Disclaimer: I do not own HP. I repeat, I do NOT own HP. But, of course, you lot know this, right? If not, whack yourself repeatedly in the head with a blunt object until you do.

Serpens Erus Temptatio

"Serpent Lord's Temptation"

Chapter 16 – Down Here

A month later…

"So, there's a new Malfoy in the world and there's soon to be a Potter? I'm overjoyed."

"Nadia gave birth?" said Hermione. "When?"

"Two nights ago," replied Draco.

"What's the name?" asked Harry.

Draco smiled slightly as he replied, "Virginia Hermione."

Hermione blushed while Harry just looked shocked. Beside him, Mischa squeezed his hand gently. He turned a slow smile on her then looked at the blonde man sitting across from him.

"A nice sentiment, Draco."

"Thank you. Nad wanted to name her after my mother."

"Let me guess," said Severus, propping one foot up on a small table, "my dear sister refused."

"Yes," replied Draco with a smile. He then said, "Y'know, its still rather disconcerting for you to be my uncle and my age as well."

Severus grinned annoyingly and took a sip from the glass he held loosely in his right hand.

"Yes, it is, isn't it?"

Harry chuckled and said, "Don't deny you enjoy every minute of it, Sev!"

"I deny nothing," purred the green/black-haired man. He then sat up and said, "Now…I think we should get down to what we're here for."

"You do certainly know how to bring a happy mood to a halt, Uncle."

"Comes from being a bastard for nearly fourteen years. Now what are we going to do about this?"

"Wait," said Harry. "Wait for him to make his move."

Draco stared at him for a moment before he said, "You've got to be mad, Potter. What if he goes after me? My family? I have eight children!"

"Bring them here," said Hermione. She looked at her husband then back to the blonde-haired man. "We're staying."

"By will?"

"By order," replied Severus. "Minerva won't allow us to leave. We're in danger again and she's gone all motherly on us."

"What about the other Weasley's?" asked Mischa suddenly. She looked at Harry and said, "You told me this Aubrey used to be your friend Ron…"

"Minerva called the Order of the Phoenix back into being. They're watching the Weasley's."

"We'll hope he didn't come back at full power," murmured Harry.

Mischa frowned.

"How will we know that?"

Hermione, Severus, and Draco all looked at each other then at Harry, whose eyes had dulled to gray-green.

"I'll know when I see him," whispered the dark-haired man. "I'll know when I see the bastard."

"Can't catch me, Will!"

"Yes, I can, Xander!"

Two small wraiths with blonde hair and gray eyes shot past Mischa in the corridor. She turned to stare after them and was nearly bowled over by a girl of about ten years with platinum blonde hair.

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

"Quite alright," said Mischa, still staring off after the two wraiths. She then looked at the girl, who was staring at her with Draco Malfoy's eyes. "Are…are you one of the Malfoy children?"

"Yes, ma'am. Melinda Lineal."

"Hello, Melinda. I'm Mischa. Were those…"

"My brothers?" said Melinda.

Mischa nodded slowly.

"Yes, ma'am. Will and Alex."

"I see. And shall I be meeting any more of your siblings in my wanderings of the corridors?"

Melinda nodded and replied, "More than likely. Except for Ginny. She's too small to run."

"I see. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Melinda."

"Mel," chirped the girl before she ran off after her brothers. Mischa looked after them with a smile on her face then idly touched her belly.

"Will you be like that when you're born?" she asked her growing child.

Five days later, Harry was sitting in the Great Hall before breakfast had even begun. Tristen and Damian, Draco's eldest son, were further down the table entertaining Rebecca, who had been the youngest of the Malfoy children before Virginia's birth. The Heir of Slytherin was watching Virginia at the moment, taunting the little girl with one of his quills. She giggled and kicked her feet at him, trying to catch the feathery end of the quill in her hands.

Despite the threat of Aubrey, Harry was smiling.

For the moment.

There was a sudden clamor at the doors and he looked up to see Alexander and William, a pair of blonde twins come running in with their two older sisters Melinda and Jessica right behind them. The final member of the Malfoy clan wandered in after them. At age nine, Derrick was tired of playing children's games and wanted to be at Hogwarts. This was a product of him hanging around Hermione far too much.

Harry just smiled as Melinda and Jessica chased the twins around the Hall and wondered how Draco Malfoy had become such a good father with such a bad example. Then his thoughts drifted to his own child and he wondered what sort of father he would be. He'd never had an example to go by except for his uncle, who was more of an example of what not to do than what to do.

The thought scared him.

He was just beginning to relax again when a black owl swooped into the Hall and dropped a letter onto the table in front of him. Virginia giggled and tried to grab it but Harry intercepted her with the quill. She waved it happily as he picked up the letter, which had been rolled up and tied with a black ribbon. Nervously, he untied the ribbon and rolled the letter out on the table. Blood red ink winked up at him and after a moment he realized that is wasn't ink. It was blood.

