Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, etc.
Morning before a battle is always important. I've left it at a cliff hanger of sorts, but I should have the next chapter up soon.
Please read and review and kudos to those who have reviewed.
Harry woke with a start the next morning. His scar was burning like a branding iron to his head. He winced and pressed his hand to his scar hoping that would somehow help. Draco woke when he felt Harry pull away from him so quickly and sat up next to Harry.
"What's wrong?" asked Draco calmly. Harry still had his hand to his scar.
"It's burning. Gah... like a branding iron to my forehead."
"Do I need to get someone?"
"No, no... it should go away soon." Draco pushed Harry's hand away from the scar and put his own hand over the scar. Draco's cool skin eased the pain and soon the burning stopped. Harry sighed with relief as Draco's hand moved from Harry's forehead to his cheek and gently cradled Harry's face. Draco's lips first kissed Harry's cheek and then gently kissed Harry's lips. Harry kissed Draco back and they laid down together on the bed. Harry snuggled down into Draco's shoulder and let out a tired sigh. Draco put a gentle arm on Harry's back and held the boy gently.
"I'm sorry," muttered Harry into Draco's shoulder.
"Don't be," replied Draco putting a gentle kiss on Harry's forehead.
"What time is it?"
"It's four thirty in the morning. We don't have to be up for another good while."
"I'd rather stay here anyway." Draco smiled a sad smile.
"I know, but today we have to decide what to do."
"I wish... I wish this was all over right now."
"I know."
George and Hermione snuggled close to each other in bed.
"I'm worried," said Hermione.
"I know," replied George stroking her hair.
"What if we don't find anything? What if we can't find a way?"
"We will. There has to be a way, and we will find it."
"I've never let down my friends before. I've always been able to find a way."
"Easy darling, you're starting to obsess."
"In school I always found a way. I could always find a way. No matter what happened I was always there with my books and ready to fix things. I've never let them down before. I can't-" George stopped her words with a deep kiss.
"It will be all right," he said calmly to her. "We will find a way." Hermione sighed and buried her head in George's shoulder.
"I'm sorry George."
"It's all right Mione. We're all worried and stressed about this."
"I know... I just... I..." George kissed her gently on the forehead.
"I know."
Mrs. Weasley was sitting up in a chair next to the window staring out at the front lawn. She had been up for an hour and had been staring out the window since she woke from a nightmare. Mr. Weasley was still asleep and was snoring softly. Mrs. Weasley bit her nails nervously.
"Molly...?" said Mr. Weasley looking at his wife through bleary eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing Arthur," she said trying to keep her voice even. "Just go back to sleep."
"Molly, you can't fool me that easily."
"I had a nightmare. The same nightmare I've had for months. Everyone dies, and I wasn't' able to stop it. I've lost Ron."
"That wasn't your fault Molly."
"I wasn't there. I couldn't protect my son from Death Eaters. How can I protect the rest of my family?" Mr. Weasley calmly stood up from his bed and walked to his wife holding out his hand.
"We'll do our best. We will finish this, one way or another."
"And if we have to sacrifice more of our children?"
"We aren't sacrificing them. They know what is happening. They know the danger they are putting themselves in. It's their choice, not ours."
"Why? Why isn't it our choice anymore?"
"Because they're getting older Molly. They're growing up. They're growing up in war time and they know what's happening and they want to be involved. They have the right to be involved. We can protect them the best we can, but it's still their choice to walk out that door and into the world. So, please come back to bed." Mrs. Weasley gave a resigned sigh and went with her husband back to bed. They cuddled in close as they had done a thousand times before.
"I'm sorry I worried you," said Mrs. Weasley. "I'm just so worried."
"I know," said Mr. Weasley before they both drifted back to sleep.
Remus and Tonks were lying in bed next to each other.
"You feeling any better?" asked Tonks gently who had woken Remus up from a particularly violent nightmare.
"Yeah, I'm getting there. It was just bad."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not much to talk about. Just death, destruction, and I'm responsible."
"But you're not." Remus turned on his back and stared up at the ceiling while Tonks made herself comfortable on his chest, her fiery red hair spreading over her shoulders and his chest.
"There's a chance. There's always a chance..."
