A/N: I couldn't wait until Friday night! So bonus surprise! You get the final two chapters 2 days earlier than planned! Yay!
The largest of thanks to brownlark42 for making this chapter what it was. Her suggestions really turned this chapter around and I cannot thank her enough.
I'm always delighted to hear what you think, so drop me a line!
I make a manip for every chapter, find me on Tumblr at crochetawayhpff.
In the weeks since Rand's death, Draco had spent a lot of time with the pack. Greyback had been acting secretive and strange. He seemed to be pulling away from Draco and attempting to consolidate power with some of the other members of the pack. Perhaps most surprisingly, he seemed to have stopped drinking. Draco reached out to Greyback a few times, but he was consistently rebuffed.
Draco focused on the pack, hoping that he made a better impression than Greyback. Draco capitalized on Greyback's recent erratic behavior by showing the other wolves that he was reliable. He was always there for them.
Draco now wondered if the drinking problem that Greyback seemed to have developed over the last several months was a ruse. Had Greyback been pretending to be a drunkard so that Draco would let his guard down? He worried that Greyback would succeed in splintering the collective. It was true that Draco planned to become Alpha, but he wanted to do it for the good of the pack. He wanted to fight against the Dark Lord and bring a better life for everyone. Draco knew that wasn't necessarily Greyback's intention. What would happen if the pack did splinter? What would become of the collective?
It was the last full moon of the year, only a week before New Year's Eve. Draco had spent the day with the pack in the dueling court. He truly enjoyed being close to them. Each wolf brought something special and unique, and Draco could feel his bond to the collective strengthen as he spent more time with them. Draco spent time meditating while most of the pack slept in the afternoon. He wanted to explore and understand the collective better. He wondered if he could feel individuals? He'd never tried before; he'd only ever felt the collective as a whole, listening to it hum in the back of his mind.
He sat on the floor of his tent, closed his eyes, and searched for Reule for what seemed like the first time in months. They met during the full moons, and Draco was gaining more awareness and self-control during these times, but he otherwise kept Reule separate from himself. He knew he needed to merge with Reule to fully become one with his werewolf nature, but he also hadn't pushed himself. Maybe today was a good day to try.
Reule?
I'm here. Reule sounded weaker than he ever had before.
I need to understand the collective, Draco thought to Reule.
We're becoming one. You've almost totally accepted your werewolf nature. Draco could practically feel the laughter. Come toward the back of your mind. The collective feels warm and yellow.
Draco concentrated on what Reule was telling him. Near the back of his mind were two warm areas, like amorphous orbs. One was warm and yellow and seemed larger than the other. The second was red and blisteringly hot.
That one's your Mate bond, Reule explained, clearly meaning the hot, red one.
What's wrong with it? Draco asked. It didn't seem like his Mate bond should resemble a childhood fever.
Reule chuckled, Nothing. Mate bonds are like that. Hot, red, reeking of sex, passion, and love.
Draco nodded. He supposed that made sense. He put the Mate bond out of his mind for now and turned to the collective.
He reached out with his thoughts and touched the warm, yellow sphere. Immediately a cacophony of voices, thoughts, and feelings exploded into his awareness.
Physically, he flinched. Mentally, he moved away from the collective. What was that?
The collective, Reule answered. The thoughts, feelings, emotions of your pack. All in one place.
Wow. Draco reached back out to touch the collective again. The cacophony had quieted. Can I feel an individual through this?
Maybe? Depends on how close you are to them.
Physically or emotionally?
Emotionally.
Draco nodded and concentrated on Seff, his closest ally. And there he was. Sleeping, and apparently having a dream. Draco stepped away from the collective to break his connection to Seff. He didn't want to invade anyone's privacy. Except…
He reached back out to the collective and thought about Greyback. It wasn't like with Seff at all. Nothing was clear, and there was a jumble of colors and emotions that Draco couldn't parse out. He already knew that he wasn't as close to Greyback as he was to Seff, but Draco felt a little disappointed that he couldn't connect with the Alpha's feelings. It would go a long way in helping Draco understand what to do in regards to the pack.
I think this is the last one, Reule said.
Last what?
The last full moon I'll be here for.
Draco didn't say anything. He should feel happier than he did, but he suddenly felt a hollow sense of loss. Reule had been his steady companion through a dozen and half full moons. Draco realized he would miss him.
