Review offering insight to the story:

"Wow... just, WOW. I'm finding it pretty difficult to produce any words here. What a powerful chapter. The anger and power Draco radiated was so real, such a triumph for him after being under Lucius' thumb for so many years. You really revealed Malfoy's character entirely- he, like any abuser is truly the epitome of weakness, the most despicable and unworthy of his humanity. His reaction to the blood rain was a brilliant means of expressing such weakness. He becomes a slave to his own prejudice, and ultimately at the hands of his own son the victim of his own cruelty. Very few people could write a scene so crucial and powerful and maintain its profound effect so well. You however have weaved it perfectly and without flaw- a true feat. I am very impressed." - Sahariah of FanFiction net.

Thanks so much to the following reviewers: Serpent91, ayruh, Jennifer-Marie, Shaggy37, pochahantas, cle be, Rock Not War, bethygirl94, Courtney, Hotkat144, Lote 22 (Lauren), Harmony's Sake, x. by yours truly, SpellMasters, dragoneyes5000, Xx.Mrs.RadcliffexX, xirishxdreamx, BlackScream16, Caligirl-HPLVR, pilikani, txcalbud, Sam's Firely, leafs-girl999, smileenov, Inspyred, sasmith, Pam Briggs, Determinesence, CharmedLife19, tg77ed, mskairijade, feltons 1 n only luva, DragonSlayer18, Jente Bidernais, HazelEyedBlonde, Monchandra, HelloLonely, mskiti, lele07, uddin, Dizi 85, annieca, Princess de la Plume, Hyuga Kyuuketsuki, Michele, Zarroc, and especially schwarzengel, Sahariah, Feltonluver4eva, Southern Charm83, galloping-goose, and NeraMedia.

Blood Is Thicker Than Tears

Chapter Fifty-Three

I've dealt with my ghosts and I've faced all my demons, Finally content with a past I regret

Lucius felt the hands around his arms, dragging him to the chambers of his Dark Lord. Part of him wanted to scream, beg them to just kill him instead of continue on their way. He had been given a simple mission, in most senses. Go to the muggle orphanage, find the necklace, bring it back. No casualties, unless the Order was there; then, by all means, kill everyone. However, upon arriving he found the Potter twins and their dim witted side kick, the Weasley boy. Instead of rushing them, like his fellow Death Eaters wanted to, Lucius made what he thought to be an intelligent choice at the time.

His body slumped forward suddenly; being lost in thought, he hadn't realized that they had arrived in the dreaded room where his Lord sat waiting for news of his horcrux. Nobody had bothered to repair his legs when he had turned up, instead leaving him unable to walk. Most likely didn't believe he was going to be alive much longer, so there was no point in wasting their time on him. Using his arms, he propped himself up, trying to show his respect for the powerful man sitting angrily in his throne-like chair.

"Am I to understand that you, of the group that left, are the only one still alive, Malfoy?" Voldemort asked, his voice steady.

"Yes my Lord," he replied, trying his best to keep his voice from shaking.

"I see that you have also returned injured," he commented. "Do regale me with the astounding tale that has caused the demise of some of my more loyal Death Eaters. How many Order members, Malfoy? Dozens? Perhaps even hundreds? I must say, you had better give an answer worthy, or I will undoubtedly place you with your much less lucky companions."

Lucius clenched his jaw, closing his eyes. "It was Draco, my Lord," he admitted. "He destroyed the others and then took to placing me the way I am now."

Standing up, Voldemort pushed his robes behind him as he stalked towards Lucius as he law awkwardly on the ground. Moving his hand, he raised Lucius from the floor, righting him so that he was hovering in a standing position a few inches in the air. "So what you're saying, is that a seventeen year old boy has killed six of my Death Eaters and broken both of your legs?" he asked, calmly.

"Yes, my Lord," Lucius replied, swallowing fearfully.

"And by what miraculous turn of events did said boy come upon the power to act this way?" he asked, his head turned to the side as his eyes darkened angrily.

