s
death without tearing up and in a matter of weeks, her son would soon follow.

There was no other way.

Voldemort managed to have the Carrow twins situated within the castle and rake their abuse
of power upon the students. It was alarming, but there was nothing he could do unless it
would get back to the dark lord and blow his cover.

Why the dark lord doesn’t just do things himself, was beyond understanding.

Voldemort was exceedingly lazy, anyway, but only a few close people knew that he couldn’t
manage his body into cooperating what he wanted it to do. His movements were often stiff
and brash, and he used wandless magic whenever possible since his hand could barely grasp
the wand most of the time.

How he fathered a child with Bellatrix was beyond comprehension.

There was another issue at hand that was exceedingly complex.

Draco was ignoring the summons the dark lord was sending since he was sent off with
Hermione to help her heal.

Lucius had told the dark lord that Draco was away at Hogwarts, thus the dark lord expected
Snape to bring him along.

Snape moved through the Slytherin common room and into Draco’s rooms within the
underwater dungeons. He flipped through the bed and sheets but had no luck in finding what
he needed. But as he turned, he saw it.

A single shiny blond hair sticking to the side of the chest of drawers.

Snape exhaled, grasping the delicate hair and placed it into the flask in his pocket before he
made his way to McGonagall’s office.

He knocked and watched as the portrait hiding McGonagall’s rooms opened. He stepped
inside carefully before he noticed the frail witch standing at the ironed windows overlooking
the lake. There was a fog blanketing the seams between the forest and lake which made them
both look all the more ominous.

“Severus,” she greeted before she turned around. She eyed the flask and then Severus. “You
swear he won’t be coming and that he’s still with Granger?”

“Yes.” He gave a curt nod. “Draco couldn’t leave without the help of the elf, nor could she-”

“Very well,” She gave a kind, wrinkled grin. “Let’s get this over with, then.”

“Thank you, Minerva,” Snape whispered almost too low to hear.

“Of course,” She gave a wrinkled smile that didn’t meet her weepy aged eyes. “Tell me what
needs done. Quickly.”

Snape nodded. “Speak as little as possible. Stand behind Narcissa and let her guide you.
Don’t be brash or pompous like you may expect him to be. He is not. He stands stoically with
his mother or with both parents as if he’s part of the furniture. Don’t react to anything or try
to help anyone, especially me.” Severus sighed. “You may be tortured for not coming before
now.”

“Yes, yes. So, you have said numerous times, Severus.” Minerva grabbed the clothes Severus
handed her, and she quickly changed. It was a tight fit, but she managed it with charms.

“There’s enough for two hours each swallow. If you must escape, don’t ask, just bow out and
take your sips as it is your family home so act like it.”

“What if he asks me questions?”

“I will put the answer in your mind.”

She didn’t like that but agreed.

“He can enter your mind if he so choses, so keep your thoughts on Quidditch whenever
possible or Pansy Parkinson as the Dark Lord is not partial to trivial teenage affection.”

“Understood,” She took a swift sip and recoiled from the vile taste as her body began to
morph into Draco’s slighter, but taller frame. “Why is he calling everyone in?”

“I suspect to infiltrate the castle, and Draco specifically because of the health of the cabinet.”

“Which the Ministry took. He must know that.”

“As he does, but he may still ask. The Malfoy’s were supposed to secure another, and they all
have been destroyed as far as anyone knows.

“So, I say we don’t have one.”

“No.”

“No?”

“No. Never say you don’t have something the dark lord wants.”

“Ah, of course. What do I say?”

“Nothing if possible. If he does ask, say something like, ‘we’re securing another one and will
expedite its arrival.’ Don’t elaborate or say a perceived lie or an exact date. He knows there’s
a vanishing cabinet at the castle and has been made aware it works.”

“I understand.”

“And Narcissa has had a baby so don’t look shocked upon seeing her if she is around. I
highly doubt she’d risk the infant around the dark lord, so she’ll likely stow the baby away
with the elves in one of their other homes.”

“That would be a wise thing to do.”

“Obviously. Do concentrate on adopting Draco mannerisms as of late.”

“Lead the way, Professor.”

“Better,” Snape rolled his eyes.

Professor McGonagall (as Draco) put the flask in the robe pocket before Snape quickly
apparated them to Malfoy Manor.

Bellatrix was sitting in a chair humming as she played with one of her frizzy curls. There was
a full table of death eaters sitting around the large dining table with large quantities of food
placed before them that they didn’t dare touch. Narcissa and Lucius sat at either side of the
table with Voldemort sitting at the head.

Severus and Draco moved swiftly through the room and took their place next to Lucius and
Narcissa. Draco placed a kiss on his mother’s cheek before sitting down.

“How nice for you both to join us,” the dark lord said in a withering voice, “One must think
as headmaster, you could get away more hastily.”

“Of course, my lord. I wouldn’t want to miss such an eventful evening,” Severus said
stoically which Voldemort waved off.

Narcissa placed food in front of Draco and urged him to eat. “I know you’re missing the meal
at Hogwarts, my son.” She cooed, “Make haste, eat.”

Draco gave a small smirk, thanked his mother, and began eating as carefully as he could
while the rest of the table’s inhabitants watched before they soon followed.

The conversation veered into sections as Draco thought about Pansy Parkinson cheering him
on during Quidditch practice as Voldemort watched him eat.

“Young love,” Voldemort mused as he tried harder to needle himself into Draco’s mind. But
the boy proved well versed in occluding.

There were several snatchers that made their way into the room, eyeing Bellatrix with a bit of
concern before they made their way to the table.

“Traps set, my lord,” Greyback hissed, scratching at the fur over his cheeks before moving
down his neck. It was almost like he had fleas, but it was probably nerves.

“Excellent,” Voldemort said as he waved Greyback away and he took his place by the door.
“Dear ones, as you can see I’ve called everyone here today to discuss an important matter.”

Everyone stilled and placed their silverware onto their plates and swallowed the food in their
mouths.

“It is important that everyone comes for the next summons as we are meant to take over the
school and rid the infestation of students hiding within the school. Each one of you will have
targeted sections as well as those whom you will battle. Draco has completed the vanishing
cabinet. That is how we will gain access to the school when the time comes.”

“We’ll be fighting children, my lord?”

Voldemort sneered as his blood red eyes glanced at one of the snatchers standing off to the
side. He swiftly lifted his wand and, in an instant, the man was writhing in pain across the
floor, screaming his head off.

The room avoided looking at the man and no one rushed to help him, either. Eventually,
through pain or exhaustion the man’s body shuddered to a stop where he lay slumped. With a
wave of Voldemort’s hand, the body shifted to the corner of the room.
“Any other questions?”

Everyone was silent, heads bowed and staring blankly at their plates.

Voldemort hissed, his lip rising in a snarl before he raised his arm and waved his wand. Up
came a large piece of paper with a detailed map of Hogwarts with different areas marked off
to where the Trolls and Acromantula would infiltrate the castle from the Forbidden Forest.
Werewolves would move through bridge with the snatchers. All the others would move
through the cabinet to gain access inside the school.

“Draco,” Voldemort’s glare found the teenage boy.

Draco kept his eyes down, concentrating on the plate and answered, “Yes, my lord.”

“Young Draco, you have the honor of receiving everyone through the cabinet in the room of
requirement.”

“Yes, my lord,” Bowing his head, Draco’s mind moved from Quidditch back to Pansy,
imagining her missing him and searching the castle for him.

Voldemort sighed, watching Draco’s mind for a moment and McGonagall could feel the
needling trying to push through. Her mind went to wizard chess and then rotated back around
to catching the Golden Snitch instead of the Ravenclaw seeker.

Soon the needling stopped, but the thoughts poured forward, trying to make it as dull as
possible to cull his interest.

His attention went to a couple of the snatchers where they were waiting to tell Voldemort that
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were still missing.

It would not be welcome news.

Bellatrix, who was sitting aloof on one of the chairs suddenly started whispering, her eyes
darting back and forth as if she was being spoken to in her mind.

She pulled the flask from her hip and laughed mantically as the flask levitated to Voldemort.

Once he had it in hand, he smelled the cloying brew and took a long swing of it, snarling in
distaste.

“Bellatrix, dinner,” He drawled.

Her eyes went wild with a salacious, rotten grin before she slid off her chair and disappeared
underneath the table.

Several male wizards jolted as she crawled by, and Lucius felt her sharp claws move up his
legs. He pulled them back and she hissed.

She moved on towards the head of the table.

Voldemort hissed and everyone sat like statues, unmoving while Bellatrix made quick work
parting the robes of the dark lord. He was bare under the grey robes and his eyes moved to
look down at the dirty witch.

“Eat.” He commanded and Bellatrix skillfully throated her master as everyone in the table
tucked into the meal. No one complained it was tepid. It was far better than Bellatrix’s meal.
They just set their minds to focus on their meals and not the mess at their feet.

The meeting was forgotten quicky and soon Snape excused himself and Draco, as they
needed to get back to the school.

Voldemort waved them off, uncaring, as he grasped at the witch's curls and pushed deeper in
her mouth, choking her as he expelled his first release.

They refused to watch as Bellatrix was moved to mount her lover’s lap, facing the table. She
giggled as her eyes searched everyone down the table eating.

She squealed after a series of harsh grunts as he grabbed a fistful of hair before Voldemort
finished quickly inside the witch.

Draco kissed his mother’s cheek and left swiftly as he was already starting to show the signs
of him shifting back to McGonagall.

...
 Chapter 9: Shall I get the Signet?
Chapter Summary

Explicit warning and Draco knows what he wants and it's Hermione.

Chapter 9: Shall I Get the Signet?

Draco watched Hermione sleep.

Her wound had finally stopped seeping black goo and he was applying Dittany while she was
passed out with a Dreamless Sleep Potion and a pain potion.

It was her idea.

He was quite contented that she trusted him enough to take the dreamless sleep potion around
him, as most witches or wizards wouldn’t dare risking such propriety.

But, it also wasn’t like she truly had a choice, either.

When she took the last Black family curse potion, two days before, she was writhing in pain
just as she did the moment she was receiving the torture. He warned her that the curse would
probably fight her body to linger, and the last potion was the most potent and should finish
the treatment.

Hermione understood, but she didn’t want to feel or relive it again and Draco understood.

But Ditany felt like acid poured over a flesh wound and she fretted using it, knowing it was
going to be painful, but necessary.

He grabbed his mother’s wand and set to work, trying to see if there were any loose threads
of the curse. When he was thoroughly convinced it was all removed he dropped drops of
Dittany quickly over the wound.

Her body jolted and he stilled, fretting over if she was writhing in pain without him knowing.
He guessed, by her body’s reaction to the drops, she was.

“Hermione.” Draco said in his most soothing voice, “I’m going to get more pain potions and
give them to you.”

There was no response, and so Draco took the wand and set a soothing balm charm over the
gnarled skin before he padded his way into the kitchen.
 ...

“Pain potion Accio,” Draco said.

Nothing happened.

“Pain potion, point me,” Draco called and again, nothing.

He looked through the plants and frowned. They wouldn’t be any help to brew a potion,
either.

Moving back to Hermione, he sat at her side and noticed the wound was still pretty raw and
deep. It was going to take quite a bit of the Dittany stores to heal.

He sat and thought about his time in Hogwarts, his mind running through countless pieces of
parchment in his charms class as well as any others that may help.

There just had to be healing charms, and Draco knew that if Hermione was awake she would
surely know what they were but either from stress or fatigue, he couldn’t remember them.

It all just came so naturally to her.

“Hermione,” Draco whispered, kneeling close to her. She whimpered, turning away from
him. “Five points goes to any Gryffindor who can name pain relieving spells.”

He waited as Hermione’s eyebrows quirked together adorably as her lips puckered.

She muttered something, but he couldn’t make it out.

“What was that?” He said louder, “Should I raise it to ten points if Miss Granger could
answer?”

Hermione groaned, still fast asleep and turned over facing Draco.

“Fifty points to any Gryffindor or Slytherin who can name pain spells,” He upped the points
to see if it was enough to play to Hermione’s competitive nature.

Then, to Draco’s delight Hermione whispered, “Episkey, for minor injuries and Vulnera
Sanentur for serious injuries, wounds, and curses, Professor.”

“Good girl, Miss Granger. Ten extra points to Gryffindor,” he cooed in her ear as she smiled
and settled deeper into her pillow. Then, it was almost like she remembered the pain and
whimpered again.

Draco didn’t bother with Episkey, not sure how he could’ve forgotten something so simple
they learned as first years, but it was probably because of the strain. He worried she wouldn’t
wake for weeks again like the last time, and he had grown quite fond of their talks all day and
into the night.
Dobby never came back with food or intel, which was the most pressing matter, and he was
doing his best to domino their firewood and food stores.

“Vulnera Sanentur,” Draco said, pointing the wand on the flesh wound. He watched in giddy
amazement as the deep cuts began to fill and level with fresh, healed skin until it was almost
gone. There was still a ghost of a scar left over, but nothing anyone would notice unless they
looked closely.

“You did it, clever girl. Rest now, Hermione.” Draco laid down next to the fragile yet
incredibly strong witch and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to him. “Rest.”

It was the first night in months he fell right to sleep.

Draco and Hermione woke to the smell of bacon and fresh ocean air, their tangled arms and
legs wrapped tightly around each other.

Groggily, Draco opened his eyes to see Hermione’s warm eyes starting back at him.

Fire and ice.

“Hi,” She whispered and smiled.

“Hi,” Draco whispered back. “I think Dobby came back.”

“Not quite. She’s a super tiny elf with an infant strapped to her chest almost her same size.”

Draco’s eyes opened comically wide before he rushed to get up, taking Hermione with him
and landing them both on the thick rug.

They laughed and tried again to get up, but it was awkward and a jumbled mess before Draco
finally stood. He clumsily walked over the uneven tiles into the kitchen dragging Hermione
behind him in hand.

“Lolli,” Draco gasped, dropping Hermione’s hand. He kneeled before he hugged the small elf
and baby to him. “I’ve never been so happy to see you both.”

“Master Draco and his girlfriend is needing nourishment, yes?”

His stomach grumbled painfully as he caught Hermione’s raised eyebrow and amusement,
“Yes, please.”

The small elf nodded and started to unstrap the baby and placed her in Draco’s awaiting arms.
Draco took the sleeping baby to Hermione, cuddling in the warm blankets.

“Hermione, meet my baby sister, Delphi.”

“Oh,” Hermione gasped, cupping her hand over her mouth as her eyes shined. “She has blue
hair!”
“A bit,” Draco smiled looking at the baby and her blonde wispy hair that was touched with
blue. “A Black family trait that my mum hides by magicking hers blonde, but you can
sometimes tell it’s blue.”

“Oh? Will your babies have blond-ish blue, too?”

“Perhaps,” Draco shrugged and smirked as he watched Hermione squirm. She hadn’t
squirmed since he walked around the house shirtless after taking a dip in the ocean. “My
cousin, Nymphadora, has similar hair. Her features changes at her will, though I do think she
prefers it to be pink.”

“I have seen her morphs. Very entertaining when we were quite little.”

“That she is. She got the full stock of dormant Black family traits. They were amplified with
having a muggle father. If he was a wizard, she may have had less Black family genetics and
more of his magical characteristics.”

“Fascinating!”

“Hm,” Draco agreed. He pulled the sleeping baby to his chest and kissed her cheek. The baby
nestled into him as if they had had many other moments like this and she was comfortable
with him.

Also, watching him holding a baby was doing things to her. “Wow… It’s warm in here,” she
breathed out.

“Is it? I thought it was a bit too cool, actually.” Draco smirked knowingly. “Would you like to
hold her?”

“Can I?” Hermione’s eyes brightened. “I love babies.”

He nodded and shifted the baby into Hermione’s arms. The little girl opened her eyes,
noticing the new energy of the person holding her.

“Hello, little love,” Hermione grinned at the little girl who watched her intently. “I am
Hermione Granger, your brother’s friend.”

Draco sat next to them and the baby’s eyes darted towards Draco.

She instantly started to worry her lip before her tongue pushed over her bottom lip.

“That’s a sign she’s hungry, but Mum is nursing her, so we’ll be of no help there.”

“Ah,” Hermione nodded. “So, they aren’t staying. They’ll be leaving soon.”

“I am sure of it.” Draco said looking towards the kitchen as Lolli was set to task creating
meals in her elvish speed rarely seen. There was a box that she was enlarging and placing a
lot of food under stasis charms. “From the amount of food Lolli is making and storing, I’d
say we’re here for the next couple of weeks, maybe longer.”
“Hm,” Hermione hummed, and Draco noticed that she didn’t seem put off at all at the notion
of staying alone with him again.

“Do you want kids?” Draco asked, seeing how Hermione doted on the baby in her arms as
they stared at each other.

“I definitely want a family. Someday, perhaps.”

“Same. Perhaps, you would consider having a family with someone like me?”

Hermione eyes darted from the baby straight to Draco.

“Someone like you or with you, Draco?”

Draco ran his hands through his hair which she had learned was a tell of anxiety. She waited
him out, watching him get his nerve up to ask what he really wanted to say.

She watched the words form from his lips before he sucked in a deep breath and said, “With
me.” The whispered words seemed to move through the small space and caressed her ears,
mind, and heart.

“Yeah,” Hermione smirked.

“Yeah?”

“I would love to, Draco.” She whispered back. “Someday.”

“Really?”

“As if you would need to ask after the past couple weeks we’ve had together. How kindly
you’ve been and worked to heal me, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine being so loved as your
wife.”

He smiled, his eyes darting from her eyes to her mouth to her lips and back again before he
leaned in and pressed his lips over hers.

It was tentative at first, just a few gentle pecks to feel each other out before he deepened the
pressure, and she opened her mouth to receive him.

A hand cupped the back of her hair, keeping the pressure as he swirled his tongue around
hers. She moaned, adjusting herself closer while being mindful of the baby between them.

Then the baby let out a whimper and fidgeted.

Draco pulled away first, looking down at Delphi with a loving smirk as his hand moved to
caress Hermione’s hair. He didn’t want to move too far from her, afraid their intimate bubble
would burst and be lost forever.

“Master Draco,” Lolli called from the kitchen and effectively popped the bubble for good.
“Yes Lolli?” The divine tension of their kiss dissipated as Hermione broke away from him
and put distance between them, paying attention to the wee baby in her arms instead.

He watched her for a long wistful moment before Lolli tugged at his shirt.

“Meals be ready for you and your girlfriend, as Mister and Mistress requested.”

“Did they now?” Draco shook his head in amusement.

“Girlfriend?” Hermione lifted her eyebrow with her own coy smirk.

“She’s said it twice, so it must be true.” Draco smirked back for a moment before he lifted
Delphi from Hermione’s arms.

“Hm,” Hermione purred. “Perhaps if you ask me nicely.”

Draco turned to her where they both stood by the couch and watched her intently. Their eyes
fixed on each other and all humor was seemingly lost.

“I’d want you more than just my girlfriend, Hermione.”

“Oh,” Hermione blinked, biting her lip in delight.

“I’ve made that intention quite apparent since we’ve arrived.”

The baby was fully alert and starting to get agitated that her hunger tells were ignored. Lolli
came up on the couch next to Draco and Hermione staring at each other. She grabbed the
baby in her arms and quickly started bundling Delphi her against her chest.

“You have food for weeks, Master Draco and Miss Hermione. Potions, too.”

“Thank you, Lolli,” Draco said.

“Shall I get the signet?”

Draco swallowed; his eyes darted to Hermione before he gave one curt nod.

The elf disappeared for what felt like a few seconds before she appeared back again in the
same spot, sans baby. She held a small velvet clutch and a piece of parchment.

Lolli quickly opened the ancient roll parchment and produced a quill.

Draco signed it.

It instantly disappeared along with the elf.

“What is that?”

“It’s just a contract that says I took a signet out of the vaults with an intention to give it to
another.”
“Oh,” Hermione thought that was curious. “What’s the signet?”

“In this case, it is jewelry with the Malfoy family crest.”

“Wow… okay.” Hermione looked at the pouch. “Are you sure you want me to have it?”

Draco stared at her incredulously before answering, “I’m quite sure.”

He opened the bag, and a small charm fell into his hand. It was silver, most likely Goblin
wrought silver, and held a delicate, detailed etching of the Malfoy family crest inside it.
There was a diamond in the center, with a snake’s tail wrapped around it. The snakes body
looped over the crest with an open mouth as if it was coiled around the diamond ready to
strike.

“Does it bite?” Hermione teased staring at the small snake closely. There was a small emerald
in the eye, glittering in the light and a ruby that could portray a drop of blood or venom.

“Only if you ask nicely,” He said darkly.

Hermione ripped her eyes from the snake charm and straight at Draco who smirked seeing
her darkened, lusty stare.

Draco cleared his throat, stiffening his posture, “What would you prefer, a ring, necklace, or
bracelet?”

“Oh,” Hermione blinked quickly before locking eyes on the charm again. “Rings and
bracelets are lovely, but I quite like necklaces.”

Draco nodded and covered the charm with his hand for a few seconds and it morphed into a
necklace with charmed locket. “If you change your mind, you can change it to either a ring,
necklace, or bracelet at your own whim.”

He put it around her neck and Hermione could instantly feel the cold silver burn warm as it
sat over her heart. She picked up the locket seeing the same design as it had before but more
delicate, feminine. She opened the door of the locket but there wasn’t anything inside of it
yet.

“I love it,” she whispered, totally in awe.

“Can I kiss you?” He said, staring at his mark on her chest and how it was gently nestled
between her heaving chest.

“Yes, of course,” she shuddered, blinking rapidly as her mind tried to keep up with their
sudden change of relationship.

Draco dipped forward and took her mouth roughly, demanding entrance with a swift push of
his tongue, she opened readily for him, moaning as he pulled her closer. His hands moved to
her hips pulling her closer and she could feel the excitement of the moment growing thickly
between them.
“Hermione,” he groaned, his cupped hands moving from her hips up her stomach, pulling
hand hands over her shirt with his long fingers, then fisting the fabric.

Their breakfast forgotten as he bent forward, and they fell back onto the couch snogging and
touching and feeling each other so desperately.

“Draco, please,” Hermione groaned as he pulled at her jeans. He stilled, searching her face
before she nodded her head in consent.

With a wave of his hand, her jeans vanished to the corner, folded nicely on the chair as he
dipped his fingers though the elastic of her knickers. She lifted up her bum, and he pulled
them off of her.

He pressed kisses upon her, breathing her sweet skin in. It was still scented from her morning
shower. There was a hint of the salted air with each swipe of his tongue before he parted her
legs to receive him.

Hermione floundered as he pushed one teasing finger inside her, staring at him while his
blond head moved between her legs. A long swipe of his tongue over her quim had her
twitching, but he kept her in place where he wanted her.

He dipped his tongue inside, pumping his fingers inside her.

He could feel how tight and wet she was becoming for him and how her body started to move
of its own volition as her excitement grew. Draco watched her as her soft breaths pushed out
of swollen lips, her head cocked back as she gently shuddered, gifting him her first orgasm
with him.

“That’s a good, girl,” He said darkly and watched with a knowing smirk as her body gave
him a swift flinch of excitement that moved up her body, and she shuddered again, pulsing.
He recalled when Professor Lockhart called her a good girl after she answered a question
about the egotistical professor correctly. She bounced in her seat in excitement from the
praise and it unlocked a new whole fascination in Draco about Hermione’s affection to a
possible praise kink.

He also imagined her bouncing the same way on his lap as she did in her chair.

Many times.

“You know just how to please me, coming so prettily on my tongue,” He sighed, and his
wafting breath was cool over her heat. He pulled his finger out and pressed two in, giving her
the pressure she was so desperately chasing.

He dipped forward and sucked the apex of her lips, pulling at her clit.

Hermione squealed, hands desperately pushing at his head at all of these new experiences,
but he was hungrily taking whatever she may gift him.

He wanted all of her orgasms.

Every thought to be on him and what he did to her, for her, how he pleased her- from this
moment on.

“I can’t,” She drawled with a slight whimper that pleased him. He curled his fingers making
the pressure hit differently for several moments before he pulled out.

She cried out when he replaced one hand with the other. She could feel his ring gliding over
her wetness as two fingers became a stretch of three.

“You can, Hermione.”

The ring felt hot inside her and she noticed that the locket burned over her chest, but she
really couldn’t say anything when his mouth pulled her clit with a sharp nip of teeth.

Hermione screamed as her body lit up with that sublime white hot, tingling euphoria. Her
body undulated, as her womb throbbed over his thick, long fingers.

“Beautiful,” He breathed, coaxing out another small orgasms amidst the aftershocks with his
glistening fingers.

He pulled out his fingers and touched them to his lips, tasting her on them with a lap of his
tongue.

Draco smirked after popping one of his fingers out of his mouth, “We should have our real
breakfast, then spend the day in bed.”

His fingers teasingly touched her soft, over-sensitive lower lips as if to solidify his meaning.

Hermione groaned. “You’re going to have me up the duff before we even leave this cottage.”

“Pretty sure that was my parents plan in bringing you here… with me.” Draco scoffed.

Hermione stilled and turned to look at him. “What do you mean?”

Draco watched her intently as her eyes searched his before falling down to his uncomfortably
hard, aching cock that was pressed against her thigh.

“I’ve been pretty honest with my intentions with you, Hermione. Just as I’ve been honest
with my parents. They knew of my affections towards you even before I could articulate
them properly. They set this, the signet, up just after the Yule ball and I came home from the
holiday complaining of Krum asking you first to the dance.” He gently touched her locket
with his debauched fingers. It felt as if it grew warmer over her heart. “I want you in every
possible way, especially as my beloved wife.”

Hermione blinked. Her hand went to her chest and played with her signet.

“We give the signet to our proposed wife.” He said simply, his eyes falling to her charm that
matched his own and then back to her deep golden eyes. “And only to our intended once
were certain.”
“We’re betrothed,” Hermione whispered, understanding the severity of the situation they
found themselves in.

Draco shrugged a shoulder and gave her a small coy smile in affirmation.

“You haven’t asked,” She said and watched as his face fell. “Properly.”

He looked beseechingly at her for a long moment before he got up from the couch and bent
down to his knee on the floor rug. “Hermione Granger, you honor me with your grace,
forgiveness, and gentle, loving care. I ask that you also bless me again by accepting to be the
love of my life and the mother of our future children. I promise to completely love, adore,
value, and cherish you. Will you accept me as your husband by being my wife?”

A single tear fell over Hermione’s cheek as she swiftly nodded her head, “Absolutely, yes,
Draco. A thousand times, yes.”

He engulfed her in a smothering hug, their gentle kisses turning into a fight for dominance.
Hermione made quick work of his trousers, pulling them down his legs until he clumsily,
practically fell out of them.

Her jumper went over her head, baring herself to him completely before his mouth left hers
and made his way over her neck and chest. He sucked in a nipple as her hands moved to his
long hair, holding him to her.

“Fuck,” She gasped, as he pulled her nipple tightly between his teeth before letting it pop out
between his lips.

“That’s exactly what I intend to do to you, witch,” He hissed, grasping his cock in his hand,
pumping it.

Hermione’s hands fluttered from his hair over his back and down his waist.

He let go of himself long enough to grab her hand and put it on his cock.

He could tell she had never touched one before as her fingers danced gently over the turgid
flesh.

“Take me in hand,” Draco demanded, pushing himself into her grasp with a strangled groan.

“So bossy,” she teased but he pressed into her palm again and again with a strained stare
before she tightened her grasp, and he pumped forward over her stomach. She could feel the
slickness pebbling at the head of his cock and her eyes darted down to see him for the first
time.

He moaned, his cock bounding up seeking her attention and warmth. “Hermione…”

“Sorry! I’ve not seen one so close,” she explained, watching the paleness of his girth become
purple with need. He looked like he was about to come undone at any moment.
“Take a closer look, if you want, love,” He groaned as her hand pumped him much more
diligently.

“You just want to put your cock in my mouth,” Hermione teased, pressing her hand closed in
friction as he pumped into it.

“Fuck, yes I do,” Draco hissed. “Who doesn’t for fuck’s sake? I could tell the whole
wizarding world I know just how to quiet their golden girl.”

“You’ll do no such thing,” she said hotly, knowing he was teasing her. “They’d never approve
such depravity in print.”

“If you keep running your mouth, I’m going to cum all over it,” He huffed.

“Naughty,” Hermione chastised him.

“Though, I’d rather come inside you.”

“Draco,” She moaned, fluttering her eyes. “We can’t. I’m not on the potion.”

Draco’s whole body vibrated, his teeth biting his bottom lip before he leaned down and
pressed his lips her roughly on hers.

She stilled her hand as he pumped into it.

“Would you let me?”

Their eyes locked and it was as if time stood still.

“Draco… the war,”

“What about it?” Draco whispered. “You think I’m going to change my mind on the witch
I’ve been pining for since year three?”

Hermione smiled, blinking back tears.

“You’ve already promised to be my wife, took my crest, and my heart.” Draco said, “What’s
a couple more things?”

“What couple of things?”

“Like taking my body inside you and the essence from my wicked, cursed soul?”

“You don’t have a wicked, cursed soul, Draco.” Hermione rolled her eyes but then he
watched as her face slightly buckled with mounting worry. “Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure of what I want in our life now and in our future. The question
isn’t if I am sure… it is your heart I put my love in, your mind I put my care in, and your
body I place our baby in-”

“Smooth,” Hermion smirked, tweaking his nipple. “Silver eyes and a silver tongue.”
“You like my wicked tongue.”

“Not the point.”

“We can wait… I know here we’re alone in our own little world and we’ll eventually have to
go back… but one way or another we’re going back together, Hermione Granger.”

“Draco,” She pulled his lips to hers and he put his weight over here, giving her the weight of
him over her sex.

His hand moved from cupping her face, over her neck, across her collarbone, and rested over
her breast before he pulled away.

“Tell me what you want, love,” Draco pecked at her abused lips, with a bit of a smile.

Her eyes darted back and forth between his as if she was weighing options. He could wait-
he’d wait forever for her, but he didn’t want to.

“You have to be sure that this is what you want. Because there’s no going back”

“I know. I don’t want to go back,”

“So, are you sure?”

Hermione nodded with a gentle smile “I’m sure. I know I want you, too. I want to be yours.”

Draco smiled the most beautiful smile, as it he was the angel of death himself shining
brightly as he killed all of her inhibitions with his silver eyes and silver tongue.

He maneuvered them on the couch in front of the simmering fire until their bodies lined up
with each other. Their eyes met searching each other for several moments before Draco
pressed the head of his cock against her wetted quim.

She was grateful for lubrication charms in that moment as he pressed his sizable girth deeper
into warm, tight, channel for the first time.

When he felt the resistance, he stilled and draped her leg over his hip, and then the other until
she was locked around him.

