The Human Stain

By Anna Kate

Anything between is Parseltongue.

Chapter Sixteen- The Key

Draco was watching this exchange between the boy and the unconscious Harry. The boy was looking over Harry, and kept kissing him, and part of Draco wanted to rip him off so he would stop, but part of him knew that it was helping. That part was beginning to annoy him.

"Is there anything else you can do?" Claudia cried suddenly in English and the boy thought. He turned to Draco.

"Draco, I need you to come here." He said and Draco only barely noticed this boy had known his name. He walked over to the boy. "Draco, my name is Tom Marvolo Riddle. You remember me as Lord Voldemort." Draco staggered back and looked at Claudia, his eyes wide. She only looked back at him calmly. "I know what I ever did to you and your family was wrong. But I need you to trust me today, to save Harry."

"How can I? How could I ever trust you?" Draco shouted at him, backing himself up against a wall. Tom sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He turned back to Claudia, and they began to hiss at each other, talking in Parseltongue, but the tone was calm. Tom turned back to Draco.

"You cannot. I understand that. But I need you to come here to save Harry. I cannot kill him, Claudia will not allow it." As if to prove this, Claudia took a step towards her father, placing herself between him and Tom. She looked directly at Draco, and he realised that Claudia was not as naïve as many had her made out to be.

Draco took a step forward and Tom smiled at him, before turning back to Harry and talking to Claudia. Draco edged closer to his lover, and glanced at Harry, turning on the medical part of his brain.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked, stepping closer, becoming bolder.

"He's in a trance-like state. Pulse is erratic, breathing is regular." Tom said, picking up Harry's wrist between long thin fingers. Draco nodded.

"Have you tried sending magic force into him?" he suggested and Tom shook his head.

"I can't; technically, I have none, seeing as I'm dead. And Claudia..." he shook his head again. Draco took Harry's hands off Claudia and entwined his fingers with Harry's, with some difficulty. He leaned over Harry and kissed his mouth, pushing his tongue against Harry's mouth until it opened. He then took a deep breath through his nose, and visualized. He thought of that secret place within him that stored magic, deep down in his body. He saw the magic coming apart in wisps and he picked up one swirling green and gold wisp. He breathed out, into Harry and felt that familiar glow radiating from Harry's body before he felt Harry's eyelashes fluttering against his face.

Pulling away from Harry, a little remainder of the wisp connected Draco and Harry's mouths. To Claudia and Tom, the wisp was pure white, but to Draco it was green and gold. The wisp floated between Harry and Draco for a few seconds before fading.

Draco breathed out in relief. Harry's eyes opened and he looked around, and saw only Claudia and Draco. As the two stepped back, he noticed Tom and his face froze. Both men looked at each other for the first time since Harry has killed Tom, assessing their movements. Harry was as still as a statue, but by the way his body tensed, Draco knew he was ready to leap at Tom if he had to. Tom nodded to him, and stepped back, and Harry relaxed slightly. Neither spoke a word.

There was a knock on the door and all of them looked as John walked in with Rebecca on his heels. She was glaring at John, who's face was red.

"I need to give Claudia a check-up, Harry, Draco." John said, looking strangely at Tom. "Sorry about Rebecca, I couldn't leave her in the hospital wing." He threw a glare at the young girl, just to make sure everyone knew she was there. Rebecca stuck her tongue out at him, and leaned on one hip, hands on her waist; Harry noted she looked incredibly like...

"John, did you have to bring Rebecca along?" Harry said a bit warily and John nodded. Tom smiled at her, but Rebecca eyed him suspiciously. Tom's smile disappeared and he glanced somewhat nervously at Claudia. Claudia hissed something at him and he nodded. John froze as he was walking over to her.

"You speak Parseltongue?" he asked as Harry voiced the exact same question. Claudia looked blankly at them.

"What?" she said, raising an eyebrow. John looked at her with a mixture of awe and fear, yet Harry gazed at her with curiosity.