"I- I don't know," Lucius admitted. "He didn't even have his wand, sir."

Voldemort's eyes widened slightly before a glower settled over his features. "Explain, in full detail, what the boy did."

"When we first arrived," Lucius said, inhaling deeply.

I've found you find strength in your moments of weakness, For once I'm at peace with myself

The night air was rather chilly, which wasn't all that new for London. The sky was clear, however, so Lucius had no reason to believe he should erect a shield from any downpour. They had agreed not to apparate directly outside of the orphanage, in case Order members were present. It was best to take your opponent off guard, rather than be caught unawares themselves. He stood tall at the front of the group, having the most seniority of those around him.

Most of the Death Eaters holding high places had been captured during the attack on Hogwarts, so Lucius was basically walking with leftovers. He didn't appreciate the lack of power, but then again, he was lucky not to have joined the others. He too had been scheduled to attack the school, but had been kept behind for reasons that hadn't yet been stated. The Dark Lord had told him he would not be going, and though he had wondered why, he never asked, as it would've been disrespectful. Somehow, the Potter twins had cut the attack off before it could really begin. Shortly after, word had gone out that the mission had turned sour quickly. A few Death Eaters had been killed, but not one student, nor any professor. Nor was anybody captured, like had been designated. As such, the Dark Lord had been in a very foul mood ever since.

Wearing their usual Death Eater apparel, they stalked the street until they could see the broken wreckage of the orphanage. Lucius' brow furrowed when he recognized the car gleaming on the side of the road. It was far too expensive for any of the muggles living in the vicinity and he happened to know the plates easily. Lucius had picked them out himself, though the car was certainly Draco's. "DRAGON," stared out almost mockingly.

"Seems your former son has a few of his own ideas for tonight," one of the men commented from behind.

"Apparently," Lucius replied, dryly.

"With what happened the other night, this would be the perfect thing to place at our Lord's feet. The Potter twins stand completely alone," another man hissed, excitedly. "We can kill the Weasley boy, take the twins, and our Dark Lord will gain his triumph."

"Don't be ridiculous," Lucius spat, turning on him with annoyance. "First of all, we must get the necklace. Secondly, our Lord looks forward to defeating those pathetic boys' in front of everyone. To make a scene and show the Wizarding world that they have put their faith in those unworthy."

"So we rush them," the first man said, nodding. "Find the necklace, take the boys. The Dark Lord will then kill them publicly, drawing people out to watch as their savior's die pitifully in front of them."

"Why must I always be trapped with imbeciles," Lucius complained, shaking his head. "The Dark Lord set down serious rules for this. Were any of you listening?" he asked, his voice raising. "I am in charge and if I hear one more of you speak out against the orders, I will personally kill you." Inhaling deeply, he glanced over to see Draco collecting his energy for a spell Lucius had taught him when he was much younger. "Now, we wait."

"Wait?" a man sputtered, shaking his head. "Now see here! We have a job to do. They could disappear on us!"

Turning around, Lucius wrapped his hand around the throat of the man challenging him. "He's performing a tracking spell for Dark Magic. Not only would that certainly find items that I am currently wearing, but it will find the necklace. One he finds it, we will then take what we came for. Do you understand?" he asked, his voice dangerously low.

"Yes, sir," he replied, his voice choked.

Letting him go, Lucius sneered down at him, though it couldn't be seen through the white mask he wore.

I've been burdened with blame, trapped in the past for too long, I'm movin' on

Sighing, Malfoy then explained everything that had taken place after Draco had escaped from the thick covering of rocks he had thrown over him. From Harry Potter's outburst of anger, with his own wandless magic, to Draco's enraged rampage; including the murder of all six of Lucius' companions and then the torture he put Lucius through. He decided to leave out their conversations involving he and the boy who had obviously grown far too many emotions over the years; finding they had no real precedent on anything. The Dark Lord seemed to take a special interest in one particular event.

