A/N: Most of this chapter is fighting and the raid, but as I said in the A/N for the last chapter, it will also explain Tear. This will also mark the end of the first part of Pet. The second part will be more organized and more explained, but also way longer and a bit more confusing at first.
Also, for those of you also following The New National Anthem. It is on hold for now because I am rewriting it. It veered off of the path I wanted it to take and now it's stuck. So I'm going to try and slow things down in that story.
"So, we go in, fight, win, and leave. Right?" Harry glanced up at Severus, who was perched on his back. The claws didn't hurt his shoulder, his own wings made sure of that.
"That's what we hope for." The potion's master said. Harry nodded. He knew it was useless to just stand around. The twinge of fear though was enough to keep him where he was at. Thoughts of what could go wrong swam through his head as easily as a fish would in water. "You ready?" At the leopard's nod, Severus flew up, surveying the village they were about to raid. "Go!" Harry and Moony shot out off the hill. The others following closely behind.
The raid had begun just as the moon rose to it's highest point.
Harry yowled, wings spread far out as he cast spell after spell, setting things alight with deep black flames. Sirius matching him step for step. Lily was near by with Draco, dueling a wizard who came out after Harry yowled. Severus flew down low, the claws clipping one witch's wand in half as he shot a stunning spell at her. He glanced around, trying to see Harry and flying back up as a spell missed him by an inch. "They're here already?" He questioned out loud as he dodged another spell, flying right into the wings of another bird.
Not far away Harry was having the same trouble. Spell after spell was shot at him as his wings tried to bounce them back. The leopard was standing over a small boy no more than 1 year old, protecting him. A heavily pregnant cat in the boy's arms that was spitting fury at the caster of the spells. "Light Betrayer!" She hissed in her natural tongue. Harry snarled, not being able to get a good look at who was attacking them.
"Coward!" He spat. "Show your face!" He ran his claws through the air, magic coursing through them and turning the motion into a cutting curse. The wizard took the curse and fell to the ground as Harry ran, picking up the baby and keeping the cat underneath him. He dodged around curses and hexes, making his way over to where Bellatrix was. The second group for the raid had finally come. He handed the baby to her, shoving the cat over with one paw. "Keep an eye on them! Take them back to Cissa!" He ordered over the commotion before leaping back into the fray, sending a fire burst curse at a building.
"Why don't you pick on someone your own size!" Harry turned around at the somewhat familiar growl. His lips curled into a snarl at the sight of the large husky in front of him.
"Hello again Ronald, do you miss your dear sister?" He taunted. "Oh she was so much fun to kill." Ron leapt at him, Harry stepping sideways to doge and knocking him back with a wing. "Don't you know not to mess with royalty?"
"Royal pain in the ass is all you'll ever be!" Ron snapped, "Crucio!"
Harry snickered as the curse hit him. He could tell Ron meant it, but it couldn't get past the spells that were on his collar that Severus had gotten him for Christmas. He shook the curse off before leaping at his former friend, claws connecting with the dog's shoulder as teeth met Harry's scruff, tossing him away. Harry flipped back, claws digging into the ground to stop himself from sliding backwards as Ron charged him. Harry leapt up, sending a hex down at Ron that sent him flying away while yelping. Harry growled, watching him fall to the ground.
Ron tried to stand back up, his paw shaking from the fall. "Traitor!" He snarled, cutting off as a much louder snarl came from behind him. He spun around, being knocked away by a heavy paw as Fenrir fell upon him.
Harry left the werewolf to his job and jumped up on a burning pile of wood, the fire hadn't reached the top yet, neither had the heat. He looked around at everything going on. Lily and Draco were fighting side by side, dueling two order members. Severus was locked in combat in the sky, Tear helping him against two large bald eagles. The smaller hawk was slashing at wings while Severus threw spells and dark curses. Other fights were breaking out around him, the familiar green curse flying everywhere from the Death Eaters, smaller spells from the Order. Harry spread his wings before taking flight, soaring over the damage and through the fire, trying to grab a burning piece of wood but yowling when it singed his fur. He flew back out.