Let's make it a good one then.
Reule chuckled and Draco opened his eyes. He checked his watch, still a few hours before moonrise. He set an alarm and settled down to sleep for a few hours.
The full moon was upon them and Draco jogged out to the south wood trailing behind the pack with Seff. After Draco had taken the Mark and become Beta, he became responsible for setting wards on the wood to keep the pack safe — and to keep everyone else safe from the pack. He did so quickly, just as the moon rose over the horizon. He gazed at it momentarily before the change took place. It was painful, but more of an aching pain than sharp and acute as it has been before. The pain disappeared completely once he was transformed into his wolf.
Reule?
I'm still here. I'll be gone by morning.
Draco nodded, Thanks, for everything.
Reule laughed, I'm you, pup. You're me. No thanks necessary.
Draco focused on his pack. Most were through the change and up on their feet. The collective exploded in his mind and he felt his connection to each of his packmates solidify in permanence. He began to take in details about them that he never had before. He should have done this months ago. This was brilliant.
He barked a happy bark and turned to greet Seff, who was tiny compared to him. He was no larger than a beagle and a dull brown color that looked muddy beside Draco's shimmering white fur. Draco gave him a sniff and a lick then turned to greet the rest of the pack.
He gave bowed first to Greyback, a huge thick-furred black wolf, taller than a Great Dane and as broad as a St. Bernard, and second to Arnou, who was also large and black but had a glimmer of silver around his snout that showed his age. When Draco stood from his bow with Greyback, he realized they were the same size. When had that happened? He pushed it out of his mind.
Caleb tackled him from the side. He was the size of a labrador and had a short, rough brindle coat. He and Draco played for a few moments, tackling each other and snapping at anything within reach. Bledig and Udolf joined in and soon there was just a pile of wolves playing and wrestling with each other. Draco felt joy and freedom sweep through him and the collective in response.
After an hour or so of romping with his pack, Draco felt distress come through the collective. Someone in the pack was in danger. He knew it instinctively. Closing his eyes, he traced to where the distress call was coming from. Udolf was sending it. Draco raced towards the feeling, heading deep into the south wood until they were on the far edge. He didn't smell any other pack members nearby, just Udolf. He stopped for a moment and sniffed the air, trying to scent out who else was nearby. The wind shifted and changed. There it was: Greyback.
Draco began running again, toward where he had scented Udolf and Greyback. He reached the edge of his ward. Wards were generally invisible unless whatever they were protecting was touching them. Draco's ward lit up the night sky in a brilliant blue, as bright as lightning. Udolf was backed into it as Greyback stalked nearer him, growling and threatening. Greyback's hackles were raised, and Udolf was cowering before him.
Greyback was massive and loomed over Udolf as if he was a puppy. He and Draco were the biggest wolves in the pack and now that Rand was dead, nobody else was even close to their size. Draco growled, low and deep in his throat and barreled straight at Greyback. Greyback must not have realized Draco was there because he didn't turn before Draco plowed into his flank. He tackled Greyback to the ground, snapping at his neck.
Greyback rolled out from underneath Draco, and they circled each other. Dimly, Draco noted that Udolf had run away. Draco wondered if this was going to be the final showdown between him and Greyback. Greyback lunged at him, but Draco danced away. Without warning, Arnou suddenly appeared between them. Draco didn't realize Arnou could move that fast. He effectively shut Greyback down and Draco backed off. Draco didn't think he was ready for this yet. But Greyback was intimidating a wolf in his own pack. Greyback had proved tonight that he was beyond reason. Draco could only assume Greyback was threatening Udolf because he had become close to Draco after Rand's death.
The rest of the night passed uneventfully. Greyback stayed distant from the pack after that, and Draco did his best to avoid thinking about it so he wouldn't disrupt the collective. Just as the moon was about to set and the sun to rise, Draco let loose his last howl of the night. It was a howl full of liberty and jubilation in his pack and everything that came with it.
Draco heard Reule's voice in his mind one more time after that last howl.
We've done good, pup.
The howl resonated through the woods and hung in the air for a few more moments. And then all was quiet.
Draco took a deep breath and held it in. The night air outside of the Keep was cold, but at least the snow had stopped. He was glad it was warmer in Wiltshire — he definitely didn't relish the thought of battling in snow. He also didn't relish the thought of battling in his childhood home, but it had been his suggestion. He couldn't go back on it now. In truth, he didn't want to. It was time to end this.