A shiver went through him as he began to read the letter that was written in someone's blood.

Hello old friend,

Its been a long time. A very long time. I suppose you are well being as you're at dear, old Hogwarts. Teaching Defense I hear. How…quaint.

I hear Hermione married the greasy git. Had a son too. You know she deserves much better than him. I'D have been better. Oh, and I hear they had a daughter. Shame the girl died.

And Malfoy… Ah, dear, dear Malfoy. A loving father I hear. Members of the Dark community are embarrassed. One of the most influential Dark families gone soft. So sad.

I suppose your wondering how I came back. In fact, I know you are. You're sitting there reading my letter and thinking 'How could he be back? I killed him.' Well, Harry, I've got a surprise for you.

I can't die.

Unless, of course, you do as well. See, Voldemort thought it'd be funny to tie my life to yours. Only he didn't tell me this. Sneaky bastard, eh?

So, now, I'm going to do what I do best. Kill things. I intend to kill every soul you know, including that little Malfoy brat named after my dear sister.

Why don't we make it a game? I'll try to kill them and you try to save them like the hero you are. What do you say?

Well, its been lovely chatting with you but I really must go. There's a little girl trying to get away.

Ta,

Aubrey

P.S. How are my dear, old family?

Behind Harry, a torch suddenly turned into a fountain of flames as he crumpled the letter in his fist. Damian and Tristen looked up with a start and stared as the fire fell upon the Slytherin table – but didn't burn a thing. William and Alexander ground to a halt before they ran underneath it, Melinda and Jessica nearly plowing into their backs.

Harry rose, suddenly, his face a mask of stony countenance. He crooked a finger at Derrick, who moved towards him, and he growled, "Watch Ginny." Then he turned and strode from the Hall, robes billowing behind him. Anger practically flowed in his wake.

The moment he was gone, the torch stopped flaming. Tristen glanced at Damn then leapt up and ran after his godfather.

"Uncle!"

Harry turned slowly and Tristen took a frightened step back at the anger that burned in the serpentine eyes. That anger nearly made the eleven-year-old turn and run but he gathered up his courage and took a tentative step forward.

"Uncle…what's going on?"

"Aubrey," came the growled reply. "He's attacked one of the Weasley's."

The blood drained from Tristen's face as he thought of each of the separate Weasley families. They were all a part of his family and he thought of them as cousins.

"Come with me," said Harry.

"Where are we going?" asked Tristen as he jogged after his godfather.

"Professor McGonagall's office."

"Oh."

The two of them fell silent as they made their way towards the Headmistress's office. But Harry's mind was whirling past all of the faces of the Weasley's.

Dear God, let them be alright, he thought through all of their faces and his anger.

McGonagall blinked and looked up in surprise as her door was thrown open. Harry stormed in, his eyes swirling darkly, and walked over to the fireplace. At a flick of his fingers, the flames flared pure white and he snapped, "Sev! Mione! Headmistresses office – NOW!"

He turned away from the fire and it snapped back to its normal colors so abruptly that it nearly went out. McGonagall stared at her ex-student for a moment before she spoke.

"Harry, what's going on?"

Harry let out a hiss of breath through his teeth and sat a slightly crumpled sheet of parchment on her desk.

"Read that," he said. "Tris, do you know where Draco is?"

Tristen nodded slightly and replied, "With Aunt Nadia."

"Do you know where their room is?"

"Mum told me."

"Good. Go get Draco and then go tell Damian to take the younger one's to their rooms. Got that?"

"Yes, Uncle," said Tristen.

"Hop to it."

Tristen nodded and bobbed his head in McGonagall's direction before he ran from the office. Severus and Hermione came up a moment later, both looking confused.

"Harry," said Hermione, "would you mind telling me why our fireplace nearly went out and your voice came through it?"

"And why our son is going after Draco?" added Severus, running a hand back through his green-streaked hair.

"Aubrey's attacked one of the Weasley's," said Harry coldly.

Hermione gasped and Severus' eyes widened.

"Who?" he asked.

"I don't know. He mentions a little girl."

"That could be any of them!" exclaimed Hermione. "Oh God, Melinda, Riana, Amelie, Adriana… Any of them!"

McGonagall frowned and said, "If he'd attacked, he'd have killed the Order member watching them. And if any of them go down, I have an alarm that goes off."

All of a sudden a loud, resounding ring went through the office and Harry's eyes turned completely black.

"Would that be it?" he asked quietly.

McGonagall paled and opened one of her desk drawers to look at something inside. "Its Charlie."

"Riana," gasped Hermione.

Harry's eyes narrowed and he growled, "Sev."

"You've got it," said Severus.

Harry nodded and looked at Hermione and said, "Go find Mischa and stay with her."

"What shall I tell Draco when he arrives?" asked McGonagall.

"Get him to come after us," replied Severus. "We may need him."

"Be careful," whispered Hermione.

Harry smiled at her and left the office. Severus lingered behind to plant a kiss on his wife's cheek before he followed.