The Siren's Call (A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction)

115. Curious Nature of Time

After the darkness, the first thing that came to Dioleh was a blinding light. She groaned and attempted to move her arm but the moment the pain hit her, she remembered everything. With a pained gasp, Dioleh jolted herself awake and into a sitting position with a loud hiss. She drew in deep, soothing breaths as she closed her eyes, attempting to work through the pain. Opening them, she looked around her. In the bed next to her, she saw Hermione and in the one beyond her, Ron was lying. Both were lying motionless apart from the steady rise and fall of their chests.

Everything from the Ministry flashed past her eyes as she lay back down with a loud wince. Looking down, she lifted the new shirt she had been placed in. Large, dark bruises covered her stomach and she could see several scrapes from her hands to her elbows. Dioleh drew in several shallow breaths as anything deep caused her too much pain. The door to the Hospital Wing opened and Dioleh looked over to see Imani. The moment she saw that her friend was awake, Imani rushed toward her.

"How do you feel?" she asked quietly, giving her an awkward embrace as Dioleh did not have the energy to sit up again.

"Forget that," Dioleh said gruffly. "What happened to you after we split?"

"Andre and I came to this room where there were a lot of weird potions but while we were in there, two Death Eaters came after us. They kept blowing up the potions around us," Imani explained. "Andre got a burn from one of them but Madam Pomfrey was able to take care of it pretty quickly. It wasn't really anything major. But we eventually came across most everyone else in the circular room. Ginny had broken her ankle, Hermione was unconscious, Ron was a little loopy, and Neville had busted his lip pretty badly. Luna, Harry, and Blaise were completely fine."

"How did Harry and Neville end up in the archway room?" Dioleh asked.

Imani hesitated slightly before explaining, "We were in the room with the weird brains in the tank and Ron summoned one to him. It started attacking him but a bunch of the Death Eaters showed up. Harry led them off with the prophecy and Neville went after him while the rest of us tried to free Ron from the brain. By the time we all found you guys, the Order had already shown up. They tried to get us all to leave, but Andre, Blaise, and I were insisting on finding you. And then..." Imani broke off, her eyes flooding with tears.

"What, Imani?" Dioleh asked worriedly.

She hesitated another moment before admitting tearfully, "It's Sirius, Dio." She paled.

"Who killed him?" Dioleh breathed.

"Bellatrix," Imani scoffed tearfully. "Harry's a wreck." After a pause, she added, "And then Draco rushed in, grabbed me, Andre, you, and Blaise and got us all out of there and took us here."

"But he's okay, right?" Dioleh asked. Imani hesitated again, biting her lip nervously. "What is it?"

"Draco's father," Imani said slowly. "He was arrested. He's in Azkaban."

"Oh my god," Dioleh whispered. "Where's Draco?"

"I don't know," Imani admitted. "Andre and Blaise are looking for him." Dioleh painfully sat up, clutching her ribs. "Woah, what are you doing?"

"What do you think," Dioleh retorted. "I'm going to go find him."

"Dioleh, no," Imani protested. "Lay down. I swear I'll go find him and bring him here, okay?" Dioleh debated a moment before hesitantly laying back down. With a sigh of relief, Imani said, "I'll be back as soon as I find him, okay?" Dioleh nodded.

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Draco was sitting with his back against a tree in the Forbidden Forest, staring at where he knew the motorcycles were hiding under the tarp. The soft crackling of leaves behind him caught his attention but he couldn't find the energy to care much. Blaise came to a stop by Draco's tree, leaning against it. Draco's eyes were rimmed with red and Blaise could tell that tears had been shed.

Softly, he said, "I ran into Imani. She said Dioleh woke up."

After a long pause, he asked, "How's she feeling?"

"She's in a lot of pain but she's all right," Blaise replied. "But she's asking for you. She wanted to come find you but she was in too much pain. Imani told her about your father."

"What does it matter?" Draco replied bitterly.

"You should go talk to her," Blaise said. Draco stayed still for a long time before finally getting to his feet.

⥖✦✧⦽✧✦⥗

Dioleh's eyes were closed as she rested, her mind still racing. Footsteps approached her bed and Dioleh opened her eyes. With a repressed wince, Dioleh sat up. "Dray," she said quickly as he sat down on the edge of her bed. Taking her hand in his gently, he rubbed his thumb against the back of her hand. Wrapping her arms around him, she said, "Dray, everything's going to be okay. You're going to be okay." Despite how much she didn't want to say it, she added, "Your dad's going to be okay."

A strangled sob left his lips as he wrapped his arms around her. Dioleh winced slightly, but refused to let a noise escape her as she held him close. As though hiding away could make everything happening disappear, he buried his head in the crook of her neck. They stayed like that until Draco had cried himself out and he hesitantly pulled away. Dioleh moved over, patting the space next to her and Draco curled up there. They stayed in silence for a time until one piece of information clicked in Dioleh's mind.

Quietly, she said, "Dray, your dad knows."

"Knows what?" Draco replied miserably.

"He knows what I am," Dioleh admitted. Draco sat up, staring at her in shock.

"What?" he exclaimed in a low whisper. "How?"

"He figured it out, I guess," Dioleh said. "He thinks I've enchanted you and that that's why you're dating me and that you haven't turned me in to Voldemort."

Draco was silent for several minutes until he asked hesitantly, "Dioleh, did he do all of this? Did he hurt you this much?" Dioleh averted her gaze. His tone hardening slightly, he said, "Dioleh, please tell me."

With a soft sigh, she admitted, "He was angry once he realized what I am. He was angry because he thought my actions were going to get you killed."

"But that doesn't answer my question," Draco said, sitting up. "Dioleh, did he do this to you." After a long pause, she nodded. Draco let out a long breath, looking away from her and running his hands through his hair. "Everything is about to change," he said softly. "Nothing is ever going to be the same again."

"Dray, that's not true," Dioleh said.

"But it is!" he snapped. "My father is gone. The Malfoy name has been disgraced. I am now the head of the family. I have to do what I can to protect my mother. I doubt I'll be able to keep much in contact over the summer."

A strange sadness spread through Dioleh's chest but she pushed it aside as she replied quietly, "Okay. Do what you have to do, Draco."

"I need to go," he said, getting to his feet. Without so much as a goodbye, he headed for the door. As he was passing through to leave, Harry was coming in to see Hermione and Ron. Draco threw Harry a bitter look before passing by him and out the door.