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Chapter Text

Harry Potter- 2nd Semester, Year 6:

A few days before the match against Ravenclaw, Harry found himself walking to dinner alone from the common room, Ron having rushed off into a nearby bathroom to throw up yet again, and Hermione having dashed off to see Professor Vector about a mistake she thought she might have made on her last Arithmancy essay. More out of habit than anything, Harry made his usual detour along the 7th-floor corridor, checking the Marauder's Map as he went. For a moment he could not find Malfoy anywhere, and assumed he must indeed be inside the Room of Requirement again, but another sweep of the map revealed Malfoy’s tiny, labeled dot standing in a boys bathroom on the floor below, accompanied, not by Crabbe or Goyle, but by Moaning Myrtle.

Harry only stopped staring at this unlikely coupling when he walked right into a suit of armor. The loud crash brought him out of his reverie; Hurrying from the scene lest Filch turns up, he dashed down the marble staircase and along the passageway below. Outside the bathroom, he pressed his ear against the door. He could not hear anything. He very quietly pushed open the door.

Draco Malfoy was standing with his back to the door, his hands clutching either side of the sink, his white-blonde head bowed.

“Don’t,” crooned Moaning Mrytle’s voice from one of the cubicles. “Don’t… tell me what’s wrong… I can help you…”

“No one can help me,” said Malfoy. His whole body was shaking. “I can’t do it… I can’t… It won’t work… and unless I do it soon…. He says he’ll kill me…”

And Harry realized, with a shock so huge it seemed to route him to the spot, that Malfoy was crying -actually crying- tears streaming down his pale face into the grimy basin. Malfoy gasped and choked and then, with a great shudder looked up into the cracked mirror and saw Harry standing at him over his shoulder.

The boy instantly whirled around, wand raised before Harry even had a chance to process what he was seeing.

Harry’s mind finally caught up with the fact that Malfoy was staring at him in pure rage and his hand twitched towards his wand. But something about seeing Malfoy so… emotional stayed his hand.

“What the buggering fuck are you doing here, Potter?” Malfoy sneered, the look and tone somewhat marred by the tear streaks and stuffiness of his nose.

“I know that Voldemort has given you a task,” Potter said quietly.

His assumption was proven correct when Malfoy whitened several shades (he was already so pale, Harry wasn’t sure how this was possible) and the grip on his wand noticeably loosened. Malfoy recollected himself almost immediately, hand re-gripping his wand, but still remaining deathly white.

“You don’t know a fucking thing, Potter. Now draw your wand. I want to be justified when I make you regret coming in here,” Malfoy spat.

Harry regarded him for another moment, collecting his thoughts before speaking.

“I do know, Malfoy. I saw him kill your mother for failing to do something,” Harry said, resolutely not drawing his wand, thank you very much.

Silence waned between them, and Harry watched as Malfoy’s eyes became glassy before fresh tears started falling. Malfoy seemed to truly freeze this time, and Harry was quite sure he could turn around and leave and Malfoy wouldn’t notice. But that wasn’t what he wanted to do, not now.

Mrytle was hovering nearby, seemingly caught in an invisible web. Harry tried for a small smile as he spoke to her, but was aware that it probably looked more like a grimace, “Mrytle? Would you mind giving us a moment?”

She stared at him for a moment before nodding slightly and flipping into a stall, making sure to crash into a toilet hard enough that water sloshed over the bowl and onto the floor.

He took a breath and plowed on.

“We’ve never been friends. We’ve always brought out the worst in each other, and in honesty, fighting you has always come easy, but now… I don’t want that anymore, Draco. I don’t want any of this,” Harry said, watching the other boy closely.

He snapped out of his shock when Harry had called him by his first name, but all the fight had left him, and he slowly lowered his wand.

Harry made a decision, throwing caution into the wind.

“I’m leaving Hogwarts, Draco. I’m leaving Europe… leaving everyone. All this fighting, the death, the destruction, and for what? Voldemort and his fucking Pureblood ideology, while he himself is a half-blood? Well, no more. I refuse to be a fucking pawn any longer.” Harry said.

