Chapter One
"Does anyone know I'm here?"
Harry Potter couldn't believe his Slytherin rival had come to him, of all people, for protection. After begrudgingly admitting him into Grimmauld Place, Harry had given Malfoy his word not to tell anyone he was there.
After his godfather's death, Harry thought a lot about Sirius and how everyone supposedly carrying dark and light within. It was what made him not turn the blond away on sight the night Malfoy showed at Grimmauld Place.
"No. I've been back and forth to the Burrow," Harry continued, despite Malfoy's disgusted face at mention of the Weasleys' home, "but I haven't told anyone yet. The Order will sometimes meet here, but I'll let you know before they arrive. Most haven't been by since Sirius … well ..."
"And what about our deal, Potter?"
Harry pushed his frames up his nose as he regarded the impatient wizard. "I'm working on it."
Truthfully, as of two weeks ago, Hermione was working on it. Harry had cornered the witch after her return from St. Mungo's. Her recovery took longer than expected, but eventually, she had recovered completely from Doholov's curse. Now, Harry sought a way to keep her safe in the forthcoming war. If this plan worked, he could possibly do both: keep his word to Malfoy and keep Hermione safe from further injury.
He had asked her a favor after spotting her at the Burrow one afternoon. He quickly outlined his need for a protection spell that would grant him the capabilities to discern if another were telling the truth, without the use of potions or spellwork. He needed it to be the strongest she could find, the truest she could find, and he needed her to perform it.
Harry wasn't going to bring Malfoy to the Order yet. Even if he did not trust Malfoy one knut, he wanted to wait until he was sure of Malfoy's intentions before he let the Order interrogate him.
Harry had also not told Ron about his unexpected summer visitor yet. It pained him to not involve his best mate, but his temper was legendary and would only lead them to hexes and bruises. No, a level-head was needed for time being. He was sure to get an earful once Ron did find out, but he was holding onto luck for the moment.
One of the reasons Hermione had agreed so quickly, Harry assumed, was that she thought the protection spell would be for her, Ron, and himself. He may or may not have been responsible for that belief with his omission by silence, but she continued on with her research with a promise to have something to him shortly. He would deal with her wrath, as well, once she found out who the spell was really for. His hope was once she found out why the spell was needed, she would not hex his toes off.
Malfoy's sharp sneer brought his mind back to the present. "Well, hurry the bloody hell up. I can't spend all summer in this shit hole." With a last nasty look, the blond sulked off for parts unknown.
Other than his surly attitude, which Harry would never get used to, Malfoy was like those annoying toy dogs his Aunt used to keen over. Removed from his natural surroundings and witless entourage, Draco Malfoy was basically all bark and no bite. Oh, the two still shouted at each other and he nearly punched the boy between the eyes the one time he almost called Hermione 'that word,' but after that, they had begrudgingly agreed to lay off of it for now. At least, until Harry could hold up his end of the bargain.
He had to admit it took a lot of humbling on Malfoy's part to seek aid on his own. And that he had not gone to Professors Dumbledore or to Snape, but to him, spoke volumes. Harry had asked him why as they sat, barely awake in the early morning hours, each waiting for the other to go sleep lest the other try to pull something. Malfoy had merely shrugged and said Harry was the only person who could understand the seriousness of what he was saying.
"I'm not a fool, Potter. I know he's back," Draco had wearily replied through sleep-laden eyes. "After my father was sent to Azkaban for his part at the Department of Mysteries, it was only a matter of time before he sought me out for my father's mistakes." Malfoy's voice lowered as he sunk further down into the couch, "I want no part of what he's offering. I saw what he did to my father after his failure to secure the prophecy …" he trailed off at that, lost in memories. "I knew then that I had to get out. He would come for me next, and I couldn't stay there any longer."
Harry regarded Malfoy's words. It was the first time he had heard him speak without animosity or malice. It was different and without it, he sounded like any other scared teenager, afraid for his life, well-being, and family. Harry supposed he could relate.
