Fate and a Rose

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 (but not until later). If you don't like these things, I'd advise you not to read this fic! Thanks!

A/N: I have read all of the HP books, and all of them are relevant to this fic in some way, but some of the things that have happened in HBP will not happen until later in this fic, so please acknowledge that.

This chapter was posted late because of some errors on my part. I had to go back and edit it because of some parts I found lacking, and that is the reason it's so late. My apologies! I hope to make up for this by posting a chapter with extra slashy goodness for all of my adoring fans out there:Primps and grins as she shows off the chapter:

I have a bad feeling that, against my wishes, this fic is coming to a close. Although I wanted it to be longer, some of the things that have happened in this chapter I didn't want to happen until much later. But, the package that Harry receives in this chapter is proving to be quite relevant to later chapters in this fic, so it may help to make it longer than I have planned at present moment.

I have another fic in the process of being written, but I've decided to wait until it's finished to post it, that way we can be sure there will be regular, scheduled updates and no one will have to wait. It's going to be HD slash again, this time dealing with self-harm, rape and abuse. I've read many very good fics about these subjects, and have decided to write one of my own. If you're interested, leave me a review, or just check back for it later (the estimated time that this fic will be posted is around March or April, but it may be before then if we're lucky).

SilverShadow5947: Wish granted, though I would have liked to put more in. Have no fear! In the coming chapters, there will be more smutt than you can shake a fist at!

Chapter Ten

The Everafter Rose

Moments before Blaise walked into the room, he could hear the sobbing. He knew it probably wasn't a good idea to intrude; Hermione was probably upset because of another thing the mangy Weasel had said, and he didn't want to be caught up in the middle of things. That was why he was so surprised when he walked in to find that Harry was laying there on a very rumpled-looking bed, staring up at the ceiling blindly, with Hermione sobbing into her hands by his bedside and Draco clutching his hand as if his life depended on it.

"Er…what's going on in here? Someone die?" Blaise asked jokingly as he cautiously entered the room, Pansy inches behind, followed by several other Slytherins.

The residents in the room all but ignored him as Harry continued on with his explanations. "It was him, 'Mione. I know it was. He may have other peoples' body parts, but underneath it all, it was him. His voice was the same; his fingers were the same," Harry shuddered at this, remembering the way the cold fingers had felt trailing along his scar. His unoccupied hand went up and he traced his scar softly, as touching it himself would override Voldemort's touch; it didn't help. Harry could still feel the fingers as they brushed the lightning shape, hear the rattle of indrawn breath as Voldemort felt the hidden power in Harry. "He still has the same goals, and he'll kill anyone or do anything to reach them. They aren't really even goals any more, 'Mione. They're…I don't know what they are. He's gone mad."

Blaise's brow drew together in confusion. "Uh, Malfoy…what is Potter talking about?"

Draco's eyes burned deeply into Blaise. I knew we shouldn't have come early! Blaise thought to himself with a curse, stopping in his tracks as he watched Hermione continue to cry.

"Harry, I know that he's not completely sane at the moment, but the fact remains that he wants to kill you. We know that if you're going to die at all, you've got to die by his hand, and he's got to die by yours, but Harry, I'm scared for you. He's getting stronger; two years without action is the perfect plan, no matter how insane he's gone. He's leading the whole Wizarding world into a false sense of security, and he's biding his time. I just…I can't lose you! You and my family are all I've got!" Hermione wailed, and Harry patted her shoulder reassuringly.

Draco clenched his eyes shut tightly, willing Hermione to stop her god-awful banshee-cries. When they persisted, Draco sighed. "Granger, bloody stop! He's not dying tonight! It was just a…a…" Draco trailed off, unable to think of what it was that Harry had experienced.

"Harry," Hermione pulled away unexpectedly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffing softly. Harry looked at her, a confused look plastered on his face. "Did you ever complete your Occlumency?" Hermione asked, as she shot worried and suspicious look.

"Er…" Harry looked away.

"You didn't! Why not? After Voldemort killed Sirius, you've left yourself vulnerable again? What possibly for?"

Harry looked at Hermione, his face stony. "Voldemort didn't kill Sirius. I did."

"Harry, it's not your fault he fell!" Hermione exclaimed, clutching the hand that Draco wasn't tightly. "There was nothing you could have done!"

