On the Edge of War

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As prophesized, Harry's going to save the world. But nobody expected Harry to play by his own rules. Ministry and idiots be damned, Voldemort will be crushed his way. And along the way, our Savior finds love in the most unexpected places. HD, RevoluntionFic.

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Main Relationship Focus: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy
Genres: Action & Adventure, Romance, Drama and Suspense
Rating: M for sex, violence and language
Length: Epic
Warnings: Slash, slight Ron bashing, Major Lemon in this chapter!
Disclaimers:
This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.K Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Warner Bros, Bloomsbury. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Beta: Many thanks to Dray for editing this piece!

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VIII: The Congregation

Dinner was over quickly and Hermione started sending out a few of her nifty 'burnt-after-being-read' notes at the request of Harry. At half-past nine sharp, the invited five showed up and were welcomed by Harry and Hermione. When the green-eyed teen caught the blond Slytherin's eye, Harry sent Draco a small smile that reached his startling eyes. Draco blushed, a faint tinge to his pale skin. Harry thought his Slytherin looked delectable.

"Professor Snape, Professor Maxwell," Harry greeted politely and both the professors returned the greeting with a brief nod. "Have a seat, the meeting will commence shortly."

The pair each slid gracefully into a chair and then Harry stood up. "I declare the first meeting of the Council of Safe Haven open."

"What exactly is Safe Haven, Mister Potter?" Harry smirked; he could always trust the Potions Master to be blunt and straightforward in his dealings.

"It is the recently completed area in which I propose our allies all move into. There are training, research, and testing facilities, orphanages, hospitals, farms, schools, and boarding for at least five thousand people in our safe haven." Severus widened his eyes almost imperceptibly. Neville gaped while Devon smiled.

"As for the training facilities, there are three stadiums and ten dojos. There are five research facilities that cater to Spells Crafting, Potions, weapons, Herbology and Rituals. They include resources such as greenhouses, laboratories and a forest. It's on one of my estates and it's quite remote. It's a large plot of Unplottable land that belonged to one of my ancestors." Neville looked excited at the prospect of Herbology research.

"There are also hospitals modeled after St. Mungo's and there is also a Healers' Training Center; the more healing personnel we have, the better we will be at dealing with injuries once we start the war. Safe Haven will also aim to be self-sustaining as there will also be farms. We will have the Fidelius Charm as our basic protection and we currently have three Secret Keepers who will remain unknown.

"One of our main features will be the security centers which all Portkeys and Apparitions to Safe Haven will be directed to. Nobody will be able to enter Safe Haven unless identified and scanned. We're not taking any chances this time; we want to minimize casualties at any cost. The area is complete thanks to the goblin aid we've received. The warding has been kindly provided by them and we've got most of the positions for the Heads of Departments filled. So." Harry turned to his Potions professor and asked, "Master Adept Severus Snape, would you do us the honour of being our Head of Intelligence and Potions Research in our little rebellion?"

The man paused. "That could have disastrous consequences."

"If you continue being a spy." Harry's gaze turned calculating. "And if you agree to help us, we have plans that will hopefully remove the Dark Mark and expose you as a fighting member of our side."

Severus's dark eyes widened at the notion of having the Dark Mark on his left forearm removed and he whispered, "I could be rid of the Mark?"

Harry nodded, reconfirming the possibility. Severus then nodded. "I will. I will agree to anything if I could be rid of the Dar— Vol…Voldemort's influence."

Hermione and Harry smiled at the acerbic man's step and nodded.

"Welcome to Safe Haven, Professor Snape."

Harry grinned as Severus inclined his head in thanks in response to his welcome. Then the beryl-eyed commander looked at his friend.

"Neville, how do you feel being part of the Council?"

The brunet wizard hesitated before voicing his thoughts with a steely tone, "I will do my best to help you bring down Voldemort."

"Thank you, Neville. I knew I could count on you."

The Longbottom heir returned a grin and replied, "Always, Harry, always."

