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And as Harry shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Voldemort cried, "Avada Kedavra!"
A jet of green light issued from Voldemort's wand just as a jet of red light blasted from Harry's — they met in midair — and suddenly Harry's wand was vibrating as though an electric charge were surging through it and a narrow beam of light connected the two wands, neither red nor green, but bright, deep gold.
Draco could feel the curse being lifted off him and he could move again. Sitting up he could do nothing but observe the duel in front of him. Never had he seen wands behave in such an odd way. The sight was as fascinating as it was frightening.
Harry and Voldemort were both being raised into the air, their wands still connected by that thread of shimmering golden light. The golden thread connecting Harry and Voldemort splintered; though the wands remained connected, a thousand more beams arced high over Harry and Voldemort, crisscrossing all around them, until they were enclosed in a golden, dome-shaped web.
A golden bead appeared in stream of light that connected their wands. At first it moved towards Harry, but then back to Voldemort. Once it reached his wand, the wand began to emit echoing screams of pain. Then — Voldemort's red eyes widened with shock — a dense, smoky hand flew out of the tip of it and vanished... shouts of pain... something grayish... the ghost of the hand he had made Wormtail appeared... more shouts of pain...
And then something large began to blossom from Voldemort's wand tip, a great, grayish something, that looked as though it were made of the solidest, densest smoke... It was a head... now a chest and arms... the torso of an old man appeared.
A ghost or a shadow, Draco wasn't sure.
"He was a real wizard, then?" the old man said, his eyes on Voldemort. "Killed me, that one did... You fight him, boy..."
But then, another head was emerging... and this head, gray as a smoky statue, was a woman's... The shadow of Bertha Jorkins surveyed the battle before her with wide eyes. "Don't let go, now!" she cried, and her voice echoed. "Don't let him get you, Harry — don't let go!"
She and the old man began to pace around the walls of fire that still burned high into the sky. Voldemort's dead victims whispered as they circled the duelers, whispered words of encouragement to Harry, and hissed words Draco couldn't hear to Voldemort. And now another head was emerging from the tip of Voldemort's wand. Draco recognized the woman that now emerged from Snape's pictures. It was Lily Potter, followed by what he assumed to be her husband.
Voldemort's face was livid with fear as his victims prowled around him, but that meant he was also distracted. Draco jumped up, tackled Harry, which broke the connection of the wands, and they disapparated, leaving the Aurors and Order members, the Death Eaters and Voldemort behind.
With a loud crack, Draco and Harry landed on a dark and abandoned street. Rows and rows of dilapidated brick houses, their windows dull and blind in the darkness, stretched out before them. Draco went for one of those houses, Harry, a bit unsteady on his feet, following him.
"What was that?" Harry whispered.
"Apparition," Draco answered curtly, pointing his wand at the door in front of him. "Alohomora," he whispered and soon they were inside.
Harry looked around the tiny, dusty sitting room they were now in. "Where are we?"
"Cokeworth, Spinner's End," Draco answered. He looked around the room. It looked safe enough and apparently had not changed since the last time he saw it. The only difference was that the layer of dust over everything had grown a bit thicker. The walls were still completely covered in books, most of them bound in old black or brown leather; a threadbare sofa, an old armchair and a rickety table stood grouped together in a pool of dim light cast by a candle-filled lamp hung from the ceiling.
"Okay," said Harry, sounding annoyed, "that doesn't really answer my question, though."
"It's the only save place I could think of…" Draco turned around to face Harry. "It's Snape's house."
"Snape?" Harry repeated, before his expression grew dark. "Are you bloody mental?" he yelled, panic creeping into his voice. "He's a Death Eater! I heard him!"
"Yeah, so did I," admitted Draco. No more beating around the bush. No more denying the obvious. "But he is working for Dumbledore. He is on our side."
"You've lost it," Potter shook his head, making for the door.
"Wait!" Draco had to get him to stay. Snape's home had several protective charms surrounding it. They would be safe here. But if Potter left now, he would be without protection in a town unfamiliar to him. The Death Eaters would probably find him before morning dawned. "He told me how to get out of the graveyard. He helped us!"
