Old Magic
April 2012
“What do you mean he found a way to get rid of the nightmares?” Hermione asked, looking at Draco with wide eyes. She knew that she should trust her husband. She knew that he would never put her in a position to hurt her, but she was scared and terrified to have any hope. It had felt like so long since she hadn’t had a nightmare that the idea of finally being rid of them made her heart stop.
“He's been trying to find a way to deal with the dark magic since you were pregnant with the twins,” Draco said taking her free hand. “And he has found it but we have to go now.”
“But the children…”
“Go,” Theo said quickly, shifting Theodora in his arms and taking Scorpius as well. “Charlie will be home soon and Missy will help with the children. I promise, go.”
“Thank you, Theo,” Draco said pulling Hermione close to him. “I don’t say it enough but you are a really fucking good friend.”
“And don’t you forget it,” Theo chuckled. “Now go.”
Wasting no time, Draco pulled his witch to the floo with him and called out for Malfoy Manor. As they stumbled out of the floo, he didn’t even waste time cleaning the soot off of either of them. Holding her hand tightly, he led them down the hall towards the library. As they entered the room. Hermione immediately spotted Narcissa and Lucius standing around a table looking at parchments that were spread out across the cherrywood.
“Sweetheart there you are,” Narcissa said as she looked up and spotted Hermione and Draco. Making her way around the table, she immediately gathered Hermione into her arms and hugged her delicately.
“Hermione,” Lucius started, looking up from the table. “I found something that should rid you of the residual dark magic. I would like to explain it before we start. I believe I am right in thinking that you would prefer it that way.”
“Yes please.” she said softly, Narcissa rubbing her back gently.
“It’s very old magic,” Lucius began clasping his hands in front of him. “Blood magic to be exact.” Hermione looked at him, eyes widening. “We’ve had a discussion about blood magic before. I know you are aware that it is a very, very fine line when you are discussing the legality of it all. But this particular spell… this is to cut out the darkness and vanquish it completely. It’s grey magic… neither light nor dark.”
“It is entirely your choice,” Narcissa said gently. They watched as Hermione stood there, thinking all of the possibilities through in her brain. What would happen if she went through with this ritual? What would happen if she didn’t?
Stroking her hair, Draco held her trembling form as she attempted to recover from another nightmare. He knew they were taking a toll on her soul. He could see it in her eyes. He didn’t know how to help her and it was breaking his heart. Hermione was the most important person in his life besides his children and after everything she had been through, seeing her like and not being able to help it… it was driving him crazy.
“Draco…”
Her soft voice broke him out of his inner thoughts, and he looked down at his wife who was curled up against his chest. “I’m here love.”
“What if this never ends?” She didn’t need to elaborate for him to know exactly what she was talking about. It was something that had been weighing on him for a while and clearly her as well. “What if this is what life will be like from now on?”
“We will figure something out Hermione. We will figure out how to fix this.”
“I can’t take dreamless sleep long term. It’s highly addictive… and it’s not just the dreams anymore.”
“What?”
“I can hear the whispers now… not just when I’m sleeping.”
“I will figure this out… I will fix this.”
“But what if you can’t?”
“I refuse to accept that. I fixed a fucking vanishing cabinet and that should have been impossible. I somehow convinced you to fall in love with me and that was definitely an impossible feat. This… this I will figure out as well.”
“No… I want to do this,” Hermione said nodding her head and Draco breathed a sigh of relief. “I need to do this. I can’t keep living like this.”
“Good,” Lucius said nodding his head and beckoning her over to him. Clearing the parchment from the table with his wand, he summoned a bowl and wordlessly lit the candles around the room. Draco stayed close to her, not wanting her out of his sight for a moment. “May I?” Lucius held out his hand for Hermione and she delicately placed her hand in his. Using his wand, he effortlessly cut a small laceration on her palm and let the blood drip onto the table. Draco then took her hand from his fathers and healed the cut wandlessly. Lucius cut into his own hand, letting the blood drop onto the table with hers. Without missing a beat, he nodded to Draco who helped Hermione onto the table. As he lifted her shirt to show her scar, he took her hand, not letting it go. Lucius began to draw runes on her skin with the blood from the table, whispering under his breath. “Secare tenebrus… mali.”
