Rating:
15
House:
Schnoogle
Ships:
Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger
Characters:
Draco Malfoy Harry Potter Hermione Granger
Genres:
Drama Angst
Era:
Harry and Classmates During Book Seven
Spoilers:
Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire Order of the Phoenix Half-Blood Prince
Stats:
Published: 11/28/2006
Updated: 03/15/2007
Words: 148,035
Chapters: 51
Hits: 126,771

Draco: Phoenix Rising

Cheryl Dyson

Story Summary:
Dumbledore is dead, Snape is a traitor and Draco is a Death Eater, but is he really cut out for a position on Voldemort's team?

Chapter 32 - The Forest

Chapter Summary:
Draco so hates the forest.
Posted:
01/20/2007
Hits:
2,729


Chapter Thirty Two - The Forest

Hermione watched in shock as Draco disappeared.

Harry leaped forward, but it was too late. They were gone. He turned to look at Hermione and Tonks, who was frantically tapping at the lock with her wand.

"Who was it?" Harry yelled.

"Wormtail," Hermione said woodenly. "He must have been a rat--hiding until he could strike..."

Tonks finally got the lock open and wrenched at the gate. She dragged Harry inside. Hermione gazed at Harry's silver hair and felt like crying.

"We'll never find him," she said hoarsely. "Wormtail will take him back to Voldemort and Voldemort will ki... ki..." The tears did gather, then, but Harry grabbed her shoulders.

"We'll find him." He gave her a small shake. "Don't quit on me, now! We're going to need that brain of yours. Get on the broom."

He straddled his broom and even though she hated flying through the air on a tiny wooden twig, she didn't hesitate. She gripped Harry's waist tightly and pressed her cheek into his back as they raced toward the castle.

"Hey!" Tonks yelled behind them. "Wait for me!"

"Scrimgeour is here!" Hermione yelled after a moment.

Harry didn't stop at the front door, but flew up and over the parapet to hover over Gryffindor Tower. Hermione hated being ridiculously high off the ground, and had to pry her eyes open when Harry yelled, "Open the window!"

She peered over to see a nearby window that was open a crack. She reached out a hand and yanked at it. Harry moved the broom away and the window pulled all the way open. She let go and he maneuvered the broom around and through the window.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief when they touched down in Harry's room. Harry propped his broom against the wall. "Okay, now how do we find Malfoy?"

Hermione sank down on his bed, feeling painfully helpless. She twisted her hands together. "I don't know. He had the spelled Galleon I gave him, but he must have taken it off before you left. I've been trying to find you two all day." She looked somewhat accusingly at Harry. "Frankly, I'm surprised you're willing to go after him."

Harry shrugged. "I won't leave anyone to Voldemort's mercy. Not even Malfoy. Although, he really wasn't that bad, today. Obnoxious as usual, but he doesn't seem to have that priggish, mean edge that he used to. And look what he did to my hair! Stunning, isn't it?"

Hermione smiled wanly, although the sight of it made her heart constrict with fear for Draco. "It's shocking, to say the least. Where are your glasses?"

Harry tugged them from his pocket and put them on.

"No wonder I was squinting all afternoon," he muttered.

He still looked abnormally cute. Like a studious version of Malfoy; all platinum hair and-- She gasped and stood up.

"I nearly forgot! I asked Firenze to help me Scry for you. Maybe he can still try! Come on!"

She bolted down the steps and Harry followed, thankfully asking no questions. Ginny was sitting in the common room, scribbling on her story. She stared at them as they raced by.

"Hi, Ginny!" Harry yelled. "Bye, Ginny!"

Hermione groaned. The Weasley girl was going to completely kill him.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked just as Ginny's identical shout followed them out the portrait hole.

"The Slytherin common room! I need something of Draco's. And spring water. Where are we going to find spring water?"

"In the kitchen, of course. It's all spring water."

"You get the water, then. Make sure it's in a silver pitcher. Oh, and grab a large silver bowl. Take the bowl and the water to Firenze and I'll meet you there!"

They separated in the Front Hall just as Tonks entered the front door. Hermione waved, but didn't pause as she raced to the Slytherin common room. She thanked Draco heartily for not changing the password as she hurried to his room. She opened his trunk and snatched the coin that was lying atop a stack of books. She paused for a moment, looking at the braided chain that held the Galleon. She touched it in amazement.