"It was my fault he was there to begin with!" Harry burst out, sitting and releasing both Draco and Hermione's hands with a glare.

"But if you had just finished your Occ-"

"Don't give me that bull shit! Snape was being a bloody git about it! He wouldn't tell me how; he wouldn't even let me have one sacred memory! Nothing! He made me re-live everything! Cedric's death, Voldemort's resurrection, Ripper, Du-"

"What's Ripper?"

Harry glared scathingly at Pansy, who had chosen that moment to interrupt. "That's beside the point!" He shrieked, standing and stomping around the room in an almost violent pace.

"You mean…you were studying Occlumency instead of Remedial Potions?" Draco asked, catching on.

Harry turned his glare to Draco, then shot from the room and into the bathroom with a quickly muttered "I've got to think."

Hermione stared after him, aghast.

Draco turned his look towards Hermione. "He was, wasn't he?"

Hermione shifted unconsciously. "Uh…I'm not at liberty to say," She said. With that, she turned and rushed past Blaise, bumping shoulders with him in the process.

Pansy sighed. "Draco, what's Ripper?"

Draco's brow furrowed. "I don't know," He said. "But it sounds like a name to me."

XXX

Harry sat on the toilet, seat down, staring out one of the windows. At first he had convinced himself that he would leave the room once all of Draco's friends left. That had been two hours ago, however, and Harry had yet to leave. Hermione had come back, knocking on his door and talking to nothing for over an hour and a half, and once she got no results, she too had left. It was now eleven o'clock. Harry was sure that Draco was sleeping, as the lights were off, but he didn't really want to leave the safety of the bathroom.

With a sigh, he stood and creaked the door open softly. Glancing around the room, Harry was surprised to find Hermione curled up and snoring softly in a bed far away from the one he slept in, and Draco laying on his back in Harry's bed, eyes open and staring at the ceiling unseeingly. Harry sighed again and made his way towards his own bed. Draco unglued his eyes from the roof and looked at Harry questioningly. Harry nodded to him; they both felt the need for words disappear as Harry slowly climbed into the bed and wrapped his arms loosely around Draco's waist. Draco nuzzled his head into the junction between Harry's neck and shoulder, and Harry inhaled deeply as Draco placed a soft kiss there.

"Your vision…it scared me, so much. I thought I was going to lose you. You stopped breathing for nearly half an hour!"

Harry looked at him, begging Draco with his eyes for him to not go into that subject.

"I love you. You know that, right?" Draco's whispered voice was muffled, his hot breath warming Harry's skin in a highly arousing way.

Harry blinked in surprise and his brow furrowed. "Don't say that," He protested. "Don't say it if it's not true."

"I do, Harry. I didn't want to at first, but you can't fight your destiny. You know that better than anyone."

"Just because we're soul mates-"

"Means that I have every right to love you and you have every right to return that love, and oh gods I just want to shag you silly right now." Draco interrupted, licking Harry's neck lovingly.

Harry smiled softly and pulled away. Ignoring Draco's last comment, Harry pulled Draco into a loose hug before standing and going to Draco's unoccupied bed. "No," Harry reasoned. "Just because we're soul mates doesn't mean that you need to-"

"Harry, just think about this for a minute, okay?" Draco asked as he attempted to follow Harry.

"Shut up!" Hermione mumbled as she rolled over on the bed diagonal to Harry's. "Do you have any idea how hard it was for Draco to tell you that, Harry? It took him nearly half an hour just to get to terms with the fact that-"

"Thank you very much for interrupting, Granger, but I think I've got everything under control!" Draco intervened before Hermione could say anything that may wound his dignity.

"Psh." Hermione scoffed. "Whatever. I was just trying to help. I'm going back to sleep. And no shagging while I'm here, thank you very much! Ron and I restrained ourselves while we were in your presence, and I expect for you to do the same!"

Harry paled at the thought of Hermione and Ron doing anything besides snogging, and Draco laughed softly, pulling Harry into a tight hug. "I really do love you, Harry." He said.

"But why?" Harry asked as he returned the hug. "You don't have to! And this is all really sudden."

