Well here is the next chapter; at least it's not June! Just to clear it up: no one has asked but I'll explain anyway. In chapter 7 (and others) I say Rose is the older Twin, in chapter 9 and 10 Ryder is the eldest. Technically, Rose is considered older to those who know Ryder was adopted because she was a Lestrange first. But Ryder was born one minute before her to the Potter's, which makes him older. Get it?

Words: 6,143

Chapter 10

Coming Clean

Neville Longbottom and Viktor Krum had fallen through the floo together. Well, to be fair, Neville fell through the floo; Viktor just got fallen on. Blushing crimson red, Neville picked himself up and offered Ryder's Father – who was standing in the doorway – a small smile. Viktor gave a deep laugh and assured the other boy it was ok.

Of course, Draco chose that moment to floo through as well. And considering, neither of the other two boys had yet to move from the fireplace, the blond teenager landed on top of the other two. With a scowl, Draco stood and brushed down his robes. He shot a glare at Neville. "What are you doing here?" He sneered, one eyebrow raised.

"I- well, um- Ryder asked me to come?" Draco rolled his eyes. Neville Longbottom was not a person to stand up against adversity, but rather to roll over and beg to be walked all over. Draco honestly didn't know anyone more pathetic.

"Viktor, how nice to see you again! I didn't know you were coming!" Draco grinned and shook hands with the elder Bulgarian boy.

"I vas not planning to, but then, vell you understand how long it has been since I spoke to Ryder." His accent was very heavy when he spoke English; surprisingly he could speak French and sound like a Frenchman. Ryder couldn't understand how his friend found English harder than French.

"I've never been to Ryder's house, what if I get lost?" Neville said meeting Viktor's eyes, but turned his face away embarrassed when Draco shot him a condescending glare.

Viktor patted his shoulder lightly, "we vill show you, vhen the others get here. It is easy to get lost." Neville smiled shyly and nodded.

The three of them were out of the fireplace now, and Atticus had left the room to inform Ryder to get himself ready. The fireplace flared to life once again, and Blaise Zabini stepped through with a grin that split his face in half.

"Oh Merlin, did you hear?" He practically screeched. "Harry Potter was voted the sexiest Wizard alive or dead! I wonder if he's gay?"

"You aren't gay!" Draco pointed out, rather annoyed with his friend. He was also sulking because Blaise hadn't yet told him where Draco ranked, or Ryder either.

"So? He could wear women's clothing." That was always Blaise's answer. Draco had come to the conclusion that Blaise wasn't attracted to males or females; he was attracted to Harry Potter. Did that make him Harrysexual then?

Draco rolled his eyes, and nearly danced with relief when the fireplace flared green again, distracting Blaise from his 'Harry-talk'; not that Draco was completely innocent of the same crime. Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe nodded to everybody in the room and as one, the unit turned to face Draco. The blond smirked, and proudly led them to his fiancé's bedroom. He fiddled with the engagement ring on his finger as he walked.

XXX

There was a knock at the door. Ryder brushed down his robes and turned the handle, slowly. "Hey guys," he smiled nervously as he noticed his friends gathered outside.

"Ryder," Draco called as he rushed passed the threshold to hug his love. "I missed you." They hadn't seen each other since Ryder forced Voldemort to remove Draco's Mark. It wasn't very long ago, to be fair, but it felt like forever to someone who was in love.

"I missed you too." Ryder smiled down at Draco fondly, and ran a hand through the blond hair. "Come in, sit down everyone. This will take some time."

Ryder's room was blue. In fact it was the same room he had when he first went to live at Lestrange Manor; with the connecting door to Rose's room which was pink. His parents had hired interior-Wizards (which were like interior-designers, but Wizards) to remodel both rooms, when the children decided they were too old for cots and unicorn paintings. Although, it is debateable whether Rose was ever young enough.

The walls were plain blue now, but in different shades of blue. The bottom started out very dark, almost black, and in stripes the shade became lighter the whole way up the wall until it was so pale at the top it practically blended into the white ceiling. Rose's room was the same, but with shades of pink, not blue.