"Not only did he make it rain," Voldemort said, nodding. "But he caused it to rain blood, you say?"

"Yes, my Lord," Lucius replied, nodding shortly.

"Interesting," he said, his eyes thinning. "Somehow, the Potter boys' have managed to tap into power not even they realized they had. Draconus reacted this way to you specifically, because you tried to kill him and managed to get rid of both his real parents and that pitiful mother of his. While the other one was able to act out when he believed you had killed Draconus," he summarized, looking deep in thought. "Do you have any idea what you've done, Lucius?"

Severely pissed off two of the strongest wizards ever to challenge him, was all that came to his mind. Obviously he couldn't say this to the Dark Lord, as that would be quite rude. "Sir?" he asked, hoping he would elaborate.

"Because of you, Draconus can control the weather with his temper. Do you have any idea how useful that could be in the upcoming War?" he asked, his voice raising. "The other Potter boy can erode entire streets, simply by yelling," he shouted at him. "I gave you one simply task, Malfoy. And somehow, you manage to open up new avenues for the enemy!"

"My Lord, I-"

"CRUCIO!" Voldemort screamed.

Stuck still hovering in the air, Lucius writhed in agony. The pain seemed to multiply in his broken legs, shaking the shattered bones and bleeding limbs until he was unable to stop his screaming. Somewhere, however, near the back of his mind, he realized that it was nowhere near as painful as when Draco had performed the same curse on him. Perhaps it was because he and Draco had a lengthy past together; he chose not to believe that it may have been because Draco could be more powerful than his Dark Lord. When the agony finally ended, Lucius was left hanging in the air, his entire body slumped with tired restrain.

"I won't be killing you," Voldemort told him, walking back to sit down while he surveyed Lucius. "While you have obviously done something unbelievably stupid and irreversible. You have caused something that could be incredible," he admitted, nodding.

"My Lord?" Lucius managed to ask, after prying his dry mouth open.

"Think of it, Malfoy," Voldemort said, a sinister grin covering his mouth. "The power those two must have," he said, shaking his head. "If only we could take that from them; if only we could rip it from their grasp and use it to our advantage."

"But how?" Malfoy wondered, his brow furrowing.

I've lived in this place and I know all the faces, Each one is different but they're always the same

"Have you ever heard of the Stone of Power, Malfoy?"

"Yes, of course, my Lord," he replied, his eyes widening. "But it's is said to be a myth; something made up to keep people searching while Samuel Brecken III managed to escape from the Ministry's grasp. While everyone was searching for it, he was able to hide away safely, until they eventually gave up. He had enough time to practically disappear though; he was never found for the murder of the entire Hogwarts Seventh Year class of 1927."

"Samuel Brecken was a fool," Voldemort told him, waving his hand. "He hid that stone where anyone could find it," he said, scowling. "He had an acquaintance, who went by the name of Crystal DeLaray; she was heavily absorbed in Dark Magic. She created the Stone of Power in 1926, but she kept it concealed, so that it may slowly gather up its energy. When Brecken happened upon her shop, they fell into a conversation about their days working together while studying to become professors. This eventually led to DeLaray admitting that she had made the Stone herself and filling Brecken in on the many details."

Sighing, Voldemort leaned forward slightly. "When Brecken held the Stone, he became insane with the need to have it. He killed DeLaray almost immediately and buried her in the back field behind her shop. Taking the Stone with him, he returned to Hogwarts to regain his position as the DADA teacher.

"Near the end of the year, it was said that he became completely mad; said he could hear voices coming from the stone, telling him to do things. One night, he crept inside the dormitories of the Seventh Year students, with the stone hanging 'round his neck. He slit each of their throats, had a silencing charm up so that no one could hear. By the time the sun came up, he had moved all of the bodies to the Great Hall, splayed them out for everyone to see. He had the Headboy, a Gryffindor," he spat, "hanging from a long rope in the ceiling. He swung back and forth, blood pouring onto the stand that the Headmaster spoke from," he regaled, a malicious smile on his face.

