herumtreiber

Title: Unusual ending - chapter 12
Chapter: twelve
Author:

herumtreiber
Genre: Slash, time travel, romance, adventure
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or related characters. Nor do I make any money from the writing of these stories.
Rating: R
Warnings: Sexual content
Epilogue compliant? No way!
Chapter length: 2950 words
Beta: None.
Summary: Old meets new. Harry walks all over Draco's heart, and when he realizes his mistakes he does the unforgivable so Draco takes him back. Time travel. During HBP, disregards Deathly Hallows - that means everyone's alive, except Sirius, but...

Table of contents

The Vow - part 1

His gaze shifting restlessly between his aunt and Severus, Draco tried to school his features into his trademark sneer. There were subtle nuances to performing such a Vow. Although Draco admired Severus' skill - subtly hiding his true allegiances and secretly thumbing his nose at Voldemort - it was Draco who'd grown up around dark magic. The Slytherin knew that Severus would be irreversibly bound to that Vow, and he would probably die as a result.

Although Severus was truly the epitome of a Slytherin, there was a certain way to circumvent the Vow whilst adhering strictly to its principles. It was something Lucius had drilled in him, a duplicity his father insisted he should learn – and for once, Draco was thankful to Lucius. Besides, Draco knew how to goad Bellatrix. From what his mother told him, it was an art in which his other aunt, Andromeda Tonks, had also excelled.

Gathering his courage, Draco walked up and stopped next to his godfather. He bowed to Voldemort, "I think Snape's idea has merit, my Lord." Snape put a hand on Draco's shoulder and squeezed it painfully, conveying his message that Draco should just stay quiet.

Draco turned to his godfather and shrugged minutely. He shifted his gaze to the Dark Lord's repugnant face, adding, "This will surely help me in my plotting."

Draco sidled next to the twins and kicked the uninjured one's leg, "I will put them under Imperius and use them to weaken Potter."

The blond boy heard the wheezy giggles of the Carrows – they were surely enjoying themselves, delighting in the misery of others – and dismissed them from his mind, concentrating on the task at hand.

Draco suspected what the Dark Lord would do next and thus shoved to the forefront of his consciousness the time when the twins and Potter beat him up after the Quidditch game. He also held in his mind the occasion when fake Moody turned him into a ferret. He vividly recalled hearing the crowd around him, laughing – visually it was all a blur due to the movement and shift from a human viewpoint to an animal one. So he let his humiliation and desire for revenge flood his mind.

Voldemort used his Legilimency on Draco. After a minute, a smirk graced his snakelike face and he lifted his wand, content with the results of his mental probe.

But Bellatrix was suspicious of her nephew, she muttered hoarsely, "How can we be sure about ickle Draco's motives?"

Bellatrix said loudly, "I taught Draco Occlumency, my Lord. He is rather good at that." She put her hands on her slender hips and sneered maliciously at her nephew, "One of the few things he's good at. I don't trust him!"

She approached Draco and poked his chest, "He's always babbling about Potter. Lucius told me so."

Draco mentally shook his head at his indiscreet father.

Bellatrix circled Draco like a hungry vulture, "I think Draco should be the one to swear an Unbreakable Vow."

Narcissa muffled a scream from behind her gloved hand. She walked shakily towards the Dark Lord, but when she passed near Severus, he grabbed her waist tightly and whispered in her ear, "Don't distract your son, Narcissa."

But her mother's instincts overrode any sense of self-preservation, as it would always happen when it came down to her precious son. Narcissa shouted, "No, Draco is just a boy!"

Narcissa looked imploringly at the Dark Lord. "You can't make him do that!"

Bellatrix faced her sister, "Cissy, you coddle your little Dragon too much. You and Lucius both." She thumper her chest, "If I had a son, I'd offer him proudly to the Dark Lord's cause."

Voldemort took several steps towards Narcissa and trained his wand on her, "You are wrong, Narcissa. If Draco is to rise among my Death Eaters, this is a good idea."

Narcissa swayed against Severus, and if it hadn't been for his strong arms around her, she would have slid to the floor.

