The Three Keys - Ch 28 Wicked Wands and Waking Up
TITLE: THE THREE KEYS
AUTHOR: Lorett
RATING: NC-17
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER OR DRACO - (Although I think Draco may own a piece of my heart)
Ch 28 - Wicked Wands and Waking Up
__________________________________
Previously:
Breathing easier now that she was certain Draco was quite alive and looking better, Laurel allowed the exhaustion to overtake her. Her room was dusky blue-grey now and soon it would be filled with sunlight. She sank into her bed and had just enough energy to close her bed curtains before sinking into a dreamless sleep.
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Draco had so many things to think about it was overwhelming his head already. Potter was alive, he was sure he’d heard his voice at some point in time tonight after leaving the club…thank Merlin! He, himself was alive…thank Merlin! Laurel was a witch! He would get to see her again. Hell, she saved their lives…She’s right next door…She wants me!
Fleetingly, Draco thought, as he drifted off to sleep again, he’d have to make sure, whatever happened, that he stayed put in this room next to Laurel. More than wanting her, (which he did) Draco was going to make sure she stayed safe….and he was vaguely surprised at how strongly compelled he was to do so…
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Laurel awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright looking around dazed, wondering how long she’d slept as her bed was shrouded in darkness.
“What time is it?” she croaked as a rush of thoughts flooded her mind: ‘Did I sleep all day into the night? - Why didn’t anyone wake me up? - Is Draco OK? - Is he awake yet? - Did Harry and Ron leave? - Would they leave without saying goodbye? - What if Draco got worse and no one woke me??...'
With that a cold chill swept over her and unthinking she leapt out of bed, colliding with her drawn curtains - forgetting she’d closed them last night - screeched and fell to the floor. With a disgusted sigh and click of her tongue Laurel dragged herself up and headed straight for Draco’s room. Realizing her state of undress she paused. She COULD still check on Draco, but what if he was awake and caught her sauntering into his room in her night clothes? Laurel groaned, ‘That would be bad…’ she decided and with a resolute sigh turned and instead headed for the bathroom.
Sleep deprived, and emotionally exhausted, she was still pretty much a wreck... And her mind was on one thing and one thing only….getting to Draco as fast as she could.
Laurel checked her clock, it read 8:30am, she blinked. She’d only been asleep 2 ½ hours! ‘How could that be???’...”Only 2 ½ hours.” she sighed tiredly. ‘Just get ready and get to Draco’ she scolded herself.
Laurel showered quickly and dressed into jeans and a snug, white baby T. Now that she was dressed, important matters needed to be looked into…namely, one Draco Malfoy… Laurel practically ran to Draco’s door she was so impatient to see him. Opening it, she peered in quietly, not wanting to wake him by galloping in if he was still sleeping.
She saw he was curled up on his side, his back facing her as she slowly approached. Laurel’s heart began to pound in her chest as she came round to look at him.
Draco’s eyes were closed and he was breathing soundly, hugging one of his pillows up against his chest. Laurel broke into a huge grin at the site - he looked so ADORABLE and unbelievably sexy…she wanted to reach down and kiss him soundly right then and there.
Laurel gave a frustrated little sigh, ‘I want him to WAKE UP!...I want to look into those eyes of his, hear his voice…’ She thought for a moment about waking him, just to see if he was OK. But she was immediately upset with herself for being selfish, after all the man was moments away from death last night…’BUT STILL!’
Her eyes devoured him again, making her knees weak as she stared at his strong arms hugging the pillow tightly to him. A frown creased her brow as she found herself being irrationally jealous of that stupid pillow!
‘OK!’ Laurel thought, a little scared at her reaction…’I REALLY need to CHILL OUT and have some coffee…’ Reluctantly she turned to leave, shaking her head and muttering under her breath “Stupid pillow!” She was incredibly relieved and happy that he looked much better than he had even just a few short hours ago.
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Laurel went back to her room, leaving the adjoining door open. She had a LOT of chores on her TO DO list this morning:
First and foremost - Get that wand she took last night to her mom. It was starting to give her the creeps…She had a bad feeling about whoever owned it…
Second - She needed to sit down and talk with Harry. He was going to have to understand that last night was a mistake….She sighed, Laurel didn’t want to hurt Harry’s feelings, but he needed to know that she wanted to be with Draco…A LOT. Although, she had a niggling feeling that Harry Potter wasn’t going to accept that answer so easily….Laurel shook that discomforting thought away and tried to think positively.
Third - Laurel realized she was going to have to check on Tad and Teeny to make sure they got back to the hotel safely, if they’d not already left word for her.
The rest of her thoughts were to spend as much time with Draco as she could…She hoped he would be awake soon, so they could talk…Laurel was still debating on what way, how and when to approach Draco with what happened between her and Harry. She knew she’d have to address it sooner or later, but she was NOT looking forward to that. Besides she had to get her talk with Harry done first.
Laurel sighed dejectedly, “This is SO not going to be a fun day…I just KNOW IT.” she grumbled, picking up the foreign wand and headed out. She was trying desperately to remember what hotel the twins were staying at, when she opened her door to leave and came face to face with ‘TO DO list Item #2’ coming out of his room, (Which was incidentally right across the hall from hers.)
