Parallel

A/N: I think I like the way this chapter came out, it is slow. I know but the ending of the story is coming near and I really wanted to explain as much as I could before moving to our little first climax. And yes, I plan for two of them before I close this fic.

Hope you all enjoy it and please don't try to kill me for this.

As always, all types of encouragement are most welcomed.

Chapter 03

Albus landed on his back into an old, run down room, the stench of moss and confinement thick in the air. He still felt grateful, though, when his hand clenched around Scorpius.

Apparently his dorm mate had not released him.

"Is everyone ok?" Draco asked, gasping. Albus saw that his pale skin had paled even further and his long fingered hands shook uncontrollably. Neville was by his side in a second.

"Thomas, bring a chair!" the older man barked. "Draco, take a deep breath, come on, another one."

Thomas dragged a small chair to the older man who carefully maneuvered the almost hysterical blond man into it.

"Draco, calm down, it's ok, we are safe." Albus observed as the head of the Malfoy family almost broke down in front of him. Slowly he turned to Scorpius, whose eyes had gone wide in shock, he guessed he had never seen his father in such a state. Carefully, he tightened his grip on the other's hand, refusing to let go.

He swallowed and narrowed his eyes.

"You said Thomas was your son," he said gently, earning a glare from Professor Longbottom. "You said that he was a Malfoy, but Dad said he is my brother James, what is going on in this world."

Neville growled low on his throat.

"Listen you brat," he started, but Draco's hand in his shoulder stopped him.

"It's ok, Neville, he is confused and deserves to know what happened." Slowly, almost reluctantly, the blond man turned to him, his eyes still frantic. "Thomas is my son, young man, but unfortunately he's also Harry's."

Scorpius felt a shiver run down his spine.

"You mean..." he whimpered.

Draco nodded.

"I never said I was Thomas' father," he said softly, almost ashamed of himself. "I gave birth to him in this very house, sixteen years ago."

"That's impossible!" Albus argued ardently. "That would mean that you and dad... that you two." he stopped, afraid of the answer in the older man's eyes.

"Neville, go and set up a room for Thomas," Draco said gently, his eyes downcast. "The comfrontation must have tired him out." For the first time, both Albus and Scorpius stared at Thomas, whose whole frame shook gently and small gasps escaped his lips, one of his hands was holding onto his forehead, where a little dribble of blood ran down his skin.

"I'm ok, mother," the boy panted. "I just need to get some air."

Neville stared at the two Malfoys before sighing.

"Let's go, Tommy, you better rest," he grunted, before taking the boy in his arms and walking to a separated room.

"Explain what happened, father," Scorpius said as soon as they were alone. "Please tell me what the fuck happened here." Albus gasped softly, it was very seldom that the other slytherin cursed, and it meant he was beyond himself. Very slowly he guided the other boy to a chair in front of Mr. Malfoy and sat with him.

Draco stared at them for a moment and sighed, one pale hand running through his messy silver hair.

"It happened during the war, actually. Almost two months before Voldermort was killed," he began, his voice distant. "He had taken over Malfoy manor, daily torturing father and mother for my failure. I overheard Aunt Bellatrix telling the Dark Lord about the hidden chamber she had arranged, that would only open to blood of the Ancient House of Black," a grim line curled the man's lips. "I didn't have to think twice, I managed to slip a portkey into my parent's cell, and told them about it. Mother said: "Number 12, Grimauld Place" and disappeared with father."

Albus' eyes were wide, his teeth clenched, this his dad had not told them.

Draco sighed.

"It hurt like hell, opening the chamber, but I did it. Took everything I found inside and ran for a fireplace before anyone noticed my parents were gone. Potter hexed me the moment I appeared, but as soon as he saw what I had he ignored me completely. I told them I wanted to help, that I needed to stop that madman as much as they did. It took a while but while father and mother were safe in France, I decided to work for the Order as their resident Potions Master.

That meant I had to work very closely with Potter and his friends, developing different potions that might dissolve those damned horcruxes into oblivion. Potter and I became... close, I guess."

Scorpuis shook his head lightly, unable to believe what his father had told him. He had heard stories about the war, always the official version, the one where he had only met Mr. Potter in Malfoy Manor during the war and then in Hogwarts, this was new.