Severus looked at the Dark Lord with an inscrutable expression, "If it pleases my Lord, I will be the Bonder." Perhaps I can salvage the situation this brat has put himself into, thought Severus resignedly.

Voldemort grinned evilly. Draco would surely fail to fulfil this Vow - and he would die. This would teach Lucius a painful lesson; after all, his former second in command failed in his task to retrieve the Prophecy – not to mention ruining one of his Horcruxes.

The Dark Lord motioned for Draco and Bellatrix to approach him. He said hoarsely, "I'll be the Bonder myself. This should prove to be interesting."

Bellatrix took her nephew's hand and moved sideways in a circle, so that Draco was forced to follow her.

"Will you swear to me, ickle Dragon? Will you swear to work against Potter?" Bellatrix put her other hand on her chest and pretended to swoon, "Can your ickle heart do that?"

Draco knew that the phrasing of the Vow was important, as vital as the intent behind it. The magic of the Vow judged the results according to that - a fact which he'd use in his favour. He was getting dizzy from following aunt Bella's circling ways.

Draco gripped tightly Bellatrix' hand - stopping her motion - and mocked her tone, goading his aunt, "You want me to bring Potter down, agony aunt? You want to see him on his knees?"

He smirked infuriatingly and curtsied, "Course I'll do that, auntie Celestina! Ooh, wrong name!"

The Slytherin boy knew that Bellatrix abhorred any mention of the singer. Bellatrix had a passing resemblance to Celestina Warbeck, and their voices were a bit similar but that was where the comparison ended. Warbeck was famous and successful - and Bellatrix hated to be compared to the Weird Sisters singer.

Bellatrix' mouth twisted angrily and she interrupted her tirade - which was exactly what Draco wanted. She jerked their joint hands, "So ickle Draco is afraid! Doesn't surprise me!"

The Dark Lord rasped, "Enough with this nonsense, Bella!"

Leering at Narcissa, the Dark Lord sidled next to the pair and lightly put the tip of his wand on their joint hands.

Narcissa tried vainly to evade Severus' steel grasp. A grimace of anguish marred her exquisite features as Bellatrix turned to smirk at her helpless sister.

Bellatrix cackled madly and then sneered at her nephew.

"Will you, Draco Malfoy, swear that you will bring Harry Potter to his knees?" said Bellatrix, her train of thought derailed by her nephew's insolence.

"I will," said Draco solemnly, whilst thinking of Harry on his knees in front of him - something the Seekers hadn't done yet.

A slender, green beam shot out from Voldemort's wand and formed lines on their forearms.

"Will you, Draco Malfoy, uphold faithfully the pureblood ideals?" added Bellatrix.

"I will," answered Draco, whilst thinking about nurturing the magical world - and the further spread of magic amongst all kinds of people, without distinctions.

A second beam of light shot out from the Dark Lord's wand and intertwined with the first, creating a crisscross pattern upon Draco's unblemished forearm.

Bellatrix was going to add something more, but at that moment Narcissa broke free from Severus and smacked Bellatrix on her head. Bellatrix turned to glare at her sister. Bella was going to add something but the Dark Lord shook his head. Voldemort appeared to be satisfied with the Vow as it was.

The pattern retreated to their clasped hands, sinking at last like the jaws of a voracious snake.

Voldemort lifted his wand and sighed. He was smirking when he turned to Narcissa, picturing Draco dead at her feet - because he failed to fulfil the Vow.

The blond boy bowed to the Dark Lord and then turned a malevolent glare on the twins.

"Come on, we have much to discuss and Crucios to try. I'll bet Potter will be surprised when you betray him," drawled Draco.

The wounded twin tried to attack Draco, but the other redhead held him back, whispering something in his brother's intact ear.

Draco nudged with his foot the fallen house-elf, and motioned for Fred – or George – to pick him up. "I will use this creature to teach you how to behave."

Draco motioned to Narcissa, "Come on, mother. I'll show you things that will make you proud of me."

