The Devil in Me

I Want to Live Not Just Survive

A/N: The chapter title comes from the song:

Angel with a Shotgun by The Cab.

When Harry and his little crew got back to school after the Smith massacre, Harry walked straight through the Slytherin common room into his dorm.

Daphne followed him with her eyes, then turned to Draco, "Did something go wrong?"

"No, we're all fine," Draco answered, his eyes also on the door that Harry had just shut.

"So, what was that about?" Daphne asked, nudging her head in the direction of the door.

Draco sat down opposite Daphne. The common room was virtually empty. Blaise had headed into his dorm room too which left Draco, Daphne, and at a table a couple of metres behind them, Sadie.

"You."

"Me?" Daphne asked in surprise.

"He doesn't feel like he deserves you," Draco said. He looked Daphne in the eye, "He feels like by signing that contract with your father, he's shackling you with his baggage. Look, Daph, he won't say it in these terms, but he's scared."

Daphne's frown deepened, but she said nothing.

"The only functional relationship he's got to look to is the one between my parents," Draco said quietly, "And there are two ways to look at that. On the one hand, it was an arranged marriage where both parties had mutual respect, which grew into profound love. But on the other hand, my father became a Death Eater, he gave everything to the Dark Lord, and my mother had no choice but to stand by his side through that, whether she agreed or not. We very easily could have lost everything if my father fell out of line, and it would have been my mother who suffered for that."

"So he thinks he's a monster," Daphne said with a nod. She sighed and shook her head, "And he thinks he needs to protect me from everything – even himself."

"That sums it up," Draco admitted.

"I knew he was a bit dim sometimes, but I didn't realise he was this stupid," Daphne said irritably, "Doesn't he get it? I don't care about what he's done to get to where he is. All I care about is where he's going."

"I think the only way to get that through to him is to tell him that," Draco said, patting her on the shoulder.

Daphne got to her feet and grabbed Draco's hand. She smiled at him and squeezed it, "He's lucky to have you, you know? You're a good friend."

With a half-smile, Draco nodded and watched Daphne slip into Harry's dorm room.

Draco looked up and caught Sadie's eye. He sighed, "Save it, Cauldwell, I'm not in the mood for your judgement tonight."

"I wasn't going to judge you," Sadie said quietly, "Not negatively, anyway."

Draco raised an eyebrow, "There's a first time for everything."

Sadie got to her feet and closed her book, "You are a good friend."

Draco paused, unsure if she would elaborate on that or if one line compliments were the extent of their relationship now.

"I'm sorry," Sadie said eventually.

"Wow," Draco remarked dryly, "That seemed physically painful for you."

"Trust me, it was," Sadie said, "But it had to be said. I realise now that punishing you for your father's actions was irresponsible of me. He made you, and he raised you, but that doesn't mean you are anything like him."

Draco gave her a slight nod, "Apology accepted."

Sadie turned away from him, heading for her dorm room.

"Does this make us friends?" Draco called after her.

"Not a chance, Malfoy," Sadie called back, opening the door and disappearing into her room.

Draco smiled slightly and pulled a book out of his bag. He was too tense and worked up to even think about sleep just yet.

"I want to be alone, Daphne."

"I don't care," Daphne said, closing the door behind her, "I want to talk to you, and since, last time I checked, this was an equal relationship, I don't think there's anything you can do about that."

Harry spun around and glared at her, "I said I'm not in the mood!"

"And I said I don't care!"

Harry scoffed and turned away from her, "It's just a contract, Daphne – I can rip it up; I left that loophole open. Nothing is iron-clad until we're married."

Daphne narrowed her eyes at him.

"But you wouldn't want that, obviously," Harry continued irritably, "Because it would leave a stain on your honour. Then again, maybe a stain on your honour is better than a stain on your soul."

"Oh, give it up," Daphne said in disbelief, "This is your problem! You don't think you deserve something, so you ruin it!"

Harry looked into her eyes, and for a moment, he left them unguarded – he let her see him vulnerable.

"I don't care what you think," Daphne said angrily, "I don't care if you think you deserve me or not because that's not what life is about, Harry!"

She shook her head and walked towards him, "When do we ever get what we deserve, really?"

Harry said nothing, his eyes still on hers.

"It's about what we want," Daphne said, reaching him and grabbing his hand, "And I want you, Harry – Harry Potter – not the boy-who-lived or the man-who-turned, not the Dark Lords right hand, just you."

Harry swallowed and tried to pull his hand out of hers, but she wouldn't let him.

"Why?" He asked, his voice a little choked, "How? How could someone like you want me?"

"Oh, so I'm perfect now?" Daphne quipped, "What about the Auror I nearly killed in the Battle of Longbottom Grove? You think I don't think about that? You think I don't think about the little kid h has who almost got orphaned?"

Harry's eyes flashed, "But you don't-"

"Talk about it?" Daphne said, her icy blue eyes glazing over with tears, "No, I don't talk about it because I can't talk about it without reliving it. I know how it feels to hate yourself for the things you have done, but your mistakes don't define you. What you do to make them right does, and you are reforming this world for the entirety of wizardkind," she pulled him closer.

"And that makes it okay?" Harry asked quietly.

Daphne blinked her unshed tears away, "Yes, that makes it okay because you might think that everything you have done was out of hatred and revenge, but it wasn't, and I can see that. Draco and Gus can see that. Everyone who knows you can see that, Harry. Everything you have done, you did for good – for a better world, a safer world."

