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.
Thank you to my fantastic beta RaNdOm Hp FaN for her hard work and quick turn around on this chapter.
Also thank you to MARIA-JONAN, who has graciously volunteered to translate this beast of a story into Spanish. The Spanish version of this story is listed under her user name or by searching under the title, A Moment in Time. Thank you for sharing my story with all our Spanish speaking friends.
Thank you to all the wonderful people who took the time to review Chapter 30. You folks really brightened my day with your warm words and encouragement. I can't say enough how wonderful it is to see that your hard work is appreciated. Thank you again.
Chapter 31: Aftermath
It wasn't even gradual. Draco, along with the vast majority of observers, had never had the privilege to witness a phoenix on their burning day before. But this certainly wasn't at all what Draco would have expected it to be like. This was violent; the destruction complete and absolute, all done before a person could blink.
White-faced in stunned silence, Draco tried frantically to wrap his mind around what he had just witnessed. Did he really see the love of his life spontaneously combust? Draco blinked. Even Harry couldn't be stupid enough to think that he could survive something like that, could he?
Draco couldn't bring himself to look away from the spot in the sky where Harry and Voldemort had been only a short moment ago. Now, however, that section of the night sky was just as dark as any other. The brilliant image that had been Harry was gone, replaced with tiny dark pieces of ash.
Many unblinking gazes watched mesmerized as the ashes fell gently back towards the earth. Draco didn't try to move as the wind shifted and changed the path of the burnt remains that had become intermingled in the still-falling snow. His focus solely on what had just happened; he wasn't even aware that the people around him were beginning to roust themselves from their self-induced stupor. It was almost as though the people around him were waking from a long enchanted sleep.
The Aurors and Order Members quickly overtook the last few remaining Death Eaters, who very much like Draco, still stared in disbelief at the spot where there Master had been, unwilling to comprehend their undeniable defeat.
Realization started to set in and Draco felt his strength give way. Falling to knees, the blonde closed his eyes and buried his face in his cloak, unable to look at the ashes even a second longer.
Strong gentle hands guided him upright. Draco shuddered not even knowing how cold he was until he felt Severus' warm palm on his cheek. "Draco, you need to pull yourself together. You are still a significant target and I am not confident that this area has been completely secured. Besides, this isn't over yet, I haven't seen Lucius and I am certain he is around here somewhere."
Severus looked at his Godson with sympathy, Fate surely wouldn't be this cruel; Potter and Draco had been through too much for it to end this way. "Potter may very well come out of this one unscathed; he does have a remarkable ability of defeating the odds time and time again."
Draco pondered his Godfather's words, knowing that he was offering the only encouragement that he honestly could at this juncture. Feeling the love swell in his heart gave Draco a glimmer of hope, this felt completely different than the last time Harry had almost left him. Confident that only if Harry was still alive would he be able to feel this way, the blonde gave his Godfather a small teary smile. "So, what you're saying is that Harry is the luckiest bastard that you've ever met?"
Severus looked over to where Sirius and Albus were examining a spot in the snow where the largest section of ash seemed to be accumulated. "Something like that, besides, you know how Potter is, always one for the dramatics. Although, I must say that even I was impressed with this bit of magic."
Draco snorted. There was no one that could claim that Harry had been anything short of magnificent. Severus' gaze Draco watched as what was the lead Auror walked over to where Sirius and the Headmaster were conferring. "So what do you suppose that is all that about?"
"Truthfully, I don't know, but I think they are certifying that Voldemort is really gone this time. At least Harry got that right, there is no way a soul filled with as much hatred such that Voldemort's was could have ever survived a burning." Severus winced as he bit his tongue, not sure how Draco would respond to that last relatively careless comment.
"That may be true, but what about Harry's soul?"
Severus didn't even comment; he merely pulled his Godson into a tight hug which promised love and support no matter what, better than any words could possible say.