"So, Professor Maxwell." The Defence Professor smirked. "Are you willing to be part of the Council and perhaps aid your mentor in training?"

"First things first, please don't call me Professor unless in class or in the vicinity with other students. I'm not that old; and yes, it'd be a pleasure."

"Great, welcome aboard. Anyways, this is the blueprint of Safe Haven." Hermione started handing out the papers and everyone took a moment to peruse the contents.

"The area is fifty-five square miles or roughly thirty-five thousand acres. As you can see, our Headquarters will be the Center." Harry's wand shot out a magical screen and the teen wizard tapped the dome in the middle of the magnified blueprint.

"It has thirteen floors, three subterranean. It will be where most of our war effort will be planned and meetings will be held. Our prison and interrogation centers will be on Black Island, an Unplottable island only accessible to those given explicit permission by the Black Lord. To the right—" the wand moved, "—there are three hospitals modeled after Saint Mungo's, only bigger and better equipped; and a training center for Healing. Then to the training center's right, there is the Potions Research Center alongside the Herbology Research Center with seven greenhouses and a forest for ingredients and research material. Both research centers have four floors: three above ground and one subterranean to cater to the multi-faceted research.

"Directly below these two research centers are the collection of farms, and then to the farms' left, there is our housing area complete with a Quidditch stadium, various other courts for different sports, libraries, a swimming stadium, an orphanage, daycare, school, shops, and a green field. Our housing plan consists of thirty blocks of fifty-story condominiums, the first forty-nine stories will have four apartments each and the final floor is a penthouse. We will approximately have about fifty-nine hundred apartments available. Safe Haven's maximum capacity is twenty thousand.

"Then, directly above the housing area, there are three high-rise offices catering to the different aspects of Sable Incorporated and our liaisons offices. Above the offices are the remaining three research centers for Special Weaponry and Gadgets, Spells and Wards. These centers are specially warded because of the possible magical backlash, so it's a little distance between these centers and the housing and office areas. Beside these centers are three training stadiums and a training center. This is where our fighting members of the war effort will undergo a vigorous training programme designed and implemented by Alastor Moody and Devon Maxwell.

"Finally, at the far end of the area, there are two security centers. The first security center on the left deals with Portkeys and the second deals with Apparitions. People entering Safe Haven will have to go through genetic and magical identification to prevent Polyjuice imposters. Scattered strategically around the borders of Safe Haven are seven defense towers which will be operating twenty-four seven in the event of war."

Harry then grinned. "Now for the best part: Safe Haven is warded with Goblin wards similar to Gringotts; there will be five keystones placed at the borders of the area and a main keystone in the Center. It is almost impossible to destroy the ward and once you are within the vicinity of the ward, you can Apparate and Portal within and out but you cannot Apparate or Portkey into Safe Haven from outside without a trip to the security centers, as all transport magic into the area will be diverted into the security centers.

"Anyone allied with us will be given refuge; their families will be advised to come with them to Safe Haven. Muggleborns, Half-Bloods, whoever else will swear an Oath will be welcomed."

Nothing was said for a while as they all stared at the blueprint.

"So," Draco broke the silence, "when can we see the place?"

"Probably during the next Hogsmeade weekend; I'll arrange something with Professor Dumbledore. It will also be the first meeting amongst the Heads of Departments," Hermione answered with a smile and then looked at her watch.

"Oh, it's already ten-thirty. Curfew's in half an hour." The professors nodded and left. Before Severus left, the man inclined his head when he caught Harry's eye. The green-eyed youth smiled and returned a nod. Neville and Ginny caught Hermione's subtle little jerk of her head and smiled, leaving the area quickly and leaving Harry and Draco in the Room of Requirement.

Both boys didn't speak for quite a while as they just stared at each other, taking in each other's presence. The pair hadn't really talked for a month like friends ever since the day before the new school term started.

"How have you been lately, Draco?"

The blond's grey eyes softened and he shrugged. "As well as the circumstances allowed."

