A Time of Changes and Decisions

The young blond man surveyed the scene before him. To his left, the people of the burning village of Hogsmeade screamed and ran as death eaters pursued them. He looked the opposite way, to his right, where he could just barely see Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He sighed longingly.

His father, the tall aristocratic blond, glared and delivered a solid whack to the back of his son’s head. “I brought you here to prove yourself loyal, Draco. Not to stare at your old school where that disgusting fling of yours lives and moon over what could have been. Now start throwing some curses or return home and await me for punishment.”

Draco scowled and nodded. His father didn’t know his secret yet. But that was a good thing. If his father didn’t know, then neither did the Dark Lord. Draco despised them both. Now that he knew.

He moved away from his father, trudging through the snow, occasionally casting fire spells at random things in his path. He cast a mild sickness spell at a man who was fleeing, and watched him bend over in the snow and start to throw up. He turned away, disgusted.

His Aunt practically flew by him, her long black hair flowing behind her as she laughed and cast curse after curse at random people. She was happy doing this sort of thing. But then, she was insane.

The door had been left open to The Three Broomsticks, and Draco ventured in. If he only managed to get out of the watchful gaze of his father, it would be enough for him. He glanced around. The place was empty. Or it seemed to be at first. He went up to the wooden counter and braced himself up on it as he looked behind it. No one was there; but there was a shattered bottle in a puddle of what looked like butterbeer.

He lowered himself back to the floor, looked around, noticed a door in back, half hidden, and decided it was worth looking into. The door opened easily as he tried the doorknob, so he went in, glancing around at the room lit only by a fire in the fireplace. His wand stayed lowered at his side as he approached the fireplace. At least he could stay here and get warm until the attack was over and he had to return home for punishment.

Not that he wanted to return home. Punishment from his father was never pleasant, and he could really do without it right now. If only there were a way to escape his father…a way to make it so he would never have to go home, but would still be safe for the next seven or so months. And beyond, preferably.

He sat on the Oriental rug near the fireplace, casting aside his death eater cloak and mask. He ran his hand over his stomach, knowing the baby inside was the product of his one night with the man he had loved for as long as he could remember. After he had spent that one, wonderful night with the father of his child, Voldemort’s attacks had grown too bold, and Hogwarts was shut down until Voldemort was killed.

Draco had returned to Malfoy Manor; to the waiting clutches of his father and the Dark Lord himself. His life for those last two months had been filled with fear of the Dark Lord, fear of his secret being found out, and fear of what he was going to do when he couldn’t hide the secret anymore.

Maybe he should just…something moved nearby, creating a scuffling sound. Draco scrambled to hide behind a chair. He hoped he hadn’t been seen. He pulled a hand up to cover his mouth, trying to muffle his heavy breathing as the person came into view. Not one person, he soon saw, but two people. The Weasley twins.

What they were doing in the back room of The Three Broomsticks was anyone’s guess. Fred moved towards the fireplace, saw something on the floor where Draco had been - Draco’s death eater disguise - and gestured to his twin. They both drew their wands.

“Whoever’s in here better come out now.” Fred said.

“Don’t make us come find you. Because…”

“…that would be the wrong move.”

Draco realized this might be his only chance to escape his insane father and Master, so he stood from behind the chair, wand clasped in his left hand, both hands raised.

“Malfoy.” The twins said in unison. Their wands stayed trained on him, but the seemed to relax a bit.

“What are you doing back here, hiding?” Fred asked.

“Especially when the fighting’s not over yet?” George continued.

“I…I didn’t feel much like terrorizing anybody today.” Draco answered, his head lowering to hide his shame.

That the Weasley twins found him was both a blessing and a curse. At least he knew they wouldn’t kill him on sight, though he wasn’t sure they wouldn’t mock him for the rest of his life.

“Harry told us about that night you and he spent together before Hogwarts closed.” Said George.

Draco winced. Why would Harry talk about that with those two?

“We understand misunderstood relationships better then anyone does, Draco.”

“Yeah. Fred and I have been together since fourth year. And I’m pregnant with our child.” George informed the stunned blond before him, grinning.

“People don’t like it, but what they like or don’t like isn’t of our concern. We have each other.”

Draco almost cracked at those words. Would Harry take him back if he asked? He had left that night when Hogwarts closed, because it was expected of him. Harry hadn’t promised him anything. No happily ever after. No future for them. It was just one night of amazing sex. Amazing sex that had gotten Draco pregnant.

“Do you think Harry would take me back…if I asked?”

“Who knows? But why not try?”

Draco bit his lower lip, and sighed. He moved to sit down in the plush red chair he had been hiding behind.

“Are they gone yet?” He of course, was referring to the death eaters he had been with.

“Yeah, they left just a while ago.” George’s wand was no longer pointed at Draco’s head. So what are you going to do? Go back to your death eater father, or…”

“…go see Harry and ask him that question?”

Draco seemed to think for a minute, and then he decided. “I think I’ll stay and see Harry.”

“Then you should probably give us your wand, so nobody thinks you’re still trying to attack the village.”

Draco nodded and handed it over. “You mind if I sit for a while? I’m incredibly nauseous right now.”

George smiled knowingly. “Yeah, two months in will do that to you.”

The blonds’ head turned immediately to look at the twin who had just spoken.
“You won’t tell anyone, right?”

“Not if you don’t want me to.”

Draco sighed with relief, and leaned back in the chair, attempting to calm his stomach.

“How’d you two get in here anyway?”

“Oh, there’s tunnel from Hogwarts to here.” George informed him.

“We came to keep an eye on the building for Madam Rosmerta. She’s been away for a while, and asked us to stop in and check on it. When we heard the attack was underway we came down to make sure it was still standing. Luckily there’s an anti-fire spell placed on it, or it would be burned up just like part of The Hog’s Head.” Fred finished.

“Oh.” Was all Draco could say.

Several minutes later he found himself feeling well enough to walk, so Fred and George led him out of the building towards Hogwarts. They passed several people who were in the process of coming out of hiding, cleaning up bits of building, or putting out random fires.

“Hey! He’s one of those death eaters!” One of the men who had been in The Hog’s Head called out, pointing at Draco. He had been pretty well sloshed before the attack, but the shock of the death eaters apperating in and the subsequent destruction had sobered him up a bit.

“Whether he was or wasn’t is none of your business.” Fred informed the man, before grabbing Draco’s arm and pulling him into a faster walk towards the school. The surly man followed them.

“We ought to send him to Azkaban!” he called out again. “You have no right to protect him!”

George looked over at Draco and rolled his eyes. They soon entered Hogwarts grounds where the man’s presence was not welcome, and he was left behind, screaming his opinions at the cold night air.

The twins led Draco in, straight to Harry’s private rooms. George spoke the password and pushed the blond man into the nicely decorated room. “You wait here for him. I don’t think you’re interested in coming out and meeting all the people around here. I’m sure they’d just LOVE to have a conversation with you.” His tone was beyond sarcastic. Draco nodded.

As soon as the twins had closed the door, Draco heard a lock click shut. He was alone again, but at least this place felt safer then his own room in Malfoy Manor. His father could come in whenever he wanted there, whereas here, his father would have to get through the wards of Hogwarts.

He was a bit reluctant to touch anything, but after a half an hour had gone by with no sign of Harry, he pulled off the majority of his clothing and climbed onto Harry’s bed. It was soft, but firm enough to be comfortable. And it smelled like Harry.

Draco pulled a pillow to him, clutching it close, and rested his head on it. Breathing the scent of Harry was wonderful after two months away. He smiled softly, and drifted off into sleep, one arm around the pillow, the other protectively splayed across his stomach.