even the iron still fears the rot
Lucius stood in the middle of the death room up on the altar before the veil trying to coax the Potter boy to hand over the prophecy. He gazed around the room noting his fellow Death Eaters were holding Potter's band of misfits at wand point.
He quickly noticed two people were missing, one of whom he knew he was expected to protect. Regardless of the uncertainty they still held about her parentage, the Dark Lord would not be pleased if she came to any harm. Especially when Lucius was one of the few who knew who she may be, as well as her Godfather.
He turned to check again before members of the Order started to apparate into the room and began firing off spells.
A shiver went down his spine as he realized who else was missing.
Amycus.
Lucius apparated out of the room back to the hall of prophecies they had vacated earlier.
Dragging out every truly joyous memory he had from the recesses of his mind, the look on Narcissa’s face the day they were married, holding Draco for the first time, watching him fly on his first broom, catch his first snitch, he cast the spell.
“Expecto Patronum”
A peacock burst through the tip of the wand before he spoke again.
“Message for Severus Snape, Department of Mysteries, Granger girl is missing. Come quickly, we don’t have much time.”
Looking through the partially demolished room he cast a Homenum Revelio determining the room was empty and proceeding out to the next door.
He found himself going through two more rooms before Severus arrived striding quickly to his side, robes billowing behind him.
**********TRIGGER WARNING***********************
Finally, they made it to the time room. Their wands were at the ready the moment they entered. Sounds of grunting and whimpering echoed throughout before a shrill scream rang through the air. It was piercing and blood trickled down their necks as their eardrums burst. It sounded like what Lucius thought a star might sound like as it died, all-encompassing and bone-shattering rage and grief.
Their eyes were blinded as golden light streamed out of the figure on the floor, throwing Amycus into the wall, knocking him out with his trousers halfway down his legs and his sorry excuse for manhood displayed for all to see.
Once the light and screaming subsided, lying on the floor unconscious, was a girl who looked so similar and yet so different from the Granger girl he was looking for.
Lucius turned and met eyes with Severus’ in pure shock. Shock turned to horror, and in a split second, he was springing into action, unbuttoning his cloak and covering her form. “Diagnostic spells. Now Severus we don’t have time. She was already injured” he ordered through the knot in his throat.
Severus quickly cast charm after charm trying to quickly triage her injuries to determine what was the most dire. Red lights shot up on every diagnostic report. “I need to see beneath the cloak Lucius. Now. At least the top of her chest. I will not besmirch her modesty but I must act now, or we will lose her.”
********** END OF TRIGGER WARNING*************
Lucius nodded before drawing down the cloak so it revealed just the top of her chest and the beginning of a deep gushing wound from Dolohov's signature curse.
Cursing to himself Lucius put his wand to his Dark Mark and summoned the Dark Lord. He arrived into the room in a swirl of black smoke before completely materializing.
______________________Tom POV
Three things became terrifyingly clear in an instant when Tom looked down and saw Lucius and Severus kneeling on the ground with a girl lying still between them as the latter muttered healing spells in quick succession.
This girl was his daughter, his little Khalida. She looked so much like her mother. It's a wonder no one noticed before. She was hurt, irreparably. And looked to be dying. Someone was dying, many people were dying. Slowly and painfully.
“It was Granger, my lord. I’m so sorry, we didn’t get here in time.” Lucius whispered.
It became clear that Lucius didn’t think she was going to make it. While Severus was still weaving spell after spell. Presumably trying to get her stable so they could bring her back to the castle for healing.
Tom dropped his snake glamour and rushed forward, pushing Lucius out of the way as he began casting his own diagnostic spells. He spoke to Lucius while casting “ Go to your manor, grab Narcissa quickly and floo to the castle, tell her to bring everything she may need. It’s imperative that you’re waiting for us when we arrive. Leave, NOW!”
Severus and Tom cast healing charm after healing charm, working together efficiently as they methodically tackled Dolohov’s curse, wrangling it just enough to safely apparate to the castle.
It almost hurt to look at her, the crinkle in her brow and smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. She looked so much like his Nadine. Her broken state brought back memories of the night he'd lost her. His little immortal, this everlasting creature who he'd never gotten the chance to hold was as last in his arms. His care. But she was injured and worst yet, in the state Hermione was currently in, she looked eerily similar to how he’d found Nadine.