With one Horcrux left and the Dark Lord weakened, it would be over soon. He wondered what Hermione had planned for the Dark Lord. Draco knew Potter had to die, and he certainly didn't delight in that. He would never admit it, but he felt that he might actually miss Potter. Not for himself necessarily, but for his Mate. She was already on an edge and Draco didn't want to know what would happen to her when her best friend died. He would have to do everything he could to keep her together.
He glanced down at his watch as he waited for Hermione and Potter. They were Floo calling the Order right now to give them final instructions. Hermione had somehow become a de facto leader of the Order of the Phoenix. It was just one more amazing, incredible thing she'd done in the last few months without even realizing it. He took a deep breath and held it, trying to calm his nerves.
Fenrir had been invited to the ball as an esteemed Death Eater, and he had extended his invitation to everyone in the pack. He told them that they were to be honored for everything they had done in service to the Dark Lord in the past year. Draco planned to use this invitation to his advantage, to bring potential allies to the battle, but also suspected ulterior motives. Their pack was impressive. Was it impressive enough to start creating followers among Death Eaters?
That's what Fenrir had wanted, back before he'd become so unstable. He had wanted power; and he was going to let the Dark Lord win the war and then take him out afterward. This seemed like one step more toward that end. Draco felt ashamed for thinking that Fenrir had truly given up his pursuit of power.
The thought also made him feel guilty. The pack was being pulled in two very different directions and they were hardly privy to any of it. He'd spoken with the pack tonight, while Fenrir was out meeting with other Death Eaters. He hadn't directly stated that he planned to fight against the Dark Lord, but he had told them to be careful. He told them he had heard rumors of someone 'crashing the party', and that they needed to pay attention to who was winning, who was truly stronger. He told them to remember that defensive magic was much more forgivable than offensive magic.
And he reminded them that pack came first. Always first. Afterward, he had reached out through the collective to each of them, one by one, with one last touch of solidarity.
He hoped it would be enough. He had to believe that the pack would unite under him. That he and Hermione would win this thing. That and that the Order would win — even if it meant Potter had to die.
"Alright, let's go," Hermione said from behind him. He whirled around to see her and Potter dressed entirely in black Muggle clothes. He nodded at Potter and pulled Hermione aside. He drew a knife from his pocket and flipped it over, handing it to her handle-first.
"What's this?" she asked as she fingered the ornately carved handle. It was made of ebony and had a pure silver blade.
"It's a knife. I want you to put it in your boot," Draco insisted.
"Draco, I'm not going to need a knife. I have a wand," Hermione said as if she were explaining something to a child.
"It's a silver knife," Draco responded. "It's in case you get in a bad spot without your wand."
"A silver… Why do you have such a thing?"
Draco swallowed. She hadn't noticed he'd only touched it with his gloves on. Silver put through a werewolf's heart would kill him every time. Whether he was in human or wolf form.
"It's just for backup. Please, put it in your boot," he urged her. She frowned at him for a moment and hesitated, but she transfigured a holster for the knife and slid it into the outside of her right boot.
Draco breathed easier. He suspected Greyback was unpredictable enough to attack his Mate. Not to mention that a knife could also do some damage no matter who attacked — werewolf or not.
"We ready?" Potter asked as he joined them.
"Is the Order meeting us?" Draco asked.
"Yes. Lower the wards when we get to the Manor," Hermione said. "It's better if they meet us all there."
Draco nodded. "Alright, let's go."
Nothing could have shocked the Death Eaters more than having their genteel ball interrupted by fighting and battle magic. Unfortunately, Death Eaters never stayed surprised long. With political tension running so high, they were prepared for an unexpected attack. They rallied quickly, ready to fight back.
Draco did his best to stay clear of the Dark Lord. He knew that he and his mother were the obvious culprits directing the attack. He just hoped his mother would be able to elude the Dark Lord as well.
The ballroom at Malfoy Manor was large and open, with only a handful of pillars and a few intact tables to use as cover. Members of the Order had begun appearing on the grounds as soon as Draco lowered the wards. Draco was surprised but thrilled at their force. There were many more than he expected. He directed the Order to the ballroom and as soon as everyone was inside, he swung the double doors shut and began to seal them. The heavy doors had slammed closed with a boom, which echoed across the room. Everyone inside paused and there was a tense, eerie silence as the situation became clear. Nobody would be leaving until this was over.
