Broomsticks and The Wizards Gauntlet

Broomsticks and The Wizards Gauntlet

Chapter 13

Draco rolled over on Hermione in their bed and propped himself up on his elbows over top of her.

“So, are you going to take me to The Gauntlet tonight?”

Hermione’s face dropped.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m going shopping for baby clothes with Ginny tonight.” Draco scowled and Hermione withdrew.

“Still at that are we?”

“Just kiss me and stop all this talk. You could end up in Azkaban Draco. I have nightmares about you being there.”

“You never mentioned any nightmares.”

“Well it’s not something you talk about over breakfast, now is it?”

“I suppose not, yet, you don’t have to protect me Hermione. I’m a big boy.”

Hermione smiled and reached down between the sheets and found what she wanted. “I’ll say you’re a big boy.”

“You’re changing the subject,” Draco said, his voice shaking as he shivered at her touch.

“Draco I’m meeting Ginny in a few minutes. Is this how you want to spend our last few minutes together?” Draco thought about it and decided he could think of far better things to do. He threw the sheet over their heads and growled, before pinning Hermione to the bed. He could have no idea that these images of his giggling wife, frolicking in bed with him, her tender touch so loving and so right, would be the only thing he had left by the end of the night. How could he? Perhaps if he had listened to Hermione…but he didn’t.

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The house was empty. Hermione was gone. Luke was back at Hogwarts and working in the lab during his days. Scorpius and Persephone had boarded the train back to school. Jillian was with Narcissa at The Manor. Narcissa welcomed the baby, at every opportunity because she was dreadfully lonely without Lucius, and with only a house elf to keep her company. No word from Lucius. Draco didn’t worry too much though. Lucius was as resourceful as they came. He was probably deep undercover anyways, so Draco did not bother sending an owl to check on his progress. He knew Lucius wouldn’t return without the information he desperately needed. Even if he was able to prove that Ancient’s potions were infecting pregnant women with one of their many baby line potions, he still had to be able to tie Raspodin (who claimed he was related to Rasputin) to the company. He had all his ducks in a row. Blaise had gone with Luna and her kids. It had been a sullen moment for Draco, having to say goodbye to his best friend and his sister all at the same time. Nevermind the kids. When he said goodbye to Jessie, she refused to let go of him. He finally whispered in her ear that he would see her in a few hours—that he was going to see her safely out of Britain. Jessie smiled and made him promise. There was no turning back after making that promise to the cute little girl. He was going to The Gauntlet. Not only that, he was going to win the whole damn thing! He would not leave Luna to the mercy of some git, that Harry Potter picked. He saw how pathetic Wood had performed. If Harry and Hermione actually thought that he wouldn’t show up, then they really were naïve Gryffindors…but Draco was a Slytherin, then and now. He had every intention of going, so he dressed in black once again, slipped on his boots and cast disillusion charms over himself as disguise. He pulled the diamond and onyx mask down over his eyes and looked at his wedding band. Last time he had taken off, so that Hermione wouldn’t recognize it. This time he left it on…He wasn’t going to lie to her. If she noticed him, then she noticed him. Three apparitions later and Draco was at Loch Lyon, the site of The Wizard’s Gauntlet and from what he could get out of Hermione, which wasn’t much, Harry’s new home. He wondered where the house was. Harry had no doubt set up wards and enchantments to block the house from view. He wondered if Jessie was in there and if she was scared being in a new place. He wondered if Harry had the house stocked with food and towels and all the things little Jessie was used to at Serenity. He doubted it, but he was hopeful, since he knew Ginny and he were back together.

Draco spotted Blaise almost immediately. He was standing with a bunch of Gryffindor’s who were all preparing to run the Gauntlet tonight. Draco approached a man and was shocked when he got closer and could see that it was Neville Longbottom. He listened into his conversation with the other man who spoke with an Irish accent.

“I dun really care ‘bout the squibs so much. I just want to run the gauntlet, Neville,” the masked Irishman said. Draco recognized his voice. It was that ruddy Seamus Finnegan.

“I don’t like that Dimitri Raspodin. Pansy left me because of him. He’s not a good wizard. She started spouting off all that rubbish that ‘You Know Who’ used to preach about dirty blood.”

“Who gives a flying fuck who the Minister is. Draco Malfoy isn’t much better. They’re all corrupt in politics. That Gauntlet though…I just know I’m going to win.Bet me mate at the pub that I’d at least place third or better.” Draco nearly laughed. Seamus would probably make it to the flying course and then he would light his eyebrows or his hair on fire like he used to back in school. That was, if he wasn’t killed by the swinging pendulums first.

“I dunno, I rather like Malfoy now. Hermione really changed him. He seems softer now, and nicer.” Seamus laughed at that and Draco huffed. Softer? I mean, he wasn’t making fun of Longbottom anymore or calling him names, but Draco was hardly soft. “The laws he’s passed have really been good for the environment. If it wasn’t for him, the Forbidden Forest might be a shopping mall.”

