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发表于 2009-10-24 19:21| 字数 116,138
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本帖最后由 浅眠 于 2009-10-24 20:07 编辑
Chapter Seventeen: Romeo, Romeo, Wherefore Art Thou?
“Ah, Draco, I see you’re awake.” Roy looked placidly over Draco still figure, then added, “Barely.” The tone was disapproving and Draco narrowed his eyes in disgust. It really irritated him how Roy could act as if it were Draco’s own fault for being so run down.
“Sorry, I’ll try to look a bit more chipper as I cling to the last threads of my life.” Draco glared, but the effect was lessened as he began to cough violently for a lot longer than was normally acceptable.
Roy’s gaze softened and he asked quietly, “Are you all right?”
“Just. Bloody. FANTASTIC,” Draco managed through hacks. “Thanks for the concern.”
“In any case, you need to dress, or rather; Fai or Dai will dress you.” Any trace of compassion was gone from Roy and the cool and sarcastic man was back in his place. Another thing that really irritated Draco about Roy was that they were so alike.
“Why?” The blond asked, sitting up a bit higher in his bed.
“Because we are going on a trip, in fact, we are going to meet a very old friend of yours.” Roy smiled maliciously then, and glanced at Draco’s exposed forearm. “I’m sure he’ll be excited to see you.”
“What are you talking about?” Draco fought the urge to cover his arms and was able to look disinterestedly back at the vampire.
“In fact, you may even see your father. Wouldn’t that be nice?” Roy grinned so wide a sliver of his top fangs were visible.
“Roy,” Draco began, as the tall man began to walk out the door. He stopped and turned his head slightly to show Draco that he was listening. Draco paused, unsure whether he should continue, because what if Roy actually talked? Sensing that time was running short he asked anyway. “Roy, please, what are you planning to do with me?”
“It’s not what I’m planning to do with you, and it’s not what Lord Keita is planning to do with you, it’s what he’s planning to do with you. And what that is, I have no idea.” Roy shot Draco a look from over his shoulder and smirked weakly, still trying to be intimidating.
Draco said nothing as the vampire left the room and Dai walked in to help him dress. Inside, Draco was a mess. His was in full hyperventilate mode and was desperately trying to calm his racing thoughts before Dai commented on them. He wiped his sweaty palm absent mindedly on the coverlet as he replayed the look Roy gave him before he left. That look only meant one thing, and that was the last thing Draco needed right now.
“There’s been a change in plans,” Draco informed Dai.
“I heard,” Dai answered moving quickly to pull out clothes for Draco. “We’ll have to leave now, rather than wait to see if you regain some strength, I’ll just have to carry you and run, it’s the only way.”
“Dai,” Draco began attempting to pull himself out of bed.
“I don’t want to hear it Draco-san, we’re doing this together. Stay there until I help you out, okay?” Dai continued shoving some things in a bag, mostly for himself, as after this there was no way he’d be able to come back here. “Listen, everything is going to be all right. We can get through this, together.”
“I used to tell Harry that,” Draco whispered. “And look what happened to us.”
Dai turned to Draco and took him by the shoulders. “And you will get through it together, just like we’ll get through this. Now come on, we need to get you dressed.”
“You know, you’ll never win,” Sir Yamiko said as they walked down the stairs. “You both will just be killed.”
“What makes you say that?” Hermione asked.
“Because you’re just kids, you haven’t had time to gain the experience to defeat us,” Sir Yamiko answered.
“’Us’ as in?” Harry interjected.
“A clan of vampires.”
“Well, we seem to hold up pretty well when facing other more serious enemies,” Hermione huffed.
“What? Wounding a half dead dark lord doesn’t count.” Sir Yamiko rolled his eyes. Not that anyone could see in the darkened hallway.
“Listen,” Harry hissed. “I’ve had my fair share of enemies more powerful than you are and defeated the Dark Lord when I was one and have since been fighting him every year since I was eleven. I think I can handle your ruddy little vampire clan.”
Sir Yamiko scoffed. “And what makes you think you’re so special?”
“Because I’m Harry Potter, bitch.”
“Indeed, you are,” came a voice from the darkness and Hermione, Harry and Sir Yamiko all turned, startled. “So where the hell do you get off going to save Draco without me!?”
“Pansy,” Hermione breathed, relieved and a little angry. “What are you doing down here?”
“The same thing I’m doing down here!”
“Ron?” Harry asked, a little taken aback.
“How’d you...?” Hermione trailed off, then looked at Pansy. “You got him, you followed us and then went to get him.” The Slytherin only smirked in response.
“Why’d you guys leave me out?” Ron asked, voice brimming with anger.
“Yeah, why’d you guys leave him out?” Sir Yamiko chimed in.
“Shut up,” Harry muttered to the vampire. “Ron, it was just, this is dangerous and Hermione was there and wouldn’t let me go without her and I didn’t want to get you involved, you know I didn’t want Hermione to come or even know about it, but I couldn’t just very will leave her with knowing what I was-”
“Oh, can it, Malfoy, you’re rambling.” Pansy grinned at Harry’s obvious discomfort.
“Harry, mate, I know what you’re trying to say, but you know I’d give my life for you.” Roy clapped a hand on his back. “Now, let’s get going, eh?”
Harry sighed in defeat; he was going to put them all in danger after all.
“Uhm...I object,” Sir Yamiko said.
“Uhm, I don’t care,” Harry answered. “We’re all going so deal with it. Now let’s get moving and keep it quiet.”
The five moved in silence, Sir Yamiko only because the sword was getting dangerously close to his neck. “Erm, where are we going?” Ron whispered after a few seconds.
“Great Hall, the fire place is big enough to Floo us all out at once,” Hermione whispered back.
“That’s dangerous,” Pansy said. “I like it.”
Hermione only rolled her eyes knowingly and slowed as they approached the doors to the Great Hall. Harry opened them and scanned the room.
“Come on.” He motioned. They were half way through the hall when Harry stopped suddenly.
“Harry, are you alright?” Ron asked suddenly.
“I’m fine,” Harry answered. “But we need to move, slowly, and quietly.”
“Harry, what is it?” Hermione peered over his shoulder and gasped.
Mrs. Norris whipped her head around and glared at the intruders, then let out a guttural meow.
“Oh, shit,” Ron breathed.
“Mrs. Norris!” Filch’s voice could be heard coming towards the Hall.
“Run!” Harry called , pulling Sir Yamiko with him as they all made a break for the fireplace.
“See, I told you, Professor Dumbledore, I told you someone was stealing the candlesticks!” Filch cried.
“Yes, Mr. Filch, you did,” Dumbledore returned.
“Come on!” Harry hissed at Sir Yamiko, who wasn’t budging.
“No,” Sir Yamiko replied. “I think I’ll stay right here and we’ll see what Headmaster Dumbledore has to say about his favourite student abducting one of his professors.”
“Hermione, give me that sword,” Harry called over his shoulder, holding out his hand. The hilt was warm and slightly damp, Harry assumed because Hermione was so nervous. “This isn’t the first time I’ve used one of these,” Harry told the vampire, his eyes shining eerily in the darkened hall. “I have no qualms on using this on you, and I know it won’t kill you directly unless I hit you in a certain place, so I suggest you get your ass in that fire place before I cut it off.”
“You think you can scare me, little boy?” Sir Yamiko snarled. “Think again.”
“Harry!” Hermione called in warning, but it was too late.
Sir Yamiko pulled violently away from Harry, but didn’t move quickly enough to be out of the Gryffindor’s range. Harry turned suddenly, his back face Sir Yamiko, the sword slicing through the air towards the vampire. Sir Yamiko watched in horror as the blade hit him in the side, Harry pulled on the hilt, bringing the entire blade through Sir Yamiko’s side before it released from his open flesh with a sickening squelch.
Sir Yamiko gasped and doubled over, letting Harry, who had a surprising about of strength for someone who was pregnant, dragged him towards the fire place as Dumbledore and Filch became perilously close.
“You’re low on blood, you haven’t fed in a while, so you’re reflexes are about as fast as an anyone’s,” Harry said, while Sir Yamiko coughed violently, trying desperately to heal his side before it was too late. “Do I think I can scare you?” Harry asked him and Sir Yamiko looked up at Harry and nearly tripped. His eyes, green like a snakes, glowing and hungry like the light of the killing curse, destroying anything in its path. Sir Yamiko said nothing, he couldn’t, his voice had seemed to stop working.
“I know I can.”
“Come on, Malfoy, hurry it up!” Pansy hissed. “They’re almost here!”
Sir Yamiko stumbled in first and Harry after him. Hermione shoved a handful of Floo powder into Sir Yamiko’s.
Suddenly, the door to the Great Hall opened. “Now!” Harry barked in a whisper.
Sir Yamiko righted himself and tried to say the words, but started coughing instead.
“There!” Filch yelled running. “I told you.”
Dumbledore followed the greasy squib his wand drawn, and a spell on his lips as the rushed towards the fireplace.
“Now! Say it now!” Harry screamed, rattling the weakened vampire.
Sir Yamiko began when Dumbledore reached them, recognition dawning in those twinkling blue eyes. “Harry?”
“Sorry, Professor,” Harry said and then they were gone.
Filch and Dumbledore stared at the now empty fire place where four students and a professor were standing moments ago. Dumbledore was his usual calm, trying to piece together what had just happened when Filch interrupted his thoughts.
“I knew that boy was trouble!” Mrs. Norris meowed to that.
“Are you alright?” Dai called over the rushing wind ringing in his ears. “Am I going to fast?”
“No, no, you’re fine, except for the fact that I keep seeing my life flash before my eyes!” Draco screamed as best he could.
Dai only laughed, as he continued to run at almost full speed. “How is it? Your life, I mean.”
“Terrible,” Draco grouched. “How long till we’re there?”
“Eh... about seven hours. Maybe eight.”
“Eight hours!?” Draco cried. “Can’t you run any faster!?”
“I’m already doing 160 kmh, what more do you want!? You know, this is normally a 25 hour drive!”
“160 kmh?” the blond repeated wearily. “I think I’m going to be sick...”
“Ah! Wait!”
Harry felt a jolt of pain travel up his spine when he landed and fought the compulsion to groan. He discreetly rubbed his back and stepped cautiously out of the fire place. Sir Yamiko stumbled out after him, still not fully healed from the cut Harry gave him.
“Where are we?” Harry asked, looking around suspiciously. This wasn’t what he had in mind for a vampire hideout. The walls were a bright white and the ceilings were relatively high. The floor was a dark Maple polished so thoroughly you could see yourself in it and there were several Oriental rugs laying about. The entire house seemed to be made of wood and there were carvings in the woods floor boards so precise Harry knew they must have been done with magic. And this was just what seemed to be a drawing room.
“Does it matter?” Sir Yamiko asked.
“Hell, yeah it does,” Ron barked. Sir Yamiko shot him a look that clearly said he didn’t give a fuck what Ronald Weasely thought and turned away. “Hey! Don’t ignore me!”
“I won’t respond to your less than pleasant tone, if you wish for me to answer, I suggest you try being a bit more amicable.” Sir Yamiko turned his head up slightly to look down at Ron, a move that painfully reminded Harry of Draco.
Pansy snorted and rolled her eyes. “Do you really think we are going to be all mate-y with you when you’re hold our friend and his-” a hand wave at the be-speckled Gryffindor, “Bonded? I should think you’re a bit smarter than that, blood sucker.”
“I will also not respond to being called such uncreative and derogatory names!” Sir Yamiko huffed, crossing his arms in defiance. “Now, if you’d like to attempt to save your friend and his-” a thumb jerk at Harry, “Bonded I suggest you shut up and follow me.” With that Sir Yamiko turned on his heel and strode towards the dark wood door.
“Wait,” Hermione stopped him. She turned to Ron and Pansy and cast a strong disillusionment charm on them, then pulled out the Invisibility cloak and threw it over Harry and herself. “Alright, Sir Yamiko, no funny business.”
“Why ever would I want to engage in that?” The vampire grumbled to himself and opened the door. Sir Yamiko lead the four down a long hallway, on the walls were the former presidents of the United States. A few of the portraits moved, surprising even Hermione who had no idea any of the American presidents had been wizards. When they reached the end of the hall there was no door, only a giant painting of Barack Obama and a small dog.
“Where’s the door?” Hermione demanded.
“Right here, it’s the portrait,” Sir Yamiko motioned to picture.
“Right,” Harry said.
“Why do you have a gigantic portrait of Barack Obama?” Ron finally asked, voicing the question they all wanted answered.
“Because he’s the door to the future!” A new voice came and everyone turned to see a tall man with luminescent messy red hair and eyes, smiling like he’d just stolen your candy and you didn’t know. “Why don’t you reveal yourselves? I can already see the two of you under the disillusionment charm.”
“Should we?” Harry whispered to Hermione and suddenly there was a whooshing of air.
“You should,” the red head whispered, then threw the cloak off the two. “Ah, Harry Potter, we finally meet!” He smiled so wide his eyes shut. “And you are?” He turned to Hermione.
“Hermione Granger,” Sir Yamiko answered. “The two under the charm are Pansy Parkinson and Ronald Weasely.” At this point Pansy disillusioned herself and Ron and stood there looking defiant.
“So pleased to meet you all! I am Lord Keita, and I run things around here.” Lord Keita bowed a little.
“Where is Draco?” Harry pointed the sword at Lord Keita’s throat, pressing a bit into the flesh, but not hard enough to draw blood.
Lord Keita laughed and looked at Sir Yamiko, only to see Hermione pointing a smaller blade at him. “Well, well, I see you’ve come prepared” Lord Keita cast Harry a frosty look. “Tell me, do you wish to keep your child?”
“You won’t get the chance,” Harry spat.
“I’ll take that as a yes. In that case, I suggest you leave here now. I have my bargaining chip already, you won’t be necessary. After I’ve made my move however; that is out of my hands. If you remain, I will fight you and I will take you straight to him and I don’t mean your little blond bombshell.” Lord Keita’s blood coloured eyes penetrated Harry’s with such intensity
Harry almost couldn’t breathe.
“What do you want with him?” Harry demanded.
“It wasn’t so much what I wanted with him, it was what I needed from you. I needed you to get to him. Unfortunately, I have some less than competent subordinates.” Lord Keita shot a look at Sir Yamiko who turned away sheepishly. “You see, he doesn’t like us, and I am the head of the Vampire Council so it is my responsibility to protect all vampires. It’s nothing personal against you, Potter-sama but you are what he wants, and if I have you, or in this case a way to get to you then I call the shots. If he finds out how to kill us, then I can say that for us, all will be lost.”
“He’ll kill you anyway, it doesn’t matter what you do to please him, he’ll kill you anyway!”
“That’s a chance I’m willing to take, Potter-sama.” Lord Keita didn’t blink as he looked at Harry. “What is your answer?”
“I won’t leave without what I came for,” Harry answered fiercely, pressing the blade deeper into the skin, causing a slight abrasion. Blood pooled at the top of the pale skin but never oozed out. “I’ve beaten him once before, and I can do it again.”
“Even with your current state of health?” Lord Keita smiled. “Very, well, we shall fight; that is, if you can catch me.” Suddenly Lord Keita jumped back and flew into the air, hovering over them all, he spun quickly in the air, causing his long coat to fan around him like the wings of a large bat. He spun upwards and disappeared through the ceiling, a laugh echoing behind him.
“Well, you three are on your own from now on, have fun,” Sir Yamiko told them with a smirk before leaving in much of the same nature as Lord Keita.
“How do we get out of here?” Ron asked, looking at the Obama portrait. “I mean, he’s not moving.”
“It won’t be necessary to go through him,” a nearby portrait of Richard Nixon said.
“Why?” Hermione asked.
But her answer came in the form of the hardwood floors shaking, and the room spinning violently. The portraits of presidents passed disappeared, and the bright white walls morphed into grey stone. The floor became cement and a chill took over the four, the dim candle lighting only adding to the ominous feel of the new hallway.