Laurel’s eyes met Harry’s and she instantly wondered at how good he looked…a little too good….refreshed and alert. ‘Didn’t we all go to bed at the same time??? How come HE looks so rested?’ Laurel thought crankily. (Harry always was a morning person - it was his favorite time of the day, so being up with just a couple of hours sleep was no big deal.) And as Maggie had supplied fresh clothes for all the boys, Harry had changed into jeans and a short sleeve, green, button down shirt, (which flattered him very much) showing off his well built arms and bringing out the intense green of his eyes.
Laurel now realized she’d not moved since she saw Harry. She stood in her doorway hand still on the knob staring at him, unable to move.
Harry broke the awkward silence first, “You’re up early.” he said in a husky voice, closing and leaning against his own door. He looked relaxed and amused at her reaction to seeing him. ‘I think I could get used to this, seeing her first thing in the morning.’ he thought.
‘God, why do boys have to have such deep, rumbly voices?’ she complained silently, not liking AT ALL the reaction he was having on her still. ‘Laurel FOCUS!...Think about DRACO! You’re staying away from Harry…NOT gaping at how cute he is!’
“Yeah, couldn’t sleep…you?” Laurel’s voice was a little shaky.
He nodded, “Too wound up to sleep.” His eyes seared into hers. That statement could mean so many things…one of the many implications was not lost on her and she promptly turned bright pink and looked away.
‘OK, no time like the present to deal with you, mister.’ ”Yeah, uh, Harry. I ah - I want to talk to you about,” her eyes met his now, “about what happened, you know…between us…” her hand was fluttering around nervously and she still hadn’t moved from the doorway.
‘Great just great.’ Harry thought, folding his arms across his chest and purposely flexing his arm muscles. ’The, we need to talk…talk. How did I GUESS that was coming…I don’t think I can give up that easily Laurel…’
“OK.” He said, same husky voice.
He noticed how Laurel’s eyes were stuck staring at his chest and arms, ‘I’m flexing them for you, you know…You like?’ he though, as her eyes slowly traveled to his face…
The tone in his voice and the way he was looking at her sent unwelcome shivers down Laurel’s spine. ‘OK, he’s not going to make this easy…’
She managed to shake out of her stare, finally closing her door and smiled, “You hungry? Because I could eat…I’m hungry - You want to go get some breakfast with me? We can um, we can talk down there…” the words tumbled out of her mouth in a jumbled rush, causing a quirky, half grin from Harry.
‘Oh God…CALM DOWN Laurel!’ She was suddenly so nervous, Laurel just didn’t want Harry to be upset…she wanted desperately to become friends with him and knew she was going to have to approach this carefully... Although, Laurel thought with a sinking feeling, subtly was definitely NOT one of her strong points.
Harry’s response broke her from her worrisome thoughts - He answered in a calm, deep voice, “Sure.” pushing off from the door and he turned shooting Laurel what he hoped was a sexy smile. Harry was unsure how to proceed from here, sincerely pursuing a girl was new territory for him…But he knew one thing for certain, ‘Malfoy, look out. You’ve got competition.’
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They turned to walk to breakfast and met Maggie coming toward them down the hall. She had changed into jeans and a white T-shirt. Harry thought Laurel and Maggie could be sisters, rather than mother and daughter, they looked so similar.
Maggie was carrying a bundle of clothes and greeted the two stopping in front of Draco’s door. “Morning. I’m surprised to see you both up so early.”
Laurel smiled weakly, “Couldn’t sleep.” Harry nodded agreement.
Maggie eyed the two kids carefully and finally answered, “OK. Breakfast is ready downstairs, wait here a minute for me and we’ll go together. I need to talk to you first before we go down….Laurel, have you checked on Draco yet this morning?”
Laurel nodded, “First thing. He’s still sleeping.” She couldn’t help the broad smile that brightened her face. ”He looks much better!” Harry seeing that grimaced slightly, giving Draco’s door a narrowed glare.
Maggie smiled, “Good, good. Harry and Draco are about Jack’s size, so I’m putting some fresh clothes for Draco to change into when he wakes up.”
Harry smiled warmly at Maggie, “Yeah, uh, thanks for the change of clothes. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re very welcome Harry.” She smiled back, “Hold on a minute while I drop these off, then we’ll talk.” Maggie disappeared into Draco’s room and came back moments later, agreeing with Laurel, “He does look much better.”
“Yeah, I think so too. Oh before I forget,” Laurel paused, “It was so crazy last night and I was so tired that I forgot to give this to you.” She pulled out the wand from her jeans waistband and Harry’s heart skipped a beat at catching a glimpse of creamy, tanned skin and a flat belly…Laurel handed the wand to her mother, “I got this from the Death Eater that attacked Draco.” she paused, “The same one that tried to kill Harry.” Laurel looked at Harry; his eyes had gone cold and dangerous. She gulped and continued, “I thought maybe there’s some way we can find out who it belongs to?”
Maggie took the wand and held it up, “Yes, yes. I know someone at Diagon Alley who can help us with that….He probably sold it to the person.”
Harry tore his gaze from Laurel and looked at the wand and groaned. “No need for that.” he said flatly.
Laurel and Maggie looked at him surprised.
“I can tell you who that wand belongs to. I should know…I’ve had it pointed at me many times.”
“What?” Laurel said in a horrified voice.
“Who??” Maggie and Laurel said simultaneously.
Harry looked from one to the other, his green eyes glittering fiercely, his voice cold and almost sinister sounding, “Lucius Malfoy.”
