Disclaimer: don't own

Don't ask where this came from, I don't know. It's just been pattering round in my head for about an hour.

Chapter 1

-Potter residence-

Harry Potter had become a recluse, after that final confrontation, and his extended time in st. Mungos to get his heads straightened out he had retired to a little house in the country. He lived with Hermione Granger, his once close friend, now life partner, and their daughter, Clarice. It had been a hard time all round after the war, what with the wizarding world in a shambles, the ministry on its last legs, everyone struggling to bring themselves back from what had happened.

They had left the wizarding world, turning their backs on a world that had caused them so much pain. For Harry could not think of it without the bitter taste of bile rising in his throat. Because of that world he had lost those most dear to his heart, his parents, Sirius, Remus, Ron. It was a miracle he hadn't lost Hermione as well.

But as it were they were happy with their life in the country, living as muggles, away from everything even remotely connected to wizardry and witchcraft. They had no intentions of even sending their child to Hogwarts. Their aversion to that world was so strong.

But on a typical Sunday in October, with Hermione, her bushy hair pulled back into a thick ponytail while she prepared Sunday dinner. While Harry was entertaining Clarice out in the garden playing hide and seek, their home and happy family was rather rudely invaded.

Hermione frowned when someone knocked the door, people rarely stopped by, they were known for their reclusivness, only the grocer, the milkman and occasionally the library truck came by, and no one from their respected places of business. Hermione wiped her hands on a tea towel before going to the door and opening it slowly.

On her doorstep stood a man, of about her own age, with features that looked chiselled fro stone, steely grey eyes bored into her's through a long and somewhat messy fringe, long hair pulled back and into a loose ponytail that allowed long strands of hair to frame the starkly beautiful face. He was wearing somewhat expensive clothes, though casual. He looked a little too respectable to be a salesman.

"Yes?" she asked after she recovered from her surprise, there was something particularly off putting about the man, he seemed somehow familiar, but she was sure she would remember a man whose hair draped past his waist while tied up as it was.

The man rolled his eyes, another too familiar gesture. "When they said you were reclusive, I didn't believe they meant you'd completely forgotten." He said with a disdainful sniff and causally stepped past her. "Where is Mr. Potter? We really must get going."

Hermione stared at him in shock, the audacity of him just barging into her home. "Who do you think you are!" she demanded.

Without looking at her he began to move towards the kitchen. "Honestly Mrs Granger, or is it potter now? This is really not the time, now where is your husband, my partner is currently waiting rather anxiously for us to join him."

"Who are you?" she demanded, shrilly, her voice alerting Harry to a problem within the house.

The man turned to her, reaching up with his left hand to brush a silver strand of hair away from his face. "I am Draco Malfoy." He said easily.

"Draco Malfoy is dead." Harry said from the kitchen door, keeping a tight hold of his daughter's hand.

"So you would like to believe, now would you be so kind as to follow me. We have a situation that cannot wait for explanations."

"Get out of my house." Harry demanded, his voice quivering with contained rage. Malfoy was dead; he had seen him struck down himself. This was some kind of elaborate joke on behalf of the wizarding world, and he wasn't going to stand for it.

"Indeed I shall, however I really must insist you come with me."

"What kind of sick joke is this?" Harry spat. "Get out! I will not go back to that place just because you come here claiming to be a man I know is dead!"

The mans whole body cackled with a sudden energy as his head whipped round, hair cracking almost audibly through the air as he fixed steely grey eyes on Harry. "This is no joke Potter, this is not to get you back to the wizarding world-believe me, I quite enjoy it without you in it. This is to save your life. Now either get yourselves outside and down to my partner or I shall take you out kicking and screaming." He said it with such deathly calm, that Harry was too startled to summon wandless magic.

"Don't bother Potter-you haven't used it in over ten years, it would not work. Now get outside now before Weasely comes in and we're stuck here until doomsday."

"Weasely?" Hermione breathed, faint hope welling up inside her, if this really was Malfoy, then maybe it was "Ron…" she whispered.

Harry looked at her and his heart clenched. "This is sick. Get out." He ground out.

The man pursed his lips. "Oh, for the love of-" he swiped a hand irritably through the air and suddenly Harry found himself frozen, as did Hermione, and their daughter. "Do remember that you brought this upon yourself Potter." He said and turned and strode out of the house. And, unable to stop themselves, the Potter family followed.

Once outside they saw someone at the bottom of their garden, a shock of red hair told them without a doubt that it was a Weasely, no one else had hair quite like that. And as their forced march brought them closer they were very shocked by the fact that this man could be none other than Ron. He didn't look at them as they came closer, his eyes trained on the house and the fields around it. Through his shock Harry began to wonder what was going on.

Finally the red heads eyes came to rest on them, flicking over them casually, before he looked at the silver haired man, a very Ron like smile on his face. "What happened to the 'I'll get them out of there quicker than you.' Malfoy?" he asked.

Draco, as it was now confirmed didn't even bother to scowl. "If you had gone in there you would still be standing explaining. Is it ready?" he didn't bother to release Harry, Hermione or Clarice, so they were forced to just stand there.

Ron nodded.

"Good, take them and go." He waved his hand again, making those under his power step forward.

"Don't do anything stupid Draco." Ron warned.

"I'm not you Weasely, nor Potter, don't assume." His lips quirked in a very real smile.

