AN: I've had this floating in my head for the last month. The plot bunnies have been having a right good time….Not sure how long it will be but if ya'll like it, I'll keep it going.
As always, thanx for any and all critique. Hope you like it.
REVENGE AND OTHER EMOTIONS
Chapter 1
"NOOOO!" Harry screamed as he watched his godfather, his only family, torn practically in half by Fenrir Greyback, the most brutal of the werewolves at Voldemort's beck and call. As he raced toward the scene, he heard various spells being thrown about by the dueling wizards that surrounded him.
"Harry wait!" He heard someone yelling but couldn't figure out where it was coming from much less which of the dozens of fighters was talking. He, more importantly, didn't care. His sole focus was his Godfather's corpse and getting to it. He wasn't going to leave it here to be burned, or stomped on, or who knows what.
"And where do you think you're going?"
Harry stopped. He knew that voice. That voice would be the death of him…or maybe not.
Without a second thought, Harry whirled around yelling, "Advada Kedavra" and holding his wand steady, watched as green light flew from the tip and hit his oldest enemy square in the chest.
Voldemort stood stunned. His death eaters all stopped their fighting and watched as their leader fell to the ground having been finally stopped by the only person who could. Realizing they had no power any longer, they quickly fled the scene. Witches and wizards apparating; werewolves fleeing through the forest; and giants to the open countryside in an attempt to leave the area as quickly as they could.
Harry strode to his target, looked down, and collapsed onto the ground beside Sirius. He noticed an arm missing and a leg bent in the wrong direction, but couldn't stop the urge to bend down and place his head on the bloody chest before him. Tears streamed down his dirty cheeks, falling on the sallow skin under his face as he released all of the tension the war had brought on and the accumulated grief of seeing some of his closest friends and family downed.
Sirius by Greyback's paws, Albus by Ginny's hand when Draco had failed, Arthur Weasley by Bellatrix's wand who was intern felled by Molly, and the injured were too numerous to even think about.
Harry felt hands on his shoulders trying to pull him away and began to fight back. He didn't want to leave his position on the ground and wouldn't release his Godfather. As the pulling increased, he felt his hands slide off their possession and he screamed.
"Sirius!" Harry was sitting bolt upright in a large, lush bed, tangled in his sheets and sweating profusely while he screamed for his Godfather over and over. It took him a moment to realise that someone was sitting on the bed next to him trying to calm him down as his whole body shook with each sob he released.
With a great effort, Harry got his emotions under control and pulled away from the body holding him, awakening to the fact that he was being held by Severus Snape, his potions professor and that his long time enemy, Draco Malfoy, was standing in the doorway to his room watching the scene with something akin to…empathy?...on his pale face.
"I'm sorry I woke you. I thought the sleeping draught I took would help," Harry stopped as an errant sob fell from his mouth. Catching his breath again he continued, "I tried dreamless sleep also and I can't stop…seeing, feeling, hearing, it all. Every night. Why?"
Severus caressed Harry's hair as he tried to soothe the boy, "Harry, we'll find the right combination, I promise. Until then, you have to try to talk about what happened that night. I know we were there, but we all saw or experienced something different. It does help."
Severus felt Harry pulling away physically and emotionally so he held his comments and just embraced Harry, slowly rocking the boy as his breathing and pulse finally settled.
Draco hadn't left the doorway and stood watching the quiet conversation. He too had been plagued by nightmares; the only difference was the scene that replayed in his sub-conscious night after night wasn't Harry's pain or victory, but his own failure and relief.
Draco's one mission in the Great War had been to drop Dumbledore and when presented with the opportune moment, he couldn't do it. He looked at the man he had come to think of as his savior and knew killing him wasn't something he could do. He hoped that his face conveyed the sorrow and regret he was feeling as he raised his shaking wand toward Albus and as he stood there, trying to will the words from his lips, Ginny had come up behind him and taken care of Albus.
He felt the spell fly by him and he saw it hit Albus. He liked to think the look he got from Albus before he fell was forgiveness but he would never really know.
