Dragon Rose

Disclaimer: 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 lovely Beta work.... If not for her my work would be a true mess...

Chapter Eight

Bill and Charlie were quick to pick themselves off the ground where they landed from the blast of power, and immediately rushed through the door of the Potions Masters chambers. A quick glance around the room had Charlie going to help the five unconscious people laying in the living room, while Bill moved towards the area with the highest magical concentration.

Albus and the twins were only steps behind Bill and Charlie as they also moved to enter the chamber’s main room. The twins almost stopped in surprise at the destruction, but moved forward, following their older brothers in order to help Charlie bring the others back to the land of the living. Albus, for his part, only stopped long enough to fix the door and send a message to Madam Pomfrey asking for her assistance before joining Charlie and the twins in making sure the others were alright.

Bill traced the magical blast back to its starting point, knowing without a doubt that Harry would be at the end of the trail. Looking beyond the shattered door at the apex of the blast, he saw a mop of black hair attached to a slight body collapsed on the ground. After making his way carefully through the debris caused by the blast, Bill knelt down beside Harry. “Harry?” he called softly.

Red rimmed green eyes raised slowly to meet his own, and Bill could see the haunted pain clearly in them. His heart went out to his youngest brother as he gently gathered the shaking teen into his arms. “Oh Lovely, let it all out,” he murmured softly into silky black hair.

Harry didn't argue as, for the second time in as many days, he curled up in the embrace of this Weasley and let all of his grief pour out.

Bill was unsure of how long he sat amongst the wreckage holding his adopted brother and new family head. He almost forgot that here were others nearby, and it wasn't until Charlie cleared his throat gently from the doorway, startling the both of them, that Harry started to pull away.

Scrubbing his hands across his tear-stained face, Harry looked around the room, horror reflected in his green gaze. Starting to move with the intention of standing in order to peer around Charlie's form in the doorway, he asked softly, “I did that?” Harry really didn't need the silent confirmation from both Weasleys that he was the cause. As he silently took in the damage once more, his eyes slowly rose to meet Charlie's. “The others?” he asked in fear.

“Headaches, but that's all they're admitting to. Madam Pomfrey said they would be fine,” Charlie quickly assured him.

Harry breathed deeply in relief before attempting to complete the action of standing, only to fall back once more into Bills arms when his legs wouldn't support him. A yelp of surprise was startled out of him when Bill carefully scooped him off the floor and seated himself down on the only chair still intact, with Harry still cradled in his arms.

“Not happening, Lovely. You expended an awful amount of energy in that blast. I can guarantee you won't be moving on your own for awhile yet,” Bill stated calmly, not at all concerned about having the teen in his arms, despite the very faint blush that crossed Harry's cheeks.

“But the mess…” Harry trailed off.

“Won't take me more then a few minutes to clean up,” Charlie stated cheerfully, already busy sweeping his wand across the room to set it to rights.

Giving up, Harry allowed himself to relax back into Bill's embrace and watched as Charlie cleaned up the mess. As soon as Charlie was done with the room itself, he replaced the door, closed it and then layered as many locking and silencing charms that he could recall on it, before coming over and sitting on the floor at Bill’s feet.

“There now, we can talk and no one can interrupt us,” Charlie said with a smile that made Harry think of the twin brothers. Turning serious he continued, “What happened Harry?”

The Weasleys sat quietly while they waited for Harry to gather himself enough to answer. Finally Harry took a deep breath and proceeded to explain everything to them: meeting the twins, finding out about Snape, Diagon Alley, and finally the midnight conversation. “Gali thinks that it's the effects of the trust bond, Severus and I getting along so well, and from their point of view I can see that. But…” he trailed off again.

“But you felt something for him before then,” Bill said in a knowing way.

“Yah. Somehow, I knew where he was, and if he was getting closer. It starts out as a tingle down my spine and the feeling intensifies as he gets closer,” Harry explained.

“What happened after you talked Harry?” Charlie prodded.

Harry hesitated slightly before answering. “My scar started to tingle, and I assumed that someone told Voldemort that we had been wandering around Diagon together when I should have been on the train. I fully expected a Vision, and if that didn't happen, a nightmare. I… I really didn't want to be alone, and he agreed to stay with me for the night.” Harry once more trailed, feeling lost and confused. “I didn't react well to finding out everything at Gringotts and it just became too much for me.” Looking between the two Weasleys, tears once more gathering in his eyes, he said softly, “he held me as I cried, and I ended up falling asleep in his arms,” he admitted

“I'm going to take a guess and say it was the best night’s sleep you've had in a long time,” Bill stated just as quietly.

