A Place to Call Home
Blood Donors...As in Two
Disclaimer: On the new book that just came out, did anyone see my name anywhere on it…no, didn't think so.
A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, I'm really surprised at the positive response I've got for this story. I hope this one is up to everyone's standards. Also, I'd like to take this chance and plug my two newest fics, Harry Potter: Boy Tennis Star and Switched: Chance or Destiny. They're AUs, but I really like the way they're turning out. I'd love if I could get some more criticism and comments on them. Finally, if there are any questions, comments, or criticisms: please review!
"Why can't I eat dinner?"
"Because you'll throw up."
"Yeah well, if he's going to be sucking my blood, then why can't we give him a surprise of his own?"
"Because he's your teacher, has us for a loop, and hmm…what else, oh yes, HE COULD KILL YOU, HARRY!"
"For throwing up?" Harry said, incredulously.
"No, not for that," Draco muttered, clenching his fists, "but you'd be stuck cleaning his robes"-Harry wrinkled his nose-"and he'd probably think something was up. We don't want him to be suspicious."
Harry cocked his head thoughtfully to the side, "Won't not doing anything make him even more suspicious?"
"More like paranoid." Draco said grimly.
"At this point what's the difference?" Harry sighed.
"Harry," Draco said pleasantly. "I'm afraid that if you don't shut up, I'll have to lock you in your dormitories until it's time to execute our plan."
Harry pouted, "What plan? We're basically going to give Snape-"
"Shut it." Draco snapped as a student walked by them, looking curiously at the odd pair.
"Draco…how is it even possible to be a blood donor to more than one person?" Harry asked.
Draco sighed and led Harry into his rooms, "I have a class soon, so you'll have to stay here meanwhile. Right now, though, I'll try to answer any questions you might have."-Draco sat Harry down on a couch-"It is possible for a blood donor to have multiple drinkers. In fact, that's what many vampires who are on Voldemort's side do. They pick an unfortunate wizard and take turns sucking blood out of him until he dies."
Harry's eyes widened, and he clapped his hand over his neck, worriedly.
"Don't worry," Draco said reassuringly, "I won't that happen to you. Remember, our plan will prevent that."
"Right," Harry said, shakily, "So this is going to be exactly like when you bit me?"
"Exactly," Draco said, taking out a book and flipping it open to a marked page, "but since you'll be giving blood to both me and Snape it'll be a lot more stress on you…but at least I won't have to worry about catching you out of your bed at night."
"Very funny." Harry cocked his head and looked at the page closely, "What's a bloodstone?"
"An ingredient for the potion, as well as dried marigold seeds, a strand of unicorn tail, mistletoe, a bezoar, melted chocolate, and dried reeds."
Harry blinked at him. "That…is the weirdest list of ingredients I've ever seen."
Draco buried his face in his arms for a minute in silent laughter. "You wouldn't just throw the potions into the cauldron haphazardly, Harry. Each ingredient is special. Take the bezoar, for instance, it's an antidote to most poisons, but when it reacts with the unicorn tail hair and the mistletoe, which is poisonous, then the bezoar can wreak havoc in the body when liquefied and swallowed. That's what we'll be doing with this potion."
"But won't it kill me then?" Harry asked, tapping the page.
"No, that's what the rest of the ingredients are for. Adding the melted chocolate and the juices of the crushed marigold seeds will give you immunity to the disease. The reeds will then allow me to control the parameters of the curse within the poison, but look at this, if you infuse the unicorn tail with the mistletoe first and then add the bezoar, the effectiveness of the bezoar against most poisons is increased. What's amazing about this potion is that the same ingredients make up the cure as well as the poison."
Harry whistled under his breath. "So with the same ingredients added in a different order I could make the cure?"
Draco nodded. "Yes, but it isn't it my book, or any other book I've read. The cure must have been lost centuries ago."
"And what about the bloodstone?" Harry asked softly.
Draco smiled tiredly. "They're very rare. Legend has it that when a vampire dies, he leaves behind a stone infused with his blood and magical abilities. The stones, themselves act as channels opening up greater streams of power in a body. People use them when performing great feats of magic. The bloodstone I use will be what I set the parameters of the curse with. If someone sets the curse off, the stone should turn pure white and cold. That'll be your indicator that something's wrong."
"Where are you going to get a bloodstone?"
"My father." Draco said dismissively.
"Oh…" Harry paused and then said shyly, "Thanks, you know…for giving it to me."
"It was my fathers. I don't particularly want it…but no using it to make your life earlier in Transfiguration, got it?" Draco quipped.
