herumtreiber

Title: Windbound - 11/35
Chapter: eleven
Author:

herumtreiber
Genre: post DH, slash, romance, adventure
Disclaimer: The world and characters of Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling. Nor do I make any money from the writing of these stories.
Rating: R
Warnings: Sexual content
Epilogue compliant? Epilogue complaisant
Chapter length: ~4,252 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 ten

Disclaimer:The movie "The usual suspects" is distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, no profit is intended herein.

October 22nd, 1998
Hogwarts

Sitting on his bed, Draco was holding the Serpent's Map and idly following people's icons around, wondering if he would chance to find some unusual pairings, as had happened before.

Pairs, pares, Paaren, funny how similar the words were in English, Spanish and German. The thought made him grimace as he remembered Lucius's stern attitude concerning education. He believed he had his father wrapped around his little finger, and he knew he did, as he confided to Harry during that first meeting at Madam Malkin's. In fact, later he did manage to outsmart Lucius and make him buy all those brooms for the Slytherin Quidditch team, all in the guise of competitiveness, of course.

But he failed miserably when it came to education. There Lucius remained inflexible, and expected Draco to do his best, he crammed his head with all that useless knowledge about languages. Lucius expected Draco to do better than the genius Granger, and he was relentless.

Later Lucius got drawn into the vortex of Voldemort's return, as all of them did. Education mattered little in those days; it was all about surviving the next minutes, the next hours, and the next days.

Now that things were back to normal, at least as close to normal as they got, Lucius was back on his education obsession.

He wondered why Harry hadn't visited him lately. He'd seemed aloof and reserved, as if he was planning something.

Draco learned what the planning was about on Friday during dinner. Everybody was shocked when Harry knelt down and proposed to Ginny, giving her an ancient ring belonging to the Potters. Everyone expected Ginny to cry with joy at being selected to be the next Mrs. Potter. The redhead just nodded numbly and uninterestedly extended her hand so Harry could put the ring.

Draco was sitting with the Hufflepuffs. Justin and Hannah restrained him from going to Harry. Hannah opined, "Give it time, Draco. I'm sure Harry has his reasons for doing this; although knowing him, they may be the result of a hare-brained scheme. Maybe he is showing he complies with the Marriage Law."

Susan added, "If you want me to zap him, I will, Draco. No one messes with one of my own, not even Harry Potter!"

Draco unobtrusively observed the angry Hufflepuffs. He could see that Susan was tugging on her plaited hair, and Justin grabbed some of his blond curls and tugged seemingly strong. Whenever one of the Heads started grabbing their hair, things were going downhill, so Draco replied promptly, "I'm ok, Susan. I will deal with Harry in my own way. He'll rue the day he proposed to Ginny!"

After dinner, when he tried to speak with Draco, Harry met an inflexible wall of Hufflepuffs staring down at him with loathing. When he asked why they were behaving so discourteously, Draco drawled, "Think about what you just did, Potter, and come to your own conclusions. Now why don't you go back to your excited fiancée, or should I say, completely unflappable bride?

The next day, Harry and Ron were playing Quidditch one on one. Ron was not a bad Seeker at all, and he gave as good as he got. He was disappointed that Harry chose not to play Quidditch, but at the end he was supportive.

Ron said, "I think it will be great to call you brother-in-law, Harry, though you have always been like a brother to me!"

Harry blushed and replied, "So have you, Ron. I remember when you rescued me with the flying Anglia; the adventures in the Chamber of Secrets, finding Sirius. You were always by my side."

Ron said, "And you have really forgiven the Ferret for the things he's done?"
Harry replied, "We did worse things to him, and he has forgiven us."

Ron replied sadly, "I don't think I can forgive him, not yet and perhaps not ever. But I'll try to ignore him for you, Harry. Don't think I don't know certain things! Like a good older brother I am aware if my siblings get in terse situations."

