The Siren's Call (A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction)

151. Complicated Exes

Imani trembled slightly as she took the warm mug Andre held out to her into her own hands. Taking a seat next to her, he wrapped an arm around her waist as Dioleh and Blaise sat across from them. Blaise was leaning forward with his elbows poised on his knees to listen while Dioleh leaned back, her legs tucked beneath her, her chin poised on her fist as she waited for Imani to speak. She took a long sip of her tea before lowering it, keeping her hands wrapped around the mug tightly as though to steady her hands with the warm glass.

Finally, she said, "When we were all forced to report to the Ministry about our blood status, I was brought in only to discover that my father is a muggle-born. I of course couldn't prove my mother's ancestry and so I was sentenced to be imprisoned in Azkaban. But before they could take me, someone interfered. Despite my fierce struggle, I was brought to this house. It was Malfoy Manor. While I was there, I was supposed to be tortured and interrogated for answers about Harry and Hermione because of my connection to you, but of course, I didn't know anything."

"You said you were supposed to be?" Dioleh remarked, brows furrowed. "Why weren't you?"

"Because of Draco, actually," Imani admitted, leaning forward to set down her mug. "He made sure the other prisoners and I were fed and protected from the worst of Bellatrix's wrath. He also saved my life the first night I was there. He protected all of us as best he could. It worked for a while, but eventually, he had had enough. He decided to break out and leave the manor and he wanted to take us with him. We planned to leave the night Bellatrix was set to leave on a little business trip but someone must have warned him." Imani paused a moment, before concluding, "Only Draco and I managed to get out."

"Who else was there?" Blaise asked.

"Mr. Ollivander was there even before I was," Imani explained. "And also Luna Lovegood. She appeared the day we planned to leave."

"Well, turns out someone flipped another one-eighty," Andre remarked dryly.

"He saved my life, Andre," Imani countered. "And we already learned he did everything to protect Dioleh."

"Andre's right, Imani," Dioleh said with a sigh. "Draco could have come to any of us about what was happening. He could have warned Dumbledore, become a spy. Anything other than pushing us away and hurting us all in the process. Frankly, saving your life is something to profusely thank him for but not enough to just forgive all the pain he has caused. We still can't trust him. There is still much he has to answer for."

"Dioleh's right," Blaise said grimly. "If he didn't trust us enough to confide in us, then we have no reason to trust him." After a brief pause, he asked, "What should we do with him when he wakes up?"

"We can't just turn him out on the streets," Imani said.

"He can't stay either," Andre replied with a sigh.

"He has nowhere else to go," Imani countered. "He left his family. If he goes back, he's dead. We're all he has left."

"Maybe he should've thought about that before betraying all of us," Blaise retorted bitterly.

"What do you suggest then?" Imani snapped, getting to her feet and glaring dangerously. "If you really don't trust him that much, what exactly are you planning on doing? Holding him hostage in your own house?"

"What?" Blaise retorted, also getting to his feet. "I would never do that. Who do you think I am?"

"I thought I knew before you decided to turn on your best friend," Imani spat.

"Okay, enough!" Dioleh shouted, getting to her feet and looking furiously between the two. "Enough. You're both so out of line. Imani, Blaise did not turn on Draco. Draco turned on all of us. And Blaise, we can't just throw him out. Draco still knows where we are but if you don't want to trust him, at least trust the fact that he will be killed if any Death Eater sees him. If we just kick him out and let him die, we're no better than any of them."

"So what? We just tell him what we're doing?" Blaise snapped. "We have a mission here!"

"I am well aware," Dioleh said calmly. With a sigh, she said, "Let's talk to Harry and Hermione and see what they have to say."

"Good," Blaise said bitterly. "Another opinion." Rolling her eyes, Dioleh pulled out her mirror.

"Hermione," she called. Instead of facing the usual inside of Hermione's bag, they could instead see through the mirror the inside of the tent.

"Dioleh," Harry said in surprise, coming into the frame.

"Harry, we need to talk to both of you," Dioleh said.

"Hermione's standing watch," Harry explained. "I'll go get her." There was the faint sound of footsteps and some shuffling as they waited. Once Hermione and Harry had sat down, he asked, "So, what's going on?"

"We had two unexpected visitors," Dioleh admitted.

"Death Eaters?" Hermione asked tensely.

"No," Dioleh said. "Well...sort of. Half. Whatever, look, Imani hasn't been at school all this time, she was actually being held prisoner in Malfoy Manor. Long story short, Draco broke her out. They both appeared on the lawn about an hour ago."

"Malfoy's there?" Hermione said, brows furrowed. "Where is he right now?"

"Unconscience," Andre explained. "He showed up a injured. But look, we don't know what to do with him. Blaise and I think we should just force him to leave. Imani and Dioleh think we need to keep him here."

"Well, I suppose it depends on if you want him alive," Hermione admitted. "He'll die out there with You-Know-Who looking for him."

"But we also have no reason to be loyal to him," Blaise countered, crossing his arms over his chest. "He betrayed all of us and didn't let any of us in when he was dealing with all that crap last year. He brought this on himself."

"That's not entirely fair, Blaise," Harry said. "His parents, Dioleh, and you were being threatened."

"I'm sorry, what?" Blaise said quickly, brows furrowed.

"He said so on the Astronomy Tower," Harry explained.

"What do you think we should do?" Dioleh asked. Hermione and Harry glanced at each other, deep in thought.

"I don't know," Hermione said finally.

"But whatever you decide, it needs to be quick," Harry added.

"Why?" Andre asked with a frown. "Because he might wake up?"

"No," a new voice said. All four shared startled looks as Ron took a seat next to Hermione, who instantly rolled her eyes. "We found the Sword of Gryffindor."

"Then it's settled," Dioleh said. "The seven of us need to meet up." Glancing at Imani, she added, "That is, if you're game to join us?"

"Of course," she replied. "Can't very well go back to school, can I?"

"So, we figure out what to do with Draco and then the three of you can let us in on where you're staying," Dioleh suggested. "I'll contact you when we've sorted it all out."

"Okay," Hermione said. "Be safe, guys." Setting aside the mirror, Dioleh reclaimed her seat with a weary sigh.