HAPPY BIRTHDAY, kit84

[aoifene]

Title: The Original Sin (1/7 of The Seven Sins Arc)
Author: Aoife Malfoy aoifene
Pairing: Eventual H/D, R/Hr
Genre: Dark Humour
Rating: NC-17 for language, violence and sex (in later chapters)
Beta: The wonderful emmalificent
Warnings: AU. Post HBP. No DH Spoilers
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is property of JKR, only borrowing for my own twisted means.
Dedication: Happy Birthday to my darling, kit84! I know how much you love my humor, darkness and The Sixth & Seventh Sin! So here it is finally, the first part towards the completion of the whole 7 Sins Arc! I do hope you like it! (Also the fun doesn’t stop, lookie here!)

o1 | o2 | o3 | o4 | o5 | o6 | o7

o1- | Superbia



Severus,

Please tell me you’re joking. This is your grand plan? Your masterful sleight of hand revolves around your faith in Potter? I would laugh at the ridiculousness of it all, if I weren’t plagued with an overwhelming urge to weep. Please tell me I did not just give up my family and my fortune, all in the hopes that Harry Potter could be arsed to offer me sanctuary from that demented snake-faced cretin. If you hadn’t noticed, I am wanted by the whole of Wizarding Britain for letting Death Eaters into Hogwarts, something that no one had ever done before (and I admit I’m quite proud of that), which resulted in having Potter’s best mate’s brother bitten by that loathsome werewolf (this part not so much). The fact that I had no choice in the matter is going to fall on deaf ears when I show up on your damnable Order’s front steps! Why can’t you go with me? You promised my mother you’d take care of me. Instead, you send me to the slaughter in a den of Gryffindors!

Write me back, damn you!

Draco

------------------

I am quite aware of what my vow to your mother entails, Draco. This is the only recourse I can secure for you. Besides, you know how all those bleeding heart Gryffindors are. Once they truly grasp the dire nature of your circumstances, I’m quite confident they will offer you a safe haven. Now I’m not saying it’s going to be painless or that you won’t have to endure endless encounters laced with Veritaserum. I’m sure that paranoid one-eyed Auror will take great zeal in doing just that, but it can’t be helped. From now on, you are dependent on the kindness of Gryffindors, especially Harry Potter. I would advise you not to antagonize him, but then again, I know all too well how infuriating the little twit can get and how quick your childish temper is, so I won’t bother. Attached to this letter is the location of the Order. The Headmaster made sure you had a means to acquire it if you so wished.

----------------

Severus,

I do not have a childish temper! And I completely resent what you’re implying! It’s not my fault that four eyed fool is so irritatingly arrogant it makes me want to vomit! Chosen one, my arse! More like “The Extremely Blessed Sod who was Probably Born under a Lucky Star on the Seventh Moon of the Seventh Year on a Field of Four Leaf Clovers”! And that is not a show of temper, merely one of passion! But not to worry, you’re forgiven for not being able to tell the difference. And what do you mean, I’m to be dependent on the kindness of Gryffindors? Are you listening to what you’re saying? Who knows what the Weasel King would do to me if he ever got me alone in a room? Not to mention the acts of depravity that Mudblood would enforce on me. I saw the look she gave me in Third Year, Severus, right after she punched me! That look of satisfaction on her face when she bruised my flawless skin with her hamhock fist! The eyes don’t lie. The chit wants me and I’m not entirely sure I’m into blood play or girls. I’m not even going to speculate what Potter has in store for me. I shudder at the thought of being at his mercy. There must be another way! Another safe house perhaps? Are you entirely certain I can’t stay here? Surely even the most stubborn Death Eater and/or Auror must have tired of combing the place after the millionth time?