Ron smiled diabolically and said, "Just be careful, Harry."
A blushing Harry just nodded, and with a bit of wandless magic sent a Bludger towards Ron. The redhead saw the looming danger and was forced to maneuver to avoid it.

Draco was throwing stones at the Giant Squid, again, when he saw a flash of red hair and a petite witch approached and greeted him, "Hello, Draco!" She offered a parchment with a flourish.

Draco drawled lazily, "Hi, Ginevra, what brings you here in this beautiful Saturday morning?" The blond was right; the morning was delightful, the sun shone warmly upon the cold land. The trees were stark in their simplicity, as they prepared to suffer the onslaught of winter.

Ginny replied cheekily, pointing to the parchment, "I convinced Harry Potter to sign that document, which gives me the power to represent him in any legal battles. I want you to add him to the aggrieved parties that are battling the Marriage Law in court."

Draco was astounded, which didn't happen too often, and he replied nervously, "How did you manage to get it? Did you use… magic?"

Ginny emitted a deep throated laugh and said, "No, I did not use Imperio on him, Draco. He is resistant to that anyway, remember? What I did was convince him that it was in his best interests to sign that form. I can be pretty convincing when I have to."

"If my First Year taught me anything, it was how to survive. It also taught me how to dissemble, how to hide real or imagined wounds. That year was a harsh master. So I can be pliant when I have to be, but I hate it. I hated seeing Harry's twinkling eyes as he looked at me like his conquest."

"I loved Harry for a long time, like a fair princess loves her knight in shining armor, because Harry once played exactly that role in my life. I loved his spontaneity, his loyalty and courage. I thought if I won his love, Harry would trust me always."

"So when he and I started going out in my Fifth Year, I was pleased. However, at the end of the year Harry said he had to break up with me, in order to protect me. I realized then that I would never belong to that trusted circle of people he respected. He might love me, but he saw me still as a maiden who needs to be rescued."

"Frankly, I am all done with the males strutting around and posturing, always. They fight about who has the bigger cock, the most money, the most power. In the end, even Voldemort's fight was all about who was the most powerful wizard in the world. They all do it, even you, Draco. I've noticed how you looked after Astoria when she was here, as if it was your responsibility to care for her."

Draco defended himself, "It's just that I have known her since she was a toddler. I tend to watch out for her."

Undeterred, Ginny continued speaking softly, "You are the same around Susan and Hannah, and you've been their friend for a short time."

"Men will always protect women, because they see them as weak and frail." Ginny laughed bitterly as she continued, "Weak! As if suffering the ordeal of giving birth was an easy thing! For nine months we carry another life inside us, and it is a wondrous feeling, but also a very demanding situation. Frail! As if taking care of a newborn was an easy thing, often done alone because of circumstance or choice."

Ginny pointed to the parchment and said, "So here is the document, because I want to contribute more to repeal that damned Law, because I don't want to end up as a trophy wife, seen as the comfortable way to discharge a debt owed to the Weasley family."

After saying that, Ginny stomped away in the direction of Hogwarts. Draco remained throwing stones at the Giant Squid, thinking about her words and impassioned delivery.

In the afternoon, Draco and Justin were walking down High Street in Hogsmeade to attend their meeting with their fathers. Draco was enthusiastically talking about movies with Justin. He had been introduced to the concept of movies by Lucius. The elder Malfoy had become an enthusiast when Jason showed him a movie called "Deliverance." The blond Slytherin wondered which movies would be worth watching and the curly-haired Hufflepuff replied, "I know exactly the movie for you to see, Draco! It's very interesting. I can have dad drop us in our family's flat in Edinburgh when he goes back, and we'll rent it and watch it. Lucius can make us a portkey to get back to Hogwarts."

They stopped at Scrivenshaft's so Justin could buy some quills he needed. Apparently the lack of news concerning the Marriage Law stressed him. He would hold the quill too forcefully, and it got damaged.

