Blood and Rose Petals

Blood and Rose Petals

Flora Winters

I do not own anything that has to do with Harry Potter.

Summary: He was infected and the killing curse only brought him over quicker. MM, Lang.

Chapter Three

Can you still see the heart of me?
All my agony fades away
When you hold me in your embrace

--Within Temptation

Sirius finished shaving off his beard and was looking himself over in the smooth surface of an opal shaped mirror that was set in a shiny golden frame that was decorated with black thorns. He sat back in his chair and Remus went about cutting his long hair. It was time for a change and it was long overdue.

“How’s this?” Remus asked, receiving a curt nod. He sat about clipping away the dark hair with his sharp scissors.

Suddenly, the two of them turned when the flames in the fireplace shot up in a crackling whoosh of heat, sending glowing orange sparks all over the place. Dumbledore’s face appeared in the flames and he looked really anxious about something.

“Sirius, where are you?” The old wizard called out, looking about with fiery eyes. “Are you there?”

Sirius quickly got to his feet, rushing over to the hissing flames. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

“Harry,” he said, looking at him intently. “I need you to bring Harry to me now.”

“You want me to bring Harry to you now?” Sirius asked in bewilderment. “It’s past midnight and he is sleeping quietly…for once.”

The elder wizard looked like he was trying to reach his hands through the fire in order to give him a rough, but very polite throttling. “It is of the utmost importance, Sirius, I assure you. Bring Harry to me now, please.”

Dumbledore’s face vanished in a loud poof of gray smoke and the flames died back down to dance peacefully over their log once more. Sirius looked over at Remus who was sweeping up the hair off the floor, only to yelp when the flames shot back up again.

“Oh, and by the way,” Dumbledore said. “I like the new look. Short hair and a clean shaven face suit you well, Sirius.”

Sirius blinked and the old wizard was gone in a poof once more. He ignored the werewolf’s chuckle.

“Well,” he said, summoning his boots and cloak with his wand. “Looks like I need to go wake, Harry.”

Remus nodded. “Would you like for me to tag along?”

Sirius smiled, opening up the door. “One can never be too careful.”

The two of them walked down the hall and across to where Harry’s room was. Sirius put his hand on the antique styled brass doorknob and froze in place.

“Do you smell that?” Remus asked in a whisper.

Sirius nodded his head. “Is that roses?”

He turned the knob and gently pushed the door open as silently as he could. The two of them popped their heads inside and gawked. The windows were wide open and swinging back and forth in the rose scented air that permeated the room. Blood red petals littered the floor like discarded gemstones.

Sirius rushed in and over to the bed where his godson was sleeping soundly. His from was bathed in the soft silver moonlight that was streaming in through the open windows.

Harry’s skin was white as snow and his lips were as red as blood. His smoky black hair was fanned out all around his startling face, and he had a single rose tucked behind his left ear. He looked beautiful, peaceful, and dead.

A sudden panic filled Sirius and to his relief, found that his precious godson was still breathing. He had been so frightened he discovered he had tears in his eyes.

“Is he all right?” Sirius asked from the open doorway.

He waved to the wolf and gently began to shake Harry’s porcelain white arm. “Harry?”

Harry’s petal red lips slightly opened and he sighed, turning his face away. His hair fell across his stunning white face like a curtain of silky black smoke.

“Harry?” Sirius asked again, shaking him a little harder this time.

“Not now, Cedric,” the teen whispered against his soft red pillow, gripping the black sheet that was pooled around his naked narrow waist.

Sirius looked to see that Remus was closing the windows and he suddenly thought he saw tiny twin puncture marks on Harry’s throat. He blinked and only saw smooth white flesh. It had to be a trick of the moonlight.

“Come on, Harry,” he pleaded, not wanting to yell and wake the whole household. “I need you to wake up now.”

He pulled his hand away when Harry turned his sleeping face back around. He watched in silence as those long dark lashes softly fluttered open like the wings of a butterfly. His breath left him and he broke out into goose-bumps.

Harry was looking up at him with spooky eyes that simply looked unnatural. They were so green and clear, they looked liked crystal orbs that were filled with an emerald radiance. The lightning bolt scar on his forehead contrasted beautifully with his porcelain white skin.

“Cedric?” He asked, sitting up with fluid grace that no human being could possibly possess…unless their name just so happened to be Slimy Ass Snape.

“No, Harry,” Sirius gently told him. “It’s just Remus and me.”

Harry blinked, letting the black silk sheet fall away from his naked white chest. “No…”

“Dumbledore would like to see you, Harry,” he told him, hoping he wasn’t naked underneath all that silky darkness.