Laurel gasped, she looked totally taken aback, so much so that she actually took an involuntary step away from him as if his words had stung her. “But…but…It can’t be Harry! That Death Eater tried to KILL Draco! I saw him - he was going to do it!” she argued, sounding almost despearte to her own ears.
Harry simply looked at her, his eyes said it was true…’He tried to KILL ME TOO you know!’ he thought angrily.
Maggie turned to Harry, her voice serious, “Harry, are you absolutely positive about this? It’s THIS wand?” Maggie put it in Harry’s hands, he looked repulsed and handed it promptly back.
“Yes, very. Let’s just say when a wand is pointed at you threateningly, THAT many times you tend to recognize it….Besides, I’ve only seen one wand with a silver handle like this…This is Lucius Malfoy’s wand.”
“Oh my God.” Laurel said disbelievingly as little flashbulbs popped in the back of her eyes leaving her dizzy, she leaned against the wall for support.
Maggie gave a deep sigh. “This definitely complicates things.”
Laurel goggled her eyes at Maggie...'Ya think?'
Harry shook his head, “Malfoy really wasn’t kidding…” he mumbled.
“What do you mean Harry?” Maggie said, looking intently at him.
Harry jumped, “I - He, he said that his father would kill him, if it really came down to it…I didn’t believe him…I just couldn’t believe that his father would do that…” he trailed off looking at Draco’s door again with a dark expression on his face.
Now all three looked at the door they were standing in front of…Laurel wondered how they were going to tell Draco his father tried to kill him…Her head began swimming and she groaned feeling an overwhelming sadness for Draco. “How are we going to tell Draco?” she croaked, feeling suddenly nauseous and gulping trying desperatly to push the sickening wave down. “HOW do you tell someone their father tried to kill them??” her voice dropped to a pained, hollow whisper.
The very thought that someone’s parents could intentionally try to take their child’s life set her body trembling uncontrollably. It was so beyond Laurel’s comprehension that she simply couldn’t process the idea.
Maggie looked at the door nervously now. When she spoke her voice was hushed. “Let’s go. I don’t want to discuss this here. I don’t want Draco to overhear anything before we can find out some more information and decide how to break this to him.” She looked at the children intently. “We have to handle this very carefully.”
Laurel and Harry nodded and the group made their way downstairs.
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Draco heard muffled voices coming from the hallway outside his door. He opened his eyes slowly and tried to concentrate on what they were saying. He could only catch a word here and there, but he recognized Potter’s voice instantly and relaxed.
‘Good, he’s still here and he’s safe. Plus if there’s trouble, he’ll protect Laurel until I can get to her... At least my almost dying wasn’t in vain.’ He tried to roll over and groaned from the pain that tore across his belly. ‘God damned wound….What the hell kind of curse was I hit with?’
Draco knew many, many dark magic spells, curses and hexes, but he didn’t know this one. He simply couldn’t recall a spell or curse that could tear you open like that and that was saying something. Draco was very well versed with dark magic, it was what Lucius’ library was mostly composed of at Malfoy Manor, therefore if Draco wasn’t on his broom practicing Quidditch during summer break, you could usually find him devouring book after book on the subject. Although, Draco also knew there were several shelves containing the darkest of magic books that were safely sequestered in the dungeons below the Manor. As many times as he’d been down there, he just couldn’t get his father to relent and let him look at those books. That thought always set him trembling, for they must be REALLY, REALLY bad if even Lucius had some morality in him not to let his son be exposed to them.
Even though Lucius knew how the dark arts fascinated Draco and how much he liked learning about them Lucius would never relent. Therefore Draco studied and learned what he had on hand. He had a feeling it could very well save his life one day and even though he knew it was taboo he could care less. Just the fact that Draco could do dark magic well gave him a sense of power and advantage over his schoolmates, even his friends. And Draco always liked having the upper hand. He liked being in a position of power; he was a Malfoy after all, that was second nature.
But another thought now assailed his mind, slithering out from the dark, forbidden corners of his brain that he never let have a voice…It was a horrible, ugly thought that hadn’t really occurred to him until now. It sent unwelcome shudders and tingles of dread running over him as he realized with sudden, piercing clarity that MAYBE Lucius was keeping those books from him for OTHER more nefarious reasons…His eyes slid closed. He wouldn’t think about that now…
He forced himself to concentrate on one thing at a time, ‘I’ll deal with that if I have too, and I’ll do some research on this later.’ He frowned, glancing down at the silvery scar on his belly, letting his fingertips graze across its length as he vaguely worried that dark magic like this may have some lasting repercussions….He sincerely hoped not.
Draco noted the voices had moved on and heaved a relieved sigh. Although he really wanted to see Laurel, well do more than just see her…he groaned as a wave of lust shot through him, AND even though he’d never admit it he even wanted to see Potter, he had a lot to think about first and was glad to have some time by himself for the moment.
He knew or at least greatly suspected his father was at that club last night. Lucius could not resist a battle where he was unfairly in the balance to win….So it stood to reason choosing to attack Harry in a club full of defenseless muggles was right up his alley. Draco shook his head, ‘WHY didn’t I guess that BEFORE they attacked?...That was a novice mistake. One that I’ll not make again.’ he thought dryly.
He also believed that his mistake had cost innocent people their lives…
The very thing he was trying so desperately to prevent had occurred because he couldn’t get that damn, stubborn, mule-headed Potter out when he wanted to! Draco felt wholly responsible for the loss of life. It was a burden he NEVER wanted to carry, but now he was forced to for the rest of his life….