Harry couldn't take it anymore; he crossed the distance between them in three decisive, long strides and looked into Draco's eyes.

"I can't wait anymore."

Then Harry grabbed Draco's hips and yanked him forward, pulling him right against Harry's body and kissing him; the blond made an embarrassing startled noise and planted his hands against Harry's chest, curling his fingers into the front of Harry's shirt and holding on. The taller brunet slid his tongue slowly across Draco's lips.

Draco thought about drawing away but the glide of Harry's tongue made him forget that. He parted his lips and just barely touched Harry's tongue with his own.

Taking it slow, Harry stroked his tongue over Draco's. Then he deepened the kiss, exploring every inch of Draco's mouth. Draco shuddered and swallowed Harry's moan. The green-eyed teenager's hold on Draco's hips tightened just the slightest bit. Draco's thoughts, which had been wildly out of control, calmed with the gentleness Harry showed him. Harry ended the kiss and smiled.

"I want to be with you, what do you say?"

Slipping an arm around Draco's waist, Harry pulled him close. "And I find myself wanting another kiss." Draco had a hard time meeting the other young man's gaze. He'd never expected that someone he'd dreamed about having would be staring at him. And certainly he never thought he'd see anything vaguely resembling any kind of sincere interest. It brought an odd, tingly sensation in the pit of his stomach, warming him. Hesitantly, he raised his face to the other boy's and brushed his lips against Harry's. Harry's hold on him tightened and the teen wizard's tongue slipped inside.

A soft groan accompanied the kiss, though Draco was no longer sure which of them had made it. Harry's other hand slid up Draco's spine and finally through his flaxen hair, holding his head.

Draco let Harry lead him in this and the kiss tingled all the way through him. The feel of the solid body against his played havoc with his senses. As he felt Harry's cock pressing into him, he responded as well, his own hardening. Things were very quickly moving out of his control.

With a low groan, Harry broke the kiss. "Whatever happens, we'll go as slow as you want. If you do want to continue, then tell me."

Draco bit his lower lip and then nodded, silver eyes molten and half-hooded with desire. Harry groaned and said, "You'll be the death of me."

The Boy-Who-Lived grabbed the blond's hand and brought him to the king-size bed with black silk sheets that appeared just now. Draco looked at the bed and then returned his heated gaze to smoldering green eyes. Harry let out an uncharacteristic growl and Draco felt arousal surge through his body once more. The taller brunet led the blond to the bed and then starting devouring the Slytherin.

Draco moaned at the feel of Harry's hard body against his as his hands slid up to broad shoulders. He was surrounded by Harry, wrapped in Harry's arms, against Harry's firm chest, with Harry's tongue sleek and erotic in his mouth, Harry's hands roaming his back and cupping his ass, Harry's cock hard against his own thickening erection, Harry's soft, low moans in his ears.

He'd never heard Harry moan before. The sound of Harry in pleasure sent heat rushing through Draco's veins, and he ground his hips against Harry, getting some electrifying cock-to-cock friction that made his skin hot. All thoughts of going slow flew out of the window. The throbbing of his cock and the fire in his body made Draco greedy, and he yanked, pulling Harry over himself as he fell back onto the bed.

Making a sound like an aroused growl, Harry fastened his mouth to Draco's neck, sucking feverishly as his hands began to burrow under Draco's clothes. Draco worked a hand between their bodies, finding the thick length of Harry's cock through his jeans. It was so hard that he moaned, and Harry groaned in response, shoving up his shirt to kiss his chest, one thumb rubbing roughly over his nipple.

"Yes, oh, Merlin…" Draco groaned, rubbing Harry's hard-on, trying to contain the aching in his own cock. Harry was on him, all over him, and he couldn't worry about Harry finding out about his obsession, he couldn't worry about blurting out the wrong thing; all he could do was experience everything that Harry was giving, and try to get more.

