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I Give You a Wondrous Mirror	By : Lomonaaeren Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 17806 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Chapter Forty�Marian

�� Harry crouched breathing in the silence. He was still tense, still
quivering with the need to snatch a wand�

�� And now his
enemy was asleep. Permanently asleep, if he recognized the curse that Narcissa
had used correctly. Lethargus aeternus,
eternal coma.

�� He could
not really believe that it was over, and that Draco was here now, and that
Andromeda was down, and that the children were not injured.

�� Well. Not
physically, anyway.

�� Harry shook
his head, dazedly, and started to drag himself to his feet. Draco�s eyes locked
on him at once, and then he appeared to Apparate. Harry realized it had really
been a rapid bound across his aunt�s body a moment later, when he felt Draco�s
arms curling around his shoulders and supporting him tenderly. He put his
weight on his right leg, and hissed. It seemed that the wound there had broken
open yet again, and so had one on his
hip that he didn�t specifically remember Andromeda casting.

�� Al was next
to him, lifting his arms and crying soundlessly, begging to be picked up. Harry
started to bend to do that, but Draco said quietly, �You�ll tear your wounds
open again,� in a tone that could not be disobeyed.

�� I have to,
Draco,� Harry said, and then started. He had not realized his voice would sound
that hoarse, or that hollow. He wondered if some of the hollowness came from
the wounds in his cheeks that exposed part of his teeth and gums.

�� Draco lifted
a hand to those cuts before he could, slowly drawing his wand along them and
pressing the hanging flaps of skin back into place with a murmured healing
spell. Harry nodded his thanks and then stooped down and scooped Al up before
Draco could oppose him. Draco sighed, but just tightened his grip on Harry�s
elbow, as if to say that he could hardly object to such things when he was a
father himself.

�� Are the
children injured at all?� he asked Harry.

�� If they
were, do you think I would have let you tend to me first?� Harry arched his
brows at Draco, then glanced at the door. Another of
the statues that had come at Andromeda was peering in at them. This one
resembled a model of Draco�s father, and held a large splinter of stone in its
hand. Harry eyed it with a new respect. Despite the success of Andromeda�s
dragon-fire spell, he didn�t think magic would ordinarily be able to defeat one
of these creatures. �Are the Salazar�s Snakes and the others being taken care
of?�

�� The army I
called up from the crypts will do that.� Draco�s face was slowly lightening, as
though he could shake off the gray shock and return to emotions now. He
abruptly crushed Harry in a fierce embrace, even as his mother brushed past
them in order to pick up Scorpius with one arm and Lily with the other. �God,�
he whispered into Harry�s ear, �I was so worried
about you.�

�� And I about you.� Harry turned his head, letting his cheek
rest in Draco�s hair for just a moment. They couldn�t wait too long. They had
the children to take care of and other responsibilities, as well, such as
figuring out what they would do with Andromeda. �I thought you might lose your
mind in the darkness.�

�� I was
stronger than that.� Draco�s lips were moving lightly enough against his ear to
tickle. �Thanks to you.�

�� Harry
sighed softy and let his eyes fall shut. He could accept, now, that recovery
might be possible.

*

�� Draco had a
terrible time convincing Harry to sit down and let him heal his injuries. It
seemed that Harry wanted everything else settled first: the children taken care
of, Teddy talked to and hugged and reassured, Narcissa questioned on the nature
of the spell she�d used, the statues asked about what they would do now the
enemy they�d been summoned to defeat was gone. Draco finally hauled Harry into
the room where Narcissa and Teddy had been held prisoner, forced him into a
chair, and set about healing him while everyone else crowded around, so that
Harry could see and talk to them all as necessary.

�� The sight
of Harry�s injuries made Draco nauseated, as did the faint, recurring tremble
in his limbs that Draco knew to be a sign of the Cruciatus Curse. Andromeda had
tortured Harry in front of his children�their
children. And Harry had accepted the pain as though it were expected, and still
managed to keep her attention fixed on him, so that the children were spared
any of her spells.

�� If he had
not been in love with Harry before, he would have been now.