Vince and Greg slumped down into twin blue beanbag cushions Ryder had shoved beside the door. Blaise happily occupied the black desk chair, and kicked his feet up onto the desk with his arms crossed behind his head. Neville looked around for another chair, and didn't see one. He was afraid to ask for one, and didn't even wish to embarrass himself by attempting to conjure one, so he just sat down on the floor – right in the centre of the fluffy blue rug at the end of Ryder's bed. Draco curled up on the bed, his head resting against the headboard. And Viktor stood at the side of the room, his arms crossed as he leant back against the wall.

Ryder kept pacing for a few minutes. He didn't know how to say this. He didn't know how to form the right words in the right order, to make the right sentences.

Nothing that crossed his mind was a good enough explanation!

He toyed with the idea of telling Draco first. But then realized Draco would probably leave, or fight with him. And having others in the room might protect him – for a short time.

He had to tell them. With the exception of Viktor and Neville none of his friends had a clue who he really was. Blaise couldn't be too mad; Harry Potter and Blaise had pretty much avoided each other through out their 6 years of Hogwarts, excluding the Slug Club meetings. Blaise had nothing – no teasing, no fights, no hatred – to forgive Ryder for.

Greg and Vince were usually only involved in the fight because of Draco. If Draco hadn't spent so much time trying to get back at Harry, Ryder wouldn't be in the middle of a dilemma. If Greg and Vince didn't forgive him, he'd get over it he supposed. They were good friends, but they weren't his only friends. If push came to shove, he knew they would take Draco's side anyway, and if need be he could always bare the Gryffindor's until Draco forgave him.

Of course, the question was… would Draco ever forgive him?

Draco Malfoy who loved Ryder and fancied the pants off of Harry, even though he denied it. Draco Malfoy who simultaneously hated Harry Potter. Draco Malfoy who was about to find out Harry was Ryder.

Ryder ran a hand through his hair, and took a deep breath. "Don't ask questions, or say anything until I'm finished." He ordered and everyone nodded.

Draco held his arms out and raised an eyebrow. "Sit with me?" He asked, leaning further back against the headboard.

Ryder frowned; he was so very tempted to. He wanted nothing more than to go over and hug Draco till the boy turned blue in the face, and never let go. But, Ryder knew, if he held Draco, he really wouldn't be able to let him go and he wouldn't be able to tell them what he needed to. He had to tell them. "Not right now, love." He said and kept pacing.

Deep breath, he told himself.

"Harry Potter died when he was fifteen months old." Ryder started. Before anyone could cry out or deny the statement, he kept speaking. "When he was fifteen months old, Voldemort came to his house and killed his parents. When Voldemort tried to kill him, a very special girl jumped out in front of him, and saved him from Voldemort. Then Dumbledore came and took Harry Potter away. Harry was left with abusive Muggles. Luckily, the girl came back and took Harry Potter away. She placed spells around the Muggles' home so to anyone looking, it would look like Harry lived there.

"Harry was taken to the girl's home. The girl's Father and Mother preformed the Blood Oath Ceremony on Harry. Harry Potter died." He paused.

Looking around the room, he was surprised to note the thoughtful look on Blaise's face. Blaise was a typical airhead; he only seemed to care about girls – or boy's named Harry – and clothes. At the moment, he seemed to be the only one adding up the pieces. Draco was staring at him with a pout, willing Ryder to sit with him on the bed. Greg and Vince were nodding along as Ryder spoke, but it didn't seem to be sinking in. Neville had moved to lie down on the mat, instead of sit, and was tracing patterns in the fluff with his finger. Neville probably didn't know what a Blood Oath Ceremony was. Viktor knew all of this already.

"A Blood Oath Ceremony involves the blood sacrifice of an 'innocent'. The girl's family used a Muggle woman. Blood was taken from all three family members and from Harry, and used to paint runes on the woman's skin. The Father said the incantation to relevant gods and killed the woman. Harry died and from the ashes – so to speak – rose another."

He opened his mouth to finish the sentence but Blaise beat him to it. "It's you isn't it? The person who's been pretending to be Potter?"

"I am Harry Potter, or I was anyway." Ryder gave the brunette a slight smile.

"Why?" Greg asked. Worriedly, Ryder noticed that Draco still hadn't reacted.

"I was supposed to be abused, so that when I came to this world, I would throw myself at Dumbledore and be eternally grateful that he saved me from the Muggles. Violet Hammond can't have any more children. Rose was the little girl by the way – and when Rose wanted a sibling, they chose me. Rose is Ravenclaw's Heir and she's a Seer. She knew the Potter's would die, and she chose to save me and make me her Brother."

