Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Unexpected	By : draconisdemented Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Ginny Views: 26235 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Author's Note: Once again, I do not speak French. I am using a dictionary/translator on my
computer, so I'm aware it won't be perfect. If you do speak French, I would
like to apologize now for any slaughtering of the language I may have
inadvertently caused. Otherwise, what do you care, right?

French translations: ((example))

Side Note: To clear up any confusion, a 'pantheon' is, and I
quote, 'All the gods of a people considered as a group.' Example: Zeus is the
head of the Greek pantheon. Okay, onward!

��..

Awareness came back to her with a sudden jolt, and Pansy sprang
into a sitting position. Her head was pounding and it felt like the bone in her
arm had just been re-knit. The first thing that registered in her foggy brain
was the sound of people sobbing and yelling, their voices full of fear and
panic. The second thing was seeing Severus looming over her, looking more
disheveled and wretched then she had ever seen him before. His face was a pasty
gray color and his hands were actually shaking. She wondered at it before she
shook herself fully awake and remembered everything up until the shield
exploded, which it shouldn't have done no matter what the three of them had run
into in Reverie.

"What happened?" She asked, her voice cracking and her
throat sore. Looking around, a nasty, sinking feeling spread throughout her
body. She couldn't see Draco, Blaise or Virginia for the crowd of Slytherins
who must have been drawn by the explosion. She doubted the normal-level
silencing charms had held up against that.
They were all in various stages of disbelief and distress, and a few were
openly crying.

"It's early Saturday morning. You've been out for a while. They
didn't make it." Severus said, his own voice rough. Still looking dazed,
he leaned over far enough to touch his wand tip to the stone floor, and spoke a
spell that she vaguely remembered would alert Dumbledore.

Denial coursed through her as she rose unsteadily to her feet. Pushing
past the outer ring of her Housemates, she made her way to their center. When
they saw her, they moved out of the way, shock written plainly across their
faces. Stumbling, all grace forgotten, she made it clear of the last of them.
She forced her eyes down, forced herself to look at what she already knew, yet
couldn't believe. Tears choked her for the first time in years as her eyes took
in the scene before her. Melody was crying in Anton's arms, both of them on
their knees beside Draco and Blaise. The Gryffindors were splayed out around
them, Granger and Lauren sobbing raggedly as Weasley held his sister's body in
his arms, his face red and tear-stained, while Potter's hand rested on his
shoulder.

But it wasn't until she really looked at Draco, Virginia and Blaise that it
hit home. Their bodies were ravaged and becoming worse by the moment, as if
whatever had killed them in Reverie was still working on them. All of Virginia's skin that was
visible was a frostbitten bluish-black, and it was beginning to look flaky, as
if she'd just disintegrate any moment into nothing more than a pile of dust.
Weasley's own skin was turning blue where it came into contact with her, and he
was shivering violently, though Pansy doubted it was just from the cold. She
could barely believe that it was the same girl she'd become friends with over
the last couple of months. But it was when she saw Draco and Blaise that
something broke inside of her.

She had known them both since she was a child, her parents having
left her at one Manor or the other numerous times when they'd had a trip or a
business party. She had never had the same level of closeness with them that
they had with each other, but few people ever did and it hadn't bothered her.
She had always known they were special, and as a little girl, the bond they had
together was just another secret of the mysterious magical world that they
lived and breathed in every day of their lives. They had accepted her after the
first initial judging looks that she hadn't recognized for what they were until
years later. Ever since, they had looked after her, covering for her when she
broke something or accidentally hexed an important guest.

Virginia.

And now, looking upon their absolute beauty ruined and marred,
seeing the stiff forms and blank, unseeing eyes that once shone with lively
intelligence and darkfire, a piece of her soul shattered and screamed. Draco's
skin looked as if it had been boiled, bright red and sloughing off in thick,
liquid layers, and parts of bone were visible through the mess of sticky flesh
that had once been smooth, elegant skin. Even that once-beautiful face was
melted, the cheekbones poking through, and shriveled, black�things where bright silver eyes had once
looked out at her from. Blaise's body faired no better, except he seemed to be
decomposing before her eyes. His skin hung loosely and was spread over with
rot, greenish-black where it wasn't a pasty gray, and his eyes were whole, but
misty and white like a blind person's.

All three were splattered with dried blood from where they'd been
bleeding when she'd first spotted them, still inside the circle, but no blood
flowed now from their still hearts. The best Healer in the world would take one
look at them and say it was hopeless. She knew this, had the proof right in
front of her, but the denial was strong in her and it was all she had left to
cling to. I can't lose them, she
repeated to herself over and over, and all the while a small, cruel voice in
the back of her mind told her that it was clearly too late. Shaking her head,
she fell to her knees beside them. Timidly reaching out a hand, she brushed her
fingers over Draco's singed hair. She yanked it back in horror, however, when
all of that formerly-beautiful hair fell to ash underneath her fingertips.

"What has happened?" A familiar voice cut through the
growing hysteria, and for the first time in her life, Pansy was glad to see
Dumbledore. If anyone could fix it, he could. He was supposed to be a wizard of
miracles, after all.

A tiny bit, of what she knew to be pointless, hope began to grow
inside of her as she turned tear-filled eyes to him. Severus quickly explained,
looking sick and, for once, completely discomposed. She saw Dumbledore make his
way toward them, looking grave, and squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't know
that she was trembling, didn't know that tears had been pouring down her cheeks
for over a minute, didn't even know that she was clutching her dead friends'
hands until she felt something wet slide over her wrist. Looking down, she saw
that part of Blaise's skin had burst open and diseased-looking pus had run out.
Gagging, she barely stopped herself from throwing up, pullin sen seventeen
years worth of self-control in order not to lose her lunch and to block it out.