"You must have inherited it. Parseltongue; the language of snakes. You can speak it." Harry explained to her. Claudia looked to Tom for confirmation and he nodded. She hissed at Harry.

Can you understand what I am saying? she asked him and Harry replied.

Yes I can. he felt the familiar rolling sound of Parseltongue coming off his tongue and Tom smiled at him.

We have to find some way to defeat Lucifer. Tom said, running a hand through his hair. I know the spells to defeat him, but we need something else. A key.

A key? Claudia looked at him skeptically. What, like a door one? Tom rolled his eyes at her.

No, a- he began sarcastically but then there was a cry and the three of the looked just in time to see Rebecca drop to the floor. John knelt down next to her, and Draco stood down, looking over her worriedly. He frowned and reached out to touch her, but she suddenly spoke.

"Find the brothers,
Who are Thee,
They live and die,
In Secrecy.
They Are The Key,
To Life And Love,
They Bring The Message From Above,
To defeat the Angel Black
This key is your core.
The message is what you lack,
To open this locked door." Rebecca's words echoed around the room in cold tones and then she shook her head and sit up.

"What?" she snapped. Harry ogled at her, and Claudia politely raised an eyebrow.

"'Brothers who are thee'?" Draco said, turning to look at Harry. "How odd. I..." he frowned and then his eyes lit up. "I know who they are," he whispered. "I know who they are!" he exclaimed loudly, grinning. Harry looked on blankly.

"Who?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Harold and Draco!" Draco cried, throwing open his hands at his sides, as if it were the most obvious thing on the planet. Harry's eyes lit up in realization, and he turned to face Tom and Claudia.

"Get your things. We're going back." He said before sprinting up the stairs. John calling out stopped him.

"Er... Claudia still needs her check-up?"

00

In five minutes, they were packed and outside in the Forbidden Forest, past the portkeying wards, in the clearing where they had arrived. It was still dark outside, nearing 3 in the morning, and Claudia's breath was coming out in short white puffs in front of her.

"What do we do now?" she asked as the four of them stood close to each other, trying to preserve warmth. Harry put an arm around his daughter's shoulders and dropped a kiss on the top of her head, as Draco drew out a Muggle clock.

"We wait." he said as he held it out to them. Harry placed his hand on it, and then nodded at Claudia, telling her to do the same. Tom placed his hand over Claudia's, his fingers brushing the object. Draco counted down "Three... two... one..." and with a familiar tug, they were gone.

00

Harry stumbled and crashed into the living room sofa as Claudia hit the floor. Draco and Tom stood up quite calmly, smirking down at both of them. Draco helped Claudia up and checked her for any injuries, then dragged Harry to his feet. With both of them standing, they went to check out the apartment. It was exactly like they had left it months earlier. The Christmas tree in the corner of the room hadn't come down yet, and it was almost March. Harry could only remember the hurry they'd been in to get Claudia to Hogwarts, to get her safe.

"Wow." Claudia whispered, looking round, her backpack thrown over one shoulder. She pushed her hair out of her eyes, taking in a familiar, yet different, place. "So long..." she wandered over to a picture of her and Anna, and stroked it lovingly. Harry stood behind her and smiled at the picture. It was Claudia when she was 7, playing in the snow in Prague, Anna kneeling with her. Harry smiled at the memory.

"Come on." He said, and he took Claudia's backpack of shrunken items from her. "Get to bed. We'll wake you up soon." He told her and walked into her bedroom. Her bed was exactly as they had left it; unmade and with her pillow on the floor. Harry raised his arm and cast a cleansing spell on it, and then put the pillow back on the bed. Claudia smiled at him, and he bid her goodnight.

Walking back into the living room, he couldn't see Draco or Tom. Frowning, Harry searched through the apartment, looking through all the rooms; he discovered Tom asleep in the study room, where Draco had slept previously. He found Draco, face-down on his bed, fast asleep. Harry smiled, carefully rid Draco of his clothes, tugged the covers out from underneath them, got changed and joined Draco on the bed, covering both of them.

Spooning Draco, an arm flung around the blonds waist, Harry drifted off into a soothing sleep.