They arrived at the Hog's Head, and after cursorily glancing at the ugly hog's head nailed to the wall, they were led by Aberforth to their usual place. Dumbledore, as usual, spent some time with Draco talking about old news and recent developments.

At 3:00 o'clock a harried-looking Jason appeared, presumably still in awe at the unseen Thestrals that powered the carriage. He was followed 10 minutes later by Lucius. The elder Malfoy greeted the Finch-Fletchleys affably and nodded to his son.

After Lucius cast privacy charms, Jason started to explain exactly where they were in the political situation concerning the Marriage Law. He started, "You will be pleased to note that the judge deemed the new Law to be null and void, considering that it violates or contradicts Articles 8 and 12 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which was incorporated into domestic UK law by the Human Rights Act 1998. The judge didn't deem it too important where the human rights abuse was taking place, only that it was happening right now to UK nationals."

Jason frowned and continued, "However, that does not mean that we are out of the woods. The Government proceeded to complain against the judge's decision and it was taken to a higher court. There are two higher courts that will be consulted, but I remain sanguine that we will pull through. The final decision will come when the case is presented to the House of Lords by the Lord Chancellor. There the decisive votes will be cast by the Lords Spiritual, the Lords Temporal…"

Lucius interrupted, "And the Lords Magical."

Draco and Justin gasped. Justin asked, "What do you mean, Mr. Malfoy? Do you mean to say that…?"

Lucius replied calmly, "Yes, Justin. You heard all right. The Lords Magical were an integral part of the House of Lords until the Burning Times. In the aftermath of that particular horror, the Lords Magical decided to retire themselves from the deliberations and erased all mention of their names and positions, along with many memories. The Lords Magical decided to occupy themselves with ruling over the Wizarding World, and became the Wizengamot."

"There is a provision that the Lords Magical may return to the House of Lords, if the need is great."

Jason concluded, "The showdown will come. The people are becoming increasingly aware of the strange goings-on. Surely by the time the final vote occurs in the House of Lords, many reporters' eyes will de directed there. If the wizards show up, the truth of the Wizarding World will be known. So we'll see what they really want: to keep the Secret intact or to impose their Marriage Law to gain a lot of money."

After Draco asked Lucius for a portkey and he refused, Draco started pouting and generally looking miserable. Finally, the elder Malfoy sighed and rubbed his forehead. He conceded defeat and proceeded to make the portkey out of a glass.

When the students and Mr. Finch-Fletchley arrived to the seemingly horseless carriage, both Draco and Justin could see the Thestrals in front of it. Justin shied away from them and Draco got closer. He felt the uncanny need to pet one. The dragon-looking winged horses were drawn to the Dark, like he had been. Many people would find it strange that he wasn't able to see them until that fateful day on the Astronomy Tower, during Sixth Year, when Dumbledore died. They'd think he was used to killing, but he wasn't, and therein lay the paradox.

A Death Eater who does not want to kill, a Slytherin who fails to use cunning. Draco sought to profit from his mistakes, but sometimes it was so easy to go back to ancient methods, especially when you didn't know who to trust. Why had Harry proposed to Ginny? Did he want to go back to her? Was he then only playing with Draco's feelings? Who was genuine?

The ride ended shortly and they got off from the carriage. Jason went to his car, opened its doors and the teenagers hopped in. Jason and Justin started discussing things like how their favorite soccer teams were doing. Draco kept interrupting, and the answers to his questions grew ever more convoluted.

Justin asked his father to stop by a movie rental house. He and Draco got off and went to browse the titles. The curly-haired blond selected one and then paid for it. Eventually they arrived at the flat on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Jason stopped and the students got off. He pointed to his shirt pocket and told Justin to call him before they went back to Hogwarts. Then he waved, got on the car and drove away.

Justin sighed, hunched his shoulders and commented, "The flat is on the third floor, we'll use the stairs."

After they arrived and Justin opened the door, he asked, "Don't you wonder how you would fare in the Muggle world, Draco?"