It took a few moments before Malfoy spoke.

“Why are you telling me this?” his voice barely above a whisper.

“Because, I… well, I think you should come with me. I’ve been planning to leave by myself, but… leaving you here is a sure death sentence,” Harry replied.

“Y-you know I could take this to the Dark Lord, Potter? I could take this to Dumbeldore. I would be a hero in either situation,” Malfoy managed to rasp out.

“That’s true, you absolutely could. You can do whatever you wish with that knowledge. But I am bloody tired of caring, if I am being honest,” Harry said, “I’m leaving for America in a fortnight, after everyone goes to sleep. I’m leaving this ruddy continent, which has asked so much, yet given so little. You can come with me, or you can stay, or… or whatever? Okay. I don’t care anymore. You know where to find me if you decide you have a life worth living.”

And with that, Harry turned on his heel and left a very upset, confused Malfoy in the 6th-floor bathroom.

Chapter Text

Draco hadn’t approached him since that day. As a matter of fact, Harry hadn’t even seen Malfoy on the map since that day. He knew he was hiding out in the Room of Requirement because every attempt Harry had made to get in was unsuccessful. But that was fine, really. If he wanted to throw his life away, there was nothing Harry could do to stop him.

It was now the evening he was planning on enacting his plan. He had his broom, trunk, and owl cage all shrunken and stowed in his pocket. Hedwig had been told to meet him at Edinburgh International, where he had arranged a private jet to take him to Raleigh, NC, where he would board another jet to Los Angeles, California, where he would then start to make his way to his new home. California was not his final destination, but he knew they would be looking for him, and he wanted to make it difficult for anyone trying to follow.

He had spent weeks corresponding with his vault manager at Gringotts, making sure all his affairs in England were in order, arranging flights, and property and vehicle purchases, getting fake forms of identification that could have only been produced by the goblins. Anyone looking into Harry’s new identity would see a perfectly believable paper trail that lead to Harry being an emancipated minor living off his deceased parent’s fortune, leaving the UK some years ago. He had gone through the trouble of arranging documents for Draco, on the off chance the blonde had accepted his offer, but he supposed it was all for naught, now.

It was nearing 11 pm, and Harry decided to pull the Marauder’s map out from under his pillow, scanning it for the only name he cared to check for anymore. He didn’t see it anywhere and gave a small sigh, wishing things had been different. He was muttering ‘Mischief Managed’ when he saw ‘Draco Malfoy’ appear on the seventh floor corridor and start moving rapidly towards the Gryffindor common room, causing Harry's heart to start thundering. He smiled and quietly extracted himself from his bed. The curtains on all the other’s beds were firmly shut, and Harry glanced sadly towards Ron’s as he pulled his invisibility cloak around himself. He placed the map, along with letters addressed to Ron and Hermione, on Ron’s bedside table.

He cast a silencing charm at his trainers, and then made his way out of the dormitory and through the common room, to the portrait that he delicately opened, so as not to wake the Fat Lady. He heard huffing breath as he turned the corner and Malfoy crashed right into him, letting out a small noise of startle.

He looked around wildly before Harry flipped the hood down and gave him a cheeky smile.

“Let’s go,” Harry said, opening the cloak so Malfoy could slip in.

---

They traveled in silence while Harry led them to the One-Eyed Witch passage that would take them to Hogsmeade, where Harry had arranged a portkey to take them into the city of Edinburgh. It would be the only bit of magical travel that Harry was willing to risk. He would not be staying here, and since they were both underage, they wouldn’t be able to use magic for a few months.

After murmuring the password to the statue, Harry jumped down the slide to show Malfoy how it was done, and pulled the cloak off when he hit the bottom, shoving it into a pocket in his robes. He waited for Malfoy, holding out his hand to the other when he landed on his arse in a heap. Malfoy took it without comment.

The trip through the passage went unspoken, too, but Harry could feel the emotions rolling off the other boy. It was strange, really. He had accepted that he was abandoning the UK weeks ago, and the only people he had felt anything for would hopefully heed his warning and leave while the leaving was good. He didn’t feel anything but a slight trepidation now, and that was mostly caused by the amount of traveling that they had coming.

