Chapter Thirty-five:
Bittersweet Symphony
"Snape!" Harry rolled onto his knees, "SNAPE!"
Severus went up on his elbows in the grass not 15 steps away. "Calm down, Potter, I'm not in France!" He gestured across the Channel. "What are you carrying on about?"
"You've been there! You can take us to get Draco!"
"That's your plan? Time is wasting, in case you hadn't noticed!"
"You know where they took him and you have the means to take us there! That's what I'm saying!"
"The means you speak of don't exist. Access was blocked to me long ago and I suggest you take care with what you say."
Harry glanced around and saw that he and Snape held everyone's rapt attention. "You must know the way by broom. You must know something!"
"If I did do you think we'd be sitting here right now? Don't be so ignorant." Snape folded his arms across his chest, sitting up fully. No one had the energy to stand.
"Harry," Hermione opined, "I don't think he knows. If he did, don't you think he would have told Dumbledore by now?"
"He is a member of the Order." Ron agreed. "Slytherin or not."
Snape raised an eyebrow at Harry. "Ever get the impression that your friends are much more intelligent than you are, Potter?"
Harry narrowed his eyes.
"After all, even Weasley here can put two and two together and he can't even think of the simplest spells. It's a wonder you even graduated."
Arthur Weasley, who was a little red in the face, addressed Snape with an edge of irritation. "Now Severus, you know very well that our Ron was Head Boy."
"Stop bickering!" came a familiar voice.
Molly glanced around in bewilderment. "Ginny? Is that you, dear?"
Ginny removed the invisibility cloak and revealed herself, hovering a meter from the ground on the little carpet. She held a metal pail in one hand. "Hello mum."
The Weasleys gasped, but Ginny focused on Harry. "Can't you go ten minutes without starting an argument? Professor Snape may be a Slytherin, but he just saved your life, Harry. I saw it. I was about to throw the Swill on Voldemort when he cursed you. You'd be dead if it wasn't for him."
"It was you!" Ron announced, wide eyed. "We couldn't figure it out!"
Seamus lounged on the ground with Fred and George, all of whom were injured, but had returned to the battle regardless. "I knew it!" He grinned, "I know Finnegan's Swill when I smell it!"
Harry grinned as well. "Brilliant, Ginny! I'd forgotten all about it!"
Hermione spoke up in disbelief. "You left it there?! Harry, I told you not to keep a whole room full of alcohol under your brand new house! Does no one listen to me?"
"Um... sometimes we do." Ron said with awkward apology. "But I have to agree with Harry, Gin. Bloody brilliant!"
"Thank Sara. It was her idea, not mine."
Everyone turned to Sara, still on the far side of the gathering, flat out on the grass. The sudden attention did nothing to rouse her.
Harry grew concerned. "Sara?"
"Huh?" she rolled her head to the side and opened one eye. "Did someone call me?"
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!" Charlie shouted, startling the group, who turned their eyes from Sara to the trespassers at once. Two Death Eaters walked toward the gathering, nervous and reluctant. Their hands went up in surrender and they came to a stop, looking to one another for advice it seemed. The larger of the two untied his mask and the other followed suit.
Harry was shocked. "Crabbe! Goyle!"
"Don't kill us!" Crabbe pleaded, "We're not real Death Eaters."
Ron narrowed his eyes with suspicion. "Then how do you explain the masks?" he wondered, "If you're not with Voldemort, then why the bloody hell are you wearing his ridiculous costumes?"
Hermione put her hands on her hips and glared at them. "Like we'd really believe you! Slytherins aren't exactly known for their honesty. I do believe the Sorting Hat said they'll do anything to get what they want."
"Yeah!" Seamus interjected, "And you're in a spot, now that your Dark Lord has been extinguished, aren't you! Stuck here at Harry's house!"
"Let them speak!" Snape bellowed, "And if I hear the name of Slytherin House used as an insult one more time you'll all deal with me!"
No one apologized, but it seemed the accused would have their opportunity.
Goyle stuttered as he tried to explain. "Our fathers made us get the Dark Mark. We didn't really care either way at first, but then we saw what happened to Draco."
Crabbe nodded as if to confirm that this was the truth.
"Draco wanted nothing to do with it. We weren't really friends 7th year, but he's still our best mate. We couldn't stand what Voldemort did to him, so we decided to tell someone who could help him."
"Ah!" came a tired old voice. All heads turned to smile with enormous welcome at the Headmaster, who hobbled along with Nikolae at his side. "I see you have found my informants!"
Harry was thunderstruck. "Your what?!"
Ron was incredulous. "Crabbe and Goyle? Malfoy's baboons are your informants??"
"Have you forgotten so soon, Mr. Weasley, that Draco Malfoy fought at your side tonight?" Dumbledore gave Ron a stern glance over his spectacles. "I think at this point in time I should share something Harry said this very morning, for it is the simple truth"
Harry closed his eyes and groaned.
"Not all Slytherins are terrible people."
Snape grinned. "Yes, I believe I do recall Potter making that exact statement. In fact it was right after confessing that the Sorting Hat had almost placed him in Slytherin House."
"Shut-up!" Harry shouted, wishing he'd accidentally killed Snape during the battle.
Dumbledore smiled as he looked around at the astounded faces trained on Harry, who he knew was quite mortified. Slowly, the smile fell away. "Where is Draco Malfoy?"
* * *
"We only ever went with our fathers." Goyle explained. "Neither one of us knows how to get past the traps, or even where they are or what they do. If you can figure it out, we can lead you through the catacombs. Other than that, we're of little help."
Harry was growing restless. He'd wanted to jump on his broom the moment Malfoy had disappeared and now the endless bickering and disagreement only pushed his urgency into madness. He'd made a promise to Draco, one he would honor even if it meant losing everything, even his life. He could only hope Draco was still alive. "We'll figure it out when we get there, let's go!"
"Harry." Dumbledore sighed, "Whatever Voldemort has blocking our entrance is also blocking the tracking device Draco swallowed. We'll have to lower it to find him. That means we first have to figure out where the catacombs are. The situation looks hopeless, I'm afraid. We've been looking for many years."
"Unacceptable." Harry fumed, "I promised to get him out of there. You promised, we ALL PROMISED!"
"Calm yourself, Harry. Do you really think we want to lose the very wizard who risked himself to serve our cause? Who faced his greatest fears and delivered Voldemort right into our hands? Draco Malfoy deserves to live through this night more than any of us."
Sara, who had not yet moved, tried to climb to her feet. Her exhaustion was obvious as she struggled and swooned and finally managed to get to her knees. "I have to go to the cottage. Someone help me, hurry up!"
Harry rushed to her side. "Sara, you're not well. You need rest, you shouldn't have been fighting."
"Just get me there! Harry, if you want to save Draco then stop arguing with me."
"What do you mean to do?"
"Severus! Come with me. I need your help."
Snape arrived by her side and helped her to stand. He lifted her in his arms and hurried to the cottage without a word to anyone.
Hermione came to stand beside Harry, perplexed. "I wonder what that's about."
"I don't know." Harry admitted. "I have no idea."
* * *
"Hold tight to me, Severus."
Snape wrapped his arms around her and she touched the silver serpent she'd touched only once before. They arrived in the dark study and Snape recognized his surroundings at once.
"My God!" He whispered, "Where did you get that?"
"From Lucius." She admitted, "A very long time ago. Now come. I saw a memory in Draco's mind, a painful one, but I think it could help him now."
Snape helped Sara through the vast house to a corridor on the easternmost side. She stopped before a painting hung with black velvet and touched the fabric. "This is it." She pulled the drape aside and let it fall to the floor. Snape gasped and Sara took a deep breath. "Hello Lucius."
Lucius purred with the sinister, secret amusement she still heard in her darkest dreams. "Well well, Miss Lemke. To what do I owe this pleasure? And Severus Snape! Odd combination. Though I have to inquire as to why you both look so utterly... wretched?"
"It's been a long night." Sara replied.
Snape jumped right in, anxious to deliver the news himself. "As of twenty minutes ago, Voldemort," he said, "has been exterminated."
The shock in Lucius' painted image was profound. "You don't say? That certainly is news, Severus. How thoughtful of you to come all the way to Malfoy Manor just to inform me."
Sara grew animate. "Lucius... it's Draco." She explained, wringing her trembling hands. "He was taken by Death Eaters to the catacombs and his life is in the gravest danger! They'll kill him! Voldemort protected him, but there's no one to protect him now. I saw the vengeful thoughts of the one that grabbed him. I know the evil that fueled his twisted mind. If we don't get to Draco soon there will be no one left to save. It may already be too late."
"Draco? You mean the sniveling wretch that came to me with anger and an all too familiar hatred not so long ago? The very same Draco who said he'd see me in hell?" Lucius gave a soft, musical laugh. "Why would you think I even care?"
"We don't have time for games." Sara told the portrait. "Draco is going to die if you don't help him. He's your son! Don't you know that he loved you? He loves you still! Even through the hatred you speak of. If Draco has hatred for you in his heart it's because he wanted you to be so much more. It's because you didn't love him in return."
"Enough with the sentimental nonsense, Sara, touching as it is." Lucius smiled. "The boy deserves whatever he gets. He was always rather worthless so it's no great loss to anyone, really. He's spineless, a traitor too weak to accept his position. A position wizards would kill for the world over and it was handed to him on a silver platter. He's an embarrassment to his name."
Snape was struck with inspiration. "Speaking of names, Lucius, am I correct in saying that if Draco dies before producing an heir the name Malfoy will cease to exist?"
Sara picked up on the brilliance of this tactic and ran with it. Obviously, striking an emotional chord with Lucius Malfoy was not going to work. "And what do you think would become of this magnificent house? As Draco's closest friend I would feel obligated to buy it. Perhaps Harry could open a school here? Defense against the Dark Arts. That's his specialty, as you know. Your study would make a perfect office for him." She thought about mentioning the fact that Malfoy Manor had been left to Harry in Draco's will, but feared Lucius would condemn Draco for it.
Snape controlled his smile. "He'd want to redecorate, of course. I can't even imagine what he'd do with your portrait, Lucius."
"Bathroom." Sara decided and turned serious again. "But, if we were to save him... Lucius, Voldemort is history. You've nothing to lose except your only son."
"Draco is my only heir, unfortunately." Lucius sighed. "I suppose you want to know how to get through the wards?"
"You can start with where it is."
* * *
"Come on, Ron." Harry said with his eye on the cottage. "Let's go see what they're up to."
"Don't bother." Dumbledore advised, "You won't find them. They're gone, Harry."
"Gone!" Ron thundered, "At a time like this? Where the bloody hell did they go?"
Nikolae stepped forward. "Don't worry. Just start working on a plan. She will return with the means to get you there."
"Harry looked surprised. "She will?"
"I know her determination well. She will find a way."
"But how can Sara gain access to Voldemort's lair?"
"Let's just say that Draco's own tortured memories may now save his life."
Hermione lowered her eyes. "He's been gone nearly half an hour. I just hope..."
Arthur got to his feet. "Now we shouldn't be thinking the worst! I'm sure such a stubborn young man could..." he trailed off, knowing even he didn't believe what he was saying. It stood to reason that Draco Malfoy was already dead. The knowledge hung in the air like mist.
Neville and Mary joined the gathering, pale faced and supporting each other. "I've never really cared for Malfoy, personally." Neville said, confused. "And neither have any of you! Why the dark faces? He's not dead is he?"
Hermione became angry. "No one who fought on our side deserves to die down there!"
"I don't think he knows." Harry realized, "Neville, Mary." He explained, "Draco went back to Voldemort as a pawn for us. He went willingly and led Voldemort into our trap. He knew he was our Trojan horse, but it was a mission he was willing to accept if only to change our opinion of him. You see, he was on our side all along. Now the Death Eaters have him and they know he's a traitor."
"Well? What's the plan then?"
