My Mate

The knife froze a bare inch above Ginny’s heart. Lucius snarled and jerked his head up just in time to see a black blur pile drive him. They landed in the snow with thump, rolling over until Draco rested on his father’s chest, wand pointed at his throat.

His eyes were dialated and glowing silver with rage in the moonlight. His grip tightened around Lucius’ neck.

"Give me a reason." He snarled.

Without warning, the older man tossed his son over his head and jumped to his feet, drawing his wand at the same time as Draco. They circled warily like wolves, sizing each other up.

“You sick son of a bitch! If she’s harmed in any way, you’ll wish for death by the time I’m through!” His face was deadly serious.

"Patricide, Draco?" Lucius snapped mockingly. "This is all beneath you. This traitor, the veela blood, cavorting with the enemy. After I rid you of her, you'll be yourself again and you'll take your place where you belong ready to lead the next battle.”

"There will be no next battle Father. Not if I can help it. And Ginny is not changing my loyalties." He paused, then finished with relish. "I changed my loyalties years ago when I turned spy for the Order."

Lucius paled in shock. "What? You weren't. You were a Deatheather."

"You're a fool." Draco spat, knowing it would infuriate Lucius. His blood was running hot, the veela instincts turning him into a feral animal.

He wanted to kill him. He wanted to finally be rid of his evil influence, to give justice to the hundreds of people he'd murdered. To get the peace he craved.

He wanted to kill him because he was going to kill his mate.

"I was part of the reason the Dark Lord was defeated. I helped bring him down and all the while, you were too blind to notice." Draco taunted.

Lucius roared in rage and threw a curse at him, his eyes wild. Draco managed to block it and then sent a curse back at the older man.

Back and forth they went firing curse after curse, until finally, an Expelliarmus sent Draco's wand flying. His father's civil veneer had ripped away to reveal the crazed lunatic beneath and he shouted "Crucio!", his wand pointed straight at Draco's chest.

Draco flung his palm outstretched and the curse exploded in a flash of light. Lucius gaped as Draco stood, fury radiating from his body.

"Did I fail to mention that I've become proficient in wandless magic?" His voice was silky but like Severus, that was when he was the most dangerous.

Ginny gaped at her mate. Once Lucius’ chanting had been interrupted, she had slowly come back to her senses and finally become aware of the fight going on around her.

She’d gasped with the fear that had gripped her when she thought Draco had been beaten, then again in amazement at his display.

She'd never seen anyone do wandless magic before. It took an exceptional amount of control to focus the concentration without the aid of a wand.

A flicker of fear shone in Lucius’ eyes, but then a sly smile crossed his lips and he threw another hex at Draco, then before his son could recover, levitated the dagger back over Ginny’s heart, this time pressing against her pale freckled skin.

She bit back a cry and was dimly aware of Draco’s roar of rage as the threat of the cold steel held her still.

Draco shot a look at Ginny, then back to his father who was smirking in triumph.

“If you try anything, you’re beloved mate will die.” Lucius spat. “However, if you do as I say, I may let her live.”

Draco snarled, baring his teeth, blood lust still burning in his eyes.

“I’ll kill you for this.”

Lucius laughed. “By the time I’m finished with you, you’ll be the perfect Dark wizard. I can promise you that. Now decide!”

“You won’t let her live either way.”

Lucius narrowed his eyes in anger. “If that’s the way you want it.” He pulled a silver dial out of his pocket with his left hand and pressed it.

A sudden roaring sound filled the clearing that had nothing to do with the storm. Then as if a veil had been ripped away, a great silver cage appeared to the right of the slab, the door swinging open and a werewolf in full form charged out straight toward Ginny.

“Noo!” Draco roared and flung himself over a terrified Ginny, knocking the knife away and thrust out his hand to fling a curse, but didn’t have time before the werewolf hit him, tumbling them both to the ground.

“Draco!” Ginny screamed over the growling and cursing.

“Call him off, he’s going to kill Draco!” She yelled to Lucius.