"I don't think there's any need, Madam Pompfrey."
Dumbledore said after surveying the situation with dull, cheerless blue eyes.
Pansy hadn't even noticed the nurse, and paid no heed to her then. All of her attention
was locked onto the old man in front of her.

"Help them." She pleaded, not giving a damn about her
pride if he would only do something.
"Please, please fucking help them. You've wanted our House's trust for
years, though you've done nothing to earn it," she couldn't help that part
slipping out, as her emotions were, this once, ruling the words escaping her
lips, but she continued without a pause, "but I swear you'll have it if
you help them. We'll cooperate with you, just save them, please save
them."

"Oh, child." Dumbledore said, kneeling beside her and
putting a wrinkled hand on her shoulder. "I would do anything to help
them," he said, looking morose, "if I could. But alas, this is
farther along than even the strongest Healer could fix. They are gone, dear.
I'm so sorry."

Hearing the words from him, like that, cracked her numb disbelief
in half. Choking on deep, racking sobs that seemed to come from nowhere, her
vision blurred and a scream left her throat as soon as she could draw air
again. Strong arms suddenly enclosed her from either side, and she felt herself
being lifted and then placed gently on one of the couches, but she couldn't
have cared less. Her best friends were dead. Her best friends were dead. Her
best friends were dead. Gone. Never
coming back. She distantly heard the castle's mourning bells begin to ring, the
deep, low sound reverberating even so far down as the dungeons.

It crept through the stone, sounding in every hall, room and
corner of the grounds. It was chilling, eerie, and shivers were racing madly
down her spine in time with her tears. The bells continued tolling and tolling,
the haunting melody sinking into her bones and spirit, each note jabbing the
spear of white-hot agony deeper and deeper into her. The last of the night
itself seemed to be responding, as they could hear the dimmed roar of rain and
thunder, and every creature inside the forest seemed to have taken up the
bells' tone, their howls and roars a faint backdrop to the storm. Two voices
were talking to her in low, steady tones, which she recognized as Vincent and
Greg's.

"Pansy, love, it'll be okay." Greg said, his voice hard
and tears in his own eyes, running down his cheeks. He looked lost, as did
Vincent, as if the world had just crumbled underneath their feet. She felt much
the same.

"N-No, it won't!" She got out after her tears had abated
fractionally. Another sob caught in her throat and their arms tightened.
"T-They're dead. How can they be d-dead?" She asked, grief hollowing
out her insides.

"I donnow.now." Vincent murmured, rocking back and
forth. "I don't know."

The fireplace roared to life suddenly, and a frantic Narcissa and
Silana rushed out, each clutching a pendant in their hand. Pansy recognized the
talismans immediately as the charms that the two women had always carried and
which let them know how their sons were. Both were also keyed into the castle's
wards, as they had permanent visiting rights, and on a normal day, it wouldn't
have been anything different for them to come through the magical flames.
Seeing the pendants sparking with green firelight but with none of their own,
however, only intensified her grief, but she still had enough common sense to
know that the two women shouldn't be allowed to see their sons in the condition
that they were currently in.

Severus and Dumbledore seemed to be thinking much the same, as
Dumbledore moved to intercept them and Severus motioned the horrorstruck
Slytherins to form a wall around the bodies. Pansy's line of sight to the two
women was cut off as a circle immediately formed around the couches, but Pansy
knew it was futile. The women already knew that something horrible had happened
because of their talismans, and keeping them away would more than likely be
impossible without restraining them, and that
would not be anything resembling easy. They could both become quite
homicidal when it came to their sons, and even if they didn't have the old
blood running through their veins, the veela alone would be enough to make a
sane person think twice.

"Get out of my bloody way, you old fool!" Narcissa's
indignant shout could be plainly heard over the other voices in the room, all
of which promptly fell silent.

"Now, Mrs. Malfoy�" Dumbledore started, using that name
since she'd kept it in honor of her son. But Narcissa wasn't having any of it.

"Let me see my son!"
She screamed, and the sound of a curse being cast was heard. There was a bang
as it was deflected, followed by an enraged shriek. "How dare you, Severus? You think to keep us
from our boys?"

"Narcissa, please.
Listen to me just this once. Let me take you to my office an-"

"Fuck you, Severus Snape!" She yelled and several
Slytherins yelped. Pansy could imagine why, as she had seen Narcissa go all
veela before. Her eyes would glow a bright red, deadly claws springing from her
fingers, and an aura of dark magic would encircle her, casting shifting shadows
and making her look otherworldly. She did not grow wings or a beak since she
wasn't a full veela, but it was definitely scary enough. Even Lucius had tried
his damnedest not to provoke her.

"I know you're upset, I am too, but-"

n stn style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Verdana;
color:black'>

"But nothing!"
That was Silana, and she sounded pissed.
"We want to see them now. Not
later, not in five minutes, but NOW. The life force in our sons' amulets went
out and you want us to leave? Go
inhale some more Potion fumes, Severus."

"If we have to tear this bloody room apart, we will."
Narcissa said scathingly. "So, MOVE." Her voice was like a cracked
whip, and the Slytherins broke formation.

They had held up while Severus seemed to have some leverage, but a
direct order from the senior Malfoy had them scattering and casting her fearful
glances. Pansy's view was uninterrupted again, and she saw that both women had
changed. Furious scarlet eyes swept the room before falling on the three bodies,
and all of their anger seemed to fade away. No one could do anything but watch
as all of the light, angry and otherwise, died inside their once again blue
eyes. Pansy had never seen anyone's heart break before, but she was positive it
was what she was seeing now, but more, in a way. It was two mothers confronted
with the deaths of their only children, which is the one thing no mother ever
wants to see.

"B-Baby?" Narcissa asked, her voice wobbly and her eyes
beginning to glaze with severe shock. Guessing it through the amulet and seeing
it firsthand were apparently very different things. "What the hell have
you done to my baby?" The question was flung out to no one in particular,
and her voice was ripe with soul-pain and venomous fury. It seemed as if the
two women's instinctual rage was clouding their grief for the moment, vengeance
being the foremost though in their minds.

