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How To Train Your Auror 2: Family Ties	By : Alcoholic_Rootbeer Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 7990 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and I will not make a profit from this story

Chapter List
- 35
- 36
- 37
I promise not to make anyone wait too long for the next chapter. Like, does this weekend sound good?
As always, the lovely waymay proofed this like a pro, and I'm ever grateful. She gave me a valuable plot device in this chapter as well.
LightofEvolution deserves a round of virtual applause, because I couldn't have come up with many of these moments without her. She says she doesn't want recognition, but here it is, nonetheless. XD This chapter goes out to Light!
~A.
"This is My World" by Esterly featuring Austin Jenckles
Heavy hangs the fear in your heart
Like cinder blocks crushing your chest
It's a prison break, escape from the dark
Can't get it out of your head
Whoa
Whoa
Woah
This is my world!
Oh, you took a wrong turn!
Now you're stuck in my world!
Trust me, this gonna hurt!
Fire it up, and watch it burn!
This is my world!
The magic in the air crackled overhead as Abraxas flipped open the first page of the Gray magic tome and gave a calculated smirk down to the helpless Greg Diggle. Draco watched on in horror, unsure to step in or allow the theatrics to continue. There was a conflict which weighed heavily in his heart; whatever his grandfather had planned for Diggle, Draco couldn't convince himself Diggle didn't deserve it.
"Now then," said Abraxas, drawing his wand over his palm to slice it; blood dripped onto the pages, connecting him to communicate with the Gray. "I come to offer power. Take this man," he gestured to Diggle, "who has used your power for corruption, and use him to repair the Pandora Stone for me. I offer his life in exchange for your power."
The room hung on bated breath for the Gray's response, but what came next no one could have predicted.
Draco could see the words form over his grandfather's shoulder. 'The Gray rejects this proposal.' And the book slammed shut.
Silence. Abraxas's face fell into that of confusion and iron-clad refusal to back down. Just as he was about to open the book again, someone began to laugh, soft at first, until the volume grew and bounced off the walls. It came from the center of the table; Diggle threw his head back, cackling with satisfaction.
"That was your grand plan?" He continued to spill full bodied laughter, his dazzlingly white teeth glistening in the light beneath the chandelier. "That's not how the Gray Magic works, Malfoy! You can't offer up someone else! The Gray is all about self sacrifice!" His chest heaved, still spilling with uncontrollable laughter. It only added to Abraxas's humiliation when he added, "Apparently, my life isn't worth much to you! Ahaha! Oh, oh Malfoy! You slay me! Really! What did you think, you were just going to sacrifice me on a pillar in front of your followers like I'm fucking Aslan or something? White witch -white wolf -the bloody parallels are spectacular!"
Abraxas made an apparent sneer, waved his wand, and pointed it at Diggle. "Silencio!" The laughter died away instantly. He, then, ran his fingers over the top of the book, closing his eyes. "It seems only a true sacrifice will do. Very well. I'd give my very life, my soul, for the cause."
The book began to glow under his palm, and when he opened his eyes, he lifted his book opened back to him, new words forming this time:
'The Gray accepts payment of Abraxas Malfoy's soul.'
Lucius Malfoy stepped into the Quidditch shed behind the Manor, leaning against his walking cane for support. It was difficult for him to breathe, but he ignored the pressure on his chest, using the light of the moon peering through the window to search for the object of his desire. Instinct told him to raise his wand and cast a Lumos spell, but the weakness his body felt reminded him he no longer contained magic. If there was ever a time where Lucius felt more useless, he couldn't recall it. Somewhere between a hobble and a stiff walk, he meandered about the shed until he found it, hidden underneath a thick curtain.
With a smirk, Lucius yanked the tapestry down, revealing the two way mirror he'd gifted Narcissa with on their first anniversary. Though he, himself, wasn't magical anymore, the mirror was, and he stepped through the portal, tumbling out on the other side: the den of the Malfoy Manor, opposite of the fireplace. Glancing about the room, he gathered his composure, digging into his pockets to reveal the letter he'd written not ten minutes before. It was curled in a scroll and sealed with the Malfoy insignia, marking it for departure. And depart it did as Lucius tossed some floo powder into the fireplace before hissing, "Ministry of Magic," and pitching the scroll into the green flames.