Potter looked unconvinced, but stopped walking.
"He told me about the wards. I don't think the Order would have found us if he hadn't. I don't think we would have gotten out of there if he hadn't."
"I don't get it. He's a Death Eater. And he hates me. Why would he be helping us?" Harry asked. "Maybe he confunded you. It would explain a lot. I am leaving," Harry walked towards the door again.
Draco took a deep breath. Severus would probably hate him for this, but he needed Harry to stay. He hurried to one of the bookshelves and grabbed the old photo album he had stumbled upon over the Easter holidays.
"Here," he said, running after Harry and stopping him before he could leave the room, "look at this."
Potter looked unsure of himself, but took the album and sat down on the sofa.
He opened it and looked at the first page. "Happy birthday, Sev," he read out loud. "Love... Lily?" He frowned and looked questioningly at Draco, who motioned him to continue.
He turned the page and was greeted with a picture of a smiling nine-year-old Snape, standing next to a young red head.
"That... that is not possible," Harry whispered, and turned to the next page in the book. "This is... my mother?"
Draco sat down next to him, looking at the photo Harry had lying in front of him now. It showed another picture of Severus Snape and Potter's mother. "They were best friends for years."
Potter looked through the photos with an open mouth. In each photo the two children seemed to grow a bit older. Some were of holidays. Some included another grumpy looking girl and a kind looking older couple, who Draco assumed were the parents of either Snape or Lily. Some documented their first visit to Diagon Alley, others showed them at King's Cross.
"It's why he changed sides," Draco continued, "and why Dumbledore trusts him."
"Slughorn... But... the Pensieve... he called my mother a mudblood..."
"And he deeply regrets it," finished Draco. "Look, I don't want to excuse what he did. He joined the Death Eaters. Willingly. He called your mother... that word. Some people... like you... they just know what's right and wrong. Snape and I, we aren't people like that. It takes colossal mistakes and losing people we care for to pull us out of the phenomally dense fog of arrogance and ignorance that surrounds us... I think your mother was the only real friend he's ever had. Losing her cleared some of that fog and he is trying to make up for it, even if it is hard to see."
Harry did not say anything, but kept on looking at the photos, trying to make sense of it all. After he had looked at all of them several times, he closed the book. "I can't believe Voldemort's back."
Draco nodded. "He won't be for long."
"You seem quite sure of that."
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
"When do you think Snape will be back?"
"No idea. He'll probably punish them for our escape. And then he might go to Dumbledore first. But we must have set of his wards, so he should stop by, sooner or later… If he's able to." Draco sincerely hoped he was. If the Aurors and the Order did not get him, the Dark Lord surely let them know how displeased he was.
Potter gulped and then nodded.
They waited for another hour or two, both not saying much. They were digesting everything that had happened and it seemed like the words to express how they felt did not exist. Their companionably silence was interrupted by a loud pang that made them jump up and draw their wands.
A Death Eater, robed and masked, stood before them.
They pointed their wands right at him.
The Death Eater raised his hands. "Draco," he rasped, "it's me." He removed his mask and the boys could see that it was Severus Snape.
"Oh, thank God," Draco lowered his wand.
"You are a Death Eater," said Potter, not lowering his wand.
"Astute observation, Mr. Potter," mocked Snape. "Now, down with that wand."
Potter reluctantly did as he was told.
Snape studied the two boys. "What brings you two here?" he finally asked, his voice sounded hoarse and he was shaky on his feet.
"I couldn't think of anywhere else to go," Draco muttered. He waved his wand and a few potions flew into the room. He really should have thought of Snape's emergency potions earlier.
"Thank you," Snape said and downed two of them. He offered two to Draco and one to Potter.
Draco drank his, but Potter looked skeptical.
"Calming Draught," said Snape and Harry reluctantly drank it. "You can't stay here. It's not save. I'll bring you two to Grimmauld Place." He moved towards them, but stopped mid-motion. "Maybe I'll change first. Don't want your dear godfather to kill me before I get to explain myself."
Snape disappeared for a few minutes. Once he was back, he grabbed the two boys and they apparated to the Order's headquarter.