�� Draco�s own
hands trembled as he brushed flakes of dried blood from Harry�s hair and set
about healing the cuts Andromeda had put on his scalp. Harry gave him an
affectionate look and gripped his wrist, hard.

�� The
children were settled. James stood next to his father, clutching Harry�s robes
with one hand and content to be quiet. Al sat in his father�s lap, his thumb firmly
in his mouth, his head buried against Harry�s chest. Narcissa had cuddled and
soothed Lily, and Scorpius was content as long as he could rest on his
grandmother�s shoulder and watch Draco.

�� And then
Harry called Teddy over, and embraced him, and spoke softly to him.

�� Draco had
barely had a chance to study him, this cousin of his. Teddy Lupin
was a quiet boy�understandably�with regular features, who
wouldn�t have stood out in a crowd. Draco thought he had the Black nose,
though, and there was something about the corners of his eyes that seemed to
come straight from Narcissa herself. His hair was deepest black-purple right
now, and abominably curly, and he avoided everyone�s eyes, staring at the
floor.

�� Only when
Harry said, in a slightly exasperated voice, �Teddy, of course we don�t think that you knew anything about what she was
doing!� did the boy look up a little. Some life crept back into his face.

�� You believe
that?� he whispered. �Because, Harry, really, I didn�t. I didn�t know anything.�

�� Of course
not,� Harry said softly, and his hand rose and stroked Teddy�s hair in a way
that reminded Draco of the way he handled his own children, or Draco, or,
really, anyone who needed to feel calmer. He made a wonderful people person,
Draco thought, as he leaned on his lover�s shoulder. Harry gave him a quick,
faint smile before he turned back to his godson. �If anything, I think she
would have been desperate to keep you out of it. You were the one link back to
a normal life she had, the one promise that things would calm down again when
she was done killing.�

�� Teddy
swallowed. Then he said, �I�I thought she acted strange. She couldn�t bear any
mention of Mum sometimes, and then sometimes Mum was
all she could talk about. But she told me that people just took grief differently.
When I lost her, I�d know that.� His eyes slid closed, and he wrapped his arms
around himself and shuddered helplessly.

�� Harry
hugged him again, and held him until he stopped shivering. Then he let him go,
tactfully, Draco thought, because no boy that age would like to be held and
made to feel dependent for too long. �What happened when she burned the house
and took you away?� he asked softly.

�� Teddy shook
his head. �She cast some sort of sleeping spell on me. I woke up once on the
dragon�s back, and I could smell the house burning
behind us, but when I tried to twist around, she put me to sleep again. The next
thing I knew, I was here.�

�� Draco
hissed between his teeth. Andromeda had been able to enter because he�d knocked
a hole open in the wards for her and Teddy. And he had
thought it was Marian.

�� Not that my traitorous wife will receive a
warm welcome from me, simply because she was not the one to betray this
particular secret. She certainly told Andromeda other things that helped her to
try and incapacitate me.

�� You don�t
need to worry, Teddy,� Harry said firmly. �I�ll adopt you. You�ll be part of my
family as long as I have a family. Do
you understand? I�ll be your godfather, and your father, too, if you�ll have
me.�

�� Teddy
hugged Harry then, bowing his head and blinking hard in an effort not to cry.
Draco waited for the optimum moment, when he didn�t think it would be resented,
and leaned around Harry to put a hand on his cousin�s shoulder. Teddy looked up
at him, still blinking.

�� And the
same thing goes for me,� he told Teddy. �Harry and his children will be staying
in Malfoy Manor for the foreseeable future. I understand if you don�t want to
stay here because the memories are so awful, but��

�� Teddy shook
his head. �I�I was helped, here. I
would hate to go back to our house, though, because every corner is full of
memories.� His voice sank, and he looked away for a moment, his fingers working
together.

