Unofficial Portkey Archive

Off-Limits by Miranda Aurelia (Blue Lady)

One of my slightly longer chapters! Don't worry, they will be entering the Chamber of Secrets soon, in case anyone thinks that I've forgotten totally about that vital part of the plot in my quest for some more "character interaction". ^.~

Sorry for taking so long!! Hopefully not everyone has abandoned this fic yet...

Chapter 9

Two hours later, Shawn's mood hadn't improved. True, he had managed to curse his father's archrival into unconsciousness, but it occurred to him that he should have left out that little part about his parentage.

The look on Destraine's face had been priceless though.

Shawn had seen them both back in his time and that encounter hadn't been pleasant. That afternoon, he had been in Diagon Alley with his father when they had ran into Karl Destraine....

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Flashback

"Hey Dad, isn't that the new racing broom?" a much younger Shawn Malfoy gazed into the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies with awe.

Behind him, Draco chuckled.

"It looks like the one Uncle Harry has..."

"Then we're certainly not getting that one." His father replied with a glint in his eyes, "Anything Potter can get, we can get better."

Shawn raised an eyebrow at his father, "Didn't Mom say something about ending that...what did she call it? That stupid, unending rivalry between you and Uncle Ron and Uncle Harry?"

"No, kid, she told me not to spoil you too much." Draco ruffled his son's hair, "Although I don't see how buying my son everything he wants is considered spoiling."

The smirk his son gave him resembled his own. "Yeah, I recall her saying something like that. Something about me turning into an exact copy of you at this age."

Draco looked scandalized. "And what was wrong with me when I was your age?" he demanded.

Shawn shrugged his shoulders. "She did mention something along the lines of being an arrogant, immature, stuck-up ferret..."

His father's eyes flashed. "Is that so? Well, your mother and I are definitely going to have a few words..."

"Not again." thought Shawn, refraining from rolling his eyes. That look on his father's face usually meant that his parents would be spending some time together engaged in certain activities which he wasn't supposed to know about.

Shawn shuddered as he thought of what he had personally dubbed the 'incident-that-must-never-ever-be-mentioned-unless-someone-gave-him-a-concussion' - it was a good thing he hadn't seen much, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that his parents were obviously doing that so he had wisely bolted to the far end of the Manor before he found himself scarred for life...

Suddenly, his father's grip on his shoulder tightened and the hairs rose up on the back of his neck.

"If it isn't the ferret and his spawn..." He heard a voice sneer.

"Destraine." Shawn was surprised when his father replied in the same sneering tone, "I thought that you'd be keeping the Dementors company by now."

Karl Destraine ignored him. Instead, his eyes fastened malevolently onto Shawn. "So this is what the great Malfoy genes have produced. A mere squib of a boy."

Shawn bristled at the insult, but luckily Draco was not that easily put off. "Well, then I presume I should congratulate you on having such a lovely daughter." He deliberately stressed the last word.

"Daughter? When did Marcus become a girl?" Shawn became even more confused as his father started snickering at the darkening expression on Karl's face.

"Malfoy, you are going to learn a very painful lesson soon," snarled Karl, taking a menacing step forward.

Draco picked Shawn up into his arms, "I wonder what your grandpa will think about that." He told his son before giving his enemy a meaningful look. This was definitely one of the advantages of having the Minister of Magic for a father-in-law.

Karl clenched and unclenched his fist before he spun on his heel and disappeared around a corner.

"I think I got it now, Dad," Shawn looked up at his father as they continued in the other direction.

"Got what?"

"Marcus being a girl."

The two of them exchanged a grin before Draco glanced at his watch. "C'mon kid, we've got to get home soon."

"So you can stick you tongue down Mom's throat again?" muttered Shawn under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

End Flashback.

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As Shawn entered the room he shared with Draco, his eyes immediately fell upon his father.

"Uh oh," he thought inwardly. That posture usually meant that he was in for a huge lecture and if Draco was anything like his future self, that meant that it wouldn't be pleasant.

Draco was the first one to cut into the silence. "I was walking by Flitwick's room when I stumbled onto something very interesting."

Shawn remained silent.

"Apparently we haven't been properly introduced, Mr. Malfoy." It wasn't a question.

The younger boy groaned inwardly. He had two options right now: admit the whole thing or bluff. Turning around slowly, he pretended to scrutinize the empty space behind him before he turned back, raising a questioning eyebrow at Draco.

