Soul Seeker

Hey, here is the next chapter.

Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter, please enjoy this chapter. Next chapter will be AU/Post-DH. Wow, these chapters keep getting longer and longer. 16 pages…!

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Words: 7,137
Chapter 3
I Open At The Close
March 24th 1998.

Shouts and screams echoed down the corridor. The three conscious teenagers turned their heads in time to see Fred and Percy Weasley backing into their view. Death Eaters came after them, wands out and firing spells. The man duelling Percy backed off as Harry, Ron and Hermione ran forward to help. Draco took a few steps backwards; Goyle remained unconscious where he had been dropped, on the floor beside the wall.

“Hello Minister,” Percy sent a jinx at Thicknesse as he spoke. “Did I mention I’m resigning?”

“You’re joking, Perce!” Fred cried as he, Harry and Ron sent three stunning spells at a Death Eater. The man collapsed and Fred let out a small chuckle. “You actually are joking. I don’t think I’ve heard you joke since you were-” A loud explosion cut him off.

Draco looked up from where he was cowering. His mother’s wand was held out in front of him, but his hand was trembling. A second explosion followed, but Draco saw it coming before it hit. He had two choices, and one of those wasn’t really a choice at all. He couldn’t allow his mate to get hurt.

Pieces of the wall fell down; the glass in the window shattered and shards flew at them all. Percy dived to the ground and Harry felt himself flying through the air, arms over his head and his fingers tight around Draco’s stolen wand. “ACCIO!” Draco screamed, and Harry changed course. He had been headed out of the window, but now he flew directly into the blond’s arms. Draco caught him, and squeezed him tightly until the noise stopped.

When the world was no longer spinning, and it was relatively quiet Harry opened his eyes. Draco lifted his head up from where it had been pressed to Harry’s hair, and with a blush he loosened his hold on his mate’s waist. Harry stood slowly, a confused look on his face, but he didn’t say anything insulting so Draco decided he had made the right choice. He looked to his left, where people were beginning to scream again, and Draco winced. He wasn’t strong enough to save them both, and his mate was more important.

Harry shouted, running towards the man sprawled out on the floor. “No, No!” He cried as Ron struggled in Hermione’s arms, trying to reach his brother. “No, Fred! No!”

Draco looked down at the dead Weasley and took a deep breath. His eyes wondered to his distraught, but alive, mate. He had made the right choice.

Ron was trying to drag Fred’s body somewhere out of the way, and Percy was busy ducking spells that were being aimed through the hole in the wall. Harry felt as if the world had ended. If the world was over, why wasn’t the battle? Should the fighting have stopped as well? Draco placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder hesitantly.

“Why didn’t you save him?” Harry asked quietly, knowing it was a foolish thing to say but not being able to help himself.

“I had to save you.” Draco whispered and took a step back, his hand falling to his side. His back was hurting again. Pins and needles travelled up the curve of his spine and he thought that, maybe, if Harry touched him it would stop the pain. “I’m glad I saved you.”

“So am I.” Harry whispered. He pulled something out of his pocket then, ducking to avoid a spell, and turned to face Draco. “Thank you. We’re the only ones who can do it,” Harry said looking at his friends. Ron had hid Fred’s body and was now aiming spells out of the window. Hermione was helping him, firing left and right, grinning when she hit her target. “Thank you.”

“What’s that?” Draco asked as he fired a hex down the corridor at a masked figure. The Death Eater gave a cry and Draco was surprised to find that as long as Harry was there he wasn’t afraid.

“A snitch. Albus left it to me in his Will. It has something inside of it, but it’s suppose to ‘open at the close’, but I don’t know what the close is. Holding it makes me feel a little more confident about what has to be done.”

“And what’s that?”

“Murder.” Harry whispered. “I have to kill Voldemort.”

“NO!” Draco screamed. The fear of his mate being close enough to Voldemort to duel to the death terrified him. The others turned at his shout, looking around anxiously for another fallen friend.

”Where’s Goyle?” Ron asked. No one answered. Blue eyes met Harry’s, and they were hard and determined. “I want to help kill Death Eaters.”

“You can, but first we have to get the snake.” Hermione pulled the Basilisk fang from her pocket and held it tight. Ron raised Gryffindor’s sword slightly and nodded. Harry tucked the locket back into his pocket and smiled. “We can do this.” They were all crying, he realized. His face was wet as well, and he brushed back the tears. There would be time to mourn later.

