Disclaimer: The characters in this fic and the world in which they reside still belong to J.K. Rowling. The only profit being made is in the joy I receive from this creative outlet.
A/N: Sorry this took a few days to update, but I think you will find it was worth the wait! I was busy enjoying Easter, my husband had a few days off, and we tackled the evil (dun dun dun) SPRING CLEANING. For a while the cleaning was winning.
Double, Double, Draco's Trouble
Draco Malfoy stood in the kitchen of the small house he had called home for the past seven years. The house itself was not really what most people would call small. There were eight bedchambers, five of which were suites, a library, only slightly smaller than the one at Hogwarts, and many other large rooms. To Draco, however, it was quite small. His current living arrangements paled in grandeur to Malfoy Manor. The fact bothered him little, though. This house, no this home was rather wonderful, actually. Home; that is exactly what this abode in the Scottish countryside was. The home was one of the many estates that Narcissa had access to, and was known only to her and Draco. Narcissa's father had insisted that she keep the house a secret. No one in the family, not even her sisters, knew of its existence. It had always been her little piece of insurance if life with Lucius became life threatening; to her or more importantly, Draco.
He had just finished his morning run around the palatial grounds. Draco made his way to the breakfast nook, and sat down at the small table that he and Narcissa usually shared breakfast at. He had grown to cherish the coziness he felt in that room. He and his mother shared many long conversations there. They would talk about the future, and their pasts. The past; that was what Draco's mind was lingering on this morning.
******************FLASHBACK******************
It was the morning Draco had been waiting for; graduation day. After seven long years at Hogwarts, he was finally a grown man. He had spent the years trying to live up to so many expectations. While he could give a damn about what his father wanted from him, Draco was well aware of the consequences of openly defying the man. Instead, Draco made certain that Lucius could not find outright proof of his son's disloyalty. He had lived up to what others at school had expected of him. He remained arrogant, cold, and calculating; never letting anyone past the facade he had created. He also had lived up to the requirements of his destiny. As hard as it was to believe, even for himself, Draco had remained a virgin. Yes, Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin Sex God, the guy who could have any girl he wanted any time he wanted, had never had more than a heavy snogging session with any girl. Of course the rumors flew; everyone knew he had bedded half the school. Draco found it quite humorous how easily people believed in this fictional reputation. He took true delight in the fact girls would willing allow the school to believe they had been a notch in his bedpost. It had been as if they believed permitting these rumors to abound elevated them in some way.
Draco stepped into the shower in his Head Boy's dormitory for the last time. As the hot water pulsated against his skin his thoughts wondered to the future. He knew full well that his father would insist on him becoming a Death Eater. Voldemort had been back since the end of his fourth year. The Dark Lord's power had grown since then, and over the past two years war had ravaged the magic world. Draco's resolve had not wavered in the past four years. He did not want to blindly follow Voldemort when he was thirteen, and he did not want to now. While he pondered this thought, another crept into his mind. There was his destiny to consider. He had spent years contemplating it. He would be lying if he said he had always believed in its validity.
That first year after learning of the destiny was trying. If it had not been that his mother told him about it, he probably would have chucked all thoughts of it. The end of that first year was when he truly began to believe. He was alone in his room with a much endowed, very drunk 5th year Slytherin girl. Being a normal 13-year old boy, he was quite interested in just how far he could actually get with this older woman. She was far too inebriated to protest, in fact she was encouraging him. He had removed her top, and was making short work of his own clothing. As he was disrobing, the pocket watch fell from his robe, clinking loudly as it hit the ground. Draco froze, remembering the promise he made to his mother. Grudgingly he covered the now passed out girl up with a blanket, and let her sleep in his bed. He spent the rest of the night in a chair. When she awoke the next morning she found Draco gone, and a note beside the pillow. It simply said, Thanks for last night.
In the days following that event, Draco found he was able to recall, verbatim, whatever he read. Must be my reward, he smirked to himself. Over the years, this gift progressed to where he had what was referred to as total recall. He could remember any and everything he read, heard, or saw. This gift proved most valuable in his studies, and he was certain it had helped immensely in his earning the Head Boy status.
Having showered and prepared for the day, he made his way to the Quidditch pitch for the Commencement Ceremony. It was a glorious day. The sun shone brilliantly in the sky. The summer air was warm and enveloping with a gently breeze flitting about. The ceremony went on elegantly. Both he and Granger gave speeches, being the top students. After it was over, Draco began to make his way to the Great Hall for the Graduation Feast when his godfather, Severus Snape pulled him aside.
"Draco, you must come with me, now." The Potions Master said in a hushed, yet urgent tone.
Draco was quite taken aback by this. His godfather was not one to ever show any hint of emotion. "What is going on?" He asked, trying to hide his concern.
"Do not ask questions. Follow me. Do not under any circumstances leave my side." Snape answered. Though he was now composed, his eyes revealed to Draco that this was a matter of life and death.