Broken and bleeding.
His vision turned crimson as he went to pull his daughter into his arms and noticed she was disrobed. His magic was straining against his hold, desperately seeking out revenge and bloodshed. He was vibrating with rage. As disgusted as he was, his anger quickly faded into a feeling he’d only felt once before, soul-crushing, heart-stopping agony.
His cold heart was in his throat and even if he could find the words to say, he was sure his vocal cords were crushed under the weight of his anguish. Blood of his blood, heiress of Slytherin violated like a common witch.
She’d been besmirched? The daughter he’d never held, but cared for the moment he knew of her existence. The child they’d callously ripped away from his Nadine in her birthing bed before killing her. By one of his men, on a mission he had planned.
At that moment Tom’s world came crashing down around him. He’d failed. He heard a gruff wail, his eyes frantically searching the room for the sound before they fell on a silent and sombre Severus who quietly approached him with arms raised towards him as if he was a skittish animal.
He realized that it was him. That wail. It came from his “loveless” mouth carried on the exhale of the last remnants of his soul and humanity.
Severus spoke quietly but urgently “We must go my Lord. The Aurors are sure to be searching the ministry and she needs a healer. She’s stable for now but not for long. There’s still a chance she won’t make it. ” The last words came out in a stutter as if the words had to claw their way out of his mouth.
Tom realized he was right, turning away once more he gathered himself. “Meet me at the castle, grab her belongings, restrain Amycus and deposit him in the dungeons. Go to the infirmary as soon as you have him secured.”
Tom felt Hermione twitch in his arms as the twisting feeling of apparition churned in his gut.
They arrived directly in the infirmary, where Narcissa frantically paced back and forth before rushing to the prepared hospital bed. He placed Hermione gently on the bed before transfiguring the sheets from a nearby bed into a privacy screen. Narcissa stood on the opposite side of the bed, eyes glistening as she no doubt recognized the face of her best friend in that of his daughter. Hands shaking, she began to peel back the cloak that lay so high on his daughter's neck, bunched under her throat.
A gasp tore from her throat and a strangled sob followed as she slowly lowered the garment. She looked up at Tom quickly, beseechingly, her eyes piercing him, praying she was wrong and this didn’t mean what she thought it did. He held her gaze unwaveringly knowing she could see it in his red and crying eyes so he wouldn’t have to put words to his daughter's torment.
----
Narcissa nodded once and pushed her occlumency walls up as high as she could. She made them into her own Nurmengard, an impenetrable fortress because she couldn’t save Hermione, her best friend's daughter, with her emotions clouding her judgement.
----
Tom paced back and forth down the aisle in the middle of the infirmary. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt time move so slowly. He kept glancing at his little Khalida on the bed, then up at Narcissa. Analyzing her facial expressions, trying to determine the state of his daughter through them.
Looking up at him, sweat beaded on her normally poised face, “We need Dolohov, now. It's his curse, my Lord. He can save her faster than I can. I’m stumbling around blind.”
He looked from Narcissa to Lucius, noting the resolute look on his face, the fierce determination to make this right.
Grasping his wand, he summoned Dolohov through his mark, searing him with urgency and vehemence at his immediate arrival. Moments later Dolohov arrived, got on bended knee and lowered his head “ You called, my Lord”
Tom was once again overcome with anger, this follower, this vermin had scarred his progeny, left her injured, unable to defend herself. Vulnerable.
The silence stretched before them, a chasm promising pain and retribution. His voice filled with disdain Tom whispered “crucio”
----
Dolohov, unaware of his transgression. Gritted his teeth, writhing on the floor attempting to suffer in silence. He’d felt the Dark Lord’s crucio before, but not like this.
Never like this. It was icy cold. Like frost had permeated through his nervous system, singeing his nerve endings.
After what felt like an hour but was surely only a few moments, his Lord lifted the spell. He pointed to the hospital bed “You will heal her. You will not ask questions. Narcissa will assist you. Severus will supply potions. You will do everything in your power to make her whole again.”
Dolohov finally nodded his head and turned in the direction the Dark Lord had pointed in. His eyes went first to Narcissa, who looked more ruffled than he’d ever seen her. Then his eyes landed on the body on the bed.