"He went into a healing trance, Mrs. Malfoy." Dumbledore
started. "With Virginia Weasley, in order to save Mr. Zabini's life."

"And why was my son's life in jeopardy in the first
place?" Silana asked, fury pouring off her in waves. "I thought you
promised our children would be safe here, Dumbledore." She spat his name
out as it were something nasty. He bowed his head, regret and shame written
across his elderly face.

"That I did, Mrs. Zabini. That I did."

"He saved two of his Housemates that were being set on by a
group of other students." Severus supplied, looking nervously at the two
women. "He had to go through the Whomping Willow to get to them,
however." Silana paled and Narcissa's lips tightened before he continued.
"Sap got in one of the more serious wounds." Silana's head bowed for
a moment, the grief trying to fight through, before her head snapped back up,
the fury doubled.

"Gryffindors?" She asked, her eyes flickering over the
Golden trio and Lauren.

"Yes.t; St; Severus agreed. "Along with a few Ravenclaws
and a Hufflepuff."

"A Hufflepuff?"
Narcissa questioned incredulously. She then shook her head and flexed one
clawed hand. "How old?"

"All sixth years."

"Good." Silana hissed. "Old enough to duel,
then." Several Slytherins exchanged startled looks, while Dumbledore
actually looked nervous.

"No!" She snapped, cutting him off. "It is our right, gods damn you! A life for a
life!"

"They are only children, th-"

"So were our sons! So was the youngest Weasley, their only
girl!" Narcissa shouted and Weasley's head snapped up, the first reaction
he'd given to anything since Pansy had been awake.

"Yes." He hissed, and Pansy saw somng ing in his eyes
that she'd never thought to see from him before. A promise of pain, a promise
of death. "Yes, they will pay for this."

"They couldn't have known the consequences would be so
severe-" Dumbledore started, but was cut off.

"If it were your precious Harry Potter your words would be
quite different! But it's not; it's a Slytherin, and you don't even truly care,
do you?" Silana spat out.

"Of course I do." Dumbledore said, keeping his voice
calm and steady. He obviously knew how to deal with an enraged veela. "But
I cannot allow you to slaughter my students."

"But the deaths of our
children are alright!?" Narcissa demanded, pacing toward him.

"Not at all, Mrs. Malfoy." He replied. "And those
responsible shall be dealt with immediately. The other students will already be
gathering in the Great Hall, and the proper announcements will be made."

"Announcements?" Silana asked in disbelief. "My son
is dead and you're worried about announcements?"

"It must be done, you know that." Dumbledore said. She
looked away, her fists clenched so tightly that blood was trickling through her
fingers.

"You won't move them yet." Narcissa said, and it wasn't
a question. "You will let us perform the rites."

"Yes. The Weasleys have been notified, although Molly will be
here as soon as she sees her clock. They will join you, as will I when the
business is done. I must leave now. Do I have your word that you will do
nothing until after the rites?" He asked, and the two women nodded
reluctantly. "Good. I will be back within the hour." With that, he
turned and left with Madam Pompfrey, leaving the four Gryffindors and the
Slytherins alone. No one spoke, as uttering any more audible words seemed
almost wrong somehow.

Narcissa and Silana lowered themselves to the
floor slowly, and the majority of the Slytherins turned their backs
respectfully, leaving them a semblance of privacy. The two women were free to
grieve since they were among their own, and the situation was too dire to pay
much attention to the four Gryffindors who were also mourning. Cradling their
children's bodies in their arms as best they could, they began a death chant in
the Old Tongue, the lilting, sorrowful notes spiraling into the air. With their
backs still turned, the Slytherins formed another circle, surrounding them and
adding their voices to the litany. Lauren and Weasley's voices soon joined
them, sending their inquiry heavenward and begging the gods to watch over their
loved ones in death, as was denied them in life.

��..

Dean Thomas was more angry than he'd been in a
long time, and he barely watched where he was going on his way to the Great
Hall. All he could think of was throttling that stupid bastard. And sadly
enough, that 'stupid bastard' was his best friend. His incredibly idiotic,
dick-headed best friend. Usually, he passed Seamus' pranks over, telling
himself that it was just Seamus. But
his friend had gone too far this time. Dean wouldn't even have known what had
happened if he hadn't been in the Quidditch locker rooms and overheard some
younger years from the reserve team talking about it in hushed, excited
whispers the night before. Apparently, one of the girl's boyfriends had been
invited to go along with a few others on a 'revenge mission', as they called
it.

Staying quiet, he listened in the shadows as
they spoke of what had transpired on the grounds. Apparently, the 'revenge
mission' group had run into two Slytherins and picked on them for a bit before
Blaise Zabini had shown up. The girl said that her boyfriend had said Blaise
had seemed scared, but then countered that by saying her friend had seen it
from the edge of the lake and said that Zabini had been mad as shit and scared
the fuck out of them. One way or the other, the group of revenge-seekers had
stranded the two younger Slytherins at the base of the Whomping Willow, which
everyone knew to be extremely dangerous, and then run off. They'd stopped a
distance away, and had seen Blaise fighting his way through the tree. She'd
said that was all she knew, and one of the girls had started sobbing, asking if
Blaise was all right.

If that had been all, Dean would have still
been angry that anyone at their school would do such a thing, but that wasn't
all. A boy had piped up, asking who was in the group. Dean was shocked when he
heard familiar names being called, but what made his breathing hitch was the
first girl saying, 'Yeah, but Seamus
Finnegan arranged it all. Paid the sixth years and everything 'cause he didn't
want to get caught doing it. Saw Zabini coming too, and headed him off in the
hall so he'd make sure to pass by and see. Said it would be a good way to get
Malfoy back if his boyfriend got it from a tree. Had it planned all along, he
did.' His blood freezing in his veins, Dean had burst from his hiding
place, ignoring their startled shrieks, and run hell-bent for the castle. But
Seamus hadn't been there, so he'd vowed to find him the next morning. Sleeping
fitfully, he rose early with the rest of his House. He hadn't been halfway to
the Great Hall when the bells began chiming.