"Why pretend to be Potter?" Vince asked with a frown.

"Dumbledore would have had Atticus arrested if he had known. It was entirely legal in the Muggle world; the Muggle's signed the adoption forms. My magical guardian is in Azkaban so his hold on me is default. Dumbledore had no say. But he would have done something anyway. Rose is special." He paused unsure of what to say. He turned to look at Viktor.

"Tell them, Ryder, you can trust them." Draco turned to look at Viktor, his eyes narrowed.

"Rose is not only Ravenclaw's Heir. She is Rowena's Host." Everyone but Viktor and Ryder drew in breath at the statement.

"Are you joking?" Blaise almost screamed, tumbling off the desk chair.

"WHAT?" Greg and Vince cried simultaneously.

Neville sat up and looked around wildly, "what's a Host?" Ryder could have slapped himself.

Again, Draco didn't really react. "Rose is a split-personality. Half of the time, when her eyes are green, she's Rose Hammond. When her eyes are blue, she's Rowena Ravenclaw: my guardian angel. The Dumbledore line have been involved with the Host legend since it began. Emmanuel Dumbledore was in love with Rowena, and when she married Salazar Slytherin, he began telling people that Salazar was Dark.

"People believed him because he was the equivalent of Minister for Magic at the time. His Father, Kerrigor, was responsible for Muggleborns: they were the by-product of a magical experiment gone wrong."

"Which explains why Salazar hated them," Neville snorted.

"Yes, exactly. Anyway, when Salazar and Rowena left Hogwarts, Dumbledore gathered an army and headed off to kill the Dark Wizard. Rowena and her Daughter Robin Sears weren't there. The eldest child, Severus I, was tied to a tree while Salazar was beaten to death. Then, they burnt Severus alive. Rowena wasn't in time to save either of them. She took Robin and fled."

He ran a hand through his hair. His friends were hanging off his every word. It was times like this that Ryder wondered why all of his History lessons were about Goblins.

"Salazar had a child with Morgana's Daughter Morgan, before he married Rowena. Rowena kidnapped that child, a Son, and Obliviated him. He was older than Severus I but she made him forget that. She also gave him a Potion to de-age him. When he was the same age as Severus I, she gave him all her Son's memories and named him Severus II. No one but her family knew he wasn't her real Son.

"Voldemort is descended from that line, not the Ravenclaw line. Rose is the Heir of Ravenclaw and her Great-Grandmother married Hufflepuff's Heir. She is also an Heir of Slytherin. So am I, because of the Blood Oath Ceremony." He swallowed nervously.

"And Gryffindor!" Neville crowed. "Potter's are Gryffindor Heirs!" Ryder smiled and nodded.

"Well that is something I didn't know." He laughed, "Hosts are, for a better word, experimented on. Dumbledore has made it his life's goal to stop Salazar and Rowena ever being together again. They were reincarnated in their offspring, but never at the same time. Technically, Amanda Hammond should have been the Host but Dumbledore interfered and Salazar's mate wasn't born at the right time. She was reincarnated in Rose, two generations later."

"Who is Salazar's Host?" Viktor asked. He had known Rose had an intended mate, but he had never asked who.

"Lord Voldemort was created because Tom Riddle went insane without his Mate. All because of Dumbledore." Ryder frowned. "That's why Rose killed him. The longer he was bodiless for, the more he would de-age. Unfortunately he came back too soon. But we're working on destroying his horcruxes and giving him back his soul at least."

"Is that all?" Draco asked, speaking for the first time since Ryder began his explanations. "Is that the end of your life story, Harry?" He sneered.

Ryder frowned, "my name is Ryder, love."

"I am not your love, Potter." He hissed and Ryder actually flinched. "You're Harry Potter. The same Potter who didn't want to be my friend?" He licked his lips, and tried hard not to cry. "You can stop pretending now. I won't tell anyone who you really are."

"Pretending?" He asked slowly.

The other's in the room, stood up silently and left the room, closing the door behind them. Draco got off the bed and stalked towards Ryder. A hand fell on each of Ryder's shoulders and with a shove Ryder fell backwards.

"YOU BASTARD!" Draco screamed as Ryder picked himself up. "I hate you, you lying git!" He sniffed and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. "You can stop pretending to like me now. I get the hint, you made it clear enough that you hate me, Potter."