Someone in a far corner gave a deafening shriek. Suddenly, the room was in tumult. The battle had begun in earnest. Spells erupted from wands and the air was lit with spellfire. Decorations and tables were destroyed in a matter of moments. Anything that could be used for cover was. The elegantly clad Death Eaters had murder on their faces. It was a stark juxtaposition with the Order members in their black Muggle dress or austere wizarding robes, with their faces full of determination. The shouting of spells was loud, the clash of magic was deafening as the two sides came together in all-out warfare.
Not long after the battle began, Draco stood back to back with Seff, fighting off Death Eaters. Seff had caught on early to what Draco was doing, and had tagged along. Draco didn't stop him. Seff was a big boy and older than Draco, even though he didn't act it all the time. Seff knew what it meant to officially go against the Alpha. Draco felt stronger just knowing that the Omega was at his back. He hoped the rest of his pack was following his lead.
As he fought, he quickly scanned the ballroom in search of Greyback. Draco had assumed he would be at the front of the room showing off to the Dark Lord, but he was nowhere to be seen. Draco spotted the rest of the pack first thing. He quickly checked the collective, nothing alarming was coming through. He watched Udolf take out one of the Carrow's and he grinned, pleased to see his covert message seemed to have gotten through to at least some of the pack. He glanced toward the sealed doors and found they were still shut. Greyback had to be here, somewhere. Draco wanted to be the first to fight him. He knew that most of the members of the Order—or even another Alpha like Lupin—would be nearly defenseless against the wolf's rage and cunning. The Order might bring skill, but Fenrir brought a unique element of unhinged viciousness. People were going to die. The sooner Draco found Greyback, the better.
"Traitor!" Rabastan Lestrange screamed at him, lunging toward him from the right and casting a barrage of spells. Draco smoothly parried the spells and put Lestrange down with cold efficiency. He couldn't waste time with nuisances like this. He needed to find Greyback, and he had lost Hermione at some point. He had last seen her battling Rookwood and now he was desperate to set eyes on her again. She still felt strong through the mate bond, which meant she hadn't taken any serious blows. At least not yet.
Draco shook himself and turned to look for his next opponent. He breathed a sigh of relief when spied his mother across the room standing back to back with Snape. He knew Snape would keep her safe. He watched for a moment as Snape conjured a horde of serpents and set them to attack unsuspecting Death Eaters. Draco could appreciate Snape's creativity. He watched a viper avoid Shacklebolt, weaving in and out of his footwork, to bite Gibbon's shin. Gibbon gave a shout and grabbed his leg and the viper snapped again and again on his hand. Gibbon tumbled to the ground, and the viper whipped around to strike his face. Shacklebolt looked nonplussed before turning to his next opponent, Goyle Sr.
One benefit of having attacked during a formal gathering was that none of the Death Eaters had their masks on. Draco hadn't appreciated that fact until now. No hiding behind anonymity for the Death Eaters on this night.
Draco turned his attention back to Seff and found McGonagall coming upon them quickly. She nodded at him and Draco returned the nod warily. He tracked her progress to watch her transfigure a large chunk of broken pillar into a huge flying dragon. The dragon flew at the circle of Death Eaters who had surrounded the Dark Lord in a far corner of the room. The Dark Lord was commanding the Death Eaters and didn't realize there was a dragon flying straight toward them. Draco paused to let himself be impressed that the dragon fit so neatly into the Manor ballroom.
The Dark Lord's protective circle of Death Eaters immediately began firing spells at the large, green beast. It roared and spat fire at them in response. McGonagall had moved on and was fighting her own duel, when the dragon was winged and crashed through two pillars, knocking stone and masonry loose onto the battle below. The last pillar was enough for the dragon to lose all its magic and fall to the floor as a piece of rock once more. Draco gritted his teeth and watched the Dark Lord rally his circle again.
Seff took a slicing curse to the left arm and growled with pain, staggering sideways and losing grip on his wand. Draco dragged him behind a pillar to give him time to recover. Seff's arm was bleeding, and he had taken another nasty hit at his right knee. Draco healed him quickly and they both drank down an Invigoration Draught. Hermione had been busy while sequestered at the Keep, and she had brewed all sorts of useful potions to help keep everyone safe.
