A Moment in Time
DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter (and associated characters, likenesses, concepts, etc.) belongs to J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Publishing, Scholastic, Inc. AOL/Time Warner, Inc., among others. I make no claim, written or implied, upon Harry Potter. No money is being made and no infringement or disrespect to the creators / copyright holders is intended.
Warning: This story will contain slash (i.e. male/male relationships) and mpreg, although neither will be graphic.
A/N: This story was inspired by the many wonderful stories that I have read and enjoyed here at fan fiction and any similarities to existing stories is not intended. This story is AU, meaning that the events that occurred in the OOTP have not been taken into account and I am in no means suggesting the material described in this story should be considered as a direct interpretation of cannon. Also, I am American so I apologize in advance for any Americanisms.
Chapter Twenty Nine – A Matched Set
Piercing screams and the acidic smell of curses and hexes threatened to overwhelm Harry's keen senses as he tried to focus on the opponent in front of him. The largest battle that Harry had ever been involved in started roughly fifteen minutes ago, once both sides had assembled themselves. Leaving only a handful of Order members to see to the protection of the families trapped inside Hogwarts should they fail, the rest of the able-bodied Aurors and Order Members scattered themselves in small groups of four around the perimeter of the school. Their orders were clear, 'defend the line, not let any Death Eaters pass, and in the event of a final confrontation between the Dark Lord and Harry, distract his followers enough so that Harry has the chance to fulfill his destiny'. Even people who were not part of the usual group of warriors and had responsibilities and assignments in other parts of the castle were there tonight, ready to defend and, if necessary, give their lives to protect those still huddled within the formidable stone walls.
Harry ducked as yet another killing curse was cast his way. He was grateful when he didn't hear it impact with anyone else. He always hated dodging that particular curse, afraid that some unsuspecting victim would fall into its deadly embrace in his absence. The raven-haired man pushed all thoughts of potential guilt away as yet another curse came flying towards him from somewhere on his left.
Harry quickly constructed a protective shield and the powerful curse was immediately absorbed by the magical energy surrounding the young man, feeding into his own magical reserves. Harry normally would choose to rebound any curses back onto their originators, but tonight Harry knew that he would need as much energy as he could get so he alternated between rebounding and absorbing the curses in an effort to maintain his magical resources at full capacity. Who knew how much energy tonight's activities were to extract from him when they were all said and done? What he had planned for their special guest had never actually been done before. In all honesty, no one knew what the Gryffindor Heir had planned; only that he did have some sort of idea of how to destroy the Dark Lord once and for all. Harry didn't want to take the risk that somehow an inclining of his plans would leak back to that sick fuck and give him time to prepare. Only one other being knew of his true intentions and for all intents and purposes, he wasn't going to be telling anyone. Not that anyone would be able to understand him if he tried.
A soft trill cut through the cold night air and Harry looked up in the sky to see Fawkes streaking his way towards him. That was good. That meant that Draco had been able to find a way out of the apartment. Relieved that his family was safe, Harry fired off three curses in quick succession in three different directions, effectively immobilizing the immediate threats to his well being.
"Wow, would you look at that?" Nicole exclaimed as she took in the wondrous sight around her. They had been walking for what had seemed like hours, but was most likely only a little longer than half an hour or so, when the narrow passage that they were traversing started to grade off slightly and grow brighter. Even the twins were inclined to pick up their sluggish pace for a chance to walk in something other than complete darkness. The light of Nicole's wand in front of them and their father's wand behind them had provided the only break in the deep black that had surrounded them. In his hurry to see the source of the pale green light that appeared to be starting to expand as they approached, Matthew stumbled and knocked into his brother's back before he felt his father's strong hands steady him.
Matthew shot his father a grateful smile, while at the same time caught the smirk his brother had turned around to send him out of the corner of his eye. Proceeding a little more cautiously, the quartet continued forward, towards the growing brightness.
After only about another hundred yards, Matthew once more found his face pressed tightly into his brother's back, only this time it wasn't his fault; well, not really his fault. Nicole had suddenly and without warning, stopped, which created a small chain reaction. Matthew let out a soft 'oomph' when he felt his father collide with his own small frame. Thank goodness that Draco had been paying more attention to where they were going than Matthew had been and managed to almost get himself completely under control before making contact with his son.
