Midnight Duel, Midday Love
Check
By Draco664
Check
Sirius looked down at the whimpering boy lying in the sanitary hospital wing. Draco had not regained consciousness since he had been found by Dumbledore and Snape. Even so, the newly added Dark Mark still caused him pain. Sirius' sharp ears could make out a faint hiss and sizzle emanating from the small tattoo, testament to the fact that Voldemort was still punishing the last Malfoy.
The door behind him opened, and Sirius heard a faint swish of robes. "No change, Snape." he said absently.
The oily Potion Master drew up a chair and sat down silently on the other side of the bed. "I hadn't expected there to be any." said Snape, equally absently.
Sirius frowned and looked up at his boyhood rival. "Huh?"
Snape gave him a sneer, but his heart just wasn't in it. "Eloquent as ever, Black. Why do you think that Dumbledore and those fools at the Ministry were never able to get a spy into the Dark Lord's inner circle? Why Dumbledore finally approached me and convinced me to spy for him?"
Sirius crossed his arms and sat back, thinking hard. He looked down at Draco and back to Snape. A slow smile crept over his features. "Because the act of getting the Mark exposes your thoughts to Voldemort." he guessed.
Snape raised a single eyebrow. "Close. Your motivation. Mine was for forbidden knowledge. Malfoy senior's was for power. Pettigrew's was, well, probably because he wanted to be on the same side as the biggest bully in the playground. Draco here obviously is not accepting the Mark willingly, so it is punishing him. If his motivation was to help spy on the Dark Lord, then just like all the others who tried, he will die of pain and suffering soon."
Sirius sighed. With one hand, he reached into his robes and extracted a single scrap of parchment. Passing it over to Snape he said, "Draco left that for me to find."
Snape frowned with curiosity, and looked down at the sheet.
Mask,
I've been summoned by V. He gave me a portkey to use on Boxing Day.
He wants to give me the mark.
You owe me. Get me out of this.
The note was unsigned.
Snape crushed the scrap in his hand. His face flushed red with anger. "You endangered one of my students?" he hissed.
Sirius nodded slowly. "He agreed. At least, he agreed to my suggestion of passing information to Voldemort. I never meant for him to actually meet the bastard." He looked up at Snape, noting in passing that Snape's flared nostrils were white at the edges.
Snape stood and stalked around the bed, grabbing hold of the front of Sirius' robes he hauled Harry's godfather to his feet. "Who the hell do you think you are?" Snape spat into Sirius' face. "You come in here and risk student's lives for your own purposes?"
Sirius stared expressionlessly into Snape's dark eyes. "No. I don't. Listen Severus, Draco is of age. He is able to legally make his own decisions. All I was using him for was as a contact for Pritchart. He is just as responsible for her downfall as Harry. It would not have happened but for his assistance."
"And now because of you, he is lying there, dying!"
Sirius slowly grabbed hold of Snape's fists, and gently but firmly pushed then down and away, breaking Snape's hold of his robes. "Yes. Because of me he is lying there. Because of me he is dying. It isn't because of Voldemort at all." Sirius said softly, his words sarcastic, though not his tone.
The pair stared straight into each other's eyes. The dark pair glittered dangerously with rage, the pale blue pair betrayed inhuman determination. For long moments, the two men stood as still as if they had been carved from marble.
Finally, taking a deep breath, Snape blinked and stepped back. "Damn it, why?"
Sirius sighed. "I found him stripping his home of too much to carry. He was panicking, thinking that he had to sell everything before anyone found out." Sirius shook his head. "He would have been charged with theft had he managed to get the stuff out without my permission. I told him to take whatever sentimental items he wished, and gave him a reasonable timetable in which to do it."
Snape snarled, looking almost canine in appearance. "I already know this."
Sirius nodded. "After he finished, I disguised myself and met with him. Masked and robed. I suggested that he could reacquire his wealth, but he would have to assist in the downfall of Voldemort."
Snape's lips curled into a predatory smile. "I'll bet my entire library that Albus knows nothing about that offer." he said.
Sirius shook his head. "You'd probably lose. Though I never told him, I doubt he knows nothing about it."
"So what happened?"
"Draco took a few weeks to think about it. In the meantime, he turned seventeen. When I next met with him, he agreed to my proposal."
"Your proposal?"