The older boy's scowl only deepened. After awhile, Shawn finally spoke up. "Look, if you're thinking that I'm possibly related to you in some way-"

"You are."

A mirthless chuckle emerged from Shawn's lips. "Well, isn't this a small world." However, judging from Draco's body language, it seemed as though option two would soon get him strangled. He decided to switch to option one. "Shawn."

"What?"

"That's my name."
"Shawn, is it now?" Draco's voice was cold, "I should have known that my relatives would side with Lucius. So you're the one they sent out...I would have expected you to be a bit more careful about revealing your identity though."

Silence followed this comment before Shawn finally spoke up. "I'm not a spy," he said quietly.

Draco slammed his hand on the desk beside him. "Fake name, sneaking around the castle, not to mention that load of bullshit you must have fed the Headmaster and you're telling me you're not a spy?!"

"I'm here on a mission."

"To make me pay for saving my own neck, perhaps?" Draco asked sarcastically. "I don't think so. If I can kill Lucius, than I can most certainly do the same to you."

Shawn appeared unfazed. "Is that a threat?"

"What I mean," Draco continued coldly, "Is I don't need some third year brat with a Potter complex getting in my way."

"Potter complex?!" Shawn spluttered mentally, "Do I look like Harry freaking Potter to you?"

Draco ignored the glare coming from the other blond, "And stay away from Weasley."

"No."

"What did you say?"

"I said NO!" Shawn had reached the end of his patience. "Now if you can shut up for a second and let me explain!" Without waiting for Draco's answer, he continued coldly, "Look, the only thing I lied to you was about my name. Whether you believe it or not, I really am here on a mission and it isn't spending my valuable time spying on you! It isn't to chase after your girlfriend either, you insufferable prick. It isn't my fault she's practically the only one that's willing to talk to me! As for Destraine, he needed a lesson and I gave it to him. However, since it's not bloody likely that you're going to believe me, believe whatever the hell you want. And I'll have you know if you weren't my fa-" He stopped abruptly.

"Weren't what? Family?" Draco spat out the last word, "Don't worry, you're no family of mine."

Shawn felt as though he had the wind knocked out of him as those words flowed into his mind. "I wouldn't want to be related to you anyways, ferret boy!" he spat out angrily.

Normally, Shawn would never dream of using this against his father, but today, he was too blind with anger to reason. "Draco Malfoy the Amazing Bouncing Ferret.." He laughed cruelly, "I bet everyone loved that one."
Draco's eyes flashed angrily and half a second later, Shawn found himself crashing into wall beside the door. As his head started to throb in pain, a pair of black shoes entered his vision. "I would watch that mouth of yours if I were you," Draco said coldly, "Or there will be a ferret running around here soon."

"I'm shaking all over," Shawn said sarcastically as he slowly picked himself up off the ground, giving him a baleful glare.
"Get out of here." Draco snarled, before he turned away.

"Gladly." The younger blond didn't even spare him a glance before he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

******************************************

Shawn threw himself wearily onto the couch by the fire. It wasn't everyday that he got to see this side of his father and it was certainly the first time that he had had that anger directed at him. He had always grown up being proud of his name. Malfoy. But now, it was his pride and his name that had landed in deep trouble.

"So much for keeping an eye on Draco," he thought bitterly, "Now I have to keep an eye out for him so he doesn't kill me."

His bitter musing were interrupted as a shadow fell over him and he looked up with a scowl. It was only Blaise though.

"You must be the new student, right?" Blaise deliberately sat down close to where the younger boy was just enough that her legs brushed against his.

To her annoyance, he just nodded and continued to stare sulkingly into the fire, not even sparing her a glance.

"So what's a guy like you doing out here all alone?" she asked causally.

Shawn snorted, "His highness is in a bad mood right now."

Blaise dismissed this comment with a careless wave of her hand. "Draco's always like that. Moody and brooding."

"Oh?"

"I should know after all," Blaise continued nonchalantly, "His is my...boyfriend after all."

To his credit, Shawn did manage to keep the outrage from showing on his face. No matter how much unreasonable his father seemed to be in this time period, Shawn knew for a fact that they would be only one woman in this world good enough for his dad - and it wasn't the girl pressing herself shamelessly against him.

"Shouldn't you be in there comforting Draco then?" Shawn asked, sarcasm lining his voice.

"Later, perhaps." Blaise twirled a lock of her hair around her finger. "Are you busy tonight?"

Shawn blinked at this abrupt change in topic as he inched away a little on the couch. "Why?" 'Don't tell me she's thinking what I think she's thinking....'