Draco took a look around. The apartment was decorated in beige and white; the furniture was austere and functional. In the living room there was a big square, which he supposed was the screen, there were rugs thrown haphazardly and three sturdy-looking couches.

Draco replied finally, "Yes, I wonder. I used to dislike it immensely, but when I was at the Manor and Voldemort was around, I used to dream of a world where I could leave my problems behind, all the troubles caused by magic. It was a surprise to me when I realized this world already exists, it is the Muggle way of life."

"I can imagine myself living in a place where there is no magic, because that would mean no onerous responsibilities as the Malfoy Heir, hated and adored even before anyone has met me. It would take some getting used to, but I think I could manage."

Justin went to the kitchen and returned with some colas and snacks. He put the disc on, turned on the TV, and the movie "The usual suspects" started playing.

The Hogwarts students were entranced by the movie and watched it avidly. When it ended, Justin waited eagerly to hear Draco's comments. The Slytherin said, "Well, it was interesting. I gather these five individuals who looked like second rate Death Eaters were not good. Apparently they were interrogated by a bunch of seemingly bored Aurors. There is this ominous person that sounds like Voldemort. Then there is the little matter of the exploding wands the guys used."

Justin asked perplexed, "Exploding wands, Draco, what do you mean?"
"You know these ugly, squat, dark wands that explode with a bang."

Justin fought to keep his grin hidden but he couldn't. He started guffawing as he explained, "These are not wands, Draco, but guns!"

Draco shot him a death glare, but Justin had grown inured to them. The blond Slytherin huffed as he continued, "In the end, that guy did it. I knew since the beginning."

"How could you know, Draco?"
"Call it a hunch. Sometimes my hunches are proved to be completely right, to my own detriment."

Justin pondered that while Draco would have a tough life if he landed in the middle of a LA gang, he'd managed to grasp the gist of the movie. He had decoded the elements into shapes he was familiar with.

They finished their snacks and Justin looked at the time, it was 2:10 AM. He said, "We have to get back or McGonagall will lynch us! Wait here." He hurriedly took the movie, put it in a plastic bag, opened the apartment's door and put the bag in front of the neighbors' door after he scribbled a note asking them to turn the movie in for him.

Then he took his cell phone and called his father, telling him they were about to leave for Hogwarts.
Finally Justin took off the glass-portkey, but in his haste, he dropped it and it broke in several pieces.

After Draco chastised him for his error and wondered how they would ever get back to Hogwarts, Justin used a simple Reparo and said, "If you must know, the spell Reparo works to knit the pieces together up to the molecular level."

Draco muttered, "Head stuff getting to your head and making it bigger, Justin?" Justin chose to tactfully ignore this, meanwhile he pictured ways to attack his – ticklish – opponent. He'd have to find a way to thank Susan for that bit of information.

Draco wondered aloud if they would end up splinched using a somewhat splinched portkey, or even in the same continent, or the same reality.

Justin took the glass, pushed it towards Draco, who also touched it, then he muttered Portus and the portkey activated.

They felt the indescribable feeling in their navel and arrived outside Hogwarts. They walked to the entrance and slipped in, taking care not to make any noise. They were outside the Great Hall when they saw a shadow skulking around, that of a tabby cat, who immediately transformed into Minerva McGonagall.

The enraged Headmistress proceeded to tell them what she thought of their thoughtless action, leaving Hogwarts unnoticed. Draco did not doubt any longer: any reality with such a McGonagall in it had to be his.

He didn't even try to moderate their punishment by calling Liz Lehmke. He knew the ombudswoman would make the punishment probably worse. They ended up with a week's worth of detention under Professors Sprout, Flitwick and Slughorn.

They separated at the stairs, Justin went up to Hufflepuff and Draco went down to the Dungeons.

Eventually Draco reached his room and entered, only to note a bulge in his bed and a seemingly enraged Harry asking, "What were you doing with Finch-Fletchley?"