“He did build a shopping mall though, right in my bloody backyard!” Seamus piped in as he stretched and dropped down to do a few push-ups, like he saw other wizards doing. He could barely do even one though.

“Pathetic,” Draco said aloud to Seamus, before tapping Blaise on the shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Draco? Wow, I can’t really focus on you. Nice charm work there. Yeah, I don’t trust these idiots to take Luna and the kids along. So, I’m going to attempt it.”

“Blaise…You’re going with her anyway. You’ll be there. You don’t need to get yourself hurt before your journey. I got it covered, don’t worry.” Blaise looked at him with a smile.

“You’re going to run it?”

“You bet Neville’s fat arse I’m going to run it. I don’t trust Potter to pick someone good enough. Besides, it looks fun.”

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“Don’t take it Scorpius. Just try it without it. I’ll be here for you,” Persephone muttered from Scorpius’s bed in the Slytherin dorm. He had threatened to hex anyone that complained about a girl being in the boys’ dorms and then he had closed the curtains to his bed while Sapphire cast silencing charms around the bed. Hogwarts was just not set up for married couples, and Sapphire hated Ravnclaw, so she wasn’t about to bring her husband into her dorm. She worried that one of the girls would try something anyways, like casting a love spell or…worse.

“My whole body hurts when I don’t take it and my head is so foggy. I’m only taking a small dose Sapphire.”

“Scorpius…Please. My Professor said I had an aptitude for being a healer. You can be my first patient!”

“Okay…but if it gets too bad, I’m taking some. I think you best hold me naked too,” Scorpius said with a sly smirk.

“Naked huh? If you can get it off then you can have it,” she said giggling and pulling the sheets up tight around her neck. Scorpius ripped the sheet off and mashed his body against hers, his lips finding hers.

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Earlier in the day…

“Little Malfoy? Holy shit, how longs it been?” Damien Stratton said, sauntering into Draco’s Potions store in Hogsmeade. “By the letter I thought I was meeting your Dad.”

Damien relaxed a bit. Apparently, Damien had no recollection of Luke’s fists clobbering him by the elevators of the Dragon Witch, the last time they had met.

“I hope you aren’t disappointed.”

“Hell no. I thought your Dad had changed his mind and was going to deport me and my Mum.” Damien said and Luke chuckled. He knew how these bluebloods were, pompous and ice cool. He knew, because Luke was what you would call a blueblood as well. The Malfoy’s had always been from old money too. Luke sat back in his chair and narrowed his eyes.

“So, I guess you have quite an inheritance now, since your Dad passed on. I bet you and your Mum will be buying a grand house?” If there was one thing a blueblood liked talking about more then their trophies and their conquests, it was their money.

“Have you seen your father’s will?” Damien asked and Luke was taken a back. It wasn’t the answer he expected.

“No.”

“You should ask him to show you the bloody thing. Kiss arse if you have to now, to get it changed.”

“What are you talking about Stratton?”

“I’m talking about the fact that my father cut both me and my Mum off!”

“He did? Man, that’s harsh,” Luke replied sincerely. “Can’t you fight it though?”

Damien put his hand up and shook his head. “It’s not as bad as it sounds, though Mum had to take a job at the Ministry. Your Dad gave her the job when he found out what father did to us. I get the money…with stipulations.” Damien paced the shop in front of Luke.

“I don’t get the money until I produce a male heir. Father had a stringent policy on birthright and continuing the Stratton line. Only problem is…finding a girl who wants to have a baby, and doesn’t mind a bloke who is cash poor at the moment. Oh yeah, she has to want to give me a son too, not a daughter,” Damien laughed.

“Ah, I see. Might not be so hard though.”

“Luke…Nobody even knows who I am in these parts! My name is nothing here. I won’t have any doors held open for me like I would have in America. I’ll have to actually work! And dating…would you date me? I mean, I’m a bit of a pompous, arrogant prick, so this girl told me yesterday in some ruddy class called Divination.” Luke laughed and leaned forward, intent on giving Damien a good run down of how things worked on this side of the pond, when Molly Weasley stepped through the store, with Drew and baby Arthur in tow. Drew quickly passed the baby to Molly and shot Luke a pleading look.

“Luke, uhh Damien,” Drew stammered.

“Drew?” Damien said moving a step closer to Drew. Molly scowled at the boy. “This is where you’re from? Yeah, now I remember. You used to always say that all the boys here were so stuffy. Well, least ya got little Malfoy. Good to see ya,” Damien said casually, glancing at the little boy in Molly’s arms. Molly opened her mouth to speak but just then the bell on the door of the Potions shop rang and Lily popped her head through.

