Chapter Fourteen

Her nephew was far to rich for her liking, this opulent hallway with its marble floors so clean and shiny she could see her reflection. A house elf squeaked its fear at the sight of her, black hair streaming down her back, face with eyes as wide as saucers, madness glinting in their depths. She looked down at the pathetic creature, cowering beneath her,

"Fetch your Master as once. Tell him Auntie's come to see him!" The house elf scurried off, up the stairs, Bellatrix listened in the direction, heard a door slam from somewhere within the house, and then he was there. Blond hair falling into his eyes, eyes that held nothing but malice and discontent. His face so much like his Fathers, yet with shades of her sister. Her poor sister rotting away in St Mungo's muttering insanities to herself. He descended the staircase, with nothing but the grace and elegance befitting one of his stature,

"Aunt, its good to see you." He said as he approached her, she cracked a macabre smile,

"Draco," She said, her tone that of either wonderment or sarcasm, he couldn't tell which. With the clinically insane you never really knew, "Well boy, you know why I'm here." He smiled, a sinister grin that his had his Aunt practically bouncing on her heels. Extending his hand to her, he said,

"Follow me." She took her nephews arm and followed him up the stairs. She looked at him, how he had changed from that wet little child from the Astronomy Tower, she was so proud of him. She reached out and ran one long finger down his arm,

"You do not keep the Mudblood in the dungeon?" Draco snorted,

"Don't be silly Bella, this place has no dungeon, Lucius didn't finish it before he died." Bellatrix let out a cackle, silly Lucius, the dungeon would be her first thought. "Besides, having the bitch up here allows for easy access, Blaise so likes to indulge himself when he's tearing into them." She stopped, turning on him wand in the air,

"He taints himself with the filth?" Draco eyed Bellatrix's wand, ignoring it. He could take her out with a flick of his wrist before she could even think. He grabbed her wand arm, twisting it down to her side, pushing her back against the wall.

"And you're husband never did? I've heard the whispers Bella, how he would cut their throats when he came. Then you would dance for him, your feet dragging in their unworthy blood. So don't you dare question Blaise's methods. " He hissed in her ear, Bellatrix's eyes widened, the malice in her nephew's eyes cutting her bravado. Her wand arm relaxed, he backed away from her, again beckoning her to follow him. She did so, moving warily, her suspicions arising about this situation. Draco finally came to a halt outside a dark paneled door, muttering under his breath, she heard a lock click. The room was in darkness, a coldness whipping around her. The door behind her slammed shut, and suddenly the room was bathed in candlelight. From her vantage point she saw a dark figure standing by the fireplace, towering over another. This figure was whimpering on the floor, Bellatrix shuddered in delight at the noise.

"Oh Draco," She breathed, turning to her nephew, "The Dark Lord will reward you beyond your wildest dreams." Draco's mouth curved into a smile, he could see from the corner of his eye, Bellatrix's arm twitching, her wand sending out sparks of her excitement. He turned to her,

"Careful Bella, you'll burn the floor." He said in a low measured tone, dripping with darkness, she squealed in delight,

"Let me see the bitch, let me hurt her..."

"Your wish is my command dearest Aunt. Don't mar her to much, the Dark Lord will want that privilege."

"Don't give me orders child! You do not control me." The dark figure at the fireplace turned around, she saw the high cheekboned face of Blaise Zabini, he smiled at her, and spoke,

"Oh but we do my dear. After the debacle of the last raid? I hear your favour with him is slipping." Bellatrix growled her discontent, but nodded her agreement. Blaise smiled, then turned back to the captive, grabbing her hair, hauling her to her feet, "Up, up little Mudblood, you have a guest." The girl on the floor cowered next to him, Bellatrix could make out dark bruises marring her face, and dried blood on her forehead. Her arms were mottled with purple marks, and she looked frail and gaunt. Through a greasy mess of tangled hair, a pair of dull brown eyes met hers, and Bellatrix saw the fear in them, this made her smile with glee.

"Oh is little Potty's Mudlbood all afraid? All alone with no one to save her!" Bellatrix raised her wand, but was stopped by a pale hand encircling her wrist,

"Remember Aunt, leave her in one piece." Draco's eyes met Blaise's across the room, and both of them visibly flinched when a jet of red light shot from Bellatrix's wand, hitting Hermione in the chest. She crumpled, screaming in pain. Again and again this happened, Blaise had to restrain Draco from throwing himself at his Aunt and throttling the life out of her. After what seemed like an age, the mad bitch got bored. She made to exit to the room, tossing a look at her nephew over her shoulder,

"The Dark Lord will expect you by noon tomorrow." With that she was gone in a flurry of black smoke and cloak tails. Silence prevailed, before a choking cough cut through the tension,

"Fucking hell that hurt." Draco rushed to her side, pulling her up off the floor and pulling her over to the sofa. Her whole body was shaking from the residual magic, racketing through her bones like fire. She looked up at Blaise, "Get me a drink darling please, and light me a cigarette, I feel like shit."

