Windbound 34/35

[herumtreiber]

Title: Windbound - 34/35
Chapter: Thirty-four
Author:herumtreiber 
Genre: post DH, slash, romance, adventure
Disclaimer: The world and characters of Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling. I don't make any money from writing these stories.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Epilogue compliant? Epilogue complaisant
Chapter length: ~4,230 words
Summary: Draco/Harry, Ron/Hermione, Hannah/Dean, Justin/Daphne, Ginny/??? My take on the Marriage Law. Should they obey the government’s edict or fight it the Muggle way? This leads to marriage equality. Plus there’s a twist exploring how a Horcrux operates. Good!Lucius, finally:) Hufflepuff house is amply represented here.


Table of contents


Chapter thirty-three


June 11th, 1999
Hogwarts

On Graduation Day, the Malfoys sat at the back of the Hogwarts lawn. Lucius brushed invisible lint off the grey shoulders of his designer robes whilst Narcissa patted his waist. She looked proudly at her son, nodding at the gems studded in his robes, depicting the Draco constellation. She'd heard Harry insisting on that design one evening in the Manor when Draco, Hermione and Harry were arguing over the brunet's graduating speech.

Narcissa lifted her arm to touch her plaited hair which she wore in a similar pattern as that of the Head Girl, Susan Bones. Noticing her daughter squirming on her seat beside her, she frowned at Miriam. The brunette girl was drawing in a parchment, biting her lip as she watched her Conis sitting proudly between Harry and Hermione.

Draco smiled and waved at his mother. Narcissa fidgeted and finally looked imperiously at Lucius.

He took the hint and grabbing Miriam's hand, he left. He waved goodbye. "See you inside."

Narcissa stood up and walked up to her son, staring menacingly at Draco. "Have I not been a good mother, Draco? When you were three, your accidental magic painted us a dreadful magenta! Your father could hardly go to the Wizengamot looking like that, and I couldn't attend important dinners. But I accepted that boys will be boys."

Harry started sniggering whilst Draco blushed.

"When you were nine, you broke my grandmother's vase while you were flying your broom inside the Manor!" Narcissa crossed her arms, not without brushing Draco's lapels first. "I recall all the problems with the helly topters, those awful machines with the racketing noises. It's true I hated that vase, but it was an imposition to break it. Yet I took it in stride, like a good mother should."

Hermione muttered to herself, "Helly topters?" She repressed her sniggers. Meanwhile Draco glared at the two Gryffindors.

"When I found you at the end of your Fifth year, transformed and bleeding on the floor of that train, I thought I'd die. You were so sick, Draco! I had to order the elves to take you to St. Mungo's because you would not have survived the portkey trip." Whilst Narcissa said this, it was Harry who blushed and looked away, remembering the time the DA members cursed Draco.

"To think that I was a breath away from not going to get you at King's Cross and remaining in the Manor! I struggled through your rehabilitation." Narcissa glared at Hermione and then Harry, who shied away from looking into her eyes. "I drew up plans about how to revenge ourselves on the silly brats who caused this but I refrained. I didn't want to place more burdens on you than you already had. I kept my feelings to myself and gave you space."

Draco scowled at Narcissa. "And your point, mother?"

"I need your help." Narcissa wrung her hands nervously. "As you know, Antonia and I are working together to protect Muggleborn children from abuse by people who can't accept magic. We desperately need to detect who abuses them."

She leaned forward, reclining her alabaster hand on Draco's black robes. "This is where you come in. Lucius told me about the Situation Room? He said you told him it's beneath the Department of Mysteries."

Draco sighed. "Yes, mother. That bloody thing shows every wizard in Britain."

"I know how the Serpent's Map works, having tried to make it." Narcissa took a deep breath and then plunged ahead. "It distils the magic, showing magical features of the persons. Your father was quite proud that you could change the Map."

Draco puffed up his chest, looking sideways at Hermione. "Took me awhile to get it right."

" I want you to develop a spell to show all Muggleborn, Half-blood and Pureblood children in that Situation Room," said Narcissa, "which shows the ones being abused."

"That's going to be hard, mother." Draco looked at Hermione who had a faraway look in her face, wondering if the brunette was already thinking of ways to accomplish what his mother wanted.

Narcissa smiled proudly. "We try to detect the abuse and sometimes succeed, but early succour would be better. Antonia and I will work on gaining access to the Room, and you work on casting the spells."

Narcissa smirked, patting Draco's shoulder and then she walked back.