Ron took over. "We'll all go inside together, except for Susan, Ginny, Mum and Mary." Everyone had turned their attention to Ron and he glanced around. "You four will stay outside and act as guards. They may be expecting us so don't think you're being left out. Besides," he assured them, "you may have to rescue us." Ron cleared his throat and continued. "Once we're in we go in two groups. One with Crabbe and one with Goyle. According to them there are a few places we might find Malfoy. Harry, Hermione and I will go with Dumbledore to the most obvious places. Dad and Snape will lead everyone else to search the secondary rooms."
Harry took a step forward. "Snape will also need to find their potions lab. There is another matter which needs to be dealt with."
"Very well then." Ron turned to his father, "You will also find the potions lab. Other than that, there is no plan."
"WHAT is going on here?" said a loud, authoritative voice from outside the circle.
All turned to see a large group of aurors gathered behind them.
Hermione pushed her way to the front to address them. "We're running out of time." She said, "We need your help."
* * *
"I won't be going." Sara explained as Snape eased her onto the grass. "I want to, of course, but I think I've overdone it."
"Are you ok, Sara?" Harry asked as he came to sit beside her.
She leaned against him and closed her eyes. "I'm weak is all. I feel dizzy and it's hard to stand. It seems the lightning I threw at Voldemort took more energy than I had left."
Harry pulled her into his lap and cradled her against his chest. "You need to rest."
"I do, Harry." Her blind hand touched his cheek. "In fact, I have no choice in the matter."
Harry looked to Dumbledore. "Someone needs to stay with her."
"No." Sara interrupted, "Everyone must go. I'll rest until you return; you have my word. Christina can look in on me."
Hermione grew concerned. "Nothing against Christina, but what does she know about magical maladies?"
Nikolae came forward. "I also will stay behind. I haven't the ability to fly a broom and there's no guarantee we'll be back by daybreak." He knelt beside Sara. "I will stay with you, Nikita. You will not be alone."
"But you're in your natural form! Christina will see you!"
"I took some hair from a rather attractive young man I found dead not half an hour ago. I will only be hideous for a few more minutes."
Sara opened her eyes and tried to smile. Her fingers brushed the pale skin of his vampire face. Her voice was a whisper, but her words brought a smile to his lips. "You... are... beautiful, my friend." *
"Come to me." He whispered and took her from Harry's arms. "The others must be off now." He turned his eyes to Harry. "I will take good care of her."
Harry smiled and handed her over. "I know you will."
"Harry," she said and Nikolae lifted her as Snape had done, "promise me you'll find him. Promise you'll bring him back, no matter what state he's in."
"I intend to do exactly that." He kissed her and smoothed the hair from her face.
"And be careful. Promise you'll return to me."
"I'll see you soon, Sara. We all will." He kissed her again and Nikolae carried her off toward the house.
"Are we ready?" Dumbledore inquired.
Harry turned to Snape. "You're sure the information you got is correct? How do we know Lucius isn't leading us all to our deaths?"
"Because his name is at stake, Potter. I'm as certain as I could be or else I wouldn't have suggested we follow his instructions, obviously. Now enough ridiculous questions! We need to leave at once! Enough time has been wasted already!"
Because the ruins Lucius mentioned were in Ireland, it was faster to apperate back to the chamber at Hogwarts and fly from there. The aurors agreed to accompany the Order to the catacombs, but the Gypsies, most of whom had been healed, were returning to Keltse-tia. The house elves had already gone back to Hogwarts, carrying their dead between them with sad, haunted faces.
Harry summoned his broom and everyone clustered close together, linking arms so no one was lost. They disappeared.
* * *
Christina heard someone moving about the house and her heart was struck through with fear. Her terror spiked so that she could barely move as Sara's warning pulsed through her head. Hide... hide... hide...
She crawled under the bed and tried not to breath.
Minutes passed. Many it seemed. An eternity later a set of feet appeared in the open doorway.
"Christina." Said a man's voice, "Sara is not well. She requests your presence. Do not fear, dear girl, the battle is over. If I wanted to harm you I would simply draw you out from under the bed."
Christina's breath caught in her throat. He knew where she was and yet caused her no harm. But what if using Sara's name was just a ploy to gain her trust? Draw her out in a sense? She had promised to hide until she was sure it was one of them and she intended to do just that. The feet left the doorway and went back the way they'd come and she sighed with relief. It was then that she heard a voice from within her own mind. A voice both familiar and foreign.
Come out, Christina. I am in my room. There is something you need to know.
"What?" Christina whispered, frightened by the phantom voice in her head. So real, as if Sara was right beside her, whispering in her ear.
The man you saw is my friend. You are safe now. Come out. Come to me.
Christina crawled out from under the bed, confused, but no more so than she had been while looking out the window. Nothing here made sense. She decided to play along, fueled by curiosity.
She went to the loft Sara shared with Harry in the little tower above their sitting room. The windows were open when she arrived and the salty breeze tickled the curtains as the surf crashed far below. Sara was in bed, asleep it seemed, and a handsome young man sat by her side. He glanced up at Christina and nodded his welcome.
Sara spoke, soft and quiet, but did not open her eyes. "Draco is in trouble, Christina. They've all gone after him, but you need to understand that he may not be ok."
"What do you mean? Sara, what's happened to Draco?"
"He's in the wrong hands." She said, her tired voice heavy with approaching sleep. "I fear the worst."
Silent tears slipped from Sara's eyes and she drifted off. Christina wiped her own face and sniffled, trying to hold back a flood of emotion. The quiet young man handed her a linen handkerchief and she took it with gratitude. "Is she alright?" she whispered.
"Sleep is all she needs."
"Is she asleep now?"
Nikolae closed his eyes for a moment and then reopened them. "Yes."
"What is she? She's different from the rest of them. So are you, actually. But there is something about Sara that is ethereal. Something that affects a person on a deeper level and draws them to her. Something radiates from this girl, sir, and it isn't all good. As easy as it is to smile in her presence, her pain can wrap around your very bones so that you feel it completely."
"I know the feeling you describe."
"Yesterday I was on my way to the solarium and was passing through the back lobby, where the marble terrace is? I can't describe the way I was overcome as I stopped just inside the archway. She was playing the piano and singing some bittersweet love song my mum used to listen to. It was like I was actually feeling the music. "I can't explain it, but it was beautiful, really. It was moving."
"Yes, Sara's voice is haunting, I agree. You are not the first person to describe it that way."
"I have seen her on the cliffs at night. Just standing there, a lovely figure in the moonlight, seeming to play with the wind. She raises her arms and it lifts her cloak and sometimes it appears to swirl around her like a playful embrace. And look at her, she's flawless! No one is that good looking."
"Sara is not flawless."
"She's probably the most beautiful person I've ever seen to be honest. She positively captivates me. I can't explain the affect she has on people."
"I have seen it first hand. Sara is magnetic when she walks into a room, no matter what mood she's in." He gave her a gentle smile. "She's quite a bit like your Draco in those regards."
"He's just a friend." She sniffled, the dread flaring up in her stomach.
"I know what your rational mind expects, but I can see farther than that."
Christina smiled and dabbed at her eyes. "It was at his house that I met Sara. I wish I could describe the way she commanded the very air I breathed with her presence. There was nothing in that room as far as I'm concerned, except her. I could look at nothing else and when she pushed back her hood it was all I could do not to drop the pipe I was holding. I thought she was an angel or something and it scared the hell out of me. The way she attracted the moonlight was fascinating. She almost glowed in the darkness and her voice was dreamlike. I thought I was sleeping." Christina turned her eyes to Sara's peaceful face. "There is something otherworldly about this girl. She can't possibly be a human being."
"She is."
"Not like one I've ever seen."
"I know what you've seen tonight, Christina. I will ask you now not to relate that knowledge to anyone except Draco and myself. You can be trusted with it, I see."
"Explain it to me then! If I'm so trustworthy then tell me the truth! What are you? What is she? What are they?"
"Calm yourself."
"I'm sorry. I need to know."
"And you will in time." Nikolae said and stood. "It will be a little while before we learn of Draco's fate. I will prepare us some tea."
Christina nodded, understanding that the topic was closed. With the young man gone, she took Sara's hand and watched her sleeping face, perfect in the light of a single candle. "What are you?" she whispered.
The reply resonated through her mind like an echo.
The Elemental.
* * *
"Come on!" Goyle whispered, looking around a corner. "This way!"
It was clear that they were on the right path. The echoes of argument drifted through the catacombs and they were heading straight for it.
"Be quiet!" he warned as they rounded another corner and the shouting grew louder. "This way! Don't let them hear you."
Harry's heart beat wildly in his chest, knowing they could be attacked at any second. The Death Eaters were very near and his little group had come quite close to the room they occupied. He wondered how much further before they reached what Goyle referred to as the training room. They had already looked in several places, the very cell Draco had described among them. Everything was exactly as he'd said it was and Harry's mouth went dry when they approached their destination. Harry knew all too well what happened in there.
Goyle opened the door and casually walked in, still wearing his Death Eater garb without the mask. "Draco!" He said and Dumbledore gave the aurors a signal. The now familiar sound of fighting erupted down the hall and everyone filed into the room. Ron shut the door and leaned against it with his wand poised and ready.
"Oh no!" Hermione gasped.
Draco was pale, white as winter snow, and his head lay in a pool of blood. His eyes were glassy slits and his jaw hung askew as if it was broken. Hermione noticed the just emerging bruises down the left side of his face and assumed that it probably was. There was no mistaking the fractures in his arms and legs and she closed her eyes to the sight, wishing they'd been able to save him. Even Malfoy, she thought, deserved something better than this.
"Bugger." Ron said, "They busted him up pretty good."
Harry didn't respond. He stood at Malfoy's feet, looking down on the body with a thousand years worth of guilt in his eyes.
"Harry." Dumbledore place a steadying hand on Harry's shoulder. "Don't blame yourself. Draco knew the risks better than either of us."
Hermione took his hand. "That's right, Harry. You told me he wrote out his will before he went. He knew this might happen."
Ron sighed. "I hate to say it, mate, but we couldn't have defeated Voldemort without him. He saved us all in a sense."
"Harry." Dumbledore said, "This boy is a hero, more so than any of us on this night. He did not die in vain."
Harry said nothing; his eyes were on Draco's pale face, surrounded by a crimson halo. Harry knelt beside him as Hermione, Ron and Dumbledore discussed how best to remove Draco from the catacombs. There was a faint reddish glow from beneath his shirt and Harry pulled the fabric aside. He'd forgotten about Sara's Amidon, so similar to the Amoridon he wore around his own neck. The charm Malfoy wore was alight and warm to the touch, comforting even to look at. Harry smiled and looked to Dumbledore. "He's not dead!"
* * *
"It's right through here." Crabbe whispered as their larger group crept through the mossy halls, some opening doors as they made their way along. "Professor! It's in here."
Snape stormed the room with his wand held out before him and the others were quick to follow. The room was deserted. The potion he searched for was on a table at the far side and Snape went forward with trepidation. A cloud of reddish-black smoke hung in the air above it and he commanded everyone else to stay back as he approached. A scene flickered in and out, being swallowed by the cloud of smoke only to re-emerge as something else. Sara sleeping, then images of a wedding dress, Keltse-tia, and Draco in a dream- like state. These were Sara's unconscious thoughts. Then another image surfaced and Snape looked closer as Potter knelt beside Draco, who was badly injured, and pulled aside Draco's shirt. "They've found him!" Snape announced with delight, "He's alive!"
The faces around him erupted with smiles and Snape pointed his wand at the cauldron. "Philtrum Concludo!"
The cloud dispersed into the air, Snape dumped the cauldron and then erased the contents with a flick of his wand. "Alright, let's get in position. They'll be bringing him out soon. I think it wise to clear a path for them."
* * *
Sara opened her eyes with a breathless gasp and Christina and Nikolae turned to her at once. Nikolae brushed her hair back from her face. "What is it, Nikita?"
"They found the potion." She whispered. "The feeling is gone."
"Then it has been destroyed."
"Yes."
"Go back to sleep, my dear." he smoothed her brow, "You're to be married tomorrow. You've a long day ahead."
Sara closed her eyes and drifted off again.