His musings kept him entertained until finally, an hour later, they reached the cellar of Honeydukes, well beyond the wards of Hogwarts and the location they would be able to activate the portkey.

“Last chance to turn around, Malfoy,” Harry whispered, pulling a gold card, not dissimilar to a credit card, out of his back pocket, and checking his watch for the time. 12:41 am. They had 4 minutes.

The boy turned bright eyes on him and Harry stared back. Finally, Malfoy shook his head, and Harry nodded his understanding.

“2 minutes now,” Harry informed him.

“Ha-…Potter… I truly don’t understand you, but thanks, for this….”Malfoy whispered to him.

“10 seconds,” Harry said calmly, “Grab on now.”

With a flash of blue and a hooking of navels, The Boy Who Lived, and The Boy Who Hated The Boy Who Lived, disappeared.

---

They landed in Edinburgh, just outside a loud, bumping nightclub.

“Stay with me,” Harry said to Malfoy, and the blonde nodded once, sharp.

They walked quickly down the sidewalk, Harry offering the occasional ‘No problem!’ whenever a drunk muggle connected shoulders with him. Harry was looking for something and almost barked a laugh as Malfoy flinched when he threw a hand out to hail a black cab that was about to pass them. The driver slowed to a stop almost immediately and Harry lightly grabbed at Malfoy’s cloak to get him to follow.

When they were seated in the vehicle, Harry informed the driver of their destination, Edinburgh International, and sat back when the driver nodded his understanding. It was quiet in the cab and Harry stole a glance at Malfoy whenever he thought it was safe to do so.

The blonde was definitely scared, Harry was sure of it. His jaw seemed to be wired shut, his shoulders were tensed, and he had a slight tremble. Harry stifled a sigh.

“Hey,” Harry whispered, “are you gonna be okay?”

“I-I don’t think it’s really set in yet what I’m doing,” Malfoy whispered back.

“I understand. This isn’t to be taken lightly. Are… are you leaving anyone behind?” Harry questioned.

Malfoy shook his head, “No. No, my mother is the only person I cared about.”

Harry only nodded in response, unsure of what to say, his amusement fading as quickly as it had come. They were silent for the rest of the ride.

---

When they arrived at the airport, Harry paid the driver and watched as he drove away before he pulled Malfoy to the side. He reached into one of the pockets of his robes and pulled out a passport, driver’s license, and green card, which he handed to Malfoy.

“Your new identity. Learn the information and breathe it, live it, like it’s who you really are. We can’t afford a mistake,” Harry explained.

Malfoy nodded and then did something that caused Harry to look at him in surprise. He snorted.

“Thomas William Taylor?” Malfoy asked incredulously, “It’s so… Muggle.”

Harry couldn’t help the smile that stole over his face and he rubbed his neck sheepishly.

“Yeah, well… that’s what we are aiming for.”

“Right, right…” Malfoy sighed, rolling his eyes, before asking, “What’s yours?”

“Daniel Jacob Lewis,” Harry replied.

 “Not so bad, I suppose,” Malfoy said.

“We are meeting with a squib who is under oath at Gringotts. He’ll be taking us to the jet, and then we’re gone. Come on,” Harry told Malfoy, “we are already cutting it close.”

The blonde nodded and started following Harry as he headed toward the bustling terminal.

Harry walked almost to the entrance before he stopped and turned right, following the sidewalk for a few minutes until he was able to make a left. He followed the edge of the building; it was dark now that they were away from the terminal, and they were definitely headed for an area that was off limits to the general public. They didn’t have to walk for much longer, stopping when a man stepped out of seemingly nowhere and shone a torch on them. Harry was blinded briefly as the torch blasted his eyes before it was hastily cut off and the man asked, “Mr. Lewis?”

“The one and only,” Harry replied.

“Finger, please,” the man prompted.

Harry complied and his finger was pricked with a sharp pin before it was pressed to a piece of parchment. It glowed briefly, and Harry noticed that the form was one he had signed weeks ago.