The walls and floor settled, but the four still seemed to wobble in place.
“Harry, are you alright?” Hermione put her hands on her friend’s face in concern.
Harry’s face had drained of colour and his mouth was twisted into a squiggly with his brows furrowed. He looked as if he was confused and had just liked the underside of Hagrid’s boots.
“I’d step back if I were you, Granger, Malfoy there is going to be sick,” Pansy said matter of fact.
And then Harry was. He tried his best to turn away from Hermione, but before he knew it he was half kneeling, half lying on the ground vomiting up thing he was damned sure he never put in his mouth to begin with.
Hermione screamed, trying to get out of the way of the upchuck as quickly as possible, but she still came out with a bit of stray sick on her shirt. At that Pansy couldn’t help but laugh, all the while Harry continued vomiting, his energy seemed to drain from him with each convulsion of his stomach. His ears were ringing and he was so hot, his arms were weak and he knew there was no way he could stand right now.
“...I want to hold you, just wait for me a little longer, Harry...”
Harry choked and gasped out “Draco?” No one heard him over Pansy’s laughter, his vomiting and Hermione’s cries of despair over her shirt. He had heard it though, Draco’s voice, Draco was talking to him. Since arriving here Harry had instantly felt a little stronger, probably because he was no longer separated by an ocean. But something was off, he just couldn’t put his finger on it.
Draco, I don’t know if you can hear me, but I’ll wait for you. I’ll wait for you no matter what.
Suddenly there was screaming and Harry realised it was the other three.
“Harry! Get up! Get up!” Ron yelled, trying to pull the weakened boy to his feet.
“What is it?”
“Look!” Pansy pointed down the hallway. The wall, the wall was moving, the wall was moving very quickly and the wall had very, very large spikes on it. Harry allowed himself to be pulled up and basically dragged down the hallway. He tried to run, but every time he did he ended up tripping and slowing Ron down.
Their frantic footsteps resounded in the narrow hallway, the groaning to the stone wall chasing them enunciating every step, sending currents of panic in them.
“In here!” Hermione called, she had found a door. The door swung open without any resistance and they were all abruptly falling. The door closed behind them and the stone passed, but none of them heard it over the sound of their screams.
Harry felt something soft underneath his fingers and looked around to find himself, Hermione, Ron, and Pansy on a bed of...marshmallows.
“Well, at least it isn’t Devil’s Snare,” Harry mumbled.
“What the bloody hell was that?” Ron groaned sitting up.
“I don’t think that’s the worst of our problems,” Pansy said slowly.
“What do you...Oh, my, God.”
There was a small pond a few meters away from the bed of marshmallows and over the surface of the water eight pairs of shining eyes stared directly at the four.
“Oh, shit,” Hermione whispered.
“...Hey, Draco?”
“Wha-?” Draco started awake and tried to look around, but found that he was moving too quickly to see anything.
“Are you alright? You were moaning in your sleep...and drooling on my shoulder,” Dai called over said drooled upon shoulder.
“Sorry,” Draco mumbled, know Die heard him, even over the rushing of the wind around him. “I’m fine, just a little sore is all.”
In truth Draco had been dreaming about Harry, about Harry trying to outrun a giant spiked wall, only he couldn’t because he was throwing up and for some reason his limbs didn’t seem to work. He was with others, but Draco couldn’t see their faces. Dai had woken him just before the wall hit Harry, and he wasn’t sure if Harry got out of the way in time.
Draco felt Dai’s back tense beneath him and noticed the sudden increase in Dai’s pace directly after.
“What is it?” Draco asked.
“Nothing,” Dai answered, but Draco knew he was lying.
“No, tell me, I know something’s wrong.”
“They just found out that we were missing sooner than I thought. Fai just told me that they’re after us,” Dai said in his best nonchalant tone.
“So? We’ve got to be well ahead of them by now.”
“The thing is, I’m not the fastest runner,” Dai admitted sheepishly. “In fact, I’m probably the slowest next to Fai.”
“So, what you’re saying is...” Draco trailed off praying what Dai said next wasn’t the same as what Draco was thinking.
“That they sent Roy and Hisami, sorry, Sir Yamiko.”
“How fast are they?” Draco asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.
“This run? They can do it in five.” Dai let the information sink in, knowing what Draco was thinking without him saying anything. If there was one thing Dai was grateful for was the fact that Draco seemed to have forgotten Dai could read his mind, which is why Dai knew exactly what Draco was dreaming about earlier and exactly why he didn’t inform him how real his dream was.
“I see.” Draco felt his hope deflate.
“What do we do?” Ron whispered, “We can’t get out of here unless we go through that pond.”
“I know, but I don’t think we can, Harry’s not doing so well,” Hermione whispered back, eyeing the ever pale Saviour.
“Then someone will just have to levitate him,” Pansy answered. “Weasely should, and you and I can find them off.” Pansy passed her finger between herself and Hermione.
‘Why do I have to levitate him?” Ron asked petulantly.
“Are you kidding?” Pansy asked with a smirk. “I’ve seen the way you fight. No, it’s best if you just carry Mr. Malfoy over there.”
“No one’s going to carry me anywhere,” Harry interjected from his place on the marshmallow bed. He stood shakily and made his way over to the other three. “I’ll be fine on my own.”
“Harry, you can’t be serious,” Hermione said. “You’re two months pregnant for Merlin’s sake!”
“I’m aware of that, Hermione. But I don’t feel nearly as run down as I used to, I think it’s because I’m closer to Draco here.” Harry left off the apart about how he was also increasingly getting weaker, just a little. There was a small feeling in the pit of the stomach, just below the baby, that told him something wasn’t right, but he ignored it. He was going to get Draco and get the hell out of here no matter what.
“Alright, does everyone know a spell to take them down?” Hermione asked. The nodded in response and she started towards the water. “All right, slowly then.”
Harry was the first to step into the murky water, and he immediately felt a rush of a current hit his legs. The creatures were moving in. “Come on,” he hissed to the monkey-like beasts. He heard someone enter the water behind him and another. He assumed the only not to have entered was Ron and called for him to hurry up.
Hermione was next to him then, and Pansy a little behind her, up to their thighs in water. Harry heard a splash and knew Ron had finally gotten up enough courage to enter.
“Lumos,” Hermione whispered beside him. The small light illuminated a good portion of the pond and Harry caught several scaly heads ducking under the water, trying to avoid the light. “They’re Kappa’s, she called to the others. Try to incapacitate them, they go for the kill.”
They were waste deep by know and Harry was holding his wand in a death grip, waiting for the attack. What was taking these Kappa’s so long? They should have struck back when they were in the thigh deep water.
Then Pansy screeched and was falling into the water. “Confringo!” she yelled. The spell shot into the water and caused it to spray everywhere, Harry thought he say a slimy, scaly arm fly through the air before landing back in the water with a loud splash.
But he didn’t have time to think on it, as there was now a loud screeching squawking noise filling the room and there were two slippery webbed hands grabbing his ankles. He tried to control his scream, but a yelp escaped from his mouth anyway. Beside him he heard Hermione yell “Protego total-” but her spell was cut off by her head abruptly plunging underwater.
“Hermione!” Ron yelled before e was screaming as well. The Kappa’s were attacking at full force now.
And then Harry was underwater as well, staring into a pair of unblinking black eyes that seemed to glow in the water. Before the Kappa’s hands could make their way to his throat Harry pointed his wand at the beast and yelled with all his might “Relashio!” A wave of boiling hot water shot into the creatures face and it jumped back in surprise. Harry broke the surface gasping and pointed his wand back at the water. Even in the dim light and through the screams other spells, the jets of multicoloured light, and splashing over water everyone froze momentarily when two glowing green lights appeared in the darkness and then a spurt of quite green magic, a slap of water and a horrific scream.
Harry turned his jewel like eyes to a new Kappa and shot the silent killing curse at the as well, they feel instantly into the water, unmoving. The Kappa’s seemed to sense what was happening and broke the surface of the water screeching and squawking. Hermione who had finally managed to get rid of the Kappa who had been attempting to kill her was able to repeat her spell from earlier, fully.
A wave of magic surrounded her and the others. The Kappa’s on inside went mad, their squawking becoming so high pitched Harry thought they may be part Banshee. “Shut up!” he roared. He pointed his wand at one, but Pansy beat him to it. Arrows shot from her wand and hit the sea dwelling monkey right between the eyes.
“Let’s go,” Hermione yelled, throwing out Petrifies, as she went. Ron followed her lead and covered the rear, while Pansy stuck with her arrow shooting spell. Harry felt himself calm a bit, and his eyes changed back to normal as they reached the door.
Harry grabbed the handle and swung open the door. Oddly, the water stayed where it was when he opened the door, he entered another dimly lit hall way. Ron was the last to enter and slammed the door shut after him just as a stray Kappa tried to throw themselves out the door.
“Bloody hell!” he yelled, trying to catch his breath. “What the hell was that?”
“Kappa’s,” Hermione said. “Water dwelling monkey like creatures. They grab waders by the ankles and strangle them underwater.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Encyclopaedia,” Pansy answered, Hermione only glared and turned her penetrating gaze to Harry.
“Are you all right?” she peered at him through wet bangs.
“Fine,” he answered shortly, knowing she wanted some explanation about what happened back there.
“So, when did you learn to do wandless killing curse, Harry?” Pansy asked with a smirk.
Harry didn’t reply and began moving down the hall mumbling a “Come on.”
The hallway was much the same as the first hallway, minus the spiky door after them and it must have been close to freezing in there.
“What the hell?” Harry heard Ron say. He turned and found Ron had stepped on a tile that then sunk into the floor.
“Oh, no,” Hermione moaned. But it was too late, just then a suit of armour appeared out of nowhere and began running down the hall.
No one had to be told to run and soon the armour was catching up to them.
“Where do we go!?” yelled Pansy.
“There’s a light up at the end here,” Harry called back. But then a door opened and another suit of armour came out.
Hermione cast a curse at it and sent it flying backwards as they ran towards it. The suit of armour behind them began throwing small knives and when whizzed past Harry’s head. The suit Hermione had knocked down was up again and had joined in on the knife throwing.
“What the hell is this place, a fucking torture house!?” Ron screamed, looking over his shoulder at the armour who had decided to break out mace of all things. He swung it a few times before letting it fly.
“Oh shit! Look out!” Ron called before pointing his wand at the fly spiked ball and chain and yelling “Protego horribilis!” The mace bounced off the shield and flew back hitting the other armour in the head. Ron couldn’t help but laugh and in turn Hermione screamed at him to stop laughing and hurry up.
Harry felt his legs turning to jelly but he kept running and suddenly he was at the end of the tunnel and taking a set of stairs two at a time. He tripped on the last one and fell, rolling into a room and introduced his face to an intricate oriental rug.
“Ugh!” Harry rolled over on his back and looked up to find Lord Keita hovering over him.
“Damn, you’re alive.” The man pouted and glided over to a chair and sat down petulantly. Hermione, Ron and Pansy entered next, with a loud clanging of the armour falling announcing their arrival. “And you all too? Dammit, I knew I should have gotten the sharks with the laser beams attached to their heads!” Lord Keita’s mouth turning into a pout and he glanced at Harry on the floor. “I suppose you think this is funny.”
“Where’s Draco?” Harry asked instead.
“Ah, Malfoy-sama, he’s on a run,” Lord Keita answered.
“A run?” Hermione asking in disbelief.
“Or rather, on the run, don’t worry I’ve sent some people after him, they should be catching up to them soon.”
“Are you saying that Draco escaped?” Pansy asked.
“Yes,” the grumpiness in Lord Keita’s voice was obvious and one could tell he was very upset about the whole matter, like someone stole his favourite toy. “And with one of my own, too!”
“What do you mean?” Harry asked dangerously, and the vampire instantly caught a chance to make Harry squirm.
“I mean, he and one of my younger subordinates (who is male, by the way) have run off together.” Keita shot Harry a lecherous look. “You know, he’s been taking care of Draco for these past couple of months, they’ve gotten very close.”
Harry saw red and jumped on the vampire, grabbing him by his frilly shirt. “I’ll kill you, do you hear me!? I’ll kill you before Voldemort even gets the chance!”
“Harry!” Hermione called grabbing him and pulling him off the vampire.
“Well!” Lord Keita huffed. “I was going to bring you to Draco, but maybe I won’t now.”
“Yes, you will,” Harry ground out, trying to pull out of the constraining arms of Ron.
“Oh, I suppose so, why don’t you all go get cleaned up, and then when we’re ready to go I’ll take you to him.”
“I don’t trust you,” Harry said.
“Listen, I’ll tell you the truth,” Lord Keita said his accent deepening as his frustration grew, making it sound more like ‘Reesin, Irr tar ju sza truss.’ “Dai and Draco are on their way to Canada, but I’ve sent two people after them. Once they catch up with them they are taking Draco straight to him.”
“You’re sending Draco where!?” Harry shouted, pulling harder on Ron’s arms in his effort to get out and strangle the undead man.
“Yes, I told you he’s my bargaining chip, but seeing as I have you here already, I’ll just bring you myself to him. And from there on, I won’t be responsible for what happens,” Lord Keita smiled then. “Who knows, if you show enough promise, maybe I’ll fight on your side.”
“I want you to take a Vow,” Harry answered. “Hermione will perform it.”
“Fine,” Lord Keita answere relunctantly. “If it’ll make you feel better.”
Lord Keita held out his hand and joined it with Harry’s. He said his promise and Hermione said the incantation.
“Allright, now, Fai will show you where to get cleaned up. I’ll call for you when it’s time to go.” Withthat Lord Keita opened a door and disappeared.
“This way, please,” Fai said, motioning to the other door. The four followed him out.
It was three hours later when the servant known as Fai knocked on the door and told them it was time to go. Harry, who’d fallen asleep about two hours earlier was a little hard to rouse.
His face was buried in a pillow and he had it clutched to his chest in a death grip. When Fai had brought them to the room he had explained the room was the one Draco had been staying in. Harry cleaned himself up as quickly as humanly possible and then threw on some of Draco’s clothes (Although, Hermione had to transfigure them to fit Harry), then spent the next forty five minutes going over everything, and when he finally got too tired to move he flopped on the bed and fell asleep, tears pricking the back of his eyes.
Ron fell asleep in a chair a little after that, and had thus begun snoring. Pansy, who wasn’t used to it, cast a stinging hex at him that woke him right up. They two exchanged words in harsh whispers at the fierce hiss of Hermione not to wake Harry up. After that they all seemed to drift off to sleep.
Fai held open the door as they filed out. Harry gave one last determined look at the room and exited as well.
“You all had a pleasant rest, I trust?” Fai asked, taking them down the stairs.
“Yes,” Hermione answered politely. She didn’t like the way Fai looked like he didn’t care about anything, but knew everything, right down to what you were thinking.
They passed a few statues of old men Harry didn’t recognise, the voices of Lord Keita and a woman floating up to meet them. Harry didn’t know what they were saying as it was in Japanese, but the woman’s voice seemed rather angry and Lord Keita’s defensive.
When they entered the foyer Harry found it was an elderly woman, half Lord Keita’s size. She was screaming at him and wagging a finger in Harry’s and the others direction. Lord Keita looked like he was getting the worst scolding of his life. He said something back and she threw her arms up in frustration and stomped away all the while mumbling under her breath.
Beside them Fai let out a little chuckle and Keita shot him a glare. Ron who didn’t see it began to laugh.
“Looks like someone’s on a leash!” He barked.
“I could say the same thing for someone else,” Fai said and looked between him and Hermione. That shut Ron up real quick and left Hermione feeling exposed and triumphant.
“Are you all ready to go?” Lord Keita asked irritably.
“Yes,” Pansy answered.
“Good, we’re going by Portkey, so hurry it up.,” Lord Keita pointed to a Buddha statue sitting on the floor.