They made their way into Hogwarts Castle, and slipped through the doorway to the dungeons. Draco followed Snape through a labyrinth of twists and turns that he was not familiar with. After walking for a good quarter of an hour in complete silence, the pair came to a heavy oak door. Snape paused before it and turned to his godson.
"Now, before I open this door, I must warn you, what you will see will not be easy." His voice was barely above a whisper. "It is imperative that you do not allow your emotions to take hold of you. This door leads to the lake, there is a boat waiting on the other side. You will find your mother there. You will take yourselves to a spot outside the grounds where you will both Apparate to a safe place. Your mother knows where to go." He added. Draco could sense the urgency in his words.
As Snape spoke, Draco's mind whirled with a million questions. He had no idea what was going on, except that his mother was involved. He was jarred out of his daze upon hearing Snape's voice say, "Alohomora" and the unlocking of the door. Draco quickly found himself being pushed out the door, and he came upon a ghastly sight.
Narcissa Malfoy, his guardian angel, his rock, lay before him in a small row boat. She was nearly unrecognizable. Her beautiful face was marred by large, dark bruises. She was barely able to open her left eye for it was so swollen. Her flaxen white blonde hair had a pinkish hue to it, and was matted to her face and head. Her usually pristine robes were tattered, torn, and stained with blood. Draco noticed her right arm hung as if it was no longer attached to her body. Draco wanted to vomit at the sight. He felt himself begin to shake, and the world was spinning. His insides were burning with rage. He was brought back to reality by a steady hand on his shoulder.
"Draco, I know…" Severus' voice was shaky, but insistent. "She will be fine, but we must work quickly. They will be looking for you soon. Hold out your hand," he commanded the young man.
Draco held out his hand to Severus. The elder man then took a dagger and sliced Draco's palm. He winced slightly at the pain. Snape held his godson's hand over a lump of clay he now held in his hand. Drops of blood fell onto the mass and sizzled. Letting go of Draco's hand, Snape picked up his wand and clearly said "Corpus Creato", and flicked his wrist in a controlled manner. Instantly, the clay transformed into a perfect replica of Draco's body. Severus then took the young Malfoy's hand and said a quick healing spell. The wound healed over perfectly.
Draco stood for a moment staring at the lifeless replica of himself lying on the ground. He had no idea what to think. He looked over to his godfather, who had an uncharacteristic mist clouding his eyes. Draco opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off.
"Don't speak. Get in the boat, magically row out about 3 kilometers, you will be out of the castle's wards, and Apparate from there. The boat has been charmed to disappear once you are both gone." The Potions Master said as if giving instructions in class. His demeanor softened again, and Draco could sense the man was trying desperately to stay composed. "Heal your mother; you are more than capable of helping her. Do not worry, son, everything will be alright. Trust in your mother and me." Snape put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I don't know when I will see you again. Take care of yourself and your mother. She will explain all of this when she is better. You are a good man, Draco, and I am proud of you." Snape pulled him into a full hug, which took Draco by complete surprise. Severus let him go and said, "Now go." With that, Snape reverted to his normal stance, turned around, picked up the Draco double, and headed back towards the door to the castle.
Draco was bewildered, but did has he had been instructed. He made his way over to the boat and gently climbed in. He was careful not to rock the small vessel more than needed. He did not want to cause his mother more pain than she was already in. Narcissa whimpered slightly, and Draco struggled to hold back tears. He quickly cast a spell to make the boat move across the water.
"Don't worry mum, I'll protect you. It will all be okay." He whispered to his mother's crumpled form. She gave him a weak nod. When he reached the set Apparation point he put an arm around her and said, "Okay, mum, I'll do the wand movements, but you have to say the destination point." She nodded in agreement.
Draco raised his free arm and made the appropriate movements. His mother's frail voice whispered, "Chateau Camelot". With a small pop the pair disappeared along with the boat.
***********************END OF FLASHBACK**************************
Draco pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed audibly. What was supposed to have been a day of joy and celebration had turned into a nightmare. Due to his vivid memory, the events of that day and the following weeks were permanently etched into his mind. When he and his mother arrived at Chateau Camelot he quickly set about healing her. Most of the wounds were superficial. He had learned later on that Severus had healed her more critical injuries before bringing her to the lake. Her shoulder had been separated, and Draco quickly fixed it. He also healed her numerous cuts and bruises. Narcissa slept for two days after they arrived at their new home.
After she awoke, Narcissa explained to Draco what was going on. She had been preparing for the graduation ceremony when Lucius stormed into her personal chambers. Since the failed attempt to retrieve the prophesy from the Ministry, Voldemort had been searching for any magical means to solidify his power. In the search, Bellatrix had come across the Heart and Soul of the World Destiny. When the destiny had been discovered, Voldemort was informed by one of his followers of the girl's name. The Dark Lord kept her identity secret. These two individuals held great power, and he did not want anyone to get their hands on the pair before he did. After careful research, Bellatrix realized that it was her family line that would produce the male counterpart of the destiny. Since the female was already alive and coming into her powers, the male was obviously Draco.