Draco

-------------------
I think it is prudent that you head for Order Headquarters because clearly staying alone in that house has made you delusional! When I say I have no other option, Draco, I mean it! It’s not a declaration I would pass around lightly. As Slytherins, we’ve been taught that it is always wise to have as many available avenues as possible, but we no longer possess that luxury. The war is upon you, Draco. This is no longer child’s play. I thought you of all people would appreciate that fact, or have you forgotten your entire sixth year? As much as it pains me, Potter is the key to your survival. Recognize that and make your peace with it.

Go to the Order, Draco.

I won’t ask again.

-------------------

But, Severus,I’m scared I don’t want to.

-------------------
I know.

Do it anyway.

--------------------

Draco Malfoy sighed for the umpteenth time as he sat down on the sun baked steps of an old tarnished building. He narrowed his eyes in disgust as he spied the various Muggles stupidly milling about. Some of them even had the audacity to stop and look at him curiously. No doubt his robes and Wizarding attire made him stick out like a sore thumb, but he didn’t care. He was a bloody Wizard and he would not wear those outrageous things Muggles passed off as clothes! Gritting his teeth, he stood up fluidly and turned his back on the insipid lot, making his way up the stairs. As soon as he reached the top, he discreetly looked around and was satisfied to find that his infuriating audience had moved on, well out of sight.

With one final heavy sigh and a muttered curse, Draco took out a tiny slip of parchment and read it. Instantly the building rearranged itself to offer him a familiar doorway. With great trepidation, he grasped the ominous doorknocker and brought it down loudly three times.

The door knob turned slowly, but before he could even get so much as a chance to think of something fairly more pleasant and very much unlike the nasty opener of “Hey, Four Eyes, lost any ambiguously evil mentors lately?’ that was just on the tip of his tongue, he was caught in a string of painful hexes.

“Petrificus Totalus!”

“Silencio!”

“Incarcerus!”

“Stupefy!”

Well, that seems a bit much. Draco thought indignantly before he succumbed to the last spell and lost consciousness.

---------------------------------

“Where is he? Where is Snape?”

“Do you think if I knew the answer to that question, I’d be here? Believe me, Potty, I’d rather be on the run and by his side than standing here facing your ugly mugs.”

“Why you stinking evil little shite!’

“Harry! Stop! We can’t interrogate him if you strangle him! Stop that! And you’re not helping, Ron!”

“Well, you can’t really blame the bloke, Hermione! That Ferret is completely infuriating!”

“Ha! Infuriating is such a big word. Don’t hurt yourself, Weasel.”

“Why you!”

“Stop it! Both of you! Harry! Didn’t I tell you to stop trying to choke him? Honestly!”

“Oh, Granger! I knew you wouldn’t let them kill me. Who would have thought that your lusting after my sweet arse would be a determining factor in saving it one day?”

“You think I stopped them because I want you? You egocentric delusional little prat! Move over, Harry and let me at him!”

“Ow, Granger! I knew you liked it rough!”

Remus Lupin sighed as he listened to the commotion inside the room. He should have known better than to leave the children with an incapacitated Draco Malfoy, but he had to call for Alastor as quickly as possible. With Snape still deep under cover, the Auror was the only one who had access to the Veritaserum that would be needed. Another crash resounded throughout the room and he knew he had to get in there before someone got killed.

“Enough! Stop it, all of you! Harry! Let go of his robes right now! Ron, I don’t think that’s what the extension cord is for! And Hermione! I’m surprised at you! That wasn’t very nice!” Remus looked sternly at the three chastised figures.

“But! But! It was his fault!” Harry whirled and stuck out an accusing finger at the frazzled blond boy who was still trying to disentangle himself from the electrical cords Ron had improvised with.

“Oh yes, of course, Potter. Dear me, how could I forget that I virtually begged you to strangle me?” Draco glared at the annoying twit. How dare he! He’s the one whose motto in life is “Hex now, ask sane questions later!”

“You deserved that and more!” Ron bellowed, flushing darkly.

“You can tell me what I deserve? Don’t make me laugh, Weasel.” Draco raised an eyebrow. “As if you could appraise anything and surmise its value. Living in your hovel would’ve certainly lowered your standards. After all, aren’t you with the Mudblood?”