Harry sensed nothing, but he nearly fell as the spell was suddenly released, Ron grabbed him, pulling him forward and down while Malfoy instantly whirled to cover Hermione and Clarice. It was obvious something had changed, and radically, the tension that had been in the air before had risen tenfold. Ron's voice came very close to his ear and something was shoved into his hands.

"Get Hermione and the kid to touch it. When you land stay there-it's safe, don't move from there until either I, or Malfoy come and get you." Ron's eyes darted over to Malfoy, who although he wasn't looking nodded an affirmation, whispered something harshly to Hermione and stood. "Go now." Ron hissed, getting to his feet.

It was an undignified scrabble, but for some reason Harry could not find it within him to disobey Ron's order, there was just something about his voice, something in his tone that made it very clear what he had to do. So he reached his wife and daughter and together they touched the thing Ron had given him.

In the instant before transportation Harry saw something he had never witnessed before, but unluckily it wouldn't be his last viewing of the creature.

Something large, made up of shadows and light ascended with alarming speed upon the two wizards. The air cackled with energy and magic. And then the pull of the portkey yanked him sharply away.

Vv

No words were needed as Ron drove forward, recklessly drawing on the reserves of magic within him, the magic around him began to change into a distinct shape, and soon, to all but the untrained eye Ron had become a massive tiger, leaping, paws reaching, claws extending, plunging into the shimmering creature before him.

Draco's grey eyes had drifted shut as two fingers rose and deftly cut through the air, leaving a trailing silver line in its wake. While Ron held the creature distracted he completed the intricate symbol quickly, stepped back and sent it hurtling towards the creature.

Ron sensed the symbol coming and pushed himself away from the creature, but he was not far enough away when the symbol struck, sending the creature into a screaming rage. It thrashed in the throes of agony as the Symbol seared through it, breaking it down. Tiny darts of power rained on him, like falling icicles cutting his flesh. He twisted away from it, looking back to where Draco was, seeing him fall to his knees as the creature still thrashed, his expression contorted.

It was nearly over-very nearly over. He almost had it. Through the haze he could feel another rising behind him, but he couldn't give up focus. One at a time. The warning he felt come from Ron filled his mind, and taking as much magic as he dared away from sealing the creature he sprang from the ground, not fully changing, just enough to let him get out of harms way.

But not soon enough.

A blinding pain shot through him, causing the magic to falter and he fell. He recognised the rumbling growl, and he hoped Ron wouldn't just rush in like he normally did. A blaze of red shot past him, slamming into the second creature. It sparked and screamed, but it was weak. Draco struggled to ignore the pain, those feather light touches of fire that were burning holes through his clothes.

Ron reached Draco seconds later, the first creature was recovering, and he didn't have the power now to stop it. His magic would cancel Draco's out. "Draco Focus!" he ordered. He could see from the annoyed frown on his partners face that if he had been feeling up to it Draco would have very sarcastically retorted to that. "Come on Draco-your not going to let that bastard win are you?"

Draco's eyes snapped open at the implication and sought out Ron's. Grey eyes met blue and they melded. Draco drew strength and concentration from that gaze and sent everything he had to the symbol he had created. And with a final shriek the creature vanished, and it rained ice rain down on them.

After a moment Ron smiled and pulled away. Draco pushed himself to his hands and knees, his silver hair trailing the ground, dropping his head he watched in silent fascination as blood dripped serenely from his side, staining the end of his hair red. Finally he pushed himself to his feet, swaying only slightly.

Ron stood back, knowing Draco would not appreciate the help if he offered.

"This." Draco said slowly, gritting his teeth. "Is entirely Potter's fault."

Ron barked a short laugh at that. "Maybe if you hadn't spent so much time in there talking it wouldn't have happened." His smiling expression faded. "Is it poisoned?"

The look Draco gave him answered all his questions, and then some.

With out waiting to see if Draco was following, trusting he would, Ron clasped his hand around a pendant hanging on a chain round his neck and apperated to where Harry, Hermione and little Clarice were. Draco took a second longer before gathering the energy to shake loose his own symbol from the silver chain wrong his wrist, balling his hand into a fist and tiredly putting his reserves into gear and apperating after Ron.

Vv

Harry and Hermione jumped, and Clarice nearly cried in terror when Ron sudden appeared among them. Without the customary disorientation associated with apparition Ron quickly moved away, barely registering them. Harry and Hermione watched him, almost afraid to speak. Getting another shock when, seconds later, as Malfoy appeared.

"Weasely." Draco ground out.

Ron didn't look up from where he was rummaging through a box. "A second here Malfoy." He retorted. He got up, going immediately to where Draco had settled himself on a chair, leaving his side exposed.

"What's going on here?" Harry asked suddenly, his eyes darting between them. The Ron Weasely and Draco Malfoy he remembered would never have been this… familiar with each other let alone almost friendly. There was no animosity here anymore.

Ron coughed slightly before smiling guiltily. "Emm… Draco, explain."

"Why do I have to explain, they're your damn friends." Draco muttered sourly.

"Because I just saved your life, so do it." Ron said.

Another series of mutterings none of them could decipher, though from the smile that graced Ron's lips he knew what they were. "Fine." He looked across at Harry and Hermione. "We are the Animagis, the bad guys are a bunch of very stupid wizards who released a series of not so stupid demon like things, and you are in some very real trouble."

There was a shocked silence.

"I think that about covers it." Draco said, leaning back, grimacing as Ron's hand slipped slightly on the wound.

"What was that thing I saw?" Harry asked.

O.k., so I don't know what exactly is going on. Give it a go anyway. Review and be nice about it.