Sirius rubbed his forehead, gathering his thoughts. "Pritchart was the one we wanted neutralised. Voldemort will eventually show himself, he wants power too much to stay in the shadows, but Pritchart is patient. She had auror training, plus decades of experience. I commissioned a ring that allowed the wearer to locate Harry, at the cost of aging the wearer tenfold. It also magnifies the wearer's magical signature, allowing anyone to track the wearer."
Snape's smile grew wider. "I imagine Potter will be more than a little annoyed that you created a ring that allows the wearer to find him."
Sirius winced. "He was."
Snape looked surprised. "He knows?"
Sirius nodded ruefully. "Draco gave the ring to Pritchart, who happily accepted it. The night Harry put you and Ginny in hospital, Pritchart followed him to his cousin's school. Pritchart brought along three others to attack him. Harry killed Pritchart and two of the others."
Snape closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Given the casual nature of Sirius' last comment; it seemed that Potter was becoming accustomed to killing. Not a good thing.
The fact that the boy had easily overcome him in less than a minute was not a reassuring one.
Sirius continued. "Harry also stunned two aurors who were sent to the site. Apparently when they arrived they decided to stun everyone and ask questions later."
"Sorry, did you just say that Potter took out two aurors?"
Sirius nodded, his entire posture exuding pride in his godson. "Yep. They still have no idea how he did it, it was too quick for them." he said with a smile.
Snape smirked. "Then I imagine that Potter will not be extended an invitation to join their ranks any time soon."
Sirius looked up. "You'd want him as an assistant?"
Snape's smile vanished. "If that is what he wants, he could potentially be one of the most skilled master potion brewers in history."
Sirius nodded. "If I wanted to bait you, I'd point out his marks for the first four years in potions here." he said with a faint smile.
Snape snorted. "I have been spending a great deal of my time over the last six months re-evaluating Mr. Potter." he said. And my prejudices, his mind supplied.
"Anyway, I think Harry has a different destiny than being an auror. Or a master brewer." said Sirius.
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Then for once we totally agree."
"At any rate, Harry is currently staying at Black's Pad, under the watchful eye of Alastor and Dumbledore's familiar." said Sirius. "I imagine they are flying around the Quidditch pitch I commissioned. Anyway, after finding Draco's scent trail for you, I went down to our meeting place to see if he left anything for me. I found that note."
"So what do you propose to do to save his life?" snapped Snape.
"Kill Voldemort."
Snape blinked. "I see. Do you have a plan?"
Sirius nodded. "One that neither you nor Albus will be happy with."
Snape frowned. "Exactly why does your plan require both Albus' and my approval?"
Sirius sighed. "Because it involves a number of students."
Snape just stared. "Oh, this I've got to hear." he said.
The next day, in the sterile, white surrounds of the hospital wing, the whimpering of an unconscious student stopped as if someone had thrown a switch. Draco's eyes snapped open, the amount of light in the room causing both pupils to quickly contract in the middle of his light grey irises.
Slowly, the emotionless pair of eyes drifted around the room, taking in Draco's surroundings, ensuring no one else was nearby. His parched lips opened, and a soft dry gasp emerged from the Slytherin's abused throat. Draco woodenly reached inside his mouth, under his tongue. Questing fingers found a single strand of thin human hair, tied securely to one of his lower molars. Draco wrapped the end around one finger, pulled the hair from around the tooth and slowly drew it from his mouth.
From in his stomach he drew out a tiny wrapped package tied to the other end of the hair, choking slightly as it passed the back of his throat, stimulating his gag reflex. Once the putrid package was clear of his mouth, Draco vomited onto the crisp, white sheets.
Spitting to clear his mouth, the blond Slytherin turned slowly and looked around. He reached out and grabbed the glass of water on his bedside, rinsing his mouth and again spitting the fouled water onto his sheets. Without wrinkling his nose at the stench, Draco pushed the covers off absently and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Pausing slightly, Draco showed his first sign of emotion, poured himself another glass of water and gulped it down hurriedly.
His immediate thirst quenched, the expressionless face returned. Like an automaton, Draco picked up the partly digested package and opened it, dropping the fouled wrapping parchment on the floor unheeded.
Draco took the three tiny objects from the package and placed them in his pocket. Emotionlessly, he turned and silently left his room. Once in the hospital wing proper, the Slytherin's attention was captured by a soft voice, whimpering quietly.
The long, fiery curls that framed the patient's features immediately confirmed the person's identity.