Narcissa looked fearfully at the Dark Lord, who lifted his wand to his forehead in a mock salute and motioned for her to accompany her son. Draco turned to look at his godfather. To anyone else, Severus looked as imperturbable as ever, but Draco could see the signs of stress – Draco nodded to him and shifted his gaze to the twins.

Fred – or George - picked up the trembling Kreacher and the group, led by a smirking Draco, made their way amongst the malevolent gazes of the surrounding Death Eaters. Fenrir Greyback moved in front of Draco to stop them, growling fiercely – thinking of the lost chance to infect such precocious children – but Voldemort stopped him with an angry movement of his wand.

After they left the hall and its stink behind, Draco pointed to the crumbling stairs - lit by two sconces - motioning for the twins to go first. He took his mother's hand and tried to calm her down rubbing his thumb along her palm – something he used to do as a child when Lucius scolded him too much. Surprised, Narcissa looked at Draco. There was a new maturity in her son's fine features. Narcissa held the hope that Draco would not succumb to the Death Eater way – that there was purity and a hidden kindness that would not allow him to kill and torture. Holding that hope deep in her heart, she dried her tears with her other hand and followed her son, who held his wand menacingly at the twins.

They descended to the dungeons; none of them noticed a slithering movement in the dark.

Nagini was following them. The serpent was raging mad at losing her small though inviting meal. She determined to find out what the three boys and the woman were up to.

The group passed the torture room; Filch would have salivated if he could see it - together with red-eyed Mrs. Norris.

Draco let go of his mother's hand and stepped in front of the twins, opening the door to a hardly used room. With a flick of his wand he lighted the sole sconce on the opposite wall. Inside were several white masks lying on the floor and two or three broken brooms. He bowed and motioned for Narcissa to go first. Then Draco smiled maliciously and pointed to the door with his hand, whilst the twins glared at him. The scowling duo finally entered, one of them cradling tenderly the shivering house-elf.

Draco closed softly the stout wood door behind him. Once the group was safely hidden from the gazes of the Death Eaters, Draco swished his wand and conjured a white bandage which he passed to the uninjured twin.

"Which Weasley are you anyway?" drawled Draco, choosing not to react to the twin's ferocious scowl.

The redhead yanked the bandage from Draco's hand. "I'm George and that" – he pointed to the bleeding twin – "is Fred."

George wrapped delicately the bandage around Fred's ear. George turned to Draco and sighed dejectedly, "Can you tighten it, Malfoy?"

Draco nodded and with a flick of his wand the white bandage shrank a bit on Fred's head. He approached Fred and held the wand gingerly against his ear, casting a healing charm. Draco moved his wand with a slashing motion towards the twins and then his mother, casting Evanesco and eliminating the blood from their clothes.

Fred sighed, "Now you are going to use Imperius? We expected something better from you, ferret!"

Draco scowled at Fred but didn't answer him. He walked to the corner and tugged a threadbare canvas, uncovering a black box, ornately carved. It was about 9 feet high and 5 feet wide.

Turning to the twins, Draco smirked and pointed to the box, "Recognise this, Weasleys? You should, for it'll help you escape."

The twins looked at each other, their faces breaking into a wide smile for the first time since they'd been captured.

"Right..." said Fred.

"That's the cabinet where we..." continued George.

"... Shoved Montague, the slimy..." added Fred. Draco and Narcissa were moving their heads like they were following a tennis match.

"... Slytherin Quidditch captain!" finished the twins triumphantly.

"Exactly, my dear redheads," drawled Draco.

"That" – Draco pointed to the Cabinet – "leads to the Room of Hidden Things."

The Slytherin brushed invisible lint off his robes, "Voldemort wanted me to find a way into Hogwarts. My dear uncle Rodolphus-"Draco snorted.

"-Bought the one in Borgin and Burkes and moved it here." Draco glared at the smirking twins. "After I learned of poor Montague's disappearance into thin air..."

"Courtesy of the Weasley twins," chorused Fred and George.

Draco stabbed his wand in the twins' direction. "Anyway, I repaired the one at Hogwarts and made it operational, whilst insisting to the Dark Lord that it was nearly impossible to fix."