He stepped forward, into Harry's room, and tentatively asked, "Can I get you anything Harry? Some tea maybe?"
Harry looked up surprised by the compassion in Draco's voice and gave a weak smile, "Thanks that would be nice."
Draco left the room and headed for the kitchen. He had vowed to himself as he watched Albus fall that he would make amends for all the evil he and his family had done and he would start with Harry.
As Draco stood in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil, he began to think about the previous few weeks and all that had happened. Boiling water the muggle way was a great time for thinking. He hadn't realised just how far into Voldemort's world his family had strayed until the night of the Great War.
As he stood there, watching Albus fall to the ground, he knew without any hesitation, that he could no longer be a Malfoy. Not the way his parents wanted him to be. Killing for the fun of it wasn't in him. He had spent most of his life trying to be the son his parents wanted. He had been cruel, hateful and generally a shit for so long, that he couldn't remember having a single day where he could smile instead of smirk or have an honest conversation with someone that didn't have veiled meanings or innuendo in it.
As the kettle's whistle began to howl, Draco knew exactly what he needed to do. He took the boiling kettle off the stove top and placed it on a tray with three cups, charmed it to follow him upstairs and headed back for Harry's room.
He found things much as he had left them. Harry was sitting in the center of his bed with his knees pulled up under his chin and his arms wrapped around his legs, and Severus was now standing in front of the fireplace staring into the crackling fire.
Draco cleared his throat to announce his arrival and walked in with his tray. He placed it carefully on the table next to Severus and walked to the bed where Harry was watching him through his eyelashes. When Draco's silvery eyes met Harry's emerald ones, Draco stopped and looked down.
"Uh Harry, I wanted to say…I'm really sorry. About everything. I know that I've been a git and that I have done some pretty horrible things over the years but I hope you can believe me when I say I truly am sorry about Albus and the way I've treated you." Draco whispered his apology but knew Harry had heard him. He saw the tears in Harry's eyes when he mentioned Albus.
Not wanting to cause Harry anymore pain, he turned and looked at Severus, "Tea's on the table and I'm going back to my room."
Had Draco waited another ten seconds, he would have heard the faint, "Thank You Draco," that came from Harry's trembling lips.
Severus had heard it though and was surprised that Draco had been so forward with Harry. He knew what Draco had been through during and just after the fighting and was equally as surprised at the changes that had taken place in the boy in such a short time.
He walked over to the bed and looked at Harry. "Harry, would you like some tea now?"
"No thank you, I just want…I need sometime alone and …" Harry stopped, and now knowing how to say what he really wanted, he settled for a sigh before curling up under the down comforter that topped his bed and closing his eyes to the silent tears he couldn't stop from rolling down his cheeks.
"Call me if you need anything. I'm right across the hall." Severus quietly left and hoped that Harry would recover. If he didn't start to deal with the things he'd seen and done soon, he could end up in Saint Mungo's with Narcissa.
Draco sat in the oversized chair in front of the fireplace and thought about the changes that had taken place in the last week. It seemed like it had been so much longer since his life as he had known it had stopped and his second chance had started.
Immediately following the killing of Albus, he had run into the open area by the Black Lake where the main fighting was taking place. His intention had been to find Harry and help him stop Voldemort, but when he finally found him, he found Voldemort laying still on the ground and the remaining Death Eaters being taken under the Ministry's control. Aurors and professors alike were restraining them and placing them under arrest.
He came to a halt when he saw his mother and father being held by Mad-Eye Moody and did nothing to help them even when they pleaded. He drifted off to sleep with the image of his father struggling to break free of Moody's spell and begging Draco to help.
"Son, you can't leave us here like this." Lucius cried. He knew they were in trouble and that Draco was their only hope of getting out of it. If he could get Draco to verify that they had had no other choice but to follow the orders they had been given, he was sure they could get out of this trouble just as they had before.