Lucius listened intently, without feeling any remorse for the children perishing in the madness that Brecken had been consumed by upon taking the Stone of Power. "How did they know it was Brecken?" he wondered.

"The fool was stupid enough to leave a message, naming him the culprit," Voldemort told him, waving a hand around as if it were nothing. "Used the blood of the children, wrote it across the wall."

"What was the message?" Lucius asked, enthralled by the story so much he had forgotten his manners around his Dark Lord.

Frowning slightly, Voldemort shrugged. "He wrote, if I remember correctly, 'Power be given to he who commands it. I shed death upon ye all who thought me not a strong wizard. I shall show ye all. For none have seen the true strength in a Brecken before, but I shall bring upon the end of all ye who cross my path. Warn ye children, beware ye selves. Upon a War of blood, the truest of fighters shall be shown.' Later, the seer at the school stated that she believed it to be a prophecy of some sort. That perhaps the Stone had passed on a vision or something similar to Brecken."

"And you have the Stone, my Lord?" Lucius asked, his interest piqued.

"Of course not, you fool. If I had the Stone, do you believe I would be going through all of this?" he shouted, angrily.

Malfoy cringed, trying his best not show weakness.

"No," Voldemort said, shaking his head with an exasperated sigh. "But I know where the Stone has been kept."

"Forgive me, sir, but why haven't we looked for the Stone before?" Lucius asked, clenching his jaw in fear.

"Because, Brecken placed upon the Stone, a charm, keeping it from being found for a collective seventy years. It was said that the 'truest of fighters' was suppose to arise by that time," he explained.

"And you want me to find the Stone?" Malfoy asked, looking up at him.

"Yes," Voldemort replied, nodding. "Brecken had the wrong idea about the Stone. It was made to take power away, not to give power. For those who try and use it falsely, it has the effect it did on him. He wasn't listening to DeLaray properly; I've read her manuscripts. The Stone should instead be placed with an adversary, where it will then slowly drain them of their power, taking it into the stone instead."

"You'll drain the Potter twins," Lucius stated, more to himself.

"Yes, and then I'll take the power hidden in the stone into myself," he told him, triumphantly. "They will be left as mere specks of nothing when it's finished." His mouth twisted upward into a malevolent grin. "Finally, Malfoy, I will retain my power and be rid of the pathetic people who stand in my way. I will rule this World once and for all," he announced, loudly.

"Of course my Lord," Lucius said, nodding with a smirk.

Sighing, Voldemort turned back to him. "Right, I want the stone back here by tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, sir?" Malfoy asked. "I could leave now and return with it in a matter of hours if you know its destination."

"I have other plans for you tonight, Malfoy," he replied, turning angry eyes up to him. "After all, I can't let your disobedience go unpunished."

The doors opened, revealing two large, snarling guards. Walking toward the hovering Lucius, the took him around his crushed legs, yanking him from the air and applying pressure until he screamed in agony. Blood spurted out from the open wounds, pushing past the snapped bones still sticking out of the raw limbs. Lucius tried his best to keep his mouth closed, but was unable to stop himself from crying out in pain. His hands dug into the ground, trying to stop the jarring movements of the men pulling him. He felt his fingernails snag on the uneven ground, a few of them popped off of his fingers, causing blood to pour from his now injured hands. As the heavy doors to his Dark Lord's chambers shut, he could hear Voldemort's amused laughter reverberating off the walls.

They mean me no harm but it's time that I face it, They'll never allow me to change

Draco woke up rejuvenated, he found he had only been sleeping for twenty minutes though, which completely shocked him. After the display of his surge of power he was sure that he'd be knocked out for the entire ride back to the St. Mungo's. Upon waking, he found his brother was fast asleep, his head leaning against the window. Ron was yawning and rubbing his eyes tiredly, but he moved around, making himself comfortable and kept his eyes on the road ahead of him.