"I was wondering if you wanted to visit the Astronomy Tower with me," Her hand, which had been on his shoulder, slowly slid down his back.

"What about Draco?" Shawn asked calmly. He could feel her warm breath on his face as she leaned in even closer.

"He doesn't have to know," Blaise whispered, her lips brushing his cheek.

Shawn debated inwardly whether to let her continue, but then the thought of a laughing girl with sparkling emerald green eyes rose unbidden into his mind. Breaking out of his trace, he jumped up so quickly that Blaise toppled over sideways onto the place he had just occupied.

"Thanks, but no." was his only reply before he sped out of the common room, the wall sliding shut behind him.

Blaise swore at the blond as he disappeared from sight. She had been so close...

************************************

Meanwhile, Shawn wandered through the halls aimlessly. He wasn't looking forward to seeing his father at the present moment and now Blaise was throwing herself at him. He gave a slight shudder. Yes, it was true that Blaise was very attractive, but the fact that she was technically old enough to be his mother was enough to rid him of any possible attraction he may have harbored towards her. Then there was Nina....

Personally he thought that it was rather unfortunate that his father had passed on his reputation onto his son. It was enough to make his mother worry that she would be a grandma before his seventeenth birthday. It also didn't help the fact that said reputation also discouraged any possible relationship between him and anyone with the surname Potter - not that he liked Nina Potter that way or anything.

Finally looking at his surroundings, he discovered that he had unconsciously wandered up the stairs to Gryffindor tower. The Fat Lady gave him a suspicious glance, but the portrait still swung open after he dully said the password.

It was only after he appeared in the portrait hole and all chatter had immediately died away did he finally remember one important fact. He wasn't a Gryffindor in this time.

"Hey Adam," Ben got up from where he had been involved in a game of exploding snap with Harry, "Hey, mate...what's wrong?"

A new voice cut into the silence. "Look," Ron Weasley had gotten up angrily from his seat, "I don't know how you got in, but you're leaving. Now!"

Another thing Shawn had trouble getting used to besides his father's drastically different personality was having Uncle Ron look at him with such...loathing.

"Ronald Weasley! You leave him alone!" yelled another voice.

"But Gin-"

However, Shawn had already disappeared back outside. Ginny ignored the stares she was receiving from the other students and rushed outside where she found her son slumped against the wall halfway down the hallway.

"Shawn..."

Ginny was surprised to say the least when he threw himself straight into her arms, silent tears pouring down his face. Ignoring the shouts that had started from behind the portrait of the Fat Lady, she focused on comforting her son.

"Shawn, talk to me," she spoke softly, patting his back.

"Dad's mad at me." Shawn's voice was muffled from where it was pressed against her shirt.

"Why Draco's always like that!" Ginny spoke to him soothingly, "Don't worry, he's not one to hold a grudge."

The only response to that comment was with a snort.

"Most of the time," His mother hastily corrected before she threw a wary look back at the entrance to Gryffindor tower. "Come, let's go somewhere else. I don't think Hermione can hold back the calvary much longer.

************************************

"What do you think you're doing Hermione?" Ron was almost spitting fire from his eyes. "That Slytherin brat, a Malfoy no less, just barges in here, takes Ginny away and you're telling me I can't go beat him into a bloody pulp?!"

"He didn't take Ginny away, Ron," Hermione said, exasperated. "Besides, it's her business who she decides to talk to."

"Hermione!"

"I mean it, Ron." She gave him an exasperated look. "I wish I could tell you what this is all about, but I can't."

Ron opened his mouth to retort but, surprisingly, it was Harry that intervened. "Calm down, mate. Ginny's old enough to take care of herself anyway."

"Am I the only here that hasn't been affected by whatever that evil ferret lookalike slipped into your food?!"

"Ron, we ate the same thing you did."

"Fine! You're under some kind of evil spell!"

"What kind of spell?"

"I don't know! It's some kind of evil spell that makes you...I don't know...it makes you want to...to.....to defend Malfoy!"

Hermione blinked. Seconds later, her mouth started twitching. Soon, she was bursting with laughter and Harry followed her.

Ron was not amused. "What?! What's so funny about that?!"

****************************************

"So the next thing I know, I've pissed Dad off, some girl old enough to be my mother is trying to come onto me, I'm going to be expelled and when Dumbledore kicks me back into the future, I'm probably going to get killed by some overzealous Death Eater." Shawn said in an emotionless before he gave his mother a defeated look, "Go ahead. I deserve whatever you feel like throwing at me and I promise I'll shut up this time."