Narcissa and Draco stood on either side of the table, watching as Lucius continued to repeat the same words over and over as he finished drawing the ruins on her smooth skin, around the cursed scar that was the subject of all of her problems. As a dark cloud of swirling magic started to raise from beneath the scar, Draco’s eyes widened. His father had explained the ritual to him but he never imagined what it would look like. Watching it now, he was in awe. He had never seen old magic like this used before.
“Vincere Tenebras,” Lucius said strongly and the lights in the room began to flicker as the dark swirl of magic began to move around before slowly but surely dissipating. They all sat in silence, waiting to see if it would return or if it was gone. All four were too frightened to move. After a few moments, Hermione risked it and sat up. Draco immediately moved into action and helped her.
“How do we know it worked?” Draco asked, helping his wife off the table and holding her close.
“We won’t know until she goes to sleep,” Lucius said, flicking his wand and siphoning the blood off the table. “No potions tonight. And you will need to stay here.”
“Milly has your old room ready for you,” Narcissa said gently and hugged Hermione tightly. “We will see you both in the morning. Rest.”
Nodding his head, Draco led her out of the room and through the manor to his room. Once they entered, he didn’t stop as he led them to the ensuite bathroom. Drawing a bath, he began to strip them both of their clothes. Neither said a word as they slipped into the hot water. Holding her close to him, Draco began to wash her gently, taking in the moment with his wife. The night itself had been so heavy, and there will still questions that hung in the air around them.
“Do you think it worked?” she asked quietly as he washed her curls for her.
“I do,” Draco said kissing her shoulder.
“You sound so sure…”
“I have to be,” he said gently, pulling her closer to him. “I will be sure enough for the both of us.”
“I don’t even know what a night without nightmares would look like…”
“Well, we will find out tonight but I have a good feeling.”
“I wish I was as optimistic as you are…”
“I will be for the both of us.”
After finishing their bath, Draco helped her out of the tub and back into the bedroom. He slipped on a pair of boxers after he gave her a t-shirt to slip on. Crawling into bed with her, Draco waited while she braided her curls before she climbed in and joined him. Holding her close, he kissed her temple. “Sleep love.”
“I’m so tired… but I don’t know if I can.”
“Well… I can make sure you fall asleep,” Draco smirked. “But I don’t think tonight is a good idea.”
“You’re no fun,” she said playfully and closed her eyes taking a deep breath. “No whispers… no nightmares… I can do this.”
“You can do anything.”
“I love you Draco…”
“I love you too ma belle,” he murmured holding her close. It wasn’t long before her breathing deepened and her body slumped against. Closing his own eyes, he prayed to Merlin that this ritual worked and she was finally rid of these terrible nightmares.
&&&
Hermione’s eyes fluttered open and she looked around the dark room. She knew it must still be dark outside and she blindly reached for a wand and cast a tempus once she grabbed one. Her eyes widened in shock when she realized it was eight in the morning. She had slept through the entire night without a single nightmare. Shooting up in bed, she took a moment before turning to her husband. “Draco.”
“Five more minutes,” he grumbled burying his head in his pillow.
“Draco wake up.”
“Lyra will call for missy and she will make her breakfast.”
“Draco!” she shouted and he immediately sat straight up and snatched his wand.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” he said, quickly lighting the room and looking around
“It’s eight in the morning,” she said softly and he looked at her. “We slept through the night.”
“We slept through the night,” he said, locking eyes with her. “No nightmares?”
“No nightmares,” she said and smiled softly. He wasted no time grabbing her and kissing her deeply. Hermione laughed as he crawled on top of her kissing her neck, settling himself between her legs.
“It worked?” he asked, looking at her and pushing his hair out of his eyes with a hopeful smile on his face.
“I think so,” she said and laughed a little. “I mean we slept through the night without a single wake-up. I don’t even remember my dreams.”
“That’s amazing,” he exclaimed kissing her passionately. “I knew it. I knew it would work.”
“Of course you did,” she giggled as he peppered her face with kisses.
“Bloody hell all I want to do is make love to you and never leave this bed.”
“But…”
“But I want to get our children and get to our home and our bed.”
