Just a note! There should be one more part plus an epilogue before this story is over. ^_^ Then it's on to the sequal, for which I'm working on the plot. Just a warning- that's where things start to get dark! But I'm glad that so many people asked for a happy ending- I'm thinking up a way for things to end at least semi-happily... ^_^ Hope you all enjoy!
Shamera
Draco sighed as he watched his owl take off, carrying the letter that he sent for his father. He usually didn't include information about his friends in his letters to his father, knowing that Lucius Malfoy was not one to tolerate close friends. To him, a Malfoy did not have anyone equal to him, and the only ones Draco should befriend would be people like Crabbe and Goyle, who would be easy to manipulate and bend to his will.
But his own desperation added to Blaise's erratic pacing and murmuring had finally gotten to him, and he was going to explode if he didn't do anything soon. It had been a week ago when Harry had told them that he was going hone… a home where he didn't know how to come back, and a home his friends here couldn't reach.
They didn't want him to leave. Although the four of them (him, Blaise, Weasley, and Hermione) had promised Harry that they wouldn't tell anyone about his past, about the home that he came from, Draco had found a loophole about how Harry hadn't said anything to talk about him going home. So he had sent a letter to his father, asking how to make a friend stay over the Christmas break. He had mentioned that Harry was going away, but hadn't said where.
He had held on to his sanity for a week already- that had to be somewhat admirable. He hadn't wanted to admit it before, but he was just as desperate (of not more) as Blaise when it came to the idea of making Harry stay. The dark-haired Gryffindor had changed his entire outlook in Hogwarts with his appearance. Had Blaise not declared his intent on Harry the second day of Harry's appearance, Draco would have done do. But as one of Blaise's best friends, Draco respected the fact that Blaise wanted to woo Harry, and tried his best not to do so himself.
But he couldn't deny that Harry's refreshing difference attracted him. Even from the beginning, the boy had stood out- had been special. Draco hadn't known what was so special about him until recently, and it wasn't because of his unique history.
He was exactly the person Draco had always been looking for.
Someone who was different from the crowd, someone who had learned enough to know not to judge another person by first glance. Someone powerful who wouldn't be intimidated by the Malfoy name.
After all, he was a Malfoy. That meant that only the best should be presented to him.
But now he wasn't sure how to deal with the situation. Every time they had tried to plead with Harry for the dark-haired boy to stay, green eyes would turn to him in a pleading manner himself. As if begging for him to understand something just out of his reach.
It was those eyes that made him halt and falter in whatever he was trying to get across, and stare in disbelief in confusion. Why would Harry look at him like that? Why was it that out of the small group of friends, Harry would choose Draco (and over Hermione, too!) to beg the other boy to understand.
But… understand what?
It was in those moments when Draco faltered and could not plead with Harry anymore that those green eyes start to look relieved. It had been like that all week, and Draco found that he was now unable to ask Harry to stay. Blaise had been furious when he found out, fuming silently about how his best friend was now the object of his love's affection, and that it was so muggle-high-school that it was almost comical.
But as it was, Draco wouldn't stand on his own after a moment's exposure to that 'Look'.
He contemplated this as he walked out of the owlery, heading for the library where the others were lounging. Even though it was the last day of school already before the holidays, the five of them had been so used to the library that Madam Pince had reluctantly allowed them a private part of the place to read or talk quietly with each other.
"Draco!"
At the sound of his name off a distantly familiar tongue, the blonde Slytherin looked up and smiled politely at the person who had called his name. "Mrs. Potter." He greeted evenly, stopping out of courtesy.
Lily Evens Potter smiled gently at the boy, giving him a motherly look even though he was just as tall as she was (if not a little taller, since he had recently realized that his clothes didn't quite fit so well anymore). She had always ignored the fact that he was a Slytherin (as her husband had obviously not, as he scowls whenever he saw Harry with either Draco or Blaise) for the fact that he was one of Harry's friends.
"Heading towards the library?" She asked with a beam. "I was just heading along to the Headmaster's office myself… I wanted to ask you if you could somehow convince Harry to stay during Christmas break. My husband and I wish to stay at Hogwarts, although we would not deny Harry his home…"
Draco felt a sudden start. Mrs. Potter didn't know that Harry had already told his friends about the situation, but it seems that she was trying to get Harry to stay as well.