A soft trill broke through the clamor that surrounded them. Responding immediately to the familiar sound, Draco scanned the dark sky desperate to see that his heart's desire was true. And sure enough, there is was, high in the sky and barely discernable, but it was there, that wonderful flash of scarlet.
Leaping to his feet in relief, Draco rejoiced as the gleaming red bird gradually came closer and closer. Far too soon however, Draco's broad smile became a frown. There was something not quite right about the phoenix. Startled when the luminous bird flew past him without a second glance, Draco once more felt the bottom start to fall out from under him when he realized the harsh truth. The beautiful bird had beady black eyes, not a deep piercing emerald green. The phoenix wasn't Harry, but Fawkes.
Fawkes continued his path until he landed near the pile of smoldering ash. Snapping his sharp beak and flapping his large powerful wings in warning, the phoenix moved into a protective stance between the wizards and what little remained after the burning.
"Fawkes?" Dumbledore questioned his former companion, not understanding why the phoenix was interfering with their perusal of the remains. "Please allow us to pass; we need to collect the ashes."
The phoenix didn't budge.
Curious as to what was happening, Draco moved as close to the bird as the phoenix would allow. "Hey Fawkes, it's been a long night. You've never steered me wrong before and so I know that I have to trust you. I assume you were the one that helped Harry with that stunt?"
The phoenix had been watching Draco carefully, making sure that he didn't come any closer. Slowly, the bird blinked his glassy eyes and nodded his feathered head.
"Alright, we'll discuss that later, but since you're here, I assume that you're still helping Harry, correct?"
Again, the large bird responded with a nod.
Draco didn't have time to formulate his next question when Fawkes turned away from him and the other wizards entirely, his focus solely on the pile of debris. Cooing softly, the phoenix started to rut through the ash with his golden beak while quietly shedding pearly tears.
Enraptured, the wizards watched to see what would happen next. As the precious tears fell onto the grey substance, a small hiss could be heard accompanied by a whiff of white smoke, almost like what happens when a muggle cigarette is lit with a match.
Draco lurched forward, needing to be there, but Dumbledore held him back. "Draco, this is out of our hands. Please let Fawkes do what he thinks is best. At this point, he is the only hope Harry really has." Frustrated but realizing the sense in the old man's words, Draco took a deep breath to help calm down. Whatever that bird was doing had better work, not only could Draco not live with himself if something happened to Harry, but there was no way in hell that he was going to tell his beloved children that their Daddy wasn't coming home again. That was not going to happen; his children were not going to lose their birth father.
Someone gasped as the phoenix harshly bit down on his right wing, leaving in his wake a small gaping wound. The bird shook his wing gently, allowing several drops of his own blood to fall over the spot where his tears had previously gone. The hiss and smoke were significantly magnified when the blood was added to the mix.
"What is he doing?" Draco was flabbergasted he had never seen or heard of a phoenix doing such a thing before.
It took an equally thunderstruck Snape a few seconds to compose a reply. "I'm not sure. Nothing is really known about the properties of phoenix blood, as there has never been any available to experiment on. It has been speculated that their blood, like their tears must be willing given to retain its magical properties, and there has never been a donor. Phoenixes can heal others, but the only way for an injured phoenix to heal itself is through a burning. As a result, there haven't been any donors."
"While their tears have immense healing properties, I can't even begin to imagine what properties their blood could possess. If Potter survives this, I will have to see if he would be willing to donate some blood, the possibilities of what I could do with it are limitless." Had the situation been any less tense, Draco would have chuckled at the look of awe on his Godfather's face as he contemplated all the different potions he could attempt.
The soft trilling soon became louder as the calming effect of the phoenix song could be plainly felt by all as Fawkes continued his examination of the ashes. It quickly became apparent what he was searching for as the tiny bald head of a newborn bird poked its way up out of the ash.
"Oh my God!"
Draco wasn't even sure who uttered the sentiment as it was certainly shared by all those present. This was remarkable, but then typically anything associated with Harry usually was.
Without giving the onlookers another thought, Fawkes bent his majestic head down and gently took the reborn baby bird in his beak. With one last shrill cry, Fawkes took off towards the east carrying his cherished bundle up and away.