"Oi! Potter!" He looked up just in time to see Tear fly by his paws, he could feel metal on them, the smooth feeling contrasting with the hot fur. The leather straps keeping them on felt almost…natural to him. "If you're trying to pick up something hot, then use those! You need your claws un-burned to cast spells!" Tear flew off as one of the eagles came back for him. Harry watched for a second before diving back into the fire, using the metal claws to grab some of the coals from it and using his wings to make a pathway out. He flew out quickly, eyes trained on the eagle that was after Tear.
'One good shot…' He sped up, adding his magic into the coals before lashing out at the bird, the coals sticking to it's wings and breast feathers with magic as it fell. "I did it!"
"You only got one though, and here comes his mate!" Tear snapped back to him. Harry couldn't pull out of the high speed flight in time, colliding with the eagle's talons. He screeched as they ran over his eyes, his claws connecting with the birds wings and sticking the rest of the coals there.
" Avada Kedavra!" Severus aimed the spell at the eagle, hitting it dead on as Harry shook his head, slowly falling to the ground. He landed heavily on his paws, staggering a bit as Fred pushed him back up.
"Be glad we were here Prongslet!" He said, George on Harry's other side.
"Transform out of that form, you're no use in it." The other redhead said. Harry did as he was told, keeping his eyes shut so no blood could get in them. Two scars ran over both his eyes from the talons.
Severus landed on his shoulder, being careful of the metal claws. "Harry are you ok?" He asked worriedly.
"It's just a scratch. It just needs healed and then I'll be good to go." Harry pressed. The twins rolled their eyes.
"Of course you will be." They both sighed.
"Harry," Fred continued, "You're not just gonna be good to go! You were attacked by Dean and Seamus." Harry flinched at the names. "We've been keeping tabs on them, they figured out how to use magic in those forms too. Who knows what they did to their talons beforehand."
"I'll get him to Lily, you two keep fighting. I think we're doing good so far." Severus said. The twins nodded, both aiming spells back into the fight. Severus flew off of Harry's shoulder, landing on the ground.
'I hope it's been an hour…' He thought before trying to shift back. Luck was on their side, it worked. Severus wrapped one arm around his mate, noticing the wings still there. "Harry?"
"They're for protection. Guess being a prince has it's perks." Harry replied cheekily. Severus chuckled.
"So long as your safe." He glanced around before making his way out of the village, leading Harry out with him.
"Hey! Two of them are trying to get away!" Harry heard the yell first, wings spreading out to cover both of them. The black feathers ruffled with anger.
"Can't we just apparate out of here?" He asked.
Severus shook his head. "It's too dangerous here." He shot a hex at someone who tried to stop them. "Lily!" He called when the familiar silver tabby came into view. She had a small ball of fluff in her mouth, two other cats and a dog following her, each carrying another kit.
"Severus! Harry! What happened?" She said around the little bundle. Harry took it from her, recognizing it to be a small kitten.
"Aerial fight." Severus said, taking the kitten from the dog. "Who's this?"
"Local cats. The dog is a familiar to a 5 year old that owned these two. Bella got him out already and I'm getting these six out." Lily explained.
"Take Harry with." He said as Lily transformed, passing the boy over to his mother and handing the kit to her as well. The dog, a large German Shepherd, moved to Harry's other side, brushing up against the boy's hand. "I'll be back as soon as I can." Severus promised.
"Be careful." Harry whispered, standing up a bit taller and kissing the potion's master lightly. "There's someone I want you to meet after all this is over."
"I'll be careful." He promised again before Lily took Harry and the animals away in apparation. What Severus told Harry wasn't exactly a lie. It was dangerous to apparate in a raid like that. But for someone with Auror training like Lily, it was as easy as transforming a needle into hay then back again. The potion's master turned back to the village. Ready to go back to the fight.
Lily reappeared at Malfoy Manor with the ones she was bringing back. Almost immediately Dobby came to take the kittens and the two cats. "Dobby will be showing them to the cat room for Mistress Lilly and Master Harry Potter." He said as another house elf popped over to them to take the dog, who shook his head.
"I'll be staying with the boy." His voice was gruff, Harry noticed. It sounded like Bill's almost, but older. "He needs help, and I need to find my Partner."
"It's fine, he can stay." Lily said as they walked further into the Manor. Tom looked up from where he was making a list of who all was at the manor, who they had rescued, who was killed, and who was still at the raid.