“Rose petals!” Harry suddenly screamed, throwing his arms around in a flurry, nearly falling off the bed. “Do you see them?”

Sirius grabbed him and the rose which was tucked behind his ear fell to the floor. He grimaced as he held his godson. How could someone so tiny be so damn strong? “Yes, I can see them, Harry.”

Where had they come from? Had someone been in this room with Harry?

“I was so happy,” Harry sobbed, squeezing his shoulders until they hurt like hell. “Why did I have to wake up? Why do I always keep waking up? Why can’t I just sleep?”

Sirius flinched in pain. Harry was a strong little thing.

“Calm down,” he soothed. “You’re all right.”

“No,” Harry said, sniffing the rose scented air, trembling in mental anguish. “I’ll never be all right again, Siri.”

Sirius hugged him tight. He adored it when Harry called him that and it broke his heart, too. He was slowly losing the one thing in this world that mattered most to him and no amount of “Imperio” could fix it.

“I love you, Harry,” he cooed, kissing the top of his head. “Doesn’t that count for something?”

“It counts,” Harry said, slowly loosening his iron grip on his godfather. “But, it’s not the same.”

“Harry,” Remus said, taking a seat on the other side of him. “Professor Dumbledore needs to speak with you about something.”

“You look silly, Siri,” Harry laughed, trying to pull on his short hair, clearly pretending he didn’t hear Remus at all. “You’re a shaved poodle now.”

Sirius chuckled. “That’s not funny.”

Harry smiled with tears streaming from his brilliant green eyes.

“Come on, Harry,” Sirius said, ignoring the mystery of the rose petals. “Let’s get you dressed and go see the Wizard.”

Harry lowered his head, letting his tears drip from his eyes and onto the black sheet. “The Wizard?”

Sirius nodded. “Yes.”

Harry looked up at him with the saddest and most hopeful smile on his beautiful face. “Do you think he can give me back the love I lost?”

Sirius’ heart broke all over again and he pulled the trembling teen into his arms. “Love can never be lost, Harry. Love is immortal. It lives forever.”

Remus smiled, putting his hands on the backs of Harry’s slender marble white shoulders.

“Then why do I always feel so lost and alone?” He asked, closing his tear-filled eyes.

You’re not alone, a voice whispered all around him in sensuous echoes, I’m not gone.

“Cedric?” Harry asked, pulling away from Sirius. “Where are you?”

Sirius looked at Remus with fear. Harry really was losing his mind.

Come to me, the voice told him, Get dressed.

“Harry?” Sirius asked when the teen crawled to the foot of the bed, stumbling to his feet. “What is it?”

“I have to get dressed,” he said, running to his closet door like a pale phantom.

Come to Hogwarts, the voice warmly commanded in a soothing tone, Come be with me now, my Heart.

“Hogwarts,” Harry chanted over and over, out loud. “I have to go to Hogwarts.”

“Yes,” Sirius said, smiling that Harry was coming back to them for the moment. “We have to go to Hogwarts, Harry.”

“I’ll ready the Floo,” Remus said, hurrying from the room.

You set me free, the voice cooed like dancing starlight, I want to hold you in my arms.

Sirius watched the teen throw on clothes that were much too big for him. Had he really lost so much weight?

“Don’t forget shoes, Harry,” he told him.

Harry nodded. “Thanks, Siri.”

The teen raced to put them on his naked feet.

Sirius followed him out the door, not noticing how the rose petals were slowly fading away in ruby red sparkles that swirled around in the air like faerie-fire.

3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333

Harry stepped out of the roaring green flames with his left hand in Sirius’. Remus came strolling out soon after them.

Dumbledore stepped around a big chair that was facing away from them in a swish of his magnificent robes. The hat on top of his head was dangling to the side with a silver crescent moon hanging from the tip.

“Harry,” the old wizard said, giving him a very warm smile. “How are you?”

“Siri shaved,” Harry said, looking around the office. “And he cut his hair, too.”

Dumbledore nodded. “Do you not like it?”

“I do,” he answered not noticing how Dumbledore was regarding his physical appearance. “He looks very handsome now.”

The old wizard chuckled, stroking his long white beard.

“Surely you didn’t have us come here so you can chat with Harry about my change in style, Dumbledore.” Sirius said in exasperation.

Remus nodded.

Dumbledore suddenly strolled forward, causing his elaborate lavender robes to billow. He went down softly on his knees before the beautiful young man, gently gripping his smooth white hands in his own worn ones. He looked up at him with twinkling blue eyes and smiling.