By the time he'd made it to the entrance hall,
it was filled with teachers and students making their way into the Great Hall.
The bells meant one of two things: Someone living in the castle had died, or
there was reason to believe that they might all be in danger. So there he was,
pushing through a thick mass of bodies and searching desperately for Seamus.
Finally spotting him, he ran over and pulled on his sleeve. Seamus turned
around, a huge grin on his face, and drug Dean through the Great Hall's doors
without a word. They made their way to their House table, where many of their
Housemates were already seated, and took their usual places. The trio was
nowhere to be seen, and Dean felt a growing sense of dread. You knew something
was up when those three disappeared.

"You won't believe what happened,
mate!" Seamus exclaimed as the last of the students filed in, the
Slytherins conspicuously absent.

"I know damn good and well what
happened!" Dean whispered furiously. "What the bloody fuck is wrong with you? What if one of the
Slytherins is really hurt?" Seamus looked defensive.

"Then it would be nothing more than those
stupid shits deserve." He said with finality, and Dean snorted in disgust,
turning away from him and looking toward the Head table.

"Fine. Be that way, Dean. You gonna be a
House traitor like that Weasley girl?" Seamus snapped.

"Don't talk about Ginny that way. She's a
sweet girl. You thought so too until yesterday."

"I think sh-"

"May I have your attention, please?"
Dumbledore's voice rang through the Hall, cutting Seamus off. Silence fell,
heavy and expectant. "As you know, you have been called here for a reason.
I am sorry to inform you that three of our students lost their lives this past
night." Gasps echoed through the stillness and whispers burst out,
whipping through the room like wildfire.

"Silence!" McGonagall shouted, her
hair slightly disheveled and her eyes sad. Dumbledore nodded to her in thanks
and continued.

"Due to a foul and dishonorable attack
late yesterday afternoon, Blaise Zabini was mortally wounded. Attempting to
save him, Draco Malfoy and Virginia Weasley were lost in a healing trance. All
three have passed on and the families have been notified. I ask you to remain
calm," he said when the students began to look panicky, "as it was
not an enemy attack that took them from us, but an attack from within." At
those words, complete silence fell once more.

"Who did it?" One Ravenclaw girl
asked unthinkingly, then clamped a hand over her mouth. Dumbledore gave a small
smile, and Dean chanced a glance at Seamus, who seemed to be in shock. His eyes
were wide and horrified, his face pale and his skin waxy and trembling.

"Usually, these matters would be dealt
with in private, but we think it wise that this be a lesson to you."
Dumbledore said in response. "Now, let me make it clear that those
responsible will not be up on murder charges as they only caused this
indirectly by endangering students that Mr. Zabini, as a prefect, was entitled
to save. The damage is done however, and because all because of a few students'
prejudice, and the punishments will be appropriate for the crime."
Dumbledore sighed. "Therefore, I will give the students this chance to
turn themselves in. For those who do, things will be much easier, as it is the
only way to keep you safe from the grieving families." He directed the
last towards the few students who knew who they were, and waited.

Half a minute later, a sixth year Gryffindor
stood, tears streaming down her cheeks. Looking shell-shocked, she walked up to
the Head table, stumbling. Moments later, a Hufflepuff boy jumped up, causing
many students to suck in a breath in disbelief. A Hufflepuff had been involved? His Housemates looked like someone
had just dropped anvils on their heads as he joined the Gryffindor girl. The next
were two Ravenclaw boys, one who had a prefect badge on and one who Dean
recognized as Jeremiah something-or-other. Another boy at the other end of
their table also stood, hanging his head in shame. By the time they stood with
the others, two more Gryffindors had left their seats. All of them were sixth
years, and all of them turned accusatory eyes on Seamus.

"Well, come on, Finnegan." One of
the Ravenclaws called. "It was your bloody idea, after all. And if I'm
going to Azkaban, you're damn well coming with me." Seamus looked
wretched, but he had brought it upon himself. Dean watched as he stood, the
stunned gazes of their Housemates on him, and made his way slowly to the front
while words ran through Dean's mind in a never-ending cycle. Saw Zabini coming, headed him off, a good
way to get Malfoy back, had it planned all along, nothing more than they
deserve�

"Oh gods." The Gryffindor girl
moaned. "Are we going to Azkaban?" McGonagall spun towards her at
that inquiry.

lasslass=MsoNormal style='border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 3.0pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 31.0pt 0in'>"I have never been more disgusted with
any of my students!" She exclaimed and the girl cowered. "You will get
what you deserve, by means of a full trial." Not much more was said and
they were dismissed and told to return to their dormitories. The Gryffindors
huddled together, quietly making their way to their tower. Once they passed
through the portrait, they took seats, spreading out but staying close at the
same time.

"How could this have happened? So many
deaths in less than a day." One girl said, breaking the silence.

"How could Seamus and the others
just-" Another started, but Dean stopped her.

"Don't, just don't. You were all saying that
they needed to pay. Are you satisfied?" He asked, a cruel edge that they'd
never heard before in his voice, and then stood, storming up the stairs to his
room and leaving them gaping at his retreating form.