The thought set his eyes burning, as he slid them closed and fought back the flood of guilt that threatened to overtake him.
Sighing, he realized that even if Lucius wasn’t there, Draco’s secret was out. He knew everyone of the Death Eaters at that club, whether or not he saw their faces and they all knew him…They now also knew he’d chosen against them and was fighting on Harry’s side…
’The winning side’ Draco smirked confidently….’After all, I’m still alive and so is he, so the way I figure it, we’ve got some DAMN GOOD odds going for us.’
But, even though he was avoiding thinking about it, Draco was aware last night had caused serious repercussions for him…
He suspected if Lucius wasn’t killed by Voldermort last night, for failing to kill Potter on top of Lucius’ only heir betraying him so flagrantly in front of his legion of Death Eaters by SAVING Harry’s life no less, then Draco KNEW he’d be in some serious shit.
HELL he was in it up to his eyeballs anyway.
He was going to have to watch his back every minute of everyday from now on….Which is just what he wanted to do, be constantly looking over his shoulder for Daddy Death to come running at him with a giant blade to gouge into his back…"FUCK." he muttered, as that knowledge truly began to settle in.
His life as he’d known it was a thing of the past.
Draco slowly dragged himself up into a sitting position, gasping and holding onto his side as his forehead became slick with sweat from the effort. Panting and finally settling back into as comfortable a position he could muster, he tried desperately to clear his head.
He needed to formulate a plan as quickly as possible. Well that's not exactly true, he'd begun piecing one together the day before at the Manor, but now he had to finalize it and quick as he only had a small window to get everything organized before Lucius came after him full force…If Lucius somehow managed to talk his way out of an Avada Kedavra curse from Voldermort, (Which he probably would. After all Draco learned all his smooth, double-talking ways from the best…Lucius.) It was only a matter of time before Lucius came to kill him, and that was NOT an option for Draco.
But, the flip side of the coin was that Draco, for all intents and purposes was now free. He didn’t have to play along with Daddy Death’s sick games anymore! He’d made his allegiance known and he didn’t regret it for one minute. 'Father, you’re going to be the one regretting not siding with me one day…’ he vowed, and Draco never went back on a vow.
He could literally sense his father’s anger for him, like it was a long poisonous tentacle reaching out, searching, feeling its surroundings…Waiting until its prey came close enough to grasp him in a deathly stranglehold…
“OK Draco, think.” he said softly, shaking the disturbing image from his mind and rubbing his temples to get the fog out of his head. He was still tired, but there was no more time to rest, this was a time for action.
‘I can never go back to Malfoy Manor. No big deal there…I’ll have to owl mother to let her know I survived.’, he frowned, sending a letter to the Manor now would be sheer stupidity and Draco was NOT stupid. He decided to use one of his informants. They’d deliver a letter anywhere for a hefty price. He'd just have to have someone watch for his mum and discreetly get word to her. But that would come later, at the moment he had to focus all his energy on just one thing.
The MOST important thing.
Draco technically held control of the Malfoy family holdings and fortune since Lucius was considered an escaped convict…If he played his cards right, he could get all the Malfoy money tied up and away from Lucius, which meant a trip to Diagon Alley and Gringotts.
A menacing smile darkened Draco’s face, “Maybe this won’t be so bad after all…” he said, as a cold laugh escaped his lips. Draco’s eyes gleamed with determination, as he forced himself up and out of bed.
He had a lot to do today.
He needed to find Laurel and then somehow convince her to let him leave for a few hours. (He had a feeling that was going to be much easier said than done, and NO WAY was he letting her go with him.) He’d just have to have Potter watch her until he got back, although he had more than a sneaking suspicion that Potter would like to do A LOT more than just watch Laurel…
Draco’s eyes narrowed, turning gun-metal grey as he weighed his options and decided Potter was still the best person to keep Laurel safe. (After all, if he had to pick someone to watch his back he grudgingly admitted it would be Potter…At least here at Laurel's house) Besides if things worked out his way, he’d be able to keep an eye out on both of them. So he decided to trust Potter. Draco snorted at the thought and hoped he COULD trust Potter with Laurel.
With his decisions made, he forced shaky legs off the bed and stood cautiously…Finding he could support his weight he made his way to the bathroom, showered carefully and came back, happy to discover a deep blue, long sleeve, button down shirt and jeans had been provided for him to change into. Checking his reflection in the mirror, he noted the blue shirt suited his eyes and that for a man who almost died just a few hours back he didn’t look half bad.
Draco turned, his eyes set and determined, his shoulders steeled, come hell or high water, he was going to Gringotts. And, if he was lucky and if he acted quickly, his father might not catch on until it was too late.
A wicked smirk spread across his face as he headed for the door, ‘Draco Malfoy was still alive and kicking….Look out Lucius, here I come…’
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A/N: Ah yes....This chapter serves to remind us of whence Draco came. He DOES have a dark side. I think that's what we love most about him. That he's got a dark side and he's not afraid to tap into it when he has to. Yet he's got his internal switch that lets him flip back and forth...THE BEST KIND OF BAD BOY...Dangerous, a touch on the wicked side, yet willing to do WHATEVER it takes to make sure the ones he cares about are protected and safe(including himself of course)...AT ANY COST. He'd risk his life for you in a flash, but he's not afraid to cheat and make sure he stays at the advantage...And he's got a heart of gold underneath it all...GROAN.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Chapter Twenty Nine
AUTHOR: Lorett
RATING: NC-17
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER OR DRACO - (Although I think Draco may own a piece of my heart)
Ch 28 - Wicked Wands and Waking Up
__________________________________
Previously:
Breathing easier now that she was certain Draco was quite alive and looking better, Laurel allowed the exhaustion to overtake her. Her room was dusky blue-grey now and soon it would be filled with sunlight. She sank into her bed and had just enough energy to close her bed curtains before sinking into a dreamless sleep.
