Chapter 20

*Warning: Probably contains typos and an unhealthy amount of...s*

TLA

At first, Severus looked at the envelope that suddenly appeared on his lap in bewilderment. He had no idea where it had come from, only that the technique of its arrival was vaguely familiar. Then, as soon as he had it opened and noticed the handwriting, everything clicked in his head. A heavy feeling settled in his stomach.

Abberthy Darling was a fellow Death Eater. He reminded Severus very much of Lucius, but Abberthy wasn't brave enough to leave the Dark Lord. He was too scared, even for his own son's safety. However, the Potions professor knew just how scary the Dark Lord was, and just the thought of betraying him was enough to make most of his followers wet themselves; it was really no poor judement on Abberthy's part. The clever spell-inventor had been one of the first in line to give his son the potion that Severus had created per the Dark Lord's orders. Where Lucius thought getting away from the monster was the safest thing for Draco, Abberthy thought the opposite. The only way to stay safe was to stay as close to the Dark Lord as he could.

This sudden note could bear no good news.

The weight in his stomach increased as he read down the short letter.

"Severus?" Lucius questioned, trying to read the note over his shoulder. "Is that from Darling? That was his little spell wasn't it?"

Feeling a little sick to his stomach, Severus didn't reply; he just handed the blonde the note. He was sure that the almost horrified expression on Lucius' face was one that matched his own.

The eldest Malfoy tossed the letter aside as if it burned him. "How could that coward let that bastard touch his son?" he began his tirade. "Arcus Sheppley is one of the most disgusting members of the Dark Lord's following. He has spent time in multiple correction institutions for unsavory sexual acts. He should have been sent to Azkaban and shared a couple kisses with Dementors if he wanted to fool around so much! And that damn Abberthy will let that sick fuck touch Andy? Or is it Aaron? Regardless!" He began to pace around angrily. "I would like to see that dirty bastard even look at Draco! I would slit his fucking throat! The Dark fucking Lord should be gutted like a fuc-"

"Lucius!" Severus exclaimed, grabbing his friend's shoulders and halting him. He knew that it was time to stop the blonde because when his friend was getting too angry his mouth got pretty dirty. "Breathe."

The blonde glared at him before taking a deep breath; he let it out shakily.

Severus kissed his lips gently. "That's it," he approved. He offered a slightly pained smile. "You know as well as I know that Abberthy is doing what he thinks is ultimately the right thing. Would you really have argued with a direct order from the Dark Lord, with Draco standing right there, right in front of him?"

Lucius looked away. "It would kill us both," he mumbled.

"Gentlemen don't mumble, Lucius," Severus replied with a chuckle. He released his friend and stepped back, grabbing the letter and putting it in one of his many pockets. "I had planned on staying a bit longer, but I'm needed elsewhere."

"Of course," Lucius agreed before grabbing Severus. The man just looked at him, curious, until the blonde melded their lips together. They kissed enough for the both of them to pull back and gasp for air. "We haven't really talked about, you know... us... so I was just letting you know that we should... when this is all over..." the blonde began, fading into a mumble with a blush. "If you still want to..."

Severus smiled when Lucius couldn't meet his eyes. "I'll still want to," he answered, sure. He kissed the blonde lightly and pulled back. "I'll be back with news on the boy."

The blonde just nodded, still blushing, as his friend disapparated. "Where is Draco?" he questioned no one, trying to regain his composure.

TLA

Jacob blinked open tired eyes. Where am I? The last thing he remembered was watching TV with Paul.

Looking around, he discovered that the TV was still on. He was still on Paul's couch. When had he fallen asleep? He tried to sit up but there was a heavy weight on his chest; he groaned. What the hell is that?

His mouth dropped open in horror when he saw what was holding him down... Paul... The damn wolf was sprawled out on top of him! Before he could throw the bastard off, there was a bright flash and loud laughter.

"What the hell!" he yelled, sitting up, tossing Paul on the ground in the process. It seemed that the whole damn pack was in Paul's living room, laughing at them.

Seth stepped forward, swinging around a camera with a huge grin on his face. "Do Draco and Harry know about this?"

Paul was picking himself up off the floor. First, he was confused, then embarassed, then angry, but playfully so. "Why you litte-" he growled, jumping at the smallest shifter.

Jacob joined him as they chased the boy out of the house and then around it. The rest of the pack followed them outside then just watched in amusement. Jacob was able to get ahold of the small shifter's waist while Paul immediately grabbed the camera. Seth begged and begged to be put down but the larger wolves would not have it.

Leah called out to the three. "We're meeting at the usual place, why don't you boys take him there when you're done?"

"Leah!" Seth yelled, struggling to free himself from Jacob's grasp. "Whose side are you on?" He yelped when Jacob grabbed him in a wedgie.

"Hold him still!" Paul laughed, turning the camera on.

"We'll get him there!" Jacob called over to the pack who began to disperse. "Payback's a bitch, Seth. Now, stop struggling." He lifted the smaller wolf off of the ground just by the grip he had on his boxers in one hand and held up a peace sign with his other hand. There was a flash, and Paul and Jacob had their revenge picture.

