A/N : Hi everyone! I am finally back and writing again. I am so sorry that I abandoned my stories for so long. It´s been a rough year and I came close to fading due to mental health issues. Thankfully, things are looking brighter and I am looking forward to the reviews for this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own this franchise or any rights associated with it.
Chapter 11
Consciousness returned slowly for Harry, the warmth of his dreams fading as they were swept back by tendrils of alertness. He could vaguely make out voices murmuring in the background close to him, but was unable to decipher any of the conversations taking place. His memories of the evening before were resurfacing, the images bright and startling. He was still in disbelief that his entire life had been a lie concocted to suit Dumbledores wants. To go to such methods, to rip apart multiple families just for the glory; it was the single most atrocious act that Harry could ever have imagined. The small neglected piece of himself that had been forged while in the care of the Dursley´s ached for the entire of the previous night to have been a strange dream. The false slice of happiness that had been his existence for the past several years was better than the terrifying thought of there being perhaps no happiness for him at all. But he knew better than to think like that. His blood boiled just picturing the multiple lies that had been sprouted to his face over the years from that old crackpot.
His eyes fluttered open as he surrendered the last vestiges of hope of falling back into sleep. He scanned the stone ceiling of the living room; reacquainting himself with the room that the castle had magically produced for their needs. Harry perused the room for fellow occupants while he worked on getting into a more upright position. Ginny and Theo appeared to be collaboratively writing a letter on a piece of parchment at the study desk while his father was seated opposite him, casually reading through the mornings edition of the Daily Prophet. It felt strange to consider Severus as his father; the person that should have been the one to raise him. He didn't want to interrupt his father´s reading but wanted to find out more about what had been happening without his knowledge all this time. And Hermione seemed to still be asleep, he justified as he made his way over to sit beside his Dad.
Severus smiled gently at his son as he sat down cautiously. He knew what a shock this entire situation must have been on Harry and was desperate to aid in any way possible.
"Would you like to know the name that your mother and I gave to you Harry?"
He waited for the eager nod of affirmation from his son before he continued.
" Your name is Hadrian Thomas Snape; Harry was the nickname your mother picked up while shopping in the muggle world. I could never deny her anything, especially not when it came to you. I only wish you could know her, the true her."
Severus trailed off as the door to Hermione and Draco´s room swung open. The day had officially just started and they had several tasks still left to complete. He shot a brief look of sympathy towards Harry before leaning back and waiting for the hurricane to start.
HePOV
Her morning had begun spectacularly. She had been awoken by Draco´s mouth between her legs and feathers tickling the hairs on her arms. After much deliberation she had finally allowed herself to be dragged out of bed and towards the living room to start the day. While she knew that there was still much to be done, she couldn't help but mourn the warmth of their bed and the great pleasure that Draco loved to cause her. She could barely contain her excitement and impatience for their official mating. It still seemed so far away.
She smirked at the looks that they were given as they entered the room. It was mid-morning already and the others; having been given plenty of time to rest, had no room for complaints now. They would be leaving; baring any complications, within the next two days. Once gone, any unfinished business would have to be forgotten about. They only had one chance at this.
" Now that we´re all awake, we can discuss what is going to happen today. Besides a few more people joining us later, we need some information from outside. Gin,Teddy, I see you've already started on your letter. Draco and I finished ours last night so we can send them off together. Severus I assume Daddy already knows where we stand at this particular point in time?"
Acknowledging his nod towards her she continued,
" Now, while both Malfoy and Riddle manors have blood wards and more than suitable enchantments to protect us, Daddy agrees that it would be in our greatest interest to rather set up camp in The Grand. It is strategically more suitable as well as impossible to get into."
"The Grand?"
"Sorry Harry, The Grand is the estate that belongs to Draco and I. Once we are mated, it will be our permanent home. I don´t trust Dumbledore not to find an illegal or unmoral way to infiltrate either of the manors. Pureblood families are known to have intertwining branches. Who knows what he might try to do to get through the blood wards. The Grand is protected by a much more powerful and ancient magic. Draco´s magic has made it impossible for anyone not welcome to invade. Each family that has the gene has one of these properties that can only be inherited by those that carry the gene."
" While everyone is busy, Severus and I need to talk to Harry. Theo, be ready for recon soon."
She ignored the look of displeasure on Draco´s face as she pushed him towards the desks and made her way over to her best friend.
" Harry, Severus and I believe that you should be aware of this before anything else happens. When we escape the two of us will be your personal bodyguards. Before you try and argue with this I will inform you as to why. Until we can get you home and with my father, you are essentially vulnerable. The Riddles are vastly proficient in healing magic and will be able to remove the block that Albus placed on your magical core. The reason why you have never been truly outstanding with your magic is because you have been magically stunted. If you were to be attacked without us there to protect you, all of this might have been for nothing. do you understand? We just cant risk it Harry."
"I get it Mione, it'll be safer for everyone if I just cooperate without complaints. Is there anything else that that crackpot hasn't meddled with or am I just a walking book of contradictions?"
" I know how frustrated you must be Harry but I promise that'll it all be over soon. You can relax while the rest of us get in contact with our families."
Hermione kept her eye on him as the hours passed by. He and Severus appeared to be getting on well and had been in conversation since she had left them. Meanwhile her and Ginny were organising the arrangements that had to be made for everyone to be comfortably relocated to The Grand. The boys had disappeared into Theo and Ginny´s room an hour earlier and Hermione could only imagine the conversation that was taking place behind that closed door and silencing charm. She knew Draco would be put out to know that she had been aware of Theo´s secret before him. How dare she be closer to HIS best friend than him. She rather enjoyed imagining the little fit he would try to throw before immediately forgiving her and making her beg for mercy. She knew exactly how to play her mate, and enjoyed doing it as often as she was able to.
A chime rang out across the room as the occupants of the room looked towards the stone wall that was melting into a doorway. An array of colours flared as multiple people tumbled through the doorway before shutting the door quickly behind them. Leading the herd was a shallow pool of green robes, consisting of the Greengrass sisters and the rest of the Slytherin court. Next came the bright flash of red that accompanied the Weasley twin´s hair as well as the contrasting ebony and ivory of Neville and Luna´s respectively. She had to prevent herself from grinning in victory as she spotted the final person to have stepped through the door.