“Lock,” He whispered over her lips as her teary eyes met his bright, steely blue. They stared
at each other for a long moment, waiting for her to become more comfortable from the thick
intrusion. “Ready for the key?” He smirked, pulling back a bit so only the head of his cock
remained keyed inside her.

She nodded, quickly, nervously, before he pushed his way through her tightness and
swallowed her cries and panting breaths with a kiss.

They belonged to each other now, mind body, and soul as they came together in the final act
of consummation. Their signets warmed over their skin as he began to build momentum in
his thrusting. She was grateful for the earlier orgasms, and she lay there, taking his punishing
thrusts as he chased his own completion.

“You’re my fantasy come to life,” He hissed, fucking himself as deep as he could inside her.
Her hands held him tightly, holding him to her. “So many times I tortured myself with
thoughts of you, and now, here you are, writhing under me, taking my cock so well just as I
knew you would-” He rutted into her at a new, punishing pace as his cock ran up and over her
inner walls.

She felt the building pressure, the divine feeling the loss of control. She looked between them
and saw his once pale cock was purple with all the built-up tension.

“Everyone will know!” He hissed and then groaned.

“Everyone will know what?” She huffed, almost afraid of his answer but begging for it, too.

“That I fucked my heir into you,” He growled. “I’m going to keep fucking you all through
your pregnancy. I won’t be able to keep my hands off of you ever, Hermione, now that you’re
mine!”

He faltered, overcome, and hit a spot that made her toes curl, “Draco!”

“After that one, we’re going to do it again, and again…” He pushed inside, holding her in
place to receive him, and in hard, shallow thrusts he came inside of her in thick, hot spurts.
“Oh, love, that’s it… that’s it… take it.”

He grasped her hip in hand, holding her in place where he wanted again as he came again in
hot, burning bursts within her.

Draco clutched himself to her, shuddering the last bit of his sensitive orgasm. “Mine.” He bit
out, pushing deeper.

“Yours.” Hermione whispered, “And you’re mine, Draco.”

“Yours,” he agreed in a shudder, grasping her too tightly as he caressed her lips with his. His
hips thrusted tiredly in shallow humps.

“I may die of compression, though,” she scoffed, trying to wiggle herself out from under him.

“No, we can stay here forever, just like this,” he groaned tiredly, pecking her lips and cheek
as his head fell over on the cushion.

“This isn’t even our couch or even our house,” she giggled which did funny things to both of
them.

“I’ll buy it,” He muttered.

“We’re not buying it,” Hermione sighed as Draco reluctantly pulled away from her and out of
her warmth. He turned on his side, facing her. “Bill and Fleur live here with their baby, and
we technically still go to Hogwarts.”
“Engaged students can have their own suites at school,” Draco said simply playing with a
lock of her hair. He enjoyed the way it curled around his fingers. Her hair always enraptured
him and seeing it covering her naked body was his new favorite look. “When things go back
to normal and we go back, we wouldn’t need to go back into the separate houses.”

“That would be ideal. I loathe the small beds in the tower.”

“The dungeons have a permanent musty smell, but the views of the lake are quite interesting,
sometimes.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” Draco scoffed. “The merpeople coupling is quite shocking and violent.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Let’s take the topic to the table. I think my stomach is starting to self-consume,
I’m so hungry.”

Draco got up and Hermione got the full show of his long cock. It was tinged a bit pink which
made her flush brightly and look away.

“Hey,” Draco cupped her face with his hands, bending forward to place a kiss on her lips.
“Don’t overthink.”

“Right,” Hermione swallowed nodding her head quickly.

“I can see those circling thoughts in your mind spinning.” He smirked. “Just remember, we
are engaged. You’ve accepted my signet. We’ve just exchanged our purity bonds willingly
and within our betrothment. Whether the act was today or on our wedding night, that part
doesn’t matter, as the intention is there.”

“And your intention is to marry me and make babies.” Hermione nodded knowingly towards
his stiffly growing cock. She passed him and moved to the table, still naked, and he shocked
her by pulling out her chair and setting her in place at the table before sitting down in his own
seat, cock ready and beading with precum.

“My intention is to love my wife and future mother of my children, both of which will be
you.” Draco said simply.

“And when your pureblood parents find out you’re trying to impregnate a muggleborn
witch?”

“My parents do what they have to to survive. They are the blood purists that other wizarding
families can be.”

“Right.” Hermione nodded. She ignored his little pat on his lap, gesturing for her to impale
herself and keep him warm. Instead, she sat next to him.
“Who do you think sent their elf and infant daughter to us with that exact expectation?”
Draco laughed. “Clever sods. I think they knew we’d hold her get that baby flu.”

“Baby fever,” Hermione said. “Mum would say she had baby fever when I was little, and
they tried for another child.”

Draco nodded while he swallowed his bite of eggs on toast. Hermione was quite enamored
with his etiquette and how he ate so cleanly without spitting food by talking like someone
else she knew.

“Yes. That.” Draco smirked. “I bet Mum is watching the tapestries as we speak.”

Hermione stilled and looked up at Draco. “Surely not so fast?”

“How long does the muggle science say conception is noticeable?” Draco asked, taking
another bite and enjoying watching her squirm in her seat. No doubt his cum was pooling
between her legs.

“Oh, um…” Hermione blinked trying to recall human biology lessons in school. “If I
remember correctly, fertilization is about twenty minutes to twenty-four hours, but the sperm
and egg joining can take up to six days after sex. After fertilization of the ovum, the ovum
travels to the uterus and implants in the uterine lining, the quickening, which can take about
six days after fertilization.”

“So, about a week or two for a muggle fertilization and for the pregnancy to start. Magical
pregnancies are a bit different.”

“How so?”

“Magical pregnancies are more rare, so if it is fated to happen, it happens quickly. There’s not
a lot of pregnancies without the couple being bonded. The magic won’t allow it, meaning the
spells placed upon the family generation after generation will it so, or deny it.”

“Oh,” Hermione blinked. “And us, for example?”

Draco smirked knowingly but didn’t say anything. He just continued eating.

“You know something I don’t,” She narrowed her eyes and set down her fork.

“I’m not nefariously keeping things from you, if that’s what you’re thinking. I was merely
waiting for you to put it all together yourself.”

“Well, for the sake of conversation, Draco, why don’t you just enlighten me,” Hermione sat
back in her seat and waited him out with a narrowed stare.

“You can probably cut the waiting time a week, maybe even days. With our coupling,
wearing the signets-”

“They grew hot!” Hermione blurted. “Your ring when you had your fingers-”
“Yes,” Draco smirked, enjoying her lovely blush. “You wear my crest, the same crest over
your heart, the same crest I put inside you. They warmed in approval of the union.”

“What would have happened if they didn’t warm?”

Draco shrugged. “I don’t know. It was a first for me, too.”

Hermione nodded in understanding. “And grew hot again after you…” She flipped her hand
gesturing towards her belly area.

“Yeah,” Draco said, his eyes locked on her stomach for a long moment. “Yeah, I noticed that,
too.”

“So, it’s as good as done?”

“We should keep trying, just in case it didn’t take.”

“You’re quite serious in trying to impregnate me,” She huffed. Her plate was empty and so
she grabbed another strip of bacon to appease her idle hands.

“As many times as you will let me, my love,” Draco grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.”

“You’ll have to start befriending Harry. He’s practically my brother, after all.”

“You keep saying that, but I am willing to bet he’s thought of you naked at least a dozen
times, with himself in hand.”

Hermione took a sharp breath in. “Surely not, Draco!”

He chuckled darkly. “Almost every breathing, sighted man in school, Hermione. I’m not
aloof when I say it. Even that ponce, Krum, was parading you around like he already won
the tournament trophy, which he did in those few moments.”

Hermione shook her head at his antics.

“He’s quite the braggart,” Draco added flippantly, “but I knew you didn’t give yourself to
him as he said.”

“We did kiss,” Hermione whispered. “But then Ron was insinuating more, and I got upset
and left.”

“And he went and shagged part of Ravenclaw and Slytherin.”

“He did not!”

Draco was laughing. “You’re right, he didn’t. But my Godfather did find him shagging a year
six Beauxbatons girl in one of their carriages. Quite a scandal.”

“No one said anything to me,” Hermione said. “I didn’t know.”

“Not many do,” Draco said. “A hasty marriage contract and all is right in the world of
Quidditch star, Viktor Krum.”

“I did hear he had married. He sent me an invitation, but I didn’t go. Ron said it was a trap
since they were already targeting muggleborns-”

“Their baby is about… How old?”

“Right,” Hermione blinked. “Of course.”

“They couldn’t very well report that a year eight Bulgarian Quidditch star knocked up a year
six, part Veela Beauxbatons witch during a poorly supervised trip to Hogwarts.”

“I never put it together, nor really cared to, to be honest.”

“Because you knew on a soul level he wasn’t who you wanted.” Draco said simply. “Plus,
Severus Snape made sure all Hogwarts students steered clear of the Veela’s and the
barbarians. All staff sent us back to our dormitories to bed.”

“You completely distracted me from the Merpeople topic,” Hermione accused. “And other
things you see at the lake from your dungeon view.”

“Too right! My apologies, my love.” Draco laughed but his words sent a fissure of excitement
through her. “Perhaps we should go into the water, and I can show you?”

“The water is freezing!”

“Luckily, for us we have magic!” He wiggled his fingers at her. “Come on, let’s go have
some fun on the beach and water.”

“Alright,” Hermione grinned and Draco pushed back his chair and pulled hers out for her.
Once she got up, he magicked their plates and cups into the sink and set a charm to wash
them.
 How the Merpeople do it...
Chapter Summary

Draco shows Hermione how the Merpeople do it aka Underwater sex warning
and...
They get an unexpected visitor.

Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Chapter 10: How the Merpeople do it…

Hermione ran into the freezing cold water before casting warming spells in the water and
around her. It instantly helped, but she probably shouldn’t have bothered with the way Draco
was staring at her like she was his prey.

He disrobed down the shore leaving piles of clothes in his wake, but she was still in her thin
dressing gown she wore to bed. It was sheer for the few moments it clung to her breasts and
thighs before he waved his hand and vanished them completely.

She barely noticed that he had a wand harness still on his wrist and forearm, making wand
magic effortless.

He moved through the water easily, his cock bobbing left and right with every step. His head
was down, eyes up and looked as dark like the sea around them. They spoke the words he
didn’t say out loud, and her heart felt like a fluttering bird in a panic.

A predator, she thought, stalking prey just as stealthily in the water as he did on land. She
hadn’t seen this side of Draco, where he let the darkness peek in and instinct take over.

Then, he dove into the water and disappeared underneath.

Hermione looked around but couldn’t see him. Perhaps we was good at holding his breath or
he did a notice-me-not charm, but one moment she was bobbing about the water, and the
next, something had grabbed her foot and pulled her under.

She instantly started to fight but he easily caged her in his arms, holding her to him tightly
with a menacing growl to submit.

Stilling, lungs burning for air, she felt her face grace the surface and she gasped for delicious
air.
His body slid around hers, curling his legs around hers, pinning her how he wanted her. She
was bent a bit forward, her sex opening like a bloom to open water as he slithered his arm
around her while the other held her around her shoulders. His hand grazed her throat, lifting
her face back to the surface again and he held her there.

“Draco,” she gasped before she felt something ghost over her sex. She gulped air feeling a
sharp, pointed intrusion push inside her arse.

She cried out, bucking again, trying to free herself and he let her tire herself out, fighting
against him.

He could obviously still touch the ground with the way he held her just above the water so
easily while she fought to get some semblance of control again.

His hand moved, but whatever he put in her arse remained. His body curled around hers
tightly locking her in place before she felt it.

Probing the water, seeking entry, his cock jutted out from his torso before he moved her just
where he wanted her and impaled her.

Hermione gasped in shock, his full girth pushed inside her and relentlessly started the jettison
thrusting seeking his release.

She dug her nails in his skin, and he growled in pleasure before she felt his teeth against the
apex of her neck.

His mouth opened, teeth biting down into her flesh, enough to hurt but not harm her as he
fucked her cunt in punishing thrusts. Her body couldn’t help but receive him, open to him
and with building acute pressure she came hard, holding her breath as he pulled her
underwater.

He grabbed her tighter, their bodies thrashing under the water as she keened another sharp
orgasm before he put her face to the surface and rutted his cock through her slit.

His teeth pushed into her neck, holding her still as he released jet after jet of thick cum inside
her.

She cried out and he released her neck, kissing and whispering soothing charms to heal her as
his body continued to push his essence inside her.

His arm drifted down, cupping her breast in hand before it moved down over her stomach. He
pushed on it, so she could feel his cock bulging her stomach out before his hand landed at the
apex of her quim. He rubbed soft circles over the abused flesh, and she could feel her bodies
instant reaction. He continued to play with her, spreading her lower lips and stroking his cock
that was still thickly plunged inside her.

Hermione could feel each flex of his cock and she realized it wasn’t nearly over. He was
already hardening again whilst inside her. “Draco, I can’t,” She whimpered, but he tightened
his hold over her with a menacing growl and started to prod.
This time, though, it felt different.

She turned, seeing his face in the clouded sky. His eyes were dark, reflecting the sky as his
fingers pinched and pulled at her clit.

“You can,” he hissed, “You will…” he excelled in torturing her flesh at a punishing pace as
he took her mouth, probing it with his tongue.

She felt totally consumed by him.

The water created waves with the ferocity of their union, and she struggled through another
orgasm pinned to him as he fucked her. Her screams were swallowed with his kiss as she felt
his girth growing harder. She knew he was close, just needed a push over the edge to meet
her there.

She bit him on his neck, and he hissed, furrowing himself as deeply and frantically as he
could before she felt his cock twitching all over again and the warmth finally flooding her
body yet again.

Draco was panting and groaned through two more thrusts before he stilled.

“I thought you were keen on drowning me,” Hermione teased as he scoffed out an
incredulous laugh.

“That’s how they do it, except completely under the water, more biting, thrashing, scratching,
dominating, and longer fucking. He completely holds her within his fins and arms until she
can’t get away and can do nothing but receive him. Quite shocking to see as a first year, but it
starts getting redundant after year five or six when they’re watching you masturbate to them
in your dorm room whilst laughing at you.”

Hermione giggled and felt him slip out of her with a petulant groan.

“The Gryndelows are worse. More animalistic… sharper teeth to bite, more tentacles, but
their wee cocks aren’t as menacing to see. Disturbing, but not menacing.”

“We teased Harry for a month saying he was going to be a hybrid Gryndelow seeing how
they bit him so many times when he was trying to save Fleur and Ron.”

“That’s so mean,” Draco laughed.

“Mostly it was Ron baiting him to check for extra appendages in the baths, I obviously
wasn’t there to check.”

“I should hope not.”

They walked up the beach naked, gathering their clothes along the shore in comfortable
silence. As they went into the house, there was an odd feeling of someone there, watching
them.

“Stay here,” Draco said.

“Like that’s worked before?” Hermione scoffed. “It’s like you don’t even know me.”

“Sorry,” Draco looked at her from the corner of his eye catching her nod. She didn’t have her
wand, and she noticed it wasn’t where she left it last.

“Lolli,” Draco whispered, and the small elf popped into the kitchen. “Please check for
anything amiss or people trying to hide themselves.”

She nodded, snapping her fingers and disappearing into thin air.

A moment later she popped into the kitchen with a rumpled Harry Potter.

“Harry!” Hermione gasped but Draco pointed his wand at the boy who lived.

“Tell me, what was the first thing I said to you when I first met you?”

“Hogwarts, too? In Madame Malkin’s.” Harry grunted, collapsing onto the floor.

Draco nodded, lowering his wand but he still watched Harry intently.

“Harry? I thought you first met on the train?”

“No,” Harry curled over to his side, cradling his arm.

“What happened, Harry? Where’s Ron and Luna?”

“Ron and Luna?” Harry’s eyes closed tightly, shaking his head back and forth.

Draco and Hermione shared a worried look. “Come sit down. Are you hungry?” Hermione
fussed, starting to pluck items from the cabinets.

“I think he’s hurt. Get the potions, love.” Draco said and Hermione rushed through the room
to get them, “What happened after the Manor, Harry?”

Harry’s eyes squinted shut for a long moment.

Hermione came in the room, dropping the rolls on the table before she started assessing him
for injuries. She tipped the potions down his throat which instantly started giving Harry back
some color.

When Draco vanished Harry’s shirt, he saw that his arm was splinched and bleeding. “Oh,
Harry,” she cried before she took the Dittany and started dripping it onto his wounds.

Harry cried out in pain as Hermione apologized for the necessary pain it caused.

They worked on Harry for several moments before Harry started to calm down.

“Do you feel ready to talk now?” Draco asked. They warmed some stew over the fire and
were drinking tea while they waited for it to finish cooking.

Harry nodded.
“Ron, Ollivander, Griphook, Luna, and I were all sent to Snape’s house in Spinners End,
when we got word of another Horcrux. Bellatrix had mumbled in her sleep, and someone
overheard it. With help, we went to find that Horcrux in the Lestrange’s vault.”

“Who’s help?”

“I can’t say,” Harry said and lifted his hand and there was an ‘unbreakable vow’ etheric chain
that was biting into his arm. “Ron, Luna and I took some Polyjuice, and we posed as death
eaters. Luna posed as Bellatrix, but not very convincingly. Griphook got us down and into the
vault, but there was a dragon guarding it and so we used my cloak to sneak by it.”

“Clever,” Hermione said.

Harry gave a slight smile before continuing, “Griphook betrayed us for the sword, so we
couldn’t get out of Gringotts. The dragon- it got… it got the goblins, but Luna charmed it
somehow. Spoke to it, I think. She told it we were going to free it, and then she told us it was
safe to climb on. We rode it out of Gringotts’s.”

“Lucky,” Draco said, and Hermione swatted him, and he snatched up her hand and kissed her
palm. “What?! Who doesn’t want to ride a dragon?”

“I don’t,” She huffed.

Harry watched the exchange between the two would-be enemies. They were sitting close
together, and he called her, ‘love’ before and now he kissed her palm.

It was odd.

“Are you two together?"

Hermione blushed and both of them looked at each other amorously.

“Awe, bloody hell, you are!” Harry expressed loudly and then cringed, grasping his injured
arm.

“Yes.” Hermione said. “We’re together- together, Harry, but no one must know until after this
is all over for both of our safety.”

Harry nodded. “I should’ve seen it long before. You never believed Draco was dark or a
death eater no matter how much I said he was.”

“Hey, neither of you would’ve survived the Basilisk had I not managed to get Hermione that
page from the Slytherin books. I kept waiting for you to figure it out, but you never did.”

“That was you?” Harry gasped but Hermione bit her lip with a bit of a blush. She got up and
went to stir their stew but saw it was ready and started ladling it into bowls.

“What am I missing?” Harry narrowed his eyes on Draco.

“You miss everything, mate,” Draco turned his head and watched Hermione bring the two
men their bowl’s first and then went back for her own. Draco whispered, “I’ve always
fancied her but getting to nurse her back in shape was a blessing. I didn’t think she was going
to make it. She slept for days before the potions started working.”

“Thanks for healing her,” Harry looked down at the stew. “I’ve missed her so much.”

“I can hear you both, you know,” Hermione quipped sitting down gingerly which made Harry
glare at Draco.

“You didn’t.” Harry’s groan and chagrin was quite amusing.

Draco grinned proudly and pulled Hermione’s shirt to the side to show the signet charm on
her necklace.

“Like you have room to talk. Don’t think I didn’t hear you shagging Ginny at the Burrow
plenty of times, Harry. You two were quite… animated. I thought for sure Molly would be
knitting baby socks by the morning, she looked so pleased with herself.”

Harry’s eyes widened before he dipped into his stew without saying another word.

“So, you get out of Gringotts’s with the dragon and the horcrux.” Draco surmised. “What
happens next?”

“We go to back to Spinner’s End for the night using the deluminator Ron had. The next day,
Ron is missing… again, but he forgot the deluminator.”

“Again?” Draco looked between Hermione and Harry, but they just nodded. “Right. Okay…
Has he been back?”

Harry frowned. “He was seen with his hair charmed black in Diagon Alley before he
apparated out when the alarms sounded. He was with Lavender who had white curls like
Luna’s, but I knew Luna was at Spinner’s end.”

“How do you know?”

“I was following them, with the deluminator and my invisibly cloak.”

“So, is it possible you triggered the alarms in Diagon Alley?” Hermione asked and Harry
nodded. “So how did you get splinched?”

“Ron and Lavender were running for cover, and I grabbed his arm from under my cloak
before he apparated away. They were going one way, and I was splinched and fell here
thinking of you.”

Hermione sat up straight. “You think they’re here, too?”

Draco was already up looking through the windows before he remembered that Lolli only
brought Harry to them as the intruder.
“Lolli only brought Harry to us when he breached the wards.”

Harry was already shaking his head, “I didn’t breach them, I bounced off of them and landed
just over on that dune.”

A moment later Lolli popped into the room and looked at all of them intently as they sat
shocked. “You called me?”

“Did you see anyone else outside the wards here? Anyone that came here with Harry?”

“Oh, yes!” She grinned widely.

“Who?”

“Another wizard, Master Draco!”

Hermione and Draco shared a worried look before their eyes went to Harry who was just
staring into the flames of the fire.

“Where is he now?”

“Outside, still.”

“Are they alive?”

Lolli blinked with her wide stare.

“Tell me what happened, Lolli.” Draco pushed and the small elf started to shake where she
stood in her light purple dress.

“Mistress Narcissa sent me here to protect Master Draco and Mistress Hermione. I
protected.” She shrugged.

“Very good. I am so glad.” Draco said kindly and the elf’s demeanor instantly calmed. “What
happened.”

The Elf turned her wide stare on to Harry and blinked. “Mister Harry Potter and the other
wizard were fighting in the sky, Master Draco. I saw them fall by the water and then not-
Mister Harry Potter-”

“Just call them, Harry, and the other one Ron,” Draco said.

Lolli nodded. “I’s holding the wand Mistress Narcissa gave me and the other one Ron saw
Master Draco and Mistress Hermione busy in the water making the next Malfoy heir.”

Hermione gasped and her eyes darted to Harry as she cupped her hand over her mouth.

Lolli eyed Hermione curiously and continued, “The other one Ron raised his wand, angry,
and Harry ran at the other one Ron, and Harry gots hit with the spell. It boomed. Harry
bounces and falls over there. The other one, Ron went to Harry and kicks him in his belly.
Harry didn’t move. The other one Ron said he ‘was stronger and smarter than the dark lord
and finally killed Harry Potter,’ and laughs.”

Lolli started to blubbery cry as her sky-blue eyes drifted to Harry sitting there very much
alive with tears in his own eyes.

“He’s fine, you see?” Draco said, trying to keep the elf on track. “What happened next?”

“Him saw Master Draco and Mistress Hermione come out of the water with no clothes.
Watches them laughing and picking up clothes. The other one Ron just raises the wand at
them. I’s shielded the death spell, I did, Master Draco. I protected. The other one Ron is dead
outside.” She pointed towards the sandy dune area by the trees.

“You did great protecting us, Lolli,” Draco said, wrapping his arms around Hermione and the
little elf grinned. “I’m going to make sure to get you a very special surprise soon, okay? I am
so thankful you kept us all safe.”

The elf jumped up and down giddy. “I go protect more.”

“Okay,” Draco gave a curt nod before the elf snapped her fingers and disappeared.

Harry and Hermione were both silent, staring at each other in disbelief but neither of them
made any move to get up and seek out the dead body.

“The clock,” Hermione whispered, and Harry’s eyes grew wide.

“What clock?” Draco looked between Hermione and Harry.

Hermione started to pace, “How could I be so foolish?”

“Can someone tell me what’s going on?” Draco asked.

“Mrs. Weasley has a clock they magicked that gives a general idea of there everyone in their
family is at any given moment... Bill’s spoon! Ron’s spoon!”

Harry started to worry, trying to get up but his body wouldn’t have it, and he slumped back
down.

“I don’t understand,” Draco’s frustration grew. “Someone enlighten me.”

“The Weasley’s would know where all of their children were to some extent. They have a
clock that tells them where everyone is and when, so when we were in the forest, it would
show forest,” Hermione said. “The section, Mortal Peril, will show that Ron has died on the
clock. Since this is usually Bill and Fleur’s home, it may show that, too.”

“So, we can expect visitors any moment,” Harry concluded.

“But Harry’s not fit to move yet,” Hermione cried.

“You both aren’t on their clock, are you?” Draco asked.

“No,” Hermione said. “We’re not Weasley’s.”

“So, no friends, no spouses?”

“No,” Hermione blinked back her sudden tears. She was having trouble absorbing everything
Lolli said and the fact that it very well could have been Ron who died outside.

“Where are Bill and Fleur?” Draco asked. “It’s odd they aren’t in their own home, isn’t it?”

Hermione shook her head, “They are curse breakers for Gringotts, but they are staying in
Gringotts.”

“No, actually, they are with Fleur’s family in France because of everything going on, Ron
said.” Harry said quietly.

The only sounds were from the fire and their breathing.

“But they could, if they so choose, come home anytime they wanted and find us here. They
can find us here and their brother dead. Find me here with two thirds of the Golden Trio and
the other is dead.”

“Draco!” Hermione cried out but he was already getting up from his seat and placing his
wand back in its holster and another wand concealed on his hip.

“Lolli!” The small elf popped into the room with an expectant grin.

Master Draco,”

“I need to go see the body,” Draco announced.

“Of course,” Lolli nodded.

“I’ll go with you,” Hermione wept but Draco was already shaking his head.

“Remember what we were doing in the water? Try to see it like someone like Ron would see
it,” Draco explained gently. “He probably thought the worst and wanted to kill me for fucking
you in the ocean.”

Harry groaned, whimpering as he tried to cover his ears, but his arm still didn’t work well.

“If he was trying to kill Harry, then he was probably going to kill me, too.” Hermione said
and she was probably right but there was no way of knowing now.

“We don’t know what he was doing in Diagon Alley or why he was with Lavender
pretending to be Luna whilst he was pretending to be Harry.”

“He polyjuiced himself as me,” Harry said, “And Lavender as Luna. It was probably wearing
off when they were alerted.”

“But why?” Hermione asked.

“What is one thing Ron has never had and always wanted?” Draco asked but both Harry and
Hermione stared back at him blankly. “Money. It… does things to people. They see how their
lives would be better with it but not truly thinking of the consequences of the other matters it
brings. The paper had Undesirables number one and two, but Ron wasn’t in there as the third
undesirable, was he?”

“I saw the post,” Hermione said meeting Harry’s eyes in sadness. “He wasn’t.”

“So, he just spent endless hours listening to the names on his radio, his family members
names, specifically, and always tuned into Potterwatch even when I asked him to give it a
break when it was putting my nerves on edge.” Harry spat out, near tears.

“Don’t you think that’s odd?” Hermione asked.

“What?” Harry sobered and looked at Hermione, not sure what she was talking about.

“Harry, I was prepared for everything, especially to flee for a while. I packed everything in
my beaded bag and never took it off. How did he get the radio when we left during the
wedding? His dad’s radio was in the rucksack, right? How? Ron knew the password, Albus,
and had it tuned to Potterwatch.” Hermione explained.

“I just always assumed Arthur gave it to him.” Harry replied and looked between Hermione
and Draco.

“My guess is that he left you both much more that that one day he left you both in the forest.”
Draco surmised.

“Perhaps.” Hermione nodded because it made sense, “he was often upset and angry, hungry
and tired. He would wander off in search of food. He said he was losing hope and wanted to
check on his family, and probably did.”

“But why was he dressed as me?”

“He may have been motivated by the reward money, a ten thousand Galleon reward, and that
was just from the Ministry. Folly on him, since they have no intention of paying. He
would’ve been killed upon asking for the money.”

“He also took the Horcrux with him, Harry.” Hermione voice cracked a bit. “He could’ve
sold it in Knockturn Alley. They’d believe it if it was coming from you.”

“Except you followed him there with that deluminator thing, so he knew you had it and that
you followed him. The alarms went off which shortened his time, changed his plans, and he
had to react hastily.” Draco added.

“So, he was going to betray me,” Harry said.

“His plan had unforeseen flaws.” Hermione said sadly, cupping her hand over Harry’s.

“I don’t get why he couldn’t have just said something. Why did he have to come after me?”
“You, Harry… That’s a flaw, the liability. You know he was working for the dark side, trying
to get money for your capture, and you foiled all of his plans.” Draco said seriously. He
pushed a cold drink of pumpkin juice and told Harry to drink it.

“We need to check on Ron and then we need to go somewhere safer.” Hermione stated
abruptly and looked at Draco, who nodded in agreement.

Harry pulled a small handkerchief out of his pocket and snapped it open. It instantly grew to
the size of a throw blanket. “Wear this but bring it back.”

Draco nodded, shocked that Harry was trusting him with his invisibility cloak. He covered
himself and disappeared from view. The door opened and shut and there was a small shuffle
before complete silence.

“We need to think of what to do if it is him, Harry.”

“There’s really nothing we can do or many places we can go, Hermione. But we can’t stay
here. This location has been compromised.”

Hermione agreed and started shrinking things down in size and putting stasis charms of the
foods Lolli brought them.

They both stilled as the door opened and shut and then Draco swiped the invisibility cloak off
of him and tossed it back to Harry.

“Well?”

“He’s dead. It’s definitely Ron. His body is cold, eye’s open, mouth set in an angry sneer, and
there’s no vitals coming up from the charms Madame Pomfrey taught me to do in the
Infirmary at Hogwarts. But he did still have the cup. I’m guessing this is the one you’re
talking about.” Draco waved the cup and Harry nodded. Hermione grasped the cup and
shoved it into her bag with their other things.

“Okay, so we know that we have to destroy the cup and get the rest of those horcruxes. Any
idea where or what they could be?”

Harry shook his head. “Usually, when we destroy one, I get the visions of where the next one
may be.”

“So, the spoon on the clock will soon say mortal peril and they will start to look for him if
they haven’t already.” Hermione worried her bottom lip as Draco picked up where Hermione
left off in shrinking items and putting them in her bag.

“It’s not like we can say anything to the Aurors.” Harry said. “Where can we go?”

“Lolli,” Draco called out and the small, bright-eyed elf popped back into the room.

“Master Draco called for Lolli?”

 “We need a portkey or somewhere with floo access to a new secure location. This one is
compromised.”

“I take you,” Lolli nodded happily.

“Where?”

“The next places,” Lolli said simply.

Draco looked at Hermione and she nodded. “I don’t think there’s anything in the rooms since
we didn’t really stay up there and I did a retrieval spell for anything that may be mine, yours,
or Harry’s and collected those items. I did a spell to make it look dusty as if no one’s been
here, so I think we’re set to go.”

“What about Ron?”