Harry just nodded his head. “Today, I got into it with McGonagall. She said something about being removed from the tower for my own safety. I told her exactly what was being said about me and informed her I refused to stay in a place full of cowards who wouldn't stand with one of their own when things became rough. Dumbledore agreed to let me be re-sorted, and the Hat said that as the Heir to all four Founders, I could go to any House. I asked if there was a way I could use that to stay out of all the Houses. I was informed that the only way that would be possible was in the Founders agreed and then was told where to find their portraits. It meant a trip down to the Chamber of Secrets once again. While down there, I was tested and approved as the Heir, the results pushed past me and into anyone that was in any way connected to me as well. The twins are connected with a mental bond, and Severus was holding me at the time. What I didn't know was that Draco has a bond with Morgan, and he was trying to keep them both sane by placing himself mentally between me and the twins. When the power coursed through me, it created another mental bond between Draco and myself,” he said, giving a highly abridged version of things to make the story go faster.

“What kind of bond?” Charlie asked

“We don't know exactly. I know that we can mind speak, but not much else yet,” Harry told them before falling silent.

Bill and Charlie exchanged a look. It was clear to both of them that this was when things started going wrong. “What happened, Harry?” Bill asked, repeating Charlie's question from earlier.

“After we returned here, and things had started to calm down, I checked to ensure that that blast of power had not affected my mental shields, and to see what was new when it came to my magic. I found a few more things then I expected; new bonds that should not have been there,” Harry said in a dull voice.

Bill tightened his hold on Harry slightly in worry before loosening it once again. “Do you know who they go to?”

Harry nodded his head slightly. “Morgan and Gali, both Malfoys, and Severus,” he said softly. “But I don't know what they mean.” Taking a deep breath, he continued. “I offered to break the bond with Draco. I was trying to protect him, and his was the only one that I could break.” In a softer voice laced with a touch of panic he added, “He refused.”

The three men sat silently for a few minutes before Bill shifted Harry in his lap. “Will you allow me to See? I can help you figure out the meanings behind the bonds,” he asked. A quick glance at Charlie told him that he also figured out what made Harry lose control.

Dropping his head forward to make sure no eye contact could be made, Harry contemplated that idea. It was true that he needed help to figure out what was going on, as well as to sort out his own very confused feelings. He knew that one of the Founders would be able to help him with the meanings behind the bonds as well, but wouldn't understand his feelings and frustrations with them; Bill and Charlie would. “I'm so confused,” he whispered in order to keep back the tears he felt forming in his eyes.

“Let us help,” Charlie said just as softly.

Harry finally nodded his head in agreement, and held his hand out to Charlie even as he brought his head up to make eye contact with Bill. Moments later he was leading Bill deeper into his mind and to the area where all his bonds, broken or otherwise, lay.

Bill looked around the “room” that he was brought to in amazement before starting to study each of the bonds in turn. There was no need to tell him to avoid the dark corner of the room; indeed it really didn't take much to figure out that the huge heavy ironwood door that was banded shut with thick steel shadowed there was the connection with He Who Shall Not Be Named. Avoiding that like the plague, he moved towards the familiar bonds with his family, the vibrant color all in different shades of green. Even the broken bonds still claimed some of their lost color. With a sad smile he gently ran his hand over the broken bonds, one each for Ron, Ginny and their parents with an extra one thrown in for Hermione. To his surprise, there was even a small one for Percy which, if given half a chance, would have bloomed between the two of them. He was startled from his soothing of the raw spots, by a hum of pleasure from behind him. “You still feel them?” he asked, amazed.

“Yeah, it gets better little by little, but I can still feel them, just like I can still feel the one from Sirius.”

Nodding his head in understanding, Bill continued to exam the rest of the bonds. The colors told him what the relationship to each was, but he still needed to hear it from Harry. “You've told us a little about how you feel about Severus, and I'll try not to pry into that to much further, but can you explain to me what you think or feel about for the others?”

Harry nodded his head slightly before slipping into thought. “I explained to you that Severus is Morgan and Galahad’s father, right?” Seeing Bill nod, he continued. “I'm a little mixed up on them, considering that I just met them yesterday morning, but it was almost like the first time I met Ron: instant friendship. I knew I could trust them and the bond between us confirmed that. Now, however, I increasingly find myself wanting to check on them all the time, like I should protect them and make sure that nothing will ever happen to them.” Looking over at Bill he asked, “I just met them, Bill, how is that possible?”

Sighing softly Bill shook his head. “I'll explain in a few minutes. Now, what about Draco?”