Narcissa wasn't so sure. She was trembling next to her husband and the look in her only son's eyes did nothing to help it. It appeared to her that Draco had had the fortitude to do exactly what he wanted after all.
Moody turned toward Draco and asked, "Something to say boy?"
"N…No sir. Not about them. But, um….Albus is dead."
A collective gasp could be heard in the meadow from the schools staff and students in surprise that their fearless leader had fallen and from the captives that Draco had actually succeeded in his mission.
"By who's hand?" Moody growled.
Draco paled slightly and looked at Ron who was standing next to Harry. Staring into the bright blue eyes of the ginger headed boy he said, "Ginny Weasley."
"LIAR!!" Ron yelled as he drew his wand and ran toward Draco. Harry grabbed Ron's arm stopping him and said, "He's not lying Ron. Look at his face."
Draco had tears streaming down his pale face, which was currently two shades lighter than white and was nodding his head. "I was supposed to do it. Voldemort said it would prove my loyalty, but I just couldn't." He turned to face his parents, "I stood there looking at this man who had always been so nice to me and who cared about me more than you two ever would, and I just couldn't do it. Ginny was behind me, and when she saw that I wasn't going to do it, she did. Albus looked like he knew it was coming. He looked her straight in the eyes as she cursed him."
He turned toward Ron and said, "She's been working for Voldemort since the Chamber. He marked her then after she successfully lured Harry down there. That's why she always wore longer sleeves. So you all wouldn't see the mark."
At that moment, Ginny came running up with Neville and Hermione and breathlessly called Ron's name. She was answered by a stunning spell which hit her directly in the chest and she fell to the ground.
Ron spun around, wand raised, to defend his sister, saw that the spell had come from the Minister himself, and he lowered his wand. His mum was standing next to the Minister looking as though her entire world had just ended.
"Mum, what's wrong with you?! How could you let him do that?"
"Because we want to know if it's true son," Molly replied slowly walking to where Ginny lay unconscious. She bent down and raised the sleeve on her limp left arm and found the dark mark boldly showing against her alabaster skin. She slowly layed her arm on the ground and walked back to the Minister's side taking Ron in her arms along the way, "Son, it's there. Draco isn't lying about that."
"How do we prove she did what he said," Ron questioned between sobs.
"Veritaserum," Draco said boldly walking to them. "I'll take Veritaserum and prove I'm not lying. I have nothing to hide. You can ask me anything."
Narcissa screamed and fainted at hearing this. She couldn't believe her own son would betray the family this way and was so ashamed that her mind just shut down.
Draco turned and looked at his mother lying in a heap on the ground and said, "Professor Moody, my Mum didn't have any choice about what she did. Both Voldemort and Dad were threatening her life and mine if she didn't do what they said and she didn't want me hurt. She had nothing to do with the planning of the anything. Please keep that in mind when charging her."
He looked at his father and said, "Father, you haven't honoured your duty as a husband or parent in many years. The power that was dangled in front of your face was more inviting than time with us so for you I have no sympathy or concern. Professor, if you would like my testimony regarding the planning of the attack and what I know, just let me know. I believe I will have to find someplace to stay now that my house will no longer be a welcome place but I can let you know where to reach me when I settle."
"Draco, you will be staying at Malfoy Manor," Severus said as he walked onto the scene. "Your mother changed her will before the attack to state that if you survived and one or both of them were killed or captured that the Manor and property were yours."
"But how can that happen when Dad's still alive?"
"The Manor may hold the Malfoy name, but your Mum was the property owner and the bank accounts are also in her name so they would now be yours as well. We can go there now if you wish."
"Severus…we?"
"Well, as your Godfather, I am now your legal guardian and I assume since you aren't quite seventeen yet, you will need to have me close."
Draco hadn't noticed the reactions of all those around him at the news unfolding in front of them. Draco was now rich, a property owner and essentially an orphan all in the span of an hour's time.
"Son, we will require your presence at the inquiry and I believe having Severus stay with you will be a wise idea. Harry, do you have a place to stay?" Moody questioned.