“What about him?” Draco scoffed. “They will eventually find him, do a diagnosis on his
wand, and see that his spell rebounded on him.”

“Right,” Hermione nodded. “Of course.”

Draco cupped her face and brushed his fingers over her face. “It’s going to be okay, love.”

Hermione nodded, tilting her head into his palm.

“I’ll take Harry side since he’s injured, and you can take Lolli’s other hand, alright?” Draco
asked easily. Hermione nodded and moved to Lolli’s other hand and held it tightly.

“On three,” Lolli said, and they counted down, and were whisked away.

Chapter End Notes

A/N: Y'all okay?

So now we have Harry! I'll get the next chapter out soon.
I am about halfway through what is prewritten for this story so the chapters will come
sporadically.
I'm still updating: Under the Cancer Moon which is a marriage law fic L/H/D so if that's
your vibe, check it out. It's also got H/G/P, and is Explicit.
I have another fic coming out for Halloween D/H/T
~Thanks for reading and reviewing as I cherish your thoughts.
 Chapter 11: Baby Boy Malfoy...

Chapter: Baby Boy Malfoy

Severus Snape paced the floor.

Draco had been missing for almost a month without word on where he could be other than
Hermione was with him.

There had been chaos afoot right before Draco and Hermione left Shell Cottage.

The Lestrange Vault had been broken into, the Lestrange dragon was missing, and Voldemort
had gone to Gringotts’s himself to demolish the place in anger. Twenty-seven goblins’ were
massacred in his temper tantrum of being bested by a seventeen-year-old and his buddies. But
Griphook was the one that was the most shocking loss. He had left the Malfoy dungeons with
Ron, Harry, Ollivander, and Luna, but he was no longer with them. Instead, he held the
Gryffindor sword in his cold, dead hand before it vanished right before Lucius and Narcissa’s
eyes.

Severus saw the memory himself.

Delphi was carefully stowed away with house elves, and Severus was pleased to know that
Hermione made a full recovery wherever they were now hiding out.

He was less thrilled at the little blip on the tapestry that he saw, firsthand, when Narcissa had
pulled him into their chambers.

It was small, but etching deeper into the embroidery each day until he could clearly see:

-Betrothal-
I

Draco Lucius Malfoy ------ Hermione Jean Granger

I
Baby Boy Malfoy

“I see Draco has been busy entertaining Miss Granger and securing her as his betrothed,”
Severus said in his long drawl as he stared at the ancient tapestry.

“It certainly seems so,” Narcissa said. “Though, I cannot fault her if he’s anything like his
father.”

Severus smirked knowingly, “As you know, I do recall that there was quite an adjustment to
the records to reflect you as a seventh year,” Severus grinned. “Despite everyone knowing
you were not.”
“It all worked out,” Narcissa swatted Severus’s arm to quiet him. “Besides, it’s impolite to
have such conversations. Lolli did send out the signet charm and the magic has accepted her
as the next Lady Malfoy despite her current situation.”

“Her current situation? You mean the one where you placed the Golden Girl with Draco in a
confined space whilst he played nursemaid to her, and softening her judgments of Draco and
her loyalties to Harry, Ron, and The Order. That was pure matchmaking interference.”

“Ah, Severus, you’re the romantic one at heart. The mortal enemy bit can be quite alluring
for either side if it leads to love.”

Severus rolled his eyes and looked from Lucius who was nodding off on the chaise holding a
sleeping Delphi against his chest. “And the others?”

Narcissa turned towards Lucius and then back to Severus, “We were hoping you would
know.”

Severus turned on his ankle and started to pace the floor. “Luna returned to Hogwarts a
couple weeks ago without a word of where she had been or who she was with, but Lavender
Brown left school for several days and came back alone. Her mind is easier read, and it is not
promising.”

“What did you see in her mind?”

“Nothing good,” Severus said, and Lucius became much more lucid, listening to the
conversation.

“Hm, let’s seal the space with a silencing spell with warbler and the Avifors spell to jinx
people from coming close.” Lucius said. “The wee songbirds call keep Delphi asleep.”

Narcissa set to task before they sat in the corner where Lucius was holding Delphi. Narcissa
loved seeing her husband holding a baby and it suit him and she had no doubt Hermione had
pictured Draco in the same light whilst holding Delphi.

Similarly, Lucius had the same affection seeing Narcissa with their new baby and was
grateful for the child, no matter her terrible start.

“Lavender left through the floo reserved for the Carrow twins, Amycus and Alecto, to come
in and out of Hogwarts at will. Not many know of it, as it is usually barren of flame and
powder, forcing the user to provide their own and it is hidden deep within the Room of
Requirement. It is usually well guarded by hidden elves and Cornish Pixies, and they
magically send a detailed missive to my chambers of all who enter and exit through any Floo
in Hogwarts and when.”

They nodded their understanding.

“Lavender left at lunch on Friday and returned on Tuesday of the following week. Upon her
return, she looked quite flustered and rumpled with love bites down her neck that she didn’t
try to conceal.”
“So, she had an intimate moment off campus?” Lucius surmised.

“The young lady has had quite a few interludes with Ronald Weasley, it seems” Snape said,
“The problem isn’t their indiscretion. The problem is that she knew how to get in and out of
Hogwarts almost in secret. She was also leaving in Luna Lovegood’s clothes that Luna
reported stolen.”

“Do you think they’ve sided with the Carrow’s, the Brown’s or Weasley’s?”

“It is hard to say without meeting with both families in leu of inquiring on their children’s
propriety.”

“Oh, that would be quite an embarrassment for our dear friends, the Browns.” Narcissa
nodded with a small smirk.

“Of course,” Severus nodded.

“I best invite the poor miss and her family to lunch.”

“Ever wise, and thoughtful, my dear.” Lucius said, patting the fidgeting baby’s back.

“Now that that’s settled, I must get back to my quarters within Hogwarts.” Snape said. “I did
send elves to right the mess left upon Spinner’s end.”

“Good idea,” Narcissa nodded as she penned a missive distractedly. “Do send a few students
to the Madame Pomphrey to check their health. It seems there may be quite a little bug about
the castle.”

“Already done,” Snape nodded and then bowed to his dear friends and left.

Narcissa sent for an elf to send her letter via owl, and they didn’t have to wait long to receive
a response back.

“It seems I have plans for lunch tomorrow, love.” Narcissa said. “Be a dear and care for
Delphi?”

“I look forward to it,” Lucius said before placing a kiss upon the top of the infant’s head.

Narcissa smiled. She rose from her seat and held out her arms for the baby and Lucius gave
her the sleepy little girl in the comfortable, muggle, footed pajamas Severus gifted them.

They really were quite clever and easier to manage rather than the dressing gowns she had
used on Draco.

She disrobed right in front of Lucius’s ever watchful and protective eyes and fed their baby.

…
 Chapter 12: Mother to Mother

Chapter 12: Mother to Mother…

Narcissa moved from the Malfoy Floo straight into the Sneaky Speakeasy Cafe. She moved
as if she was late, although she was never late, and right to the table set in the back of the
room, closed off with thick curtains. The whole space smelled of tobacco smoke and soured
ale, giving the ambiance of a healthy dose of dirt and grim along with the meal for free.

She usually didn’t care for such places, but it was requested by Mrs. Brown as she partly
owned the nefarious space and trusted it’s ambiguity.

“Thank you for meeting me, Mrs-”

“No formal names needed amongst new friends,” Narcissa smiled, pulling out a velvet pouch
and setting it on the table. It sounded heavy with the promise of gold.

“Of course, not, dear friend,” Mrs. Brown’s eyes moved from the pouch to the woman in
front of her. She waved the pouch securely into her own pocket of her cloak before any
onlookers may see it. “I am curious of such a sudden, intreated meeting.”

“Perhaps you can suggest a meal whilst we chat of our dear children. They are indeed a
mother’s favorite topic.”

Mrs. Brown eyed Mrs. Malfoy incredulously before she nodded and snapped her finger. “Of
course.”

A small elf in green bar clothes presented himself in front of the women with an expectant
stare without saying a word.

“Please bring us something delicious for my guest and I… perhaps soup and a bit of roasted
chicken?”

The elf nodded and disappeared for a moment before he reappeared with creamy spinach
soup and a plate of roasted chicken and parmesan roasted potatoes. Two glasses of wine
appeared.

Narcissa watched Mrs. Brown take a bite before she followed suit, her magical signet ring
informing her the food and drink was safe to consume.

It was delicious and the pair ate in semi-comfortable silence.

Narcissa made a mental note to come to the establishment more often.

“Dear friend, do calm my anxious heart and tell me what is so amiss that it may warrant such
a hasty meeting.” Mrs. Brown said, setting her fork and knife down, clinking it on the plate.
“I had thought your daughter would be here, as I requested.” Narcissa said simply.

Mrs. Brown’s lips thinned instantly with her stress. “She’s ill. I invited her through the
Hogwarts Floo call but was informed that she felt incapable to leave Madame Pomphrey’s
gentle care.”

“I see,” Narcissa nodded. “I did hear there was a pox running its course through Hogwarts
lately. I do hope she will make a full recovery, quickly.”

Mrs. Brown gave a withering smile. “I presume you are here to request and secure my lovely
daughter’s hand in a betrothal with your son?”

Narcissa scoffed out a laugh as if the comment was amusing.

Mrs. Brown looked affronted.

“No, dear heart. No need to fret about that. My son has already secured a betrothal for
himself with a witch he cares for deeply, much to our delight.”

Mrs. Brown was surprised. “Oh? I hadn’t heard.”

“It is a new, private development known only to special friends,” Narcissa bit out, “If it gets
around, I shall know the source of such speculation.” Narcissa gave a thinly veiled threat
with a little laugh and wink.

“I shan’t speak a word of it,” Mrs. Brown promised. "However, I must inquire again the need
for such a meeting if a betrothal isn’t the reason you requested an audience with myself and
daughter.”

“It is true that would be a valid assumption, but no. May I speak freely?”

“Of course,” Mrs. Brown took to her glass of wine and took a long nip of it. She usually
didn’t care for wine, but the moment called for it.

“The rumors of your daughter’s indiscretions are exceedingly concerning. Such dalliances
negate such a pairing between our children, anyhow...”

“I don’t know what you mean. Do explain.”

“Of course.” Narcissa scoffed. “It’s my understanding that your daughter has been leaving
Hogwarts in secret, on her own accord to have a liaison with an unknown suiter.”

“I’ve only just been made aware of it from the Headmaster.” Mrs. Brown frowned. “It is
unclear how you would be made aware of such an occurrence.”

“The Headmaster is a dear friend,” Narcissa let her words marinate over the witch across
from her. “He was simply concerned and asked that I see that all is well, as we mothers tend
to do.”
“I see. of course.” Mrs. Brown smiled tightly. “How kind of you and the Headmaster to be so
gracious.”

“Hm,” Narcissa took another sip of her wine.

“My daughter said your son has not been seen around the school lately.” Mrs. Brown’s lip
curled from behind her wine, “Mother to mother.”

“He’s been set to task,” Narcissa said flippantly with a wave of her hand before her fingers
made the gesture of a V. “Official business, you see. Just as I am... here today. Can’t speak of
it.”

“Right,” Mrs. Brown nodded. She loathed this whole exchange and the implications of her
daughter’s propriety, especially now that it was made aware to Headmaster Snape and the
Malfoy’s.

“Thankfully, Draco’s tasks at hand are nothing as concerning as your predicament.”

“My predicament?”

“Forgive me. I should say predicaments, shouldn’t I?”

“I really can’t fathom what you’re on about!”

“My apologies. I thought our coy banter was clearer with such intentions. I am here on behalf
of the Headmaster regarding your unwed daughter who is not yet betrothed and is sneaking
off campus. She is with presumed to be with child,” Narcissa said before she raised her wine
to her mouth and took a long sip, never breaking her stare.

“How did you-”

Narcissa silenced her new acquaintance with a wave of her hand. “We know all concerning
matters, especially when such knowledge can be exploited in the wrong hands.”

“I see,” Mrs. Brown sighed. “And you wish to exploit my daughter and her precariously
delicate condition.”

“No.”

“No?” Mrs. Brown scoffed incredulously. “Mrs. Malfoy, my head is aloft trying to follow our
discussion!”

“I am here to help you, dear friend. Mother to mother.”

“Help me how?”

“By make use of the father.”

“You know the father?” Mrs. Brown moved closer towards Mrs. Malfoy. “She wouldn’t say
who it could be, but I have my inclinations.”
“Who do you presume him to be?”

“I think it is Harry Potter,” Mrs. Brown whispered with a small grin. “She has always had a
bit of a crush on him. Perhaps she’s been helping him along and they became intimate.”

“No,” Narcissa sighed with annoyance, especially at Mrs. Brown’s suddenly sour face. “As
lovely as Miss Lavender is and she would be lucky to have such a parent for her unborn
child, she has not been secretly seen with the wizard that all others have been seeking to find,
including the Ministry, snatchers, death eaters, and the Dark Lord himself. It seems that your
daughter hasn’t been forthcoming with her behavior, and she has not secured the betrothal
contracts needed for the pureblood rites and rituals for marriage and that is a dire
consequence.”

“Oh,” Mrs. Brown’s lip quivered. “Who is the dreaded father?”

“The father of her child is none other than Mr. Ronald Weasley.”

Mrs. Brown looked confused, their meals all but forgotten. “But he is formidable... Of two
pureblood families and is a part of the Golden Trio.”

“That is all true.”

“But he is on the run with Harry and Hermione-”

“No, friend. He is not. Not any longer.”

“Where is he, then?”

“It is presumed that he is fit for the grave.” Narcissa said seriously. “According to his
Hogwarts file just updated recently, at least. Headmaster thought it would be best to hear it
from a friend so your family may steer your course wisely.”

“I see,” Mrs. Brown said, searching the table for some kind of anchor to such troubling news.
“Does his family know of his-”

“That, I do not know, but I suspect they have an inkling and are making preparations
themselves to keep it quiet until properly investigated.”

“And of the child?” Mrs. Brown whispered. “Is there such an inkling there?”

Narcissa shrugged non-obligingly. “Perhaps you can secure something swiftly that suits your
daughter as she will get no help from the Weasley family, especially after the news gets out
on his nefarious deeds of late. My friend, it will due her well not to be associated with him,
especially since she was last seen with Ronald Weasley under the ruse of Polyjuice-”

“Are you implying my daughter is guilty of his demise?”

“No such thing, my dear friend. The memories will be easily secured to prove it, in time,”
Narcissa shrugged. “I am merely a lark of insight... a little bird that told you that a mother
must protect her child. It would be unfortunate for the late father’s family to know of a
child’s existence and demand its future guardianship once born. As one is wont to do.”

Mrs. Brown nodded.

“Use the gift satchel for a dowery, perhaps, or a means to secure the child as the Brown heir,”
Narcissa whispered and gave her new friend a long unwavering stare knowing she was letting
the woman flounder with such a scandal on her hands, especially since both women hold
seats within the Wizangamot, and the case of any crimes committed would undoubtedly come
before them.

“I must go now, my new, dear friend. I wish the best for your family and your daughter.”

“Yes. Thank you for meeting with me. It’s been most… illuminating.”

“Don’t mention it,” Narcissa smiled, meaning her words with a curt nod.

Mrs. Brown nodded in understanding and Narcissa went through the Floo, leaving a tearful
woman in her wake.

...
 Chapter 13: "You'll Give Me what I Want...
Chapter Summary

Explicit warning: Narcissa/Lucius: Narcissa and Lucius spend some adult time together
in shower and bed...
and
Sirius and Remus go to Shell Cottage to investigate and find Ron. Trigger warning of
description of death of a fictional character not yet an adult. You can skip the chapter if
neither suits your sensibilities.

Skipped chapter summary at Shell Cottage: Remus and Sirius find Ron, do diagnostics
on his wand and the space around and in Shell Cottage using their sensitive creature
scenting skills, realize Draco and Hermione were together and are now with Harry, and
then decide to send a message to the Malfoys to meet up.

Chapter 13: You’ll give me what I want…

~L/N~

“You get that look every time you bested your opponent,” Lucius drawled, watching aptly as
his wife disrobed from the smelly clothes, vanishing them straight to the laundry. She gave
him a small smile as her eyes fell down upon their daughter in his hands. She was wide
awake and had her tongue out to feed.

“You didn’t feed her?”

Lucius rolled his eyes playfully and gestured towards the bottle on the side table and the
other one on the nightstand.

“She threw up the milk,” He explained. “Apparently, I was in errs to get all of the bubbles
from her belly before she demanded more.”

“I see,” Narcissa said with a smile. “She looks quite clean for such expelling.”

“I can bathe a child, Cissa.”

“Oh? I didn’t realize.” Narcissa stepped into the shower and washed the fumes from the pub
off of her skin.

“I want to be more proactive in my parenting.” Lucius explained, making his way into the
bathroom. The baby lay in her cot, distracted by the floating dragons breathing wisps of fire
and ice above her. The fire melted the ice which floated up as clouds and sometimes it would
let out an enchanted rain over head, yet not a drop unto the wee baby. It was Draco’s mobile
and rather cleverly made so they kept it for the chance of having another child or a
grandchild.

Now, it seemed that they would be blessed with both.

Lucius disrobed quickly and stepped into the warm, cascading water. He made quick use of
the potions of soaps and started washing his wife’s hair as she melted into him.

“How did it go?”

“About as well as it could learning your pureblood daughter is pregnant with a dead boy’s
baby without betrothal contracts in place to protect her and her child.”

“Miss Granger doesn’t have contracts in place,” Lucius reminded his wife. “And she is also
with child.”

“She will and the signet is just as good for now,” Narcissa said easily. “She also has Draco
who wouldn’t be so daft to use Hermione and abandon her after seeding her womb with his
heir”

“True,” Lucius relented.

His wife was woefully right, and their son had harbored feelings for the righteous and
beautiful Hermione Granger since learning of her in year one, but those feelings didn’t
manifest until year three.

In secret, they allowed those feelings to grow but it would be just as devastating to know that
their son could lose his lover and child-to-be in the battle that was yet to come.

“I think that Lavender will be better placed with a man needing an heir rather than a Weasley
brother, but it is not for me to decide.”

“No, it is not.” Lucius sighed, rinsing her hair and putting the creams and scented oils she
enjoyed in to condition her hair. He combed his fingers through her hair as she let out a
moan.

“Lucius-”

“Don’t tempt me, witch.” He hissed in her ear, cupping her heavy breast in one hand whilst
the other was quickly rinsed within the water and moving towards her sex.

"I am merely tired and resting," She sighed.

He found her wanting and bending forward over the stone wall as she knew he was prone to
enjoy taking her.

"Look at you presenting yourself so prettily upon the breeding stone. It's like you want to be
bred."

"Well spotted, husband. I do enjoy your quick wit."

Lucius scoffed but he was not one to miss an opportunity to fuck his wife. He took himself in
hand before placing his cock in between her legs. The head of his thickness hooked into her
slit, and she quickly moved to adjust herself to take him.

“Make haste,” She whispered as Lucius bent at the knees and began to quickly get his wife’s
submission. He didn’t usually get to take her so fast and easily, especially with present
company or their new addition, so he was quite excited to have the chance.

“Bend forward,” He growled, lifting her easily upon his cock and securing his place within
her.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” She bit back.

“Or what?” He gave a relentless, punishing thrust deep inside her and she cried out, before
biting her lips to limit her noises.

“I want to hear your noises, witch,” He rustled, and hissed her ear. “I’ve charmed it so I can
fuck my wife properly.”

Narcissa cried out, feeling him bound forward. He was not always a gentle lover, but instead
he enjoyed her submission and her fight. Today, it seemed he craved submission since every
time she tried to steer him as she wanted, he put her back in the place and fucked her harder.

All she could do was hold on, as he tweaked her body to sing for him.

“I can feel you coating my cock with your essence, silly witch.” He grunted, pulling at her
clit and as she held on to the wall. Hot water poured over them as the charmed clouds
overhead started crackling with lightning in their enchanted bathroom. “You will give me
what I want.”

“What’s that?”

“Another.” He bit out.

“Another,” Narcissa cried as he pulled at her nipple, “Another, what... orgasm?”

“You know what I what,” He groaned, feeling her come undone over him as her cunt
clenched on his cock and fluttered wildly. “I can feel how bad your body wants it, too.”

“Lucius,” Narcissa cried out, but he wasn’t wrong. Her body craved him desperately and it
thrummed through their bond excessively.

“You will take my cum, witch.” He snarled darkly. “You will take it until- `”

“Yes,” She bit out, feeling him spreading her with his fingers at a punishing rate. She came
fast and hard, screaming out her bliss.

“That’s it,” He cooed, his cock hard and thick as it pumped her womb full. Their bonds
snapped with shocks and choking ecstasy. “Give it to me.... and then I’m going to fuck you
again.” He said, simply.
Lucius pulled out gently from her shuddering body and turned off the water. He led her to the
bed, past their sleeping baby, and laid her wet body over their duvet.

Pulling her legs apart, he watched as his seed seeped out beautifully from her abused cunt,
and he couldn’t help but smile.

“The new heir is created, so we can,” He whispered in her ear as he pushed his long, hard
cock back into place.

“Lucius,” Narcissa moaned as his strokes were long and slow instead of sharp and urgent like
moments before. It was like he was trying to push his essence back within her. “You are
rather persistent-”

“Delphi needs a brother,” He said easily. “And I want to breed my pretty wife until it takes.”

She melted into him, hearing the words she so longed to hear. “Yes, my love.”

That was all it took for Lucius to take his wife slowly, placing himself deeply inside her, as
the magic insisted, and throb out each jet of cum into her fertile womb.

Three more times he took her, each time knowing that their lives were irrevocably changed,
and they would do everything in their power to give their children the lives the deserved.

A life of peace.

… T/W…

(Trigger warning, description of death of a fictional character who is technically not yet
an adult. So, use caution. Unfavorable Non-cannon Ron/ bashing.)

Sirus Black stood in the sand of Shell Cottage seeing the sun rotted corpse his friend’s son,
Ronald Weasley.

He looked at his face, seeing the death mask of acute hate and anger. He’s the boy possess
that very look of hate countless times beforehand.

Ron Weasley’s temper was quite well known.

“What in Hades’ Hell happened to you?” He hissed, taking a clean cloth out to protect the
evidence on the wand before he pulled the wood free from the clutched, bloated hand. The
hand practically morphed into something other with black goo and other fluids seeped from
the misplaced skin with the movement and leeched into the sand.

“Foul smell… He’s been here a bit,” Remus surmised, coming to stand next to his life-long
friend. “Three, maybe four days in the elements, maybe more.”

“My estimate as well,” Sirius said. “Molly was beside herself when she saw his spoon fall
straight down from spinning into Mortal Paril, but it looks like he lost whatever duel he
found himself in.”

“She asked me to come with you to check,” Remus supplied.

“Of course she did,” Sirius rolled his eyes. “The kids aren’t at Andromeda’s safehouse, the
Spinner’s end safe house, nor are they here anymore.”

“That means something happened and they’ve gone rouge.” Remus clutched his handkerchief
to his mouth and nose as he kneeled over the body.

“Or,” Sirius sighed, “Someone betrayed them.”

“That’s quite obvious on who,” Remus fumbled with another clothe and used it to pull the
things from is pockets and put them in the bag. “We can check the wand and see what
happened, spell wise, and see where to go from there.”

“Did the Weasley’s want us to call the Aurors?” Sirus asked, staring at the ridged face of
Molly and Arthur’s youngest son.

“I don’t think they want anyone to know he’s dead,” Remus muttered. “His girlfriend’s
parents came by just last night to state she was pregnant and that they needed to sign over
rights of the child to her or else face suit.”

“Oh, bloody hell.” Sirus placed the wand into a bag and sealed it shut. He noticed there was
an array of bugs making quick work of the body and in a few hours, there would be
scavenger birds and animals seeking their next meal of him.

“Let’s use the cottage Floo and call them to see what they want to do.” Remus said and Sirius
nodded.

They left the body behind and made their way into the house.

Both men used their animal instincts and could smell blood. Both wizards rushed out the
doors of another part of the house and saw the stained bricks coated in more blood.

“That’s Harry’s blood,” Sirius said quietly, rising from the ground.

Remus sniffed the blood, too, and agreed.

“But no body, so he’s probably okay, at least,” Remus stared at the blood stains, which
looked like it was there just as long as Ron’s body. “Let’s detail the space of all evidence.”

Sirius nodded and both morphed into their wolf and dog Animagus forms to more easily trace
any lingering smells.

They wandered through the house easily, bounding up and down the stairs before sniffing the
couches in the living room area in front of the fireplace.

Both rose to their feet, and both took out parchment making quick notes of what they found.
“You first,” Sirius said. “I’m sure our findings will be close to the same.”

“Usually are,” Remus smirked and the two traded their bits of parchment, pocketing them
without looking. This was a game of sorts that they often did as students when bored and
became useful getting into and out of mischief.

Remus pointed towards Ron’s body, “Lingering smell of Avada spell casted, he reeked of
Polyjuice potion and Lavender Brown’s scent on his clothing, meaning they were probably
intimate sometime before his death and before he bathed. Shrunken flask was found in his
pocket and still has Polyjuice potion in it; Harry’s hair.”

“Well spotted.” Sirius nodded and then pointed towards his Godson’s spilled blood. “Harry
was splinched, not sure how, or why, probably following Ron from somewhere.”

Remus agreed. “I can smell the Dittany used as well as the wound and blood.”

“So, Harry was healed, Ron was killed. Everyone left… somehow.”

“I could smell several dark curses,” Remus added. “Pointed towards the water. There is a
scorched area of sand.”

“Now, you’re getting ahead of yourself, brother.” Sirus smirked. “I was going to say the same
thing. Clothing dotted down the beach smells like… Hermione and Draco.”

“I couldn’t place Draco’s scent, right off,” Remus mused, “but it’s pretty abundant within the
house. The two of them spent weeks inside together.”

“I could smell her blood.” Sirius whispered giving Remus a hard, knowing stare. “They’re
quite intimately connected, Hermione and Draco.”

“Until something interrupted them,” Remus surmised. “Which would be either Ron or Harry
or both.”

“Yeah, her scent is all over the couch. First with the cursed blood, then clean blood, then
her… a’hem.” Sirius said easily. “My cousin’s son made quick work of their union.”

“And her changing scent,” Remus added which garnered a curious look from Sirius.

“Hermione’s pregnant with Draco’s baby.”

It dawned on Sirius as they put it all together. “Draco and Hermione’s intimacy was probably
viewed by Ron, who couldn’t get through their wards, and he sent a killing curse upon Draco,
torching the sand until it hit the ward and that rebounded upon him, killing him.”

“Doesn’t explain Harry and Ron’s scent near where Harry was bleeding and splinched.”
Remus said.

“Unless Harry was splinched following Ron here,” Sirius said.

“And with Ron smelling of Polyjuice potion and wearing Harry’s clothes, it’s safe to say that
Harry caught Ron pretending to be him before they were coming for Hermione.” Remus
grinned.

Sirus nodded. “And my cousin’s son, Draco, was already here with Hermione, most likely in
the midst of their intimacy and their coupling was seen by at least Ron, maybe Harry.”

“But they must have managed to get away and into their next safehouse.”

“A safehouse that is not monitored by the Weasley’s or the Order.”

“True… but they had food aplenty and help escaping, even whilst Harry was splinched. That
is only feasible with help by-”

“-By a house elf.” Remus finished Sirius’s musings. “I agree.”

“It was not by Kreacher.” Sirus said. “Harry would have suggested him, but it wasn’t
Kreacher. That leave Draco. His family has to be helping.”

“So, the Malfoy’s are secret sympathizers.” Remus deducted with a small smirk.

“It would seem so,” Sirus smiled.

Remus nodded. “And they have access to many unplottable safehouses and house elves and
heir on the way.”

Sirius barked out a laugh, sharing in Remus’s amusement as they took out their parchments,
reviewing their notes until one detail perplexed them both…. “There’s just that one last bit.”

The distinct smell of a newly born infant.

“The baby,” Deduced Remus.

“Shite,” Sirius huffed. “Where did they all get a baby?”

Remus shrugged.

“We’ll confirm Ron’s death and use of the killing curse by Ron to the Weasleys. We’ll show
that it most likely rebounded off the house wards and onto him.” Sirius said. “That’s the best
we can do until we can find Harry, Draco, and Hermione and get their memories of what
happened.”

“But how do we find them?”

“We go visit my dear cousin, of course!” Sirius grinned wickedly. “Let’s hope she is without
certain company.”

“Too right.” Remus agreed.

“Let’s invite her to Grimmauld Place. She can slip through the wards since she is a Black
heiress and meet us there.”

“And hope it doesn’t end poorly for us,” Remus sighed, running his hands over his worn,
corduroy jacket.

“Yeah, we should shower first, get the smell of death off of us, although they should be used
to such a smell with Tom squatting there in the Manor.”

“Maybe keep that bit to yourself, mate.” Remus laughed.

“Where’s the fun in that?”

Both wizards laughed before a swift wind came across them reminding them of the stench of
the body that laid before them. They waved off a murder of crows that was already pecking at
the turgid flesh.

“Bury him?” Sirius asked. “Or leave him under stasis?”

“If we bury him, they may just have to exhume him to investigate further.”

Sirius agreed. “We’ll tell them a bit about it and let them come see him for themselves and
deal with him as it suits them, since the land is unplottable and Prewett land they won’t want
swarms of Aurors mucking about.”

“Agreed.”

The two apparated to Grimmauld, showered, and sent a letter to Malfoy Manor all before tea.

...

…
 Fourteen: Into the Catacombs
Chapter Summary

Remus and Sirius go to have tea with the Malfoys

Fourteen: Into the Catacombs

...

“If you told me a week ago, we’d be meeting the Malfoy’s for tea, I’d say your fit asylum,”
Remus barked a laugh, shaking sand out of his boots as they sat on a fallen log. They had
arrived in the woods about a half mile from their intended location as per the apparating point
guided. Not all wizards had boundaries so far out, but whoever had the safehouse was
especially untrusting. The Malfoy’s were especially careful since Voldemort was squatting in
their manor and other residences.

“Did you tell Nymphadora?”

“Of course,” Remus looked at Sirius incredulously. “I value my life and my wife.”

“Yes, I fear you wouldn’t survive if she morphed into a Werewolf. I didn’t peg you for a
whipped man, but here we are.”

“She doesn’t need the whip, and you never pegged me, mate. Not that you wouldn’t have
tried.”

Sirius laughed, smacking Remus’s shoulder. “Only to submit your werewolf arse from
making a meal of Hermione that time in the forest.”

“I remember her wee howl,” Remus shuddered. “I do wonder if Hermione has trace creature
within her bloodline. She almost became rutted and marked as my werewolf was looking for
the lush, fertile female werewolf to mate.”