Taking careful measure, he made sure the parchment disappeared before he leaned against the mantle and coughed into his hand. Blood trickled onto his palm, the crimson glaring back at him as a painful reminder of his transgressions. He silently wondered where it all had gone terribly, terribly wrong. Every decision he ever made felt like a weight, crushing his lungs like the cancer residing inside. He wiped his hand on his robes and reached inside his pant pocket, revealing the picture Draco had left him with the last time they'd spoken. Victoria Crabbe's pretty eyes glistened back at him, and his heart tugged in guilt. He wasn't strong enough, in his weakened state, to fend off the terrible blows of regret as they swarmed him, leaving him exhausted and misty eyed. He coughed again, thicker this time, and splattered the picture with his blood.
Bump. The small sound startled him, and he stuffed the picture back into his pocket, narrowing his eyes. He stared at the painting next to him, closest to the fireplace. THUMP. The sound grew louder this time, and Lucius moved to grasp his wand on his hip, only to realize it would be useless. With a forlorned expression, he rested his hand at his side and cautiously moved toward the painting. His mother, Winifred, smiled down at him, painted in the prime of her life so that her pretty teeth and dazzling complexion glistened in the firelight.
"Hello, Lucius," she said, running her hands down the skirting of her lavender dress and fixing her plumed hat just so.
"Open the tunnel," he commanded, refusing to look his mother in the eyes. Winifred's passing had been harder on Lucius -even more than that of his own father, but he would never have admitted it to anyone but Narcissa. He'd been closer to Abraxas, yes, but he knew, deep down inside, he wanted to be gentle, like his mother. Knowing he had not grown up this way, he found it important not to show his mother's painting any type of kindness, lest he break down at her painted shoes in a puddle of tears.
No. That was never the Malfoy way.
His mother appeared hurt, but she didn't comment on his lack of compassion. "Password?"
"Prometheus."
The painting swung open, revealing a baffled looking boy, his platinum blond locks sticking up at odd angles. Dirt covered the bridge of his nose and his palms, but he smiled as if he'd never been happier as he set his eyes upon his grandfather. "Gampa!" Scorpius leaped against Lucius's leg, nearly knocking the grown man over if it weren't for his walking cane. Lucius coughed, straightened his back, and patted his grandson on top of his head.
"Shh," he said, "Are you alright, Scorpius?"
"Scary," replied Scorpius, turning to peer back inside the tunnel. "Lotsa spiders."
"Yes," said Lucius, smirking as relief filled him to the brim, "I imagine so."
A strange, wispy golden light like Draco had never seen before emerged from the pages of the book, coiling up Abraxas's arm like a snake. Fear picked Draco out from a crowd and seized his entire body as he watched the Gray magic transfer itself from the book into Abraxas, crawling up his shoulder before sinking into his chest. His grandfather shuddered as the candles around the room flickered. His hands began to glow with runes traveling up and down his arms as the book was stripped blank. The temperature in the room dropped drastically within an instant; Draco could see his breath ghosting in a puff of mist before his face.
Abraxas set his hands on the table, breathing heavily. He appeared shaky, out of breath, while a new sheen of sweat glistened over his skin. He hung his head low, his hair dangling dangerously over his eyes. Then, a low, frightening chuckle emerged from his lips while his shoulders heaved with laughter. "So, this is the true power of Gray Magic. Fascinating." He tilted his head up to look around the table.
Something pricked inside of Draco's subconscious, and he could hear Hermione's thoughts in his head. 'We can't let him repair the stone!'
'I'm aware of that,' Draco snarled back inside his mind, wondering if Abraxas would pick up on their telepathy. To his reassurance, his grandfather appeared distracted, looking down at his hands and back up to the guests in attendance.
"Now, then." His head whipped around, and Draco flinched, startled by the movement. "It appears we're not alone."
'Shit.'
"It seems you lied to me, Draco." Abraxas snapped his fingers. "Shafiq, we have some visitors in the den. See to it they attend the festivities, yes?"
Bruno Shafiq rose from the table and strutted across the room. "My Lord." He kneeled at Abraxas's feet before setting off toward the archway flanking Draco. He grew dangerously close to Dean, who sidestepped out of the way to avoid being run over only to stumble backward and run smack dab painting of Severin Malfoy.
The portrait swayed on its hinge, appearing to have moved of its own accord. All heads turned in Dean's direction, forcing Draco to swear under his breath.
'Idiot!'
Several hooded figures stood up from their positions at the table, and Abraxas waved his hand. A mighty gust of wind shuddered through the room, countering Draco's magic in one foul swoop. Draco struggled to hold on to his disillusion charm, but it dispelled anyway, revealing Harry, Dean, and Hermione at once.