I should have realized that, he thought blearily. That there are other people who have grown attached to Harry as well.
But it also filled him with dread. Mrs. Potter talking with the Headmaster would most likely mean that whatever method Harry would be using to get back home would be ready. The small boy had not disclosed how he was to get home (as he knew that his friends would try their best to sabotage it) to anyone, and Draco had not yet asked.
"Really? I was under the impression that all of your family was leaving for the vacations," Draco lied smoothly. "We had at first very much wanted Harry to stay, but didn't want to disrupt any family plans…"
Lily's green eyes brightened with the same intensity as Harry's, and she smiled wider. "Well, if you could convince Harry to stay over the break, it would actually do us a favor."
"We'll try our best." Draco promised.
Hunger.
Harry blew the fringe from his eyes and huffed quietly, grimacing into his pile of potions homework. His shoulders had been sore for a while already, but Carnus had refused to leave him, as if sensing that the boy would be leaving soon.
"If you would allow me to finish my homework, I would be able to get you some food." Harry grumbled back. "Or better yet, you could leave and find your own supper."
The dark crimson snake only hissed his disapproval at the idea, and went back into curling around Harry's neck disinterestedly.
Harry couldn't understand why he was working on homework at the moment. After a short session with his friends at the library (where Draco hadn't showed up and Harry was starting to feel extremely uncomfortable with the blatant innuendoes about him staying), Harry had been called into the Headmaster's office for a brief talk about how he was going home.
That led to an even more uncomfortable confrontation where Harry admitted his elemental training, and Dumbledore told him that he was most likely going to have to use elemental powers again to get home.
And home was a place that he was remembering more and more clearly, now that he was fully concentrating on going back. He could remember Hermione's horrible statistics about the damage that was caused in the war, and Ron arguing with her about it- saying that everything was for the best. That if no one had fought, there would have been more people to die.
He remembered Professor Dumbledore's calm presence and reassurance, the old man's advise to him and the horrible grief where the wizard decided to stay with Hogwarts even after its fall. He remembered Professor Snape's sneers and disparaging remarks, and also the look of intense emotion when they were fighting together.
He remembered the love in Draco's eyes when the blonde Slytherin was trying to warn him out of danger, trying to protect him through insults and violence.
He remembered crying rivers for Hagrid's death, which was followed closely by the fall of the Ministry of Magic. He remembered all the horrid details now, especially…
"Fuck you! Let go of me!"
Harry clawed his way out of Ron's grasp, kicking and screaming bitterly as he was grabbed by both Draco and Seamus, who held onto him despite his snarls and his attempts to bite them- anything for them to let him go.
"Bloody hell," Seamus wheezed as Harry managed to land a kick where no boy wanted to be kicked. "Stop this struggling right now, you insufferable git!"
"I will if you let me GO!" Harry snarled, the heat of the flames beating down on his face, burning his skin just by his close proximity to them. He was desperately holding back tears as green eyes flickered quickly to the carnage that was before him- to the place that was his real home.
He had to go back. He was needed. Why didn't they understand this? This wasn't supposed to happen, things were supposed to get this desperate, people weren't supposed to die like this…
"You can't help them!" Draco was telling his firmly from one side, still holding down the raven-haired boy's arms tightly. "You'll only get yourself killed if you go back in- there's nothing you can do!"
Harry wanted to protest, wanted to say that somehow his water training would help- even if he wasn't very powerful. He wanted to cry; he was so choked up at the moment staring into the white-hot flames that were slowly crawling up the towers, into rooms he knew that had withstood a thousand years and many, many mischievous students.
Instead, he brutally bit on the arm that Draco held across his chest, and struggled wildly to break, free yelling obscenities freely and harshly to the ones he loved. He would be sorry for it later, he knew, but at the moment, he couldn't find the strength in himself to care.
Voldemort's forces should never have been able to get through Hogsmeade, should never have made it through the Forbidden Forest or the range of students that protected the school they were studying at. The magic at Hogwarts should have protected the majestic castle, should have somehow protected the school from harm.