"Harry Potter hates you Draco," Ryder whispered. Draco flinched. "I am Ryder Hammond. Can you imagine how Dumbledore would have reacted if you had been Potter's best friend? Can you guess how suspicious he would have been?"

Draco sniffed and held his head up, looking down his nose at Ryder. "If you didn't want to marry me, you should have said."

Draco turned and ran from the room, a few silent tears making their way down his flushed cheeks. Ryder growled and followed him. He arrived in the anti-chamber just as Draco disappeared from the floo in flash of green flames. Ryder jumped into the fireplace and called out "Malfoy Manor, Draco's room," as he threw the powder to the floor. Flames sprung up around him and he was spun towards his destination.

He stepped out of the fireplace and Draco's room and glared at the blond who was standing in the middle of the room crying.

"You bloody, self-centred, stuck up, little- Argh!" Ryder punched Draco in the arm. "Why aren't you listening to me?" The brunette ran a hand through his hair. "I am not Potter. I am Ryder and I love you more than anything! I had to PRETEND to hate you. I couldn't have told you, Draco, because Dumbledore is a skilled Legilimens and you are not!"

Draco didn't react. Ryder growled. Losing his patience, he pushed Draco back to the blond fell on the bed. "Fine," Ryder hissed, "I'll show you I love you, shall I?"

Draco shivered and his clothing disappeared with a wave of Ryder's wand. "What are you-?" He was cut off as Ryder's lips crushed against his own, desperately. Draco's mouth opened with a gasp, allowing Ryder's tongue to slip inside.

One of Ryder's hands snaked down the blond's body to cup his genitals. Draco moaned into Ryder's mouth and arched upwards, closer to the hand. "Please," he breathed as Ryder released his mouth.

Ryder didn't say anything in return. He moved off of Draco and rolled the blond so he was lying on his stomach. Draco raised himself up onto his hands and knees without prompting and with a smirk Ryder moved to kneel behind the boy. His face was pressed against Draco's tight arse, his fingers tracing the cleft. Draco moaned again as one finger dipped in the crack and traced his hole.

The hands were withdrawn and used to hold open Draco's cheeks apart. With a smirk, Ryder allowed his tongue to flick out and taste the winking rosette for the first time. Draco gasped and bucked back, seeking more. Happily, Ryder pushed his tongue forward again, until it pushed passed the resisting muscle with a pop.

A finger moved forward to join the probing tongue, pushing passed the muscle and burring itself in Draco's clenching channel. The blond teenager moaned again, panting harshly as a second finger joined the first. Ryder inserted a third finger before moving his face away. He bent forward and pressed a light kiss to the curve of Draco's back as three of his fingers continued to work the blond.

When he deemed Draco suitably prepared he pulled his fingers out and moved forwards so he was kneeling directly behind Draco. One hand moved to his belt and deftly unfastened it, before unzipping his trousers and pushing them down over his hips, far enough to free his leaking cock.

He positioned his cock at Draco's stretched hole and placed his hands on the blond's hips. He thrust forward, burying his penis in one go and wringing a scream from Draco. "Shush love," he whispered against the panting blond's neck, "it will pass, shush," he kissed Draco's neck and rubbed circles on the boy's hips.

"Move," Draco begged.

Ryder pulled out slowly, and thrust quickly back in making Draco cry out again. This time in pleasure as his prostate was struck dead on. He groaned, his fingers clenching at the bed sheets as Ryder pulled out again and pushed back inside of him. Draco panted, he couldn't believe how good this felt. He couldn't believe how long he waited to give himself to his lover.

All though, he probably figured Ryder would have refused him, should he have offered. Ryder wouldn't have taken him before telling him about being Harry Potter.

With that thought Draco tensed up. He had almost forgot what they had been arguing about to begin with. He sniffed loudly. "You're still Potter." He gasped out as Ryder slammed into his prostate again.

"I am," he thrust in again, "not," he pulled out and slammed home once more, "Potter!" He growled against Draco's ear, his fingernails biting into Draco's sides.

Draco moaned as he felt his balls draw up, his insides were burning, tingles were shooting through every nerve ending in his body, as he felt his orgasm approach.

"Who am I, Draco?" Ryder asked as his hand encircled the blond's neglected penis. He pumped it slowly, "what's my name?" The hand moved up and down once for each word.

