With you in my Arms

88. Finite Incantatem

The room was well lit and the moment they arrived Hermione realised that Draco had been right, there was half a dozen aurors waiting form them. She recognised James Mulligan amongst them, and Harry. She tried to smile but didn't quite manage. The worried look her friend gave her spoke volumes.

"Okay, you two, here is how this is going to go. We are going to take a portkey to Azkaban. Once we arrive we'll be preparing the room. There will be a magical shield. You will behind it. We will be in front of it."

He passed a small key to both of them.

"These are Portkeys. Should there be the need for you to leave unexpectedly you squeeze them. They'll take you back here. Tell the auror present to raise the alarm and send reinforcements. He'll know what to do. Whatever you do, do under no circumstances leave the department."

The couple nodded.

"Winters!"

A wizard in his mid-thirties appeared.

"You take watch."

"Yes, boss."

"Okay, Aurors, take formation."

The wizards that had dedicated their live to hunt the ones having succumbed to the evil, magic could do, formed a ring and included Draco and Hermione into it. Henri Shaw took a deep breath and then produced a large scroll of parchment from his robes. He held it into the middle of the circle and one by one everybody placed their hand onto it. The moment the last wizard, Dawlish, had done so their surroundings blurred. Hermione felt like being sick, Draco tried not to let go of his witch.

Then they stood in a small room. The walls, ceiling and floor were carved from light stone and there was the distinct feeling of despair in the air. A middle aged wizard in grey robes was waiting for them.

"Claustrophobus Incarceratus." he said.

"Pax Solidaris." was the answer of the head of the Auror Office.

"I would say welcome, but we all know that nobody wants to be here."

"No, nobody in their right mind anyway."

"He's not been told. He'll think we move him again. We've done that several times over the last few days."

"We'll need only a few minutes for our preparations. The moment he has seen the child they'll be out off here."

The guard nodded. They had been over this several times and Henri Shaw had had his men practise every move ad infinitum over the last three days. They should be able to go through the motions without having to think about it any longer.

"Miller, Dawlish, Wilson the shield., Mulligan, check everything again. I don't want any nasty surprises. Potter you take care of your friends."

Hermione watched with a feeling of curiosity and fascination as the wizards before her moved about the room, casting spells and seemingly able to blend out the knowledge as to where they all were without having to think about it. Harry stepped beside her.

"Don't worry." he whispered.

Easier said than done. She felt the slight movements of her son. He was blissfully unaware as to what was waiting for him. To have to be seen by his grandfather in this manner wasn't something anybody would be to happy about least at all the parents. But Hermione knew that it would be also today that they finally got rid of the evil that had been trying to finish them off for the best part of a decade now. Deep within her was the fear that something would be going wrong, that her father-in-law would be finding a way to get to them. She knew that every single auror in the room would give his life to protect them, including Harry, but it did nothing to calm her nerves.

Draco gently squeezed her shoulder. His eyes were dark and bottomless. She couldn't have said what he was thinking, but she could feel the tension he felt radiate off him.

"I love you." he whispered into her hair as he kissed it in an absent-minded fashion.

In his mind the Malfoy heir was wondering what his father would be doing once he realised that he was about to lose, quite literally, everything. His son had a wife, a son of his own and was no longer branded with the Dark Mark. To press this last point home he had chosen to wear a shirt with short sleeves. He would make sure his father saw him having been freed of his past. There was the hint of satisfaction gleaming within him. For long years he had suffered for the mistakes his father had made. He had been forced to do the job of a grow-up in order to keep the Dark Lord happy. Though he had succeeded on one count the second and probably more important task he had been incapable of accomplishing. Deep down he had never been a killer and he would have never become one either.

His lips brushed the hair of his witch. She was probably just as terrified as he was, but he knew she would never let anybody know how scared she really was. The glint of defiance in her eyes made him smile. She truly was a lioness, never giving in when she knew there was a way out. The lioness on his lower back was pawing at his skin. He could feel the cubs move close to her. Nothing would happen to them. The mark would protect them. It showed their future and nothing would be able to change that. He had failed to realise that in the past. He wouldn't do it again.

He looked around. The cell they found themselves in still looked the same, but everybody knew that now it was filled with powerful protective magic. The aurors took position in the middle of the room, forming a wall.

"Come." feeling him tugging her hand, Hermione followed Harry to a point just behind Henri Shaw, his imposing size being the centre piece of their human shield.

"He needs to be able to see the baby the moment they take his blindfold off."

She moved her son in her arms and turned slightly. Draco was right next to her. His body touching hers. The steel grey that were his eyes surveyed the arrangements as they were now. His father would need to tackle six aurors, his human guards, and possibly a Dementor or two before he would even reach the wall created by a powerful shield charm. Then again, the shield might collapse the moment the wizards that had cast it were wounded or worse, killed.

There was a feeling deep within his gut that told him this was not going to be the piece of cake everybody pretended it would be. He could see the tension that was surrounding their protectors. The hopelessness of the location was starting to seep into his mind. If it hadn't been for the chance to finally get rid of the evil parading as his father he would have never agreed to this. Inheritance or not, no gold in the world was worth it to take a child to this place. They would have found a way to survive. He would have made sure of it.

Harry gave Hermione a weak smile and Draco a short nod then he went to stand on the right hand side next to Dawlish.

"Bring him in." Henri Shaw commanded.