Draco looked at his wand and then at the twins. "By the way, what happened to your wands?"

Fred pointed to his ear; it was easy for Draco to distinguish them now because Fred was the one with the bandage - and the one who was glaring at him right now.

It was George who said, "After a spell cast by your bloody aunt got poor Fred-"

Fred turned to glare at George, who shrugged nonchalantly and waved a finger at Fred, "You got careless, Fred. Remember..."

"Constant Vigilance!" yelled the twins. Amidst the banter of the boys, the sound of something hissing behind the door went unnoticed.

Draco made shooing motions with his hands and said, "Do you want the Death Eaters to come here? Are you mad?"

Fred shrugged and said, "After I fell, George rushed to my side and Bellatrix disarmed him. My wand was on the floor."

George reclined lazily against the Cabinet and added, "After she immobilised us, she pocketed our wands, the bitch!"

George smiled innocently at Narcissa, "Your pardon, Mrs. Malfoy."

Narcissa waved her hand elegantly, "Not necessary, Mr. Weasley. Lately I've been thinking the same thing."

Fred gazed at the cabinet, "So you're letting us go, Malfoy? Won't that blow your cover with You-Know-Who?"

"I've grown tired of playing the spy," said Draco, taking his mother's hand. "I'll leave that business to Severus. Besides, I bet Harry will be only too happy to see you two. After all, you're the only Weasleys that fully support him."

Draco scowled at the smirking twins, "Though you still owe me one beating."

George crossed his arms and mimicked Draco's drawl, "So why bother with that Unbreakable Vow?"

Frowning at the flippant Weasley, Draco answered, "Had to get us out of there. You wanted me to take a roomful of Death Eaters singlehandedly?"

Draco winked at Narcissa, "I'm no Gryffindork, you know."

Fred smirked, "Yeah, you're no Gryffindor. You're just a ferret!"

Draco growled. He trained his wand on the twins and with an angry motion, muttered a spell. Immediately, the twins' robes turned a brilliant pink.

Fred turned to George and wiped invisible tears off his cheek, "What do you know, Forge? Our ickle Drakkiekins is growing up at last!"

George snorted, "Yeah, though he could show more taste. This clashes horribly with our hair."

Draco rolled his eyes and threw his arms in the air, "What, you wanted your robes fuchsia? I'm not Dumbledork either!"

Narcissa smiled at the banter of the boys. For a moment, she had been afraid that Draco had succumbed to the teachings of his father. But looking at her son's flushed face and bright, stormy eyes, she realised that Draco was truly a Slytherin, able to wade his way through danger and outsmart his enemies. She frowned, remembering the Unbreakable Vow and wondering how in Merlin's name Draco would fulfil that.

Kreacher groaned and trashed weakly on the floor. Draco sighed, looking down at his elf defender. He walked to the cabinet and opened the door, motioning for Narcissa to enter.

"Mother, if you will," Draco extended his left hand to Narcissa. She gently squeezed it and with her other hand caressed his face. The touch of her velvet glove felt soft - like a feather - upon Draco's cheek.

"I'm very proud of you, my Dragon," said Narcissa tenderly. She entered the cabinet walking regally.

After surreptitiously wiping his cheek, Draco waved for George to put Kreacher into the cabinet, next to Narcissa.

Draco smiled lovingly at his mother and gently closed the cabinet door, muttering 'Harmonia Nectere Passus' to activate it.

Draco was still gazing at the cabinet that had conveyed his mother to safety when the door shook violently. He exchanged concerned glances with the twins and barely had time to turn around when the door was torn off its hinges- and a furious Nagini slithered into the room.

In Hogwarts, Dobby was sniffling into one of his woollen hats which he'd found on the floor in front of the Room of Hidden Things. He shifted his feet and gazed morosely at the tapestry with the dancing trolls.

Apparently he'd been a little too hasty about his former master, the Malfoy boy who was now a very good friend of Harry Potter's.

The stone wall in front of Dobby flowed and formed a door through which a witch appeared, holding in her arms a small shape. Dobby looked agape at the woman he knew so well.

Slithering & Struggling - part 1