��

In a place of utter darkness and unfathomable
raw power, a figure materialized out of the void, bringing light with it. The
darkness pulled back obediently after brushing over the being's flesh with a
lover's familiarity, and it moved forward, the light revealing glimpses of an
ethereal room if anyone else had been there to see it. The being had the form
of a man, but not one like any on earth. At least ten feet tall and majestic in
extreme proportions, he was a vision of supreme beauty. Long, golden hair
flowed down his back, silky and metallic, seeming to shine with its own light.
His ivory skin was glowing, and elaborate green and black Celtic tattoos raced
over his flesh in intoxicating patterns. Eyes the color freshly spilt blood sat
underneath white-blonde eyebrows, and his full, sinful lips were set in a
menacing scowl.

"Cocidius!" A musical voice called,
and another being appeared out of nothing. "What does thee think thee are doing?"

"Leave it be, Sulis." The towering man replied, his
voice like sweet, slick honey.

"I shall not!" She replied, flicking her rich auburn
hair over one delicate shoulder. She was smaller then the man but larger than
any human was, though her figure was still slender, lithe and muscular, as was
the man's. "I cannot let thee go against the Lords of Heaven!"

"I am a Lord of
Heaven!" He retorted, spinning on one heel and facing her, his predator
eyes narrowed.

"Thee knows what I mean." She said, exasperated.
"Kings, then. Call them what thee will. But they have all denied our
requests! Thee cannot just resume contact anyway!"

"Watch me." He snarled, and started pacing. She moved
closer to him, reaching out hesitantly. When he didn't jerk away, she spoke
soothingly.

"Thee heard the outcome. The Heads of all five Sky pantheons said
nay. Dana and Dagda, Ra and Mut, Zeus and Hera, Odin and Frigg, Jupiter and
Juno. And the other�Well, we all know that he
has always been against it."

"Yes. But the Lords of the Underworld have sided with me, and
they will back me should I choose to break the Ban."

"The Sky Kings will banish thee!"

"Let them banish me; I will not forsake my Chosen! Not again. It has
worn on us all and thee knows it. I will do it no longer. And I hold as high a
place in the Dark Court as I do in the Light."

"Thee would forsake the Sky Realm's halls?"e
qe
questioned in disbelief. "Thee would choose to live permanently among
demons and the dead?"

"If they force me to." He growled.

"They are not forcing thee! Thy does this on thy own!"

"Only because the rest of thee are cowards!" He snapped,
his patience wearing thin even with her. "I understand as well as any why
the Ban was necessary, bu has has been fifteen hundred years since we have so
much as spoken to them! A thousand since the last altar ran dry! The lesser
kindred have all but forgotten us except for him, but those of our blood still worship, still remember."

"But to live eternally among darkness, Cocidius�"

"What does thee think I am? Some pure, shining hero like
Apollo? More of me is dark than light, no matter who my mother I a I am the God
of Forests, Hunting and War, Sulis, as well thee knows. And what are those
things if not dark? I am more at home in the center of the void than anywhere
else."

"Thee must not do this!" She said, nervous and angry.

This brother of hers was different from the rest, and she couldn't
read him like she could the others. He set her off balance constantly, but she
knew enough to recognize the gleam in his eyes. He was being Called; they had
all fought the same thing numerous times over the centuries that the Ban had
been in place. Before, they would have followed the Calling straight to their Chosen, a small group of
people that were spiritually connected with a certain god by something that
even they didn't fully understand. But the pull seemed to be too strong for
Cocidius to ignore any longer, and she wondered at it. He was one of the
strongest among any of the pantheons; he should have been one of the last to
break under the strain. But the light in his eyes resembled battle-fury mixed
with the madness of the void that he so loved to play in.

"So I take it that thee did not come here to assist me?"
He asked, his voice bland and his eyes blank. She wanted to say yes, wanted to
help him somehow, but she just couldn't.
She didn't have his fearlessness, not when it came to Heaven's High Kings and
Queens, and probably wouldn't even if the Dark Realm's own High Kings and
Queens were on her side. Which they weren't, since most of them detested her
and her father.

"I can't. I want to but I can't. Not with this." She
said, lowering her voice. A flash of something resembling pain crossed his
sculpted features before it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by a
jaded, bored look.

"I figured as much. I will need someone though." He
looked thoughtful for a moment. "Ares!" He called a moment later, and
a stunning, young-looking man materialized before them. He had long black hair
that fell to his hips, golden eyes, and blood-red lips. Tall, thin and
powerful, he glided through the darkness with a wolf's loping grace, his eagle
eyes trained on his friend.

"What need has thee of me, Cocidius?" Ares asked,
raising a hand and brushinlocklock of hair behind his ear, his tinted black
fingernails blending in with his tresses. The two gods embraced before Ares
pulled away, a smirk on his face. "Well? I take it that thee wishes my
help with thy little problem?"

"Thee knows me so well." Cocidius said, chuckling, and
Sulis felt a sharp flash of jealousy. She hadn't liked the Greeks since Ares'
sister, Aphrodite, had stolen her mother's attention away. A high-pitched,
sugarcoated laugh tinkled next to her ear and she groaned. Speak of the devil.
The Goddess of Love and Lust had appeared in all her glory, shining like the
noonday sun. White-blond hair fell in wavy masses farther than her brother's
did, and her emerald eyes looked as if stars had been trapped inside them. They
probably had, knowing Aphrodite.

"I want to help." The golden goddess intoned, and Sulis
stared at her. No, this couldn't be happening. Aphrodite had not just bested her once again!

"Of course, my lovely vixen." Cocidius agreed.
"Time is a funny thing between the Realms, but I wager we have just
enough. The two of thee must shield my activities from the rest of the Sky
Realm, at least until I'm through."

"It shall be done." Ares said, moving back a few steps.

He and Aphrodite both threw up shields, Ares' on the inside as the
main one and Aphrodite's on the outside as the secondary. Sulis moved not a
muscle as her brother's eyes glazed, seeing something very different than what
was right in front of him. He was apparently wasting no time as he followed the
Call that none of their kind had answered in over a millennium. His body began
fragmenting, his essence leaking through as he called on his power and made the
reach with remembered ease. Minutes passed before his eyes snapped open and
three shadowy figures formed in front of him. All had long, flowing hair in
different shades and reeked of power even in death. She had not encountered an
earth-dweller as powerful as they were since the First Born. They looked
around, their minds clouded and confused as her brother's body became solid
again.