Draco smiled against Harry's neck and kissed it again, this time his lips lingering as they made their way up Harry's neck and jaw towards his lips. "It may be sudden to you," Draco said between kisses. "But it's not to," He paused as he caught Harry's lips with his own. The kiss was searing but loving and Harry never wanted it to end, but it was over before the bat of an eye. "Me," Draco finished, and not too soon, because as soon as he was done, Harry pulled his head towards his own again and claimed Draco's lips roughly, knocking Draco back onto his own bed with Harry settled between his thighs, his very hard member making itself feel right at home settled up against Draco's own as their kiss progressed.

Draco couldn't suppress a moan of content, and Hermione made a very annoyed sound in her throat. "It's great that you two have made up and all, but could you please either do it more quietly or stop?" she asked, rolling over once again, this time so that she was facing away from the making out couple.

When Draco finally managed to pull away, he panted out, "No. And if you didn't want to hear us, you shouldn't have decided to stay the night!" before pulling Harry back down to him for another heated snog.

Hermione grumped to herself about horny gits and how they should rot in hell, but refrained from any more comments. When Harry finally pulled away again, Draco relented and put a privacy and silencing spell around them. When Harry was assured that he could talk, he grinned down at Draco and with a painful groan, said, "I wish we had curtains. It'd be a hell of a lot more private."

With a suggestful wiggling of his brows, Draco grinned and complied. He held up his hand and their bed turned into an exact replica of the one he had in his own dorm room; a large, dark four-poster with emerald-green drapes and linens, and silver covers. The drapes were tugged shut quickly, and Harry grinned down at him again before devouring his mouth once more.

When Harry pulled away once more, Draco set to work removing Harry's shirt, and Harry leaned down and made a meal of Draco's throat, appreciative groans making themselves known as Harry slowly worked his way lower, until he was finally at Draco's collar bone. "You know what?" Harry asked between nips and licks, as Draco continued to try to divest Harry of his shirt, which was quickly becoming too tight and clingy.

"Hmm?" Draco asked in answer. His hands were slowly making no progress because of the lewd actions Harry was performing, and Harry smirked down at the powerful look of defeat on Draco's face.

"I…I love you too."

All action stopped as Harry looked up into Draco's eyes expectantly, and Draco's eyes clouded over. He had to blink multiple times before he could even begin to fathom what Harry had just said to him. When his throat began working again, Draco managed a short, "I," Before Harry placed a finger to his lips, only to replace his finger with his own lips shortly after.

:I know.: The thought rang in Draco's head for a few moments before he realized that it wasn't his own.

xxx

Hermione grinned as she watched Draco's bed transform out of the corner of her eye. Had she not been so busy pretending to be disgusted by the fact that Harry and Draco were kissing on the other side of the drapes, she would have leapt for joy at the fact that she knew that Harry had just proclaimed his love to Draco, too.

xxx

The next morning, Hermione was up long before either of the boys, and she was sure they had been having a short tryst between the sheets before they got up, because their hair and clothing looked rumpled, and neither seemed to be grouchy like they usually were in the mornings.

"Morning," She greeted as a sleepy Harry scratched his head unconsciously and a tired-but-happy-looking Draco reached between his legs and scratched his balls through his boxer shorts. Hermione shot him a disgusted look, and Draco grinned as he seated himself across from Harry at the table for breakfast.

About mid-way through the meal, two owls soared through one of the cracked-open windows. One landed in front of Hermione, and the other landed in front of Harry. Hermione nodded her thanks to the bird and took her subscription of the Daily Prophet from it, making sure to tip it generously before unfolding her copy and burying her face in it until breakfast was over.

The second owl looked at Harry expectantly and held out a leg to him, to which was tied a medium sized package, wrapped in a thin brown parchment. A note was tied to the package, and Harry looked at it questioningly. The owl shook his leg in annoyance and waited not-so-patiently for Harry to untie the package from it. Instead of flying off after the package had been taken away, like Hermione's had after being paid, the owl stayed there, sitting in the middle of a plate full of eggs, and stared at Harry.

Harry offered it some money, but the bird refused, instead looking at the package intently, waiting for it to be opened.

Harry raised a brow at Draco, who nodded and looked at the package curiously. Harry shrugged and tore the paper off of the package. He was surprised to find a rose instead of the miniature broomstick he had been expecting from Bill Weasley, whom he had asked for one before they came back to school.

The rose was a dark black, velvety and soft. There were thorns sticking out from the stem, and they looked elegant instead of the normal wildness Harry usually associated with rose thorns.