It was made of strands of her own hair, braided together with thin cords of silver and green. She shook her head when she recalled how the locks had been torn out and smiled softly. She couldn't believe he had saved them...

Hermione shook off her musing and slipped the coin over her head to join her own. She needed to find something personal of Draco's... something imprinted with his essence... She immediately snatched his silver comb off the dressing table. If that didn't contain his essence, she greatly underestimated his ego. To her delight, the comb still contained a number of precious strands of silver-blonde.

Hermione ran back to Classroom Eleven.

Harry was seated before Firenze, who looked as if he hadn't moved from the last time she'd seen him. A large silver bowl sat on the grass before them. Hermione flung herself to her knees before the bowl, panting with exertion.

Firenze took the comb she held out to him.

"Relax, Hermione. This takes concentration and a still mind. Let go of your emotions. Clear your thoughts."

Hermione tried, but she had little patience for spells involving trancelike states. She wanted Firenze to cast the bloody thing and be done with it. She shut her eyes and stilled her breathing, trying to mimic a calm state so the centaur wouldn't insist on waiting all evening for her to relax.

Finally, Firenze said, "Let us begin." He slid Draco's comb into the bowl and waited for the ripples to subside. "We seek the owner of this item. May the ether part and bestow upon this liquid the image we request." Firenze passed his palm over the water. Once, then twice, then thrice. He didn't make a sound, but ice suddenly formed around the edges of the bowl and made a crystalline rim around the water like a circular frame.

Hermione and Harry leaned forward eagerly as mist began to rise from the water. Firenze moved his hand again over the bowl, three times in the other direction. The mist cleared instantly, seeming to sink into the water, which suddenly looked cloudy. Draco's comb was obscured. Colors began to swirl in the liquid: brown, green, and grey. Firenze whispered something Hermione could not make out, and the colors sharpened like a camera coming into focus.

She drew in a breath as Draco appeared. His black hair threw her for a moment and she glanced at Harry. Draco was bound hand and foot. He sat in the dirt near a clump of ferns, glaring to his right.

"Where is he?" Hermione whispered.

"A forest," said Harry.

"That could be anywhere!" she protested.

"Have patience," Firenze murmured. He made another slow movement and the scene pulled back. Draco's broom was visible and it was apparent he was moving unobtrusively toward it. At the edge of the pool, Wormtail came into view. His back was to Draco and he looked intently into the forest. He spun around quickly and stared at Draco. Wormtail reached into his robes and pulled out two wands--one brown and gnarled; one sleek and black. He put the black one in his silver hand and raised the other.

Wormtail's mouth moved, but Hermione and the others could make out no words. A jet of light suddenly shot toward Draco, who contorted in pain. Hermione gasped in horror. If she could have leaped into the pool and throttled Peter Pettigrew at that moment, she would have.

"Crucio," Harry murmured. His worried green eyes met hers for a moment.

"How will we ever find him?" she asked.

Firenze was studying the scene, which pulled back a bit more and shifted. A strangely shaped fallen log came into view. Firenze nodded.

"I know this place."

Hermione tried to steady the leap of hope at his words.

"Can you take us there?"

"No. But, I can tell you where it is."

* * * * *

Apparently, Wormtail was bored with waiting. He turned to look at Draco and pulled out both wands. His beady eyes flicked from Draco to his broom.

"Let me give you a taste of what the Dark Lord is going to do to you," Wormtail said and giggled. Draco braced himself for what he knew was coming, but it made no difference. During the brief interludes between excruciating pain, he reflected that he'd been Crucioed far too often lately.

Wormtail seemed to enjoy tormenting Draco, for he kept it up until Draco lay bonelessly in the churned dirt, too weak to even resist. His body shook with the aftereffects of the torture.

Pettigrew panted from the exertion of casting curse after curse at Draco. He wiped an arm across his forehead and walked forward until he looked down at Draco's exhausted form.

"Not so handsome now, are you?" he sneered. He lifted a stumpy foot to stomp Draco, but Malfoy anticipated the move and quickly rolled forward, slamming into Wormtail's other leg. Off balance, Wormtail sprawled over Draco, who yelled, "Accio wand!"

