The Malfoy Chronicles: A Witch in Time

Dawnangel - there are just so many words I can use to tell you how much you encourage me. I lok forward to each and every one of your reviews, and each has me more confident than the last. And don't worry, there will be smut soon! I just have to make them each realize that the other person is interested in them, which can be difficult with such stubborn people as the Malfoys and the Potters.

If there are any lurkers out there who want to review, feel free to drop me a line or two! I promise I won't bite...unless you ask me to! ^_^
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James decided to take things into his own claws when it came to talking with his father. The young man seemed to be doing everything in his power to ignore the half-human, and James was rather sick of it. He was aware that just after the trial for the illegal use of magic in the presence of a Muggle, that his father was still a bit on edge. And he sort of understood that it was a strange situation for his father to be in, to meet a son that wouldn’t be born for years to come.

He cornered his father one evening after dinner, not allowing the young man to leave.

“Father…err...Harry. We need to talk.” James said. Harry tried to squeeze by him, but James used his wings to block the rest of the doorway. “Why are you trying to avoid me? Have I done something wrong?” he asked. Harry swallowed.

“It’s not you…it’s me…” Harry said. James gave him a strange look.

“Dear god…! Are you breaking up with me?” James said, trying to feign hurt. A small smile graced Harry’s lips.

“No…that’s not what I meant. Look…this is…” Harry started.

“Awkward? Strange? Abnormal…hell…paranormal? I understand that this is not in the least bit normal. But…I want to get to know you better…” James said.

“Get to- but aren’t I your father? Don’t you know me?” Harry asked, starting to think this conversation might not be a good idea.

“No! You’re alive, and you’re with me…what I meant was that I wanted to get to know you as a peer. You’ve always seemed so…untouchable.” James said meekly, walking from the doorway to sit back at the now empty table. Harry sighed, and took a seat across from James.

“Untouchable? How so?”

“Well…you’re an Auror-”

“So are you.”

“You rank me.”

“Don’t I see you at home?”

“I’m afraid you don’t like me…”

“Why would you think that?”

James growled in frustration. “My magic is….complicated. To understand my magic you must understand how I got to be…draconic. I won’t tell you the whole story lest you retain some memory of this and try to prevent it. I’m different, yes, but I’m extremely proud of what I am. Anyway…my magic is like a magnet sometimes. And the draw pulls me to the Dark. And you hate that.” James said, averting his eyes from his father’s gaze.

“Other than some…attitude problems, you seem fine…” He said, unsure of himself. James chuckled softly.

“Thanks. I’m…I’m glad we got to talk.” James was squirming slightly.

“Me too.” Harry said. “Say…could you…you know…not threaten my godfather? He….he’s all I have left, you know. I’d like it if he stayed in one piece.” He added. James felt a strange tightening in his chest, but nodded gently.

“Of course, dad.”

~~

It had only been two days since the hair trick with Sirius, and already James and Tobias were feeling wary of retribution. They were aware of his dark eyes watching them at a slightly creepy intensity, and murmuring when they passed by. Tobias once suggested that they just poison him and get it over with, but James remembered the promise he had made to his father, and couldn’t bring himself to break it. He was tempted, though.

Tobias stretched himself out on the couch, the place that had been his bed since he got there. The damned piece of furniture was killing his back. He silently thanked the gods that he made a killer pain potion.

He stood, and stretched again, wincing as he heard his back and shoulders pop. He drew a small phial out of his pocket, and downed the contents quickly.

“Fucking couch…” he murmured.

“Don’t blame the couch, Mini-Bat.” Tobias jumped at the sudden sound, trying to draw his wand from his sleeve. He cursed loudly when it slipped from his fingers, and comically tried to juggle it back into his grip. By the time he finally pointed it, Sirius was nearly doubled over with laughter, his pink hair framing his face.

“Dear gods…” he panted. “You’re pathetic. At least your father can aim a wand…” he snickered, and walked away from his sentry at the door.

“I hate him…” Tobias ground out, tucking his wand back in his sleeve.

James was already up, eating hot cereal at the table. Tobias assumed Draca would be down after her shower, and settled for getting himself something to eat. The usual people were slowly milling into the kitchen, each getting his or her own breakfast.

The peaceful silence of the meal was broken by a piercing scream from upstairs. James choked on a bite of cereal.

“That’s Draca!” he snapped, drawing his wand and charging from the room, a few others behind him. Draca came running downstairs, her clothes thrown on haphazardly, sporting violent lime green hair. Tears streamed down her face.

“You fucking prick!” she screamed, and ran straight for Sirius, punching every bit of him she could reach. He drew his wand on her, and she backed away. “You should be so proud of yourself! You pranked a girl!” her voice was shrill with hysteria. “I hate you!” she said, and suddenly sat down where she stood, burying her face into her hands to sob miserably. James and Tobias were at her side immediately, and James drew her up into his arms, cocooning her further by wrapping his large wings around her.

