You know it, I don't own it.
Chapter 5: Proles Ater.
Draco, Hermione and Albus were still sitting in the Headmaster’s office. They were drinking their tea, thinking their own thoughts about the letter or simply staring out the window. Dumbledore had taken so long to read the letter -- he had actually read it four times to take in all the implications of the words -- that neither of the two students paid him any attention anymore. Nobody was looking at the other, everybody silent and in thought. Even the paintings who had been reading along with the Headmaster, not stopped by the magic imbued in the letter, seemed to be lost in thought.
~
Why, all of a sudden, did you have to become more than just Narcissa, why do you have to become my mother, when you are no longer here? Who is this girl you tell me is my sister? What do you want from me, Mother? I don’t know if I can give you what you need, whatever she needs. I’m dark, bitter, I hate the people sitting here with me, yet you make me open up to them. You tell me that they will help me, but can they? Do I even want them to? Why can’t you just be Narcissa, so I can be the Malfoy I want to be?
~
Draco glanced around once more, noticing that Albus wasn’t reading the letter anymore. He was deep in thought as well.
~
Well, Narcissa, it seems your secret is finally out, I knew you would share it with someone, someday. I think you chose the right person too, and even though he did not willingly choose her, Miss Granger will be the best person to help him in this matter. I still wonder though, there are many secrets. You keep some parts silent. I know what part it is, but are you ready to reveal it?
~
Albus lightly cleared his throat, not wanting to scare Draco and Hermione out of their thoughts too abruptly. It was Hermione who talked first.
“Sir, I know I’m not really a part of this situation,” she stole a quick glance at Draco, “but there is something that is bothering me.”
~
What is going on with that letter, there is magic inside that I have never felt before. And why did it show its contents to me, what part am I in all of this. Surely I play no part, do I? But then again I’m already here sharing my thoughts.
~
“Something other than the contents of this letter you mean, Miss Granger?” Albus had an idea what the young witch was getting at. She was smart and he knew she would instantly look beyond the words and at the magic. He also had an idea why she hadn’t solved the problem yet.
“Yes, sir, the magic in the letter, sir, it is under a very powerful protection spell. We, that is to say, you and me, sir, should not have been able to read it, even if Malfoy wanted us to.” She glanced at Draco again and noticed that he was looking between her and the Headmaster with curiosity. Albus just seemed to smile at her.
“Very good, Miss Granger, very perceptive of you.” Albus gave her another small smile, appreciating her for her quick thinking, before returning his focus on Draco. “Mr. Malfoy, I would like to explain something to you.” With that comment the twinkle in his eyes finally returned, if only shortly. Draco raised his brow in question, he was waiting. “There are actually several things I would like to explain to you, the magic Miss Granger mentioned being one of them, but I would like to begin somewhere else.” Albus sighed. Both Hermione and Draco could see something was troubling their Headmaster. They looked at each other, read the curiosity in brown and silver eyes and quickly looked in front of them again.
“Sir?” Draco chanced. He was getting more and more curious, as well as frustrated that he had already been in this office for almost two hours.
“Mr. Malfoy, you will probably be angry with me but I already know of the situation your mother is in, which means, well, I knew of this child. Please, I know, just let me finish,” Albus sighed. As expected, Draco’s eyes had instant fury in them; strangely enough, both Hermione and Albus noted it made them cold as ice.
Draco was only able to hold himself in, because…“because I need this man’s help.” He sighed deeply, looking at his Headmaster, still wondering if he could trust the old man.
“Explain.” While Albus started talking again, Draco felt his hands become painful, looked down and relaxed his hands so his nails no longer could dig into his flesh. The lines where his nails had been instantly became lighter. He refocused his attention.
“Your mother came to me a little over three years ago; she was pregnant and told me she needed my help. She wouldn’t tell me what exactly was going on, but since I, nor anybody else, had heard anything about another child of Malfoy coming into this world, I knew she needed my help with the child. She needed all the help I could give her, so I did.” Albus closed his eyes before continuing. “I will always help those who ask for it, sometimes even if they don’t.” Opening his eyes a moment, he looked at Hermione and saw the small smile on her face. He turned toward Draco again. “I helped your mother with putting the Fidelius Charm on the apartment she had in Paris. I begged her to let me help her more, hide the child like I knew she must, but she would not let me. I asked her if the father of the child could help.” Albus sighed. “After asking that question she shed one single tear and told me no. She told me to leave her alone; that the father did not even know about the child and that she wanted to keep everybody safe. That is when she left. I have kept my promise and I have never seen her or heard about her child since. Until now that is.”