After the late night admission, both fell into a restless sleep. They had not had a physical fight since. Draco Malfoy was still a stuck-up and arrogant arse, evidenced by his mutterings on the condition of his late Godfather's home. But a truce had been called, and Harry resolved to follow-through on his promise.
A few weeks before they were due to return to Hogwarts, Hermione burst into Grimmauld Place on a hot and stuffy summer afternoon.
"I think I've found something!" His curly-haired best friend waved pieces of parchments in one hand as she excitedly hugged Harry in greeting. "I need to cross reference it with a text I found in the Black family library, but I think this may be it," she rushed out excitedly.
Harry followed her as they made their way to library on the second floor. He watched her melt into her element. She pulled books off the shelves as if she had already memorized them. Her fingers quickly flew through the pages in search of something.
"Well," he asked, impatiently. "What is it?"
She ignored him until she'd located what she had been searching for. Her eyebrows furrowed as she read the text aloud. "It's an old spell borne of blood magic." She looked up to meet his eyes. "Are you sure this is what you want to do?" When he nodded, she continued, "It allows the caster and the recipient to enter a bond that is nigh unbreakable and indiscernible to any outsider. Thoughts, feelings, and true desires are laid bare before the other," she read aloud.
"Perfect," Harry remarked.
She continued. "There's more. The bond allows both to share and bolster each other's strengths and weaknesses. A true ame de loups is rare and difficult to cast and is said to be achieved by those who enter into it, willingly and open," she read from the text.
"Ame de loups? What does that mean?"
She closed the book and rolled her eyes. "It means the 'soul of the wolf'. Whoever described this spell spent an insane amount of time detailing the rituals and mating habits of wolves. Apparently, this spell mimics their natural ability to read people, along with some of their other qualities." She put the book back on the shelf. "It was quite popular in eighteenth century wizarding France when ménage a trios were all the rage."
Harry swallowed in fear. "Umm, Hermione?"
Hermione laughed outright. Her neck stretched as she threw her head back in mirth. "Don't worry, Harry! It won't spell you into a ménage a trios. In order for that to happen, all three participants would have to be true mates. You know, fated? I doubt you and Ron are 'fated' to be together," she laughed at the mental image of Ron and Harry fated as lovers, and shook her head to clear the image. She gathered her notes scattered on a nearby table.
Harry stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. "Great, so what do we do? Flick of the wrist and an incantation?"
"Not exactly. Like I said, it's an ancient blood ritual. You'll need the blood of the caster and recipient. There are runes involved if I recall, and then, there's an incantation. Oh, and it has to be performed under a full moon."
"Luckily, there's a full moon tonight, then." A voice called from the doorway. Hermione whirled at the familiar drawl and quickly pulled out her wand. She was taken aback when Harry did not echo her movements and pull his own wand. "Oh ho, that's no way to treat a houseguest. Did muggle mummy and daddy teach you any manners?"
Malfoy moved further into the room and settled himself against the wall to watch the scene unfold between the two friends.
Hermione blinked in confusion, but kept her wand trained on Draco Malfoy. At Grimmauld Place. Moving around freely. Her mind swirled as she cut accusing eyes to Harry, who, wisely, started towards her with his palms held out. "What the hell is he doing here!?" she asked. "Have you lost your mind?"
Harry continued to inch closer, and when he got close enough, he pushed her wand arm down with great difficulty. Malfoy smirked as he bit into a green apple.
Her frown deepened as Malfoy smirked at her. She shook her head in disgust. "Harry. Explain, now!"
Harry held her arms down, afraid if he let go, she would rush and attack the blond head on. Or more likely, him. "Just listen to me, alright! He — he showed up, alone, earlier this summer asking for help. I had no way of trusting him, hence why I need this spell to learn the truth. In turn, he wants protection from Voldemort. He's been here all summer, Hermione. He knows Voldemort's back and I swear, he hasn't done anything to make me not trust him."