Draco took a deep breath and slid his head around the pillar to take in the battle before them. He would go where help was needed the most, but he also needed to maintain a good vantage point for finding Greyback. Members of the Order were holding their own, and Draco saw more than one Death Eater disarmed or cast down.
Then he was struck with horror and froze. Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson were fighting side by side against Rosier and Travers. Not only had he not realized his classmates were in attendance, he had no idea they had taken a side. His side. And they were definitely not prepared for a fight like this.
"Fuck! We gotta go, Seff!" Draco shouted and started pulling the Omega behind him. He had to save his friends. He felt sick at the idea that they'd been invited to his home, and he was the one who brought the battle here. They wouldn't be in danger now if it weren't for him.
He dodged spellfire and cast a shield around Pansy just as Travers, a massive blond Death Eater wearing blood-red robes, shot an Entrail-Expelling Curse at her. Draco had seen enough of those to last a lifetime. He never wanted to stuff someone's guts back in again. Pansy turned to see who had protected her and flashed him a smirk before turning back to her duel.
Draco raced to the pair as Yaxley joined their opponents.
"Circle Yaxley, Rosier, and Travers, Seff, but don't hit Blaise or Pansy," he waved toward his friends, as he took off. He sneaked up behind Yaxley, who was fighting Pansy and shot a Stunner curse straight at the center of the man's back. Yaxley moved at just the right time, and the spell went wide. Pansy managed to duck as the Stunner went over her head, and she cast an Incarcerous that tripped up Yaxley. Draco cast a second Incarcerous and plucked the wand out of the fallen Death Eater's hand.
"Sorry, mate," Draco mumbled without sincerity and banished the bound Yaxley to the side of the room. He'd been using this strategy since the battle began and had established quite the holding area of bound and wandless Death Eaters. He tucked the confiscated wand into a side pocket on his trousers. Another bit of brilliance on Hermione's part. She had enlarged and expanded the pocket, similar to her beaded bag. Draco could stick as many wands as he needed in there and it would never get full.
"Alright, Pansy?" Draco asked as Seff and Blaise took care of Travers and Rosier.
"Sure. A little dueling before dinner is a good way to whet the appetite."
She surprised Draco into a laugh and he grinned down at her and pulled her into a quick hug, "Be careful, yeah?"
She nodded into his chest. "I've got Blaise to look after. I'll be fine."
Draco laughed again and turned toward Blaise.
"Alright, mate?" Blaise asked.
"Of course," Draco said distractedly. He wasn't looking at Blaise, but instead, he was scanning the room for Hermione. He spun in a slow circle, looking for his Mate, but he still didn't see her through all of the spellfire and battles going on. He could still sense her through the mate bond, but the feeling was weaker.
"Granger will be fine. She's got Potter," Blaise said under his breath.
"Right," Draco nodded.
"Shit. Uh, Beta?" Seff interrupted.
Draco turned toward him and Seff was gesturing wildly toward the other side of the ballroom. Greyback was headed Draco's way and he had murder in his eyes. Draco took a deep breath and closed his eyes, concentrating on his connection to the collective. White, hot, rage flowed through it directly from Greyback. His Alpha was coming for him.
At least Draco had been warned. He snapped his eyes open and spotted something that made his blood run cold. Greyback was stalking him, but inexplicably, Hermione was hot on his trail.
"Let's go, Seff!" Draco shouted as he took off toward his mate. He took a circuitous route so that Fenrir wouldn't realize that Hermione was stalking him. He also wanted to draw Fenrir away from the thickest part of the battle. It would be easier to confront him without others interfering. Or worse, helping Fenrir win.
He dodged bodies and blocked spells, trying to cross half the room as Hermione cast a slicing hex at Greyback. Fuck, fuck, fuck, Draco chanted in his head as he tried to get to his Mate. The hex missed and suddenly Draco found himself standing just a few paces in front of Greyback. The other wolf was growling, low and menacing.
"So you want to be Alpha?" Greyback asked. "You will fail. I taught you everything you know, Malfoy." Greyback spat his last name like it was a curse. "You can't beat me."
Draco let Greyback's taunts wash over him. He was more concerned with Hermione. He shook his head at her. This was his fight. He turned his full attention to Greyback.