“Great Portkey,” Hermione said with an eye roll.
“On three,” the vampire answered with a glare. “One, two, three!”
They all grabbed on and Harry felt that disgusting pull behind his belly button. He suddenly began to panic, wondering what this would do to the baby. He had been told Portkey was okay until he was four months, but still the way this twisted his insides couldn’t be good.
But then they were landing and for some reason Harry landed on his feet, which was a really good thing seeing as it was a cement brick floor.
“Jesus,” Ron groaned, as he hadn’t been as fortunate as Harry.
Suddenly Harry caught sight of Pansy’s face.
“Pansy, oh, I forgot, are you sure you want to do this?” Harry asked concerned.
Her mouth set into a thin line and she nodded. “I never believed in this shit he was preaching, but I never thought I’d have to go face him. My father...my father won’t be happy. But, this is for Draco, and Draco’s child, so it’s okay.”
Harry smiled at her and said, “Thank you.”
“Enough with the sentiments,” Keita said. He turned to a nearby Death Eater and said. “Where is Lord Voldemort?”
“Right this way,” the robust man barked and Harry swore it must have been Crabbe’s father.
They entered a throne room and found Voldemort sitting upon the throne, Snape on his left and Lucius Malfoy on the right. Lucius barely looked at Harry, and kept his eyes glued on the wall in front of him, he seemed nervous, almost like he knew something bad was going to happen.
Voldemort didn’t seem too worried about, however, smiling at Harry with his nonexistent lips.
“Harry Potter,” Voldemort hissed giddily. “It’s a pleasure to have you in my home. You already know Snape and Lucius. I see the rumours of your pregnancy are true, then, how far along are you?”
“That’s none of your concern, Tom, “ Harry answered, walking closer to the throne, leaving the rest of the group behind. “Where is Draco?”
“Harry, that’s not very nice of you, answer me when I ask you a question. Lucius, how far along is your son-in-law?” Voldemort turned to the blond man.
Lucius glanced at harry then at something behind him and turned to Voldemort. “Two months.”
“Two months! That’s pretty far, eh, Harry? Too bad your child will never see the outside of your womb.” Voldemort laughed, throwing his bald blue head back with delight.
“I don’t think so, Tom, my baby is going to survive, and Draco and I with them. I defeated you once, I can do it again,” Harry snarled fiercely.
“Haha! Lucius, your son-in-law is a feisty one, isn’t he?” Lord Voldemort turned to Lord Keita then. “Ah, Lord Keita, I have to thank you, for bringing me such wonderful gifts! Harry and Draco Malfoy, you’ve done more in a few months time than my incompetent staff could do in seventeen years.”
“Thank you,” Lord Keita bowed.
“Harry?” Voldemort called. “Would you like to see Draco before you both die?” Harry ground his teeth and did his best Malfoy glare. “I’m feeling nice today, so I’ll let you see him even though you’re being so rude. Say, you there, the one that brought him in, take Harry to see Draco.” the snake motioned to the back of the room and Harry saw a man with messy black hair quite similar to his own step forward. He turned, so Harry never got a good look at his face. “Go on, Harry, follow him.”
“Leave my friends alone,” Harry instructed Voldemort.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take great care of them.” Voldemort chuckled.
Harry growled and followed the man out. They walked down a hallway in silence.
The man stopped abruptly and said over his shoulder to Harry, “Are you prepared?”
“Prepared for what?” harry asked nervously.
“The worst,” he answered. Harry nodded tentatively and the man opened the door.
Harry stepped in and gasped at what he saw. “Draco!”
“Harry?” came a faint voice.
Harry rushed forward, and grabbed Draco’s motionless form. “Oh, God, Draco your alive!” Draco was chained to a wall, his hands above his head on either side, blood running down his arms. “Oh, God,” Harry sobbed into Draco’s stomach.
“Harry, what are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here, you have to go,” Draco croaked out, looking down at his Bonded.
“No!” Harry protested.
“Please, Harry, for my sake, please get out of here. I couldn’t bear the thought of you getting hurt, it pains me just to think about you here with that thing.”
“No! Draco, I won’t leave without you! I can’t!” Harry’s cries increased and Draco broke.
“Harry, shh, love, it’s all right,” Draco said in a soothing tone as Harry continued crying. “Everything’s going to be all right.” Harry only clutched him tighter. “I wish I could hold you, right now.”
Harry pulled back and aimed his wand at the chains holding Draco up. He shouted a spell and they instantly crumbled. “That was surprisingly easy,’ Harry laughed. Draco sighed in relief and sagged to the ground.
“Sorry,” he told Harry, “I’ve just been hanging there awhile and they beat me a bit first.”
“Oh, God, Draco, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it!” harry threw himself back on the blond with fresh tears in his eyes.
“You didn’t mean what love?” Draco asked, stroking Harry’s hair. It was then he noticed something different about Harry. “Harry...Harry, are you pregnant?” Draco asked in disbelief.
“Yes!” Harry cried and then Draco was crying too, holding Harry and they were rocking back and forth and crying and laughing at it all.
“Oh, Harry, I’m so happy right now, you don’t understand.” Draco smiled down at Harry, his grey eyes shining with joy and tears.
“Draco,” Harry whispered. Suddenly, being able to look at Draco once more, holding him once more, breathing him in once more broke something within him and he was able to say something he should have said a long time ago. “Draco, I love you, I love you more than anything, and I’m sorry I never said it sooner, but I love you so much it hurts when I’m near you and when I think about you. I think, on some level, I’ve always loved you. And even now, I love you unchangingly.”
“Harry,” Draco whispered back, tears falling silently down his face, “I love you, so, so much.” Their lips met softly and suddenly the world melted away. They forgot all their troubles and facing dangers, it was just them, only them their lips, their love and they product of that love between them. Their tears mingled, still streaming down their faces, falling through their connected mouths. Draco held Harry’s face between his hands, stroking his cheeks with his thumbs, in turn Harry was running his hands through Draco’s Harry, wishing like crazy that he’d be able to do this once more.
“Ahem.” Someone cleared their throat.
Draco and Harry parted reluctantly, keeping their foreheads and noses pressed together, their eyes still shut tight.
“We have to go,” the man said.
Draco looked up at the man for the first time. “Roy,” he said earnestly. “Roy, there’s something you have to know.”
A/N: Well, that was a chapter...sorry it took so long, I didn’t have my computer for awhile and I was out of town and that whole depression thing. Yea, so I think I’m getting better...I think... Also, I stole the line “I’ve always loved...unchangingly.” From Miyavi’s Kimi ni Negai Wo (When I Wish Upon You). We're almost done!
Chapter 18: Snakes
“Roy,” Draco said, “There’s something you should know.”
For the first time Roy and Harry’s eyes met, and they each found a certain amount of shock there. Tearing his eyes away, Roy turned back to Draco. “And what may that be?”
Draco didn’t answer him; instead he turned to Harry and said, “I’m sorry you had to find out like this.”
“Draco?” Harry questioned, a little worried.
“Roy, this is Harry, your nephew. Harry, this is your uncle, Roy Potter.”
“What are you talking about?” Roy and Harry asked at the same time.
“Come on Roy, did you really think it such a coincidence that his name was Harry Potter and happened to look exactly like you?” Draco scoffed, pushing himself off the ground shakily. “I’ll tell you exactly what happened. Your father married your mother, and had you. Your mother died when you were young and your father remarried. He had another son, Harry’s father, and for awhile you stuck around. Then when James was young you disappeared, no longer able to face your family after having turned. You cut yourself off from Wizarding England and therefore never heard of what happened to James or Harry.”
“Yes, that sounds quite plausible, but you’re missing one minor detail,” Roy answered, moving towards the two.
“And what’s that?” Harry asked.
“I didn’t run away, I was kicked out. My father couldn’t stand the sight of me after my mother died; it was my fault you know. The only reason he didn’t ship me off was because of my step mother, she took a liking to me, but then James was born and I was turned. And with that they both turned on me. Father always did what Elsie wanted. And after I was turned she didn’t want me anywhere near James.” Roy bent down to look at Harry straight in the face. “You really do look just like him, except-”
“My eyes,” Harry finished. “I have my mother’s eyes.”
“Yes, but that wasn’t what I was going to say.” Harry looked surprised and Roy continued in a whisper. “Except, I can’t stand the sight of you.” The vampire stood and strode towards the door.
“You can’t be serious,” Draco stated.
“About?” Roy asked.
Harry opened his mouth to say something but the words died on his lips, unable to process the revelation that he had another living relative and the immediate rejection of that relative.
Draco shook his head at the man and said, “You’re going to help us. I don’t care if you can’t stand to look at Harry or the bloody Queen for that matter; you’re going to help us!”
“And why should I take orders from you? Or help you for that matter?” Roy asked, sneering.
“Because you’re Harry’s uncle!” Draco exploded. “Does blood mean nothing to you people? You two are the only decedents of the Potter line besides the child growing in his stomach! Do you know what Harry’s been through!? I’ll tell you-”
“Draco,” Harry said suddenly, grabbing his hand from his position on the floor. Draco turned and immediately began to help Harry up, but he was swatted away. “I’m fine; you’re the one injured here.”
“Do you see?” Draco glared at Roy and meant to continue but Harry cut him off.
“Don’t. I don’t want or need his help. He has no idea what it means to be a Potter and never will. He doesn’t know the pain and he never will. And I can’t ask help from someone so clearly unwilling to give it. He’s nothing more than a stranger, Draco, and that’s what he’ll stay.” Harry spoke looking directly into Roy’s eyes, he looked so much like himself, but again his eyes were different. Strangely, Harry found he also couldn’t stand the sight of Roy.
Roy finally turned away and put his hand the door knob, “They’re calling,” he said. “Draco will have to remain here.”
“No,” Harry said simply.
“It’s under the direct order of Voldemort,” Roy answered.
“This won’t be the first or last time I’ve defied him. We’re both leaving, open the door,” Harry told him coldly.
Roy gave him a long look Harry couldn’t interpret before turning and leading them down the hall once more.
They entered the hall in which Voldemort was waiting for them, still sitting upon his throne like chair.
“Pansy?” Draco whispered and Harry knew he hadn’t meant to say it out loud. Harry glanced around; he spotted Pansy standing near Lucius, a blank look on her face. His gaze fell to her side where he was met with...nothing. Ron and Hermione were gone.
“I see you brought your beloved, star crossed lover,” Voldemort said, standing. “Although, I do believe I told that thing that lead you here that Draco was supposed to stay where he was.”
“Where are Ron and Hermione?” Harry demanded, ignoring his previous statement.
“Harry, really, what do you think I did with them? You should know better than to trust me.” Voldemort smiled in that snake-like way of his and moved closer to the three. “What were you thinking, leaving them with me?”
“Shut up,” Harry gritted out, his magic flaring around him. Voldemort stepped back with a laugh. “What did you do with them?” Harry was beginning to panic now, because Voldemort was right. Really, what the hell had he been thinking, leaving them in a room of Death Eaters alone? What if he was too late? God, he was so stupid! All he could think about was finding Draco and the process he may have sent his best friends to their deaths without a second thought. Suddenly, Harry snapped. “Where are they!?” he roared, his magic seeping from him and crackling around the room. He heard Draco gasp beside him but paid him no mind.
Voldemort began laughing then, his head thrown back and his snake like tongue slithering around and poking out of his mouth. Harry’s anger only rose and the air around them became volatile, and you could see the magic snapping in the air like lightening. Voldemort calmed himself and said to Harry, “It doesn’t matter now.” He pointed his wand at the pregnant hero and began to curse him.
And then Voldemort was being lifted from the ground by some invisible force, flailing in the air, his eyes wide with surprise and panic. The Death Eaters around them began to draw their wands and were shooting curses at them, but they just bounced off a transparent field that had been created around the three. Harry glared at Voldemort and pointed his wand at him. Voldemort ceased his thrashing and glared back definitely, shouting derogatory things at the boy.
“Harry!” Draco yelled, “Harry, don’t kill him yet, you have to find out where they are!” Draco shouted, watching as Harry’s eyes turned a shade of bright green he had never seen before. They were clear like jewels, but it seemed to Draco that they would freeze anyone who looked directly in them, swallow them whole and spit them back out, broken and twisted.
“Where are they?” Harry asked the snake before him. Voldemort only laughed in return. “Bastard!” Harry flicked his wand and threw the Dark Lord against a wall. The wall cracked under the force and Tom slid to the ground in a heap.
Voldemort’s resounding laughter filled the room. “Oh, Harry, that’s not going to kill me! You’re going to have to try harder than that! But not now, now I have a bit more planning to do.” With that and one last laugh Voldemort and the Death Eaters Apparated.
“DAMMIT!” Harry screamed, falling to the ground. He was exhausted, and he wasn’t sure he could move anymore. And then there was the pain in his stomach, the baby kicking him like he was fucking Bruce Lee. Had he hurt the baby? The pain, it wasn’t normal, it was churning and gut wrenching. What if he had...?
“Harry,” Draco said softly.
“Harry, are you all right?” Pansy began walking over to the fallen hero and the other Slytherin, a concerned look plaster over her features.
“What the hell is he playing at!? Why can’t he just fight me now? Why did I just leave them alone with him? What the fuck is wrong with me, Draco?” Harry sobbed, burying his face in Draco’s legs. “The baby,” he whispered, “What have I done to our child Draco? What if I-”
“Harry!” Draco yelled, kneeling down to eye level with the distraught brunette, “Our child is fine, it doesn’t matter what you’ve done the point is we’re alive, all of us,” he gave a pointed look at Harry’s stomach, “And right now we need to focus on getting Ron and Hermione back.”
“They put them under Imperius,” Pansy interjected. “They sent them to kill you family, Harry.”
“And why not you?” Harry demanded.
“Because I told the snake I was on his side, that I had only helped to bring you guys in,” Pansy explained.
“I knew it,” Harry whispered. “I knew you couldn’t be trusted!”
“Harry, she only did it for this exact reason, if she weren’t here we wouldn’t know where Granger and Weasely were!” Draco defended his best friend. “Now, let’s stop dwelling on it and get going.”
“But how?” Harry asked, “I can’t Apparate so far along!”
“Draco, I don’t think he can even move right now, he’s used so much
energy today. Where ever we’re going, he’s going to have to be carried,” Pansy answered.
“Shit,” Draco said.
“I believe we can help with that.” They all looked up to see Lord Keita, Sir Yamiko, Roy, and Dai approaching them. “We can take you where you need to go,” Lord Keita gestured to the four of them with a graceful sweep of his arm.
“Why would you help us?” Pansy demanded.
“I can sense your power,” Lord Keita said looking to Harry, his red eyes glittering, “It’s stronger than his, I believe you will be on the winning side of this battle,” he finished.
“I don’t trust you,” Draco bit out.
“But, you can trust me, Draco,” Dai answered, “And I can tell you Lord Keita isn’t lying.”
Draco shared a look with Harry before pulling them both to their feet, then looked to Pansy and nodded to her.
“Let’s go.”
The wind whipped passed Harry’s head, roaring in his ears and causing them to sting with pain. “Ugh, I think I’m going to be sick,” he said from the back of Sir Yamiko.
“Don’t you dare,” Sir Yamiko called over his shoulder at him.
“Be nice, Hisami,” Lord Keita told Sir Yamiko from in front of them. “We’re almost to the Port Key.”
“Oh, thank God,” Dai said, adjusting Draco on his back. “I’ve been running forever.”
“If you hadn’t run away in the first place you wouldn’t feel that way,” Roy told him blankly.
“Shut up,” Die mumbled.
“Children!” Lord Keita scolded. “It wasn’t much of a run; we crossed the Niagara border about twenty minutes ago right?”
“Yes,” the three vampires answered in unison.
“Good, then the Brooklyn Bridge should be about...five minutes away.”
“Five minutes...twenty five minutes from Canada?” Harry said, turning a sickly shade of green. “Oh, God, I am so going to be sick.”
