Claimed

Authors Note: Many thanks to my beta, Robert, who was instrumental in the ending of this chapter (and also to his doggie Crystal who kept his fingers warm throughout his ardurous work with loving licks.)

Chapter 18 Futures and Promises

Daylight streamed into the vast manor library through giant stained glass windows as Narcissa sipped at her tea and poured over volume after volume of vampire lore looking for something that might help her sons.

All week she had wandered the manor in a grief driven haze, only rarely acknowledging even her husbands words.

Harry leaving had been heartbreaking enough, but Draco following right after him, reckless and lovesick, made her worry deeply over his fate. Harry at least could take care of himself, and would certainly protect Draco if her son made it to him, but would he survive the journey? And if he did, would he survive the colony of vampires he was storming into?

On the third day she realized that sobbing alone in her private quarters would do no good, and that though her husband seemed torn between staying to comfort her and riding off after their children, she knew he would be little help as well.

She had to do something, anything to at least feel as though she were contributing to her family’s health and well-being.

So she did research.

The sunlight glittered on the surface of the magical wall covering of their family tree and she looked up to marvel at it. There was one of these murals for the Black family in her old childhood home and she had always loved it, though it was noting in comparison to the beautiful piece of art that was the Malfoy Family Tree.

It held a polished silver tree in its center and on each branch was a silver frame containing a magical portrait and a small plaque with a name engraved into it. The tree had a way of predicting things sometimes, and adjusted itself at once when there was a change in the family, no matter how far away they were.

She recalled the day that Harry’s frame was added to the tree, and she had caressed it lovingly, happy that he was so easily recognized as part of their family. The portrait still looked down at her, Harry’s ethereal face smiled widely and glanced over at Draco’s portrait.

Narcissa was happy to see that her son was still alive, as no death date had been carved below his name, but something was different about him and she stared, not understanding what it could be.

“Draco,” she whispered, and ran her finger along his frame, which had merged together with Harry’s, and Draco smiled at her, baring his newly grown fangs.

With a wide-eyed gasp Narcissa ran from the room, calling out for Lucius, who met up with her in the corridor outside the parlor. “He’s a vampire!” she shouted, caring little how unladylike it was to run through the manor and scream out to her husband.

“Harry?” Lucius asked, clearly unsure what the news in that statement would be.

“Yes, Harry,” she replied sarcastically. “I’m so excited because I finally realize that Harry was a vampire all this time.”

Lucius huffed and gestured for her to get on with her actual revelation.

“Draco. Draco’s a vampire now too. His frame has merged with Harry’s, they must have bonded,” she shrieked, feeling silly, but unable to contain her enthusiasm over her sons being together at last.

“Is this what you wanted?” Lucius asked her, seemingly confused.

“Of course,” she scoffed. “I love my children and wish for their happiness, and nothing would make them happier.”

Lucius sighed and rubbed his temples lightly, no doubt thinking of his last few encounters with the vampire Harry. “They’ll be very powerful, more so now then ever before.”

“You can worry about that later,” she huffed. “Our boys are bonded,” she repeated and pulled her husband toward the library so that he could see the tree for himself.

As she approached, she noticed something that nearly made her faint from joy. Below the merged frames of her sons now hung three smaller frames that were still blank, but as she knew from her experience with the Tree, those frames would some day be filled with small portraits as well.

She turned and looked at her husband, who despite his worries over the immense power their sons would hold and the potential for it to backfire, was prouder than she had ever seen him. A single tear fell from his eyes and he wrapped his larger stronger hand around her own more delicate one.

“Grandchildren,” he whispered reverently and caressed the tiny frames with his other hand.

Narcissa only spared a fraction of a thought for how those children might come to be, or even what they would be once born, but was happy to know that her sons were happy and healthy and hopefully on their way back to them soon.

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At this rate Draco wondered if he would ever get to go back home.

The Council had kept Harry in their chambers for what felt like days as they prepared him for the upcoming battle. Draco never left his side, but even though they were now the same, both this elusive breed of hybrid that the vampires seemed to covet, Draco was still left out of most of the planning.

Not that he minded.

His thoughts were otherwise occupied on Harry and the things he wished to do to him once they were able to be alone. Every spare moment they had together they spent in Harry’s quarters alone and naked, and even now he could see Harry’s pale and perfect body writhing beneath him in his memories of that morning.

Love for Harry never faded, and though just days ago he would have thought it an impossibility for him to care deeper for Harry, it was exactly what happened. As Harry and Draco grew closer, their love grew along with them, its power rivaling even Harry’s magical abilities, which were astounding everyone on a much larger scale than ever before.