"Angel I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Draco was nuzzling her hair, trying to sooth her with words but it wasn't making him feel any better. She turned to him,

"Stop. This isn't your fault Draco, I knew what I was getting into and I wouldn't want to ever be anywhere else but here with you." She leant forward and kissed him softly, stroking his hair back from his face, his eyes were stormy and dark, anger rippling through him. She had seen it in his eyes when Bellatrix was cursing her, she knew that look. She smiled then, a slightly maniacal smile, "Don't worry baby, when the time comes, we can torture her as much we like." He smiled, looking down at her arm, the bruises he had given her. She grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at her, "It doesn't matter. Bruises fade Draco." He nodded. She sighed, running her fingers through her greasy hair, "Christ, get me to the shower baby, I feel disgusting." He chuckled, that sound she loved, raising her eyebrow at him, a slow smirk crossed his face, now that look was another one entirely. He kissed her, nipping her bottom lip. The door opened, and Blaise came bearing gifts, a large tumbler of whiskey and a pack of cigarettes. She reached out for them, looking up at her Italian with adoration.

"Thank you." Taking a drag on the cigarette she stood up, "I'm going to shower, I may be a while." She kissed her boys, and said "Don't be long." Draco stood, watching her go, as the door shut he sank back down, head in his hands. Fingers rubbing his temples, this whole situation was stressing him out no end. The sooner it was over the better. Blaise sat next to him, handing him a large glass of whiskey. The blond took it, and turned to his lover,

"You'll have to leave tonight," He said tiredly, Blaise's hand rubbed his shoulder,

"It'll be alright Draco. You'll make it right, you always do." Draco hoped to whatever being was looking down on them that he was right.

She took her time in the shower, letting the hot water cascade over her, body still shivering from that mad hags curse. It had taken all of her strength not to whirl around and send the bitch flying out of the window, shattering her pathetic corpse on the concrete below but she had resisted. She wanted to watch Draco torture the life from her, squeezing it out and making her pay for all her wrong doings. That would have to wait though, for now she was preparing herself to be seperated from him. Letting him go to their enemy to strike a bargain, she didn't trust Potter not to hurt him like the last time. She still dreamt of that night, even now they were together again, the crushing despair she had felt for six years only now subsiding. He was everything to her, part of her, without him she couldn't breathe, couldn't think. It used to frighten her, the intensity of her feeling for him, but now she realised that loving Draco Malfoy was her privilege and destiny, their paths were always fated to each other. Even from the beginning. She sighed to herself, Blaise had prepared their belongings to leave for Italy, and they were going as soon as possible. Draco would meet Potter, destroy the Horcrux, then Voldemort, and then they would rule. It was like he had always told her, except in the back of her mind she had a nagging feeling that something wasn't right. They were doing it wrong and she couldn't see how. What if they hadn't fooled Bellatrix? Voldemort wouldn't waste time in destroying them, she shut off the shower and rushed to get out. Wrapping herself in a towel she ran to their suite. Crashing through the door, looking around flustered. Draco's head snapped up and caught sight of her,

"Angel, what is it?" She couldn't stop herself, flinging herself at him, tears cascading. All the fears and despair she had felt for six years pouring out of her,

"Please come back to me Draco, please! I couldn't bear it if that bastard took you from me again!" Draco cradled her head in his hands, wiping her tears with his thumbs,

"Baby, I won't let that happen again. It was hell for me to. If he tries anything, I swear I will finish him." Through his fingertips she felt the crackle of his magic, it burned her, made her spine tingle and her toes curl. He looked around their room, void of anything that would be recognisable of Hermione's, it was like she had never been there. "Angel, you and Blaise have to leave now, if Bellatrix suspected anything Death Eaters could be on their way here, you need to get out now." She nodded mutely, he took his cloak off and wrapped it around her. "We'll be together again soon I swear it. I love you Hermione, never forget that." She kissed him,

"I love you, come back to me." She whispered. He held her to him, kissing the top of her head. A sudden feeling of hatred and malice spread through him, they were coming.

"BLAISE!" He yelled, making her jump ten feet out of her skin. He grabbed her hand and shot from the room, dragging her behind him. Blaise met them hurtling down the stairs, a wild look in his eye,

"What the fuck was that?"

