Title: The Boys Who Lived
Author: Shara Lunison
Beta: Batsutousai
Rating for this Chapter: M
Pairings: Harry/Henry (OMC), several others—none of them canon
Warnings: SLASH, twincest, slightly manipulative!Dumbledore, grey Harry/Henry, OoC-ness, others as I think of them.
Summary: The Potter twins are attacked by Voldemort and somehow defeat him. Now the Dark Lord has returned and they have to choose between light and dark. SLASH, Twincest, rated M for later chapters.
Disclaim Her: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
A/N: This chapter and the next will be long, and repetitive, though hopefully not boring. I wanted to get all of this in one place, and now was the best time. Hopefully the smex in the middle makes it all worth it. ^_~
WARNING: rimming, anal sex, and handjobs are ahead. These scenes are clearly marked, so skip them if they make you icky.
Chapter Thirty: The Hook
During the two weeks before the twins were due to leave on the expedition with the Headmaster, they could most often be found in the office of the two Defense Against the Dark Arts professors, learning a series of complex and progressively more illegal spells. They had been excused from classes for the remainder of the term so they could learn them. Though they were still expected to complete their exams. Most of the last two weeks were revision anyway.
"There are twelve symbiotic spells," Remus lectured. "The first, which you already know, is the spell that combines and separates your bodies. Three of the spells we will teach you should be used only in the most dire of circumstances. They're referred to as the Deathly Trine. They are considered worse even than the Unforgivables, and all three result in the death of the victim. We will only be teaching them to you, because this type of magic is rare, and you will need to know everything about it to use it effectively."
Sirius took up the lecture there. "We'll teach those three spells last. There's not much time until you leave with the Headmaster, so for today we'll focus on the first four spells. When you have those, we'll do the next four. And then we'll deal with the Deathly Trine separately. With luck, and your hard work, we'll manage to finish these lessons before the end of the week."
The twins nodded seriously. Harry asked softly, "What are the first four spells, then? Is there some specific order we have to learn them?"
Remus nodded. "Each spell is more difficult to learn than the one before it. They build upon one another, hence the order of these lessons. The first four are defensive, the three after that are offensive, one is in a class of its own, and the final three are the Trine. So let's simply begin.
"The first spell is tectum erexi. It raises a shield that can either protect you, or can be set to protect another person or object. Just like protego, it will break after several hits from hard-hitting spells like reducto or confringo. But unlike a normal shield spell, it blocks most other hexes and curses without weakening. The theory is that the increased strength of the spell allows it to leech energy from the spells that strike it, in effect making it nearly impossible to dispel. Why don't you try to cast it?"
Harry and Henry nodded and easily combined into Lylas—it was getting easier the more they did it. Gripping the holly wand in their left hand, they cast the new shield spell. "Tectum erexi!" A shimmering sphere of transparent multi-hued magic encased them. It was like being enclosed in a soap bubble. Reaching out a curious hand, Lylas poked the shield and was surprised to find it give and stretch as though it were elastic.
"Wonderful!" Sirius barked. He drew his wand and started casting various low-level hexes at the shield. Lylas looked on with wonder on his face.
"What does it feel like?" Remus asked curiously.
"It's like…ripples in a pond. The hexes are hitting the surface and then dissipating outwards in concentric rings. I think if there was enough power behind them, the shield would start to drain, but at this level we could stand here all day and not take a single hit."
"Hmm…" Remus murmured, drawing his own wand. He cast several blasting curses in succession, and the surface of the shield instantly changed. Instead of an elastic, rippling surface, it hardened to defend against the stronger attacks, much like a protego shield would. The rigidity inevitably began to crack under the strain, until the entire shield shattered in a sparkle of multi-hued shards.
"Is it possible for you to control the surface?" Sirius asked, seeing the same thing Remus had. "If you can keep it from becoming rigid, even the blasting curses might have no effect."
Lylas recast the spell and 'felt' along the edges of the spell with his mind. "It should be possible. Try shooting just one at me."
Sirius obliged, and they all watched in amazement as the spell burrowed into the shield so that it bulged inward, slowed nearly to a standstill, and then bounced back in the same direction it had come from, like a trampoline. Sirius flung himself aside as the spell was returned with twice the force with which he had sent it.
"Useful," Remus told Lylas. "But be careful not to try that if someone sends multiples of the same spell at you."
"Why?" Lylas asked.
"You saw how it burrowed through the shield first. If you put enough force behind a push like that, the shield wouldn't shatter harmlessly like it did the first time I sent multiples. It would implode, and the magic would backlash on the person inside."