"How much farther?" Draco asked, startling his friend up front.

"Bloody hell, Draco," Ron grumbled, glancing back at him. "After the last few weeks, you'd think you could warn a bloke before doing that."

Chuckling, Draco shrugged before moving himself into a sitting position, his legs still propped on the seat. "I've been thinking, and we might need this car again. There's a warehouse that we could store the car for safekeeping," he told him. "It's only an hour out of the way and we can be back to school without my being skinned by Hermione for breaking a promise."

"How are things with her?" Ron wondered, smiling briefly. "It's rather funny to think of you being with her, sometimes. I mean, I know you're not really Draco Malfoy anymore, you're like Jamie. But, sometimes it's almost unbelievable to see her with you."

Draco laughed, shrugging. "Yeah, I know what you mean." Shaking his head, he smiled happily. "It feels like we've been together for much longer than we've been too," he admitted, sighing. "Sometimes, I forget that we used to be Granger and Malfoy, Gryffindor Princess and Slytherin Prince, or the mudblood and the ferret." Wincing at the crude name he used to call her, he frowned deeply.

"Because you're not those people anymore," Ron told him, nodding. "We were children when all of that was happening. It was a stupid rivalry that became something too big for any of us to realize. It consumed everything, which was really rather hypocritical in one way."

"How's that?" Draco asked, cocking his brow.

"Well, think about it," Ron said, sighing. "The Light side was supposed to be fighting hate; to be up against everything it epitomized. And yet, the three of us were in a heavy conniption with you. Not only because you're a Slytherin, which was wrong for us to automatically hate you for, but because you were a Malfoy. We immediately judged you on your name, and hence your take on everything. You've gotta admit, you were a right git that first day, but still... Instead of trying to see the good, or even helping you to find he right side of things, we took to hating you and wanting you to suffer for your beliefs."

Draco sat in silent contemplation, going over his friends words.

"We're really no better than Dumbledore," Ron admitted, with a sigh. "I trust our Headmaster, I really do. But, he has a serious problem with telling people all of the facts." He glanced back at him, sadly. "Do you remember that day when we were in Dumbledore's office, talkin' to him about you and Harry and what your real name is and all of that?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding.

"And you yelled at him for never helping you; for automatically judging you as being on Malfoy's side without even taking the chance o really get to know you." Shaking his head, he clenched his jaw briefly. "We did that too," he told him, quietly. "I mean, I know it's a little different; obviously, we didn't know that you were really a Potter. But we're no better. We put you in the same column as the Malfoy's, never once considering that maybe you weren't like them."

"It's not your fault," Draco assured, smiling briefly. "You were right, I mean I was a real git when I first met you. My whole life I was taught to be that way, it almost came easily." Sighing, he frowned. "The insults to your family just rolled off my tongue, because it's all I ever heard said about you. But I knew your dad, Ron. I met him so many times, he was practically an uncle," he said with a chuckle.

"Really?" Ron asked, interested.

But I never dreamed home would end up where I don't belong, I'm movin' on

"Yeah," he said, smiling lightly. "He always knew when I was at St. Mungo's," he told him, quietly. "I'd wake up, usually to find him hangin' 'round the room. He always brought a bowl of your mum's strawberry ice cream," he continued, chuckling. "He only asked questions until he was sure I didn't want to talk about it anymore; he never pressed me for answers. I swear, it was like having a counselor or something." He tried to lighten the melancholy mood, but even he couldn't pull away from the sadness of it all. "Sometimes, when he noticed I was upset, he'd tell me about his newest muggle contraption. I swear, I know more about clogs than could possibly be needed. Wooden shoes," he scoffed, shaking his head. Crossing his arms, he turned to look at his friend with a sense of envy. "You have an incredible father, Ron."

Shifting with pride, the ginger haired boy nodded. "I do, don't I?"

Chuckling, Draco nodded.

"What about your dad?" Ron asked, smiling slightly. "Harry mentioned something about you getting to.. er... meet them back when you... er.. died... the first time," he stumbled.