Ginny Weasley lay on her side, sniffling quietly. The white sheets of the hospital bed were tucked up tightly under her chin. Even though the thick blankets, it was obvious that her ribs were still bandaged. Draco could make out the puffy red skin around her tightly closed eyes. A tiny stain on the pillow under her eyes could just be made out at the edge of her profile.
Draco woodenly moved to the side of the bed, extracting two of the three objects he pulled from his stomach, a small metal sphere and a tightly folded piece of parchment. He placed the sphere and the note on the bedside table. The slight clink of metal on polished wood startled Ginny.
Her eyes flew open in alarm, and she looked over her shoulder straight at Draco. With a yelp, she sat up and scrabbled away from the blond Slytherin.
"What is going on here?" demanded Madam Pomfrey, drawn by Ginny's outburst. "Mr. Malfoy?" she gasped on seeing Ginny's visitor.
Draco lashed out quickly, painfully grabbing hold of a fistful of bright red hair. Ginny's face screwed up in pain. She shifted her posture, ready to physically lash out at Draco, but he put his hand in his pocket and grasped the third tiny object taken from the hidden package. He muttered something under his breath and instantly the pair disappeared.
Madam Pomfrey's scream echoed throughout the school.
Harry flexed his painfully frozen fingers, trying to get some feeling back. The muscles in his arms and legs ached tremendously. He arched his back, feeling the vertebrae creak back into alignment, then ran a rough tongue over his dry and cracked lips.
Throughout it all, the massive smile on his face had no intention of being removed.
He shifted his weight both backward and left, pulling his new broom up and over in a combined barrel roll and three-quarter loop, diving straight down at the snow-covered ground over three hundred meters below.
Letting loose with a loud whoop of pure joy, he pulled out of his power dive so late that the perfectly aligned twigs at the rear of his broom traced their image in the pure white snow.
Flying faster than the previously tested top speed of the broom, Harry flew from one end of Black's Pad's Quidditch pitch in less than three seconds. Leaning into a high-speed turn, he reached out with his foot, touching the top of the snow.
A beautiful arc of snow sprayed up from Harry's passing. He pulled up on the polished handle, and the broom groaned and the sudden change in direction. Harry felt his body pressed against the broom briefly at over 6Gs. Once more, he climbed hundreds of meters into the air.
The views from up here are truly spectacular, he thought.
The sudden change in air pressure caused Harry's ears to press out painfully. He yawned widely, grunting in relief as he felt dual pops.
Harry leveled out the broom and gently circled the pitch below. He turned and looked up, down and around.
The object of his search also screamed in joy as she buzzed past him at over two hundred kilometers an hour. Harry looked at his rapidly retreating girlfriend, marveling at the skill she exhibited on the latest powerful racing broom.
Cho's straight, silky hair streamed out behind her like a dark comet tail. His smile grew wider and less than a second later Harry was a blur, speeding after the beautiful Ravenclaw.
The pair had been playing an impromptu game of high-speed tag for hours, their shared joy of flight pushing the already powerful brooms beyond the limits the designers created.
Like a pair of diving birds of prey, the two lovers pushed themselves and their brooms into what felt like a new plane of existence. The sheer freedom of the mock dogfight set twin hearts racing, endorphins flowing and adrenal glands working overtime.
Finally, the two pulled their brooms up and leveled out, flying at what felt like a more sedate pace, but would still be considered break-neck speed by most others.
"Do you remember the last time we flew against each other?" Cho asked, raising her voice slightly to be heard over the rushing wind.
Harry frowned momentarily, then smiled and nodded. "My third year. I kept swerving to avoid you, and Wood yelled at me for being a gentleman."
Cho giggled. "That's it. I thought I had you beaten; me on my comet, you on your bloody firebolt. Then a pair of great big dementors appeared and I just about fell from my broom."
Harry nodded, still smiling. He looked straight at Cho, marveling at the way her cheeks were flushed red with cold and excitement. "I remember. I threw a Patronus down at them, and Malfoy and his cronies fell out of the robes in a rather undignified heap."
Cho laughed at the memory. "I remember wondering during the week before why you were doing so much training. Then you appeared prepared even for a dementor attack. Did you realise that the entire Ravenclaw team were telling each other horror stories about what sort of training sessions Oliver must have been putting you through to get you that prepared?"
Harry laughed out loud. "Oliver was fanatical about Quidditch, but I don't ever recall him discussing what to do during a dementor attack, besides telling me to hang on tighter."