Lylas winced. "That would be bad."
Remus' lips twitched. "Let's try the next one, shall we? The incantation is praesidium patronum. Like the shield spell, it's a more powerful version of a more common spell, the Patronus. The only difference between the two in this case, is that praesidium patronum doesn't dissipate when you lose focus or when the Patronus has repelled your target. Both require you to select and hold onto a happy memory to cast the spell. But once cast, you can let go and the Patronus will remain and guard you or someone else of your choice. Why don't you try?"
Lylas tried to come up with a single happy memory, but had trouble finding one that both Harry and Henry could connect with. They knew instinctively that if the memory was not happy for them both, then the spell wouldn't work at all. And they also knew from hearing Remus talk about the regular Patronus spell that just any happy memory wouldn't do—it needed to be special.
Finally, they settled on a memory from that morning, still fresh and sweet in their memories. It was simple—the experience of waking up in one another's arms, no barriers between their minds, no clothes barring the touch of skin on skin, and the sleep-warm flesh of a beloved person entwined with their own.
"Praesidium patronum!" A cloudy mist of white vapor exploded from their wand and swept around them, then dissipated. Lylas looked at Sirius and Remus with disappointment.
Remus smiled gently. "I would have been surprised if you'd gotten this one on your first try. Even a regular Patronus requires a great deal of practice to succeed. Still, that was a wonderful attempt. I think the added power levels will help you accomplish this faster than you would separately. Try again.
So they tried again. And again. And again. The mist grew less each time they used the memory they had chosen, so Remus suggested they choose a different memory. They chose the memory of their first night together experimenting with the sexual side of their relationship. A figure began to form of the mist, but further practice did not reveal a corporeal Patronus.
After another hour of attempts, Remus finally called a halt. "Let's take a break for lunch. You probably aren't feeling it in that body, but once you separate I'm willing to bet you'll both be exhausted. Take a few hours to eat and maybe take a nap. And maybe talk when you're separate and try to think of a better memory."
Lylas nodded and cast the separation spell, "Duo abscido." Harry and Henry nearly fell to their knees when they were divided once more. The exhaustion was making their legs shake, and a gnawing hunger was suddenly eating at their bellies.
Sirius barked a laugh and grabbed the twins around the shoulders. "Let's get you something to eat. Then I order you to nap—I'll carry you to bed myself if I have to."
They stumbled down to the Great Hall where the rest of the school was gathering for lunch. They were both so hungry that the sight of all that rich food nearly made them feel ill. Taking it slow, they ate something light to start and slowly worked up to the meatier dishes.
Hermione, Ron, and Draco settled near them at the Gryffindor table and looked at them with concern.
"You look terrible!" Hermione gasped as soon as she saw them. "What are the Professors doing to you?"
"Pushing us," Henry answered numbly, lifting a wobbling spoonful of soup to his lips. Every muscle in his body felt like it had been worked to its limit and beyond.
"How many spells have you learned?" Draco asked with curiosity. Growing up as a pureblood, he was familiar with the symbiotic spells.
"Two," Harry answered shortly, ripping a small piece of bread off a roll and sticking it in his mouth. "But we haven't gotten the second one to work quite right yet."
"They're that hard?" Ron asked, pausing in the middle of his piece of fried chicken to gape at them. The twins closed their eyes, still not ready to eat anything that greasy or covered in spices.
"Yes," they answered simply.
"We got the first one fairly quickly," Henry admitted. "But we've been at it all morning with the second, and we're exhausted. I don't know if we'll be able to continue this afternoon even if we do take a nap."
"They're making you continue?" Hermione asked, aghast. "But, you're clearly too exhausted to perform anymore magic today! Are they trying to kill you?"
"Don't be silly," Harry told her, a glimmer of amusement lighting his tired face. "This is necessary—we agreed to let them set the pace, and we all know there isn't much time before we'll need to know these spells. Two weeks is enough time. It has to be."
"Once we get this second spell, we still have to learn two more today," Henry sighed. "I think they're just going to get us to the point of being able to cast each one successfully, then push us over the rest of the time we have left until we can duel with these spells at will."
No one had anything to say to that, and they all finished eating in near silence, chatting about inconsequential things as the twins recovered their energy. They were yawning hugely by the end of the meal, both of them having eaten twice as much as they would normally.
"Bed, both of you," Draco told them firmly. "Go to Slytherin—in the state you're in, taking stairs down is better than expending the energy to go up."
The twins nodded in agreement and waved feebly to their friends before departing to take their nap.