They started down the corridor before Percy froze. “He isn’t coming!” He pointed at Draco accusingly, as if it was the blond’s fault Fred was dead. Draco supposed in a way it probably was. He had put into motion the events that led to Dumbledore’s death. If Dumbledore hadn’t died, things might have been so much more different. He had also chosen not to save the redhead. His mate would always come first.

“He probably shouldn’t.” Harry turned in time to catch the hurt look flash across Draco’s face, before the blond had it hidden. “It won’t be safe, Malfoy. We are going to win, but you shouldn’t be forced to be there.”

“No one is forcing me. I’d rather fight for you than for him.” His eyes were wide, and there was something about him that refused to let Harry say ‘no’. A sudden flash of Draco, cold and bleeding, without his wings, penetrated Harry’s mind and he flinched. The sudden fear that overwhelmed him was stronger than the fear of Ginny getting hurt, or of dying himself.

“No, you need to be safe, somewhere else. Anywhere else.” His eyes bored holes into Draco’s face until the blond looked away with a blush. “Please?”

“Why do you care, mate?” Ron asked, bewildered.

It was the use of the word ‘mate’ that made Draco agree. He was Harry’s mate, and Harry was worried for him. Ron Weasley could go get stuffed. “Fine.” He huffed, looking put out.

Draco gave a glare and took off down the corridor. He figured he’d search for his parents. When he found them, they could all go somewhere and hide. They could explain everything to Harry later, when Voldemort was dead. He wouldn’t allow himself to believe in a different outcome. His mind wouldn’t be able to take it. Briefly he wondered if he would feel it if Harry died, considering he couldn’t feel Harry now.

“No,” he berated himself. “Don’t think about that. Harry will be fine.”

Harry watched him go. A small part of him wanted to hide Draco somewhere only he would find him, but that would be foolish. He would be better spending his energy focused on killing Voldemort and not saving Malfoy’s arse.

“Harry,” Hermione said softly. “Look inside of him. He’ll have the snake with him.”

Every thing got sort of quiet after that, and he no longer felt like he was standing with them. Instead he was further away, out of the castle. He was in the Shrieking Shack. The walls were familiarly desolate, and the sounds of the battle were faint and distant. They weren’t his thoughts, Harry knew that, but they were thoughts that were happening in his head. He was thinking about the Room. You had to be clever and cunning to find that Room, just like you have to be inquisitive and smart to find the Chamber. The Diadem was safe. Potter would never find the Room.

“My Lord,” said a desperate voice. Lucius Malfoy was a sight. His face was swollen and bruised and one eye was puffy and closed. “Please… my son…” He begged. Harry felt a pinching in his chest at the thought that Draco could have been killed so soon after having just seen him. But then he remembered they hadn’t seen him. For all Lucius knew, Draco could have been dead long before he stumbled upon Harry at the Room of Hidden Things. He had the overwhelming urge to reach out and pat the man on the shoulder, but he couldn’t.

“If your son is dead, Lucius, it is not my fault.” Voldemort sneered. “Perhaps he has decided to join Harry Potter?”

“No, never,” Lucius’ voice shook as he spoke. He didn’t feel confident in his denial but the Dark Lord didn’t notice. “Wouldn’t it be more prudent, forgive me, to seek him out yourself?” Another attempt to find out the fate of his son.

“You do not fool me, Lucius. You wish the battle to end to seek out young Draco. I do not fear that Potter will die, or run. He will come to me before the night is through.” He paused, and his forehead creased in thought. “Go and fetch Snape.”

Harry suddenly found himself crouching in the corridor, his friends hovering around him. Percy was no longer there. “He’s in the Shrieking Shack. He just sent Lucius to find Snape.” He didn’t even question why he was calling Draco’s father by his first name, but still calling his professor ‘Snape’ when they were both as equally hated.

A Death Eater appeared, followed by Minerva McGonagall. The man screamed Harry’s name and fired a hex. Hermione shoved him out of the way. “Get the cloak on, go! We’ll catch up!” She cried, firing off a spell at a second assailant.

He pulled the cloak out of the bag around his neck and threw it over his three friends. He doubted anyone would see their feet considering the battle that was raging. He made sure to take out one Death Eater before they ran down the corridor. That was the professor wasn’t out numbered.

Dean and Parvati were duelling three Death Eaters, and Draco was crouched on the landing by the stairs pleading with a fourth. “I’m Draco, Draco Malfoy. I’m on your side!” He wasn’t really, but they didn’t need to know that. Ron and Hermione helped the two Gryffindors while Harry cast a stunner at the man hovering over Draco.