�� Narcissa stepped
forwards, her face set in the serene expression Draco knew well. She used it to
mask great emotion. She had worn that look the first night Harry and his
children came to stay in the Manor, and when Lucius went to prison, and when
the Dark Lord commanded her to join his entourage in Draco�s seventh year. �You
are welcome here, for my part,� she said. �I should have got to know my sister
again, and then perhaps things would have turned out differently. And I would
like to get to know you.�

�� Teddy
turned and leaned on her without hesitation. It was probably different with a
woman, Draco thought, and especially with a woman his grandmother�s age or near
it. �Thanks,� he whispered. �Yes, I want that.�

�� It shouldn�t
be hard,� Harry said. �Andromeda was your primary guardian, but I�m named
second on your birth certificate, because I was godfather.� He shifted and
looked up at Draco�s mother. �And now, Narcissa, can you please tell me what
spell you cast on Andromeda?�

*

�� Narcissa
stepped forwards slowly and looked Harry in the eye. Harry looked back. He
could see no trace of the concerned sister under that mask she wore, but then
again, he wasn�t sure he would want to. Narcissa seemed inclined to the same
instincts he was in a situation like this: be strong, so that others could
collapse. Harry just needed answers, and he sensed that she would give them
without hesitation.

�� It�s
called the Eternal Coma spell,� Narcissa said calmly. �There is no returning or
waking from it. She�ll sleep for the rest of her life,
until she dies of old age.�

�� Harry didn�t
miss Teddy turning away from the corner of his eye, but he wasn�t sure he could
offer the lad any more comfort. Besides, Teddy�s emotions were not so easy to discern,
from the brief glimpse Harry had had of his face. Concern?
Regret? Relief, even? If his grandmother was asleep�

�� She could
not stand trial. She could not wake to reprimand Teddy, or make his life worse.
She couldn�t bring any unwanted attention to him from the papers.

�� Of course
the Blood Reparations Department would have to know the truth, because they
were the Ministry officials most involved in this case, but they would be able
to tuck it away far more quickly and neatly than if the Department of Magical
Law Enforcement had brought Andromeda before the Wizengamot. The Masked Lady
could remain the Masked Lady to the world at large. Her followers would be the
ones blamed for the majority of the attacks and crimes, and that was just fine
with Harry. Pure-blood and Muggleborn supremacists deserved whatever came their
way if they were idiotic enough to try and foster war between the factions, or
work together for the sole purpose of causing war.

�� And that, of course, would be why Narcissa
used the spell, other than the delight she probably took in causing her sister
that single moment of intense fear before she fell asleep.

�� Andromeda
asleep wouldn�t bring any negative attention to the Malfoys, either. And it
wouldn�t force Narcissa to watch her sister be put in Azkaban beside her
husband, as she surely would have been. Andromeda could be put into St. Mungo�s,
paid for by the Malfoys but cared for by other
people.

�� Narcissa
had thought of all those consequences and made the best decision she could in just
a few seconds.

�� Harry was
unable to prevent the respect from creeping into his eyes. Narcissa inclined
her head and smiled at him a little. Then she put Scorpius gently down on the
stool behind her and aimed her wand at Harry.

�� You still
have some wounds untreated, Harry,� she said. �And I think that one of our
ancestors needs to speak with Draco.�

�� Harry
glanced up. Sure enough, another statue, female this time, leaned in from the
doorway across the room and beckoned Draco. He couldn�t help reaching up to
touch his lover�s hand, offering him support and reassurance if he needed it.

�� Draco
smiled at him, squeezed his wrist, and walked towards the statue. Harry studied
his back. Only a short time past, Draco�s shoulders had been hunched under the
weight of intolerable burdens�apathy and a profound lack of interest in the outside
world among them. Now he walked like a warrior.

�� And he was.
He had faced and conquered his own internal fears alone in whatever room the
Snakes had put him in. He had summoned help for them and saved them all.

�� Harry
suspected his face was melting into hopeless love as he stared after Draco, but
Teddy was looking aside, his children were too young to really understand, and
Narcissa diplomatically said nothing about it.

*

�� Julia
cocked her head at Draco the moment they stepped through the doorway, and then
shut the door. Draco was startled for a moment, but shrugged it off. For all he
knew, Julia was about to say something that only the current head of the Malfoy
line should hear, and that would certainly be her privilege as the leader of an
undead, immortal army.

�� Mostly immortal. He winced at the thought of the
metallic puddle that was all that remained of Abraxas.
Lucius had confirmed, curtly, that there was no way to raise Draco�s
grandfather or bring him back, and turned away. Draco had not pressed.