TLA

"What do you mean we have no future?" Harry questioned. He did not, did not, survive through years worth of shit to die any time soon. He had a damn future whether Alice saw it or not.

Edward chuckled at the black-haired wizard's determination. "I don't think Alice's blindness to your futures means death."

"Explain," Draco replied.

"I can't. I've seen what she's seen, more or less, and there isn't any sadness in her visions. No pain. No tragedy. It's just... fuzzy... and then it's gone."

"Yeah," Alice piped in. "I can see up to a point and then I'm blind. But I don't think it's a bad kind of blindness."

Harry was relieved while Draco... He was worried. When Voldemort reappeared, his mother would often visit a Seer; she would always ask about her family to make sure they would be okay. Draco had gone with her on occasion out of curiosity, and it was on one such occasion that the Seer told his mother that she could no longer see Narcissa's future. It had really upset him, but his mother assured him that everything would be okay. She wouldn't leave him and his father... But the Seer had been right. Draco could feel it on the day his mother was killed; something wasn't right. She was gone, just like that.

"Malfoy?"

He had begged her not to do anything reckless, to stay at home and watch over the house. She just smiled and brushed his worries away. She went out to see her sister and never came back. She-

"Draco!" Harry said, shaking the blonde's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"What?" the blonde replied, shaking his head a bit.

"You kind of spaced out there for a minute," Harry answered. "Are you okay?" he repeated.

"I'm fine."

Edward had caught a few glimpses into Draco's mind during his little daze; he felt a bit guilty for hearing his thoughts but after beeing silent for long, they kind of screamed at him. He couldn't really help it. He felt a sort of kinship with the blonde.

He recalled his human days when neighbors and friends would be fine one day and be gone the next. He knew all to well that feeling of dread that came with knowing something wasn't right. He, himself, had known that his mother wouldn't make it and yet he still wanted to hold on to her. He didn't want to let her go. His memory of her had greatly diminished over the years, but he could still very clearly remember the pain of losing her. It was why death had come so easily to him.

That is, until Carlisle saved him. Sometimes, he still felt a pain in his chest where there was something missing, but his family easily helped him ignore it.

He hoped that he and Alice were right, that the two wizards really did have a future. With the lives that they've had to lead he was sure that they deserved it. Both of them did.

TLA

Severus sighed as he turned down yet another dark hallway. Abberthy's letter had technically asked for him to come the next morning, but he could read between the lines. The man clearly needed someone to be there.

It would have helped a lot if he knew exactly where he needed to be though.

"Damn it, Abberthy," he growled under his breath. He hated walking around the Dark Lord's... abode... It was always dark and eerie, always sinister. It also weighed very heavily upon one's being because of all of the magic hiding it from the outside world. It could only be entered and found by someone with a Dark Mark, and the magic that it took to allow this was sometimes suffocating.

He walked down another opressing hallway before he finally caught a glimpse of someone walking towards him. He supressed a grimace when he recognized the dirty blonde hair and dark blue eyes of Arcus Sheppley. Honestly, the man would be incredibly attractive if it weren't for the pure malice etched into those navy eyes. His smile could rival the Dark Lord's in its grotesqueness.

The man walked by with a nod and a satisfied smirk at the Potions master. Severus caught a whiff of blood as they passed each other.

He ignored the other male and continued on his way, having to turn just one more time to fine Abberthy.

"Severus," the man said, sounding relieved. He had been standing outside one particular room.

"Abberthy," the Potions master replied with a nod. He looked at the closed door. "How is your son?"

Severus watched as those Darling family violet eyes filled with pain and shame... guilt... "I-I don't know... I got here as Sheppley was leaving... I can't go in..." He placed a shaking hand on the door. "I can't face him Severus. I can't."

"He needs you," the dark-haired man replied gently.

"He needs a father," Abberthy replied, voice heavy with sorrow. "I have no right to call myself that... not anymore..." He turned those purple eyes to the Potions master. "Please take care of him Severus."

"I'm not a doctor."

"You're the best he can get with that mark on his arm. Please, Severus. You're the only person I can trust here."

"I don't know what you're expecting from me," Severus replied honestly. He had a basic knowledge of healing that didn't go much further then healing cuts and bruises. He could fix the occasional broken bone, but if the boy was seriously injured there wasn't much he could do. Surely, Abberthy knew that.

"I need you to make sure he'll be okay. Please..."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Severus," the man said, grabbing the man's hands gratefully, giving him a small box in the process. "I need you to give this to Aaron. Can you do that for me? Can you tell him that I'm sorry?"

Severus heard warning bells, there was something odd about Abberthy's tone, but he took the box and put it into one of his pockets. He clasped the man on the shoulder. "Don't do anything foolish, Abberthy," he instructed, worried for the man.

The man offered a small smile. "I won't. Don't worry about me."

Severus watched as the man walked off down the hall, his worries increasing, but he had to check on the boy. He would just have to trust the man's words for now.

He opened the door and walked into a poorly lit room, closing the door behind him. "Aaron?" he called, hoping for an answer. He received none, and when he reached the bed he saw why.

