The Human Stain

By Anna Kate

Chapter 14- Upon Your Shoulders

Claudia was allowed to get up and walk now. John had held her arm as she stumbled across the Hospital Wing, but soon he walked beside her, not touching, but ready to catch her if she fell. It was a good system, it worked, and Claudia enjoyed his company. He was away between two and five in the afternoon, working in the library but he spent a lot of his time with her in the Hospital Wing.

Rebecca visited her brother a lot, Claudia noted. She seemed to appear about six-ish in the afternoon, and sat down at the Hospital Wing desk to do her work, then left at eight to go to dinner. She returned at nine to gather her things, then left. John left at eleven, eleven-thirty if he could, and he returned at eight the next morning. Then, the routine would start again.

The routine gave Claudia a reason to look forward to each day. John promised that she would be able to go into the library soon, and he brought her books to read out loud, for both their enjoyment. He started with Charlotte's Web, and then they moved onto Treasure Island. The brunette enjoyed reading out loud, and John liked being read to.

While they weren't reading, John was trying to convince her to talk to Harry.

"He means well, you know he does."

"Yeah, he means well when he lies to me my whole life!" she snapped at John, and his eyes narrowed.

"You're being pathetic."

"What the hell does it have to do with you?"

"It had quite a lot to do with me, since I'm the one who brings you food, who lifts you off the bed and who changes the damn sheets. That's why it has quite a lot to do with me!" John shouted back and Claudia sat in stunned silence. He had never, ever used her current situation against her. And it had hit her like a slap in the face.

He was right.

He was right.

"Can you get my Dad for me?" Claudia asked quietly, and John nodded. He rose and left.

00

Harry sipped his tea in his window seat as he watched the blond figure on his bed sleep. Draco was buck-naked, lying twisted in the navy silk sheets of Harry's bed. His mouth was slightly open and his eyes fluttered as one of his hands slipped off his hip to his side. His skin was smooth and pale, except for the stark black dragon tattoo on his arm. He was perfect, really. His blonde hair was framing his head in a white halo and one hand was in front of his face, clenching and unclenching randomly. He truly was beautiful.

Harry was jerked out of his reverie by a knock on the door and Mirella shrieking up the stairs.

"DRACO! DRACO! IT'S A REDHEAD!" she screamed and Harry snorted. He stood up and grabbed a dressing gown, pulling it over his shoulders and tying it at his waist. He padded down the stairs and opened the door. John was standing there, his face tinted slightly red from exertion. Harry frowned at him.

"Yes?" he said carefully, though in his mind all sorts of bad scenarios were present. What had happened?

"Um… Claudia would like to see you in the hospital wing if that's okay?" John asked quietly and Harry thought for a moment, then he nodded. John smiled and turned to walk away and Harry shut the door. He turned on his heel and ran up the stairs. He laughed and shrugged off the robe just inside his room then clambered on the bed before he stopped, holding himself above Draco. Draco stirred slightly on the bed and opened his eyes.

"What's happening?" he mumbled.

"Claudia wants to talk to me!" Harry said happily, grinning. Draco smiled, and closed his eyes again.

"That's good." He mumbled sleepily, and Harry kissed him on the forehead, still grinning. Harry then rolled off onto the side and settled down beside Draco, spooning him. He would move in a while. But for now he was content.

00

Harry strolled into the hospital wing, dressed completely in black. He wore black dress trousers, a black shirt and then black robes. Draco had bullied him into wearing the robes, saying that it looked good in the outfit though he would have been happy wearing a jacket. He wore a silver cross and several silver and onyx bracelets on his wrists. His hair was a wild mess and his eyes were hidden by glasses once again.

Claudia frowned at him.

"When did you become a Goth?" she said as Harry approached her. He spread his hands.

"You don't like it?"

"You look better in green." She told him. Harry shrugged, and sat on the end of her bed.

"You wanted to speak to me?" He said calmly, and Claudia nodded. She launched into the story of her coma and how she had met James and Lily. She told him about how she knew about his past. Then, added on the final point.

"There's one more thing." She said tentatively.

"What else is there to tell me?" Harry asked his eyes wide and a bit misty. Claudia took a deep breath.

"I am Tom Riddle reincarnated. And… I can travel to the afterlife. I think." She told him hurriedly and Harry blinked.