"Welcome, Chosen." Cocidius said, his voice full of
thunder. His eyes were wild and calm at the same time, and Sulis knew that it
was the close proximity of his Chosen affecting him.

"Where are we?" The female figure asked, her voice soft
and full of wonder. "Is this the Underworld?"

"Nay." Cocidius answered, and their eyes drifted up to
him. The two males stiffened, drawing closer to the female. "Ah, so thee
knows me."

"Lord Cocidius." The male on the left acknowledged.
Sulis was surprised; she knew these earth-dwellers before her had the old blood
running strongly through them, but that they still remembered enough to
recognize her brother�That was surprising, to say the least.

"We never thought to see you." The other male said,
unable to keep a faint trace of bitterness and pain from his voice.

"Thy Calls were too strong, especially when thy souls
disconnected from thy shells. Something in my core shifted when I heard thee.
Thee three have great fates should thee accept them." The god replied and
Sulis reeled. No wonder he hadn't been able to resist. That was something she was sure
hadn't happened since the First Born had passed. The female moved forward as he
spoke, drawn by his voice. She stopped when he did and looked confused again.

"That was�"

"Thee feels drawn to me." Cocidius supplied when she
couldn't find the words. The three ghostly forms nodded, and a rare smile
graced Cocidius's face. "I am thy patron god and thy are my Chosen. It is the way of
things."

"I have heard of such before, in the old legends." The
first male said, obviously feeling the same longing as the female. "But it
has not occurred since the Rift."

"'Twas banned." Aphrodite chimed in from where she still
stood, keeping up her shield. "But Cocidius here couldn't help
himself."

"I awoke to their soul-cries ringing in my mind."
Cocidius replied. "What else was I to do?"

"Why are we here?" The second male asked. "If we
must pass, we wish to do so in peace."

"Find thee no peace in my presence?" Cocidius asked. The
male hesitated.

"Yes, I do." He finally conceded. "Your divinity
calls to me, and the worship sings within me as it has never done at an
altar."

"Does thee wish to pass?" Cocidius asked.

"No." All three chimed in unison.

"Had I heard Hades' call to pass through the Black Gates upon
my death," the first male said, "I would say yes. But I heard no such
summons, not from any god but you."

"My uncle favors thee, then." Ares said, a devilish grin
on his face. Cocidius waved him silent.

"Will thee serve?" Cocidius asked, and the three figures
grew still. The looks on their faces confirmed that they understood what he
meant. If they agreed, the loose bond between them would be made solid and they
would truly become his Chosen, serving him
eternally. If they refused, they would pass. The three drew close together, silent
thoughts seeming to pass between them through their gazes. Reaching a decision
simultaneously, they once again spoke in unison.

"We will serve."

��..

Pansy walked along the narrow path that ran along the edge of the Forbidden Forest, using her nose to
find the best flowers and herbs and ignoring the rain, a simple shield charm
keeping the hail from striking her. She could have ordered some of what she was
looking for or conjured it, but she needed out of their sorrow-laden common
room. Her mind was whirling in every direction, and she had no idea what to do.
Narcissa and Silana had still not let them move their sons' bodies, stopping
their songs of passing only long enough to snarl Dumbledore and Severus away.
The Weasleys had arrived before Dumbledore was even finished taking the
culprits to the Ministry.

They were shocked and distraught, even the oldest of them flooing
in immediately. Malfoys and Zabinis had been arriving in clusters, along with
Arthur and Molly's brothers and sisters, while all of the other families that
wished to pay their respects had been denied entrance to the castle. It had
only been two hours since their deaths had been confirmed, but news spread
quickly throughout their world. It still seemed distant, untouchable, and yet
startling real and clear at the same time. Her best friends were dead. There
was nothing beyond that and everything before it. She felt as if she were being
slowly choked, and she couldn't do a damn thing to stop it. She didn't even want to stop it.

"Pansy?" Her sister questioned from behind her. Lycelle
had sidled up to her during one of the litanies and they had escaped, Greg and
Vincent trailing behind them like lost puppies. Her sister was only in her
third year, but she was remarkably perceptive.

"What?" Pansy asked, her voice dull and hoarse.

"You loved them, didn't you?" Lycelle questioned, and
Pansy looked at her sharply.

"Yes."

"And they loved you?"

"Yes."

"Do you think you'll see them again one day?"

"It's pretty to think so." Pansy replied dryly, another
sob pushing at her throat.

Wrestling for control, she clenched her fists and walked faster.
She only needed one more type of flower, tiger lilies, and she smelt some a
little ways ahead, which was as good an excuse as any for her increased pace.
She had never been that close to her sister, since her parents had given up
completely on trying to 'raise' a second child and sent her to their
grandmother's house in Russia for the majority of
her time before Hogwarts. But she did love her, seeing her grow up in spurts
during bi-annual visits, and didn't want to hurt her. The girl was tough
enough, but she was emotionally wounded easily, which was a very bad trait for
a Slytherin.

"We should be heading back soon, shouldn't we?" Lycelle
asked.

"Yes. The last flowers are right here." Pansy said as
they came to an overshadowed bend in the path.

Leaning down, she reached for the blossoms. Her fingers closed
around one and something stuck in her thumb. A drop of blood splattered onto
the muddy ground as she pulled her hand back. Putting the flower away, she
quickly gathered a few more before examining the cut. It looked like a thorn
had stuck her from one of the surrounding brambles. A chill suddenly shot down
her spine, and her eyes were drawn to her blood on the watery soil. Shivering,
she ushered Lycelle back towards the castle as a bolt of lightning hit a tree bare
yards from them. Vincent and Greg caught up with them and they ran for the
castle as the storm became vicious.