"RYDER!" He screamed as he came, his upper body collapsing forwards so his face was pressed against his pillow.

Ryder's grip tightened on Draco's hips, and he sped up his thrusting until he was almost frantically moving in and out of the blond boy. He came with a cry, whispering the words, "I love you," when he regained his breath.

He laughed lightly when he realized Draco had fallen asleep. With a sigh, he rolled off of his fiancé and pulled the blankets over the blond. He moved to Draco's desk and pulled out a sheet of clean parchment and some ink out of the top drawer and grabbed a quill of the desk. He wrote the note hurriedly, before folding it and leaving it on top of the pillow Draco wasn't using.

Fighting back the tears, Ryder pulled ring Draco gave him off of his finger and lay it on top of the parchment. 'I Will Always Want You', Ryder read off the ring before he turned towards the fireplace and stepped inside. A pinch of floo powder later and he was home. Alone.

XXX

Severus Snape had known something fishy was going on. Potter never left the Headmaster's office that night, but he was gone when Draco got there. And, instead of Potter, there was Draco's fiancé. Severus knew something wasn't right, and he knew it had something to do with Hammond.

He had gone straight to Lucius' study, in Malfoy Manor, when Voldemort had released them from the embarrassing spectacle that was the last meeting. Lucius had put him off for two nights. But now, he would get his answers.

"Lucius I demand you tell me what the hell is going on!"

"I cannot," the blond told him, handing him a shifter of bourbon. "It is not my secret to tell." Severus growled, but drank the alcohol in one swallow before slamming the glass down on Lucius' desk.

"And who can tell me?"

"Go see either Atticus or Ryder," Lucius smiled softly. The grandfather clock in the room chimed and Lucius turned to stare at it as the hand marked 'Draco' switched to point at 'Malfoy Manor'. He frowned; he had assumed his Son would have wanted to spend the night at Lestrange Manor.

He was about to get up and go check in on his Son, when Ryder's hand changed to point at 'Malfoy Manor' as well. He sat back down in his chair and turned to face his oldest friend. "I'll check on him later. Atticus should still be home, if you hurry you might catch him before he heads out for lunch." Lucius smirked in a way that told Severus that the blond knew something he didn't.

"Right, lunch," Severus drew out the words as he stood up. He moved to the fireplace and shot Lucius a searching glance as he stepped into the fireplace. Lucius had a glass of dark red wine in his hand, and was swirling it slowly, smirking. The wine looked a bit like blood.

"Lestrange Manor," Severus called, as his eyes widened. Blood— "he's a Vampire!?" The Potions Master cried as he was carried away in a flash of green.

"With a 'y' actually," Atticus answered the question that had carried through the floo system. He was leaning against the mantle of the fireplace with a smirk on his face a glass of what Severus hoped was wine in his hand. "Would you like some?" He held the glass out when he noticed Severus staring at it.

"No," the man said curtly.

Atticus nodded and moved to leave the room. "Come then, I assume you want an explanation?" Severus brushed down his robes and followed the Head of House Lestrange.

Severus followed Atticus to the Vampyre's study and sat rigidly in one of the chairs, a scowl on his face. "Now I'm not sure how much to tell you."

"Tell him everything," Rose suggested from the doorway. She looked worried and was staring at the clock on the wall. Ryder's hand was pointing at 'Malfoy Manor'. She seemed to be waiting for it to move. "Draco has been informed. There is nothing to lose by telling the Professor."

"Very well," Rose stood against the door as Atticus began to explain everything that Ryder had just shared with his friends, as well as other things Draco hadn't given Ryder the time to explain. When he was finished, Severus had polished off half a bottle of expensive wine, and still looked like he needed a good drink. Rose turned and left the room, as the hand on the clock switched from 'Malfoy Manor' to 'Lestrange Manor', with a morbid chime.

Draco's hand didn't follow.

XXX

Ryder lay in the centre of his bed, his shoulders shaking as he sobbed into his pillow. For the first time since Draco had given him the ring, his ring finger was bare. Rose sighed and walked quietly into the room. She hitched up her dress and crawled onto the bed. Lying behind her Brother, she wrapped an arm loosely around his waist and made soothing noises in his ear. With a choked cry, Ryder turned in her arms and buried his face in her neck, as his sobbing grew louder and more desperate.