“Just hang on a bit more Harry,” Draco yelled to him. Harry nodded absently and rested his cheek on Sir Yamiko’s shoulder, his glasses going askew.
“Listen here kid, I’m not a pillow.”
“Shut up before I make you,” Harry answered wishing Hermione hadn’t taken the sword so he could be a bit more intimidating. Draco shot him a sympathetic look, and Harry smiled weakly back.
“Now,” Lord Keita called to them. “When we get to the American embassy let me do the talking, the last thing we need is for them to get suspicious and close down the borders if they found out about him. Harry, is there a magical field around your aunt and uncles house?”
“Yes,” Harry answered, shutting his eyes tightly as the zoomed pass cars, their headlights and the lights from the bridge they just entered flashing behind his eyelids nauseatingly. “It’s not very big though. I don’t know how powerful though, Dumbledore set it.”
Lord Keita nodded to himself, slowing his pace as they exited the bridge. He glanced around, looking for the entrance to the Ministry without slowing too much.
“Over here,” Dai called, turning left and halting in front of an old telephone booth.
“Come with me, Ryo,” Lord Keita commanded. Roy entered with Pansy still on his back.
“They aren’t going to deceive you,” Dai reassured Draco and Harry as the three disappeared from sight.
“Besides, they left me out here anyway,” Sir Yamiko commented.
Harry weakly nodded his acceptance on the vampires shoulder and heard the elevator come back up. The doors screeched back open and Harry felt them entering, trying desperately to keep himself awake.
“Harry,” Draco whispered, lightly touching the boys arm. “Harry, try and stay alert, all right?”
“Mhm,” Harry murmured, never picking his head off Sir Yamiko’s shoulder.
“What the hell do I look like, the Hilton?” Sir Yamiko snarled. “Wake up, boy!”
“Hisami...” Dai trailed off and his eyes got wide.
“What is it?” Sir Yamiko asked in a harsh whisper.
They began speaking in tones so low and fast neither Harry nor Draco could understand them. The conversation seemed urgent and Harry had picked himself up enough to try and watch it between their faces.
The doors to the elevator popped open revealing Lord Keita, Roy and Pansy who was now stand on her own. Dai let Draco down, but Sir Yamiko had a bit of a harder time with Harry.
“What is it?” Lord Keita asked when he saw the two.
“They’ve almost broken through the wards. It won’t take much more,” Dai answered. Lord Keita nodded and turned to face a man standing nearby.
“Fredrickson,” Lord Keita addressed him. “I need a Portkey, and I need one now. For Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, England.”
The man glanced over their little party and noticed Harry. “Fuck, is that fucking Harry Potter?”
“Yes,” Lord Keita answered. “And he’d like to go home now, if you don’t mind. The Portkey, it’s urgent.”
“You’ll need to fill out these papers,” Fredrickson informed him, pulling out a stack of paper, an old shoe, a small inter tube and a pipe. “And pipe or shoe?”
Lord Keita looked at Fredrickson and picked up the inter tube. “The inter tube,” he paused. “Hisami.”
Sir Yamiko whipped out his wand and shouted a spell at the swimming toy in under a second, “Hands in!” He yelled and everyone did as they were told. The inter tube glowed gold before Harry felt that familiar tug behind his navel, his hand desperately reaching out for Draco’s. They landed upright, mostly thanks to Draco, directly in front of Harry’s old home.
“Come on!” Draco yelled tugging Harry towards his house as it began to fill with multicoloured lights and the telltale crackle of magic. They ran to the door, Pansy and the vampires just behind them and threw it open.
Harry looked around frantically and saw Ron setting fire to the living room. “Ron!” he screamed. “Stop!”
Ron turned and even though Harry knew he was under Imperius, he didn’t expect the cold look in his best friend’s eyes or the Dark spell that was fired at him. Harry jumped away with a yelp, the curse grazing past him.
Suddenly Ron waved his wand at himself; he started to widen, being stretched like silly putty before he was split into three. It was almost like he used Geminio on himself, but Harry was certain it wasn’t possible, meaning this was yet another Dark curse. “Shit,” Draco whispered next to Harry, eyeing the three red heads.
Sir Yamiko and Dai rushed into the living room, wands drawn. The two doppelgangers fired hexes left and right, but they seemed slower than Ron was as a whole. The original Ron was advancing on Harry and Draco quickly, firing spells as he went and just as he got within short distance range and ear shattering scream pierced the room.
“Aunt Petunia!” Harry turned, throwing a curse at Ron to distract him long enough so he could leave. Harry didn’t have the heart to fire anything dangerous at his best friend, even if he was currently throwing Dark curses like beads at Mardi Gras. Harry rushed up stairs Draco, Lord Keita and Roy behind him. Pansy had decided to stay and fight the Rons.’
Harry saw lights coming from his aunt and uncles bedroom, and Dudley was cowering in the corner of the hall, a Death Eater hovering over him. “Incarcerous!” Draco shouted, thick ropes wrapping around the Death Eater, who then fell to the ground. Dudley let out a shriek and screamed at Harry to help his mum.
Harry ran do the hall leaving the vampires to deal with the Death Eater and Dudley, and threw open the door to his ex-guardians room. A blast of light assaulted his eyes, bright and white engulfing all that was around them. And the scream broke through the air once more. “Aunt Petunia!” Harry screamed throwing himself into the room, pointing his wand at the figure in the middle of the room.
“Everte Statum!” Harry shouted, and the figure flew across the room, the light fading instantly with the crack of a body against a wall. It took a moment for Harry’s eyes to adjust to the darkness, but it seemed it didn’t take Draco nearly as long.
“Harry,” he called over his shoulder, rushing to the person slumped against the wall. Harry shook his head and looked around, finally hearing the screaming coming from Vernon.
“What did you do to her!?” His uncle’s chin shook violently as he spoke. “What did she do to her!?”
“What are you talking about?” Harry yelled. “What happened, you have to tell me exactly!”
“Your freaky friend! She came in here and screamed something at Petunia! And then Petunia got out of bed and she was all gold and I couldn’t see a thing!” Vernon yelled, hurrying out of bed and rushing over to where Draco was squatted.
Harry started towards the two men hastily when he was stopped by the sight of someone else lying, apparently comatose in the adjacent sitting room. “Hermione!” He gasped, taking in her battered appearance, bloodied and mangled. Suddenly, Roy was by his side, running a diagnostic spell over her, the colours dancing over her like sad fireworks.
“She’s alive,” Roy said quietly. “But we need to get her to a hospital, quickly.”
Harry opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by the harsh whisper of his name.
“Harry?” The brunette snapped his head up to see Aunt Petunia sitting up with the assistance of Draco and Uncle Vernon who was desperately trying to get Draco to stop touching her.
Harry gave a last fleeting look at Hermione before moving to see his aunt. “Aunt Petunia, what happened?”
“She just came and started yelling curses at us and I...I got out of bed and, I don’t know, it was like something burst in me!” She looked up at him bewildered. “It was so strange! And she just flew backwards, and all I could think was that I needed her dead or something and the light...” she trailed off, looking over at the unconscious Hermione. “Is she dead?”
“No,” Harry answered. “That’s my friend Hermione; she was put under a curse by Voldemort to attack you.”
“Again with that bastard?” She asked and she seemed to look at Harry for the first time. “Harry, you’re pregnant! Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m okay, Aunt Petunia, but right now I think we need to get you to see Madame Pomfrey.”
“Oh, no!” Vernon roared. “She is not going to one of your freaky places, Lord knows what they’ll do to her.”
“It would be wise,” came a slow steady voice from the doorway. “For you to listen to Harry, Mr. Dursley.”
They all turned to see Dumbledore glide into the room. Stopping at Hermione to levitate her into Roy’s arms. “Take her please,” he asked Roy. Roy nodded silently accepting the load.
“James?” Petunia whispered, horrified, seeing Roy for the first time.
“I’m afraid not, dear,” Dumbledore answered. “This is Roy Potter, James’s older half-brother.”
“Oh, great, another freaky Potter,” Vernon mumbled.
“And it gets better,” Harry told Vernon in a hush. “He’s a vampire.” Vernon stuttered, trying and failing to form a sentence before his face went deadly white and fainted.
“Harry,” Draco chided softly, with a chuckle.
“Draco, would you be so kind as to levitate your aunt?” Dumbledore asked, reviving Vernon.
“Wait,” Petunia said holding her hand up. “Who is Madame Pomfrey and why must I go see her? What’s wrong with me? Did she do something to me?”
“I don’t know the answer to that,” Dumbledore answered. “Which is why I think you should be checked out by a medical professional.”
“Professor,” Draco started. “Professor Dumbledore, you do realise what has happened to her, yes?” Draco asked, a tone of urgency in his voice.
“Yes, I felt it when I entered the room,” Dumbledore answered. “She needs more time, but I do believe she will develop quite quickly.”
Harry watched the exchange wondering what in the world they were talking about, what had happened to Aunt Petunia? Why wasn’t Draco telling him? He looked down at Aunt Petunia’s frightened face and the lifeless Hermione who was now being taken out of the room, and wondered if his friend really had done something terrible.
“Draco,” Harry interrupted, pleading with his eyes for the blond to just tell him what was going on.
“Professor, I’m telling her,” Draco told the old wizard without taking his eyes away from Harry. “She has a right to know now.”
“A right to know what?” Petunia asked and Draco turned his attention to her.
“You’ve opened your magical core,” Draco answered.
“My...what?” Petunia floundered.
“You’re magical core, the centre of your magic. It was locked before, not like your sisters who had been opened since birth. You’ve had the ability to do magic all along. It’s like, you had all the right tools, but the project and blueprints were missing. Do you get what I’m saying?” Draco asked, turning to look a Vernon who had fainted once more.
“I suppose so,” she answered. “Does that mean that Dudley...?”
“It’s a possibility,” Dumbledore answered. “His is also locked.”
“But...you, you rejected me when I was young! You took in Lily and left me here, even though I could do magic!” She yelled at Dumbledore. “Even when I pleaded with you!”
“It was locked, Dear, there was nothing I could do, except put you in a potentially life threatening situation like this one. And even then it wasn’t certain that you would unlock it,” Dumbledore explained gently. “Petunia, we will discuss this more after you’ve been checked over, right now the most important thing is your health.”
“Right.” She nodded. “And where is Dudley?”
“On his way there,” Dumbledore answered.
“Alright, Dumbledore, but I’m telling you right now,” she said fiercely, glaring at the breaded wizard. “I’m helping Harry fight Voldemort.”
Draco sighed as he sat next to Harry in the private ward of St. Mungo’s, shifting his weight closer to Harry who was lying on the examining table.
They had been informed that Madame Pomfrey was suffering from a deadly infection and as such they would have to seek medical attention elsewhere. Petunia was in the room next Harry and Draco, while Ron and Hermione were in a separate ward on the fourth floor.
Dumbledore had taken in the unknown Death Eater, and asked Sir Yamiko to take charge of their rag tag gang. When confronted with what Sir Yamiko had really been, what his true motives were, Dumbledore smiled and told them that everyone deserved a second chance.
Lord Keita, Roy, and Dai had gone to Hogwarts where Dumbledore had asked them to wait for him. Sir Yamiko was instructed to bring everyone back to Hogwarts one at a time, as soon as they were checked out.
Draco sighed again, leaning his head on Harry’s thigh and closing his eyes and intertwining their fingers. Harry smiled down at him and ran his free hand through Draco’s soft blond locks.
“I’ve missed you,” Harry whispered.
“I missed you, too,” Draco whispered back, silently screaming for joy. He never dreamed this could happen; Harry missing him, wanting him, loving him and their child on the way to complete Draco’s happiness. It was all so surreal, and Draco refused to listen to that voice in the back of head that told him something was going to go wrong, that it had to go wrong, because good things like this don’t happen to Draco Malfoy.
“When you were gone,” Harry began. “When you were gone I didn’t know what to do with myself. Every day I would wake up and I’d look to see if you were next to me, to see if this had all been just been a bad dream. I would keep my eyes shut really tightly and count to three. Then I’d snap them open and of course you wouldn’t be there,” Harry paused and took a breath.
“And then there were days when I couldn’t stand anyone, everyone had just acted like you never existed, they went on about their lives without a care and here I was, practically unable to survive without you. I’d get so angry, at them, at you, and mostly at myself for being so weak. And I’d go to bed praying to God that, when I woke up that morning, I’d be in the Tower, everything would be normal again. I’d be single, and I most certainly wouldn’t be pregnant, and I wouldn’t have to feel that stupid tightening in my chest all the time.
“On those nights, I’d have terrible nightmares, about you, about me, about our child, about everyone I loved. And I’d wake up in the middle of the night screaming your name, and crying. I’ll I could think then was how much I wanted you there right then, how much I wanted you to hold me and how sorry I was that I had hoped for everything to go back to the way it was.” Harry stopped and Draco pressed a kiss onto the back of his hand. “Draco, I’m only going to say thing once, but if you ever leave me again, I will hunt you down. I will hunt you down and use every Unforgivable on you. And then, I will bring you back to life and do it again. In fact, the second time, I’ll have you kill yourself. Do you understand me, Draco?”
The blond chuckled and stood. He leaned over Harry, their lips a whisper apart and murmured. “I understand, love. I’ll never do it again.” Today, must have been one of the happiest days of his young life, to Harry speak of him so passionately. It only made Draco love him all the more.
“Good,” Harry answered, then covered Draco’s lips with his own. Just as Draco began to let his hand crawl up Harry’s hospital gown someone cleared their throat from the door.
“Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Malfoy,” a small Medi-Witch greeted them. Draco and Harry did a double take as she entered the room, their eyes wide with recognition. “I am Healer Pomfrey; I suppose you know my sister, Poppy.”
“Er, yes,” Harry answered. “I, er, know her quite well.”
“I’m aware, Mr. Malfoy,” she eyed him cryptically. “Now, as to your health it doesn’t seem like you broke anything or were hit with any dangerous hexes. But something negative did come back.”
Draco felt Harry’s hand tighten around his in a death grip. “Please, not the baby,” Harry whispered to her.
Healer Pomfrey gave them truly sorry look and answered, “I’m afraid so.”
“Oh, God! What’s wrong?” Harry cried.
“The stress, it’s taken its toll on your baby. They’ll survive, I have no doubt about that, but we are concerned that the baby my decided to come out early and in the last crucial stages of development,” she explained.
“And what do we do about it?” Draco demanded.
“The only thing I’m afraid is to rest as often as possible and pray,” she answered. “Listen, I know what you have to do, Mr. Malfoy. But right now, you shouldn’t be doing it.”
Harry stifled a sob. “But I...I can’t control when it happens! It’ not like Voldemort calls me up and says ‘Hey, I’m going to try and take over the world tomorrow, try and stop me!’” He yelled.
“Harry, calm down,” Draco soothed, bringing the brunettes head to his chest and letting him cry there.
“I know that, Mr. Malfoy,” the Healer answered. “I was simply saying you must choose your battles. If your baby is born prematurely we will take care of it. The child will have to stay until it’s developed fully after which point you may take them home. There is a 99% chance the baby will survive, a 75% chance that they won’t contract on deadly maladies, and a 50% chance they will live a normal life without any adverse side effects, such as anaemia, a heart condition, etc.”
“50%?” Harry repeated. “A 50% chance of a heart condition?”
“I wouldn’t be too worried about it, gentlemen, the important thing is that your baby survives, is happy and healthy for the most part, anyway.” She continued with a kind smile. “Besides, look at who their fathers are, I’m sure you child will turn out just perfect and healthy as can be. You’re both strong men, and I’m certain your child will be as well.” She smiled once more and left them alone.
“Harry,” Draco began quickly. “Harry, I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not true, it’s not your fault.”
“Yes it is!” Harry yelled at him. “Had I not been so stupid, so selfish, so irresponsible, none of this would have happened!” Harry jumped off the table and ripped of the paper gown which put itself back together and folded itself neatly in the rubbish bin.