“I am going to kill you!” Ron roared, tensing to lunge at the boy.

“I said, enough!” Remus snarled, reaching the end of his rope. His raised voice carried an unmistakable hint of a werewolf’s growl, reminding one and all that he wasn’t one to be messed with. Relaxing slightly now that all four of them had apparently seen sense, he motioned to the boy. “Come sit, Mr. Malfoy and tell me what brings you here.”

Draco sniffed delicately as he sat down on the dusty chair. Determining Lupin would be the sanest person to talk to, regardless of how distasteful doing so might be, Draco answered him politely, “If I may request it, would you mind if we had this discussion alone? I’m afraid I don’t quite trust my safety with them in the room. After the earlier debacle, I’m sure you can understand.”

Immediately, all three Gryffindors jumped on that suggestion angrily. Soon enough, insults and more than its fair share of pushing were being carried on back and forth, and Remus could not deny the obvious wisdom in Draco’s request. They weren’t getting anywhere!

“Come with me, Mr. Malfoy. We’ll go talk in the study.” Remus sighed wearily as he ushered him towards the side door. A stern glare silenced any complaint the trio may have had. Motioning Draco to step into the next room, Remus turned back and addressed the trio.

“Unless you can control yourselves, you are not going to be part of the interrogation. Moody is on his way and I’m sure he can handle things well enough. We don’t need you three exploding every single time the boy makes a sarcastic remark. Now I know you all have a history and he surely isn’t the nicest bloke, but he came here for a reason. He was given a means to get here for a reason. Please do remember that? Now I don’t know what that reason is, but I would sure like to find out. I’m sorry I have to do this to you, but I’ll let you know what I’ve learned as soon as we’re done.” Remus looked at the three plaintively and was relieved to see the small begrudging nods he received.

“I’ll be back soon,” he promised softly as he left the room.

---------------------------------------------

Two hours passed and Remus was beginning to doubt whether they would ever get any answers out of the boy. Granted, he did give answers and honest ones at that. How could he not, with the liberal dose of Veritaserum coursing through his system? But his replies were far from straight or clear. The boy knew how to deflect their inquiries and more often than not, they were sent on a mad goose chase, scrambling after an answer that fit with what they wanted to know.

Moody had arrived earlier, along with his vast supply of the truth serum and an apparent penchant for sadistically baiting the Slytherin, one that rivaled the one he’d seen with the trio of Gryffindors. The former Auror was relentless with his questions as well as his insults. Remus would have felt sorry for Draco, if only the boy wasn’t giving as good as he got.

“I’m going to ask you again and this time I will make it unmistakably clear that even your Slytherin tricks won’t get you out of telling me exactly what I want to know! Where is the precise location of your father, Lucius Malfoy, right at this very moment, boy? Where is that bastard?”

“With the Dark Lord. Where else? Honestly, I thought you’d give me the really tough questions! What with the Veritaserum and all? And no, you’ve been quite misinformed. My father is the legitimate child of Abraxas Malfoy and Anastasia Spungen, thank you very much!”

“Then where is the Dark Lord?”

“I don’t know. Have you lost him already?”

“Shut up, boy! I’m leading the interrogation here! Where did you last see him?”

“Him? To which ‘him’ are you referring? The Dark Lord? My father? Perhaps it’s Lupin here that you’re indicating? Or better yet-“

“The Dark Lord, you ninny! Where the hell did you last see the Dark Lord?”

“I was only trying to ask for clarification. Seriously, Moody, not everyone thinks the same way you do. Actually, I’m pretty sure society as a whole is quite glad that isn’t the case. Oh, and that would have been at the manor. I think it was earlier this year. He stopped by during the Summer Solstice.”

“What?! The Dark Lord stopped by your house to celebrate the Solstice with you? Did you hold hands and dance around the raging bonfire, chanting your way through the ritual? Don’t make me laugh, boy! Stop messing around!”

