Chapter: 4
Disclaimer – I'd say the plot is mine but with over 500,000 HP stories on Fanfiction I doubt even that is wholly accurate.
Warning - This chapter and the rest of the story have flashes if Twilight in it in relation to Vampires. If you don't like it then don't read. I quite like the Twilight books except for the last one. I think Meyer did a good job in reinventing a topic away from the old Vampires burst into flames on contact with sunlight and it is a very easy idea to incorporate into a story with magic and glamour charms. I make no excuses for it. So here is your final warning. If you don't like Twilight, then don't read this story.
Chapter 4 – Run Draco
The house suddenly appeared in front of them with a whoosh as three scraps of flaming parchment fluttered to the ground. Galen, and Harry obviously, had known the address of the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix so Albus had only needed to give the parchment to Davis, Cripps and Burgess.
Albus immediately headed up the stairs but Harry held him back and shook his head.
'Harry?' Dumbledore questioned.
'Trust him.' Burgess murmured as Harry moved past the headmaster and once again took the point position, his wand drawn as he stepped closer to the door and listened intently.
His eyes narrowed as he turned back to Albus. 'Stay here. You have a traitor.' He hissed before he silently opened the door and darted inside.
The other waited for a moment but when they heard a female voice call out a slashing hex, Davis, Burgess and Cripps ran in after him as Galen held onto Dumbledore's arm. 'Trust them.' The man repeated as they watched multi-coloured lights flash in the windows upstairs.
Dumbledore gifted Galen a wry smile. 'Sometimes I forget just who he is. I think of him as that boy who came to me as a toddler.'
'He hasn't been that boy for many years, Albus.' Galen said quietly.
Albus sighed heavily. 'Sometimes I wonder if we did right by him. I wonder if James and Lily would be upset with us.' He murmured idly as several large cracking noises was heard from upstairs.
'It matters not.' Galen said firmly as the noise from upstairs died away. 'He is alive, and from what I've seen, he is happy. No parent could ask for more.' He added as a huge explosion was heard inside the building causing both men to look at each other in alarm. Before they could move inside however, Burgess and Davis came barrelling out the doorway, an injured Cripps hanging in between them. 'Harry has it. Get back.' Burgess yelled and Galen grasped Albus' arm, pulling him down the steps just as the entire second story of the house collapsed inward.
'Harry!' Dumbledore breathed as dust and bits of plaster covered them.
The others coughed and spluttered as the cloud of dust settled around them. Galen quickly casting several notice me not charms as the muggles in the houses around them started to come out. Trying to work out where the noise was coming from as they could still see nothing.
They heard his voice before they saw him.
'Bloody hell, that smarts.' Harry grumbled as he shoved his way out from under a pile of rubble and out what was left of the front door, his left arm hanging uselessly at his side but a silver locket clutched tightly in his right hand.
'Harry?'
'I'm fine, Albus' Harry promised as he stepped gingerly around the bits of rubbish now covering the steps and dropped lightly to the ground. 'I need to see Poppy though. And quick, it's trying to repair itself already.'
Davis stood up from where he was knelt over Cripps and took hold of Harry's left hand and wrenched it slightly further, Harry letting out a gasp as pain shot through him. 'Thanks.' he gasped out.
Davis smirked. 'I figure the sooner I did that the better. After what happened the last time and all.' He added, referring to the one time, shortly before he'd gained his inheritance when the Vampiric abilities had begun manifesting themselves and Harry had broken his wrist in a rather violent training exercise.
Harry shook his head as Albus opened his mouth to question him, instead handing the Horcrux over to Galen. 'You'll need Phillan's team to go through that lot,' he said waving at what was left of the house. 'Buried under there somewhere is Greyback, the two Lestrange brothers and Lucius Malfoy.' He added with a cold expression that was completely out of place with the spark of malicious triumph that lit his eyes.
Dumbledore's eyes widened as Galen smiled proudly at the teenager. 'Well done, Potter. Go now and get yourself seen to and report back to me tomorrow at oh eight hundred.'
Harry snapped to attention as best he could and nodded. 'Yes, Sir.'
'See you tomorrow, Harry.' Burgess called out as Harry moved to stand beside Dumbledore.
'Great to have you back, Potter.' Cripps added as Burgess helped him back up off the ground.
'Bye Harry.' Davis added with a smirk.
Harry gave them each a nod of respect before taking Dumbledore's arm and apparating them both back to Godrics Hollow.
