Daimons

Chapter 13


Miriam watched as the image in the crystal ball faded to a dull grey. Gavin was asleep. She had watched as Voldemort offered the Galleons for the death of Severus’ child. She saw the way Gavin toyed and fucked, what was his name, oh yes, Malfoy. Disgusted with herself for her part in the conversion of her friend, she felt like wrenching what little food she had in her.

“I want a dozen of our best guarding Severus twenty-four/seven. I don’t want anyone you personally don’t know within one hundred meters of him. If they resist… kill them.”

“Will you tell Armstrong about the threat?” asked one of the guards.

She took a moment to contemplate the question. “I know I should and he’ll probably kill me once he finds out but I'd rather live with the consequences than to have a paranoid Armstrong interfering with the protection of his husband. Besides, he has too much on his plate to add something more onto it. We will protect Severus ourselves and we better damn well do a good job of it or our lives will be forfeit. Do you understand?”

The guard nodded his head in agreement. He understood that if they failed their death would be a long and painful. He would stress the importance to his comrades, leaving no doubt to them what would happen to them if anything happened to Severus or his child.

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“What’s wrong?” Rose Marie opened her door to Harry, his eyes as big as door knobs.

“I’m… I’m…” he stuttered.

“Harry come in and sit. I’ll get you a drink.” She hurried and poured a stiff drink. Harry’s hand shook as he took the drink from Rose Marie. “Don’t gulp, sip.”

Harry relaxed as the alcohol started to take its effect.

“Can you talk about what’s bothering you?” Rose questioned.

He set the remainder of his drink on the end table and swallowed hard before he could speak. “Albus wants me to take over.”

“Over what?”

“The Order of the Phoenix. He wants me to be their leader. Rose, I can’t. I’m not good enough.” He stood and started to pace the length of the room. “I’m not smart enough.”

Rose Marie ran a soothing hand down Harry’s back. “There is no one better than you to take over and that includes Arm,” she reassured him.

Harry looked at her as if she had lost her mind. “I may be powerful but I’m not a leader…”

She looked irritated at Harry. “Snap out of it. Albus wouldn’t have offered you the job if he wasn’t sure you weren’t up for it.”

“You think?” Harry asked.

“Harry the man may be manipulative but no one ever called him stupid. He knows what he’s doing and by giving up his responsibility of the Order to you, only proves that fact.”

“What do I do now?” His voice was steady with a new resolve.

“You get together with all of those you trust and brainstorm. Talk about all sort of strategies until things click for you. Go in there as a leader, make a decision, and stick by it. They want to know that you have things well in hand, that you know what you’re doing. If you gain their confidence, you've won the battle.”

It was a mismatch of thoughts but her words slowly seeped through his thick head.

Harry slammed his hands on the arms of the chair, pushing off of the seat. “You’re right. I’ve had ideas for years on how differently Voldemort should be handled. I can now implement those changes. I’ll do it on one condition…”

“What would that be?” She smiled at his enthusiasm.

“That you will be there by my side to keep me on the straight and narrow.”

“You don’t need me. You’ll be fine.”

“You’re wrong. I do need you.” He stepped up and placed his hands on her hips and leaned over her round belly and gave her a chaste kiss. He felt a warm tingle shoot up his arms and straight to his groin. He stepped back in surprise, he had never thought of Rose Marie that way. She was Remus’ wife, he shouldn’t be getting a raging hard on. He tried to ignore the desire in his groin. “Will you be there?”

She obviously hadn’t noticed the tightness in his pants. “If you want me there, I’ll be there.” She smiled sweetly.

He wasn’t quite as sure as he was a few moments before. “I couldn’t do it without you.”

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The first meeting ended up in the front room of Armstrong’s home. The Daimon refused to let Severus go to Hogwarts for it and since Harry insisted that he needed Severus’ input there was a compromise. That was how Armstrong’s living room was packed with members of the Order. Refreshments were placed about the room for the Order's pleasure. Severus snagged a cheery tart before Armstrong could object.

Rose Marie was there and smiled reassuringly at Harry.

Clearing his throat Harry began the meeting. “I’m sure you all have heard by now that I am now the head of the Order of the Phoenix.” Harry was pleased that Dumbledore had refused his request to attend. He had to make his mark and didn’t think that it would be possible with the Headmaster there.

“I have for sometime thought we should take a more proactive roll in the downfall of Voldemort.”

“Here, here,” Severus agreed from the couch that Armstrong had propped him up on.

“Until we find and destroy all the Horcruxes we must make the Death Eaters' lives as miserable as possible, and I’m willing to break a few laws to do it.”

Kingsley leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms across his chest. “I didn’t hear that Harry.”

“He said ‘he was willing to break a few…’ oh!” Tonks caught on. “I didn’t hear it either.”

“We need to hit them where it hurts.”