"I'm sorry, what?" he said stupidly, and Claudia repeated herself. Harry went pale and clutched to the footboard of the bed. "Um…"

"Please don't be mad, Dad. I can speak to him, and he's sorry for what he did. He's trying to change through me, and…" Harry raised a hand to silence her.

"I'm not mad. I'm shocked. The last time I saw Tom Riddle was the day I killed him. And now… and now he's living through my daughter. It's a bit hard to handle, but I'm sure I'll recover." He gave a harsh laugh. Then he leaned forward and took her hands in his. "I'm glad you finally decided to speak to me. I love you, Claude, with all my heart. You're my daughter, my special girl, and I'm sorry I lied. But for your own protection, and your mothers and mine, I had to." He said quietly. Claudia nodded and hugged Harry.

There was a cough behind them and Harry turned sharply to see Draco standing at the door. Draco smiled. Like Harry was dressed in black, Draco was dressed in dark slate grey. His robes whipped around him as he moved forward through the hospital wing. He paused in front of a bed that held another student.

"Mr. Irving, please remember to take heed of Professor Parkinson's warnings next time?" Some embarrassed mumbling then Draco moved on. He walked into the cubicle and closed the curtains behind him. He took his wand out of his robes and waved it.

"Silencing Charm." Harry recognised the cold shimmer around him. Claudia flinched as though something had burnt her as she reached out her hand.

"Don't touch it." Draco told her and Claudia nodded. "Good to see you both talking again." He smiled and sat down opposite Harry on the bed. He moved his hand so that their fingers touched and Claudia's eyes flickered towards it. She frowned but soon her face cleared. "How're you feeling?"

"Better, thanks. I can walk around now, and John and I are reading Treasure Island!" she told him happily. Draco smiled at her, but Claudia frowned suddenly. "Oh, I have a message for you." Harry looked at Draco, then nodded and stood up. As he left, Claudia felt a ripple in the cold shimmer.

"You have a message?" Draco asked, smoothing his robes over his legs. Claudia nodded.

"Yes," she took a deep breath. "Narcissa and Chryseis tell you hello and that they both love you very much. They're sorry for what the Angel did- I assume you know what that means- and that they will never blame you for their deaths." She finished and looked at Draco. His face was frozen in a shocked expression, his eyes wide and teary. He blinked and let out a breath of air.

"Thank you, Claudia." He said softly, yet his voice cracked. He took a deep breath and Claudia saw one crystalline tear fall down his cheek. She reached over and awkwardly patted his shoulder. Draco smiled at her.

"Can I just ask… who are they? I mean, I saw them, and they looked like you but who are they?" Claudia asked, raising an eyebrow. Draco smiled at her.

"Narcissa is my mother. She die- she was murdered two years ago. Chryseis is my daughter. She died when she was 5." The lie slipped out easily about Chryseis. No reason to let Claudia know his daughter had been murdered.

"I'm sorry." Claudia sounded genuinely sympathetic and then there was a faint buzzing in the shimmer around them. "Dad?"

"He wants to come in." Draco told her calmly, and Draco waved his hand slightly and Harry walked in before the shimmer was replaced.

"How come he could leave without asking but was not allowed back in?" Claudia asked. Draco raised his eyebrows and Harry grinned.

"Good question." Draco mumbled. "You know, I don't know. I'll ask around for you, okay?" Draco told her and Claudia nodded her thanks. Draco stood to go and Harry stood with him. Both men moved over to a corner and spoke in hushed tones. Harry's hands gripped Draco's forearms, and his face was tense with concern. Draco shook his head, and then ran hand through his hair. Harry spoke more, and then smiled weakly, running his hands down Draco's forearms to grip his hands. Draco nodded then turned on his heel and left.

Harry watched the blond man go and then smiled at Claudia. His smile faltered suddenly and he stumbled where he stood. His voice came out breathless.

"Claudia…" he said and Claudia's eyes grew wide. She clambered out of her bed to get to Harry before he fell, and Harry stumbled again. She pushed him onto the bed, though she was weak.

"Dad, you have to take off the Silencing Charm." She told him and Harry shook his head.

"I can't." Harry told her weakly.

"Dad, please, please, take it down. I can't walk through it and then no one can get in. Please Daddy, take it down." She told him tearfully and Harry smiled weakly. Then he cried out and his muscles clenched suddenly, causing him to curl into a foetus position. Claudia screamed. Harry threw his head back and Claudia noticed something.