�� Why didn�t
you tell me about the life-debts?� Julia said now.

�� Draco
blinked, unnerved. �You can sense them?�

�� Smell them,� Julia said. She was staring
at Draco with those living eyes, and he was more certain than ever that being
born several generations after her was the right idea. �They�re hanging around
you and your Harry like the smell of white-hot iron. Mingled, piled on top of
each other, some of them years old, half of them unfulfilled. You know that the only choice in such a
situation is to give yourselves to each other. Why haven�t you?�

�� Harry is
bound by the strictest set of marriage vows,� Draco said bitterly. It felt good
to have someone to complain to to whom this was all
new, someone who wouldn�t turn away from the truth or flinch like Granger had
the habit of doing. �He can�t touch someone other than his wife with desire, or
he gets the most horrendous itching. We are
lovers, because the debts have provided us with dreams that are nearly as good
as the real thing. But the marriage vows won�t simply cease, and Granger�a friend
of Harry�s who�s fairly good at research�said that they�re as stubborn as the
life-debts. The last time we were near Harry�s wife, Ginny Weasley, the debts
and the vows together nearly tore him in half.�

�� Julia
reared her head back like a striking snake. �The solution is simple,� she said.
�Only lure this Ginny Weasley here, and I will kill her.�

�� Draco felt
a wave of temptation so intense that it stole his breath. Then he shook his
head. �Harry would never forgive me,� he said ruefully. �Even though you�re
right, and it is the simplest solution.�

�� Julia
tapped her fingers against her hips with a sound like bells being clashed
against stone walls. �And you are sure this Harry is worth the aggravation in
remaining together with him?� she asked. �Understand, I think him handsome and dedicated
enough to you to make a good Malfoy spouse, but one must consider the political
standing that you gain from him, and how peaceful your life will be if you take
him to bed.�

�� Draco
grinned. For once, there was an advantage to the fact that his ancestors had
been down in the crypts for several generations. �Actually,� he said, �Harry
saved the entire wizarding world from the latest Dark Lord ten years ago. The political
currency from dating him can�t get much higher.�

�� Julia
nodded, looking grudgingly impressed. �And you care for him?�

�� Love him,�
Draco corrected. �Yes.� Then he held his breath, wondering if his ancestress
would think that a weakness her nephew had to overcome.

�� Julia stood
in silence for some moments. At last she said, �If you will not consent to the
death of his wife, then I wonder what the woman we found cowering in the back
of a closet on your second floor still means to you. She wears the ring that
speaks of a Malfoy wedded spouse, but she does not look like one.�

�� Draco
swallowed. �That would be Marian MacFusty,� he said. �She
was my wife, yes, and the mother of Scorpius. But she vanished some time ago,
apparently either murdered or kidnapped. I quickly learned that she was working
with my enemies. She had used blood magic to create a hydra that nearly
destroyed me. After that, she seemed remorseful and sent us what warning of
attacks she could. But she still turned her back on me and betrayed all the confidence
which spouses should repose in one another. I ask that you not kill her, if
only because that would mean another murder charge against me.�

�� Julia
nodded again. �But you will come with me to speak with her. Both because it is
necessary before we return to the crypts, and because I
wish to see what happens to the smell of the life-debts when she is around you.�

�� Draco
barely had time to give his assent before Julia clasped his hand and hauled him
gently but inexorably along.

*

�� Marian sat
chained to a chair in the center of the small, dusty alcove where Julia led
Draco, her wrists bound so tightly that they were already turning red. Draco
wondered for a moment where Julia�s army had got chains, and then decided, very
carefully, that he would not ask.

�� She started
up when she saw him, but of course the manacles yanked her back into her seat
again. �Draco,� she whispered, with almost no voice behind the words. She didn�t
bow her head, though, and her eyes didn�t overflow with tears, which were both
things Draco would have expected before this little adventure with the Masked
Lady. She continued gazing straight at him, her face filled with an odd sort of
hunger. That was explained when she asked, �How is Scorpius?�

�� He
survived,� Draco said quietly. �Uninjured in body, though he was forced to
witness Harry�s torture, and so I suspect he may have some trauma.� He folded
his arms and contemplated his wife. He had expected to feel a fiercer hatred.
Now, though he knew Marian had wronged him, it was more a distant, weary
unconcern, the desire to have things done and over with so that he could return
to the life unfolding in front of him. �No thanks to you,� he added.