Luke had left Honeydukes after having their picture taken, with a plastered smile to his face. He could barely find the words to say goodbye to Lily as they stood stock still facing each other outside the Potions store. Luke finally said that he had a meeting and Lily just looked at him, before walking off in a daze. She looked recovered now as she smiled at Luke and blushed.

“Lily?” Luke didn’t have time to follow that up, because Lily put her hands over her eyes and then blurted out what she had come to ask.

“Luke, are we dating? I mean, are you my boyfriend?” At that moment, Luke was not even remotely aware of the people standing in the room. He swaggered over to Lily and reached for her hand.

“I want to be. Do you want that too?” Luke said sweetly and Lily nodded her head.

“Then…Yes. Girlfriend.” Luke reached up and brought her lily-white hand to his mouth where he kissed it affectionately. Suddenly he felt eyes on him and he winked at Lily and whispered that he would see her the next time she brought his assignments. Luke spun around to find Molly about to unleash.

“So, why don’t the three of you go enjoy Hogsmeade. Most of the other students have left and gone back to the castle. Drew, why not take the baby and Damien both to Honeydukes? There’s a very cool machine in the back of the shop that I think you both will find fascinating. Molly I wanted to talk to you for a moment.”

Damien seemed to welcome the company as he hadn’t made any friends, besides Scorpius who he already knew, since arriving at Hogwarts. Drew took the baby and watched as the trio strolled down the way towards Honeydukes.

“Don’t mess this up for her! Do you hear me?” Luke said to Molly who was watching them from the door.

“How dare you speak to me that way! You Malfoy’s, I swear you need to learn some manners,” she spat.

“No, you need to learns some manners! You treated me like filth for months, for no reason at all. I would have married Drew. You knew that too, didn’t you? You just don’t want to share the baby! You act as if it’s your baby. It’s Drew’s! Best you keep that in mind, should you ever want visitation with your great grandson.”

Molly opened her mouth in shock. “How dare you! You have no rights to the boy at all!”

“No, I don’t, but the father of your great grandson, just walked out the door with Drew and Artie.”

“That’s…he’s? That’s the Stratton boy?”

“Indeed. So stay out of it and let them fall in love again.” Molly was clamoring at the window to catch a glimpse of her granddaughter with Damien Stratton now.

“Is he a nice boy?” Molly asked.

“Not particularly…but Drew isn’t the innocent girl you think she is either,” Luke laughed, before declaring that he was kidding. Luke went back to his potion and ignored Molly, who sat by the door watching and waiting for Drew.

“Awww come quick and look, Luke!” Luke reluctantly made his way to the door. It felt so wrong spying on them, but he was curious how their little date was going. Damien was pushing Drew and the baby on a swing. He looked a little uncomfortable when people walked by, but when they were alone, Luke noted the genuine smile on his face. He would jump around the swing and scare the little boy in a game of peek-a-boo that the baby seemed completely enthralled with the game.

“I’m sorry I treated you the way I did. I was just protecting my granddaughter. She hasn’t had the best role models as parents. I blame her mother but also…I blame my son. I know that Ron loves her dearly, and I blame his wife for not giving him the love that he needed.” Luke rolled his eyes. Molly was blind when it came to her children. They could do no wrong, and he knew that would never change. Molly was about to go, when Luke opened his mouth and said the wrong thing. Though he didn’t know it at the time.

“So I guess you must be excited that Harry and Ginny got back together and are having another baby?”

“What!!” Molly nearly fainted.

“Shit!” Luke mouthed as he watched the elderly Weasley fan herself, in complete shock.

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Hermione stood in a flowing white gown, that Draco recognized as her wedding dress. Just seeing her in that gown brought back pleasant memories. Over her gown, she wore a red cloak and on her face, this time she wore a diamond and ruby mask. Harry was dressed differently too. He guessed that they must have changed their outfits for each Gauntlet, much like a chameleon. It seemed like something the paranoid Harry Potter would do to throw people off their trail. If it hadn’t of been for his wife’s bushy hair, Even he might not have figured out who they were.

Harry stepped up to speak to the crowds, when one completely inebriated wizard got in Harry’s face.

“I know who ye are! You’re Draco Malfoy! You’re the reason I had to spend two weeks in hospital!” The wizard turned to the crowd now and ranted. “I worked at a squib shop and a bunch of you fecking arseholes and criminals, threw stones at me and my employer when we were delivering one of the filthy squibs to a client! Well, Draco Malfoy and all of you’s can rot in bloody hell!” He pulled something from a black bag he conjured with his wand and then suddenly the Loch was filled with an ear piercing screeching sound. Draco saw witches and wizards close to the man quickly conjur earplugs and Draco did the same, as he couldn’t tell from his vantage point, just what the drunk wizard had produced from the bag, but he wouldn’t take a chance. Harry leapt on the thing and ran with it, throwing it into the cold dark waters of the loch, before brushing his hands off and returning to the crowds.