* * *
St. Mungo's was quiet this time of night and Harry sat beside the bed with his head in his hands and his eyes on Draco. No one was sure when he would wake. The scull fracture he'd sustained was serious and it was still in the process of healing. In fact, there was so much wrong with him that the head Medi-wizard had been awakened and called to the hospital to examine Draco personally. It was his opinion that healing everything at once would send Malfoy even further into shock so it was to be done in stages throughout the night. He had also determined that Draco had already sustained a similar head injury that had been very recently healed with magic. On top of that, he also had 17 broken bones in his face and body, damage to his left lung and internal bleeding. It was said that the Order had found him just in time.
Malfoy's last words echoed through Harry's head. "Can't I kill just this one? Please? He broke my skull, you know..."
"If I find him, Draco," Harry whispered, "I'll kill him for you."
"No you won't, Harry." Dumbledore sighed and took a seat on the other side of the bed. "Once Mr. Malfoy awakens and can identify his attackers, then attempted murder charges will be added to their lists of crimes. With every Death Eater now in the aurors' custody, he needs only point them out. You won't be killing anybody unless you care to join them in Azkaban."
"It doesn't seem right, sir. Azkaban is nothing compared to what they've done."
"Obviously, you've never been to Azkaban. It's been described as worse than death by many. Trust me when I say it's a just punishment."
Harry said nothing in reply, just watched Draco sleep.
"Go home, Harry. We don't want you falling asleep at the altar."
"I want to stay just a little longer, Professor. It's late. You should get back to Hogwarts." He gave Dumbledore a tired smile, "We don't want you falling asleep at the altar, either."
"At this hour, Harry, that is a becoming a real possibility."
"Goodnight, sir. I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight, Harry."
* * *
Nikolae was gone when Sara awoke to the first light of dawn, feeling refreshed and whole once again. She was achy, but nothing a little potion couldn't fix. Beside the bed was a folded note with the word Nikita inscribed upon it in the flawless, slanted script of yesteryear. Perhaps, she thought, it was news of Draco. Sara opened it with shaking hands.
My Dearest Nikita,
It is my sincere pleasure to inform you that Draco Malfoy was found by the Order and is recovering from his injuries at St. Mungo's Hospital. Albus stopped here during the night to inquire after you and explained that Draco has not yet regained consciousness, but his condition is now stable. Harry remained by his side and has yet to return as daybreak approaches. Christina fell asleep while watching over you and I carried her to her room.
Good luck today, my dear. I only wish I could be there to witness this long awaited occasion. I will see you at dusk.
Nikolae
With a weepy smile, Sara dressed quickly and took the Firebolt to the cottage. Now that the foreign feelings for Draco had left her, there was something she had to do and it couldn't wait. Standing just inside the doorway, she opened the little gold box and touched the key with broom in hand.
Her old tower rooms looked exactly as they had the day before, but it was Sara herself who had changed and she looked on them now with a new perspective. The tower had not been her prison; it held the best years of her life and the very last of her adolescence. She longed to sleep here with the wind drifting in through the windows and Harry slipping in from the stairs under the invisibility cloak and wearing silly cotton pajamas.
She smiled with all the wonderful memories the tower held and cried for innocence lost within these walls. It seemed a threat always lingered in one form or another and whether it be the dark shadow of Voldemort or the Raven, their lives had melded and shattered in these very rooms because of it. They were barely more than children then, sixteen and full of the excitement of life and fascinated by the mystery of each other. She'd lived and breathed for Harry Potter then, her every thought was of him as she'd anticipated the night, ever wondering what new thrill would come with the light of the moon.
As Sara passed through the door to the stairs she glanced back one last time and smiled with renewed warmth. She still lived and breathed for Harry Potter. Life held different challenges now, but to be together was no less exciting and it seemed they could go on being fascinated by the mystery of each other forever. And they were children no longer.
* * *
The room swam in, then out again and Draco closed his eyes. A moment later he reopened them to find things a little steadier. Strange gadgets bleeped and clicked all around him and it made his head hurt, but he soon tuned them out, only to be left with the sounds of soft snoring. There was no other bed in the room that he could see. It hurt to move, but Draco finally managed to turn on his side. He smiled when he saw Harry sitting in a chair with his head atop his folded arms, resting on the edge of the bed, his glasses toppled off onto the blankets. Draco gave his sleeping friend a pained smile and whispered so that Harry could not hear. "You kept your promise, Potter."
"Well well!" Came a jolly old fat doctor, waddling through the door with dull, tired eyes, "You're awake!"
"Be quiet!" Draco scolded in a whisper, "If you wake him up I'll kill you."
Harry awoke at Malfoy's voice, but remained where he was, eavesdropping.
"Kill me, you say?" the doctor chuckled, "Dumbledore said you'd be a handful."
Harry almost burst out laughing, but continued his façade of sleep.
"What does that old goat know! Why does it hurt to talk!"
"Because, young man, your jaw was broken in three places. How does the rest of you feel?"
"My chest hurts. My arms and legs ache. Is my head still broken?"
"Your lung was punctured in nine places thanks to six shattered ribs. Your arms and legs all had compound fractures. Your liver and spleen were ruptured. As for your head, it's mostly healed, but I have to say, I've never seen a mess like that on a living person. It looked like you'd been hit by a speeding train."
"It was a mace." Draco explained, "You know? Like the queen's knights used to clobber people with?"
The doctor stopped, dumbstruck. "And you survived? You must be mistaken! No one would have lived through such a thing!"
"Well, not everyone's a Malfoy. We're stronger than ordinary people. At least that's what my father always said."
"Malfoy or not, you're lucky to be alive. I can't explain it. Every specialist in England has had a look at your films. Now here you are, not six hours later, not just alive but sarcastic!" The jolly doctor gave a fat bellied laugh. "All we can figure is that it had something to do with that charm you have on. My associates wanted to examine it, but Mr. Potter and I thought it best left around your neck."
"The Amidon!"
"Is that what it's called?" The doctor started scribbling on a scroll with a well-worn feather quill.
"It was a gift." Draco said, clutching it, "Sara gave it to me."
"Your girlfriend?"
"No you idiot, Potter's fiancé! The Elemental?"
"I see. And what exactly does it do?"
"It's the essence of her friendship, why?"
"Because it was glowing bright red when you came in and it was almost hot to the touch. I can't be certain, but I think it had something to do with the fact that you're still with us this morning."
Draco coughed and his lungs burned like liquid fire. He screamed in pain and startled Harry so badly he sat bolt upright and toppled the chair backward onto the floor. Draco was so amused by this that his agony was forgotten and he laughed as best he could.
"Morning, Potter. First time using a chair?"
* * *
She was nervous, terrified actually, when she stepped into the Headmaster's office. Sara held her breath as the portraits awoke and she took the Hat from its shelf.
"PUT THAT DOWN!" An old woman screeched with her hands flat against her cheeks in worry.
"It's her again! The mad Slytherin!"
"Dumbledore!" A bearded man bellowed, "DUMBLEDORE!!"
"Oh shut up!" Sara shouted. "I'm not mad, I was upset! How would you like being named as a Slytherin??"
"One house is as good as another, young lady!"
"I beg to differ." said a man with enormous sideburns, "She does have a valid point!"
The Hat seemed to look up at Sara. "Need your house re-affirmed, do you?"
"Yes." She whispered, "I'm not the same person I was yesterday. At least I don't think I am."
"Then perhaps you should put me on. Let me be the judge of that!"
Sara took a deep breath and pulled the Sorting Hat onto her head. The portraits gave a collective gasp and then waited in silence to hear what it would say.
A Ravenclaw you still could be, Intelligence and intellect you bear.
A Hufflepuff I also see, A mix of many traits are there.
The other two houses divide thee Which? Why should you care?
Are you still a Slytherin? Let me look once more!
Overnight you've changed your ways And now belong in Gryffindor!
"Now what did I tell you, Sara?"
She spun on her heel and smiled wide for her Uncle Albus. "You were right! I'm not a Slytherin!" She pulled the Hat from her head, gave it a loud kiss, and placed it back on its shelf.
"The portraits are right, you know. You're still you, no matter what house you're in."
"Maybe, Uncle, but certain people belong in certain houses. I don't want to be one of those, if you know what I mean."
"Isn't one of your closest friends descended from a long line of Slytherins?"
"Draco is special, you know that. He is a Slytherin no doubt, but he has a conscience. He hates every minute of it, but it's there. His bark is worse than his bite as the old saying goes."
"He has turned out rather well, to my surprise. To everyone's surprise actually, and I rather enjoy his abrasive sense of humor. The boy is quite amusing in spite of himself."
Sara smiled. "I always thought it was impossible to be bored while in his presence and I stand by that to this day. How is he? Have you heard anything more?"
"Come to the great hall, I'll tell you over breakfast. His doctor is so amazed he hasn't slept a wink all night!"
* * *
At nine AM sharp Harry entered the Ministry of Magic and encountered everyone else from the Order gathered in the atrium, wondering what the meeting was about. Everyone held an official letter, but no one seemed to understand, least of all Harry. Ron and Hermione came through right behind him.
Harry spotted Seamus and Neville with the girls and meant to make his way across the room, but at that moment a smug, lanky witch came into the archway and asked that they follow her. A quick count showed that only 22 members were present, 11 short of everyone. Harry swallowed hard and fell in.
After many lifts, halls, stairs, twist, turns, and doors, the group was led into a vast chamber where an enormous table sat in a tight horseshoe with enough chairs for them to each sit facing the high court. In the center of this table sat Dumbledore, Snape, and Sara, who beckoned to her group of friends to take seats beside her. Harry took her hand as soon as his knees were under the table.
"You look better." He whispered, "How do you feel?"
"I feel fantastic! I'm a Gryffindor, Harry! It was the potion, just like Uncle Albus said!"
"The Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor?"
"Yes! I went as soon as I woke up. I had to know before I married you."
"It's so close, Sara! Only eight hours until you're Mrs. Potter!"
"Why can't it be sooner?" She sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I wish it was only eight minutes!"
"Attention!" Spoke a stout wizard Harry recognized as Julian Smigeon, the newly appointed Minister of Magic. "I realize that a wedding is taking place today, so let's make this as brief as possible."
Seamus grinned. "I second the motion!"
Fred and George rose and sat again in quick succession.
"Third!"
"Fourth!"
"Children!" Arthur scolded, "The sooner Mr. Smidgeon begins, the quicker you can leave!"
Smigeon cleared his throat. "Thank you, Arthur. Now, you all know the reason you're here."
Harry interrupted. "Excuse me, sir, but we're not all here."
"Yes, yes, I was just getting to that. Where is..." He checked a scroll and then rolled it back up as nine others looked on from their high seats above the court. "Nikolae. No last name listed."
Ron snickered. "He's in his coffin, of course! It's full day outside, you know."
Dumbledore cleared his throat and Ron straightened up, the humor dropping from his expression. "Nikolae is a cognizant vampire, Julian, and one who suffered greatly for our cause. He took the form of my niece, Sara, and let Voldemort's followers shoot him with muggle weapons in her place."
Molly interjected. "Don't forget that he saved every last one of us from those feral vampires Voldemort tried to attack us with!"
Dumbledore gave a proud smile. "Yes, he did that as well. I suppose I could arrange for you to speak to him after sundown one night this week if you require."
"V- va- vampire? Um... no... um, I think your word on his actions will suffice, Albus. Now, it has been reported to me that you have eleven wounded, five mortally I'm afraid." Out came the scroll again. "The dead include Alastor Moody, auror. Kingsley Shacklebolt. Dedalus Diggle. Elphias Doge, and Nymphadora Tonks."
Gasps of shock and despair were heard around the room and Harry's own heart twisted when he heard Tonk's name.
"Of the other six that were injured, some are quite serious, but all are said to be recovering. These six will be questioned at a later date."
Harry stood. "Seven."
"Excuse me Mr. Potter?"
"You said six, but there are seven."
"How do you figure?" Smigeon rattled off the list of names with great impatience.
"Draco Malfoy is also injured."
Smidgeon gave an amused laugh that was echoed from the high bench.
Dumbledore rose to his feet and his anger resonated. "How dare you laugh at the name of our greatest ally!" Dumbledore was so angry that all present shrunk in fear of him, except for the few who gave the Minister a furious glare. "You owe your freedom from the tyranny of Lord Voldemort to one person, Julian, and that person is Draco Malfoy!"
