Whisper

Chapter 16: Whisper-Evanescence



Draco and James must have fallen asleep because the next thing they knew Kid was looking at them with wide green eyes.



“We go now,” he asked.



Draco smiled and ruffled Kid’s hair. “Yes, we go now.”



Kid smiled and hugged Draco. “Kid loves Draco,” he said. Draco smiled and returned the hug.



“And Draco love Kid,” he said.



“And James and Harry?”



Draco nodded. “And James and Harry.”



Kid cheered and jumped up and down in excitement as Draco turned to James. The teenager had a thoughtful look.



“Did you mean that?” asked James. “Being in love with Harry?”



Draco thought for a moment. Did he love Harry? The only things he knew about him were the bad things, yet Harry managed to get through all of it without going crazy. That kind of thing showed strength, a strength Draco never really had. And Draco admired it.



“Yeah,” said Draco looking up at James. “I do.”



James smiled back and kissed Draco. After Draco picked Kid up, they walked toward Gryffindor Tower.



“Aside from being a child, what’s Evangeline like?” asked Draco.



“She likes to be called Eva for one. “Evangeline” is too formal. She loves her family, obviously, but especially Harry. She’s very protective of him, as you can see,” said James.



“A Gryffindor trait,” said Draco. “Of course.”



“Eva flies,” said Kid. “Eva flies like bird!”



Draco looked at James. “She flies?”



“On a training broom of course. Both a Malfoy and Potter trait. Whether she’ll warrant to a Slytherin is yet to be seen. Harry has been known to scheme once or twice.”



“She sounds like the perfect combination,” said Draco.



“Eva like Draco,” said Kid. “Eva like Draco like Ginny like Ron.”



James stopped and looked sadly away at the mention of the deceased Weasley girl.



“Like a sister loves a brother,” said Draco.



“It’s a good start,” said James. “When she’s older, Harry will tell her the truth, and hopefully you’re still around.”



“If I have my way,” Draco in a serious tone. “I will be around for a very long time.”



“What does that mean?” asked James.



“I think I’ll let Harry make that decision. If he has me.” He smiled over at James and the teenager smiled back.



“I’m sure he will.”



Draco shifted Kid, reached over and linked their fingers together. James squeezed Draco’s hand as they walked on.



“She liked to talk about you,” said James. “She said that we’re like Aunt Minnie and Uncle Won.”



Draco laughed. “That’ll be a story to tell. How do we explain to a person I’m both her brother and her father’s lover?”



“Does it make a difference?” asked James.



“Draco family!” said Kid. Draco stopped walking and looked at the child. He wasn’t sure he should be called family after all he put Harry through. The fights and humiliation he set his school rival through would make any one angry at the perpetrator for years, and after his final attempt at capturing Harry in the Come and Go Room and then needing Harry’s help to escape wasn’t exactly a mark in Draco’s “Being Nice to Harry Potter” book. He turned to James.



“Am I?”



James smiled at him. “Harry seems to think so,” he said.



“But what about Weasley and Granger?”



“Well, then, they’d just have to get used to the idea,” said James with a smiled. Draco chuckled as well before having a thoughtful expression.



“If Father had his way, where do you think Harry would be right now?”



James shrugged. “Probably the bottom of the Thames for all I know. Lucius was really showed his hatred toward us.”



Draco gave James a stern look. “Don’t joke, James. I was being serious.”



James returned the look. “So was I. Look, Draco, I may not be a Mind-Healer but it doesn’t take a genius to know that Lucius would do any means necessary to justify his actions against us. He did blame Harry for the result of the war.”



Draco sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I saw the memory and the man in it. He wasn’t the man I knew as my father.”



“I’ve come to learn that everyone wears masks. The ones we use everyday and the ones use unconsciously. Harry never wore a mask. He didn’t know how. He was open and honest. Maybe the person you knew as Lucius Malfoy was another mask.”



“But he loved me,” said Draco, remembering the visit to Azkaban that seemed so long ago.



“Yes,” said James placing a hand on Draco’s shoulder. “He did.”



Draco smiled at James and placed a hand on the one on his shoulder. He felt small arms wrap around him and looked down to see Kid hugging him, his head lying on Draco’s shoulder. Draco allowed the brief moment of repast before sighing.



“Come on,” he said. “We have a hero to save.” And he took James hand and started toward the Tower. They were halfway there when the air became cold, colder ten before.



“The Dementors,” said James, mist drifting from his lips and nose.



“There are more of them this time,” said Draco. “Perhaps all of them.”



“Are we going to die,” asked Kid.



“No,” said James. “Not while Draco and I are around.”



“Let’s go,” said Draco. “We have to reach the Tower.”



He transferred Kid from his hip to his back and ran. James went ahead to warn them of any Dementors ahead and Kid kept an eye behind them.