"You know I won't let that happen. None of us will ever let that happen."
"I'm not just talking about being a werewolf. I mean that all of us have the potential to get killed when another one of us is near. I'm just scared of loosing people again... loosing you..." Remus wistfully stroked Tonk's hair down to the smooth skin of her back.
"You know you're not the only one who thinks about that."
"I know."
Everyone at the breakfast table was quiet as they ate their breakfast. Hardly anyone ate much beyond a piece of toast. From the looks of it, no one had slept well the night before. Harry leaned back in his chair and rested the back of his head against the back of the chair.
"All right," he said in a calm voice, "does anyone know where Voldemort has set up his headquarters." Everyone stared at him with wide eyes.
"Harry..." said Hermione quietly, "I thought we were going back to the library today. There has to be something that we can find. Something that we can do. I don't think we should go out against Voldemort without knowing what we are doing."
"I know what I'm doing," said Harry calmly. "I can't tell you, you'll only tell me it's stupid and that I shouldn't and on and on like that. People are dying. We've had friends and family die. While that has happened, we have sat and studied and worried and tried to figure out what we should do. I'm tired of waiting and trying to decide what we should do. I want to know what we can do, now." Everyone paused for a moment and tried to figure out what to say.
"All right," said Remus, "here's what we can do. We have charms and spells that we can use to fight the Death Eaters. We have potions as well that we can use to fight them and we have some to help with defense and healing. That's it Harry, that's all that we have." Harry nodded and thought for a moment.
"That's what we have, and that's what we are going into battle with."
"Harry-"
"No, Hermione. I've done enough studying, enough searching, and enough waiting to last me a lifetime. I know what I'm doing. I want to fight today, and I want to end this war today. By the end of the day, if I'm right, either I or Voldemort will be dead. Either way, the war will be over."
An hour later plans were made to fly to the headquarters of Voldemort himself. Harry and Draco were putting on their cloaks and packing away potions in hidden pockets and getting themselves ready.
"Harry?" said Draco in a shaky voice.
"Yes," said Harry with some confidence but on a level that only Draco could hear his voice was shaking just as much as Draco's.
"I... look at me." Harry turned and faced Draco. Draco ran the two steps between the two of them and they kissed furiously as if they would never see each other again. Even when they stopped kissing they still held each other tightly and buried their faces in each other's shoulders.
"Harry... Harry I love you," Draco gasped out.
"I know," said Harry calmly. "I love you, Draco."
Ten minutes later Harry, Draco, Hermione, George, Fred, Remus, Tonks, and Mr. Weasley were all on their broomsticks and flying. Even though it was afternoon, storms were rolling in and the sky was dark and cloudy. Voldemort had been working out of his old house and that's where they were heading now. As they landed on the lawn all of them quickly dismounted their broomsticks and hid them in the near by bushes that lined the street where the house stood. They could see that there were wards and protection spells all around the house. A few began to raise their wands to begin taking down the wards, but Harry held up his hand to stop them.
"Lord Voldemort!" shouted Harry. "I, Harry Potter challenge you!" Everyone turned to Harry with fear and astonishment in their eyes. Harry only looked ahead with confidence. Then they heard an old door creak open and they all turned to look at the front door of the house. There stood Lord Voldemort. He wore black robes that went to his toes. His hair was combed back smoothly. His snake like eyes stared out of his pale face and his mouth held an arrogant smirk.
"Well then," said his smooth dark voice, "this is expected, not quite so soon, but still expected. What is the challenge?"
"I propose a trade."
"That isn't a challenge."
"After the trade, I challenge you to a wizard's duel."
"To the death then?"
"To the death."
"I'm intrigued Potter." Voldemort waved a wand and the wards and protection spells around the house fell. "Only you can come in. No one else."
"Send away your Death Eaters and tell them not to hurt my friends."
"Agreed, each of us shall be alone." Twenty Death Eaters filed out of the house and stood on the opposite side of the yard from the Order of the Phoenix members.
"Play nice," said Harry with a fake grin at Draco. Their fingers brushed slightly before Harry walked across the front yard and into the house. Lord Voldemort shut the door with an audible click. Everyone on the front yard settled in to wait.