Daimons

It took Draco most of the day to find the Bank of London. He stood uneasy in line. It had been almost a full day since he had eaten and his stomach was making loud grumbling noises. Fingers were pointed and there were snickers which Draco tried to ignore. He was relieved when it became his turn at the window.

Draco offered his small passbook to the teller.

“Good afternoon Mr. Malfoy, and how can I help you today?”

“I want my money.”

“How much would you like?”

‘How much?’ he thought to himself. ‘Should I take it all?’ He had no wish to ever pass the doors of this establishment again, best to take it all and end it. “All sir, I want it all.”

“As you wish. May I see some identification?”

“Identification?” Draco asked.

The teller rolled his eyes. “Yes, something that proves who you are, a passport, or perhaps a driver’s license.”

“I left those at home.” He wondered if his mother ever even heard of ‘identification’. Wizards never needed any form of identification, they had a magic signature to say who they were, that and a key was all that was needed at Gringotts. “Can I please have my money?” Draco almost begged.

“Mr. Malfoy, we have our policy. Why don’t you go home and retrieve you documents and I will be more than pleased to give you your money.”

“Thank you sir, I’ll do that.” Now what would he do? Go home, the bank teller told him. If only he could. He stood in the middle of the sidewalk looking up and down the streets. Which way should he go? Right or left. Would it matter? He looked up to the heavens and thought, ‘I’ve done nothing but fuck up my life. Do you think you can do better? I’m all yours, lead the way.' He tossed his knapsack over his shoulder and headed down the street. The conversation he had with the heavens quickly forgotten.

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“Sir,” Ron interrupted the Headmaster who was having a conversation with the leader of the Daimons.

“Mr. Weasley, were you not aware I was having a conversation?”

“Yes sir, and I wouldn’t interrupt if it wasn’t extremely important.”

“What is so important that you had to interrupt me?”

“Draco is missing.”

Armstrong realized that the nuisance of a boy had not been by today to bother his husband.

“You must be mistaken. I’m sure I’ve seen him around…”

“No sir, you haven’t. I checked with all of his teachers; he didn’t showed up for any of his classes. I talked to Nott and he told me that Draco was gone before he got up this morning. Draco is not at Hogwarts.”

“Oh my.” Dumbledore had done it again, he had let someone slip through his fingers. “I will call a meeting immediately. Arm if you would summon Severus, it would be appreciated.”

“Severus is no longer a member of this school and I see no reason for him to involved with the disappearance Draco.”

“Hasn’t Severus told you?”

“Told me what?” The Daimon was getting annoyed.

“Severus is Draco’s godfather.”

‘Oh, crap,’ Armstrong groaned to himself. He was going to be in deep shit with his husband and he wouldn’t blame him if he was. “No, I wasn’t aware of the nature of their relationship. I must admit that I may have been the cause of his disappearance.”

“How so?” Albus inquired.

“As you know Severus has been indisposed for the last few days. What you don’t know is that Draco has been by numerous times to speak to him. I basically told the boy to get lost.”

Dumbledore winced. “I’m so very glad I’m not you at this moment. Severus will rake you through the coals.”

“If that's all he does to me I’ll be lucky.”

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“You did what?” Severus screamed

“Calm down. Remember the baby.”

“To hell with the baby.” Severus regretted his words as soon as they escaped his mouth. He ran his hands over his face; a gesture that Armstrong knew meant that his husband was frustrated. Severus was still not pleased about the pregnancy but he had come to accept it. He would never abort the child so might as well make the best of the situation. If Severus had to admit anything it was the fact that he was running Armstrong about doing his bidding. He also knew it would be short lived once the Daimon figured out how he was being manipulated. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that,” he apologized to his husband.

“I know. Your frustrated and that ‘is’ my fault.”

“A baby?” Albus asked. “How absolutely wonderful. I feel like I’m going to be a grandfather. I thought you were going to wait?”

“It was not by choice. I’ve been told that during consummation of our bonding that, in rare cases, one can get pregnant. Wasn’t I the lucky one?”

“Indeed.” Dumbledore gave a concerned, all knowing look to Severus' spouse.

“Do you have any idea where Draco might have gone to?” Armstrong changed the subject. He surmised that the headmaster must know about the legend. He would have to talk to the old man at a later date, far away from Severus.

“I’m guessing London. His mother put money in a London bank in case of an emergency,” Severus explained.

“Is there a way to track him?” Arm asked.

“When and if he uses his magic, yes.”

“If he doesn’t want to be found…”

“He won’t be using his magic. I’m going to go to London and do some snooping.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“No. If by a miracle I run into him he won’t want to talk to me if he sees us together.” Armstrong knew that his husband was right but it didn’t change the fact he did not like the idea of his husband in London alone.

“I’m going and you’re staying and when I get back this evening we, as you and me, are going to have a long narrative about our relationship. I have, up until now, have done as you wished. It is time to express what I want from this marriage. Do you understand?”

“I value my life too much to argue with you.” He wanted to add, ‘Hormonal and angry, now there’s a combination no man in his right mind would quarrel with.’ “But I insist that you fire call me at least once every two hours or I will show up looking for you.”

“I may hex you if you show up.”

“I’ll take my chance. Will you fire call me?”

“Yes, if it keeps you from following me.”

Arm gave his husband a quick kiss. “See you this evening.”

As soon as Severus apparated Albus turned to the Daimon and asked, “You haven’t told him what it means to have your child conceived during the bonding, have you?”