“First off, and I wouldn’t have allowed it and neither would’ve Snape. We’d sooner die trying
to save her from the likes of you.” Sirius said.

Remus nodded. “I am glad for it.”

It was then that Remus took his potions more seriously and always- ALWAYS- had them on
his person. There was only one other time his nature got away from him and Nymphadora
had morphed into a female werewolf to survive the coupling. That union led to her mating
and the pregnancy of their baby, Teddy.
They moved through the empty streets of Transylvania and noticed a small light flickering off
to the side of the road.

It seemed to have a magical signature to it, so they turned and followed it.

They climbed up a long road that led to a castle in ruins and overtaken by vines and trees. It
had an ominous feeling to it and both wizards grasped their wands.

Remus stopped suddenly seeing the light disappear right before his eyes before reappearing
to circle over an iron handle hidden in the brush and vines. “There’s a door in these bushes,
Pad.”

“Of course, there is,” Sirius rolled his eyes before sniffing at the air. It had no human or
animal scents to discern which made it all the more concerning.

The flickering, floating light moved through the door and Remus and Sirius hauled the large
wooden and iron door open just enough to pass through.

Once they were inside, it shut on its own and there was a gust of wind pushing them forward,
against their own free will.

They bounded forward, trying to get their footing, but the wind charm wouldn’t allow it.
Bound to move forward, they stopped fighting the charm and reluctantly let the energy push
them further into the depths of the tunnel.

They were urged towards a bend in the tunnel and the charm instantly dissipated into black
stillness.

They saw the light far ahead of them sitting upon a torch and ran towards it, and then took it.

“This is quite the welcome,” Remus muttered, using the torch to burn long wispy spiderwebs
as they went further through the tunnel.

“It is probably effective keeping the muggles away. They tend to refrain from catacombs of
darkness.” Remus said.

“I’m waiting for the Acromantula to show and disembowel us for being so trusting.” Sirius
muttered.

“I wouldn’t put it past the Malfoy’s to use them to their advantage. This would definitely suit,
especially with all the webs and the feeling of imminent doom.”

They came up to a stop at a set of stairs that went upward and another curving set of stairs
that moved down deeper into the earth. The gust of wind pushed them upward, much to the
relief of Remus and Sirius.

“You are keeping track of where we’re going to know how to get out, right?” Remus pulled at
some chains that had shackles, and the bones fell overhead of them.
“Yeah, dropping breadcrumbs as we go, mate.” Sirius scoffed. “I think it’s safe to say we
made it up to the dungeons.”

Remus frowned, seeing bones and skulls everywhere. Some were scented of real human
bones, and some seemed charmed to multiply in order to hinder further exploration.

They moved through the wards easily, that would have stunted further exploration of muggles
or other wizards.

Scurrying rats or mice and fluttering of bats overhead scattered in their wake that made the
whole haunted castle vibe clear and foreboding.

“I can feel the blood wards of Black Family Magic,” Sirius announced.

He stopped and placed his hand up to the invisible barrier and felt the pushback.

He took his wand and nicked his arm and allowed the blood to flow over the invisible barrier.
He then took Remus’s hand and bled onto his palm. Remus, having done this before, placed
his bloody palm over the ward and felt it give until it was gone completely as if it never
existed.

“Hate that part,” Remus muttered, but left the marking on his palm as there was probably
other wards to manage.

“You do, eh?” Sirius snickered. “I was the one maimed.”

“Poor sod,” Remus teased as they stepped forward into another room and yet another set of
ominous tunnels. They shuffled through bones of vermin and human’s alike, keeping on their
way. They did their best trying not giving it any mind as they could feel the wards messing
with their thoughts.

It took them the better part of an hour moving through each of the wards with each floor they
reached.

The morning sun was starting to peek through the surrounding trees and both Remus and
Sirius felt the exhaustion of their night taking its toll.

A stained-glass door of an old, pale wizard stared back at them. His glossy features barely hid
his dark eyes and piercing canine teeth when he suddenly hissed and twisted in the space of
the window.

“Which wizard is this guy?” Remus looked at the odd figure in a mixture of confusion and
horror.

“You need to get out into the Muggle world more,” Sirius laughed, turning the red crystal
doorknob.

Of course it was locked.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because that guy is a muggle vampire played by a wizard. That is Dracula.”

“Weird name for a wizard,” Remus glared at the hissing vampire with growing annoyance.
“How do we get passed him?”

Sirius shrugged. “Perhaps we unlock the door?”

Remus took his wand and casted an unlocking charm and when that didn’t work, he casted
‘Alohomora.”

The door remained locked.

The vampire in the glass laughed a belly laugh at them.

“Well, I am going to be no help whatsoever,” Remus huffed, glaring at the glass door
inhabitant.

“I get that you never watched the movie, but did you ever read the book?”

“Missed that one, too, I’m afraid.” Remus rolled his eyes and tried the crystal knob again
with his bloodied hand this time.

It didn’t work.

“I think, if I remember correctly, that the vampire was bested by garlic and silver…” Sirius
mused.

“I’m fresh out of garlic mate… and I’m part werewolf remember? Silver tends to disagree
with my general disposition.”

Sirius barked out a laugh, cupping Remus around the shoulder. “Well, lucky for you I just
happen to carry the finest fifteenth-century goblin wrought silver a wizard can own, and
clearly embossed with the Black family crest.”

The coin resting in the palm of Sirius’s bloody hand was the same as a regular silver sickle
except his was embossed with a dragon sitting with its mouth open.

“Get on with it then!” Remus glared at the coin. “We’ve passed tea and onto brunch at this
point!”

Sirius flipped the coin in the air, noticing the glass Dracula hissing, lifting and curling his
cloaked arm to shield himself from them.

With a knowing smirk. Sirius used his wand to dart the coin through the air and right onto the
vampire.

It hit it’s mark- right in the heart, and stuck to the glass as the vampire, Dracula, went through
a long-winded dramatic death.
Eventually, Dracula was nothing more than a lump of black stained glass at the bottom of the
door.

The coin fell into the wooden floor in a thump, which Sirius quickly picked up and put in his
vest pocket, closing the circle of metal inside the wool with a zipper.

The door creaked open, and Sirius and Remus moved through it with caution, wands at the
ready. They searched the empty space with cautious concern, stepping inside.

But when the door swung shut, the two wizard’s startled, turning slightly to see the vampire,
Dracula, standing there watching them. His withering stare turned into boredom before a
chair appeared within the stain glass and he sat down watching them.

“Cheeky bit of magic,” Sirius smirked, and then he winked at the glassy Dracula.

Moving through the empty room more quickly, they went under a brick arch and peeked
inside the next room. It looked empty as well, as the breeze from the window sent several
leaves aloft. They stepped through the arch and felt another ward change the whole
atmosphere.

“Finally. I thought you’d never arrive,” Lucius drawled, appearing out of thin air. The room
came alive and everything that was hidden behind the ward was now visible. Lucius and
Narcissa sat at a small table by the window. The table was filled with cakes, biscuits, tea, and
pumpkin juice.

Narcissa waved Lucius off and rose to greet them. “Please have a seat, dear cousin and Mr.
Lupin. A full English breakfast will appear momentarily once our other guests arrive.”

“What other guests?” Remus clutched his wand, but Narcissa ignored him and sat back down
in her chair. That was when they noticed a small cot with a sleeping baby with blonde-ish
blue hair. “Who’s baby?”

“Ours,” Lucius glared, clutching his cane. “Best sit and rest. Our guest will probably wake
with the smell of food and then you won’t get your fair share.”

“Who?”

“A surprise,” Narcissa smiled. “Nothing nefarious, I promise.” She held her hand out as one
would do for a vow spell, but the two men just nodded and took their seat at the table.

They kept their wands ready.

“The baby is obviously a Black with that hair,” Sirius grinned down at the baby making silly
faces at her. “Hopefully she takes after you, Narcissa.”

“I am sure she will,” Lucius grinned.

“And a grandchild on the way,” Remus added, stirring his tea magically as if his words were
not loud in the silence.
“It seems so. We figured you’d see it on the Grimmauld tapestries,” Narcissa wasn’t about to
deny it when Sirius had similar access to the Black family line and Draco’s child would
undoubtedly show up.

“We actually could tell… magically.” Remus said. “The magical signature of their coupling
and Hermione’s change of... er, hormones.”

“Hm,” Narcissa took that moment to take a nip of her tea.

“Apparently they weren’t as thorough with removing their traces as they thought.” Lucius
said to no one in particular. “Though, I am not that it would matter with a Grim and werewolf
seeking them out.”

“They left in a hurry,” Narcissa bit out. “At least they are secure and safe now.”

“You know where they are?” Sirius sat up in his seat, staring his cousin down.

“We do.” Lucius said, not even bothering to lie.

Narcissa put the grape she was holding down on her plate instead of taking a bite, “We
thought it would be best to send them to another safe house, but you know that already, don’t
you, cousin?”

Sirius nodded.

The table started to move and widen, and chairs popped into existence, floating into place
around the table. Large platters of food replaced the previous spread.

It reminded Sirius of Hogwarts when the feasts appeared.

“Ah, finally we can eat!” Narcissa said, starving.

Savory aromas replaced the musky smells of the castle and Remus sniffed the air as his
stomach grumbled.

Then, to everyone’s surprise the door opened.

...
 Fifteen: Breakfast, Finally.
Chapter Notes

Two chapters technically, in one day as promised with one minute to spare...

Chapter Fifteen:

...

Hermione, Draco, and Harry, but all were still in their pajamas when they sleepily moved
through the door and into the breakfast room.

“Harry!” Sirius’s chair fall backward as he rushed to his Godson.

He grabbed the poor boy around his arms and clutched him to his chest, completely oblivious
of the boy’s injuries.

Both sobbed, Sirius from joy and relief, and Harry out of pain and happiness.

Hermione went to Remus, pulling him into a hug as Draco stood stoically watching, wishing
he remembered his wand. He couldn’t help but worry about Hermione’s safety in the
creature’s arms.

“Accio wand,” Draco muttered, and the wood flowed through the air and into his awaiting
hand.

Remus released Hermione, sensing Draco’s rush of anxiety.

He would feel the same way if someone had held his mate to them in a tight embrace.

“Put your wand away, pup,” Sirius said and pulled the blond into a hug, much to Draco’s
horror.

“Shall I put our meal under stasis, or will you lot finally take your seats?” Lucius drawled
with a hint of annoyance.

The question remained unanswered as everyone released their hold on each other and made
their way to the table. They began building their plates in silence as everyone managed their
emotions.

Sirius let out a small cough, clearing his throat as his eyes rose up to meet his Godson’s once
again. His eyes took in the teen, seeing the dark bruises in various stages of healing and the
way he favored his arm, choosing to nestle it to his chest instead of using it to cut his
bangers. “You’re injured.”

“Well spotted,” Harry smirked. “I’m actually healing quite well.”

Sirius narrowed his eyes on Harry, and they drifted towards Hermione. She had thinned her
lips with Harry’s words but remained quiet.

“What are you two not saying?”

Hermione’s eyes darted towards Sirius and her shoulders dropped in defeat before she looked
at Harry, then Draco. “He was splinched.”

“You might as well tell them,” Narcissa said simply, calling in an elf that made quick work at
cutting Harry’s meats into bite size pieces.

“We can only defeat you-know-who if we acquire all of the horcruxes and destroy them.”
Hermione said. “Harry destroyed the Riddle diary, Dumbledore took on the curse and
destroyed the ring, and the locket was destroyed by Ron in the forest. We still have few more
after the Hufflepuff cup, there’s-”

“Me,” Harry said.

He set his fork down and his eyes went first to Remus and then to Sirius.

“No,” Sirius bit out.

“It’s the only way.” Harry’s eyes fell to the food in front of him. “If we can stop him-”

“Stop,” Sirius said, gripping his fork in hand.

“How? Why?”

“Mum set protection spells over me and when he came, she sacrificed herself protecting me.
The spell rebounded, killing him and cursing- he cursed me.”

Harry took several gulps, trying to say the words that wouldn’t come out.

Remus and Sirius were staring in horror at the boy who lived.

“He left a bit of his soul in Harry,” Draco finished, seeing Harry was having a hard time
saying the words.

“Neither can live while the other survives,” Hermione whispered. “It's what the prophecy
said.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Remus asked.

“We have to weaken him as much as possible before Harry goes against him. It’s the only
way.” Hermione said.
“Then we’ll do our best to help.” Narcissa gave a curt nod. “Now, let’s eat and then we can
strategize.”

...

They all sat around the table eating quietly until Harry set his fork down and looked at Sirius.
“Have you put it together where we are?”

Sirius swallowed the bite in his mouth and wiped his mouth with his napkin before he looked
at his Godson head on. “I might have an inkling. Dracula is the tell.” He said with a smirk a
wink.

“Right?” Harry eyed the room, “If you told me the Malfoy’s would safehouse us in
Transylvania in Vlad the Impaler’s castle. It’s in ruins on the outside but magically, it’s quite
stunning inside.”

“Poenari Castle, actually. Muggles see Hogwarts as ruins, as well, you know.” Hermione
interjected.

“We’ve only seen the catacombs thanks to these arses,” Remus said. “And these rooms.”

“One mustn’t be too careful,” Lucius sniffed.

“Is Draco named after Dracula?” Sirius asked Narcissa but chuckled at his cousin’s son’s rush
of irritability.

“Had we thought of it,” Lucius sighed. “But Narcissa’s father was quite adamant that we
name our son according to the Black family tradition of astrology names since her mother
chose to skip Narcissa and name her after a flower.”

“I wasn’t particularly keen on naming him Cygnus the third, as requested.” Narcissa
explained. “One was quite enough, let alone two.”

“Thank you for that,” Draco muttered, kicking Sirius under the table when he laughed.

“Don’t fancy being a duckling?

“A gosling,” Hermione corrected. “Unless you’re referring to the story, the ugly duckling
which it is considered ugly since it’s actually a gosling.”

“Of course, the muggle story, kitten!” Sirius barked out a laugh.

“Ah, yes. I suppose congratulations are in order?” Remus’s mouth curled up on one side of
his mouth giving off his goofy grin.

Hermione’s fork fell out of her hand with a clatter that broke the sudden silence. “How do
you know?”

“Not all traces are so easily erased, my dear. Don’t fret. Your secret is safe with us.”
Hermione nodded, as she looked from Draco to Lucius and then to Narcissa who gave her a
soft smile and nod.

She went back to eating quietly as the conversation moved towards simpler topics.

Draco’s hand found hers under the table and he squeezed her hand in support.

Harry, on the other side of Hermione gave her a small pat on the shoulder with his good arm
before they all went back to their respective meals.

“How long are you going to stay?” Remus said. “Actually, don’t answer that. It’s probably
best we don’t know.”

“We won’t be staying long,” Narcissa offered. “We are waiting for Harry’s recovery which
will probably be a few days and then they will be sent to the next location.”

“We need to destroy the cup,” Hermione said.

“That’s usually when I can see a glimpse of the next one,” Harry said. They had excused
themselves after the meal to dress and Harry was sitting closest to the window, looking at the
scenery. It wasn’t much different than any other castle in any other country, if he was being
honest, but it did have an edge of eeriness to it that didn’t sit well in his bones.

He knew all too soon that they were going to have to go back to Hogwarts and that it was
going to be sooner than later.

...
 Sixteen: Parseltongue
Chapter Summary

They leave dracula's castle for a different castle

Chapter Sixteen: Parseltongue

“Are we where I think we are?” Draco asked seeing the stained glass with rain over the iron
paned windows, making the glossy figure of the merperson painted upon the glass look
ominously and woefully tearful.

In the middle of the tiled room the sinks were set in circular pattern, except one which had an
almost snake-like marble detailing.

“I’s has to get back.” Lolli announced quietly, pulling on her little dress. Draco kneeled to
her level and gave her a quick hug before she snapped her fingers and disappeared.

“Harry,” Hermione turned. “We can be found too easily staying here. I think she wants us to
hide down there.”

“I was afraid you were going to say that,” Harry muttered, still queasy from Lolli apparating
them from the Dracula castle to Hogwarts.

“I don’t see any other option, Harry. I wish there was another way.”

“ Hello, Harry ,” Moaning Myrtle sighed suddenly appearing out of thin air. She batted her
eyes at the-boy-who-lived right in front of him.

“Oh, hey there Myrtle,” Harry flushed. “I didn’t see you there.”

“Come to share a toilet?” The ghost giggled, spinning herself around the room and landing in
front of the trio. She eyed Hermione and then Draco speculative, before turning back to
Harry. “You will, if you’re going down there again.”

“Just passing through to get something.”

“ Ah ,” the ghost sighed and then whimpered loudly as if she was pretending to cry.

And then she stopped, staring at him with wide, beseeching eyes.

“See you soon, Harry.”

Harry nodded and watched as the ghost disappeared down her favorite toilet and it
automatically flushed.

“Hurry Harry!” Hermione hissed, locking the door of the bathroom that most witches and
wizards already avoided.

Harry nodded in agreement and whispered the Parseltongue command to open the door
posing as a broken sink.

“Wicked,” Draco grinned, seeing the snakes move as the door clicked open to a black void
beneath them. He looked down and took a step back.

“Come on,” Harry urged Draco, before he slipped by the tall, blond wizard and slid down the
long, stone slide like a ragdoll.

Hermione casted a cushioning charm into the darkness which hopefully cushioned the bone
riddled floor mere seconds before Harry landed with a thud. Harry cried out in pain, wincing
at the shooting ache in his arm.

“Sorry, Harry,” Hermione said down into the darkness before she went next down the slide.

“My... fault,” Harry coughed through the pain, trying to catch his breath that had been forced
from his chest.

Draco slid down last almost as uncoordinated as Harry, but at least he landed on his feet
instead of face first into the bones.

“We won’t be found down here, at least.” Hermione announced, “But we may need a tent as I
am sure it can get drafty.

“Living in the dungeons, I’m quite used to damp and drafty.”

What Draco wasn’t used to was sifting each step through the creature bones that was
sometimes waist deep. The bones that seemed to topple around with every movement. He
swore they amplified just as much as a multiplying curse that wizards often used as a
protection in their vaults.

Draco was cringing with each crunchy step whereas Hermione and Harry seemed to coast
through.

“It seems like there’s even more bones than I remember,” Draco huffed petulantly causing
Harry and Hermione to still and take a closer look around.

“There is,” Hermione said, kicking a ribcage of some kind of animal away from her. “When
were you down here, Draco?”

Draco shrugged, “Quite a few times, actually. Once my father learned that the diary was
bested by a Basilisk tooth, we did some research and were collecting the teeth for potions and
other ways to end you-know-who with one as a hidden weapon, but we couldn’t get the
potions right. There are a couple teeth at the Manor and in my rooms in the dungeons, carved
into weapons.”

Hermione gasped, wrapping her arms around Draco in excitement. “We need to get them.
Collect all of the ones left.”

“We’ll use the cloak to get them,” Harry said, “if we don’t find any left down here but be
careful. There may be other Basilisks leaving all those bones.”

“The juvenile Basilisks are almost harmless to humans,” Hermione’s stomach grumbled
loudly within the echoing chambers. “Luckily, we’re safe in the castle, but unfortunately,
there’s not a great deal of food and no firewood options.”

Harry tripped and winced, cradling his arm.

Hermione dug into her purse and pulled out the dittany and a pain potion before she placed
them into Harry’s hand and forced him to take them since he thought they’d be better off
saving them. She disagreed and Draco smartly sided with his betrothed. Once she was done,
she reached into her beaded bag and took out the shrunken tent. Harry, Draco, and Hermione
started spreading it out over a dry area of glossy black marble floors.

“No having wild monkey sex unless I get to watch,” Harry huffed, watching as Hermione and
Draco quickly set up the tent and he took out his wand to manage their cots.

“I didn’t know you had a voyeur kink, Harry,” Hermione huffed, reaching up to set the tent
pole through the canvas and showing a bit of her skin as she bent over.

“Not any more than either of you do, or any other normal hormonal teenager,” Harry’s
frustration mounted as he realized how useless his arm was with helping the others. He only
managed one cot before needing to lay down on it to rest. “I just know how these walls tend
to echo, and no silencing charm would help with such acoustics.”

Hermione grumbled. “Not that you and Ginny shared the same courteously for anyone in
hearing distance, Harry!”

Draco snickered but decided that he was better suited to keep quiet at their banter. He was
getting quite used to their teasing nature that he barely noticed when they’re teasing turned
more personal.

“She’s joking,” Harry told Draco as shuffled to sit himself up on the cot. Draco raised his
hands up to show he was out of whatever bomb was about to go off when Hermione’s temper
lit.

Hermione’s snotty grin didn’t amuse Harry. “You two were not quiet at the Burrow. Imagine
sitting across from Mrs. Weasley looking quite content as the Burrow walls shuddered with
each thrusting grunt. She was quite pleased with herself pairing the two of you together.”

“Hermione,” Harry groaned as he threw a pillow at his best friend. “Are you joking that she
was listening in?”
“Of course I am, Harry.” Hermione giggled watching Draco’s curious smirk as his eyebrows
drew together in question. “It was actually Mr. Weasley listening in, pretending to read a
piece of parchment.”

“And there it is,” Draco muttered under his breath. “The bomb.”

“That’s so much worse,” Harry grumbled.

“Then don’t taunt me, lest I remind you about all the times when I had to share a room with
Ginny at the Burrow and you snuck in.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “You were asleep!”

“Was I?” Hermione grinned widely. “Or was I enjoying a bit of a nip of tea as you pummeled
by best girlfriend in her familial home whilst I was one bed over? That invisibility cloak
didn’t hide everything, Harry. Nor did it have silencing charms.”

“No wonder Ron wanted to off me,” Harry muttered, turning over in his cot and away from
Hermione and Draco.

“That isn’t- no, Harry.” Hermione let out a deep breath, all joking aside.

Hermione looked at Draco with wide, teary eyes thinking she went too far bringing up Ron.

Draco, seeing her distress, pulled Hermione into a hug, kissing the top of her head.

They could see Harry’s body shuddering with his silent sobs.

Hermione released Draco and went to see to Harry, but Draco stopped her.

He took the few steps over to Harry’s cot.

“We talked about this, mate,” Draco laid a hand over Harry’s shoulder gently to comfort him.
“You even caught him and Lavender pretending to be you and Luna.”

“He was wearing your clothes, and he was using Polyjuice to be you.” Hermione added.

“I can’t help think he was going do something he thought was brilliant yet totally idiotic and
offer himself up in my place, dressed and looking like me-”

“Probably to head to your vault and clean it out!” Hermione said too loudly as it echoed
through the cavern-like walls and made them all flinch. Hermione tried again, but this time in
a softer voice. “He chose his path, Harry.”

“Our brains do try to rationalize the trauma and try to see the good of people, even when they
don’t deserve it.” Draco said. “I’ve spent my entire life seeing people do and say the most
awful things to others to ensure their survival. Even towards me... and I still will think of
them in such kinder ways than they deserve.”

“Yeah,” Harry let out a shuddering breath. “Like the Dursleys.”

“Like Hermione,” Draco added. “Seeing me in affections I don’t- I didn’t deserve.”

“You do deserve my trust and my love,” Hermione countered. Staring back at Draco. “You
saved me, and you saved Harry. You have it.”

Draco's whole stance seemed to change when she smiled at him.

“Can you two not flirt for thirty seconds?”

Hermione grinned widely at Draco. They were getting sidetracked again and she decided that
it was time that she get back on track with her thoughts from before since Harry was
struggling.

“I think we can both agree Ron was not that altruist, Harry.” Hermione said easily, moving to
sit on the cot across from Harry so she could face him like Draco was as he tried to soothe
him. “He had months of sleeping and eating with us to gain every bit of the hair samples he
needed from us. I think something happened to make him desperate for money and he was
going to use all the hairs he could find of yours to turn himself in, as you.”

“Yeah, but you followed him and ruined the plan.”

“And accidentally used the deluminator which led you both to finding me-”

“Fucking Draco Malfoy,” Harry pulled at the blanket that was doing a shite job keeping him
warm.

“To be fair, Harry, Draco was fucking me,” Hermione smirked. “And I him.”

“Quite thoroughly actually.”

Harry pulled the blanket over his eyes. “I know, I saw what Ron saw.” He pulled the pillow
down to glare at Draco.

Draco shrugged, completely unbothered as he grasped Hermione’s hand in his and kissed
each of her fingers.

“But the difference is, is that he was raised in a good, loving home. Praised and loved. You
didn’t and still came up okay. You didn’t lose your shite, mate.” Draco added. “He did. First
with you and then at us.”

“Luckily, our wards worked, but that reminds me that we need to set them here, too.”

“Yeah,” Harry agreed.

“Lovely moment, indeed. We need to get to work warding the space.” Hermione interrupted
their awkward male bonding moment.

Both Harry and Draco got on their feet and followed Hermione, wands in hand to set their
wards. Hermione was the quickest, most thorough, followed by Draco, but Harry added a few
for himself before fatigue overtook him.
They helped Harry lay back down on his cot after setting it with cushioning charms. They
weren’t surprised when Harry fell quickly to sleep. The potions finally took effect.

They started to make something to eat, cooking side by side in their makeshift kitchen within
the tent.

“This place reminds me of the caves my parents once took me whilst visiting my Gran,”
Hermione said. “We were in America and deep in the belly of the earth. Quite beautiful,
actually, until the bats flew out of the mouth of the cave and straight at us.”

“Unfortunate hair moment?”

“How did you know?” Hermione pulled at her hair and twisted it into a knot on the top of her
head, just in case.

“I’m quite sure one was left over and made his way out of your hair during potions, first
year.”

Hermione gave him a withering glare. “At least I don’t sound like a werewolf when I come.”

“Oh, love, you do.” Draco grinned, biting back his smile and totally failing. “Much like you
did third year with the time turner trying to get Remus away from your mating call and
scent.”

“Draco!” Hermione’s eyes widened. “You were there?”

“Of course. I followed you lot everywhere,” He shrugged. “I was sure you’d notice the bit in
the books on page three hundred and ninety-four about werewolves only reacting to other
werewolf calls. I had all of Slytherin House afraid you’d change into a werewolf that night
and every full moon thereafter.”

“You didn’t!”

“Why else did you think they stayed clear of you and stopped picking on you?”

“Huh. That’s a weird way of being caring, I suppose.”

“Thanks.” Draco was quite chuffed with the compliment.

Hermione rolled her eyes but as she thought about it for a long moment, stirring the stew left
on the stasis charm from back at the cottage, she really hadn’t noticed a lot of the outside
school other than their Gryffindor bubble. “I suppose I didn’t notice much since everyone
seemed to caste me out.”

“It was probably because you they thought you were part werewolf, and they didn’t want to
be eaten.” He winked playfully. His broad, beautiful smile full of pearly white teeth showed
his sinister side in that moment.
Hermione shrugged, deciding that she should not care so much about their childhood antics.
She placed her hand over her stomach as it groused lightly.

Draco stood and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush with him as he kissed down
her neck. “I would’ve let you bite me, Granger. Any day then and now, you know.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Hermione grinned.

He pushed his cloth covered cock over her arse as she stirred the stew.

“Don’t get any idea’s, Malfoy. We are not having sex in the bowels of the Slytherin sewer,
especially not in front of Harry.”

“He’s fast asleep,” Draco pouted but Hermione didn’t relent, even when he rubbed circles
over her clit through her jeans. With a quivering breath she came undone, as he coaxed the
quick orgasm out of her. Hermione’s legs felt weak as the stew was quickly forgotten.

“We can’t,” She groaned, pulling at his trousers as her eyes darted towards Harry’s sleeping
form.

“We can, love,” Draco said, pulling her flush with him. She managed to get his cock free
before he finally managed to pull down her jeans and knickers. “I’m buying you a thousand
dresses so I can bend you at will and bury myself deep inside you. Why else do you think
witches and wizards prefer skirts and dresses?”

“Shh,” Hermione hissed, placing cushioning charms on the ground before them. “Get on with
it, then!”

“You won’t be telling me to shush when you cum all sloppily over my cock, witch!” Draco
chuckled as he pushed himself into her warmth and he groaned loudly, hearing it echo
through the ancient walls.

“If a basilisk comes before you do, Malfoy, I will end you,” Hermione hissed as he rutted
inside her, causing a slight yelp before she surrendered to him. Just as he said, he fucked her
fast and furiously as one hand cupped her breast and the other felt his cock engorge her
stomach with each punishing thrust.

Hermione cried out, her orgasm coming quickly, as Draco rutted and stilled within her,
pumping her full all over again.

“Oh, fuck, Hermione, you feel divine clenching me just so,” Draco’s head fell forward as his
shallow thrusts pulled another small orgasm from her.

“Draco,” Hermione’s hands curled into fists as he rutted one last sticky jet of cum deep inside
her before they collapsed over the floor.

“Wow, Hermione,” Harry sighed. “Never hear of a silencing spell?”

“Harry!” She floundered to cover herself up. “What are you doing awake?”
“Don’t worry about that,” Harry laughed. “I thought I’d wait until you finished getting totally
railed to tell you that we have a guest,” Harry was quite amused watching his best friend get
fucked by their pseudo enemy, just as she said she watched him with Ginny.

He gestured towards the shadowed area where a cloaked figure emerged.

“Oh, no.”

...
 Seventeen: Secrets in the Chamber of Secrets
Chapter Summary

Draco, Hermione, and Harry have a visitor.

Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Chapter Seventeen: Secrets in the Chamber of Secrets

...

Headmaster Snape was standing before them staring with one eyebrow up and a slight smirk
on his usual morose face.

Draco summoned a blanket and pulled it over to shield them from his view.

“That would’ve been a proper start before your... coupling. Not that it matters now that your
shared moment is complete.”

“Yes, Godfather,” Draco flushed brightly knowing he was probably going to die once he was
alone with Hermione and again if his mother ever heard about it.

“It seems,” Snape drawled out, “that my Godson has lost all sense of propriety now that he’s
finally secured your hand, Miss Granger. I suppose congratulations are in order?”

She glared at Draco as he nodded happily and said, “We’re betrothed.”

“Congratulations,” Snape’s unamused drawl didn’t seem to effect Draco as it did Harry and
Hermione.

“Thanks?” Hermione muttered.

“Luckily for you both, your name and child-to-be is already quite apparent and sewn upon
the Malfoy tapestries adding much delight to your parents.”

Draco wondered if he should tell his Godfather they had already seen his parents but then
again, he probably already knew that, too.

“You’re pregnant, Hermione?” Harry gasped but Severus and Draco rolled their eyes as
Hermione reached forward and pinched her best friend.

“As if you didn’t already know, Potter,” Snape drawled boredly, spinning slightly which
caused his cape to become aloft before he sat down. The cape and cloak mushroomed out
before settling around him in the chair like a wrinkled wool puddle.