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Draco had so many things to think about it was overwhelming his head already. Potter was alive, he was sure he’d heard his voice at some point in time tonight after leaving the club…thank Merlin! He, himself was alive…thank Merlin! Laurel was a witch! He would get to see her again. Hell, she saved their lives…She’s right next door…She wants me!
Fleetingly, Draco thought, as he drifted off to sleep again, he’d have to make sure, whatever happened, that he stayed put in this room next to Laurel. More than wanting her, (which he did) Draco was going to make sure she stayed safe….and he was vaguely surprised at how strongly compelled he was to do so…
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Laurel awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright looking around dazed, wondering how long she’d slept as her bed was shrouded in darkness.
“What time is it?” she croaked as a rush of thoughts flooded her mind: ‘Did I sleep all day into the night? - Why didn’t anyone wake me up? - Is Draco OK? - Is he awake yet? - Did Harry and Ron leave? - Would they leave without saying goodbye? - What if Draco got worse and no one woke me??...'
With that a cold chill swept over her and unthinking she leapt out of bed, colliding with her drawn curtains - forgetting she’d closed them last night - screeched and fell to the floor. With a disgusted sigh and click of her tongue Laurel dragged herself up and headed straight for Draco’s room. Realizing her state of undress she paused. She COULD still check on Draco, but what if he was awake and caught her sauntering into his room in her night clothes? Laurel groaned, ‘That would be bad…’ she decided and with a resolute sigh turned and instead headed for the bathroom.
Sleep deprived, and emotionally exhausted, she was still pretty much a wreck... And her mind was on one thing and one thing only….getting to Draco as fast as she could.
Laurel checked her clock, it read 8:30am, she blinked. She’d only been asleep 2 ½ hours! ‘How could that be???’...”Only 2 ½ hours.” she sighed tiredly. ‘Just get ready and get to Draco’ she scolded herself.
Laurel showered quickly and dressed into jeans and a snug, white baby T. Now that she was dressed, important matters needed to be looked into…namely, one Draco Malfoy… Laurel practically ran to Draco’s door she was so impatient to see him. Opening it, she peered in quietly, not wanting to wake him by galloping in if he was still sleeping.
She saw he was curled up on his side, his back facing her as she slowly approached. Laurel’s heart began to pound in her chest as she came round to look at him.
Draco’s eyes were closed and he was breathing soundly, hugging one of his pillows up against his chest. Laurel broke into a huge grin at the site - he looked so ADORABLE and unbelievably sexy…she wanted to reach down and kiss him soundly right then and there.
Laurel gave a frustrated little sigh, ‘I want him to WAKE UP!...I want to look into those eyes of his, hear his voice…’ She thought for a moment about waking him, just to see if he was OK. But she was immediately upset with herself for being selfish, after all the man was moments away from death last night…’BUT STILL!’
Her eyes devoured him again, making her knees weak as she stared at his strong arms hugging the pillow tightly to him. A frown creased her brow as she found herself being irrationally jealous of that stupid pillow!
‘OK!’ Laurel thought, a little scared at her reaction…’I REALLY need to CHILL OUT and have some coffee…’ Reluctantly she turned to leave, shaking her head and muttering under her breath “Stupid pillow!” She was incredibly relieved and happy that he looked much better than he had even just a few short hours ago.
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Laurel went back to her room, leaving the adjoining door open. She had a LOT of chores on her TO DO list this morning:
First and foremost - Get that wand she took last night to her mom. It was starting to give her the creeps…She had a bad feeling about whoever owned it…
Second - She needed to sit down and talk with Harry. He was going to have to understand that last night was a mistake….She sighed, Laurel didn’t want to hurt Harry’s feelings, but he needed to know that she wanted to be with Draco…A LOT. Although, she had a niggling feeling that Harry Potter wasn’t going to accept that answer so easily….Laurel shook that discomforting thought away and tried to think positively.
Third - Laurel realized she was going to have to check on Tad and Teeny to make sure they got back to the hotel safely, if they’d not already left word for her.
The rest of her thoughts were to spend as much time with Draco as she could…She hoped he would be awake soon, so they could talk…Laurel was still debating on what way, how and when to approach Draco with what happened between her and Harry. She knew she’d have to address it sooner or later, but she was NOT looking forward to that. Besides she had to get her talk with Harry done first.
Laurel sighed dejectedly, “This is SO not going to be a fun day…I just KNOW IT.” she grumbled, picking up the foreign wand and headed out. She was trying desperately to remember what hotel the twins were staying at, when she opened her door to leave and came face to face with ‘TO DO list Item #2’ coming out of his room, (Which was incidentally right across the hall from hers.)