"More scars to add to the list? And here I thought I was special, being able to leave one." He joked, standing up and walking over to Harry, casting a few quick healing spells so the boy-who-lived could open his eyes. Harry glanced around, noticing they were in the ball room, one of the largest rooms in the mansion, he guessed. All around them were chairs and beds of all different sizes. Even a few cribs. The raid so far seemed to be a success. "Congratulations on getting that cat with the young child. She got here just in time." Harry's eyes brightened.
"I saved her and her kits." He sounded relived. "What about the boy?" He fretted. The 1 year old seemed so scared when the fighting started, his mother being one of the first killed. Harry had found the pregnant she-cat trying to protect him herself when he stepped in. The cat was part-Kneazle, Harry thought, she could understand a few spells being said at the raid.
"He seems scared, even more so when we had to move the cat away from him. He kept saying something about a huge cat saving him though…"
"It was me." Harry said. "I was protecting him from Ron." He followed Tom's gaze to one of the cribs. He recognized the soft downy grayish fur of his godson nearby. Piercing amber eyes looking at everything around him as he lay next to the crib. 'Teddy…do you know what I'm thinking too?' Harry walked closer to the crib and werewolf, the shepherd following his movements with his eyes. "Teddy?"
The young wolf growled lightly, stopping Harry in his tracks. "The young one is hurt."Harry blinked, recognizing Teddy's werewolf side just like Moony.
"Crescent?" He tried, knowing the Marauder name Teddy was given by Sirius and Remus. One of the furry ears flicked. "I want to help him." Crescent rested his head on his paws. Harry wondered how, for just being a bit over a year old, Teddy's wolf side was already so advanced. He guessed it was because they were like normal wolves though, reaching maturity in a shorter time than a human does. Harry stepped closer to the crib, looking at the little boy in it. The boy was hugging a stuffed animal around the size of the cat Harry found him with. He guessed either Bella or Cissa put it in there with him. Harry picked up the boy slowly, cradling him to his chest and sitting down in the chair next to them. The boy had deep brown hair, almost black, and from what Harry could tell in the excitement of the raid, his eyes were a mixture of green and deep blue. He didn't know what it was that kept him near the baby, he only knew that he wanted to be near him, to make sure he was safe.
"What's going on with Harry?" Tom asked Lily. "He seems off. Did the raid affect him this bad?"
"Not the whole raid, just the little boy." Lily said. "Something tells me, he reminds Harry of himself. They both lost their parents in a raid…they look almost alike too." She reached down to pet the dog next to her. "Let's go find your child now. I'm sure he could use his familiar around to help him cope." The dog nodded, both leaving the room to another room that Lily knew was holding the older kids. Tom watched them leave, his gaze softening just a bit when he caught sight of the boy they were looking for. His face lit up when he saw his familiar, tossing his arms around the dog as one paw wrapped around the boy's waist. Red eyes glanced over at Harry now, seeing the boy bouncing the small child that was starting to wake up. Teddy stayed right next to them as Narcissa came in with a bottle for the child. Tom saw how gentle Harry was, it was different from watching him in combat. He had saw how murderous the look in Harry's eyes could get. How, even in his animagus form, he could kill with a single swipe, or drag the death out.
'He's a mystery…I'll give him that.' Tom thought. 'Even more than Severus and Bellatrix combined.' Even after many years of knowing the two. He could never figure out a single thing about Severus. And Bellatrix, was mystery even to herself. 'Might as well add in Fenrir too.' No one knew the mystery that was the alpha werewolf. No one wanted to know was more like it.
"It's alright little one." Harry's soft voice tore Tom out of his thoughts. "You're safe. You're protected here."
Tom studied Harry for a second before making a decision. 'No more raids for him. Not while he has a kid to care for.'
It was only one hour after Harry returned that everyone else started to come back with rescues, injuries, and other things. Fred and George were the first back, fighting to gain control of a wayward fox that had gotten into the crossfire. Tom had checked it over, deeming it fine after setting it's paw back into place and releasing it again. Coming into the ball room, the twins immediately went over to Harry to wait for the others. "It's over, we had to retreat before the ministry came." George informed him, looking at the teen's eyes. "Someone did a good job of healing your scars."
"It was Tom." Harry said, shifting the baby in his arms a bit. "Where's Severus?"