Once in, they released their shield charms and made their way
towards the dungeons in silence. The other students gave them a wide birth,
some looking at them pityingly, some mildly regretful, and some still vaguely
hostile. They kept their heads up and their movements smooth all the way to
their common room, before their masks fell away once more as they entered the
grief-choked atmosphere. Walking slowly, she approached Narcissa, Silana and
Molly (who had taken her son's place and had her daughter in her arms). She
held out her basket wordlessly, and the women briefly nodded their thanks as
she began spreading the flowers and herbs in a circle around them.

The aromas varied; some sweet, some spicy, but they blended well
and brought an added sense of the earth to the underground room. The plants
also smelled of rain and fresh soil, which intensified the feeling. When she
finished, she sat on the rug close by, her gaze drawn again and again to what
she didn't want to see. When she closed her eyes, she could still picture the
three of them as they had been, but she was brought cruelly back to reality
when they opened again. Taking deep breaths, she fought the rising nausea back
and barely noticed her sister, Vincent and Greg take seats beside her. The
Golden trio had taken places within the cluster of Weasleys, and it would have
been shocking to see them within their House at any other time.

"Why did this have to happen?" She mumbled to herself.
Greg turned to her, apparently having heard what she said.

"I don't know. And I don't know what to do, Pansy." He whispered back, sliding closer. He slid and arm
around her shoulders and she leaned into his familiar embrace gratefully.

"Me neither." She replied, her voice low.

"It seems darker."

"Yes, yes it does." Pansy agreed, closing her eyes,
another stray tear leaking down her cheek.

"No, I mean it really
seems darker. Look." He said, and her eyes popped open again.

Glancing around, she realized that he was right. The fire was
still burning, but it didn't seem to be giving off as much light as it should,
nor did the candles and torches. The air felt heavy and thick, sliding like
honey down her throat. There was different smell drifting through the room,
something she recognized but couldn't place. It was citrusy and sharp, yet
smooth and soothing at the same time, and it felt refreshing when she sucked in
a breath. Distracted, she vaguely placed the smell for what is was, and naming
the scents mixed up in it had realization whacking her over the head. Lemons, mint and chocolate. She snapped
her head up, standing and startling Greg before sucking in a stunned breath. Virginia's frostbitten fingers
were moving.

"Pansy? Pansy, what is it?" Greg asked, his voice rising
when she ignored him and walked forward a few steps, convinced she was
hallucinating. Everyone stopped to stare at her, taking in her wide, shocked
eyes and gaping mouth before following her line of sight.

"Oh gods!" Molly exclaimed as her daughter's stiff body
suddenly convulsed.

Narcissa and Silana were soon echoing her shout with their own,
and Pansy drug her eyes to Draco and Blaise. Their bodies were also beginning
to twitch and spasm, somehow staying in one piece when it looked as if the
increasingly violent movements would shake them apart. The air grew weightier
and darker, the candles and torches going out all together, eaten by the
encroaching darkness. A few people shouted and whimpered, but Pansy couldn�t
take her gaze from the three bodies of her friends. The darkness began
spiraling around the room, bringing the scent and crushing feel of the void
with it. Then there was a mighty 'BOOM' and the three figures screamed.

It was a horrible, agony-filled sound that seemed to tweak in the
surrounding people's very bones. A halo of shadowy energy sprung up around them
and threw those closest to them back several feet, including their mothers and
Pansy. Getting back to her feet shakily but swiftly, she watched, spellbound,
as their eyes became whole and clear again, and charcoal, silver and blue lit
up with an inner fire once more. Their screaming died into nothing as the raw
magic around them began flowing and swimming over their forms. Then suddenly,
Draco was lifted a good seven feet into the air and the energy began moving
faster. Pure, white streaks shot through the black and the suffocating power in
the air took on an icy feel.

Her eyes unblinking, Pansy watched in joy and disbelief as his blistered,
melted skin reformed, returning to its previous pristine state. It stayed
bright red for a moment longer, before that, too, faded back into snowy
brilliance even lighter than before. Except for his lips and eyelids. The once
blood-red lips became a lightly tinted blue, as did his eyelids, and it somehow
made him more angelic-looking than ever. The tattoo on his arm came back richly
shaded, visible since their outer robes had been removed earlier, and his
fingernails took on a lustrous finish, looking to be made of ice and bearing
the same blue tint as his lips. His hair grew back rapidly, and all traces of
white-blond were gone from the purely silver tresses. Every strand was liquid Christmas
tinsel and his eyes took on the same metallic sheen. He slowly returned to the
ground and Blaise took his place.

The energy surrounding him was laced with a deep, purplish-blue
color instead of white, and the air felt more charged than freezing. His raven-colored
hair flowed down like a waterfall, and the dark blue lowlights in it became
more vibrant. The spreading rot vanished from his skin, returning the flesh
again to what it once was; porcelain paler than the clouds except for the
thick, dark markings of his own tattoo. And he, too, had parts that became
tinted; his eyes were ringed in smoky black instead of frosty blue and the same
dark shade colored his opaque fingernails. His lips, though, took on a faint
purple shade, looking slightly bruised, as if he'd just been thoroughly kissed.
His eyes also gained hints of purple, turning them a shade she had never seen
before.

He sunk slowly to the floor beside Draco, and everyone's eyes
followed Virginia's form as she rose to
where they had been. Pansy's gaze was eager now, as she knew what to expect,
and she felt like screaming with glee when the black faded from her friend's
skin, the cold blisters disappearing to be replaced with flawless ivory. No
freckles dusted Virginia's flesh anymore and
her cheekbones became slightly more pronounced, making her look regal. Her hair
became soft again, the color subtlety changing to look like shifting flames;
dark orange blended into brass that melted into dark red. But the last six
inches and the hair around her face took on the color of freshly spilt blood,
her lips became a luscious crimson, and her nails glittered like rubies in the
dim firelight and flickering shadows.