“Veritaserum? You know, that clear liquid thing that makes you tell the truth? I know you’re not a Potions Master, but really! I’d have thought you would remember the fact that it’s virtually impossible for me to lie right now! Yes, he stopped by and no, we did no such thing! Think of what you’re saying, Moody. That’s so déclassé!”

A strained silence fell over the room as Draco and Moody locked gazes, one filled with malicious glee and the other quickly filling with exasperated fury.

“What’s your most humiliating moment?”

The question was completely unexpected and so far removed from what they were trying to do here that it startled the other occupants of the room. There was a long pregnant pause after that and Remus could clearly see how strongly the boy was fighting the serum. His face had gone pale and his hands were visibly shaking. Remus was about to open his mouth to prevent this from going any further when Draco finally answered.

“Back on the train during our first year at Hogwarts—” Draco worked his jaw, seemingly wishing he could snap it shut and prevent the words from coming out, but it was to no avail and the remainder of his confession came tumbling out.

“Potter refused to be my friend.”

“That’s your most humiliating moment?” Moody laughed, taken aback by the boy’s answer. “You mean, it wasn’t when you were transfigured into a ferret by my imposter? Though I must admit that was the single good thing that bastard did while he was Polyjuiced as me!” He chortled even more, his merriment oozing with malice.

“Yes,” Draco said evenly, glaring furiously at the chuckling Auror, “and no.”

“Aww, did ickle little Draco get his hopes up? Were you hoping you’d end up best friends forever with the Boy Who Lived? You were probably hoping to get in his good books, weren’t you? Have some influence over such a famous boy?” Moody shook his head, hilarity dancing in his eyes. “It’s a good thing Potter had taste.”

Draco bit his tongue so hard it bled, but there was no help for it. That bastard of an Auror had asked him a question, no matter how rhetorical. He still needed to answer it. With cheeks burning in humiliation, Draco growled, “Yes. Yes. Yes and yes, you bastard! He was the Boy Who Sodding Lived, you twit! Who wouldn’t want to be associated with someone they spent their whole lives hearing about? And are you bloody well blind? Potter’s clothes don’t match and he picked a Weasley! That is the complete opposite of good taste!”

“Who was the first girl you bedded?” Moody asked with a sneer.

“Moody! Stop it!” Remus protested, but the serum was already forcing the boy to answer.

“Pansy Parkinson, you disgusting old man!” Draco snarled in anger.

His rage was only met by Moody’s sharp bark of laughter. “Oh, I’m not asking because I actually want to know, Malfoy. I just want to remind you that I can and I will ask whatever I wish.” He paused and let that little tidbit sink in before smirking cruelly.

“Did you like it?”

Blushing madly, Draco shut his eyes and averted his face from his tormentor’s, lest he lost himself and lunged at him. “No,” came his shaking answer and already he knew what the bastard was going to ask him next.

“Why not?”

Trembling violently from anger, Draco couldn’t help himself from jumping up and shrieking, “Because I think I’m fucking queer! Is that what you wanted to hear, you sadistic prick?! That I’m bent and I want to take it up the arse? What else do you want to know, you disgusting pervert?!”

Moody merely smiled, looking amused at the blonde’s tirade. He was about to retaliate when the frozen man beside him snapped out of his horrified stupor.

“That is enough, Moody! We didn’t drug him to torment him!” Remus snapped, no longer able to keep quiet about the Auror’s appalling behavior.

“Says you.” Moody sneered. “Do you have any idea how many people want this kid? And not just on our side.” He scoffed as he crossed his arms. ‘We should chuck him out the door. Let his own kind find him. Save us a lot of trouble.”

“Well, thankfully, we’re on the side of good and we don’t do things like that or have you forgotten?” Remus said sharply. Honestly! He knew the man hated Death Eaters of all kinds but this was ridiculous! Draco wasn’t even Marked!