Harry could just make out the man nodding a couple times of times before he rolled the parchment back up and said, “Follow me, Mr. Lewis.”

Harry complied, looking back to make sure Malfoy was still with him, and then focused on the man in front of him. Harry could just make out the perimeter fence that their guide was leading them towards, and thought for sure the man was about to crash into it and be rebuffed, but the moment passed and Harry delightedly realized that they had simply walked through it. He huffed out a small laugh, but no one commented on it.

The man led them to an SUV that had pitch black window tint and was so polished that it was gleaming, even in darkness. He opened the door for them, light flooding the area, and gestured for them to get in.

“If you’ll take a seat, I will shuttle you and your passenger to the aircraft.”

Harry hastily complied, sliding over so Malfoy could follow. There was almost palpable tension radiating off the blonde haired boy, but there was nothing to be done for it. If Harry was honest, he was feeling pretty tense, too.

The ride was quiet and uneventful. They followed a road that cut directly through the airstrip and soon came to a stop in front of a large heavy jet that had a set of stairs docked to it, with what appeared to be flight attendant waiting for them at the bottom. The escort quickly jumped out of the driver’s seat and opened the door for Harry.

“The pilot is ready for take-off whenever you are, Mr. Lewis. It has truly been my pleasure to serve you this early morning,” the man said, with a hand gestured towards the stairs leading to the interior of the plane.

“Thank you. I appreciate your assistance,” Harry replied, pressing a thick bundle of £50 notes into his hand.

The man bowed his head and waited for Malfoy to get out before closing the door, returning to the driver’s seat, and pulling away with a little squeal of the tires.

“Mr. Lewis?” The brunette woman, who was standing at the stairs, asked.

“That’ll be me,” Harry said, stepping forward.

She fixed him with a dazzling smile.

“My name is Emily, and I’ll be attending your flight today. If you, or your passenger, should require anything, I will do everything I can to make it happen,” the woman stated.

“Right, of course. Er, I don’t suppose you’ve seen a snowy owl lurking about, have you?” Harry asked.

As if waiting to be summoned, Harry heard the flap of wings and moments later, felt the pressure and press of talons as she landed on his shoulder.

He smiled and said, “Nevermind. We’re ready to go.”

---

It was a short time later that they were taxiing to the runway. Harry checked his watch: 2:15 am.

It had taken less than 3 hours to leave his life, his home behind, and yet, he couldn’t find it in himself to feel bad about it. He had left his explanations and his fears in the letters, a way out attached to them. Beyond that, he just didn’t care about wizarding Europe anymore. If they wanted to go to war, they didn’t bloody well need him. Dumbledore and Voldemort would just have to find someone else to fight over, to make miserable.

He took a deep breath, exhaling the negativity and mild tension away. He allowed himself to sink back into the expensive leather chair and chanced a glance at Malfoy. He was sitting in the chair that was on the other side of the table, faced towards Harry. Malfoy’s gaze was directed outside; watching the taxiway roll slowly by, lips slightly parted and eyes slightly wider than usual in what Harry assumed was shock. He looked… dumbfounded. Harry couldn’t blame him, honestly. He grew up as a muggle and even he didn’t know how planes worked.

Emily came up from the back of the plane and crouched next to Harry, disrupting him from his musings.

“Can I get you something to drink, Mr. Lewis?” She asked.

“I would kill for a double of Ogden’s finest, if you’ve got it,” Harry replied.

“Certainly. And for you, Mr…?” she asked, turning eyes on Malfoy.

“Taylor. And I’ll have the same,” he told her.

She nodded once and stood, making her way to the back.

Harry heard the clink of glasses and pouring of liquid before Emily reappeared at his side, handing a glass to each of them.

“We are third in line, so we’ll be taking off in approximately 15 minutes. Is there anything else I can get for either of you?” Emily asked.

“No, no I think we’re fine,” Harry said, before looking over at Hedwig, who was perched on top of one of the seats on the left side of the plane. “Actually, can I perhaps have a bowl and some water? For my owl.”