Draco smiled tenderly at Matthew as he once more sent his father a sheepish grin. "Hey, watch out up there," Draco teasingly reprimanded the leader of their small expedition. "A bit more warning, or actually some warning for sudden stops would be much appreciated."
Draco became slightly concerned when his comments failed to get the desired reaction out of Nicole; actually it hadn't gotten any reaction from the woman at all. "Nikki, what's going on up there? Can you see something?"
The worry in Draco's voice tore Nicole away from the wonderment that was currently surrounding her. "Draco, wait till you see this. It's simply amazing."
"Well, if you would be so kind as to take a few steps more, then maybe I will be able to see what exactly you are referring to," Draco said sarcastically, as he tried to peer around a low stone overhang but still couldn't see what Nicole was so astonished by.
"But of course, My Lord, let me move my worthless form so that your esteemed presence can view this incredible sight. Maybe then you'll be able to tell me exactly WHERE WE ARE?" Nicole's voice rose during her short tirade from a whisper to a near shout.
Draco winced as Nicole's last words bounced loudly off the confining stone walls and rang over and over again echoing until they faded into nonexistence.
Harry tried not to wince at the strangled cry that echoed off the frozen landscape. He would recognize that voice anywhere, even if he hadn't been on friendly terms with it in more years than he cared to remember. It was Ron. Harry couldn't prevent himself from scanning the fallen forms and saw a flash of red bent over another still form lying in the snow. So Ron wasn't hurt then, it was someone else; someone who he obviously cared a great deal for.
Harry watched in slow motion as two Death Eaters moved toward his former best friend, swooping in like vultures ready for the kill. He didn't even spare the Death Eaters a second glance as he shot off two stunning curses of his own. Luck was with him and the Death Eaters had only time to send one short curse at Ron before they fell to the ground like the useless garbage that they were.
The Death Eater's curse hit Ron in the back; his screams telling more than words ever could about why that particular curse was deemed Unforgivable. Thank goodness, the spell ended once Harry's stunner took effect on the wizard that had cast the Cruciatus curse; so Ron's pain, while intense, was short lived. Harry only gave Ron one more glance to see that he was still moving before raising his wand and shooting royal blue sparks into the air. Having done all he could do by summoning a healer, Harry moved off in search of the prey that so far had proved to be elusive this evening.
The blonde man sucking a quick breath between his clenched teeth was the only response Draco gave to the sight that greeted him as Nicole moved onward. It was completely astonishing. They were enclosed in what appeared to be a tunnel made completely out of water. They were surrounded on all sides and even overhead with water. The greenish liquid was pressed up tightly against some sort of barrier and reminded Draco strongly of the one aqua zoo that he had visited with Nicole and the boys in California while Harry had been finishing his responsibilities there.
Carefully the man reached a hand out and tentatively touched the barrier to make sure that it was solid and that they weren't in danger of falling through it if they invariably came into contact with it. Last thing he needed right now was for Matthew to trip again and end up on the wrong side of the water wall. Sure enough, the barrier held strong.
The marine life and the gently swaying forest of black weed that Harry had described to him once when they were discussing the second task of the Triwizard Tournament were a dead give-away. They were clearly at the bottom of the lake.
Draco shook his head at the sights that surrounded him and he thought for a brief second that he caught a glimpse of one of the merpeople that he knew lived down here; but, when he looked again whatever he had seen was gone. Hopefully the giant squid would be otherwise occupied. Draco didn't want to test the barriers if the squid realized that he currently had a host of new playmates. Slowly, Draco let out the breath that he hadn't even realized that he had been holding the whole time since stepping into this water wonderland.
Not sure what was more amazing, being able to walk underwater in this protected tunnel, or the looks on the twins' faces, Draco prodded the group along. Matthew and Evan started to giggle as a school of small silver fish darted overhead. Their laughter washed over the group as their giggles became contagious. Feeling some of the tension leave his body at this much needed comic relief, Draco wiped away a tear of mirth from the corner of his eye. Promising to try to come back some time when they had more time to spend, he finally got the boys to move forward, deeper out under the murky water.
"Where the hell is he?" Harry muttered under his breath as he bound yet two more Death Eaters. But for every Death Eater that he took out of play, it seemed as if they were replaced with no less than two more; and still there had been no sign of Riddle.