“Let’s go home love.”
Quickly getting up and changing into their clothes, Hermione and Draco made their way downstairs and out into the garden where Lucius and Narcissa were sitting together enjoying their morning tea and breakfast. Narcissa immediately smiled at the sight of them and both she and Lucius stood. “Good Morning. Did you want to join us for breakfast?” Narcissa asked smiling. “You both look very well rested.”
“No nightmares,” Hermione said smiling softly.
“None?” Lucius asked.
“None at all,” Hermione said shaking her head and to everyone’s surprise, launched herself at Lucius and hugged him tightly. Chuckling a bit, he hugged her and patted her back gently. “Thank you… thank you so much.”
“Hermione, you do not need to thank me,” Lucius said, and took a step back, placing his hands on her shoulders. “You are a Malfoy and you are family. I protect my family.
“Join us,” Narcissa said smiling. “Milly will love to cook for the two of you.”
“I promise you we will come back for breakfast one day this week,” Draco said hugging his mother tightly and then his father. “In fact, we will make it breakfast once a week. But right now, we want to get our children from Theo and go home.”
“We completely understand,” Lucius nodded.
“Thank you father,” Draco said, looking him in the eye. “Thank you for saving my wife. I know you don’t need my thanks. I know she is family… but thank you.”
“Of course Draco,” Lucius nodded. “Anything for my family.”
August 2012
“Seven-foot frame,” Theo said dramatically, all the children watching him captivated with big eyes. “Beady red eyes. He had a huge snake that would follow him around everywhere he went!” Using a charm, he sent an illusion of a snake slithering through the children, causing them to squeal and scatter.
“No snakes Theo!” James glared, scooting in front of Lyra and Athena protectively. Luca and Albus just stared wide-eyed in awe. Theo couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched Lyra roll her eyes and cross his little arms with a huff.
“It’s not real Jamie,” Lyra stated matter of factly, causing Theo to snort. “Continue Uncle Theo! Keep going!”
“Whenever he called for you, you had better run or you’d be in trouble,” Theo continued and little Logan crawled towards him.
“What kind of trouble?” Luca asked.
“Well,” Theo said smiling and rubbing his hands together. “He could look into your mind and see all of your thoughts and he would eat them all up!”
“NO!” Luca and Albus yelled at the same time Draco walked into the room. He looked at all the children huddled together and then back at Theo who was standing there nonchalantly.
“Theo,” Draco said narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest. “What are you telling them about?”
“Absolutely nothing,” Theo said swooping Logan into his arms.
“Theo,” he said again and Lyra popped up and bounced over to her dad.
“Uncle Theo was telling us about the bad man that mummy and Uncle Harry helped defeat,” Lyra said and Athena nodded her head in agreement. Snapping his head back to Theo, Draco glared.
“We don’t talk about him Theo,” Draco said sternly.
“It’s fine,” Theo said waving his free hand. “They are fine.”
“Uncle Draco he said the bad man had a big snake!” Luca said.
“HUGE!” Albus shouted and Draco groaned.
“Gods Theo. Really?” shaking his head and picking Theodora up. “Little dragon will you help your brother to the table, please? Your mum says dinner is ready.”
“Where are my babies hm?” Pansy asked walking into the room.
“Probably traumatized by Theo regaling them with the tale of Tom Riddle,” Draco grumbled and Pansy snapped her attention over to Theo.
“He eats your thoughts mummy!” Luca said running over to her. Picking up Dahlia, she scoffed and glared at her friend.
“I’m not even going to say anything because I know when Hermione finds out,” Pansy said, a smirk forming on her face that would make even Voldemort himself shrink back in fear. “She’s going to eat you alive.”
“Let’s get everyone to the table hmm?” Draco chuckled motioning for all the kids to follow. Once getting all the kids settled around the table, Missy fluttered around the room cooing to the children and serving dinner. The meal was filled with laughter and conversation. Friday nights at Nott Manor had become a staple over the years. Sometimes the Potter’s weren’t able to join and sometimes there were more Weasley’s than usual, but Friday nights were never canceled. The kids would enjoy a sleepover after dinner and the adults would relax and laugh and enjoy a few cocktails. That is how everyone found themselves watching a standoff between Hermione and Theo.