�� Marian
flinched and looked away. �I know,� she said. �I didn�t know what the Masked Lady
was when I betrayed you to her. You have to understand, Draco. I was desperate.
I didn�t think I would ever get a chance to touch my son again, as long as he
remained in your custody. I struck back where I thought I could, and when some
of her minions approached me and offered me vengeance in exchange for
information, I thought I had to accept it before the offer was retracted.�

�� Draco
grunted and tilted his head. �And it didn�t occur to you that this might end up
hurting Scorpius more than it hurt me?�

�� Not until
I realized the Blood Hydra would strike wildly.� Tears stood in Marian�s eyes,
but did not fall. �The Masked Lady had reassured me that only you would be hurt. Not even Narcissa. I
didn�t want to hurt her, and the Masked Lady was very anxious to avoid it, too,
for some reason. But I knew she was lying to me when I managed to coax one of
her servants to give me more details about the Blood Hydra. And from then on I
sent notes with warnings of her attacks whenever I thought I could get away
with it. That wasn�t for very long, unfortunately. The Lady tightened her watch
on me.�

�� Draco
nodded. �She�s defeated. And she was my aunt Andromeda Black Tonks, which explains her reluctance to hurt Narcissa and
her interest in Scorpius and you sufficiently, I think.�

�� Marian just
stared at him in shock. Then she whispered, �I�m sorry.�

�� What?�

�� Marian
shook her head. �I just�blood shouldn�t turn on you that way. I know how I
would feel if one of my aunts betrayed me.
It�s one thing when you�re entering an arranged, passionless marriage�� her eyes flashed at the words, as if she actually imagined
she could hurt Draco with them ��but blood relatives are supposed to stay loyal
to you.�

�� Draco felt a
flash of irritation. Where had this reasonable woman been for the last two
years? He could have attempted reconciliation if Marian had acted like this. He
might never have ventured outside the house, might never have met Harry again�

�� And then he
was grateful that this Marian hadn�t been around after all.

�� Well,� he
said, to center himself, �she�s gone. And I�ll
consider what we�re going to do with you. It won�t be death, but I don�t know
what it will be, yet. I can�t just
forget what you did to Scorpius, or to me.�

�� Marian
nodded, staring at him intently. �I know. I understand.�

�� Draco
stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him. He thought he would have
preferred a woman who kicked and fussed and screamed to this too-calm one. He glanced
at Julia, who stood with her arms folded; she had remained out of Marian�s
sight, probably so as not to panic her.

�� What do
the life-debts smell like?� he asked curiously.

�� They are
stronger than your marriage vows,� Julia said instantly. �And, I believe, they are
the equal of your lover�s. I could sense the magic stirring when you were
around your wife. It wanted to get you away from her and push you back towards
your lover�only natural, since it has worked to unite you with him. But it was
missing two essential presences to be able to complete its work.�

�� Draco
frowned. �Harry, of course. But the
other person?�

�� Harry�s wife.� Julia leaned towards him, her mouth folded
into that intimidating smile. �Bring Ginny Weasley into contact with you and
Harry at the same time both of you are near your
traitorous bride. Then, you will see what the magic has planned to ensure that
it completes its work and allows the
marriage vows to continue to exist.�

*

�� Listener: Well,
part of the reason both Harry and Draco were so
demonstrative was the battle they both survived in Chapter 33; they wanted to
celebrate life in the real world as well as in dreams. And yes, IGYAWM is near
its end. Chapter 44 will be the last chapter.

�� There will
most likely not be a sequel to this story; the ending should explain why.

�� Mangacat: Well, not much more time for another life-debt
before they begin to work (hopefully).

�� Myra: Harry
was not so badly wounded that he couldn�t survive, but yeah, his injuries could
have been extremely painful if Narcissa and Draco didn�t have their wands.

�� Lilith, Thrnbrooke: Thanks for reviewing!
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I Give You a Wondrous Mirror