The infamous fire that the Dark Lord wielded should never have touched the stone walls. Harry shouldn't have to hear the screaming of the portraits, shouldn't have to smell the charred flesh of students who had died to defend their school. Despite his weakened power, he could literally feel the magic of Hogwarts being ripped apart, the thousand-year power that was contained in one institution of magic being forced out of the bonds it was held in.
"I can help!" His voice was shrill, near the level of screeching. "I can do something! There are still goddamn people in there! Children!" He was flailing his limbs wildly, dread growing in his heart at a faster rate than the flames in the castle.
"You'll only get yourself killed if you go back!" Ron was screaming at him from just a foot away. "Don't be selfish- we need you alive or else this war is over!"
Selfish?! There were still too many people in Hogwarts who wouldn't be able to get out! They were the ones who were selfish by keeping him safe!
Harry let out a frustrated scream as he continued to struggle wildly, not able to hear Draco's soothing voice in his mad haze of thoughts. All he knew was that even though his water element wouldn't be able to do anything, he knew that somehow he would be able to do something. Maybe because of his connection with Voldemort, maybe because he loved the school so much, maybe just because he was who he was.
All he knew was that he should be able to do something… anything… to help.
There was a melodious shrill and everyone looked up to see a bright red phoenix fly out from one of the highest tower windows, it's red flames a sharp contrast to the blinding white that was consuming the castle and the ominous black smoke that was clouding up the sky.
"Fawkes…" Harry murmured to himself, frozen in shock for a moment. A heavy feeling was settling over his heart as he realized what that could mean. Eyes darted to the burning school and widened impossibly, finally tearing up and glazing over with insanity. "Professor Dumbledore!"
He let out a hysterical scream of grief before finding himself in Draco's arms, his face pressed against the blonde's hair and his own arms locked by Draco's. But his eyes stayed on the window that Fawkes had left, a madness slowly settling into them.
"You can't do anything." Draco's voice in his ear was harsh, but firm. He sounded almost as choked as Harry felt. The arms tightened around a shocked Harry, and the Gryffindor could feel wetness on his neck. "Not now. But we'll find a way to win this war, Harry… you'll see. We'll find a way."
Harry only felt his strength go out completely when he saw the Gryffindor tower collapse in the fire.
And he had taken Draco's advice to clear his head. He had found a way to defeat Voldemort, although admittedly only because of his desire for revenge. He had felt weak for weeks after that, unable to understand why he felt all the magic go out of Hogwarts, how he had depended on the castle's magic to sustain him when he had nothing more to go on.
For weeks he could barely eat or sleep, spending all his time studying curses and charms, potions and runes. He clung desperately to Draco and all the other survivors of Hogwarts, with a hysterical quality that worried many people.
Harry sighed and rubbed his forehead thoughtfully, letting his quill drop onto the pile of homework. He really shouldn't be having a hard time with all this homework, considering that he had studied it all before. But with his clumsy memory, he could only remember half of the potions ingredients for something or otherwise. And that made it harder than not remembering anything at all, knowing that you knew this but unable to access the information in your own mind.
He gave up on the homework for the moment, settling for wondering what his world would be like now. He was pretty sure that the burst of power in the last battle had knocked out (at the very least) or killed Voldemort.
After all, he could still remember the white-hot, flickering flames turning to his command, changing into a liquid clear color and turning cold. So very cold.
"Carnus, you're heavy." Harry grumbled suddenly. The snake in question ignored him.
But then, he also had so many memories of this world as well. Finding Carnus, for example. Or better yet, Carnus finding him.
Harry rolled his eyes as he thought about trying to talk to Nagini, only to have her refuse to have anything to do with him once she realized he was a Parselmouth. Carnus was one of Nagini's children, and had refused to leave Harry alone until the Wizard could do nothing but tell his friends and pseudo-parents that the snake was his new familiar.
Deciding that there was no way he could do more homework for the day (and he didn't even know why he was doing the homework in the first place… since he was going home…), Harry pushed away from the desk and stood, stretching as much as he could with a large snake on his shoulder. Fingering the wand in his pocket, Harry wondered once again how his parents had managed to give him such a powerful wand and if he could take it home with him.