"Two months doesn't compare to six years of torment, Harry!" she seethed as she struggled against his arms.
"Believe me, I know. And that's why I need you to do this spell, Hermione. I don't want to bring him to the Order just yet. I need to trust him before I do and you're the only one I trust enough to do this. I couldn't tell Ron 'cause he'd go ballistic, you know how he is, and…" He released her arms and took a step back. When he noticed her breathing had calmed enough to listen to reason, he continued, "You're the only person who'd figure out a way to make this work, and I trust you to be quiet about. We'll tell Ron and the others, I promise. But I needed to be sure about this first."
"I can't believe you hid this from everyone for two months, Harry," she spoke quietly. The hurt was clear in her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I really am." He sighed in frustration. "It's just that, I gave him my word." He beseeched with his eyes for her to see things from his side. The summer humidity outside could not match the level of uncomfortableness in the small library.
Hermione shook her head and took a step back. "I need to think about this." She turned on her heel and quickly left the room.
"Well, that was fun," Malfoy replied as the tension ebbed.
Harry debated whether or not to follow his friend, but decided she needed time to think things through. He knew she would weigh a list of pros and cons the same way he had. He prayed she would come to the same conclusion. Otherwise, this would have all been for naught. "Stuff it, Malfoy. You're not helping matters." He warily dropped into a chair as Malfoy moved to exit the room.
"We're doing this tonight, Potter. You better make sure she's on board," he warned as he left.
Afternoon faded into sunset and still, Hermione had not returned. Harry and Malfoy sat silently in the library as the sun set. Suddenly, Harry noticed he had no backup plan in case she did not agree. They would be effectively stuck; they were too close to start of the new school year, and Malfoy was no closer to the 'protection' Harry had promised him. He would be resigned to hand Malfoy over to the Order and they would use dubious methods to glean information, however they deemed necessary.
As darkness flooded the room, the oil lamps automatically bathed the room in a soft light. Malfoy's head shot up at the first 'thud,' and Harry's head shot up at the second. Both waited with bated breath as the footsteps grew louder down the hallway before Hermione hesitantly appeared in the entryway.
"I'm in," she announced softly, but surely. "But after this, we're going straight to the Order, Harry." Her eyes held a challenge and he swallowed reluctantly.
"Sure. Whatever you say."
"Hold on!" Malfoy stood to his feet. "I'm not letting them tear into my head. Potter, you gave me your word …"
Harry joined Malfoy on his feet.
"And they won't." He glanced to Hermione. "If we do this right, we'll be able to vouch for you. Isn't that right?" She nodded in agreement. "There won't be a need to. I keep my word," Harry assured the blond.
Hermione joined them at the head of the table situated in the small library. "Alright, the first thing we need to do is mark each other. The bond only recognizes those who have been properly marked. I'm afraid this is where the bit of blood comes in." Malfoy's mouth twisted at the mention of 'blood'. "It shouldn't be much, unless you're afraid of blood, Malfoy," she stuck her chin out in defiance.
An eyebrow rose. "Not even a little bit, princess," he mocked scornfully as tension rose again.
Harry coughed to diffuse the situation before it started. "Right, so you were saying, Hermione?" he gestured for her to continue. He knew his best friend was not at the level of trust (if one could call it that) that he and Malfoy had established, as he tried to keep them all from falling into old routines.
With a last roll of her eyes, she faced Harry, ignoring the blond for now. "On our hands, we need to mark a rune for each of us. Once we join them, say the incantation under moonlight, the bond should be instantaneous," she explained.
"How will we know if it worked?" Draco asked.
"I haven't exactly had time to perform a trial run. How should I know?" she snipped.
"We'll just have to wait and see. Okay, so about the runes…" Harry replied, hesitant, but anxious to get started.