"Protecting Draco and some other kid. The kid got a hold of her parent's wand and started just yelling things out. Ended up hitting a few Order members." Fred said, hints of pride for the young girl in his voice. "It was brilliant."
"More than brilliant. Amazing."
"Wonderful."
"Spectacular."
"Guys, I get it." Harry stopped them. He absentmindedly petted Teddy, noticing the sun was about to rise. "Crescent, it's almost morning. Go up to your room and I'll send Padfoot soon." The twins took a while to understand what Harry had told the wolf pup, not used to their animagus' native tongue. Crescent nodded, getting up and with one last look at Harry and the baby, walked back to his room, passing Nagini and Vipera who were coming in with two other snakes. "More rescues?" He asked, receiving two nods. "Tom wants snakes in the study so he can question them." Harry informed them. Nagini was the one to nod this time, hissing to the others and going back out of the room as Vipera wound herself around Harry.
"Many are hurt." She started. "After you left though…well let's just say, be glad you left."
"What do you mean?"
"Your mate." Harry tensed. "He was ruthless after you were gone. The most amazing part? He was able to cast the killing curse, as a leopard."
"Wait, what?" Harry didn't know which part not to believe, the fact that Severus had cast the killing curse in an animagus form, or the fact that he still had the leopard form.
"The curse he was hit with, I finally recognized it as something from the fables my mother used to tell me and my nestmates. It allows the one hit by it to take on their mate's form, without elemental magic or extra appendages of course." Vipera hissed. "That is how he took on the leopard form again."
"Is he safe though?"
"Yes. Your mother is as well…but one of the others…they're in bad shape."
Harry looked out into the doorway, wondering who Vipera was talking about. He stood up and placed the baby back into the crib, letting Vipera rest with him. "Keep him safe…I'm going to go help." "Come on," He turned to Fred and George. "Let's go help, you two know more healing spells than I do."
The three of them walked out of the room and froze at the sight in front of them. The more seasoned fighters didn't seem to have any scratches on them. The ones with the most being Fenrir and Remus who had just changed back. Remus was leaning heavily on Sirius, while Fenrir was resting on the floor with his back against the wall. Lily was checking over both of them. What had surprised the three though, was the state that the students were in. Draco's usually light blonde hair was streaked red with blood, his eyes shut. He was laying on the floor on his stomach next to Luna. The girl only looked a bit better than he did. She was trying to heal the cuts though, her eyes being the only thing that told Harry she was fine. They held the same dreamy look they always had. Hermione didn't seem to be badly injured, only a few large cuts here and there gave away any indication that she was at the raid at all. She was focusing on healing Blaise and Neville. Both of which had more cuts than Harry could count on them. He guessed they ran into most of the cutting curses. There was no sign of a few Death Eaters though. Harry knew that Fred and George had flooed Bill and Charlie and told them about what was going on, so they were at the raid. But no where to be found now. What scared Harry the most though, was that Severus was no where to be seen.
"Where's Sev…" He wondered quietly. Not noticing when Fred and George went to go help the others.
"Harry." The boy lifted his head at the sound of his name, turning around to see who called him and gasping at what greeted him. The large leopard leaning against the door had deep gashes around his throat, a torn ear, and a long scar across his eye. Pain filled Severus' eyes as he walked closer to Harry. The teen fell to his knees, catching his mate as he fell forward. Harry looked at him closely, the usually soft black fur was slick with blood. His eyes were dull, ears pinned back against his head and tail unmoving.
"Sev…hold on, I'll heal you." Harry didn't exactly know what he was doing, but something was telling him that whatever it was, was right for the potion's master. His wings unfolded from behind his back, being the only thing transformed. They wrapped around him and Severus, a faint bluish-green glow coating them. Harry watched in fascination as slowly the wounds started to heal. Severus shut his eyes, a small purr escaping as the magic healed him. Harry moved the leopard's head onto his lap, running his hands through the slow cleaning fur. "Hurry." He urged his magic in parseltongue. The wounds stopped bleeding after a few minutes, the magic disappearing with the wings.
"Harry? Severus?" Harry glanced up at his mother as she walked over. "Are you both ok?"
"I'll be fine Lily." Severus' voice was laced with sleep. The raid took a lot out of him and his magic, and the healing that Harry had done sealed his fate as sleep slowly claimed him. Harry petted him one last time before turning his full attention to Lily.
