Chapter 19: A botched plan?

The group didn't need to set off in search of Kingsley; the minister came to meet them.

"Harry, are you all right?" he inquired by way of introduction.

"I'm fine, but I need to see Jasper."

"Harry, he's dangerous."

"Because of the torture he went through here!" he belched before realizing his reaction and calming down. "Without him, George Weasley is doomed."

"Come into my office."

"No. We have no time to lose. Master Kangae will be here in thirty minutes, and I need to speak to Jasper alone first. Every minute lost brings two innocent people closer to death."

The two men glared at each other for a moment until the minister's face grew weary.

"Harry, the vampire laws are clear, if they kill someone, it's a death sentence."

"Nobody's dead."

"He tried to kill you."

"I don't think he did. Look, I'm willing to give it my best shot. Either we free him from whatever's manipulating him, or we lose him, and lose George in the process. In that case, you'll do it your way."

"Okay, but I'm putting a magic barrier between you, I don't want to…"

"No, I want to be able to touch him."

"Are you ready to put your life on the line?"

"My life has never belonged to me."

It was as if Kingsley had just aged twenty years in a matter of minutes, but he agreed and led the group through the Ministry corridors. He stopped in front of a blind cell that made the group wince, but no one commented.

"This plan is fucked up," Hermione whispered as a guard opened the airlock door to the cell.

"Our plans have always been screwed up 'Mione and we're still here, we'll be fine."

The young man entered the airlock and secured his grip on his wand as the door was locked behind him. A tingle of adrenaline ran through his body, he had a battle to fight.

The wall in front of him turned into a magical barrier through which the prisoner could not pass, and he discovered Jasper, covered in a broad white shirt, his features drawn, sitting in a corner of the room. Harry took no time to wonder or apprehend; he entered. The vampire was on him immediately, pinning him against the wall without hurting him. Harry fixed his gaze on the two onyxes inhabited by golden glitter, slid his hands down the firm torso and up into the soot-covered hair.

"I want to speak to Jasper."

"He doesn't need you to come and taunt him, only to be rebuffed."

"I've never done that, but I refuse to be kissed by force. I like Jasper's respect for what I want. Let me speak to him."

He knew he'd hit the nail on the head when the glitter became more numerous.

"I'm here to get you out of here, trust me."

"I trusted you," breathed the voice with the lilting accent that Harry loved.

"George and I split up the day I met you. It's fresh, but me."

Seeing that Jasper was struggling to rise to the surface, Harry tried his best and placed his lips on those offered. He knew he was taking a risk, that if the Major took control at that moment it would be the end, but if it was Jasper... The kiss took in ardor, the vampire's hands began to explore the wizard's body whose arousal wrapped his legs around the cold hips and pressed their bodies together. However, the tension eased and Jasper ended the kiss, without putting him down. Their gazes locked and Harry was relieved to see more gold than black in the eyes that stared back at him.

"I need you, in control." he whispered, stroking the vampire's hair.

Sadness passed into the golden eyes from which the glitter was fading.

"That's not why I kissed you. I've been dreaming of it since the last time."

A sad smile stretched Jasper's lips.

"I can't promise you I'll keep it under control."

"I know, but my friend's life is in danger and so is yours. I need your help."

"What do you want?"

"For you to take back the emotions you sent George and me."

"No, I can't, not with what He did to my head."

Harry kissed Jasper again, first because he was dying to, and then to calm the stress he felt rising in his soulmate.

"I can't promise you it won't be painful, but I can promise you we'll do everything we can to get rid of those snakes."

"Did you bring back the legilimens?"

"Yes, but this time it's not to see your memories. We want to destroy what's controlling you."

Jasper didn't reply, but slid to the ground, still carrying the wizard against him. He sat down and buried his face in his neck. Time passed tenderly until eight hooded people entered. The vampire tensed.

"It's all right." whispered Harry, raising his marble face to his.

He kissed him gently once more, then rested his forehead on his and locked their gazes. The wizard felt a spell touch him, but remained motionless, his eyes never leaving Jasper's. It was as if Kangae had taken his mind by the hand and plunged it into the vampire's.

He felt as if they were swimming in black water studded with multicolored sequins. They were heading for a pulsating golden welt. The further they advanced, the more Harry could make out that they were approaching a stone enclosure in which a rift let out a golden light. The young man stroked his soulmate's cheek and noticed that the crack was growing. He approached it and ran his hand over it. He didn't know whether he was acting on his own or under Kangae's direction, but it didn't matter to him, he was drawn to the light. He placed his hand on the gutted rock and hissed out of his mouth.

The stones began to tremble, but so did his body against his.

Boulders were reduced to pebbles, then gravel, grains of sand, dust, as the body beneath him shook.

The snakes reared, Harry hissed, Jasper struggled.

They tried to attack, he ordered, he convulsed.

The Survivor let out his power.

The snakes shriveled, Jasper arched his back.

He released his attack, they exploded, he screamed.

Kangae and Harry were expelled from Jasper's mind and flew across the room. Emmett and Edward rushed to catch them as the rest of the group gathered around the motionless body on the floor.

Harry's breath caught as he and the other three men approached Jasper. The room was deathly silent. The young man dropped to his knees beside the body and took the frozen hand in his own. No one spoke, no one wanted to believe it. Yet the more the minutes passed, the more disastrous was the conclusion of their attempt to free the empath.

Guilt made its way into Harry, as did sadness. Was there a single person he'd been intimate with who hadn't suffered? Cho had been hated by their group of friends, Ginny had gone mad, George was looking to end his life and Jasper, in addition to suffering martyrdom, seemed dead.

However, he refused to accept the idea that this experience had been one too many for Jasper's mind, whether it had been destroyed by the snakes' destruction or whatever hypothesis led to the vampire's non-return among them.

Kangae held out his wand and a silver thread attached itself to the frozen forehead. Again, the minutes ticked away, everyone looking at this beam of light as their last hope. They turned their gazes to the old wizard as he lowered his wand.