Not sure what to do now, Draco's eyes continued to follow the phoenix until in a flash of brilliant light, he was gone. Feeling exhausted and more than slightly confused, Draco took the time finally to glance around the battlefield. Many of the stunned or injured witches and wizards had already been treated or moved to facilities that could care for them. However, as the growing brightness as the new day dawned fell upon the survivors, they couldn't help but notice that the snow at their feet stained with the testimony of those that would not ever be returning from this fight. Draco shook his head sadly at the visual image. Freedom had extracted her price this night, and a high price it had been.
Running a shaking hand through his wind blown hair, Draco took a moment to come to terms with everything that had just transpired in the last hour. Voldemort was gone, never to return. Harry was the undeniable victor. But so many lives had been lost in the process, including the current uncertainty that surrounded Harry's. Unquestionably, the celebrations would come, but not yet, not until the community had a chance to mourn. One thing was certain, the healing process was going to be a long and painful one, but eventually, thanks to Harry, the wizarding world would heal.
As Draco started to move through the fallen, he scanned each face. It took him a moment or two to even realize what he was doing; subconsciously he was looking for his father. Then he remembered something that Severus had whispered to him right after Harry's burning. His father hadn't been found; in fact he hadn't been seen by anyone at the battle at all. So where was that slippery bastard? Surely one of Voldemort's most loyal followers wouldn't have missed this.
The overwhelming need to be near his loved ones caught Draco by surprise. A quick word to Sirius and Remus about where he was going in the event that there was any news about Harry's fate and Draco was off to find what remained of his 'family'. Leaving the rest of the clean up to the other survivors, Draco started to retrace his path back to the lake.
Compelled by some unseen force, Draco quickly made his way back along the path he had recently made. He was grateful that the strong winds and heavy snow fall seemed to have completely wiped away his previous tracks. The lack of a trail did not deter the Slytherin in the least, as he knew exactly where he was headed.
Approaching the reeds that guarded the entrance to the underwater passage Draco frowned. The snow here had been disturbed, and from the looks of it, it had been recent.
Kneeling down, Draco examined the fresh marks in the soft white surface, thankful that the sun had finally risen high enough in the sky to actually provide him some light.
There was no mistaking it, someone had passed by here. Based on the size of the footprints, Draco strongly suspected that it had been an adult man. That analysis ruled out Nicole and the boys as the perpetrators of the tracks. Worried, Draco stood up and sprinted towards the tunnel opening.
The weeds were bent and some where even broken off, clearly indicating that something large had passed amongst them. From the amount of damage that was done, it appeared that whoever had entered the passageway had done so quickly and without regards to discretion.
His heart in his throat for at least the third time that day, Draco crouched down and cautiously crossed the threshold into the narrow tunnel. Hoping that whoever had discovered the boys' hiding place hadn't been there long enough to harm anyone, Draco proceeded as quietly as he could in the event that the unknown man was still inside. In fact, Draco prayed that who ever dared to threaten his children was still here because it would save Draco the trouble of having to hunt the bastard down before he killed him.
Not wanting to reveal his presence, Draco elected not to light his wand and only relied on the limited amount of sunlight that penetrated the lake's depths to see by. Thankfully, Nicole and the boys had set up camp close to the shore where the water wasn't very deep yet, as such Draco had just enough light that he could see by.
Draco strained himself trying to make out the smallest sounds. However, he heard nothing, not the slightest giggle or whine from the twins or Nicole's soft calming tones. 'They could just be asleep' Draco thought optimistically for a second before he dismissed that thought for what it was, only wishful thinking. The passage continued to be eerily silent as Draco pressed on.
Draco held his breath as he rounded what he remembered to be the last bend in the tunnel before he came to the area that they had magically widened for Nicole and the boys. No one heard the gasp as all the air in the Slytherin's lungs was forcefully exhaled when his disbelieving eyes took in the sight in front of him.
