Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters.

Now that that's out of the way, let's begin…

Last time,

Benni feels a flicker of a plan in her mind and knows on instinct exactly what her brother is about to do. She dives at her Aunt, tackling her even as she pulls out her wand.

The wizards outside all cast at once, "Bombarda Maxima!"

"Protego."

Now,

27th December 2001

Draco apparates to the Sanctuary with his team and several other Units, prepared for a battle. Only they get there and find the whole front section of the Sanctuary is just rubble, and the sounds of yelling from within.

"No," He hears Ron mutter from beside him as Tonks sends a Patronus for rescue teams from the Fire Broomgade and Healers.

"It's the day after the full, most of the werewolves were probably still there recovering," Auror Brocklehurst states.

"Let's get to work moving the top layers of rubble," Tonks orders, taking control of the situation as the senior Auror on scene.

Suddenly a whole bunch of rubble shoved outwards, Draco rushes forwards and finds Mary kneeling on the ground unscathed with Benni unconscious on her lap.

"Mary! What happened?" Draco asks while Ron calls for a Healer as they start arriving.

"She knew…I don't know how she knew…" Mary mumbles dazedly.

Healers shove Draco out of the way as they move in to help. From there, everything's a blur. They move rubble and pull people out, some dead, some injured, some with just a few scrapes.

When it's over Ron's team head to the hospital. It's chaos, and they wait for three hours before a healer is able to speak with them. As luck would have it, that healer is Pansy.

"How many?" Ron asks her without preamble.

"6 dead, 14 severely injured, 26 minor injuries. From my understanding everyone in the courtyard of the Sanctuary only suffered from shock and inhaling the debris cloud. If you'll recall, a lot of the back section is re-enforced in case there's a problem with a wolf, and the frame of the building was made to remain stable if some walls were broken. Obviously wasn't made to withstand an attack like this, but that did save a lot of lives today. Could've been a lot worse."

"We need to speak to everyone as soon as we can," Sim tells her.

Pansy nods, "Some of them are ready now," She says, handing over a clipboard with names and room numbers, "Names will be added on the end when we decide they're ready for you. Also," She begins, turning to Ron and Draco, "Mary requested to speak with you as soon as we'll allow it."

"And when will that be?"

"Right now. She's been discharged already, she wasn't hurt. She's in the waiting room down the hall."

Branson looks at Ron and Draco for a moment before nudging Sim who clears her throat. "We'll go get started on this list."

Ron waits until they've walked away before asking Pansy, "How are they?"

Pansy sighs, shaking her head, "Only four people were in the very front of the building. Mary and Benni in reception, they're both fine. I don't know how. By rights, they should be dead. Tom was in the office, so was Evangeline. She works at the centre, I'm not sure if you met. She's dead, and Tom's…" Pansy takes a breath, "Tom's in a coma." Draco and Ron stare at her in shock. She nods, then sighs, "Lillie was in the medical area, hadn't even woken up after the moon yet. We're not sure when she'll wake up but probably in the next few hours. Few broken bones but, like I said earlier, medical area was re-enforced. Severus was upstairs, he had broken bones and a severe concussion. But, zombie, so. He's basically down to sprains and bruises now, he'll be fine. Andromeda and Ted were both in the daycare, and I'm sure you'll join me in being more glad than ever that Benni had that in a separate building. They weren't hit at all."

Ron and Draco nod. "What's Tom's outlook?" Draco questions.

Pansy sighs, "Too soon to tell."

"Thank you," Ron tells her, she nods and goes to get back to work.

Ron and Draco head over to Mary who sits on a chair, knees pulled to her chest, as she stares blankly at the floor.

"Mary?" Draco calls gently.

Mary looks up, blinking a few times, before nodding and clearing her throat. "It was Sevrin. He came in with a bunch of wizards. Six others, I think. I didn't know who he was. At first it didn't seem like he was with the others. People tend to come in clumps morning after a full to pick up family. But this kid was on his own, I thought he needed help." Mary shakes her head, sniffling for a moment. "He argued with Benni, I don't know what about, it was all in French. Whatever they talked about, Sevrin didn't seem happy with her. He walked out and called the others. They went with him and blew up the building from the outside."

"How did you survive?" Ron asks her, bluntly enough that Draco side-eyes him unhappily. He clears his throat, "I mean, from what we understand, the spells came right at the two of you, but you're both okay."

Mary nods, "She cast a shield charm, just as they cast their exploding charms. It held back the initial explosion from the two of us but broke down when the rubble fell. She gave me time to throw up one of my own. She passed out after her shield failed. It was a lot for a sixteen-year-old."