Harry blinked his own tears out of his eyes but didn't raise a hand to wipe them away.

"So you can judge yourself, you can take apart every word you've ever said, every action you've ever taken," Daphne finished, moving her hand from his to cup his cheek, "But known for certain that I mean it when I tell you that I love you."

Harry's breath hitched. He wasn't sure how to respond, so he was glad when she kissed him. It wasn't hard or passionate – not fuelled with need or lust, but instead, it was heartfelt.

Harry's hands rested on the side of her face as he returned the kiss, and it was like she was breathing oxygen into his lungs.

He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. Harry could feel Daphne's heart beating against his; he could feel her warm hand on the back of his neck, he could smell her familiar, intoxicating scent, and all he could think about was how he never wanted this moment to end.

It wasn't like it had been with others. Harry didn't feel lustful towards her, and he wasn't desperate to have sex with her. All he wanted was to be with her, be close to her, feel her, and love her.

And that was when he decided to say it – something he had never said aloud to any living person in his life.

Harry opened his eyes and gently hooked a finger under her chin. He lifted her head, and her eyes fluttered open to meet his.

"I love you too," Harry said, his voice quiet and raw with emotion, "I didn't expect to fall in love with you, maybe not ever and definitely not so quickly, but I do, Daphne – I love you."

Daphne – the girl who was usually calm and composed, as cold as ice some even said – acted impulsively. She closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around Harry's neck, pulling him into a kiss reminiscent of the first one they had shared.

Lily had made herself pretty at home in Tom's quarters by now. She knew the password to his office and the private quarters attached to them. So, after stopping in at the hospital wing to check in on Amalthea, she headed up and let herself in.

It was late, but Tom was still up, which came as no surprise – he barely slept, after all.

When Lily walked in, he didn't look up from the book he was reading, which wasn't a surprise either. Lily dropped her bag and sauntered over to him, "I duelled six guys today."

"Congratulations," Tom said dryly.

"At the same time," Lily added.

Tom looked up sharply, his eyes raking over her, "Are you hurt?"

"No, not a scratch," Lily said with a smirk.

Tom put the book in his hand to the side to give her his full attention. His blue eyes fixed on hers, "How?"

Lily raised an eyebrow, "What, like it's supposed to be hard?"

Tom scoffed, "You are talented and magically powerful, yes. But you are also arrogant."

He got to his feet and grabbed his wand, "And predictable. Perhaps you could hold off six of Ezekiel Smith's thugs, but you will not last five minutes against me."

Lily pulled her wand from her pocket, "Well, this is a new form of flirting."

Tom's eyes flashed, "I mean it, Lilith – this war is far from over, and arrogance will get you killed."

"What happens if I do last longer than five minutes?" Lily quipped, "If I prove you wrong?"

"There is no point in discussing that because it will not happen," Tom said simply.

Then, without any further warning, he threw a stunning spell at her.

Lily shielded it and spun around, throwing a disarming spell at him.

"Your footwork is terrible," Tom said casually as he stepped aside to avoid her spell, "Look at that! Someone could trip you up mid-duel just by kicking the back of your knee."

Lily adjusted it and dodged a cutting curse that he had just thrown at her.

Tom tutted, "You dodge when you should shield, and you shield when you should dodge! You shield against something that can kill you, a cutting curse, for example. You dodge a spell that would harm you but not kill you – a stunning charm."

"What if I get stunned and captured?" Lily quipped as spells flew between them.

"Then you would be remarkably stupid, or your reflexes ridiculously slow," Tom returned.

"Would you come and rescue me?" Lily asked, ducking to avoid the curse he'd just thrown at her.

"If you were stunned? No, of course not. I would let you die to punish you for your own stupidity," Tom said sarcastically, "Stunning charms are notoriously easy to shield and dodge."

Lily gave him an amused look, "I don't believe you wouldn't come for me."

With a roll of his eyes, Tom threw a lazy curse at her, "Harry would talk me into coming for you, no doubt. But I would let you stew in your stupidity for at least 24 hours."

"Uh-huh," Lily said, seemingly unconvinced.

"Again, with the unnecessary shielding!" Tom exclaimed, "One does not need to cast the most complicated shield known to mankind when you could simply duck, Lilith."

Lily rolled her eyes this time and threw an unshieldable cutting curse at him. Tom weaved out of the way and fixed his eyes on hers, "You are also predictable, and you fall into patterns easily."

"I do not!" Lily objected.

Tom raised an eyebrow, "No? Let's test that, shall we?"

As Lily thrust her wand forward, Tom said, "Expelliarmus", at the same time as Lily.

Smirking, Tom added, "As predictable as Harry where that particular spell is concerned."

Glaring at him, Lily opened her mouth, and Tom did it again, "Incendio."

He shielded the spell and rolled his eyes, "Also as predictable as Harry."

Lily growled irritably and cast her next spell. Tom lazily drawled, "Stupefy."

Incredibly irritated now, Lily yelled, "Sectumsempra!" and Tom said the word at the same time as her.

"Ugh!" Lily exclaimed, throwing her wand down on the sofa, "How did you do that?!"

"As I said, you are predictable," Tom said, "It is something that can be fixed with training and experience. You and Harry are much the same, down to the spells you use as your irritation grows."

"Does that mean you're going to train me like you did him?" Lily asked curiously.

"Evidently, you need it," Tom responded.

Lily crossed her arms over her chest, "I can do ancestral magic."

"I know you can, but power is not everything," Tom said wisely, "Knowledge is power, Lilith. It does not matter how much pain your hands can inflict if you are not the whole package."