"Um…no sir I don't," Harry replied still openly staring at Draco and holding his wand at his side.
The remaining Weasley's had already begun to leave and he didn't want to impose at the Burrow now. They needed to be together as a family to come to grips with the revelation that their only daughter was a traitor and Molly still hadn't told the kids that their father was dead.
"I guess I'll go and take a room at the Leaky Cauldron until I find something more permanent."
Severus looked at Draco who simply nodded, "Minister, Mr. Potter will be staying with Draco and I at Malfoy Manor. You may contact us there with the information about the inquiry." He turned to Harry and, holding out his arm to Harry said, "Come with us now Harry. I need to get you two away from all this."
Minerva walked up to Harry and grabbed him in a firm embrace. "You've saved us all Harry and for that, I will always be grateful. If you need me for anything in the interim, simply call." She kissed him on the forehead and gave him and squeeze and levitated Sirius' corpse, taking him back to the school to lie in state with Albus until the funeral.
Harry followed Severus and Draco silently as they walked to the main gate and upon exiting the grounds, they apparated to the Manor.
Draco went straight to his room, closed the door, crawled into his bed and fell asleep.
Four days had passed since that night and here Harry sat at the kitchen table sipping his tea and eating some toast while Draco sat opposite him reading the Prophet. Neither man had spoken when they entered the kitchen, yet neither felt compelled to break the comfortable silence right away.
As Draco finished reading an article about his father's sentencing and removal to Azkaban, he folded the paper and placed it on the table. He watched Harry for a moment before finally saying, "Harry, did you sleep at all the rest of the night?"
"Not really, mainly I just layed there thinking." Harry looked Draco in the eye and asked, "Can I ask you something Draco?"
"Sure, what do you want to know?"
"Well, Severus said that you took the Veritaserum and told the Ministry everything you knew but he wouldn't tell me what that was. How much did you know?"
"Almost everything," Draco said sighing. He sat up straighter in his chair and began to tell Harry about his time as a Death Eater.
"My Father told me last summer that I was to be given a great honour. I, of course, assumed it had something to do with school and figured I was being named Head Boy or something. I was wrong. He and Mum took me to a small room in the basement here and introduced me to Voldemort. He told me he had plans for me and told me to sit. My parents were told to leave and when they had closed the door behind them, Voldemort told me I was to be made a Death Eater and would be the youngest one ever. It was a great honour that he placed his trust in me and I should be happy to be included. You see, I was supposed to be one of his secret weapons."
Draco took a drink of his lukewarm tea and silently cast a warming spell on it. He needed a minute to compose himself before telling Harry about Ginny. He knew they were close and this would hurt.
Not able to stall any longer, he took a deep breath and continued. "He looked past me and I heard someone coming closer. When I looked, it was Ginny and she was smiling at Voldemort as though he was her long lost love or something. Voldemort waved her forward and she sat next to him, looking at me. I was speechless and finally she told me what was happening. She said she had been working for Voldemort since being in the Chamber of Secrets with Tom and that she had been feeding him information about you all and something called the Order of the Phoenix. I didn't know what that was at the time and so she explained it before demurring to Voldemort for the rest of the explanation."
Harry flushed, realizing all the things she had been privy to and knowing that's how Voldemort had found out about The DA, his fear of the Dementors, where to find Harry over the summers, about the plan to take Harry from the Dursley's and all of it. They didn't stand a chance of winning until she had been excluded from the planning of the war by her parents.
"Harry, I think she really did have feelings for you and I don't think it was all an act. Voldemort did tell her to get close to you but I believe she had feelings that neither of them planned on. She told me once while we were in the Room of Requirement working on the Vanishing cabinet that she wondered if she would be able to kill you or not. That was her mission from him. She was to lure you into a secluded area of the castle, seduce you and then kill you when your defenses were down. Problem was you were never alone long enough for that to happen. The plan was to take you and Albus out during the school year, but since she could never get to you during the year, Voldemort decided to move his time table up and attack at the end of sixth year. He figured, without your seventh year, you wouldn't know enough magic to defeat him. He didn't know everything because Ginny didn't know everything."