Not even aware of the anguished cry that fell from his lips, he rushed forward, almost tripping in his haste to reach the small still form that lie directly in his path. Ignoring the jolting pain that raced up his thighs when his knees came into sharp contact with the hard stony tunnel floor, Draco all but collapsed, next to his son.
Draco bit his lip hard as tears streamed unnoticed down his face. Knowing that he had to know, but terrified of what it may reveal, Draco gently placed his ear to Matthew's chest. Thanking whatever Goddess was looking out for him this evening, Draco pressed a trembling fingertip next to the young boy's pulse point. His fingers reaffirmed what his ears had told him to be true, Matthew was still alive.
Leaning back on his haunches, Draco critically examined his son trying to ascertain the extent of his injuries. There was a large bruise forming on his cheek, almost as though he had been back handed. He had a gash in the back of his head that was still slowly dripping blood, although the wound appeared to have largely clotted. His left arm was also positioned oddly. The boy was very pale, most likely he was in shock. Deciding that it was best that Matthew remain unconscious for the time being so as to spare him any undue pain, Draco tried to recall what basic first aid spells would be helpful. Casting a basic healing charm, Draco took a moment to scan the room for the other two missing occupants.
It only took him a second to find the equally still form of Nicole. She was settled up against the barrier, only a few meters away from where Matthew had fallen. She too was unconscious and had her hands and feet tightly bound with rope.
Deciding that it was best to determine what her specific injuries were before trying to revive Matty, Draco shuffled over to where Nicole lay propped up on the tunnel wall. Running his wand slowly down her form, Draco was pleased to note that she wasn't injured at all, simply stunned. With a quick flick of his wand, Draco first banished the bindings and then revived his dear friend.
Nicole groaned as the unnatural darkness that surrounded her faded. She blinked as her eyes became accustomed to the light in the tunnel. Draco's pale face swam in and out of focus in front of her for a moment or two, until she was able to finally regain her senses.
"What happened?" Nicole pulled away from the support Draco was providing and looked around the enclosure in confusion. "What are we doing here?"
Draco didn't have a chance to answer when Nicole remembered everything that had happened. The slight woman pushed Draco away and began to frantically search the tunnel. Noticing Matthew for the first time, she raced over to the boy she loved as if he was her own. "Oh my God, is Matthew alright?"
Draco ignored her distress and continued to search the small area for the one person of their party that was still missing. Draco quickly walked down the tunnel a ways towards Hogwarts, thinking that maybe Evan had run back to the apartment if he had been scared. Draco doubted his youngest son would run off by himself, but at this point it was better than the alternative.
Draco hadn't made it very far when Nicole's sobs reached him. Unable to ignore her any longer, Draco ran back to where she was sitting beside Matthew.
Draco could see the panic welling just beneath the surface as Nicole had started to hyperventilate. He needed her to be strong so that she could answer some questions about what exactly had happened here. More importantly, he needed her to tell him where the hell Evan was. He also needed for her to stay with Matthew so that he could get some help.
"Come on Nikki, snap out of it." Draco shook her shoulder trying to draw her attention away from Matthew. "Nikki." Draco's voice was firm and left no room for disobedience.
Nicole didn't respond. She just kept running her fingers through Matty's blood soaked hair.
"Damn it Nicole, I don't have time for this. You have to pull yourself together. The boys need you, Ha…I need you." Draco snapped in desperation, stopping just short of saying Harry's name; for some reason, he didn't want to jinx himself just yet by assuming that Harry would be alright.
The longer it took for her to calm down, the longer it was that Evan was missing without anyone even able to start looking for him. Not having any other choice, Draco flicked his wand at the distraught young women. The calming spell took affect almost immediately.
Nicole's breathing evened out.
"Nikki?"
Draco was glad to see that the lost panicked look had diminished significantly when she responded to his question by turning her head in his direction. "Honey, Matthew is hurt, but from what I can tell his injuries are not that serious. But I need you to stay with him while I go find us some help."