“Of course,” she said, walking off again to get the requested items, before returning and placing the bowl in the seat, filling it with water, and then disappearing once again.

Things were quiet for a moment, and then he heard the captain speak over the intercom, quiet, but loud enough that it wasn’t hard to hear.

“Good morning, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Taylor. This is Captain Jack speaking, and I’d like to welcome you aboard my aircraft. We are headed to Raleigh, North Carolina, flying at 41,000 ft, for a duration of 7 hours, 50 minutes, touching down at 5:30 am local time. While we are preparing for takeoff, please make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened.”  

Harry felt the thrill of adrenaline as he sat up straight in his chair and buckled the lap belt. Malfoy mirrored his movements, looking out the window as they lined up to take off.

“Hedwig? You’re probably gonna want to sit with me while we take off, girl,” Harry said, holding out his arm. She quickly flew to him and her transferred her to his lap, stroking her feathers while they waited.

Harry watched as Malfoy took a nervous gulp of his firewhisky and was forced to grab onto his armrest as the plane suddenly shot forward. They were gaining speed quickly, the plane shuddering every time there was slight dip to the wings, before their pilot had them rising steadily from the runway. He watched the lights of the city get smaller and smaller, a wide smile on his face. He could get used to flying, he thought.

---

Draco was quiet for a while, choosing only to sip his drink and stare out the window into the pitch black.

Harry was doing the same until he lifted his glass to his lips and found it empty.

“Emily?” He called out.

It only took a moment, and then she was there, patient expression on her face.

“Yes, Mr. Lewis?” She asked.

“Another double, if you don’t mind. And a glass of water,” He requested.

“Of course, sir. Anything for you Mr. Taylor?” She asked the blonde.

He looked down at his glass and drained the last of it.

“What he’s having, thank you,” Malfoy said.

She took their empty glasses and returned a moment later, setting the glasses on the table in front of them.

Harry murmured his thanks as she walked away, picking up the firewhisky and going back to sipping it.

“Po-… Lewis. Can I ask you a question?” Malfoy asked.

Harry looked away from the dark window and fixed him with a neutral expression.

“So long as you understand I might not answer,” Harry replied.

“There isn’t a witch or wizard in Britain that doesn’t know who you are, and yet… These people haven’t once commented on it or treated you as anything other than your new name… I know money is powerful, I know that probably better than anyone else, but this is…  this is different. Why?” Malfoy queried.

“That’s because these witches and wizards are employed by Gringotts. The goblins will allow just about anything for the right price. Let me ask you, how much do you think I paid for this flight?” He returned.

“I don’t know. If I had to guess? 100k galleons?”Malfoy said.

“For a standard flight with minimal questions, sure. I paid over twice that for ‘total anonymity’ and this is just the first leg of our journey. We have a long day ahead of us. But, to more directly answer your question, they have been sworn to secrecy. They have all made unbreakable vows, save for the driver, and I daresay the goblins have a way of ensuring his silence, too.” Harry explained.

“I see,” was all he replied with.

---

Harry had gotten out of his seat not long after that and went to one of the couches that lined either side of the wall behind the forward seats. He flopped down rather rough, tired and relaxed after his second glass of firewhisky. He was definitely going to get some sleep.

Kicking off his trainers, he reached over to the light controller and dimmed the lights to a comfortable low and lay down on the couch. Hedwig flew over to him, as well, landing on the back of the couch, where she wasted no time puffing her feathers out and tucking her head beneath her wing.

Harry was almost asleep when he heard Malfoy shuffle next to him and quietly take the couch opposite him. He fell asleep with a small smile on his face.

---

It was several hours later when Harry was gently woken by a soft hand on his shoulder, rocking him slightly.

“Mr. Lewis? The captain wishes to inform you that we’ll be landing within an hour,” Emily said.

Harry sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes before stretching his arms high above his head, satisfaction coursing through him when his back cracked and popped.

“Good morning, Emily. Thank you for waking me. I slept… rather well,” Harry said with a smile.

Emily smiled back and then went and roused Malfoy the same way she had him. He jerked a little violently, but settled quickly when he realized what was happening.