"Shush my love, all will be well," she tried to sooth him. She had a fair idea of what had transpired. "He will come around."

"Sorry," Ryder mumbled some time later, as he pulled away. He eyed the wet patch on the front of Rose's dress with distain. "Why don't you change and go see Voldemort?"

"Can I?" She asked with a bright smile.

"You didn't think I would really ban you from him, did you?" She didn't answer. She stood from the bed and twirled around in a circle.

"What should I wear?" She asked with a giggle, and as depressed as he was Ryder had to let out a small laugh.

"Come on," he grinned, standing up and taking her hand. "Let's see what you have in Narnia."

"Narnia?" Rose asked with a frown.

"Yeah, you know," he explained as they headed through the connecting door in the wall, and into Rose's room. "The world inside the wardrobe." Rose gave him a blank look. "I'm saying your wardrobe is big enough to fit a world inside. You know, you have too many clothes…?" Rose rolled her eyes and pulled a pink lacy dress off a hanger.

"What about this?"

"Are you a Barbie?" He scowled.

"You're right," she sighed and grabbed a green dress with a purple ribbon, "this?"

"You'll look like Ariel from 'The Little Mermaid'." Ryder snorted, trying not to laugh at the image. "Don't," he said as she grabbed a yellow ball gown style dress. "It's too 'Beauty and the Beast'. Who buys your clothing anyway?" He groaned and dived into the wardrobe himself as Rose laid back on her bed and smile.

She had successfully distracted him from Draco-thinkage.

XXX

Rose smiled as she made her way through Riddle Manor. The place was dark and empty except for herself and the Manor's owner. She grinned and brushed down her dress nervously. In the end, Ryder had settled on a white dress that fell to mid thigh. A black lace over dress went over the white dress, falling to her knees. The straps were an inch thick each and black and there was an inch thick black ribbon just under her breasts. She swallowed and knocked on Voldemort's study door.

She kicked at the ground with her black pumps. She hadn't bothered with socks, but she did have on a pair of black wrist length gloves. She ran a hand over her hair, smoothing it down as the door opened.

"What the bloody— oh, hello," Voldemort's anger deflated as he realized it wasn't a Death Eater interrupting him, but his Mate. "Hello." He repeated stepping out of the way to let her into the room.

"You already said that." She said with a smile, "but hello twice to you too."

"Mate… Here… Mate!" the 19-year-old incarnation of Voldemort gave a mental swoon.

"Fool," /I hissed 16-year-old Tom, "I thought you got more sensible with age. He seems to have regressed."

"Don't be cruel. He's happy to see his Mate, that's all." Salazar smiled mentally, and poked Voldemort in the ribs, goading him to say something.

"Well, uh," Voldemort could never remember feeling this awkward before, not even when he was incredibly young and couples would inspect him at the orphanage. None of them ever adopted him of course, and he learnt to ignore their stares after a while. "How are you?"

"Well and you?"

"Good," he nodded, turning his head to look around the room. "So?"

"Yes?" She asked with a bright smile. "This is awkward isn't it?" He just nodded. He really didn't like these feelings. "Me neither," she said as if she knew what he was thinking. "I'm your Mate."

"I know," Voldemort frowned as he felt Marvolo pushed at his shield. "MATE!" Marvolo screamed and threw himself at Rose. Voldemort wished the ground would open up and swallow him when he finally regained control of his body. He let go of the teenager and stepped back, coughing embarrassedly. "That wasn't me."

"I know," she laughed. He nodded slowly. "We can bond soon you know."

"Bond?" He asked, his eyes wide and hopeful.

"Not yet of course; I'm still not 17." She looked rather put out at the thought of waiting. Rowena was sulking too, but she kept quiet. Voldemort rather envied the fact that his Mate got nice voices in her head, while he was stuck with lunatics. Not that hearing voices, full stop, was a good thing, or anything. "But we can still get to know each other, I suppose."

"What do you want to know?" She moved closer to him with a small smile playing on her lips. Her green eyes – the same colour as Potter's, he noticed – sparkled as she stood up on her tiptoes.

"I want to know," she breathed out, the sound of her voice made Voldemort hard, "what you taste like." With that she moved forward, pressing her lips to her Mate's for the first time. With a moan, Voldemort opened his arms, and allowed Rose to lean against him. His arms wound around her waist, holding her close to him as he tasted and explored her for the first of many times that night.

