Whisper

Chapter 12: Beautiful Disaster-Kelly Clarkson



Draco carried the sleeping child down to the dudgeons after some dodging and u-turns. Kid had been asleep for a while after summoning up the magic to shield both him and Draco from the Dementors. So far nothing big had happened since they left the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. They didn’t run into any Dementors and they didn’t see James either.



As he walked down the corridors he realized he didn’t know which room in the dudgeons James wanted him to meet. There were more then fifty rooms. So following his instincts his feet followed the path they knew best. He went to the Potions classroom.



He stopped just outside the door. Should he go inside? James had said the classrooms and the dormitories held Potter’s worst memories. Draco felt a cold wind stirring his robes and didn’t give it a second thought.



‘I’m just lucky Kid’s asleep,’ he thought, opened the door and walked in. He only had enough time to close the door before the memory came to him.



(He was running, running away from the people who would hurt him, clutching the glass sphere that held the prophecy against his chest. His friends were with him as they tried to keep the masked figures at bay. They past a lot of rooms before they were forced to stop at the veiled room.



“Give us the prophecy, Potter,” said a man with long blonde hair.



“I won’t let you have it, Malfoy,” he said clutching the sphere. Lucius held out his wand and pointed it at him, but before a spell could be fire a fist connected with Lucius’ temple.



“Stay away from my godson,” said his godfather.



“Sirius,” he said happily.



Sirius smiled at him. “Having fun, Harry?” he asked. “But I’m afraid you have to go.”



“No, I want to stay with you!”



“Harry, you’ve done wonderfully, but you have to go!”



A movement behind Sirius caught his eye. “Sirius, look out!”



Sirius threw him down and the curse flew past them. Sirius raised his wand at the Death Eater. The Death Eater flung the curse away and Sirius walked over to meet him in battle.



He took the time to look around. A young witch with shocking violet hair fought a woman with wild mousy hair and a high pitch laugh. A wizard with shabby robes fought another Death Eater nearby. A man who had a gnarled walking stick was battle two at once.



“Harry, get the others and get out of here!” yelled the wizard in shabby robes. He nodded and ran toward the others, the prophecy clutched in his hand. He was halfway up the stairs when he was grabbed forcefully from behind.



“Harry,” called a boy with sandy hair and a bloody nose.



“Give me the prophecy, Potter,” growled the Death Eater in his ear.



“Neville!” he yelled and threw the sphere to his friend. Neville missed the catch by tripping on the step and the sphere smashed on the stones. He pointed his wand at the Death Eater.



“Petrificus Totalus!” he said and the Death Eater froze. Wiggling out of his grip he turned to Neville. “Neville…”



“Harry, I’m sorry. I’m just so clumsy!”



“Neville, it’s okay.”



He heard laughter and turned to find Sirius locked in battle with the wild woman.



“Is that the best you can do,” said Sirius laughing back at her.



“Avada Kadavra!” yelled the woman and a jet green curse flew at Sirius, hitting him in the chest. It seemed to take forever for Sirius to fall into the veil behind him and disappear.



“SIRIUS!!!”)



“Draco!”



The hand that clamped on his shoulder brought him out of the vision and he turned to the worried eyes of James. Kid was still atop the bench James moved him to, clutching his knees and hid his head in his arms. By the look of James’ face, he had just finished viewing the memory as well and was trying to keep his emotions in check, but Draco could see the sad frightened look in his eyes.



“Are you all right,” asked James.



Draco nodded. “I’m all right. That was intense.”



“That’s one of Harry’s most powerful memories,” said James. “He was very close to Sirius and was devastated when he died.” James sighed and crossed his arms. “I thought I told you to meet me in the dudgeons.”



“I am in the dudgeons.”



“I meant the entrance, not the class room.” He sighed again and smiled. “I’m just glad you’re safe.”



Draco smirked. “Do you mean Kid or me?”



“Both,” said James and somehow that mad Draco’s chest tighten. “Well, Kid can’t take care of himself and you’re not familiar with Harry’s mind.”



Draco’s smirk broadened. “You were worried about me,” he said. James’ face became the fiercest shade of red.



“Was not!”



Draco laughed. “Was so! Making those Dementors come after you, always protecting us. Worrying over me. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you cared about me.”



If a face could become any more redder, James’ face exceeded that. “Of course I care about what happens to you. If a Dementor got you, you’d be stuck here forever.” James looked away. “And I don’t want that to happen.”



Draco continued to smirk, but didn’t push the issue. “Kid spoke.”



James turned to Draco in surprise, his face no longer red. “He did?” asked James and turned to his counterpart.