Lucius had been told the morning of graduation about Draco's destiny. He had been `Crucio-ed' by the Dark Lord for his failure to know what was transpiring under his own roof. Lucius was beyond livid. He grabbed Narcissa and berated her for keeping secrets. He pointed out that Draco was his son, his heir, his property. He alone would be the one to guide the boy towards greatness. He then began to beat her. It was then that he allowed his anger to get the best of him. Lucius explained to his wife that the Dark Lord knew who Draco was, and who the girl was as well. Draco would be whisked away after the Graduation Feast, and would be immediately initiated as a Death Eater. As he gave her one last kick to the face, he told her that she would never see the young man again.
As Narcissa lay bleeding in her parlor, she knew she had to get Draco to safety before Lucius got his hands on him. She did the only thing she knew to stop this from occurring. She sent her personal house elf, Bitty, to tell Dumbledore of Lucius' intentions. As the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot , it was his responsibility to look after the well being of the two carriers of the destiny. He had been informed of their identities when the children came of age by their respective mothers. Although he was the leader of the Order of the Phoenix, he was magically bound to ensure the safety of these children. He was not permitted to sway them from their personal desires or reveal their identities to each other. He was, however, obligated to keep others from forcing the duo's hands in any manner.
After a brief meeting with the house elf, Dumbledore summoned Snape to his office. The two men devised a plan to get both mother and son to safety. Severus was to retrieve Narcissa, heal her enough for travel, and intercept Draco before he went into the Graduation Feast. He created the double from Draco's blood and enchanted clay from the Dead Sea. The combination of the clay and the blood, coupled with the incantation, ensured that no one could detect that the end result was not the actual person. Unbeknownst to Draco, Severus had done the same for Narcissa.
After Draco and Narcissa had Apparated, Snape carried the body of `Draco' up to the boy's room where the body of `Narcissa' already was. He carefully positioned the bodies on the floor and bed, and placed a half eaten poison-laced truffle in each of their lifeless hands. Snape went on to magically infuse the poison into the two bodies. He then set a box of the remaining tainted candies on the bed, along with a note that read;
Lucius,
I would like to congratulate you on all the battles you have won throughout the course of our "marriage". You successfully made mine and MY son's lives a living hell. As you can see, however; I have won the war.
You may remember a conversation years ago in which you told me that death would be my only escape from a life of your domination. Oh, yes, you reveled in the knowledge that I would never leave Draco alone with only your influence, and that I also did not have the courage to harm him. Well, today I have proven you wrong. I would rather see my son dead than have you and that monster exploit him and his destiny.
By now, we are together in the great beyond, enjoying the happiness denied us on earth. Remember, "husband", when that hideous monster is torturing you for your incompetence, we will be looking down from the heavens in bliss.
Rot in hell,
Narcissa Black
Draco had been amazed at the lengths to which his mother, Snape, and even Dumbledore had gone to help him. Narcissa had explained, as Dumbledore requested, that the Headmaster helped because he was bound to ensure the safety of the children of this particular destiny. This information intrigued Draco. He had asked his mother if this meant that Dumbledore knew who his betrothed was. Narcissa explained to her son that while the Headmaster did know the girl's identity, he could not reveal her name. The same magic that bound him to protect the two bound him to secrecy.
While Draco still felt no allegiance to either side, he was thankful that Dumbledore had saved his mother's life. The elder wizard could have left Narcissa to face Lucius' wrath. In the grand scheme Draco was the person who was of value, not Narcissa. This was a distinction that Lucius would have been sure to exploit. He knew that his father had planned to have him initiated as a Death Eater, and Lucius had already nearly killed Narcissa for getting in his way. The magnitude of this realization hit Draco like a ton of bricks. No, he did not toss his quaffle into either side's ring, but he did respect the Headmaster's compassion for human life.
What a life it had turned out to be! Over the past seven years he had enjoyed the freedom of being his own man. Without Lucius carefully monitoring his son's every move, Draco was able to discover who he truly was. He could explore his feelings and dreams. There was no one to disapprove of his enjoyment of art, literature, and music. At the age of twenty-five, Draco had become an intelligent, well- rounded, creative young man. He knew the importance of compassion. Though he was not comfortable with open displays of affection, he was no longer as cold and distant. When one considered this change coupled with his growing magical powers, Draco Malfoy had become a much better wizard than he had ever thought possible.
A/N: I loved writing this chapter!!!!! It felt like I was being really creative. I hope to update soon, but as you can see, I am beginning to get more in-depth. I find that I have to put much more careful attention into how I lay out the plotline. I am really excited, though. My wonderful husband and I sat this evening and talked about this story. I gave him the complete story lay out. This story is going to be long and involved with a tightly woven plot. It was great to tell the whole story and have someone be interested in it, as well as think it can be plausibly explained. Yeah, I know, he's my hubby, he has to say he likes it if he wants to sleep in the bed. Its still cool to hear the encouragement.
Okay, I'll stop rambling. Next chapter we will all learn just exactly what Ginny has been up to since leaving Hogwarts.
-->