Tobias glared at Sirius, his dark eyes glittering with malice. It was such a familiar gaze, and it shocked Sirius momentarily just how much Tobias looked like his father. Tobias whipped his wand from his sleeve, with much more grace than last time, and pointed it at Sirius.

“This ends now, Black.” he spat, and stood to his feet. Sirius sneered at him.

“Not my fault she can’t take a joke, is it, Mini-Bat?” he taunted, training his wand on Tobias. Tobias frowned, and shook his head.

“I was the one who made the dye. James was the one who slipped it into your shampoo. Why would you go after her?” He asked acidly, separating his feet in a more dual-worthy stance.

Molly Weasley stepped forward, looking quite murderous herself.

“That is quite enough you two!” she snapped. Neither of the wizards seemed eager to back down. “Wands away this instant! Sirius, you should know better than to pick fights with children! It was a harmless prank on you. I myself have been subject to much worse from my own sons!” her voice was booming. Fred and George, who were standing in the doorway, looked at each other and gave a high five. Pranking one’s mum could be both dangerous and exhilarating. She turned on Tobias. “And you know very well that you are underage, and not allowed to use magic!”

Tobias gave an eerie smile. “Ah…but you’re wrong. In 2009, a law was passed by the Ministry of Magic legalizing the use of magic by sixteen-year-olds. The age of legality still remains at seventeen, but the age of magical accountability was lowered.” He said. “I am therefore free of the Trace placed on my wand. I was on my sixteenth birthday. Happy Birthday to me.” He said, his wand hand never wavering.

It was Sirius who cast the first spell. Molly Weasley jumped back as a stunner was easily deflected by Tobias, who countered with an Expelliarmus. Sirius dodged, and cast an Impedimenta. The spell momentarily bound Tobias, before it was thrown off by a wave of raw magic.

Everyone cleared the way for the two dueling wizards. All were surprised at the grace in which Tobias moved. Dressed all in black as he was, he moved almost like smoke, airy and fluent as he dodged and ducked. James moved himself and Draca out of the way when a particularly nasty curse struck the floor near them.

Tobias threw a jinx at Sirius that resembled a black flame. It attached itself to the hem of his robe, and began quickly burning the material. With a yelp he threw off his outer robe, leaving him in his pants and shirt untouched.

“Had enough, old man?” Tobias taunted, a feral grin plastered on his face. Sirius kicked the burning robe aside, and sneered at the dark youth.

“Never, you slippery little serpent!” he snapped. Tobias took a few steps forward, a spell on the tip of his wand and tongue. “Flippendo!” Sirius spat. Tobias was struck in the chest by the blue jinx, and thrown quite painfully into a table which splintered under the weight. Tobias slowly dragged himself to his knees, taking a bone-breaking hex to the face. He cried out as blood poured from his newly broken nose. Sirius stood over Tobias, his wand still pointed at the boy. “Stup-” his finishing curse was interrupted when James spear-tackled him to the ground, knocking his wand from his hand.

“Leave him alone, you great bully!” As they struck the ground, Sirius deflected James off of him, flipping the boy completely in the air. James landed hard on his back, but was back on his feet in moments with a graceful kick of his legs. Sirius had already retrieved his wand, and was throwing curses at James by the time the half-human had drawn his own wand. James deflected the curses and jinxes easily, allowing Sirius to tire himself out. James put down his defense to cast a spell, and Sirius threw one last, desperate spell at James.

Quite aware of James’ dragon-like tendencies, he used a Conjunctivitis Curse to test his eyes. Apparently James’ eyes were a weak spot, because with a terrible scream of agony, James dropped his wand. He threw his arms across his face, and dropped to his knees. His cries were high-pitched and ear-splitting, like a dog whose paw had been stomped on. James threw himself backwards, screaming and writhing as if under the Cruciatus.

Draca ran forward to help her friend. Sirius grabbed her sleeve to stop her, and in a terrible rage she turned on him. In a stunning and terrifying display of grace and speed, she had knocked Sirius’ wand from his hand, punched him in the stomach, and did a full round-house kick to the side of his head, knocking him to the side.

“Don’t ever touch me!” she spat, and slid to a stop on her knees beside James. He was digging the heels of his hands against his eyes in extreme agony, and arching off of the floor. She gently laid a hand on his shoulder, but he rolled over on his stomach, pushing himself up onto his knees with his elbows, and curling in on himself. His wails had lessened in volume, but the sheer pitiful nature of the yowls was enough to stir the hearts of the residents of Grimmauld Place.

Draca looked up at the shocked crowd. “Does anyone know the counter for the Conjunctivitis Curse?” she asked, stroking one of James’ wings. Tonks stepped forward, a grave look on her face.

“There isn’t one. That spell just has to take its course. It’ll bother him for a few hours…” she said softly.

Tobias, with his face streaked with blood, was finally able to drag himself up from the place he had fallen.

“God. Damn. It. We would have probably been safer with the fucking Death Eaters!”
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Oh my! Such hostility! See...I always saw Sirius as a right arse. Just look at the way he treated Kreacher. It was a mite ridiculous.

Anyway, please read and review!