"I'm surprised she knows it at all, to be honest. Not standard Hogwarts Curriculum," Ron replies with a frown.

"You'll have to ask her about that bit."

Draco huffs, "No need, Harry taught her a year ago. I'm never going to hear the end of this, I called him paranoid." Mary chuckles a little, nodding. "At what point in all this was Tom able to call us?"

Mary looks surprised, "I didn't know he had." She frowns for a moment in thought, "Benni was sitting at the desk when he came in. I walked over to speak with him, but when Sevrin called to her, she was by the window to the office, Tom was on the other side. He walked away when she came over to talk to Sevrin. It was a couple of minutes before Sevrin left. Probably some time then."

"These other wizards with him, do you have any idea who they were?"

Mary shakes her head, "No. One of them had a tattoo on his hand. Same hand pointing a wand at me," She explains, muttering the last part irately. "It was a red moon with a sword going perpendicular through it."

Ron grabs his notebook and drawing something before turning it around, "Did it look like this?"

"Yeah, exactly like that."

Ron huffs, showing Draco who rolls his eyes.

"Okay, thank you, Mary."

"Are you sticking around?" Ron asks her, she nods.

"I don't want to leave Benni here alone so I'm waiting until Severus is released or Remus gets here."

"Which is now, apparently," Draco says as he looks up and sees Remus looking around.

"Father!"

Draco's eyes widen as Delphini runs over to him, he notices Bella in Remus' arms as the man hurries over to them.

"Hey sweetheart," Draco greets as he lifts his daughter into his arms. He looks to Remus, "Benni's fine, Severus will be very soon. Zombie healing." Remus takes a deep breath at that, nodding though still looking rather terrified. "Why are the kids with you?"

"Harry dropped them off earlier, said he had some work that couldn't wait."

"What the hell couldn't have waited?"

"Daddy was talking to Anthony about werewolves," Delphini tells her Father, wanting to be helpful.

Draco's face shuts down. "I'm going to kill him."

"Remus!" Everyone looks around to see Pansy walking over. "Benni's ready to be discharged."

"Could we speak to her first?" Draco asks Pansy, looking to Remus as well. Remus seems hesitant but nods, Pansy does too. "Mary, I realise it's been a day for you, but could you possib-"

Mary takes the baby from Remus, smiling at Draco. "It's not a problem."

Draco kneels down on the floor as he puts Delphini down. "You're gonna sit here with Mary for a while, okay Delphi? Just until Grumps and Auntie Benni get back."

"Why can't I stay with you, Father?" Delphini asks, eyes wide and watery.

"I'm still working, sweetheart."

Delphini pouts but nods. "Can you read to me please?" She asks Mary, pointing to the children's books by the waiting room magazines.

"Sure, Little One."

Remus, Ron, and Draco move to Benoîte's room, walking inside to find her in a hospital gown, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Benni?"

Benoîte looks up, immediately bursting into tears when she sees Remus. He hurries over, wrapping her in a hug. She clings to him as she cries.

It's sudden that it happens. One minute he's watching the scene before him, the next he's in the doorway of the spare room in Malfoy Manor, watching his father try desperately to comfort a screaming and crying child having a nightmare and not waking up.

He feels a hand on his shoulder and looks over, expecting a young Jamie wanting to comfort her younger sibling, except it's Ron, and Draco isn't in Malfoy Manor. But Benni's still crying, and her nightmare still isn't over.

Draco leaves the room, leaning against the wall in the corridor, breathing heavily and fighting off tears of his own.

Ron gives him a few moments to calm again before he sits next to him, it's only then that Draco realises he'd slid down the wall onto the floor. "Want to tell me what that was about?"

Draco looks at his hands, taking a shaky breath. "After the attack, Uncle Re and Uncle Sev were in the hospital. Benni, Jamie, and Blaise stayed with us until Uncle Sev was released. Benni…she used to have nightmares. She wouldn't talk, but she would scream in terror and she would cry, and she'd look just like that curling up in my Father's arms. She feels just like she did back then." Draco rubs at his chest in a way Ron's seen Hermione do when she's not sure what to do about the things her empathy makes her feel. "I'm sorry, I don't know wh- I mean that's never happened before."

"Sevrin's never been back before." Ron looks down the hallway for a moment before looking back to Draco, "Maybe you shouldn't be on this."

Draco considers this for a moment before he draws in a breath and shakes his head. "She won't be safe until we put him back where he belongs."