“Stop,” said James around a corner. “Go back. There’s a corridor on the third floor we can use.”



And they doubled back. They had to go through several more turn backs before they finally reach the Gryffindor Tower. The picture covering it was bare of any paint but should still open at the correct password.



“Can you think of anything?” asked Draco.



“Several things actually,” said James. “Since all the passwords are of Harry’s Riddle, we jus have solve this one.”



“And how do we do that?”



“By thinking of a person or place that is important to Harry,” said Kid, getting the idea his counter part had.



“Exactly,” said James.



“So let’s try places,” said Draco and James nodded.



“Hogwarts,” said James but nothing happened. “Gryffindor Tower. Grimmuald Place.”



“Three Broomsticks,” said Draco. James and Kid looked at him. “Well, he was always there in Hogsmeade.” Both shook their heads, but with an amused look on their faces.



“Now we try people,” said Draco.



“God, there are so many,” said James.



“James, they’re coming,” said Kid, his childlike terror acting as an early warning system.



“All right, we’ll have to narrow it down,” said Draco. “Who was the love of Harry’s life?”



“You,” said James with a smile. Draco crossed his arms disapprovingly. “All right, all right. Ginny Weasley.” But the door remained closed.



“Who was the first person Harry kissed?” asked Draco.



“Cho Chang,” Nothing.



“Loved one? Like a parent?”



“Sirius Black and Remus Lupin.” Still nothing. Grandfather figure was Dumbledore and of course Weasley and Granger were best friends. They even tried Evangeline but it still remained closed. Kid, terrified at the thought of encountering the Dementor’s again, started to wail. James went over and picked him up, but immediately sat back down again in a huff.



“Are you all right,” asked Draco.



“I’m fine,” said James before returning to Kid. “It’s all right, Kid. We’ll be fine.”



“But we tried everything,” wailed Kid. “We can’t open the door!”



Draco, in an act of frustration, walked over and tried to pry the door open with his fingers.



“Open, damn you!” he yelled finally kicking it. He yelped and clutched his bruised toe. “Fucking son of a bloody bitch!”



“Draco say bad word!” said Kid pointing at the blonde.



“Watch it!” said James with a glare.



“The door not Harry,” said Draco, rubbing his foot.



“The door’s a part of Harry so what you’re saying.”



Draco sighed and smiled at James. “I’m sorry,” he said.



Kid started to whimper and James turned to sooth him. Draco was about to ask what was wrong when he heard it. Whispers, low and hardly audible, but it got louder each second.



(“No, not Harry! Please, anything but Harry!



“Move aside, woman!”



“NO!!!....”



“Kill the spare.”



“Cedric!....”



“Avada Kadavra!”



“Sirius!....”



“Severus.”



“Avada Kadavra.”



“DOBBY!....”



“Harry….Potter….”



“Look….at….me….”)



The words were jumbled together but Draco could piece them together, and among them were voices he knew very well.



(“A Malfoy doesn’t demean himself with school rivalries!”



“Yes, Father….”



“You missed being top of your class again by one point! By a Mudblood! Ho could you allow yourself to disgrace the family name?! Get to your room and start studying for next year!....”



“Hold out your arm, Draco, and receive that which you have dreamed of all your life.”



“AAH!....”



“Let me out! Please! Let me out of here! Somebody, help me!....”



“Crabbe….Crabbe is dead….”



“Mum! Dad! Where are you?!....”



“You have always been a disappointment to me and you’ll always will be! A Medi-Wizard! A Mind-Healer! Time and again you degrade yourself. Always a disappointment.”)



“Draco!”



Draco groaned and looked up at James.



“Don’t think about it. Think about something else.” But Draco was still slightly confused as he looked at James.



“Harry’s dying,” he said.



“I know,” said James. “But we’ve got to get this door open.”



“We’ve tried everything.”



“No, not everything,” said James, clutching Draco’s shoulder. Draco could feel James’ entire weight in the pressure of the touch. James was having trouble staying upright. “We must have missed something. Think, Draco! Don’t break down on me now. I can’t….”



‘He can’t think,’ thought Draco. ‘Harry’s dying, and so are James and Kid.’



Draco nodded and stood up, helping James as he did. He set James on the floor next to Kid and the child laid against his counterpart.



“All right. Let’s get this door open.”



James smiled. “That’s the Draco I know.”



Draco smiled back and began to think. They had tried every person and place Harry cared about and loved, but what if what they were looking for wasn’t a person or place. Was it a phrase or object? Or maybe….



Draco remembered that when Harry had been especially distressed, the Weasleys or Evangeline always soothed him with a song. A song he was very fond of.



(“He’s always loved that song,” said Granger. “Sirius even told him it was because he was a handful as a baby.”)