"Stand down, Alpha! You won't be able to defeat me any more than you'll be able to best the Dark Lord. The Order is winning, and guess what, Greyback? Your pack is fighting on my side. You cannot win this, look around you," Draco gestured toward the battle. The pack had begun finding their way toward the confrontation between Alpha and Beta. They were fending off any Death Eaters who came close. They knew what was about to happen and how this would affect their lives.
Greybacks face contorted with fury and leapt at Draco, changing into a wolf at the same time. Draco didn't transform, but he stepped to the side to avoid Greyback's lunge. The huge black beast shook himself and began circling Draco.
"Come and get me Alpha!" Draco shouted at him as he stood his ground.
"Draco!" Hermione shouted and he took his eyes off of Greyback for a moment to find her in the crowd. It was enough. Greyback barrelled into him and Draco landed on the ground hard. Fuck, shite, fuck. Draco swore at the mistake. Getting taken caught unawares was going to be the death of him.
Greyback reared back to attack and Draco pushed him off and rolled away. He jumped to his feet in time to see Hermione casting a slicing hex at the wolf. Greyback caught the hex in his right shoulder and whirled to face her with a growl. In an instant, he was back to his human shape with his wand in his hand.
Hermione and Greyback began to duel and Draco's breath caught and he made a strangled sound. What in the bloody shite was she doing? Greyback would kill her.
Draco surged forward just as Greyback cast the killing curse at his mate. She summoned a statue from the wall, and wolves ducked out of the way as it came sailing through the air and into the path of the curse. The statue splintered apart, but blocked the curse and sent it into the ceiling far above. Draco's heart raced and he cast the only thing that came to his mind, a knockback jinx. Greyback stumbled and landed on his arse. Hermione tackled him and lost her wand in the process.
She pulled the dagger from her boot. It was as if time froze.
Hermione stood above Greyback, who was flat on his back. Her left foot was squarely on his chest and she was holding the knife steadily over his heart.
"This is for Ron," Hermione hissed. The silver flashed in the candlelit chandeliers.
Draco couldn't move as he watched her bring it above her head.
Greyback laughed, "You don't have the balls or the strength, little girl," he whispered, his arrogant confidence unwavering. Draco felt the breath leave his body as the collective shifted and shattered in the back of his mind. He shouted wordlessly and was barely aware of Seff and the rest of the pack doing the same.
Hermione slammed the dagger down straight into Greyback's heart. Blood and magic exploded out of Greyback, slamming into Hermione. Her body rocked from the force, but she kept her footing.
Draco felt the shattered collective dissolve outward, like the sea at low tide. And then the collective came imploding back into his head with a flash of light behind his eyes. He felt dizzy and unsure of himself as he and Seff both stumbled. Seff propped him up and Draco took in the scene before him.
Greyback was dead. The Alpha was dead. Killed by Hermione. His Mate.
She turned and found him instantly, her eyes were wide and wild and she was covered in Greyback's blood.
"Draco…" And then she collapsed on top of the dead werewolf.
"Granger!" Draco shouted and ran the last few feet until he was at her side. What happened? He checked her over for injuries and couldn't find anything wrong. "Granger!" he shouted and shook her, willing her to wake up. Her head lolled and he slapped her cheek. "Granger!" he shouted again and her eyes fluttered. He pulled her to him, cradling her close.
"Draco," she breathed as she came to, her eyes beginning to focus on him once more. "I can feel you…"
"What?" Draco asked. He didn't know what she was talking about. Of course, she could feel him, he was holding her.
"The collective…" she whispered. "I…"
"Shhh, not now," Draco said as he pulled her to standing, his arm wrapped around her waist.
They had to get out of here. She wasn't fit to fight. Not now. He glanced down and caught sight of Greyback's dead and bloodied body. Draco felt free. For the first time in over a year, he felt free. Free of Greyback and soon to be free of the Dark Lord. The Order was winning, there were more of them standing than Death Eaters. Although the Dark Lord still battled in a corner and Potter was nowhere to be found.
"Harry," Hermione said. Her voice was stronger and Draco looked back down at her. She seemed to rouse herself and was standing under her own power once more.
"We have to get out of here," Draco said as he glanced around the ballroom again. They were almost dead center, and it was going to be a fight to get to one of the doors. Thankfully, the pack was still covering them.