"I'm ok. Just worried. Is it really alright to let him sleep? There's no chance he could…" Harry couldn't finish the sentence.
"It's alright Harry. The sleep will do him some good. I'm just wondering how he's back to that form." Harry shrugged. Even if Vipera explained it, he still didn't understand himself. "Well he doesn't seem stuck in that form. You might want to move to the ball room though…move him at least. There's…there's been a causality that I think you need to know and be here for someone." Harry nodded, pulling out his wand and levitating Severus onto the bed next to the crib the baby Harry saved was in. He cast one last glance to both of them before following Lily over to his group of friends. His blood turned cold as he looked at everyone, making sure they were all there.
'Bill, Charlie, Twins, Mione and Blaise, Draco, Luna and Neville…' He was confused. Why bring him over here? Unless…
"Listen, all of you." Harry took the seat next to Draco as Lily started to talk. "There's bad news. Draco…it's your father. He didn't make it."
Harry's eyes widened as he looked at the blonde. Draco's eyes were wider than an owls, his gaze was on his hands that were in his lap. He tried his best to keep the tears from coming and to choke back a sob, but nothing would help him. Harry hugged the Slytherin tightly, knowing how bad the loss would effect him. Draco's arms wound around his neck, his head buried in the Gryffindor's shoulder as another sob escaped him. The others looked at the two sadly, Luna being the one to get up from her spot next to Neville and crouch down in front of Draco, hugging him too. Harry passed the boy fully to her, knowing that she could relate more to him now, having lost her mother when she at least had some memories of her. The only parent Harry had lost, had died when he was 1. He didn't remember half the things about James. Harry didn't think he would ever be so happy to see Dobby when the house elf popped into the room.
"Master Harry Potter sir, the baby is awake. Dobby was sent to get you." Harry nodded, remembering to thank the elf before he left and grateful to be getting away. He had no idea how to comfort Draco. Hermione gave him a questioning look at the mention of a baby. Harry simply shrugged before walking into the ball room once again.
'I've been in and out of here how many times now?' He thought as he walked over to the familiar crib, looking at the gurgling child and smiling softly. "The way Dobby told me that you were awake made it seem like you were crying your head off little one." Harry whispered. He picked up the boy, cradling him close to his chest so the child didn't fall. "You're too cute…" 'I want to keep you…I wonder what Sev'll say though. Probably that it's too early in the relationship, or I'm too young, or he'll pull a "teacher moment" and say that the winged prince shouldn't be raising a child, but focusing on something else.' Harry grimaced inwardly. 'No, I don't think he'd do that.' Harry glanced over to the bed that held his sleeping lover before sitting on the edge of it, running one had through the soft black fur. The baby though, was more interested in the tail that wrapped around them. Small hands reached out, touching the soft fur with fascination in his blue-green eyes. It was nothing like his cat's fur. Her's was spiky and sleek, and her belly was all bumpy. This cat's fur was soft, like the blanket he had, and had no bumps.
"Sev…I know you need to sleep…but I wish you'd wake up and meet this little one. I did say that I wanted you to after the raid." What happened next shocked Harry. Severus jumped up with a yowl, his tail lashing away forcefully. Harry looked confusedly at Severus, then to the baby. He stifled a giggle as he figured out what happened. The baby had bit Severus' tail. "Well, he seems to like you!" Harry couldn't fight the laughter any longer at Severus' "Kicked kitten" Look as Harry cuddled the baby.
"He bit me!" Severus said before transforming out of the feline form. He didn't care if he risked a few of the minor wounds opening, they would just heal later. "And who is he anyway?"
"This is who I wanted you to meet." Harry repeated. "He's the one I rescued with the pregnant cat. And he doesn't have a name that I know."
Severus looked at the baby before looking up at Harry. "Oh no, I know that look…Harry…"
"He doesn't have any parents Sev, they were caught in the crossfire." Harry held the baby closer. "Please…"
"Harry…" Severus sighed. "You have to understand that a baby isn't like a pet."
"I know. Severus, I don't know what it is about him, but I…It's like I have to protect him." Harry pleaded. He wondered if Severus would still stand firm, even though the prince could tell that he was slowly breaking his lover's stance. If the look in his eyes was anything to go by. "I know it's still early in our relationship…an-and that I'm still young so this seems like a rushed thing and a rash decision…but it's not."