When they were ensconced in their bed in the Slytherin dorms, Harry spoke before they fell asleep. "About the memory, Hen…"
"Hmm?" Henry asked sleepily, cuddling closer to his brother.
"I think we might have to make a new one," Harry murmured softly, brushing Henry's hair away from his face.
Henry blinked his eyes open muzzily and quirked his lips in a very sleepy yet sexy smirk. "When we wake up," he agreed.
Despite the anticipation singing through their bond, they both fell asleep within moments, unable even to think with how depleted they both were.
LEMON-o-0-o-LEMON
Harry woke on his stomach, feeling chilly because of the sudden lack of covers overtop of him. He barely had time to register this fact when he felt hands spreading open the crack of his butt and something wet and hot flicking over his anus.
Moaning, he managed to gasp out, "Hen?"
"Mmm…" came the mumbled response, his brother's nimble pink tongue circling the tight ring of muscle and pressing against the center insistently. The pressure was delicious, causing Harry to flush from head to toe and squirm against the sheets. In his current position, his quickly growing erection was trapped and aching from the lack of friction.
"Hen!" Harry cried when his brother's tongue entered him. When a spit-slick finger replaced it moments later, he couldn't help but gasp in surprise. "H-Hen…I thought you would want to t-try this first," he managed to stutter.
Henry chuckled deep in his throat as his teeth grazed over Harry's right butt cheek. The vibration of that laugh went straight to Harry's cock, and he groaned.
"I just want to make you feel good, Harry," Henry murmured, sweeping gentle kisses over the bite marks. His finger was slowly stroking in and out of Harry's hole, making him feel strangely like he needed to use the bathroom. Then Henry's tongue was back, pressing quickly in and out of the slightly widened opening, and Harry forgot to do anything but feel. Henry's tongue was more insistent now, darting in and out and flicking repeatedly against the quivering muscle. Harry could feel himself clenching repeatedly, and knew if either of them were touching his erection, he would be coming at that moment.
"Let me feel you, Harry," Henry moaned. He changed position slightly, though Harry couldn't see over his shoulder. Then the finger was back inside him and he realized with a start that there were two this time, scissoring back and forth inside of him, and slowly moving in and out. His anus felt tight and stretched to its limit, but he knew it would need to be even bigger to accommodate his brother. "Open yourself to me," Henry begged softly, his cheek resting against Harry's butt cheek as he watched his fingers moving in and out.
Harry released whatever tenuous hold his mind had been keeping on the barrier between them, and they both cried out as sensation swept over them. He could feel Henry's anticipation, the torture of having to move so slowly and carefully so as not to hurt his brother. He could feel the heat of his own flesh, the tightness as his anus clenched around Henry's fingers. He could feel the reflection of his own aching need as Henry felt it and combined it with his own and sent it back again.
Henry quickly laved more saliva onto Harry's hole, and onto his fingers, then pressed them back in again, adding a third. Harry cried out at the pain, feeling his cock deflate slightly from the pressure. Then Henry hit something inside of him, the barest brush of a finger, and he was coming, coming, coming against the sheets without either of them ever having touched his erection.
Gasping, Henry clenched his hand around the base of his own erection as he felt Harry's pleasure. He didn't want to come yet. He wanted to come inside of his brother, wanted to feel the hot splash of it filling Harry to the brim.
Harry moaned again, feeling that Henry's anticipation had skyrocketed. "Please, Hen… do it now!" He pulled himself up to his knees and elbows, spreading his legs to give better access.
Unable to argue, and too far gone to even think of objecting, Henry spat into his hand and stroked his cock to coat it, then pressed the head against Harry's red and gaping hole. Slowly, as slowly as he could manage, he pressed the head inside, then inched his way in, wincing each time he felt a pang of pain across their bond.
When he was finally fully seated inside of Harry, something—the bond?—pulsed. Panting, Henry rocked back, sliding out several inches, then rocked forward again, Harry's tight hole clenching him and pulling back the already-tight foreskin. At the same time, he could feel the burning friction of his movements from Harry's perspective, and knew that although he was making Harry feel good, his brother's erection was withering from the pain.
He couldn't stop. The delicious slide of skin against skin was too much for him to give up. And there was that something pulsing faster and faster in the background that wouldn't let him stop. "I'm… sorry!" he gasped, snapping his hips faster. Harry's anus grew slick with unknown moisture. Henry couldn't tell if it was simply arousal, or blood, or the body's natural reaction to having an intrusion there. Whatever it was, he was grateful, for Harry's emotions and pleasure changed across their bond.
"More!" Harry gasped beneath him. His arms had collapsed, his face turned sideways in the sheets as he kept his hips raised. "Harder…you almost…AH!"