Nicole's eyes filled with tears, but she nodded before pressing a soft kiss to Matthew's cool forehead. "I'll be okay," she sobbed, biting her lip to keep it from trembling.
Not liking the idea of leaving Nicole here alone in her current condition, but not seeing another alternative, Draco turned to leave. He hadn't moved more than three feet when Nicole whispered. "He took him."
Wanting to believe that he had simply misheard her, Draco asked Nicole to repeat her statement. Unfortunately, hearing those same three words for a second time did nothing to alleviate the terror in his heart.
Once more, Draco found himself on his knees in front of Nicole. "Please Nikki, this is very important, who took Evan? What happened to Evan?"
Nicole slowly reached up and with a trembling hand, wiped away one of the tears from her cheek. "Oh Merlin, Draco, I'm so sorry. I tried to protect him but he was too fast for me. I'll never forgive myself."
Putting the steely edge back in his voice and pulling her into a hug, Draco whispered urgently. "Nicole, I need you to start at the beginning and tell me everything that happened after I left. It is important. Evan's life might depend on it, so please tell me what happened."
Nicole pulled back away from Draco just far enough so that she could look deep into his eyes. The love and angst that she saw there was overpowering. Finally feeling strong enough, she began her tale.
"Shortly after you left, I was able to get the boys to lie down and rest. We were treating this like a big adventure and were telling stories of make-believe. The boys eventually fell asleep and I must have dozed off myself, because the next thing I knew was waking up to the sound of someone coming down the tunnel. I thought it was you and Harry coming back to get us. My only defense was that I still wasn't fully awake yet when I saw what I thought was you step into view."
"Before I even had time to see that it wasn't you, he had pulled his wand out and had bound my hands and feet." Nicole's voice broke as she remembered their ordeal.
"Matthew knew something was wrong immediately and charged at the man. That man just laughed at Matty's feeble attempts to harm him, before he smacked him across the face."
Draco closed his eyes and grit his teeth when Nicole described how Matthew had become injured.
"He hit the wall so hard and he fell to the floor and didn't move. Oh God Draco, I was so scared and I couldn't get to him to protect him. I was so afraid. I just kept praying for Matthew and Evan to be alright and for someone to come and help…but no one came."
Nicole's voice had trailed off into a soft whisper towards the end.
Taking a deep breath for strength she continued, "I pleaded with this man to let us go. He looked so much like an older version of you, I asked him if he knew of you, but the man just ignored me. All he was interested in was the twins. After Matthew had been hurt, Evan had gone to try to wake up his brother. Poor Evan, he just couldn't understand why Matthew wouldn't wake up. Evan started to cry. The man just stood there staring at the boys almost like he was trying to decide what to do with Matthew, when we heard a noise that sounded like it was coming from the entrance of the tunnel."
"I think that the man just figured that he was running out of time, so he grabbed Evan and started to leave. When he picked up Evan, I started to scream for help. The last thing I remember was him waving his wand at me. I think he stunned me."
Draco was shaking. Someone had dared to hurt his sons and even took one of them. No, not someone, there was no doubt from Nicole's description that the man that took Evan had to have been Lucius.
Draco cursed his father, damn that man. Who knows what Lucius had planned for the son of the person Lucius despised more than anyone else in the world? It was possible that Lucius hated Harry even more than Voldemort did. After all, Voldemort always seemed to have a certain grudging respect for the Gryffindor, whereas Lucius did not.
To be continued.
A/N: All I can say is WOW! The response to Chapter 30 was amazing. Thank you so much for all the kind words and support. I'd better get to work on Chapter 32 now, before the death threats again. This chapter was originally planned to include what will now be Chapter 32, but as I haven't made much progress on that part, I decided to end it here so that I would be able to at least post something. Thank you all for your understanding.
Also, I will be visiting both London and Paris in a few weeks, to any readers that live there or visit often, please let me know of any 'must sees'. This also includes any great restaurants, etc. I only have three days in each city, but I want to fit in as much as possible.