Severus studied the look in Harry's eyes. He could see the plea in them, but there was something else there too. The same look Lily had when she looked at Harry before the raid. It was fiercer in Harry's eyes though, backed by the power that he had, making the green in them almost shine. His gaze traveled to the baby, noticing how much he looked like Harry did when he was little. The only difference was the eyes. They weren't green, but a mix of blue and green. His hair was straighter too, what hair he had anyway. It was very short, but tame. It showed promise of growing longer. There was a sense of familiarity with the baby though, that told Severus that no matter what, he couldn't say no. He was roused from his thinking as Harry shook his head, pressing one hand against his right eye. "Did you get the scratches looked at?"
"Of course." Harry said, shaking his head again. "I just think that Tom did too good a job of healing it, that or it didn't heal enough." He glanced at Severus, the older not seeing anything off with his eye.
"I think you're just trying to distract me from something more important." Severus teased, taking the baby from Harry. The smaller pouted, but didn't move to take the baby away. Severus looked at the baby again before sighing. "…You are not naming him after your father." Harry's eyes brightened.
"Does that mean we keep Jamie?" The glare Severus sent him was his only warning before a light hex hit him, nothing to hurt him, just to shock him. Harry laughed. "Kidding Sev. But alright. Not naming him after my dad….Christian?"
"Do you even know what that name means?" Harry shrugged. "What about Fitz?"
Harry shook his head. "Means son, but sounds weird."
"Hadrian?"
"Do you really think mom just named me Harry? No. What about Korvin? It means crow." Harry offered.
"Maybe, if we can't think of any others."
"You're gonna kill me for this one…Paddy?"
"Hell No." Severus glared at Harry again. "Nothing to do with your godfather either." Harry nodded, thinking for a second.
"…How about Miki? It has to do with the moon." Severs shook his head. "I'm seriously about to suggest Raven."
"No way." Severus sighed. "Why is naming a kid so hard?"
"Because we just decided today to adopt him when his parents are both dead and we have no way of knowing what they named him because we burned down the village and with it any papers on him." Harry said. "What about Calix? It's Greek, we can shorten it to Cal."
Severus thought for a second. "Calix? Seems good to me." Harry smiled. They both look at Calix, who had started to giggle as they were talking.
"Calix…Lucius? For his middle name?" Harry saw pain flash in his mate's eyes at his dead friend's name. He guessed Severus was there when he died. Harry didn't know for sure though, since he was in the manor with Calix.
"It…sounds ok." Harry nodded, leaning against Severus and cuddling close to him and Calix.
"Calix Lucius…" Harry trailed off. "Sev, what about his last name?
"Take both."
The two men looked up at the hawk that had spoke. Tear was perched on the crib, Harry noticed he didn't have the metal claws on. His real talons were dull, two of them twisted. Harry could guess Tear was an old bird.
"Both?" Severus asked.
"Yes. It will be easier on the child later in life." Tear shrugged. "Trust me." The hawk looked at Harry. "I do believe I owe you an explanation as well."
Harry nodded. "Who are you, exactly?"
"I cannot tell you, exactly. But just know that I was hit with the very same spell that your lover was, more than 100 years ago, even more than 500. What it does, is a curse, yet a blessing. A curse none the less though. That spell gives the one hit a chance to see things through their mate's eyes in their animagus form."
"How is that a curse?" Severus asked.
"Many ways. One could be disgusted with who their mate is, they could not accept their mate. Or, like me, could be betrayed. The curse was, that if your mate did nothing less than accept you, you were trapped. Forever." Tear's piercing gaze froze the two men to their seats. "Mine betrayed me, and did not accept me. But you two are lucky. You're close to each other, even after years of hatred. You've over come many things. And there are more to come. Your destinies are intertwined." The hawk blinked. "There is promise in both of you. Especially you, winged prince."
A/N: Ta-da! This is the end of the first part of Pet! The next part will be much longer as I stated before, and dive deeper into the mysteries left of this one. Such as who Tear is, more about the Winged cats, and more about Calix who everyone will come to love. I've finally found what I want to do with part 2 as well. So the chapters should come up pretty quickly.