“James, how did that song go,” asked Draco. “The one Black taught Harry?”



James thought long and hard before shaking his head. “I can’t!” he cried. “The voices. They’re getting louder.”



“Forget the voices. Listen to my voice. The song. Focus on the song!” Draco clutched James’s shoulders to try and get the teenager to focus.



“I can’t, Draco. I’m so weak, and it seems so long ago.”



“It’s not,” said Draco. “It’s more like yesterday. I only remember a little bit. Now how did it go? ‘Love is a song that never ends. Life may be swift and fleeting.’ Come on, James. What’s the rest?”



"Hope may die,” sang James weakly. Kid was trying to stay awake next to him. “But love\'s beautiful music comes each day like the dawn.”



Draco looked up to see the door slowly opening to every word of the song. “That it,” he said. “That’s it, James. And the rest? ‘Love is a song that never ends. One single theme repeating’.”



But James was too weak to continue. Instead, Kid opened his mouth with effort and song.



“Like the voice of a heavenly choir, love\'s sweet music flows on."



At the ending of the song, the doors flew open and flooded the hallway with white light. Draco could hear the shrieks as the Dementors were driven away, but his attention was on the light. It blazed and pulsed and felt so warm in contrast to the chill of the castle. And through the door he could hear voices, but not nightmarish. They were peaceful and supportative.



(“I’m Ron, by the way. Ron Weasley….”



“My name is Hermione Granger. And you are? ....”



“It is what we do with the choices we make that determines who we are…..”



“You’re parents were the greatest friends I ever had, Harry. They sacrificed a lot to keep one lonely wolf happy….”



“You’re a wizard, Harry.”



“You’re father was a great man, Harry. There was no other like him….”



“Me, books and cleverness. There are more important things. Like friendship and bravery….”



“I told you mate. We’ll follow you wherever you lead, come hell or high water….”)



And with each voice came an image of the person say it; a boy with red hair and multiple freckles, a girl with thick brown hair and wide curious brown eyes, an old man with silver grey hair and twinkling blue eyes, a man with graying sand hair and patched robes, a man with dark hair and mischievous blue eyes and a large man in a trench coat with thick hair and beard, clutching a pink umbrella. And with the images came a memory. This time, he wasn’t just a part of the memory. He was observing it….



(Harry panted as he laid on the bed. The pain had started in his lower back and it had slowly increased throughout the day. He had called Hermione in four times before with the same pain. After a quick check Hermione said it was false labor, which was common with male pregnancies.



“It’s the body’s way of getting ready for the baby,” she said. “The big one won’t happen for a while. You will let us know when it comes.” The last part was said in an order instead of a question or statement. He knew she would enforce any way to keep him from hurting himself and the baby.



‘But this can’t be real labor,’ he thought and hissed at another pain. “Oh, God, they’re really close together now,” he said. “It’s different from before. This is….not good.” HE clutched his large stomach as he felt the baby kick again. “Winky!”



The house-elf appeared. “Master Harry Potter called for Winky, sir,” she said and gasped when Harry groaned in pain again. “Master Harry Potter in is pain!”



“Get Ron and Hermione,” he gasped. Winky wasted no time and disappeared. A few minutes later Ron and Hermione ran in the room with a puppy Orion around their heels, sensing the excitement.



“Back, pup,” ordered Ron shooing the dog out of the room. “Out!” he closed the door. “Dumb dog.”



“Please tell me it’s false labor pans,” said Harry as he gasped.



“They’re not,” said Hermione waving her wand to examine him. “They’re real and very close together. Ron, get Poppy. Tell her we’ll need to do the Cesarean.”



“Cesarean?!” cried Harry in pain as Ron ran out the room. Orion decided to follow him instead of running back into the room.



“Well, what do you suggest?” asked Hermione. “We wait around for you to have the baby naturally?”



“There’s nothing natural about a man giving birth to a baby!”



“Harry, this is the wizarding world. A man created a meteor shower on the day you defeated Voldemort the first time. What’s natural about that?” Harry hissed in pain again and Hermione sighed. “I don’t see why you couldn’t have aborted it.”



Harry glared at her. “I’m not taking another life!” he yelled. He cried in pain and as he did Hermione poured a potion down his throat. He gagged and sputtered around the liquid but the pain faded to a dull ache. “Oh, bless you, Hermione.”



“I already am,” she said, placing the stopper back on the phial and setting it aside. “I’ve got a wonderful husband, a beautiful baby girl, and a best friend who’s a complete arse. What more could I want?”



Harry chuckled as he laid on the bed and hissed as the ache pulsed. “This is real, isn’t it,” he said, a frightened looked in his eyes.



“Yes, it is,” said Hermione taking his hand.