The cold wind was biting as it pierced through his heavy cloak. The frigid cold crept deep into his bones making him feel much older than his twenty some years. An eerie silence started to descend around him, as Harry looked around bewildered at the lull in the battle.
The bright stars that had been previously visible on this practically moonless night faded as darkness threatened to take over everything. Harry fell to his knees, as a feeling much like one would image it feel like if someone would reached in to your chest with an icy hand and squeeze your heart overwhelmed him. Harry gasped knowing that he needed to shake off whatever was happening, he hadn't felt this way since….Harry broke his thought mid sentence as the urge to transform into his dog animagus form took over. Shaking off his well-developed response mechanism from his time at Azkaban, Harry strove clear his mind.
Dementors, Voldemort had to be close if he had finally sent in his closest allies. Biting his lip so hard it bled, Harry groaned softly as he felt those decaying creatures start to probe his thoughts. 'Not again, never again…' Harry gathered his strength and rose unsteadily to his feet. The tall man closed his eyes at the horrible sight that met him, over a hundred dementors had rose to Voldemort's call and were slowly descending to where the majority of the Order members and Aurors were still battling.
Knowing that there wasn't much time before the Light would feel their ugly effects, Harry drew upon his happiest of memories. Knowing that only a thought of pure love had any chance at all of producing a Patronus strong enough to beat back this many dementors, Harry thought about the moment when he had held his sons for the very first time. He concentrated hard on how Matthew had looked the first time he had opened those bright green eyes and how Evan had cuddled up so securely in his arms, griping his finger so hard that Harry wasn't sure if the infant would ever let go.
Harry raised his hand high in the air and cried out, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
It had been so long since he had the need to summon his protective guardian that Harry nearly cried when he saw the familiar silver stag burst from his fingertips. Harry blinked staring at the figure. It didn't look like any Patronus that he was familiar with, this one was larger and looked to be almost solid. It really was a beautiful sight to behold. Seeing that the Dementors had almost reached the first line of defense, Harry took one last look that at his father's image, "Go on Prongs, you know what to do."
The stag just looked at Harry with what could unmistakably be a grin and took off galloping full steam at the nearest cluster of dementors. Harry was relieved to see that Prongs was soon joined but several other Patroni, although none were strong or as intimidating as his stag. Harry breathed a sigh of relief when he recognized Sirius', Severus' and Remus' Patroni helping to battle back the Dementors.
"Shit," Harry gasped as he felt a stunning curse hit him in the side. He had grown careless while he had been focused on the Dementors; he had forgotten about the horde of Death Eaters that were still on the grounds fighting, wanting nothing more than to deliver his head on a platter to their Master. Once more, Harry felt the spell work through his system, being absorbed. Shaking off the slightly dizzy feeling that remained from the stunner, Harry dropped to the ground and fired off his own set of spells.
A soft thud confirmed that he had hit his intended target. Before he could focus his attention on yet another potential victim, his scar burst with excruciating pain. Harry dropped his wand as both his hands flew up to cover his forehead as it felt as though someone was driving a white-hot iron between his eyes. Taking a deep breath, Harry pushed himself up onto his knees before finally climbing into a standing position. Pushing the pain deep down into the pit of his swirling uneasy stomach, Harry knew one thing with absolute clarity, Voldemort was here; it was time to face his Grandfather.
Gradually the lake floor started to slope upwards, and it was a good thing too as the wonder of being underwater had faded long ago and now the boys were tired of walking. Recognizing that they had to be nearing the far shore, Draco tuned out the twins' grumbles and tried to decide what to do next.
Visualizing what he suspected to be the most logical place where this passage would resurface, Draco knew that they would be close to the Forbidden Forest. Immediately rejecting trying to stash the boys and Nicole somewhere deep in the Forest as being far too dangerous, Draco silently went over all his logical options.
Plans were rejected almost as fast as he was able to think of them, until he hit on what had to be the safest and best of all possible circumstances. He would simply leave them here under the lake. No one would think to look for them there, and once the battle was over, Draco could come back and retrieve them. Besides, if he took them too far away from Hogwarts, chances were that he might not make it back in time for the final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort. It maybe selfish, but Draco knew that he would never forgive himself if something happened to Harry and he wasn't there to try to help and support his mate.