With a particularly hard thrust, Henry felt it. Some small nub of nerves inside of Harry was struck and a jolt of pleasure echoed through them both. Struggling to catch his breath, Henry slowed slightly and adjusted his angle to hit that spot again. He did, and Harry moaned. So he did it again, and again, and again. Harry's erection returned with a vengeance. Reaching one hand around, Henry stroked it, smoothing pre-come up and down the length and allowing their movements to time his touches.
This couldn't last much longer. Bending, Henry wrapped his free arm around Harry's chest and hugged him, never stopping his thrusting or his stroking. He reached across the bond and tentatively touched his brother's mind, instantly let in.
They became one. Their bodies moved on autopilot, while their minds soared together to new heights.
"I love you Harry."
"I love you Henry."
They spoke simultaneously, and came together, a nimbus of colored lights sparking behind their closed eyelids.
And the pulsing in the background of their bond snapped into place as the world went dark.
END LEMON-o-0-o-END LEMON
When they finally returned to the Defense office, Sirius and Remus were waiting for them. The moment they entered, Remus stood up, frozen, his nose quivering as he scented the air.
"Moony?" Sirius asked, worried.
Remus shook his head. "They are mates now. But the wolf is not bothered."
"Mates…now?" Sirius asked slowly. He looked at the twins and dawning realization flooded over his face. A dark pink tinge slowly worked its way from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. "Oh."
"Oh, indeed." Remus chuckled darkly. "Well, now you have a better memory, why don't you try the spell?"
Blushing themselves, Harry and Henry cast the first spell, joining together to form Lylas. With the phoenix feather wand in hand, they cast praesidium patronum once more.
With a brilliant flash of purest white, a winged creature took flight around the classroom, flapping silent wings as its head turned in search of something to protect or attack. Lylas held up an arm, and the owl back-winged to land there, buffeting the boy's head with silver motes of magic.
"An owl?" Sirius asked, surprised.
"Interesting," Remus murmured. Louder, he said, "We'll have to try the regular Patronus spell while you're separate and see what your individual patroni are."
Lylas was enthralled with the owl. Glowing silver eyes gazed into green, and a sense of something otherworldly slithered down his spine. Blinking, Lylas released the spell and the owl blew away like wisps of smoke.
"Let's see if you can get the next one," Remus said. "This is a healing spell, which cleans and binds wounds. This one is slightly different, as it must be chanted three times. The more musical your casting, the better it works. The incantation is vulnera sanentur."
"How can we cast it without having someone to heal?" Lylas asked.
For answer, Remus pointed his wand at Sirius and cast a slashing hex. A long gash appeared on his exposed forearm, and the animagus gasped in pain.
"Remy!" he whined. "That hurt!"
Smirking, Remus motioned to the man as though to say, 'Well? Get to it!'
Raising his wand, Lylas passed it slowly over the wound as Remus had demonstrated, slowly half-speaking and half-singing the spell. "Vulnera sanentur…vulnera sanentur…vulnera sanentur." With each pass and chant of the spell, first the blood soaked back into the wound, then the flesh began to knit together, then all trace of the wound slowly diminished to a thin pink line of almost-healed skin.
"Very good," Remus praised, clapping him on the shoulder. "One more spell to learn, and we'll let you leave for the day. This one is used for healing the entire body of all ills. It can be draining if you try to heal too much, for instance if someone is on the brink of death, you may kill yourselves trying to heal them with this spell. It takes the energy for the healing first from the caster, and then from the patient. The incantation is salus corpus, and I want you to cast it on me."
Lylas gaped at him. "On you, Professor? But you're not hurt, are you?"
Remus smiled gently. "I'm not badly hurt, no. But the full moon was not very long ago, and I'm still feeling the ache in my bones, not to mention the bruises and scrapes I earned romping through the Forbidden Forest with Padfoot. I should be hurt enough for the spell to work, but not so much as to drain you dangerously. After this, you two are going to dinner, and then straight back to bed for the rest of the night."
Nodding, Lylas raised his wand. Performing the motions, he drew a large circle in the air in front of Remus' body, saying the words at the same time. "Salus corpus." Rust-hued magic spilled from the holly and phoenix wand, surging into Remus' still form. Numerous small spots on his hands, arms, chest, and legs were highlighted even through his clothing as the magic drew there to heal him. An overall dusting of reddish gold spilled from his skin, showing that the magic was healing him deeper as well. Most likely those aching bones he had been speaking of.
When the magic finally bled away, Lylas sank to his knees, barely able to keep his eyes open.
