Darkmoon and LIght

This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Thanks to Kei for her betaing Job....


Chapter Seven

Ron and Hermione caught up with the other two just as they reached the stairs leading up to Draco's tower room. Still not over their shock, they followed as Draco cradled Harry carefully against his chest and moved up the stairs into his room, where they found Dobby turning back the covers in preparation for Harry to be laid down.

“Thank you Dobby,” Draco and Harry said together.

“Yous is very welcome. I will be back with snacks, and then I must tell Madam Pop Pop that Master Harry had another vision and needs her to visit.”

Harry buried his face in Draco's neck and groaned in dismay. “Must you do that Dobby?”

“Yes Sir, Master Harry. I is being told to tell her everything.”

“Fine, Dobby. Make sure you tell her that she needs to look over my Father also.”

“Dobby is doing that, Master Harry.”

Draco set Harry gently on his bed and pulled up the covers. “You know, you are just down right evil, telling the Dragon Lady about your Father.”

Harry grinned. “If I'm going to be tortured by her, then he will also,” he said, and then gave Dobby a smile when he returned with a tray of sandwiches and juice before disapearing once more.

“Draco, you're being rude. Invite your guests in.”

“They're your guests, Harry.”

“No, Draco. Malfoys invited them, therefore they are the guests of the Malfoys, though I am grateful to whichever of you did invite them.”

“Prat, you needed to have your fellow fiends, and yes I do mean FIENDS, with you. I was just smart enough to know that,” he said with a smug smile. “Maybe now you will be willing to tell me how you know where the polyjuice formula is.” Turning to the other two he said, “I am glad you are here, if for no other reason then to give Harry a chance to talk about your ‘adventures’ over the years. Please come in and join us.”

Harry gave Draco a sly look. “See, that wasn't hard at all.” He then gave his friends a bright smile. “The bed is big enough for us all to sit on.”

That was all Hermione needed. She ran across the room and jumped onto the bed in order to pulled Harry into a huge hug, almost knocking Draco out of her way. She moved over slightly, though, when the bed dipped to the side, as Ron joined them. Draco, standing away from the bed slightly, watched as the Golden Trio was once again whole, wishing that he had friends that were that close.

Finally Ron pulled away, and gave Hermione the time she needed to fuss over Harry and make sure that he was okay. He moved to the side of the bed and looked over at Draco, not missing the wistful expression on his face.

“It was you who invited us?”

“Harry needed you—he already looks much better then he did this morning,” Draco replied with a shrug.

“We needed him just as much, you know. The past few weeks have been hell on us too. We know that we were told he was okay, but with Harry, you need to see to believe.”

Draco’s gaze remained steady on Harry. “I didn't even know he was here for the first five days. I finally got sick of being left in the dark and barged into his room. I could have done real damage to his eyes.” Closing his eyes, Draco remembered the look in Severus's eyes when he saw Draco in Harry's room with the curtains wide open so that the early morning sun could make its way in. “Uncle Sev almost skinned me alive. If it wasn't for Harry, who knows what would have happened. He forgave me when he didn't have to. Years of revenge could have been dealt with at once if he would have only kept his mouth shut,” he finished softly, a slight shudder going down his spine at what could have happened to both Harry and himself if there had been any damage to Harry.

Ron gave him a look of understanding. “He's like that. No matter what happens, he's willing to give you another chance.”

Ron and Draco came to a clear understanding that a silent truce had been declared between them. Looking over at where Hermione sat still fussing over his friend, Ron smiled when he intercepted the look for help that Harry sent him.

“Oy, Hermione. He does have to breathe sometime,” he said while prying her arms off of Harry.

“Thanks, Mate,” Harry gasped.

“I swear, you two are going to be the end of me someday,” Ron said with a small smile, not seeing the look that flashed through Harry's eyes.

Draco did see the flash of pain and knew a distraction was in order. “You know, from what I have heard, a few of your adventures could have put the group that calls themselves Muaraders to shame,” he said, moving onto a subject that he knew was close to Harry. It didn't hurt that this was the best way to get the answers he wanted as well; what he wasn't counting on was the feeling of warmth that shot straight through him by the look of gratitude Harry gave him.

“Oh no you don't, Draco Malfoy. We are not going to tell you anything until Ron and I get answers,” Hermione declared, hands once more on her hips as she glared at both Harry and Draco equally. She was really in no mood to be distracted now that she had the oppurtinity to get the answers she wanted.

Draco laughed as Harry tried to hide under the many pillows on the bed. Pulling the one pillow away from Harry, he absently noted that out of the six or so on the bed, it was the same pillow Draco actually slept on, and stretched out across the bed, leaning against the headboard, with the pillow placed agianst his side so Harry could lean against it. It was the position they normally took while doing homework, or whenever Harry really needed help breathing. Pulling the covers up around the darker teen’s shoulders, he made sure Harry didn't have a chance of catching a draft any time soon.