"Okay then." Ron gets up, offering Draco a hand which he takes. The two head back in to see Benni leaning against her Père.

"Benni?" Draco asks.

Benni looks up at him, tears filling her eyes again.

Ron and Draco exchange concerned looks when she doesn't speak. Ron clears his throat, "Benni, I know this is hard, but we need to know what happened."

She nods slowly, "He tried to kill us all," She whispers, "He was so angry with me. He's never been angry with me before. Even back then, all his focus was on Père."

Draco swallows, nodding. "What happened?"

"He was there, with others. One of the others, he was pointing a wand at Aunt Mary. Rin asked about Jamie and Blaise, wanted to know how they were. I told him they were fine. I asked him what he wanted and he said he wanted to rid the world of evil. Said he wanted me to help him. Didn't like it when I said no. He was angry about the Sanctuary, angry that I help werewolves."

"Mary said you put your shield up at the same time the others fired their exploding charms. That's one hell of a reaction time," Ron says.

"You ever notice how in sync Fred and George are? Or Père and Aunt Phia even while they argue?" Ron and Draco both look confused but nod. "Magical twins share a bond. Ours is strained, usually I get faint impressions in dreams of what he feels, but this is the closest we've been in eight years. I felt his plan, just a bit, only for a moment, and only a second before he made it happen. But it was a second longer than anyone else had."

"How did Tom get your phone?" Draco asks her.

"I saw Sevrin before he saw me. Didn't think I'd have time to call you. I gave Tom my phone through the window and told him to. Figured if I could keep Sevrin talking it might give you lot time to get there. But I guess I didn't talk long enough."

Ron frowns and clears his throat, "The wizards with Sevrin, do you have any idea who they were?"

Benni shakes her head.

"Can you think of anything else that could be helpful?"

"Only that he was giving the others orders, like they work for him not with him."

Ron and Draco thank her, moving towards the door when Ron stops and turns back for a moment. "Benni, did you happen to notice if Sevrin did any magic or had a wand?"

"He didn't. How could he have? Sevrin never learnt."

Ron smiles, nodding. "Right, thanks."

They work with Sim and Branson, questioning everyone on the list and crossing names off as they go. It's another three hours before they've finished. Draco stops by Tom's room as Ron speaks with the nurses to be told when the more injured victims are able to answer some questions. He finds Del in there by Tom's bed.

"Hey."

Del looks up, smiling tightly. "Draco, hi."

Draco walks in awkwardly, not even sure what to say. Sorry he was too late? Sorry Sevrin got away again? Some kind of promise that they'll stop him he's not even sure he could keep? But he says none of it.

"Harry hasn't answered my calls," Del finally says, "Do you have any idea where he is?"

Draco suppresses the huff, "I'll try to call him," He replies instead of answering her question.

Ron pokes his head in, "We're heading back."

Draco nods, looking back to Del who smiles at him and nods. "Go, I'll be fine here. I have a feeling others will be stopping by soon. Go stop him."

Draco tries to call Harry as soon as they get back, but he doesn't answer and Draco doesn't have time to chase him down right now.

"So, doesn't seem like anyone outside of Benoîte, Macdonald, and, presumably, Riddle, saw anything," Branson concludes as they compare notes, filling Robards in on what they know. "Still waiting on any evidence from the scene but, from what we know happened, we're not holding out hope."

Robards nods, "And what happened to Lupin's patsy, what do we know about him?"

"I think I can help with that," Tonks says as she walks over, holding up a file. "Still not getting anything helpful from him, but I found something I think will interest you."

Robards looks in the file for a second before pinching the bridge of his nose. "This is escalating, quickly."

Robards shows the others the picture in the file, of the man's tattoo on his wrist. "You said one of the mooks from today had that, right?" Sim asks Ron who nods.

"And for those of us not recognising this on sight?" Branson asks.

"Blood Moon. It's an anti-werewolf group that rose up in the last few years. Mostly protests and failed petitions. They've complained about the Sanctuary before. They've gotten rowdier since the attacks started," Ron explains.

Draco shakes his head, "They've been around a lot longer than that, they've just got more traction now. They were quite big during the first war with Voldemort but died down afterwards, no support for people pushing hatred at the time. Since the new laws came into effect, they've gotten bigger, louder in the last few weeks with these attacks. But they've never been violent."

"What's Sevrin got to do with them?"

"Similar ideals. They're not hard to find, he could have sought them out."

"Or the other way around," Branson adds, "Lupin's whole story ended up in the paper."