“He said a spell with me,” said Draco. He went over and moved a strand of hair from Kid’s face gently. The boy looked up at him and smiled. “I heard him. He hasn’t spoken since.”



James smiled. “It’s a start. He hasn’t spoken for so long I almost went crazy from hearing my own voice.” James frowned as he thought. “But we can’t do magic here. I’ve tried.”



“Maybe you need a reason to use it. Or a great need. Either way, Kid managed a Patronus.”



“A Patronus?! That’s powerful magic!”



“I know, but somehow he managed to shield us from the Dementors.” And Draco looked proudly at Kid, and expression on his face James couldn’t explain.



“You care for him, don’t you” asked James and Draco nodded. He didn’t know how or why, but he felt kinship to both personas. With James he felt closer. When he looked at the teenager he could see the fear and pain in his eyes and the weight on his shoulders. Draco knew James was the one keeping Potter from going completely crazy.



“Good,” said James, “cause if you didn’t I would have had to kill you.” And he smiled at Draco through the joke. Draco smiled back before looking serious.



“I care about you too,” he said, lifting a strand off James’ face and tracing the spot where the scar would be. James jerked away, but didn’t move.



“What about Harry?” asked James with and equally serious look. “Do you care about him too?”



Draco thought for a moment. Did he care for Potter? He had just learned more about the ex-Gryffindor then he wanted and a lot he didn’t. He even learned Potter’s life was more then he had been lead to believe and he still managed to not hate everyone around him. Potter had even begged his forgiveness for past mistakes. Draco had always been taught that compassion and mercy were a weakness that he must never show anyone because he would never get any in return. But Potter, through James, inside and out, protected him and helped his family. Potter went out of his way to help Draco, and for some reason that connected him to Potter.



“Yes, James,” said Draco. “I care about Harry. Very much,”



James smiled, went to pick up Kid, and opened the door. “We better get going,” he said. “Death memories always attracts them faster.”



Draco nodded and they headed out. They had been walking for a half hour before Kid woke up again. He was happy to see James again and expressed it by hanging onto the teenager’s neck. Draco felt a little jealous about it, either because James was carrying Kid or because Kid wanted to be with James. He couldn’t tell but he was content to walking beside them. He wasn’t a pedophile, that he knew. He held nothing but brotherly love toward Kid. James on the other hand….



‘Head out of the gutter,’ he thought before turning to James. “Oh, by the way, Evans,” he said, “if you run off like that again, I’ll hurt you.”



James laughed. “Oh, I’m shaking in my sneakers, Malfoy.”



Draco smirked. “Hey, I’ve been busy for the past six years. While Harry’s been hiding, I’ve been learning ways to protect me and my mother. It hasn’t been easy on her. There’s still the occasional attack on our house, but nothing serious”



“I’m sorry, Draco. We tried to make things right while Harry was sane, we really did.”



“I know, and it’s fine. I don’t blame Harry. I blame Murtagh McGregor.”



“Is he the one? The one who cursed Harry?”



Draco nodded. “He found an Unforgettable during the year of the Final Battle.”



“What’s an Unforgettable? Are they like Unfogivables?”



Draco chuckled. “I keep forgetting you were raised in the Muggle World. An Unforgettable is something all pure-bloods learn. It’s a spell where the names are never forgotten but the incantation never taught. Murtagh McGregor found the incantation to one of them. It was call the Nightmare Curse, later renamed the Dementors Curse. You can see why.”



James’ eyes flared. “Remind me to thank him.”



“No need. He died a few months after he cursed Harry. Auror raid.”



“Then I should thank them.” James gave Draco a sarcastic grin that Draco returned affectionately. Draco turned away to hide the blush on his face. They had only been wondering for a half hour when they felt the heart freezing cold.



“They’re active today,” said James. Kid clutched the older boy’s robes.



“I’ll lead them off,” said Draco, turning a corner.



“Draco…”



“Hey, even I’m allowed to be a Gryffindor every once in a while,” said Draco with a smile.



James returned it with a thoughtful look. “Sometimes we are Sorted too soon,” he said, then looked up at Draco. “But you’re very much a Slytherin.”



“I’ll take that as a compliment. Meet up in the Great Hall?”



James hesitated before nodding. Draco nodded as well and ran down the corridor.



“Draco, wait!” Draco turned to look at James, who blushed as Draco looked at him. “B-be careful.”



Draco smiled at him. “You too.” And he ran down the hall. He ran down corridors and up and down stairs. He used every nook and cranny he knew to try and outwit the Dementors, but they seemed to always find him.



It wasn’t long before he was running up stairs as the Dementors closed in on him. His foot slipped and he rolled down the stairs toward the Dementors. He landed on the bottom and stared into he veiled face of the nightmarish creature.