The inquisition went on for an hour. Everyone talked, there was nothing left unexplained. Snippets of this and that story were tossed about.
Malfoy tricked Voldemort... Death Eaters were everywhere... Sara got scared and Harry knew... but Sara was dead...Dumbledore called in St. Mungo's... Sara was under an invisibility cloak and rolled static through the Death Eaters... guns exploded... Draco let Nikolae drink his blood... outnumbered three to one... Ginny had the cloak and was flying around dumping Finnegan's Swill on their heads... we were losing... Nikolae called the Gypsies... Nikolae turned the ferals on the Death Eaters... spells were reversed... we were losing... the Gypsies were falling... House elves attacked... Dobby led the battle while the Order regrouped... he cursed Dumbledore... tried to kill Harry... Snape blocked the Unforgivable Curse... put the Creeping Death on Draco... disarmed the Dark Lord... Sara took his wand...Ginny doused Voldemort... Phoenix song... Killing Curse...huge blast of lightning... Death Eaters pretending to sleep... grabbed Draco and disappeared... Lucius Malfoy's portrait... Snape got us past the traps... the catacombs were nearly empty...the tracking device was blocked... aurors arrested the stragglers... Draco was dead... the Amidon was glowing... Sara was weak because she was saving his life... head smashed in with a mace... miracle he's alive...
"I think we've heard enough." Smigeon said, his voice low and humbled. The others on the bench were silent. "The only thing I haven't understood is what happened to Voldemort? Where is his body?"
No one spoke. Not one person present would reveal that the essence of the Dark Lord lived on in the Crux Cube, hidden within the Gryffindor Ka- tet.
Finally, Dumbledore spoke. "He's dead. We told you, he was set ablaze, hit with the killing curse between two twin wands, and struck by lightning. You might find a few of his ashes on Harry and Sara's lawn, but that, I'm happy to say, is all that remains of Lord Voldemort."
"And where was..." he checked the scroll again, "Minerva McGonagall while all this was taking place?"
Dumbledore smiled. "Now Julian, do you really think I would leave Hogwarts unguarded? Minerva hasn't been the same since she was cursed by Ministry officials several years ago. I thought it best that her skills be put to another use."
"Very well. You may go now, but I want you all back here on Saturday evening at seven. It seems some honors are in order. Dress formal. Dinner will be served promptly at seven-thirty."
Dumbledore expressed that they would all be present.
"Oh and make sure the Malfoy boy is with you, as well as the vampire if you think it's safe."
"I will pass on the invitation."
"See you at the reception, then!" Smigeon smiled and watched them file out.
* * *
"It's really much nicer having it here at the house." Susan decided as she helped Hermione and Mary arrange Sara's veil. "Now we don't have to switch locations for the reception."
"I agree." Hermione said, "We couldn't have taken Christina to Hogwarts and I can't imagine leaving her all alone here to miss the wedding."
"She seems like such a nice girl." Mary straightened a hem, "Why's she hanging out with Malfoy?"
"Really!" Susan agreed, "Regardless of what he did for the Order, he's so repellant!"
Sara finally spoke up. "He may be to some people, but I for one have never seen that side of him. Not really. Perhaps Christina sees what I've always seen in Draco. He's charming and nice and he's a wonderful friend."
All three girls burst into laughter.
Sara grinned, "What's so funny?"
Susan smiled. "So it has nothing to do with the fact that he's totally hot?"
Now Sara laughed, too. "Would you look at me? I'm wearing a wedding dress! I'm not thinking about Draco's appearance!"
"You can tell us," Mary goaded, "just us girls."
"Tell you what?"
Susan swallowed her giggles. "If you and Malfoy ever—"
"NO!!"
Hermione lowered her head to hide her amusement.
"I would have." Susan admitted, "If I could keep from killing him, that is."
"Not me." Mary grew shy, "He scares me."
Sara turned from the mirror before the conversation progressed and went to the window, peaking around the curtains. "Hey!" She smiled, "There are the guys! How nice they look! Ron looks so dashing in a tux, Herms! Seamus and Neville look so elegant escorting people to their seats!"
"And there's your Harry." Hermione smiled, "He cut his hair! He looks exactly like he did in school! He hasn't aged a day!"
"Yes," Sara sighed, "He wanted to look proper or so he told me. Personally, I rather liked it long, but he does look good, doesn't he?"
Susan nudged Mary aside so they could both see out. "I've never seen Harry so happy."
Mary nodded her head. "Of course not, Suze. On this day there is nothing wrong with the world in Harry's eyes. Voldemort is gone. The Death Eaters are all in Azkaban, everyone he loves is arriving at his beautiful new home and the girl he's been waiting for is about to become his wife. He's never had reason to be so happy until now."
A moment passed where no one spoke. They watched the Dursleys arrive and take seats in the front row beside Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. (The rest of the Weasleys took up the next three rows.) The wedding was small and held in the courtyard amid the lilacs and roses. Sara thought there was no more proper setting.
"Ok." Hermione said and led Sara from the window, "One last detail."
She brought the Fortificus Charm, now on a thin strand of pearls, and clasped it around Sara's neck. Sara turned to admire the affect in the mirror and smiled at what she saw. "So this is it, then? It's time?"
"Almost."
"Why am I so nervous? It's just Harry. I've been waiting for this moment for so long, and now, I suddenly feel like I'm going to faint from nerves alone!"
Mary smiled and smoothed the light, soft fabric of Sara's dress. "Don't worry. It's normal. You'll be fine. We're your best friends and we'll be right there beside you. All of us."
Sara tried to smile, but there was one best friend whose absence she felt like an ache. Draco was still at St. Mungo's, his doctor having refused to release him.
McGonagall rushed into the doorway with her hair pulled back in a soft, elegant bun. "Girls, the guests have all arrived. We're ready for you now." She smiled at Sara, "How lovely you look, dear!"
"Thanks." Sara took a slow, nervous breath. "Be right there."
* * *
"Wait!" Christina called in a loud whisper as the door to the courtyard was about to be opened. Snape stood with Sara on his arm and the other three girls lined up ahead of them. Everyone turned to look at Christina, surprised. "Don't go in yet!"
Sara was annoyed by the sudden disruption and wondered why Christina wasn't in her seat. "What is it?"
"Just wait."
Christina ran back around the corner and appeared again minutes later leading Draco, who took a slow and deliberate pace. He had faded bruises on his face and winced when he stepped on the left leg, but his eyes were lively. He looked only at Sara and gave her a brilliant smile. "Just as I've always imagined it." he said. "You look perfect."
Sara wanted to say so many things at once. She was so glad he was ok, and that he'd been able to make it to the wedding. She wanted to thank him for the compliment and acknowledge the fact that he had imagined her in a wedding dress. She said nothing.
There had been something between Draco and herself since the night they'd met. Something that had endured through all of the divergence their friendship had faced. That something ended on this day and there was a bittersweet sadness in his words that matched the mood of her heart as her arms went around him. "Thank God you're here." She sighed as he kissed her cheek. "Your absence was heartbreaking."
"My doctor had a fit." He smiled, "But I wasn't missing it. I had to see you marry that idiot Potter for myself. I never would have believed it otherwise."
Sara laughed and so did he. "Go on and gets seats. I'll be right behind you."
Draco ran a finger over the smooth glassy surface of the Fortificus Charm and she touched the Amidon around his neck.
He kissed her face again and took a step back. "Congratulations, Sara. You finally got what you wanted."
She smiled as she watched him go through the door with Cristina beside him and understood another chapter of her life had closed.
* * *
As Severus escorted Sara down the aisle, Draco was in her head, singing along with the violins.
Dumb DUMB-dumb-dumb...dumb DUMB dumb-dumb!
Shut up! She thought in reply, You're going to make me laugh!
Draco behaved all through Dumbledore's opening statements. Sara gave a sigh of relief, hoping he would keep quiet through the vows, but her luck had run out. Harry was reciting his when Draco's voice echoed through her head again.
What an idiot! Did he make that up himself? What a sap!
Shut up!
"...until death do us part."
Loser! Look at that haircut!
Shut up!
Sara tried hard to keep a straight face as she recited her vows and Draco mocked her silently. She was glad he'd lived because she was going to kill him! "...in sickness and in health...."
In ugliness and idiocy...
"I do."
Run! Fire! Fire! You can still get out of it, I'll cover for you! Just...FAINT!
Sara glanced at Draco who sat, nonchalant, with a hint of a grin of his face.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife."
I now pronounce you a couple of boring people.
Sara gritted her teeth to keep from laughing.
"I am honored to say, Harry, that you may kiss the bride." Dumbledore said, jubilant that the two people he cared most about had finally done what he knew would make them happiest. The years of heartache and misery were over at long last.
Harry's eyes smiled as he looked at Sara and hers filled with unshed tears as he kissed his wife for the first time. The small audience applauded and many cried at the beauty of it all, and with the knowledge of the tragic romance that had led to this very moment. Hagrid blew his nose, McGonagall was sniffling, and Molly Weasley was full out sobbing as she smiled upon the happy couple, who turned to beam at their friends. Harry looked to his Aunt Petunia, who gave him an accepting nod and tried to smile.
Harry turned his gaze back to Sara. "Shall we, Mrs. Potter?"
Sara took the proffered arm. "Yes, Mr. Potter, I believe we shall."
They burst into fresh giggles and walked back down the aisle with all their friends following their lead. As they passed, Sara heard Draco's voice in her mind.
How could you marry a moron?
Sara burst out laughing and Draco gave her an amused smirk.
Shut up! She said, No one knows why I'm laughing! You'll make me look foolish!
Oh and you don't look foolish marrying a moron?
She laughed even harder and turned to face him, unable to pretend she was laughing at nothing in particular. Even Harry was giving her confused glances.
"Shut up, Malfoy!" She giggled, "You're terrible!"
Draco looked around like he had no idea what she was talking about. "Huh? Whatever do you mean?" He projected innocence better than any actor.
"You know what I mean! It's not fair, so stop it!"
"Potter," Draco grinned, "Your wife is nuts."
Harry grinned right back. "Shove off, Malfoy."
* * *
"Sara dear, it's a lovely party!"
"Thank you!" She smiled and turned to Harry as they headed for more champagne. "Who the hell was that?"
"I don't know. Probably someone's wife."
"Did we invite all of Great Brittan? Is the Queen here?"
"I think I saw her doing a waltz with Neville."
Sara laughed at his jest. "Can you believe this, Harry?" she asked and took the glass he offered, "We're married. You're my husband. It doesn't seem real."
"I know what you mean, Mrs. Potter." He said and took a drink, "When you dream of something for so long, want it so much, it's hard to believe when it's suddenly handed to you."
"Exactly."
"Now do I have your word that I'm not going to wake up in the morning and find a note and the luggage missing?" Harry smiled, but was only half kidding. It was still a fear he held in his darkest heart. One he thought he might never get over.
Sara felt his unease and touched her hand to his cheek. "Look at me." She whispered. "I will never leave you. I promise."
Harry smiled and led Sara across the atrium in her beautiful white gown, greeting those they passed and stopping every few feet for photographs. "Sara, look!" Harry smiled, gesturing with his champagne at the dancing in the center of the floor.
Sara saw and a warm smile bloomed on her face as Draco danced close with Christina. While they watched he kissed her, lost to the room. "They make a lovely couple."
"They do." Harry sighed, "They look like us in reverse."
Sara chuckled as she noticed the similarity. Christina's hair was the same color as Harry's, thick and soft. She had the same complexion. The only difference was her brown eyes. Draco, Sara knew, looked like her own twin brother except her eyes were violet and his were ice blue. "It's strange, Harry, but I think Draco was meant to find her. He's so lost, you know."
"So is she."
Sara said nothing more as she watched them dance, barely moving due to Draco's injuries, and something inside her smiled. She loved Draco. She'd only ever wanted his happiness. Nothing more.
"Sara?"
"Yes?"
"I wanted to be the first one to tell you." Harry smiled, "Your black streak is gone."