“Harry, you can’t possibly believe that! You and I both know that you would never intentionally hurt someone like that! You did what you had to and I nor anyone else are going to blame you for it!” Draco shouted, grabbing Harry’s biceps.
“Of course I didn’t do it intentionally! That’s the problem, I only ever think of myself! What I think it best for others! And even if you don’t blame me...” he trailed off hanging his head. “I’ll still blame myself.”
“Harry,” Draco said softly, bringing the smaller man into a hug. What was Draco going to tell him? That everything would be alright, that the baby would be fine and no one was going to get hurt? He couldn’t tell Harry that, especially when Draco didn’t believe it himself, God, he knew something would go wrong.
“Draco,” Harry whispered. “Please, forgive me.”
Draco sighed, pressing a kiss to Harry’s forehead. “Of course, love. What did I tell you before? We’ll get through this.”
Harry and Draco entered the antechamber behind the High Table in the Great Hall, the soft candle light flicking across their faces as they went.
“This is unacceptable,” a voice hissed. “There is no way we can allow her to-”
“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Severus! If you recall correctly, it was I who saved you from drowning in the river when we were seven!” Petunia’s voice jabbed back.
“Haha, Snape was saved by a girl!” came a barking laugh, immediately followed by a hushed reprimand.
“Petunia, you can’t be serious! You’ve had magic for all of three hours and now you want to go running off to fight one of the most powerful wizards of all time? You don’t even have a wand!” Snape yelled back.
“So get me one!” she shouted just as Harry and Draco came into sight.
“I say let her fight,” Lord Keita said from the corner. “She’s perfectly willing, and seeing as she doesn’t have all that much control of her magic, it could make her lethal, could it not, Roy?” Roy nodded his assent. “We could use a loose cannon like that on our side. Her and Harry both.”
“Hah!” Petunia pointed at Snape in triumph.
“You’re impossible! You always have been!” Snape threw his hands up in frustration.
“And you’re wrong, you always have been, Sevy,” Petunia countered.
“Woman-" Snape began, but Dumbledore cut him off.
“Severus, Petunia, we will discuss this later. For now we need to get a plan together, so if you would all please sit down and act like rational adults, please.” Dumbledore swept a quick glance around the room, sufficiently shutting everyone up. But Snape and Petunia still glared as they sat.
“Harry, Draco, everything is fine, I hope?” Dumbledore asked.
“Perfect,” Harry ground out. Pansy shot a look at them and Draco signalled his assent to speak with her later. “Where are Ron and Hermione?”
“Here,” Sir Yamiko answered, entering the room with the bushy haired girl and the red head.
“Oh, Harry!” Hermione cried, rushing towards him. “I’m so sorry!”
“Yea, mate, really, I had no idea what I was doing,” Ron said, clapping Harry on the shoulder and looking him deep in the eye. “I hope you’ll forgive me. Us.”
“Of course I will,” Harry answered, pulling away to look down at Hermione as well. “But the real person you should be apologising to is over there.” Harry pointed to his aunt.
Hermione looked over at the blond woman sitting across from Snape, glaring at the potions master. Setting her shoulders back Hermione walked over to Petunia who seemed to notice them for the first time. Ron followed closely behind, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.
“Mrs. Dursley,” Hermione began. “I would just like you to apologise for our behaviour, we were under Imperius at the time, but I speak for both Ronald and I when I say how truly sorry we are for not being strong enough to resist and attack your family. I hope you’ll forgive us for these egregious actions.”
“Yea,” Ron added. “We’re really sorry, ma’am. Honest.”
“It’s all right,” Petunia answered. “If you hadn’t, I would have never came into my magic and been able to help you all fight Voldemort.”
“You are not helping!” Snape yelled, slamming a fist on the table in front of him.
“Severus I will do-”
“You will do what’s best for-”
“Quiet!” Dumbledore barked, and the two snapped their mouths shut. “We are going to get through this without bickering or yelling. Do you understand, children?” He set a cold eye on the two.
“Yes,” the murmured together.
“Right, now that everyone is here, Severus would you please inform everyone what you’ve found out?”
“Yes, Professor,” Snape drawled and stood. “It has come to my attention that He Who Must Not Be Named is ready for his final assault. He will take over the Ministry of Magic as soon as he has gotten his two strongest opponents out of the way-” a look at Harry and Dumbledore. “And he plans to rid of them immediately.”
“When?” Draco asked, moving closer towards his Godfather.
“Tomorrow,” Snape answered gravely. “He’s going to storm Hogwarts, he’s found a way in that he won’t tell me, and I can’t read it from him. He wouldn’t tell the time either, partly because he didn’t know when either. He’s called in back up from all over the world; the chance of our survival like this is minimal.”
A/N: Okay, I took some creative liberties here. It’s about that 25 minute run from Canada to New York City. Let me explain: firstly commercial airlines fly at about 800-960 KMH (500-600MPH) an hour, while fighter jets stay in the low mach numbers (Mach one is about 1200 KMH/750MPH). So, based on a commercial plane that run would have actually taken about an hour. Obviously, if a person was going that fast in the open air they would die...but vampires are already dead. Anyway, the vamps aren’t running at mach one, we’re just pretending that it wasn’t that far from the border...and they can glide!
Chapter 19: Johnny, Get Your Gun
“Blood Pops, Lemon Drops, Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, Cockroach Clusters, Ch-,” Minerva McGonagall stopped short as the gargoyle guarding Dumbledore’s office began shifting to life and revealing the staircase. She hurried onto the top step, tapping her foot impatiently at the speed in which the staircase was moving, willing it to go faster. The harried professor almost fell to her death in her haste to get off the staircase, narrowly missing the ground in which she leaped for from the moving staircase.
“Minerva?” Dumbledore stood upon seeing the woman enter. “Is everything all right?”
“No!” She shouted back, turning to Severus who was also in the room. “The Slytherins, they’re gone! You were supposed to watch them and now they’re gone!”
“What do you mean?” Snape asked dangerously.
“I mean that our children are gone, they are no longer in their common room or beds and neither are they in this castle.”
“Are any other children missing?” Dumbledore asked quickly. “Are all the Slytherins gone?”
“No, about 60%, Albus. I haven’t had time to check the other houses, I came straight here.”
“Severus, this is not your fault,” Dumbledore said softly, before standing and crouching in front of his fireplace with a handful of Floo powder. “Sirius?” He called into the soft green flames.
“Yea?” The animagus answered.
“Are there any children missing from the Gryffindor tower?”
“Let me check, I just did rounds, but I’ll inspect more thoroughly this time,” Sirius answered. Dumbledore nodded and Sirius’s head disappeared in the flames. Dumbledore grabbed another handful and called to Remus, asking him the same question.
“Thank God, you just called, Professor,” Remus answered. “I just did rounds again and twelve are missing, ten fourth years, two seventh years.”
“Stay where you are, use a patronus to try and follow if possible,” Dumbledore ordered, Remus nodded and fell away just as the flames burst to life.
“Professor,” Sirius panted. “Five missing, all third years.”
“Wake Mr. Longbottom and go after them, and see if you can-” Dumbledore was cut off by the flames sputtering and a frantic looking Flitwick poking his head in.
“Albus!” He screeched in his little voice. “Albus, the children!”
“Missing?” Dumbledore interrupted.
“Yes!” Flitwick gasped. “About half, maybe less.”
“Stay there, wake the children and keep them in the common room, I’m sending someone up.” Dumbledore didn’t wait for a response before switching back to the Gryffindor firecall. “Sirius, are you still there?”
“Yes,” Sirius answered. “I’ve got Neville with me.”
“Put him on.” Dumbledore waited while Neville and Sirius shuffled around.
“Yes, Professor?” Neville asked, nervousness and uncertainly lacing his voice.
“Neville, I need you to wake all the Gryffindor’s and keep them in the common room. No one is to leave and no one is to enter without my consent, do you understand?” Dumbledore asked seriously.
“Yes,” Neville answered, “But don’t you think you should get someone more like Harry to do this?”
“Neville, you are more like Harry than you will ever know. I believe in you, and now you must believe in yourself. I trust you Neville, the school is in grave danger now, and I need your help.”
Neville looked down for a moment before looking straight into Dumbledore’s eyes with a new since of determination and confidence. “I understand.”
The head master smiled. “Thank you, Neville, it’s an honour to have you help protecting our school. Now, would you please put Sirius back on?”
“Yes,” Neville said before Sirius’s head replaced his.
“Transform, follow their scents; Remus will be with you, but for now you
need to go. Find the missing Gryffindor’s, as well as the twelve Hufflepuffs, and about half of Slytherin and Ravenclaw. I have a feeling they’re heading through the Forbidden Forest.” With that Dumbledore turned to the two staff members in his office with a grave look.
“It’s begun.”
Snape’s robes billowed behind him madly as he headed down to the dungeon, his thoughts racing as he did so.
He had been summoned, the Dark Mark on his arm burned like fire, twisting and withering on his arm making his skin crawl. It was getting more intense now, with the Dark Lord’s impatience, Severus felt a trickle of perspiration slide down his forehead, but he ignored it, instead focusing on the task at hand.
He reached his destination and flung open the door without any hesitation.
“Draco, come with me,” he sneered into the room, his eyes sweeping past the other occupants and landing on his Godson. He turned swiftly, catching a glimpse of blond hair moving in the corner of his eye.
He kept his back turned to the door and heard Draco shut it behind him.
“What is it, Severus?” Draco drawled in a perfect imitation of his father. He really was the perfect little Malfoy, Snape thought absently.
“I’ve been summoned, and I need you to do something for me,” Snape drawled, still facing the corridor behind in which he came from.
Noticing the tenseness of his Godfather, Draco slowly put a hand on the man’s shoulder; it went rigid with his touch. “Sev?” Draco whispered.
“It’s begun, Draco, and I honestly don’t know what the outcome will be, but I need you to do two things for me.” Snape paused, gathering strength to say the next few words. He sighed, closed his eyes and said slowly, “You must survive; you must survive and protect her.”
Draco instantly knew the ‘her’ Snape was speaking of. He hid his surprise, not that the man was looking at him and replied. “Of course.”
At this Snape turned his head slowly, looking over his shoulder at the blond behind him. “Thank you,” was all he said. And then he was gliding away, robes flying behind him like a black sea.
Draco watched him for a moment, letting the knowledge that his Godfather, a man he always assumed had no feelings, no emotions, just like any other good ickle Death Eater, and only cared for power and control...wasn’t that at all.
His mind briefly wandered to his father, and the story he told him about he and Harry’s father. He was suddenly filled with anger, anger at Voldemort, his father, and more importantly himself. Voldemort, who turned them into little statues of himself, who made them unable to break free from the cold Malfoy name and facade, even when it mattered most. His father, lost James, and he, so close to losing Harry. And perhaps had it not been for the Vow, he would have eventually lost himself as well.
He realised, though, that had his father rebuked Voldemort, he would have never had Harry, and so, that was the only thing he’d ever be grateful for to that no nosed tyrant.
“Draco?” Harry’s head poked out from the door of the empty classroom where his aunt was learning magic (with the help of Hermione, and Mr. Ollivander), and the rest sparing.
Draco turned to face Harry, noting the worried expression on the other boys face. “Harry, come out here for a moment.” The blond waved him out.
Harry didn’t look surprised, simply shut the door behind him and went into Draco’s waiting arms. “Snape...,” he began, but Draco knew what he wanted to say without him finishing it. “It’s happening, isn’t it? He’s summoned them.”
“Yes,” Draco answered, resting his chin on Harry’s head, his body curved to allow room for Harry’s stomach. They didn’t speak, they didn’t need to, instead they simply held one another, desperately wishing this wasn’t happening, knowing it was, and praying against all else that the other survived.
Dumbledore entered the Great Hall, his gaze sweeping over the mass of people crowded in the space. He looked upon them; the mothers trying to send their children to safety, elderly refusing to leave, just because they were too old or sick to fight, those too young trying valiantly to stay, their faces face in a stubborn mask, trying to hide fear. Haunted faces, worried eyes, anxious glances, watery smiles.
Terrified.
They were all terrified. For that Dumbledore did not blame them, he’d be more concerned if they weren’t. Yet, he could not let fear inhibit their ability to fight. He walked over to Professor Burbage to inform her he was ready.
She nodded and began setting up the equipment and casting the necessary spells.
Before Minerva had come to see him, Snape was telling Dumbledore details of the attack he’d just found out. Instead of attacking the castle with everything he had, Voldemort was staging several large scale attacks across the world. His plan was to take over the strongest Wizarding communities at once, and pick off the weaker ones as he went along. For this reason Dumbledore had been in touch with the most powerful heads in the international Wizarding community, he’d spoken to the head of the United Wizarding Nations, and various other heads of countries. All had agreed to let him speak to their people through a machine Professor Burbage had put together. It would project his image to various places around the world, so that every witch and wizard may hear him.
Albus stepped up to his podium and cleared his throat, Burbage nodded, sticking her head back down to look at something through the machine.
Dumbledore cast a spell to translate his words into the language of the hearer and began. “It’s a grave task in which I ask you all here today, I wish it weren’t so, but it is.”
Heads turned, simultaneously, people around the world stopped, their eyes fixated on the man in front of them.
“Today, the most powerful Dark wizard of all time will stage an attack on Wizarding humanity. The attack will take place at various locations around the world, ministries, schools, any place of power. Governments will be overthrown, people will be endangered, violence will overtake us. It will spread, when those nations fall, England, France, Spain, Africa, Bulgaria, Russia, Iran, China, Japan, Australia, America, Canada, Brazil, Peru...from those nations it will spread darkly like the malignant disease that it is. We shall all be infected if just one of us is affected.
“Voldemort cannot win. He cannot have our lives, or our children’s lives, or their children’s, or theirs. Yes, some of us may leave this world during the fight, but Voldemort will not have taken you life, he will have taken your breath, your heartbeat, but never your life; your soul, your love, your passion. Today, many of us may be preparing to say goodbye, goodbye to those we love, to those we’ve never met, to those we shall never have the chance to. Today, many of us are crying, crying for the lost chance, for those about to leave us, for those we may never see again.
“Today, say goodbye not only to those around you, but say goodbye to an end of an era, an end of terror, an end to Voldemort. Today, cry not only for your those you love, for those chances you never got to take, but cry for joy, joy that because of you, we can overcome.”
“Remus?” Sirius, came into an abrupt stop, changing back into his human form in one smooth motion. “Remus?” Something wasn’t right. The other man stood stock still, staring at Sirius, his face a mask of trepidation. His eyes were wide, and Sirius could see sweat trickling from his forehead.
“Sirius,” Remus whispered, voice shaky and broken. “I don’t understand.” He was changing, Sirius could see that now. Something had happened, it wasn’t even a full moon, this shouldn’t be happening. “Run!” Remus yelled, and then doubled over in pain.
“Remus!” Sirius rushed forth, grabbing onto the suffering man. He knew he shouldn’t, knew what Remus was like during transformation. But he couldn’t help it, this wasn’t a normal transformation.
“Get back,” Remus gasped, pushing the other away. “Go! I don’t know what I’ll be like when I transform.” Sirius, stood staring and his lover stumbled over to a tree, grasping it for support, his eyes shut tight, face screwed up in pain. The werewolf noticed Sirius was still standing there and barked, “Go!”
The black haired man shook his head once, before transforming back into a large black dog. He whimpered when he heard Remus’ clothes rip, the guttural cry that tore from his throat, the cracking of bones to become awkwardly shaped and grotesquely large.
Sirius looked on as the werewolf caught his breath, and then suddenly his head whipped around to face Sirius. He began to growl, the cold eyes glinted in the dark forest, Sirius heard a howl in the distance.
Slowly, the beast moved forward, his tongue lolling out, dripping with saliva.
Sirius ran.