Harry was bleeding from his forehead. From a strange lightning shaped scar. It had never been there before. Then, Harry went limp as he blacked out.

"Oh god. Dad? DAD?" Claudia shouted, shaking the man violently. Harry only rolled with each rock and Claudia screamed again. She reached out to the cold shimmer and flinched back as he had met that burning sensation again. She clenched her teeth and threw herself forward into the shimmer. She screamed as she passed through it and ended up curled in a ball on the floor. That had hurt! She screamed again and Madame Pomfrey came running. Draco appeared in the doorway and ran at Claudia.

"Claudia, where's Harry?" he asked and Claudia whimpered. She motioned weakly to the cubicle, and Draco looked at it. The silencing charm was still in place. He had cast it, but…

"Finite Incantium." He said and nothing happened. Growling with fury, Draco felt into the source of power in his very being. In his mind, he visualised it. A ball of glowing light, a ball of power and slowly he gathered it together to form a large, powerful orb. Then, he threw it outwards.

There was a large rushing sound and Draco was thrown backwards as the Silencing Charm collapsed. He landed with a nasty crack on his head and then there was silence.

00

Harry had started convulsing again as Pomfrey walked up to him. She shouted for John and together, they restrained him. He woke up a few minutes later, turned onto his side and threw up. He looked at them both.

"He's coming. Lucifer, he's coming."

00

The Headmaster had called an emergency meeting. That was all Harry had been told when he was calm enough to take in any information. The Headmaster wanted a meeting and Harry would have to attend. If he could stand…

"Are you all right, Dad?" Claudia asked for the 10th time that minute. Harry nodded quietly where he lay, curled up in his robes on the bed. He was shivering and his teeth were chattering. Claudia frowned at him. "You sure you're okay?" she asked. He nodded again. Across from him, Draco lay. His eyes were open, and he was smiling slightly. He gave Harry a small grin then closed his eyes.

"Keep awake Mr. Malfoy." Pomfrey snapped from somewhere in the hospital wing and Draco winced, but opened his eyes.

"She's spying on me." He whispered and Harry laughed slightly.

"You like it really." He joked, and Draco frowned.

"No, not really…" he trailed off as his eyes drooped.

"MR. MALFOY!" Pomfrey shrieked and Draco's eyes snapped open and he snarled. Claudia giggled, and both men winced.

"Sorry." She mumbled, and stood. Outside, John pushed back the cubicle curtain and appeared carrying clothes over one arm for Claudia. She grimaced at all the black. "Do I have to wear black?" she asked and John shrugged.

"Only things I could beg my mum to transfigure for me. Come on." He said, and Claudia followed him out, her long white nightdress sweeping across her ankles. Harry sighed and Draco sighed back, mockingly.

"Who's Headmaster?" Harry asked, a thought striking him. He hadn't known who the Headmaster was.

"Well, Hogwarts has two at the moment." Draco said hesitantly.

"Who are they?" Harry asked, as he pulled his robes tighter around him. He was so cold… Draco moved where he lay, and got up. He stumbled over, and Harry moved out of the way just as Draco fell down next to him. The blond lay down and turned so that his and Harry's knees and forearms were touching, and their hair mingled together.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" Draco whispered and Harry whacked him weakly on the shoulder.

"Draco…" he said warningly. Draco gave small laugh.

"Snape and Lupin are joint Headmaster."

"SNAPE!" Harry shouted and Draco clamped his hands over his ears. "Sorry. I mean, Snape!" Harry said incredulously.

"He's actually very good. I mean, you saw him at The Meeting. He's a smart one."

"I do not doubt his intelligence. I doubt his loyalties!" Harry snapped and Draco's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"He spent the entire Summer Holidays after 6th year moving me from place to place to protect me. He almost gave his life for me." Draco hissed, and Harry backed down.

"Yes, fine, but… I still don't like him." There was a long pause. Then Claudia came in. She wore a long black skirt and a scarlet blouse. Around her swirled scarlet-trimmed black robes. Her hair had been combed back and pinned behind her ear. She looked radiant.

"Ta-da-… Dad, what's going on?" she said, catching sight of the two men. Harry sighed.