The blond sighed, remembering the moments he'd spent at the school. He was jostled out of his reverie by Justin, who sat behind him. The Head Boy said gruffly, "Dad and mom have disappeared, can't find them! They'll miss the ceremony."

Draco smirked. "They'll probably meet my parents, working on how to make the world better, the innocents! They will surely turn up in time."

He turned his head to gaze at Justin. "Any news about the Lobato case?"

The curly-haired Hufflepuff shrugged. "Read on the Quibbler that Patricia Helming? She's a Ravenclaw, a muggleborn who graduated three years ago. Anyway, the woman wanted to marry a bloke named Romulus Lobato."

Draco lifted his eyebrows. "So?"

"He's a werewolf registered with the Ministry. When they heard about the betrothal, they separated the two, arresting the bloke, Romulus, right before the full moon. They told Patricia she'd never be free to marry him."

The blond sighed wearily. "They went to the Wizengamot, I should imagine."

Justin glared at the back of Draco's chair. "Didn't work. To support this barbaric course of action the stuffy Wizengamot is contemplating tightening restrictions on werewolves. Read that Patricia is helpless. I wrote her, offering our services so she gets a fair treatment."

Remembering his own troubles with the Marriage Law, Draco growled. "We'll help her! She's as oppressed as we were with the bloody Marriage Law. The stupid gits at the Ministry need to learn a thing or two about how to treat sentient beings!"

oOoOo

When the time came for the Head Boy to make the final speech of the graduation ceremony, Headmistress Sprout said, "This speech is customarily delivered by the Head Boy but Mr. Finch-Fletchley has kindly ceded his time, so that Harry James Potter can give the closing speech this year."

Everyone started clapping like crazy. Most of the students were grinning whilst a small minority were quite solemn. They all wanted to hear what Harry had to say.

The Gryffindor looked at his friends and saw them clapping. His gaze lingered on the Gryffindors, among them Seamus who had only spent 10 days in Azkaban. The Ravenclaws in another aisle were clapping too, like the Hufflepuffs led by the Head Boy and Girl, Justin and Susan.

The Slytherins sat in yet another aisle and joined the applause politely but warmly. Draco stared proudly at his lover and as their gazes met, it was as if the world ceased to exist and the moment became a reality unto itself, containing only them.

Elias Flint looked at them from the benches at the back. He was seated beside Antonia and Jason Finch-Fletchley. Narcissa and Miriam were nearby, Lucius staring fondly at the two.

Harry leaned on the lectern, looking delectable in  designer black robes with green highlights. He nervously wiped the palm of his hand on his black cotton trousers, adjusting his Gryffindor tie which he was wearing for the last time. His hair was as unruly as ever, and he'd taken Hermione's advice and had his vision magically corrected so he didn't wear glasses anymore; or 'antennae' he thought wryly, remembering a certain snake.

Harry hissed, "Do I look good?"

Draco replied, "You look good enough to eat, nestmate. Now get to it!"

The brunet blushed. "I want to talk more!"

The blond hissed irritably, "People are beginning to wonder who you are hissing to, Potter! I don't want them to know my secret. If you don't start soon, you won't get laid tonight!"

Harry sighed. One of the disadvantages of Draco knowing parseltongue was that it made him really hot. He pictured Draco hissing questions as he moved all over his body. But it was not the right time and he tried to concentrate on the task at hand.

That pesky speech. If it didn't work he'd grab Draco and Hermione and smack them upside their silly heads!

Taking a deep breath, Harry said in a stentorian voice, "The Sorting Hat is not god! Its words are not treasures that must be held sacred through the ages. They are just the words of a magical device made to sort students."

He stared at the notes he'd placed on the lectern and then frowned at the Headmistress. "Allow me to express my view that the Founders made a grievous mistake when they separated the population of Hogwarts into four Houses. They created division when there was no need. Healthy competition can exist without being bludgeoned into living with like-minded people for seven years, increasing the chance of fostering narrow-mindedness."

He winked at his lover when a glass of water materialized on the table next to the lectern.

"This separation has existed for a thousand years, becoming too troublesome to maintain. We hear daily 'brave as a Gryffindor, cunning as a Slytherin, faithful as a Hufflepuff,' and of course, 'smart as a Ravenclaw.'" Ruffling nervously through the parchments, Harry looked at his fellow students. "We lose sight of the fact that they are human qualities which we all partake of. When we condense what a human is, all they can do, just to fit the words of a device made a thousand years ago… I think it says more about our current lack of ideas than anything else."