There wasn't a lot of room in the underwater passageways, but occasionally there would be a small section wide enough for two adults to stand shoulder to shoulder. The next time they came upon a place where the tunnel widened slightly, enough so that they could sit down comfortably, Draco would insist that they stop for a rest and let Nicole know what was going on.
Happy with his plan, Draco picked up his pace, anxious to get out of here and see what was happening topside. Now that he knew he had a safe place for the boys, his thoughts returned once more to the dangers that Harry was facing. Offering a small prayer under his breath to keep his beloved safe, Draco and his family pressed onward.
Draco carefully parted some large swamp grass that was guarding the hiding place of the entrance to the passage under the lake; grateful that the lake surface was frozen so there were no ripples in the water to give away his movements.
Nicole hadn't been very happy with him when he told her that he wanted her to stay with the boys while he went to join the battle, but knowing that there wasn't anything that she could say or do, which would sway him from his chosen path, she eventually relented. Agreeing that remaining with the boys under the lake was the best scenario until either Harry or Draco came to retrieve them, she set about transfiguring some smooth stones found on the lake floor into pillows and blankets for Matthew and Evan. While the possibility of the boys falling back to sleep wasn't probable, she could always hope.
Backtracking slightly after he informed Nikki of his eminent departure, Draco took a moment or so to set up some wards that would give Nicole a warning should anyone try to enter the tunnel in the direction that they had come from. If that was the case she would only have a few minutes to gather the boys and run towards the surface, which based on how much they had climbed, shouldn't be that much farther ahead. Hopefully that would never happen, but it didn't pay to be lax now that the end was so near.
Rising up from the lake, Draco took a moment to verify that the hood of his cloak was covering his tell tale hair before stepping out onto the bank. Cursing when he saw his footprint in the freshly fallen snow, Draco quickly assumed his wolf form, knowing that an animal's tracks leading away from the waters edge wouldn't appear out of the ordinary, unlike the attention the evidence his human would leave behind could warrant.
The dark grey wolf whined as his finely tuned hearing caught the unmistakable sounds pain and suffering that where carried to where he stood near the forest. Trotting off as fast as his four legs could carry him, Draco quickly made his way across the lawn towards where the battle was still very much continuing.
Cold grey eyes scanned the battle scene, moving slowly from right to left, leaving no detail unnoticed, no matter how small and seemingly insignificant. Neither the growing number of still forms that continued to fall and litter the ground nor the biting winter wind could bring a hint of tears to these eyes. For the owner of this pair of extraordinary eyes was immune to such trivial things. Things, which had most others cast their unwitting gazes upon them, would cause them to crumble at the blunt first hand account of the atrocities that man could inflict on each other.
No, this man had one mission and one mission only.
Lucius allowed his eyes to once more flitter across the frozen picture in front of him, lingering on the only splash of purple in the field of white. There was no doubt in his mind that that horrendous purple robe was being worn by none other than Harry Potter. No one else would be strong enough to wield the power necessary to sustain the number of defensive and offensive curses that individual had done since this battle began over an hour ago.
When Zabini had revealed to the Dark Lord Potter's unique and unexpected heritage it was quite the revelation; and not a happy one at that. To believe that the very curse of Voldemort's existence was in fact his own Grandson, his very descendent, was mind-boggling. After the dust had a chance to settle and young Zabini's tale had been confirmed via some additional fact finding missions, missing pieces to the puzzle that was Harry Potter fell into place.
Potter's acclaimed magical abilities had always far exceeded what was considered normal by most forms of measurement, especially when one considered that his bloodline was tainted with muggle blood on his mother's side. Most of the Dark Lord's followers scoffed at Potter's abilities at thwarting their Lord over the years, attributing their personal failure to the boy's own dumb luck, other followers whispered behind closed doors that Potter was a supernatural phenomenon sent to destroy their way of life. Lucius, of course, did neither.
Over the years, Potter had earned a grudging amount of respect from the Head of the Malfoy House for simply being what he was, a tremendously powerful and talented wizard. And now that Lucius' remaining uneasiness over Potter's muggle blood had been dispelled, his respect for the descendent of his master doubled.
He wasn't even all that upset when he realized that his son had been fucking Potter. Under any other circumstances, Potter would have made a fine addition to the Malfoy clan; after all the blood of not only Lord Voldemort, but also the Great Salazar Slytherin, flowed through that boy's veins.