Snape hesitated at the door, but ultimately just pushed it open and walked into the house.
Remus and Sirius were sitting at the dining table. When Snape entered the room, two wands were pointing in his direction. They must have recognized him at the graveyard as well. Or maybe they just generally did not trust him.
Sirius looked furious, but when he saw Draco and Harry, he lowered his wand, moved forward and embraced both of them.
"Thank God," he breathed, looking at both of them, then at Snape.
"You can lower your wand," drawled Snape into Lupin's direction. "If I were truly working for the Dark Lord, I surely would have brought his two most wanted back to the graveyard instead of here."
Sirius studied Snape for a while, his expression unreadable, then he stood up and said, "Thank you for that."
If Snape was surprised, he did not show it. Remus now also lowered his wand.
"Where is Albus?" asked Snape.
"Still at Hogwarts," said Remus, "I will Floo him immediately."
Snape inclined his head and looked at Sirius, "Black? A word?"
Sirius nodded and followed Snape out of the room.
"You too, Draco," said Snape and Draco followed him as well.
"What is this about?" asked Sirius once they were out of earshot of Remus and Harry.
"You need to take Draco in."
"What?" yelled Draco, "Why? I want to stay with you."
Snape gave Draco a weak smile.
"My place is not safe. Not for someone the Dark Lord has taken such a keen interest in. He knows where I live. The Death Eaters know where I live. If the Dark Lord finds out you are staying with me..."
"It wouldn't just be his end," finished Sirius, looking at Draco, "it would be yours as well."
Snape nodded.
"Fine," Draco huffed. He knew it was necessary, and he did like Sirius, but he still would have preferred to stay with his own godfather.
Draco left the room, but stopped just outside of the door, when he heard Sirius say, "Severus?"
This was the first time since the Shrieking Shack, that Sirius had called Snape by his given name.
"Yes?" Snape drawled.
"Do you know why Voldemort is after Draco?"
"No," Snape sighed. "And being as close to the Dark Lord as I am, it is perhaps better that I don't. But I assume Albus knows. And Draco, of course. So maybe ask one of them."
"I worry about him, you know. When I spent Christmas with him... He has nightmares. Pretty often, too. And they are quite violent..."
"Hmm..." Snape seemed to consider this. "Dementors also affect him worse than should be expected... But if it has something to do with why the Dark Lord is after him, it might be better if we do not know. If that is all-"
"No! Wait... I... I just wanted to thank you again, for bringing Harry and Draco back. I was worried sick because they just disappeared..." Draco could hear Sirius taking a deep breath. "And I wanted to apologize."
"Whatever for?" asked Snape, sounding surprised.
"Uhm- everything, really. Calling you names, trying to make your life miserable and telling people you are a Death Eater..."
"I literally just told you that I am one," answered Snape.
"On the outside, maybe. But... I can recognize the aftereffects of a bad Cruciatus, even if you've taken a potion. You must be in considerable pain. And I know how much you hate me. You would have never come here if it hadn't been to make sure the boys are alright. And you are right, there is no reason why a true Death Eater would bring them back to us instead of just killing them or bringing them to Voldemort. I... I have been wrong about you and for that I am sorry."
There was silence, then Sirius continued. "I know there is a lot of bad blood between us, and we'll probably never be anywhere close to being friends, but I'd like for us to put our differences aside. We are in a war, fighting for the same side, protecting the same children. So... truce?"
Draco couldn't help himself. He peered around the corner.
Sirius had his hand extended. And slowly, Severus reached for it with his own. They shook hands.
"Truce," Severus said.
Draco walked back to the others, ecstatic. The day had been an absolute nightmare, but all hope seemed not lost.
TBC
I don't know about you guys, but this chapter makes me incredibly happy every time I read it (I've had most of it written for quite some time) and it might be one of my favorites. Harry and Draco are safe (for now), Snape's secret is not so secret anymore, and Draco's hard work of making Severus and Sirius get along finally seems to pay off. For my two favorite godfathers in this story, burying the hatchet is a huge step. Took them long enough.
What's your favorite chapter or moment in this story so far? What did you think of this chapter? Let me know with a review :)