Hermione looked over the top of her paper, and down at the rose, a look of awe quickly dawning on her face. She and Draco's eyes met and they shared a look, and Harry blinked at them in confusion. "I know what that is," Hermione elaborated after a moment. "I read about it in A Flower's Power last year. That's an Everafter Rose! They're supposed to be really rare; the last one ever spotted by any wizard was in 1382 by Elmer Vandini after bonding with his soul mate. You two haven't bonded yet, have you?" Hermione asked, brow furrowed as she looked at Harry and Draco with an unreadable expression.

"No!" Harry choked out over his mouthful of pancake, cheeks flushing.

"Hmm…" Hermione nodded thoughtfully before pulling the paper back over her face for the rest of the meal, leaving Harry and Draco to themselves.

"They symbolize great love and heartache." Draco said after a moment's lull. "My father gave my mother a replica of one last year for their anniversary. It's said that they've died out. You could make a fortune off of that if you sold it to the right person; they're bloody powerful, and if used in the correct love potion, the petals can make anyone fall in genuine love with you."

Harry looked at Draco, a look of calculation in his eyes. "You mean, this one's real?"

Draco nodded as he took a bite of his porridge. "You'd better keep it away from Snape," He said, mouth full and words muffled through the sounds of smacking lips and chewing teeth as the porridge was worked around in his mouth.

"Why?" Harry asked, picking it up and examining it closely.

"He'd kill to get a hold of it, that's why." Draco said as he took another bite of his breakfast, followed by a large gulp of coffee to wash it down with. "Do you know the types of potions that could be performed with just a clipping of a petal off of that? They're nearly immortal; the only thing that can kill them are great blokes! They make any potion ten times better, and can hardly ever be traced because of their rarity."

Harry blinked thoughtfully, twirling the rose around in his fingers before taking a bite of sausage. With a smile directed towards Draco, Harry put the rose down beside his plate, crumpled up the paper in which it had come in, threw it over his shoulder, and gone back to his neglected breakfast with a vigor that he hadn't had before.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Uh, Draco, it's not 'great blokes' that kill them." She said superiorly. "It's slate smoke."

Draco glared at her, cheeks flaming with embarrassment, and Harry grinned.

"Slate smoke?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded. "Slate smoke is caused by hexing Orphius Mortalicus, a plant that grows in dark humid places, with a growth charm. The smoke is slate colored and thick in texture; it smells like dead fish, and is highly toxic when breathed by any type of mammal."

"Someone must have put a hex on my books to make them change letters around," Draco mumbled, stuffing his mouth with more porridge to cover up the fact that his cheeks were a bright red.

Hermione smiled. "Your embarrassment more than makes up for what you two did last night." She said smugly, then folded her paper and stood. "Oh, and you might want to get rid of that bed before Madam Pomfrey comes in here today. She won't be too pleased to know that you're already breaking the rules again so soon after falling from your brooms after bumping into each other accidentally/on purpose and breaking nearly every bone in your bodies."

Harry blinked in confusion and Draco looked at her, brow raised. "That's what she's been saying we've done to get us locked up in here?"

"That and that you've got Dragonorrhea. Which doesn't even exist, by the way. According to her, it's a very serious, very deadly case of sickness with flu-like, gonorrhea-like symptoms. It's very contagious, so she's given you both your own ward, and has to come in here with a Bubble-Head charm along with many other charms that keeps your symptoms contained, so that she won't catch it herself."

Draco and Harry's eyes met, looks of frantic panic shot towards the other. "But it's okay, though." Hermione reassured. "You should be all better by the time school lets out at the end of the year. Maybe if you're lucky, you'll be better before then!" Hermione walked off laughing madly.

Harry blinked, threw down his fork, and picked up the rose he had received. Draco looked after Hermione, a disgusted look on his face. "I'm so glad you're finding such humor in this." He said dryly, standing and vanishing the food away.

"Humor?" Crowed Hermione. "I'm finding more than that! I mean, look at you! Neither of you have completed the bond, but it's so bleeding obvious that you want to!" Hermione cracked up into more peals of laughter, collapsing in the bed she had slept in the previous night, newspaper falling to cover her face.

Draco glared at her, before a look of smug contemplation dawned. "You want us to complete the bond, you say? Right now?"