With a thought his mate could shred another vampire to pieces or drain their capacity to think clearly, sending them to fight their own and kill them in Harry’s stead. It was all terribly gruesome, but Draco cared little as long as his Harry remained victorious and that soon they could leave and return to their real home.

He knew that part of Harry wished to stay, as once their work was finished, it would truly be a glorious place for all who were left. He could see vividly Harry’s memories of feeling caged inside the manor, having to be careful where he ventured to avoid the sunlight and only getting to leave at night.

But then he also saw the extreme sadness Harry felt at leaving Narcissa and his want to see the gardens again, even it were in moonlight.

All Draco could think of was letting Harry take him in the manor garden, feeling the silky soft flower petals caress his skin as Harry entered him over and over.

Harry turned and looked at him sharply, a playfully admonishing look on his face as he told Draco silently to stop being so dirty and pay attention. Draco merely smiled in response and tenderly squeezed his lover’s hip where his hand permanently rested during these meetings.

“I’d rather they all not see a clear picture of what we do in private and you’re unable to block them from your thoughts yet,” he teased.

“Too late,” Laurel replied with tinkling laughter. “We all envy your bond and love that Draco pays so close attention to your lovemaking,” she said with a wink.

Harry rolled his eyes and let his hand smooth up and down Draco’s thigh, a nervous gesture he had begun recently.

“His fantasies are some times as vivid as his real memories,” Linden noted. “Such a gift.”

“Perhaps we should get back on topic,” Harry suggested dryly and Draco attempted to clear his mind of all images of Harry naked.

Apparently sensing Harry’s dislike for their invasion of his private life, Elizabeth agreed at once and they picked up where they had left off on the act of breaching the walls of the golden kings palace.

“I’m not sure we should be the ones attacking,” Harry remarked. “Won’t it show his followers that we’re the ones being peaceful if we simply let them come to us.”

“It would bring the fighting into our halls and could cause our people to be injured,” Montblanc protested.

“But I could destroy hordes of them at once if I needed to,” Harry replied. “If I positioned myself at our borders, they would never make it far enough to see the amethyst towers.”

“It might be simpler for you to eliminate the threat at its source by killing the king,” Alexandra mused. “You could sneak in and out alone and then his hold on the people would be finished.”

Draco tensed; his sharp nails digging into Harry’s flesh.

“What is it?” Harry asked, no doubt feeling Draco’s anxiousness.

“I don’t want you going alone,” he replied.

Harry tucked a lock of platinum blonde hair behind Draco’s ear and smiled. “I won’t do anything that makes you uncomfortable,” he assured.

“Swear it?” Draco asked, feeling the ancient council stir at Harry’s words.

“I swear it,” Harry promised. “And no one here would dare try and make me if they wanted my help,” he added, most likely for the council’s benefit.

Draco nodded and leaned against his mate, letting the comfort of his presence wash over him. He felt strong and sure in this new and improved body except for when it came to Harry. He knew deep down that Harry felt the exact same way about him, but it still made him nervous to need to rely on someone else. Aside from his parents, Draco had never counted on anyone, and now his heart, his sanity and even his life rested in the hands of another. It was still a tad disconcerting.

“I love you, and I would never do anything to upset you,” Harry projected into his mind, and Draco could only smile contentedly as the council agreed to Harry’s plan of letting the others come to him.

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Snape looked around the golden palace, noticing how carefully watched he was, unlike in the amethyst towers where they seemingly ignored him as a threat.

He felt important here, and he enjoyed the feeling.

A thin, young, beautiful vampire boy named Tinsel led him through the mighty golden corridors and pushed through a set of large oak doors leading into the King’s private chambers.

Crispan was sitting at his desk, scribbling furiously at several parchment rolls when Snape entered and dropped to his knees before him.

The king looked up and appraised him with narrowed eyes and got up to stand in front of Snape’s bowing form. “You wished to see me?”

“I hear you are looking to conquer the Potter boy,” Snape said.

A soft curl of a smile graced the king’s lips and he took Snape’s hand and helped him to his feet. “I am at that, yes.”

“I could bring you Potter, if you would agree to turn me,” he offered.

“How?” the king demanded.

“I was his tutor and friend when he was a human. I watched and counseled his transformation. He trusts me,” Snape replied.

“And you no longer desire him?” The king pressed, reading Snape’s original intentions for the boy written clearly on his face.

Snape shook his head. “He’s just as desirable, but my obsession with him faded when he bonded with Malfoy,” he said with a slight snarl at the blonde’s surname.

The king circled Snape’s tense form and finally stopped and pulled him close, caressing a soft satiny hand down the potion masters cheek. “Yes, that is very common. A vampires allure for others fades when they bonds with their mate. I can see that you would sacrifice him for a place among us, but you crave something more than immortality,” he mused. “You crave companionship.”