“I had an inkling.” Harry yawned and stretched over his cot.

He then lost all humor as Snape faced the trio again. “He has the wand.”

“I know that, too.” Harry settled into his soft pillow but didn’t offer any other insight.

Severus Snape eyed Harry speculatively, before nodding his assent. “Losing the daft Weasley
git is of little consequence to me, but I suppose it is only right to offer condolence and
sympathies to you whilst you mourn your friend.” His eyes darted from Harry to Hermione as
if his words were also meant for her, too.

“I mourn who I thought was my friend,” Hermione said placing her hand over her now
covered stomach as Draco’s magic helped right their clothes under the shield of the blanket.
“Up until he tried to kill all three of us.”

“Ah, yes… attempted murder does change the discourse of close relationships,” Snape said
carefully. “You mourn twice. Once, for who you they thought they were, and another with
learning what kind of person they have come to be.”

“Hm,” Hermione hummed as her eyes caught Harry’s, “In the rush to find new, protective
housing, I suppose we forgot about Ron and his betrayal momentarily.”

“Obviously.” Snape drawled. “I did see how distracted you could get whilst artfully sitting
upon my Godson’s lap, Miss Granger.”

“You needn’t elaborate. It’s already quite embarrassing-” Hermione flustered.

Snape scoffed. “Fortunately, your quest to chase ecstasy is not the worst thing my eyes and
mind have beheld today.”

“Godfather, I implore you to stop talking.” Draco groaned, finally speaking up.

Severus’s sinister smile curled over his teeth as his intention turned towards Draco. It was
amusing that he could embarrass Draco so easily and Hermione’s flush just added to his
mirth. “Perhaps, I shall save such anecdotes for my speech at your wedding... or the next
Hogwarts assembly.”

Hermione blanched, “Don’t you dare, Professor!”

“Or what, Miss Granger?”

“You did say you had a bit of a voyeur kink, Hermione.” Harry reminded them.

“Not helping, Harry!” She kicked his cot, jostling Harry but also hurting her foot in the
process.

“I just mean that he taught me legilimency and occlumency, if you remember. He could
probably see it all in your mind all through school.”
“There are many thoughts I wish I couldn’t read,” Snape said easily. “Yours is not one of
them, thankfully, Miss Granger. Especially when one so lovely harbors a slight crush and the
curious musings of what may lie beneath my robes, hm?”

Hermione took a sharp intake of breath as she stared at the dark arts professor and standing
Headmaster.

Draco coughed out a laugh, “I did tell you he was quite funny when he wanted to be,” he said
as Hermione looked a bit green in the face. “And he is a natural legilimens, so Harry’s right.
He probably stared at you sideways plucking your fantasies about him from your mind whilst
you chewed on your sugar quills thinking it was something different.”

Hermione turned towards Draco and then back to Snape who confirmed Harry’s words with a
knowing smirk.

She then turned to Harry who nodded and added, “Why do you think we always bought you
sugar quills, Hermione?”

“Because I liked them?” She blinked.

“Obviously.” Snape drawled, pinning her with a hard stare.

“They are a fetish all their own, love,” Draco said. “And quite a few fantasies were had when
replacing those quills with my cock in the dungeons.”

“Why else would some professors turn a blind eye to them in class for the elder students?”
Harry laughed. “I am surprised you didn’t put it together.”

“How could I, Harry?” Hermione sputtered, “I was always busy studying!” She waved her
wand, and water came rushing over and drenched Harry and Draco while Severus easily
thwarted the drenching and redirected it upon her.

She gasped like a fish out of water in shock, but Draco and Harry acted as if this was normal
for them dealing with Hermione’s fits and Snape’s antics.

“Which is why we all forgot to take notes and had to borrow yours!” Harry shook his head,
feeling a bit flush as Hermione’s mouth popped open in shock and her wet jumper clenched
to her chest.

“Back to fantasies,” Draco redirected, finally taking his wand out. He easily dried
Hermione’s clothes, then his, and finally Harry’s since they were all distracted by his words.
“I already told you about the Merpeople, but why else do you think so many students took
detention within the forbidden forest opposed to an in school punishment?”

“It was forbidden for a reason,” Harry added. “Lots of lost little red riding hoods lost
wandering the wood.” He winked.

“Red riding hoods meaning virginity,” Hermione surmised, and two of the three men
nodded.
“Woods meaning...” Harry gestured his hand towards his groin area.

“So, when Luna was off seeking toadstools?” Hermione’s eyes widened as they waited for
her to catch on, then confirmed it was as she thought it to be.

“She did find many mushroom heads,” Harry said. “Not mine, of course.”

“Nor mine,” Draco quickly added when Hermione’s eyes darted towards him.

She didn’t bother to look upon Snapes face, as she was better off being aloof.

But Snape had other ideas as he enjoyed seeing her vexed. “It is true that thoughts do ensnare
the senses. I do recall one such fantasy by Miss Granger, that I was especially keen on.”

“Do tell,” Draco grinned.

“Don’t- Professor. I implore you!” Hermione gasped, “What kind of surreal reality are we in
once landing into this Chamber of Secrets? Is the water Veritaserum?”

“More like liquid luck,” Draco scoffed. “Go on then, Godfather.”

“It was one where Hermione daydreamt of a moment spent within in the Forbidden Forest,”
Severus winked, but otherwise he stayed stoically unbothered.

Hermione’s eyes widened as it played out again in her mind again for him to enjoy.

The man was shielding them from the werewolf but then Harry and Ron had run off to lead
Mooney astray, leaving her with a very dominating, cloaked Professor Snape in her wake. He
had turned on her swiftly, wrapping her within his cloak and then went to the ground for
cover.

Hermione squirmed underneath him, forcing him to react to her petite, warm womanly body
beneath him and delicately panting breaths from her exertion. Snape was saying something
about covering her scent from the werewolf. Ever the most thorough student, Hermione set to
task and made quick work into his drawers pulling his thickness out, and seeking his musky
scent-

“Yes, that one.” Severus bit out, closing his eyes as he raised his hand in the air as if to stop
her thoughts.

“I’m glad I never fancied any dark fantasies of you, professor.” Harry said.

“You and I both,” Snape nodded. “Though, I could not say the same for your girlfriend,
Ginevra, Mr. Potter.”

“What?”

Hermione took in a sharp breath knowing exactly where Snape’s thoughts were going and his
darting eyes landing upon hers was confirmation.
Harry, ever oblivious, looked confused.

“Care to enlighten him, Miss Granger?”

“Not particularly, Headmaster,” Hermione flustered, feeling quite exposed as she was
minimally covered beneath the blanket as Draco and Harry stared at her.

Snape smirked at the name as her thoughts darkened along with him.

She could see the thoughts pushed into the mind of his cock slipping through the crease of
his robe. His pale, turgid length ready and waiting for the awaiting mouth of the red-headed
young woman.

Luckily for all of them, they were all of the age of consent, even in such fantasies.

“Very well,” Snape sighed. “I suppose that relationship has run its course, as well,
considering all things.”

“What do you mean?” Harry asked, eyeing Snape more closely.

“You broke up with her, remember Harry?” Hermione reminded him. “And Ron is…”

“Oh, right.” Harry frowned. “I though you meant because I will be dead, soon.”

Snape pulled open his robe and took out a phial from of his inside pocket as he suddenly
remembered that he forgot to give it to him. “If I were to meet my demise, these are
memories that I wish to share. They are not much, but it is my side of things that you must
know before ends meet.”

Harry nodded and took the phial and placed it securely in his pocket with cushioning charms.
Next, Severus pulled out the Golden Snitch Harry won first year.

“I thought I lost that!”

“I suppose you know just what to do with this?” Snape asked. The small, golden ball took
flight from Severus’s hand and flew into Harry’s hand.

“Yeah. It opens at the close ,” Harry murmured, inspecting the ball closely. “Hermione and I
worked it out one night in the tent.”

“You are lucky to have such a brilliant friend. She’s the only reason you’ve survived thus
far,” Snape said flippantly before rising to his feet. “You will both do well to remember
that.”

He pulled one more potion from his stores within his robe and handed it to Harry. Harry
stared at it for a long moment before popping the cork and downing the liquid with complete
trust. Almost instantly he was able to move his arm back and forth, feeling the pain
disappear.
Severus exhaled, seemingly at war with himself and what he wanted to say. He finally
swallowed which was quite loud in the silence. ““I must go. When you inevitably seek the
pensieve, try to remember our task at hand and my efforts to protect.”

His eyes bore into Harry who nodded.

“You should be relatively safe in here. I cannot promise the same outside this room. Ask only
for Dobby to bring you meals, if you need them. He will come only if he can safely get
away.” Snape then turned on his heel and he briskly walked out of the chamber without
looking back.

“That last bit was odd.” Harry whispered, rolling his shoulder. Before he pulled down his
shirt to look at how it healed.

“He’s an odd bloke.” Draco shrugged.

“What did Ginny fantasize about?” Harry asked once Severus was gone. “I know he pushed
something into your mind, Malfoy.”

Hermione stared at Harry and her mouth popped open before she caught herself.

“Not you too?”

Hermione shrugged. “He’s quite good at projecting whatever he wants.”

“That bad, then.”

“Not bad, per say, but like most of the witches, the dark, allusive professor was fuel for
fantasy with such few other options.” Hermione said.

“Until Lockhart,” Draco added helpfully. “Slytherin house was ripe with pheromones for the
pompous professor.”

“True, as short lived as that was,” Hermione said. “Snape was a constant, though.” Hermione
bit her lips closed as if to seal them from speaking anything more.

“Perhaps I don’t want to know,” Harry grumbled.

“What did he fantasize or do?” Draco asked instead, tapping his temple.

“Just tell me,” Harry huffed, knowing it probably wasn’t as bad as Snape watching Hermione
and Draco reach peak coital bliss. “He had me blocked for a reason, I bet.”

“I only know of the silly fantasies Ginny, and I shared in secret. She said she always saw
herself in the potions classroom and she gave the headmaster head, Harry,” Hermione
giggled. “Whilst calling him, ‘ the Head Master .’”

“Do you not pay attention at all?” Draco scoffed before he turned to Hermione and pointed at
her. “You left out quite a bit out of that, you know.”
“Oh, she did it, didn’t see?” Hermione croaked, covering her face with her hands. “Don’t say
it.”

“Say it anyway, Malfoy.”

Draco scoffed and turned to Hermione with a raised eyebrow.

“Tell me, Hermione.” Harry demanded.

“To deduce what Snape and Draco have implied, I do believe they were... intimate at some
point, whether both were willing or... not... at first.” Hermione said. “I think the pensieve will
tell you more.”

“Oh,” Harry frowned, his eyebrows furrowed as his eyes darkened.

“Hey mate... Remember he had a part to play, too, as a Death Eater forced to do things to
others and as especially when he’s now a Death Eater Headmaster of Hogwarts with Death
Eater faculty reporting back to the dark lord,” Draco reminded Harry, “He could do as he
pleases and who… he could also be forced to do things he normally wouldn’t to keep his
cover.”

Harry looked stricken as he eyed Hermione for confirmation.

“Alleged debauchery aside, Harry, these are dark times and she’s able to consent freely to any
partner she so chooses. If she was even give the chance to choose.” Hermione muttered that
last part. “We don’t know what any of the students or staff has went through to make the
choices they made.”

“If it’s anything I’ve experienced, it’s brutal.” Draco said. “I was called to dinner at the
Manor and didn’t realize the Muggle studies teacher was the main course for the snake. She
ate her whole. We all watched, even Snape, without reacting in fear of being dessert.”

“So, Ginny being so bold and fearless probably had something happen.”

“I know,” Harry said, “And we broke up.”

Hermione nodded.

“If it makes you feel better, he projected something in my head.” Draco rose from his chair
and took a long pull of pumpkin juice pretending it was fire whiskey.

Harry’s eyes brightened with a bit of hope. “What did he project to you?”

“She told him to call her his petal before he flooded her garden-”

“Draco!”

“What?” Draco hissed as Hermione swatted at him and then laughed. “It’s actually what
Snape was thinking about whether it happened or not.”
Harry’s eyes widened impossibly large and became impossibly pale before he laid back on
the cot facing away from them. “Goodnight.”

“You haven’t really eaten anything, Harry!”

“My appetite is suddenly gone, somehow.” Harry muttered sarcastically. “Potion kicking in,
you see.” He faked a yawn.

“Should I say what he was also thinking about with you, Hermione, to make me react?”
Draco asked incredulously.

Confusion laced over Hermione’s features, “I didn’t see you react, Draco.”

“I didn’t outwardly react, but he saw it in my mind. It was just as damaging to me as what I
just said to Potter.”

“What could Snape possible say? I thought you could shield him?” Hermione asked.

“I usually can, but he pushed it in my head before I could show me that I wasn’t properly
shielding him or my thoughts.”

“I have only ever been with you, so any thoughts of his were just that. His thoughts, zero
action.”

“I know,” Draco said, getting to his feet and moving to the cauldron, placing it back under
stasis. He spooned the stew into three bowls, one for each of them. “Doesn’t make it less real
even when placed in one’s mind. Death Eaters use it as a torture and quite effectively.”

“You must have upset him to warrant such punishment,” Hermione said quietly.

Draco scoffed. “You are never a punishment, my love. I know my Godfather… he was
jealous.”

“Jealous?” Hermione shook her head in disbelief. “Surely not.”

“Quite jealous, if fact. I do believe that he would’ve wanted to court you in an alternative
universe once you graduated.”

“What did he say of me?”

“It’s not what he said, it’s what he would do, giving into his fantasy.”

“What’s his fantasy?”

“Same any hot blooded wizard and a pretty witch, probably... bending you over the potions
desk, for starters and raising your Gryffindor skirts.”

“That’s not very original,” Harry said from his cot. “Every male student has a similar version
with countess people starring in such a fantasy.”
“Right. It doesn’t have to be original to be effective,” Draco said. “Except in this one where
he’s fucking his spawn into you, replacing mine. Or he’s shoving his cock down your throat
while I fuck you. Or, to be especially visually cruel, one where he is taking you up your arse,
Potter as you beg him to hurry and come while watching Hermione and I off to the side. That
was of no where, honestly!” Draco shuddered and laughed. “But the last one before I shielded
effectively, and I think it’s the one he fancies the most- is when he’s got you up upon against
the dungeon glass for the whole class and lake inhabitants to see, as you beg him for his cock.
Harry and I only get to watch.”

“Oh,” Hermione blinked. “Why would those fantasies punish you?”

“Because it’s torture to endure knowing that you are mine and only mine. The pregnancy
plays on repeat in our minds, easily read.” Draco said. “If that knowledge gets leaked that
we’re together then I’ve put us all at risk, especially you, me, and my family.”

“I see,” Hermione said sadly.

“My occluding failed. I need to do better as a protector. My godfather wouldn’t be the one to
worry about. He’s not shielding that he is attracted to you because he’s a man with eyes. But
Ginny is different now. He sees her as his… and if what he said is true, then the Weasley
elders put her hand up for his taking and he took it. Sorry Potter.”

“She can make her own choices-”

“That’s just it,” Draco added. “Ginny didn’t choose him, nor did he choose her. Something
had to have happened. The Weasley’s secured their betrothal weeks ago in secret after some
unfortunate circumstances that he’s blocking from me.”

“Why? I don’t understand.”

“I don’t know. He told me mentally, that the Order has some convictions and that they don’t
trust his allegiance. Ginny, first, was sent to distract him while the Order prepares for the
battle that’s coming soon, and she was caught. I don’t think that story is true.”

“I can’t discern why that kind of betrothal would help the Order or the other side,” Hermione
said. “I would think it would hurt the side of the Death Eaters.”

Harry’s green eyes widened, looking around the room as memories suddenly resurfaced.
“Unless they are using her as a sacrifice.”

“We’re all pawns in the game with parts to play,” Draco said. “Why else would my parents
push us together? Even if it’s what we both secretively want.”

“Because of secret alliances we’re not privy to?” Hermione asked and Draco nodded.

“And the Dark Lord sees Ginny as belonging to who?”

“Oh,” Hermione frowned. “...Harry.”

 “Ginny would have to have an alliance with the Death Eaters, then. She is a pureblood witch,
although she is considered from a family of blood traitors. A hasty betrothal to Snape would
protect her from Death Eaters as well as from V.”

“Teenage Tom already tried to use her as his sacrifice with his diary. She’s just being
sacrificed in a different way now.” Hermione surmised, finally taking a bite of her stew now
that it had cooled enough. The meat was overcooked having been reheated several times, but
it was still edible.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Hermione.” Harry said, scraping the last spoonful of stew out of
his bowl, and into his mouth, was seemingly unaware that it was hot, and almost mush with
how fast he ate it. The food laid heavy in his stomach. “Ginny doesn’t do anything she
doesn’t want to do. Snape can’t take something that wasn’t mine.”

“Oh, Harry,” Hermione set her bowl aside and rushed to hug her friend as she clutched
herself around him.

Harry hugged her back, as he always did with each of her engulfing hugs. “It’s okay,
Hermione. I always lose everything, everyone.” Harry sighed. “It’s only fitting to happen
now since I will die soon, too, so she will have a chance at love and children without me.”

“What are you on about now?” Draco asked. “You keep saying that.”

“The Prophecy, Draco,” Hermione whispered, releasing Harry to face Draco. “It says, ‘
neither can live while the other survives ,’ so you-know-who has to kill Harry, and he has to
die. It’s the only way for either to live.”

“Explain that,” Draco looked between Hermione and Harry, playing a bit daft to change the
subject.

“I’m the last Horcrux,” Harry said, resigned with his fate. “The one he didn’t mean to make.
There are pieces of his soul that he placed in objects like the cup, and two more we have to
find.”

“So, we destroy the cup and other pops up in your mind to retrieve it?”

“Yeah,” Harry nodded. “Something like that.”

“So, let’s destroy it and see what pops up,” Draco grinned. “Can I give it a go?”

...

Chapter End Notes

I got about 40k words written on this story done which takes us halfway through the
battle. Sorry for the wait (almost a month) as my Microsoft Word on my computer went
sideways and the app, I paid for stopped working. I luckily had the stories available
online on Microsoft 360. Ridiculous. Pop on to the other stories I've uploaded and work
on along with this one if you'd like.
Thank you for reading. I always look forward to your words!
 Eighteen: Destroying a Horcrux
Chapter Summary

Helga Hufflepuff's Horcrux'd cup is handled.

Chapter Notes

Short Chapter but I'll post another later today. Hope you had a lovely holiday season.

Chapter Eighteen: Destroying a Horcrux

...

“I really hope there isn’t a clutch of eggs or baby or juvenile basilisks swimming about in
these pools.” Hermione muttered.

“You said that before,” Draco said. “Why?”

“You, yourself noticed there were more bones there than last time. That’s obviously where
they discard the bones.”

“Who?”

“The basilisk’s... keep up.”

“I killed it, with the help of the sword and the phoenix, remember?”

“I just have a bad feeling I can’t shake.” Hermione muttered, looking around.

“You think the basilisk wasn’t alone?”

Hermione shook her head.

“I think that if I was the Dark Lord and I were looking to possess a human to open the
chamber, what would I do once it was open?”

“I’m lost. I don’t know.” Harry said. “Explore it?”

Draco looked just as confused.

“Who has an affinity for snakes? Don’t say his name.” Hermione warned as they all knew
who did.

“If the horcrux could manipulate Ginny and make her, as a first year, write him in the
journals, do his bidding, open the chamber again, and turn into a sacrificial body to possess,
it’s only fair to think he could also possess other things, right?”

“Yeah,” Harry said, and Draco gave a curt nod with a narrowed stare trying to figure out what
Hermione was trying to say without dipping into her mind.

“And if one was needing a backup plan in case his beloved basilisk somehow died, he’d have
to make sure that the basilisk could be replicated. More basilisks, and all one would only
need is a female snake to do that, right?”

“Oh, bloody Hell, Hermione! You aren’t suggesting that he mated the Basilisk with Nagini,
are you?”

“Absolutely.” Hermione blinked as they were about to enter the main area where Harry
fought the basilisk and saved Ginny years ago.

“And while Ginny was under his control, possessed, she could’ve managed a stasis charm on
the clutch, if there was a clutch.”

“Which only last so long,” Draco surmised.

“And if what you’re saying is right, and there is one, or more... we won’t be able to kill them.
We don’t have a phoenix to blind them.” Harry said. “Or the sorting hat to call it to us.”

“Right.” Hermione gave a curt nod before stopping in her tracks. She dug into her beaded bag
and pulled out a mirror and then duplicated it, handing them to Draco and Harry. “Just in
case, look only into the mirror so we won’t be killed in case it’s an adult by now. I’m not sure
how long basilisks take to mature and by the looks of the bones, it’s had plenty of time to
grow.”

All three started walking down through the chamber of secrets until they saw the open mouth
of Salazar Slytherin himself, and the bones from the last Basilisk that was killed by Harry
years ago. Harry and Draco climbed up the stone face until they reached the snake’s jaw.
Harry popped out a tooth, as Draco pulled out the last two, and threw them down to
Hermione. She put them in her bag, holding tightly of the third one whilst they climbed back
down.

Draco took the tooth from Hermione while she pulled the horcrux out of her beaded bag.

“It may try to get into your mind, say something sinister. Or, it could make you doubt
yourself or those around you. It lies to try to save itself-”

“I’ve lived with the monster himself for years, love. I know him well and what he’s capable
of, unfortunately.”

“Right. Of course.” Hermione looked from Draco to Harry.

Harry put the cup on the ground and Draco didn’t even miss a beat before he stabbed the cup
with the Basilisk fang.

There was a sinister, shocked scream that ripped through the chamber as water from Black
Lake lifted from both pools of water into giant waves before crashing down upon all three of
them, soaking them in the frigid waters.

Hermione and Draco clutched each other desperately, pulled into a frenzied kiss before the
water splashed back down into their blackened pools.

“I can’t wait to do that again!” Draco said before he pulled Hermione into another kiss before
they could hear panting down at their feet.

Harry was laying on the hard ground, clutching his head as tears spilled from his eyes.

“You okay there, mate?” Draco asked with a bit of growing concern.

Harry was panting, palms digging into his eyes as his fingers carded through the dark strands
before clutching his hair.

“What did you see, Harry?” Hermione knelt down and pulled the long black hair from his
hands to hold them. “Tell us.”

“Something to do with Ravenclaw,” Harry panted out, “I think it’s hidden somewhere in the
castle.”

Hermione turned to look at Draco, all three still soaking wet from the destruction of the other
horcrux, and he looked quite confused as she did. “What is it Harry?”

“I don’t know,” Harry grasped at his hair, pulling it out of his face.

“We can talk to someone in Ravenclaw,” Draco mused, still trying to reel himself in from the
high he got from destroying the Hufflepuff cup horcrux.

“How do we get into the castle unnoticed?” Hermione asked and Harry shrugged.

“Follow me,” Draco said, helping Harry to his feet.

They followed Draco into Salazar Slytherin’s gaping mouth and straight into darkness.

…
 Nineteen: Meeting the Malfoys
Chapter Summary

Severus and Ginny visit the Malfoys

Chapter Nineteen: Meeting the Malfoys

“Severus,” Lucius nodded towards his oldest friend as he walked through the Floo of their
Paris home.

Snape’s robes pillowed behind him in his wake as his wand stood at the ready before a small,
red-headed young woman who resembled Lily Evans, Severus’s childhood friend, followed
behind him.

“Lucius,” Severus gave a slight bow in greeting.

“I see you’ve brought a guest.” Lucius looked down upon the girl who looked slightly
younger than their son and much too young to be paired with Severus.

Lucius remembered her, of course, as she resembled the youngest Weasley, the prized only
daughter after six sons. She was also the one chosen for the Dark Lord to possess years ago,
through the Riddle Diary horcrux. Lucius had managed to facilitate that nearly deadly
experience for the girl, not that he knew what all of what was to happen when he placed the
dreadful book into the cauldron.

It was a wonder why he brought the girl from the castle to the safehouse, but they could
probably guess.

“Lucius, Narcissa, as you can see, I brought a guest.”

The girl stared blankly at the two Malfoy’s as they took her in.

Her straight hair was pinned back making her look younger. She wore a simple black dress
with black flats, but her only jewelry was a small bracelet made of silver goblin ore with the
name of Prince engraved over Severus’s wizarding family’s crest. A small green jewel glinted
in the light, before she pulled her hands behind her back, blocking it from view.

“I am Ginevra Weasley,” she announced herself which caused Narcissa to instantly question
her presence within their home more alarmingly. Most pureblood women awaited
introduction by their male suiter, but Snape didn’t seem to mind nor notice the tell, though he
was well versed in such social delicacies. Usually, the man would state whom his companion
guest is, their family nobility, rank, or the like, and their relation to them to form proper
introductions.

Lucius gave a slight nod. “I do recall you are classmates of our son,” Lucius said easily
which gave Narcissa the means to be more at ease with their guest.

Ginny nodded.

“Well, my dear... welcome, to our home,” Narcissa gestured for them to sit instead of the
thousands of other questions she wanted to ask. She knew the young woman must be
nervous. She was far away from her school in Scotland, in a foreign country, and in the home
of Death Eater snakes, as far as she knew them to be.

Ginny gave them another curt nod.

“We’ve just come from her brother’s funeral so excuse our tardy arrival for dinner and our
mourning attire. It was a long trip through the Floo.” Severus drawled which caused the
witch next to him to smirk as if they shared an inside joke that they were unwilling to share.

“Of course,” Narcissa nodded. “Lucius and I offer our condolences for you and your family’s
loss. We hadn’t heard of his passing, though we haven’t been keen to follow the news. We
shall do so, more closely.”

“It newly happened not yet a week ago,” Ginny frowned. “Still under investigation so not yet
in the papers, you see.”

Narcissa nodded, before she gestured for them to sit, and they all followed suit.

Tea service magically arrived and Narcissa used wandless magic to serve their guests.

Everyone silently flavored their tea to their liking before the first round of their meal arrived
on the table.

“This is all very lovely, but...” Ginny broke the silence, not yet touching their tasters of
shrimp. “May I speak freely?”

Narcissa looked towards Lucius and then to Severus who answered, “By all means, my dear.”

Ginny nodded. “The loss of my brother was not as shocking as everyone seems to think it is.”

“Oh?” Narcissa asked as everyone sat stoically, not eating.

“In this political climate, we all have our own issues with who to trust in such an
untrustworthy war.”

Narcissa nodded.
“I trust Severus,” Ginny declared. “And he seems to trust you so I will offer the same respect
for now.”

Narcissa smirked and gave a curt nod.

“When I had heard that my brother Ron, Hermione, Harry, Luna, and others, were captured
by snatchers and brought to your home, something within our family shifted. We realized that
we were not as safe and protected as we thought ourselves to be, even within the alignment of
allies. Our Ministry was taken over and Hogwarts came next.”

“It is quite troubling times.” Narcissa nodded.

“Yet,” Ginny stared down Narcissa and then Lucius, “my brother wasn’t listed for capture,
my father made sure of it. So, he should’ve been released upon capture. My father sent his
charmed radio that was tracking them for us until it was destroyed.”

“This is new information, although I don’t feel that snatchers have the same allowances to
release any captives unless given the orders from the Dark Lord’s side. Abiding by the
ministries wishes isn’t their intended purpose.” Lucius stated.

“Be that as it may,” Ginny said contemptuously, “when the trio were captured and sent to
your home for inspection, you knew who they were. You could have killed them upon arrival,
but you saved them and helped them all escape. You sent my best friend, Hermione, away
from my brother, who was unknowingly stalking her. You sent her with your only son, your
heir, and her known enemy, Draco. You ultimately saved them all, even my obtuse brother,
and especially Harry.”

Ginny stopped her monologue to take a sip of her tea. She needed to calm down.

“How do you know they were in our home?” Lucius asked.

With a small smirk, Ginny gave a small shrug. “Hermione isn’t the only brilliant and
brightest witch of her age now, is she? Mrs. Malfoy can relate, I am sure. Others are just
more secretive about it.”

Narcissa stiffened her back. “I don’t see what you mean, Miss Weasley.”

“No?”

“No. Do say what you obviously came here to say.”

“Alright Mrs. Malfoy. Someone with means set a secret betrothal fund for a witch without
much of a dowery or contracts otherwise. That said Hogwarts student suddenly found herself
bereft and alone and the father of her child is dead. Yet, she is aligned to a new suiter who is
willing to raise her unborn child, and all is well in the world as long as she keeps her secret
contacts and contracts.”

Narcissa sat unmoving, her eyes never leaving the girl in front of her.
“No tell is still a tell, Mrs. Malfoy.” Ginny said simply. “Like you, we know everything.
Everywhere you go, everything you do, and everyone you meet. We know you sent Draco
and Hermione to Shell Cottage, how could we not? It is our family’s home, after all.”

“As it is my family’s home and have the right to use it at will,” Narcissa added which caused
Ginny to narrow her eyes a moment before she caught herself.

“Anyway,” Ginny scoffed, “My mum could track anyone with her enchanted clock with just
an adjustment of adding an enchanted spoon, you see. They have no idea. I placed the new
spoons upon the clock and viola... new places-”

“It is an enchanted clock created by the Prewett line to place members of their family at will
within the wizarding world,” Snape answered the unasked question and both Malfoy’s
nodded in understanding.

“We were watching upon the enchanted clock one night when spoons started to spin. It was
curious as it rarely does that. Hermione’s spoon started to move towards Shell Cottage, but
Harry, Ron, and Luna’s spoons fell off the clock entirely and onto a blank placard. I picked
up the card and brushed the spiderweb off of it without much thought until it dawned on me.”

“Spinner’s End,” Severus said simply.

Ginny gave him a small smile and nodded.

“So, you knew the lot of them were in Severus’s home, seemingly safe.” Narcissa added,
trying to keep Ginny’s monologue of a story on track.

“Yes, and that Severus was an ally to both sides,” Ginny said. “My parents didn’t agree, but I
thought that you must be, as well. At least in some capacity. I had to see for myself because
why would Hermione go to one house and the others go somewhere else? I left, and I went
to see, one day, with my father, and we realized we were wrong about so many things,
especially you both, and Draco.”

“That is kind of you to say, however-”

Ginny raised her hand and Narcissa blinked at the audacity of the young girl.

“We saw my brother that day, and Harry.”

“I am confused... which day?”

“The day in Diagon Alley after Harry, Ron, and the others went to Severus’s house. Ron was
told to stay there but he left anyway.”

Narcissa noticed Ginny addressed Snape so informally but didn’t say anything. Her eyes
darting to Snape told her that he caught that she caught it, too.