He just stood there impassively looking on as Draco dealt the werewolf an effectively harsh stun that sent it stumbling away, allowing his son to jump to his feet ready to do battle.

The silence of the night was broken with howls and snarls that sent chills up Ginny’s spine as she lay there, helpless to do anything but watch her mate fight for his life. He had gashes along his side and upper arm and now he too was dripping blood.

Grief tightened her throat and she struggled yet again in useless effort to free herself from the magical ropes. So caught up in the fight for life or death, Ginny didn’t have time to dwell on the ramifications of the wounds inflicted by the werewolf except for a tiny little voice in the back of her mind that was keening with the pain of what Draco could expect if they all got out of this.

She screamed as Draco got swiped across his chest and fell to his back in the snow. The werewolf howled and then dove for him, but was thrown back with a large ball of light. Draco stood and fired another at the beast, driving him backwards again and again as he sent curse after curse, one after the other.

His eyes were glowing and he was snarling himself, not too unlike the animal he was fighting. One more blast and the werewolf backed itself into the cage and Draco slammed the door shut, sealing it tightly with magic.

Ginny sighed with relief, a couple stray tears trickling down her face.

Draco whirled back around to confront his father but saw only empty snow. He sank to his knees, pale and shaking, his breath coming in short pants.

Narcissa cursed herself for being so foolish as to have come alone. Now here she was after having snuck up behind Lucius to stun him, only to be the one stunned when he whirled around and then Apparated them a few hundred yards deeper into the woods.

He’d bound her to a tree and now stood over her, taking in her appearance with a curled lip and arms crossed over his chest. There was a deadly gleam in his eye that scared her.

"Well, well. My darling wife. How strange that I should find you alive and well when I was told you were dead.” His words were mocking but his voice was mild. The next moment, however, his face twisted into a mask of rage.

“I had my supsicions." Lucius snarled at Narcissa. "Where have you been you whore?" He picked up her wand.

Narcissa clamped her mouth shut. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

His eyes narrowed. “Not going to tell me? I’ll just have to find out from my son then, since he obviously aided you in this.”

“You stay away from him.” She hissed.

“Now why would I do that? He’s my son after all.” He lifted her chin with the tip of his wand. “He’s also a traitor thanks to you and that Weasley. It seems my whole family has been a traitor to the cause.” He took a couple steps back and lifted his wand.

“You’re a fool! A sick twisted, idiot bastard! I’ve been spying for years and you never noticed! You think you’re so smart and idolized, but people hate you and you’re an arrogant, vain spiteful, cruel, stupid coward and you have no idea how much of a dupe you really are!”

He snarled in rage and backhanded her viciously across the face, then ripped her robes open to her waist. He squeezed her breast in a crushing grip, causing her to cry out in pain.

“Has anyone else had these?” Lucius yanked her hair back hard. “Well? Have you been whoring yourself?”

She spit in his face and managed not to make a sound at his retaliating slap. “There’s only been one other man…before AND after you.” Narcissa relished the rage on her husband’s face. “And he’s the only one who really matters. You were just my rapist. He was my lover.”

She endured the resulting beating with the apathy of a person who was used to them. When he finished, she was sagging against the ropes, nearly unconscious.

Lucius straightened up. “You know, it’s very convenient that everyone already thinks you’re dead. I can correct the oversight right now and no one will ever imagine that I killed you.”

Narcissa closed her eyes. For a long time she had wanted to die and the only thing that had kept her going was her sons. Now that the moment was here, she wanted to live.

“Lucius, don’t. Think about this.” She whispered, wracking her mind for anything to delay him or escape.

“I don’t think so Narcissa. I’m going to relish this. You’d become a cold fish in bed and a bore out of it. I was glad you were dead, you know.” He said cruelly.

“Although, I am curious as to how you managed to get the ring off without cutting off your finger. It seems my son has become more powerful than I had realized. I’ll be taking care of his traitorous impulses one way or another after I finish with you.”

“Now, no more stalling.” Lucius tilted his head back and gave her one final sneer. “Goodbye my dear.”