Laurel’s eyes met Harry’s and she instantly wondered at how good he looked…a little too good….refreshed and alert. ‘Didn’t we all go to bed at the same time??? How come HE looks so rested?’ Laurel thought crankily. (Harry always was a morning person - it was his favorite time of the day, so being up with just a couple of hours sleep was no big deal.) And as Maggie had supplied fresh clothes for all the boys, Harry had changed into jeans and a short sleeve, green, button down shirt, (which flattered him very much) showing off his well built arms and bringing out the intense green of his eyes.
Laurel now realized she’d not moved since she saw Harry. She stood in her doorway hand still on the knob staring at him, unable to move.
Harry broke the awkward silence first, “You’re up early.” he said in a husky voice, closing and leaning against his own door. He looked relaxed and amused at her reaction to seeing him. ‘I think I could get used to this, seeing her first thing in the morning.’ he thought.
‘God, why do boys have to have such deep, rumbly voices?’ she complained silently, not liking AT ALL the reaction he was having on her still. ‘Laurel FOCUS!...Think about DRACO! You’re staying away from Harry…NOT gaping at how cute he is!’
“Yeah, couldn’t sleep…you?” Laurel’s voice was a little shaky.
He nodded, “Too wound up to sleep.” His eyes seared into hers. That statement could mean so many things…one of the many implications was not lost on her and she promptly turned bright pink and looked away.
‘OK, no time like the present to deal with you, mister.’ ”Yeah, uh, Harry. I ah - I want to talk to you about,” her eyes met his now, “about what happened, you know…between us…” her hand was fluttering around nervously and she still hadn’t moved from the doorway.
‘Great just great.’ Harry thought, folding his arms across his chest and purposely flexing his arm muscles. ’The, we need to talk…talk. How did I GUESS that was coming…I don’t think I can give up that easily Laurel…’
“OK.” He said, same husky voice.
He noticed how Laurel’s eyes were stuck staring at his chest and arms, ‘I’m flexing them for you, you know…You like?’ he though, as her eyes slowly traveled to his face…
The tone in his voice and the way he was looking at her sent unwelcome shivers down Laurel’s spine. ‘OK, he’s not going to make this easy…’
She managed to shake out of her stare, finally closing her door and smiled, “You hungry? Because I could eat…I’m hungry - You want to go get some breakfast with me? We can um, we can talk down there…” the words tumbled out of her mouth in a jumbled rush, causing a quirky, half grin from Harry.
‘Oh God…CALM DOWN Laurel!’ She was suddenly so nervous, Laurel just didn’t want Harry to be upset…she wanted desperately to become friends with him and knew she was going to have to approach this carefully... Although, Laurel thought with a sinking feeling, subtly was definitely NOT one of her strong points.
Harry’s response broke her from her worrisome thoughts - He answered in a calm, deep voice, “Sure.” pushing off from the door and he turned shooting Laurel what he hoped was a sexy smile. Harry was unsure how to proceed from here, sincerely pursuing a girl was new territory for him…But he knew one thing for certain, ‘Malfoy, look out. You’ve got competition.’
----- -----
They turned to walk to breakfast and met Maggie coming toward them down the hall. She had changed into jeans and a white T-shirt. Harry thought Laurel and Maggie could be sisters, rather than mother and daughter, they looked so similar.
Maggie was carrying a bundle of clothes and greeted the two stopping in front of Draco’s door. “Morning. I’m surprised to see you both up so early.”
Laurel smiled weakly, “Couldn’t sleep.” Harry nodded agreement.
Maggie eyed the two kids carefully and finally answered, “OK. Breakfast is ready downstairs, wait here a minute for me and we’ll go together. I need to talk to you first before we go down….Laurel, have you checked on Draco yet this morning?”
Laurel nodded, “First thing. He’s still sleeping.” She couldn’t help the broad smile that brightened her face. ”He looks much better!” Harry seeing that grimaced slightly, giving Draco’s door a narrowed glare.
Maggie smiled, “Good, good. Harry and Draco are about Jack’s size, so I’m putting some fresh clothes for Draco to change into when he wakes up.”
Harry smiled warmly at Maggie, “Yeah, uh, thanks for the change of clothes. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re very welcome Harry.” She smiled back, “Hold on a minute while I drop these off, then we’ll talk.” Maggie disappeared into Draco’s room and came back moments later, agreeing with Laurel, “He does look much better.”
“Yeah, I think so too. Oh before I forget,” Laurel paused, “It was so crazy last night and I was so tired that I forgot to give this to you.” She pulled out the wand from her jeans waistband and Harry’s heart skipped a beat at catching a glimpse of creamy, tanned skin and a flat belly…Laurel handed the wand to her mother, “I got this from the Death Eater that attacked Draco.” she paused, “The same one that tried to kill Harry.” Laurel looked at Harry; his eyes had gone cold and dangerous. She gulped and continued, “I thought maybe there’s some way we can find out who it belongs to?”
Maggie took the wand and held it up, “Yes, yes. I know someone at Diagon Alley who can help us with that….He probably sold it to the person.”
Harry tore his gaze from Laurel and looked at the wand and groaned. “No need for that.” he said flatly.
Laurel and Maggie looked at him surprised.
“I can tell you who that wand belongs to. I should know…I’ve had it pointed at me many times.”
“What?” Laurel said in a horrified voice.
“Who??” Maggie and Laurel said simultaneously.
Harry looked from one to the other, his green eyes glittering fiercely, his voice cold and almost sinister sounding, “Lucius Malfoy.”
Laurel gasped, she looked totally taken aback, so much so that she actually took an involuntary step away from him as if his words had stung her. “But…but…It can’t be Harry! That Death Eater tried to KILL Draco! I saw him - he was going to do it!” she argued, sounding almost despearte to her own ears.
