The Dark Lord waited calmly and patiently, lifting his helpers off the floor and onto the furniture he'd conjured.
Severus was the first to wake. For some strange reason, he was on an unfamiliar chaise, but he was still in the ritual space. He figured it was Koty's doing and sat up. Koty was an absolute whiz when it came to transfiguration.
But Koty was still sleeping, much like Lucius, and both were on matching chaises.
Before Severus could decide to wake them, both Malfoys began to stir.
"I have come to a decision."
"My Lord?" Severus wondered what the man had in store.
Koty yawned widely and scrubbed the grit from his eyes.
"Hi, Sev. Hi, Daddy." He blinked sleepily for a few seconds. "Oh, er, hi... Mr... Dark...Lord." It sounded dumb even to himself, but what was he supposed to call the man? He briefly considered calling the man 'my Lord' like the others, but something inside him crushed that thought before it could even fully form. This man was not his Lord, and never would be.
Lucius, who was just barely coherent enough to realise what his son just said, fought every fibre of his being to keep from whisking his son away to safety.
To the immense relief of the adults in the room, the Dark Lord only laughed. The sound was like rich, dark chocolate, melting over their senses. "Now, Littlest Malfoy, I believe we had an agreement."
Koty's brows knit. "Did we?"
"Your reward, of course," he said slowly. "While I am aware you declined, I do not believe your father agrees with your decision. We will discuss this immediately, as I am not one to leave my debts unpaid."
"But I don't need anythi-"
"Before you finish that thought," Lucius said, effectively quieting his youngest. "Would you rather another situation, similar to the one with Dame Prewett?"
Eyes wide, Koty shook his head. "Do I have to decide now? And, what kind of reward? If I'm to decide on something, I'll need to know what's available, I suppose."
"Though I doubt you will ask for it, given your family's wealth, I have access to the Slytherin vaults. Or, I could... get rid of someone you are having problems with." The Dark Lord was not a stupid man. If he had said 'kill', the boy would doubtlessly become upset. "Perhaps the use of my mind? Over the years, I have cultivated a great amount of knowledge that I could pass on to you."
Severus snorted, but poorly covered it with a cough. "Apologies, my Lord. Koty has already received one Mastery and is well on his way to several more."
Koty's cheeks went red, and his wings shivered in delight. Severus was so proud of him!
"Several?" the Dark Lord deadpanned. "In what fields?"
"Erm," Koty scratched his nose in discomfort. "I'm being apprenticed in charms and ancient runes. When I've finished one of them, I'm going to move on to transfiguration. After that... I don't know yet. Oh, and I'm taking four classes alongside my apprenticeships. Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, Potions and Defence."
"With that," Sev began, a tone of pride slipping through. "I will also be instructing him on occlumency."
The Dark Lord was stunned into silence for a moment. "Even I never attempted such a strenuous schedule during my education. How is it that you've managed to become so far advanced above your peers?"
He could answer the question, but without answering the question. "I read a lot from a young age."
Lucius glanced at the mantle clock. "We should be getting downstairs. The others will be returning shortly."
Koty rushed out of the room, glad for the subject change. He wondered what his family bought on their outing, and it was as good a time to find out as any.
"Oh, wait! I forgot my broom polish!"
"I can't find my boar bristle brush!"
"Has anyone seen my magazines?"
"Hold it!" Narcissa called over the chatter. Everyone froze. "I set the clocks half an hour ahead. There is time to collect your forgotten belongings. If something is missing, simply owl one of us, and we will send it to the school."
As the children went back upstairs to do one final sweep of their rooms, Narcissa took a moment to breathe. "How do the Weasley's do this on a regular basis?"
"With practice, one would assume." Severus smirked, and stood. "There are several things I need to accomplish before the students return to the castle, so I bid you farewell."
"I got it!" Koty's voice carried from the hall and into the floo room. A few seconds later, he hurried into the room, breathless. He rushed over to Sev and gave him a shrunken crate. "Can you... give this... to Madam Pomfrey?... Jamie... broke everything... in the last one."
"Catch your breath and then explain what this is, alright?" Severus was amused by his little mate.
