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The New Dawning

Chapter Fifteen: Surprises

"A friend is someone who has the same enemies you have." ~Abraham Lincoln.

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February 15, 2000

"Now where'd the bitch get to?" Ron muttered to himself as he looked at the report on his desk. Even though he was running the squad meant to capture Bellatrix, someone else was tracking her. They were much better at it than he.

LOCATION REPORT, it read across the top. BELLATRIX LESTRANGE.

He read the report, snorting here and there at the load of rubbish it was. The tracker might be better than Ron was, but Bellatrix was a sneaky little snake and had completely slipped their hold. Yeah, load of rubbish. If he didn't know better, he'd think the tracker wanted Bellatrix free. But the tracker happened to have had relatives tortured by the brat.

"I will catch you," he warned the picture above his desk. "And you will pay."

– – –

Hermione played with the band on her wrist as she waited for Ron to get home. The runes were pretty, but they wouldn't stay on top. When the band twirled and pointed them down, nobody could see them!

Hermione was a nervous cooker. Of course, she wasn't a good chef, but she wasn't bad and Ron never complained (though she knew he secretly preferred Molly's and Harry's). Well, he'd be having a right feast when he got home, because Hermione had exciting news for him but her belly also fluttered with nerves as she thought about it.

The door popped open and her stirring paused before she picked it up again at a rapid pace. Ron's arms wrapped around her waist and he set his chin on her shoulder.

"Smells good, Hermione. What's the occasion?"

Fleur had taken months to tell Bill. She'd been too nervous to say anything until Bill noticed something was wrong. But Hermione was a Gryffindor.

"I have something to tell you," she whispered.

And Gryffindors act first, think later.

"Oh?"

"I'm pregnant," she rushed out, glad she wasn't facing him. He went rigid, and then slowly relaxed.

"What?" he wondered. "I don't think I caught you."

"I think you did, Ronald," Hermione chastised.

Ron pulled away and Hermione turned the stove off before whirling to face him. He had this confused, lost expression on his face.

"But...Hermione, how...?" he asked, a line forming between his eyes.

"Well, Ron, when a man loves a woman, he–"

"HERMIONE!"

"You had it coming," Hermione chuckled lightly, then frowned. "Are you unhappy?"

"What? No, gods no, I'm just...surprised, and...are you sure?" Ron asked, rushing forward to hold her.

"I'm sure," Hermione murmured wryly. She'd tried every brand of test the muggle drugstore offered and she'd even looked up several charms.

"We're going to have a baby," Ron choked. "Hermione! We're going to have a baby!"

Hermione laughed, throwing her arms around Ron. She'd never imagined herself as a mother. No, she really had imagined herself working for some feminist support group or something, refusing to carry a baby, and so on. But now that she was actually pregnant, she was happier than ever.

"I know," she whispered.

"Keep wearing that band," he murmured in her ear. "Now more than ever."

"I know," she repeated, tightening her arms.

"I love you," Ron kissed her lightly, pulling away to mutter again, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

– – –

Harry stretched out on the couch, Teddy curled up on his chest and Paul's lap as his pillow. Paul was lazily running his fingers through Harry's hair. Teddy still looked like Paul's clone and Harry found he liked the look, though he couldn't exactly take Teddy to lunch like this. He didn't look anything like the Teddy the cashiers or other residents knew. So he'd had to stay home for lunch, and it was a big change.

"Mmm," Paul's chest rumbled with the hum, making Harry giggle to himself. "I think someone's here."

"They'll go away," Harry responded, not wanting to move. Harry heard the knocking begin, but didn't move. Knocking turned to pounding, pounding turned to shouting, and finally Paul sighed and removed himself from the couch, going to the door.

"Leah? What's so urgent?" Paul demanded, eyebrows raising. Harry sat up, cradling the sleeping little boy carefully, peering out to the door with great curiosity.

"Where – is your boyfriend–" Leah gasped, and Paul was surprised to see blood on her fingers.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, joining them at the door.

"One of your kind – just showed up in the forest," Leah murmured, looking around wildly. "He's hurt. Badly."

Harry's eyes widened for a second, faces flashing through his mind of who it could be...who could have known to come here? He turned and Floo'd Andromeda, and thankfully she answered, taking Teddy from him with ease as he rushed away before explaining.

The three of them ran to the forest, Leah leading as if she'd walked this path every day of her life. Paul began to see why she knew exactly where she was going. She was following the path to the clearing where the vampire army had been. Paul's suspicions rose higher and higher the closer he got, but eventually he began smelling blood – so it must have been a human.

Harry burst into the clearing with wide, frightened eyes. Then, upon seeing the slumped form, he relaxed – and then tensed up again. Paul's little imprint rushed toward the bleeding bleeding boy, wand out, waving around.

Paul was scared for the boy. He knew that Harry, though his intentions were good, barely knew how to heal a paper-cut, let alone the gashes across the man's chest.

"Harry- Harry!" Paul shouted as the boy began getting frustrated. Harry tossed his wand to the side and a burst of raw magic (what Paul now knew to be accidental magic) surrounded the duo in the middle of the clearing.

When the light disappeared, the boy was no longer bleeding, but he was unconscious.

"Wake up!" Harry shouted, shaking the blond. "Wake up, you prat, wake- oh, hell, am I a wizard or not?" the wand flew to his hand. "Enneverate!"

The blond's eyes slid open and he gasped for air. After a few moments, he burst into tears and held onto Harry for dear life.

"S-she said she was sending me here, she said – but I didn't believe she'd send me to you – I thought I was going to die-" he cried, and Harry cooed and rocked the blond. The boy was maybe two inches taller than Harry, but that didn't matter. Harry curled his arms around the kid and rocked, as if he was rocking a baby.

"It's okay. You're okay now," Harry soothed. "Calm down, calm down. You're going to wear yourself out."

Paul watched with big eyes as the blond began relaxing.

"Thank you," he whispered. "I can't...that's, what, three times you've saved me now?"

A laugh bubbled up Harry's throat. "And the first two times we still hated each other."

"Harry?" Paul questioned, stepping forward uncertainly.

Harry glanced up and smiled. "Paul, Leah, this is a friend of mine from school. Draco Malfoy, meet Paul and Leah..."

Draco's gray eyes glanced up and he whistled lowly. Harry swatted his arm, rolling those green, green eyes.

"Pervert."

"Wanker," Draco responded.

"I do no such thing," Harry gasped, insulted. "Prat."

"Git."

"Tosser."

"Wanker," Draco repeated again, and the duo laughed – and it was really nice to see Harry laugh like that, so care free.

Harry sobered up quickly. "Was it her? Bellatrix?"

"Yes," Draco nodded, slow and sure. "Her cronies kidnapped me from the manor last night, threw a bag over my head and knocked me unconscious. Have to tell you, I wasn't happy to see Aunt Bella." this was said sarcastically. "The bitch."

"I agree," Harry muttered, standing and pulling Draco with him. "Come on, we'll call Ron and you can tell him what you remember of the inside of her hideout."

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