Disclaimer: Neither Acherona nor trulywicked have any claim on Harry Potter or any characters or locations thereof.

Warnings: Angst, lots of it, Male Pregnancy, mental torture, infant in peril, boys in love, friendships broken and new friends gained. Disregards canon in so many ways.

MOCKINGBIRD

Chapter Thirty-Five.

Severus followed Remus into a simple crofter's cottage, feeling the heavy wards examine him before letting him through, and into the magically expanded interior of the small, by Black standards, home. He was feeling the exhaustion of the last two days creep over him and dearly needed to find a bed soon before he literally passed out in mid-step, a less than pleasant side effect of using alertness potions to remain awake for longer than 24 hours.

Remus was tired too but he knew that his mate had it worse, having had to be very alert and concentrated to brew very complicated potions. Now he only wanted to curl around his mate and sleep for a solid day, get some of the horror he'd seen out of his mind and feel like himself again. A flick of his wand had the lanterns lit, showing a cozy bedroom a large bed covered in a quilt standing in the middle of it. "Ready to sleep love?"

"I think we should leave a note letting Andromeda know we're here so we don't give her a heart attack when she wakes up first don't you?" He rubbed the middle of his brow and sat on the bed, "Or rather you should leave a note." The headache that was the major warning of the approach of the potion crash was beginning to hammer at his temples.

Remus looked somewhat sheepish. "That might be a good idea yes, the woman hex first and asks later." He turned so he was facing Severus, cupping his face. "Go to bed before you crash where you stand. I'll go into the kitchen and leave a note and then I'll be right back." He brought his hands up to rub at Severus' temples before leaning in and kissing him gently. "Bed...You." Remus walked out to write a note to Andromeda, letting her know they were there and to keep Teddy out of the guest room until Severus had had a proper sleep."

Snape just magicked himself into sleep trousers and continued to sit on the edge of the bed, his eyes closed as he riffled through his Occlumency exercises, organizing everything that had happened since last he'd had a moment. He paused on the memory of Vernon Dursleys corpse, remembering something similar he'd once seen done at the hands of the Dark Lord himself, then he stowed it away with all the other memories he had no desire to crack open and examine again. He heard the soft pad of Remus' feet and opened his eyes to see his mate looking at him in exasperation.

"You've never listened to me before so why start now?" Honey colored eyes looked down at Severus. "Get under the covers and lie down before I make you...Believe me right now I could take you." He gave his mate a stern look and peeled his clothes off until he was only in his underwear. Remus walked over to the small window and cracked it open so the gentle lull of the ocean could be heard in the bedroom before he sat down on the other side of the bed, placing his wand on the bedside table.

"I can't rest easily without you there anymore." It was a simple and matter of fact statement as Severus moved to lie down, knowing that Remus would do the same in a moment. "I'm not sure I ever could."

"I feel the same way and I promise that if I have anything to say about it, you'll never have to." Remus crawled under the colorful quilt and pulled Severus close, wrapping himself around his mate like an octopus. A whispered, wandless 'Nox' left the room in velvety darkness and Remus' eyes were closed before he could even register it.

Severus let out an amused breath. He was the one edging towards a crash and it was his mate who fell asleep first. He closed his eyes and nestled his face into the crook of Remus' neck, breathing him in and letting the warm and scent of the other man soothe him into sleep.

OoOoOoOoO

Arthur stepped quietly into Ronald's old room and stood for a moment watching Molly hold one of their son's favorite Cannons jerseys, tears slipping down her face as she sat on the bed. He moved to sit beside her, wrapping his arms around her and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

Sniffling Molly leaned into her husband's embrace, still holding the jersey close in a tight fingered grip. "You weren't supposed to see this." Molly wiped at her eyes, she had gone up to Ron's room to start packing it up but she couldn't do it. Her baby boy was still present here, in every poster, every piece of clothing, his magazines and the few Quidditch books lying spread out over the orange carpet.

He ran a hand down her graying red curls, "My strong Molly, if you don't let me see you when you're down who can you lean on?" He gave her a squeeze, "At least...at least we know now that it wasn't...it wasn't really Ron. Doesn't help much I know." He leaned his head against hers, his own tears starting to fall.

She was grateful for that knowledge but Arthur was right, that didn't matter at all right now. Molly twisted so she could wrap her arms tightly around Arthur as they cried together for a lost child.

He rocked them both as they cried, his heart ripped up in his chest knowing he'd failed his youngest boy, failed to protect him, failed to save him and now he was gone and nothing could be done about it. All they could do was hope and pray that Ron was at peace and hold on to the good memories once the pain had eased.

OoOoOoOoO

Narcissa stared out the bedroom window, stared into the darkness of night, one hand smoothing over her flat belly and the other playing pensively with a pendant she wore. Her mind was on the Weasleys and how she knew Molly must be feeling right now. It would be cold or no comfort at all to know that Ronald hadn't been in control, that he'd been affected and broken by something too evil to stand. Especially since he wasn't in St. Mungos getting treated but would be buried in a few days time.

Lucius stepped up behind her, placing his hand over hers on the flat stomach. He truly sympathized with the Weasleys as well, he did but he also recognized that they had been lucky. It could have ended so much worse than it had. "Come to bed Cissy, it might sound crass and cold but we need to concentrate on this little one inside you right now. You need to rest, for both your sakes."

