The Eternal Triangle

Chapter 1 - The Prophecy

"Crucio!" Voldemort hissed, his wand pointing to the blonde woman on the floor and her body convulsed in agony.

"I need a Seeing Seer," he sneered to the unfortunate woman.

"No," she croaked.

"You are merely delaying the inevitable." Turning to the Death Eaters surrounding them he ordered, "You know what to do. When she is ready to See, summon me."

With a swish of his black robes he disappeared, leaving the poor woman to the Death Eaters.

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The time of ascendancy draws near,

But which shall prevail remains unclear,

The Dark Lord will fall to the sword of the founders,

Wielded by one whose resolve will waver,

But for the support of a friend who loves him like a brother,

Dependent on the love of a woman so giving and pure of heart,

She would sacrifice herself for those she loved

And her love shall move the sword to its final conclusion.

But when the eternal triangle enters the fray,

Loyalty will be spurned,

And love turn to hate,

Then will evil triumph

And the world shall fall to darkness.

The Seer's voice died away and her head fell forward in exhaustion and defeat.

A green bolt burst from the tip of Voldemort's wand hitting the Seer and the last thing Luna Lovegood heard before the green flame engulfed her was Voldemort's mad cackling.

...............................................

Draco Malfoy has been summoned by the Dark Lord. As he walked to the hall, his grey eyes were calm and his face expressionless. None of what he was feeling mirrored on his face or movements. And he carefully kept his mind guarded with only those thoughts and memories he wished the Dark Lord to know in his mind.

For Draco Malfoy was playing a dangerous game. After the death of his father, Draco had been elevated to the position his father had held, that of right hand man to Voldemort himself. Unbeknown to the Dark Lord, this servant was never his for Draco had secretly joined the Order of the Phoenix upon his graduation from Hogwarts and had been a double agent since.

Sweeping into the hall regally, his face set in its usual arrogant look, Draco bowed to Voldemort. The hall was conspicuously empty of Death Eaters today with only Wormtail in attendance. Draco's heart leapt with excitement, this could only mean that the Dark Lord wished to impart some confidential information to him. Information he hoped could be used by the Order.

Of late, Voldemort's Death Eaters had been gaining the upper hand in the war and the Order has sustained more and more casualties.

"Draco, I have a job for you."

"How may I serve my lord?"

"You know the Seer that had been our... 'guest'? She was kind enough to do a Seeing for me."

"Had been, my lord?"

"Yes, unfortunately she had to 'leave'" Voldemort said with a cruel smile.

Draco answered with his own cynical smile but his heart clenched in sorrow. Another casualty for the Order.

When he heard that Luna had been taken, he hoped for a chance to save her. Every single person he'd been unable to save from Voldemort was a bitter blow to him and some days he preferred death to the constant hell of playing his role.

He pushed aside his feelings ruthlessly. Betraying himself to Voldemort would mean not only his life but also whatever advantage the Order gained from him. Instead he asked, "What was the content of the Seeing?"

"Come now Draco, you don't expect me to answer that?"

For a moment, he panicked. Could Voldemort suspect him?

Calming himself quickly before the Dark Lord sensed his emotions, he enquired "How can I serve my lord if I don't know the prophecy?"

"Don't worry. You will have all the information you need."

That had been the situation lately. Voldemort only gave out information to anyone, even Draco, on a need to know basis. The only one who had his full confidence was Wormtail. He suspected that Voldemort may be getting suspicious that some of his followers were not fully committed to his cause. His powers and control of the Dark Mark was growing weaker with each day Potter remained alive and the Dark Lord was becoming desperate and paranoid.

"The Seer informed me that I may be defeated by 'a wielder of a sword, a friend who loves him like a brother and the love of a woman'. Who could they be?" Voldemort asked silkily.

"Sounds like Potter, Weasley and Granger" Draco answered flatly, "The so-called Golden Trio."

Throwing his head back, Voldemort laughed long and hard. Gasping after his bout of laughter, he said "Very succinctly put Draco. Yes, the so-called Golden Trio. Except, there is no longer a Trio is there? Where is the Mudblood?" he hissed.

"No one knows my lord. She disappeared seven years ago and has never been heard from since."

"Then find her! Find her and kill her. Her love for Potter and Weasley is apparently the key. Muggles and their love, pah! Am I never going to be rid of this accursed love?" Voldemort said venomously.

"As my lord commands" Draco bowed and turned to leave the hall. Just as he reached the door, Voldemort's voice stopped him.

"The eternal triangle Draco, do you know what that is?"

Walking back towards Voldemort, he raised a blond eyebrow. "Eternal triangle?"

"Yes. Love is very important to them isn't it and they think that will defeat me yet again. Let us play by their rules this time, Draco. Poison the triangle further or better yet, break the triangle and make it a square!" he hissed.