Well… no time like the present to ask, right?
Harry found Lily in the common room of the private quarters that the Potters were allowed to stay at in Hogwarts. Strange thing was that she was talking with Draco Malfoy in hushed whispers, as if they were actually up to something that would get them in a lot of trouble.
He had to clear his throat loudly before the two heard him, and smirked slightly when Draco eyed the red snake on his shoulders dubiously.
"I was wondering if I could take my wand home tomorrow." Harry informed Lily, eyes darting quickly to Draco to see his reaction. The Slytherin was sitting upright on one of the couches, his posture very relaxed and formal at the same time.
Malfoys, Harry wanted to roll his eyes endearingly.
"Your wand?" Lily sounded sincerely confused for a moment, then her eyes widened as Harry held up the wand that she had given him. "Oh! That!" she looked uncomfortable. "Um, Harry… there's something that James and I have been meaning to tell you about that wand…"
"It works better than my old one did." Harry said with a smile. He tapped the said wand in the air and watched as blue and white sparks shot out happily.
Lily got up from where was sitting on an opposite couch from Draco, and excused herself politely. She smiled as Harry and beckoned from him to go into a deeper room. The dark haired boy was confused, but complied nonetheless.
Closing the door quietly behind her, Lily took a deep breath, wondering how she was going to explain this to Harry.
Seeing that she didn't know how to say it subtly, she said bluntly, "It's not a real wand."
Harry, who had been looking at her expectantly for her explanation, blinked. "Huh?"
Lily wanted to smile at Harry's clueless noise, but couldn't find the heart to at the moment. "The wand… the one that we gave you when you returned for classes? It's not a real wand. It's actually a practice wand- one for people who are testing out dangerous charms- the ones that need reduced magic. It's the type of wand that's mostly used by people who are recovering from magical outbursts."
"I don't understand." Harry cut in, holding the wand tightly in a vertical position with both hands. "It has to be a real wand… it works better than the one I had before…"
Lily only shook her head. "The wand wasn't made for anyone in general. In fact, it doesn't even have a core. The only thing magical about it is the ash that it's made out of."
Harry was staring at her with disbelief through his glasses.
"You have to understand… wartime is dangerous." She pleaded. "Even though we believed in what you said when you arrived here, we had to be cautious- we couldn't afford to give you a real wand. You just needed something that would allow you to pass your classes, that's all."
Harry swallowed as he glanced down at the wand. "I understand." But then he looked up again. "But that doesn't explain why I have such a easy time using this wand…"
At this, Lily looked worried. "None of us understand."
"This is it. It has to be the absolute last battle."
Everyone looked so tired… so hopeless. There were only about forty of them now, all students- none of them even old enough to graduate. None of them over the age of eighteen.
It had almost been two months since the fall of Hogwarts, and those who survived were all tired and weary, having seen more than enough pain and death to last most people lifetimes. They formed a circle inside a thin tent in the cold October air, huddling together to preserve warmth.
A thin girl with cropped hair stood at the middle of them, bent over a rickety table with a flickering candle and drawing lines on a piece of paper with a muggle pen. They had run out of ink long ago, but a few of the muggle-borne had given all their pens and pencils. Hermione pushed a dirty strand of hair behind her ear before going back to her plan.
"We've been able to take out a lot of Death Eaters in the last month through our guerilla tactics… but it's not enough. We don't have enough on our side right now. The Order of the Phoenix hasn't been heard from since the fall of Hogwarts, so we can't count on them to help us now."
Harry stood grimly to the side, wondering if they had made the right choice to tell the others that. With so little hope to begin with, he didn't want people to become even more discouraged. He and Hermione had argued long and hard about how the students were going to take that information, and how to tell them that it was only they who were left to fight the war.
There were a few strangled cries from the younger children, who had desperately hoped for adults to come back and take control of the situation. The older of them only managed to look for grim, trying to figure out how to survive.
"All connection with the muggle world has been cut." Hermione sounded very tired when she said that. "No one can get in the wizarding world… and no one can get out. We can't even contact anyone on the outside. Platform 9 ¾ has been blocked… as well as the way to Diagon Alley and many other places. The Floo Network is completely disabled, and Death Eaters now trace all portkeys. Apparation to any muggle areas will get you bounced back to where you started.