Here Harry snorted. “I still want to slap the prat, if for no other reason then to wipe that smug look of his face! Now… Now I don't know. Having this bond with him is extremely strange as well as extremely dangerous for him. I feel like I can, with some time, start to consider him one of my closest friends, like with what happened with Hermione. I didn't care for her either when we first met. At the same time, I feel like I'm betraying both Hermione and Ron.” Sad green eyes pierced straight through Bill’s heart when they met his own. “Am I betraying them, Bill? Is all I’m doing is finding something to replace what they mean to me?”

Bill quickly gathered Harry back into his arms. “Absolutely not. And just think about what those two plus Ginny would say if they ever heard you say something like that. It is my belief that they would be happy to see that you are willing to let someone back into your life, even if it's the biggest prat who ever lived.” Harry leaned silently in Bill's arms for a few long minutes before, much to Bill’s relief, nodding his head in understanding, even if his body didn't relax all that much. He knew it would take some work in order to make Harry believe what he just said. “Lucius Malfoy?” he questioned in order to keep Harry's thoughts from lingering in darker emotions.

“When we were down in the Chamber, he took a spot to guard my back. I knew his wand was out but instead of being nervous about having it practically pointed at me, if felt oddly comforting almost like...”

“Almost like you knew he would do everything in his power to keep you safe,” Bill finished.

“Exactly!” Harry exclaimed. “And then after, while we were talking to the portraits, I was still not steady on my feet after that blast of power. I tried to stay on my own feet, but he held out his arm, and I knew he wouldn't let me fall.”

“Isn't that how Severus makes you feel?”

“Yes and no,” Harry replied. “Severus makes me feel so much more. There’s warmth and safety, the sense of coming home…” he trailed off.

“Knowing without a doubt that he'll keep you safe while giving you the strength and support you need to face everything on your own,” Bill added. “Do you see the difference between the two?”

Nodding his head Harry summed it all up. “Severus would stand beside me, but Lucius would stand in front while shielding me from everything,” Harry replied. “But how could that happen in only a few hours? When I first saw them today I wanted nothing to do with them. Now I don't want anything to happen to them.”

Bill smiled faintly, nodding his head in understanding. “Come along Harry, let's go back to Charlie and I'll explain the bonds.”

It only took seconds for them to rejoin Charlie in the physical world, and then with a look at Charlie that was laced with both sadness and amusement, Bill started to explain. “From the looks of things, it seems you have some kind of creature blood. I'm not sure what creature, and more than likely won't know until you come into your inheritance on your next birthday. That blast of power from the Founders opened up more of your gifts, and will continue to open them a little bit more as time goes by. In fact I'll hazard a guess that they will continue to grow as you master what you already have, and then will open up fully on your seventeenth.” He stopped to give Harry a few moments to absorb that information. “Now, as for the bonds, I'll start with the ones you have with us, which will also in a way explain Mr. Malfoy and, to a lesser degree, Draco. Your bond to us is the same as to any sibling: a vibrant bright green. It's the same color no matter if they are a blood sibling or an adopted sibling. The one from child to parent is also green, but a darker shade. In fact, you can almost call it a forest green,” Bill said, and waited for Harry to make the connection himself.

“Wait… That would mean that Lucius Malfoy could be considered my father!” Harry exclaimed in shock.

“Yes. I won't be surprised if Draco's bond goes from the purple it is now to a light blue, and then darkens into green.”

“HOW!?”

“They only thing I can think of is that trust bond that you started with Morgan and Galahad yesterday. These are probably side effects that they were not aware would happen.”

“The twins consider the Malfoys family, though I'm not sure how.”

“That would make it possible for you to bond with the Malfoys through the twins.”

“But then why is my bond with the twins blue and not green?”

“Blue?” Charlie asked sharply.

“Yes, it's a nice sharp blue,” Bill answered Charlie, and then went back to explaining to Harry. “You said that you were able to feel Severus even before the bond was preformed. Do you remember for how long?”

“Since I started here at Hogwarts. I figured after I found out about the Dark Mark, that it was because we are both connected to Riddle and through him each other.”

“It's possible, I suppose. With the two of you being in close contact over the years, it would be able to allow you to sense each other instead of every other Death Eaters, but I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated then that.” Taking a deep breath he continued. “Severus Snape is your Mate, both the Creature’s Mate and your Soul’s Mate. Your bond with the twins allowed you both to finally see each other, instead of just being able to see the outside, you are now able to see the inside as well.”

“I see, then my bond with the twins would mean…?” he asked.

“While a sibling bond and a bond from a child to a parent is green, the bond from a parent to a child is blue: a nice, sharp blue.”