Chapter Summary: Hermione has come to some decisions about the Kin and what they have revealed to her, she also wants to make up with Ron...
Chapter Forty Six – Decisions
Severus went to sit at his desk in the Headmaster's quarters and Harry slumped down on the sofa.
"So what do we do now?" Harry asked.
"Prepare for the first day of school." Severus replied.
"No, what do we do about them?" Harry clarified gesturing towards the bathroom.
"Absolutely nothing," Severus replied shrugging, "They have made their situation now. Draco is going through the change you went through, there must be a pair of swords in that box. Draco and Ron will have to work out what this means for themselves. I am sure that you know that even if we had not been alone together, the nature of our Kinship would have been entirely our own affair."
"So what happens to them, are you going to let them stay in the attic?"
"Draco has ceased to be my responsibility and in this kind of Bond they will be more than capable of taking care of themselves just as we are. There is no reason now why they can't take up quarters elsewhere in the castle and I will leave them to come to this realization themselves. There should be no reason for Draco to conceal himself either, as Ron's Kin the past history of being a Death Eater's son will be irrelevant. Soon too, they will realize that they are no longer wandless and that they can duel together if they wish, I would enjoy this peace while we have it." Severus advised.
"I think that this could be good for them." Harry commented.
C
Draco still lay in Ron's arms, his skin still sickly in colour though he had almost stopped whimpering in pain.
"Is it easing now?" Ron asked.
Draco barely nodded.
"I don't know what makes Severus think he can just leave us like this with you in this state, it isn't as if we brought this on with alcohol is it. All he told me to do was wait it out and then sense again to see what is wrong. Does that mean it can't be fixed and this will happen again. We could at least have tried a pain potion." Ron grumbled.
"Don't leave me!" Draco pleaded pathetically.
"Don't worry, I won't. We have to stick together, you know that?" Ron asserted brushing a hand through Draco's sweaty hair.
"Why's this happening to me? Why couldn't I just leave, I hate my father!"
"Severus doesn't think it is the curse, I mean, it is different, it's not like the other attacks." Ron explained, "I mean, you're not writhing around and twitching and stuff, and you're not puking on me this time."
"I do that?" Draco asked.
"Oh, of course you wouldn't know 'cos you're always out of it, I don't mind though."
"You've been helping me even though I did that?"
"Yea," Ron answered frowning, "Don't ask me why though."
"It's nearly stopped now, why don't you have a sense and see what the hell this is." Draco suggested.
Ron slipped his hand beneath Draco's robe and started to sense, he then frowned again, "I'm not doing this right, I've got way too used to practicing on Severus and his pregnancy, I'll have another go."
Ron reached up higher and sensed all over Draco's body, sensing each bodily organ as he went and identifying it. Then he returned to the site of the pain and frowned again.
Ron took his hand away from Draco and picked up the small wooden box that he had lain in Draco's lap after the two Kin had left. With a painfully dry swallow he lifted the lid and peered inside. There lay two longsword shaped paper knives, a proud lion roaring on each hilt.
"What do you have there?" Draco asked, curious now that the pain was finally leaving him but making no move to sit up.
"The box you stole from your father, did you know what it contained?" Ron asked still staring at the knives in disbelief.
"No, but we found out last night didn't we, what a good fight that was, we were so drunk. I am surprised we didn't manage to kill each other with those things the way we were waving them about. I suppose we must tell Severus that we managed to open the box." Draco answered.
"They were two bloody swords!? I mean, big ones, full size?"
"Yes, I know. Don't you remember anything? We took them out of the box and we had a wonderful fight. I haven't had such a good time since... since..." Draco replied wondering what Ron was suddenly so agitated about.
"So who else do we know with two bloody swords?" Ron demanded to know.
"Oops."
"Just don't touch them again, we'll give them back to Severus before anything dodgy can happen," Ron insisted snapping the lid shut.
Draco lay still in Ron's arms thinking, thinking about the pain and his current position, thinking about what he knew of Harry and Severus' pairing, what he knew of Severus' history with his brother. Thinking about the wetness that had soaked through his clothes onto the bathroom floor when the pain had been coursing through him, the wetness that he was still sitting on. The faint ache that still remained in his abdomen. The constant feeling of being alone that had been with him for so long now but had now mysteriously left him.
"It's too late to be giving them back, the Bond happens when two people hold the swords together, at the same time. We were play fighting for nearly an hour. That's if they are that type of sword." Draco explained, "You going to tell me what you found when you sensed down there?"
With his heart in his throat Ron replied, "You're just like Harry down there, not, you know, pregnant, but otherwise..."
"Not ill then?"
"No, not ill at all, just hungover."