“Harry,” he said, squeezing his hands in his own. “Cedric is alive.”

Sirius felt his jaw hit the floor with a thud and Remus felt like he had been smacked across the face by a full moon discus.

Harry blinked his long dark lashes and his garnet red lips twitched.

“Harry…”

The teen slowly raised his head up to see that Cedric was standing in front of the chair. His shaky breath caught in his throat.

Cedric was standing there in the warm firelight, wearing nothing but a pair of skin tight pants that were black and sleek. He looked as though liquid darkness had been spray painted onto his long muscular legs.

His skin was so white and more flawless than alabaster. In fact, he looked like a carved statue of perfection. His hair was a glistening golden lion’s mane and his eyes were like molten quartz crystal.

“Cedric?”

Glowing blood red lips shimmered like carved jewels as they twitched upwards into a radiant white smile. “I told you I wasn’t gone, Harry. You’re so hardheaded.”

“CEDRIC!” He screamed, racing forwards, throwing himself into those waiting arms, feeling them wrap around him like the protective branches of a mighty tree.

Sirius picked his aching jaw up off the floor, turning to look at Remus, and then at Dumbledore who was getting to his feet.

“You set me free,” Cedric said, gently squeezing his Heart tight, kissing him on top of his head. “Your love gave me the strength I needed to get out.”

Sirius blinked. Get out?

Harry was sobbing and trembling in those muscular marble arms. “I love you!”

“What?” Sirius whispered, finding his voice. “How? Huh? What?”

“It was so dark without you, Harry…”

Emerald green stars looked up at him. “Don’t you dare be a dream!”

Cedric gazed at him with such warmth.

“I’ll kill myself if I wake up!” He cried, pressing his face hard against that muscular chest. “I can’t live without you!”

“I’m not a dream, Harry,” Cedric soothed, his voice was like a siren’s silver whisper over the ocean surf. “I’m right here and I always will be. I’ll be right beside you when you fall asleep and I’ll still be with you when you wake up.”

Harry started laughing and it was no longer shattered and dead. It was starting to fill up with life again. It was like he was glowing and filling out.

“How?” Remus asked, suddenly freezing.

“Exactly,” Dumbledore said, turning to look at the werewolf. “Mr. Diggory is a vampire.”

Cedric raised his molten mercury orbs from Harry’s smiling face, looking at the werewolf, giving him a wicked smile with needle sharp fangs.

Both Sirius and Remus whipped out their wands, pointing them at the living corpse.

Cedric spun around with Harry, shielding him from the flying curses that never touched his back.

Dumbledore had blocked them with ease.

The two men were gawking at the tattoo on the vampire’s broad, marble white back. They were large black bat wings that stretched down along his smooth flesh and into the seat of his pants.

“There is no need for this foolishness,” Dumbledore told them. “Mr. Diggory is not a threat to us.”

“Not now,” Remus hissed.

“Not ever,” Dumbledore told him. “He will never do anything to hurt Harry in any way.”

“And how do you know that?” Sirius asked.

“Because I love, Harry,” Cedric told them, turning to face them, lifting Harry’s unconscious form up into his powerful arms. “He is everything and so much more to me.”

They watched how those wings lifted off his smooth white skin to flap behind him. He folded them around himself so he could use them to keep Harry warm.

“Sirius,” Dumbledore said. “Harry and Cedric are mated. Harry is his consort.”

Sirius’ eyes widened.

“If you kill one,” he went on to say. “You will surely cause the other to lose all sanity.”

Remus paled.

“Plus,” Dumbledore smiled grimly. “Let’s say you did manage to kill Mr. Diggory, what do you think Harry would do? He would never forgive you. In fact, he would become so crazed with grief he’d probably tear anything and anyone who got in his way to shreds.”

The two of them looked at the vampire that was the image of masculine beauty. He was singing to Harry with a silver voice.

“This explains Harry’s sudden change in looks,” Remus said.

“Yes,” Dumbledore nodded.

“And his strength,” Sirius added. His arms were bruised from where Harry had squeezed them on the bed earlier.

“Cedric,” Dumbledore said, turning back to him. “I have a room ready for you now. Let’s take Harry there.”

Cedric nodded.

“Oh,” he added. “When shall I call for your parents?”

“When Harry is back to himself again,” Cedric told him. “Thank you, Professor, for allowing me to stay here.”

Dumbledore nodded, leading the way.

Sirius and Remus followed at a distance behind the vampire who was carrying their precious treasure. How in the world had this come about?

TBC…

Please review and tell me what you think. Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and review.

Flora.