* * *
THE END
Bittersweet Symphony
"Snape!" Harry rolled onto his knees, "SNAPE!"
Severus went up on his elbows in the grass not 15 steps away. "Calm down, Potter, I'm not in France!" He gestured across the Channel. "What are you carrying on about?"
"You've been there! You can take us to get Draco!"
"That's your plan? Time is wasting, in case you hadn't noticed!"
"You know where they took him and you have the means to take us there! That's what I'm saying!"
"The means you speak of don't exist. Access was blocked to me long ago and I suggest you take care with what you say."
Harry glanced around and saw that he and Snape held everyone's rapt attention. "You must know the way by broom. You must know something!"
"If I did do you think we'd be sitting here right now? Don't be so ignorant." Snape folded his arms across his chest, sitting up fully. No one had the energy to stand.
"Harry," Hermione opined, "I don't think he knows. If he did, don't you think he would have told Dumbledore by now?"
"He is a member of the Order." Ron agreed. "Slytherin or not."
Snape raised an eyebrow at Harry. "Ever get the impression that your friends are much more intelligent than you are, Potter?"
Harry narrowed his eyes.
"After all, even Weasley here can put two and two together and he can't even think of the simplest spells. It's a wonder you even graduated."
Arthur Weasley, who was a little red in the face, addressed Snape with an edge of irritation. "Now Severus, you know very well that our Ron was Head Boy."
"Stop bickering!" came a familiar voice.
Molly glanced around in bewilderment. "Ginny? Is that you, dear?"
Ginny removed the invisibility cloak and revealed herself, hovering a meter from the ground on the little carpet. She held a metal pail in one hand. "Hello mum."
The Weasleys gasped, but Ginny focused on Harry. "Can't you go ten minutes without starting an argument? Professor Snape may be a Slytherin, but he just saved your life, Harry. I saw it. I was about to throw the Swill on Voldemort when he cursed you. You'd be dead if it wasn't for him."
"It was you!" Ron announced, wide eyed. "We couldn't figure it out!"
Seamus lounged on the ground with Fred and George, all of whom were injured, but had returned to the battle regardless. "I knew it!" He grinned, "I know Finnegan's Swill when I smell it!"
Harry grinned as well. "Brilliant, Ginny! I'd forgotten all about it!"
Hermione spoke up in disbelief. "You left it there?! Harry, I told you not to keep a whole room full of alcohol under your brand new house! Does no one listen to me?"
"Um... sometimes we do." Ron said with awkward apology. "But I have to agree with Harry, Gin. Bloody brilliant!"
"Thank Sara. It was her idea, not mine."
Everyone turned to Sara, still on the far side of the gathering, flat out on the grass. The sudden attention did nothing to rouse her.
Harry grew concerned. "Sara?"
"Huh?" she rolled her head to the side and opened one eye. "Did someone call me?"
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!" Charlie shouted, startling the group, who turned their eyes from Sara to the trespassers at once. Two Death Eaters walked toward the gathering, nervous and reluctant. Their hands went up in surrender and they came to a stop, looking to one another for advice it seemed. The larger of the two untied his mask and the other followed suit.
Harry was shocked. "Crabbe! Goyle!"
"Don't kill us!" Crabbe pleaded, "We're not real Death Eaters."
Ron narrowed his eyes with suspicion. "Then how do you explain the masks?" he wondered, "If you're not with Voldemort, then why the bloody hell are you wearing his ridiculous costumes?"
Hermione put her hands on her hips and glared at them. "Like we'd really believe you! Slytherins aren't exactly known for their honesty. I do believe the Sorting Hat said they'll do anything to get what they want."
"Yeah!" Seamus interjected, "And you're in a spot, now that your Dark Lord has been extinguished, aren't you! Stuck here at Harry's house!"
"Let them speak!" Snape bellowed, "And if I hear the name of Slytherin House used as an insult one more time you'll all deal with me!"
No one apologized, but it seemed the accused would have their opportunity.
Goyle stuttered as he tried to explain. "Our fathers made us get the Dark Mark. We didn't really care either way at first, but then we saw what happened to Draco."
Crabbe nodded as if to confirm that this was the truth.
"Draco wanted nothing to do with it. We weren't really friends 7th year, but he's still our best mate. We couldn't stand what Voldemort did to him, so we decided to tell someone who could help him."
"Ah!" came a tired old voice. All heads turned to smile with enormous welcome at the Headmaster, who hobbled along with Nikolae at his side. "I see you have found my informants!"
Harry was thunderstruck. "Your what?!"
Ron was incredulous. "Crabbe and Goyle? Malfoy's baboons are your informants??"
"Have you forgotten so soon, Mr. Weasley, that Draco Malfoy fought at your side tonight?" Dumbledore gave Ron a stern glance over his spectacles. "I think at this point in time I should share something Harry said this very morning, for it is the simple truth"
Harry closed his eyes and groaned.
"Not all Slytherins are terrible people."
Snape grinned. "Yes, I believe I do recall Potter making that exact statement. In fact it was right after confessing that the Sorting Hat had almost placed him in Slytherin House."
"Shut-up!" Harry shouted, wishing he'd accidentally killed Snape during the battle.
Dumbledore smiled as he looked around at the astounded faces trained on Harry, who he knew was quite mortified. Slowly, the smile fell away. "Where is Draco Malfoy?"
* * *
"We only ever went with our fathers." Goyle explained. "Neither one of us knows how to get past the traps, or even where they are or what they do. If you can figure it out, we can lead you through the catacombs. Other than that, we're of little help."
Harry was growing restless. He'd wanted to jump on his broom the moment Malfoy had disappeared and now the endless bickering and disagreement only pushed his urgency into madness. He'd made a promise to Draco, one he would honor even if it meant losing everything, even his life. He could only hope Draco was still alive. "We'll figure it out when we get there, let's go!"
"Harry." Dumbledore sighed, "Whatever Voldemort has blocking our entrance is also blocking the tracking device Draco swallowed. We'll have to lower it to find him. That means we first have to figure out where the catacombs are. The situation looks hopeless, I'm afraid. We've been looking for many years."
"Unacceptable." Harry fumed, "I promised to get him out of there. You promised, we ALL PROMISED!"
"Calm yourself, Harry. Do you really think we want to lose the very wizard who risked himself to serve our cause? Who faced his greatest fears and delivered Voldemort right into our hands? Draco Malfoy deserves to live through this night more than any of us."
Sara, who had not yet moved, tried to climb to her feet. Her exhaustion was obvious as she struggled and swooned and finally managed to get to her knees. "I have to go to the cottage. Someone help me, hurry up!"
Harry rushed to her side. "Sara, you're not well. You need rest, you shouldn't have been fighting."
"Just get me there! Harry, if you want to save Draco then stop arguing with me."
"What do you mean to do?"
"Severus! Come with me. I need your help."
Snape arrived by her side and helped her to stand. He lifted her in his arms and hurried to the cottage without a word to anyone.
Hermione came to stand beside Harry, perplexed. "I wonder what that's about."
"I don't know." Harry admitted. "I have no idea."
* * *
"Hold tight to me, Severus."
Snape wrapped his arms around her and she touched the silver serpent she'd touched only once before. They arrived in the dark study and Snape recognized his surroundings at once.
"My God!" He whispered, "Where did you get that?"
"From Lucius." She admitted, "A very long time ago. Now come. I saw a memory in Draco's mind, a painful one, but I think it could help him now."
Snape helped Sara through the vast house to a corridor on the easternmost side. She stopped before a painting hung with black velvet and touched the fabric. "This is it." She pulled the drape aside and let it fall to the floor. Snape gasped and Sara took a deep breath. "Hello Lucius."
Lucius purred with the sinister, secret amusement she still heard in her darkest dreams. "Well well, Miss Lemke. To what do I owe this pleasure? And Severus Snape! Odd combination. Though I have to inquire as to why you both look so utterly... wretched?"
"It's been a long night." Sara replied.
Snape jumped right in, anxious to deliver the news himself. "As of twenty minutes ago, Voldemort," he said, "has been exterminated."
The shock in Lucius' painted image was profound. "You don't say? That certainly is news, Severus. How thoughtful of you to come all the way to Malfoy Manor just to inform me."
Sara grew animate. "Lucius... it's Draco." She explained, wringing her trembling hands. "He was taken by Death Eaters to the catacombs and his life is in the gravest danger! They'll kill him! Voldemort protected him, but there's no one to protect him now. I saw the vengeful thoughts of the one that grabbed him. I know the evil that fueled his twisted mind. If we don't get to Draco soon there will be no one left to save. It may already be too late."
"Draco? You mean the sniveling wretch that came to me with anger and an all too familiar hatred not so long ago? The very same Draco who said he'd see me in hell?" Lucius gave a soft, musical laugh. "Why would you think I even care?"
"We don't have time for games." Sara told the portrait. "Draco is going to die if you don't help him. He's your son! Don't you know that he loved you? He loves you still! Even through the hatred you speak of. If Draco has hatred for you in his heart it's because he wanted you to be so much more. It's because you didn't love him in return."
"Enough with the sentimental nonsense, Sara, touching as it is." Lucius smiled. "The boy deserves whatever he gets. He was always rather worthless so it's no great loss to anyone, really. He's spineless, a traitor too weak to accept his position. A position wizards would kill for the world over and it was handed to him on a silver platter. He's an embarrassment to his name."
Snape was struck with inspiration. "Speaking of names, Lucius, am I correct in saying that if Draco dies before producing an heir the name Malfoy will cease to exist?"
Sara picked up on the brilliance of this tactic and ran with it. Obviously, striking an emotional chord with Lucius Malfoy was not going to work. "And what do you think would become of this magnificent house? As Draco's closest friend I would feel obligated to buy it. Perhaps Harry could open a school here? Defense against the Dark Arts. That's his specialty, as you know. Your study would make a perfect office for him." She thought about mentioning the fact that Malfoy Manor had been left to Harry in Draco's will, but feared Lucius would condemn Draco for it.
Snape controlled his smile. "He'd want to redecorate, of course. I can't even imagine what he'd do with your portrait, Lucius."
"Bathroom." Sara decided and turned serious again. "But, if we were to save him... Lucius, Voldemort is history. You've nothing to lose except your only son."
"Draco is my only heir, unfortunately." Lucius sighed. "I suppose you want to know how to get through the wards?"
"You can start with where it is."
* * *
"Come on, Ron." Harry said with his eye on the cottage. "Let's go see what they're up to."
"Don't bother." Dumbledore advised, "You won't find them. They're gone, Harry."
"Gone!" Ron thundered, "At a time like this? Where the bloody hell did they go?"
Nikolae stepped forward. "Don't worry. Just start working on a plan. She will return with the means to get you there."
"Harry looked surprised. "She will?"
"I know her determination well. She will find a way."
"But how can Sara gain access to Voldemort's lair?"
"Let's just say that Draco's own tortured memories may now save his life."
Hermione lowered her eyes. "He's been gone nearly half an hour. I just hope..."
Arthur got to his feet. "Now we shouldn't be thinking the worst! I'm sure such a stubborn young man could..." he trailed off, knowing even he didn't believe what he was saying. It stood to reason that Draco Malfoy was already dead. The knowledge hung in the air like mist.
Neville and Mary joined the gathering, pale faced and supporting each other. "I've never really cared for Malfoy, personally." Neville said, confused. "And neither have any of you! Why the dark faces? He's not dead is he?"
Hermione became angry. "No one who fought on our side deserves to die down there!"
"I don't think he knows." Harry realized, "Neville, Mary." He explained, "Draco went back to Voldemort as a pawn for us. He went willingly and led Voldemort into our trap. He knew he was our Trojan horse, but it was a mission he was willing to accept if only to change our opinion of him. You see, he was on our side all along. Now the Death Eaters have him and they know he's a traitor."
"Well? What's the plan then?"
Ron took over. "We'll all go inside together, except for Susan, Ginny, Mum and Mary." Everyone had turned their attention to Ron and he glanced around. "You four will stay outside and act as guards. They may be expecting us so don't think you're being left out. Besides," he assured them, "you may have to rescue us." Ron cleared his throat and continued. "Once we're in we go in two groups. One with Crabbe and one with Goyle. According to them there are a few places we might find Malfoy. Harry, Hermione and I will go with Dumbledore to the most obvious places. Dad and Snape will lead everyone else to search the secondary rooms."