Harry simply looked at her, his eyes said it was true…’He tried to KILL ME TOO you know!’ he thought angrily.
Maggie turned to Harry, her voice serious, “Harry, are you absolutely positive about this? It’s THIS wand?” Maggie put it in Harry’s hands, he looked repulsed and handed it promptly back.
“Yes, very. Let’s just say when a wand is pointed at you threateningly, THAT many times you tend to recognize it….Besides, I’ve only seen one wand with a silver handle like this…This is Lucius Malfoy’s wand.”
“Oh my God.” Laurel said disbelievingly as little flashbulbs popped in the back of her eyes leaving her dizzy, she leaned against the wall for support.
Maggie gave a deep sigh. “This definitely complicates things.”
Laurel goggled her eyes at Maggie...'Ya think?'
Harry shook his head, “Malfoy really wasn’t kidding…” he mumbled.
“What do you mean Harry?” Maggie said, looking intently at him.
Harry jumped, “I - He, he said that his father would kill him, if it really came down to it…I didn’t believe him…I just couldn’t believe that his father would do that…” he trailed off looking at Draco’s door again with a dark expression on his face.
Now all three looked at the door they were standing in front of…Laurel wondered how they were going to tell Draco his father tried to kill him…Her head began swimming and she groaned feeling an overwhelming sadness for Draco. “How are we going to tell Draco?” she croaked, feeling suddenly nauseous and gulping trying desperatly to push the sickening wave down. “HOW do you tell someone their father tried to kill them??” her voice dropped to a pained, hollow whisper.
The very thought that someone’s parents could intentionally try to take their child’s life set her body trembling uncontrollably. It was so beyond Laurel’s comprehension that she simply couldn’t process the idea.
Maggie looked at the door nervously now. When she spoke her voice was hushed. “Let’s go. I don’t want to discuss this here. I don’t want Draco to overhear anything before we can find out some more information and decide how to break this to him.” She looked at the children intently. “We have to handle this very carefully.”
Laurel and Harry nodded and the group made their way downstairs.
----- -----
Draco heard muffled voices coming from the hallway outside his door. He opened his eyes slowly and tried to concentrate on what they were saying. He could only catch a word here and there, but he recognized Potter’s voice instantly and relaxed.
‘Good, he’s still here and he’s safe. Plus if there’s trouble, he’ll protect Laurel until I can get to her... At least my almost dying wasn’t in vain.’ He tried to roll over and groaned from the pain that tore across his belly. ‘God damned wound….What the hell kind of curse was I hit with?’
Draco knew many, many dark magic spells, curses and hexes, but he didn’t know this one. He simply couldn’t recall a spell or curse that could tear you open like that and that was saying something. Draco was very well versed with dark magic, it was what Lucius’ library was mostly composed of at Malfoy Manor, therefore if Draco wasn’t on his broom practicing Quidditch during summer break, you could usually find him devouring book after book on the subject. Although, Draco also knew there were several shelves containing the darkest of magic books that were safely sequestered in the dungeons below the Manor. As many times as he’d been down there, he just couldn’t get his father to relent and let him look at those books. That thought always set him trembling, for they must be REALLY, REALLY bad if even Lucius had some morality in him not to let his son be exposed to them.
Even though Lucius knew how the dark arts fascinated Draco and how much he liked learning about them Lucius would never relent. Therefore Draco studied and learned what he had on hand. He had a feeling it could very well save his life one day and even though he knew it was taboo he could care less. Just the fact that Draco could do dark magic well gave him a sense of power and advantage over his schoolmates, even his friends. And Draco always liked having the upper hand. He liked being in a position of power; he was a Malfoy after all, that was second nature.
But another thought now assailed his mind, slithering out from the dark, forbidden corners of his brain that he never let have a voice…It was a horrible, ugly thought that hadn’t really occurred to him until now. It sent unwelcome shudders and tingles of dread running over him as he realized with sudden, piercing clarity that MAYBE Lucius was keeping those books from him for OTHER more nefarious reasons…His eyes slid closed. He wouldn’t think about that now…
He forced himself to concentrate on one thing at a time, ‘I’ll deal with that if I have too, and I’ll do some research on this later.’ He frowned, glancing down at the silvery scar on his belly, letting his fingertips graze across its length as he vaguely worried that dark magic like this may have some lasting repercussions….He sincerely hoped not.
Draco noted the voices had moved on and heaved a relieved sigh. Although he really wanted to see Laurel, well do more than just see her…he groaned as a wave of lust shot through him, AND even though he’d never admit it he even wanted to see Potter, he had a lot to think about first and was glad to have some time by himself for the moment.
He knew or at least greatly suspected his father was at that club last night. Lucius could not resist a battle where he was unfairly in the balance to win….So it stood to reason choosing to attack Harry in a club full of defenseless muggles was right up his alley. Draco shook his head, ‘WHY didn’t I guess that BEFORE they attacked?...That was a novice mistake. One that I’ll not make again.’ he thought dryly.
He also believed that his mistake had cost innocent people their lives…
The very thing he was trying so desperately to prevent had occurred because he couldn’t get that damn, stubborn, mule-headed Potter out when he wanted to! Draco felt wholly responsible for the loss of life. It was a burden he NEVER wanted to carry, but now he was forced to for the rest of his life….