“I should hate it, because of what happened, but I can’t. I just can’t. And I should hate him, for doing this to me. But I can’t. I hate what he did to me, but I can’t hate him about this.”



“I understand, Harry. Believe me, I do. What are you going to name it?”



“I was think Albus if it’s a boy. Evangeline if it’s a girl.”



“Evangeline? Why that name?”



Harry shrugged. “I’ve always liked it,” he said with a smile. Hermione smiled back.



“And what if you have twins?” she asked.



“Fred and George?”



Both laughed as Ron and Madam Pomprey walked in. Orion followed in behind them.



“And what’s so funny,” asked Ron.



“Just a joke Harry made,” said Hermione. “I’ll tell you later. Did you send Harriet to your mother’s?”



Ron nodded. “She seemed excited on spending time with Grandma,” he said. All four laughed till Harry groaned in pain again and Pomprey ran to Harry’s side.



“They’re really close together,” she said. “We’ll have to do the Cesarean now.”



She placed her black bag medical bag on the night stand and brought out her tools. Magic, through could heal a wound easily, couldn’t imitate complex and delicate surgery. Pomprey had to remove the baby the Muggle way.



“Do you want to sleep or feel no pain,” she asked, looking at Harry.



“I want to be awake,” said Harry as Hermione laid him down and started removing his clothes. “I want to see her.”



Pomprey smiled. “Her? So you already know the gender do you?”



Harry smiled through the pain. “Figure of speech.”



Pomprey nodded and gave Harry a potion to dull the pain of the surgery. It was stronger then the potion Hermione had given him, but he could still feel the contractions ripple through him. Both his hands gripped Ron’s hands as Pomprey took out a scalpel and rags. Taking the towels Hermione had gotten around his stomach she looked over at Hermione.



“I’ll need someone to stem the blood flow,” she said. Hermione nodded and stood close with gauze and cottons swabs in hand. Harry laid down on the bed gripping Ron’s hands and Pomprey picked up the scalpel.



The next half hour were a blur to Harry. He felt the dull ache of pain and gripped Ron’s hands harder and nearly bit his tongue. He couldn’t think of anything but the pain before he passed out and knew nothing.



He woke some time later to see Hermione sitting on a chair next to him, smiling down at a bundle wrapped in a white blanket.



“It worked,” asked Harry, slightly groggy.



“Oh, yes,” said Hermione. She stood and handed him the white bundle and he looked down at his baby. “Meet your daughter.”



Harry smiled. “Evangeline,” he said. “Evangeline Lily….”)



Draco was taken out of the vision when a hand was gently placed under his chin and he looked up into vivid green eyes. But these didn’t belong to either James or Kid. They were more alive. They held James fierce protectiveness and Kid’s child like laughter.



“Harry.”



“Hello, Draco,” said Harry taking his hand away and crossing his arms. “I’m surprised you made it this far, but then I should have expected that from you.”



Draco looked around. The hallways were brighter then it was when he arrived and more alive. There was no storm outside and pictures hung on the walls. He looked over at the wall where he had left James and Kid, but they were gone.



“Where’s James and Kid,” he asked looking at Harry.



“In me,” said Harry pointing at his chest before crossing his arms again. “I’ve always known about them, all my life. They protected me and kept me alive. After the Final Battle I thought I didn’t need them anymore. I guess I was wrong.”



“Because of the curse,” asked Draco and Harry nodded.



“At first I ignored the black outs, thinking I was over worked or something. But then they became more frequent and lasted longer. It was then I knew I was in trouble and took action. I made Ron and Hermione guardians to my assets and set up my will. I even made them god-parents to Eva should I die. I don’t want her growing up ignorant of her heritage, like I did.”



“And when you shut down, you resurrected James and Kid.”



Harry pointed to him in a “gotcha” gesture and winked. “Knew you were smart. It’s a defense mechanism for me I guess. I shut my happy memories away to protect them. But there were still a chance the Dementors could find them, so I gave my memories guardians. At first I just wanted to resurrect James, but he would become lonely, I knew, so I gave him something to protect.”



“Kid,” said Draco with a smile and crossed his arms. “The protector and the protectee. Such a Gryffindor.”



Harry smiled back. “But you love this Gryffindor,” he said. Draco blush a deep red.



“I didn’t say that!” he said defensively. Harry laughed.



“You didn’t have to. I could feel that you did, even if you don’t want to admit it.”



“I didn’t say that either!”



Harry laughed again, reached up and gently touched Draco’s face. “I’d love to stay and chat, Draco, but you have to go now. I have some things to clean up.”



“Harry….”



“Don’t worry. I’ll be back. I promise.”



Draco smiled. “And a Gryffindor never breaks his promises.”



“Of course. I love you, Draco.”



“I love you too, Harry.”



Smiling Harry brought Draco’s head down for a kiss.



TBC