Harry hit the lectern, startling Binn's ghost who disappeared into thin air.

"To survive in this Earth we need all those qualities! I can tell you I would be becalmed in hell right now if it weren't for the crazy stratagems--" Harry looked fondly at the blond and Hermione, "devised by a Gryffindor and Slytherin working together, without the faith and help offered by Hufflepuff House and the smarts of a Ravenclaw. Together we succeed, and disunited we fail. It is as simple as that."

Harry turned to glare at the castle, recalling the adventures inside its walls which put in constant peril his life and those of his friends. "And if someone tells you they are acting for the greater good, run like crazy and question that person. Deeds must be judged by themselves, an abhorrent action does not get a free pass just because something good can come up down the line."

Harry leaned his elbows on the lectern, crossing his legs whilst Draco licked his lips hungrily, staring at the wind-blown hair and rosy cheeks of the Gryffindor.

"The failed Marriage Law was deemed one of those things 'for the greater good,' notwithstanding the pain and misery it was going to cause." Harry scowled at the Ministry workers sitting beside the Weasleys. "Because Minister Shacklebolt signed it and the Daily Prophet said it was good, people supported it. They should've realized it was all a hoax! An old man's way to retain power. A chimera, something that could drown us if we tied ourselves to it. The concept of 'the greater good' can easily be used to deceive people."

The Gryffindor brushed aside his notes and stared at the blond, noting with relish the way his hair shined in the sunlight whilst he smirked at Harry. "An interesting Astronomy fact comes to mind. Alpha Draconis is a star in the Draco constellation. It's unnoticeable in the night sky of the Northern Hemisphere. However, it is significant because it was the North Pole star in ancient times."

Harry motioned to the blue sky above the castle. "If there are good viewing conditions, the star can be spotted easily in the night sky, due to its location in relation to the Big Dipper part of Ursa Major, the Great Bear."

He sighed as he stared at the forest. "For thousands of years the star served as a beacon for growing humanity, a way to find the way home. Then conditions changed, the rotation of the Milky Way or the sun's own movements caused the star closest to true North to change."

Thinking of his father and his mother, dead so long ago but still present in his mind and in his heart - for they had sacrificed everything for him - Harry said wistfully, "When I think of those people thousands of years ago guiding their lives according to the stars, I imagine them fighting, laughing, dying. I can easily imagine their hopes and fears, because I share them: the hope of a better tomorrow, a good family, love, companionship; the fear of death and disease, pain and suffering."

The audience didn't stir. Draco smiled proudly at his lover, his hand straying to touch Hermione's graduation robes. Ron smiled weakly at his girlfriend, holding her hand and nodding to Harry. Despite the fact that possessed Harry had scared him at the end, the redhead would always continue to be Harry's best friend.

The brunet grinned at his loved ones, and then he stared at the forest, picturing vistas in his mind he wanted to communicate to his audience. "I imagine a time 20,000 years hence, when Alpha Draconis will once again be the true North Star. I see our descendants here on Earth, or perhaps somewhere else far away. I can imagine their hopes and fears which will remain the same. Joining them with us and our ancestors."

Harry's hand brushed his new wand, shuddering when he remembered the things he'd done with the old one. He peeked at the notes for the speech his friends had helped him write, ready to end it. "I think those longings define us and they create a beautifully intricate tapestry in time." He joined his two hands, forming a circle. "They bind us together in the endless journey of self-discovery that lies at the root of the human condition."

Bowing to the audience, he finished. "Until we meet under a different sky, adieu."

oOoOo

If Harry had any doubts about the quality of the speech he'd prepared, they vanished quickly. People were stomping, applauding him. His classmates rushed to the stage, thumping him in the back and trying to shake his hand. Harry noticed with surprise Draco and Hermione unabashedly crying. Even Ron wiped a tear of his freckled cheek.

Eventually the tumult subsided. Sprout proceeded to give the diplomas to the students. Hermione nudged slightly the light blue bodice of her dress, smiling proudly as she approached the Headmistress to receive her parchment.

Harry turned to wink at Ginny. The Weasley girl wore a formal dress that complimented her tan, her high-heeled shoes peeking from beneath the hem of her dress. The Gryffindor frowned at the thoroughly chastised Weasley parents. The older man had lost his trust when he wanted to direct Harry's life. In his eyes, Mr and Mrs Weasley were on probation.