Harry held his hand up and stopped Draco. He needed to absorb all of this and he was having a hard time of it. He put his head in his hands, leaning his elbows on the table muttering, "I knew something was off when she was so eager to be involved and kept hounding me to tell her everything but I just figured she was feeling left out." He shook his head and looked at Draco, "How did I miss it?"
"Because, she's that good. Look, she fooled her entire family into believing she was the sweet innocent daughter she had always been and that she was still over the moon for you when in reality she had been shagging Bellatrix for the past year."
Harry gaped at Draco. That Ginny was Lesbian wasn't a problem. He knew they would never be together as he wasn't in love with her and if he was really honest with himself was also gay, but Bellatrix. Now that really pissed him off.
"Yeah, that was my reaction when I walked in on them one night." Draco got up and put his cup in the sink, he still couldn't believe it. He turned around to walk back to the table and saw Severus standing in the doorway. Harry hadn't noticed him yet, too lost in his own thoughts. Severus nodded and signaled for him to continue.
As he sat back down at the table, he wondered if Harry wanted to know about the trial.
"So the attack happened and you already know all about that. What else did you want to know?"
"Your Mum and Dad. What happened?"
"Well, when I refused to help them and offered to tell the Ministry everything Mum sort of had a breakdown. She collapsed and has been catatonic ever since. I've been to Saint Mungo's a number of times to see her and she doesn't even know I'm there. My dad, well, I went to his inquiry and they asked me some questions about what led up to the attack. I told them to give me the Veritaserum so there would be no doubt about what I was saying and then told them all about the planning and Ginny and everything. I told them that Voldemort had given me my mark the night I found out about Ginny and told me that as his 'secret weapon' I would be helping Ginny at the castle with the Vanishing cabinet and with other things. My primary job was to…" he looked down for a moment and his breath hitched, then he took a deep breath, looked at Harry and finished, "my primary job was to kill Albus and make sure that you didn't walk away. If Ginny couldn't do it, I was to kill you."
"My father had given him access to the Ministry archives and everything he could as Regent for the school so I didn't have to plan anything. I was to go to Albus' office and kill him. Ginny would take care of you in the Gryffindor common room and no one would know until the fighting was over. Our cover would remain intact as it would be assumed that you and Albus had been taken care of by the adults that infiltrated the castle through the cabinet."
"My father was found guilty on twelve different counts including, attempted murder for trying to kill Neville, Hermione and Minerva; conspiracy; and multiple counts of murder for killing, Mr. Lovegood, Fleur and Percy Weasley, and a couple of others. I tuned out after hearing about the Weasley's. He's in Azkaban awaiting sentencing."
Severus quietly sat next to Harry and said, "Harry, Poppy would be happy to help you if you need to speak with someone. She has been counseling a number of people who were there that night. Neville and Luna are both spending time with her."
Harry's head snapped up and he demanded, "What happened to Neville? I saw him that night and he seemed fine."
Severus put his hand over Harry's and said, "Well, his parents came back to themselves that morning when his grandmother told them what was happening and about how proud they should be of Neville's involvement in it and they were there that night. They were killed by Bellatrix before she killed Arthur."
Harry shook his head, "So much death and was any of it needed or worth it?"
Draco spoke up at that, "If Voldemort is truly dead now, it was worth it."
Harry looked at Draco's silver eyes and said very solemnly, "He's dead, I promise. I killed him myself."
Severus and Draco watched Harry as his face went from pink, to white, to grey and then green, at which point he ran to the nearest bathroom and proceeded to throw up everything he'd eaten in the last week.
"It's about time he had a normal reaction to the night," Severus muttered as he walked to the bathroom to make sure Harry was okay.
Draco got up and put the kettle back on the stove and got some crackers and seltzer water for Harry, "It's going to be a long night at this rate."