Draco was shocked, and looking at Hermione, he saw that she was equally astounded by this information. Both his mother and his Headmaster had kept the secret from him for all this time. ‘Well, I wasn’t particularly close to either of them, so that shouldn’t be such a surprise,’ he thought.
“Miss Granger, maybe you can explain the magic you talked about earlier. I would like to hear your opinion.” Albus focused his blue gaze on her as he spoke to her.
Hermione was startled; so far she had been left out of most of the conversation. She had only chipped in when she thought her comments could add something. Now she was consciously pulled into the conversation. She had felt like an outsider and that is what she wanted to stay, thought that it was her place in all of this. Draco, however, had turned his silver grey, piercing eyes towards her and she saw a lock of blonde hair falling into his sight. She knew she was already a part of this, whatever this was, and could no longer be an outsider, so she started.
“Sir, I-I’m not really sure, you s-see t-the magic in t-that letter.” ‘Oh, stop stumbling, he asked you a question, now answer it!’ she thought as a slight blush crept into her cheeks. “Well, when I picked it up, back in the Entrance Hall, I mean, it was burning my fingers, just like it did to you, sir.” Albus nodded in confirmation and waved his hand to let her continue. “I knew instantly that it was a secrecy charm and a very powerful one. I wanted to let go but somehow I wasn’t able to, well I didn’t want to either to be honest, and then the words started to form themselves. I don’t know why the charm disappeared when only Malfoy here-”
“Mr. Malfoy, please, Miss Granger.”
“Yes, sir, I’m sorry, sir. Well, like I said, the charm should have only disappeared when Mr. Malfoy was looking at it and he wasn’t even around when I picked it up. And…and there is another kind of magic in it, sir, one I don’t fully understand.”
“Mr. Malfoy, what do you make of all this?” Albus was looking at the both of them, asking them questions as if this was some kind of test and not something as serious as the life of a child.
“What do I make of what, sir?” Draco was getting confused. First there was the letter itself, its contents shocking him more than he would like to admit. Then there was the fact that Albus already knew about this child, his sister, and now this magic in the letter. Could it get any worse, can this day become any worse? Draco decided to answer for the first and the last. “I’m not exactly sure what to do yet, sir, but as far as the magic in the letter…well I think the letter answers that question, sir. ‘I know it will be asking a lot from you, but you will find help in unlikely places. Be her brother, Draco, and help will find you.’ That is what it says at least.” He realised with a start that what he said must be true. He already knew the letter by heart, which was also the place where he kept this secret, alongside the bit of love his mother had given him with this letter. Would it become even more? So many damn questions I don’t have any answers to!
“Very good, Mr. Malfoy. I must say I agree. As for the hidden magic, I think I know what that might be since your mother was the Secret-Keeper of the apartment. I think it will be revealed if you decide what you will do next. You must decide, Mr. Malfoy, I cannot make it any easier for you.”
Hermione decided to cut in once again from her outsider, well maybe no longer outsider, position. “You mean he has to decide now?” She could hardly believe the things she was hearing. Her mind had instantly come to the conclusion that the unknown magic was that of the Secret-Keeper, and that if it was, it would dwindle fast since the Secret-Keeper, Narcissa, was gone. But her mind grasped more, ‘Help will find you.’ “Does this mean I have to help him, sir, if he decides to help her, his sister? Because I was able to read the letter, sir?”
“Yes, Miss Granger, on all accounts.” Albus quickly looked back at Draco who seemed to have reached the same conclusion as Hermione had moments before. Draco was staring at her, probably actually seeing her for the first time in all the years they had known each other. “What will you do, Mr. Malfoy? It seems you have been given very little time to decide, your mother’s protection will not last much longer.”
Afterwards he always wondered why he had come to this decision so quickly, but also knew that at that moment it felt, no it was the right decision even if it meant standing up to his own father, to his own beliefs. “I will help her, sir; she is my sister after all.”
Sealing everyone’s fate with his words, all three of them instantly looked at the letter which had begun to glow and had lifted itself off the table for a moment. After a few seconds, it settled back on the Headmaster’s desk. Clearly written at the bottom were four words that had not been there before…
Selena Anarya
Proles Ater
AN: I will give you the translation of these final words in the next chapter, or actually Albus and Phineas will do that for me, so bear with me. Please leave a review.
Thanks Hells, brilliant as always.