The thought set his eyes burning, as he slid them closed and fought back the flood of guilt that threatened to overtake him.
Sighing, he realized that even if Lucius wasn’t there, Draco’s secret was out. He knew everyone of the Death Eaters at that club, whether or not he saw their faces and they all knew him…They now also knew he’d chosen against them and was fighting on Harry’s side…
’The winning side’ Draco smirked confidently….’After all, I’m still alive and so is he, so the way I figure it, we’ve got some DAMN GOOD odds going for us.’
But, even though he was avoiding thinking about it, Draco was aware last night had caused serious repercussions for him…
He suspected if Lucius wasn’t killed by Voldermort last night, for failing to kill Potter on top of Lucius’ only heir betraying him so flagrantly in front of his legion of Death Eaters by SAVING Harry’s life no less, then Draco KNEW he’d be in some serious shit.
HELL he was in it up to his eyeballs anyway.
He was going to have to watch his back every minute of everyday from now on….Which is just what he wanted to do, be constantly looking over his shoulder for Daddy Death to come running at him with a giant blade to gouge into his back…"FUCK." he muttered, as that knowledge truly began to settle in.
His life as he’d known it was a thing of the past.
Draco slowly dragged himself up into a sitting position, gasping and holding onto his side as his forehead became slick with sweat from the effort. Panting and finally settling back into as comfortable a position he could muster, he tried desperately to clear his head.
He needed to formulate a plan as quickly as possible. Well that's not exactly true, he'd begun piecing one together the day before at the Manor, but now he had to finalize it and quick as he only had a small window to get everything organized before Lucius came after him full force…If Lucius somehow managed to talk his way out of an Avada Kedavra curse from Voldermort, (Which he probably would. After all Draco learned all his smooth, double-talking ways from the best…Lucius.) It was only a matter of time before Lucius came to kill him, and that was NOT an option for Draco.
But, the flip side of the coin was that Draco, for all intents and purposes was now free. He didn’t have to play along with Daddy Death’s sick games anymore! He’d made his allegiance known and he didn’t regret it for one minute. 'Father, you’re going to be the one regretting not siding with me one day…’ he vowed, and Draco never went back on a vow.
He could literally sense his father’s anger for him, like it was a long poisonous tentacle reaching out, searching, feeling its surroundings…Waiting until its prey came close enough to grasp him in a deathly stranglehold…
“OK Draco, think.” he said softly, shaking the disturbing image from his mind and rubbing his temples to get the fog out of his head. He was still tired, but there was no more time to rest, this was a time for action.
‘I can never go back to Malfoy Manor. No big deal there…I’ll have to owl mother to let her know I survived.’, he frowned, sending a letter to the Manor now would be sheer stupidity and Draco was NOT stupid. He decided to use one of his informants. They’d deliver a letter anywhere for a hefty price. He'd just have to have someone watch for his mum and discreetly get word to her. But that would come later, at the moment he had to focus all his energy on just one thing.
The MOST important thing.
Draco technically held control of the Malfoy family holdings and fortune since Lucius was considered an escaped convict…If he played his cards right, he could get all the Malfoy money tied up and away from Lucius, which meant a trip to Diagon Alley and Gringotts.
A menacing smile darkened Draco’s face, “Maybe this won’t be so bad after all…” he said, as a cold laugh escaped his lips. Draco’s eyes gleamed with determination, as he forced himself up and out of bed.
He had a lot to do today.
He needed to find Laurel and then somehow convince her to let him leave for a few hours. (He had a feeling that was going to be much easier said than done, and NO WAY was he letting her go with him.) He’d just have to have Potter watch her until he got back, although he had more than a sneaking suspicion that Potter would like to do A LOT more than just watch Laurel…
Draco’s eyes narrowed, turning gun-metal grey as he weighed his options and decided Potter was still the best person to keep Laurel safe. (After all, if he had to pick someone to watch his back he grudgingly admitted it would be Potter…At least here at Laurel's house) Besides if things worked out his way, he’d be able to keep an eye out on both of them. So he decided to trust Potter. Draco snorted at the thought and hoped he COULD trust Potter with Laurel.
With his decisions made, he forced shaky legs off the bed and stood cautiously…Finding he could support his weight he made his way to the bathroom, showered carefully and came back, happy to discover a deep blue, long sleeve, button down shirt and jeans had been provided for him to change into. Checking his reflection in the mirror, he noted the blue shirt suited his eyes and that for a man who almost died just a few hours back he didn’t look half bad.
Draco turned, his eyes set and determined, his shoulders steeled, come hell or high water, he was going to Gringotts. And, if he was lucky and if he acted quickly, his father might not catch on until it was too late.
A wicked smirk spread across his face as he headed for the door, ‘Draco Malfoy was still alive and kicking….Look out Lucius, here I come…’
________________________________________
A/N: Ah yes....This chapter serves to remind us of whence Draco came. He DOES have a dark side. I think that's what we love most about him. That he's got a dark side and he's not afraid to tap into it when he has to. Yet he's got his internal switch that lets him flip back and forth...THE BEST KIND OF BAD BOY...Dangerous, a touch on the wicked side, yet willing to do WHATEVER it takes to make sure the ones he cares about are protected and safe(including himself of course)...AT ANY COST. He'd risk his life for you in a flash, but he's not afraid to cheat and make sure he stays at the advantage...And he's got a heart of gold underneath it all...GROAN.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Chapter Twenty Nine