Lily scoffed, and this caught Tom's interest.

"Did something I say amuse you?" Tom asked coolly.

"Yes, it did," Lily retorted, "You think you are the full package? Yes, you are powerful and smart, Tom, but you can't empathise with anything your followers feel because you're so stuck on the fact you apparently don't feel these pesky little human emotions."

Tom lost his temper at that, "What more do you want of me, Lilith?" he snapped.

Lily didn't draw back for fear of his temper. She stood her ground against him.

"I have done more than enough," Tom said, his voice low with anger, "I have shown kindness, forgiveness, pity because of you."

Lily frowned and looked up to catch his eyes.

"All of those things are human. Whether you regard them as emotions or not is another matter," Tom said, his eyes still on hers, "But they were all for you. I do not know what more you can possibly want from me other than something you know I cannot give you."

Lily sighed and let go of her anger. She reached up and placed her hand on Tom's cheek, "When are you going to stop looking for something deeper in this, Tom? I don't want something from you; I don't want anything from you. I just want you."

Tom looked at her with conflicting emotions in his eyes which was a first. He shook his head and pulled away from her, "You think that is what you want, but if you knew the truth…you would not be so certain."

"What truth?" Lily asked, raising her hands in defeat, "I know about your parents, your upbringing, your past relationships, your crimes, your Horcruxes, your snake-lady turned pet. What can I possibly not know?"

Tom looked down at his hand and twisted a ring that sat there, "You do not know my true face," he said.

Lily supposed that was true, but she didn't expect him to reveal it as suddenly as he did. Tom slipped the ring from his finger, and his glamour fizzled out before her very eyes.

Where blue eyes had once stared at her warily, scarlet red eyes now burned into her mind. His formerly handsome face was snake-like and, frankly, terrifying to behold.

"I am not a distinguished older man, Lilith," Tom said, his voice a little higher than usual.

Lily swallowed her fear and her pride. She glared straight into those scarlet eyes, "If you think I believed that, if you think I'm foolish enough that I bought into that, then you must think I'm really stupid."

Tom said nothing but kept his gaze on her.

"You are fifty years older than me," Lily said, "You think I didn't do my research when I found that out? You think I didn't read all the old newspaper reports about the snake-like man with red eyes? I knew that wasn't your true face."

Tom shook his head and turned away from her, "Nonetheless, now that you have seen it, I expect you can understand why this affair needs to end-"

"No," Lily said irritably.

Tom looked at her once more, surprise flickering in his scarlet eyes.

"You are not guilt-tripping me into walking away from you," Lily said sternly, "I'll tell you the truth – I don't like your true face, and it's not because I'm shallow or vain. It's because this," she motioned to his face, " – this isn't you."

"This is exactly who I am," Tom said quietly, "This is what I have become."

"Lord Voldemort is who you became," Lily agreed, "Who you had to become to accomplish the things that you have. But that doesn't mean that this is you. The man I met, who charmed me and fascinated me? The man who vowed to protect me because I reminded him of his mother? That man was not Lord Voldemort. It was Tom Riddle, and that is the man I am in love with."

Tom slipped the ring back on, and Lily breathed a sigh of relief when she was able to look into those endless blue eyes once more, even if those eyes were full of sorrow at the moment.

"Lily, you know I cannot-"

"I didn't say it because I expect you to say it back!" Lily snapped without realising that he had called her Lily for the first time in a long time.

"I said it because I wanted you to hear it," Lily said, grabbing his hand, "And because I think you needed to hear it."

Tom looked at her with so much uncertainty in his eyes. It was a new look on him and a mildly disturbing one.

"I've been trying not to say it for a while, scared that saying it will scare you off," Lily continued, "But now I realise that if I try and keep my feelings caged any longer that I will become just like Bellatrix."

Tom shook his head, "Bellatrix never loved me. She was fanatical about me."

Lily frowned and looked up at him.

"But you…" Tom said, his eyes meeting hers again, "What you feel for me is pure. I will not pretend to understand how someone with such grace, beauty, intelligence and power could see anything but evil in me but you…"

"I do," Lily agreed, "And I won't be scared off as easily as you think I will."

Tom breathed in deeply then exhaled.

"I am the Master of Death," He said, his eyes on hers, "And as far as I am aware, that means if I am to die or find myself in purgatory, I can bargain with death."

Lily nodded slowly, "Okay?"

"In theory," Tom said slowly as if he was struggling to get these words out, "My title, theoretical as it may be, should enable me to survive the spell that puts my soul back together."

Lily's eyes widened, "You're talking about destroying your Horcruxes?"

Tom shook his head, "No, they do not have to be destroyed for this to work. But if I experience a moment of genuine remorse, I can use an ancient spell that will pull all the pieces of my soul back into my body. The process would stop my heart for long enough to draw me into purgatory. I suppose this would be to judge whether my act of remorse was enough or not, but I hope as Master of Death, I could strike a deal to return to my body with my soul intact."

"Tom," Lily breathed, "That is…huge."

"I am aware of the importance of-"

"No," Lily cut in, "That's not what I mean. It's a huge risk, and I have to question why you would even consider it?"

Tom sat down heavily and looked into the fire ahead, "Because over this last year, all I have wanted is to feel again. To feel warm, to feel cold, to feel anything other than angry and between you, and Harry, and Amalthea, I do. I feel the beginnings of something, but my soul is so broken that it will never become anything more unless I reverse what I have done."