Bill couldn't attend because he was helping Fleur with the baby. And the brunet missed Charlie who had to stay at the Dragon reserve. Noticing the bespectacled redhead, Harry waved to Percy. He'd taken a day off from his work at the Sports Department.

George appeared to be having a great time. The redhead had sworn he wouldn't miss the graduation of his younger brother for the world. Even if he was still withdrawn and moody at times, George generally was more talkative and outgoing.

oOoOo

After everyone received their diplomas, the newly minted licensed witches and wizards gathered in the middle of the lawn. They took off their pointed hats at a signal from the Headmistress. Hermione followed them a few seconds later, reluctantly. Then the former Hogwarts students threw them in the air, they hung suspended for scants moments. They never fell to the floor, sustained by magic.

Ginny approached gingerly Daphne, Astoria, and their parents. The Slytherin girl was sitting next to Justin.

The redhead sat down next to Astoria, eyeing appreciatively her kelly green dress that beautifully complimented her pale complexion.

"How are you?"

Astoria tapped her golden sandals against the grass, smiling at the redhead. "Fine, Gin. But won't be for long if I have to listen to another discussion of dumb and dumber," Astoria motioned towards her sister and Justin, "about how to name their children. Who cares? Just name them dumbette and dumbinetta and everything will be all right."

Ginny laughed out loud.

"What do you plan to do, Gin?"

"Toria, don't know what to do. The plan was to move in with Harry, marry and have his children?" Noting Astoria's frown, Ginny hastened to add. "That's quite unlikely now. I want to join a Quidditch team. People tell me I'm pretty good, you know?"

Astoria nodded. "Daphne told me."

"Anyway, if I could choose, I'd join the Holyhead Harpies just to spite Ron and his bloody Chudley Cannons." Ginny cocked an eyebrow at the blonde. "What about you, Toria?"

Astoria shrugged, pointing towards the table with Harry and his friends. "Dad wanted me to marry Draco. He said it would be the ideal match for the two families. Trouble is, Draco and I see each other more like brother and sister. So we said no. Needless to say, Lucius and dad weren't appreciative."

"Will Malfoy abide by that? Won't he try to force Draco's hand?

Astoria smiled, shifting in her seat so her dress touched Ginny's. "After the War? Draco has Lucius at his beck and call. Except for school. There he had to follow Lucius' orders. Draco was a rambunctious kid and often got involved in problems, Lucius kept an eye on him. Must be why he got into so much trouble at Hogwarts, out of Lucius' coddling."

Ginny picked a goblet and took a sip from the elf wine. "And?"

Astoria smiled fondly at the redhead. "Lucius won't put Draco into much trouble, provided that the Malfoy Heir is taken care of."

"So what does that mean, exactly?"

Astoria took a napkin and reached toward Ginny to wipe the drops of wine near her lips. "You know about the charms cast by the old blood families to protect the wealth?" Ginny blushed and then nodded.

"The charms assure that the property and money are passed only to the heir in blood." Astoria reclined on her chair, reaching down to take off her left sandal. "For the Malfoy family to continue to enjoy the money, Draco must provide an Heir… the charms require it. Draco knows this; he won't just blithely ignore it. Says he'll take care of it."

Astoria shrugged. "How he does that is anyone's guess."

oOoOo

Draco was sitting next to Harry. His friends Susan and her beau Robert were talking whilst Terry held Pansy's hand. Blaise was sneering at his fellow Slytherins, satisfied that he wouldn't have to marry against his will.

Draco wiggled his eyebrows at the brunette. "How does it feel to be back in old England?"

"Nice, Draco." Pansy smacked him upside the head. "You never visited me! At all!"

"Come on, Pansy! The one time I was free to visit I had to choose." The blond pointed at the sneering Zabini. "You and Blaise were in opposite directions and the information I needed was near him. Deal with it!"

The former Slytherin snorted delicately and touched her black bangs with her hand. She turned soulful eyes to Terry, "If it had been you, who would you choose, me or Blaise?"

The former Ravenclaw, knowing better than to incur the wrath of Pansy, answered nervously, "You of course!"

They were startled by the arrival of Hannah Abbott. She was brimming with energy, squeezing tightly Dean's hand. Thomas sat down next to Robert. They started discussing soccer strategies to achieve a European World Champion and whether this would be thwarted, as usual, by Brazil.

Hannah took a napkin and used it to swipe her forehead. The weather had been balmy that day. While it made for a perfect graduation, it made her hot in her dress. She smiled at Harry. "Won't you cast a cooling charm for us?"