It was a tricky maneuver with his hands behind his back, but Draco's natural dexterity served him well. The wand snapped into his bound hands and he contorted swiftly as Wormtail rolled over, trying to level his wand at Draco. Malfoy's spell hit Wormtail first. Stupefy was instantly followed by Petrificus Totalus and Pettigrew lay in a frozen state of panic.

Draco spelled the ropes on his hands and feet and stood up shakily. He was disturbed by his own weakness, but determined not to reveal it to Pettigrew. To his disgust, Wormtail's silver hand groped and twitched at the earth, apparently immune to Draco's spells. Draco placed a booted foot on Wormtail's other hand and pried the brown wand from his immobile hand.

"I should stave your head in," Draco snarled and actually cast about for a moment, looking for a stone large enough to do the job. Only the thought of Hermione's displeasure halted him.

Instead, he held up Pettigrew's wand, grasped it in both hands, and snapped it cleanly in two. He threw the pieces aside with a satisfied smirk at Wormtail.

"Good luck using that to torture anyone," Draco said. He wiped the dirt from his face and tried to shake the debris from his hair. God, he hated to be dirty.

Draco turned back to Wormtail and conjured ropes. He wrapped them, mummy-like, around Pettigrew's body, covering him completely from toes to neck.

"Who are you meeting here, Peter?" Draco asked. "I'm going to release the spell so that you can talk to me. You will stay where you are or I will fry you where you lay."

He cancelled the Full Body-Bind and Pettrigrew blinked at him for the space of two heartbeats and then disappeared. Draco smiled as a rat leaped out of the now-limp ropes--and straight into the magical cage Draco had cast. Malfoy admired the glowing blue bars that encased the frantic Animagus. He tsked as if disappointed.

"Predictable to the end, eh Wormtail? Of course, these bars won't last forever, will they? We need something a bit more permanent." He flicked his wand and conjured a small iron crate. He levitated the glowing cage and maneuvered it into the iron box, which he then locked with a metallic click. The blue bars vanished, leaving Peter neatly trapped in the tiny iron cage.

"You see, Peter, during my short tenure as a prisoner in my own house," Draco explained, "I had plenty of time to sit around and think. I spent some of that time figuring out how to trap a rat like you. It took me nearly a week to perfect that little magic cage. Impressive, wasn't it?" He lifted the metal box by the handle and peered at the squeaking rat. "Of course, I had this one sitting in my room just waiting to be conjured. It's solid iron. If you change back now, Wormtail, you will be a very compact cube of flesh."

He dropped the cage and smiled at the rat's squeal as it fell. Draco walked over and picked up his broom. A wave of vertigo washed over him at the movement and his hands shook as he leaned on the broom handle. He felt bone-deep weariness and knew he didn't dare Disapparate. He didn't have the energy. He glanced around at the deepening gloom and wished he knew where the hell they were. Regardless, it was time to go.

Draco froze at a whisper of sound behind him. He spun with a spell on his lips, but the newcomer was faster. Draco's wand sailed out of his hand and into a nearby bush. Draco swallowed, realizing he hadn't been afraid of Wormtail at all. He felt real fear now when he looked into Fenrir Greyback's yellow eyes. The werewolf stalked up to Draco and put his wand tip under Malfoy's chin.

"Well, well, well. The lost Malfoy pup," Fenrir growled. "You are looking far less dead than expected. Different, also, but still delectable." Greyback's eyes slid to the iron cage. He left Draco and walked over to the box, although he kept his wand pointed at Draco, who resisted the urge to propel his broom into the air. Greyback was too fast--he would simply blast Draco before he got ten feet off the ground. Fenrir picked up Wormtail's cage and then dropped it with a pained hiss. He shot a glare at Draco.

"Iron? That's playing nasty, Draco." He crouched down and peered through the bars at Peter. "Is that you, Wormtail? Got yourself snared by a little boy?" He laughed harshly. "I'd let you out, but I'd rather find out why you're in there. Draco and I are going to have a little chat. Aren't we, Draco?"

In one swift movement, Draco Accioed his wand and attempted to Disapparate, but he was immobilized the instant his wand touched his hand.

Greyback sauntered back and plucked the wand from Draco's nerveless hand. He tossed it casually over a shoulder. "No, you mustn't leave yet, little morsel. Not yet." His voice was a sibilant whisper and his eyes gleamed with mad excitement. Draco felt panic slowly steal over him and tried to relax. He would need every coherent thought he possessed to get out of this alive. Fenrir released the spell, but Draco stood his ground defiantly.