"Let's go back to bed then." Draco suggested not in the least bit bothered by the revelation that he was probably a Kin.
Ron eased Draco up to lean against the bath and then stood up. He pulled Draco up as well and after discovering that the Bond had done nothing to help the condition of Draco's leg, Ron offered Draco his arm.
"This isn't fair," Draco commented as he noticed how steady Ron was and how much his own leg still dragged stubbornly.
Ron crossed the Headmaster's quarters and up the stairs to the attic, he was quite determined that he wasn't going to show Severus the swords, not yet. He led Draco back to bed and they both lay down.
"Can I have mine?" Draco asked, "We should have them to hold, not keep them in that box."
Ron opened the lid and took one of the swords out, it immediately expanded to full size and he handed it to Draco. Draco took hold of his sword and the lion growled audibly and wrapped it's tail around his hand. The lion glowed a subtle green colour.
"See, the bond is already there, look at the colour glowing in the lion." Draco pointed out.
Ron reached into the box and pulled his own sword out watching with fascination as the lion tail wrapped around his hand and both swords began to glow intensely green. He felt the power of the connection and a sense of Draco's presence. Ron felt a feeling of friendly warmth flood over him and when he looked towards Draco, Draco was smiling at him, looking at him. He felt quite content to feel the connection between them, all the loneliness had seeped away and he didn't want it back any time soon.
"Just promise me we won't turn into THEM," Ron said to Draco.
Draco chuckled at that, "I don't think we could ever turn into Severus and Harry!"
"You can be like my brother if you want," Ron offered.
Ron closed his eyes, and still holding the sword, allowed sleep to overtake him.
C
Severus calmly watched Ron and Draco disappear back upstairs to the attic, he let them go and carried on with his paperwork.
"I suppose we can wait," Severus said to Harry who was knitting on the sofa.
"Not sure I can, I wanted to see them," Harry grumbled.
"You will soon enough, now I am nearly finished, so we can go downstairs for lunch."
"Ok," Harry said putting down his knitting reluctantly but accepting that they had to involve themselves more in castle life in the run up to the start of term.
Harry and Severus were halfway down to the hall and just passing the transfiguration classroom when they heard a familiar voice behind them.
"Well good afternoon Headmasters Snape," Minerva McGonagall called in greeting.
Both Harry and Severus swung round to greet the Professor, the pleasure at seeing her clear on their faces.
Minerva studied the two Kin's profile for a moment, "I see The Prophet has begun to report the truth at last, you two have been busy in my absence, congratulations are in order."
Harry blushed, "Both Severus and I are pregnant."
"I can see," Minerva said paying particular attention to the elder Kin, "I see you in particular Severus, are getting rather large."
"It was my greatest wish," Severus replied keeping the composure that Harry so woefully lacked when faced with his old House head.
"Indeed," Minerva replied as if referring to Severus' entire history with just one word, "Well I have a few things to attend to, I shall see you both in the hall."
Understanding themselves to be dismissed Harry and Severus continued on their way.
"I can't believe we have less than a week to go," Harry spoke to Severus as they neared the hall, "I am a teacher! Who would have thought it! And Minerva is here! Too few other people of course."
"Yes, too few." Severus replied.
"Let's do that thing you used to do," Harry suggested.
"What thing?"
"You know, that swooping down the hall like a great big bat thing."
"Can I help it if my robes billow in such a way as to make me seem as if I have wings?"
"You probably could, yea." Harry said smirking.
"The gormless grin will spoil the look." Severus commented.
"How is this then?" Harry said drawing himself up to stand as tall as he could, wiping his expression of all mirth. He then doubled over and cried out before he could have the presence of mind to suppress it. He put a hand on his abdomen where he had felt the twinge.
Severus' face instantly drained of all colour, "Let me see," He demanded.
Before Harry could say anything Severus had reached beneath Harry's robes and was sensing for the source of his discomfort. In seconds Severus relaxed immeasurably, "It was a kick Harry, obviously your first."
"It was strange," Harry described as they continued on their way down to the hall, he was feeling very pleased with himself, "Like a push, like being thumped from the inside out, I was just surprised."
"I can't wait to have one too," Severus whispered to Harry just in case they were overheard and caused someone to faint from the shock.
C
Lunch passed without event, but then they had been missing their main protagonists. Hermione was obviously still thinking and whatever Ron and Draco were getting up to they hadn't come down to the hall to do it. Severus and Harry both agreed that they were probably still in bed and wouldn't surface any time soon.
Severus and Harry decided to take a stroll out in the grounds safe in the knowledge that there was nothing that immediately needed their attention. It was a lovely warm afternoon and the sun was shining, a fresh breeze made the trees rustle and prevented the sunshine from becoming to overwhelming.