He looked around for his saviour, and Harry was about to tell him to run again, when Ron reached out and punched him. Harry had to bite back a growl, which surprised him. He had no reason to feel so protective of Malfoy. Draco’s mouth was bleeding, and he sat back on the floor looking around confused. “That’s the second time we’ve saved your life tonight,” Ron hollered as they ran down the corridor again.

“Harry?” Draco asked softly. He knew it wasn’t his mate that had hit him, so he wasn’t angry with Harry. He was rather pleased that Harry was willing to save him for a second time. His finger was pressed to his lips, remembering the taste of Harry’s cheek and he grinned as he stood up.

They watched through the gap between the Shack and the tunnel from the Whomping Willow as Snape paced in front of Lord Voldemort. He could see Nagini as well, safe in her enchanted bubble. Ron’s hand tightened around the sword.

“Let me find the boy. I know I can find him.” Snape said breathlessly. Voldemort chuckled.

“I have a problem Severus. Why doesn’t it work for me?” He held up a wand and Harry gasped. That was Dumbledore’s. That was the Elder Wand. “I feel no difference between this wand and the one I procured from Olivander’s years ago.”

“My Lord?” Was all Snape said.

“I sought a third wand, Severus. The Elder Wand, the wand of Destiny, the Deathstick. I took it from the grave of Albus Dumbledore. I think I have the answer. The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly because I am not its true master. You killed Albus. While you live the Elder Wand can not be mine, Severus..”

“My Lord!” Severus cried, raising his own wand.

“Master the wand, and I master Potter.” He almost seemed to be talking to himself. Harry watched with baited breath as the bubble which encased Nagini floated towards Snape. Harry wanted to call out a warning, but it was too late. The bubble had encased Snape, head and shoulder, and Voldemort was yelling in Parseltongue.

Kill.

Snape’s face lost what colour it had, and he let out a terrible scream. Hermione winced, her face pressed against Ron’s shoulder. They may have hated him, but no one deserved this. Ron still could remember how he had felt when he heard Nagini had bitten his father, and now he had to sit back and watch someone else be bitten. Snape’s black eyes widened, and they seemed to be staring at the children’s hiding space. The snake’s fangs pierced his neck and he screamed again. He fell to the floor as his legs gave way.

“I regret it,” Voldemort said coldly, though there was no remorse in him. He turned away. Nagini’s cage followed him. Voldemort and the snake left the room, and Snape lay upon the floor, his neck gushing blood and Harry couldn’t take it anymore. He ran from his hiding place and pressed his hand hard against Snape’s neck.

“You’ll be fine,” he said softly, not sure if he meant it or not. Snape looked up at him, lips parted and eyes wide. A silver fog seemed to be swirling around them now, and Hermione at once recognized it for what it was. Quick as a flash she transfigured grains of dirt into two vials and began to scoop the silver stuff into it.

“Take… it… t-take it…” He panted, his hand softly clenching around Harry’s. Hermione handed the full vials to him and he tucked them into his pocket. “Loo-Look at me…” Harry did. He stared Snape straight in the eye as the man opened his mouth again. A rasping noise came from his throat as he managed to choke out, “forgive me?” His eyes started to dim, and his grip slackened.

Just when Harry thought it was too late, a flash of blinding light appeared above the two dark haired Wizards and it seemed to be raining inside. Large, wet droplets fell onto Snape’s face, and chest, bathing his neck with their salty wetness. Harry gave a soft laugh as his mind caught up and realized it wasn’t raining. Fawkes was crying.

“Where did you come from?” He asked, overjoyed, but he didn’t know why. Why should he care if Snape died? He hated Snape. He frowned, pushed that thought from his mind, and laughed again. No one else should die for Voldemort, not even Snape. “Thank you, Fawkes.” The Potions Master had slipped into unconsciousness, but he had more colour in his face and there was no wound on his neck.

The phoenix gave a caw, and Harry frowned as Fawkes talon came out and tried to scratch him. The claws dug in to the front of his robe and he frowned a little before realizing what the animal wanted. He handed over the two vials, and smiled as Fawkes used his beak to nudge them back into Severus’ robe pocket.

“I’m sure,” he said at Ron’s protest. “If it were that important, he’ll show us himself.”

“He’s unconscious. We might need to see it now.” Ron said, arms folded over his chest.

“I’m sure we don’t.” Fawkes agreed with Hermione by flapping his wings.

“Let’s get this over with.” Harry said, a smile on his face.

Suddenly a cold voice was speaking in his ear, and it seemed, for a moment as if Voldemort had re-entered the Shack. He hadn’t, but someone else had, and they stood still and silent and just watched.

“You have one hour. Dispose of your dead and treat your injured. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest, for you Harry. If you have not come to me, I shall enter the battle myself next time. And I will not be so merciful.”