"We're down to thirty-seven people, and we can't risk any other battles. We can't loose any more people. So we have to take the Dark Lord unaware, and go after him directly."
Most of the students look scared at the prospect.
Harry could feel Draco come up behind him, and turned to wrap his arms around the Slytherin's waist. Draco only looked sad, pulling Harry closer and cupping his face.
"Seamus, Harry, Draco, Neville, Ron, and I will be the decoys." Hermione continued saying. She was putting out her plans over the worn paper. Lines for where people were, where they were supposed to be. "Ron has drawn up a plan of how to attack them. We can't afford any mistakes here. Ginny will lead the rest of the group into the battle if you don't hear from us in five minutes. We've already determined where all the Death Eaters and Voldemort will be… because they'll be attacking what used to be the Forbidden Forest on Hogwarts grounds."
"This is it." Draco whispered lightly to the dark-haired Gryffindor, leaning to touch their foreheads together. "This will be what determines victory or defeat."
Harry closed his eyes, just savoring the feeling of Draco close to him.
"After this… if we survive…"
Harry smiled bitterly at Draco's hesitant tone. "Do you regret staying here, Draco?" he asked quietly.
"Voldemort will more than likely be attacking with a brigade of a dozen Death Eaters, because he's gotten overly confident of himself. We need people in these positions ready to take those Death Eaters down at first notice and…" Hermione's voice droned on, along with the sounds of hitched breathing and the quiet crying of the younger years.
"I try not to think about it." Draco answered honestly. He smiled at the frown on Harry's face and wiped away a smudge of dirt that had stained the green-eyed boy's face. "I regret… not arguing with you hard enough. Not getting you out of this war before you felt obligated to stay."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Draco. I would have felt obligated to stay had I been asked to in my first year."
"Exactly." Draco replied, amused. "I should have made sure to get you into Slytherin in first year. That way, you wouldn't have hung around all those honest and foolhardy Gryffindors… and maybe spent more time with me…"
Harry opened his eyes at that statement, smiling. "I meant staying with me."
"Do I regret staying with you?" Draco asked incredulously, but snorted. "If I regretted staying, I could have left." He shushed Harry when the other boy opened his mouth to protest that he couldn't leave now. "But no. I don't regret staying with you."
"But you could be far away from here." Harry mused. "Like you wanted to be. Somewhere where Voldemort will never touch, where there's no war."
"But no you." Draco said gently. "I would never be happy. Not without you there. Being here right now, even in the cold with nothing but the earth to sleep on, at least I know I'm with you and you're safe."
Harry lifted a hand to brush back a strand of dirty blonde hair. Draco caught that hand within his own pushed it against his lips, closing his eyes briefly.
"So I'm the reason why you're here…?"
"I would normally say 'don't flatter yourself'… but I don't think that we have the time for sarcasm right now." Draco pulled Harry even closer. "So… yes. You're the reason I'm alive right now, and not one of the random Death Eaters or students that have died in this war." He smirked. "I refuse to die without you by my side."
Harry rolled his eyes. "How romantic."
"Good to know you think so."
This chapter is for: monstertron, Silver Angel, Rarity88, SlytherinEvenstar, Phoenix353, Bianca, Lady Phoenix Gryffindor, amythest, Tsuyuno, Alexa Donaghy, Fanny chan, Semmerie, BlackMoon, Koganei4, lollipozz, Cat, Shinigami06, someonesgurl, sk8reagle, Sheron, Unintentional Nightmare! I'm sorry if some people didn't realize this is another angst-filled story- it is. That's why it's understand 'angst'. ^^;; Thanks for so many great comments on the story! And most people already figured out that 'Tiger' was Lily's codename. LOL. ^^;; I'm not very good at subtly, I guess. How Harry and Draco's relationship is going to end up is still a secret. ^_~ And James and Lily don't know much about Harry's reality at all. And Semmerie, I'm not sure if you would consider the ending I have planned out a happy ending... ^^;; 'Cause they have to work hard to get it.
Back
Next
Home