Harry took a step forward. "Snape will also need to find their potions lab. There is another matter which needs to be dealt with."
"Very well then." Ron turned to his father, "You will also find the potions lab. Other than that, there is no plan."
"WHAT is going on here?" said a loud, authoritative voice from outside the circle.
All turned to see a large group of aurors gathered behind them.
Hermione pushed her way to the front to address them. "We're running out of time." She said, "We need your help."
* * *
"I won't be going." Sara explained as Snape eased her onto the grass. "I want to, of course, but I think I've overdone it."
"Are you ok, Sara?" Harry asked as he came to sit beside her.
She leaned against him and closed her eyes. "I'm weak is all. I feel dizzy and it's hard to stand. It seems the lightning I threw at Voldemort took more energy than I had left."
Harry pulled her into his lap and cradled her against his chest. "You need to rest."
"I do, Harry." Her blind hand touched his cheek. "In fact, I have no choice in the matter."
Harry looked to Dumbledore. "Someone needs to stay with her."
"No." Sara interrupted, "Everyone must go. I'll rest until you return; you have my word. Christina can look in on me."
Hermione grew concerned. "Nothing against Christina, but what does she know about magical maladies?"
Nikolae came forward. "I also will stay behind. I haven't the ability to fly a broom and there's no guarantee we'll be back by daybreak." He knelt beside Sara. "I will stay with you, Nikita. You will not be alone."
"But you're in your natural form! Christina will see you!"
"I took some hair from a rather attractive young man I found dead not half an hour ago. I will only be hideous for a few more minutes."
Sara opened her eyes and tried to smile. Her fingers brushed the pale skin of his vampire face. Her voice was a whisper, but her words brought a smile to his lips. "You... are... beautiful, my friend." *
"Come to me." He whispered and took her from Harry's arms. "The others must be off now." He turned his eyes to Harry. "I will take good care of her."
Harry smiled and handed her over. "I know you will."
"Harry," she said and Nikolae lifted her as Snape had done, "promise me you'll find him. Promise you'll bring him back, no matter what state he's in."
"I intend to do exactly that." He kissed her and smoothed the hair from her face.
"And be careful. Promise you'll return to me."
"I'll see you soon, Sara. We all will." He kissed her again and Nikolae carried her off toward the house.
"Are we ready?" Dumbledore inquired.
Harry turned to Snape. "You're sure the information you got is correct? How do we know Lucius isn't leading us all to our deaths?"
"Because his name is at stake, Potter. I'm as certain as I could be or else I wouldn't have suggested we follow his instructions, obviously. Now enough ridiculous questions! We need to leave at once! Enough time has been wasted already!"
Because the ruins Lucius mentioned were in Ireland, it was faster to apperate back to the chamber at Hogwarts and fly from there. The aurors agreed to accompany the Order to the catacombs, but the Gypsies, most of whom had been healed, were returning to Keltse-tia. The house elves had already gone back to Hogwarts, carrying their dead between them with sad, haunted faces.
Harry summoned his broom and everyone clustered close together, linking arms so no one was lost. They disappeared.
* * *
Christina heard someone moving about the house and her heart was struck through with fear. Her terror spiked so that she could barely move as Sara's warning pulsed through her head. Hide... hide... hide...
She crawled under the bed and tried not to breath.
Minutes passed. Many it seemed. An eternity later a set of feet appeared in the open doorway.
"Christina." Said a man's voice, "Sara is not well. She requests your presence. Do not fear, dear girl, the battle is over. If I wanted to harm you I would simply draw you out from under the bed."
Christina's breath caught in her throat. He knew where she was and yet caused her no harm. But what if using Sara's name was just a ploy to gain her trust? Draw her out in a sense? She had promised to hide until she was sure it was one of them and she intended to do just that. The feet left the doorway and went back the way they'd come and she sighed with relief. It was then that she heard a voice from within her own mind. A voice both familiar and foreign.
Come out, Christina. I am in my room. There is something you need to know.
"What?" Christina whispered, frightened by the phantom voice in her head. So real, as if Sara was right beside her, whispering in her ear.
The man you saw is my friend. You are safe now. Come out. Come to me.
Christina crawled out from under the bed, confused, but no more so than she had been while looking out the window. Nothing here made sense. She decided to play along, fueled by curiosity.
She went to the loft Sara shared with Harry in the little tower above their sitting room. The windows were open when she arrived and the salty breeze tickled the curtains as the surf crashed far below. Sara was in bed, asleep it seemed, and a handsome young man sat by her side. He glanced up at Christina and nodded his welcome.
Sara spoke, soft and quiet, but did not open her eyes. "Draco is in trouble, Christina. They've all gone after him, but you need to understand that he may not be ok."
"What do you mean? Sara, what's happened to Draco?"
"He's in the wrong hands." She said, her tired voice heavy with approaching sleep. "I fear the worst."
Silent tears slipped from Sara's eyes and she drifted off. Christina wiped her own face and sniffled, trying to hold back a flood of emotion. The quiet young man handed her a linen handkerchief and she took it with gratitude. "Is she alright?" she whispered.
"Sleep is all she needs."
"Is she asleep now?"
Nikolae closed his eyes for a moment and then reopened them. "Yes."
"What is she? She's different from the rest of them. So are you, actually. But there is something about Sara that is ethereal. Something that affects a person on a deeper level and draws them to her. Something radiates from this girl, sir, and it isn't all good. As easy as it is to smile in her presence, her pain can wrap around your very bones so that you feel it completely."
"I know the feeling you describe."
"Yesterday I was on my way to the solarium and was passing through the back lobby, where the marble terrace is? I can't describe the way I was overcome as I stopped just inside the archway. She was playing the piano and singing some bittersweet love song my mum used to listen to. It was like I was actually feeling the music. "I can't explain it, but it was beautiful, really. It was moving."
"Yes, Sara's voice is haunting, I agree. You are not the first person to describe it that way."
"I have seen her on the cliffs at night. Just standing there, a lovely figure in the moonlight, seeming to play with the wind. She raises her arms and it lifts her cloak and sometimes it appears to swirl around her like a playful embrace. And look at her, she's flawless! No one is that good looking."
"Sara is not flawless."
"She's probably the most beautiful person I've ever seen to be honest. She positively captivates me. I can't explain the affect she has on people."
"I have seen it first hand. Sara is magnetic when she walks into a room, no matter what mood she's in." He gave her a gentle smile. "She's quite a bit like your Draco in those regards."
"He's just a friend." She sniffled, the dread flaring up in her stomach.
"I know what your rational mind expects, but I can see farther than that."
Christina smiled and dabbed at her eyes. "It was at his house that I met Sara. I wish I could describe the way she commanded the very air I breathed with her presence. There was nothing in that room as far as I'm concerned, except her. I could look at nothing else and when she pushed back her hood it was all I could do not to drop the pipe I was holding. I thought she was an angel or something and it scared the hell out of me. The way she attracted the moonlight was fascinating. She almost glowed in the darkness and her voice was dreamlike. I thought I was sleeping." Christina turned her eyes to Sara's peaceful face. "There is something otherworldly about this girl. She can't possibly be a human being."
"She is."
"Not like one I've ever seen."
"I know what you've seen tonight, Christina. I will ask you now not to relate that knowledge to anyone except Draco and myself. You can be trusted with it, I see."
"Explain it to me then! If I'm so trustworthy then tell me the truth! What are you? What is she? What are they?"
"Calm yourself."
"I'm sorry. I need to know."
"And you will in time." Nikolae said and stood. "It will be a little while before we learn of Draco's fate. I will prepare us some tea."
Christina nodded, understanding that the topic was closed. With the young man gone, she took Sara's hand and watched her sleeping face, perfect in the light of a single candle. "What are you?" she whispered.
The reply resonated through her mind like an echo.
The Elemental.
* * *
"Come on!" Goyle whispered, looking around a corner. "This way!"
It was clear that they were on the right path. The echoes of argument drifted through the catacombs and they were heading straight for it.
"Be quiet!" he warned as they rounded another corner and the shouting grew louder. "This way! Don't let them hear you."
Harry's heart beat wildly in his chest, knowing they could be attacked at any second. The Death Eaters were very near and his little group had come quite close to the room they occupied. He wondered how much further before they reached what Goyle referred to as the training room. They had already looked in several places, the very cell Draco had described among them. Everything was exactly as he'd said it was and Harry's mouth went dry when they approached their destination. Harry knew all too well what happened in there.
Goyle opened the door and casually walked in, still wearing his Death Eater garb without the mask. "Draco!" He said and Dumbledore gave the aurors a signal. The now familiar sound of fighting erupted down the hall and everyone filed into the room. Ron shut the door and leaned against it with his wand poised and ready.
"Oh no!" Hermione gasped.
Draco was pale, white as winter snow, and his head lay in a pool of blood. His eyes were glassy slits and his jaw hung askew as if it was broken. Hermione noticed the just emerging bruises down the left side of his face and assumed that it probably was. There was no mistaking the fractures in his arms and legs and she closed her eyes to the sight, wishing they'd been able to save him. Even Malfoy, she thought, deserved something better than this.
"Bugger." Ron said, "They busted him up pretty good."
Harry didn't respond. He stood at Malfoy's feet, looking down on the body with a thousand years worth of guilt in his eyes.
"Harry." Dumbledore place a steadying hand on Harry's shoulder. "Don't blame yourself. Draco knew the risks better than either of us."
Hermione took his hand. "That's right, Harry. You told me he wrote out his will before he went. He knew this might happen."
Ron sighed. "I hate to say it, mate, but we couldn't have defeated Voldemort without him. He saved us all in a sense."
"Harry." Dumbledore said, "This boy is a hero, more so than any of us on this night. He did not die in vain."
Harry said nothing; his eyes were on Draco's pale face, surrounded by a crimson halo. Harry knelt beside him as Hermione, Ron and Dumbledore discussed how best to remove Draco from the catacombs. There was a faint reddish glow from beneath his shirt and Harry pulled the fabric aside. He'd forgotten about Sara's Amidon, so similar to the Amoridon he wore around his own neck. The charm Malfoy wore was alight and warm to the touch, comforting even to look at. Harry smiled and looked to Dumbledore. "He's not dead!"
* * *
"It's right through here." Crabbe whispered as their larger group crept through the mossy halls, some opening doors as they made their way along. "Professor! It's in here."
Snape stormed the room with his wand held out before him and the others were quick to follow. The room was deserted. The potion he searched for was on a table at the far side and Snape went forward with trepidation. A cloud of reddish-black smoke hung in the air above it and he commanded everyone else to stay back as he approached. A scene flickered in and out, being swallowed by the cloud of smoke only to re-emerge as something else. Sara sleeping, then images of a wedding dress, Keltse-tia, and Draco in a dream- like state. These were Sara's unconscious thoughts. Then another image surfaced and Snape looked closer as Potter knelt beside Draco, who was badly injured, and pulled aside Draco's shirt. "They've found him!" Snape announced with delight, "He's alive!"
The faces around him erupted with smiles and Snape pointed his wand at the cauldron. "Philtrum Concludo!"
The cloud dispersed into the air, Snape dumped the cauldron and then erased the contents with a flick of his wand. "Alright, let's get in position. They'll be bringing him out soon. I think it wise to clear a path for them."
* * *
Sara opened her eyes with a breathless gasp and Christina and Nikolae turned to her at once. Nikolae brushed her hair back from her face. "What is it, Nikita?"
"They found the potion." She whispered. "The feeling is gone."
"Then it has been destroyed."
"Yes."
"Go back to sleep, my dear." he smoothed her brow, "You're to be married tomorrow. You've a long day ahead."
Sara closed her eyes and drifted off again.