“Don’t listen to him.” Hermione said immediately.

“I still say we look at Snape’s memories.” Ron said. “He gave them to you when he was dying.”

“He’s not dead. You think we should bring him to the Infirmary?”

“He’ll probably be safer here.” Hermione looked to Fawkes and the phoenix bobbed its head, promising to stay with the man until he woke up. “Come on, we have to find the others. We need to think of something.”

“I have an idea.” They looked at Harry expectantly. “I got to the Forest, and try not to die.”

“I like the not dying part. Where do we fit in?” Ron asked, smirking.

“You don’t. I go alone. I won’t have anyone else getting hurt because of me.”

Someone else cut off Ron and Hermione’s protests. “Absolutely not.” Lucius Malfoy said, stepping into view. He had come back to see if his Lord could be persuaded to stop the battle, only to find his Lord had tried to murder his only, real friend. “You will do no such thing. It is foolishness.” He ignored the three wands that were pointed at him. He raised one eyebrow and took another step into the room. “Is he ok?”

“Voldemort thought he possessed the Elder Wand.”

“That’s a myth,” Malfoy scoffed instantly.

“I have the Invisibility Cloak, and we think I have the Resurrection Stone, if I could get the snitch to open.” The last part was muttered quietly. “Snape doesn’t control the Elder Wand. He didn’t disarm the Headmaster.”

“No!” Hermione gasped looking at her friend.

“That’s brilliant mate!” Ron grinned. “You have Malfoys wand. You control the Elder Wand!”

“But what if Voldemort still thinks it is Malfoy? What then? Should we find him?” Lucius’ eyes widened at the mention of his son. Harry spoke before the blond could ask.

“He’s safe, the last we saw him.”

“Had to save him twice though,” Ron grumbled. Lucius looked instantly relieved.

“If you tell me what you need doing, I could help you.”

“Why?” Hermione asked, instantly curious and suspicious all at once.

Lucius frowned for a second, his forehead creasing then uncreasing almost instantly. “I believe that Draco should be the one to tell you. And even then, only Mr. Potter has the right to know.” Harry frowned at him thoughtfully.

He weighed the options over in his mind. Draco had helped destroy a Horcrux, and he had save Harry’s life and tried to protect him from Voldemort. Lucius wanted to help his son, so obviously Draco attitude adjustment wasn’t just from living with Voldemort. It had something to do with him. Hermione seemed to have reached a similar conclusion. It wasn’t the same as Harry’s idea, because she didn’t know about half the things Harry did, but she nodded at him and he smiled. At least one friend wasn’t going to blow up over his decision.

“Ok. We need to kill Nagini, but she’s always in that cage.”

“WHY ARE YOU TELLING HIM?” Ron screamed, his face bright red. Hermione instantly berated her boyfriend.

Lucius took Harry by the arm and dragged him away from the other two. His eyes flickered towards Severus briefly, before landing on Harry’s face. “I don’t like you.” He said plainly. “But I’m doing this for Draco, not for you, understand.”

“Sure.” Harry said with a shrug. He knew Lucius didn’t like him. He knew Draco might have liked him, but not why. Maybe he’d find out soon.

“Don’t die, Potter, or I swear I will curse your afterlife.” He paused. “Why the snake? Surely killing the Dark Lord comes first?”

“I can’t kill Voldemort until the snake is dead. She’s a Horcrux.”

“A Horcrux?” Lucius asked softly. “A soul vessel?” His eyes hovered on Harry’s scar for a moment before they flickered away. A vessel was something that was used to store something else, in this case a piece of someone’s soul. Living creatures were not meant to be soul vessels, because it effected the soul fragment and the original host soul as well. Nagini might have enjoyed killing people less before Voldemort made her into a Horcrux, or she could have been smaller but had been forced to grow by the soul fragment. Lucius eyed Harry again. If someone were a vessel it would take away most of the hosts control over its own soul. The vessel wouldn’t be able to take part in a bonding ceremony, perform aura magic, necromancy nor feel a mate’s call. Lucius bit his lip; he wondered, and then dismissed the thought. Surely, if Harry were a Horcrux someone would have known? Dumbledore, Snape even?

“So, we kill Nagini,” Lucius continued, “and then Voldemort will be defeated?”

“One very easy Killing Curse later.” Harry said with a soft smile. Lucius was easier to be around when he wasn’t sneering and insulting everyone in sight. This Lucius, who he was right then, was sort of comforting. He reminded Harry of Draco. “The problem is how to get Nagini out of the bubble.”