'Harry!' Draco cried out as Harry and Dumbledore landed in the sitting room and the Slytherin caught sight of them.
'I'm fine.' Harry said firmly glancing momentarily at Remus who immediately clapped a hand on the boy's shoulder and stopped him from rushing the vampire.
'Sure you are.' Snape muttered dryly as Dumbledore immediately stepped over to fireplace and called for Poppy.
'What happened? Are you alright?' Draco asked anxiously even as Tonks came up and wrapped an arm around the Slytherin to stop him from rushing the young vampire.
'I'm okay, Draco. I promise. I just need Poppy.' Harry told him soothingly.
Draco seemed to want to question him further but at that moment Dumbledore stopped back from the fire just as the Hogwarts medi-witch stepped through it.
'What have you done to yourself now, Harry?' She scolded fondly as she crossed the room and gestured for Harry to sit down on the sofa.
'The usual, Poppy.' Harry snorted. 'You're just out of practice, that's all. You haven't had to heal me in two months.'
'Ha ha, very funny. Just sit still a moment while I run the usual scans then.'
The adults around the room waited in silence as Poppy cast several diagnostic spells.
'You're going to need to hurry, Poppy.' Harry said quietly.
'It's too late.' The medi-witch sighed, lowering her wand.
'Damn.'
'Too late? Too late for what?' Draco burst out.
'Remus.' Harry said curtly and the werewolf nodded, grasping Draco's arm more firmly and all but dragging him towards the door.
'No!' Draco cried struggling fruitlessly against Remus' superior strength. 'I just want to know what's going on. Harry, please!' He begged and Harry felt as if he'd been smacked.
'Leave him.' The vampire in him commanded automatically and Remus immediately released the Slytherin who almost stumbled to his knees but quickly righted himself. Harry stared at him impassively for several moments. 'This wasn't for you to see, Draco.' He whispered, his expression softening in concern at the panic clearly visible in Draco's grey eyes. He reached out with his working arm and squeezed Draco's hand with his own.
'Harry?' Draco's voice was no more than a whisper and his eyes remained locked on Harry as Snape lifted his wand and pointed it at Harry's shoulder. Seconds later there was a horrific crack and Harry couldn't hold back a pained gasp. Draco's face took on a greenish tinge and he rushed from the room and the others heard him slam the door to the bathroom down the hall.
'Leave him.' Harry repeated his words of a moment ago to stop Remus and Tonks going after the Slytherin as he signalled for Poppy to fix his shoulder.
'There you go.' She said less than a minute later. 'You'll be sore for a few days just as you always are.'
Harry thanked her, waving off the potions Severus had started pulling out and immediately headed to the door, disappearing out it before another word could be spoken leaving Albus to explain as much as he could…which wasn't all that much really.
'Draco?' Harry's deep tenor was soft as he gently opened the door to the bathroom to see Draco on his knees in the corner. His skin was clammy, his pallor still green and his hands shook alarmingly. 'Merlin, Draco. I'm sorry. I didn't want you to see that.' Harry explained as he knelt beside him and took the clammy shaking hand in his own.
'Harry.' Draco croaked out. 'How….'
'Shhh…it's okay. I promise its okay.' He pulled Draco closer to him until the much smaller figure was held tightly in his lap.
'But I don't understand.' Draco insisted. 'Where have you been? What happened and why did they have to do that to you?'
Harry felt the young man growing even more panicked and lifted a hand to run his fingers through the soft blonde hair and nuzzled the skin behind Draco's ear. 'Shhh. It's okay. Just relax. I promise I will tell you as much as I can.'
Draco seemed to sag further into Harry's chest as the vampire continued running his fingers through the blonde hair and he seemed to relax as they sat in silence until Harry began to speak. He told him about the mission, but not what it was they were retrieving, and about Grimmauld Place and how it was destroyed. How one of the huge beams in the drawing room had fallen on him. About his almost instant healing, whether or not the bones are in the right place, hence why they had to break it again. And lastly, he told him about his father.
'I'm sorry, Draco.' He finished finally as the Slytherin burrowed further into his chest and cried softly. Lucius Malfoy may well have given up his son to save his own skin but he was still Draco's father and the young man still loved him.
Harry just sat leaning up against the wall of the bath and continued running his fingers through Draco's hair until his sobs subsided and he looked up, tears still clinging to the blond lashes. 'I knew he'd get into trouble sooner or later.' Draco whispered. 'Especially after I met you. I just wish he'd met you too, and then he might have realized he was on the wrong side.'