"They're coming for us, you gotta go now!" He thrust Hermione to Blaise and with a flourish they apparated out, her brown eyes catching his at the last moment. He hoped to God that it wasn't the last time he saw her. Draco raced to his study, gathering everything scrap of evidence that pointed towards the last Horcrux. He pulled on a jacket, and with a flick of wrist set the whole room ablaze. Taking a last look at the place, he apparated away catching the arrival of dark figures and green light hurtling his way in the corner of his eye. The green flash shattered the staircase in his wake. A snakelike figure emerging from the darkness, shadowy figures surrounding him.

"FIND HIM!" Voldemort snarled, he would make sure the blood traitor paid for his misdeeds. He would torture the boy's mudblood lover in front of his eyes for daring to challenge him.

Harry sat alone amongst the ruin of Dumbledore's tomb, white rocks spread around him. The eery shape of the burnt out wreck of Hogwarts Castle behind him. He was waiting, clicking his heels, biting his tongue, waiting. It wasn't everyday you're sworn enemy asked to work together. After what Malfoy had done, Harry's arm twitched to finish what he had intended six years previous. All of his instincts were screaming that this was a bad idea, but the strategical part was arguing that they could use Malfoy. If the bastard knew what they needed to destroy the Dark Lord then he might just prove useful, Harry could kill him afterwards. So lost in his musings he didn't hear the footsteps behind him until a dagger, silver snake curling around the hilt was pressed to his throat,

"Getting slow in your old age Potter." The snarling voice of his enemy, the pressure of the dagger increased, nicking his skin, "Throw your wand over there and I'll back off." Harry had no choice but to comply. Stupid of him to let his guard down, Malfoy could have killed him right there. Harry drew his wand and threw it, not to far though. The pressure of the dagger disappeared, he whirled around, indicating the dagger,

"Fair's fair Malfoy." The blond smirked, the dagger flashing in the moonlight and landing a few feet away from them. Crossing his arms, Harry stared his enemy down. The blond man in front of him held no trace of the arrogant brat he was in Hogwarts. He steeled himself, "Alright talk."

"Don't want to reminisce then Potter? "

"Seriously?" Malfoy sniggered, Harry fought the urge to forget all magic and take him down the muggle way, but he had no idea how developed his enemy's powers were now, for all he knew Malfoy could snap his neck with a flick of the wrist.

"I need to find Mundungus Fletcher." Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise, the last time he had seen Dung was about three years ago, he didn't have a clue where he was, but he went with it,

"Why?"

"Hermione..." He paused, Harry's lip curled in disgust, Malfoy noticed but ignored it, "She told me about the fake clasp and the dagger." Harry nodded,

"We never found the dagger, our research just turned up that it didn't mean anything. So it still leaves two to find." Malfoy shook his head,

"One. The dagger's real and it means a lot. Old Ravenclaw was attracted to the bad boy just like Hermione, it was the dagger Slytherin used to slit Gryffindor's throat, I suppose you're history books left that one out." Harry blanched at the news, it was like a mirrored situation, his head was starting to throb with the weight of all of this shit.

"So where is it now?" He asked, Malfoy tipped his head to the side, where the glinting silver dagger lay on the ground,

"I guess Voldemort thought me loyal enough to give such a precious gift. I only realised the true worth of it when you so kindly returned my lover to me. She's so clever." Harry started towards the weapon but Malfoy shook his head, "Not so fast, the dagger stays with me and I'll destroy it when I see fit." The boy who lived sneered,

"And I'm just supposed to trust you? After everything you've done. No fucking way!" Malfoy smirked,

"Temper temper Potter, the deal is this, you help me find Fletcher and you can stay with the dagger until I destroy it."

"Why, what does he know?" Malfoy raised his eyebrows, this was going to be a long night. Reaching into his robes he pulled out a flask of firewhiskey and moved to sit on one the rocks. Potter jumped a mile,

"Relax idiot." He said, "Sit down, drink?" Potter stared at him like he had gone insane, but took the flask regardless and sat on a rock a little way away. If anyone saw them now, these two bitter enemies sharing drink they would think the world had gone mad, not that it hadn't already. Draco cleared his throat, "Hermione told me a story about the time you cleared out the Blacks old house. There was a locket no one could open, you threw it out." A shocked look of understanding crossed Harry's face,

"My God." Draco nodded. "And you think Dung has it now?"

"Hermione, she knows that the thief cleaned out most of the valuables, she seems to think the locket would have caught his eye." Harry stood up, pacing back and forth racking his brain about where Dung could be hiding, Draco sighed and waited, and waited, "Any input would be greatly appreciated right now Potter." Harry sneered at him,

"I have no idea where Dung could be, but I know where we start. Knockturn Alley." Draco shook his head,

"That place is crawling with Death Eaters Potter, you up for the risk?" Harry smiled, a sort of sinister grin,

"And if they see you with me they'll kill us both, you up for that risk?"

"Touche. Lets move." And with that they picked up their weapons and apparated.