“We watched as my brother, Ron, met Lavender. He was angry, forcing her drink something
in the alley. She was to be Luna until she broke away from him. We followed him. Ron
dressed as Harry in Harry’s clothing moving from store to store getting more agitated. He
was buying things as Harry, leaving a tab in the stores to settle with the bank. We watched as
Harry apparated to confront my brother using Dumbledor’s device. The real Harry’s presence
there sounding the alarms. We watched Ron fighting with Harry before they disappeared. We
didn’t know where they went and so went home to check the clock.”

Ginny took several deep breaths and then a nip of tea to settle her nerves.

“We saw that they were at Shell Cottage and we apparated there under the shield of notice-
me-not charms. We watched Ron kill Harry- or so we thought he did, and then Ron was
kicking Harry in the stomach-”

“Oh, my,” Narcissa looked from Severus who gave a curt nod that she was telling the truth,
and then back to Ginny.

“And then we watched in horror as Ron raised his wand towards the water.”

Narcissa’s eyes started to tear, imagining that it was Hermione and Draco in the water.

“We saw what my brother saw… Hermione in the ocean with Draco in a shared intimate
moment.” Ginny’s eyed darted towards Severus for a slight moment. “I have been to the
Slytherin dungeons, so I knew what they were doing... replicating mating practices-”

“I think we all know, dear.” Narcissa said quietly with a knowing wink. “As Slytherins, we
know.”

“But my brother didn’t.” Ginny whispered. “He sent off a killing curse right at them.”

Narcissa’s hand went to her mouth in shock even though they knew Harry, Draco, and
Hermione survived. It very well could have gone another way, and no one would have been
the wiser.

“It rebounded and killed him, instead.”

There was silence within the room, which lingered and seeped into every crack, into the air
they breathed. It was cloying and bitter taste that left them all forever changed.

Ron tried to kill their son, Hermione, and their unborn heir, and Harry, but instead he killed
himself.

“My brother’s reign of terror may be over, but it was then that I realized we still have a
common enemy.”

Narcissa and Lucius sat stoically, not sure how to play with Ginny’s enlightened moment of
clarity or how it affected them when she came in so combatant at first.

“So, with that said and with my brother’s death burden, it is my parents intention that I marry
Severus to secure his allegiances within the order and secure the Prince family vaults in my
betrothal. I don’t dispute the matching, especially now that Harry is also dead by the hand of
my brother.”
“Ginevra,” Severus rolled his eyes, “Harry isn’t dead. I saw him just this afternoon.”

“But he will be,” She whispered turning to Severus with tear brimmed eyes. “The prophecy.”

“How did… this… come to be?” Lucius waved between Ginny and Severus.

Ginny turned to Lucius to gauge his purpose in asking but he gave nothing away, staring back
at her. She remained quiet, letting Severus to answer.

“It’s to show I am still aligned to serve the Dark Lord with my obedience.”

“Oh?” Narcissa gasped. “Was there a question of loyalty?”

Severus gave a curt nod, “The Carrows were trying to form a coup d’etat and overthrow me
as Headmaster.”

“Oh?”

“I was notified by a ghost that one of the Carrow siblings caught a student out of her dorm
room wandering the halls,” Severus said, “We can guess which one. When I happened upon
them, I caught the male starting to inflicting a particularly harsh punishment upon a female
student that was, or was about to be a non-consensual assault in nature. I interfered which I
usually do not do. The Carrow’s, in turn, reported the interference back to the dark lord. He
summoned me and I was to bring the student, Miss Weasley along for my repentance.”

Narcissa and Ginny shared a dark look.

“The Dark Lord was going to kill Miss Weasley, handing her over to Bellatrix. I refused that
fate for her, defying twice. I was made to reaffirm my allegiance to him and continue on with
the punishments deemed acceptable at his revels or die. I had no choice but to inflicted
further injury upon Miss Weasley,” Severus said succinctly with a frown, “Or we would both
be killed.”

Ginny put her hand over his hand with a gentle squeeze which was not lost on either
Malfoy’s.

“Severus is being generous with his words and actions. He chose to save my life,” Ginny
sighed. “I’m thankful he chose to save me.”

“The dark lord bound us together and we are basically betrothed- until death.” Severus said.

“And, shockingly, my mum swiftly secured his vaults as their own if he was to repudiate on
our union.”

“Well, Miss Weasley, you could certainly do worse than our dear friend, Severus.” Lucius
said.

There was a sharp cry and Narcissa instantly got up and went out of the room without excuse.
“Is that a baby?”

Lucius and Severus shared a look that must have told him that Ginny was trustworthy.

“My wife and I had a baby recently and are trying to shield the child from as much horror our
world is inflicting on us presently.”

“Does Draco know?”

Lucius nodded, “Of course.”

“And Draco is still with Hermione?” Ginny asked quietly.

Lucius gave her a small smile, "Follow me, dear.”

Lucius noticed that Severus helped Ginny to her feet. He escorted her towards a large wall
that was adorned with countless family branches of their shared tree.

Ginny pointed at an embroidered replica of her face that sat on a branch with her brothers
under her mother and father. Her six brothers were all listed with their current faces
embroidered on the thick fabric.

When she looked at Ron, she noticed his eyes were closed and there was a date below his
name of his birthdate and recent death date. She swallowed the lump in her throat as it was
still too new, and she was still very angry at her brother, but knew he made his own choices
that led to his demise. Ginny then noticed there was a slight bit lingering words just to his
side. It read, “Lavender Brown, and below both Ron and Lavender’s name sat Baby girl
Weasley- Brown. But the line next to the baby had another line that pointed towards ‘Fred
Weasley.’

“Fred is betrothed to Lavender?”

“It is not uncommon for women who have recently suffered the loss of a husband or fiancé to
be paired with others within a family. It seems that your brother, Fred, is taking Lavender as
his wife and her daughter as his own.” Lucius said.

Ginny nodded. “I hadn’t heard.”

“Perhaps because it is happening now and is still being sewn in,” He smiled gently. “Just
there.”

Ginny watched in wonder as there was new etchings under Lavender Brown and Fred
Weasley’s names. The tapestry quickly showed a small purple flower bud next to Lavender’s
name and one under for the baby.

“The flowers were Narcissa’s idea,” Lucius added. “If they are named after something, like a
flower or star, moon, and so on. This enchanted tapestry is quite ethereal and with such magic
has adopted a sense of wit.”

“Oh?”
 Lucius hummed. “Ah, here we go, look just there,” Lucius redirected her, and she turned to
her attention towards the Malfoy ancestor and descendant lines.

Ginny looked and saw Lucius Abraxas and Narcissa’s name represented by a bright star with
a crown on top and a bunch of daffodil blossoms standing for both of their name meanings,
Lucius Abraxas Malfoy and Narcissa Anastatia Malfoy nee Black.

Under it, was Draco Lucius Malfoy and the astrology sign from which he was named with
bright starlight. Then there was their new baby, Delphine Luna Malfoy with a dolphin
jumping under the moonlight for her name.

But then, Lucius waved his hand over the tapestry and new names and faces appeared. Next
to Draco’s name and face was Hermione Jean Granger with a small flower.

“That rose means engaged whilst the tulips mean soul mates,” Snape said, before Lucius
could point it out.

“They are soul mates,” Ginny mused over that concept for a moment before she noticed a
small flower and the words, Baby Boy Malfoy connecting Hermione and Draco. “She’s
pregnant.”

“Yes,” Severus said, eyeing Ginny carefully.

“And that isn’t a new development, meaning my brother seeing them together that fateful day
was not their first time.”

“No,” Severus said.

“My son has always harbored an affection towards Miss Granger, but our circumstances
forbid the courtship until now.”

“Until now?”

“The battle between Harry and the dark lord will happen any time, now. It is our hope that it
ends favorably for peace.”

“We shan’t speak of it, but we all want the reign of terror, as you aptly called it, to end.”

“I want that, too,” Ginny said. “We all do.”

“Which is why you have been brought here.” Severus sighed, running his hand over his dark
robes.

Ginny instantly felt on edge as she looked between Severus and Lucius. She saw Narcissa
was at the doorway holding a bundle which looked like a swaddled baby.

“We cannot save your brother. He is dead. But… we can help you.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“Why does Hermione trust Draco?” Lucius asked, “Why did she agree to marry him and bear
his child as heir?”

“Love,” Narcissa said as she moved through the room and handed the sleeping child to
Lucius which calmed him instantly. “Harry is set to course to survive this battle. We will do
everything in our power to help him.” Ginny started to cry and felt Narcissa’s arms wrap
around her before Narcissa whispered, “No one can change what happened to you, Ginevra,
but we can help. If you choose to trust us.”

She nodded and felt Severus’s arms replace Narcissa’s. Ginny could feel his warmth envelope
her and it was such small comforts that she didn’t know she needed or wanted.

“Severus, why don’t you take Miss Weasley to the guest suite so she can lay down and rest.”
Narcissa smiled softly. Severus gave a small nod and apparated the young witch away with
him, leaving Lucius holding Delphi and Narcissa in the tapestry room.

Lolli appeared moments later and took the infant away.

...

Once alone and the room was secured, Lucius raised his hand to the tapestry and waved his
arm over it to clear the Malfoy ancestry tree.

“Carrow,” Lucius said, and the blank tapestry came alive with a new tree growing and
blooming right before their eyes.

Narcissa looked for the name, Amycus Carrow, and found him easily, pointing him out.

Severus apparated back into the room and took the few steps towards Lucius and Narcissa
meeting them at the tapestry.

“Is she resting?” Narcissa asked kindly and Severus nodded. “I suspect the trauma was at
Amycus’s hand?”

“As I bore witness. I am sure it was not the first occurrence.” Severus felt a tightness in his
chest that made him try to loosen his collar. “I could see it in her mind, but I was late
arriving.”

“Do not blame yourself, Severus,” Narcissa gave him a comforting pat on his arm. “She feels
lucky to have you.”

“She is burdened, and I cannot take the affliction away. I can offer love, care, and support.”

“Which are immeasurable gifts, my dear friend.” Narcissa cupped her hand over Severus’s
cheek.

Under Carrow’s name was an etching of several floral buds and flowers along with the names
of his children, Hestia and Flora, and two victims, one was Ginevra Weasley, and the other
was a seventh-year student, Alessia Newberry.
“Does she know?” Narcissa asked.

Severus gave a curt nod. “She is hopeful not to be, but it is clearly… there.”

“How unfortunate,” Narcissa couldn’t help but remember her own unwelcome touches and
advances as a young witch and even now. She was happy to have the protection of Lucius
and their ancestral artifacts that minimized such ill-intentions. She knew many snatchers
preyed on students as did those who were newly inflicted as a creature. Greyback had stolen
quite a few virtues and added new additions to his pack.

Perhaps Ginny was lucky, if one could call it that, that Severus was able to be bound to the
young woman.

That didn’t save the other students within Hogwarts.

“When the time comes, “Severus drawled, “I shall end him and his vile sister.”

“And the child?”

“Is… mine.”

Narcissa nodded. “Honorable choice.”

“Do not change the tapestry just yet,” Lucius said. “It will be necessary as evidence of the
crimes committed and the Weasley’s will need to see it, too.”

“Yes,” Narcissa agreed. “We can show her this, if you do not think it would cause more
trauma.”

Severus nodded, “She needs to know the truth to heal.”

“What about Harry?” Narcissa waved the tapestry and called out for the Potter’s Tapestry. It
was a clever way of knowing things without resorting to devious means.

Potter’s lineage was one of the most respected among ancient wizarding families and the
Potter vaults were some of the deepest of Gringotts. Losing Harry would devastate the sacred
magical families that still existed, especially before an heir could be produced.

“I will do what I can to save the boy,” Severus’s lip trembled a bit. He was actually quite
upset at the thought of losing his beloved friend’s only son to the same madman that tried to
kill him before and killed his parents.

Severus knew it was the only way.

Even Harry knew a parasitic part of Voldemort still lied within him, needing it to be
exterminated so the boy could finally live in peace.

How to make that come into fruition is quite another set of obstacles and difficulties.
“How many horcruxes are left? How many pieces of his soul need to be destroyed?” Narcissa
asked, starting to pace back and forth in front of the tapestry. It had been switched to the
Weasley family where Lucius added a copy of it upon a large scroll of Parchment. He also
made of copy of the Malfoy, Potter, Carrow, and Snape lineages in case he could use them to
benefit his intentions.

“In the original, complete memory from Slughorn, Potter acquired, Riddle said he wanted to
create seven horcruxes as it is the most magical number. It is logical to assume that he was
successful in creating the seven. The known ones are the Riddle Diary, the Marvolo Ring, the
Slytherin Locket, and the Hufflepuff Cup. The other three remain. Since the prophecy states
neither can live whilst the other survives, it’s logical to assume that Harry was an
unanticipated horcrux. He was afflicted as a horcrux as Dumbledore, and I stated before and
confirmed by the prophecy.”

“So, it’s probable that there’s two more, besides Potter,” Lucius suggested as he rolled the
scrolls and encased them in protective leather tubes that he then shrunk down and handed
them to Severus. Severus placed the scrolls in his robe under a disillusion charm.

“That evil snake has to be one.” Narcissa shuddered, remembering how the hinged jaw
dislocated to consume the whole body of the Muggle Studies Professor. “She never leaves his
side.”

“I think you’re correct in your assessments. Do consider other possibilities, too. I must be
getting back to the castle,” Severus said reluctantly. “When she wakes, send her through the
Floo into my quarters, not the headmaster office.”

“Of course, dear friend.” Narcissa smiled slightly. “I shall see to her care myself.”

“Thank you,” Severus nodded, and he moved straight through the Floo back to Hogwarts,
leaving Ginny behind.

...
 Twenty: Gift from a Mother
Chapter Summary

Ginny and Narcissa have a chat...

Chapter Twenty: Gifts from a Mother

...

Narcissa walked into the guest suite to find Ginny sitting at the table by the window sipping
tea. In the distance there was many fields of endless rows of lavender and grapevines.

Taking the open seat, Narcissa adjusted her baby to nestle at her breast and watched the baby
root for her meal. Quickly maneuvering her robes to accommodate the baby, Narcissa sighed
in relief when Delphi started to nurse.

Ginny was shocked at how ordinarily humble the witch across from her was and how she
seemed fine to throw her carefully crafted modesty and discretion to the wind at a whim for
her child.

“I didn’t know you had a baby,” Ginny said, nodding towards the infant that Narcissa was
watching with awe.

“No one does, dear.” Narcissa let out a long sigh. “We’d like to keep it that way.” She pinned
Ginny with a hard stare and the young woman quickly nodded her agreement.

Ginny turned back to the window and stared at the small stream that cut through the fields.
Other farmers may have opted to steer the stream where they wanted it to flow, but the
Malfoy’s wanted the natural landscape. “Draco spent many summers in that very stream
bringing all kinds of inhabitants over for us to see.”

It would be the same for Delphi.

“Hm,” Ginny sighed.

“It was then I knew Draco was a caring soul. As he grew, he learned differently. He was one
way to the outside world and another to the ones he loved.”

“I can relate to that,” Ginny said, staring at the flock of birds flying across the sky.

“It’s peaceful here,” Ginny said. She was wearing new clothing tailored to fit her and they
were probably the nicest thing Ginny had ever worn before. She was used to handmade
clothing that had been sewn, resewn, and repatched countless times.
“That’s why we’re so fond of this particular home. It’s been in the Malfoy line for over a
thousand years, not that you can tell. The house keeps its charming chateau ambiance for us,
but to others it is more like the stately castle it was generations ago. We prefer the small
aspect when feeling especially needing homely comfort.”

“That’s what I like about the Burrow,” Ginny offered. “It’s home. Although it won’t ever be
the same. Ron is gone. Mum is... unwell. Fred and Lavender-”

“People make the choices they make, Ginevra, and those around them have to learn to live
with those choices.”

“I know.” Ginny’s voice cracked. She cleared her throat.

“I know you do,” Narcissa smiled kindly. “You will be making a home for yourself, no doubt,
very soon.”

Ginny’s eyes darted back to Narcissa in question. Narcissa looked down at the small baby
and then back at Ginny expectantly.

“You know.”

“I know what countless women have endured and overcome, yes. I am not immune.”
Narcissa touched the baby’s cheek making Delphi’s eyes flutter open. “The child is innocent.
A gift. The sins of a parent do not need to be the child’s burden to bear unless both deem it
so. I didn’t know that until recently.”

Ginny looked back out the window and swiped the tear running down her face.

“Severus saved me,” Ginny said. “He did not burden me.”

“I know. I Know it was Amycus Carrow that criminally seeded the womb and several others.
You have no fault in such violence put upon you.”

“No one will see it that way, Mrs. Malfoy. Especially not Harry.”

Narcissa moved the baby onto her lap, holding her with one hand at her chest with her fingers
under the baby’s arms. She then straightened the baby’s back and slowly started to move the
baby in small circles until a burp grumbled out. Narcissa smiled, cooing at the baby, “Call
me, Narcissa, by dear.”

Ginny watched the woman and her infant noticing the baby didn’t seem to cry much. The
little girl seemed ever watchful of the world around her.

“Magical babies are the best babies,” Narcissa said. “They’re fierce. It takes a lot to adopt the
magical signatures of their powerful parentages. Your daughter will be just as severe and
strong like her mother.”

“You know I’m having a daughter.”

“I know a lot of things,” Narcissa pulled the baby to her chest, kissing her head. “Why else to
you think so many daughters are coming into the world?”

“I haven’t ever thought of it.”

“When Luna was captured and brought into our dungeons, I thought that such a delicate
witch would succumb to the violence and parish. But she is clever. She bested her captors,
helped save Draco and Harry, and made her way back to Hogwarts almost completely on her
own. You, my dear, were trying to best the captors within the school and you survived their
wrath.”

Ginny swallowed down her tepid tea and gave a curt nod.

“Do you know if Harry would mind that your pregnant by someone else?”

“Yes,” Ginny cried.

“Then you do not know him well enough to decide that for himself.”

“I am bound to Severus!” Ginny cried in frustration.

“So what?” Narcissa shrugged. “Is that a bad thing? Does that not save you from further
assault? You are not the only one to know such trauma, unfortunately, nor the last. Your child
already has an unborn sibling, perhaps more by the end of this.”

Ginny stifled her cry, shuddering slightly as she turned back to the scenic view. She
remembering that she had alluded to that before. It was no secret in Hogwarts that certain
students were targeted, and she was one of them.

“Remember Ginevra, you are fiercely made, my dear. The seventh child and only daughter.
There is no mistake in such powerful magic.”

Bounding out of her chair, Ginny pulled Narcissa into a hug and the two held each other
tightly crying as the baby between them slightly squirmed and let out a stuttered cry.

“Your love will save them both, my dear,” Narcissa said quietly, pulling slightly away to look
Ginny in the eyes. “They are deserving of love.”

“Them?”

“You are the key, my dear. Severus tried to save Lily. Lily tried and saved Harry. Severus
saved you. Harry will save us all.”

Ginny’s mouth quivered as tears fell.

“You and Severus love Harry. In different capacities and ways, of course. Your love will save
them both.”

“And the baby?”

“Will be so abundantly loved because you will fiercely demand it.” Narcissa laughed and
then looked at the baby. “They make it so easy to love them.”

“I think you’re right,” Ginny nodded. “Severus is probably pacing the floor with worry by
now.”

“It is good for him,” Narcissa winked. “Keeps them on their toes.”

Ginny agreed. “I must get back although I will already miss this place.”

“Then I shall expect a visit once all of the world is righted. Be ready. I expect it to be soon.”

“I will,” Ginny reached and embraced Narcissa again. She couldn’t believe that Lady Malfoy
was being more kind and accepting of her than her own mother had been.

Narcissa pulled away from Ginny and opened a drawer in the chest nearby. It had intricately
painted flowers all over the veneer wood.

“These were passed down from one mother to another for generations. I want you to have
them.”

“I couldn’t possibly-”

“You haven’t looked at your gift, my dear! How can you decline it?” Narcissa laughed,
placing the wooden box into Ginny’s hands.

“It should be for your daughter.”

“Pish,” Narcissa scoffed. “This child will have too many as it is!”

Ginny reluctantly nodded, figuring that Narcissa was right, and took the wooden box from
her host. She went back to her seat and placed it on the table that had been recently cleared.

“My sister, Andromeda ran off and married a muggle for love which forced Bellatrix to have
to marry out of obligation. She didn’t provide an heir for her husband, so this keepsake went
to me.”

“Shouldn’t it go to Andromeda?”

“Perhaps it could’ve, but she ran off and forsake everything considered from the Most Noble
and Ancient House of Black. We still talk in secret.” Narcissa winked. “Open it.”

Ginny did just that. She popped the old goblin wrought lock and lifted the lid.

Inside, there was a small patch of velvet and lace that protected the inside items, and she
easily set those aside.

There were three crystal vials embedded in the velvet. They held unknown liquids adorned
with crystal stoppers and sat on the top left corner. There was a velvet satchel full of faceted
gemstones of every possible size and color. There was a collection of matching jewelry, rings,
bracelets, two necklaces, a broach, and hair pin, with star sapphires and rubies bordering
large diamonds.

Ginny gasped and gently touched the gemmy jewelry.

“You can magic them smaller to be more delicate when needed but they don’t enlarge larger
than they are now in their natural state.” Narcissa offered.

There was another satchel, one she recognized that Lavender had recently, and Ginny looked
up.

“A lady must be prepared to support herself, as well.” Narcissa said simply.

“You helped Lavender.”

“I do not like when witches are not well represented with their own means. The feeling of
being trapped in a situation makes it difficult to choose differently.”

“You didn’t like Ron for her?”

“Ron was not even a consideration in my decision to help Miss Brown,” Narcissa said
simply.

“I suspect you will reach out to the other Carrow survivors?” Ginny looked at Narcissa for a
long moment before Narcissa gave her a small smirk.

Ginny, realizing that was the only confirmation she was going to get gave a small nod.

Her attention went back to the wooden box.

“That bit of ribbon helps lift the top layer off,” Narcissa gestured towards the curl of ribbon.

Ginny did just that and there was a set of pretty ribbons, handkerchiefs, several scrolls with
wax seals, a jar of wax melts, and a wax press with an intricate design of an ocean wave and
a branch of Juniper.

Ginny looked up in question and Narcissa held out her hand. Ginny placed the wax seal in
her hand.

“Ah, I saw to this myself,” Narcissa smiled gently. “It is a wave and Juniper which is the two
meanings of the name Ginevra. Created in goblin wrought gold, as you can tell from its
weight. It is quite lovely.

“It’s too much,” Ginny gulped feeling heat rise over her face.

“It’s not every day that I can gift the mother of our best friend’s heir.”

“What?”
“The child.” Narcissa waved over Ginny’s abdomen. “I know Severus isn’t a man of many
words, but he is quite thrilled to be a father.”

Ginny started to cry and Narcissa grasped Ginny’s hand in hers while the emotions took
over.

“Best not keep such emotions in, my dear. This is a safe place but handle such affairs in
privacy elsewhere.”

“Right, of course.” Ginny took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. She squared her shoulders.
“My apologies, I am not usually a crier.”

“No apologies needed. It is the energy of new life being created that catches us off guard.”

“Right.”

“One more gift!” Narcissa rose from her chair and placed the baby in her cot before she went
into the draped wall. She opened the heavy curtain revealing a painting of a woman with red
hair parted down the middle and tight red curls sat outside. The woman featured was in a
magical portrait, so she turned and watched them carefully. Narcissa took the picture down. It
was wood with oil paints and created to catch the light favorably.

“Who is she?” Ginny asked, not recognizing the woman in the painting.

“Not a relative of mine, as she didn’t have children, but she led quite a life and thought of
herself as a tiger.”

“You jest?”

“She can speak for herself, of course, but she likes creating poems and often has the elves pen
them for her whenever she gets a chance to distract them.”

Ginny giggled. “She would enjoy Hermione’s attention, then.”

“Perhaps,” Narcissa grinned. “But she is for you. Her name is Ginevra De’ Benci and she
was painted by a magical portrait artist who happened upon a wizard in the 1400’s just
outside of Florence, Italy. His name was Leonardo Da Vinci. He studied the art of magical
painting and was able to create this one for an ancestor down the line. There’s another like it,
a twin to this one, but it is a muggle painting. She lacked jewelry, although she was born to a
wealthy Aristocratic family, and this painting was painted with the outdoor background
which was quite scandalous during that time. Usually, they were painted indoors, and the
windows were for the views outside.”

“Why do you want to give her portrait to me?” Ginny asked, smiling at Ginevra when she
smiled at her.

“Besides the fact that she looks akin to you, she reminds me of you with her bravery and
intelligence. I feel as though we were to hold her place until she went rightfully home.”

“I would be honored but my home is Hogwarts.”

“For now, perhaps, but you’re bound to Severus, dear. His home is yours as well. I will have
the portrait delivered to Spinner’s End now that it is no longer needed as a safe house.”

“Is Harry no longer there? I know he went to Shell Cottage, but I thought they’d go back or
to Grimmald-”

“No, they are hiding within the castle, dear.” Narcissa said quietly. “It’s almost time for the
battle.”

“Harry’s in the castle?” Ginny gasped. “Does Severus know?”

“Of course,” Narcissa smiled kindly. “He knows everyone coming in and out of the castle at
all times. I am sure you can ask how that went, but for now you need to get back to him and
ease his worry.”

Ginny nodded. “Thank you… for everything.”

“Have faith that all is going to work out.”

With a small smile, Ginny placed the portrait onto the hutch, picked up her box, and made her
way through the floo and right into Severus’s quarters.

…
 Twenty One: The Fall of a Death Eater
Chapter Summary

Ginny and Severus are back at Hogwarts...

Luna is Luna
Harry, Hermione, Draco have visitors who bring Breakfast.

Chapter Notes

*Mind the tags*

Trigger Warnings:
Killing of Character/ Death Scenes (because he just won't die)

Mentions *without* descriptions:

Force bonding with Con/Non-Con as punishment, Forced Pregnancy, S.A

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Chapter Twenty-One: The Fall of a Death Eater

Severus was shrinking down several plates' cups, rolls, butter, jam, and tea into a small basket
when Ginny made her way through the Floo. She smiled, handing him a shrunken wooden
box which he swiftly placed in his safe.

“I trust your night went well?” He drawled and she nodded with a slight smile.

“They aren’t anything like I thought them to be,” She offered. “I was so nervous at first,
trying to hold my own, but can see why they are your friends.”

“Everyone has pretenses, love, and we are just the same.”

“Are you going somewhere?”

“We… are going somewhere.”

“Really?” Ginny smiled, “Where?”

“I fear it may lose its charm once I mention it, as you do not have the best memories of the
place, but alas there is no other choice.”
Ginny’s smile disappeared.

There was a knock on the door before it opened. Ginny disillusioned herself quickly as
Amycus Carrow moved through the room without care or consideration. His hand was lifted,
eyes darting about the room as those who occupied the portraits swiftly moved out of view.

“Where is she?” Amycus seethed. He rushed at Severus, but Severus didn’t move or react.

Severus exhaled a sigh before his hand grasped his wand within his long robe and looked at
the frenzied wizard. “You will have to do better by saying who… she … is.”

“The small redheaded girl!”

“The one you raped and tortured because you suspected she was connected to Harry Potter?”
Severus drawled. “Why would you need access to her? Your crimes are done, Amycus.”

Amycus sneered, narrowing his eyes on Severus. “Shall I call him? I’ll tell him you’re
interfering again.”

“Go… ahead.” Severus drawled as he towered over the Grecian death eater intent to tattle as
it suited him. He was a waifish man with a Napoleon complex who was nothing more than a
bully who preyed on women and children.

Amycus rose his wand at Severus but didn’t see the stream of lightheaded right for him from
across the room. He fell, hitting his head hard on the masonry floor as blood dripped from his
head.

Severus sighed, taking out his wand and the blood flowed back into the wound on Amycus’s
head. He then vanished the blood.

“My dear, try not to kill within the castle walls,” Severus sighed. “We do not want his ghost
floundering about for eternity spouting his pompous lies. We already have one of those with
the Bloody Baron.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it,” Ginny muttered as she suddenly reappeared. The shock of
attacking her attacker caused her shake uncontrollably. “Is he dead?”

“Mostly,” Severus huffed staring at the dark wizard and handed her a potion. “Window?”

Ginny took the potion gratefully before she ran to the window. She looked and could only
see the distant mountains, the Forbidden Forest, and Black Lake. She frowned. “Probably not
a good idea to oust him out of the headmaster’s chambers.”

“Dreadfully true, my dear, but it will make us both feel better.” Severus smirked.

Ginny giggled.

“We mustn’t dally. Where one is, the other usually follows.”

“Right. Forgot about her.” Ginny frowned, staring at the door.

“We’ll deal with her later,” Severus said. “Disillusion and Notice-me-not charms should do
since I cannot shrink you and put you in my pocket.”

Ginny grinned at how playful Severus was being with her, even though she almost just killed
the man who assaulted and almost killed her and Severus. “What does he want with me?”

“I suspect his tapestry has tattled on him,” Severus said and tapped his chest where there
were copies of the tapestry that was sent to Amycus’s wife and their in-laws. “And he was
intending to cause irrevocable harm to my beloved future wife.”

“His family knows.” Ginny surmised.

“Sometimes one’s family is worse than one’s enemy.”

Ginny knew that to be true. “Where are we going?”

“You will find out soon enough,” Severus said as he was securing bindings upon the wizard.
He disillusioned the man and had him floating behind them as they moved out of the
headmaster’s rooms and into the school.

There were no students milling around as Severus had sent years one through five into the
tunnels to Hogsmeade where they would be safe. Others stayed in their dorms waiting for
their summons to fight or flee.

As they made it into the bath where the Chamber of Secrets entrance was found, Luna opened
the stall door with a bright smile.

“Hello there, Headmaster,” She smiled softly as her eyes floated around the area and landed
on a disillusioned Ginny. Her eyes widened and then landed on the bound death eater. “I see
that you’re well.”

Severus glowered over the small young woman who was way too observant. “What was your
father’s surname before marriage?”

Luna looked confused for a long moment as Severus pointed his wand at the fair-haired
witch.

“That is easy, sir. My father took on my mother’s name Lovegood, but his name is
Xenophilius Malfoy.

Severus allowed the slightest smirk before he twisted towards the entrance to the chamber.

“What are you doing in this bathroom?” Severus asked.

“Going the bathroom, of course.”

Severus nodded, knowing the girl wasn’t telling the complete truth but she was harmless.

He whispered the Parseltongue words he stole from Harry’s memories, and they watched as
the sink parted to show a doorway.
“That’s a curious place for a door, Headmaster.” Luna blinked brightly.

But Severus was already pushing the girl down onto the slide hidden within it, then Ginny,
and the hidden bound body of Amycus before he slid inside himself. He magicked the door
closed behind him.