“No, how does one explain to someone of a different culture that he is to bear a messiah, a child that will reunite the different wizard fractions and join the muggle world with ours. It’s going to hard enough explaining that he’s going to have twins.”

“Twins!? Severus is going to castrate you.” He snickered.

“I’m glad you’re amused.”

“My dear boy he must be told.”

“How?” Armstrong had been trying for the last week to tell Severus about the revelation.

“Give him ‘The Book of Legends’ and let him read about it. I would also suggest that you stay at for the castle for the night. We need you alive.”

“That is most likely the best advice you have ever given.”

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Ron played with his dinner, pushing food from one side of his plate to the other side. Even Hermione noticed he wasn’t eating. She nudged Harry and tilted her head towards her old boyfriend. Harry had never known Ron not to eat, no matter how upset he was.

“Ron?”

“Hummm,” Ron replied to Harry, not listening.

“Ron,” Harry repeated a little louder.

Startled, he sat up straight and looked at Harry. “You don’t have to yell. I’m sitting right here.”

“Ron, your body’s here but your mind is definitely somewhere else.” Hermione spoke to Ron for the first time since that evening she caught Ron with Draco.

“I’m preoccupied that’s all.”

“Is this about Draco not being in any of his classes?” Hermione inquired.

“Now why would Ron be worried about ferret face?” Harry laughed at the absurdity of the question. When no one else laughed, Harry froze. “Tell me it’s not true.”

“I have no idea what you talking about.” Ron went back stabbing his food.

“When?” Harry was dumbfounded. How could this happen? Hermione and Ron were destined to be together. They were to have six children. All were to call him Uncle Harry. This had to be some sick joke. Draco and Ron, no it couldn’t be.

“There’s nothing to tell you, so drop the subject.”

“It happened the first night the Daimons came,” Hermione told Harry. Harry smile softly, remembering his night with Miriam. “I heard the two arguing. Then push came to shove and then blows. They were rolling around on the ground trying to beat the shit out of one another. I was planning to stop them when Ron found himself sitting on top of Draco.” Hermione was studying Ron’s reaction, or in this case lack of. “Ron planted one on Draco. Draco eagerly returned the kiss. They were rolling on the ground again. This time they weren’t fighting.”

Ron winced. Now he understood why she refused to talk to him. “Sorry, 'Mione,” was all he said.

“Ron, do you… love him?” Harry swallowed.

“Don’t know. Don’t think I’ll ever find out. We broke up before we had a chance to find out.” He dropped his fork onto his plate. “I have to go study.” He wouldn’t look at his friends as he rose from the table and left.

After he left, Harry turned to Hermione. “He must be really broken up.”

“Why do you say that?”

a/n Review please...it seems I crave them.

“He’s gone to study,” Harry replied. Hermione shook her head in agreement.

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Severus searched till way pass dark. By the time he apparated into muggle London, all of the banks were closed. The most he could do for the evening was to hang some posters up and ask some of the establishment if they had seen the boy. Disheartened he went home.

He hadn’t realized how cold he had become until he felt the warmth coming from the hearth. He stood in front of the flames and started to unbutton his robe.

“Let me.” Arm had come out of the bedroom when he heard his husband. Severus swayed as his husband took over the task. “No news of Draco?”

“No, a possible sighting but no real leads. I’m going back tomorrow.” Severus waited for an argument.

“Then you will need a hearty dinner and a good night's sleep.” Armstrong was now working on the heavily starched shirt. Another night and Severus would have protested but tonight he was too exhausted to care. The fight was out of him. Tomorrow, when he felt better, he would have that talk.

What he wasn’t expecting was his husband picking him up. He half heartedly struggled as his husband carried him into the bathroom. A steaming hot bath, scented of chamomile and lavender, was waiting for the Potions Master. Hundreds of small floating candles burned, giving the room a soothing atmosphere. This was a luxury he had never known. For the next hour he was treated as royalty. His scalp was washed, rinsed, and combed. His tense muscles in his shoulders were massaged until he felt like putty. The most exquisite feeling was when Armstrong took his long, bony feet and worshipped them. With oil soaked hands he manipulated his feet, from stretching each individual toe and kneading the arch of his foot, to rotating and stretching his ankle. By the time his mate was done, Severus wasn’t able to move, much less stand.

With a spell, Armstrong emptied the water and dried his lover. When Severus tried to stand his lover carried him to their bedchamber. There Armstrong hand fed most of his husband’s favorites to him. A smorgasbord of delights, there was steak and kidney pie, pickled herring, even raw oysters on the half shell. These were foods that was denied to him by virtue of living at Hogwarts. The food had to be simple and pleasing to the students with little variance. Severus wasn’t offered champagne or wine, not even a stout but one of Severus' guilty pleasures, Coca Cola. In his life, Severus never felt so loved.

“What was this about?” Severus snuggled next to his husband, sharing his warmth.

“I wanted to show you how much you have come to mean to me.” Armstrong put his arms about his spouse. “I’m nearing sixty, not old by any means but old enough that the idea of marriage and a family was foreign to me. Now I have a family and you are the reason.” He kissed Severus’ damp hair.

“I find that I too have feelings for you,” Severus said sleepily. His fingers searched out Armstrong’s limp cock and held it as if it was some kind of security blanket. There was no stroking or teasing, just a firm hold as the Potions Master fell asleep. Armstrong found Severus’ action endearing. He snuggled closer to his husband, laying his head upon that of his husband. Following suit he drifted to a sleep more content than he had ever known.