Fic: Promised - Chapter 8
Title: Promised
Author: neddiheht (Ashavan Doyon)
Artist: ritalaura2000
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: All ATWT characters the property of P&G/Telenext. Harry Potter and the characters associated with that universe belong to J. K. Rowling, Warner Brothers, and Scholastic. No copyright infringement intended. No profit made from this fiction.
Characters/Pairings: Noah/Draco, Luke/Neville, Luke/Noah, Draco/Harry. Some mention of other fun pairings not involving Luke, Noah, Draco or Harry.
Word Count: 205,207
Warnings alternate universe, graphic sex, arranged marriages, mpreg, some mention of non-consensual sex. This is a Nuke fic set largely in the Harry Potter verse and combined with a Drarry pairing.
Summary: Luciano Grimaldi was a perfectly happy young wizard. His family carefully neutral during the war, he has found happiness in the years since Voldemort's fall with herbologist, hero, and friend of the Savior, Neville Longbottom. Only he's just been informed that in the tradition of ancient pure blood families, he was promised at birth, in an offering to keep his family safe, to the son of infamous American Death Eater Winston Mayer.
Noah Mayer is a very unhappy wizard. In love for years with fellow Death Eater Draco Malfoy, the two young men have secretly found solace and love in each others arms, dreading the day they knew would come. They are promised, in the traditions of the oldest families. Promised to young wizards who didn't know. Married, for all intents and purposes, almost at birth to strangers who will doubtless hate them. Now they must surrender to duty and obligation. Now they must turn their backs on a love they know and risk everything for what might be. Noah always knew he hated pure blood traditions. This was why.
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Chapter 8
They arrived in St. Mungos in the lobby and Luke looked around frantically for a mediwitch.
"What happened," asked the witch sternly.
"He..." Luke couldn't find his voice as the tears fell from his face onto Neville's.
"Tell me, now," said the witch. "Time could matter!"
"He obliviated himself."
Her face became impassive. "You will need to stay here," she said.
"No... I can't leave him..."
Casey held onto Luke. "Take care of Neville," he said to the witch. "I'll deal with him."
"I... Casey what do I do?"
"Can you get a message into the Ministry, fast?"
Luke nodded.
"Then send a message to Hermione Granger. Level 9, Department of Mysteries. Hermione is one of Neville's closest friends. She'll come."
"An Unspeakable?"
Casey nodded.
"Masha!" screamed Luke and the trill of a phoenix sounded as Masha appeared in the lobby and flew to settle on Luke's shoulder. Casey looked wide-eyed at Luke... only the most powerful wizards attracted a phoenix for a companion. Luke scrambled for a piece of parchment and scribbled the note. He petted Masha's feathers and crest and whispered soothingly to her as he attached the note to her leg and with a flap of her wings and a burst of flame she disappeared.
It didn't take long before the crack of apparition sounded in the lobby and two Unspeakables rushed to them. "Mister Grimaldi," said the taller of the two. "There's been an accident?"
"He... he obliviated..."
"Oh no... Neville!" The smaller of the two Unspeakables was rushing, somehow unerringly, through the hospital. The other shook his head and seized both Casey and Luke. The world spun and they were standing a few feet from a bed, watching as the other Unspeakable ran toward them. The taller one, a man with a deep baritone spoke directly to the mediwitch.
"He is healthy save for the obliviation?"
The witch nodded. "We were going to send for you..."
"No matter. We are here. Clear the room. These two can stay."
Shortly the room was clear. The shorter Unspeakable had pulled a chair next to Neville and was muttering spells at him, her voice oddly steady.
"Will he be okay?" asked Casey. The witch ignored him. "Hermione," he said, a bit more firmly, "will he be okay?"
She glanced up and pulled her hood away from her face, freeing her curly hair. She glanced at the man on the bed. "Poor Neville."
Luke and Casey looked at her concerned, and Luke finally spoke. "He has to be okay. Please."
Hermione looked at him. "I want it to be your fault. I want to hex you into oblivion. You understand I think," she gestured to the other two beds in the rather small private room, "why the idea of being here would scare him. Apparently losing you scares him more."
"I... I didn't know. I tried to stop him. I don't want him to forget me."
Understanding hit Hermione. "He didn't wipe his whole memory... only memories of you."
"I think so. He was saying he wanted me to remember him."
Hermione's eyes narrowed as she muttered spells and flicked her wand. "There's... Neville is too strong," said Hermione looking at the other Unspeakable. "I can't. He wanted it too badly."
"You care for this boy," said the taller man.
Luke ignored him, unable to look away from Neville.
"Look at me, Mister Grimaldi."
Sad creamy brown eyes faced the magically dark interior of the Unspeakable's cowl.
"Do you care for this man?"
"I love him," said Luke quietly. "This is all my fault."
"No," said the man, reaching over to tip Luciano's chin up. "It's not. You do know that it could be kinder to spare Longbottom those memories." Noah watched the man carefully as he spoke, trying to judge his reactions.
"Because I can't be with him," said Luke miserably. "I know. But I... I don't want him to forget me. I love him."
Hermione looked at the Grimaldi heir seriously. "He doesn't really want to forget. He's just... he's hurt."
"Grimaldi."
Luke looked up at the Unspeakable again, who pulled off his hood and looked at Luke with blue eyes that sparkled wildly. Luke knew that face somehow, but couldn't place it. He was too fixed on Neville.
"I can fix this, Luciano," said Noah quietly. "If it is what you truly want. But there..." he closed his eyes. "There is a cost. For me. A great personal cost to do so."
"How, Noah?" asked Hermione.
"Memory spells... they are dark magic, Hermione. You have not had access to the best manuals... not for this."
"And you have?" asked Hermione softly. She knew the answer, of course.
"Yes. Obliviate doesn't destroy memories. It rips them to shreds and makes it impossible for the owner to find the pieces. But we have access to those memories from another point of view. A guide, if you will, to putting them together."
"Because they are Neville's memories of something Grimaldi also experienced."
"Exactly. But this charm will need to be done by someone else, someone very skilled at this particular brand of dark arts. And that carries with it a cost."
"I have money," said Luke.
"Not that kind of cost," said Noah quietly. "Tell me. Is it what you want?"
Luke sat next to Neville and held his hand. He looked back up into Noah's sparkling eyes and nodded.
"Very well."
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This story is written as part of the Nuke BigBang challenge. Check out the other authors' and artists' great work!