Lily sighed softly and sat down next to him. She placed her hand on his and tugged it, forcing him to turn his head to the side to look at her.

"And Tom…that tells me everything I need to know," Lily promised, "But please, don't do this unless you are sure because if you do and it doesn't work. If I lose you? I would never forgive myself."

Tom frowned, "It would not be your fault-"

"It would be," Lily cut in, her voice still soft, "Because in your own emotionally twisted way, you just admitted that all of this was for me."

Tom's frown deepened, "I also cited Harry and Amalthea as catalysts behind my change of heart-"

"I know," Lily said quickly before he could veer too far from the point, "But please, promise me that you won't do this until you get proof that it will work."

Tom nodded and met her eye, "You have my word."

Letting out a relieved breath, Lily closed the gap between them to kiss Tom softly, and despite his conflicted, obviously tumultuous mood, he didn't push her away.

The moment Harry walked into the common room the morning after the Smith Massacre, Draco could sense a change in his friend. He cocked his head and watched Harry smile – more genuinely than Draco had seen him do so since he joined the Dark Lord.

"Morning," He said, a carefree tone to his voice.

Draco smiled, "You seem a little lighter this morning. Did you and Daphne talk last night?"

They fell into step together as they headed out of the common room, en-route to the great hall for breakfast.

"We did," Harry said, "We talked all night, actually, and I should be exhausted, but I'm not."

Draco chuckled and patted him on the back, "You told her then?"

"Yeah," Harry said, smiling naturally at his friend, "I did."

"And she told you," Draco said, it was a statement, not a question.

"You're way more perceptive than I gave you credit for when we first became friends," Harry replied.

Draco shrugged, "Well, don't judge a book by its cover," he said, sitting down at the Slytherin table.

"Or it's opening paragraph."

Draco looked up at Sadie, "That's an elaborate analogy."

Sadie shrugged and poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice, "The first paragraph can be terrible, but if you stick with it, the book might have an incredible ending, and you would have missed that if you abandoned it after your initial impression."

Tracey frowned and looked between them, "Why do I get the feeling we aren't talking about books anymore?"

Sadie's eyes met Draco's, and he smiled, "Are we talking about books, or are we talking about us, Cauldwell?"

"There is no us, Malfoy," Sadie said, almost managing to hide the colour that rose in her cheeks.

"Uh-huh," Draco said with a slight smile, "Remember, it's the full moon tonight, so you'll be coming with us to the Manor."

Sadie frowned, "And why would I do that? I'm not a Death Eater; there's no reason for me to go."

Draco gave her an irritated look, "Because Sadie if I were the Army of the Phoenix – looking to wage war on the 'dark' side. I would wait until the full moon when I knew they would all be gathered together in one place. Then I would attack another place where I knew they were keeping a hostage, assuming said hostage would not be guarded on account of everyone else being somewhere else. And as you remind me every goddamn day, you are a hostage."

Sadie crossed her arms over her chest irritably.

"Then, when I found that hostage and realised that she had been willingly affiliating herself with the Death Eaters to preserve her life, do you know what I would do?"

"You would kill me," Sadie said dryly.

"Yes – I would string her up to show my supporters what happens to traitors, knowing it would strike fear into the hearts of my army."

Sadie gave him a disbelieving look.

Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head, "I believe that was Draco's way of telling you that he would like you to return to Malfoy Manor with us for your own protection."

He looked over at his friend, "Maybe try a less dramatic approach, Draco, with fewer references to the brutal ways in which you would murder Sadie if you were on opposing sides."

Draco glared at Sadie in response, "Let me put it more clearly for you. As much as I would hate to throw you over my shoulder and drag you kicking and screaming to the Manor tonight, we both know that I will do it because, despite your ignorance, I do, unfortunately, like you.

"And what a way you have of showing it," Sadie muttered irritably.

"Also Draco, Harry's right," Daphne's voice said from behind them, "Quit being so dramatic. Why would you drag her kicking and screaming when you could stupefy her, or silence her, or body bind her?"

Sadie gave Daphne a sceptical look, "Now you're just giving him ideas, great."

"You ought to thank me, Sadie," Daphne said, sitting down between her and Tracey, "All of those options are more graceful than being dragged from the school kicking and screaming over that brutes shoulder."

Sadie rolled her eyes, and Tracey snorted.

"Just come along willingly, Sadie," Harry said, picking up an apple from the centre of the table, "You can drink whiskey with Daphne and talk about how terrible the men in your life are. It'll be good practice for Imbolc; you'll have to come along to that anyway."

Daphne looked up at Harry, "I'm coming tonight then, am I?"

"You're my fiancé; of course, you're coming along," Harry said, smiling warmly at her.

Daphne smiled back, and Harry jumped to his feet.

"Anyway guys, see you in class," He said, leaving the hall as quickly as he had entered it.

Tracey nudged Daphne under the table, and when the blonde looked up, it was to see her best friend smirking at her.

"What?" She asked calmly.

"You might be ice cold to most, but you are an easy read to me, Daphne Greengrass," Tracey whispered, "You've been sleeping in his bed for weeks, but you went there last night."

Daphne raised an eyebrow, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I can't believe you did it," Tracey continued in a whisper, "You, the perfect daughter, the advocate of preserving yourself for marriage."

"Oh come on, I've never been that pure or noble, and you know it," Daphne returned in a whisper, "I just try to be the best daughter that I can be after the vast disappointment that Lydia turned out to be."

Tracey smiled in amusement, "So you admit it then."