Harry's expression softened and he wrapped his arms more firmly around the Slytherin making sure not to crush him. 'You cannot choose paths for others, Draco.' He murmured. 'You father chose his own path, just as you did. Maybe he wasn't as strong as you were. Maybe he could never have changed. Maybe his pureblood beliefs were stronger than his sense of what was right and wrong. In the end his vanity alone could have stopped him from taking the same path you did, even if he thought it was right.'
Draco could hear the guilt that was still heavy in Harry's voice and he automatically cupped the stump that was his elbow with his right hand. 'I chose this, Harry.' He said softly. 'My arm seemed to be such an insignificant price to pay for what I've done.'
Harry stared at him. 'You chose nothing, Draco. There was no choice. It was me or Azkaban and with that on your arm it wouldn't have been long till you thought Azkaban was the better option I assure you. If you had any choice it was only between life and liberty, nothing else.'
'And now I have both.' Draco said simply, placing his fingers over Harry's cold lips as he opened his mouth to protest. 'I know now that you will never hurt me. I am safer than I have ever been in my life and for the first time I am free. It matters not if it was from my father or the Dark Lord. I am free now.'
Harry seemed to sink into the grey eyes as they stared unblinking back at him before he pulled Draco closer once again and nuzzled his nose into the blonde hair and inhaled deeply. He could never get tired of the scent of his mate.
Harry stood at attention as Galen retrieved Slytherin's locket from where he'd hidden it the evening before and moved to place it on the stone pedestal.
'Wands at the ready, gentlemen.' Galen intoned.
'Sir, if I may?' Harry questioned, gesturing to the locket sitting innocently several feet away.
Galen raised another eyebrow.
'I have an idea for destroying Nagini but I would like to test it out on this first if at all possible.'
'Go on.' Galen said, slightly curiously as the other three also watched on.
'We know that basilisk venom destroyed the Horcrux in Riddle's diary and my…venom is even stronger than that. If this works I should be able to find Nagini and simply bite her.'
Galen studied Harry in silence for a moment. 'The idea was to destroy her from a distance, Potter. I'm not sure I want you that close to her. We should have no difficulty in destroying her from a distance.'
Harry started to shake his head in protest before he realized just who he was shaking it at and stopped instantly. 'I understand, Sir. But she is fast and strong. We will not get more than one chance. Her narrow body size makes aim difficult. She may well escape our wands, Sir, but she won't be able to escape me.'
'I don't like it.' Burgess spoke up immediately but Galen hushed him with a wave of his hand, much as Harry had done the day before.
'Do you truly believe this to be the best option, Potter?' The elderly wizard questioned and Harry nodded.
'Yes, Sir. I do.' Harry said firmly.
There were another few minutes of silence as Cripps, Davis and Burgess shifted uneasily nearby and Galen continued starting at Harry. 'Very well.' The elder wizard said eventually.
The Head of the Unspeakables silenced the other three with a look as Harry crossed the few steps and picked the locket up off the pedestal and glanced up to meet Burgess' eyes.
The older man clearly read what Harry wanted and sighed heavily even as he lifted his wand again and drew it across his palm, much as he'd done in the cave the day before, letting the blood well in his hand.
Harry's eyes darkened as he felt the venom flood his mouth. He tore his eyes from Burgess' hand and lifted the locket, biting down on it with his indestructible teeth and letting the venom seep through the crack. Much like the others they'd destroyed there was a blinding flash of light, followed by a screeching wail and then nothing. When he looked back Burgess had healed the cut and vanished the blood and all four in the room were staring at him with expressions ranging between amusement and awe.
He smiled sheepishly. 'It worked.'
Galen let out a laugh. 'That it did, Potter. That it did.'
'You'd want to be bloody careful what you touch with that mouth, Potter.' Davis chortled, expecting Harry to retort but the young man just nodded, his thoughts moving to Draco and the conversation they'd had the evening before last.
'You don't need to tell me that, Davis.' He added softly, a slight wistful tone to his voice that had Burgess frowning.
'So, Sir. The Diadem next?' He cut in before Davis could say anything further. 'Do we have any leads on its whereabouts?'
Galen followed him, noting the distant look in Harry's eyes. 'There are several possibilities. Potter, did you uncover anything?'
Harry swallowed again, trying to get the last of the venom out of his mouth and nodded. 'I believe that she was in possession of it when she died and that her daughter Helena may well have come into it afterwards. I still have a further three books to go through from the vault at home and hopefully one of them will be able to tell us what happened to her.'