Cho's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry Harry. I forgot that you fell that year because of them."
Harry waved the apology away. "Right now, I think I could produce the world's biggest Patronus." he said, and leaned in for a kiss.
Sirius stepped through the fire, and out into the main reception hall at Black's Pad. The sight that greeted him was, unique.
Harry was sitting on one of the large couches wrapped in a massive blanket, steam coming out of his ears. In his hands, just poking through the folds of the blanket, was a cup of hot chocolate, obviously laced with Pepper-up potion.
Cho sat on the opposite couch, similarly wrapped, though her cup was sitting on the table next to her couch. In her hands was a sheet of parchment and a quill, on which she was making notes and sketches.
The object of her attention, and what made the scene unique, was Fawkes. The fire-bird stood tall, his powerful wings flared wide. Fawkes slowly turned from side to side, looking for all the world like a witch trying on a new set of dress robes.
Sirius had never considered phoenixes vain, but it was obvious Fawkes was proud to be one.
The fireplace flared again, and a tall, beautiful blond witch stepped out. Harry stood in greeting.
Sirius waved him back into his seat. Turning to his beautiful companion, he said, "Thanks again, Tonks. But we may need to change again; some of the papers are suggesting that wedding bells are in the air for me."
The pretty blond nodded, giving Harry and Cho a speculative look before continuing. "Redhead or brunette?"
"We'll go with red, but you should be a little shorter next time."
"Will do, boss. Are you not keeping this from him?" she asked gesturing towards Harry.
Sirius shook his head. "Nope, Harry needs to know everything. Last time I kept something from him, he nearly paid the price."
Tonks nodded. "See you tomorrow then." She turned and stepped into the fire.
Sirius grinned at the twin expressions of curiosity from the pair in front of him. "A colleague." he said simply. "You both know what I do, and who I work for. Tonks helps out sometimes, going with me for regular nights out on the town."
"What about the other girls you have gone out with?" asked Harry.
Sirius smiled. "All of them were Tonks. She can change her appearance easily, so Sirius Black gets a reputation as a ladies man."
"Ensuring no one guesses you work as an Unspeakable." said Cho, nodding in appreciation at the idea.
"Exactly." Sirius sat down on a free chair. "Oh, by the way Harry, I've organised with Dumbledore for you to go to Hogwarts to load up your belt."
Harry nodded, but Cho looked at him curiously. "Belt?"
Harry grinned. "My Christmas present from Sirius."
A long pause. "And?" Cho asked, exasperated after it became apparent that no further information was forthcoming.
Harry opened his mouth to answer, when the fire flared yet again. Out of the green flames stepped Molly Weasley. Wildly, the Weasley matriarch looked around the room, her gaze fixing directly on Harry.
With a cry she pounced, and gave him a rib-creaking hug. "Oh Harry! Please help me! Ginny needs you!"
It was a somber group gathered in the headmaster's office. Arthur Weasley was hugging his wife, who was sobbing quietly into his shoulder. She had not said anything since arriving at Hogwarts except to repeatedly whisper, "No, not my little Ginny." into her husband's robes.
Sirius and Snape stood shoulder to shoulder, leaning against one wall, quietly talking to each other. From what Harry could tell, Snape was trying to convince Sirius of something, but was having a great deal of trouble. It was only the tense feeling in the room that was preventing the quiet conversation from erupting into a full-blown argument.
Dumbledore sat behind his massive desk, staring glumly at the note and portkey Draco left beside Ginny's hospital bed. Both McGonagall and Moody sat in the comfortable armchairs arranged around the headmaster's office, lost in thought.
Several high ranking aurors were also present, having received the news that the Minister's daughter had been kidnapped. Tiberius Wodenbane, the auror chief was pacing, his impressive handlebar moustache quivering in rage.
A worried face appeared in Dumbledore's fire. "Minister Weasley, we've tracked the portkey signature that took your daughter. It took her to an area just outside the wards set up over the castle and Forbidden Forest. There were traces there of another portkey being used. Without the wards in that area though, we cannot locate the destination of the second portkey. I'm sorry."
Arthur Weasley raised his tear-stained face. "Thank you for trying." he said simply.
The chief auror finally stopped pacing, turning to face the minister, his large stomach aiding in presenting the man as an imposing figure. "Arthur, let me send a hit squad. They can all be touching when the portkey activates. They'll take out You-Know-Who quicker than he can expect!"