“Do you happen to have some orange juice?” Harry asked Emily.

“Yes, Mr. Lewis. I am actually equipped to provide you with a full breakfast, if you’d like?” She asked.

He was tempted, but, “No, thank you. I think I’ll wait until the next flight, thank you. Taylor?”

“Perhaps a couple of slices of toast and some orange juice, as well, if you don’t mind.” Malfoy replied.

“Right away,” Emily responded, bustling around in the back of the plane.

Harry stroked Hedwig’s feathers a couple times noticing she was awake, before standing up and making his way to the loo.

When he had emptied his rather full bladder, he made his way back to the front of the plane, sitting in his seat from hours previous. He heard Malfoy enter the loo just as Emily brought their juice and toast up, setting the plate and glasses down before grabbing Hedwig’s water bowl (that she hadn’t yet touched) and disappeared. By the time Malfoy came back up front, Emily had returned with a fresh bowl of water for Hedwig.

“Can I do anything else for either of you?” Emily asked.

“No, thank you, Emily. You’ve been wonderful,” Harry said.

She inclined her head and then disappeared to the back of the plane.

“Where are we headed after Raleigh?” Malfoy questioned.

“We’ll be switching jets and flight crews and then we head to California. We’re driving from there,” Harry told him.

“Driving? Like, muggle driving?” Malfoy asked timidly.

Harry huffed a laugh.

“Scared, Malfoy?” He taunted softly.

He didn’t respond.

---

They touched down at almost exactly 05:30 am EDT, and 20 minutes later, were deplaning after a round of thank you’s to Jack and Emily.

They were escorted by a man who, after introducing himself as ‘Kyle,’ took them to their next jet. The process was very much the same, after boarding the plane and taking their seats, there was little time wasted before they were taxiing to the runway. Kyle had already taken their breakfast order and would bring it to them as soon as they were in the air.

It was well past breakfast time in the UK, and Harry knew that Ron and Hermione would know what he had done by now… He hoped that they weren’t taking the news of his departure too hard….

---

Ron woke as he did most mornings, stretching and scrubbing a hand through his hair. He pulled the curtains back from his bed and noticed that Harry’s were already opened, with no sight of the raven-haired boy. Harry had probably already left for breakfast, and he threw his legs over the side of his bed, headed for the bathroom.

It wasn’t until he came back that he saw the Marauder’s Map and envelopes sitting on his bedside table. His brow crumpled into confusion at Harry’s lack of care with the map. If the wrong person found it… Well, things wouldn’t be pretty.

He moved over to the stack next to his bed and picked up the envelopes; one for him, one for Hermione. What the bloody hell was going on? He opened the letter unhurriedly, certain that Harry was playing a game with him. His heart sank lower and lower, however, the longer he read.

Ron,

This isn’t an easy letter to write, and it’s pretty cowardly of me to even attempt to put this in a letter, but I know that you, especially you, would have tried to stop me if you knew what I had planned. But… Well, I’ve made a decision, and it’s one that I intend to stick by. I’m leaving. I’m leaving my life, my family, my home… All of it. I’m done being Harry bloody Potter.

Ever since I was a kid, all I wanted was a place to belong. I wanted to have friends who cared about me, and that I cared about, and because of you and Hermione, that dream was fulfilled. But after the Department of Mysteries last year… Almost losing you to a fucking brain, almost losing Hermione, actually losing Siri, being used by both Dumbledore and Voldemort, and then hearing that the prophecy had dictated all this… I can’t do it anymore. If fate is really the reason that all of this shit happened to me, and is not in fact some mad power play between Dumbledore and Voldemort, then me leaving will change nothing. But if I’m right, and I’d like to think I am, then my leaving will change everything. Time will tell.

I know it doesn’t make it any better, but I’m sorry for not properly saying goodbye. I’ll always consider you my brother, and even if this is the end of our friendship, I’ll never feel differently.