00

Draco woke Harry up last the next morning. By the time Harry stumbled into the kitchen, Tom and Claudia were both dressed, with mugs of tea in their hands. Tom was frowning as he and Claudia talked in Parseltongue.

What do you mean, you're allergic to milk? he asked and Claudia rolled her eyes.

I'm lactose intolerant. I can't have anything with milk in it! she explained patiently, but Tom still frowned. Claudia shook her head and switched to English. "You're impossible!" Harry had to laugh at that, and Claudia smiled at him as he sat down. Draco shoved a mug of coffee under his nose and opposite Tom.

"Dad, where are we going today?" Claudia asked, looking at him.

"We're going to Draco's childhood home," Harry admitted after a moment's hesitation. Tom looked at Draco.

"Malfoy House?" he asked and Draco nodded. "Has... everything been removed?" Draco nodded again, and Tom visibly relaxed. He looked around the room, and glanced at the Muggle clock. "It's 9 in the morning. We should get going soon." He told them, and Harry nodded.

"I should go and tell Emma we're back." He said, remembering the redhead who had helped them months ago. Draco nodded but Claudia's eyes narrowed. Tom frowned at her, as if sensing her emotions, and made to hold her hand across the table. Harry shot him a glare that stated plainly 'If you touch my daughter, you die. Again.'. Tom's hand snaked back to his lap.

"I'll go down to see Emma, and then we'll go. Everyone, get your coats. Draco, can you get my car keys from my bag?" he shouted back to Draco as he grabbed his Muggle coat and left. Tom stared at his back as he left.

"Er... I don't have a coat." He told Claudia and Draco. Claudia made an exclamation noise at the back of her throat before bolting from her chair and running into her room. She came back bearing a long black trench coat and held it out for Tom. He stared at it blankly, and then blinked up at her.

"It's... a girl's coat." He said and Claudia smirked.

"I know." He told him and Draco threw back his head and laughed.

00

Knocking on Emma's door, Harry waited for the woman to answer. He frowned, thinking up a suitable alibi to why he had been gone so long. Perhaps though, Emma wouldn't ask. He waited still for her, and eventually the door was opened.

"Hell- HARRY!" Emma's shriek rang in Harry's ears as she flung her arms around him. Harry hesitantly raised his arms around his waist and Emma pulled back grinning. "When did you get back? How are you!"

"We got back early this morning, and we're all fine." He said. "Claudia's okay."

"That's good!" Emma said cheerfully but there was a glint in her eyes that Harry couldn't place. He smiled at her and then heard footsteps from above as Draco, Claudia and Tom appeared. Emma smiled at them, and waved to Claudia, who raised her hand in reply. Draco grinned at her, and Tom surveyed her suspiciously before continuing down the stairs with the others.

The four of them climbed into the car which Draco unlocked and Harry sighed at it.

"I really need a new car." He sighed and laughed when Claudia shouted 'THANK YOU!' at him, making an extravagant gesture with her hands, almost hitting Tom in the face. He flinched away from her, reflectively throwing up his hands. Claudia frowned at him sympathetically, while Draco just frowned.

Harry started up the engine, asked if they had all put on their safety belts, then pulled out of the drive and they were off! It took less time to get there than the first time they had driven, now they knew the way. Sort of. Kinda. Maybe... Not really.

Eventually Draco cast a Point Me Charm, trying to locate the house which was North-West from Salisbury. They drove another half hour and ended up outside the large iron gates. Claudia let out a long whistle, and stared at it.

"Wow!" she whispered and Draco smiled at Harry. The black-haired man smiled back and the gates swung open magically and they pulled in the drive. Draco got out and opened the door, the others following him. Claudia gasped as they entered the huge foyer, but Harry and Draco stood in the center of it.

"Chryseis!" Draco called out, looking around. A familiar gust of wind swept up and Harry heard Claudia scream from behind him. He turned around and saw Tom pull her firmly against his chest, cradling her head, blinking from the dust. He looked at Harry, and Harry realised that standing in this wind was causing him pain too.