Galen hummed to himself for a moment. 'Alright then, gentlemen. I suggest that we convene again in three days when Potter has had a chance to finish his research.'
'Yes, Sir.' Four voices called out strongly in reply.
'Dismissed.' Galen said curtly, returning to his desk as the four men filed from the room.
'Hello.'
Draco looked up from the book he was reading as Harry suddenly appeared beside him from the house. The blond smiled and patted the ground beside him, watching as Harry folded himself gracefully till he was leaning back against the tree next to the Slytherin.
'Did whatever you have to do go okay then?' Draco asked carefully. He felt a bit hurt that Harry still couldn't share what he was doing. He felt that he had shown his loyalty when he had removed the Dark Mark. Harry had to know that Draco would never betray him, not now, not ever.
Harry looked at him, his expression pensive. 'It is not you, Draco.' He said softly. 'Other than the team only Albus knows. You have to know that if I could tell you I would.'
Draco nodded swiftly. 'I know.' He muttered before going back to his book.
Harry signed and closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the trunk of the tree. Everything was so much more complicated now. Before his birthday his life had been far simpler. Train, study, eat and sleep. That was it. Other than his family and the team he had no social interaction with anyone, especially not with a moody teenage boy he would give his life for…well his existence anyway.
Harry could feel Draco's eyes on him and slowly opened his own. He studied them for several moments before he reached out and took the book from Draco's hand and placed it on the grass beside them before standing even as he lifted Draco effortlessly to his feet. 'I want to show you something.' He murmured and Draco's eyes widened. The Slytherin let out a squeak of surprise as Harry lifted the smaller figure bodily once again until Draco was hanging on to him like a backpack before taking off into the forest bordering Godrics Hollow.
He could feel Draco's heartbeat thundering in the chest pressed tightly against his back and hear the slightly panicked breathing in his ear as he raced through the forest. A few minutes later he slowed and stopped allowing Draco to settle his feet down on the floor before the Slytherin looked around him in wonder.
They were in the shadows beside a small clearing that was barely twenty feet across. A sheer rock face claimed one side with a semi-circle of trees around them. Beams of sunlight grazed the grass after and Harry watched the different emotions play across Draco's face. His blonde hair was completely mussed, falling in the silver eyes but not hiding the boy's wonder at the sight around him. His eyes eventually landed on Harry with a question clearly visible.
'I wanted to show you that I do trust you.' Harry whispered, reaching out to caress the blonde's pale cheek. Draco opened his mouth to say something but Harry cut him off. 'I may not be able to tell you everything, at least not yet. But I will share something with you that I have never shared with anyone, not even my family.'
Draco's eyes widened as Harry stepped back and pulled off his shirt, discarding it on the ground beside him before walking several paces away till the sunbeams danced over his marble skin. Draco frowned as Harry lifted his wand and pointed it at himself. 'Finite Incantatem.' He whispered and suddenly Draco's eyes widened so far they looked as if they might fall out of his head.
'Sweet mother of Merlin.' Draco gasped, staggering towards Harry but stopping a foot away and staring at the vampire's now sparkling luminescent skin. Splashes of rainbows danced around them as if glinting off diamonds, which is what Harry's skin currently looked like. 'What? How?' He squeaked.
Harry's shoulders stiffened, which was a close to a shrug as the young man would get. 'This is the real reason vampires do not go out in sunlight. At least muggle ones anyway.' He murmured.
Draco was still stunned and moments later he abruptly dropped to the ground even as his eyes remained on Harry.
'Draco.' Harry immediately knelt by the other boy and tentatively reached out to lay a hand on his shoulder. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.' He said sadly.
Draco shook his head, swallowing heavily, even as he reached out a shaking hand towards the sparkling skin on Harry's chest. 'Beautiful.' He croaked. 'You are so beautiful.'
Harry's expression softened and he captured Draco's hand in his own, tugging the smaller teenager till he was all but sitting in his lap. 'Beauty on the outside is worthless, Draco. It will fade with time…usually. It's what we are on the inside that counts. What we believe in and what we contribute to the lives of those we love.'
Draco studied his face intently for several minutes. 'That's why you work so hard.'
Harry nodded. 'Albus, Severus, Remus and Tonks and even Kingsley and the others. They are my family. They are all I have ever known. I will do anything to make sure they are safe and that they remain that way. That their lives are as easy as possible and that they are filled with as much joy as I can give them. Just as I would for you.' He added barely above a whisper.
