herumtreiber

Title: The Lord Appellant 13/37
Chapter: Twin embrace
Author:

herumtreiber
Genre: Slash, romance, adventure, dark!fic
Pairing: Draco/Blaise, one sided Harry/Draco
Rating: PG-13
Warnings for the fic: It's a dark fic, rape is mentioned several times. Dementors appear and not for show. Character death (not Harry, Draco or Blaise). Evil!Ron, powerful Hermione, Pansy and Bellatrix. Sympathetic to Slytherins.
Epilogue compliant? No
Chapter length: ~1,599 words
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or related characters. Nor do I make any money from writing these stories.
Summary: After the events of HBP, the Minister of Magic wants to finish the Malfoys but Draco uses a Wizengamot procedure to fight back. Veelas and Siddhe appear in the story as Draco uses political means to contest the pureblood's allegiance to Voldemort.
Notes: I wrote this before DH was published, so please no picayune comments about canon.

Table of contents

12. The wrath of Pansy

Harry looked up, startled. The look on his face indicated confusion. Nott said, "I believe I know where this is all going to. Potter, there was one instance when flagrant injustice was done to help you, because they wanted to fawn over the Boy Who Lived. Think back on your Sixth Year, notice anything special?"

Harry shook his head.

Millie added, "Potter, that was when the will of your godfather was read, and they gave you the Black Estate. What they didn't tell you is that the rules of inheritance applied, and blood took precedence over the will. As long as there was a person next in blood, the Estate went to him or her. Only if the blood was extinct could a will become valid, designating the Heir from outside the Black family.

"It was blatant injustice they did. They took the Estate from the rightful Heir; Draco, who was cousin to Sirius, and gave it to you, who was no relation to him. The pureblood families took careful note that their rights of inheritance were threatened and I can say they hardened their hearts to follow Voldemort."

Blaise continued, "What we would like to do is to go to the Wizengamot and ask them to annul the decision, and give the Black Estate to Draco."

Harry was about to raise hell when he happened to glance in Draco's direction and his serious manner brought to mind the last time he'd lost his cool with Draco. So he decided on silence at the moment.

Draco said with grave demeanor, "It pains me to have to do this, Potter. I've talked of pawns that become queens, and it starts with this step, right here, right now. We need to drive a wedge between Voldemort and his supporters, and this would do it. I know how much you cared for your godfather.

"I'm prepared to swap property and coin for an amount equal to the Black Estate. In effect, your wealth would remain the same, only I would retain the Estate. I know you care not for money, but this is in thanks for keeping the Estate together.

"I believe that my getting the Black Estate is vital to the prosecution of the war, in terms of the accumulated effects on the pureblood population. You also have to take into account the publicity standpoint: old pureblood family wins big time against Wizengamot corrupt politicians and their Boy Who Lived. We could become an alternative to Voldemort. Isn't that what we want, Potter? To render Voldemort obsolete?

"I also wanted to at least give you a schematic idea of the forces involved so you don't have to take your decisions in a vacuum.

"Now I'm going to visit with Pansy and let you and Blaise go about your business."

Draco gave his arm to a subdued Pansy and they left, chatting and nodding. Nott left for his office and his secret papers. Crabbe and Goyle were left to play the wicked-looking game they seemed to be obsessed with. Millie came over and hugged Harry, saying, "I had to be here. Had to welcome the latest addition to the gang." Then she left.

When only Blaise and Harry were left, Harry asked, "What did she mean?"

He answered, "Just the truth. You and Hermione are the latest additions to the Inner Circle. Draco trusts you enough to adjust the wards for you, which I assure you is no laughing matter."

Harry grimaced and countered, "But how can he trust me after what I did?"

Blaise said, "I believe he answered that at some depth. He's no stranger to darkness, recognizes that you embraced it for a while, but now you appear to have changed your mind. That's enough for Draco, and it's enough for us. What you should know is that Draco speaks sooth to you. Even when it pains him or you."

Harry added, "What good would the Black Estate do? Would he fight me if I said no?"

"The Estate will draw attention to the fact we're fighting for pureblood ideas. Tradition and the rule of law, to win, you don't necessarily have to throw Crucios and Kedavras around. That eventually, a rule of the majority might be something that could work for you, instead of the purebloods skulking around in the dead of night following some Dark Twit's bad moods.