"No, I do not admit it," Daphne murmured, "But we're not talking about it here."

Tracey picked up a bit of toast, "I fancy a walk. You coming, Daph?"

Daphne rolled her eyes and got to her feet, "You're a terrible friend," she muttered, hooking her arm through Tracey's.

"Oh, the worst, I know," Tracey replied sarcastically as she all but dragged Daphne out of the great hall, through the entrance hall and into the grounds.

"I don't know what you think happened last night, but he didn't seduce me, Trace," Daphne said with a shake of her head, "We just had the most honest conversation we have ever had."

"How do you know it was an honest conversation?" Tracey asked sceptically, "The guy is a chronic liar at best and borderline sociopath at worst."

"He's also a bad liar," Daphne said, "For a Death Eater and someone as mysterious as he is, I can always tell when he's lying. Last night he told me the truth; I know it."

"And what was that truth?" Tracey asked, eyeing her friend with interest, "What could be good enough to get the ice queen to thaw?"

Daphne gave Tracey a knowing look, "He told me that he loved me, Tracey."

Tracey's eyes widened, "Wow."

"Yeah."

The two girls were silent after that as the squid moved around under the frozen lake.

"I mean, just…wow."

Daphne nodded again, "I told him that I loved him too. Well, I think I said the words first, but he said them back and do you know what, it could have gone that way last night. I could have slept with him, I wanted to, but I didn't."

"Because you're a good girl with virtues?" Tracey teased, shooting her friend a grin.

Daphne gave Tracey a side-long smirk, "Because my plans are bigger than that, much bigger."

"Of course they are," Tracey said with a chuckle, "Greengrass's don't do things by half, after all. Do they?"

"No," Daphne replied, her smile a little sly but mostly just happy, "No, we don't."

The January full moon was quite the event. The grounds of Malfoy Manor were packed, and there was an air of excitement and optimism. They knew the tide had well and truly turned in their favour – the majority of the wizarding world had turned to their cause, with only a small fraction of people left in the rebel camp.

It wouldn't be long until they were stamped out, Harry knew. Tom was fed up with negotiating deals, the people who had not turned yet were beyond hope, and he saw no way forward while they were still alive.

Harry pondered this as he stood in the garden, close to the front with some of the other more loyal and valued Death Eaters. Daphne stood by his side, her hands clasped together, and her eyes on the platform in front of them.

Tom sat in his 'throne', and Lily stood next to Narcissa, just a few metres away. Everyone was talking, whispering excitedly in undertones – they all knew that there were a lot of people swearing their loyalty tonight, after all.

The heads of the family (and their other halves if there was one) walked forward in alphabetical order – Michael Corner Senior and his wife began when they walked up to the throne and knelt before it. Michaels wife was one of the Greengrass twins – Adaline, who Daphne called an aunt even though she was a distant relation. All the same, Harry could see the family resemblance. Adaline looked younger than she was; her ice-blonde hair and heart-shaped face meant she bore a striking resemblance to Daphne. The only difference was in her eyes, which were dark green instead of blue.

The Cornfoot family approached Tom next – Stefan smiled overly politely and knelt majestically in front of Tom (Harry had to bite back a laugh when a sarcastic thought drifted into his head from the Dark Lord). Next to him was his wife, a pureblood called Poppy from the prolific Irish Brocklehurst family. She looked a little more unsure of herself as she kept her dark eyes down and swept her thick, brown hair out of the way, but she knelt before Tom all the same.

After that, the MacDougal family stepped up – Murray had the stereotypical 'wild' look of a Scottish laird. His white-blonde hair was curly and messy and a little longer than it needed to be. He was dressed up in the right clothes, dark dress robes to look smart, but there was a look in his eyes – the look of a man who could be smiling at you one moment and then cursing you to get off his land the next. His wife was of interest to Harry because she was called Darcy, and she had been a Weasley before she married into the Scottish family. Arthur's sister, however, didn't bear much resemblance to him. She had the typical Weasley red hair, but it was softer, with hints of blonde and with her ivory skin and big green eyes, she was quite beautiful.

Harry's thoughts continued to wonder when the MacMillan family stepped forward to swear their loyalty to the Dark Lord – Tristan, the Head of the family, had that same pompous aura about him that Ernie did. He looked different from his son, though – his hair was dark brown, almost black and his eyes were grey; he had a bit of a 'Black' look about him. His wife, Veronica, who was a Vane and therefore distantly related to Harry, had dirty blonde hair and blue eyes that filled with fear when she knelt before Tom.

Tom seemed vaguely amused by the fear in their eyes – he had expected it when he looked evil, but without his snake-like appearance and red eyes, he did look normal, so it amused him when people cowered at his feet.

When the Smith family came forward, Elijah caught Harry's eye and smiled. Harry gave the older man an amused nod in response. His dark green eyes sparkled with amusement as he, along with Lucinda, knelt before Tom and swore their loyalty.

Finally, Horatio Turpin walked up to Tom with his wife, Aurora. Harry knew that Adaline and Aurora were twins, but he hadn't realised quite how identical they were – if it weren't for the fact that Adaline wore her hair straight and Aurora wore hers curly, Harry wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.

With the oaths over, they cleared the little podium for the initiations, and Harry murmured to Daphne, "Is anyone in your family ugly? Or are you all just born beautiful?"

Daphne laughed in response but didn't answer.

"Seriously – you must have Veela blood in there somewhere, right?"

Daphne shot Harry a teasing smile, "Family secret, Harry. I couldn't possibly tell you until we are married."