'No more lies.' He thought. "Sit down Claudia. I need to tell you something."

00

Draco and Harry had to be helped up the stairs to the Headmaster's Office. Though Harry tried to shrug John off, he had stumbled and eventually resigned himself to having help. Draco had clutched Claudia's hand as she literally dragged him up the stairs, avoiding her eyes, repeating a mantra of 'Too soon, too soon, too soon…' in her mind. Her head was wheeling from the information her father had just enlisted her with.

As they reached the top, John banged on the large oak door and it swing open. He helped Harry into a large leather armchair, and Claudia helped Draco into one. The room was filled with people, most of whom Harry recognised from The Meeting except for the lack of the two mysterious foreigners. Claudia and John pulled up chairs next to them and Claudia smoothed her skirt across her legs.

Snape and Remus appeared down the large winding staircase that Harry guessed led to the Headmaster's Quarters. Their hands were joined and they wore matching onyx and gold rings. Harry bit down a gasp. Snape and Remus? Well, crazier things do happen in war.

Snape pulled out one large leather armchair for Remus, waited for the other man to be seated and then sat down himself. This gesture of respect and adoration struck Harry hard- he could remember a time when Anna was like Remus and he was like Snape. His heart hurt again.

Maybe, just maybe, he had loved Anna a lot more than he had thought he had. Sure, she had been an amazing woman and mother, and he had liked her a lot. But perhaps, over the years, he had come to think that he would spend all his life with her and Claudia. That they would grow old together and watch Claudia have children and be those kind of grandparents that spoil their grandchild rotten. Maybe, just maybe, there was more a future.

Blinking tears out of his eyes, Harry looked at Draco and the blond man looked back. He gave Harry a small smile and then turned his attention back to Snape. Harry turned his attention back to Snape too. Lupin was looking at his 'husband' in adoration and Harry wondered how they had got away with it. When he and Draco- Well, that was the past. Things had changed, obviously.

"Can everyone hear me?" Snape asked and there were murmured 'yes's around the room. Harry noted that Luna was not present her lack of dirty blonde hair noticeable. "Good. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am somewhat shocked and horrified to inform you that Mr. Potter," he still spat out that name. "Has foreseen, yet again, our future. And it seems that Lucifer," collective flinches "is 'coming'. Whether or not that means that an attack is planned or not seems to be unknown, but I must press you to assure the students and others of no immediate danger to themselves. Of course, all parents will be informed-." Snape was broken off as Madam Pomfrey came in.

"Sorry to interrupt, Headmasters, but could I please have Mr. Malfoy? He is needed in the hospital wing." Pomfrey said coolly, and Snape eyed her.

"Of course, but why may I ask?" he said as Claudia helped Draco to stand.

"The Missing Children have been found." Everyone gasped. "Merlo Boot has sustained injuries to the wrists and neck, as well as chest damage from curses. James Taylor has lacerations, deep ones, in the stomach and groin area and has been… violated brutally. And Mercy Gutazzi… I would rather not say." Pomfrey shook her head and Draco suddenly got a burst of adrenaline, it seemed, and ran past the nurse, down the stairs and out into the corridor.

Harry flew after him, and both men sprinted to the Hospital Wing, energy back. They ran as fast as they could, and when they reached the hospital wing, they were greeted by one of the Student Nurses. She shook her head, and spoke softly, lips quivering.

"We lost two of them." And Harry prayed it was not Luna's boy.

000

Author's Note: Hey you lot. How are you? I'm doing okay, I have school exams coming up soonish, and I'm sorry this chapter took so long. I decided to take a break from writing for a few weeks, and then churned out this thing. This is by far the longest chapter, so I'm pretty damn proud of it.

Now, to point out a review. One of them (I forget the author) decided to 'tell me off' for inconsistency. I'm very sorry, but I try and get these chapters out as quickly as I can, with minimal errors. I am bound to make a few errors, as JKR has done in her own books. Don't poke me about it. There's no point; I try, but yes, I am bound to make errors, like everyone else. Also, how do you know there isn't a class or a meeting at 2 in the morning, or a patrol?

So, until next time where;

Claudia's powers come in handy.

Harry and Draco fight.

Snape and Remus tell Harry about their wedding.

AND

LUCIFER (cue dramatic music)

Appear.

Bye

-Anna Kate