(He had been kept in the cellar for a while, the door only opened either for food and water or to take away his waste. There was no light to see by, but his eyes got used to the dark a long time ago and cringed at the light whenever the trap door opened. His hair was matted and dirty, as was the rest of him. The school clothes he had on when he was thrown in there were torn and ripped. He had taken his cloak off to use as a blanket at night and wrapped himself with it during the day. He long ago gave up on the thought of mercy as their “Lord” was supposedly well known for.



He shivered as another chill pass through him and hugged his cloak tighter. If he had been in the same cell as Ollivander then at lest he’d have someone to talk with, but then it wouldn’t be solitary confinement. When he had came back with Snape, the Dark Lord wasn’t happy that he hadn’t finished the job himself. But there was something else the Dark Lord was angry about. He was very good at finding out hidden meanings and lies. It was almost like Voldemort didn’t expect him to return.



“He wanted me to die,” he muttered. “He wanted a member of the Phoenix Order to kill me.” Growling he stood up looking up at the ceiling. “You tried to kill me! You wanted me to die! Why?! WHY?!”



He tried to think over the event prior to his ignition into the Death Eater ranks. They had told him he’d get revenge for what happened to his father. Lucius had failed a few weeks prior at the Hall of Prophecy in the Department of Mysteries. He was supposed to get an orb for the Dark Lord and failed.



Wait. That was it. His father had failed.



“My death would have punished my father,” he said in realization. “Is that it? You were punishing my father?! Well, screw you, you bastard! I survived my father, I survived the Order of the Phoenix, and I will survive you! I’ll play your game by my rules! I’ll outlive you, curse your name and spit on your grave! You cannot kill me! I will not let you kill me!”



He was screaming at the top of his lungs. He knew he was. Screaming, pounding the floor, the wall, taking his anger out any way he could since the man he was angry at wasn’t present. He pounded the walls till he felt a sharp crack in his wrist. He cried out and clutched his wrist, not too hard, afraid it might break further. Sinking to the ground he clutched his wrist and sobbed. He hadn’t cried since he was a child, since his father told him Malfoy’s never cry, never show emotion over the slightest thing. He held his father in the highest regard so he tried to emulate Lucius. He wanted to be like his father, in the most obsessed way. He had failed.



The door to the cellar opened and he flinched away from the bright light.



“Come on, you maggot,” growled a voice that he recognized as Amycus Carrow. “Get outta there.”



He knew better then to anger the Carrow siblings. Slowly he got up from the cellar, holding his wrist close to his chest and kept his head down from the bright light and stood apart from the brother and sister.



“Oh, does little Drakey have a boo-boo,” laughed Alecto when she spotted Draco’s wrist and bloody knuckles. “Maybe Mummy should kiss it and make it feel better.” Both brother and sister laughed. He didn’t respond. “What’s the matter, Drakey? Cat got your tongue?”



“I heard him screaming a few minutes ago,” said Amycus. “Maybe he yelled his voice harsh.” Both laughed again.



“Come on, boy,” said Alecto shoving him. “The Dark Lord wishes to see you.”



He didn’t comment, didn’t throw out the insult he held on his tongue. Instead he walked between the Carrows to his father’s study. It was where the Dark Lord always conducted his meetings in the Manor. When he walked in the only light to see by was from the fire-place. His aunt Bellatrix, whom he had the honor of meeting two years ago, stood behind the Dark Lord’s chair, where He sat, running his hands lovingly along the giant snake’s skin as Nagini wound herself around his chair. Bellatrix was bouncing on her heels, keeping her excitement to herself. She must have found a new toy to “play” with. His mother stood frightened in a corner, and next to his mother was….



“Father,” he said in surprise and tried to walk toward Lucius, but Amycus grabbed him by his greasy hair. He cried out and stopped in his tracks, reaching behind him to try and loosen his hold.



“Now, now, Amycus,” He said. “Draco’s just excited to see his father again, aren’t you, Draco?” Silently he nodded, not looking at the snake of a man. “See, nothing to worry about. Let him go.” Amycus did, wiping his hands on his robes. The Dark Lord looked at him and noticed him protecting his wrist. “What’s this? Alecto, I told you not to harm him.”



“I didn’t….”



“I hurt myself, my lord,” he said quickly. Through he would have liked for Alecto and Amycus to be punished, it didn’t seem right to blame the Carrows on what he did.



The Dark Lord looked at him in amusement. “An honest boy. I like that. We’ll go lighter on your punishment.”



Punishment? Wasn’t staying in that cellar for three weeks enough?