Cursing impatiently, Harry lifted off of Draco just long enough to unfasten his fly, tossing his shirt aside and shimmying out of his jeans with careless alacrity, returning his attention to Draco immediately like he was diving back into the pool. His kiss was demanding, and as their tongues loved and fought, Draco's hands slid over the firm, trained muscle of Harry's body. His skin was smooth, hairless, and if he'd been wearing any underwear, Draco hadn't seen it.

"Holy…fuck…" Draco groaned, squeezing his eyes shut and digging his fingers into the muscle of Harry's back as Harry's hand covered his cock, bringing him to unbearable fullness in the restriction of his jeans. Aching, needing, panting, Draco pushed Harry's hand away and jerked open his fly himself, shoving down his jeans and underwear and grasping Harry's hand, wrapping it around his cock. "Oh…yeah, yes, yes, yeah, god, yeah…"

Moaning, gasping, Draco cupped the muscular curves of Harry's ass in both hands as Harry pumped his cock. "Do it…yeah, yes, oh…" Harry's grip was tight and experienced, the rhythm of it a shade too quick, and Draco could feel the urgency of it pushing up through his spine, burning through his blood, tightening his balls. "Oh, yes, yes, Harry, god, fuck me…" That caused the beryl-eyed teen to pause and look at Draco with serious, heated eyes.

"Are you sure, Draco? We can do this another time; we don't have to go all the way."

The Slytherin rolled his eyes and sighed, "Didn't you hear me just now? Fuck me? Don't go all Gryffindor on me now."

Green eyes then glittered and Harry smirked. "Alright then."

Draco shivered at the intense, sexy look. Harry proceeded to kiss his way down and, licking his lips, stroked Draco's hips. When the head of Draco's erection rubbed over his lower lip, Harry kissed it, licking around it, making soft hungry sounds, his own cock aching as Draco groaned and said, "Harry," like it hurt. Caressing Draco's long thighs, the trembling muscles, he sucked gently on Draco's cock, making wet noises, making Draco moan, licking from the head all the way to his fingers at the base. "Oh, Merlin, yes, yes, Harry, please," Draco groaned, and Harry cupped Draco's balls, moaning and sucking harder, letting Draco's hips rock just a little in a gentle, shallow, urgent fucking motion.

When those groans became a bit too heartfelt and there was an edge of desperation in, "Oh, Harry, yes," Harry pushed him back up, rolling over and crawling back up the bed, rubbing against him, grinding cock to cock, groaning at the heat of Draco's body all up his back.

"Mmm, yes, oh." Groaning, Harry flipped Draco over and rocked against the blond's ass, kissing the back of his neck, and oh, yeah, he wanted that, he needed it. Cursing, the lithe blond spread his thighs, pushing back against Harry's erection, moaning at the hard length of it, the thickness of it, wanting it inside, wanting it now. "I need you now."

Harry groaned, "Fuck." He felt his underwear being pulled down, peeled down, and the emerald-eyed teen was groaning, louder and louder, and Harry was stroking his would-be lover's ass, stroking the cleft, caressing him, teasing him. "Draco, god…"

Hot from his own passion, responsive to Harry's, Draco rolled onto his back, lifting his legs and kissing Harry, kissing passionately, moaning helplessly as lean, slick fingers pushed into his body. Groaning, writhing, Draco dug his fingers into Harry's back, making desperate, urgent noises, burning with need, aching from the fullness of his cock. He just wanted to come, just wanted to be fucked, just wanted Harry. "That's it, yeah, that's it, oh, god, Draco, yeah, yes, yes, god," and Harry was in, pushing, stretching, thrusting deep and then deeper, fucking him and pounding him like there was no tomorrow.

Twisting under him, Draco gripped his lover's shoulders, moaning, burning hotter, hotter. "Harder, oh, yes, yes, harder." Harry, it felt so good, it felt so good and Draco was filled with it, he was exploding from it, he was going up in flames, each pounding thrust was only fuel on the fire, "yes, ah, Harry," he felt Harry's hand on his cock and that was it; climax came like a fireball, scorching him, and he was coming, groaning, gasping, coming, shaking and squeezing.