Doing as asked, Koty paused. "Since I was spending so much time with Madam Pomfrey last year, I bought a Yule gift for the hospital wing. Only, after the stone fiasco, Jamie (who was perfectly fine within a couple of hours) ruined everything in the chest out of boredom. So, I've ordered new stuff, but made sure it was all unbreakable this time."
"That is very generous of you, Koty," he replied, proud as always. Accepting the shrunken crate, he gave Koty a hug then Draco, who finally returned with a stack of quidditch magazines, and vanished in a swirl of emerald flames.
"Everyone's coming down now," Draco said, rolling the magazines up to fit in his pocket.
After one more reminder that anything forgotten would be sent along via owl, they stepped into the floo in pairs.
This was it! Time to board the Express!
"My babies!" Narcissa hugged her sons close. "We will see you in December, alright? And we'll send at least one owl per week for each of you."
Koty nodded, feeling a lump in his throat. "We love you too, Mummy."
The sharp cry of a phoenix startled many of the people on the platform. They pointed and gawked at it, many oohing and aahing at the beautiful bird.
To their immense surprise, the phoenix was carrying a letter, which it dropped, right into Koty's hands. It was a howler.
Lucius stepped out of the floo and quickly joined his family. "My apologies for being late. Fudge seemed to have forgotten that I have children boarding the Express today."
"It looks as though your timing is perfect as always, darling." Narcissa indicated the letter in her youngests' hands.
"Who would send me a howler?" Koty asked his equally perplexed parents.
"Might as well get it over with, Kitten." Draco shook his head. "Waiting won't help matters."
Koty was more shocked that his brother called him Kitten, than by the howler. He cracked the wax seal.
The letter unfolded itself and began to speak loudly, but not scream.
"Dear Koty Malfoy,
It has come to our attention that you have completed your education at the Ministry during the course of the summer. It is for that reason that we offer you congratulations, and wish you well in your future endeavours. Now that you have graduated, all of your records have been delivered to your home, so that you might find gainful employment. Congratulations once more. Hogwarts will miss you.
Regards, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumb-"
Lucius cast a freezing charm on the howler to keep it from destroying itself.
While it hadn't screamed, the letter had garnered a lot of attention. Add to that fact, the phoenix delivering it had made quite a ruckus before dropping the letter.
"What?!" Koty cried out. "But... I'm still taking classes, and my apprenticeships! What did I do?"
"Dumbledore just kicked him out?!" Draco shouted indignantly. "Why? He's already been enrolled in classes and-"
"I will find out." Lucius was livid. "Draco, could you board and alert Koty's friends to this letter? I will be taking him directly to the castle to sort this mess out."
"You're not gonna let him kick me out, are you?" Koty let out a whimper, clutching his father's hand desperately. "I'm too young to get a job, and I can't just lie around until I'm of age! That's years off!"
"No, sweetheart, we won't," Narcissa insisted, rubbing his back in comfort. "Now, as soon as you collect yourself, we will go find out what the old goat wants."
"'Kay," Koty replied, giving a small sniffle. "Oh... Dobby!"
Pop! "Little Master Kitten wanting Dobby?" He asked excitedly, bowing low.
"Dobby, could you let Uncle Siri and Ellie know that my parents are going to be running a bit late? The Headmaster is being ridiculous, and we have to talk to him."
The house elf bounced happily on his toes. "Dobby is doing it right away! Can Dobby do anything else for Little Master Kitten?"
"That's all, Dobby." Koty smiled at him. "I just wanted to make sure they don't worry, you understand?"
"Dobby is understanding!" His ears flapped as he nodded. "Haves lots of fun at school, Little Master Kitten!"
"Hang on, Dobby." Koty said suspiciously. "Did you read the books I gave you?"
"Dobby is sorry, Little Master Kitten. Dobby forgets." He paused in thought for a moment. "Dob-I hopes-hope you have fun at school."
Koty beamed. "Very good! By Yule, you'll be able to teach the others if they want to learn!"
Measuring his words carefully, Dobby eventually spoke. "I will... do my best... so's-so I can teach oth-the other elves."
"Wonderful!" Narcissa gasped. "When did this start?"
"Go ahead, Dobby," Koty said encouragingly.
"We have a... mutual... education... system." Dobby looks up at Koty in question, who nodded happily. "When Little Master learns something new... D-I learn something new. When Little Master reads new-a new book, I do too!"