Potter took out his new birch wand which had a dragon heartstring core.

Harry smiled to himself as he remembered Miriam's reaction to the core of his new wand. The petite Malfoy had smiled sweetly at him. "A piece of dragon to go with the Conis you already have."

Draco had taken to calling it playfully the 'Younger Wand' until the Gryffindor shut him up with a tickling charm.

Harry cast the spell to create a small breeze, 'Brevis ventulus.' The temperature duly went down and the students continued talking. The blond motioned for Elias Flint to sit down on a nearby chair. The scrawny Slytherin was with his grandparents and the Finch-Fletchleys, he appeared listless. Elias walked over, sitting next to Terry. The two mechanical-minded wizards started talking about magical devices and their properties.

Hermione was asking Susan about healing techniques, whilst Ron tried to have a civil conversation with Draco. It was clear to Harry that they would not become the best of friends. But now there was a truce between them. With time, he hoped, the wounds they had inflicted on each other would grow less important.

Draco called across the space separating them. "Hey, Tori! Come on over here! Just get Daphne, Justin and Ginny to move the table magically so it'll connect with ours!"

Then the blond saw Lavender sitting alone whilst her parents toured the school. He waved at her. "Lavender, do come and sit with us!"

"I don't know if I should, Draco."

The blond put his head on his forehead and said dramatically, "Let me tell you what my inner eye says. If you don't come, I will become so angry as to send a tickling charm your way. Do join us; we want to forge ties between alumni and faculty!"

Lavender finally consented and sat between Hermione and Elias. Hermione was aghast that Lavender was a full-fledged professor at Hogwarts, even if it was in Divination; nevertheless, the brunette offered her help if Brown should need rare manuscripts.

Draco noted that Elias appeared shy and uncomfortable, but as time passed, he and Lavender talked freely.

Harry grabbed his lover's hand and nodded at the group of his friends. "Did you imagine it would come to this?"

"I hoped it did, you know." The blond looked at the blue sky, taking a deep breath. "In the dark time when Voldemort forced me to do his bidding? I imagined something like this but I promise you something…"

Draco trailed off, leaning towards his boyfriend to whisper in his ear. "Harry, the best is yet to come."

The brunet squeezed Draco's hand, smiling. "I reckon it's all right, just as long as it doesn't involve a snake biting me and then fighting my evil headmaster. As long as I have you by my side, Draco."

The blond smiled, thinking about the wondrous plans he would put in operation soon to insure their future.

oOoOo

Jason and Lucius were discussing where to locate their law firm. Jason suggested somewhere in the City, while Lucius argued for Diagon Alley. Finally they concluded that since many of their customers would be Muggleborns, they ought to be located in the City.

Lucius took a sip from the goblet filled with champagne, and then drawled, "Funny that Woodgrinder should have met his untimely demise that way."

Several goblins had been found decapitated in one of Gringott's most secure vaults.

Jason waved his hand. "I take it your Ministry will find out the culprit?"

"I'm not sure," said Lucius. "It's internal, the other greedy goblins learned Woodgrinder abused their trust, you know, gambling Gringott's entire future on passing the bloody Marriage Law and grabbing our fortunes." He snorted. "Typical goblin treachery!"

Jason looked for his son. Seeing Justin talking animatedly with that girl, Daphne, he sighed. "So what will happen?"

"Don't care, to tell the truth." Lucius smirked. "The goblins deal swift retribution, it seems. The foolish Ministry is too weakened from their stupid fight for the Marriage Law. At any rate, they hardly provide common sense."

"About the firm…"

"I promise I'll nurture the Muggle politicians," said Lucius, lifting his eyebrow.

After a moment, Jason nodded. "So will I, of course." After all, it was their combined wisdom that had dealt the decisive blow to the Marriage Law and managed to defeat it in the Commons.

Miriam fidgeted in her chair. To Lucius, it was obvious she wanted to sit with her brother. Her blue eyes looked imploringly at her father and the blond finally conceded defeat. He took Miriam's hand and accompanied her to the table with his son and his friends.

Draco sat closer to Harry, freeing space for his sister. Miriam smirked faintly, politely thanking her Dad.

Draco looked at his sister, his gaze going to his parents and his friends, resting finally on Harry. He wanted to preserve this moment for all time. Love and acceptance had brought him here and it remained to be seen what occurred down the line.

Epilogue