Abyss

Abyss

"Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous," Narcissa muttered, as she exchanged dark glances with Lucius. "I have never heard of anything more insulting in my entire life!"

"Calm down, Narcissa," he told her, as he placed a hand over her shoulder. Lucius then turned his eyes on Emilia Parkinson. "I'm sure Emilia here can offer a sound explanation regarding her... stand on the matter."

Mrs. Parkinson raised her brows at them, and then sat on the sofa across the couple.

"By all means, make yourselves comfortable," Lucius said, his cold, cultured voice dripping with undisguised sarcasm. "My wife and I would just be most honored to serve you and your friends." He glared at the two men that were guarding Mrs. Parkinson's sides like faithful dogs at her feet.

If she heard the insinuations thrown her way, she was either purposely ignoring it or controlling her emotions altogether. "I want to see it," Emilia said, her hands making brisk movements. "I demand that I see it NOW."

"As you can clearly see--" Narcissa eyed her with disdain, "--that is not possible."

Several moments passed by with the two women contemptuously glaring at each other. Even the two men that stood by Emilia were looking both bored and uncomfortable.

Draco could not take more of this without knowing the truth behind it all. He had never known the two women to act like they were this minute. Before, his mother and Mrs. Parkinson had always been polite to each other. They were never friends, for it was his father that Mrs. Parkinson was more familiar with, but they were civil with each other. But now... the animosity in the room was very conspicuous, with the two women looking like they wanted nothing more than to claw each other's eyes out. Draco knew that Pansy's mother was nothing like her daughter: she was courteous, quiet, and rather reserved... so what had brought this too sudden a shift? He began to feel a nagging suspicion that this might be about... no. There was never any use to make himself nervous over such innocent things. He assumed the look of surprise as he strolled into the living room. "Father, Mother," he said. "I was not aware that you were coming home today. You should've sent word of your arrival." This was met with an alarmed look from her mother, and almost a reproachful one from his father. He wondered at their reactions, before he turned to their guests. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Parkin--"

"Yes, yes," Emilia said, with a furious gesture of her hand. "Your wand, Draco, if you please. I'd like you to hand it to me immediately."

"My... my wand?" He blinked, taken aback by the command and the barely repressed anger behind it. He glanced at his parents in confusion. "What... what is this all about?"

"Emilia," spat Narcissa quite nastily, "seems to think that you killed her daughter, which is, of course, a preposterous, baseless assumption."

"What?" That came as an absolute shock to him. Draco turned to Mrs. Parkinson. "Surely you don't think I killed Pansy..." he trailed off, as he noticed that the woman's face noticeably hardened at the mention of her name. He tried a different tactic. "I would never dream of hurting her, and I never did... I loved your daughter!"

Something flickered in Emilia's eyes, and her mouth twitched. The two men at her side exchanged glances and then pretended they never did.

"Emilia," Lucius said, as he stepped forward. Draco glanced at his father, and he nodded at him before returning his attention to the fat woman in their living room. "I understand what you must be going through right now. You are only pursuing justice for your daughter's death. But what I do find quite simply unbelievable is that you are willing to think that my son is capable of doing something as grave as killing Pansy." He lifted his chin and looked down on her. "Might I remind you that they were betrothed to one another, and had always treated each other with respect. Draco had no reason at all to murder her."

Emilia then stood up. "You are quite right, Lucius," she said, as she moved towards Draco. She pinned him with a very piercing, very accusing look. "I am after justice, and that is the only reason why I demand that I see his wand."

"I can't believe this," Draco muttered, as he took a step back. He knew that the moment he gave her his wand, she would test it, and then... "I don't believe this! I have been nothing but loving to your daughter... her death was also a shock to me, Mrs. Parkinson! Why would you accuse me, after all that you've seen me do for her?"

"She's becoming desperate, I'd say." Narcissa rose from her seat and rushed to her son's side. "This is absurd, Emilia. Really. To think that my husband and I were sent back here just so we can hear you blame my son! I will not have this, do you hear? Not in my own house!"

"I will not leave," Emilia said fiercely, "until I see what I came here to see." She gave a look of pure contempt at the other woman. "If you have nothing to hide, Narcissa, then you might as well give me what I want. The fact that you're doing everything you could to stop me from seeing your son's wand makes it all the more obvious that he is not as innocent as you say he is."

Lucius chuckled, his face filled with cynicism. "Why would you even think that a fellow Slytherin would do such an act?"

"Because as of now, I do not draw distinction among houses, nor do I care whether or not the murderer came from my own house. And as you know," she looked at Lucius with an air of authority, "I have supervised and watched as all the confiscated wands were tested, and still the wand used on my daughter was not among them." Emilia turned her eyes towards Draco. "I believe yours is the only one left untested."