However, when Zabini reported that Draco had in fact betrayed the Dark Lord and pulled a Snape, Lucius felt his blood boil. It was bad enough that someone who he had considered to be one of his most trusted colleagues had stabbed him in the back less than a year ago. But, then to hear that your own son had also turned traitor to the very cause that you had devoted your entire adult existence to was quite another. Betrayal of their Lord was just as bad as if Draco had betrayed his own flesh and blood.
The Malfoy Head had declared their family's allegiance to the cause and Draco had no right to disobey. Hell, Draco had been raised spouting propaganda for the 'cause', learning before he was old enough to attend preschool that purebloods were far superior to mixed bloods or 'god forbid' mudbloods. Lucius allowed himself a momentary lapse in control and grit his teeth while thinking about what Narcissa had done wrong raising what should have been, and very nearly was, the Dark Lord's Heir. Now that future was not possible and Voldemort had set his sights on a new heir. Regardless, Draco would be made to suffer for his serious lack in judgement. No son of his would turn their back on their family.
Lucius, once more, cursed Narcissa for talking him into allowing that slimy git of a potions master to be their son's Godfather. At the time it was a smart choice, but now that decision only left a sour taste in his mouth. How could two of the people he trusted most betray him like that? It was unthinkable, and they would pay, both of them.
The soft sounds of something moving quickly over the crisp snow covered ground, brought Lucius away from this thoughts regarding revenge. Using his cloak to blend into the backdrop of the forest, the elder Malfoy hid in the shadows as he watched a wolf run towards him.
The animal was very beautiful, its dark grey fur moving as its powerful muscles contracted and then relaxed in perfect synchronisation as the beast moved gracefully in the direction of the battle. How odd it was for an animal such as that to want to get closer to the smells and sounds of humans, especially humans locked in deadly combat. While cunning and intelligent, wolves were notoriously independent avoided human contact at all costs.
But then again, this wasn't just any old wolf, was it? Lucius raised his wand with a grim smile on his face. Draco was a fool if he thought that he could keep a secret such as this from him. He had known for years about his son's unregistered animagus form. Thinking that this would solve at a least one of his problems, Malfoy pointed his wand at the quickly disappearing grey form and started to whisper.
Lucius was half way done with the most unforgivable of all curses when he stopped. He had to admit that he was curious as to what Draco had been doing away from his lover's side all this time. As a skilled warrior, Draco was never one to shirk from a battle and he knew his son well enough to know that Draco would not miss this one. No when the final blow was about to fall, regardless of which side it toppled, Draco would want to be there, up close and personal.
So what was his traitorous son doing that was so important to make him leave his whore without backup in the biggest fight for his life? There was only one thing or two things really, Lucius thought with a smirk, which would distract Draco from this history-changing event. According to young Zabini, it was disgusting how Draco fawned over Potter's bastards. He had practically become a sort of adopted parent to the Gryffindor's spawn.
The logical conclusion was that Potter had Draco stash his offspring somewhere, not confident in their own abilities at defending the school. Knowing that his Lord would award him above all else it he could deliver his Great Grandsons to him after the battle, Lucius decided that his revenge could wait a little longer. Besides, if Voldemort were to fall, as unthinkable as that scenario would be, it would pay to have a bargaining chip. And what better way to motivate the Light than to have control of their savior's children.
With that in mind, Lucius turned and started to follow the tracks left by the wolf away from the battle.
"Harry Potter, we meet again. Who knew you would be so foolish as to come back to the cowards that had helped to convict you and then left you to rot? You have certainly once more exceeded my expectations. I had given you credit for being more intelligent than you apparently are."
Harry steeled himself as the serpentine words rushed over him and raised his head defiantly at the monster that would, this very night, finally be made to pay for his crimes. "Riddle."
Voldemort chuckled, but the sound came out dry and without humor. "Now, now Harry, don't you mean 'Grandfather'?"
Harry took a moment to study his nemesis as he felt his anger grow. Every word that passed through those thin snake-like lips fueled the fire growing out of control in the depths of Harry's soul. "You may have raped an innocent girl and gotten her with child, but you never were and never will be a Grandfather. You're nothing," Harry spat.
