Chapter 1
May 26th 2005
Draco paces rapidly back and forth in front of young Regulus Black’s portrait, Tori’s journal in hand as he aggressively rubs his temples. He desperately scans through the memo’s tucked into the journal over and over trying to find any source of what Tori found, anything to give him just a few more details about where his father and aunt would of taken her. After a frustrated sigh he slammed it shut. “Two days. Two days he’s had her out of my reach.” He murmurs to himself with a vicious snare, clenching his fists and jaw as he shakes his head to try and retain what little control of his emotions he has left. “You and the Potter boy seem to brute similarly, perhaps working together on this would prove more effective.” Regulus young, sad eyes darted back and forth watch Draco continue to pace. “Potter’s busy being pissed off with his Auror team and the Minister for not acting with haste. I’m busy being pissed off with Potter for finally following the bloody rules suddenly and at the worst time.” Draco spit, stopping in his step to take a deep breath and try to mentally reach out to Tori once again.
Where are you?
He gripped his hands on to the stairwell railing tight while focusing all his Legilimency magic into whatever vast he can to Tori, searching, listening. Stomping footsteps down the lower hallway break his focus after a few long minutes of silence, Potter comes into view below him and he huffs slightly leaning back away from the railing. “Think it’s time I better show you something.” Potter whispered in earnest. Draco aggressively ran his hands through his hair, the crease in his brow revealing exhaustion and desperation. “I don’t have time for this, Potter.” He growled more passively than he looked, his annoyance with the situation more than evident in his face. “He’s had the upper hand for almost three days too long.”
“I agree.”
“Then what are you DOING about it?” Draco sneered, his mercury eyes sharp on Potter now.
“Same as you.”
“I highly doubt that.”
“I’m listening Malfoy, I’m searching for her in all the ways Dumbledore showed me how.” Potter sighed, a slight defeat in his breath as he makes his way up the staircase.
Draco’s frustration diminished slightly to Potter’s words, relief as he remembers how strong the bond between Tori and Potter can be. “How bad?” He sighs quietly as Potter strolls past him in the hall. “She holds it well.” Potter replied in short, a stiffening to his back and clench of his jaw. Draco understands, the similar manor of the anger at the thought of what his father was putting Tori through… poor Potter could see and feel remnants of it all.
“Please.” Potter hands a metaphoric olive branch as he takes a few steps down the hall and stops in front of a locked door beside Regulus’ panting. Tori’s office.
Draco nods in acceptance with the understanding that working together is the best option to get Tori back, faster. Draco’s eyes trail down the wood of the door, and the slight shimer of a black wispy twine throughout it, a lock charm of sorts. Potter runs his hand gently down the frame of the door.
“Recon that’s to keep others out, the magic she used isn’t exactly written in a textbook at Hogwarts.” Draco quietly spoke, not in a way to disrespect Potter, but to understand the plan he was clearly working towards. Potter wiggled his eyebrows in a playful way, almost childish in his amusement. He closes his eyes after finally pressing his hand firmly against the doorframe, the door fucking opened. “Or it’s just for looks? What the fuck, Potter?”
“It’s a locking charm created and performed by Tori, of course I can get in.” Potter teases as he proudly walks into the office, gesturing to Draco to come in. He rolls his eyes at him before being taken back by the state of her office. It felt the same as walking into a room at the Ministry filled with ancient magic and tomes of old, and it looked like the opposite. Dark, with light only coming in from a tall window just above eye line in the room. A old golden rusty desk with parchment spread across it like a old styled writer in their manic episode between bits of titles trying to piece everything together. A tiny little white barn owl lamp in the corner with no center for flame, only lighting up with the slightest touch of magic seeped into it. Draco reaches to it and allows some of his flame to be absorbed into the lamp as it dimly twitched to a brighter light, it let out a quiet hoo before flapping its wings to shine brighter and light up the room more.
Potter let out a small genuine laugh, his eyes roaming over the owl figure as if to reminisce over it. “Unreal.” He let out to himself as his hand moved to the owl, instinctively the owl leaned its head into his hand. Nuzzling slightly against him before stiffening into its position on the desk, Potter smiled as he closed his eyes and took in a long steady breath.
Once the room brightened, Draco’s eyes were taking in light bouncing off something from the other side of the room. An entire cabinet taking up the entirety of the wall behind the door, glass casings on either side of a strange glowing, standing pool of sorts. He studied it for a moment while the vials in the cabinet twinkle slightly as the light hits them, their numbered he notices. He ponders for a moment as he takes them all in, some numbers but also some with names.. Harry, Teddy, Hermione, Dumbledore, and… Him. His eyes stayed on the shelf filled with them as his heart clenched reading his name over and over again when his eyes finally widen their view again he sees on the shelf below, his mothers name. “Merlin, Tori. A bloody Pensieve?” Draco questions quietly to himself at the realization, scanning over many of the vials to try and see anything from more recent.
“Dumbledore left it to her in his will, she uses it for herself to keep track of things. Her memories and mind have been a bit… different, since the war. And then…” Potter voice trails off behind him, snapping him out of the daze Draco fell under studying the vials. “Anyways, I think it’s about time you and I talk about a view things. A few things about Tori.”
Draco lifts a questioning eyebrow at this, he’d watched Tori closely for most of his life, he wasn’t sure what exactly Potter thinks he can fill him in on. That’s when he pulls out a tiny box from a lower shelf in the cabinet, dusting it off and placing it on the desk behind them. He takes a step back and crosses his arms to watch Draco asses it.
He does so in quick succession to this, moving back to be able to stand above the box and study what he can of it. A similar twine of magic tangled around it except this time, its green. Draco smirks slightly seeing this, allowing his hand to softly hover above the box. Potter watches closely as he does so, making sure to keep his distance to allow Draco his space.
A quiet hum of magic swirls throughout the room and around them Draco can feel it, the welcoming feeling of her magic In the air around him. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath to take in the lot of it, smiling as he lowers his hand to press firmly on the box.
In seconds the box reacts to him, the familiar feel of relief as he can finally feel her again even if its in small blips of magic. The box begins to tremble slightly, the twines of green unraveling and twisting softly around the remnants of his mark on his left arm, the feeling was warm, and it was possessive at the same time. A quiet sound of disbelief comes from Potter across the desk, finally leaning closer to see the box slowly open up beneath Draco’s touch, Potter’s eyebrows crease in confusion which entertains Draco.
“What? It’s a locking charm created and performed by Tori, of course I can get in.” Draco openly mocks him with a genuine smile on his lips, watching the contents of the box reveal itself.
“I’m pretty sure a lot of answers for you will be on that vial.” Potter exclaims, gesturing to the Pensieve.