"No, we have to get to Harry," Hermione persisted.
She pulled away from him. How was she so recovered so soon? What was going on? Draco could feel the collective in the back of his mind. It felt the same, and yet different. He knew it would change as soon as Greyback was gone, but this didn't feel like a loss. They had only gained. They had become stronger in a way that was unfamiliar and complicated. Did that mean he was Alpha? He didn't feel like Alpha. When he became Beta, the collective seemed to snap into awareness even brighter and tighter than it was before. But now, it felt the same. Shouldn't it feel different as Alpha? Draco wanted to think so, but he wasn't sure.
"Alpha, we should go," Seff said, speaking to Hermione. Draco shook his head in confusion. Seff was right. Hermione was pulling away toward Potter, who had just materialized in front of the Dark Lord.
"Alright, let's cover her," Draco directed Seff and the rest of the pack. They all began fighting through the crowd with Hermione leading them. They blocked and dodged stray spells, as Hermione made a beeline for Potter and his final duel with the Dark Lord.
"What have you done with my mossst valuable ssservant, Potter?" the Dark Lord shouted at him as he sent a curse toward Lupin, who was fighting alongside Potter. The Dark Lord's protective cloud of Death Eaters smaller, and standing down per his orders.
"Oh, you mean Bellatrix?" Potter taunted him. Draco's eyes widened. He'd been neatly dodging the Dark Lord for months, avoiding any talk of Aunt Bella. The Dark Lord believed she had gotten herself captured by the Order, and Draco had never contradicted him.
"Of courssse, you imbecile," the Dark Lord hissed.
"Your other very loyal servant killed her," Potter shrugged and cast an Expelliarmus at the Dark Lord.
Draco felt like banging his head against the wall. He was far enough back that the Dark Lord hadn't noticed, but if he was going to continue covering Hermione he would have to step forward soon. Smoke from the spell-fire hung thick in the air, making visibility low.
"Who?" the Dark Lord growled. He had stopped dueling at this point and was only deflecting spells that came his way.
"Draco Malfoy, of course," Potter replied nonchalantly. "Bellatrix was torturing his Mate. The werewolf in him wouldn't stand for that.
"Isss that ssso?" the Dark Lord locked eyes with Draco and raised his wand. "Avada Kedavra!"
Draco flinched and his jaw dropped when Potter dived in front of him, taking the spell in the side. He knew Potter had to die, but to save Draco while he was at it? Draco knew he didn't deserve that. But he was very thankful. He didn't have time to think much beyond that before the Dark Lord's attention rested on him.
The Dark Lord's eyes narrowed and Draco gulped. He was in deep shit now. He had no plans beyond trusting that Hermione would do whatever she needed to do with the Dark Lord.
He shot a nonverbal Bombarda at the Dark Lord, then ducked and rolled to his right, away from Potter's body. He'd lost sight of Hermione again, and Seff was nowhere to be found. Draco was fucked. But he would hold the Dark Lord off for as long as he could. If he could distract him just long enough to let Hermione work, it would be worth it. He didn't want to die, but Draco was ready for anything. If his death also brought about the Dark Lord's death, so be it.
"Have you missed having poor, insane Bella at your beck and call?" Draco asked the Dark Lord and tossed a handful of Peruvian Darkness Powder at the Dark Lord's feet. It wouldn't last long, but it didn't need to.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Snape hissed into Draco's ear. Draco had no idea where he'd come from. He'd lost sight of Snape and his mother ages ago. And at the moment, he was too worried about staying alive, then keeping track of the Order.
"Trying to distract the Dark Lord, Godfather," Draco bit back and cast a knockback jinx toward where Draco assumed the Dark Lord's feet were.
"You have got to be the stupidest—"
"Oh shut it, Snape," Draco hissed. "It's darkness powder, not sound-proof. You just stay back and protect Mother."
"And where will she be if her only son dies?"
"I'm sure you'll keep her company at night," Draco bit out. He loathed to admit it, but there was some comfort in the fact that Snape would take care of his mother if he didn't survive today. "Get back to her. Get yourselves safe."
Draco moved away from Snape and back toward where he'd last seen Hermione. The darkness powder was clearing and Draco could hear the Dark Lord's enraged bellows.
And then suddenly, Potter, who was supposed to be dead — Draco had watched the Avada Kedavra hit his chest — was standing in front of him once more.