"I'm in heaven," was his last coherent thought as Rose pulled away to breath, before coming back for more, one hand in his hair and the other on his arse.

XXX

Draco woke with a groan. His arse stung like mad and his face was squished against his pillow. He rolled onto his back, his legs tangling in the blankets that Ryder had pulled over him. He blinked his eyes, trying to get them used to the dark. It was still night time, he realized as he looked out of the window; the curtains were left open. He didn't know why he had woken before dawn. He felt some sense of unease, of uncomfortable-ness, but he couldn't pin point what exactly. Nor could he fathom what would be so important as to wake him up.

He turned his head to the side, looking for Ryder. He could remember what they had done that night, which was why his arse hurt, but he couldn't quite remember what had been said.

He didn't find Ryder in the bed with him. But he noticed the ring. Slowly his hand reached out to pick the ring up. He twisted it around and smiled at the inscription. With a gasp, the full memories of earlier that night returned to him.

"You remember?"

Draco's head snapped up at the words. His eyes focused on the person in the doorway. That would explain why he had woken up, Draco never could sleep if someone was watching him. "Hello Father," he whispered his eyes fixed again on the ring.

Lucius walked into the room, and ignoring his Son's nudity sat on the edge of the bed. "He asked me to give you this," Lucius lay a roll of parchment on the bed.

Draco unrolled it, and read the top line before he threw it on the bed angrily. Tears welled in his eyes and he closed his fist around the ring, winding as it dug into his skin. "When?"

"It came through the floo a few minutes ago," Lucius answered. He picked up the scroll and read it – he had left it unopened for Draco. "Termination of Marriage Contract between Ryder Ravyn Hammond and Draco Lucius Malfoy." Ryder and Atticus had both signed the contract. Lucius had signed it as well. All that was missing was Draco's signature.

"He lied," Draco whispered, "shouldn't the contract already be terminated?"

"I knew he was Potter," Lucius bit his lip, refusing to meet Draco's eyes.

"He told you," the blond gasped, "but not me?"

"He was protecting you!" Lucius nearly shouted but of course Malfoy's don't shout. "Read your note." He ordered, turning his face away.

Draco lay the ring down on the bed and picked up the piece of parchment on the pillow. He began to read, not at all bothered as his Father read over the top of the parchment as well.

Master Malfoy,

I thought it best to remain formal, considering.

Firstly, I wish to say sorry. I am sorry not for lying to you, but for not telling you sooner even though I know I wouldn't have been able to. Not while keeping you safe at the same time. I am rather pleased Dumbledore is dead. That event led to me telling you early. Today's discussion (or yesterday's, depending when you read this) only occurred because Dumbledore was no longer alive to interfere. Had he been, I would have been unable to come clean until my Birthday.

I lied to you Draco, to protect you. Not to hurt you or make you cry or feel betrayed, believe me. It hurt me as much as it is hurting you. I love you, whether you chose to believe me or not and I will always love you. As Long As You Want Me.

Although, I suppose this letter means you don't want me anymore. It's such a long story Draco, and most of it I already told you. Did you even listen, or were you too busy jumping to conclusions? It gets really repetitive, having to explain myself to people over and over.

Secondly, I was going to beg your forgiveness, but it seems rather pointless if you're only going to tolerate me because I begged you too. If you want to forgive me you can, but not because I asked you too. But because you love me: do you?

You said, 'I Will Always Want You'. Does it still ring true Draco? If it does, I'm waiting for you. You know where to find me. If it doesn't, then goodbye, I suppose.

I will always love you, and I am sorry I hurt you, don't doubt it. Be happy; love, because I asked you to.

"He left me?" Draco asked breathlessly. He felt as if someone had reached inside of his chest and was squeezing his heart; trying to wrench it out of his chest. "He left me?" He asked again, sounding just as broken.

"You left him Draco," Lucius said sternly. "Ask yourself, do you love him?"

"Yes," Draco replied after a second's hesitation.

Lucius smiled and picked up Ryder's ring. He put it in Draco's hand and closed the fingers around it, before taking away the parchment and contract termination. "Then why are you still here?"

Draco almost jumped out of the bed. He threw on a pair of trousers that were lying on the floor and ran to the floo, "see you tomorrow," he called before crying, "Lestrange Manor."