Harry laughed. "Oh yes, like taking out a huge bloody rock and holding it to my chest, praying for it to 'open my channels of power' won't make Mcgonagall suspicious."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Seriously Harry, bloodstones are very strong and they can give you a lot of power, but the price may be too much to pay. You're going to be a powerful wizard when you grow up. Your magical reserves will expand and open a lot as you get older, but opening them too quickly, especially now, at such a young age, could cause your magic to overrun your system and be potentially fatal. Promise me that you'll only use the bloodstone if you're in life-threatening danger."
"Alright." Harry agreed thoughtfully, then, abruptly, he changed the subject, "When are we going to start?" he asked sweetly.
"In an hour or so. I have to start gathering some other materials soon, though." Draco answered distractedly, leafing through another old book.
So you won't need me for at least an hour?" Harry asked innocently.
"Right. Go take a nap or something. You'll need your rest for later."
"Sure," Harry starting edging towards the door, "I'll go rest in my dorms."
Draco looked up, suddenly suspicious, "Why don't you rest here?"
"No!" Harry yelped, "I'll just disturb you. I really should go to my dorms. Blaise is probably looking for me; I was supposed to meet him for lunch, and I've already missed most of my afternoon classes, so-"
"You aren't to tell Ron or Hermione about this." Draco stated, walked over and picking Harry up.
Harry struggled in his arms, "I've got to! I never hide anything from them; I can't start now! Besides, you can't really expect me to keep my mouth shut after everything you just told me, can you?"
"Sorry Harry," Draco said, maneuvering him onto his bed, "You can't tell them this."
Harry jerked upwards, standing on the bed, "I told them about you!"
"That was different." Draco said calmly, pushing Harry down on the comforter.
"How?" Harry argued.
"They saw it happen and Dumbledore wouldn't let me Obliviate them."
Harry scowled, "You really would have erased their memories?"
Draco shrugged, nonplused, "What happens between a vampire and his blood donor is very private. No one else needs to be privy to it."
"Well, it's not as if we sell tickets!" Harry shouted.
"Shhh," Draco said, stroking his hair, "Just relax. I know this is upsetting, but you can't tell Ron or Hermione."
"Why not?" Harry whined, shaking the calming hand out of his hair.
"Because," Draco sighed, "Snape might hurt them if he finds out that they know. If this whole thing blows up in our face, then I'm going to be looking out for you, not them. They could get caught in the crossfire and be badly hurt."
"But-"
"Harry," Draco ordered, "I can't argue with you about this any longer. I don't have the time or the energy; right now, I have to concentrate on saving you. I forbid you to tell them."
Watching Harry's face change, Draco cringed. That definitely wasn't the best choice of words.
"You," Harry said dangerously, "have no right to tell me what to do. If I want to tell Hermione and Ron, then I will."
Harry turned and struggling out of Draco's entrapping arms, stalked towards the door.
Draco sighed regretfully. "Harry, come on, don't make me keep you here."
Harry turned towards him coldly, "You wouldn't dare."
Draco suddenly appeared before him and threw him over his shoulder, marching into the bedroom. "What have I told you about daring me?"
Harry kicked him hard on the shoulder and beat his back with his fists, but Draco ignored it, walking over to his cupboard and taking out a bottle. Closing the door to his bedroom, he locked it and placed Harry on the bed, standing in front of him impassively.
"Take it." Draco demanded, holding the dreamless sleeping potion in front of Harry, "Now, Harry."
"No!" Harry snapped, pursing his mouth.
Draco made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat and gestured inarticulately. Lunging forward, he pried Harry's mouth open, forcing the potion down his throat. Harry coughed and sputtered, but in several minutes a scratched and bitten, not to mention spit on, kicked, and punched, Draco Malfoy was standing triumphantly over Harry's sleeping form.
This never happened when I went to Hogwarts, he thought ruefully, fingering the torn hem of his robe. Then, he went back to work.
It was over two hours later that Draco came to stand next to Harry's sleeping form again, this time carrying a slightly steaming goblet. "Harry," he whispered, "Harry, come on it's time to get up."
With a well placed, "Enervate" Harry awakened slowly, taking in his surrounding, including the goblet in Draco's hands and the darkening sky barely seen through the window.
"I. Hate. You." Harry said slowly, clearly pronouncing each word, making sure the venom in his voice was clear.
Draco glanced at the dark sky; they didn't have much time. "Hate me later, and take the potion now." Draco pleaded, knowing that there was nothing to truly be worried about; it was when Harry was quiet that you had to worry.