“Their pockets,” Ron spoke up from his corner of the room.

“What?” Harry asked.

“What do most Death Eaters have in common, besides being purebreds?”

“Most are from very old families with very old money,” Severus replied. He was rather proud of Mr. Weasley at the moment. Pity he was a Gryffindor.

“Exactly.” Ron pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against. “We have people in Gringotts, people who are very creative with books.”

“We could have there finances diverted to accounts that we control,” Harry added.

“By the time they find out where there money went we’ll have spent it to fund the Order,” Ron continued.

“Can you imagine a Malfoy without money?” asked Harry.

“Yes I can.” Severus had the most evil smile on his face. “Not a pretty sight.” He snickered.

“The Aurors could start finding excuses to harass some of the better known Death Eaters,” Kingsley said

“Yes, make their lives as miserable as possible. Is there any way we can trump up some charges to keep them behind bars for a while?” Harry inquired.

“There are always way to put them behind bars, even if it’s for a few hours,” Tonks included. The possibilities were mind boggling.

“If this is not done right I don’t want it done at all. I will not sacrifice one of us to Azkaban.” Harry tone turned serious. “I want to make their lives a living hell but not at the cost of the Order. We take out as many as we can legally before we re-group to attack.”

“Harry, I hate to interrupt but I think the Order should know that our spy has made contact and is in the midst of the enemy,” Daimon told the group. Few knew that Arm was speaking of Gavin, most didn’t. He couldn’t help but notice the sour look on his husband’s face. Severus has never been the type to sit back and let others risk there lives. As soon as the meeting was over he would have to consol his husband.

“Have we learned anything?” asked Moody.

“Not as of yet, but we have twenty-four hour surveillance of their activities.”

“Excuse me,” Rose Marie interrupted. “Before this meeting is adjourned I would like us to say a prayer to whatever god or goddess you may worship for our colleagues safe return. A silent prayer would suffice, I think.”

Some bowed their head in silence, others looked to the heavens, there palms facing upward as they silently spoke the words of protection. Each one prayed for the safe return of their comrades.

Harry prayed for Remus and Gavin but mostly for Hermione. He would never forgive himself if she didn’t return. He wasn’t there for Ron when he needed a friend and now he felt as if he failed Hermione as well. Merlin, he was a lousy friend.

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Armstrong took his husband to bed once everyone had left. Blindfolding and binding his hands to the headboard, Armstrong made slow, passionate love to his husband. He spoke of his love for him and that there was nothing more important in the world than what he was doing… giving birth to the child that would lead the wizarding world into a new era of understanding. By the time Armstrong was done, Severus was a puddle of goo, snoring contently under the larger Daimon.

‘That should keep you content for a day or two.’ He kissed his husband's shoulder while he spelled them clean. Snuggled up next to Severus, Armstrong stared for hours at his husband’s features, his fingers lightly tracing the frown lines on his husband’s face.

“Merlin only knows how much I love you.” He leaned in and kissed the slightly parted lips. “Good night my love.”

The words, ‘Good night,’ were heard by Arm seconds before he fell into sleep.

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Greyback threw an open envelope in front of an eating Remus. Arching a brow, he looked up at the Alpha.

“A dinner invitation at Malfoy’s. Invitation,” he harrumphed, “more like a command.” He looked down at Remus and snarled, “And you know how I don’t like to ordered about.”

Whipping the corners of his lips Remus sat his napkin over his breakfast dish. “You’re going aren’t you?”

“Don’t play with me Lupin. I have no choice but to go.” Greyback leaned across the table until their faces were millimeters apart. “You’re going too.”

“Me? I wasn’t invited. Besides I have a feeling that a dozen or more of Voldemort’s men would kill me the moment they saw me and where would that leave your plans?”

Greyback gave a deep growl, as his amber eyes darkened. “You will be under my protection. If they want the werewolves' support they won’t dare touch you. You, one way or another, will be going with me,” he ordered.

Casually leaning back in his chair, Remus gave Greyback a grin. “How could one refuses such a request? I’d be honored to go.”

“You’re getting cocky werewolf. I may have to put you in your place.” Greyback snorted.

“Never doubt for a moment that I know where my place is…”

“Where is that werewolf, with ‘humans’ that have enslaved and murdered your kind?”

Remus stood to stand toe to toe and nose to nose to Greyback, wondering where all this courage came from.

“I have a human wife and pup on the way. That’s were my place is. I’m here so that someday that all werewolves and humans can live together without fear of one another.”

Greyback laughed in his face. “Dream on, Lupin. You’ll never live long enough to see that day.”

“No, you are probably right but perhaps my daughter may live to see that day and I would like her to know that her old man had something to do with that freedom.”

“You’re a damn fool.” Greyback turned his back and started out the room. “But damn it, I hope you’re right.”




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