"And if you said no, he'd go for it anyway. It's something he believes firmly, and when Draco gets to that point there's no turning him around, not even with a herd of rampaging hippogriffs."

Harry asked, "When do I have to answer him?"

"In the next few days, the sooner, the better. He's got some plans to put into effect before he goes to the Wizengamot with this new charge. As a matter of fact, I think it would be highly advisable if you seemed to be set against the venture. It would make his victory the sweeter. Can you do that?"

"I reckon I could. You know, you could use a Pensieve to show Pansy that first kiss she misses so much."

Blaise sat down and shuddered, "Good idea."

Harry continued needling Blaise, "Good to know you followed my advice."

Blaise replied, "It was good. I only hope circumstances allow us to enjoy ourselves. Talking about advice, have you tried speaking to any of the Weasleys?"

"I'll try to get hold of the Twins."

Blaise said, "Live your life as always, just be careful what you say to the Weasel."

Harry retorted bitterly, "But how can I speak to the Twins? How can I look them in the eyes after what I almost forced them to do?"

Blaise answered briskly, "I'd advice you to assume a business-like demeanor, because this cannot be handled while in Gryffindor's flowery mode. Just tell them that you were wrong in thinking about rape as a weapon, about using them to avenge yourself. They were wrong to acquiesce to your orders, but thankfully you were stopped. Fully recognizing your errors like grown-up men, you'll be able to leave that sordid affair to the past and continue working on your relationship. It's obvious that you care for them and now, in the light of the revelation of Ron's faults, you need more Gryffindor friends."

Blaise continued, "But I'd like to ask you, if the Twins were forced to choose between Ron or you, who would they choose?"

Harry replied laconically, "Me, I think."

oOoOo

Next day was Saturday, and Harry was able to wake up early and send Hedwig with a note for the Twins, telling them to come at 10:00. Harry was very nervous, more than he had been with Hermione. He walked to and fro. Finally the Twins appeared.

Harry asked, "How are you? Did they treat you well? Did they mistreat you? I'm sorry!"

He wailed, and Fred and George gave him a hug and hastened to reassure him that they were all right.

Fred said, "We were treated all right, Harry. Crabbe and Goyle took us to some moors and then said they were going to rape us!"

Harry gasped.

George said, "But they weren't serious, Harry. They just wanted us to understand what it felt like, to be there and be unable to defend oneself. They said that their liege trusted them, and he'd given them leave to do with us what they would. But their leader also pointed out it would be advantageous to treat us well, and they would do so. Whatever Malfoy told them, it worked because they treated us courteously. They left us in the moors but with our wands, having cast a Warming Charm and given us food. They made sure we were all right before they left."

Harry cried as he said, "Forgive me, forgive me for leading you to do such foolish things! It was wrong of me to try to use rape as a weapon, and you as simple goons."

Fred reassured Harry, "Of course we forgive you, Harry. We were also wrong, but we wanted to do right by you. What happened after we left?"

Harry recounted what had happened in his confrontation with Draco, and taking to heart Blaise's advice, told them all about his convoluted feelings for Draco, his seemingly state of truce and feelings of being at a crossroads.

After the lengthy exposition, he waited with bated breath to see the reactions of the Twins. Would they act like their sibling, full of malice? Or like Hermione, with understanding?

He didn't have to wait long. He was held in a double embrace from the west and the east. George whispered in awe, "Malfoy must have changed considerably. He treated us fairly well, including you, Harry."

Fred replied, "He could have killed us! Or sent the law after us... Azkaban."

George added, "Harry, I think you have to let bygones be bygones! Treat him as an ally."

Fred hugged Harry fiercely. "And you said you had a working relationship with his confidante, Zabini? Malfoy adjusted the wards for you? It would seem that Malfoy has acquired wisdom."

George countered, "That he has, can you imagine what Ron's reactions would be if someone tried to rape him?" Everyone shuddered thinking about the hotheaded Weasley's probable course of action.

It was Fred who answered most slyly: "He'd probably send Harry and Hermione after the guilty parties, after brainwashing them that occurred due to their lack of vigilance."

14. The ambush