Time seemed to stretch as they waited. While Hermione was shuffling her feet to get a better stance the aurors never moved. Then the door opened. Neither of the young Malfoys could see what was happening in front of their human shield, but they could hear footsteps and then the aurors moved revealing the scene before them.

Hermione gasped. Lucius Malfoy had been a forbidding figure the last time she has seen him. Tall and straight backed he had been standing in the dock at the Wizengamot. His hair had been tied together and his eyes had been sparkling with the desire to escape and destroy his captors. Now he seemed to have lost at least four inches in height. His hair was a tangled, filthy mess and even so it couldn't be more than four month the prison clothes on him looked like he had been wearing them for years. Strong shackles were around his wrists and ankles, chains made it impossible for him to do more than shuffle along. He was gagged and his eyes were covered by a blindfold that also hid most of his face. There were two guards beside him that gave the impression of being related to Henri Shaw with his broad shoulders and heavy muscled build.

The prisoner was held on either side by his guards while a third one was removing the blindfold. Blinking into the sudden light Malfoy senior tried to understand what was happening. Why were there all these wizards lined up opposite him? Why had he been blindfolded this time? It took him a moment and then he became aware of the couple standing behind the human wall. First he thought it an illusion, but then his eyes clearly indicated that he wasn't imaging what he was seeing, Draco, his wayward son, was glaring at him. The mudblood that had corrupted him beyond all recognition, Hermione Granger, was standing beside him. She was holding a child. He blinked.

"Yes, father, you might not believe it, but here we are. You might have thought it impossible to fulfil the stipulations of your will, but hey, we've done it anyway. I, Draco Malfoy, am legally married to Hermione Granger, I have a son and also...," he held his left forearm up to be seen by the wizard staring at him, "my life is not longer going to be spoilt by what I was forced to do because you fell out off favour with the Dark Lord. I'll have my own life. My life! You hear."

The glare on the older Malfoy's face intensified. How dare this upstart talk to him like this? How dare he assume the fortune and fate of the noble House of Malfoy was his to command? A sneer spread over his face.

"You might be of my seed, but you're no Malfoy. I've taken precautions to make sure my house is being..."

"If you're talking about the guy you fathered in France, I have news for you, father. He's dead. Died while trying to kill us."

The bit of colour that had been left in the prisoner's face drained from it.

"I am going to be the future of the House of Malfoy and I'll make sure it gets the high status back it once had. I'll make sure that no child of mine has its head filled with all the shite you filled mine with. My children will be growing up the way it is meant to be, looked after by loving parents and with all the support they need to find their way in life."

Henri Shaw had listened to the exchange with mixed feelings. This would be the last time father and son saw each other. He didn't think that the lad would regret this last interaction with the man who had sired him, but they should get going again. This was taking all too long. Lucius had seen the couple, the child and even knew that his son was no longer a marked Death Eater.

The hairs on the back of his neck rose the next moment. Darkness engulfed them. Hermione could be heard muttering and then a voice commanded, "Relashio!" There was a scuffle breaking out.

"Get out!" Henri roared.

Moments later different spells were flying through the darkness.

"Finite Incantatem!" a voice bellowed.

The darkness vanished and the scene being uncovered was one of a bloody fight. The shield charm protecting Hermione and Draco had collapsed as Miller lay sprawled unconscious on the floor and Dawlish was bleeding from a nasty head wound. Mulligan was sitting on top of Lucius, who in turn seemed to be unconscious as well. Wilson was leaning against a wall trying to breath, the three prison guards seemed to be out cold as well. Neither the young Malfoys nor Potter were anywhere in sight. Good. At least he didn't need to worry about them.

Moments later six further aurors appeared, wand at the ready.

"It's okay. We got everything under control again."

They lowered their wands, but didn't take their eyes of the prisoner.

"What happened, boss?"

"The frustration and anger of a lifetime got the better of young Malfoy."

"He attacked his father?" was the disbelieving reply.

"No, just distracted everybody long enough for dear Lucius to gather enough strength for a darkness charm."

The new arrivals were healing their colleagues and woke up the unconscious guards. Groaning filled the room.

"Okay, everybody gather. Mulligan, keep him under control."

"You bet, I will."

If he hadn't known any better, Henri would have said his second in command was just hoping for the excuse to give Lucius a good hiding.

"Winters, you get Dawlish, Miller and Wilson to St. Mungo's."

"Aye, boss."

"Acker, I want you to check on the kids. Make sure they are okay. If not, get them to the hospital. Stun them, if you have to. Then find out, where Potter has got to."

A short nod was all the acknowledgement this got before the auror vanished.

The head guard was looking at him.

"Shall we get the Dementors?"

"As tempted as I am to dispense with him straight away, I need to get the lawyer to check, if all the necessities for succession have been fulfilled." he turned to another of his men, "Grims, find Pilliard Snuggens and bring him here. Make sure he brings all the necessary papers and whatever else he needs in order make sure this ends once and for all."

"Will do." and he was gone as well.

The head of the Auror Office was thinking for a moment then a said in a quiet voice, "James."

"Henri?"

"Go home to your witch..."

"No, I'll stay until he's gone."

"You don't have to."

"I want to make sure she's truly mine and I want him to know that his wife has always been my witch regardless of her having been married to him."

"Okay, you stay and see him having his sentence finally enforced."