"All right," Lucius muttered. He gestured at his son with his cane, but his eyes never left Emilia. "Go on, Draco. Give her your wand so that she may never again step inside our house."

Draco stared at his father, and then at his mother. "But I didn't--"

"Of course you didn't," Narcissa affirmed. She glared at Emilia. "But you will do what the Madam wants. Let's just see who gets humiliated in the end."

"Oh, we'll see all right." Emilia laid her hand, palm up, and looked at Draco. "Come on, boy, I haven't got all day!"

A thousand thoughts entered Draco's brain at once... thoughts of what he should do to get out of this situation bombarded him, but as the seconds rolled by these ideas were becoming more and more elusive until, finally, he realized that he had no option left.

He took out his wand, and reluctantly handed it over to Mrs. Parkinson.

"Finally," she said upon receiving it. She gave him a smile filled with false kindness. "I thought I might have to ask my servants to pry it out of you, Draco."

"If you must know," Narcissa said, in a loud voice, "I bought that at Vandel's myself the night your Pansy got killed. I assure you that nothing will come out of that wand."

And that was only the time it struck Draco. Of course! How could he be so stupid? He must've been hanging around Granger for too long. The wand that he handed over was not the one he used to kill Pansy... even if Mrs. Parkinson tested it, nothing would come out. He'd be able to get away... he could prove his innocence! Draco fought the urge to smirk, and tried to keep his face as passive as possible.

"Oh, but don't you know, Narcissa?" Emilia smiled at her, the expression on her face almost sympathetic. She raised the wand she held. "If you bought this at Vandel's, then this is probably the duplicate of Draco's wand. If that is the case, then you need not worry. It would yield the same result as though it was the original wand that I tested." She cocked her head to one side. "You really ought to read more and go out than stay inside this mansion, Mrs. Malfoy."

Draco swallowed reflexively, and looked at his father. Lucius only curled his lip in displeasure, and at once Draco knew that what Mrs. Parkinson said was true. He had hoped... Merlin, that was the only way out of this, and it turned out to be...

The awful truth hit him so hard, he had the chance to feel afraid.

There was no other way out of this.

His awful secret was about to be revealed.

*

Hermione tied the ribbon around her waist securely, and then looked at the mirror in front of her. She smiled. Unlike Pansy's robe, this one covered the entirety of her modestly, with no part of her skin uncomfortably exposed. But like Pansy's robe, this one fitted her perfectly. She only wished that Malfoy's mother would not see her wearing this dress; otherwise she was sure that the older woman would have a fit.

She smoothened the fabric over her waist, and then sighed in pleasure. This had got to be the softest material she had ever worn. She guessed that this robe was made of silk, but sometimes it felt even more luxurious than that. The way the cloth rubbed at her skin... it was like she was rubbing against a rose petal. Hermione glanced at the other dresses that Malfoy gave her. Would they also fit her as well as this one did? She almost smacked herself for sounding so vain, but...

A noise made her look away from her reflection. It sounded as though the door of the room opened, and then closed. Was that him? Hermione walked towards the bathroom door, and then stepped out of it. "Malfoy?" she called, as she looked around. She half-expected to see his blond head somewhere around the room, but she was filled with an odd sense of disappointment when she saw that there was no one there. "That was strange," she muttered. She could have sworn she heard--

"Mistress Hermione!"

She jumped at the sound of the house elf's voice from behind her. "Becky!" she exclaimed, as she clutched her chest. "What are you--"

"Quick, Mistress Hermione!" Becky grabbed her hand and dragged her to the bathroom. "Becky has to hide Master Draco's friend!"

"Hide me?" she queried, as she was pushed inside, against her will. "Why? Why would you--"

The house elf looked especially anxious, for she kept turning her head towards the bedroom as though she expected someone else to appear in it. "There are guests, Mistress Hermione, Becky saw them for herself! Becky recognized Madam Parkinson, Mistress Hermione! And if she sees Mistress Hermione in this room, Becky will sure get a beating from Master Draco, and Becky does not want any beating!"

"Madam Parkinson?" Hermione repeated. "Wait... is this... is this woman--"

"Madam Parkinson is Goddess Pansy's mother, Mistress Hermione! Goddess Pansy is Master Draco's friend, too."

Goddess Pansy? That would have made her laugh, if she wasn't terrified of the reason why Pansy's mother was here. But too late, her curiosity was already peaked. "Who ordered you to call her that?"

"She did, Mistress Hermione. Goddess Pansy did!" Becky was nervously twisting her hands in front of her. "Please, Mistress Hermione. Becky needs Master Draco's friend to say that she will be quiet, as Becky will seal door of bathroom. If Madam Parkinson sees no door where bathroom door is, then she will not see Mistress Hermione, and Becky will not be punished..."