"Well," Narcissa began, sounding pleased. "You'll have to show me all of the books you've been reading, so I might help you while Koty is away. Would that be alright with you both?" It always drove her mad when House Elves referred to themselves in the third person, and the reading seemed to be helping Dobby avoid it, so maybe she would temporarily take over their education. Her, a House Elf teacher? It was absolutely ridiculous, but if they could be taught proper English, it may spurn other families to do the same! How revolutionary!
Koty readily agreed, and Dobby simply bowed. "I would... appreciate it. I am sure the others will be happy too."
"That's settled!" Koty said happily. "Alright, Dobby, we've got to go, but I'll see you for Yule, okay?"
"Be a good boy, Little Master, and have fun! Goodbye!" Pop!
"As much as I would like to discuss this," Lucius said, still eyeing his wife and son in slight confusion. "We are running short on time, and this gives us subject matter for our letters, does it not?"
Not that he needed a reason to write his parents, he was glad for an excuse nevertheless. Still, dread pooled in his belly at the thought of confronting the Headmaster. "Okay, we can go now."
Lucius, of course, was the first to vanish into the floo.
He was followed quickly by his wife, who was holding her baby's hand even after the spinning stopped.
They made their way to the Headmaster's office, barely pausing to explain to Sev, but had him tag along. After all, it concerned his mate.
"Enter!"
The group, preceded by Lucius, filed into the cluttered office.
"Ah, the Malfoy family!" The old man said, angling his candy dish for them to accept at their leisure. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"As a board member," Lucius said, barely containing a sneer. "I am perfectly well aware that you will have received all of the appropriate notices that my son has been enrolled into the Masteries and Apprenticeships Program. Yet, for some unfathomable reason, you have taken it upon yourself to ignore these documents and removed my son from your school! This is your mistake, and you sir, will rectify this before the other students arrive."
"My apologies, Lord Malfoy, but he has already been removed." The Headmaster sighed, stroking his beard in thought. "Added to the fact that since he is rather difficult to house-"
"What does that mean?" Koty asked worriedly.
"It means, dear boy, that you cannot be housed with your age group, as you are not a second year, and that you cannot be housed with your yearmates, as you are still only twelve. In addition, you have already taken your NEWTs, and passed, thus you are no longer a student of Hogwarts."
"I didn't take all of my NEWTs! Only some of them!" Koty choked out. This wasn't happening! How could this happen?! "And what about my apprenticeships? Those can't just be taken away!"
"They may be presided over by others who do not teach here. There is no shortage of tutors, I assure you." The Headmaster spoke genially, but no one wanted to hear it.
"And yet Fillius and Bathsheda are among the best of their respective fields, and offered their services personally!" Sev spat in disgust. "The only reason I did not follow suit was the fact that I am Koty's mate, and thus, my motives and grading process would be under heavy scrutiny. He was still enrolled in my NEWT class as of this morning!"
Dumbledore at least had the 'decency' to appear saddened by this. "My boy, my hands are tied. When a student has passed four NEWTs, as it is the minimum requirement, they are no longer considered students of Hogwarts."
"Then re-enroll him!" Narcissa shouted, losing her composure for a moment. "You are the Headmaster! If your position truly is just for show, then perhaps we should have him transferred to Beauxbatons! Or even the Academy of Magic in Uagadou! They are more in tune with his magic anyway, as they don't restrict the students to using wands!"
"Truly?" Dumbledore looked genuinely surprised. "No wands, you say?"
"Is it really that good?" Koty asked seriously. He absolutely loved his friends, but they would only be together for the school year or so anyway...
"And you would send your child to another continent?" Dumbledore asked, surprised.
"Why not?" Lucius asked blandly. "As a school with alternate viewpoints, Uagadou was well-known for its rigorous curriculum and wildly diverse students. It was said that only six percent of students don't wind up with Masteries! Why should we not give our son every advantage? He was blessed with extraordinary intelligence, and Uagadou will nurture his gifts."
It sounded like an incredible opportunity, but he couldn't leave his mate. Koty grabbed Sev's hand and squeezed. "If I can't come back to school here, would you go with me?"
"Of course," came the immediate reply. "As of the end of the '91-'92 school year, my contract is available for review. The original contract was for ten years, which has been officially fulfilled. I am free to leave whenever I see fit."