Harry smiled in response and slipped his hand into hers, she didn't attempt to remove it, and when Harry looked up, his eyes happened to fall on Lucius and Narcissa, who were standing in much the same position.

Narcissa smiled at Harry, and Lucius gave him an approving nod. Draco rolled his eyes and cast his gaze over Sadie, who was sulking next to him.

The first to join their ranks was Susan Bones, who was as fantastic as Harry had expected her to be. She killed her Muggle sacrifice with elemental magic, which left most of the Death Eaters in the garden in shock.

Everyone knew the name 'Bones' had once meant 'power', but it had been years since they had seen that, and for some of the younger Death Eaters like Harry, this was the first time they had seen it. Susan's inventive way of killing the Muggle was to bury him alive then feed him into the earth – it was certainly one way to 'give back' to mother nature.

When Susan was marked, she was strong. It was apparent she was in pain; she wasn't silent, but she didn't scream like some people had either, and when it was over, rather than covering up her pain like Hermione had with a glamour charm, Susan just strode through it.

She turned around and pushed her sweat-soaked hair away from her face. Then she walked off of the podium with her head held high. Harry glanced sideways at Daphne, who had a small, slightly proud smile on her face.

Interestingly enough, Susan chose to stand next to Tracey, which was when Harry realised who Tracey's mysterious girlfriend was.

Daphne chuckled at his side and murmured, "I had a feeling that's who the mystery girl was."

"I knew it, but Blaise said it was Caroline Sumner," Harry muttered back.

"No, Tracey was always partial to a redhead," Daphne joked.

Daphne shook her head, her eyes on Michael Corner Junior. Like Susan, disposing of the Muggle wasn't difficult for him. He didn't use the killing curse, though, which didn't surprise Harry because he knew from personal experience that you really had to mean it to be able to use it – he had only been able to use it on Pettigrew or on someone who was threatening the life of someone he cared about.

Michael opted to kill the Muggle with a cutting curse like Harry had seen many Death Eaters do before him. However, Michael didn't just rid the guy of his head; he sliced in half vertically.

Harry made a face, "Bit extra, don't you think?"

"Certainly messy," Daphne agreed, "I would have opted for a piercing charm, personally."

"Not iced him to death?"

"It's surprisingly hard to kill people with ice, actually," Daphne remarked as they watched Michael kneel before Tom and offer up his arm, "I mean, sure, I could impale someone on an icicle, but it's not guaranteed to kill them, it would be messy, there would be a lot of-"

"AUGHHHH!"

Harry winced, "Screaming?"

Daphne nodded, "Michael Corner screams like a girl, go figure."

"Do you think he's always done it or is this new for him? Maybe I should ask Justin," Harry teased.

Daphne shot Harry a look, "You can't tease Michael for having a gay thing," she said while Michael screamed in the background, "Not after Theo."

"How do you know he wasn't just a phase?" Harry quipped.

"Because despite what you think, you're an easy read," Daphne replied, "You loved him, and he loved you, and if I'm honest…I would have agreed to it."

Harry looked over at her in surprise, "What?"

"A magical triad," Daphne said, her eyes meeting Harry's, "I know you two spoke about it and joked about it even more, and I always said no, but if Theo hadn't died…" she shrugged and looked away, "I would have agreed to it."

"Poor Theo's going to be crying himself to sleep in the after-life, thinking about what he would be missing," Harry said with a half-hearted smile.

Daphne squeezed Harry's hand and said, "I'm sure he'll find plenty to keep him busy up there."

Harry chuckled, but he still felt melancholy about discussing Theo.

All the same, his attention was drawn back to the main event when Lisa Turpin took her spot before Tom. She swore her oaths and then turned to kill her Muggle. It didn't surprise Harry that, as Daphne had said, she opted for a clean, straightforward approach.

"See?" Daphne murmured, "Piercing curse straight to the head, clean and easy."

Harry cocked his head at the dead body, then glanced over at Daphne, "Couldn't you use your ice powers to liquid nitrogen kill someone? Like create a magical icy fog that froze them and then kick them, and their whole body would just shatter, like ice?"

Daphne raised an eyebrow, "No, I definitely couldn't do that."

"But if you could, you would, right?"

"Of course I would; it would be a very convenient way to kill someone – no body," Daphne said.

Harry smiled in amusement and watched as Lisa had the Dark Mark burned onto her skin. She was somewhere between Susan and Michael – she wasn't entirely immune to the pain, but she didn't scream like a girl either.

With her marking complete, the Death Eaters all dispersed across the garden in rather merry moods – three bodies were burning atop bonfires which kept the garden nice and warm, there was firewhiskey on tap, all in all, it was a good evening.

Harry dropped Daphne's hand and turned to look at her, "I have to find Gus and talk to him about something. Can you help Draco babysit Sadie?"

Daphne looked over in that direction and made a face, "Do I have to? Can't I just watch Draco floundering and screwing it up from afar?"

Harry grinned, "As long as you make sure Sadie doesn't run away, you can watch from as far away as you like," he said, leaning forward to kiss her quickly.

Daphne smiled and drew back, "Good luck with your chat."

"I don't need luck," Harry said with a grin, "It's Gus. Why wouldn't he want me?"

Daphne chuckled and walked away towards Sadie and Draco – but before she could reach them, someone else stepped into her path.

"Evening, Daphne."

Daphne rolled her eyes, "Evening, Rookwood."

"You can call me Reyna, you know, we're practically friends now, aren't we?" Reyna asked sarcastically, "You, me and Lily, all in the 'we've screwed Harry Potter' club."