"Well, well, well," Abraxas grinned, "Auror Potter. Auror Granger. Auror... " He eyed Dean with bemused interest. "I don't even care to know your name. But it is so nice of you to join us."
"Now!" Harry shouted; Draco took his grandfather's example, focusing all of his efforts on summoning a dispelling charm of terrifying caliber; he emitted a blast with his hand, vibrating the room and knocking everyone off balance, but, most importantly, banishing away the restraints on Diggle, Astoria, and Jameson.
Theodore was the first to act, kicking his feet against the table to knock himself backward in the chair. It toppled over, and, with a graceful roll, he landed right side up, throwing a wandless stunning charm at the wizard seated across from him. Panic broke out amongst the room -several of Abraxas's followers raised their wands and began to cast spell after spell, while others morphed into their furry and scaly animagus counterparts to avoid the carnage of hexes. Narcissa, not one to be timid, began throwing hex after hex, chasing wild animals about the room with only the fierceness a mother's touch could provide.
Diggle, to his own interests, rolled off the table just as a curse flew over his head, missing Hermione by inches as she appeared by Astoria's side.
"Oy, watch it!" Diggle shouted to whomever threw the curse, not because he was nearly struck, but because the spell nearly hit the woman he was in love with. He caught eyes with a man dressed in red robes. "You're going to regret that." With a swing of his leg, he knocked another wizard off balance by kicking him in the back of his knees, stole his wand, and sent a full binding jinx into the assailant's chest.
Hermione stared wide-eyed at Diggle, who smirked at her, awaiting recognition. "Well," she said, baffled, "I suppose you've earned one brownie point."
"Only one?" Diggle shrugged. "I'll take it."
"Hermione!" shouted Harry from somewhere off in the distance. "Get her out of here!"
"Right." She placed a gentle hand on Astoria's shoulder as the witch peered up at her through hooded, pain filled eyes. "Hang in there, Astoria. You're going to be alright." She exchanged a wordless glance with Theodore before Disapparating from the room, Astoria in tow.
Harry, across the room, expelled a shield from his wand just in time to block himself and Dean from several curses hurdling in their direction. Animals skittered across the floor, changing at will from human to creature to avoid beams of magical light. He scanned his eyes around the room, finding Abraxas having it out with Draco. Something glistened around Abraxas's throat, and Harry felt a hunch so strong he decided to act on it.
"Malfoy!" he shouted. "The pendant!"
Draco, who was busy fending himself off as Abraxas swung his hand and sent splintered wood in Draco's direction, growled, "Little busy, Potter!" He avoided the shards by throwing up a barrier spell, but it left his flank open, and an animagus in the shape of a hawk swooped down, aiming for Draco's ribs with her sharp talons.
"Draco, watch out!" warned Narcissa, holding her own against a bear.
"Damn it, Malfoy! What are you doing to me?" Diggle took off at a dead run, sliding beneath the table like a baseball player to home plate, and as he emerged from beneath he shouted, "Bombarda!" It sent the hawk smashing into the ceiling instead. Diggle threw his fist up in victory, scrambled to his feet, and stood at Draco's side, muttering, "You die, I die, remember?"
Abraxas took great advantage of their distraction, extending his hand and squeezing his fist. Dean screamed in agony as a snap echoed through the dining area, and he fell to the floor as his leg twisted in unnatural ways.
"Dean!" Draco shouted, a feeling unfamiliar to him rising to the surface; was this compassion? His concern for his friend, for one of the first times in his life, overshadowed his self-preservation, and the Gray magic within him exploded in a burst of energy, shattering every window pane. In a fit of anger, he raised the shards with a wave of his hand and sent them hurdling at his grandfather -who doused them all into a sheet of sand mere inches from his face.
"I grow tired of these childish games!" Abraxas yelled, and, with a mighty slam of his hand down onto the table, he brought the entire room to its knees. The only one left standing was Draco, who fought against his grandfather's magic with his own, refusing to submit. But it was a mistake, because Abraxas soon realized what Draco contained within his bones, nodding in recognition. He took a step forward, arms outstretched at his sides. A show of confidence. "So, you couldn't resist having your hand in the cookie jar, too."
"I've been told on multiple occasions how much I take after you." Draco shot his grandfather a smirk to prove his case, mirroring the generations of Malfoys with the same, daunting smile.
"This is foolish." Abraxas forced everyone further down to the floor, including his subordinates. Somewhere off in the distance, a dog yipped. "Have I not given you every opportunity, Draco? To see reason? For you to understand what must be done? Hand over Cane, and all will be forgiven."