Hermione's eyes widened and she yanked the newspaper from her face as she sat up in shock. "You wouldn't!"

Draco smirked, then grabbed an unsuspecting Harry, who was busy burying the rose deeply but carefully into his trunk, by the waist and yanking him into a heated kiss that melted his bones and turned his legs to jelly.

Harry moaned as he finally began to respond to the kiss, arms reaching up to tangle into Draco's hair and rub along Draco's spine in a chillingly arousing way. Hermione groaned and made a noise in her throat, covering her eyes but peeking through the space between her fingers. When Draco finally pulled away, Harry collapsed into his chest without warning, rose all but forgotten at this new development.

Hermione sighed as she dropped her hands. "You have no idea how hot that is." She said yearningly, and Harry shot her a disgusted look from his position, hunched over so that his head was comfortably cradled lovingly against Draco's chest. Draco smiled smugly at her and absent-mindedly raked his hands through Harry's hair and drawing small patterns on Harry's back.

Hermione sighed and looked down at her paper. Her brow furrowed for a moment, before asking herself softly, "How did I miss that?"

Both Harry and Draco stood immediately, walking over to the bed Hermione was currently perched upon. Her eyes were sliding over the page quickly, the worry and fear in her eyes increasing with every moment there was silence in the room. Harry sat at the foot of the bed Hermione sat on and Draco sat on the bed beside hers as Hermione finished reading, then locked gazes with Harry. "Look," She said, handing the paper over to Harry to read.

"Two Charged with 7 Brutal Slayings in the London Area

Two suspected Death Eaters were captured Saturday and charged in the brutal killings of seven people from two families, slayings that Aurors hadn't publicly tied together until now.

Auror Chief Daniel Monroe said Augustus Rookwood and Willy Widdershin were charged with conspiracy to commit murder and the use of the Unforgivable Crucio curse, which is punishable by life in Azkaban, and taken into custody after they were spotted by a muggle driving a Nimbus 2002 that belonged to one of the victims.

The bodies of Percyell Evans, 55; Sarah Baskerville, 47; and her daughter, Hannah Baskerville, 21, were found Friday bound with duct tape (a very handy, grey tape used by muggles for various things) in their ransacked home.

It was a similar scene when the bodies of Stewart Harvey, 49; his wife, Kathryn, 39; and their two young daughters, Katie, 9, and Susan, 4, were found in their basement, bound with the grey tape and their throats cut.

It is a curious thing that the causes of deaths were all muggle, but not unheard of in the now-common ransacking of Wizarding homes.

The investigation into Friday's triple homicide led Aurors to Rookwood and Widdershin, Monroe said. He said investigators also found evidence linking them to the four killings in the Harveys' home, but he declined to give specifics. It is believed that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was behind these heinous acts."

Harry sighed as he read over the short article. Rubbing his eyes, he put the paper down and looked warily at Hermione. Draco snatched the paper from Harry and read over it, his eyes turning to a dull shade. "I knew Hannah," He said, eyes tearing up as he threw the paper against the wall. "She was getting married to one of my cousins down in London next week."

Hermione glanced sorrowfully at Draco, patting his back softly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't bloody tell me you're sorry!" Draco shouted at her, standing. "It's not your fault! Bloody Voldemort, going about as if he owns the place! He should rot in hell, that's what he should do! Sod off, Potter!" Draco exclaimed as Harry opened his mouth to comfort the fuming Slytherin. "I need to get out of here."

"I'm afraid that you can't leave, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco, Hermione and Harry all turned to the voice of Madam Pomfrey. "These crimes will not go unpunished, but they will go unpunished by you. I understand that you need some time to cool off, Mr. Malfoy. That is highly understandable, especially in your current situation. But I won't have you leaving this wing, especially in the state you're in."

Draco sighed. "Mr. Potter, if you'd come with me, please." Madam Pomfrey said with a nod to Harry. Harry gave her a small smile and fell into step beside her.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"Professor Dumbledore's office. Now, if you'd do your best to look extremely sick, please?" Harry nodded and clutched his stomach, gritting his teeth and willing the blood-flow in his face to quicken. "Oh, by the way," Madam Pomfrey said absent-mindedly as she lead Harry to Dumbledore's office. "I love what you've done with the place."

Harry accomplished the flush he had been aiming for as the motion towards the newly placed bed was made by a grinning Madam Pomfrey.