They were just leaving by the big main door when they encountered Hermione on her way back inside. She had Kieran in a pram and they had been taking the fresh air whilst Hermione did her thinking.
"I have decided," Hermione told Severus and Harry, "To go have a word with Ron myself. I can't sit around waiting all afternoon, I have made my decision and I might as well go up there and get it over with. I was just on my way up to see you now. I take it Ron is up in his little attic."
Severus and Harry froze, they were just remembering what it was that Hermione had been going to discuss with Ron.
"I wouldn't go up there now!" Harry blurted out before he could think of anything more eloquent.
Hermione frowned, "Why not?"
Harry managed a more composed reply, "He got drunk with Draco last night while we were at Will's, they're both still sleeping it off."
"You could have taken their hangovers away." Hermione criticized.
"Not a chance," Severus replied, "They deserve it."
"I must say I never took them away either." Hermione had to admit, "This is typical," She complained, "This is just bloody typical!"
"Tell me about it." Severus agreed.
"Well I have made some decisions since this morning, after much thought, I might as well sort out the rest. Harry, I need to speak to you." Hermione continued.
"Alone?" Harry asked sounding as if he just been asked to snog Voldemort.
Hermione sighed, "Yes, I would prefer it if it was just the two of us."
"I..." Harry struggled for words still panicking at the thought of Severus not being there.
"There is nothing to fear," Hermione tried to reassure, "I am part of this lunacy too now, remember?"
"Why can't Sev come?" Harry asked managing to find his words.
"It is about time we had a serious talk about what you've shown me, and the decisions I have made regarding what I now know. I know you will share this with Severus later anyway and whilst we talk I need someone to take care of Kieran for me. Should I find someone else?"
Harry could feel Severus beside him bristling with excitement although saying nothing, "Ok, I'll come." Harry gave in.
Hermione pushed the pram towards Severus, "This will take about an hour, I am not sure, maybe a little more."
"What if he wakes up needs to be fed, there is no bag, no instructions," Severus pointed out.
"I give you permission to transfigure some milk, no doubt the practise will be useful." Hermione answered.
Harry tensed a bit at Hermione's words, he couldn't figure out if she was trying to wind Severus up or not. There had already been some discussion over which was best, and Hermione thought that Severus had no choice but to transfigure when his time came.
Severus either wasn't bothered or he was hiding his annoyance well enough not to spoil the opportunity that Hermione had presented him.
Severus took hold of the pram and peered inside.
"Where are you going to be?" Harry asked.
"I will go back to the Headmaster's quarters, it is nice and airy up there, and private. I am sure little Kieran would like that," Severus replied.
Harry left with Hermione and she led them to the main staircase down into the dungeons, a route that Harry had come to know very well, "So we're going down to the potions classroom then?"
"Yea, sort of, we're going to my office, nice and quiet, not so airy." Hermione replied.
"The potion room office?" Harry asked remembering what he and Severus had done in there.
"Yes Harry," Hermione confirmed sounding a little irritated with him.
Once in Hermione's office she gestured for Harry to take a seat in front of the desk and Hermione took up her seat behind it."So what kind of detention am I getting today Professor Granger?" Harry asked with a winning smile.
Hermione replied with a withering glare and Harry prepared himself to be serious although he fidgeted in his seat in anticipation of what the conversation might be about.
"It's about the Talisman," Hermione announced.
"What about it?" Harry asked feeling even more wary, this was the one subject that he avoided at all costs, even Severus didn't mention it unless he had to.
"Severus showed me that he knows how to open the portals and that the Talisman exists, I was just hoping that you have it hidden safely, with someone that can be trusted."
Harry hated the Talisman and what it meant so much that he had let Severus show her the basics of it, she didn't know all of it. He wasn't sure whether it would be a bad thing if she knew the rest but he didn't want to deal with it, "It's hidden with someone we can trust."
"With Will? You haven't left it with a Muggle have you?" Hermione asked.
"No, not with Will," Harry replied hoping that she wouldn't go through the entire wizard population before she gave up guessing.
Hermione did give up guessing the carrier of the Talisman but it didn't make the conversation any easier to deal with, "Oh Harry! What were you thinking of with so much still to deal with? I wish you had confided in us sooner, with the war being far from over. This Talisman, with it's power and the things it can do, I find it quite overwhelming that this whole Dark Lord thing can just loom up again with little more than a mere whisper of a warning. Possibly exploding to a magnitude beyond our comprehension. I mean you have the swords but what would happen if the other side had them too, surely that's possible." Hermione spoke, continuing long after she should have noticed Harry's distress.