Harry sat down heavily on the couch they had conjured in the empty classroom. He sighed and looked down at the sleeping figure beside him.
Smiling slightly, he reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from Draco’s face. He let his hand rest cupping Draco’s cheek, tears welling.
“Harry?”
Harry pulled his hand back as if hit by a stinging hex, trying and failing to wipe at his eyes without anyone noticing what he was doing. “Wot?” He asked much too quickly, looking up into the concerned face of Hermione.
She smiled tensely and sat down next to him on the couch. “I know this is hard for you, it is for all of us, that’s why you shouldn’t hold back right now.”
Harry stared at her, eyes calculating in a way Hermione had never seen, then he turned back to look at Draco and spoke, “I never wanted children, really, I thought for awhile perhaps I did, but deep down, I never really wanted any.”
Hermione looked surprised, she hadn’t been expecting Harry to say anything like that. “Why?”
Harry continued on as if he hadn’t heard her. “If I survive this I hope our child looks like Draco. I don’t want them to look like me, or rather, I don’t want people to think they’re me. At least, if our child looks like Draco there’s less of a chance people will look at them and see me. I don’t want that for our child, constantly having to live in my shadow. It’s like with Sirius. I love him, but sometimes I wish he’d remember that I’m Harry. I’m not some reincarnation of my father, and I’ll never be my father.
“The last thing I want is for my children to go through that. All my life I’ve been a name and a face, never a person. Perhaps, I really did want the Potter line to die out, and anything associated with me. Maybe that’s why I made such a fuss about Bonding to Draco. When I think about it, there really wasn’t much I was I didn’t like about him. Besides the fact that he was a selfish prick and a Malfoy. But, even then...that’s just a name, right? And after a few weeks I realised he wasn’t such a prick.”
He turned to Hermione who was staring at him with an odd expression. “Did I say something weird?”
Instead of answering, she leaned forward and pulled him into a tight embrace. “No, not at all,” she said over his shoulder. “Don’t worry so much, Harry, I’m sure you two will pull through.”
“We’ll all pull through,” Ron said walking over to the three, leaving Petunia to discuss something with Mr. Ollivander, and Pansy resting. “So don’t look that way.” Ron smiled a big dorky grin.
“I suppose you’re right.”
At this point, Draco began to stir, looking blearily into six eyes. He sat up quickly, almost knocking Harry in the forehead. “Why didn’t anyone wake me?”
“Sorry, we thought it best to let you sleep,” Hermione answered. “After all you’ve been through-”
“I’ve been through a hell of a lot less than you three,” Draco said, sufficiently cutting her off. “If anyone should be resting it’s you three.”
“Now, you listen here, Malfoy,” Ron began, but the blond dismissed his spluttering with a hard tone.
“None of you will be any good if you aren’t properly rested. You can’t just take a Pepper-Up potion and go marching off into battle. You need to be focused, calm, and alert. You can’t do that if you don’t sleep.” No one was given any chance to argue as Draco walked away, heading over to where Pansy was trying to teach Petunia a complicated spell that they were all fairly certain was Dark, but weren’t even going to go there.
“He’s got a point,” Hermione said finally.
“Well, he should speak for himself,” Ron grumbled.
“Ronald, you can’t expect to keep up with Death Eaters when the only thing you can think about is the inside of your eyelids. Can he, Harry?” Hermione turned to Harry for support.
“Sorry, Herm, I’m with Ron on this. I think we’re all old enough to know our limits. If we needed rest, we’d rest.” Harry stood and turned to Ron. “Come duel with me.”
“Harry! Ron!” Hermione called, before sighing in defeat. She picked up a book and began reading once more about uncommon spells that they may be able to use.
“Ron! You’re shielding too late! Keep up!” Harry yelled, flinging another hex at the red head.
Ron would have replied, but he was panting to heavily to get anything coherent but spells out. Instead he threw a nasty hex, and immediately shielded afterwards, then fell to the ground and shot another spell at Harry which hit him in the leg.
“Augh!” Harry fell backwards, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
“What the fuck did you hit him with, Weasely?” Draco barked when Harry hadn’t gotten up after a few moments. Harry lay paralysed, almost as if he’d been petrified, but different. Suddenly, Harry began screaming in pain, and the flesh on his legs began to eat away on itself, as if being burned away by fire. The tan skin gave way to large red patches of tissue, which also began to disintegrate, even down to the bone.
“What the fuck!?” Draco screamed, casting every healing spell he knew. Hermione rushed to his side and started inspecting Harry for other wounds to heal. After a few tense moments it seemed the flesh was healing
“I..I,” Ron started, but the words died on his lips as Harry sat up slowly, face clouded by hair.
“Good one, Ron,” Harry told him, standing shakily. “What was that? It felt like a leg locker, but...”
“Ron, did you mispronounce the hex?” Hermione asked slowly. The red head thought about it, before nodding that he had. “How?”
“Locomotor Furnus. I don’t know what happened! I meant to say ‘mortis’ but, that came out instead!”
“Wow, Weasely, seems you were able to be useful for something,” Pansy said with a smirk, and then to the rest of the room. “Memorise it.”
Sirius felt the wind whipping around him, twigs crunching under foot, branches caressing his body painfully, and most importantly, the heavy footsteps of his pursuer.
He wasn’t particularly sure where he was going, or how many of them there were, or when they had gotten there, all he knew was that they weren’t human and wanted him...probably on a silver platter with a fucking apple in his mouth. He had taken off once he realised that Remus wasn’t going to recognise him, and others in the forest had heard them, they came running.
Who they were, Sirius had a more than good idea about. But, why they would put up such a chase over him, he didn’t know. Perhaps, just instinct, perhaps they were just like Remus and had been caught in the tangles of something bigger than them, something they hadn’t thought of.
Or perhaps they were doing this voluntarily.
Suddenly, Sirius broke through the trees, Hogwarts note far in the distance, but something was rushing towards him quickly, a giant blur of dark in the night time.
He let out a yelp and turned swiftly to the left, only to catch the blur collided with his pursuers out of the corner of his eye.
It was those vampires Harry had brought back with him. They were beating the wolves back, using brute strength alone. One of them, who looked strangely like James, was showing Remus no mercy. Sirius began barking madly and jumped between the two, biting the vampire on the arm.
Roy flung Sirius off with a small flick of the wrist, sending him flying into a nearby tree. Remus let out a roar, snapping his jaws in the directions of Roy’s head.
Sir Yamiko yelled something at Roy and the man nodded, pulling out a wand and casting a confinement charm on Remus. Sir Yamiko did the same, trapping the wolves that he could while the leader beat two back. The two took off into the trees when the vampires were too much for them, leaving behind four of their companions.
Sirius switched back into his human form and stomped over to the pale men. “What the fuck are you doing out here?”
“Dumbledore asked us to patrol the area when we returned from out errand, we’ve only just arrived back,” Roy answered, his monotone voice and expressionless face frustrating Sirius.
“Nice fucking timing, I suppose it would be too much to ask to have you here when the students ran off,” Sirius barked by way of a thank you, heading over to where Remus paced in a cage. “Merlin,” he breathed when he took in the wounds of his lover. “Did you have to be so brutal?”
“Perhaps,” Roy said with a smirk, “You shouldn’t interfere with other’s fights.”
“Now, now,” Lord Keita interjected. “This is no time for this; Dai, I believe you have something to say?”
“Yes,” Dai answered, looking at Sirius. “The Death Eater’s are coming, I can see them, they aren’t far. These wolves, the bonds won’t hold when they get here, and they’re bringing more.”
Sirius’s face fell, he glanced at Remus’ sneering muzzle. “How long?”
“Not long at all. Within the hour,” Dai answered gravely.
“One of you carry me, I’ve got to tell Dumbledore.”
“Sirius, what’s happened?” Dumbledore quickly clamoured to his feet, striding towards the shaggy headed man, Arthur Weasely and Kingsley Shacklebolt, looking after them.
“One of the vampires is a Seer,” Sirius began as Dumbledore put his hands on his shoulders.
“Which one?” The headmaster looked past Sirius’s head to the two vampires standing behind Sirius.
“I am,” Dai answered, stepping forward.
Dumbledore let go of Sirius and moved to Dai, mimicking his earlier move with Sirius. “Tell me what you saw,” he said quickly.
“Him and his followers are approaching, quickly. They will be here within the hour. They have many werewolves with them, and once they arrive the charms placed on the ones we caught will wear off and they will join as well.”
“You caught some?” Dumbledore asked.
“Remus,” Sirius interjected. “We were in the forest when he suddenly stopped. It was like a switch, he just changed and he couldn’t recognise me. There were others in the forest, they heard us and Remus called to them I guess and they chased me, when I had just left the forest is when these guys interfered. The placed some sort of confinement charms on them.”
‘It’s a special charm that holds werewolves by making an invisible cage of solid woflsbane,” Sir Yamiko explained. “But it won’t hold a werewolf for long, the wolfsbane wears off, when the others get here those wolves will go insane and break it down.”
“Right,” Dumbledore said, letting go of Dai and moving back towards his desk. “I trust your men are circling the perimeter?”
“Yes, twenty. It’s more than sufficient.”
“And Lord Keita?”
“Japan. He’ll be back before the attack.” Sir Yamiko quietly reached out and pulled Dai closer to him, not liking the way Sirius was eying the boy.
“Kingsley, are there enough guards at the Ministry?” Dumbledore asked, turning to the Head Auror.
“I believe so, most of our staff is there. They sent the Unspeakables here, and the Dementors can be set loose at any moment should the need arise, although I don’t think we need to go that far,” Shacklebolt answered, shooting a look at Arthur.
“How goes it with your plan, Arthur?” Dumbledore asked.
“It’s been prepared, but sir, you are aware of what these things are capable of if fallen into the wrong hands...?” Arthur asked.
“Unfortunately, yes, but it may be our only hope.”
“We could always have Charlie bring in the dragons,” Arthur laughed tensely.
“Yes, we could,” Dumbledore smiled in spite of himself. “Sirius, would you go and inform Harry and the rest of what’s happening? They’re in the dungeons.”
“Hey, do you hear something odd?” Ron asked, lowering his wand. “Like a...rumbling?”
Harry’s eyes widen in panic. “What do you mean Ron? From where?”
Draco moved closer to Harry and Ron and said, “I hear it too, it sounds like it’s coming from below.”
“But we’re in the dungeons,” Hermione said, “How could it possibly be coming from below?”
“Haven’t you ever heard of-” Draco was cut off by a loud rumble and a shriek from Petunia, as the ground underneath her feet began to crack and fall away.
“Repario!” She screamed at it to no avail.
“Aunt Petunia!” Harry cried, reaching out to grab her away from the crumbling floor, only to miss her hand as she fell backwards. Pansy, who had been showing Petunia a spell, leaped forward, grabbing the woman from danger and pulling her to the other side of the room.
Suddenly the rumbling stopped and all that was left, was the sound of a rock or two falling.
“What just happened?” Pansy asked to no one in particular.
“Power, greatness, achievement, control,” came a voice from the rubble, which actually uncovered a staircase. A boy came forward, his hair long and swept over one eye, the visible one was rimmed with black, adding to the boy’s already dark colouring.
“Blaise?” Pansy blanched.
“In the flesh,” Blaise answered. “And hey, I brought friends.” On the staircase behind Blaise all the missing students stood, wands at the ready.
“What the hell are you thinking?” Pansy asked.
“That the Dark Lord will rule, and filthy blood traitors and mudbloods like yourself will die. Painfully. Isn’t it so lucky that we happened upon you?”
Draco took a careful sweep of the students and Blaise. Not one had a Dark Mark.
“Don’t worry Pansy, this is just a little boy trying to play with the big boys. He can’t do anything,” Draco said coolly.
“Shut up, Draco!” Blaise barked. “You think you’re better than me? Well, look, all these people followed me, not you, me!”
“Pathetic,” Draco spat. “What minuscule numbers. Besides, you were only able to scrounge up these useless shits after I was out of the picture. Not much of a leader, are you?”
“Shut up!!!” Blaise roared, storming forward. “One more word and you’re all dead! Not that we aren’t going to kill you anyway.”
“I’d like to see you try,” Draco breathed into Blaise’s face.
Blaise let out an animalistic cry that signalled his lackeys to attack. At once, Hermione threw up a shield charm to cover all of them as the backed out of the room, the other’s hexing when they saw an opening.
Blaise stayed focused on Draco, hurling every Dark curse he knew, and failing miserably.
“What the hell?” Sirius entered the room and saw the battle that had begun and immediately joined in, hexing the children without mercy, even laughing while doing so. “I haven’t had this much fun in awhile!” Sirius barked.
“I see sadism is a Black thing!” Draco called, sending a curse at Blaise that bordered on Dark.
“And dirty tricks are a Malfoy thing!” Sirius laughed back.
“Shut the fuck up!” The Italian boy screamed, before casting the killing curse. It narrowly missed Draco’s left shoulder, a protection curse shouted by Petunia saving him just in time.
“Draco!?” Harry called, not taking his eyes off the advancing Slytherin attacking him.
“I’m fine!”
“I think it’s time we moved this,” Hermione called. “You all know what to do, right?”
“Yes,” Pansy answered. “Black, follow us.”
“Right!” Sirius affirmed, knocking a first year out cold.
“On three, everyone,” Hermione instructed. “One, two, three!”
Petunia fell back and ran out the door, followed by Pansy, Ron, Sirius, Draco, Harry and finally Hermione. Hermione quickly cast several locking and anti-breakage spells on the door, hoping it would keep them there for awhile, if not forever.
“Come on, to the Great Hall!” Sirius cried running down the corridor. “Voldemort’s on the way, but I guess we’ve already tasted a bit of that.”
“How long do we have?” Harry asked, speeding up to keep in time with his Godfather.
“Within the hour,” Sirius answered, rounding the corner and racing up the steps.
“I’ll meet you there!” Harry yelled, abruptly turning and running down the corridor.
“Harry!” Draco screamed. “Where the hell are you going?”
“Just go!” Harry called back, then disappeared.
Draco stopped, debating on whether to follow the brunette or continue on to the Great hall, it was Sirius that was his deciding factor.
“Come on, Malfoy, he’s got a job to do.” Draco took one last look at the empty hall, hearing the shouts from Blaise’s little army, and headed up the stairs.
Harry skidded to a halt in front of a portrait of lion, seemingly out of place in the dungeons.
“Password?” the lion asked.
“Courage,” Harry answered, panting. The lion nodded and swung open, exposing a moving staircase.
“Floor?” the lion asked.
“7th.”
The portrait swung shut and the staircase began moving upwards in a circle, making Harry a bit sick. When it stopped he hopped out, almost, falling in his haste. When he reached the door to his and Draco’s room he shouted the password at Helga, and practically ripped her off her hinges, ignoring her protests.
He went into the bedroom and opened his trunk from the foot of the bed, pulling out two items. He then went to the corner of the room and grabbed his broom. Racing back outside, he mounted and took off, flying his way down the first floor.
Suddenly, around the third floor, Harry felt an immense pain travel through his head, and throughout his body. He doubled over on the broom, but managed to keep flying. Voldemort was here, he could feel it. His scar had been burning for awhile, but now Tom was calling him.
Harry dismounted on the second floor, and threw his Invisibility Cloak over himself. He could hear spells coming from the floor up, anguished cries, and blood curdling screams. When the battle came into his vision he saw countless dead bodies, and was assaulted by the smell of blood and sulphur.
The battle spilled out onto the lawn and was quickly moving up the stairs. Harry hexed from under his cloak, his arm going unnoticed in the chaos. He saw followers of Blaise spouting off Dark magic without mercy, first years lay motionless on the ground, their eyes rolled into the back of their heads.