He took a deep breath, as he stood outside of Ryder's bedroom door. The last time he waited here Ryder had torn his world in two. Now, he hoped, Ryder would be willing to piece it back together – to make everything how it was before. He pushed opened the door and walked into the room, closing the door behind him. Still wearing the trousers he crawled onto the bed – like Rose had done earlier – and lay down behind Ryder.

With one arm over the brunette's waist, Draco sighed, and nuzzled his face against his fiancés neck. "You came back?" Ryder asked sleepily. He had woken when the bed dipped.

"I will always come back," he vowed as he pushed Ryder's ring back onto the boy's finger. He pressed a kiss against Ryder's cheek, smiling as the brunette drifted back to sleep. He lay down and closed his own eyes. His fingers laced with Ryder's, the hands resting over Ryder's stomach, as he fell asleep.

He would always want Ryder.

XXX

(9th April 2007)

Ok, my Brother's birthday was yesterday so my mum let me on the computer cause I was good and took loads of pictures without complaining. I posted two one-shots (KISS IT BETTER and PUREBLOOD TRADITION) yesterday if you want to check them out. I'm on today because my mum seems to have forgotten I'm banned. She'll probably re-ban me after Easter break is over, so if she does… enjoy this chapter (because it might actually be the last till June lol).

(31st March 2007)

Someone asked WHY WAS RYDER IN GRYFFINDOR so here is my answer: Harry was meant to be abused, neglected, and a Gryffindor like his parents (the same way Draco was expected to get into Slytherin because his parents did).

Before Voldemort came back in fourth year, Dumbledore's control of the public rivalled if not exceeded the ministries. At least that's how I pick up what JK means; everyone really only takes Fudge as a joke, but listens to Dumbledore.

So, I think, Dumbledore had Sirius sent to Azkaban using that power; because if he defeated a Dark Lord, he must know about them right? And if he says Sirius works for the Dark Lord? Everyone is going to believe him, and convict him without trial.

Rose is also, though she wont admit it, afraid of Dumbledore. He isn't passed killing someone to get what he wants; he is rather Machiavellian! He wants to get rid of Rowena, and to do that, he'll have to get rid of Voldemort (which is where an easily control Harry comes in), before he can bond with Rose and free the spirits of Rowena and Salazar. If Voldemort dies forever, Salazar does too because there are no more heirs of Slytherin.

If Dumbledore was to realize that Harry hadn't been raised the way he expected, there's a good chance that he could try and arrest Atticus (and/or Violet) which would give him the perfect opportunity to take Rose into 'care'. And send Harry back to the Dursley's.

And Ryder was worried that if he ever found out about the marriage contract, he could try and hurt the Malfoy family. Which everyone would agree with since Lucius got off easily after Voldemort's first fall, and everyone still thinks he is a death eater.

Ryder thinks that by playing the Gryffindor till he's 17 and a legal adult in the Wizarding World, he can 'leave' the Dursley's and leave Hogwarts (because he has Durmstrang NEWTs), and, 'die'. So he can be Ryder all the time. But with Dumbledore's death, Ryder's plans are messed up, but he is no longer in danger from Albus.

Albus can't hurt him now; which means he doesn't care who knows before he turns 17 - which is why he is telling his friends early.

Hey everyone, (29th June 2007)

I know I usually update on a Saturday or a Sunday, but I can't this weekend.

Number one, tomorrow (Friday) I'm going to England, and my dad's Internet is broken as far as I know. If it isn't I will try very hard to get CHAPTER 10 of WOLF written and posted, but no promises (you'll find out why in a minute).

Secondly, my mum has banned me from the COMPUTER and the INTERNET. My school report went home for the mocks I insisted I failed, and I did badly!! So I'm banned, so I can revise again (like I did so much last time).

And if my mum sent my report to my dad without telling me, I'll be killed when I get to England and he won't let me on the computer either.

So I really won't be back till June this time, which is EIGHT WEEKS away (till my exams end) if you count Easter.

But I can't feel sorry for you all not having an update (even though I should), because in the summer I'll feel sorrier for myself when my mum kicks me out for failing! SORRY! But I can't afford that, because I have nowhere else to live… and she really would kick me out!

My apologizes (and hopes I pass my exams in June),

Much love and I hope I don't lose any readers,

Aisling x