“How could you?” Hermione snapped, waving her arms around. “What is wrong with you Theodore!”
“Oooh she said Theodore,” Ginny snickered and Harry tried not to laugh.
“Hermione, love,” Theo said, smiling his normal smile. “They had no idea who I was talking about. I was spinning a fantastical story about a man that you and the boy you lived twice defeated. It was just a story.”
“It’s a real story!” she shouted and Draco came up behind her, placing a soothing hand on her back. She knew he wasn’t trying to do anything wrong and he was just entertaining the children. Did he not realize though that this was a conversation that she and Draco were going to have to have with their children one day? “What are we supposed to do now when our kids ask us questions?”
“Mione, we will figure it out,” Harry tried and Theo shot him a grateful look.
“This is ridiculous,” Hermione said shaking her head and turning and looking at Draco. “He doesn’t even realize.”
“Love, breathe.”
“Alright let’s just all relax,” Charlie said stepping between Theo and Hermione. “I understand why you’re upset Hermione. Theo, we know it was just a story.”
“A stupid story to tell them,” Pansy pointed out.
“Pans, you aren’t helping,” Draco pointed out and Theo stepped around Charlie and went over to Hermione.
“Hermione,” Theo said taking her hands. “I’m sorry. I know this is a touchy subject for you and I’m sorry.”
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to say when my daughter asks me about Voldemort,” she said softly, looking down at her and Theo’s hands. Sighing, Theo pulled her close, hugging her tight to him.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “You know how I get. The kids get me all excited and I get going and can’t stop.”
“We know,” Pansy smirked. “It’s annoying.”
“Shut it Pansy,” Theo winked at her, rubbing Hermione’s back. “I’m having a moment with my best friend.”
“She was my best friend first you know,” Harry pointed out and Blaise chuckled when Theo rolled his eyes.
“You keep saying that Potter but from what I see,” Theo pointed out, motioning to him and Hermione. “I’m winning.”
“Are we really having a pissing match about this?” Blaise chuckled.
“Or is it a my dick is bigger than your dick type of challenge?” Ginny snickered and everyone started laughing.
“I mean Weaslette if you would like to see my dick for comparison all you have to do is ask,” Theo smirked and Hermione laughed, pulling away and going back to Draco.
“Keep it in your pants Theo,” Ginny winked. “My husband has all I need.”
“And when it comes to Hermione,” Draco pointed out. “You two can have all arguments you want about who is her best friend, but she’s my best friend and my wife. So I beat you both.”
“And Draco proves that he has the biggest dick,” Pansy laughed, sipping her drink. “Besides my husband of course.”
“Can we stop talking about people and their dicks please?” Hermione groaned and yelped a little when Draco playfully nipped at her neck. Playfully pushing him away, she went and took her normal seat, Draco chuckling and joining her.
“Are you ready for the kids to be back in school Theo?” Harry chuckled, pulling Ginny closer. “Jamie is excited.”
“It will be great,” Theo said excitedly. “This year I’ll have Lyra, Athena, and Jamie.”
“The new Trio,” Ginny smirked and Hermione rolled her eyes. “What? It’s adorable. The three of them run around everywhere together.”
“Now that my little girl and Lyra are best friends,” Theo said proudly. “Those two are inseparable.”
“I don’t think anyone is as close as Lyra and Jamie are,” Blaise pointed out.
“I don’t know,” Draco said, taking a sip of his firewhiskey. “I think Athena and Lyra might become closer.”
“You just say that because you don’t want her falling in love with a Potter,” Pansy pointed out.
“They are children,” Harry said rolling his eyes and Draco nodded to him. “I don’t think romance is even in the question right now.”
“Want to make a bet on it?” Blaise smirked and Draco narrowed his eyes. Everyone knew not to make bets with Blaise anymore. They had all lost way too much money when it came to that. Only Draco, Hermione, Pansy, and Theo knew he had a touch of sight. Draco wasn’t quite ready to know what his daughter’s romantic future look like. “I didn’t think so.”
“Either way, the three of them are going to be trouble at that school of yours,” Pansy chuckled.
“Don’t remind me,” Theo chuckled. “I’m going to love this so much.”