The Fall Of Darkness
by kittenvks
warnings: SLASH YAOI MALE MALE HOMOSEXUALITY! - can't get much clearer than that o.0 also, there will be a bit of angst, lots of fighting, laughing, flamers to the left.
disclaimer: I own nothing, especially not Harry Potter and co.
Chapter Twenty: The Plan
"I can't hold this forever!" Hermione yelled over her shoulder, wand pointed toward the snarling and snapping Veelas and the cheering Death Eaters in a defensive shield. Harry, Ron and Draco were in the same position, shields drawn.
"There weren't supposed to be this many left!" Ron cried out in reply, wincing with the effort it took to put the shield up.
"Draco!" Harry yelled, "do it! DO IT NOW!" Draco dove forward at Harry's command, wand slamming into the ground as magic soared about them, throwing the Veelas and Death Eaters back as the wards around Malfoy Manor reacted to their soul heir, spring and snapping forward to set around the clearing with a silvery shimmer. Draco collapsed with the effort to his hands and knees, head a mere inches from the shield the other three had up. Grabbing his wand he shook it off, resurrecting his own shield,
"it's done!"
"You're trapped now!" Ron yelled through the shield and Harry laughed,
"None of you can escape this clearing. The Aurors will be coming soon, more help for us! You're going down Nott!" Harry yelled to the Veela who was currently hitting their shields with all his might. Nott doubled over then, laughing.
"You're stuck with me, Potter. They'll never get to the Manor in time to save you all! Turn the Veela over to me and I will let you go!" He kneeled in front of Harry, gesturing for the other offending Veelas to back off and they did. "Just give him to me, and all you'll have to fight are the Death Eaters." Harry snorted,
"Over my dead body!"
"That can be arranged!" A Death Eater roared, the others cheered. A hex slipped through their weakening shields, striking Ron. He shivered as the cloak he was wearing dissipated the magic, only merely giving him a black eye. They tightened their circle, Draco, Harry, Ron and Hermione now sitting back to back; shoulder to shoulder. Their shields shimmered as they were attacked, weakening. Occasionally one of them would lower their shield, the others sliding over to take it's place and throw their own spell before going back to the shield tactic.
"They're right," Hermione cried over her shoulder, "we're not going to make it!"
"There weren't supposed to be this many!" Draco cried in apology.
"Well I'M not going down without a FIGHT!" Ron yelled, his shield strengthening a bit with his anger.
"I second that!" Harry roared, glaring at the offending attackers as another curse came through, slicing off a good deal of Hermione's hair and cutting the back of her neck. Ron roared with rage, but held the shield.
"I needed a haircut anyway!" Hermione laughed, sounding a bit eccentric.
"You're nutters, you know that?" Draco called over his shoulder, dropping his shield a moment to successfully take out another Veela.
"Let me have him, Draco, just give us Potter!" Pansy cried out, watching one of her brood wither as his wings disintergrated.
"BUGGER OFF YOU UGLY TWAT!" Draco spat, snarling. Some of the Death Eaters had moved to the ward around the field, attacking it with everything they had.
"Draco!" Harry yelled, leaning into the blonde, "I can't do this much longer, we have to think of something!"
"Hold the shield! Hold it!" Draco yelled, sliding himself around to shield Harry a bit with his own body, just in case. Ron was making the same movement, sliding himself over Hermione who was protesting with a string of expletives.
"We're not going to make it!" Ron yelled back at her, grabbing her hand with his free one. Harry leaned forward, one arm around Draco's waist as the shield shimmered again and several curses struck their marks- bruising, swelling, and slicing at them all.
"Draco," Harry whispered, his face over Draco's shoulder, "I just really need you to know how much I care about you. We're not going to make it."
"We are going to make it Potter, Auror up! We've got to do this, I'm not going to lose you!" Draco snarled, glaring at the offending Death Eaters who had returned, strenthening the attack.
"No, Draco, we're not. I may not be your Chosen, but I fucking love you, Draco. I would have spent the rest of my bloody life with you!" Harry cried out, snarling in pain as another hex hit him. He meant it. A sudden burst of magic flooded the field, racing out away from them as the shields broke with one final shimmer. The silvery magic flowed forward, stifling everything in it's path and racing up the wards the Manor and grounds had constructed before crashing back down on their group from above. Harry closed his eyes, as Hermione cried out her love for Ron. Ron yelled a hex as he went down, shielding his wife with all he had.
Yet, nothing happened. In the dead silence, a cool darkness surrounding them, there was nothing. A war seemed to rage around them, the burst of magic refuelling them and making them all feel invigorated. Hermione reacted first, calling out for Harry and Ron. They all opened their eyes, staring at each other.
"The shield!" Ron cried. It had seemed to solidify, a solid mass of silver. Then it shifted.
"Draco!" Hermione cried and they all turned to him. It wasn't a shield at all, though it acted as one. Draco had his wings back. The blonde rushed forward, a vicious snarl errupting from his lips,
"Your shields!" They all turned dumbly, Harry staring at the mass of silvery feathers. They seemed to carress his face as Draco surged forward with his warning, their shields closing behind his exit. Several Veelas, those that knew Draco like Nott and Pansy, took flight, screaming. Draco snapped the first Death Eaters neck with ease, his tail slashing into the next and leaving him screaming.
Then they all made the fatal mistake, turning their attention to the vicious and very angry Veela in front of them. A wingless curse was on one's lips, but it died in his throat as Ron hit him with a stinging hex, kicking him swiftly in the face as Harry and Hermione rushed forward, striking with every hex or curse that they had ever learned. Draco tore into whomever dared to get close enough to him, most of the Veelas taking flight to escape but merely having to stop at the wards. Hermione flung wingless curses like candy in a parade, dropping them like flys. One reached up, grabbing at Harry's robes and Hermione sailed a swift kick into his rib cage as his wings disintegrated. Then there was Pansy, rushing forward before anyone could stop her. Aurors were rushing in and Narcissa and Millie were there, taking flight to bring down the remaining Veelas. In all the confusion no one could stop Pansy from grabbing Harry, twisting him around with his back to her chest. Hermione screamed, rushing forward but Ron stopped her, one hand held out. He was bleeding from his forehead profusely.
"Let him go!"
"I'm leaving here today, if I have to kill him to-" Pansy's threat was silenced, her eyes wide and mouth gasping for air as they were jerked backwards. Draco let out a snarl, one of her wings flapping pitifully on the ground beside him as she fell, still holding tightly to Harry. Draco reached out, plucking him from her and snarled again, glaring at her.
"Keep your filthy hands to yourself," he hissed, advancing. Harry grabbed him, his fingers brushing past the bright silver.
"Draco, don't! She's gone," he said. "It's over."
The remaining Veelas and Death Eaters had been captured, and were being portkeyed back to the Ministry as they spoke. Aurors were rushing forward, congratulating Harry and Ron. This had all been their idea, though it was thanks to the thinking of Draco and Hermione that it had actually been a working plan.
"Nice, Malfoy, nice," Auror Finnegan said, clapping Draco on the arm and inspecting the carnage the blonde had created. Millicent and Narcissa soared overhead, circling and pointing out any that lived to the rest of the Aurors who were quickly rushing forward.
"*I* am going *home* with my *wife*," Ron said, stepping forward to hug Harry.
"Oh no you're not. We're all going back to Grimmauld for potions," Hermione protested, laughing.
"Then a nap," Harry added, grinning. Draco nodded,
"A long, long nap."