Both Sirius and Snape stopped their quiet bickering and stared unbelievingly at him. "You can't be serious!" Snape spat.
"I believe I'm in charge of the investigation, Snape. You are here at the request of the headmaster, nothing more."
Sirius shook his head. "Look, Woodenbrain-" he started.
"Wodenbane, Mr. Black."
"I know what I called you. You cannot just send in a group of hit wizards in our only attempt to save the minister's daughter. You'd get both her and your squad killed."
"So you just suggest we comply with the demand? That we send The-Boy-Who-Lived to an unknown destination, with nothing to guarantee that either Potter or Miss Weasley will be released?"
Sirius pushed off the wall and stood up straight. "It is a trap that an entire group of hit wizards will be unable to escape from. Voldemort will be expecting that. He will have a plan in place. You know this, you just cannot stand to sit down and do nothing."
Wodenbane's eyes bulged. "You want me to do nothing?" he demanded.
Sirius nodded. "Yes. Sometimes, doing nothing is harder than other choices."
"You have information we lack, what are our options, Sirius" asked Dumbledore gravely.
Sirius opened his mouth to speak, stopping suddenly as Harry hissed in pain and grabbed his scar.
"Crucio!"
Ginny's scream rent the air. Voldemort held her under the curse longer than her breath lasted, leaving the young witch shaking in silent agony, her lungs completely depleted of air.
Finally Voldemort released her, then whirled to face his other prisoner.
"Well, my little Dragon, you managed to fight my Imperius enough to get me a worthless captive. I am impressed."
Draco knelt before his 'Master', his ankles and wrists shackled to the floor. Fighting the pain of his scar, the youngest Malfoy defiantly stared up at the Dark Lord.
Voldemort grinned evilly. He raised a thin arm and beckoned to Wormtail. Pettigrew nervously crossed to stand next to his Master. Voldemort grabbed the short man's arm, and touched the tattoo on the inside of his forearm.
Draco and Pettigrew let out twin howls of agony.
Voldemort closed his eyes and listened to the frenzied screams with what appeared to be bliss.
Removing his hand from Wormtail's tattoo, he grabbed a handful of the front of Pettigrew's robes. "Potter will not be joining us, thanks to this traitor's decision. I imagine that a large group of ministry fools will use the portkey. Expand the edges of the containment charm."
Wormtail whimpered and nodded. Quickly, he scurried over to the middle of the chamber.
Voldemort watched as he went, once more running his eyes over the trapped room. The underground chamber was lit by hundreds of burning torches set into rusty iron brackets riveted to the stone walls, all sustained magically. Sixteen huge pillars supported the ceiling, eight forming an octagon in the centre of the room, and framing each of the four entrances to the room. The entrances each sat between two cardinal points.
Ginny lay gasping for air, tied to the onyx altar in the north corner of the room. From the north-east entrance, hurried footsteps could be heard. A tall, lean man appeared, dressed in loose fitting, non-restrictive clothing. "You summoned us, my Lord?"
"No, Macnair. I was simply punishing my little dragon here." Voldemort replied. "It would appear that he does not have the same level of loyalty to me that you have shown."
Voldemort's weapons master sneered at the humbled boy. "Your father was loyal, and reaped the rewards of service."
Draco coughed, his lips sparsely covered with pinkish blood. "I'm alive, and not a squib either." he snarled.
Macnair sneered back. "For now. I would give anything I could to my master. I gave my magic, I would give my life. I live in luxury, with my every want fulfilled." he said. "You could have had everything too. But you threw it all away."
"Enough." said Voldemort, his tone commanding. "Return to your duties Macnair, it would appear that Potter is unlikely to join us now, but I would like you to be ready should he appear."
Macnair bowed. "Your will, my Lord." he said. The ex-wizard turned and exited the chamber.
Voldemort turned back to Draco. "Pritchart was quite pleased with how you were turning out, little dragon. How disappointed I was to hear that she had an ambush sprung on her, one that you assisted."
Draco stared into the blazing red eyes of his captor. The pride he had was all that was keeping him from collapsing to the floor, begging for release.
Harry's eyes flicked open. The room focused quickly, and he could make out the concerned faces of everyone in the room.
"What did you see, Harry?" asked Dumbledore.
Harry shook his head. "No time, I have things to get and not much time. Just one question."
Dumbledore blinked, but nodded.
"What happens if you are moving when you activate a portkey?"
--