Their years apart had been good for the Dark Lord. He looked healthier and stronger than Harry could ever remember seeing him before. Gone was the thin, pale skeletal frame, replaced with a lean but fairly toned form. However, there was one thing would never change, and Harry felt the power and vileness that was Voldemort, being reflected out of his blood-red crimson eyes.
Turning his head away from Riddle slightly, Harry saw that most of the fighting around them had ceased. This was it; the one event that would decide the future of their way of life and no one wanted to miss it, not one single part of it.
It hadn't surprised him that Voldemort hadn't raised is wand yet. Riddle knew as well as he did that their wands were brothers and couldn't be successfully used against each other. Harry's battle strategy didn't include using his wand, and he realized that Voldemort would have adopted a similar approach when preparing for this confrontation, as well.
"You're foolish. I had hoped that you would have grown out of that by now, but I guess your Gryffindor blood is just too strong." Voldemort hissed, also noticing their many observers as he switched from English to Parseltongue. This way he could ensure the privacy of their conversation and also intimidate and confuse the Light as they listened to both, their most feared enemy and their only hope, converse using a talent believed to be the mark of dark wizards.
Green eyes flashed before Harry could get a hold on his emotions; how he hated this thing standing in front of him. "You are so predictable Riddle, insulting my Gryffindor heritage. But of course, it makes sense to attack something that you could never possibly understand. Yes, my Gryffindor side can make me at times reckless, but it also gives me strength in ways you will never experience." Harry was so caught up in the verbal showdown that he hadn't even realized that the conversation had switched to Parseltongue.
Voldemort sneered as he saw the fleeting looks of distrust and fear that crossed the Light wizards' faces at Harry's response. Oh, these people were just so easy to manipulate. It was a shame really that this all was going to end tonight, he was going to have to make sure to spare some of them immediate execution so that he would have ample time to play with them. Their fragile minds and faces, that couldn't hide an expression or thought if their lives depended on it, would be a great source of amusement. And little would they know that their inability to hide their very souls from him would be the only thing keeping them alive. Well, at least until he had devised an equally pleasurable way of entertaining himself.
"Imagine my surprise when I found out that you were my descendent, that we shared the blood of the esteemed Salazar Slytherin. It has always been just the two of us Harry; even now everyone waits to see what will happen. All that matters, all that has ever mattered, is you and me." Voldemort watched his Grandson carefully, knowing that he had to make the young man angry enough to lose control. When that happened, he would strike the first and hopefully the last blow.
Voldemort harbored no illusions about Harry Potter. He knew that the man was tremendously powerful, perhaps even more powerful than he was himself. While Gryffindor was an idiot, he was a powerful idiot and having the blood to two of the Founders had to have some advantages that he did not. If he wanted to be successful, he needed to bring this confrontation to a speedy conclusion.
Fingering the custom made wand that he had created specifically for this purpose, Voldemort continued when Harry didn't immediately respond. "You know that it didn't have to be this way. Had I known that you had existed, I would have simply taken you from the Potters as an infant and raised you, as you deserved to be. We could have avoided all this and you would never have had to waste your childhood locked in some god-awful cupboard."
Seeing the rage burn so close to the surface in the emerald eyes at the mere mention of his parents and his childhood, Voldemort sensed victory and pressed on. "It's too late for you now, Harry, as I'm sure you've realized, but it's not too late for your son. My Great Grandson will be raised at my side, as you should have been. He will be groomed to be my one and only heir."
"Son? Don't you mean sons as there are two of them?" Harry hissed poisonously, feeling the internal battle war within him at the success of the plan he had placed in motion so many months ago.
Voldemort chuckled, not sure why now he had been so worried. Harry was the same insecure boy, easily led by his emotions, that he had always been. The Dark Lord took a deep breath, relishing Potter's question before playing his trump card. "You always have to over do things, Harry; I don't need two heirs." The red eyes narrowed. "One will be more than sufficient."
Panic started to creep into Harry's gut. "What do you mean?" he managed to spit out between clenched teeth.
"Since you were blessed with a matched set, I thought we could share them. I have generously decided that I'll keep one, and send the other to join you and your dearly departed parents. Sounds more than fair to me." The sinister words hung hauntingly in the still air for a moment before all hell broke loose.
To Be Continued