"I'm apparently very difficult to kill, Tom!" Harry shouted, directing the Dark Lord's attention their way.
Draco raised his own wand and started conjuring a shield around himself and Potter. He couldn't dwell on the impossibility of this right now. He was sure Hermione would have a million theories. But right now, he had to concentrate on ending the Dark Lord.
"POTTER!" the Dark Lord raged, sending a Confringo in a wide circle around him. It hit the shield, and Draco grunted as he was forced more magic into the shield to keep from being blasted off his feet.
"Now!" Potter yelled, and Draco let the shield drop. The Dark Lord was fast. He flicked his wand, and Draco was on the ground, bleeding out from a large wound in his chest.
"Seff…" he called and watched his Omega's eyes widen in horror.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Potter shouted. The brilliant green light shot out of his wand and hit the Dark Lord square in the chest. A look of stunned surprise crossed the Dark Lord's face as he fell back with a thud. He lay still. It was done. Potter had defeated the Dark Lord.
A wave of magic shot out from the Dark Lord's body. Death Eaters all over the room fell to their knees as the magic in their Dark Marks burned and they were freed at last. The pain from the Dark Mark was nothing compared to the pain in Draco's chest. He felt himself lighten with true and complete freedom, just before the numbness took over.
Draco closed his eyes. He needed his Mate. He needed his Alpha.
His Alpha? His Alpha was dead. Wasn't he? Draco's thoughts burred as he began to lose consciousness.
"Beta! Draco!" Seff shouted as he waved his wand over Draco's chest. "Stay with me." He grabbed potions from Draco's belt and poured a few down Draco's throat.
He closed his eyes again and felt a hand slap his cheek.
"No, stay awake, dammit!" Seff shouted. Draco nodded dimly. He had to stay awake. He had to greet his Mate. His Alpha?
Alpha, hissed through his mind.
Reule? Draco asked.
She's Alpha, Reule replied. His voice full of awe and wonder.
How?
Very ancient magic, he breathed. It's incredible.
Draco nodded, too tired to say anything else.
He opened his eyes and let his head fall to the side. His gaze landed on Hermione immediately. She was standing back from him. Lupin and Udolf were on either side of her, looking at her almost worshipfully.
She saw him and gave a little scream before running to him.
"Draco! Are you alright?" She knelt next to him cradling his head.
"I think he's going to live, Alpha. But he needs a Healer," Seff said and bowed his head.
"Go find one," Hermione commanded.
"Mate," Draco muttered into her lap. "Alpha."
Just having her near him helped. Draco closed his eyes and breathed in her scent. Apples, trees full of fall leaves, cinnamon, and home.
"Yes," she stroked his hair and held him close. "Beta."
"But how is it possible?" Hermione asked Arnou.
"Magic?" Arnou shrugged. "It's not like this 'as 'appened all tha' often, ya know?"
Hermione nodded. Draco frowned. It was illogical, and yet the collective wasn't wrong. Arnou wasn't wrong. When Hermione had killed Greyback, she had become Alpha. Alpha over Draco and the rest of his pack.
"What does it mean?" Hermione asked. She'd asked it at least a dozen times since the final battle. It would take more than three days to become used to her new role and abilities.
"Well you ain't a werewolf, 'at's fer sure," Arnou said. He sniffed at her again, "Although you smell like us, you ain't one."
Hermione nodded. "That's what I don't understand. Women don't become werewolves, and yet, somehow I'm Alpha?"
"If you weren't 'is Mate," Arnou jerked his thumb at Draco, "I don' think it woulda happened. You were already part of us. Already pack, even though you ain't a wolf."
"But just because I held the knife? Why wouldn't it have made him Alpha?"
"Don' know. But it didn't. And he ain't ever gonna be Alpha either. Less he kill you."
Draco shuddered. He tightened his hold on Hermione's hand. They were in Arnou's tent in the dueling court and he had barely let Hermione out of his sight in the last few days.
"I'm happy being Beta," Draco said and lifted Hermione's hand to kiss it.
She smiled at him for a moment, then frowned, "You weren't before."
"Before, we had a psychotic, blood-lusting Alpha," Draco shrugged. Honestly, he didn't care that he wasn't Alpha. He was happy that she was alive. And he was secretly glad that they were tied together in one more way.
Mate, lover, Alpha, his.