"Severus, you can't!"
"Why is that, Headmaster?" Sev sneered. "If Koty is to be sent away, then I shall, of course, leave as well. There is nothing else keeping me here."
"I cannot find a replacement by morning, Severus!" Dumbledore was aghast. "Surely you wouldn't put the students in such a situation? Many of them have aspirations that require potions. You won't let them down, will you?"
"If you will so callously throw away the brightest student this school has ever seen, then you clearly do not care half as much about them as you expect from myself." Severus' brow arched in disdain.
Lucius hid his smirk, but only just. His old friend was a brilliant Slytherin, given the opportunity. If Severus continued in the same vein, he himself would be able to remain silent.
"The solution to your problem seems to have only one viable option, then." Narcissa smiled wickedly. "You wish to keep your Potions Master, who will only remain if you choose to re-enroll my son. It is that simple, Headmaster."
Letting out a sad sigh, Dumbledore adjusted his glasses. "We are still faced with the housing matter. That, I am unable to solve at this time."
"Simply give Koty the room he had last term!" Lucius rolled his eyes skyward. "Have you no sense?"
"The room he was given last year," Dumbledore replied sternly. "Was meant for the Head Boy. The Head Boy for this year is, in fact, a Slytherin. The room is unavailable as of this evening. I am sorry."
"Wait!" Koty said suddenly, looking up at his father. "I remember reading about the Masteries and Apprenticeships Program after you introduced me to James! It was fascinating. Anyhow-" he stopped as soon as he realised he'd said one of the words that his mother swore to remove from his vocabulary. "I mean, anyway, up until about forty years ago, apprentices shared lodgings with the Master they were training under. Why can't we do that? Or at least ask."
"Who are the professors you are apprenticing for?" Narcissa asked, doing her best not to laugh in Dumbledore's face.
"Professors Babbling and Flitwick," Koty replied immediately.
"Then I suggest we summon them here," she said with a nod of finality. "We will allow the professors to choose who houses him. If neither is amenable to the idea, then we will send Koty to Uagadou, where he will be able to return to our home one weekend per month."
Koty's eyes went wide. "Could I really?" He could see his parents every month? That sounded wonderful! "Oh, but what about Draco?" His relationship with his brother was coming along quite nicely, and he didn't think that spending a year apart would help matters.
"We could always ask him if he would like to transfer as well," Sev said gently. "If not, just remember that you've both worked for a month to acquire owls. Keeping in contact would be simple enough."
Koty petted the chest of his beautiful snowy owl in her cage. Hettie was gorgeous, and had flown to his shoulder the moment they'd entered the pet shop and refused to leave her spot until after she was brought home. The clerk had been fearful, and tried to get Hettie away from him, telling him how aggressive she was with everyone else who even got too close, but Hettie loved him from the second they met. Really, there was no other choice for him. She was his star, and he was her owlet. "If I have to leave, Hettie, will you still be up for long trips so I can stay in touch with Draco and my friends?"
Hettie gave an indignant hoot and nipped at his feathers.
"Uagadou will also allow you to keep Clio, Calliope and Callista," Narcissa said conversationally. "Outside, of course, but in the stables with the other pets too large for indoors."
"Forgive an old man, but who are Clio, Calliope and Callista?" Dumbledore asked.
Lucius could see the man's resolve dwindling and fought back a devilish grin. The more they talked up Uagadou, the more Severus would be inclined to leave as well, which was exactly what they were after. Dumbledore clearly didn't care about Koty, but he certainly cared about Severus. It was always so satisfying when plans unfolded so nicely.
"They're the names of the familiar that S-Professor Snape and I share." Koty was quick to explain, hoping against hope that they could be brought to Hogwarts too.
"Yes," Lucius interjected with amusement. "You may remember them better by the ridiculous name 'Fluffy'."
Dumbledore was left gaping.
"Before I forget," he added, feeling smug. "Amelia Bones plans to have a word with you, just as soon as her schedule allows. I do hope you have a barrister on retainer."
Looking rather surprised and confused, Dumbledore nodded. "I will speak to Fillius and Bathsheda."
"We will speak to them."
"Of course, Lady Malfoy," Dumbledore said with a heavy sigh.