For Harry the feeling of hopelessness that had engulfed him the day Severus told him about the Talisman washed over him again. He had been pushing it away to the back of his mind and had allowed it to fester there.
"And you're pregnant too? However will we cope if all this happens? Perhaps you should have waited." Hermione continued.
Harry hadn't cried when Severus had told him, he had felt numb, but it rushed upon him now, fuelled by the hormones rushing round his body. Now in a state where the slightest thing set him off, listening to Hermione say everything that he was trying not to think about was just too overwhelming.
Harry turned away to hide his face.
"Harry? Are you all right?" Hermione asked when she noticed that Harry wasn't responding.
"How could I wait?" Harry sobbed hopelessly from behind his hand covered face, "I would just have been waiting for things to get worse, this might be my only chance."
Hermione stood up and knelt by Harry's side, she placed an arm around him and leant towards him in the same way she might have done with a female friend.
"I've done it again," She began with regret, "I just assumed that because you seemed happy that you must be oblivious to the danger. I received the information from Severus' sword, I just thought that you weren't aware. But you are, you know it all and you desperately hide it away and try to carry on." Hermione sighed, "I meant to offer my help, Ron's too if I can get to talk to him about our future. If you ever need to go away with Severus on Kin business we can look after your children for you as if they were our own."
"It feels like it will never be over, if I start waiting before I do things I might wait forever and never have a thing for myself in this life," Harry said still sniffing but becoming a little bit more settled, "Perhaps I should be thankful that at least Kin children are always very talented and strong wizards or witches. I think your Kieran will be too."
Hermione hugged Harry, "You never let me do this before," She observed, "Severus must be good for you. Everything will be just fine, you see, just wait till Ron and I get to making our family and then we can all be family together."
"Yea," Harry agreed even though he was thinking about what Ron had just done with Draco. Or at least they thought for sure that he had. Harry didn't think he should say anything to Hermione just at that moment, but they needed to do so as soon as they had confirmed that Ron had made Kin with Draco and had thus cast himself way beyond Hermione's reach.
"Hey, even Draco if we get him a brain transplant or something," Hermione said bestowing a light and friendly kiss upon Harry's forehead.
Harry leant against Hermione, the urge to sob was passing and he would have felt quite happy if it hadn't been for the nagging dread he felt over the Ron and Draco thing. He felt guilty for enjoying the calm affection from Hermione when he knew that their peace was soon to blow apart again.
"Severus gave me the strength to forget my fear, I can't believe what I was doing missing out on this."
"Except that you still a bit nervous of this room," Hermione pointed out.
"Hmm, well it's Snape's old place, the scene of much anguish," Harry tried to explain but that wasn't it at all.
"Yet you had no trouble with his rooms, you came down to breakfast wearing his robes the very first morning."
Harry felt his cheeks flush, he sometimes wished that Hermione wasn't quite so clever.
"Perhaps if you are going to be nervous and embarrassed afterwards you shouldn't have sex on the floor," Hermione added.
"What? I never showed you that!" Harry spluttered as he felt his face burning.
Hermione smiled, glad to see Harry coming out of his misery at least, "No, but Severus did. I see that you don't deny it," Hermione continued even though Harry was willing her to stop, "Of course when Severus comes to supervise my teaching of potions I will be at a great disadvantage, I shall never be able to look at your old desk in the same light again."
"I can't believe he showed you that!" Harry complained.
"He didn't show me all of it," Hermione tried to reassure before Harry died of embarrassment.
Harry smiled with relief, "I told you Severus had a sense of humour didn't I?"
"Hmm," Hermione agreed, "But I still maintain that he is a very bad man."
Harry grinned, "He's my very bad man."
"And there can be no denying that he's loves you, he always did." Hermione was at last forced to admit.
Harry wrapped his arms round Hermione and gave her a hug back, "Are we going to get a coffee or something?" He asked, "I could do with a drink and a cake."
"Yes, of course we can," Hermione replied, "But Harry, what is that hard thing under your shirt?"
Harry had felt the Talisman digging into his skin where he had it bandaged to his chest but he had been hoping that Hermione wouldn't notice. No such luck.
Tears came to Hermione's eyes as she pulled away from him, "It's the Talisman isn't it? Who else could you have found who was trustworthy?"
Harry felt the tears come to his eyes again but he didn't want to go there again, "Yes, I have it, now can you get me some coffee and some cake?"
"Chocolate cake?" Hermione asked wiping her eyes and trying to compose herself.
"Yes, chocolate cake." Harry answered squeezing Hermione's hand reassuringly.
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Chapter Forty Seven: Professor McGonagall pays Severus a visit and Draco and Ron come down from their attic.