"Oh God, Draco, yessss," and Harry's hips slammed forward, cock driving deep into Draco's still-shuddering body. The Slytherin cried out, overwhelmed, as Harry came, as Harry shook and called his name, face flushed, and lips parted, eyes bright. The pair slumped and Harry wandlessly spelled the drying cum from their bodies and sheets.

"Wow. That was…" the Gryffindor started and Draco chuckled tiredly.

"Amazing." The blond then reached over and initiated a slow, languid kiss. Harry smiled into the kiss and then when they broke the connection, the brunet asked once more softly, eyes burning with emotion.

"Stay with me?"

Harry's eyes softened and his fingers caressed down Draco's cheek. The blond raised his hand, tracing the line of Harry's cheekbone and whispered.

"There's no real reason not to."

The green-eyed Gryffindor grinned at him, eyes shining. Draco couldn't help it; he grinned back. Harry's kiss was slow, devouring as he entwined his right hand's fingers with his lover's.

The Slytherin smiled inwardly during the kiss and made a mental note to splurge on Pansy's Christmas present.

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After leaving the Room of Requirement, Ginny slipped away quietly into the darker recesses of Hogwarts that she became familiar with through her connection with Tom. She quickly made her way to the abandoned bathroom.

Myrtle floated over and Ginny sent the ghost a smile; the ghost returned the smile and giggled before floating away. The Weasley had been here a few times and Myrtle had long gotten used to the girl showing up once in a while.

§ Open. §

The tap glowed with a brilliant white light and began to spin. Next second, the sink began to move; the sink, in fact, sank, right out of sight, leaving a large pipe exposed, a pipe wide enough for a man to slide into. It was like rushing down an endless, slimy, dark hole. She could see more pipes branching off in all directions, but none as large as theirs, which twisted and turned, sloping steeply downward, and he knew that she was falling deeper below the school that even the dungeons and then the pipe leveled out, and she shot out of the end, not before casting a Cushioning Charm and landing comfortably on the damp floor of a dark stone tunnel large enough to stand in.

Ginny stood up and brushed her robes.

You've got to find a better way to get here; it's disgusting, Ginny grimaced and Tom replied, Well I'll have to find you a time-turner and after you've turned that damn thing about seventeen and a half million times, we'll go persuade Salazar Slytherin to build his entrance somewhere else, somewhere cleaner and more conspicuous. How does that sound, Princess?

Ginny rolled her eyes but conceded, Fine, I see your point.

The tunnel was quiet as the grave, and the first unexpected sound they heard was a loud crunch as Ginny stepped on what turned out to be a rat's skull. The light slid over a snake, of a vivid, poisonous green, lying curled across the tunnel floor. It was rotting; Ginny cast a Bubble-Head Charm at the nauseating smell.

It's still here? Someone has got to clean this place up.

The Weasley girl felt waves of agreement.

Maybe we'll get Severus to harvest the Basilisk; it's going to be a fortune. The tunnel turned and turned again...He wanted the tunnel to end, yet dreaded what he'd find when it did. And then, at last, as she crept around yet another end, she saw a solid wall ahead on which two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds.

§ Open. §

The serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves sliding smoothly out of sight, and Ginny walked inside.

She was standing at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows. Ginny shivered at the memories the place triggered and Tom's voice, filled with remorse, rang out.

I'm sorry.

Ginny narrowed her eyes. Don't apologize, it's not your fault.

As she drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall; it was ancient and monkey-ish, with a long, thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, where two enormous gray feet stood on the smooth Chamber floor.

Nice statue, egotistic much?

Tom chuckled and then the sight of an unconscious, bound man came into view.

Alright, playtime. Ginny could feel Tom's approval and she Ginny smirked, shooting an "Enervate" and the man's eyes fluttered opened.

"Hello, Rudolphus."