Things are undoubtedly going to go to shit in Britain, and I genuinely hope that you can excuse me for not giving a single fuck, but I couldn’t leave without offering you, your family, and Hermione and hers, a way to escape, as well. I know it’s not very Gryffindor of me, but this past year, I’ve honestly believed that the hat was right, and I should have been in Slytherin… If you want it, there is a property that is secured under Fidelius, of which I am the Secret Keeper. Simply let a drop of your blood fall on this letter and it’ll reveal the address to you. You can use it however you want; or not at all.

I made my choice, but I hope we’ll see each other again, some day.

I love you, mate.

-Harry

Ron had to read the letter three times before it fully settled into his brain what it was saying. He sprang into action immediately, grabbing Hermione’s letter and racing out of the dorm. He made it to the common room and saw Hermione sitting by the fire, quietly knitting a hat, undoubtedly waiting for him and Harry; Harry, who was gone, and possibly never coming back.

He grabbed her hand and, ignoring her yelp of surprise, dragged her out of the common room, through the portrait hole, and into the nearest empty classroom.

“Ron, what in Merlin’s name…” Hermione started to say.

“Save the questions for after,” He said, thrusting her letter into her hands.

She was confused, but immediately tore into her letter, recognizing Harry’s messy scrawl on the front, a very uncomfortable feeling of dread settling in her stomach.

Hermione,

I honestly wasn’t sure how to write this. How do you say goodbye to your best friends, after all? Even as I write this, I can’t help but see Ron in a right state of panic, so please tell him to take a deep breath.

Hermione looked up and saw that Ron was indeed bright red and looked slightly constipated.

“Ron. Deep breath,” Hermione said, eyes quickly going back to the letter.

I’ve explained to Ron the best way I know how, but you’ve always understood me better. After the DoM last year, I had a whole summer to think about the stuff I would have done differently. And the thing I keep coming back to is: Me. I’m the problem here. I am the common denominator, as it were. My life has always been a bit of a mess, thanks in large to a prophecy that has dictated how things are going to go. Well, no more. I’m choosing to not believe in ‘fate’ and I am instead choosing my own path now. I’ve simply taken all that I can.

I think I can tell you that leaving you and Ron behind was the single hardest decision I’ve made in my life. And I know that leaving letters behind as an explanation is a cowardly act, but I couldn’t tell you, either of you. You would have done everything in your power to stop me, and while I know, with every fiber of my being, that it comes from a place of love, I am tired of letting other people run my life and make decisions for me that they think are best.

Things are probably going to get bad there, if I am right about things. I can’t save everyone, and I’ve come to realize that I shouldn’t have to.  Dumbledore will most likely react badly to this news, but he kept me in the dark far too long, and I lost even more because of it, so I find myself caring very little, unfortunately…Please, just this once, think about yourself, your family, before you make a decision on how to proceed. I made arrangements for you and Ron, for your families, to leave the continent. Ron has the address to a property under Fidelius, and I urge you to use it how you see fit; or don’t.

You will always be my sister, ‘Mione. Between you and Ron, I was finally able to say I had a family.

I love you.

-Harry

Hermione, unlike Ron, understood immediately, and tears streamed down her face as she looked at Ron, understanding his panic, his pain.

“Oh, Harry, what did you do?” Hermione cried out quietly, wrapping her arms around Ron when he stepped up to her. Together, they cried for their friend.

---

The flight from North Carolina to Los Angeles was about 5 hours long and Harry had managed to doze off half way into the flight. He woke when the captain came over the intercom and told them they would be landing in 25 minutes, and to please remain seated with seatbelts fastened.

LAX was massive compared to the airport in Edinburgh with planes everywhere, moving flawlessly from gate to gate, taxiway to runway, like a giant, well-oiled machine. Harry found himself as surprised as Draco, but then they were touching down, and they were part of that machine, taxiing to their hanger, where Harry saw two SUV’s waiting, along with two burley men that he knew were private security.

As they deplaned, the two men came forward.

“Mr. Lewis?” asked the bigger of the two guards. He was bald, dressed in suit that reeked of money, and while his tone was quite even, his facial expression made it obvious this man was not to be trifled with.

“That’s me,” Harry said, stepping forward to shake his hand, “and you are?”