“I was there when he cast it. It isn’t a very complex spell. A simple ‘Finite’ should suffice as long as the cast aims directly for Nagini’s head and is close enough.”

“There you go, guys,” Harry said, cutting into the bickering of his friends. “That’s where you fit in.”

“What, mate?” Lucius flinched at Ron’s choice of words.

“Ron, keep that sword on you. Hermione, if I distract Voldemort long enough, you need to get close to Nagini and cast a Finite directly at her head. Then Ron, you need to behead her. Chop her into little pieces if you want, I don’t care.” They nodded and took a deep breath.

Lucius let out a soft chuckle. “Do you duel well enough to last that long? I remember you during the resurrection.” He chuckled again, obviously not impressed with Harry’s duelling skills. Lucius walked to Severus and picked up the man’s wand. “Tempus. We still haven’t forty-three minutes. If we hurry, and you try hard enough, you might survive this.”

How anyone could sound so arrogant and give off the aura of being in charge when their face looked like it had lost three rounds with a boxer was anyone’s guess. Harry rather envied the blond man in that respect. He knew he looked worse for wear, and he admitted he felt it as well. Lucius, it seemed, wasn’t letting that get him down. Malfoys were known for their pride, though. And their arrogance.

“There is no counter curse to the Avada Kedavra. I trust you know how to cast that?” Harry nodded slowly. “Good. He will use it a lot. Instead of ducking and throwing yourself side to side,” Harry remembered the fight in the graveyard, just as Lucius did, and they both winced at the terrible duelling Harry did. “Use something to block the curse. Summon a rock, and enlarge it. Hide behind it; reflect the curse off of it. Use a mirror. A mirror will reflect the curse back at the castor.”

“Ok,” Harry said.

“Don’t conjure a shield unless you have to. It saves more energy to summon something to protect you than to use your own magic maintaining a shield when you could be using you magic on the offensive.” Harry nodded again. He pointed the wand at Harry. “Good, let’s practise.”

“Wha-?” Harry said, and before his brain could catch up with Lucius’ line of thought a sickly green light was flying towards him. He dived to the ground and Lucius let out a hiss of air through his teeth.

“Reflect it, do not duck. You are not an animal, so stop rolling on the ground like one.” He shot the spell as soon as Harry was standing.

“Accio!” He screamed, his heart racing. A chair flew in front of him, and then dropped to the floor as the green light engulfed it.

“Much better.” Lucius praised. Ron and Hermione had their wands pointed at the blond, but Lucius ignored it. He smiled. “Well done.” Harry just started laughing. It sounded hysterical to his ears, but he was feeling slightly calmer than he thought he would have been. He briefly wondered how Draco would feel if he had been in the room and chuckled a little more.

“That’s one way of doing things.”

“Time effective, and it produced the desired results. I’d say it was the best way of doing things.” The blond drawled and tucked Severus’ wand back into the man’s robes.

“Shall we give it a go?” His friends were looking at him like he was crazy but they nodded their heads anyway. “Are you coming?”

“For the time being. Then I will search for my family.” Lucius’ eyes were narrowed again, his forehead creased with lines.

“Don’t worry. He’s fine, I’m sure.” Lucius allowed his lips to twitch. Potter’s soul might not be calling to Draco, but he was certainly feeling some of Draco’s mate call. He wouldn’t be as worried about Draco otherwise. Lucius allowed a soft smile to cross his face. Maybe things would be ok. Draco would have his mate and they’d all survive this debacle and live happily for as long as they would. He doubted they’d live happily ever after. He was realistic like that.

XXX

March 24th 1998. Same time.

“DRACO!” Narcissa cried as she caught sight of her son, slinking through the trees. He was heading into the Forbidden Forest. “What are you doing?” She whispered as she tried to push him back, out of the forest and towards the castle.

“Harry will come. I’m here to stop him.”

“He is the dominant. It is not your job to protect him.”

“You’d still protect father, though, wouldn’t you?” He answered back with narrowed eyes.

“Regardless, Draco. It is not safe.”

“Then come with me.” He tugged at her arm, handing her wand back over as he tried to pull her away from the trees.

He could hear the other Death Eaters in the forest. Talking and laughing and just waiting for his mate to die. “I have to wait for your father.” She whispered, worried. “He has not come yet.”

“I’m sure he’s fine, mother,” Draco whispered. He wrung his hands in front of his stomach nervously, his eyes scouring the edge of the forest for any sign of his father or his mate. He expected that they would turn up eventually, but he had never thought they’d come together.