Shawn and Ginny were currently seated in front of a warm fire in the Room of Requirement. With a dejected voice, he had gone over the day's events, leaving out nothing, from the confrontation with the Destraine siblings to his unexpected arrival at the entrance of the Gryffindor common room.

His mother simply shook her head. "I can't exactly say that you were thinking properly when you threw that curse at Luis because you weren't." However, it wasn't necessary for Draco to throw all those accusations at you, not to mention," her brown eyes flared up with anger, "throw that curse at you."

Shawn felt the back of his head and winced. Ginny cursed Draco again as she moved over and placed her fingers on the bump on her son's head. Thank goodness she helped Madam Pomfrey occasionally in the infirmary, thought Ginny.

"I kind of deserved it," muttered Shawn, fidgeting slightly, "I did throw that ferret incident in his face."

"That does not excuse his behavior though!" Ginny's eyes flashed angrily, "The next time I see him, I going to-"

At that moment, a loud knocking sound gave them a momentary start. Ginny glanced at Shawn and placed a finger on her lips to indicate to him that he was to remind silent.

"Who is it?" she called out.

"Ginny! It's Hermione! Open up!"

Ginny opened the door a crack. "My brother isn't out there, is he?"

The other girl shook her head. Finally Ginny opened the door so that Hermione and the two Potter siblings could get in before she threw one more quick glance out at the darkened hallway, closed the door and locked it behind her.

"Are you feeling alright?" Nina asked softly as she took a seat beside her brother's best friend.

"Considering that I just received a tongue-lashing and a stone wall to my head from my own father, that I'm possibly getting expelled for giving Destraine a lesson he deserved and incurring the wrath of my own uncle, I'm feeling perfectly fine!" He gave a sardonic chuckle, "In fact, I have this urge to throw myself off the Astronomy Tower right now."

The black-haired girl beside him shook her head sadly. "I know how you feel, but you can't give up now. Your parents and sisters are depending on you. We're depending on you."

"What would you know Potter?" Shawn sneered before he could stop himself, "Your parents aren't dead! Dear Merlin..." he snorted, "And Dad says I'm the one with the Potter complex!"

"Now you're just acting like a total prat, Malfoy."

"Shut up Potter!" Shawn whirled around to face Ben, his face darkening.

"Shawn Malfoy!" His mother's angry voice cut across the suddenly silent room and he looked up to meet his mother's eyes. "Apologize to Nina."

"What for?" he asked sullenly, "I was just telling the truth."
His mother bristled at this and his thoughts drifted rather irrelevantly to the image of an enraged lioness.

The silence seemed to continue as Shawn and Ginny remained locked in a battle of wills. Finally he sighed and turned to Nina. "I'm sorry."

Hermione gave a small cough. "Now that we've all decided to get along, maybe we can actually get down the business now?"

Shawn and Ben threw each other a dirty look.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that Shawn's identity is out of the bag," Ginny sighed.

"And we can't let him go back to the dungeons," pointed out Hermione, "It wouldn't be safe. We'll have to see about getting him a new place to stay."

"Shawn can share my room," offered Ben.

Shawn shook his head. "Sorry, too crowded. Not to mention I getting some bad vibes."

"Bad vibes?!"

The blond gave him a sideways glance. "The last time I checked, your dad wasn't too pleased to see me either."

"In that case..." Ginny made up her mind. "Shawn, you're sleeping in my room tonight."

Her son gaped at her. "Mom, you really want Dad and Uncle Ron to kill me?"

"They won't."

Shawn gave her a look of disbelief, "Dad told me to stay away from you, remember?"

Ginny brightened, "That means Ron and Draco actually agreed on something!"

"Not funny," her son said sullenly.

However, Ginny just wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "You'll be alright," she grinned cheekily at him, "I have quite a few tricks up my sleeve as well. Besides, it's their fault you're my new roommate, so they can complain all they want."

Impulsively, Shawn gave the redhead a quick hug. "Thanks Mom." he whispered. "I'm not usually this sentimental," he added quickly, "Just so you know."

Ginny laughed and ruffled his hair. "Of course. We wouldn't want to ruin that bad boy reputation of yours now, would we?"

"Mom!"

"Now you're just whining."

Shawn roughly shoved over a still snickering Benjamin Potter as he got up. "Oh shut up."

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Again, I apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out!! Hopefully I can get finish the next one sooner....

Happy Holidays, everyone! :)