Draco nodded, feeling his chest constrict. "Yeah," he said, his brows raising and his eyes burning slightly. "He was... He was..." Inhaling sharply, he shook his head. "You know I've never really talked about him," he admitted, chuckling nervously. "Not even with Harry. I was worried he might get upset with me," he explained.

"You don't have to tell me," Ron told him, nodding.

"No," Draco said, swallowing. "I- I think I'd like to." Inhaling deeply, he tightened his arms around himself, glancing at the back of his brother's head and then over to Ron.

I'm movin' on, At last I can see life has been patiently waiting for me

Draco wasn't sure, but he didn't think heaven should have to suffer through rain. Then again, his existance would be quite unnatural if it didn't have anything relatively normal. How boring it would be if everything turned out perfectly. But then, heaven was supposed to epitomize perfection, wasn't it? In any case, it was pouring rain, bothering him to no end. He had hopes to go out and play Quidditch, but instead, he was trapped inside, glowering out the window.

"Perhaps if you continue pouting, God will make the sun come out," James told him, obviously amused.

"I'm not pouting," Draco replied, frowning. "I'm glaring."

"Right," his father said, sitting down in the chair beside him. "Mind if I join you then? Lily is currently reading." Without waiting for Draco to reply, he thinned his eyes and turned his mouth into a glower, crossing his arms and glaring out the window moodily.

Draco snorted before letting himself laugh, shaking his head. "How about a game of chess?" he suggested, watching his father turn his face to him, his fake annoyance with the rain still present.

"I have much more pressing matters," James replied, sourly. "With it raining outside, I can't possibly enjoy anything else," he told him, exaggeratedly.

Sighing, Draco rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll just coax mum from her book and her and I will enjoy a game," he told him, rising from his chair.

"Son, I don't think that's possible. In fact, the words 'coax mum from her books,' are practically a joke all in their own," he told him, nodding. His face had cleared and now he was looking at Draco with amusement. "But by all means, do try. Don't tucker yourself out though, not sure I can handle another of Lil's motherly fawning while you nap on the couch."

Rolling his eyes, Draco crossed his arms. "That unnerved me the first time I woke up," he admitted. "She was right there," he said, holding his hand up in front of his face. "And then she was crying, and I thought perhaps something had happened."

"What could happen in heaven?" James asked, lifting his brow.

"I don' know," Draco admitted, shrugging. "But how often do you wake up to a woman crying in front of you for no reason?"

And I know there's no guarantees, but I'm not alone, There comes a time in everyone's life

"Quite often, really," his father said, quietly. "She's missed you both terribly."

"To be honest -and I'm not sure I'd like my mother knowing this- I don't think I realized just how much I missed mum until I met her," Draco confessed. "When I was growing up, I always had my mother, but it was as if there was something... missing. I just... I couldn't figure out what," he said, shaking his head. "And then Dumbledore explained everything and it was like I knew that was it all along. I knew there was someone out there, someone who actually loved-" Clearing his throat, Draco took on a rather worried expression and immediately began searching around, as if he wanted to escape.

"It's alright, Jamie," his father said, tugging him down to the chair he had vacated. "I believe if we're ever going to see each other as father and son, we should talk to each other."

"I already see you as my dad," my admitted, shrugging. "I called you dad long before I came here," he said, quietly.

James sighed with relief. "Thank Merlin, I was worried you might not... accept me," he told him, swallowing.

"Why wouldn't I?" Draco asked, furrowing his brow.

"I was never there," James said, sadly. "I wasn't there to give you your first broom or send you off to Hogwarts. I never witnessed your first act of magic or seen your first steps. I wasn't there when you needed me most," he explained, painfully. Taking off his glasses, he rubbed at his eyes. "And when you were left with Malfoy," he spat, angrily. "Stuck living that life, where you were abused-" Choking up, he shook his head. "Merlin, Jamie, I had thought that I was doing right by you and your brother. I tried to hide you, to hide all of us. If I could've just- Then we would- And you never would've-"

"Have you been beating yourself up about this the entire time?" Draco wondered, squelching the need to hug his father.