“I’m afraid this is where I leave you.” Lucius said before giving Harry a smoothly executed bow, more mocking than sincere. Harry just raised an eyebrow and snorted lightly.

“Didn’t I tell you to go somewhere safe?” Draco blushed lightly, but smiled at his mate, glad that Harry worried for him.

“You aren’t going in there?” He said at last, suddenly remembering why he was waiting at the edge of the forest in the first place.

“Go wait in the Shrieking Shack, or in Hogwarts.” Harry ordered and Lucius immediately began to pull his son in the direction of the castle.

“Remember, Potter. Do not die.”

“Don’t duck, don’t roll around on the ground like an animal. Got you.” He gave Lucius a cheeky smirk and the man merely allowed his lip to twitch into a sneer before trying to drag his son to safety. Draco protested in hushed whispers the whole way, but he wouldn’t attack his mother, and seeing as his mother was the only one with a wand, he would have to if he were going to escape back to his mate.

Draco looked over his shoulder and watched his mate. Harry was smiling serenely, playing with the snitch again. He looked as if he knew something no one else did, something he didn’t want to share, but in truth he was smiling because he didn’t know something. He didn’t know what Dumbledore knew, he didn’t know what would open the snitch, but he smiled because it didn’t matter. One way or another, this would end now, and it wouldn’t matter anymore.

Live or die, which ever was the ‘close’, he wouldn’t need the Resurrection Stone and he wouldn’t need the Elder Wand. If he was dead, then he was dead. And if he lived, then he no longer had need of anything to help him fight a dead man.

“You guys ready?”

“As we’ll ever be, I suppose.” Hermione said, taking a deep breath after wards. “Let’s do this.” Ron and Harry gave each other a high five and Hermione scowled. “Boys,” she said shaking her head. “I’ll never understand boys.”

Ron and Hermione threw on the invisibility cloak. Harry walked into the forest unhidden. Unafrai- no. That was a lie. He was terrified, but he wouldn’t give Voldemort the satisfaction of knowing that. So he walked into the forest, unhidden and apparently unafraid. He held his head high and he clutched Draco’s wand in his hand, missing his own wand terribly.

A voice whispered inside of his head, ‘I must die, it must end’, but Harry hardly heard it. He could hear the wind rushing through the branches and now he could hear the sounds of the Death Eaters shouting and talking, and he could hear Voldemort’s voice, the clearest of them all.

“I thought he would come, I expected him to come,” Voldemort said, sounding confused and annoyed simultaneously.

Voldemort’s voice sounded a little like that voice in his head. ‘Neither would live, neither could survive’, it said again. It was Harry’s own soul, trying to tell him what Snape had not. He needed to destroy another Horcrux.

But that wasn’t right, Harry thought, and the piece of Voldemort’s soul inside of him agreed. ‘One more Horcrux’, it told him, ‘not two’. It was trying to protect itself. Harry thought hard. He tried to remember if there was another, one he had forgotten? But, no, he had gotten them all, but the snake.

”One more,” he whispered and Ron shushed him. ‘One more’, Voldemort’s voice said again and Harry shuddered, but he hadn’t actually heard what the voice said so he didn’t know why he was suddenly so afraid.

A coldness overcame them then, and Harry could hear Hermione’s teeth chattering as she tried not to shiver and drop the cloak. Dementors flocked around them. They could sense them, but not see them; no one could see them. But they could all see Harry. Harry fished out the golden snitch and squeezed it tightly. The Resurrection Stone was inside, the key to seeing his parents and Sirius once more, and he held it tightly. He knew he wouldn’t use it, to use it would be stupid, but he needed to have it with him, to hold it and imagine what it could be like to have them back with him for just a moment. Warmness emanated from the snitch and the Dementors drew back with screeches. Harry brought the snitch to his lips and kissed it.

“This is it,” he said. “This is the end.” But it obviously wasn’t the ‘close’ because the snitch stayed firmly shut. Harry gave a wry smile and tucked it back into his pocket.

“I was, it seems,” the Dark Lord paused, “mistaken.”

“You weren’t.” Harry stepped out of the tree line. The Death Eaters who had seen him earlier grinned and those who hadn’t gave shouts and cheers and laughs. Hermione and Ron continued sneaking closer to Nagini. He spoke as loudly as he could, trying to calm his heart down enough to think clearly. He needed to stay focused.

“HARRY, NO!” A voice shouted and his head snapped around to face Hagrid before he even processed the thought of looking. Hagrid was tried to a tree and he screamed again as a green light soared towards Harry’s back. The teenager dived to the floor. He could almost hear Lucius screaming at him in anger for that move.