Smiling slightly at Draco's care, Harry looked up at Ron and Hermione. “Okay. I'm comfortable. Ask your questions, and I'll do my best to answer them,” he said.

“Okay, first, Professor Snape is your father and Lily Evans-Potter is your mother,” Ron said, a little unnerved at what he just witnessed.

“Nope. Severus is my father and James is technically my mother, since he carried me.”

“In order for a male Wizard to concieve, he needs to be with his soul mate.” That comment came from Hermione.

“Yes.”

“If your Fathers were soul mates, Professor Snape would have died shortly after James.” Ron again.

“Unless there was a third,” Draco pointed out.

“Bloody hell, Mate. Triads are rare,” Ron said in shock.

“We know, I had Draco look it up. He's almost as good as Hermione at research. There have been only been three recorded Triads in the past century.”

“Shite. Did they find the third before you dad was killed?”

“No.”

“How long have you known Snape was your father?”

“We found out five days after I was brought here.”

At this Ron nearly exploded. “Why here Harry? Why did you decide to come here?”

Draco tensed as he watched the redhead’s face turn as red as his hair, not sure what to expect from him. At the same time, he wasn't sure what Harry's reaction to his friends anger would be. Much to his surprise, Harry only smiled.

“Good old Ron!” Harry half laughed, not caring when the shade of red his friend’s face had turned slowly bled to purple. “Who ever said that I had a choice in the matter?” he asked.

It took Ron a few minutes for what Harry had said to sink in before he allowed his anger to fade away. “I did it again, didn't I?” he said with a sheepish grin.

“Yes Ronald, you did,” Hermione replied primly, crossing her arms across her chest. “Now, if I may continue?”

“Yes Hermione, please continue. I'm sorry for inturrupting,” Ron mumbeld, sounding contrite but shooting an amused grin at the other two boys.

“Now then…” she started, only to be cut off when Madam Pomfrey intered the room.

Poppy looked over the four teens and shook her head. “Please tell me, Mr. Potter, that you didn't come up those stairs on your own,” she questioned, glad that Harry's friends had been allowed to join him at the manor.

Harry gaped at her in disbelief before snorting. “Yeah, right. You forget the mad house elf you have keeping an eye on me, along with Mr. Protective here. Draco was already waiting for me to collapse before I took my first step. He carried me up here, just like you ordered.”

“Well, it's nice to see that at least one of you listens to me. Thank you Draco, with you around, Harry and your Fathers just may have a chance to keep me on their good sides this year,” she said, trying her best to keep a straight face at the look of mock hurt on Harry's face.

“Of course Madam, anything to see your smiling face,” Draco replied, turning the Malfoy charm on full.

Poppy gave up trying to hold back her chuckles, and gave Draco a fond smile. “Slide out of there Draco, and let me check Harry over. Who knows what new damage I'll find this time,” she said.

Draco carefully lowered Harry down as he slid slowly from the bed, the others following behind him. They moved out of the room to give Harry and Madam Pomfrey some privacy. The ten minutes spent outside the room left the three of them in uneasy silence, not sure what exactly to say to each other.

When they were allowed back in, Draco automatically slid back behind a drowsy Harry, causing Hermione to frown slightly and Ron to look at them in confusion.

Draco ignored both looks and focused on the Medi-Witch. “Is he okay?”

“He'll be fine Draco. I did give him a sleeping draught along with the anti-cracutus, so keep an eye on him as usual—I don't think he really wants to go through putting the charms on just for a nap. His lungs have not been redamaged exactly, though there a little swelling in the tissue, but that should be gone by the time he wakes. Other then that, there are no new instructions.”

“What about our fathers?”

“They are both fine,” she said, quick to reassure Draco. “Severus will remain in bed for the day, but he will come out of it no worse for wear. Your father wasn't hit with anything tonight, and was not in need of anything more then a calming draught to stop him from fretting over both Severus and Harry.”

“Malfoys do not fret,” Lucius said from the doorway, clearly affronted at what he felt was a slight against his name.

Harry, who had not been quite asleep yet, settled himself in a more comfortable position against Draco's side and opened one blurry eye. “Yeah they do, often,” he murmured, before closing his eye once again.

Walking into the room, Lucis smoothed the blankets around the teen wrapped around his son, his actions giving the lie to his words. “We do not, now go to sleep brat child,” Lucius said calmly.

Harry snorted softly, and heard a barely surpressed snort of amusement, though from whom he could not be sure, and slipped off to sleep.