"It's a little hard not to," James admitted, releasing his hand from his now red eyes.

"You shouldn't," he told him, shaking his head. "None of it was your fault, really. It wasn't as if you made the prophecy and you certainly didn't tell it to Voldemort," he reminded with a snort. "You did your best to keep us safe, which is all that could be expected. You died trying to save us, how much more could you do?"

"You're rather accepting in your after-life, aren't you?" James asked, smiling.

"I think it's Sirius' doing," Draco admitted, frowning.

When all you can see are the years passing by, And I have made up my mind that those days are gone

James laughed, standing up. "Right then, how 'bout, instead of Chess, we work on a counter plan on my wonderful best friend," he suggested, smirking. "We must exact revenge, at least by dinner time!"

"This is your brilliant plan for all eternity?" he asked, cocking his brow with amusement. "To continue a prank war with my godfather?"

"You were there yesterday, right?" his father asked, frowning. "You saw what he did!"

"Yes, it was quite hilarious," Draco said, grinning. "The look on your face when your food just sprung up, dancing and throwing itself at you," he said, laughing. "And then when your vegetables kept singing, even after you had eaten them. Merlin, it was priceless!"

James rolled his eyes, frowning. "Whose side are you on?" he asked, suspiciously.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked, standing up and crossing the room. "Mum's of course," he called back, cheekily.

"He sounds great," Ron commented, nodding.

"He is," Draco replied, grinning. "He came up with some brilliant pranks too," he told him, shaking his head. "Then again, so did Sirius. I was happy to prank either of them. I must admit though, mum managed to play some incredible jokes on both of them," he said, laughing.

"You'll have to tell me sometime," he replied, smiling.

"Yeah," Draco agreed, sighing. "I'd like that."

Draco felt his mind running through the time he spent with his parents, finding that it didn't hurt as much to think about them any longer. Part of him really want to share it all with people, and then another part wanted to keep it all to himself. It was an odd sensation; he knew he should tell Harry about them, but the last time they had spoken about it, his brother had ended up feeling pretty rotten. He could talk to Hermione about it, but things had been so hectic lately that he didn't really have time to talk to her about it. He would definitely have to rectify that soon, as he didn't want them to grow distanced after everything.

I sold what I could and packed what I couldn't, Stopped to fill up on my way out of town

After a few moments of silence, Draco asked a question that had been bothering him lately. "What do you think is going to happen in the end, Ron?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, frowning.

"After the War," he declared. "When everything is over and the Light side is victorious. I mean, what are you going to do? The adventure will be over. No more late night hunts for horcruxes or breaking into Mansions to search for things," he explained, shaking his head. "We won't have anything to really work toward."

"That's not true," Ron said, shaking his head. "I plan on getting married, having kids, playing Quidditch, hopefully professionally." Sighing, he shrugged. "Sure, there won't be the exhilarating adventure that we've been going through for years, but Merlin Draco, aren't you tired?" Turning down a street, he glanced back at his friend. "I think, what we're really working for now, besides peace and all that, is a break."

"A break?" Draco asked, his brow furrowing.

"Yeah," Ron said, nodding. "A vacation from being heroes and saving everybody. I was half-serious when I wanted you and Harry to pay for me to go on vacation," he admitted. "Think of it, mate. You won't have to worry about what's around the next corner, you won't have to keep your wand under the pillow when you fall asleep. You don't have go to bed, hoping you won't be woken because of a Death Eater attack." Sighing wistfully, he smiled to himself.

"Then what do I do?" he wondered, tipping his head slightly.