The poor boy was unconscious which was probably a blessing. He was completely naked, darkening bruises, bite marks, scratches, blood, and... something else marring his tan flesh. Severus had seen the boy around school, always very pretty in an almost girly kind of way, but now... His heart clenched at the sight; he was very glad that Abberthy wasn't here to see this. He had known Sheppley was a dark man but this...

He quickly muttered a bunch of cleaning spells and healing spells, but these could only do so much. Some of the bruises were healed while others simply faded a bit, the same with his other wounds. He had a particularly dark bite mark on his... hip... that Severus feared would scar even with magic to help.

When he had done the best that he could, he magiked a light pair of silky pants onto the boy's slim legs for modesty sake; he would have felt dirty to continue the examination while the boy was naked.

He placed a gentle hand on the teen's forhead, feeling a fever...

His potion had worked.

But to make sure...

"Infantem..." he mumbled, waving his wand over the boy's stomach. The tip of the wand glowed a bright blue, the color he had decided to add into the spell to test his potion's success. Along with a fever and four small dots around the navel. There they were, like small points on a compass, around the boy's belly-button.

He ran a hand through his hair, irritated.

He had always hoped that his potion would never actually have to used. However, he feared it would be so as a small mercy he brewed it to work the first time. He didn't want any of the wizards forced to take the potion to have to be in the Dark Lord's bed more than once; it wasn't much, but it helped him feel a bit better about having to create something like this.

'This boy's lucky though,' he thought. 'His child will not be the Dark Lord's...'

His child...

It all seemed to sink in to Severus at this moment.

He had created a potion to allow the Dark Lord to impregnate anyone, male or female. His potion was just tested, and he just discovered that it worked... too well... He had always prided himself with his potion-brewing ability, but now he kind of wished he wasn't so good.

Damn. He wanted this war to be over.

The boy groaned a bit in his sleep but stayed blissfully unaware of his surroundings.

Severus watched him for a second before an image of Draco flashed before his eyes. This boy could have easily been Draco. Abberthy could have easily been Lucius. Arcus Sheppley could have easily been Lord Voldemort...

At first, he was relieved that none of that was true, but then he felt sudden surge of pain as he thought about what Abberthy must be feeling. About what Aaron would feel when he woke up... what he had felt before he'd gone to sleep... He remembered the pain-filled purple eyes that had begged him to check on his son. He had never heard Abberthy sound like that before in his life, and they had known each other for years, had seen all kinds of horrible things as Death Eaters.

Severus felt the box in his pocket that he was supposed to give to the young Darling.

His mind was made up.

"I need you to make sure he'll be okay."

He would keep his promise, and he would start by getting Aaron Darling out of here.

TLA

Draco yawned as he was pushed into the living room of the Cullen house by Edward. He rather liked the vampire, As long as he watches his mouth about the wolves. "What time is it?" he questioned. He had been with the shifters all day and then the vampires; he didn't think it would be wise to stay out much longer. It was getting late; he could tell.

"It's time for you to leave," the blonde female said.

"You are so pretty that it's hard to believe you're such a bitch," Draco retorted, earning a chuckle from Harry.

"Look who's talking," the other wizard replied.

"Shove off, Potter," the Malfoy glared.

Everyone else seemed to be amused by the banter.

"Edward can give you a ride if you need to leave," Esme said, ever the perfect hostess.

"I hope we can talk some more though," Carlisle continued. "Please feel free to visit anytime."

"Yeah!"Alice exclaimed. "I didn't even get to ask about wizard shop-"

She stopped midsentence, her eyes unfocusing.

"Alice?" Harry questioned, worried.

"It's a vision," Edward and Draco said at the same time.

Everyone watched the pixie-like vampire until Edward gasped, then everyone's eyes flew to him.

"What's wrong?" Jasper questioned, placing a hand on his mate.

Edward just stared at Alice, eyes wide.

"Edward?" Carlisle tried.

It didn't seem they would get an answer until Alice focused back in to reality. She let out an ungodly squeal and jumped on Edward, hugging him tightly.

"What the hell did you see?" Emmett exclaimed, voicing everyone's thoughts.

Alice released her brother and danced back to her spot beside Jasper. "Edward is going to be a father!" she exclaimed.

"WHAT!" was the collective response.

"I saw a little girl run into his arms, calling him 'Daddy'! She was the cutest thing I've ever seen! She had pretty brown curls and big purple eyes! She-"

"Wait. Purple eyes?" Draco questioned.

Now everyone looked at him. "Yes," Alice replied. "Well... more a violet color I guess."

"And brown hair...?"

"Draco?" Carlisle questioned.

"Oh gods... I have to go!" the blonde replied, apparating almost before the words were out of his mouth.

SasuNaruTLA: There ya go! An update! HeeHeeHee Cliffhangers are lovely aren't they? ^.^

I swear I don't plan to leave you guys hanging, it just happens that way! Sometimes you just have to let the cookie crumble! :)

Also. Please note that Severus' decision to get Aaron away from the Dark Lord is what triggered Alice's vision! Isn't that cool! Because when someone makes a decision she can see it! I was very proud of this! ^.^

REVIEW and let me know what you think!

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FlightMahogany9487

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