“Narcissa, heal your son.” His mother, too scared to say no, took out her wand, went of to her son, and healed his wrist with a tap of her wand. “Very good. Now, what do you say, Draco?”



“Thank you, Mother,” he said.



“Move away, Narcissa,” He said and Narcissa moved away. “Now, Draco, three weeks ago you attempted to finish your mission, but failed.”



“Yes, my lord,” he said.



“The three weeks in isolation was what Mudbloods would call a “time-out.” Now it’s time for the spanking. Lucius.”



Lucius looked up at the Dark Lord, obviously terrified. “My lord, please, he’s only a boy….”



“He is your son, Lucius. He was never a boy. Now he has to pay for the consequences of his actions.” Lucius held back. The Dark Lord looked at his father, his red eyes flashing crimson. “Do it, Lucius, or I’ll kill him here and now.”



His breathe hitched at the thought of dying as his father walked toward him, his wand out and pointed at him.



“I’m sorry, Draco,” said his father. “Crucio!”



The next second, he was screaming)



Draco was suddenly pulled out of the memory as the Dementor floated away from him. Something had drawn their attention away from him. He felt something pulling his sleeve and looked up to see Kid attempting to pull Draco away from the Dementors, but Draco was too heavy for him. Sitting up, Draco grabbed Kid’s hand and ran in the opposite direction.



“Where’s James,” asked Draco. Kid pointed to where they came from. “That idiot. He’s going to get himself killed.”



Grabbing Kid again, he half lead, half dragged the boy along. They found the teenager hiding in a room after giving the Dementors a merry chase.



“Bloody Gryffindor,” yelled Draco as they neared the teenager. “You have a death wish, don’t you?”



“You’re welcome,” said James with a smiled and crossed his arms.



Draco smirked. “Thank you for saving me.” Then his face became serious. “Now, why did you save me?”



James’ smile disappeared. “After you left, I had a bad feeling. I waited till the Dementor’s left and followed them. When I saw you fall toward them I knew I had to act. I had Kid drag you away while I distracted them.” Sighing James walked over and grasped Draco’s arm. “That was a close one. You could have been like Kid.”



“Kid’s still a kid,” said Draco. “Terrified of his past. As painful as mine is, I’ve learned to accept mine.” Draco returned the grip, grasping James’ arm above the elbow. “Thank you, James Evans. I owe you my life.”



James laughed. “Just save Harry and I’ll call it even. After all, he is me.”



Smiling Draco wrapped his arms around James. The teenager stiffened for a moment before wrapping his arms around Draco as well. Draco wished right then that he could kiss him, but feared what James’ reaction would be.



“Let’s go,” he said and let go of the boy, but James caught him by the arm. Draco looked down at the teenager to see tender soft eyes, different from the annoyed look Harry had when they were in Hogwarts. Placing a hand James’ gently touch Draco’s cheek. Draco couldn’t stop himself after that. Putting a hand behind James’ head he bent to place a chaste kiss on the raven’s lips, while James eagerly accepted. After a while James managed to pry Draco’s lips apart and the kiss became heated, both tongues battling for dominance. In the end both were gasping and had to pull apart for air.



“Why,” asked Draco resting his forehead on James’.



“We’ve liked you since sixth year,” said James. “You were smart in your attempts to kill Dumbledore, if unlucky, and your perseverance on fixing the Cabinet was amazing. Most people would give up on a dead end project within a few weeks.”



“The Dark Lord gave me an incentive to keep working,” said Draco.



James nodded. “I know. Harry heard, in the bathroom…”



Draco lifted his head to look at James. “You remember?”



“It was one of Harry’s worst memories. He was so scared. He thought you had died. He didn’t mean to hurt you, just stop you from using the curse.”



“I know,” said Draco and wrapped the teenager in a tight embrace. “I’ve forgiven you.”



James smiled and buried his head in Draco’s chest, holding tight to his robes.



“What about Weasley,” asked Draco.



“We never told Ginny,” said James. “She knew we were bi, but we never told anyone. We kept it a secret and prayed we’d never see you again, to keep Ginny happy.”



“Sorry for unanswered prayers.”



James shook his head. “It’s all right. There hasn’t been anyone. Not since….” James shuddered and sniffed back a tear. Draco could feel the teenager’s body shaking.



“It’s all right to cry, James,” he said. “For all of you. Ginny wouldn’t want you to keep it inside.”



At that James began to cry in Draco’s robes, grieving for those he lost in years past. The Mind Healer felt a tugging on his robe and looked down to find Kid with eyes filled with tears. Draco wrapped his arm around the boy as well and held both personas protectively as they cried their grief away.



To Be Continued