The Blood Servant

9

" I would tell you that this is a stupid idea, but here we are, doing it, so I guess I owe you one." 

Draco rolled his eyes at Ellery's smart remark and tugged the hood of his cloak further over his eyes. " You brought the pin, right?" 

" Yes." She handed it to him. " Still can't believe you thought of breaking in." 

" Why?" he asked, placing the pin in the keyhole and beginning to listen for the click of the door's lock. Ellery shrugged.

" Dunno. I guess it's not something I expect of you. I've been rubbing off on you more than I thought," she replied. Draco smiled to himself, but didn't reply. If she was feeling proud, he wasn't going to take that from her.

Quietly, the lock gave way with a metallic clinking sound. The duo rejoiced silently and rushed inside. Ellery could feel her heart racing within her chest, and she delighted in the rush of adrenaline this daring task provided her. She made her way to the back closet while Draco searched the front shelves.

As she went along the cabinets, she lit a small fire in the palm of her hand, the light casting a glittering blue hue over the room. She muttered the ingredients in her head as she searched. By this time she'd already collected three of the essentials. Only two more to go, and she was reaching the end of the narrow corridor. They weren't in here. Ellery crept back out, dimming the light so that it might not reach the shop's large windows and give them away.

" Any luck?" She whispered to Draco when she reached him.

" I found one of the plants we need. The other is one we can find outside at this time of night. Did you find everything else?" he asked. She nodded.

" Good. I found a small cauldron, too. Let's get out of here," he said, shuddering.

" Agreed." She dumped the ingredients into an empty nap sack and they headed for the door, Draco re-locking it behind them.

Ducking into a nearby patch of trees, Ellery began setting out the supplies while Draco ran to get water. She lit a small fire under the pot and used what was left of her palm fire to read the directions. She was sprinkling things in when Draco came back. He poured the water and they waited for it to boil.

" Think this will really get rid of the Dark Mark?" Ellery asked, more to herself than to Draco. He must've still heard, though, because he nodded.

" It has to," he said, " Why else would it be confirmed here?" 

" I know, I'm sorry." She heaved a great sigh. " I just... It's hard to trust an antidote when so many haven't worked." 

" What do you mean?" 

For a short while, Ellery said nothing. She wasn't sure she was ready to trust him, even though he was the only real friend she'd ever had. He had saved her back with the wolves though, and even came up with a plan to at least free her of the Death Eaters mark even though the blood bond could be everlasting. So, she turned to him and inhaled deeply.

" My parents were very unwell in the head," she began, her voice running deep with sadness," We tried everything available to us to try and cure them. Every antidote, every healer we could find. Nothing worked. Nothing happened. They grew bitter and controlling, to the point where my beautiful family broke in two. No one would even dare to write to us. We were disowned by my father's parents.... and then they tried to send me to a school for young witches, even though they knew I didn't want to go. So I ran. And here I am with you." 

Draco opened his mouth to respond, but instead felt himself leaning forward to wipe the tears from Ellery's cheeks. She smiled sadly at him, and then turned her attention back to the potion.

" Water's boiling. Add the last of the ingredients," she sighed.

He looked at her a moment longer before doing so. She put out the flame under the pot and poured it into a small glass.

" Wish me luck," she laughed weakly, and then drank the reversal potion.

For one terrible second, Ellery sputtered. Then, her aura blossomed, lifting her off the ground and filling the cold, dry air with the rich smell of grapefruit. Her clear eyes turned into shining navy colored discs, and her golden waves were lifted off her shoulders in an unseen breeze. This went on for a few seconds, and then she drifted gently to the ground, blinking away the glowing navy that had filled the entirety of her eyes. 

" Whoa," she breathed, shaking her head, " That made me awfully dizzy." 

Draco raced around to meet her on the other side of the cauldron, pulling back the sleeve of her cloak. As he did so, he could see  what remained of the greenish black mark vaporizing off her skin.

" It worked!" he exclaimed breathlessly, " It actually worked!" 

Draco began to laugh, and after a stunned moment, so did Ellery. Soon they were hugging each other and twirling around. Suddenly, Ellery paused.

" What?" he asked.

" We don't know if it really worked. It did what it was supposed to do for the marking, and I feel like myself again, but we still need to know one thing." she said seriously.

" Right." He swallowed. He'd been hoping to avoid this part. Sure, what he'd done to her was wrong, but he wasn't ready for her to disappear. Ellery was one of the only people who could convince him that the mountains he faced weren't as unbreakable and frightening as they seemed. But... if it was what she wanted, he wouldn't deny that to her. He opened the book to a list of questions designed to test the victims memory if the blood pact was miraculously broken.

" Who am I to you?" he asked.

" You are Draco Malfoy, my master," she answered.

" Who are you to me?" 

" Your guardian, your servant, but first and foremost, your friend." 

I answered wrong, she thought, a sudden wash of what might have been relief running over her, I'm still blood bound. 

" Draco," she said hoarsely, staggering forward and wrapping her arms around him. He hugged her back, trying to apologize for the failure, but she cut him off.

" It's not a fail. I'll be with you, no matter what, through thick and thin. I don't care if I'm your servant. Draco Malfoy, I love you, for heaven's sake! I could not have asked for a greater happiness than what I feel among you and your family." She cried, expelling a big breath into the cold night air. Her heart pounded and she was shaking, but she held on.

Stunned, Draco's mouth opened and closed noiselessly. Then, with a deep shuddering exhale, he hugged Ellery's shaking frame harder.

" Thank you," he mumbled into her ear, his voice breaking, " Thank you. I love you too, Ellery." 

They stood like that for a moment longer, and then Ellery released him, withdrawing the orb from within her cloak.

" Now that all the mush is over with," she laughed, " Let's go home, Charming." 

" Let's," he agreed.

With that, Ellery activated the orb, and, hand in hand, they stepped into the blinding light and into the sunshine of the modern day wizarding world.