Snape nodded deftly, his eyes lolling back at the simplest of touches. “I do,” he moaned.

“You wished for Harry to covet you the way he does Draco, and when they bonded, your love for him drained away,” the king confirmed from his mind.

“You want to be absorbed completely by us, taken into our golden throng and mated with one of our own,” the king whispered delicately into his ear, as if confessing his perpetual love and adoration.

“Yes,” Snape groaned, and nearly collapsed to his knees again as heat pooled in his groin and he clung to the King’s robes.

“I shall grant these things if you bring Harry to me,” the king promised.

With a shuddering sigh, Snape bowed his head and left the presence of the king. He wrapped carefully constructed shields around his mind and set off to locate Harry, bring him to the king and finally get his due.

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Sweaty and sated, Harry rolled over to assess the damage done to his lover’s chest, but the gouging wounds he had inflicted on the pale luminescent flesh as his orgasm rode him were already healed.

“I feel different,” Draco murmured, gently running a hand over his abdomen.

Harry mimicked his movement, concerned that he had left some bit of lasting damage and nearly jumped from his skin as he felt a heart beat inside a body that should have none. He pressed his ear to Draco’s stomach and his eyes went wide. “Draco, oh my beloved,” he cooed.

“What is it?” Draco asked, his voice laced with panic.

“You’re with child,” Harry told him. “My child,” he added, unable to stop the grin from forming on his face.

Draco blinked rapidly and tried to focus on his body, and once he knew what to look for, he was able to hone in on the intruder easily enough. “Baby,” he whispered lightly, confusion and awe both mixed in his voice.

Harry nodded and began kissing Draco’s stomach with delicate sweet lips.

“But how?” Draco asked. “We’re men, we’re technically dead and… well, I think that’s enough to make this impossible quite frankly.”

“Magic,” Harry replied with a wink. “Everything that has ever happened in my life seems impossible until it happens,” he noted and then frowned at Draco’s still shocked expression. “Are you unhappy?”

It was a question because Harry couldn’t tell. He couldn’t pin down what Draco was feeling, because not even Draco could pin it down. “I’m not sure. I… I just never thought-“ he began but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Harry scowled at the offending plank of wood as if it were the door that had interrupted his lover. “I’ll go and see who it is,” he said and slipped on a pair of loose trousers, padding outside.

“Severus?” he asked curiously when he saw who had knocked. “I have the best news!”

Snape rolled his eyes slightly and shook his head. “Whatever it is can wait,” he replied gruffly. “This cannot,” he added, holding up a thin glass vial of pale green liquid.

“What is it?” Harry asked, taking the vial and uncorking it.

“The council asked me to make it for you, it should boost your powers during battle, but I’d like you to test it first to see if I need to adjust it,” Snape replied easily.

Harry merely shrugged and upended the contents of the vial into his mouth. He doubted there was much any potion could do to harm him, plus he trusted Severus at his craft.

Almost at once Harry’s body began to tingle as his solid heart started to beat anew, sending once stagnant blood rushing through his veins like he hadn’t felt in months. He clutched his hands into and out of fists marveling at the feeling he had once taken for granted as the blood coursed through him, making his skin flush a vivid pink. The violent thud of his heartbeat made him grin until the room began to spin, and Snape’s face formed a smug grin as Harry wobbled on his feet, tipping forward only to be caught by Snape’s waiting arms. “What was-“ Harry rasped, but found he was unable to get the words around a tongue that now felt like rough cotton.

Snape chuckled darkly and leaned into Harry, their faces merely inches apart. “Clearly I lied before about the potions intentions,” he told him knowingly, but refused to elaborate.

Harry tried to fight the effects of the mysterious liquid, tried to keep his eyes open, but could only hear the faint crack of glass on stone as the vial slipped from his hands, could only feel an icy chill work its way into his flesh and could only see thick ominous black edging its way across his vision until all was dark and Harry had no choice but to succumb to the fate that awaited him.

Snape knelt beside the now-still vampire and lifted him easily from the floor, pulling his face close once again. He traced a finger along Harry’s pale white jaw and smiled reverently at the boy he once believed would give him his happy ending. In a way he still would, just not in the way Snape had originally planned.

He blinked his obsidian eyes to clear away all useless thoughts and remind him of his task. With Harry’s limp form draped in his arms, he strode quickly to the place he had arranged to meet the King’s guard, and without a backward glance he fled the Amethyst tower with his prize.

Authors Note: Bum Bum Bum!! hehe. Snape voodoo dolls anyone?