"Oh yes, make it a square" and he cackled maniacally again.

Draco stood quietly and listened to Voldemort's crazy rambling, wondering what the point was. He felt Wormtail's eyes on him and turned his head, locking his gaze with the older man until Wormtail looked down. He wondered what was going through the man's mind and wished he had access to it. The information Wormtail possessed would be invaluable to the Order.

"I've changed my mind, don't kill her yet. Seduce her Draco. Seduce her and make her fall in love with you. Oh yes, poison her love for Potter and Weasley and we will be able to surprise them. We will play this game of love but this time, it will be their downfall!"

"Seduce the mudblood?" Draco asked, his lips curling in distaste.

"Surely you are up to it Draco, from all I've heard."

"Of course I'm up to it. I just don't care for the Mudblood taint to my person. I doubt even a cleaning spell will be able to get rid of the stink!"

"Are you defying my order, Draco?" Voldemort enquired silkily.

Resisting the urge to swallow his panicked feeling, Draco instead bowed low and said, "No, my lord. It will be as you command."

Leaving the Dark Lord's presence, he apparated back to Malfoy Manor once he was beyond the protective barriers surrounding Voldemort's property.

Only when he was in his study did he dare relax his guard and take a deep breath of relief. Groaning to himself, he wondered how he was to go about finding Hermione Granger as not even the Order knew where she was. Thinking of the last part of his orders, he smiled bitterly at the irony, if Voldemort only knew...

The next night he was in 12 Grimmauld Place giving his latest report to the Order. Present that night was Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Neville Longbottom, Harry Potter and Arthur, Molly, Bill, Ron and Ginny Weasley. Which was large by Order standards lately. The rest was out on the field on various matters. With increased Death Eater activities, each member was being run ragged and no one could be spared. Unless the meeting was critically important, only whoever was currently in the house would be at the meeting.

The news of Luna's death was a blow to everyone. Another casualty and Luna was a great Seer and her Seeing was vital to the Order's success. With Ron Weasley's strategies based on the information Luna provided, they usually prevailed.

Through the years of war, Ron Weasley had come into his own. No longer just Harry Potter's sidekick, he was a brilliant tactician. His fiery, passionate nature had not diminished and this very nature, boosted flagging spirits when it was most needed. More than one battle would have been lost but for Ron's spirit and convictions.

The one who needed this most was Harry Potter. While Ron managed to remain positive even with devastating losses, Harry got more and more bitter and seemed to blame everyone and everything. He had withdrawn into himself so much until only Ron still managed to get through his dark mood.

Harry had grown into a formidable wizard through the years and his power increased year by year. Through the reports received from Draco and Snape, some in the Order feared that this power was drawn from Voldemort and they were apprehensive what this may do to him.

His downward spiral began with Hermione's disappearance. Both Ron and Harry were devastated when Hermione left but the two never disclosed what was in the message she left for them and nobody dared asked. While Ron eventually recovered and threw himself into his work for the Order, Harry never did.

With the news that Draco brought, questions had to be asked, answers were needed.

"What was the full content of the Luna's prophecy?" Arthur Weasley asked.

"I don't know, he wouldn't tell me. All he said was he may be defeated by 'a wielder of a sword, a friend who loves him like a brother and the love of a woman'."

Looking round the table, Draco could see comprehension on their faces.

"Harry, Ron and Hermione," Remus said tiredly.

"Yes and apparently Granger's love for Potter and Weasley is the key," Draco sneered. "Then he went on about the eternal triangle and I'm supposed to poison the triangle or make it a square. He's getting barmier by the day!"

"What else did he say?" Kingsley Shacklebolt asked.

"He cursed Muggles and their love then said that he'd play the game by their rules, but this time the love will be your downfall and not his."

"How?" This time the question came from Ron Weasley. Draco could almost see the wheels turning in his mind and had no doubt he was formulating strategies to meet this new threat.

"I'm supposed to seduce her Weasley. Get her to fall in love with me, poisoning her love for you and Potter." Draco smirked insolently at Ron.

"Bastard!" Ron glared at Draco, his face red with anger.

"Relax Ron. Hermione would never fall for the ferret," Harry spoke up for the first time that evening, directing a look of pure loathing at Draco.

They may be working on the same side now but the hatred between them had never lessened.

Bill studied Harry and Ron speculatively. Clearing his throat, he asked "Just why did Hermione leave?"

Harry and Ron looked at each other for a long moment. Finally Ron turned to Bill and shrugged, "I don't know." Seeing the disbelieving look on their faces, he blew up "I really don't bloody know, okay! She didn't tell me anything!"

"Harry?" Molly asked tentatively. Everyone had learned to tiptoe cautiously around Harry nowadays, his moods were volatile.