Hermione took out her wand and decided to start with Harry first. As gently as she could with her wand point, she cut the rune for 'power' across his palm. The spell was very specific. There were three runes, each as close to the individual's true nature as possible: one for power, one for courage, and one for wisdom. Most bonds had only been attempted with two of the runes, and most took power and wisdom for their own. She had not read of an instance where a trio used all three runes within the spell. If there had been such an undertaking, she had not read about it.
She finished carving the rune and watched as blood pooled in Harry's palm. He grimaced, but held it open, saving the blood for the ritual.
Hermione moved before Malfoy next, who slowly extended his palm to her. She thought it satisfactory that he be marked with 'courage', the very definition of her House. He had indeed left his father's house and protection. She knew that whatever punishment Voldemort had laid at his father's feet would be worse for the younger Malfoy, should he should return. It would be especially worse if they knew whom he had run to.
It was one of the reasons she had agreed to this in the first place. She could not imagine all the blond was placing aside to put his faith in a half-blood and muggle-born. It spoke volumes to her. She wondered if that was what Harry alluded to earlier.
Hermione cut deeper than intended and he winced, almost pulling his hand away entirely. She relaxed her hold on his palm. "Sorry," Hermione whispered softly, suddenly too shy to look up at him. The air between them grew heavy. She had to swallow at the unfamiliar touch of his fingers against her wrist. His touch was comparably cool against her skin.
She finished the last of his rune and watched as deep red pooled in his palm. Turning her wand point on herself, unsurprisingly, she started the rune for 'wisdom.' It hurt, as she bit her teeth against the pain, but it was nothing she could not bear. Sooner than she thought, it was over and all three held out bloody palms before them.
"The moon's coming out," Harry threw his head towards the library window where a swatch of pale moonlight entered through the old, stained window.
Silently, all three moved towards the moonlight. Hermione could feel the prickling of her magic in her bleeding hand. She held her palm in the moonlight, face up, and looked to Harry who covered her hand with his own.
As Harry's blood mixed with hers, both gave a hiss as their combined magics met and clashed. She had to swallow at its intensity. She looked to Malfoy expectantly, who then covered both of their hands with his own.
Both she and Harry groaned at the fusion of his pureblood with theirs. Centuries of old magic rushed between them. Light-headed, Hermione turned their hands upside down, so now her hand rested on top.
She felt her body pulse with their combined magics as their hearts collectively beat in time. The thunderous result resounded in the very core of her.
Very suddenly, her womb clenched in time to the joined heartbeat. Shaken, Hermione met emerald and grey eyes to see if they had felt that. Her book made no mention of physical responses, but all the same, her womb fluttered in time with the pulse at her wrist. She pressed her knees together to stop the budding friction.
"Hermione," Harry's voice broke her concentration.
Her body responded to him of its own accord as she felt the overwhelming need to … do something. What, she did not know, but it weighed on her regardless.
"The spell," he grated sharply, as if he were fighting against an unseen force as well.
Hermione nodded. Closing her eyes against the heat found her in friend's eyes, the very heat that pooled between her legs, she recited the words from memory:
"One soul to bind them,
One heart, as true,
Courage, Power, Wisdom,
Brings forth life anew."
As she finished the rite, all three screwed their eyes shut against the waves of power that washed over them. All of sudden, the pressure was released and she felt the doorway within her mind thrown open. Hermione opened her eyes and gasped at the sight that greeted her.
Tiny lights of gold, it was the only way she could describe it, escaped her skin and flew around them. Similarly, green lights left Draco at the same time red lights escaped from Harry. Combined, the lights swirled about until faster and faster as they danced around the trio. Hermione found herself drawn towards Harry and Malfoy, her mates, her heart sang of its of own accord.
Her mind did not have time to process what her heart knew to be true. In a second, her eyes widened in fear as the lights grew and encompassed them all: gold, green, and red fused into a large sphere of sparkling color. It brightened the entire library until the point of blindness.
By time it faded, three occupants lay, unconscious, in a heap on the floor, their bloody hands intertwined.
an: I love The Legend of Zelda, so if you spotted the LoZ reference, then kudos to you. ;-)