“Now stand aside and let me talk to him, since it’s been two hours and we still haven’t learned a thing!” He elbowed his way in front of the livid boy. He sighed when all Draco did was turn away from him. Glaring at the smug Auror, Remus asked him softly,

“Why are you here?”

Still trying to regain his composure, Draco replied slowly, “Severus sent me.”

“Why did he send you?”

“He wanted to keep me in a safe place.” He looked away angrily. “He was laboring under the mistaken impression that I would find one here.”

“He wasn’t wrong, Draco. Just give us time to adjust.” Remus sighed, the beginnings of a headache pulsing against his temple. “Are you working for the Dark Lord?”

“No.”

“Do you want to?”

“No,” Draco whispered roughly, ignoring the disbelieving snort that came from the Auror. “If I had a choice, I wouldn’t want to.”

Remus nodded. “Are you willing to fight against the Dark Lord?”

Draco paused, startled by the question. “It depends.”

“On what?”

“The risks, the benefits, the reason,” he said truthfully.

“Figures,” Moody mumbled. “Always the Slytherin.”

“Yes,” Draco spat as he turned to him, his eyes once again burning with spite. “Is there a Gryffindor requirement that I didn’t know about? Do I have to be housed in the den of lions in order to be granted clemency?”

“No, of course not.” Remus sighed wearily. “Moody, I’ve asked you not to interfere!”

“You can’t expect me to sit here and do nothing, can you? The brat just about told us that he wouldn’t lift a finger to help us against Voldemort! He just wants a place to hide! He’s deadweight, Remus.” He shook his head. “Besides, he’s a Slytherin and a Malfoy! Their lot can't be trusted! Doubly so when they come from that family.”

Glaring hotly, Draco gritted his teeth. “I am a Slytherin and I am a Malfoy. Those are two things I cannot and will not change, no matter what. I did not say I wouldn’t fight against the Dark Lord. I merely stated that there are conditions that must be met before this happens. Now your simple mind might not be able to grasp this, Moody, but I grew up on the other side. Their ideas and their beliefs are mine as well. Their methods, however, are not. Make no mistake; that is the only reason I am here. If I fight, it will be because I choose to. You say I’m a coward?” Draco laughed wryly. “Cowardice implies a passiveness that I have never shown, Moody. You might want to check your dictionary again.”

“I can’t listen to this nonsense, Lupin.” Moody scoffed and stood up. “You Malfoys are all the same. You’re no different from your father. I would watch my step if I were you.” His eyes bored into grey.

“They do say pride comes before the fall and I would so hate to see that happen.” His lips twisted into a wicked grin. “After all, it’s a long way down.” Still smirking, he turned and made his way out of the room. His hand was on the doorknob when the boy offered his parting shot.

“I’d take my own advice if I were you.”

Draco smiled darkly. The malevolent glint in his eyes promised that this afternoon’s session wouldn’t be forgotten.

“It is a long way down.”



o2- Wrath | Ira


**The First Sin according to the writings of Christian monk, Evagrius Ponticus, was Superbia or Pride. It is said to be the first of the seven deadly sins that lead to damnation. Pride is said to be invoked by the demon, Lucifer, and eternal punishment is in the form of forced walking with stone slabs bearing down on their backs in order to induce feelings of humility.

^{-The Seven Deadly Sins by Wikipedia.org}


AN: This is quite a new experience for me as a writer, writing the beginning when the end has already been determined. Nevertheless, it’s a rather fun challenge. I did promise long ago I would write the full Seven Sins Arc and it being the lovely kit84’s bday, I couldn’t resist. The woman loves my dark Draco so much that it was impossible for me to NOT take him out to play again. So I hope you’ll all follow me along this journey, even though you already know how the story ends. Watch as Draco sets out on his path, changes sides, and finds himself deeply and irrevocably in love with one Harry James Potter, all the while falling to the lure of the seven deadly sins.

Please review. I would love to hear your thoughts.