* * *
St. Mungo's was quiet this time of night and Harry sat beside the bed with his head in his hands and his eyes on Draco. No one was sure when he would wake. The scull fracture he'd sustained was serious and it was still in the process of healing. In fact, there was so much wrong with him that the head Medi-wizard had been awakened and called to the hospital to examine Draco personally. It was his opinion that healing everything at once would send Malfoy even further into shock so it was to be done in stages throughout the night. He had also determined that Draco had already sustained a similar head injury that had been very recently healed with magic. On top of that, he also had 17 broken bones in his face and body, damage to his left lung and internal bleeding. It was said that the Order had found him just in time.
Malfoy's last words echoed through Harry's head. "Can't I kill just this one? Please? He broke my skull, you know..."
"If I find him, Draco," Harry whispered, "I'll kill him for you."
"No you won't, Harry." Dumbledore sighed and took a seat on the other side of the bed. "Once Mr. Malfoy awakens and can identify his attackers, then attempted murder charges will be added to their lists of crimes. With every Death Eater now in the aurors' custody, he needs only point them out. You won't be killing anybody unless you care to join them in Azkaban."
"It doesn't seem right, sir. Azkaban is nothing compared to what they've done."
"Obviously, you've never been to Azkaban. It's been described as worse than death by many. Trust me when I say it's a just punishment."
Harry said nothing in reply, just watched Draco sleep.
"Go home, Harry. We don't want you falling asleep at the altar."
"I want to stay just a little longer, Professor. It's late. You should get back to Hogwarts." He gave Dumbledore a tired smile, "We don't want you falling asleep at the altar, either."
"At this hour, Harry, that is a becoming a real possibility."
"Goodnight, sir. I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight, Harry."
* * *
Nikolae was gone when Sara awoke to the first light of dawn, feeling refreshed and whole once again. She was achy, but nothing a little potion couldn't fix. Beside the bed was a folded note with the word Nikita inscribed upon it in the flawless, slanted script of yesteryear. Perhaps, she thought, it was news of Draco. Sara opened it with shaking hands.
My Dearest Nikita,
It is my sincere pleasure to inform you that Draco Malfoy was found by the Order and is recovering from his injuries at St. Mungo's Hospital. Albus stopped here during the night to inquire after you and explained that Draco has not yet regained consciousness, but his condition is now stable. Harry remained by his side and has yet to return as daybreak approaches. Christina fell asleep while watching over you and I carried her to her room.
Good luck today, my dear. I only wish I could be there to witness this long awaited occasion. I will see you at dusk.
Nikolae
With a weepy smile, Sara dressed quickly and took the Firebolt to the cottage. Now that the foreign feelings for Draco had left her, there was something she had to do and it couldn't wait. Standing just inside the doorway, she opened the little gold box and touched the key with broom in hand.
Her old tower rooms looked exactly as they had the day before, but it was Sara herself who had changed and she looked on them now with a new perspective. The tower had not been her prison; it held the best years of her life and the very last of her adolescence. She longed to sleep here with the wind drifting in through the windows and Harry slipping in from the stairs under the invisibility cloak and wearing silly cotton pajamas.
She smiled with all the wonderful memories the tower held and cried for innocence lost within these walls. It seemed a threat always lingered in one form or another and whether it be the dark shadow of Voldemort or the Raven, their lives had melded and shattered in these very rooms because of it. They were barely more than children then, sixteen and full of the excitement of life and fascinated by the mystery of each other. She'd lived and breathed for Harry Potter then, her every thought was of him as she'd anticipated the night, ever wondering what new thrill would come with the light of the moon.
As Sara passed through the door to the stairs she glanced back one last time and smiled with renewed warmth. She still lived and breathed for Harry Potter. Life held different challenges now, but to be together was no less exciting and it seemed they could go on being fascinated by the mystery of each other forever. And they were children no longer.
* * *
The room swam in, then out again and Draco closed his eyes. A moment later he reopened them to find things a little steadier. Strange gadgets bleeped and clicked all around him and it made his head hurt, but he soon tuned them out, only to be left with the sounds of soft snoring. There was no other bed in the room that he could see. It hurt to move, but Draco finally managed to turn on his side. He smiled when he saw Harry sitting in a chair with his head atop his folded arms, resting on the edge of the bed, his glasses toppled off onto the blankets. Draco gave his sleeping friend a pained smile and whispered so that Harry could not hear. "You kept your promise, Potter."
"Well well!" Came a jolly old fat doctor, waddling through the door with dull, tired eyes, "You're awake!"
"Be quiet!" Draco scolded in a whisper, "If you wake him up I'll kill you."
Harry awoke at Malfoy's voice, but remained where he was, eavesdropping.
"Kill me, you say?" the doctor chuckled, "Dumbledore said you'd be a handful."
Harry almost burst out laughing, but continued his façade of sleep.
"What does that old goat know! Why does it hurt to talk!"
"Because, young man, your jaw was broken in three places. How does the rest of you feel?"
"My chest hurts. My arms and legs ache. Is my head still broken?"
"Your lung was punctured in nine places thanks to six shattered ribs. Your arms and legs all had compound fractures. Your liver and spleen were ruptured. As for your head, it's mostly healed, but I have to say, I've never seen a mess like that on a living person. It looked like you'd been hit by a speeding train."
"It was a mace." Draco explained, "You know? Like the queen's knights used to clobber people with?"
The doctor stopped, dumbstruck. "And you survived? You must be mistaken! No one would have lived through such a thing!"
"Well, not everyone's a Malfoy. We're stronger than ordinary people. At least that's what my father always said."
"Malfoy or not, you're lucky to be alive. I can't explain it. Every specialist in England has had a look at your films. Now here you are, not six hours later, not just alive but sarcastic!" The jolly doctor gave a fat bellied laugh. "All we can figure is that it had something to do with that charm you have on. My associates wanted to examine it, but Mr. Potter and I thought it best left around your neck."
"The Amidon!"
"Is that what it's called?" The doctor started scribbling on a scroll with a well-worn feather quill.
"It was a gift." Draco said, clutching it, "Sara gave it to me."
"Your girlfriend?"
"No you idiot, Potter's fiancé! The Elemental?"
"I see. And what exactly does it do?"
"It's the essence of her friendship, why?"
"Because it was glowing bright red when you came in and it was almost hot to the touch. I can't be certain, but I think it had something to do with the fact that you're still with us this morning."
Draco coughed and his lungs burned like liquid fire. He screamed in pain and startled Harry so badly he sat bolt upright and toppled the chair backward onto the floor. Draco was so amused by this that his agony was forgotten and he laughed as best he could.
"Morning, Potter. First time using a chair?"
* * *
She was nervous, terrified actually, when she stepped into the Headmaster's office. Sara held her breath as the portraits awoke and she took the Hat from its shelf.
"PUT THAT DOWN!" An old woman screeched with her hands flat against her cheeks in worry.
"It's her again! The mad Slytherin!"
"Dumbledore!" A bearded man bellowed, "DUMBLEDORE!!"
"Oh shut up!" Sara shouted. "I'm not mad, I was upset! How would you like being named as a Slytherin??"
"One house is as good as another, young lady!"
"I beg to differ." said a man with enormous sideburns, "She does have a valid point!"
The Hat seemed to look up at Sara. "Need your house re-affirmed, do you?"
"Yes." She whispered, "I'm not the same person I was yesterday. At least I don't think I am."
"Then perhaps you should put me on. Let me be the judge of that!"
Sara took a deep breath and pulled the Sorting Hat onto her head. The portraits gave a collective gasp and then waited in silence to hear what it would say.
A Ravenclaw you still could be, Intelligence and intellect you bear.
A Hufflepuff I also see, A mix of many traits are there.
The other two houses divide thee Which? Why should you care?
Are you still a Slytherin? Let me look once more!
Overnight you've changed your ways And now belong in Gryffindor!
"Now what did I tell you, Sara?"
She spun on her heel and smiled wide for her Uncle Albus. "You were right! I'm not a Slytherin!" She pulled the Hat from her head, gave it a loud kiss, and placed it back on its shelf.
"The portraits are right, you know. You're still you, no matter what house you're in."
"Maybe, Uncle, but certain people belong in certain houses. I don't want to be one of those, if you know what I mean."
"Isn't one of your closest friends descended from a long line of Slytherins?"
"Draco is special, you know that. He is a Slytherin no doubt, but he has a conscience. He hates every minute of it, but it's there. His bark is worse than his bite as the old saying goes."
"He has turned out rather well, to my surprise. To everyone's surprise actually, and I rather enjoy his abrasive sense of humor. The boy is quite amusing in spite of himself."
Sara smiled. "I always thought it was impossible to be bored while in his presence and I stand by that to this day. How is he? Have you heard anything more?"
"Come to the great hall, I'll tell you over breakfast. His doctor is so amazed he hasn't slept a wink all night!"
* * *
At nine AM sharp Harry entered the Ministry of Magic and encountered everyone else from the Order gathered in the atrium, wondering what the meeting was about. Everyone held an official letter, but no one seemed to understand, least of all Harry. Ron and Hermione came through right behind him.
Harry spotted Seamus and Neville with the girls and meant to make his way across the room, but at that moment a smug, lanky witch came into the archway and asked that they follow her. A quick count showed that only 22 members were present, 11 short of everyone. Harry swallowed hard and fell in.
After many lifts, halls, stairs, twist, turns, and doors, the group was led into a vast chamber where an enormous table sat in a tight horseshoe with enough chairs for them to each sit facing the high court. In the center of this table sat Dumbledore, Snape, and Sara, who beckoned to her group of friends to take seats beside her. Harry took her hand as soon as his knees were under the table.
"You look better." He whispered, "How do you feel?"
"I feel fantastic! I'm a Gryffindor, Harry! It was the potion, just like Uncle Albus said!"
"The Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor?"
"Yes! I went as soon as I woke up. I had to know before I married you."
"It's so close, Sara! Only eight hours until you're Mrs. Potter!"
"Why can't it be sooner?" She sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I wish it was only eight minutes!"
"Attention!" Spoke a stout wizard Harry recognized as Julian Smigeon, the newly appointed Minister of Magic. "I realize that a wedding is taking place today, so let's make this as brief as possible."
Seamus grinned. "I second the motion!"
Fred and George rose and sat again in quick succession.
"Third!"
"Fourth!"
"Children!" Arthur scolded, "The sooner Mr. Smidgeon begins, the quicker you can leave!"
Smigeon cleared his throat. "Thank you, Arthur. Now, you all know the reason you're here."
Harry interrupted. "Excuse me, sir, but we're not all here."
"Yes, yes, I was just getting to that. Where is..." He checked a scroll and then rolled it back up as nine others looked on from their high seats above the court. "Nikolae. No last name listed."
Ron snickered. "He's in his coffin, of course! It's full day outside, you know."
Dumbledore cleared his throat and Ron straightened up, the humor dropping from his expression. "Nikolae is a cognizant vampire, Julian, and one who suffered greatly for our cause. He took the form of my niece, Sara, and let Voldemort's followers shoot him with muggle weapons in her place."
Molly interjected. "Don't forget that he saved every last one of us from those feral vampires Voldemort tried to attack us with!"
Dumbledore gave a proud smile. "Yes, he did that as well. I suppose I could arrange for you to speak to him after sundown one night this week if you require."
"V- va- vampire? Um... no... um, I think your word on his actions will suffice, Albus. Now, it has been reported to me that you have eleven wounded, five mortally I'm afraid." Out came the scroll again. "The dead include Alastor Moody, auror. Kingsley Shacklebolt. Dedalus Diggle. Elphias Doge, and Nymphadora Tonks."
Gasps of shock and despair were heard around the room and Harry's own heart twisted when he heard Tonk's name.
"Of the other six that were injured, some are quite serious, but all are said to be recovering. These six will be questioned at a later date."
Harry stood. "Seven."
"Excuse me Mr. Potter?"
"You said six, but there are seven."
"How do you figure?" Smigeon rattled off the list of names with great impatience.
"Draco Malfoy is also injured."
Smidgeon gave an amused laugh that was echoed from the high bench.
Dumbledore rose to his feet and his anger resonated. "How dare you laugh at the name of our greatest ally!" Dumbledore was so angry that all present shrunk in fear of him, except for the few who gave the Minister a furious glare. "You owe your freedom from the tyranny of Lord Voldemort to one person, Julian, and that person is Draco Malfoy!"