"Hello Father." The little ghost girl appeared, curtsying slightly. She glanced at Claudia and Tom and smiled at them, waving. Draco raised an eyebrow at Harry, obviously unable to see his daughter yet again. Harry bent down, placing his hands on his knees, looking at the little transparent girl.

"Chryseis, could you get Harold and Draco for us?" Chryseis glanced at her father. "No, not that Draco, his uncle. Could you get him?" Chryseis cocked her head slightly, and then nodded.

"They're coming." As the last word died in her mouth, another gust of wind blew up and a blood-curdling scream split the dusty air as Harry dimly registered that he had thrown himself over Draco, pushing both of them to the ground, and Tom was lying flat across Claudia, who was screaming, her hands covering her head.

Chryseis still stood, unfazed, as two figures dressed in finery glided down the stairs, hand in hand. She smiled at them, and they gazed down at Harry who was blinking up at them. Both were recognizable as Harold and Draco, but neither was blood-splattered or dead.

Living Draco glanced at Dead Draco, scrambled up a from under Harry and looked at his uncle. He raised a hand and touched Dead Draco's cheek hesitantly and then began to cry. Dead Draco let go of Harold's hand and caught Living Draco up in an embrace, before kissing him full on the lips.

Harry froze, staring at them, his mouth hanging open.

Both Draco's broke apart and began talking to each other in a language Harry recognised as French. Harold was looking at them, head cocked and an eyebrow raised, looking at them with a curiosity that Harry knew from somewhere, soon realising that he got that same look on his face.

Harold turned and looked at Harry, glancing at him. He walked forward, his shoes making a clacking noise on the marble on the floor. Harry looked at him, noticing how they were equally matched they were in height. Harold gave him a crooked smile and reached out. Harry flinched back automatically, but then felt a cool, solid hand touched his cheek. He opened his eyes and Harold grinned at him.

"James' child?" he asked and Harry nodded, grinning back. Harold gave a short, sharp laugh, and pulled Harry into a hug. "I died weeks before you were born." He whispered in his ear. "I never saw you." Harry shivered at the meaning behind the words. Harold pushed him back, holding onto his shoulders, looking him up and down.

"You got your grandfather's height, that's for sure. James was so annoyed that I was taller than him. You inherited the Potter hair, most definitely, but your eyes are Lily's, for sure." Harold was talking more to himself, and finally he glanced at Harry's face. Then they both looked at their respective Malfoy, who were talking in French still. Claudia was looking through the legs of the adults at Chryseis, who grinned at her.

"We've been told to come here. You have.. a Key?" Harry asked Harold, and Harold thought for a minute.

"Draco!" both Draco's looked over and Harold rolled his eyes. "My Draco. They need the Key." He told the blond and Dead Draco nodded. He took Living Draco's hand and they walked over to the Potters.

"Yes... I suppose so." Dead Draco nodded thoughtfully, and then disappeared. Harry glanced at Harold and his Uncle winked at him. When he appeared again, Dead Draco was holding a large black tome in his hands. "It should be in here." He said as he handed over the book to Harry.

Printed in large silver letters on the front was 'The Book Of The Dead Days' and a strange aura radiated from the book. Living Draco looked over Harry's shoulder at it, and reached around him to put his hand on it.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Tom helping Claudia to stand, and Chryseis walked over to them. Suddenly, all of the living humans were thrown to the floor as the house shook. A voice rang out throughout the foyer.

"Welcome back, Draco. I've been waiting for you."

000

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took me so long. I have a week left of summer holiday, so I'm pushing back the finishing date to Halloween. I want to finish this soon, not because I'm getting bored of it, but because I really want to get onto the sequel!

Anyway, it's my birthday soon. So... I'm going to be a pain and BEG for fanart. From ANYONE who can hold a pencil! I have a Yahoo!Group, http: slash slash uk dot groups dot yahoo dot com slash group slash thehumanstain, so join if you want.

Speak to y'all soon!

-Anna Kate