“We have company,” Draco said as he rose to his feet and Hermione moved next to him.

“Hermione!” Luna rushed up to her friend and they grasped each other tightly. Hermione
started to cry as Ginny was quickly disillusioned and rushed to her long-lost friend.

“I missed you,” Hermione cried. “Both of you!”

“We have so much to talk about,” Ginny said as tears lined her cheeks, but then as she
opened her eyes, she saw him.

Harry Potter, stood before her with his dark green eyes tearing up. He clutched his wand, as if
he was trying to hold himself back from going to her. She noticed his hair was too long and
covered half his face, glasses. He was impossibly thin making his clothes look frumpy next to
Draco and Severus.

“Harry,” Ginny gasped, not sure how to react, but he made the choice for her and rushed up
to her, engulfing her in a tight hug.

They clutched each other tightly, breathing each other in, as they stared into each other’s
eyes. “I’m so sorry.” Harry whispered.

“He gave me the same greeting,” Draco scoffed, and Hermione jabbed him in his side,
playfully. He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her as they took in the whole
scene.

“Who’s the stiff?” Hermione asked, seeing the man bound in ropes with his face practically
crushed and turning bright purple.

“Just the man Ginny killed a few moments ago,” Severus said simply. “Had it coming, really,
although I had planned to do it myself a bit differently.”

“Why is he down here?” Draco asked.

“Well, we couldn’t keep him up in the headmaster’s quarters, Ferret!” Ginny hissed at Draco.
“No one will find him down here.”

“This is kind of where we’re living at the moment, though.” Draco said, eyes narrowed on
Ginny. “Wait... Are you wearing one of my mum’s robes?”

“Well spotted,” Ginny rolled her eyes. “It is from her home in France, but it is mine now. She
gifted it to me.”
“It’s lovely,” Luna sighed, touching the fabric on the edge of Ginny’s sleeve. “I could use
some new clothes. Most of mine went missing not long ago.”

“I’ll have mum send you some,” Draco offered, and Luna grinned, then nodded.

Ginny sat next to Harry and Severus came to sit at her other side. She held both of their hands
while Hermione and Draco looked at the three curiously.

“Oh! I almost forgot that Severus brought us breakfast,” Ginny flustered. Severus smirked in
amusement before he pulled open his robes and took out the shrunken basket. Hermione
rushed to grab it, enlarged it, and started sorting through it.

“She’s starving,” Draco said easily, and Hermione’s glare pinned him in place, making him
bite his lips shut.

“I am making our sewer home hospitable for our meal, darling,” Hermione sneered, “Never
mind my etiquette as a gracious host. What’s going on there?” she motioning towards
Severus, Ginny, and Harry.

“You want the short or long version?” Ginny muttered as she grasped a scone and started
tearing bite sized bits off to eat.

“Either,” Hermione said before taking a bite of a croissant roll that was chocolate flavored.
She stifled a moan before searching for another one just like it.

Ginny looked to Severus who shrugged his shoulders. “They will find out sooner or later, my
dear. But it is your story.”

“That guy,” Ginny pointed to the dead guy that everyone had managed to ignore existed, “Is
Amycus Carrow. He found me running through the Gryffindor corridors one night. I was
trying to get to the kitchens since they weren’t feeding the Gryffindor’s as punishment and
forbade the elves to feed us. I think he was lying in wait, expecting me or someone like me.
He pinned me with the cruciatus curse and as I was suffering the curse, he... he assaulted
me.” Ginny avoided Harry’s stare but felt him clench tightly over her hand. His other hand
found hers and she looked up to him seeing his dark, sad eyes laced with pain.

“I sorry,” He whispered. “I didn’t know.”

Ginny nodded and let out a shuddering breath. “Severus, here, wasn’t to interfere in my
assault, or anyone else’s, really, but he did. He found him, casted some hex and Amycus went
flying, but the damage… the damage was… done.”

“Amycus went to the dark lord and reported my interference in his punishments, omitting the
part where he was abusing students. I was summoned and as a punishment, he bound Ginevra
and I together.” Severus’s lips lined tightly.

“Severus saved me, twice.”

Severus frowned. “She is being kind. He forced our coupling hoping I’d sire a child off of her
and ruin myself and her. Then he bound her to me, so she has no choice but to stay with me
and I with her until either of us passes.”

“Did you?” Harry asked quietly.

Severus remained quiet for several moments before answering, “No.”

The silence and the tension stayed around the group for several long moments before Ginny
started to speak again. “I do not blame Severus for what happened to me or to us. I blame
Amycus and Moldy. It is their fault. Neither of us would have chosen this fate, but it is ours
now and we’ve vowed to make the best of it. I won’t tolerate anyone-” Ginny let out a
shuddering breath and then several more to try to calm herself. “Yesterday, while visiting the
Malfoys, I learned that I am going to have a child and the father is- was… Amycus Carrow.
Draco’s parents showed me the tapestry to prove it.”

Everyone was quiet as they took in Ginny’s words. Even their breakfast was forgotten.

“Ginevra spent the night with the Malfoy’s. She had returned moments before Carrow
broke into my office demanding her. Knowing his ill will and violence especial towards my
bonded partner, I refused. When he raised his wand to me, threatening me, she reacted
instinctively and protectively.” Severus motioned towards the corpse that laid where the lake
water was creeping forward. Severus removed the bindings, and his body undulated into the
water, mixing his seeping blood with lake water.

“What will we do with it?” Harry asked.

“The baby? I’m having my baby, Harry.”

“I meant that dead guy.” Harry squeezed her hand. “I figured you’d handle the other bit how
you deem fit.”

Ginny gave a small smile and nodded her understanding. “Thanks, Harry. I don’t know what
we should do to Amycus.”

“I meant with, not to,” Harry said. “I want to hex him. I wish he was alive so I could kill him
myself.”

“So do it,” Hermione said, licking her fingers. “Who’s going to tell? Not me. Blast him to
smithereens.”

Harry got up and raised his wand over Amycus, “This is for Ginny.” A red curse pulsed from
Harry’s wand, and they watched as the man’s body shook for the extent of the curse.

Severus got up, walked to Harry, and stood over to Amycus. He could hear the man
internally scream and that’s when he realized he was just stupefied with a head injury rather
than dying or dead.

But he would be dead soon enough.

Severus raised his wand, “I know you can hear me,” He bit out. “You don’t mess with what’s
mine.” He sent a blistering pox curse over the man who grunted.
“Ginny,” Severus called. “He’s not quite dead.”

“I cannot hear you from there. Can you take the trash out as Hermione said?”

“As you wish,” Severus drawled. A well casted curse (or four from across the room but that
can’t be confirmed or denied) hit its target. The wretched soul of the man who did his best to
reign Hell upon the children and teens of Hogwarts was sent to straight to Pluto in the
underworld.

“That’ll do,” Severus said.

“What now?” Hermione asked, sipping on some pumpkin juice as her wand was still raised.
She quickly lowered it. She knew who landed the fateful curse and she’d never tell a soul.

Girl code.

“We leave him here. The inhabitants of the lake will make quick work of him once the tide
rises.” Severus said.

Draco and Hermione shuddered, staring at Severus in astonishment. Draco asked, “Do they
do that?”

“Why do they have sharp, shark-like teeth?” Severus sighed, answering the question. “Of
course they do.”

“Once I’m killed and come back from the dead, I’m going to marry you,” Harry said making
everyone’s attention go from the body to Harry and Ginny.

“What?” Ginny gasped.

“Not… an acceptable proposal, Potter.” Severus bit out. “Besides, she is bound… to me.”

Harry shrugged. “That may be so, but she loves me.”

“Stop it!” Hermione hissed. “She can choose whomever she wants later!”

“She could still choose me,” Luna said brightly making everyone aware again that she was
even there. “I’ve always fancied you, Ginny!”

“Thanks, Luna.” Ginny smiled through her tears, her emotions getting the best of her.

Ginny turned to look at Hermione.

“I love you. You know that and perhaps I would, but...” Hermione pointed at Draco.

“Don’t let me stop you. This is every guy’s fantasy,” Draco said. “That’s pretty hot.”

Hermione laughed and nodded in agreement, “And what? You get to watch?”

“My Godfather is in shock at such a notion.” Draco added, pointing at Severus and his
intense stare at Luna. She winked at him which caused him to fluster.
“Who wouldn’t want to share Severus, Luna and Ginny and Harry, for that matter?”
Hermione said. “Every girl’s fantasy.”

“Not a hint of sarcasm detected.” Draco smirked with a wink. “I see how fast I’ve been
replaced.”

“Hermione,” Harry glared at his best friend, but she just raised her eyebrows and hands in
challenge and Harry quickly backed down. “I guess I always did want a big family.”

They all laughed, thankful the tension was broken. Breakfast (or in Hermione’s case, second
breakfast) was consumed in comfortable silence.

One done, the topic of Horcruxes came up and they talked about what the last couple could
be. Ginny and Severus said it was probably the snake and Harry, as he already knew, but they
couldn’t agree on the last one.

“We should talk to the Grey Lady, though she is quite shy,” Luna said. "Her mum was
Rowena Ravenclaw. She may know what you-know-who took. Since the other two were
token pieces of the founders, it’s probably the lost Diadem.”

“You’re bloody brilliant, Luna,” Harry said. “But how? If I can’t be seen here?”

“I can go,” Luna smiled. “They always see me wandering where Helena drifts, so it won’t be
any different.”

“We’ll all go,” Severus said. “The sooner we destroy it, the sooner he’ll come for Harry, and
we can end this.”

“We can end Voldemort’s seven pieces of eight,” Draco reiterated.

“Eight?” Harry asked.

“End him. He’s the last soul piece left,” Draco said.

“That’s right. You’re bloody brilliant,” Hermione grinned before planting a big kiss on
Draco’s cheek. He positively beamed.

“I may never get used to that.” Harry muttered.

The sound of thunder moved overhead, and they felt the fissure of energy change.

No one noticed that the waters were rising, and that the body had slipped into the water, not
quite as dead as they thought.

The feeding frenzy of Amycus’s body was swift yet horrifically painful and justified.

“He’s coming,” Luna hissed, grabbing her head and wincing in pain. “We need to hurry.”
 “Change of plans,” Severus said. “Harry and Luna go to the Grey Lady. Hermione and Draco
go to the Slytherin’s and Gryffindors and tell them to prepare for battle and then tell
Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Ginny and I will help McGonagall protect the castle to give us
some time.”

Harry nodded and quickly disappeared from view. They all went through Salazar Slytherin’s
gaping mouth and back up the stairs into ascending into the castle.

Chapter End Notes

Let the Battle Begin!

 Twenty-Two: The Last Diadem
Chapter Summary

Luna and Harry go off to find the last Diadem

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Last Diadem

...

With a passing glance, Draco saw the Order coming in through the Great Hall doors along
with countless towns people from Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley.

“I’m supposed to be dead, remember?” Draco hissed, pulling Hermione into the closest
alcove.

“Right,” Hermione blinked and pulled her wand to Draco’s face. She gave him brown curls
like hers, but not too long that they’d get in his face. His eyes were darkened to a warm
greenish blue. “That should do.”

Draco looked at himself in the reflection of the stained-glass mirror. He looked as if he was
Theo’s twin brother.

She then flicked her hair into a short fairy cut and tinted her eyes blue.

“I miss your hair already.”

“It’s temporary, Draco.” Hermione rolled her eyes before she grabbed Draco’s hand and
started pulling him down the stairs. “This way.”

Draco groaned. Hermione wasn’t fast and he felt a bit of annoyance before he switched her
places. She giggled as he dragged her along with him before they ducked into alcove after
alcove. Finally, after going up several moving sets of stairs, they wandered behind a huge
tapestry with a hidden door at the top of the stairs.

“What is this place?”

Hermione grinned. “A girl needs to have her secrets, Malfoy!”

Draco rolled his eyes but followed her.

“If you must know, it’s the secret entrance the Gryffindor prefects use to spy and surprise the
other students. We can duck in and open the window curtains and duck out. That,” she
pointed towards a window that matched all the other tower windows, “Is a fake window that
mirrors the other ones. Not that anyone notices.”

“You noticed,” Draco scoffed.

Hermione turned and pecked him on his cheek. “Yeah, I noticed. Let’s go.”

They opened up the disillusioned window door and squeezed through it before they were
engulfed in bright reds, burgundy's, and gaudy gold leaf accents. Even the books were shades
of red and gold in the towering bookcases that spun around the tower walls to the highest
eaves.

“Must everything have gold fringe?” Draco looked disgusted.

He wasn’t wrong.

“Don’t get attached to the Gryffindor library, Draco. It’s another illusion for added insulation.
It gets rather warm and cold up there sometimes.

“Where’s your bed?”

Hermione stilled and turned to look at Draco as they moved down the stairs into the common
room in concealment. “I suppose I no longer have one. It was in the prefect room until I left.
Before, it was just up the stairs over there.”

Draco looked to where Hermione was pointing, and it was a tower off to the side of
another tower. “I always wanted to see the other common rooms.”

“Well, if the tower and if we survive the battle, then we’ll christen our old rooms, how about
that?” Hermione smirked.

“Shake on it, Granger.”

Hermione rolled her eyes but easily shook his hand. “Remember, they can’t know we’re
together-together yet.”

“Right. I’ll stay hidden for now. But my wand’s out just in case.”

She nodded before dipping through the last curtain and revealing herself. “Everyone!”
Hermione yelled over the group of Gryffindor's who were stuck in the main common room.

“It’s Hermione!”

“She’s back!” Neville cried out.

The group all but swallowed her up as she felt emotional seeing them all again. It felt
momentarily odd not seeing Harry, Ginny, or Ron amongst them, but to see Finn, the twins,
Neville, and so many others, she couldn’t help but cry.
“You look different, Granger.” Fred said with a slight smile and a pat on her shoulder. “Glad
you’re back.”

Hermione could only nod as tears brimmed her eyes, especially when Lavender came to stand
besides Fred and George.

She’ll later blame it on the hormones, but she even hugged Lavender.

“We don’t have much time,” Hermione said, taking several deep breaths. But in the next
moment the doors opened, and McGonagall rushed inside, stilling right in front of
Hermione.

“My dear, girl,” She waved Hermione closer and gave the girl she often considered her
daughter an engulfing hug. “Where is he- them?” She whispered in her hair.

“D is Disillusioned... behind the curtains... just there. Protecting me, if needed. H is getting
help with Luna and Helena.”

“I am glad you’re all safe.”

Hermione cried, overcome.

“What do you need, my dear?” McGonagall asked, pulling herself away from the frail girl so
she could look her over more critically.

“Time. As much as you can give us.”

Everyone was watching the exchange between Hermione and McGonagall with anticipation
of what they may say, but Hermione was quickly shooed away by the elderly professor.

“Our school will be under attack soon... we need to protect our school!” She declared and
everyone cheered, which seemed to be quite an odd thing to be happy about. “Seventh years,
help set the wards. Sixth years, Set up the traps on the bridges!”

“You mean blow it up?” Finnegan asked with excitement.

“Kaboom!” McGonagall yelled and more cheers sounded. “Fifth years, take positions on
guard as we practiced! Go now... be careful of everyone! You don’t know whose friend or
foe, consider both accordingly!”

Draco and Hermione had snuck out the door without anyone noticing except Neville. He
followed behind them as they ran, tripping over himself as Draco suddenly appeared beside
Hermione.

Before Neville could confront Draco, they ran into Pansy Parkinson first, who stared at them
in horror.

“Interesting company you’re keeping,” Pansy glared, “Trade sides, Malfoy?”

“You’d be smart to, too” Draco bit out. “Unless you fancy Azkaban.”
“Filth really isn’t my color,” She sneered but her eyes kept darting back to Neville. Hermione
could notice a bit of emotion peeking through when she moved them through the Slytherin
great room. “Mum defected when my father died. He just randomly pointed his wand and
killed him- right in front of Mum.”

“I’m sorry Pansy,” Draco said but he noticed that she didn’t seem too upset, but it could also
be that there were other people around. “We don’t have much time. Snape wants us to warn
the Slytherins of the fight and get the ready to defend ourselves and the school.”

“I’ll do it,” Pansy said and then pointed at Neville who was holding the sorting hat under his
arm. She raised an eyebrow at him. “But he stays with me.”

“Me?” Neville sputtered and then muttered, “Why me?”

Pansy giggled.

“Ready for the snake pit, Neville?” Draco asked.

“I’ve faced the cruciatus curse five times and survived. What’s a few snakes?”

“There’s that Gryffindor pride. Let’s go then,” Pansy smirked. “Oh, and Draco?”

“Yeah?”

“We’re talking about this later,” Pansy pointed where Draco was holding Hermione’s hand.
He clutched it tighter when Hermione was trying to let it go.

“What’s to talk about?” Draco challenged. “She’s mine.”

“Hm,” Pansy’s eyes danced with mirth, “Then she better have brought Potter or all of this
fuckery is for naught.”

“Of course I have Harry,” Hermione spoke up, securing her hand around Draco’s. He
squeezed her hand back.

“What’s the sorting hat for, Longbottom?” Pansy just had to ask.

Neville didn’t answer. Instead, he reached inside of it and pulled out the Gryffindor sword in
all its glinting goblin ore glory.

“Yep. I’m with him,” Pansy said, curling her arm around Neville with a wide, sinister grin.

“Brilliant, Neville! You have the sword! Hermione clutched at his sweater and looked at him
imploringly. “Kill the snake!”

Pansy gasped in instant rage. “Rude!”

“Voldemort’s snake!” Hermione sputtered as eyes started to look over at them.

“She’s been cursed to be a piece of his soul.” Draco explained quickly. “Hunt her down and
kill the snake.”

“I shall relieve her of her head,” Neville nodded.

“That’s the spirit, Neville!” Hermione was already digging in her bag and was pulling out a
white and silver knife. “If she’s close, stab her with this. Nothing else will kill her other than
this knife and the sword. Just this knife or the sword. You have to lure her away from him
first.”

“I am not the bait,” Pansy muttered making them all laugh. “Go. Hurry. I’ll protect your
sweater swordsman.”

“Thank you, Pansy,” Hermione rushed the poor girl and engulfed her in a hug. Pansy looked
absolutely stricken.

Damn hormones again... made her a hugger.

“You get used to it,” Draco laughed. “Be careful.”

“You be careful, pretty boy.” Pansy said as she waved them off. “Don’t mess up your hair
dodging trolls again or whatever, Granger.”

Hermione grumbled.

“Have fun storming the castle,” Neville called out which made Hermione still and turn back
to Neville.

“You remembered!” Hermione said with a watery grin.

“Of course! We missed our muggle movie nights with you and Harry.”

Hermione noticed he stopped short from mentioning Ron so he must have known the truth
already. He, along with most of Gryffindor may have gone to Ron’s burial. “We missed you
all, too.”

There was a large crackling overhead making them all still and look around.

“This is all very sentimental and a waste of time! Go!” Pansy yelled again as she pulled
Neville into the Snake pit of Slytherin House.

“I think she likes you,” Draco said to Hermione as they ran towards Ravenclaw House.

“Me?” Hermione scoffed. “She clearly likes Neville.”

“Caught that, too? She’s going to have fun destroying him,” Draco laughed.

“He’ll probably enjoy it just as much as I did with you.”

Draco couldn’t help the small smile gracing his face before it disappeared.
And so did he, disappear, again, with Hermione in tow.

...

“I didn’t know ghosts could be shy,” Harry said as he shuffled under cover of his invisibility
cloak.

“Well, the last wizard she trusted charmed her and then stole her mother’s diadem and
bewitched it with dark magic. Before that, another wizard stalked her, tried to force her hand
in marriage, and when she refused him, he killed her.”

“That would do it,” Harry muttered as he tried to avoid random running students. Most were
at their posts or about to be, lined up in defense of the school alongside their parents,
grandparents, and extended family.

Harry couldn’t help but wish his parents and Godfather was there, too. He hoped that they
were there in some capacity.

“I can see the nargles multiply over your head, Harry.”

“I can’t help but think that this is the first time I’ll see my parents and Sirius again, when I
die. if I’m lucky.”

“That’s a nice thought,” Luna sighed, “Someday, I'd like to see my mum again, but I hope it
isn’t today.”

“Why do you say it’s a nice thought?”

“I know how much you must miss them. Harry,” Luna said airily. “But it will be nice once
Voldemort destroys the part of him that lies in you. You can finally be free of the strain of his
soul that has cursed you.”

“I didn’t think of it quite like that.”

“It would be quite peaceful, I imagine.”

Harry nodded even though she couldn’t really see him... at least he didn’t think she could.

“Here we are,” Luna said to the blank wall.

“Brilliant!” Harry said, “You can spot it instantly before the door appears.”

“You get a door?” Luna blinked.

“You don’t?”

“I just walk through the wall. See?” Luna felt Harry grab her hand and part of her hand
disappeared.
She couldn’t help the giddy feelings she felt holding his hand and the warmth he emanated
from it.

Luna looked around for any wisps, rips, or wrinkles that distorted her view, but she didn’t see
anything untoward, so she led them through the thick masonry walls and into the Room of
Lost Things.

“We’re looking for a diadem. It’s a tiara.”

“Right. I remember seeing one in here when I had to leave Snape’s Potions book here with
Ginny.” Harry said as he pulled off the invisibility cloak and shrunk it to fit inside the
concealed pocket of his robe where he kept it. Hermione had added it for him after Ron
pinched Harry’s cloak and claimed he didn't have it for a whole week. It finally appeared in
his trunk when McGonagall interfered and did the charms needed to find it.

That should’ve been a clue for Harry, but he genuinely thought the best of people whenever
he could.

“How lovely that you have a history of bringing girls here.”

“I suppose.” Harry flushed. “But not really a history. Just you and Ginny, really.”

“I feel honored.” Luna squeezed his hand.

They turned the corner and saw a long path with walls of things.

“It’s curious... all of the things people lose here,” Luna mused, looking around. “I wonder
what other things have been lost that don’t show up.”

“Like what?”

“Oh,” Luna sighed. “I was thinking of the purity bonds.”

“Purity bonds,” Harry muttered with a bit of confusion.

“Perhaps that’s a pureblood saying. Hmm... Muggles would call it their loss of virginity.”

“You want to lose your vir- your purity bonds in here?”

Luna grinned softly. “Thank you for your offer, Harry. Perhaps when the battle is over.”

“Right,” Harry’s mind was reeling as he stared at Luna incredulously. He hadn’t given his
friend much thought, but she really was quite beautiful and as his mind went to the
conversation with Snape and Ginny, he wondered if Luna was serious about being part of his
family with Ginny... and Snape.

“Look, Harry. It’s just there,” Luna pointed, and Harry looked to where she was gesturing.
On top of a mannequin head was the diadem. They ran to it and Harry could feel the dark
energy emulating off of it in smokey waves.
“Do you want to do the honors?” Harry asked Luna. “It may try to fight you on it. Some are
rather vile.”

“Sure, Harry.” Luna said. “It will be lovely to release the darkness inflicted upon such a
lovely gift of knowledge from our first house mother, Rowena. Maybe then she, and her
daughter, can be at peace.”

“I forgot you were a Ravenclaw since you’re always with us. So, I guess it’s only fitting that
you get to fix what was stolen from your house and make it right.”

“That is very kind,” Luna smiled. “Thank you, Harry.”

“Just... try not to touch it too much,” Harry said before he put the Basilisk tooth in her hand.

Luna looked at it while closing her fingers around it, adjusting her grip.

Then, it was as if she was twirling in a dance at the Yule Ball, before the diadem fell to the
ground in a clang.

Harry looked at it and saw that the Diadem was speared with the tooth right through the blue
gem and goblin wrought silver.

“Did I get it okay? I can stab it again for good measure.”

“Yeah, let’s stab it again.” Harry said, using his hand to feel the dark energy of it, but he
didn’t feel it like he usually did. He pulled the tooth out of the diadem. “Something usually
happens when his soul escapes and I didn’t feel it.”

“Hm,” Luna looked at the warped silver. “I can.”

“Do you want me to do it?”

“No. It has to be me,” she said as she stared at it.

“It’s speaking to you, isn’t it?” He gathered, and Luna nodded. “Don’t listen, it lies.”

Luna’s eyes darted towards Harry. “What kind of lies?”

“What’s it saying? I can’t hear it.”

“It’s trying to convince me that it will make me beautiful if I would just try it on.”

“You are already beautiful, Luna. It just wants you to put it on because that is how it will
curse you.”

“I know,” Luna smiled and reached for his hand. “I can have untold riches, intelligence,
beauty... It’s trying to appeal to one’s ego and vanity.”

“You are already all of those things to me,” Harry whispered. He curled his other hand over
hers and they stabbed the diadem with all of their combined force.
The Diadem hissed, popping off the table like popcorn in oil. It started to smoke, grasping at
the air as if it was seeking a head. The curling, smoking hands clawed the ground as it tried to
reach them. Harry jostled on his feet, feeling weak. Luna took the tooth and stabbed it again
and again until every jewel was mere shards of useless glass instead of a priceless gemstones.
The goblin ore was bent and tarnished, showing its age as it melted on the slate floor.

Instantly Harry was pulled into Voldemort’s mind as he screamed in agony, twisting around
to face his followers, grasping his head and clawing at his skin as if he was trying to grab at
where the diadem would be placed on his head. He was bleeding blackened goo, as his
followers took steps away from him while others chose that moment to deflect.

Nagini hissed, recoiling around his leg before she unfurled away from him when he tried to
grab onto her.

Voldemort clutched the elder wand, feeling it in his hand before he forced his stiff hand
around it. He turned and saw Bellatrix’s wide, insane eyes staring back at him.

She ran to him, careful to not get too close, “My lord?”

Voldemort hissed at her.

Harry recoiled as is he was in pain, his fingers pressing too hard into his eyes as if he was
trying not to see the images haunting his mind.

“His teeth are pointed and are no longer human. He has elongated fangs that tore into his lips.
His arms and legs have scales coating all over his body and his tongue, when it just whipped
out to taste the air, was forked like a snake.”

“Harry?” Luna pulled him into her lap.

“He’s not... he looks like the snake.” Harry bit out. “No longer like a man.”

“A snake wearing human clothes,” Luna giggled, distracting Harry from the warping images
in his mind as they started to fade away and the connection dissipated. “He sounds like a
boggart.”

Harry scoffed, out a laugh, “Yeah.” He still felt the edge of Voldemort’s rage and insanity.

Voldemort screamed, twisting towards the castle with his wand outstretched as white hot
liquid energy flung from his wand straight at the protective dome over the castle.

The others followed suit, pointing their wands and casting what they could against the
protective ward.

Moments later, they saw the protective shell of magic fracture and fall.

Harry fell to the floor in exhaustion as the images of Voldemort were forced out of his mind.
“Perhaps destroying the diadem destroyed the image of what was left of his humanity.” Luna
offered easily.

“Yeah,” Harry felt the sickening feeling of the cold sweats resurfacing, prickling at his skin.

They could hear screams from beyond the room. Large booming spells bombarded the castle
breaking the ancient stones into ruins.

“Just me, him, and the snake are left to end this.” Harry muttered, rubbing at his scar. It stung
as if fire was trying to escape the thick, warped wound.

“I think you might be right.” Luna said.

Harry slowly got up to his feet and saw some extra wands on the table. He grabbed them as
Luna was scooping the shards of crystal and lump of silver that was left of the diadem and
putting it into a leather pouch.

“What will you do with those?”

“It’s an offering to Helena to show we kept our promise. Perhaps then she can move on.”

Harry grinned, cupped the back of her Luna’s head and pulled her to him. Luna gasped, as
Harry wrapped his arms around her. She looked up at him before Harry pressed his lips over
hers.

All too soon, they had to pull away and they ran hand in hand out the door, grabbing random
things as they went that might be of use in the battle.

Luna managed to find Snape’s Potion’s book when it appeared before her, and she put it in
her pocket.

...
 Twenty-Three: Kill the Snake
Chapter Summary

Nagini has to go...

Cliffhanger, but 24 should be up tomorrow.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Kill the Snake

...

Draco saw his mother and father standing behind Lord Voldemort way off in the distance
which was a good reminder that some people were inherently good, but stuck on the wrong
side, and others were inherently bad and hiding on the good side.

Voldemort sent the first round of Snatchers darting towards the bridge as they screamed their
battle cries off to attack the very school they probably loved and learned in at one time.

The beloved castle that was once their home.

And perhaps in a twist of fate or karma as muggles liked to call it, others watched in shock
and horror as those very snatchers and wicked witches, wizards, and creatures ran straight
into death’s rigidly cold hands. Like bugs flying into the voided light, zapped from existence
and instantly disintegrated into thin air, and to their afterlife.

Some, temporarily lucky one’s stumbled to a stop just before the magical veil of protection
casted over Hogwarts. They sneered, testing the ward with sticks as they, too, dissolved into
nothing.

Voldemort, seeing such a calamity, could barely hold his fury, his thin upper lip curling in
distaste at being temporarily bested by such miniscule magical folks.

But with a swift curl of his arm and an unnecessary scream, Voldemort sent the protection
wards crackling down in a dome of fizzling energy.

Draco caught his mother’s eye and touched his nose with the tip of his finger, remembering
he was in a disguise. She followed suit, before her eyes landed on Hermione.

Whispering wards of protection upon them, as any mother would do, she fell back in line just
as the second wave of snatchers and werewolves tentatively made it passed the crackling
magic and then onto the bridge.

A small wizard, not more than a year five, was tasked to bravely stand at the edge, waiting
for as many of the snatchers to get on the bridge as possible before setting it aflame. He
mounted his broom and rushed through the covered bridge in zigzag moves that would make
any seeker proud.

Casting hexes on the boy was for naught, they should have concentrated more on running,
before their screams echoed through the rocky cliffs where many of those witches and
wizards instantly fell to their deaths.

“Quite sad to see them perish so needlessly” Narcissa murmured to Lucius. “Even if they had
it coming.”

“You can tell who studied their spells and enchantments, my darling. Any first year should
know a cushioning charm when falling to their demise.” Lucius drawled.

“Perhaps it was best they did not,” Narcissa said as she watched Voldemort seethe at
something unseen in his head.

“Oh, what now?” Lucius muttered. Only Narcissa could hear him.

“Wrath incoming,” Narcissa raised her eyebrow expectantly.

It was times like these that Voldemort reminded her of when Draco was in diapers pitching a
fit that he couldn’t have a sweet when he demanded it.

“They must have taken another piece,” Lucius narrowed his eyes on Voldemort screaming as
black, blood began spitting out from his mouth.

Narcissa nodded, and took in a sharp breath in shock as Voldemort's sharp teeth broke the
delicate grey skin of his flesh. His black eyes turned red with slitted pupils of an albino viper
that darted all around, seeking a target or threat.

Nagini recoiled into herself with a hiss as Death Eaters started apparating away.