Draco replied hotly, "What do you mean Mr. I'm-going-to-marry-Ginny? Why do you care who I spend time with? What gives you the right to enter here and ask me such questions? Merlin, I wish I'd never met you!" Draco paced back and forth, "What are you doing here? Get out of my room, get out of my life!"

Draco grabbed Harry and started pushing him to the door, intending to open it and throw him out. Harry started sobbing and said, "Hear me out! Please listen, Draco!"

Draco stopped pushing and allowed him to sit in one of the chairs. Harry wept as he said, "I'm forced by the Marriage Law to marry Ginny. I think that however twisted some people are when applying this law, its goals are pure: to ensure that the feud between the purebloods, halfbloods and Muggleborns ends once and for all, through peaceful means. People look up to me, I can't let them down, they have to see I'm taking the right path for the greater good."

"Loving Ginny seems like a serene and simple breeze, heart-warming, soothing and promising succor and safety; but you, Draco, you make my blood boil. I can't look at you without wanting to do many things. I want to worship you with my mouth, I want to be worshipped by you, it's a heady feeling, like the brisk wind of the sea after a deadly calm."

"So you see, I am at a crossroads, but I want to spend every moment I can with you, for I dread utterly the moment when I find I can't."

The two spent that night safely ensconced for the moment in the safety of Hogwarts, glad to be near each other, and ruing what tomorrow may bring.

Meanwhile, in the Head Girl's rooms, Susan was in a heated discussion with Hannah.

Susan said as she munched on a Chocolate Frog, "I don't know what all that excitement about football really is about. If you've seen one silly ball moved back and forth across a field you've seen them all."

Hannah replied, "Well, Dean is very vocal about his support for that sport. He's also cute when he gets defensive about his favorite team."

Susan asked boldly, as was her wont, "Well, do tell: have you kissed him?"

Hannah blushed and answered, "Of course not, I don't even know who he is going to marry!"

Susan replied, "Calm down, Hannah! What does it matter who they paired him with? We are doing all we can so that awful Law never makes it. It would be dreadful if we worked hard to destroy the bill, we succeeded and later you found out that Dean was going out with another girl or boy, because you never made a move on him."

"So cheer up! Or would you rather end up with old Zacharias?"

Hannah grimaced and hit Susan with a pillow, Susan replied in kind and the fight was on until they were interrupted by someone knocking on the door. Susan stood up and went to open the door. She found Justin and Terry, carrying some butterbeers.

Susan started to scold them, but Justin tiredly held up his hand, tugged his curls and said, "Yes, I know. But I'm already in trouble with McGonagall and then I found Terry wandering around, muttering about Anastasia and we decided to crash your room and bring some butterbeers and hopefully lively discussions."

The three Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaw took out some glasses; they also confiscated Susan's Chocolate Frogs, to her displeasure and dismay, and fell to discussing recent developments.

When Terry started moaning about Anastasia, Hannah asked him pointblank, "If you could choose, who would you marry, Terry?"

The brunet looked at the other and said softly, "Promise not to laugh?"

After they nodded, Terry elaborated, "I would like to marry someone like Pansy Parkinson."
Hannah asked, "Why would you marry that… slut?"

Terry answered seriously, "You should know that is a rumor started by her arch-enemy, the Gryffindor queen herself, Hermione Granger, also known as the girl who would confound a member of her team so her boyfriend Ron could squeak by and get a chance to play."

He continued softly, "Pansy is unlike any girl I've ever met. She's direct, stern and has a sarcastic wit. She won't sugarcoat things or do the right thing to appease others. Whatever you may think of her, it took guts to stand up in the Great Hall and take an unpopular position against Harry Potter."

Justin broke the sudden silence by saying, "Well, now you have the advantage of being a good friend of her best friend. Maybe Draco will help you. After all, I'm quite sure he likes you loads better than Seamus Finnigan, her preordained fiancé."

At that, everybody laughed.

Chapter twelve