The inquisition went on for an hour. Everyone talked, there was nothing left unexplained. Snippets of this and that story were tossed about.
Malfoy tricked Voldemort... Death Eaters were everywhere... Sara got scared and Harry knew... but Sara was dead...Dumbledore called in St. Mungo's... Sara was under an invisibility cloak and rolled static through the Death Eaters... guns exploded... Draco let Nikolae drink his blood... outnumbered three to one... Ginny had the cloak and was flying around dumping Finnegan's Swill on their heads... we were losing... Nikolae called the Gypsies... Nikolae turned the ferals on the Death Eaters... spells were reversed... we were losing... the Gypsies were falling... House elves attacked... Dobby led the battle while the Order regrouped... he cursed Dumbledore... tried to kill Harry... Snape blocked the Unforgivable Curse... put the Creeping Death on Draco... disarmed the Dark Lord... Sara took his wand...Ginny doused Voldemort... Phoenix song... Killing Curse...huge blast of lightning... Death Eaters pretending to sleep... grabbed Draco and disappeared... Lucius Malfoy's portrait... Snape got us past the traps... the catacombs were nearly empty...the tracking device was blocked... aurors arrested the stragglers... Draco was dead... the Amidon was glowing... Sara was weak because she was saving his life... head smashed in with a mace... miracle he's alive...
"I think we've heard enough." Smigeon said, his voice low and humbled. The others on the bench were silent. "The only thing I haven't understood is what happened to Voldemort? Where is his body?"
No one spoke. Not one person present would reveal that the essence of the Dark Lord lived on in the Crux Cube, hidden within the Gryffindor Ka- tet.
Finally, Dumbledore spoke. "He's dead. We told you, he was set ablaze, hit with the killing curse between two twin wands, and struck by lightning. You might find a few of his ashes on Harry and Sara's lawn, but that, I'm happy to say, is all that remains of Lord Voldemort."
"And where was..." he checked the scroll again, "Minerva McGonagall while all this was taking place?"
Dumbledore smiled. "Now Julian, do you really think I would leave Hogwarts unguarded? Minerva hasn't been the same since she was cursed by Ministry officials several years ago. I thought it best that her skills be put to another use."
"Very well. You may go now, but I want you all back here on Saturday evening at seven. It seems some honors are in order. Dress formal. Dinner will be served promptly at seven-thirty."
Dumbledore expressed that they would all be present.
"Oh and make sure the Malfoy boy is with you, as well as the vampire if you think it's safe."
"I will pass on the invitation."
"See you at the reception, then!" Smigeon smiled and watched them file out.
* * *
"It's really much nicer having it here at the house." Susan decided as she helped Hermione and Mary arrange Sara's veil. "Now we don't have to switch locations for the reception."
"I agree." Hermione said, "We couldn't have taken Christina to Hogwarts and I can't imagine leaving her all alone here to miss the wedding."
"She seems like such a nice girl." Mary straightened a hem, "Why's she hanging out with Malfoy?"
"Really!" Susan agreed, "Regardless of what he did for the Order, he's so repellant!"
Sara finally spoke up. "He may be to some people, but I for one have never seen that side of him. Not really. Perhaps Christina sees what I've always seen in Draco. He's charming and nice and he's a wonderful friend."
All three girls burst into laughter.
Sara grinned, "What's so funny?"
Susan smiled. "So it has nothing to do with the fact that he's totally hot?"
Now Sara laughed, too. "Would you look at me? I'm wearing a wedding dress! I'm not thinking about Draco's appearance!"
"You can tell us," Mary goaded, "just us girls."
"Tell you what?"
Susan swallowed her giggles. "If you and Malfoy ever—"
"NO!!"
Hermione lowered her head to hide her amusement.
"I would have." Susan admitted, "If I could keep from killing him, that is."
"Not me." Mary grew shy, "He scares me."
Sara turned from the mirror before the conversation progressed and went to the window, peaking around the curtains. "Hey!" She smiled, "There are the guys! How nice they look! Ron looks so dashing in a tux, Herms! Seamus and Neville look so elegant escorting people to their seats!"
"And there's your Harry." Hermione smiled, "He cut his hair! He looks exactly like he did in school! He hasn't aged a day!"
"Yes," Sara sighed, "He wanted to look proper or so he told me. Personally, I rather liked it long, but he does look good, doesn't he?"
Susan nudged Mary aside so they could both see out. "I've never seen Harry so happy."
Mary nodded her head. "Of course not, Suze. On this day there is nothing wrong with the world in Harry's eyes. Voldemort is gone. The Death Eaters are all in Azkaban, everyone he loves is arriving at his beautiful new home and the girl he's been waiting for is about to become his wife. He's never had reason to be so happy until now."
A moment passed where no one spoke. They watched the Dursleys arrive and take seats in the front row beside Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. (The rest of the Weasleys took up the next three rows.) The wedding was small and held in the courtyard amid the lilacs and roses. Sara thought there was no more proper setting.
"Ok." Hermione said and led Sara from the window, "One last detail."
She brought the Fortificus Charm, now on a thin strand of pearls, and clasped it around Sara's neck. Sara turned to admire the affect in the mirror and smiled at what she saw. "So this is it, then? It's time?"
"Almost."
"Why am I so nervous? It's just Harry. I've been waiting for this moment for so long, and now, I suddenly feel like I'm going to faint from nerves alone!"
Mary smiled and smoothed the light, soft fabric of Sara's dress. "Don't worry. It's normal. You'll be fine. We're your best friends and we'll be right there beside you. All of us."
Sara tried to smile, but there was one best friend whose absence she felt like an ache. Draco was still at St. Mungo's, his doctor having refused to release him.
McGonagall rushed into the doorway with her hair pulled back in a soft, elegant bun. "Girls, the guests have all arrived. We're ready for you now." She smiled at Sara, "How lovely you look, dear!"
"Thanks." Sara took a slow, nervous breath. "Be right there."
* * *
"Wait!" Christina called in a loud whisper as the door to the courtyard was about to be opened. Snape stood with Sara on his arm and the other three girls lined up ahead of them. Everyone turned to look at Christina, surprised. "Don't go in yet!"
Sara was annoyed by the sudden disruption and wondered why Christina wasn't in her seat. "What is it?"
"Just wait."
Christina ran back around the corner and appeared again minutes later leading Draco, who took a slow and deliberate pace. He had faded bruises on his face and winced when he stepped on the left leg, but his eyes were lively. He looked only at Sara and gave her a brilliant smile. "Just as I've always imagined it." he said. "You look perfect."
Sara wanted to say so many things at once. She was so glad he was ok, and that he'd been able to make it to the wedding. She wanted to thank him for the compliment and acknowledge the fact that he had imagined her in a wedding dress. She said nothing.
There had been something between Draco and herself since the night they'd met. Something that had endured through all of the divergence their friendship had faced. That something ended on this day and there was a bittersweet sadness in his words that matched the mood of her heart as her arms went around him. "Thank God you're here." She sighed as he kissed her cheek. "Your absence was heartbreaking."
"My doctor had a fit." He smiled, "But I wasn't missing it. I had to see you marry that idiot Potter for myself. I never would have believed it otherwise."
Sara laughed and so did he. "Go on and gets seats. I'll be right behind you."
Draco ran a finger over the smooth glassy surface of the Fortificus Charm and she touched the Amidon around his neck.
He kissed her face again and took a step back. "Congratulations, Sara. You finally got what you wanted."
She smiled as she watched him go through the door with Cristina beside him and understood another chapter of her life had closed.
* * *
As Severus escorted Sara down the aisle, Draco was in her head, singing along with the violins.
Dumb DUMB-dumb-dumb...dumb DUMB dumb-dumb!
Shut up! She thought in reply, You're going to make me laugh!
Draco behaved all through Dumbledore's opening statements. Sara gave a sigh of relief, hoping he would keep quiet through the vows, but her luck had run out. Harry was reciting his when Draco's voice echoed through her head again.
What an idiot! Did he make that up himself? What a sap!
Shut up!
"...until death do us part."
Loser! Look at that haircut!
Shut up!
Sara tried hard to keep a straight face as she recited her vows and Draco mocked her silently. She was glad he'd lived because she was going to kill him! "...in sickness and in health...."
In ugliness and idiocy...
"I do."
Run! Fire! Fire! You can still get out of it, I'll cover for you! Just...FAINT!
Sara glanced at Draco who sat, nonchalant, with a hint of a grin of his face.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife."
I now pronounce you a couple of boring people.
Sara gritted her teeth to keep from laughing.
"I am honored to say, Harry, that you may kiss the bride." Dumbledore said, jubilant that the two people he cared most about had finally done what he knew would make them happiest. The years of heartache and misery were over at long last.
Harry's eyes smiled as he looked at Sara and hers filled with unshed tears as he kissed his wife for the first time. The small audience applauded and many cried at the beauty of it all, and with the knowledge of the tragic romance that had led to this very moment. Hagrid blew his nose, McGonagall was sniffling, and Molly Weasley was full out sobbing as she smiled upon the happy couple, who turned to beam at their friends. Harry looked to his Aunt Petunia, who gave him an accepting nod and tried to smile.
Harry turned his gaze back to Sara. "Shall we, Mrs. Potter?"
Sara took the proffered arm. "Yes, Mr. Potter, I believe we shall."
They burst into fresh giggles and walked back down the aisle with all their friends following their lead. As they passed, Sara heard Draco's voice in her mind.
How could you marry a moron?
Sara burst out laughing and Draco gave her an amused smirk.
Shut up! She said, No one knows why I'm laughing! You'll make me look foolish!
Oh and you don't look foolish marrying a moron?
She laughed even harder and turned to face him, unable to pretend she was laughing at nothing in particular. Even Harry was giving her confused glances.
"Shut up, Malfoy!" She giggled, "You're terrible!"
Draco looked around like he had no idea what she was talking about. "Huh? Whatever do you mean?" He projected innocence better than any actor.
"You know what I mean! It's not fair, so stop it!"
"Potter," Draco grinned, "Your wife is nuts."
Harry grinned right back. "Shove off, Malfoy."
* * *
"Sara dear, it's a lovely party!"
"Thank you!" She smiled and turned to Harry as they headed for more champagne. "Who the hell was that?"
"I don't know. Probably someone's wife."
"Did we invite all of Great Brittan? Is the Queen here?"
"I think I saw her doing a waltz with Neville."
Sara laughed at his jest. "Can you believe this, Harry?" she asked and took the glass he offered, "We're married. You're my husband. It doesn't seem real."
"I know what you mean, Mrs. Potter." He said and took a drink, "When you dream of something for so long, want it so much, it's hard to believe when it's suddenly handed to you."
"Exactly."
"Now do I have your word that I'm not going to wake up in the morning and find a note and the luggage missing?" Harry smiled, but was only half kidding. It was still a fear he held in his darkest heart. One he thought he might never get over.
Sara felt his unease and touched her hand to his cheek. "Look at me." She whispered. "I will never leave you. I promise."
Harry smiled and led Sara across the atrium in her beautiful white gown, greeting those they passed and stopping every few feet for photographs. "Sara, look!" Harry smiled, gesturing with his champagne at the dancing in the center of the floor.
Sara saw and a warm smile bloomed on her face as Draco danced close with Christina. While they watched he kissed her, lost to the room. "They make a lovely couple."
"They do." Harry sighed, "They look like us in reverse."
Sara chuckled as she noticed the similarity. Christina's hair was the same color as Harry's, thick and soft. She had the same complexion. The only difference was her brown eyes. Draco, Sara knew, looked like her own twin brother except her eyes were violet and his were ice blue. "It's strange, Harry, but I think Draco was meant to find her. He's so lost, you know."
"So is she."
Sara said nothing more as she watched them dance, barely moving due to Draco's injuries, and something inside her smiled. She loved Draco. She'd only ever wanted his happiness. Nothing more.
"Sara?"
"Yes?"
"I wanted to be the first one to tell you." Harry smiled, "Your black streak is gone."
* * *
THE END