“Harry Potter,” he said not appearing annoyed that his curse had missed. “The boy who lived.” He twirled the Elder Wand between his fingers and a sly grin spread across his face. “This is it, boy,” he whispered, “you are finished.”

“Well,” Harry said, grinning. “One of us is at any rate.” A few of the Death Eaters hissed and snarled at him. Bellatrix was especially vocal in her denial.

“The Dark Lord could never be defeated by you. Never!” She cried, her wand pointed at him. Voldemort raised his hand and Bella lowered her wand sullenly.

“Let us see, which is the stronger Wizard.” He raised his wand. “Avada Kedavra!”

Harry screamed, “accio,” and one of the Death Eaters flew in front of the curse. “Stronger, or better, Tom? We know you’re stronger. But are you better?”

Voldemort gave an enraged scream and cast two curses in quick succession. Harry ducked to avoid one, and with another cry of ‘accio’ followed by an engorgement charm, he was safely hidden from the second spell by a wall of stone.

“Hiding again, Potter?” Voldemort chuckled, moving slowly so he was able to see behind the stone. Harry wasn’t there. “Really, now, hiding does not make you a better Wizard, Harry. Come out and face me like a man.” Harry was under a disillusionment charm, and it was holding up particularly well because Voldemort didn’t expect Harry to just sit behind the rock and get killed. He looked over to where two sets of feet were cautiously making their way to Nagini. He crossed his fingers.

“Finite,” Hermione whispered. Not quietly enough though because Voldemort turned to her, the Killing Curse on his lips.

“Protego.” Harry cried, his wand pointed between Hermione and the spell. “Accio.” A rock flew towards her. The shield stopped it from hitting her, and kept it suspended long enough for Voldemort’s curse to bounce off of it.

“Ah, there you are,” Voldemort said. His wand was still pointed at Hermione. She crouched behind the rock, the cloak having fallen off her. Ron was still hidden, and he raised the sword high as Harry rolled to his feet.

“Expelliarmus!” He cried and the Elder Wand flew from Voldemort’s grasp and to its true master. Harry clutched it tightly and winced at the slurping, crunching noise that echoed through the clearing just before Nagini’s head sailed towards them, landing at Voldemort’s feet.

The Dark Lord screamed. He had no wand, but he pointed his finger at Harry and hissed, “Avada Kedavra.” Harry pulled the only thing he could grab out of his pocket and enlarged it. The snitch was almost the size of him, and Voldemort could see his own, enraged reflection, half-shocked as the curse bounced back off the shiny surface and hit him on the forehead.

He collapsed to the floor, lifeless. Just to make sure, Ron came over and drove Gryffindor’s sword through the monster’s chest. The body crumbled to dust and the Death Eaters immediately began firing spells at the three Gryffindors. The snitch was shrunk and shoved back in Harry’s pocket and he began to fire spells at the Death Eaters with the Elder Wand. Each spell was twice as powerful as they had been when he used his own wand or Draco’s wand. It took fewer spells to fell as many Death Eaters.

But they were still outnumbered, and they were tired and injured. The Death Eaters were ganging up on them, over powering them. “Stupefy!” A voice screamed from beside them. Draco stood there, grinning, his mother’s wand back in his hand. “They said I could help if I didn’t die.” He grinned and hexed another Death Eater.

More children were pouring into the clearing; Hufflepuffs, Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, but Draco was the only Slytherin. When the Death Eaters were all unconscious, Harry turned to face Draco and grinned. “Thanks.” Both forgot about Harry having the blond’s wand, as both were too busy wondering what the other would do if they kissed them.

“We did it!” Ginny shrieked and threw herself at Harry. “You did it, Harry!” She cried again and Harry grinned at her as they hugged. He missed the agony that flashed across Draco’s face, but Ginny didn’t. “What are you doing here, Malfoy?” She snarled at him.

“Gin, don’t. He really helped. Him and his father, if it weren’t for them, well,” he trailed off rubbing the back of his neck unconsciously.

Draco blushed lightly and Ginny didn’t say anymore. Ron pulled her off of Harry in the end, just so he could hug his best mate before Hermione pulled him off Harry, so she could hug the brunette. The others started hugging him too, expect Draco. Draco left the clearing silently, sadly, and he didn’t notice that Harry’s eyes followed him. Harry had been rather hoping that Draco would hug him.

It was three hours later when Harry was finally allowed to be alone. He made his way into the Great Hall and immediately froze as his eyes landed on Fred Weasley. He swallowed the lump in his throat and walked forward slowly. Hermione and Ron were suddenly behind him, one hand under each of his armpits as his legs gave out. Tonks and Remus were lying side by side, next to Fred and no one had thought to warn him.