“Fools!” He seethed, turning the elder wand at the first person he saw, and he destroyed the
dark wizard with a quick killing curse.

The man grunted before falling onto the ground.

Dead.

Lucius stiffened, darting a worried glance towards Narcissa before his sister-in-law slithered
forward.

“My lord?” Bellatrix stepped closer, stumbling with a hand raised in caution, as she eyed the
dead wizard that lay a foot away.

Kid gloves with the petulant one, of course, and proceed with caution.

Voldemort ignored her.

Instead, he turned his attention to the whole castle and decided it would be better to intrude
on everyone’s mind in an instance. Subliminally, he casted his slithery, menacing voice into
the minds of students and adults alike.

Faint screams could be heard from a distance as Lucius grabbed Narcissa’s hand, pulling her
closer and slightly behind him.

“Give me... Harry Potter... and you will be rewarded!” He hissed, spitting putrid blood on the
ground. “You have one hour...” His voice echoed through the halls of Hogwarts and
embedded into the masonry.

Lucius and Narcissa watched as Bellatrix tended to Voldemort’s bloodied mouth. His hands
were shaking, they noticed, and he could barely hold onto the elder wand.

“Be safe, Draco.” Lucius whispered.

“Be safe, Harry and Hermione,” Narcissa nodded.

Bellatrix fell to the ground, no doubt pushed away again, before Voldemort slithered into the
forbidden forest.

He held his hand out for the snake, but she was already gone.

...

Neville watched the Dark Lord as he apparated from his spot in just outside the castle and
disappeared.

“Did he take the snake with him?” Pansy asked. “I can’t tell.”

“She’s gone... he must have,” Neville said. “Don’t let them see your weapon,” Neville said,
pulling her robes over her hand. “If they see it, they will use it against us.”

“So, what do we do?” She asked, using a sticking charm to adhere the odd colored knife to
her hand.

“We wait,” He shrugged. They watched the bridge go down spectacularly and all of the
statues jumping off their posts to fight for the school.

The two were disillusioned and waiting for when the snake showed herself, but it seemed like
it would take the hour.

“Do you think Harry will go?” Pansy asked, seeing the spiders moved up the cliffs towards
the castle too easily.

“I don’t know,” Neville said. He quickly casted a spell over the area in front of them and
around the edges of the cliffs. It wasn’t much but it was nice to see the spiders popping dead
as soon as they hit the ward. They quickly backed off and sought another way into the castle.
This time, Pansy helped, putting their wands together and creating another, stronger ward.

“What’s you’re greatest fear?” Neville asked, “besides the spiders.”

“They are my current fear, not my greatest fear,” Pansy laughed. “I don’t really make it a
habit to think about what fears me.”

“No?”

“No.” Pansy sighed. “Knowledge of such things can be used against you.”

“Just name one,” Neville said.

“Why? Do you have a boggart in that hat?” She snickered. “I know an excellent spell for that,
you know.”

“As do I,” Neville grinned. “I still think of Snape dressing like my gran.”

“Believe me, Longbottom, we all do,” Pansy smiled but then flicked her wand at a stream of
black moving fuzzies seeking a hole in the ward.

They all fell dead into the surrounding Lake.

In the distance there were grand fights going on with heroic casting against all kinds of
creatures and dark witches and wizards. Trolls were batting giant clubs at people as the
witches and wizards hexed them.

“I’ll go first.”

“Okay.”

“I used to fear my parents never waking up healed, but as I got older, I realized that they
don’t know the difference- them then and them now. Bellatrix tortured them until the damage
was too much. I think too much time has passed. If they were to wake up healed, I don’t
know how they would handle it or have a normal life.”

Pansy was quiet for a long moment.

“I’m afraid that we will miss, and that we won’t be able to kill the snake.” Pansy said as she
stared at the bone carved knife in her hand. It had been meticulously cut, and she could only
think of Draco who would spend the time to do it.

“We will be successful,” Neville said.

“You can’t know that for sure.” Pansy frowned.

Neville pulled out a small phial from his robes. “Snape gave this to me months ago. He said
he wasn’t sure I when I would need it, but not to use it until the battle. I’ve carefully hidden it
for months.”
“I loathe carrying potions on my person,” Pansy said. She eyed the potion carefully. It was in
a beautiful intricately cut crystal bottle with a waxy seal over the stopper. Other than it being
clear, it gave no clues on what it could be.

“Well, it’s the battle and so we might as well use it.” Neville took it from her hands, removed
the crystal stopper, and took a swig of it. Then, he handed the other half to Pansy.

She eyed Neville nervously, waiting for the poison to set in and for him to keel over, but it
never happened. She decided that since he didn’t die, she could trust him and tipped the rest
of liquid to flow down her throat.

In an instant she felt the fissures of energy rush through her.

“You feel it too?” Neville asked, getting up from his spot on the castle’s wall.

“Yeah, what is it?” Pansy licked her lips, trying to place the potion but it alluded her.

Neville quickly set up more wards around the perimeter of the school just in case the spiders
kept coming. Soon, he knew they would jump the wards and seek out their prey, but
hopefully his enchantments and wards would slow them down.

“It’s Liquid Luck.” Neville grinned. “Let’s go find the snake.”

Pansy’s shock was quickly registered on his face before she grinned. “I think I know where
she’ll be.”

“How do you think we’ll find the snake?” Neville wondered from behind a broom closet
door. They were on the second floor just beyond where the staircases merged towards a larger
set that didn’t move.

There was fighting all around them, and from their spot, they set hexes, spells, and shields to
the witches and wizards desperately trying to face off against monsters and other dark
wizards.

Neville set some wards around their broom closet.

There was a dead, rotting rat that was lying on floor in between the two sets of stairs.

“Where did you find that rat?” Pansy asked, glaring at the pulsing flesh oozing with blood.

“It was a pet of the Weasley’s, long dead.”

“Doesn’t look quite dead.”

“It’s not real, Pansy.” Neville said. “It’s a lure for the snake to come have a snack.”

“Oh, brilliant.” Pansy grinned. “I hope it works.”

“It depends on when she last was fed and if she’s still hungry.” Neville whispered. “Someone
is coming!”

They watched as Hermione and a disguised Draco were running up the staircase. They were
throwing rocks at a huge snake that was trying to lunge and strike at them.

“There she is!” Pansy giggled gleefully.

The snake disappeared and reappeared over and over, trying to get a better position to attack
with the element of surprise. Draco warded Hermione as she bounded forward to strike the
snake with a basilisk tooth.

“I have an idea,” Draco yelled. “Do you trust me?”

“With my life,” Hermione yelled as she fell down several steps when the snake bounded
around to bite her.

Draco pulled out a small silver pin or brooch and put it to his lips. There was no sound when
he blew into it, but the snake recoiled into a slithering ball.

Hermione lunged forward but missed hitting the snake again.

It was as if Nagini had a psychic gift of perceiving the attack before it hit.

“What is that, a dog whistle?”

“Dumbledore bequeathed it to me,” he said. “I have no idea what it is, but- Watch out!”

Hermione twisted away just as the snake tried to twist around her ankle. Nagini hissed baring
all of her teeth and long fangs. Then the snake bounded forward and snapped her fangs right
at Hermione, embedding her fangs into the concrete where Hermione was just seconds
before.

“Back off, love,” Draco yelled and then pointed towards the door of the broom closet.

There, lying in wait, was Neville with the sword of Gryffindor and one of the basilisk tooth
knives Draco carved and sharpened in Pansy’s hand.

But if Hermione could see them, the snake could, too.

Overhead, there was a cawing noise. Like the flames from the surrounding torches soared the
bright red and yellow bird that was missing since Dumbledore died.

Fawkes, the Phoenix, swooped overhead causing everyone’s distraction.

Except the snake.

Hermione gasped.
The python bit her, venom pulsing into her body.

The Phoenix cried out, her vibrating caw echoed throughout the stone walls before she darted
right at the snake and gouged and tore into Nagini’s eyes.

Nagini released Hermione instantly, jeering backwards to get away from the bird.

But Fawkes wasn’t done.

She grabbed the snake within the clutches of her golden claws and lifted the bloodied,
wounded snake high into the air.

Neville moved out of the closet, sword in hand, and awaited the snake's inevitable fall.

He watched the Phoenix, seeing her striking face turn toward him, and it’s release of the
maimed snake with a measured glance.

He swung the sword with a warrior scream, and the snake’s head fell onto the ground,
followed by her body.

Pansy swung her knife right into the skull of the snake. “That’s for biting my new friend
Hermione, you bitch!” The snake hissed its last bit of life and fell dead.

But all the sudden, all the dead trapped souls that Nagini killed and was hoarding within her
were instantly released into the ethers, and finally free.

“How Slytherin of you,” Neville smirked. “You killed the snake, after all.”

“It was clearly a team effort,” Pansy grinned as she waved her hand over the snake’s head
and all the flesh seemed to disappear leaving only the bony skull with the Basilisk tooth
embedded in it. Pansy shrunk the skull down and put it into her robe as if the snake never
existed. She then vanished the rat carcass before she noticed the Draco was frantic and
fumbling over Hermione’s body.

“What happened?” Pansy moved passed Neville, rushing to Hermione’s side. She noticing he
wasn’t aware that Hermione was hurt, either. They were so concentrated on the snake that
they didn’t notice that Nagini had bit Hermione.

“Venom,” Draco hissed.

“Is she okay?” Neville kneeled next to Draco as he was trying to get her lifeless body to
come back to life. The blond dumped numerous potions down her throat, and they dripped
out from the side of her mouth.

“Clearly not,” He bit out. “Come back to me, my love.” Draco said, barely noticing that the
phoenix landed on his shoulder and was looking down at Hermione’s body from her glassy
golden eyes.

Draco cried out, pulling her to him, after he tried to get the venom out of her arm. It wasn’t
lost on him that the snake had bit her on the same arm that she was tortured.
Neville casted a diagnostic over Hermione’s head and he could see the small fluttering light
that showed Hermione’s weakening heartbeat.

“We did not come all this way, for you to die on me!” Draco cried out, shaking her. “Come
on, Hermione!”

“Draco,” Pansy whispered, watching the glowing light diminish before their eyes. “She’s
gone.”

“NO!” Draco reeled backwards, pushing Pansy away from them.

He pulled at the small, beaded bag and ripped it open, and his wand wobbled within his grasp
over it.

“Accio, anti-venom!” Draco bit out but nothing came out. “Accio Dittany!”

“It’s almost empty,” Pansy said, handing the phial to Draco. He pulled off the stopper with
his teeth and began to pour it over Hermione’s wounds.

“Go!” Draco, cried out... “ G-get Snape.”

“Draco,” Pansy gently touched his shoulder. “There’s no vitals we can find.”

“They’ll be okay... they have to be!”

“They?” Neville asked, looking at Pansy who shrugged.

“I can’t do this by myself, you stubborn witch!” Draco pulled open Hermione’s robes and
lifted up her shirt, placing his hand on her belly, whispering protective charms over her
stomach where their unborn baby was nestled and stasis charms on Hermione. “Episky!
Ossio Dispersimus! Raparifors!” Draco casted every healing spell he could think of, and the
magic was jolting Hermione’s body with each hit.

Pansy and Neville got up to their feet and watched as Draco cried over Hermione’s lifeless
body. As they stepped away, they noticed what they didn’t see up close.

Fawkes was right there with Draco, crying over her body, too.

“Let’s go find Snape,” Neville said quietly, grabbing Pansy’s hand in his, “He’ll know what
to do.”

Pansy nodded.

They sent a Protego to protect them from anyone stumbling upon them and ran down the
stairs, right into the battle.

...
 Twenty-Four: Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, Come to Die
Chapter Summary

Voldemort and Harry Potter's Battle Royale

Chapter Notes

Possible Trigger Warning:

Talk of the possibility of miscarriage of the Malfoy heir due to Hermione's injuries. I did
(vaguely) research venomous snake bites and pregnancy and based her care/concerns
based on that. Remember, she is Hermione Granger, and she also got some Phoenix tears
from the last chapter. Carry on.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Chapter Twenty-Four: Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, Come to Die...

...

Narcissa felt a jolt of pain in her stomach that instantly took her breath from her body.

Her eyes went wide in fear, finding Lucius.

“Draco?” He mouthed and she nodded so minutely that it wouldn’t register to anyone but
them.

“No sign of him, my Lord,” A meek death eater bravely or stupidly reported the obvious to
the dark lord.

“I thought he would come,” Voldemort whispered in woeful disbelief, albeit loud enough for
all of them to hear. He turned, catching the dark, wild eyes of his lover, Bellatrix in his hate
filled gaze as his long, clawed fingers fumbled with the elder wand.

Bellatrix instantly bowed, diverted her eyes from him to the ground, so she wouldn’t be
perceived as a threat and Voldemort turned behind him to see the wizard who spoke.

The meek death eater’s eyes were lined with dark circles, stress lining deep in his face as he
began to back away with each step Voldemort took towards him.

But then there were footsteps in the woods, just beyond the clearing.
Bellatrix gasped, her head twisting from the tree line towards Voldemort and back again as
her mouth sneered into a sinister rotten grin.

Harry appeared before them in the distance, in the wide open just outside the tree line.

Behind Harry, were the unseen spirits of James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, and Tonks that he had
just saw and conversed with through the help of the resurrection stone.

Voldemort watched Harry warily as he stepped over the thick leaves and roots lying over the
forest floor.

“Harry! No!” Hagrid cried out. He was bound and held by ropes by his captors, “What are ye
doing ‘ere?!”

“Quiet!” The frail wizard with the wild eyes hissed at Hagrid, pulling at the rope bindings.
Hagrid was forced to kneel on the ground.

Harry and Voldemort just stared at each other.

Voldemort's stare was in shock and confusion, before the slightest glint of glee that Harry had
come as summoned.

Harry’s glare was full of contempt and acceptance of his fate.

“Harry Potter,” Voldemort cooed, not that Harry responded to him.

Harry huffed out a breath, looking at all of the people surrounding Voldemort.

He saw Narcissa and Lucius staring at him with practiced, stoic eyes.

“The boy who lived... come to die,” Voldemort raised his hand and pointed his wand right at
Harry.

Harry closed his eyes.

“Avada Kedavra!” Voldemort shouted and the whole forest filled with white, blinding light as
Harry Potter’s body fell to the ground.

Dead.

“Is he dead?” Bellatrix hissed, staring at the lifeless body lying on the ground.

Narcissa could barely hold back her emotions.

She knew, she supposed, that Harry Potter had to die, and Voldemort had to be the one to do
it, but seeing it was quite horrific. Seeing the corpse grey snake-like dark lord giddily glad
that he finally killed the Harry Potter, a child... a child her son’s age... a child that he tried to
kill once before as a baby and instead killed the poor lad’s mother and father... was quite
devastating.

She couldn’t help but see Harry as her own son and she felt the rage boiling within her.

She thought of Draco and how he could very well be in a similar state somewhere in the
castle.

She barely registered Lucius reaching out to stop her, but she was already stepping forward
towards the boy that had helped Draco survive countless times, and the best friend of her
soon-to-be daugh-

Narcissa took a sharp breath in, cleared her mind, and caught herself before she let too much
information out of her spiraling thoughts.

She kneeled in front of the body of the ‘boy who lived,’ and stared at him for several seconds.

Harry was alive and barely breathing.

Faking his death.

“Is he alive? Draco... is he alive?” Narcissa whispered.

She watched as Harry’s head moved, giving off the slightest nod.

Narcissa could feel the relief move through her veins.

She turned her head, seeing her sister standing there, pale and rotting, and looking
imploringly at the news of this boy’s demise at the hand of her lover.

She saw her husband, nose up to ethers, looking down on everyone and heavily occluding.
He clutched the head of his cane in his hand, ready.

Her eyes then moved towards the putrid, grey, snake-like animated corpse that was
Voldemort. She saw his red eyes eagerly awaiting her answer as his razor-sharp teeth peeked
from two thinly lined lips.

“Dead,” Narcissa announced.

...

Snape apparated to the staircase, which was much faster than running in thick wool robes.

He had left Pansy and Neville to fight in his wake as he grabbed Draco and Hermione and
twisted in wafting black smoke.
He told the duo to pay no mind to the Carrow sister, who was lying newly dead on the ground
outside the Potions classroom.

The dark witch had confronted Severus and demanded Ginevra to be presented to her, along
with her missing brother, Amycus.

Quite the impossible feat since Amycus was currently being digested within the well-fed
bellies of countless Grindylows.

Besides, Snape was not one to take any further orders from those beneath him, or anyone in
general, really.

He barely noticed the way she fell, crumpled on the floor close to where she had inflicted
many, many curses of pain upon the children she was supposed to protect.

He noticed Draco was still in disguise and was draped over Hermione’s lifeless body.

“What happened?” Severus asked as he laid a comforting hand on Draco’s back. He also
noticed that Fawkes was back, somehow.

“Nagini bit her,” Draco cried as his hands fluttered over her body and used his wand to pull
out the venom from the bite wound.

“And the bird?”

“She came when I blew the whistle device Dumbledore left me in his will,” Draco said
simply.

He didn’t show his Godfather the whistle, but Severus had a good idea that it was the broach
Dumbledore once shared a blood pact he had made with Grindelwald as teenagers, ensuring
neither could kill the other. The broach was said to have been stolen by a niffler belonging to
Newt Scamander. Dumbledore and Grindelwald fought over control of it as it contained a
blood binding curse with his lover, the late dark wizard, Grindelwald for years before
Dumbledore got it back.

“I see.”

It wasn’t well known how Dumbledore got the Phoenix, as they were incredibly rare, but it
was rumored that it was attached to the Dumbledore family line.

Since there was only one remaining Dumbledore heir alive, the elderly wizard Aberforth
Dumbledore, and Aberforth’s son had long passed away, it was easy to assume there wouldn't
be any more heirs from the Dumbledore line. Albus Dumbledore bequeathed the birthright to
Draco.

Snape started whispering spells over Hermione’s body but noticed that there was little
change.

They could hear the battle dissipating above them, even though not all took Voldemort’s
command to stop and honor their dead to heart.
They kept fighting.

“She’s alive, barely.” Severus could feel the faintest heartbeat coming from Hermione as a
breath barely shuttered out of her dehydrated lips.

“I know,” Draco said.

“It was careless to let her fight.” Severus bit out. “Especially in her condition and against
Nagini, Draco-”

“You try to tell Hermione Granger not to do something,” Draco countered with a scoff, and
both gave a knowing smirk. “She told me she lit your robes on fire her first year, so you
know she’s fearless.”

“She did,” Severus could only manage a small lift of the corner of his mouth at the memory
of the gifted little witch. She had managed to cast bluebell flames from afar and it was that
feat that was his first indication that she was a savant when it came to magic.

Moving through the stores of potions and ingredients, he finally came across the antivenom
potion and salves that he needed. He pulled the pipette out of the phial and dropped it over
the wound, seeing the flesh fizz and then close.

Hermione’s breath faltered and Draco instantly went back and fussed over her, doing a new
set of diagnostics over her body that showed that she was slowly healing.

Snape felt the burn on his arm and let out an uncontrollable shudder.

Draco was staring at his dark mark with a clenched jaw and fists.

“We must go,” Snape announced. “Remember, you are dead so you mustn’t be seen.”

“I remember,” Draco said staring at Hermione as she was cradled in his arms.

“She’ll be okay for the moment if you feel called to go.” Snape said with a long stare. He
opened his robe and pulled out an extra wand.

It was Draco’s missing wand.

“Where did you find that?”

“One mustn’t ask questions they don’t want the answer to,” Snape drawled. “Just in case.”

Seeing Draco holding Hermione reminded him of the night Lily was killed, and how he held
her lifeless body in his arms, begging her to come back to him as her son cried in his crib.

But she died protecting Harry Potter.

Now, years later, Severus and so many others were willing to do the same for Lily’s son.

“You will know what to do... when the time comes.”

Draco eyed the wand warily. It still didn’t feel like it aligned back to him. He would need to
get another wand someday when all of this was over.

“Let’s go.” Draco said and he grabbed Severus’s arm to sidelong, reluctantly leaving
Hermione safely behind his protective wards.

...

Voldemort walked over the stone bridge that separated the castle and the land surrounding the
lake. He moved the dead creatures, witches and wizards into the lake below with a mere
wave of his hand. His eyes were darting all around, no doubt looking for his beloved snake
that was still missing. Several of his most devoted servants followed just behind him.

After Harry died, Lucius noticed that Voldemort seemed weaker, stumbling and crippling
forward, seemingly out of breath. To others, it may not have meant anything, but to Lucius he
knew something had to have happened to garner such a reaction somewhat recently.

Something bigger than just killing Harry Potter’s horcrux.

Behind him, Bellatrix skipped around in glee, staring at the war-torn castle.

She was always looking for a fight and she would find one, most likely with a witch or
wizard she could easily torture and defeat.

Narcissa and Lucius followed as well, mostly because they had no other choice, and their
absence would be noticed.

“One or two more to go,” Lucius muttered, clutching at Narcissa’s hand. “We need to find
him.”

“Them,” She corrected and gave a curt nod in agreement. “And we will. Until this is over, he
cannot be seen, my love.”

Narcissa turned behind her.

Hagrid carried the lifeless body of Harry Potter and the half giant’s eyes narrowed on the
blonde witch. She raised her finger to her mouth in a motion for silence so fast that it was as
if it never happened.

It could have been a wee scratch on her nose to unknowing eyes.

“Hagrid knows,” Narcissa pushed the thought into Lucius’s mind and heard the slightly
shuddering breath leave her husband’s body.

Finally, they moved through the rubble and into the courtyard.

The greenhouses were shattered, the stained-glass windows lay in jagged rainbows amongst
the masonry and toppled clay pots.
Mandrakes screamed, waving their stout arms tipped with leaves angrily as they tried to dig
and root themselves into the ground.

There were dead giant spiders put in a pile of hairy legs and thorax’s where Slughorn was
greedily syphoning out their venom and blood into jars with his wand before he stopped to
see the dark lord and the death eaters surrounding him.

Other witches and wizards stumbled forward, seeing Harry seemingly dead in Hagrid's arms.

“No! No!” Ginny screamed, only to be held back by her father, Arthur.

“SILENCE! Stupid girl!” Voldemort sneered, recoiling at the young witch. “Harry Potter is
dead.” He taunted. “From this day forth, you put your faith... in me.”

There were gasps around the vast space, everyone seeing Hagrid holding a lifeless Harry
Potter, cradling him like one would an injured child. Voldemort turned away and faced the
dark wizards and witches that followed him.

“Harry Potter is dead.” Voldemort declared again.

There’s an array of sinister and nervous laughter, but none louder than Bellatrix who is giddy.

Voldemort beamed with a wide, jagged tooth smile. His hands spread wide as if he was trying
to gain the euphoria of the moment.

“Ha hah ha!” Voldemort laughed. It’s unhinged and set everyone back into abject horror and
silence. “And now is the time to declare yourself. Come forward and join us...Or die.”

The shocked, battered crowd look on, terrified.

Draco stood in the doorway, far removed from the group. He looked at Voldemort, then
Harry, and finally his parents before he moved back into the shadows.

No one moved forward as Voldemort grew more agitated with every passing second.

Neville limped forward with the sorting hat dangling limply in hand.

Voldemort eyed him warily before it turned to amusement. “Well, I must say I hoped for
better.”

The death eaters laughed in delight.

“And who might you be, young man?” Voldemort bit out.

Neville Longbottom.” Neville declared with his face to the side, staring down at the rubble at
his feet.

Laughter rose again and even Voldemort grinned.

“Well, Neville, I’m sure we can find a place for you in our ranks.”

“I’d like to say something,” Neville declared quickly.

Voldemort hissed a sneer and balled his long, ashy fingers into a fist, barely containing the
contempt he was feeling.

“Well... Neville,” Voldemort spat. “I’m sure we’d all be fascinated to hear what you have to
say.”

“Doesn’t matter that Harry’s gone-”

“Stand down, Neville!” Seamus Finnegan shouted.

“People die every day,” Neville turned towards Finnegan, “Friends, family... yeah... we lost
Harry tonight... he’s still with us- in here,” He points to his heart. “So is Remus, Tonks, all of
them. They didn’t die in vain. But you will!” He turns back to face Voldemort who laughed in
his face “Because you’re wrong! Harry’s heart did beat for us... for all of us!” Neville yells
as Voldemort continued his laughter. “It’s not over!”

Neville pulled the sword of Gryffindor from the sorting hat, and it is glinted reddish brown
with dried blood and Voldemort stared at it in disbelief. His laughter died as Harry Potter,
who was very much alive, jumped out of Hagrid’s arms and onto the castle ground’s floor.

Draco ran to where Harry went for cover and threw him the wand that Severus had left
behind, understanding exactly what his Godfather intended for it.

Voldemort yelled in frustration and anger, casting curses at Harry as he ran for cover, casting
his own curse back at Voldemort with the wand from Draco.

Death Eaters started apparating away.

“Come back and fight!” Bellatrix screamed as Voldemort saw his most devoted servants
scatter and abandon him in dismay.

“Move everyone into the castle!” Harry said, as McGonagall shielded the blows casted
against them as everyone moved inside. “We have to kill the snake!”

“The snake is dead,” Neville scoffed loudly, eyeing Voldemort’s face as it crumpled in anger.

“No!” Voldemort screamed, pointing his wand at Neville and casting a curse at him.

Neville held fast the sword and flew backwards through the doors and onto the ground.

Harry rushed through the halls followed closely by Voldemort.

...

“Point me,” Narcissa said, and watched as her wand moved towards the left.
They, Lucius and Narcissa, started to down the castle stairs towards the dungeons.

With several more hits on Draco, Narcissa moved through the dark, damp halls, passed the
Slytherin common room. They noticed it was leaking lake water and seemed to have been hit
with some kind of magic that caused a barred jail cell door in the entrance.

She watched as Lucius casted a mending spell on the leak.

Then, they slipped around the body of a woman who laid just outside the Potions door after a
quick glance around and went through the door.

Instantly, there was a wand at Lucius’s throat. “The name change I wanted for Harry-”

“Leirion,” Lucius bit out.

Snape released him but he stayed close with his wand at the ready.

Narcissa made her way to Hermione and checked her vitals. Hermione was under a stasis
charm, and she was laid over layers of blankets and cushioning charms.

She looked peaceful, as if she was sleeping.

“Nagini bit her,” Draco answered his mother’s unanswered question. “We gave her
antivenom and are waiting for it to kick in. We’re not sure the amount of damage the venom
created within her yet.”

“What about your son?” Lucius asked Draco but he stared down at his wife and his future
daughter-in-law. Narcissa was mothering her, cleaning her clothes with spells, creating
fluffier bedding, conjuring up cold compresses for her head and warming towels over
Hermione’s feet.

“I don’t-” Draco’s face fell. He couldn’t think of that at the moment. He was hyper-fixated on
Hermione and not losing her that he could think of little else.

“Don’t stress, Dragon. There are vital readings on the Malfoy heir as well.” Narcissa said
quietly.

“Yes. So far,” Snape frowned. “Luckily, it is not likely that Miss Granger, or her child will be
inflicted with the Maledictus curse-”

Narcissa gasped in shock. She completely forgot the snake used to be a human.

Snape eyed them warily before continuing, “...Or similar blood curses that may have been
transferred in the bite. The venom is hopefully less potent with a Maledictus rather than a
fully venomous snake, yet we cannot be too careful in their care.”

“Is there a chance of that?” Lucius asked.

Severus’s lips lined showing the grimness of the situation. “Although unlikely, there is
always a chance.”
“You are hiding something.” Lucius accused.

“My friend, we’ve cleaned the blood of all traces of venom, administered antivenom, and set
her into a well-ventilated room, however being bit could lead to other issues, especially
within the next few hours to days. There could be blood clotting issues, internal bleeding, and
other issues in Hermione or the child. We caught it fast-”

“But there’s still danger.” Draco finished.

Lucius saw Snape nod and they both turned to stare at the pale girl. Her lips were at least
pink and not grey. “So now?”

“We wait,” Snape said easily.

They could hear more duels going on overhead that made the walls shake with each blow.
They could hear screams and fighting and set to adding wards in the room.

Severus cupped his hand over his dark mark, hissing, as it started to burn.

He noticed that Lucius and Draco did the same.

“He’s summoning you all to him again?” Narcissa asked but it really wasn’t a question.
Although she did not have the dark mark, she knew through the bond each time Lucius was
summoned.

“We will ignore it.” Lucius said. “I will not leave my family to cater to madman that wishes
us all dead.”

Narcissa smiled gratefully.

“There’s only one person that can kill the dark lord and he’s giving it his best shot.” Severus
drawled. “Luckily, the dark lord’s wand favors Harry.”

Narcissa’s eyes widened. “Truly? The elder wand favors Harry and Harry has Draco’s wand.”
She smiled as new hope filled her.

“It’s Ginevra... I have to go,” announced Snape. He could feel the bond with Ginny pulling at
him and he didn’t wait for a reply before he apparated out of the room.

...

There was no sign of Harry or Voldemort when Snape appeared in the Great Hall. There
were quite a few people still fighting dark witches and wizards and various creatures.

He quickly set a notice-me-not over himself.

“Not my daughter, you bitch!” He heard from the corner and saw Molly standing in front of
Ginny, dueling Bellatrix. Arthur was behind them, shielding his wife and daughter from the
dark witch.
 Severus swirled forward in a mist of black smoke, grabbed Ginny and whisked her out of the
room just as Molly sent a final blow over Bellatrix, causing her to lose her breath and burst
into fragments of dust.

Severus landed back into the Potions classroom almost as quickly as he left. He left Ginny
there with Hermione and Draco, Narcissa and Lucius, and apparated out again.

He pulled through the thoughts around him until he could concentrate on where Harry and
Voldemort were at in their duel.

He felt them in the courtyard and apparated there.

But he was too late.

He saw Harry standing against Voldemort, overpowering the dark lord as the elder wand
continued to fail him.

Harry was the master of the elder wand and Draco’s wand chose Harry.

With a final blow, the elder wand flew through the air and Harry caught it.

Voldemort gasped in shock as the last bit of his soul housed within the corpse of his father,
broke apart into fragmented ashes until he was finally carried into the ethers.

It was as if he never existed.

Harry fell to the ground in exhaustion.

Snape wasn’t about to let anyone face Harry to avenge the dark lord. He scooped the boy into
his arms and apparated back into the safety of the potions classroom.

Everyone else could fight it out, but he wasn’t about to lose anyone else within his family if
he had anything to say about it.

Then he thought of Luna and went for her, too, just in case.

...

Chapter End Notes

Leirion is Greek for Lily and usually reserved for a male child... per Google. Thank you
for reading and your lovely reviews. You spark joy.
Please drop by the Archive and comment to let the creator know if you enjoyed their work!