Her eyes shone with hints of fiery copper, and the skin around the
gorgeous orbs was shaded a rich, earthy brown that brought out the metallic
hints within them beautifully. She did not sink to the ground as the other two
had; instead, they rose once more to her level. The living darkness that had
been creeping around the room started to whip and spin, and a presence unlike
any they had ever felt before entered the room. They couldn't see what caused
it, but they could definitely feel
it. It made Pansy desperately want to sink to her knees and raise her voice in
worship. That last word buzzed in her mind, and she nearly fainted when she
realized what was happening. Someone yelled, and her eyes moved unthinkingly to
where they were staring. She gasped and fell backwards into Vincent when she
saw what had happened.

The ancient altar in the corner, which was much older than
Hogwarts itself, was alive again. The silver runes and symbols carved into the
black marble were moving in a never-ending pattern, the fountain that had been
dry for an age was sprouting with crystalline water, and it reeked of divine
energy. One design had grown larger than the rest and was fixed in the center,
glowing with dark power and a hint of light. It was a complicated symbol of
simple, exquisite beauty, and they knew the god it represented. Although no
altar had so much as dripped in over a millennium, anyone who still worshiped
knew that the enlarged symbol was indication of what god's attention was on it.
The choking feeling turned comforting, divinity rolling over them in waves, and
every soul in the room, besides the three still in a cocoon of power, did drop to their knees then.

They reveled in the first touch of a god that their kind had
experienced in much, much too long, and gave themselves freely to it as they
had always been meant to do. A brilliant flash of light turned their eyes back
to the Draco, Blaise and Virginia. Three identical vortexes of light were
swirling madly above them, one placed over each of their hearts, and no one
could do anything but watch as the small maelstroms sunk into their chests.
They screamed again, but it was not agony cloaking their voices that time. They
were screaming in pleasure and ecstasy, their cheeks flushing and their bodies
vibrating. They began to glow, light creeping out from inside their skin, each
glimmer of luminosity a different hue.

Their right arms suddenly shot out, held up as if in offering, and
moments later, Pansy realized that's exactly what it was. Because the light
around their arms grew even brighter than the rest, their screams turning into
breathless moans as the light began tracing over their forearms. A beam of it
had shot up through their skin and looked as if it were carving something into
their flesh. As a pattern began to form, and Pansy recognized the beginnings of
the god's Mark. Understanding what it meant, she felt as if she were going to
sink through the floor. His Chosen�They were Cocidius's Chosen. Cocidius, who was
said to have the power to overthrow Dagda if He chose. Cocidius, who had
seduced Isis and Osirus into the joining of the Dark pantheons. Cocidius, the
last god to walk among the people and the first to return.

His symbol was branded into their skin in the same place but on the
opposite arm of where they would have taken the Dark Mark had they been inclined
to. It was where Voldemort had gotten the idea after all, reading every book on
the gods he could find. The gods had always Marked their Chosen that way, and Voldemort
had simply twisted it a bit into his own weak imitation. The spear of light finished
its work, and the result was breathtaking. It was not one color but many, as if
every color created or imagined had been placed into it. The colors twisted and
corkscrewed, giving off a faint echo of the previous light. The three
recipients' eyes flew open, as they had closed them when the Marking started,
and they didn't look entirely human.

All three had split pupils, which she had seen from Draco and
Blaise before, but never from Virginia. Her teeth stayed
normal, however, as theirs elongated into small, deadly fangs. The three of
them went from horizontal to vertical positions in the air, and dropped
gracefully to their feet. They were cleaned of all the previous dried blood,
and they, like their Marks, were still glowing faintly. They descended into
crouching positions, their hair falling around their faces like curtains as the
divine presence receded, the darkness drawing back. Soon enough, they felt
alone in the room once more, except for the wisps of energy around the once
again active altar. Narcissa moved towards the three of them slowly, Silana and
Molly on her heels.

"Draco? Love? Are you alright?" She asked, nearing where
they half-sitting, half-kneeling.

She took another step, and Blaise's head snapped up, a growl
trickling from his throat. There was no recognition in those blue-but-not-blue
eyes as he looked at the woman who had been a second mother to him. Silana
stepped around her, but still his eyes stayed threatening and blank. His mother's
lip began shaking, tears springing to her eyes, but she stayed still, not
backing away as that gaze examined her from head to foot. Draco and Virginia
slowly lifted their own heads, their hair falling back. Nothing but a primal
intelligence shone in their eyes, either, and Pansy started to frantically
wonder if it was even them in their
bodies. Blaise's head turned, his attention falling on the other two beside
him, and something did wash over his face then. Draco and Virginia saw him at
the same time, and it was as if they couldn't look away.

>

"They know each other, at least." Lycelle whispered to
Pansy from behind her. And she was right. They moved towards each other in
perfect sync, rubbing their cheeks together when they were in touching
distance. They each reached out with their left hands, their movements slow and
careful, seeming instinctual rather than conscious, and Draco laid his hand
upon Virginia'sk ask as she laid hers upon Blaise's and Blaise laid his on
Draco's. Their eyes widened and their bodies began shaking once more, and each
had a single, thin line of blood trickle from their noses. Then they grew
still, their breathing labored, and slowly lifted their heads.

"Mum?" They asked in unison, and choked sobs were their
only answer before they were drawn into relieved, rapturous embraces.

Please, please, please
review!

Cocidius � Celtic God of Forests, Hunting and War

Sulis � Celtic Goddess of Healing

Ares � Greek God of War

Aphrodite � Greek Goddess of Love and Lust
- 6
- 7
- 8
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Unexpected