The Great hall was in disarray. Molly Weasely was duelling two Death Eaters at once, her large form moving quite gracefully. Everywhere there were sparks of red, green, orange, black, and blue. The vampires Lord Keita had brought back were outside fight the werewolves, he could hear them, and a cry that strangely sounded like Remus. Ron and Hermione stood back to back fighting off multiple Death Eaters, while Aunt Petunia and Draco were nowhere to be found.
But Harry paid the surrounding chaos no mind, at the front of the room, Dumbledore hung from the ceiling.
Dead.
“Harry!” Voldemort hissed in Parseltongue above the noise. “Harry, look what I’ve done. Look what I’ve got.” He waved Dumbledore’s wand, at the corpse, making it spin. “Come stop me, Harry!”
Harry’s vision went red, his footfalls became quicker as he moved towards the front of the room. He was hit by a stray curse, but he didn’t feel it. And then there was Aunt Petunia, being lifted by an invisible force, guided by Lucius Malfoy. He watched in horror as she clutched at her neck and screamed.
She flailed violently before suddenly waving her wand fiercely and screaming
Locomotor Furnus!” at the blond man. Lucius flew backwards into the wall, and slid down slowly, a trail of blood behind following behind him, his skin began to rot away and his muscles slowly revealed themselves and then they too collapsed in, leaving nothing but bones. Harry looked away, trying to find Draco, desperately needing to know if he was alright.
“Harry, you’re taking much too long!” Voldemort screamed. “What do I have to do to get you attention!?” He flew into the air and hovered high above the destruction. “I know! Zabini! Bring me Draco.”
Harry followed Voldemort’s line of vision and saw the two battling. Draco looked unharmed, which put Harry a bit at ease. The brunette cast a sonorous charm on himself and spoke.
“You won’t win this, Tom.”
“Ah, Harry, I knew you were here. Do you like what I’ve done with the place?” Voldemort swept his arm across the blood spattered hall. “Really brings some life into it, don’t you think?”
“This ends here, Tom, you die here, and you’ll stay dead,” Harry called, then took the sonorous charm off.
“Oh, really?” Voldemort replied. “Well, let’s just add a little morale booster, shall we? Zabini, you take too long.” The snake man cast the killing curse and Blaise fell to the ground in a limp pile. Draco was being dragged forward, and was getting dangerously close to Tom.
Harry was already summoning his broom, it came zipping in, and he took off immediately. Voldemort paid it no mind, instead his mouth already forming the words for that fatal curse, hand and wand pointed at Draco. The cloak fell away from Harry’s body, and it seemed everything went still, Tom turned to look at him, his wand by now pointing at Harry, Harry screamed and held tight to the Sword of Godric Gryffindor.
It was over, in one fell swoop. They were falling, all of them, Harry, Draco, and Tom. Only, Tom was falling in two.
“HARRY!!!” He’d been hit. He was falling; the last thing he saw was Draco’s panicked eyes, and hand reaching for him.
A/N: If you’re wondering about the ‘machine’ Dumbledore used to speak to the other nations...it was a camera powered by magic. They waves, which are powered by magic, turn any clear surface into a magical T.V. I know, totally plausible, right? Uhm...FORGIVE MY RANDOM TWILIGHT FIGHT SCENE! Right, so next chapter is the last one! Review.
Chapter 20: The Butterfly’s Wings
“Harry! Harry, wake up! Why isn’t he waking up!?”
“Please, Mr. Malfoy, give the Healers some room!”
“Like hell! Wake him up, this instant!”
“Someone get him out of here, now!”
“No! Harry! Harry!”
Screaming, all Harry could hear was screaming. Who was screaming? Was it Draco? Hermione? His mother? Himself? He couldn’t figure it out, but he wanted it to stop. It hurt his ears. He hurt all over. His ears, his eyes, his stomach, they all felt like they were on fire. Oh, God, his stomach. His baby.
Their baby. His stomach was spasm, he could feel something rolling around in there, almost could hear his child’s cries of pain, but he could definitely feel them.
“...Draco?” a whispered prayer, unheeded.
And now Harry knew he was screaming.
Draco sat doubled over with his head resting in his hands, his white blond hair covering his face. His clothes were ragged and bloody, torn from spells and dodging them. The blood was a mixture of his and others, others he’d rather not think about.
He stared at the linoleum floor, eyes as glazed as it was. He couldn’t hear anything around him, it was almost as if he weren’t there, like this was some kind of illusion his mind produced to escape some trauma. But then, why were his delusions so horrid?
Draco felt someone sit next to him in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs. Why, he thought absently, didn’t hospitals have more comfortable chairs to mull over the most dreadful scenarios in?
“Draco?” The voice was soft with a tinge of shrill.
“Mum Weasely,” Draco answered, not bothering to look at the woman.
Her hand rested on his shoulder, and she took a deep breath. “Draco, I know this is hard but-”
“Mum Weasely, please, I can’t take any bad news right now,” he looked up into the face of a haggard Molly. She had the look of someone who had been through hell and back, and now was here to relate the tale. Draco’s eyes filled with tears. “Please,” he whispered. “Not, Harry.”
She shook her head quickly. “No, not Harry.”
“Then what?” Draco asked. “My mother? My father?” The red haired woman’s eyes filled with tears. “Which is it!?”
“Your father,” she rasped out. “Draco, I’m so sorry.” She pulled him into a tight hug, her hand stroking his dirty and dishevelled blond hair. “I’m so sorry.”
Draco found himself simply staring into Molly Weasely's shoulder, frozen. He didn’t know what to think, whether he should cry now, or later, or whether he should cry at all. Perhaps she was mistaken and his father wasn’t dead at all? Maybe it was a mistake, that’s all this was, a mistake.
“How? Who?” He heard himself ask. He pulled away and looked frantically into his second mothers eyes. “Who did it!? Tell me!”
“Excuse me.” Both Molly and Draco turned to see Petunia Dursley standing awkwardly in the hallway. “Mrs. Weasely, there’s a doctor wanting to speak to you on the second floor.”
“Of course.” Molly stood and looked down at Draco. “It’s going to be okay,” she whispered, then walked away.
Petunia stood there for a second more before finally sitting down next to Draco, who had once again put his head in his hands. They sat in silence for quite a long time, just waiting, grieving, hoping. Finally Petunia spoke, almost as if to herself.
“I killed someone today.” She set her had back against the wall and looked at the ceiling. “No, I killed people today.” Draco turned to look at her from the corner of his eye, but didn’t offer any insight. “I killed someone I wish I hadn’t...I wish I hadn’t had to kill anyone at all...I’m a murderer.”
“We all are,” Draco told her. “But we all had to be.”
“You wouldn’t say that if you knew what I did,” she said weakly.
Draco felt his chest seize, his hear skipped a beat, and he sat up fully and turned to face the woman completely. “You...you killed my father.”
She turned watery eyes to him slowly; her mouth wavered as she tried to speak. She suddenly and violently shook her head yes. “I’m sorry,” she gasped. “I’m so sorry! If I had...If I had been more careful, if I had remembered who he was sooner, I would-”
“Stop,” Draco told her. “Just stop. I know that this really wasn’t your fault, I know that. But, right now...right now, you’re still the woman who killed my father. So, please...just stop.”
Petunia stood quickly. “I understand, I’ll go now.” She looked around uncertainly, before turning on her heel and going back the way she came.
And there Draco sat, five hours later when a Healer came out to deliver the news.
“Mr. Malfoy, I’ve got some good and bad news,” Healer Pomfrey told him. “Both Mr. Malfoy and your child are alive, but the bad news is Mr. Malfoy has fallen into a coma.”
“A coma?” Draco repeated. “When will he wake up?”
“That’s not something we can determine at this point in time. We are 99% sure it’s from shock. Best case scenario he’ll awaken in a few days.”
“And the worst?” Draco prompted.
“He won’t,” Healer Pomfrey said gravely. Draco made a choking noise in the back of his throat and threw his head in his hands for the third time.
“And our child?” he whispered, his blurry gaze unable to focus on the tile floor.
“It pains me deeply to say this, Mr. Malfoy, but we simply don’t know.” Draco nodded in response, unable to say anything else without choking. “Would you like to see him?” The blond rose, and followed the small woman down the hall to a large room. They stepped inside and Draco immediately went to Harry’s side, letting his eyes roam over the amazingly unharmed body. Healer Pomfrey began to leave, but she stopped for a moment and said to Draco, quiet softly, “He’s Harry Potter, well, now he’s Harry Malfoy, and it’s only made him stronger. He’ll pull through, they’ll pull through.” With that, she left them alone.
Draco sat heavily in the chair next to the bed. The only thing left to do was wait. Wait and pray.
“Did you hear?”
“About what?”
“Severus Snape, of course! They’re holding his trial until Harry Potter can testify.”
“Really? And what of Severus Snape in the mean time?”
“Azkaban, naturally. You’d think they’d let that man go already, it’s been nearly three months, now. How many people have testified on his behalf thus far? Molly and Arthur Weasely, Nymphadora Tonks, that relative of Harry Potter’s, what’s her name? Oh, Petunia Dursley.”
“Haven’t Narcissa Malfoy, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black also testified?”
“Oh, tosh! Like they matter. A Malfoy, a beast, and an ex-con. I still maintain that Sirius Black is a cold blooded killer, all the Black’s are.”
“And whatever happened to the youngest Malfoy? I think I’ve seen him wandering the halls here, but it may be my imagination, as soon as I think I see him, it’s like he was never there...”
The voices faded away as the Healers moved from their station and down the hall, their gossip floating in to the room where Draco had been sitting for the better part of three months.
For three months he’d watch them run test after test on Harry, the Healers never gaining any knew information. It was never good to not have any news, in Draco’s opinion. He’d done everything the Healers asked him to. Talked to Harry, sat with him, held his hand, and every once in awhile they’d allow him to sleep in the same bed.
And for three months Draco watch Harry’s stomach grow, even as his body got thinner. The Healers told him the child was healthy, but it was feeding off of Harry at an alarming rate and could possibly be the reason for the coma. Draco told them he didn’t want to hear such a theory, the last thing he needed was resentment for his unborn child.
There were days when he thought he could stay in that white washed, poorly lit, room for another moment. He’d get as far as the Atrium before panicking that Harry would wake up, or go into labour, or worse and he’d run back up the five flights of stairs to the long term ward.
Draco had left for the funeral of his father, however. It was small and quiet, and he stayed under Harry’s invisibility cloak for the whole of the ordeal. There was a seemingly empty chair next to his mother, but it was the only way with the Aurors watching her every move. Even so, he held her hand the entire time. He didn’t cry, something about staying strong with his mother, though she couldn’t see him, wouldn’t let him.
Since the funeral he had, taken over the family business, and thus spent his time managing books and owling various customers and affiliates. Some days he warded the window and laid next to Harry until a Healer came in and yelled at him.
He’d followed the news closely, saving articles about Dumbledore’s funeral and Severus’ trial and the like for Harry when he awoke. So many had died, so many that Harry would feel responsible for. Dumbledore, Percy Weasely, Dean Thomas, Professor Flitwick, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, and Mad-Eye Moody. Draco knew the death of the half-giant, his first friend, would probably hit Harry harder than any other death. Still, he saved the list of those who had fallen in battle, from both the Light and the Dark sides.
The Healers had told him it would be best to break news like that to him directly, but Draco knew Harry, and he knew that meant he’d want the full story for himself.
For now, Draco lived in a world where there was only Harry. The outside didn’t matter. Kingsley Shacklebolt was acting as stand in Minister until a new one could be found. Draco knew this was because they wanted Harry to be the new one, even at such a young age.
Draco couldn’t say he agreed with that. Harry knew nothing of the Wizarding government and when he woke up he’d be far too unstable and more than likely unwilling to be given such a high power. Draco had Hermione write the Wizengamot to inform them of these speculations so they could actually look for a new minister.
Yes, outside the world was changing. Lord Keita, Sir Yamiko, and Roy Potter were all held on trial for plots against Wizarding kind. Lord Keita spoke for the group, informing the Wizengamot that they had to take matters into their own hands for their own safety. They knew that the Wizarding community wouldn’t offer them protection if Voldemort had found the way to kill them. Lord Keita explained that just as the Wizarding community had a desire to protect their own, that was Lord Keita’s duty. Kingsley ruled that the case was dismissed. Draco had read that case with particular interest, especially when they spoke of Draco’s abduction. Lord Keita told Shacklebolt the truth; Bliase Zabini was working for them, hoping to get in good with Voldemort and abducted Draco. When asked of Draco’s whereabouts he responded that he didn’t know.
Which was true. No one knew where he was except for a few Healers and close friends. His mother was on house arrest until he was found, and the investigation of her allegiance was over. As such, she was rarely able to contact him, and he her. She told Draco not to worry about her; now that Lucius was dead she didn’t know if she wanted to leave anyway. Draco only felt guilt at that and a growing resentment for Petunia Dursley.
Hermione and Ron visited practically every day; they would tell Harry animated stories about the Burrow, or things that were happening in the world. Hermione liked to talk about SPEW and Ron would talk of Quidditch. Hermione told him how she worked for the Ministry now, in a new section created for equality for all wizards and magical creatures that were capable of intelligent thought processes (i.e. Vampires, Werewolves, etc).
Always, when their visit came to a close Hermione would look a Draco sadly, squeeze his hand in a reassuring manner and then leave without another word. Ron normally followed with a pat to his shoulder.
Petunia visited quite frequently, between her visits to Severus and her private training in magic by the new Headmistress McGonagall. Draco always left when she entered the room, still unable to look the woman who killed his father and caused his mother so much pain in the eye.
He knew it was irrational, he knew that his father was technically a horrible man who did horrible things, and Petunia had no idea who he was. But he couldn’t help but remember the loving side of his father. When he was younger, who he’d swing Draco around in the garden, or when he taught him to fly, or sitting on his lap while he was learning to read French, and mostly the look on his face when he told Draco the story about him and James. Lucius had never wanted to be a bad man, the world made him that way.
And so the world kept spinning and Draco Malfoy sat static in one moment.
“Meester Marfoi.” Draco looked up to see Lord Keita and Roy standing in the middle of the room. He stood suddenly, hand itching for his wand. Lord Keita caught the small twinge and smiled, holding his hands up. “We are not here to fight.”
“Then what do you want?” Draco asked, not moving from his defensive position.
“I have a proposition to make,” Lord Keita answered, stepping forward. “One that could benefit you greatly.”
Draco eyed the vampire suspiciously. “How?”
“I may be able to awaken your young Bonded.”
Draco’s heart skipped a beat; his eyes went from Harry to Lord Keita, to Roy, and back to Harry. They narrowed as he spoke. “Why? How? What do you want in return?”
Lord Keita looked at Roy quickly, then answered, “Perhaps proposition wasn’t the best term. We just want to help.”
“Again, why? What the fuck do you care anyhow?”
This time Roy stepped forward, passing Lord Keita and Draco to stand by Harry’s side and gazed down at that thin face for a moment before turning to Draco. “It’s my fault any of this ever happened,” Roy answered his voice surprisingly strong for his tone of despair.
“What do you mean?” Draco asked, trying to keep his eyes on both Lord Keita and Roy at the same time.
“To be more precise,” Lord Keita answered him. “It’s my fault.”
“I already knew that, you kidnapped me remember?”
“No, I meant before that,” Roy said. “When James was still alive. It’s true I left because of my father hated me because I turned. But that was because I asked for it. I knew of the contract, and I wanted nothing to do with it. It was selfish of me, but I couldn’t help it. I didn’t know that it would be James that would have to Bond, I thought we had more time. But then, he fell in love with your father and I thought perhaps I had done the right thing after all. In those days I watched over James from afar, I watch him grow and become a great man. When Lucius and he broke up, I knew it was because of the coming war...” Roy trailed off and shot a look Draco didn’t see at Lord Keita and then returned his gaze to Harry.