It made sense to Albus, though. He had seen the almost barren rooms in Grimauld Place where the cauldrons and broken potion bottles laid. He had asked his father about it, but the man just shook his head sadly and replied he would tell him when he was older.

Now he was hearing the story from Mr. Malfoy's lips.

"After the Last Battle, I woke up in St. Mungos. Potter was by my side. We kissed, it was like fire, like nothing I had ever felt. Ginny Weasley tried to hex me, but Potter defended me. I thought it had been a thing of the moment, we were alive, the war was over. He corrected me, stating he wanted a date, maybe more. We became an item as soon as I left the hospital." A bitter laugh erupted from Mr. Malfoy's lips then, his downcast eyes losing their shine.

"I was young, I had never felt like that before. It was like everything in the world would be alright because he was by my side. He was so full of plans, nothing like being a Quidditch Player or an Auror, he wanted to marry, have a house, children. He wanted so many children. I told him it would be quite hard for me to give him that, and if he was ok, I would be ok with adopting some children. There were many war orphans after all. He just smiled and said that he would be happy anyway. I was a fool to believe him." Slowly, almost reluctantly, Draco's hand traveled to his midsection, his fingers caressing the area lightly.

"Turns out he had planned this all along, and had told the healers at St. Mungos that while they worked on me they should perform a little spell we had planned on having anyway. A hermaphrodite spell. Before I knew it I was pregnant and he feigned shock like a fucking pro. I believed his crap about miracles and just stood there, father told me it was suspicious, even Madam Pomfrey was skeptic, but I was in love. Then Weasley came with that stupid prophesy of his." Albus frowned.

"Uncle Ron?" he asked. Draco nodded.

"He told Harry he had read it in the Ministry while they were cleaning. That he should be wary of me, maybe I was just using him to get my master back from the dead. I scoffed at the notion. But Harry..." Draco took a deep breath. "He started thinking about it, really thinking. Before a month had gone by he told me that it was quite likely that his connection to the dark lord was still acting, and that just to be sure, I had to abort the baby." Scorpius gapped, Albus couldn't believe his own ears.

"You didn't," the blond boy whimpered.

"Of course I didn't!" Draco snapped. "It's the most hideous sin to kill a child, much less our own! I refused, I said he was been stupid. He took out his wand. I only had time to get to the fire place before he attacked. I went to Bulgaria, the Lestranges had a little cottage there that was passed onto the Malfoys after Aunt Bella died. I was alone then, scared, penniless. I gave birth to Thomas right in this spot, cursing the man that had driven me to this." Crystaline tears made their way down Malfoy's cheeks, his eyes were cold, but his lips couldn't stop trembling.

"Severus came a few weeks later, helped me a little and then warned me never to go back to Britain, and that I would never, ever try to contact them again, no matter what. I nodded and swore on my blood I would obey. I trusted Professor Snape with my life," he whispered, bitting his lips to control the distress the memories brought him. "Neville appeared at my doorsteps a few years later. Harry had gone mad with paranoia, he took over everything, claiming that Voldemort was back and he would be able to feel him, save the wizarding world again. He imprisoned each and every detractor, killed some even. By then Father, Mother, Severus... everyone was dead, trying to protect us. Neville and I moved to Italy for a while, we thought we could start over there. He found us, we ran... it has been like that for years."

Scorpius swallowed.

"Then, he thinks that the child you two had, is Voldemort's reincarnation?" he asked softly. Draco nodded.

"That's how he interpreted the prophesy. We think that he has become the next Dark Lord himself, but he's too far gone to notice it. It's a game of cat and mouse now. Neville and I prepare Thomas, so that when he finally catches up to us, he can defend himself."

Albus lowered his head. Unable to actually believe his dad, his dorky, playful, understanding dad could become a Dark Lord. But he had seen him already, with his menacing eyes and twisted smirking mouth, his wand raised to strike upon them. Not caring at all that he had Scorpius were in the house too.

Scorpius rose from his chair and embraced his father. Tears were running down his cheeks too, he wanted to be strong for his father, he wanted to protect him. But the deafeat with which his proud father spoke shook him. His father knew he was going to die soon, he knew he would have to give his life to protect his child.

Somehow he knew the powerful man before him would do exactly the same for him. And he felt guilty as well as grateful. He had never understood the extent of his father's love for him until he saw it from the outside.

"I want to help, father," he whispered gently, kissing his father's head. Draco stared at him for a moment, a bitter smile twisting his lips.