“You idiot! That was a teenage mandrake plant! You could have killed someone, or made them very, very sick.”

“I wanted to kill you Draco Malfoy! You have ruined my livelihood!” One witch in the pack was on her knees and Hermione was kneeling down next to the witch, patting her hand and soothing her cries.

“Neville, can you get him out of here? Don’t take your wand off him either. I’ll deal with him later.” Draco watched the scene unfold with amused curiosity. He didn’t care if the bloody bastard’s livelihood was ruined when Draco first proposed the controversial new squib laws and many of Draco’s supporters had protested against the squib shops. The shops were still running, so he suspected this wizards drinking problem played more of a part in his losing his job then some stone throwing protestors event. Besides, he didn’t care. They were slave traders and they deserved to pay a hefty price.

Neville looked at Harry and Draco and saw knowing on his face. At least one wizard besides Draco knew who the master of ceremonies was. Everyone was about to find out after what Hermione did next. She charged the drunk wizard and threw off her mask for all the crowd to see.

“Look you slimy little cock roach! How dare you threaten to kill my husband. He is a good and honest man. He is decent, and kind and he cares about all of you! He would probably take pity on you, but I won’t!” (Nope, Draco would not take pity on him either) Hermione was sticking her finger into the wizard’s chest repeatedly, as she pushed him backwards. “I just want to….” Hermione said pulling back her fist, before Harry Potter pulled her off the wizard.

“Neville, please get him out of here!” Harry said in frustration as Hermione struggled to break free of his grip. “And you! Stop it!” he shouted at Hermione and she stopped writhing in his grip. Harry let go and shot Hermione a ‘here goes nothing look’ before ripping his mask off.

“Hear me now!” Harry shouted and the crowd gasped at seeing ‘The Chosen One’. “We are all here to run the Gauntlet. I will be running it tonight too! Now, do I have any takers?” Almost every hand shot up at that. To compete against Harry Potter, the chosen one, the wizard who defeated Voldemort, was too great a thrill and Harry finally got what he wanted—some real competition.
“Harry, there’s too many people! We will be here all night,” Hermione said. Harry agreed. There must have been twenty to thirty wizards wanting the chance of putting up a better time then Harry Potter. People were whispering about Hermione and Harry too, which pissed Draco off. He wanted to take his mask off, but Blaise held his shoulder and told him, no. All it would take is one bad wizard to see him and turn him in.

“Thank you all for volunteering. In order to save on time we are going to run this five at a time. The rules are, well, there are no rules, just get to the end first with the best time!”

Draco watched with the rest of the others, and more then once Hermione looked at him. Draco began to get a little nervous when she started to stare at him. Disillusion or no disillusion, Hermione was his wife and she knew him better then anyone. He really didn’t want a scene to occur, so he blended into the pack. The first set of wizards failed miserably. They all five ended up in a scrap heap in the devil’s snare and Harry had to pull their tangled bodies out, while Hermione used her wand to release the others. Harry was laughing though, finding it all tremendously hilarious. He was surprised they made it past the pendulums, the way they all took blows to the head, but somehow managed to balance on the thin plank.

Only two of the second group made it past the maze to the flying course. Draco noticed that one was Seamus Finnegan, and the other one of his Slytherin mates from his Hogwarts days, Marcus Flint, and pretty dirty quidditch player back in his day. Draco cringed when he saw what Flint was about to do to Seamus, as they approached one of the smaller fire rings. Seamus was looking at the clue inside the ring, instead of looking at Flint, which is where his eyes should have been. Flint rammed him at the last second as they flew neck in neck and then poof, Seamus’s hair caught on fire. Harry was already anticipating this, as was Draco and he doused him rather quickly with a jet of water from his wand, but Seamus had a smoking bald spot by the time it was all over with.

Oliver Wood was back from a successful trip, escorting Theo Nott and family and he was riding high. He was in the second to last group of wizards, and he was in the lead. Harry growled and Hermione prayed he would fall off his broom or something, anything, to avoid having to deal with Wood again. Harry started warming up when he saw Wood entering the tunnel caves. He half suspected that it might be a long wait, and it was, as predicted. Harry waved his hand to signal the last group of wizards, with Wood still inside the caves. He wasn’t going to wait for Wood to figure out the clues again, not with the crowd growing restless and eager for the festivities to begin.

Draco mixed into the crowd of five. Harry was standing at the front and Draco at the back of the pack. He turned around and stared at Hermione and smiled and she put her hand over her mouth, as if she finally had her recognition. The warning shot was fired and the contestants were off!

Review!?

I know I left ya at a bit of a cliffy here…I am continuing to write and will put the next chapter up as soon as I finish it. It’s all Bill’s fault though for distracting me with his sexiness. Gotta love boyfriends!