"I can't blame you for wanting to make up for the deplorable things the Death Eaters did," Draco said, sensing something happening down the hall. He feared for Scorpius's safety, and decided to stall his grandfather as he accumulated a plan. After an attempt to contact Hermione, he realized it was useless; Abraxas's magic was like static, mucking up his signal. "But sacrifice? This futile mission you've made to bring the Pandora Stone back together? It's madness. Surely you can see that."
"Madness?" Abraxas repeated, chuckling."Madness is allowing the Sacred Twenty-Eight's power to dwindle while their offsprings marry into less than worthy bloodlines. Madness is sweeping these transgressions under the rug while purebloods fade away to nothing! What does family mean to you, Draco!?"
"It doesn't mean this! Killing to get what you want?" Draco gestured to Diggle, who hovered on his knees by Draco's feet. "I hate this sod more than anyone else in this room. I've earned that right! And so have you! He tortured you. Locked you up and threw away the key. I get it -believe me, if anyone understands what you're feeling, it's me. But…" he stood his ground, squaring his jaw. "But none of what you speak is worth killing for!"
Abraxas smirked. "You're wrong about that. Why defend him, Draco? Did he not, on multiple occasions, see fit to kill him yourself? Leave the worm to me. Let his death serve as a reminder of what it means to threaten the Malfoy line."
"If you think you're any better than him, you're wrong." Draco set a protective stance in front of Diggle, just as shocked as his grandfather that he would do so. Still, he carried on, offering up his softer side, trying to reach the man within the insanity. "What would grandmother say?"
"We can ask her when I revive her."
Draco's stomach plummeted. "No."
"No?"
"No. I won't allow it."
"It's adorable you think you have a choice." Abraxas disappeared and reappeared behind Theodore, holding the tip of his cane, and thus the Pandora Stones, inches away from his cheek. "Do not get brave, boy! Do you want to watch your friends fall, one by one?"
Jameson shook under the weight of Abraxas's magic, his face paling as the stone drained what little magic it could from being in close proximity to the wizard.
Draco tried to feign disinterest. "To be honest, Jameson's never been much of a friend at all."
"Let him go! NOW!" a voice shouted from behind Abraxas. Hermione stepped forward, wand at the ready, serious determination in her eyes.
"Ahhh… the mudblood." Abraxas grinned. "What is the muggle phrase? Two birds, one stone?" He reared back his cane and threw a stunning jinx toward Hermione while simultaneously preparing to drive the stones into Theodore's back -Draco raised his hand to stop him, but a bolt of lightning struck the cane, sending it hurdling out of Abraxas's hand, across the room. Lindy Bolt stood at the edge of the foyer entrance, her wand fixed on her 'Lord.'
"Lord Malfoy! You said Theodore would be spared!"
Dessy jumped to disarm the witch, but Lindy, with years of experience under her belt, was quicker. She sent the teenager through the air and into a nearby wall, knocking her out cold. Lindy slowly turned her attention back on Abraxas, yet he didn't seem the least bit concerned. He only stared in amusement at her, tilting his head to the side.
"You wish to challenge my authority, Travers? Need I remind you at what cost you'd do so?"
Lindy glanced over to Theodore, her expression full of pain. Of friendship. Of love. She set her eyes back on Abraxas. "Reducto!" Her spell zoomed through the air, hitting Abraxas full on -but it crumbled upon impact. A light shimmer cascaded over Abraxas's body, and he grinned wickedly.
"Good try. -Confrin-"
"-Levicorpus!" Hermione shouted, sending Abraxas flying into the air. Draco, in a quick second decision, sprinted across the room, his eyes on his grandfather's walking cane. Lindy, in the corner of his eyes, collapsed to the floor in a pile. Time slowed down as Abraxas's concentration was thrown, and one by one, the warriors in the fold were released from his spell. The battle continued as Draco dashed, reaching for the cane. His grandfather landed on the floor with a THUNK, but Draco could sense he was barely injured.
"Accio!" Draco's fingers curled around the base of staff just in time to hear a child's shrill scream pierce his ears.
"Let go! LET GO!" Scorpius screamed, and to Draco's horror, he watched as his only son was dragged by the hair into the dining room with a knife held to his throat. Shafiq smirked from beneath his hood. "Daddy! DADDY! MUMMY!"
"Scorpius!" Hermione and Draco shouted together just before a flash of white life erupted above their heads, and the Pandora Box exploded.
The big finale of the last showdown starts next chapter.
I am so psyched.
~A.
- 35
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- 37
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How To Train Your Auror 2: Family Ties