"You raise your kids as best you can, you marry a beautiful, bright witch, and you live life the way you should've been allowed to. You keep in touch with your incredibly funny best mate, who happens to play for the Chudley Cannons, while keeping up a close relationship with your godmother. You likely live in a house near your brother, as you two are practically inseparable, at least when the matter doesn't have to do with Mione or Luna," he told him, shaking his head. "You just live it, Draco. Live it all."

"Live it all," Draco repeated, nodding. "I think I can do that."

"Good," Ron replied, grinning. "Because I have to tell you, I've about had enough adventure to last me my whole life. I don't need to be draggin' your sorry arse home from some crazy fight with a dragon or something, just to get your jollies off. It's about time you and Harry here just lay back and let yourselves rest. Merlin, I'll have grey hairs before I'm twenty, I just know it," he grumbled.

"Some women think grey hair is attractive," he bugged, smirking.

"Really?" Ron asked, cocking his brow. "Ya think Katie would like it?" he wondered. "Maybe then I could join the club," he mumbled

Draco laughed, shaking his head at his friend.

I've loved like I should but lived like I shouldn't, I had to lose everything to find out,

Ron pulled in front of the large warehouse that Draco had marked down on the map. Draco waved his hand, causing the door to slide open noiselessly. Driving it inside, he parked against the wall. Using Lumos, they lit their wands and woke Harry up to creep out of the abandoned building. Standing just outside, finding themselves in rather dark and creepy area, Draco reminded them to take in their surroundings for later apparating. Though Ron didn't really need to, as he would always be going with one of them by Side-Along apparition.

Draco glanced to the side, feeling a shiver run down his spine. His eyes watched the shadows, searching for something. Frowning, he turned to his brother, who was yawning tiredly. "We have to go," he told them, trying his best not to sound worried.

"Yeah," Ron said, nodding. "Is there something wrong though, you don't look so good."

"We'll discuss it later," he told them, walking over to grab Ron's arm, possibly a little tighter than needed. "We have to keep covered, so we best go to the alley outside of Hog's Head again."

"Right," Harry said, looking a whole lot more awake, and rather alert to his surroundings.

Closing his eyes, trying his best not to panic too much, he focused on his destination. Shortly thereafter, he opened his eyes to find himself in the right place. With a soft pop, Harry appeared next to them, his eyes looking around quickly. Moving across the wall, he checked the main walkway to see if there were many people around. "I think we're clear to get to the passageway," he told them.

Nodding, Ron and Draco followed him to the secret entrance to Hogwarts. Their eyes darted around, keeping watch for passerby's or more likely, members of the Order, out to keep the school safe. With the attack that had happened the day before, it was likely that getting back in to the school would be a whole lot harder now. While it may be easy to get to the passageway, they still had to get up to the Head Tower, or for two of them at least Gryffindor Tower.

Maybe forgiveness will find me somewhere down this road, I'm movin' on

As they walked through the echoing tunnel, Ron turned to ask what had been worrying him back at the warehouse. The only sounds were their feet treading across the ground quickly and their heavy breathing as they quickened their pace. A howling could be heard earlier, from the wind beating against the opening. It was completely dark as they continued on, so they journeyed by the light of their wands.

"There was something there," he told them, quietly.

"Something? Not someone?" Harry asked, frowning.

"It's complicated," he replied, sighing. "But it did remind me of something very important."

"What's that?" Ron asked.

"There's somebody we have to meet," he told them. "Somebody Sirius told me was a very trustworthy person," he said, frowning. "He could be a great help during the War." Clearing his throat, he grimaced. "There's just one problem."

"Which is?" Harry asked, rather stiffly.

"He's a vampire," Draco explained, grimacing.

I'm movin' on, I'm movin' on

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A/N I'm so, so, so, so, so sorry! I can't appologize enough. I've been really busy with Growing and other things. Forgive me! I'll try my best not to do that to you guys again. I've certainly not abandoned this story; nor will I until it's finished. Thanks for reading, please review. I hope you enjoyed this story!

The song used in this chapter was, "I'm Moving On," by Rascal Flatts.

Much Love,
-Amanda