"Where have you been, Draco? Your parents have been so worried." His tone was pleasant and conversational. "What are you doing here? And why is Wormtail locked up in a little metal box? Are you betraying the Dark Lord? Can you honestly be that stupid?"

Draco was silent while his mind sought any plausible lie that would buy him some time. His broom was still clutched in his left hand. If only Fenrir would move away. It was probably useless, but he would have to try to fly out.

Except Fenrir moved even closer. His lips ricked open over his wickedly sharp teeth. Draco nearly gagged at the stench of the werewolf's breath--it reeked of rotting meat and blood.

"The ever-present Malfoy pride. Ice cold and haughty, just like your parents, aren't you, Draco? Well, boy, I've wanted to shatter your frozen demeanor for a long time, now. Yes, you know I've been watching you, don't you, Draco?" Greyback's face was nearly pressed against Draco's and his lips moved close to Draco's ear as he whispered, "I can't wait to break you. You'll beg me for mercy before I'm done with you."

Draco's skin crawled and the fear on top of his exhaustion caused him to tremble slightly. He took a deep breath and dug into the last vestiges of his willpower in order to maintain control. If he showed any sign of weakness, Greyback would rend him like a bag of suet.

Greyback chuckled. "Do you want to know the fun part?" he added, still murmuring in Draco's ear. "I won't even need to use magic."

Swiftly, Fenrir moved and Draco felt the werewolf's tongue, hot and wet, caress his collarbone. It slid languidly up Draco's neck and followed his jugular to the hollow beneath Draco's ear. Draco closed his eyes and shuddered uncontrollably. Fenrir chuckled at his reaction and Draco felt Fenrir's sharp teeth tug on his earlobe.

Overcome with horror, Draco acted in sheer reflex. He gripped his broom with both hands and heaved with all his strength. The angle was off and he had no leverage, but the end of the broom caught Greyback sharply on the temple. The werewolf grunted and reared back slightly, enough for Draco to follow the movement with a flip of his broom. The bristle end struck Fenrir in the face.

Draco instantly willed his broom into the air, but the werewolf was lightning fast. Malfoy's feet were barely off the ground when Fenrir's claws hooked his waist and bore him roughly to the ground. Draco's head slammed into the earth, dazing him for a moment.

Greyback snatched the broom and tossed it across the clearing. He sat back on his haunches and regarded Draco. Far from being angry, he actually laughed in delight.

"I was afraid you were going to make this too easy for me, but you are a true Malfoy, aren't you? You'll fight me to your last breath." Draco glared for reply, although he had the chilling fear that his last breath would come sooner than later.

Greyback suddenly leaped on him and pinned him to the earth. Draco could barely breathe with the weight of the werewolf on his chest. Both his wrists were gripped in Fenrir's hands, although one still held Greyback's wand. The end of it gouged painfully into Draco's flesh. He twisted his hand in an attempt to reach the wand, but Fenrir squeezed until Draco felt his wrist bones grind together. He winced.

"I have plans for you, Malfoy" Greyback murmured and his teeth nipped at Draco's jaw, not quite hard enough to draw blood. "Don't worry, you're a spot old for my liking. I'll only bleed you a bit today. Just enough for a taste." The werewolf slid his rough lips down to Draco's neck. He opened his mouth wide and Draco felt sharp teeth against his flesh. Greyback bit down gently, then harder, sucking slightly and tasting Draco with his tongue. Draco tried to throw him off, but he was too tightly held--he could barely move. Surprisingly, the teeth released.

"One week, Draco. Do you know what happens in one week?" Fenrir murmured against his throat.

Draco did.

"Full moon," Fenrir said with satisfaction. He leaned upward slightly to look into Draco's eyes. The werewolf showed his dreadful teeth in a smile. "Black hair suits you. It makes you look darker and more sinister. You're practically perfect."

Draco nearly forgot to breathe. Fenrir's voice was low and conspiratorial, likely so Wormtail's sharp ears would not hear.

"Did you figure it out, Draco? You're a smart lad. I'm taking you with me. I'll hide you away where no one will find you. For seven... short... days. It's convenient everyone thinks you're dead. Wormtail is long overdue for a little accident, now that you've nicely penned him. He won't be talking. And then, next Friday, you will become like me." He threw back his head and laughed wickedly.

A werewolf.