"No you don't, son," he answered gently, almost brokenly. "You two will go home and forget you ever saw this world, love your father there and respect Mr. Potter and his family. There is nothing you two can do for us."

"But father!" Scorpius tried to argue. The older Malfoy glared at him coldly and stood.

"I said no. Tonight we will go to Upsala and I'll draw the pentagram myself," he snapped. "Now, both of you grab a room and go to bed, you'll need to rest." Without any further encouragement the older man left the small sitting room, his ashen face marred by a deep frown as he left, his long silver hair dancing behind him as he walked.

Albus frowned, even in such a state, Mr. Malfoy managed to frighten him. And of course he did not miss Scorpius' hand in his own.

"We should do as he says," he whispered finally. "Our parents must be worried about us."

"Wait," Scorpius said, his eyes fixed on the fireplace. "Help me out with this, will you?" The boy pulled as much ashes as he could from the fireplace and spread them onto the wooden floor.

"What are you doing?" Albus asked while kneeling by his side. The blond boy sighed and started to write with his index finger on the floor.

"The night of the full moon..." he whispered. "What did it say again?" The brunet blinked.

"You mean, that prophesy?" he asked, kneeling by the blond. Scorpius nodded.

"There is something bothering me about that prophesy, you know what Professor Binns said, the prophesy always is marked by the way it is read, so... maybe there is another reading to it."

Albus nodded then, finally seeing the logic behind the other boy's thoughts.

"It's the night of the full blue moon," he corrected, writing. Scorpius nodded.

"Thanks Merlin then for your memory, Albus," he congratulated as the other boy wrote the full prophesy. "On the night of the full blue moon, both enemy and beloved shall meet in passion. From their fruit will the Dark Lord raise and only their strength will balance out the hate of the Bulgarian Lion. Beware of the father, for if you separate them, darkness will conquer his soul and grief shall spread among all wizarding kind." he read out loud.

Albus snorted.

"We already know the Bulgarian Lion is Thomas," he said as he wrote some notes. "He doesn't look very hateful to me..." Scorpius narrowed his eyes.

"Well, his own father is trying to kill him, maybe he's not that hateful now, but will be... Humm their strength, more than one person... could it be our fathers? As in together?"

"To me this whole thing speaks of your father and mine together, see?" Albus asked as he pointed to a certain line. "Here they are called enemy and beloved, which would mean they loved eachother even when they were on opposite sides of the war, and here, see this? Beware of the father, to me this is quite clear." The blond looked at him, an eyebrow rising elegantly.

"And what would your brilliant interpretation be, oh, Divination Master?" he asked, sarcastically.

Albus sighed.

"Your dad and mine loved eachother for a while, and if they did have sex they would get a kid, however a Dark Lord could raise from the conception, I mean, both of them are quite powerful, imagine the magical level Thomas must have, if they staid together, they could balance the hate inside Thomas and keep him sane and... not dark-lordish, but if they separated, dad would go wacko and he would become a dark lord," he explained, quite proud of himself.

Scorpios sighed.

"No wonder you were Professor Trelawny's pet," he mocked, staring at the words on the floor. "I don't know, something doesn't sit right with me. To me there are two dark lords in this prophesy, one would be Thomas and the other your Dad... but there is no probability in this one, it says Thomas IS the Dark Lord, but it doesn't say anything about a new..." he stopped suddenly, his face paling, his blood freezing. "Oh, Merlin..." he whispered.

"What is it? Are you ok?" Albus asked concernedly.

"So, you figured it out, little brother," a soft voice mocked from behind them. "I didn't think you would try to dig more into that prophesy, I'm quite awed at the two of you."

Slowly, reluctantly, both boys turned to stare at the slightly older blond boy, who was casually leaning on the doorway.

Scorpius took a step back.

"You mean..." he said carefully. "You mean he was actually right, it IS you," Albus stared between them in confusion.

"What are you two talking about?" he asked, taking hold of Scorpius' hand again, not really sure why.

Thomas stared at their joined hands and smirked.

"Let's go outside, it wouldn't do that mother or uncle Neville heard us," he stated as he opened the door. "Come on, I don't bite."

Scorpius felt the hold on his hand tighten as their older "brother"'s eyes turned deep red.

It really was HIM after all.

TBC.