"If that's a club, I definitely don't want to be a part of it," Daphne deadpanned as she attempted to walk around Reyna.

The older Ravenclaw grabbed her by the wrist to stop her, and Daphne looked up at her in disbelief.

"You already are a part of it, queenie," Reyna said coolly, "And you know yourself if he's slept around this much already, there's no way he's going to stay faithful just because he's got a ring on his finger and your nice big dowry."

Daphne laughed, not bitterly or falsely. She genuinely laughed.

"Every great love story needs that one thing that just keeps getting in the way," Daphne remarked calmly, "Kind of like you, Reyna."

Before Reyna could say anything further, Daphne flicked her wrist, and Reyna cried out in pain as her hand froze solid, her fingers stuck in the position they had been around Daphne's wrist.

Daphne pried herself out of Reyna's grasp and smiled sweetly, "And for the record – I'm not a part of that club because, unlike you, I have dignity."

Reyna hissed in pain and glared at her.

"Don't touch me without my permission again," Daphne said coldly, stalking away from Reyna towards Draco and Sadie.

Harry smiled when he approached Gus, "Hey."

Gus smiled back, "Hey, kid. How are you feeling after last night?"

"Ah, I'm fine," Harry said with a shrug, "I'm young and fit, unlike you."

Gus snorted, "Watch it; I've not lost my touch yet."

Harry chuckled and leant against a nearby tree, "Listen, Gus, have you got five minutes so that I can pick your brain about something?"

This caught Gus's attention, "Course I do," he said, shoving a hand through his thick, greying brown hair.

"I just wondered what kind of qualifications you need to become a Junior Unspeakable? There's not any information out there; it just says you need to be suitable to requirements," Harry said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah, that's because we don't care much for qualifications," Gus said, eyeing Harry with interest, "It's about the person, not how well they can ace tests. Are you thinking about joining the department?"

"Seriously thinking about it," Harry confessed, "When I found out that my mother wanted to be an Unspeakable, it planted a seed that I can't quite get rid of."

"You'd make a damn fine Unspeakable," Gus admitted.

"So I'd get in, then?" Harry asked, hopefully.

"I reckon so," Gus replied, "You see, it's a test, and I don't mean a physical one like it is to get into Auror training; it's a mental test."

Harry cocked his head at his mentor, "Like with Legilimency?"

"Something like that," Gus answered, "We have a device that uses low-level Legilimency to read a person's thoughts and memories, to get a grasp on the way that they think."

"Like the sorting hat then," Harry mused.

Gus grinned, "Exactly like the sorting hat, and I can already tell you that you think the way we want you to. It's about how you approach a problem – you look at it, and you start thinking, how can I solve this? You need to be open-minded enough to explore every avenue, regardless of the consequences. But you need to have enough sense to see that sometimes the consequences outweigh the gain."

"So you need to be ambitious, but not ambitious without sense," Harry said slowly, "And you need to be ingenious but not to your own detriment?"

Gus's smile was a proud one, "You're a natural, kid."

Harry chuckled, "It sounds like you need to be a hat stall, basically."

"You need to have aspects of every house about you; that much is true," Gus agreed, "I would bet my job that you will pass the test, which means you're in, subject to an interview with the Head of the Department."

"Which is you," Harry said, grinning as he pulled out the hipflask that Reyna had given him, Gus's old hipflask.

Gus chuckled, "Yeah, and I think we both know I'd not give you a hard time."

Harry grinned and threw the hipflask to Gus. He took a sip and threw it back.

"Did you hear that the Dark Lord is bringing back apprenticeships?" Harry asked, slipping the hipflask back into his pocket.

Gus snorted, "Yeah, I heard, and of course, I'd be thrilled to take you on as mine."

Harry laughed, "Did I make it that obvious?"

"You've never been subtle, Harry," Gus said, smiling fondly at the younger man.

"You'd take me on, though?" Harry asked eagerly.

Gus nodded, but there was something else in his eyes – something dark. Harry noticed it immediately, but Gus spoke again before Harry could ask about it.

"But there is one thing I need to say. If you want to join us, that's fine, but there are some things that you and I need to talk about," he glanced around the garden, "Privately."

Harry's frown deepened, but he nodded, "That sounds ominous."

"Well, we're ambiguous for a reason, Harry," Gus said quietly, "Some of the things that happen down there…well, they aren't all good, let's put it that way."

"I know," Harry said, thinking back to the things he had seen in the Department of Mysteries back in his fifth year.

"Come by the hall tonight," Gus said, "And we'll talk."

"Okay," Harry said. He knew he wouldn't get anything out of Gus in public, "I will."

"I have a bad feeling about Severus."

Lily looked up at Tom, "You've thought he was a spy for a long time, haven't you?"

Tom nodded, not taking his eyes off of Severus.

"You thought he was a spy when you first came to Hogwarts to teach," Lily mused, her own eyes flicking in that direction, "What are we going to do about it?"

"Nothing, for now," Tom said, tearing his eyes away from Snape to look at Lily, "I have Gibbon trailing him, but as of yet, he has done nothing to confirm my suspicion, and he has been a loyal follower for several years."

"Still," Lily said, biting her lip, "Your gut feeling is probably something to go on, isn't it? I mean, it's always right."

Tom smiled slightly, "As much as I admire your faith in me, that is not necessarily true. Although, in saying that, Harry also has a bad feeling about Severus's loyalties."

