Fic: Promised - Chapter 20
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.
Link to Story Master Post: Yeah, it's a LOT of chapters. Worth it though, I hope!
Link to Art Master Post: Some seriously beautiful banners and photo manips!
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Previous Chapter
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Chapter 20
Draco Malfoy sat in his shrine to Harry Potter in the east wing, willing the tears not to well up. The letter last night had gotten through, he was confident of that. But that letter had poured out his soul. The one this morning was pure formality and tradition and pomp. Everything he knew Harry hated. He'd been waiting for hours since sending his owl. He didn't know how long it would take to find Harry's residence... it was unplottable. And if it remained so to the owls, he might not find out that the letter was returned until evening. He'd known that the rejection was coming, it was too much to hope for any other outcome. But he had to try. When did he become such a Hufflepuff?
The sun was getting low in the sky when Draco heard the sharp crack of apparition behind him. He turned to see an ancient house elf make a short bow before him. He'd seen this house elf before... leading the house elves of Hogwarts in battle against Voldemort himself.
"Yes?" He said, his voice barely more than a whisper.
"My master bade me deliver this to you directly and to no one else. I am to wait for your response." Kreacher held out his hands, revealing a letter, the paper perfect cream, sealed with the Black family seal pressed into wax that was a delicate mix of gold and black and red.
To his Lordship, Draco Malfoy -
What was promised, I affirm. My mother's vows are as my own, and I stand ready to fulfill the promise of the Potter line. In honor of our shared relations in the house of Black, I offer this gesture of peace between us, that we meet tonight at Grimmauld Place, the house of your ancestors, and my home, to share in the exchange of tokens, and speak each to the other the renewed vows of our parents' promise.
With Renewed Esteem,
Lord Harry James Potter
Draco read the brief missive three times before he could bring himself to believe it. When he finally recovered his bearing, he quickly pocketed the token he'd had in easy reach all day and looked down at the drooping ears of the house elf.
"You are Kreacher?"
"I am, Master Draco."
"I am not your master, Kreacher."
"You are never-the-less, part of the house I serve, Master Draco, as the son of Mistress Narcissa. That is why I prevailed upon Master Potter to give me the honor of delivery."
"He relied upon you for the forms?" asked Draco, surprised, though he really should not have been, that Harry would rely so much on the expertise of a house elf.
Kreacher nodded in acknowledgement.
Draco paused for a moment, remembering Potter's affection for Dobby and wondering if he'd transferred some of those feelings to the ancient house elf in front of him. Finally he knelt before the house elf and smiled. "You have done your house proud this day, Kreacher."
A broad smile touched Kreacher's lips as he grasped Draco's hand and disapparated.
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This story is written as part of the Nuke BigBang challenge. Check out the other authors' and artists' great work!