Standing up he strode to the bedside, looked down and his breath was taken away. It was the girl he’d hit with his signature spell in the Department of Mysteries.
She’d looked different then.
He was shocked she was still alive, no one had ever survived his curse. He peered at her quizzically. Noticing she looked oddly familiar as if he’d seen her face before, long ago. His eyes widened with recognition and his head snapped up, eyes locking with Lucius, searching for confirmation in his assessment of her identity.
Lucius turned and looked at their Lord, hair hung loosely around his shoulders, he was pensive for a moment before speaking “Shall I go ask the elf to prepare something for her, once she wakes up? Maybe have them gather some clothes and a tub for a sponge bath?”
The Dark Lord waved his hand dismissively, “Very well. Find Severus while you’re out. Tell him to bring whatever healing potions he has on hand.”
Dolohov cast diagnostic charms on the little witch lying in the hospital bed. She was a beautiful little thing. He found himself examining the way her hair brushed against her forehead, the way her thick eyelashes fluttered weakly and the slight flush to the apple of her cheeks. She had tear tracks cutting across her cheekbones. His eyes followed their trail and lowered down to her lips. He wanted to reach out and trace the rise of her cupid bow.
He found himself enthralled by her.
His eyes continued down as he noticed the start of his curse mark marring the top of her shoulder, he went to lift the blanket that was covering her before Narcissa grabbed his arm in a death grip.
“You will avert your eyes or I will gouge them out of your head and feed them to you”
Dolohov was shocked at the vehemence of her words and turned, putting his back to the bed and facing out towards the room, waiting for her to tell him he could turn back around.
----
Narcissa grabbed a towel and transfigured it into a bandeau to cover Hermione's breasts before she pulled the blanket down to her hips before applying a slicking charm so that it wouldn’t shift lower.
“You may proceed Dolohov”
----
Antonin turned back around and decided he would stay focused for now, his growing curiosity was distracting him from his current purpose. Despite his previous attempt to kill her, he wanted the little witch to survive.
He returned to his diagnostic casting and started chanting the counter curse in Russian. He tried multiple times before realizing it was having no effect. The magic wasn’t penetrating her magical core at all. He cast a few more charms before jolting backwards in shock.
He turned to Tom who now sat in a chair, next to the bed looking down at the girl. “There’s a seal on her magical core, it's cracked now, hence the change in her appearance but I still can’t access her core to heal her. We must break it completely to save her, but it must be done slowly, she’s too weak now if it shatters…’ he trailed off.
“If it shatters?” Tom responded in a low voice.
“She’ll die, my Lord, it is old magic, not meant to be removed. It will take a blood ritual on ley lines, blood relatives. We will need at least six wizards, outside of family members and we must start right away.”
“Who do you suggest?”
“Myself, Severus, Thorfinn, Lucius, Regulus and Evan since they will need to bring Mattheo. Best to keep the number of people who know about her small.”
“Begin preparing. I will call the others. Narcissa will monitor Khalida. Have an elf direct you to the ritual chamber.”
Dolohov gave Narcissa a few instructions to help keep Hermione stable for leaving with a house elf that was waiting at the door.
----
Tom ran a hand through his hair, anxious about the ritual and having to inform Mattheo, who was still at Hogwarts. Not a moment too soon, Tom realized he could have Severus floo back to Hogwarts and bring Mattheo back the same way without alarming anyone at the school, or in the Order. They were probably already suspicious about Hermione going missing from the Department of Mysteries.
Severus walked into the room a few moments later interrupting his train of thought.
“My Lord, I brought the potions. I have more brewing in the potions lab downstairs.” Severus said bowing his head.
“I need you to retrieve Mattheo at once. Do not alert anyone, I will open the floor for you. It is imperative no one knows.”
“Sir, they will get suspicious if Granger doesn’t turn up. No doubt Dumbledore is already suspicious after she started spending time with Mattheo at school. Despite the fact that she has no idea who he is to her.”
“We can worry about that after we make sure she survives through the night, Severus. Now go. I don’t have time for your apprehension and tiptoeing around. Bring Mattheo and Evan at once.”
Severus bowed his head again, backed away and turned around stalking out the door, robes billowing behind him.