She let him lead her to bed and snuggled close up beside him in his arms and rested her cheek against his heartbeat, "Why must that evil man's reach be so long? Will we ever truly be rid of him?"

Sighing deeply Lucius ran his fingers through his wife's long unbound blonde hair. "I don't know Cissy, sometimes I fear I will never get out from underneath his shadow. I was so young and power-hungry that I didn't see him for the monster he was until it was much too late. I only hope things will be lighter and brighter for our children from here on out."

She nodded and closed her eyes, "You also had the pressure from Abraxas prodding you to join as well. You're still a good man, no matter the mistakes of the past, my good man." She placed a soft kiss over his heart, "I am still and always happy to be your wife."

"You are my bright light Narcissa, my shining star, leading me right. Without you I doubt I would have escaped both my father and then the madman that followed." He pulled her closet, kissing the top of her head. "I'll try to make fewer mistakes with our new little star, curb my ambition and settle for being a doting and extremely over protective father. No dating until she's at least twenty-five."

She chuckled lightly, "You'll do Lucius, and you'll do. Je t'aime." She still felt badly for Molly and Arthur but nothing could be changed or done in that regard and her husband was right, stress and lack of rest was not a good thing right now. She allowed herself to drift into sleep.

Lucius held her close, listening to Narcissa's soft, even breathing as he stared out into the darkness. Yes he would do his very best to become the good man his wife believed him to be, Lucius knew better but for her, for his family he wanted to try. He closed his eyes and dreamed of a better tomorrow.

OoOoOoOoO

Ginny sat in the circle of Blaise's arms, having finished her storm of tears and now she just felt bruised, her heart battered and bleeding. She'd been so mad at Ron but he was still her brother and there was always that hope that he'd be redeemed. Now he was, in a way, but he was gone as well. Never would she hear him complain or snipe at her again nor be able to snipe back. It hurt, it just hurt like being stabbed in the gut. She turned deeper into her fiancé's embrace and heard him murmur to her in soft Italian. He'd not once tried to make light of the situation, the only thing he'd said after news had come had been 'I'm so sorry amore.' and then he'd taken her in his arms and not let go once. She knew he'd be standing beside her at the funeral, strong and steady for her and she fell just a little more in love with him for it even as she began crying again, the tears exhausting her and carrying her into sleep.

OoOoOoOoO

Neville leaned on a tree in his garden, staring up at the stars in contemplation.

"Are they giving you any answers?" Pansy called from the darkness, walking over and sitting down on the dew damp and chilled ground, folding her legs beneath her. "I've found that only the humans named after them talk to me." She looked up at her big, strong lion, wanting to be able to say the right thing, to be comforting but not knowing if she had it in her.

His lips tilted a bit, "Oh the stars talk to people, you just have to know how to listen, ask any centaur." He shook his head, "In this case though, I don't really think there are answers to be had." He settled down beside her, scooping her up off the chilly ground into the warmth of his lap. "We could ask 'why' questions until the world ended but all we'd get in answer would be 'just because'. Why did the locket affect Ron so badly, why didn't anyone notice that it had, why did it turn out like this? Just because. The only question I have that could have another answer is how can I best help his family now?"

"You are wonderful Nev and you have such a big and loving heart. You'll help them just by being you, kind and supportive, the strongest and best man I've ever met." Pansy wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her forehead against his jawline. "I know you're hurting too but still your first thought is how you can help someone else, to make it better for them. I love you for that, for being everything I'm not."

He stroked his hand down her back, "It's bitter. I wasn't as close to Ron as others so it's bitter, like drinking scalding black coffee. It burns and leaves a bitter taste behind but the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione will be hurting so much worse so I want to help. If it was Draco or Blaise hurting like they're hurting you'd want to make things better too, even if you were hurting Pansy." he kissed her temple, "You'd just take a more violent route to hurt the ones who hurt your friends is all."

"I just want to make things better for you; I care about the others too. Harry, Ginny and Granger have become good friends, Harry about to become family but you come first Neville. You carry my heart in yours." She shifted in his lap. "We'll do our best, be there when we're needed and try to look forward, no matter how hard it is sometimes."

He dipped his head and brushed his lips against the corner of her mouth, "See, you've got a big heart too, you just hide it. Thank you. Just for being you, for being the girl I'm completely mad for."

"I'll always be me, even when you wish I wasn't and if it looks as if I have a big heart it's because it's with yours. You're teaching by example and to my horror I'm actually learning." She lifted her head so she could kiss the corner of his mouth.

"Hey you know what they say; it's never too late to learn." He pressed his forehead against hers, "But don't worry, it'll be our little secret. Besides you own my heart too you know."

"I'd better because I don't have any plans letting you go, not after working so hard getting you in the first place." She hugged him tight. "Let's go inside, I'm cold and need a bath, you can wash my back."

A wicked glint sparked in his eyes, one he'd learned from her, "Just your back or do I get to play?"

"What fun is bathing without play?" She blinked faux innocent eyes up at him. "First of all I need to be washed all over...It's a very good thing your tub is big enough for four, we're going to need the room."

He laughed and lifted her as he rose to his feet, carrying her inside, "Well we'd better get started then."

To Be Continued…