𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐎𝐮𝐭 {𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲}

| 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐒 | 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭 (*TW)

TW: mention of abortion

Graces, also known as Charites, were goddesses of charm, beauty, goodwill, and fertility. They are usually portrayed as three women, Aglaia (Brightness), Euphrosyne (Joyfulness), and Thalia (Bloom). In other versions, other members of the Charites include Charis (Grace), Kale (Beauty), and Phaenna (Bright), amongst others.

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a m o r a

There were three things I learned from Angel in the course of carrying out my duties as her caretaker. 

One; my eyes were the exact colour of the aurora borealis on a bright night over the Swedish Lapland. Not quite neon, but green enough to light up the sky. 

Two; the Draco constellation is circumpolar. That means it never sets. It can be seen every single night, unfailingly. 

Three; you cannot separate that which the stars have drawn together. To try and do so would be waging a war against nature. It would be a war you cannot win.

I have never been to Sweden, neither have I bothered terribly much about the constellation of Draco. My favourite was Andromeda. But the third, however, I knew to be true, because even Death himself could not defy the path that the stars have charted for Angel and Draco. 

But looking at Codrus, I also knew there exists a certain kind of darkness in this world. Its only purpose was to battle the will of the stars - to undo what nature deems is meant to be. And it does so in a frightfully insidious manner, going beyond the hallway taunts of youth or the explosive anger of wrathful adults. Instead, it seeps like shadows into people's bodies, wrapping invisible tentacles around hearts and squeezing out every last drop of humanity, until nothing remains in the hollow space of their chests. 

And as I stood holding the ropes that bound Angel's wrists, something clicked within me. It was too deep for me to have realised in that moment, but unbeknownst to myself, I had already decided I would rather die on the right side, than reign on the wrong.

There was a glint in Codrus' eyes that could only be perceived as trickery. And a trick it was, because my trained senses knew he would kill Draco without hesitation or fear of consequence. This might have been Draco's house, but he lost his place here the day he married Angel. 

The thought of Draco dying did not affect me at all, to be honest. He meant nothing to me, just another passing ghost in my life; a blinking light that would simply blow out quietly. But I thought of how it would destroy Angel, how it would unravel her very soul, thread by thread, until there was nothing left. 

She might have been older than me, but my knowledge of such sinister workings far surpassed hers. I knew neither she nor her lover would get out of this alive. Not by themselves, at least.

"Take my wand," I whispered to the back of her head. She made no move, and at first I wasn't sure if she heard me. "Push me and take my wand," I instructed again, pressing its tip harder against her back so she knew exactly where it was.

Her pulse began to quicken under my fingers, and I loosened the cords ever so slightly - not enough that it would fall, but enough that it would come undone if she tugged hard enough. She had to do it now, while the room's attention was still turned by a gloating Codrus. 

"Do it now or he will die." I decided this would be my last warning, but it was all she needed to hear. My hands instantly felt cold in the absence of my weapon, and I was thrown to the floor so suddenly and with such force that it knocked the breath out of my lungs.

Angel stumbled back, hands free. But instead of pointing my wand at Codrus, she directed it to her own belly.

The Death Eaters were poised and ready to attack, but Codrus held out his hand to them in caution. "Angel, my love, what are you doing?" His voice was sickly sweet, like the sap of a Venus flytrap.

Angel's eyes flashed with fear, but her demand was alive with ferocity. "Let us go or I'll kill it!"

There was an underlying nervousness in Codrus' chuckle, just a tinge. "You don't wanna to do that, darling," he said, starting towards her. 

"I mean it!" she cried, taking a step back.

Erebus helped me back up to my feet, and I was about to thank him when he leaned in. "Why can't you do anything right?" he hissed. I supposed it was a justified warning, but it cut me all the same. I clenched my jaw and ignored him.

"You're willing to sacrifice your precious life for this? Is that what you really want, Angel, love?" Codrus was saying. "For your husband to mourn two lives instead of one?"

"Stop it!" she flared, but her gaze flickered over to Draco. He and her friends had their wands pointed at us once more, ours at them; Codrus' at Angel, and Angel's on her belly. On the outside looking in, one might have laughed and thought it a funny scene, what the Muggles might call a 'Mexican standoff'. 

But no one spoke a word. Everyone understood the stakes at play here, the destruction one wrong move could make. We were all wondering the same thing as our eyes darted back and forth between each party. Who would make the first move? Was there a way to incapacitate the other without harming the baby?

Just as Codrus was about to speak once more, someone started clapping, the sound muffled by thick gloves. Lucius appeared from the adjoining room, the silver snake head of his wand gleaming in his black-leathered hands as he applauded slowly. He spoke, voice silver-slick. "Isn't this a sight to behold?"

He twirled his wand like a baton, a little trick he did whenever he was bored. "Lucius," Codrus greeted him like an old friend, spreading his arms. "Glad you could finally join us."

"What's little Miss Dawson up to this time?" asked Lucius, as if such a situation happened every other day. Codrus gave a casual shrug. "Looks to me like she's trying to foil your plan, old man." 

Lucius tightened his gloves, already bored with this mundane, humdrum situation. "I can tell you right now, Miss Dawson, there's no... favourable outcome for you here. Get rid of the baby, of course. Kill yourself while you're at it, be my guest. But what about your little... friends here? Your husband, my... beloved son? Are their lives as disposable? "

Angel looked at us. The Death Eaters outnumbered her friends, even as I stood unarmed. Lilith stood beside me, and an effervescent giggle escaped her. Excitement radiated from her skin, warm and thirsty for blood. 

With a start, I realised I had not told Angel the spell to kill the baby. It was secret dark magic passed on by word-of-mouth, and known only to witches and wizards who actively chose to seek it out. For it was such an ungodly pairing of words that not many magic folk, no matter how desperate, wanted their wands and hands tainted by it.

Conceptum retexo. My lips moved to the words as I secretly willed Angel to say it. Conceptum retexo. Conceptum retexo.

Undo the life within.

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A/N: Hey guys, I need to ask a very important question that will determine how the next chapter plays out, which will change the course and outcome of this story: 

Would you prefer to see Draco & Gang vs Lucius OR the gang. vs Codrus? ;)