“Are there any new instructions for Harry?” Lucius asked Poppy, who had been standing to one side with Ron and Hermione.

“Just the usual. If he's up to it, he can go for a short walk outside tomorrow, but otherwise keep him and Severus calm.”

“We will do our best.”

“I know you will, Lucius,” Poppy replied as she let herself out of the room, knowing that the elder Malfoy would remain with Harry's friends to help answer any questions, or at least that is what he would tell himself. Smiling, she walked back to Harry's room to one more check on Severus once more before she left the Manor.

~~hp~~

After Poppy left the room, Lucius summoned one of the chairs and motioned the two Griffindors to have a seat before calling for tea for himself. “I know the two of you have many questions, and we will do our best to answer them for you, but keep in mind there may be things we can not tell you without either the Imp or Severus being here.”

Hermione helped herself to some juice as she studied the protective way the elder Malfoy sat beside his son. She also couldn't help but notice the calming circles Draco kept rubbing against Harry's back. Taking a deep breath, she vowed to get down to the bottom of this mystery. “Why is Harry here, and not at Hogwarts?”

“That I really cannot answer for you, as I do not know,” Lucius told them.

“Well who would know, and how did he get here?” Ron asked.

“Take your pick of one of the three elves in the house, although I'm not sure if Harry really knows the answer to that question himself. As for how he came to be here, well, that is a whole other story is it not?” Sipping his tea, Lucius allowed his thoughts to go back to the day in question. “I was… thinking… about the state of things in our world at the moment, as well as the mental state of the Dark Lord. Imagine my surprise when a certain house elf popped into my study trying to find Harry Potter's protector. I'm sure you can imagine my even greater surprise when I found out that Severus Snape was the man in question.” Bringing his mind back to the present, he focused on Ron and Hermione. “After that, things moved fast. Eve showed up and started to give orders about who to contact and demanding that a room be made up for Harry. No matter how nicely she put it, I knew that it was an order, and that if I wanted to survive to see that night, I needed to follow it. For about an hour after that, things were quiet, other than Poppy showing up here, that is. After that, Severus arrived here with Harry in his arms, and I wasn't sure what to expect, but I know it wasn't what did happen.”

“Harry forgave you, didn't he sir?” Hermione said softly. “It may not have been by using those words, but he did something that made sure you knew that he had no hard feelings against you.”

Lucius just nodded his head. “He made sure it was safe to speak with me in the room first, though, and then said that he was sorry for the death of my wife. He shouldn't have been awake, never mind talking, considering the state he was in. Severus and Poppy made sure that he was healed, and then knocked him out. It was right after that that we found out that Harry was Severus's son, and it really never made much sense to move him after that.”

Hermione didn't look really happy with that answer but knew that she would have to wait for Harry to learn anything else. “What's wrong with him?” she asked instead, gesturing to Harry.

Draco growled softly in response, only to stop when Harry moved restlessy against his chest. Rubbing soothing circles across Harry's shoulders and keeping any anger he was feeling out of his voice for fear of disturbing Harry once again, Draco answered softly. “The muggles happened. They dropped him in a hole and left him there, with no food and no water. His lungs were scratched from breathing in the dirt in the air,” he summarized, unsure that he would be able to keep control of his temper if he said any more, and knowing that his father felt the same.

“Oh Harry,” Hermione said softly, before looking at Draco. “That's why he sits with you like that?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Draco responded softly, unwilling to look her in the eye in case she saw more then he wanted her to.

Lucius placed a hand on Draco’s shoulder, pretty sure he know what was going through his son’s mind. Getting up from his chair, he leaned over to whisper something in his son’s ear before turning his attention to the other two. “If you would please follow me, I would be happy to show you to the rooms that have been prepared for your stay. It’s been a long day for us, and we would be better off finishing your questions when we are all awake.”

Ron blinked at the sudden change in topic, but Hermione heard it for what it was and agreed immediately. “Of course sir, I’m sure that Harry would be more than happy to answer my questions after he’s had a good night’s rest.”

Nodding his head, happy that at least one of the teens recieved his hint that any more questions at the moment would not be welcome, Lucius led them out of the room and showed them where they would be staying while they were there, only casting a brief look over his shoulder to see his son slipping off the bed to make himself ready for the night.

Draco watched the others leave and sighed softly. Getting back off the bed reluctantly, he went through his nightly routine and flicked his wand over Harry to transfigure the clothing into pajamas before climbing back into the bed. Manoevering Harry carefully onto his side, Draco wrapped both arms around the smaller teen and pulled him close.

It didn’t take long for him to drift off to sleep, his father’s words whispering softly in his mind: “No worries, my Dragon. Things will work out in the end.”