Grey eyes took in the earnest expression on Harry's face. 'What is Severus to you?' Draco asked curiously.
Harry's mouth twitched and his green eyes sparkled. 'He is my father.' He said bluntly.
Once again Draco's mouth dropped open and he stared at Harry in stunned silence. It took almost a minute before he blinked several times and shook his head. 'I beg your pardon.'
Harry snorted and decided to take pity on the Sytherin. 'When I was eleven and the Minister began asking for me, Albus knew that something would have to be done to take me out of their hands. At that point I was technically a ward of the Ministry and they could summon me at any point and…gift…me with new guardians of their choice.'
'But what of your godparents? Why couldn't that have looked after you?'
Draco's watched as Harry's expression became shuttered. 'My godfather was in Azkaban at the time for something he didn't do. He escaped when I was thirteen but he died two years later in a Death Eater attack. My godmother was Alice Longbottom.' He didn't need to say anything more. Draco knew exactly who Alice Longbottom was and what had happened to her.
'I'm sorry.' He whispered.
Harry gave him a wan smile. 'Don't be. It was nothing to do with you.'
'So why Severus? Why not Lupin or Shacklebolt or even Dumbledore?'
Harry sighed. 'Kingsley was too young, Albus too old and Remus…well…too furry.' He finished with a chuckle that Draco copied. 'At the time, Severus was the best choice. Besides, he has been my greatest confidant over the years. He hated my biological father. James Potter was a bastard to him in school, but Severus never let that cloud his judgment in the way he treated me. He's always been there for me. He is, to me, my father and he always will be.'
Draco studied the beautiful face so close to his own, easily seeing the emotions playing across it for the first time. 'What happened that day?'
He didn't need to elaborate on what day he meant. Harry could quite easily guess. The Boy-Who-Lived let out another sigh. 'It was an accident. Kingsley, Moody, Severus and I were on an exercise. Moody and Kingsley took one fork in a cave and Severus and I the other. We were talking about something, and probably shouldn't have been, and the coven snuck up on us. Severus tried to protect me but he was careless. He left himself wide open and was thrown across the cave and I was bitten. We still don't know why but as soon as I was bitten the coven fled.'
Draco frowned as he turned the explanation over in his head before catching Harry's eyes with his own once again. 'I understand now.' He said softly and Harry smiled, reaching up to caress Draco's pale cheek. His green eyes all but glowing in the sunlight.
'Thank you, Draco.' He whispered.
The Slytherin frowned. 'Whatever for?'
Harry pulled him closer and brushed his lips across the boy's temple. 'For believing in me, and in our life together to give up so much. You will never know just how much it meant to me, and how much it tears at me not to be able to share everything with you that I want to.'
Draco reached up and placed a small hand over his mouth and shook his head. 'It's okay, Harry. I told you. It was a small price to pay. I understand that there are things you cannot tell me and while it is irritating,' He added with a small grin. 'I can live with it. I know you will tell me when you're able to.'
Harry nodded. 'Yes.' He promised and Draco smiled again, removing his hand.
Harry's eyes swept over the blonde's face in silence for several moments. 'Please, promise me you won't move.'
Draco frowned but nodded and watched as Harry swallowed heavily several times, conjuring a glass of water and drinking it before lowering his head and pressing his lips to Draco's own as the glass tumbled to the ground beside them.
Draco felt a fire burst to life in his belly. The kiss was tentative but tender and so filled with promise and Draco couldn't help but respond automatically, shifting in Harry's arms and threading his fingers through the long dark hair as he pushed his tongue into Harry's mouth insistently. Harry's taste called to him so strongly and distantly Draco wondered just who the magical creature in the relationship was.
He felt his tongue catch on one of Harry's teeth and suddenly the young man shoved him away. 'Run, Draco.' Harry gasped harshly, his eyes squeezed tightly shut.
'Harry?'
'Draco, please, please go.' Harry begged, his hands clawing at the grass under them in order to stop reaching out towards the Slytherin who lay sprawled nearby. 'Draco, please.' Harry all but growled and Draco quickly realized what had happened as he tasted the copper in his mouth. He cast Harry a final anxious look before launching himself up off the ground and into the forest around them, hoping to Merlin that he was heading in the right direction.
He didn't need to see what followed. The sounds of splintering wood and harsh cries were enough to give him a vivid image as it was.