People were clustered together around the Hall, hugging their families or grieving for loved ones, and the Malfoys were huddled together in the very corner of the Hall, with Snape, all looking unsure whether or not they should even be there. But when Harry fainted, Draco practically ran from his seat to gather Harry into his arms. Ignoring the glares, dirty looks and the whispers Draco carried Harry to the Infirmary, followed loyally by Ron and Hermione. He didn’t notice Ginny glaring darkly at him, nor did he notice the exasperated scowls his family sent him as they stood up and followed him. He only noticed Harry, whose face was pale and whose scar was bright red and bleeding. His lips were plump and pink though and Draco really wanted to lean down and kiss them, just once, but he didn’t.

He lay Harry down on the only free bed in the Hospital Wing. Coincidentally, it was the bed that had ‘Harry Potter’s Bed’ engraved on the headboard. “He’s here so often,” Hermione explained as they tucked him in.

“No, no, no,” Snape said slowly, shaking his head in denial. “Tell me it’s not Potter!”

Lucius raised an eyebrow, and Ron said, confused, “course it’s Harry. Who else would he be?”

XXX

March 26th 1998.

He had been asleep for two days, and as he spelt Draco sat by his bedside, never leaving even when Ginny tried to hex him out the door. He didn’t touch Harry, he didn’t hold his hand like Ginny did, but he stayed with the other boy and he spoke about all the fights they had gotten into over the years and all the fun memories they made. Ginny usually sneered at him, and brought up the time Draco had found them snogging, just before he tried to kill the Headmaster.

Draco would ignore her. He wouldn’t rise to the bait and inform her that he had kissed Harry – on the cheek before the battle, all over his skin as they slept – he wanted to keep those memories between he and Harry. They were private. When he had more memories, then he’d share them.

Harry could hear them sometimes. Arguing over him. Ginny cursing Draco, and Draco not cursing her back for fear of upsetting Harry. Ginny whispering ‘come back, I love you’ and Draco pleading ‘come back, I need you’. He had never been needed before, not for himself. They needed him to kill Voldemort and fight Death Eaters, but no one had needed him to be just him. The sound of Draco’s voice had made him smile.

Listening to them argue as he drifted in and out of sleep was better than actually sleeping. When he slept he couldn’t hear Draco speak anymore. Draco screamed instead.

Kill. His own voice hissed and Nagini lunged forward, no longer in her cage, to bite at Draco’s throat.

The blond was spread eagle on the ground, naked and pale. He gave an almighty shriek as Nagini’s fangs sank into his neck and Harry laughed. He was sitting on the back of Draco’s thighs, leaning forward to kiss and nip at the blond’s shoulder blades until his wings burst forth. Then, one by one, feather by feather, he plucked Draco wings until there were only bare stalks left, sprouting from the pale trembling back. Blood gushed from the wound, and Draco made noises like a wolf caught in a trap as he writhed to get free. Harry pressed him harder into the ground and bit down hard over Nagini’s bite mark.

“One more Horcrux,” he said and gave a cold, hissing laugh. Draco went limp beneath him, and his heart stopped beating.

Harry woke suddenly, covered in a light film of sweat. He licked his lips and turned his head to the side, blinking back the tears. He fought with his breathing, trying to even it out just in case anyone was in the room with him and awake. He looked out of the window. The sun hadn’t rose yet.

Draco’s head was pillowed on the edge of the bed, by his hip, and the blond looked very uncomfortable slouched over in his chair like that. With a frown, Harry grabbed the Elder Wand from the bedside table. His robes hung over the edge of the table, and Harry assumed every thing that was meant to be there was still in his robe pockets. He levitated Draco so the boy was hovering over the bed, beside him, and then lowered him gently. Draco immediately curled towards Harry, seeking the warmth of the other boy and the comfort of his mate. Harry put the wand back and wrapped an arm unconsciously around Draco’s waist. The hand moved higher, until at last it was pressed between Draco’s shoulder blades.

There was no bump, no ridges; nothing that would indicate Draco had anything other than an ordinary back. No wings. Harry breathed out deeply, relieved and fell asleep. He didn’t notice Ginny, wide-awake, sitting in the chair opposite Draco. Her face was almost as red as her hair.

XXX

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Thanks for reading!

Just so you know, the weirdness of Harry and Draco’s bound-lack of soul calling will be explained when the last Horcrux enters the plot. Also, I’ll explain why Draco was able to touch the Horcrux, but Dumbledore and the others aren’t, then as well. Please be patient, and not give me grief.