"And now he's got a support network," Sim state in an irritated tone, "Journalists really do make things difficult sometimes."

Draco huffs out a derisive laugh, "Yeah, you're telling me."

"Right, Branson, Weasley, go chase down this Blood Moon lead," Robards directs, "Sim, Malfoy, I want to know who this guy is." He hands them Tonks' file on the man they arrested earlier. "Tonks, where are we on the escape?"

"At a roadblock, Sir. All we know is that he may have learnt some magic from Bellatrix Black who may or may not have still been…let's say out of touch with reality, at the time. Theoretically, he shouldn't have been able to learn anything advanced enough to help him escape in the time they were there together."

"Theoretically?" Robards asks her.

Tonks nods, "Well, by all accounts his magic during his initial attack was remarkably controlled."

"I've never heard of a child like that before."

Draco frowns, "I have. Unrelated to any of this but my point is it's not unprecedented."

"How did that kid do it?" Sim asks.

Draco shrugs, "I'd ask, but our fugitive just put him in a coma."

"Your relatives really are all sorts, aren't they?" Branson comments derisively.

"You have no idea."

"Let's get to work," Robards directs.

Draco uses the walk to the holding area as an opportunity to try Harry again, shocked when he gets an answer.

"Dray? This isn't really a good time."

Draco frowns, "Are the kids okay?" He asks.

"Er, yeah, they're fine."

"You sure about that?"

"…yes. Just, making lunch."

"Harry, it's 7:30. PM, in case you were wondering. Also, I wonder how you're managing that when last I saw the kids were spending time with Uncle Re?"

"Okay, you're mad –"

"You're damned right I'm mad!"

"Look, can we have this argument later, I'm sort of in the middle of something."

"Yeah, well too bad, I've been in the middle of something all day and I've still managed to be of more comfort to your mother than you, because apparently along with not looking after our children, you also can't be bothered to answer your phone!" There's silence on the other end for a moment.

"What do you mean, comfort?"

Draco takes a deep breath, "The Werewolf Sanctuary was attacked, Harry. Your father's in Saint Mungos. I saw the kids when Remus came in for Benni."

"What's wrong wi-"

"I really can't run through this all with you right now, Harry. Call your mother. We'll deal with everything else later."

"Okay."

An Auror comes rushing past, accidentally knocking into Draco as she passes.

"Everything all right, Crown?" Draco asks her.

She shakes her head, "Greyback attacked again, happened while you were gone. Just missed the fucker. Three dead, two in crit condition. St Mungos is having one hell of a day. As if he didn't leave enough bodies during last night's full moon."

"Shit. Harry, I have to go."

"Yeah, of course, we'll talk later."

Harry hangs up his phone, looking back over to the other two occupants of the room. Anthony keeps his wand trained on the other as Harry crosses his arms to regard him in contempt and suspicion.

Fenrir Greyback gives a joyless smile, "Something the matter, Riddle?"

Harry frowns. "You've got our attention. Now talk."

Severus signs the last of his discharge papers, walking out of his hospital room and immediately being met with his ex-husband.

"Sev, I was just coming to see you."

"How's Benni?" Severus asks immediately.

Remus sighs, "Physically, exhausted, a little bruised from falling on the floor, but remind me to send Harry a fruit basket for insisting on teaching her a shield charm."

"And mentally?"

"Well, she's switching between talking and signing. Not sure if it's a good sign she's still talking at all or a bad sign because she's signing again. She's scared, and angry."

"Where is she now?"

Remus frowns, "Yeah, about that. Sev…has anyone told you about Tom, yet?"

"No."

"He's in a coma. Benni's in there with Del, Mary, Delphi, and Bella." Severus quirks an eyebrow at the last two names. "Yeah, Harry's picked one hell of a time to pull a disappearing act. He dropped the kids off a few hours ago and no one's been able to reach him."

"Benni said she thought that she and Lillie had talked him out of something stupid."

Remus shrugs, "Guess someone, probably himself, talked him back into it."

"Did we lose anyone?" Severus asks as they start walking down the hallway. Severus isn't sure where they're heading, probably to Tom's room, but he's just following Remus' lead.

"Yeah. I'm not sure how many."

Severus runs a hand over his face. "Shit."

"…Sev-"

"This isn't our fault, Re. It's not."

Remus looks at him uncertainly but takes a breath and nods. He gestures to a room which Severus walks into and immediately finds himself with an armful of Benni.

"It's okay, Little Benni. You're okay," He tells her, but even he knows it isn't true.

Nothing's okay.