The Death Eater took a double take when he realised who was talking to him.

"Where am I? Let me go, you brainless chit! The Dark Lord will know where I am through the Mark!"

"Tut tut, way to talk to your captor. Didn't your precious Dark Lord teach you proper manners? And we've Warded the damn ugly mark so you're cut off from the idiot. Why didn't Voldemort consult a graphic designer or an artist before issuing these repulsive tattoos?"

The Lestrange gritted his teeth and struggled against his magical bonds; Ginny merely smirked again and twirled her wand mockingly before the Death Eater's face.

Let's get this over with, I don't want to be caught being out of curfew; McGonagall will skin me alive if she heard.

Fine, Tom sighed, but Ginny could feel the amusement pouring out of the soul fragment within her, we wouldn't want to keep the good student out of bed too long, would we?

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we? We've got a schedule to keep; I'm still in school after all. Tell me everything you know about Voldemort."

"No."

Ginny rolled her eyes and sighed, "Must we do things the hard way?"

The defiant glint in the man's eyes made the girl roll hers again and she took out a vial filled with clear liquid. Rudolphus's eyes followed every single movement the Gryffindor girl made. Ginny uncorked the vial and returned her attention to the captured Death Eater.

"So, are you willing to take the Veritaserum?" Ginny asked calmly. The Lestrange shook his head; Rudolphus Lestrange knew his rights well enough to know that it was within his rights to refuse.

"I refuse." He smirked, thinking that he had won. Then the Weasley raised an auburn eyebrow and turned around to walk to the room that was connected to the interrogation room. Rudolphus smugly called after her.

"Come back only when you are sure to get the truth out of me." The girl stopped and turned her head.

"Don't worry, I will." Rudolphus grew slightly angry.

"Are you threatening me?"

"No, I am giving you a promise," she replied coolly and disappeared into the darkness of the next room; the captured Death Eater felt a shiver of fear run down his spine but being the proud Pureblooded wizard, he ignored the instinctive reaction to something dangerous and soothed himself by telling himself that the pretty redhead was just a fifteen-year-old girl who would quiver at the sight of blood.

The stupidity of male chauvinistic pigs is something that often leads men into trouble and this time, it applied suitably to the situation. Sad but true.

Well, this time, I've got to agree with you, Tom's amused voiced rang out in her head and Ginny smirked. The Lestrange's eyes were suddenly infused with apprehension.

A few minutes later, Ginny returned with a tray that held an assortment of equipment, most noticeable one was a hypodermic needle that gleamed menacingly in the dim light. Rudolphus gulped and started sweating; obviously the petite girl knew what she was doing.

"This is pure Veritaserum and if I injected this small amount into your bloodstream, it's so potent that it'll burn a path down your veins. It's not going to be very pleasant since I don't think getting burned from inside out is going to be very comfortable. So, three drops or this?"

Ginny took the needle and pushed the plunger a little, causing a clear solution to ejaculate from the needle.

How long do you think it'll take him to yield? Tom's voice caused Ginny to pause and then she replied.

Ten seconds?

Yes, that sounds just about right.

The girl then smirked sinisterly and moved the hypodermic needle closer to the man's arm. She didn't need to wait long before the man cracked pathetically.

"ALRIGHT! I'll tell, I'll tell!"

Ginny decreased the needle's proximity from the man and the fifteen-year-old girl's eyes glittered with satisfaction and she smiled darkly.

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it? You could have saved yourself all the worry—" Ginny looked down with distaste, "—and a pair of pants."

In his terror, the Death Eater had wet his pants. The girl sighed again, waved away the mess and started interrogating her captive. Harry had better appreciate what she was doing and he'd also better get her a damn good Christmas present.

A chateau in France sounded pretty good.

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Coming Up Next: A Hope Renewed

I hope you guys liked the scene, lol. Took them long enough! See you in the next chapter!

Go Vote on my poll! Summaries are on my bio.

Cheers,
Lex.