Blackbird

11 | In the Dead

A week later, Draco balanced Rose on his hip while Hermione dished up some pasta for the three of them for lunch. She cut the pieces on Rose's plate into tiny bites before setting the plates on the table.

"Come on, Rosie. I know you can do it! Say Dray-co," Draco said, grinning down at the baby, who stared blankly up at him.

"Dray-co," He repeated.

"Agobabado," Rosie babbled.

"Say Mama," Draco coached.

"Ma-ma."

"Say Dada."

"Da-da."

"Now say Dray-co."

The baby just continued to stare at him as she shoved a chubby hand in her mouth.

"Hey, Rosie," Hermione cut in with a teasing grin, "Say Harry."

"Ha-wy."

"What?" Draco burst out. "How? We've been working on this for weeks! Come on, Rosie!"

Hermione laughed. "Her godfather may have stopped by with cookies a few days ago."

"Cheating bastard," Draco muttered under his breath, passing the baby over to her mother so she could buckle her into her high chair.

"How are you and Harry doing?" Hermione asked curiously as they sat down to eat.

Draco smiled. "Good, but I think things will be better once this challenge thing is over. It's making us both a little anxious. Harry's been...distant. He tries to hide it, but sometimes it feels like he's miles away, even when he's right beside me."

"I'm sorry, Draco. I'm sure things will be better when it's over. I'm really glad Lorcan agreed to a Challenge for Dominance. Given what Harry's told me about him, I thought for sure he'd insist on a Fight to the Death. From what I've read, that's certainly more common for many of the more violent werewolves."

Draco nodded, an uneasy feeling settling over him. Based on the way Lorcan looked at Harry any time they visited Wolf's Hollow, he was surprised, too. The man clearly loathed any threat to his power with every fiber of his being...but Harry wouldn't lie to him about this. Not unless...he was trying to protect him. No. This was still too big, and Draco had asked him directly. Harry wouldn't lie to him. He wouldn't...would he?

"What else can you tell me about the Werewolf Challenge process, 'Mione?"

Hermione glanced over at him, clearly having caught the uneasiness in his voice. "Well, in a Fight to the Death Challenge, the two wolves will just lock themselves in close quarters on a full moon night. Some packs have a place where they can do this ceremonially, others will just gather in the woods.

"When the werewolves wake up back in their human forms the next morning, the winner of the challenge is the one who is still alive, obviously. The wolves who hate any challenge to their position prefer it, because they would rather die than be subject to another leader, and if they win, their challenger is dead and can't challenge them again."

"Nadine told us that Wolf's Hollow has a dungeon with a big round space in the middle of the cells," Draco commented.

"Hmm. I imagine that's where the challenge will be, then. For a Challenge for Dominance, which has only been an option in recent years since the Wolfsbane Potion was invented, the wolves take Wolfsbane so that they're more aware of their surroundings and the violent tendencies are curbed significantly. They still fight, but only until one of the wolves submits to the other. Werewolves have still succumbed to their injuries and died during this kind of challenge, but it's less likely."