Harry backed away as Draco held the cup up. He was nervous, Draco realized.
"I know you've told me, but tell me again, how does this work?" Harry asked, semi-forgetting his anger in the urgency of the moment.
"This is a poison, it'll run through your blood forever once you drink it. It won't hurt you, because of the chocolate and marigold, but if someone else tastes your blood, they'll have a quick, but rather painful death."
"And what prevents you from undergoing this quick but rather painful death?" Harry asked apprehensively.
"The parameters of the curse." Draco answered smoothly, "I've set them, and if anyone crosses them, the bloodstone will turn white and cold."
Harry sighed. "What are the parameters?"
"Well we can't make Snape suspicious right now. Remember this is a preventive measure, not an offensive one, so if anyone takes more than two pints of blood out, the poison will start to take effect and kill them." Draco answered promptly, "Now take the-"
"Draco." From outside the closed bedroom doors, Harry and Draco heard the picture-door open and Snape enter, calling Draco's name.
"Take it." Draco hissed, heading towards the door, "Oh…"-Draco fumbled with something in his pocket-"and remember to put this on." Draco tossed him something wrapped in cloth and left, robes swishing, shutting the door behind him.
Harry looked at the goblet Draco had placed on the bedside table. It was still smoking, but hearing voices coming nearer and nearer, Harry hastily swallowed the potion, shuddering at its taste (you'd think something with chocolate in it couldn't taste that bad, but alas…no one had thought of the horrors that potion-makers can come with.). Still struggling not to make a face, Harry shakily unwrapped the bloodstone, gasping silently at its beauty.
It was a pure red, with sharp shots of an even darker red highlighting it like lightening strikes. Harry ran his hands over it; as smooth as an oval egg, it fit snugly in his child fingers. His eyes followed a leather string attached to it, down until he saw the loop it made at the end. Getting the idea, he quickly slipped the stone over his head and his it under his robe. It beat warmly against his inner shirt, but Harry barely had time to marvel at it as Snape whirled into the room.
Harry stood still as Snape stalked closer to him and surveyed his untidy hair and mussed clothes with clinical indifference. "He's small." Snape remarked idly, "How can you even find enough blood for one?"
"If you're careful," Draco stated tensely, entering the room after Snape and drawing Harry nearer, "Then there's more than enough, but if you act like one of those idiotic vampires our Lord likes to keep around, then you'll have better luck with the pigs in the forest."
Snape laughed oily. "Oh Draco, and here I thought your father was one of those idiots. He killed your mother on a 'feeding frenzy' didn't he? He only salvaged your life when he realized that you were his only heir."
Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise and Draco stiffened, his torso rigid against Harry's back. "Fuck off." Draco snarled.
"Language in front of the wizards, Draco." Snape mocked, "But don't worry, I can be discreet. Careful? …I can try." Snape eyed the two small closed puncture holes just above Harry's undone collar, "Come here boy." he commanded imperiously.
Haltingly, Harry left the relative safety of Draco's encompassing arms to cross the distance between Snape and himself. He stopped at least five feet away, unwilling to go any closer.
"Come closer," Snape said irritably, "I'm not a frog. We have to be in reach of each other for this to happen, or did you forget how this worked between lunchtime and now?"
Harry moved closer, taking small minuscule steps in Snape's direction until Snape unceremoniously pulled Harry right up against him. Harry stumbled backwards in disgust, but at Snape's warning growl, he obediently tilted his head backwards, closing his eyes and preparing for the worst.
Behind him, Harry could almost hear Draco snarled, and guessed that Snape was heading in for the kill (figuratively, not literally…at least hopefully not.). Harry braced himself, trying to let himself relax. He was just going to have to trust Draco's plan. As a reminder, the bloodstone beat warmly against Harry's chest; comforting and supporting him, the way Harry knew Draco would if he were allowed to. That thought gave him solace as suddenly, shockingly, Snape bit down and Harry's entire world burst into pain.
This was nothing like when Draco bit him. Draco was nice and gentle, but this was…wasn't. It hurt and throbbed and made Harry want to scream, because he was being shattered into a thousand small pieces and Draco wasn't stopping Snape. He wasn't stopping Snape. He was standing there while Harry was torn into halves and then thirds and fourths and fifths and into smaller and smaller pieces until what was left didn't even matter and it hurt so much, Harry couldn't even think anymore, because-
Ithurithurtithurtithurtithurtithurtithurtithurtithurt…
And then, amid the swirling colors, Harry saw black.
To Be Continued…