Death's Curse Undone

Chapter 4 - Presentation

Chapter 4 - Presentation

Draco walked slowly back to the castle. His mind was blank. His emotions a mess. He had performed fellatio on Harry Potter. Harry Potter. His bond-mate, his Master. The one man who's approval he NEEDED. Needed like he needed air to breathe. NO, needed it more than that. There were worse fates than death.

Harry Potter. The Griffindor Golden Boy. The Boy-Who-Lived. The boy who made it into the history books at age one. The boy the Wizarding World owed its salvation to. The boy who was Master of Death. The boy who; despite being renowned for kindness and forgiveness; had just used Draco like a two-penny whore. And yet, the boy due to whom he was at Hogwarts rather than Azkaban. He did not know what to do.

Narcissa Malfoy had none of the qualms that plagued her son. For herself she was weak. For her son she was strong.

She barged in upon Lucius, explained the situation to him in between screaming due to his Cruciactus curses and the punishment of Death's curse and demanded that he join her in an expedition to Hogwarts to talk to the Headmistress.

She did not stop to consider what Lucius and the curse would do to her. Her son was more important.

And so it happened that Harry was summoned that evening to a meeting in the Headmistress's office with the three Malfoys.

"Ah! Mr. Potter, you're here.", said Headmistress McGonagall. "Yes, Ma'am. You called?" Harry maintained an impassive demeanour, wondering internally what was happening. Shite! Had Malfoy blabbed about what happened in the Forest? That hadn't been him, honest. He'd just lost control. What the hell was Malfoy doing there, anyway? That where he went just for the purpose of losing control. MALFOY had invaded HIS sanctuary. Not the other way round! 'So you invaded his BODY?', a snide voice murmured in his head and he couldn't, quite, dismiss it. Malfoy HAD been in the wrong, but he wasn't quite so guiltless himself.

Professor McGonagall finished, " - and therefore Mr. Malfoy has come to the conclusion that you are his Veela mate. According to the Concordat of 1648 you are therefore effectively his fiancée. I'll leave you all to hash out the details as a family-to-be.". Harry caught only the tail of McGonagall's speech but this was enough to rouse the young man to fury. His Dark side came out to play and it was perhaps just as well that McGonagall wasn't there to witness it.

Harry took McGonagall's seat and spoke in a voice as cold as ice, "Explain.". "It's quite simple, Mr. Potter.", said Narcissa, evenly, "You owe me a life debt, I'm calling it in. You will marry my son.". "You forget, Mrs. Malfoy,", spoke Harry softly, dangerously, "that your son also owes ME a life debt. Nay, he owes me his very soul. Not to mention that all three of you are obliged to me for keeping you out of Azkaban. Also, I am already contractually engaged to Ms. Weasley. Lastly, you are welcome to address me by any of my titles but I'm not Mr. Potter anymore, Lord Potter would be more accurate.". He sat back in his seat, one beringed hand on display - Prince Peverell, Duke Slytherin, Duke Griffindor, Lord Black and Lord Potter. 'You- You've got FIVE seats in the Wizengamot?", Lord Malfoy squeaked. "Oh no!", exclaimed Harry, waving the ringed hand dismissively, "Many more. I just ran out of fingers. Lord Voldemort had a bad habit of collecting titles, you see,", he continued noting the rapidly paling man's flinch at the name, "and thanks to the ritual in my 4th year, I'm the de facto heir. Would you like me to prove it?". Not waiting, Harry reached out along the link he had to the man's Dark Mark and made his presence felt. Lucius gasped and clutched his left arm. Harry smirked before releasing the man.

While the elder Malfoys were still frozen in their shock and disbelief, he sent a smaller tendril of power into Draco's Mark, refraining from the pain he'd gifted the elder Malfoy. "Draco is my servant, Lord Malfoy, and that's all that he'll ever be."

Draco nodded. All he could comprehend that he had a bond with Harry. Sure, it was almost a slave bond but truly, was the Veela bond any better? He was a slave either way.

Lord Malfoy recovered. "What do you want? What do you want to accept my son? His dowry is considerable. It will only increase. His title..." Harry laughed. "His title? I have more titles than I have fingers. His wealth? The Black fortune alone is worth thrice the Malfoy one. Add in the other vaults and I could match the Malfoy wealth ten times over and barely feel the difference. And you think to tempt me with wealth and title?" Malfoy Senior quailed. He had always traded on his wealth and title. With neither being of value, he could not think what to do. Narcissa knew better. "Your Grace,", she spoke softly, her entire mien speaking of submission, "do we truly have NOTHING you could want?".

Harry stood and looked at Narcissa, noting her submission, the barely concealed pleading in her voice. His gaze slid over to her husband. He looked lost, bewildered. Draco had slid out of his seat and knelt on the floor, his head bowed. In the face of such an angry and dominating Harry, he could not conceal his submission, especially after how he'd submitted completely to Harry earlier in the day.

"You already gave me what I wanted, Lady Malfoy.", he smiled a small, cruel smile, "More than half a decade ago, I knelt in the Chamber of Secrets in a situation of your husband's making. Basilisk venom in my veins. My fiancée minutes from death. Voldemort nigh powerful enough to exist outside his Hocrux. When I extracted myself from that situation, a burning desire rose within me to see the architect of those circumstances in the same situation. I wanted to see Lord Malfoy as helpless, as desperate, as I was then.", he swept an arm in Lord Malfoy's direction, "Behold.".

"Good day, Madame." And Lord Potter, Prince Peverell, swept out of the room.

A stricken family witnessed the death of all hope.