"Okay," Hermione agreed just to soothe the obviously terrified servant. "But Becky... how is Malf-- I mean, Draco, how was he downstairs? What were they doing when you saw them?"

"Madam Parkinson was asking to see Master Draco's wand."

That response made her sick with worry for him. "Merlin," she muttered to herself. "They're going to test his wand..." That could only be the reason why Mrs. Parkinson was asking for it. She had read it before, in one of Malfoy's books, specifically in Chapter Seven, Paragraph Three of Judicial System in the Wizarding World that confiscated wands were almost always tested, and if a wand was indeed the one used to commit a murder then the victim's soul would emerge from it. That would be the only evidence necessary to convict a murderer. She turned towards the house elf. "Becky," she said, "can you get Draco for me? I need you to bring him here, immediately."

Becky began to shake her head. "Oh, but Mistress... Becky never lets self be seen by Master Lucius, for Master Lucius doesn't want to see Becky again... it was only through Master Draco that Becky was permitted to stay."

She fought the urge to ask her what happened before, for more important things should be taken cared of. "Becky," she began, "you are faithful to Draco, aren't you?"

Becky nodded vigorously. "Becky owes Master Draco everything."

"Then you wouldn't want him hurt, would you?"

Becky hesitated, and then shook her head.

That response was all Hermione needed. "Then believe me when I say that if Madam Parkinson gets that wand..." She stopped, as the awful reality hit her. Her voice shook as she continued, "If she gets that wand, Draco will die. Do you understand? That's why you have to bring him here. After you do, then you can seal this door to hide both of us."

The house elf looked stricken. "Oh, but Master Draco--"

Hermione had enough. If this was how dire the situation was, then she could afford to abandon her ideals just for a little while. "I order you, Becky," she said through clenched teeth, "to bring me Draco. If you don't, I'll--" She glanced around her, and then pointed at the tub. "--I'll drown you!" That probably was a bit extreme, but...

Becky glanced at the tub, and Hermione could see the terror in her eyes. She almost took her words back when the house elf snapped her fingers and disappeared.

*

One of the men stepped forward at Mrs. Parkinson's call. He grasped at Draco's wand, and then recited a long incantation that sounded very foreign to Draco's ears. The man began to wave the wand around, before he made a stabbing gesture four times.

Draco unconsciously stepped back, as thin, green smoke began to emerge from his wand. He heard his mother gasp beside him, but he wasn't able to see her expression. He was too concentrated on the smoke that began to slowly take shape, until it formed a ghostly replica of--

"Pansy," Mrs. Parkinson whispered, her voice shaking slightly. "My darling!"

The smoke took the appearance of the girl the day she died. Even the smallest of details, like the Slytherin emblem on her robe and the fancy jade necklace she had on, was accurate. Only Pansy's feet were missing, as the lower part of her body remained connected through a thin, vine-like sliver to Draco's wand. At the sound of her mother's voice, the ghost seemed to have awakened. Pansy curled her hands into fists, and then rounded on Draco. "You... you bastard!" she shrieked. She pointed her finger at him. "You killed me!"

Draco flinched. He did not say anything, for his denial would have been useless. His guilt was there for all to see.

"I... I..." Narcissa stuttered, as she too was transfixed at the ghost that was throwing a fit in the air. "I don't... believe this..."

"Draco," Lucius said, in a far more dangerous voice than he had ever heard his father use, "explain yourself."

"I don't think any explanations would be necessary!" said Emilia, her bulging, red eyes glued at Draco's face. She took out her wand and had it pointed at him in a second. "It is death for you, you fou--"

"Oh, don't kill him, Mother, please."

All their attention was turned towards Pansy's soul. And all of them saw the spite on her face as she looked at Draco.

"Don't kill him before I get the chance to say what I have to say. You haven't even heard the best part of it yet," snarled Pansy, and she slowly floated until her ghostly, blank eyes were at level with Draco's. "You see... the reason Draco killed me..." At this, her face twisted even more, "...is because of Mudblood Granger. I had her cornered, I was moving in to kill her... and then he cursed me! He saved her, at my expense!"

"You're lying!" he spat. Granger couldn't get involved in this. She must--

"You see? Even now he defends that Mudblood." She turned towards Lucius. "I'm sure you know her, Mr. Malfoy. She was only the Head Girl this year."

"Pansy," Lucius began, a forced smile on his face, "surely you're not--"

"Oh yes, I am," Pansy retorted. "What else would I benefit out of lying? I'm already dead." She smiled at Draco, and lifted her hand to his face as if to caress him.

"Goodbye now, love. I trust that I'd be seeing you soon... out of my mother's wand, perhaps?" Pansy then disappeared.