"Well, that's not saying much," Lily said quietly, "Harry hates Snape. He always has."

"He has moved past that," Tom said confidently.

Lily pressed a glass into Tom's hands, and he looked down at it.

"No, thank you," Tom said, giving it back to her.

"You haven't been drinking lately, ever since Thea was born actually," Lily mused, "Perhaps you have become more responsible in fatherhood."

"Amalthea," Tom corrected.

Lily gave him an amused look, "She will get called Thea when she goes to school, mark my words."

"Well, I am of the belief that children ought to be referred to by their full name at all times," Tom said dryly.

"Remind me of that if I ever suggest Cassiopeia or Oberon as baby names," Lily joked.

The joke made Tom turn to her sharply, "Lilith, I thought you were aware of the fact that I have no intention of creating another heir-"

Lily had realised her mistake the moment the words left her mouth, "No – it was a joke, Tom, I didn't mean-"

She shook her head, "Amalthea is your heir, and that is all you need, I know."

Tom narrowed his eyes at her, "I would have thought someone with an upbringing such as yours would not want to bring a child into the world."

Lily shrugged, "I can't say I've ever thought about it that much, to be honest. I am only 17, after all."

Tom nodded, "I never wanted a child until one was thrust upon me, but it has shown me things…it has forced me to experience emotions that I would not have done otherwise."

Lily smiled sadly, "There are two ways to react to a child being thrust upon you. You can neglect it, refuse to love it and pretend it doesn't exist. Or you can embrace it, cherish it, raise it the way you wish you had been raised."

Tom took her hand wordlessly.

"My mother did one," Lily said, her voice breaking slightly, "And you are doing the other."

"You give me more credit than I am due," Tom remarked, "I would say that we are both trying to raise Amalthea the way she deserves, despite the pitiful examples set by our families."

Lily smiled at that, "Yes, with a very large helping of Narcissa on the side."

Tom's eyes fell on Narcissa, and he cracked a small smile, "She is invaluable, of course."

The conversation was remarkably light and pleasant, and like many other conversations they had shared as of late, it was open and honest.

Lily would have been lying if she said that she hadn't felt a shift in their relationship as of late.

Tom rose to his feet, "Speaking of the Malfoys, I have business to attend to with Lucius. You will forgive my absence?"

"Of course," Lily replied calmly as the Dark Lord walked away from her.

"Someone seems chipper today," A voice said from behind Lily.

Lily spun around and raised an eyebrow, "Eavesdropping, Reyna?"

"Never, Lilith," Reyna said smoothly, smirking at her fellow Ravenclaw, "Just drinking in the vicinity," she raised her glass.

Lily smiled in amusement and sipped her own firewhiskey, "Not got a man on your arm today?"

"No, I'm trying something new," Reyna said with a shrug.

"What, joining a nunnery?"

"Oh, you're so funny," Reyna remarked sarcastically, "But at least you're not bitchy about it like she is."

Lily didn't even have to follow Reyna's line of sight to know that she was looking at Daphne.

"Don't be bitter. Maybe you'll find a priest at the nunnery," Lily said with a mischievous smirk.

Reyna nudged her in the ribs, "I take back that comment about you not being a bitch. Who said I was looking for a man, anyway?"

"Aren't you always looking for a man?"

"No," Reyna replied honestly, "I, stupidly, really liked Harry. I get why it never went anywhere, and I think deep down I knew that it wouldn't but still…"

"It still hurts," Lily said with a nod.

"And I know I fucked up with Stuart," Reyna said, shrugging, "I thought an older guy would be better, you know? I thought he'd be more mature, I thought he'd treat me better, but he was just bitter."

"Age isn't what defines maturity, Reyna," Lily said, hooking her arm through her friends, "Experiences do. Harry is more mature than Stuart Fawley ever was. He's been through more in a few short years than that pampered arsehole had gone through in his entire life."

Reyna sighed and nodded, "Maybe I should just take some time out, not to join the nuns, just to see if someone worth it comes along. I mean, it's not like there's much choice here anymore, is there?"

"Well," Lily said, looking around, "There's Fitz."

"His girlfriend is a banshee," Reyna pointed out as she watched Fitz stroll across the garden with his signature cocky smirk.

"Yeah, maybe not the best person to fool around with," Lily agreed.

"Reyna!" Fitz chirped as he strolled past, "I had a great idea the other day! You don't know what you want to do with your life, right? Well, I say, do what you're good at – the brothel in Knockturn is always looking for people!"

Reyna gave him an irritated look, "Wow, Fitzroy, how inspired," she said sarcastically, "Wherever did that idea come from?"

"It came to me in a dream," Fitz said. He winked at her, "I was naked; you would have loved it."

"Fitzroy, leave the little girls alone," Beth drawled from her spot a few metres away. With one finger, she beckoned him over, and Fitz went straight away, like a trained dog.

Reyna rolled her eyes, and Lily flicked her wrist in Fitz's direction, littering him with burn marks and making him yelp.

"She's not a hooker. She's the daughter of a fellow Death Eater, so have some respect or – banshee bodyguard or not – I'll burn you to a crisp," Lily threatened him.

"Okay, okay – point taken!" Fitz said, dusting himself off as smoke came from one of the little burn-wounds.

Lily smirked and waved him off, somewhat reminiscent of the way Tom dismissed his followers.

"You deserved that," They heard Beth said when Fitz reached his betrothed.

Reyna smiled over at Lily, "Thanks, little raven."

Lily smiled back, "Anytime."

**TBC**