“I summoned Ryo back to Japan, then,” Lord Keita continued Roy’s story. “I was well aware of the changing tides going on in Britain. I didn’t want vampires being pulled into the war. Ryo asked for permission to stay and protect James-san, and I denied him. Being as I am his Creator, he could not so willing disobey me. And he never did. He blames himself for James-san’s death and me as well. But he’ll never get over the fact that he wasn’t strong enough to disobey, just once, for the sake of his brother’s life.”
Draco looked at Roy who was staring at him, and the vampire spoke. “The butterfly’s wings can start the hurricane.” Draco could see where Roy was coming from, the guilt that this was entirely fault, but he still didn’t trust his motives, not when he was so cold to Harry earlier.
“I don’t understand, why do you want to help him now? When he needed it last time you refused.”
Roy looked at Harry when he spoke. “He really does look just like him.”
“He hates it when people say that,” Draco interjected, trying to move Roy along.
“I suppose he would. But he is nothing like James other than in that respect. I can’t let him die, I couldn’t save James, but I may be able to save a part of James. If I were to ever die and granted to good fortune of following James he’d never forgive me. I want to see what kind of man this extraordinary boy turns out to be.”
Draco found this answer acceptable, but there was still the matter of how. “But how?”
“Vampire blood has certain healing quailites that most are unaware of,” Lord Keita answered. “A drop of blood can heal the weak, a drizzle can revive the dead. Too much, and they’ll have that power, too. But there are certain risks. Vampire blood is mostly never tried to heal with because-”
“Of how potent it is. 95% of humans cannot stand it, because their blood it too weak,” Draco interjected. He remembered reading about it in one of his father’s potions books now. The 95% of people who had had vampire blood for medical purposes died almost instantly. Those that lived all had blood from their kin.
Lord Keita nodded. “Your blood is rather strong, I believe, but there is never anyway to be sure.”
“This...this is so...” he looked to Roy. “How did you react when you changed?”
“He was rather calm,” Lord Keita replied.
“I asked him!” Draco shouted, then turned frantically to Roy. “How did you react?”
“It hurt...my body dying hurt, but Keita-sama tells me the level of pain I experienced was significantly lower than most.”
This could work. This could work. Harry could wake up and this would all be over. Draco thought. This could work. But what if it doesn’t? Then what? Then I would have killed Harry, and the baby. How would I live with myself knowing that I killed the two people I love more than anything? But...I’ve got to try. The Healers don’t know what’s happening, they aren’t talking, but I know it’s not good. No, I have to do this. For Harry, and for the baby.
Draco turned to Roy to tell him his decision when a voice called his name. “Draco?” Hermione and Ron stood awkwardly in the doorway looking at the vampires, Harry and then Draco. Hermione took the scene in once more and her eyes widened.
Shit, she knows! Draco knew she was too smart for her own good. Quickly, he pulled his wand out and blasted the door shut, casting the most complicated locking charm he knew and a ward that sent the two fly backwards.
“Draco!” Hermione screamed from outside. “Draco, you can’t be serious! You can’t do this, it won’t work!”
“Shut up!” He roared back then barked at Roy, “Do it!”
Outside Draco could hear the Healers rushing about trying to get inside, Hermione and Ron’s cries for him to not to do it. The noise was making his head hurt. “Shit. Shit! Shit shit shit!” Draco cried pacing a short length. He ooked at Roy who wasn’t moving and yelled at him. “What are you doing!?”
“Come hold his hand,” Roy told him, pointing to the other side of the bed. Draco looked at the hand and walked slowly over to the side of the bed.
He picked the hand up cautiously; afraid he might break it if he squeezed to hard. The hand was cold and pale, but it still held life. Draco bent down, leaning over Harry he pressed a small kiss to his lips. He then moved to speak in his ear. “I’m sorry, love,” he whispered. “But I have to try. I love you. If this doesn’t work out, please wait for me.” He rested a hand of the bulging belly and moved to speak to it. “And you too. Daddy’s really loves you, okay?” He let his forehead fall on the stomach and let it sit there for a moment, trying to rein in his tears. He took in a deep breath, sat up, and nodded to the waiting Roy.
The blond watched Harry’s face as Roy lifted his wrist to his mouth and bit down lightly. He let a drop of blood from then reached to open Harry’s mouth. Draco didn’t look away as the blood fell onto the waiting tongue. The room stared at Harry, outside the ward had been broken, the locking charms were falling, but it was too late.
Everything was still, no one moved, not Draco, not Roy, or Lord Keita, and more importantly, Harry. Draco opened his mouth to speak when suddenly the room was filled with a terrible scream.
Perhaps he was dying. That’s it, he must be dying now. For so long he’d laid there, listening to Draco and Hermione and Ron, and the Healers. He listened to them talk about nonsense, as if he were actually able to respond or laugh or even nod in response. No, he was forced to lie there no matter how many times he wanted to soothe Draco’s worries or hold him, or laugh at something Ron had said or congratulate Hermione on another deed.
But now, he insides were twisting, his blood was boiling, he must not be able to handle Roy’s blood. He must be dying.
But, what was this feeling in his stomach? Like he was about to...give birth...
His baby! Oh, God, his baby! It was coming and coming now. But how could he let anyone know? He couldn’t even open his eyes! But his mouth, the pain...
“What the hell is happening!?” Draco yelled, throwing the covers off Harry, as the boy began twisting on the bed.
“The blood must have gone to the child first!” Roy answered. “I think he’s going into labour...”
Just then the door burst open and a frantic Hermione took in the scene. “Harry! Oh, God!”
“Get a Healer quick! He’s going into labour!” Draco cried.
Healer Pomfrey rushed in, almost knocking Hermione over. “Put of the way!” She threw Harry’s legs open and seemed to be inspecting something. “His canal hasn’t fully formed; this is going to be a particularly difficult birth.”
She turned the room, “Everyone but Mr. Malfoy out! NOW!”
“But-” Ron spluttered but he was ushered out by Lord Keita and Roy. Two medi-wicthes entered and began preparing for the birth.
“That was a very stupid thing you did,” Healer Pomfrey said to Draco as she adjusted Harry.
“I know! I just...I couldn’t let him die there!” Draco cried, squeezing Harry’s hand hard.
“I know,” she answered, briefly looking at Harry’s face before going about transfiguring the bed to make the birth easier. “Just talk him through it, this baby isn’t waiting.”
It’s okay, Draco. You did the right thing. So much Harry wanted to utter these words to him, but he couldn’t he could only scream. Why couldn’t he wake up? Would he be unable to hold his baby when it was born? To look upon it’s shiny little face and smile?
Oh, God, it hurt though! His insides felt as if they were being ripped apart. He needed drugs or something! He could feel the baby moving swiftly for exiting and he could only wish it would slow down. He wasn’t ready. He didn’t want to be ready, this hurt too much. God, someone get things thing out of him! NOW.
Draco’s hand was on his face, smoothing the hair away and he wiping the sweat that had formed on his brow.
FUCK!
Draco whispered to Harry that he was doing fine, that it wouldn’t be long now and to just hang in there. He moved his hand from Harry’s to grab a cloth only to have a hand seize his wrist. Draco looked down in astonishment at Harry’s hand gripping his wrist so hard his knuckles were white.
“Harry?” Draco watched Harry’s face furrow in pain and his eyes snapped opened. He opened his mouth, about to speak, but instead he threw his head back and screamed, eyes shut tightly once more. “Harry!” Draco cried, trying to pry his wrist away from the death iron grip and look the boy in the face.
“Drugs!” Harry screamed. “Give me drugs! Morphine! Vicodin! Codeine! Heroin!”
Healer Pomfrey didn’t look up when she spoke. “I’m sorry, Mr. Malfoy, that’s not possible. But the harder you push, the faster this will be over.”
Harry grunted and did as she said.
“That’s it Harry, it’s going to be okay. We’ll get through this,” Draco murmured.
“Like hell!” Harry answered. “You aren’t the one having the damned thing!”
“I know, Harry, but that can’t be helped right now. Just push, okay!?”
“Fuck you, Malfoy!” Harry yelled trying to push, yell, and breath and the same time. “Never again! I’m never letting you touch me again!”
“You can’t be serious, Harry,” Draco answered, trying to distract him from the pain. “You can’t resist me!”
“I’ll kill you! I swear to Merlin once your fucking spawn is out of my makeshift weird ass vag I will fucking kill you!” Harry lurched forwards as if to grab Draco round the neck but fell back on the bed when the baby breached.
“Mr. Malfoy’s! Please!” Healer Pomfrey chastised. “We have part of a head, please keep pushing Mr. Malfoy!”
“Oh, God!” Harry yelled sweat dripping from every pore of his body, as he tried to excavate the small child currently trying to kill him. He squeezed Draco’s hand and began to chant. “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you,” before growing tired of that and switching to “I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you.”
Draco responded both times with “Lies, lies, lies.”
“Go to hell, Malfoy,” Harry answered the second time. He gave a push and gasped, “Just go to, HELL!”
“We have a full head!” Healer Pomfrey cried.
“Come on, Harry, just a little more and it will all be over.”
Harry didn’t respond immediately, focusing instead on pushing. When Healer Pomfrey cried out that it was just one more good push and he’s be done Harry answered Draco. “Yes, just a little more and your life will be over, Draco.”
“Er...” Draco began, but was unable to finish when Harry sat up and screamed once more.
“It’s a boy!” Healer Pomfrey congratulated. Harry breathed a sigh of relief and lay back, closing his eyes. Healer Pomfrey took the new baby boy to clean it and set it in the records. There was a little slap and suddenly the cry of a new born filled the room.
Draco stroked Harry’s cheek slowly and Harry smiled. “Draco,” he said.
“What is it, love?”
“I love you,” Harry answered, reaching up to take the man’s hand. “Thank you for waking me up.”
Draco’s breath caught. “Harry, I-”
“Don’t worry about it, love. Not now anyway, now we have a little baby boy.”
“Mr. Malfoy?” Healer Pomfrey carried the child over to Harry. “Your son.”
Harry reached out and took the screaming boy from the Healer. “Do you have a name?”
Draco looked at Harry and Harry looked from him to the child. “Yes,” Harry answered, between shushing the child.
“You do?” Draco asked.
“Yeah, Altair. Altair James Malfoy. If that’s okay?” Harry looked at Draco.
“It’s perfect,” Draco smiled. “I imagine you’ve just made my mother very happy.”
“Altair, then,” Harry said looking at the boy. “Hello, Altair, welcome to the family.” The screams quieted, then, and Draco swore he saw his son smile.
“Harry, are you ready to go?” Draco called up the stairs in the Manor, hoping his Bonded could even hear him.
“Just another moment, will you? This bloody tie isn’t working properly!” Harry called down as he walked towards the stairs.
“I told you to let me do it for yo-omph!” Draco’s breath was knocked out of him when something tackled him from the side to the ground. “Al!” Draco barked. “How in the world did you manage to knock me to the ground?”
The little boy giggled. “Granmum says you have to have the element of surprise to defeat your opponent!”
“Does she?” Draco asked lifting the boy and initiating a game of airplane. “And have you defeated me?”
“Yes!” Al answered sticking his arms out.
“I think not!” Draco cried rolling over and setting Al on the floor he began to tickle the child mercilessly. Al shrieked with laughter trying fruitlessly to get his dad to stop, he clutched his stomach and tried to roll around. “Don’t think you’re going to get away from me that easily you little brat! Look what you’ve done to my hair!”
“You have ugly hair!” Al cried laughing.
Draco mocked gasp. “I think you’ve been spending too much time with Ron Weasely!”
“Draco!” Harry called coming down the stairs. “What are you doing to my son?”
“Teaching him a lesson,” Draco replied. “He said I have ugly hair!”
“Help me Daddy!” Al cried, still trapped by Draco.
“Oh, I’ll help all right,” Harry answered, then began tickling Al as well.
“Gah!” Al cried laughing as both his parents tickled him. “Papa! Daddy! Stop, stop!”
Draco laughed as did Harry, unheeding their child’s protests.
“Boys!” Narcissa walked in the room. “You had better stop torturing my grandson and get going or you’ll be late.”
“Granmum!” Al cried racing for the woman when his fathers' weren’t looking.
“Alright, Mother,” Draco answered getting off the floor and hauling Harry up with him, ignoring the indignant ‘hey!’ “We’re leaving, we’re leaving,” Draco told her.
Harry yanked his arm from Draco and walked over to Al. He picked the boy up, and said, “You be good for your grandmother, you hear me?”
“Yes, Daddy,” Al answered trying to sneer, but his green eyes still held their usual childlike twinkle.
“Hey, who taught you to make that face?” Harry asked, peering at his son.
“No one, I saw Papa do it to this man in the store and the man got scared! So I learned how to so I could scare away Uncle Dudley!”
“Altair!” Harry sighed. “Never mind, we’ll talk about this later.” He kissed him on the forehead and set him down.
Draco bent down next to the boy and whispered. “Don’t worry. We’ll work on it.” Al nodded seriously. Then he said loudly. “Good night, Al.” Kissed his head, and stood. “Good night, Mother,” he kissed her cheek.
“Good night, Draco,” she answered.
“Good night, Mother,” Harry kissed her as well.
“Good night, Harry, do well tonight,” she said.
“I’ll try,” he answered. “Night, Al.”
“Night Daddy!” Al said, then turned to Draco. “Good night...Old man!” Al shrieked laughter and ran away, his white blond hair bouncing as he ran. Draco called for him to get back there but was largely ignored.
“What a little brat,” Draco said as they headed outside.
“Where do you think he gets it from?” Harry answered, laughing.
“You of course, I was never so rambunctious as a child,” Draco said.
“A right load of shit, that is. Your mother told me everything. Even about the time you got your head stuck in that tree full of squirrels.”
“Augh, she told you that, too?” Draco cried. “That’s so embarrassing!”
“Anyway, we do need to hurry; Aunt Petunia and Snape are waiting for us.”
“Can’t you just call him Severus like an adult? You’re 23-years-old, Harry,” Draco asked, steeping through the gate.
“No!” Harry answered. “No, his name is Professor Snape!”
“Well, I guess he’d be your Uncle now, though...”
“Shut up!” Harry cried, covering his ears. “Oh, shit, Draco, do you have my speech?”
“Yep, right here. Do you still want to stop before...?”
“Yeah,” Harry answered softly.
Together they apparated, appearing side by side outside a darkened cemetery. Draco steeped forward and undid the gates, the hinges protesting and groaning loudly. Harry stepped through and began walking through the rows of graves and tombs until he came upon a single crypt in the middle of the graveyard. He opened the door and lit the torches on the wall, Draco followed in quietly.
Harry took out a miniature bouquet of flowers and returned them to normal size. He laid them on the risen coffin softly. “Thank you,” he whispered. Eyes stinging, he wasn’t going to cry, but he damned sure felt like it. He reached blindly for Draco’s hand and Draco squeezed it reassuringly.
They turned silently and left, they walked to the apparition point like that. Before apparating Harry turned to Draco and said.
“Thank you, too.”
“For what?”
“Because without you, I wouldn’t be here right now, alive, with the most amazing child in the world, or the most amazing husband, or going to celebrate Voldemort’s death. I just wanted to tell you thank you, and that I love you.”
They kissed briefly, before Draco pulled away and said, “Well, I love you too, but I didn’t do all that much.”
“Remember the butterfly’s wings can start the hurricane,” Harry said.
“I believe your uncle Roy said that once,” Draco answered with a smirk.
“Ew! I don’t want to quote him!” Harry laughed. “But I actually heard it from that Seer.”
“Well, it’s still his fault you know it then,” Draco returned.
“Ugh, I don’t want to talk about this anymore, let’s go.” With that Harry apparated.
“Whatever you say, love.” Draco said to the empty graveyard. He looked at the crypt once more and apparated as well.
END
A/N: So, that’s it. Thanks for reading and sticking out this very long wait, and not really getting much in return lol! Hope to see you all again in another fic!!! (Cough) Review, if you like. On a side note, does anyone want to find me a job? |
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发表于 2009-10-24 17:05