Harry looked at Molly Weasley, his face in its usual grim expression and his eyes dark pools of despair. Shaking his head slowly, he looked away from Molly and bent his gaze to his hands, fisted and white knuckled on the table.

"Are you sure you don't know Harry?" Ginny looked accusingly at Harry.

Glaring at her, Harry stood up and went to a window, turning his back on them.

Glaring from Ron to Harry's stiff form, Draco shouted, "I don't know what the hell happened between you three and I couldn't care less! But I've been risking my life, not to mention my sanity for the past eight years and if you're keeping something back now out of some misguided loyalty to each other, I'll Crucio you myself!"

Draco had stood up during his tirade and now had his wand pointed to Harry's back.

"Sit down Draco!" Kingsley snapped.

His cheeks tinted pink with anger, Draco glared at Kingsley and sat down reluctantly.

Harry's stiff back had slumped and he turned around slowly. His bleak eyes met Ron's. "I'm sorry mate, I'm so sorry" he said quietly.

Ron's eyes widened, "What are you on about Harry?"

"I know why Hermione left."

"What?! How? Why?"

Taking a deep breath, Harry said, "She left... because of me." His voice was so quiet they had to strain to hear it.

"Harry," Ron said sadly. "Don't mate, this is not another thing that you're going to take the blame for. Stop feeling guilty for every bloody thing."

Harry's eyes flared in anger. "Well this time it is my fault, mate!" his voice spiteful. "She left because I told her I was in love with her."

"Wha--?" Ron gaped at Harry.

"That's right Ron, I told your girlfriend... fiancé, I was in love with her! And that I had been in love with her for as long as I can remember."

Ron's eyes bulged and his mouth opened and closed a few times but no words came. Finally he choked out, "Why didn't you ever tell me Harry? I would've backed off, I would've let you have her."

"Damn you Ron, stop being such a martyr! When are you going to stop sacrificing yourself for me? When are you going to realize I'm not worth your sacrifice?!"

"You're my best mate, Harry. No matter what you think or feel, you are worth it!"

"Oh yeah? Well guess what else I did? I shagged her Ron, I shagged your Hermione! Knowing full well she was your girlfriend and that you were going to marry her. That's the sort of mate I am Ron!"

Ron's face went pale as he stood, his fists clenched by his side. His blue eyes were hard as he stared at Harry. Time seemed frozen as the two best friends glared at each other, Harry defiantly, Ron's face reddening in anger.

"Another reason why Hermione left could be the fact that she was pregnant." Ginny's accusing voice broke the stillness as she too glared at Harry.

Blue eyes and green turned in shock towards Ginny. "She hadn't been well before she left, remember? She went for a checkup and I found the results among the old records at St. Mungo's when I was cleaning up the records office." Ever since she graduated from Hogwarts, Ginny had been working at the wizarding hospital.

"You bastard!" Ron screamed and leapt at Harry, his hands going round Harry's neck, throttling him.

Kingsley, Bill and Arthur leapt up to separate the two. Ron finally let go of Harry, dropping him to the ground. As Harry rubbed his sore neck, Ron looked down at his best friend. "I hope Voldemort murders you!" he hissed venomously and walked out.

Remus came to help Harry up. "Are you alright Harry?" he asked worriedly.

"Of course I'm alright Remus, I've just lost the only best friend I have left!" he replied bitterly, snatching his arm away from Remus.

"Just stay away from me! I'm poison, I destroy everyone and everything I touch. Ron's right, I'm better off being murdered by Voldemort!" And he rushed out of the room.

"Well that was enlightening," Draco drawled. "Not that it'll help in finding Granger, or if we even need to find her now" he added in a disgusted tone. "If that's an example of the golden trio that's supposed to defeat the Dark Lord, I might as well not bother and kill myself now and have done with it. At least it'll be less painful than having him torture me!"

He stood up and adjusted his robes, his cold grey eyes sweeping the room. "Unless there's new development, don't expect me. And for Merlin's sake, do something about Potter and Weasley!" he spat out before leaving the room in a swirl of dark robes.

Just before he stepped out through the doorway, Kingsley's voice stopped him. "Draco, we need the full prophecy."

Not bothering to turn around, he waved his hand nonchalantly at them and left.

When Draco exited the house, he pulled his cloak tighter around him for the night was nippy and decided to walk for a bit, thinking about the revelations that night. He flushed in anger when he thought how the Weasel and Potty seem to consider Hermione something that could just be passed around between them, like she wasn't a person with feelings and a mind of her own.

The most disturbing though, was the news of her pregnancy. After the Weaslette dropped that particular titbit, a frantic thought had occurred to him but he dismissed it immediately. It couldn't be...could it? Yet a small voice at the back of his mind seem to insist, 'yes Draco, it could'. And his heart clenched in a welter of confusing emotions.