Several pregnant moments passed, without anyone saying anything at all. Then, "You ingrate," snarled Mrs. Parkinson, in very much the same way Pansy did. "You insolent, foul thing! For what you did to my daughter, I swear I'm going to make you pay--"

"No." Lucius' voice was firm. Draco looked at him, in the hopes of getting help from his own father, but all he saw was a blank, emotionless mask that Lucius often wore when dealing with Death Eater business. His hopes dissipated, especially when he said, "I will not have you killing in my house, Emilia."

"Oh!" exclaimed Emilia, a crazed expression on her face. "Like you are going to stop me, Lucius, from getting--"

"The Dark Lord--" said Lucius, and Emilia quieted immediately, "--will decide on his fate."

Emilia reluctantly lowered her wand.

"No!" Narcissa exclaimed. She placed her hands on Draco's shoulders and shook him. "Draco, tell them, tell them you didn't mean to do it--"

"That won't help at all." Emilia clutched at her wand so tight it almost snapped in two. "Lucius is right. I will let the Dark Lord deal with you, boy. Surely he knows what to do with you."

Draco removed himself out of his mother's grasp. "Father, please--"

"Silence." Lucius's face was paler and more tired than he had ever seen it. "I can't help you in this, Draco. I won't. You deserve what you will get for committing this grave a sin."

"My son, my very own son," whispered Narcissa. "What have you done...?"

Draco looked around him, and saw that this might as well be the last that he'd see his home.

"Well?" snapped Mrs. Parkinson. "What are you waiting for? Get him," she ordered.

The two men quickly walked towards him, when...

... Becky appeared in their midst.

"Master Draco, quick!" the house elf said. She held out her hand.

Under any normal circumstances, Draco would have had her burnt just for suggesting that he touch her, but this... well. This was not any normal situation. He grabbed hold of her, amidst the yells of those around them. He closed his eyes when he heard a very distinct popping sound. The moment he opened them, he was in his room.

He was so happy he could have given his house elf his finest broomstick.

"Malfoy!" he heard Granger say, and at the next moment he was engulfed in a very brief, very tight hug. "Thank Merlin you're okay." She drew away, but quickly grasped his hand with her own. "Come on, we have to hide. I've told Becky--"

"No. Hiding won't help us this time." Draco rushed towards his bookshelf, and then started to furiously take books out of the shelf. "We have to get out of here," he said. After he had finished throwing about ten books, he sighed in frustration and began to move towards his drawers. "Where is that damned--"

"You mean this?"

When he looked at her, she was holding out his wand. "You gave this to me, remember? You never took it back."

He felt relief washing over him as he walked towards her. "I can't believe this is happening. This is Snape's fault, he must've told her what he saw--"

"Master Draco, Mistress Hermione, quick! Becky hears someone approaching--"

And then, three more appeared in his bedroom.

"Do you think you can escape us, boy?" asked Mrs. Parkinson in a false, sweet voice. When she caught sight of Granger, her face twisted into a frightening expression that effectively placed Pansy's pug face to shame. "Ah. And this must be the Mudblood that my daughter talked about."

Granger gasped, and Draco moved to stand in front of her.

"Well," Mrs. Parkinson said, as she curled her lip, "now this, Draco, was something I never saw you do for my daughter. You said you loved her didn't you, boy?" She laughed callously. "That lie of yours convinced me more that you killed her, for my daughter never told me you showed her any amount of affection. She was a martyr to have tolerated you!"

"A martyr? Mrs. Parkinson, if you must know, your daughter," Draco returned, "was nothing more than a pest."

Emilia's eyes bulged, and the vein in her neck throbbed angrily. She gestured at the men at her side. "I don't care about the Dark Lord anymore," she seethed. "I want them both dead! Kill them!"

"Master Draco!" Becky raised her hands, and two glittering balls of light appeared on her fingertips. "You must leave! NOW!" The house elf quickly threw the balls of light at the two men, and they fell to their feet as they were hit on their stomachs. But Mrs. Parkinson was also quick; she cursed at the house elf, and Becky soon lay dead on the floor.

"Becky!" Granger wailed. "No!"

"Come on," Draco muttered gruffly. He took the wand from her, and then grabbed her shaking hand. He closed his eyes, and concentrated. Get us out of here, take us anywhere else... damn it, work!

There was the flutter of movement around them, as if the wind swiftly swept past them. The sounds of Mrs. Parkinson's yells grew less and less in intensity until he couldn't hear them anymore. As the sounds stopped, and replaced by something else altogether, Draco dared to open his eyes...

... and found them to be standing right in front of Boy Wonder himself.

"Damn it," he swore, as he glared right into Harry Potter's eyes.