Sirius knelt in front of him worriedly, a gentle hand cupping Lylas' face. "I don't know if you should try to separate until you've rested. If you're this exhausted together, then you might be dangerously so when apart."
"I agree," Remus murmured, hugging himself with wonder shining in his eyes. "I haven't felt so good in years. Perhaps I misjudged how much healing I really needed."
"Go to dinner, sit with your friends, then sleep. If you feel it safe to attempt, then separate when you are ready," Sirius told him.
Nodding, Lylas shakily stood up and left the classroom, leaving the two Defense professors alone in the darkening office. It took only a moment for Remus to rush over to his lover, examining the new scar on his arm. "I'm sorry! I didn't really hurt you that badly, did I?"
For answer, Sirius gently tilted up Remus' chin and gave him a sweet kiss. "I've had worse bug bites, Remy. Are you all right?"
"Yes," Remus gasped, leaning up greedily for another kiss. "I feel…amazing, Sirius! It's like ten years have been shaved from my life."
"Well…" Sirius drawled, a cocky grin forming on his lips. "In that case…"
Neither Defense professor made an appearance at dinner that evening, nor would they be present for breakfast in the morning.
-o-0-o-
Lylas was so tired, he didn't even consider what would happen when a strange boy who looked like the Potter twins entered the Great Hall. Dinner had already started by the time he had made it downstairs, and the room went deadly silent as he pushed open the doors and moved towards the Slytherin table to sit with his friends. He didn't even notice the silence until he had sat beside Draco and began filling his plate, startled by all the stares he was receiving.
"…Potter?" Draco asked hesitantly.
"Yes," Lylas sighed, holding his head in his hands. "Call us Lylas. We were too tired to attempt the separation spell. The Professors told us to eat dinner and sleep before trying."
For some reason, Hermione, who was seated between Draco and Ron on her other side, snorted loudly and then erupted into hysterical giggles.
Lylas just gave her an incredulous look. She quickly got a hold of herself so she could explain. "Sorry!" she said, still giggling slightly. "But you sounded like a king using the royal 'we'."
Many of the students nearby stared at her, mouths agape. Then someone's mouth twitched. Someone else gave a hesitant chuckle. Before long, the whole Slytherin table was nearly in tears from laughing so hard.
Sighing, Lylas resumed filling his plate and started eating. Everyone else soon calmed down and resumed their own meals.
The next interruption came from the head table. Dumbledore himself came down and approached Lylas, a suspiciously bright twinkle dancing in his eyes.
"Mr. Potter, this is remarkable! I hadn't realized just how skilled you were at the symbiotic spells. You are a true credit to your teachers. Professors Lupin and Black must be very proud of you."
At the words 'symbiotic spells' the still-curious student body erupted into whispers that spread like wildfire. Lylas groaned, banging his head on the table. "I'm sure they're pleased, sir," he mumbled. "We learned the first four today, not counting the combination spell."
Dumbledore gaped at him. Actually gaped. "Four! That kind of progress is unheard of, my boy!"
Lylas shrugged. "Everything seemed to come more easily once we got the praesidium patronum spell down. Once we found a good enough memory, everything just seems to click when we're combined like this."
Something in what they said, or something in their expression caused Dumbledore's face to tighten. Quietly, so quiet that Lylas could barely hear him, they heard Dumbledore say, "A fully consummated soul bond? No. No…they wouldn't…"
And he walked away, still mumbling to himself.
Lylas paled, suddenly not feeling hungry anymore. He pushed his plate away and stood, retreating from the Great Hall at a very quick trot.
He was not running. There was nothing to run from.
But inside, something different was happening. Harry was pulling in one direction, wanting to do one thing, and Henry was pulling in another, wanting something completely different. By the time they reached the Gryffindor dorms, Lylas' brow had a coating of sweat and he felt slightly nauseous. Finally, with a physical wrenching, their chosen paths caused them to split entirely, and the duo universus spell collapsed on its own, leaving two exhausted Potter twins in the wake of the magical backlash.
They collapsed where they stood, barely having made it into the dormitory and missing the bed by several feet.
-o-0-o-
A/N: Weeeeell…I was going to put all of the spells in this chapter, but this was such a good place to stop that I couldn't make it happen. So I guess that's good for all of you, unless it's too much of a cliffhanger. :P
ALSO! I made a very slight change to the prophecy in chapter 21. It's one word… I hope you'll forgive me, but this is a rough draft, as I keep saying. If anyone knows if/where I wrote the (new) prophecy other than that one chapter, please let me know! I couldn't find it anywhere else.