“Brandon Smith,” he said with a small smile, before gesturing to his left, “And my partner, Jordan Smith.”

“Pleasure to meet you both. This is my… friend, Thomas Taylor,” Harry replied, only stuttering a little over what Malfoy was to him. He still hadn’t decided. Damsel in distress? Pureblood Supremacist? Lost teenager like himself? Ex-Death Eater was the only thing he knew for sure. Harry shook his head slightly. It was something he didn’t have the time to ponder right now.

He had been slightly distracted, not paying attention to what Brandon was saying, but he heard the tail end of,”… so we can resize your luggage and stow it.”

Harry pulled his trunk, broom, and cage from his robes and saw Malfoy mirror him. Within second, their things had been un-shrunk, and were placed in the back of one of the SUV’s.

He grinned as he stretched, unable to let the severity of what he was doing dampen his spirits.

“I hope you guys don’t mind, but I am definitely driving myself. In fact, Taylor and I will take the second SUV and follow you,” Harry said.

“Of course, Mr. Lewis. If you feel like switching out at any time, there is a radio in the cup holder for communications. It is 1,200 miles to our final destination. Did you want to split the trip up, or are we going straight there?” Brandon asked.

“I’d like to at least be out of California before we stop. I don’t mind breaking the trip in half, though,” Harry replied.

“Yes, sir, Mr. Lewis. I’ll have my partner call for a hotel in Oregon while we are driving. Did you wish to embark immediately, or shall we wait?” Brandon questioned.

“Nah, we can go. We’ll follow you,” Harry said.

Brandon nodded once and headed for the vehicle in front, Jordan mirroring him. They moved almost in synchronization, and it was cool to see.

He reached up and stroked Hedwig’s feathers a few times.

“You want to fly?” Harry asked her quietly.

She hooted softly and nipped his fingers affectionately, lightly squeezing his shoulder as she took off.

Harry climbed into the driver’s seat and watched Malfoy climb into the front seat and quickly put his seatbelt on. Harry chuckled and Malfoy shot him a dirty look.

“It’ll be fine, Taylor. I’ve been taking lessons since last summer,” Harry said, starting the vehicle and letting a huge smile spread out over his face, watching the screen on the dashboard come to life and flash the words “JEEP” before some radio station started playing. He put his seatbelt on, checked his mirrors, and then spotted the radio that Brandon had mentioned.

He reached for it, and having seen Dudley play with these before, he knew how to use it.

“Everything is set back here. Ready when you are, Brandon,” Harry said into the radio, holding the button down while he spoke.

“Yes, sir,” came the reply, and they pulled away.

---

They had been traveling for a few hours when Malfoy seemed to finally relax enough to unclench his hands from the seatbelt, and Harry took it as a win. He occasionally looked over as Malfoy started to mess with the radio, surprised that despite his status as Pureblood, he seemed to be willing to learn Muggle technology. He eventually figured out how to change the station, and they were now listening to a very bass-heavy song that Harry would swear upon his magic was created by a robot.

It was strange, traveling with Malfoy as a companion, but at least he knew how to be quiet.

---

They had stopped for fuel in Sacramento, and the signs they were passing now said they were nearing a place called Redding. The radio crackled to life.

“Mr. Lewis, sir?” The voice asked.

Must be Jordan, Harry thought.

“Go ahead,” Harry replied.

“We would just like to know if you’d like to stop in Redding for a bite to eat. We’ve been traveling for a little over 8 hours now. However, we are only another 2 hours to our destination for the day,” Jordan relayed.

Harry looked at Malfoy, who shrugged, not caring either way. Harry was getting hungry, but he also wanted to get the driving over with.

“If it’s all the same to you guys, I’d rather wait until we reach our hotel,” Harry said.

“Of course, sir. One more stop for gas, then, and we will be good until tomorrow,” Jordan said.

“Sounds good,” Harry said back to him, dropping the radio back into the cup holder and focusing on the road.

---

They arrived in a quaint little town called Ashland, conveniently located almost directly off the motorway in the middle of nowhere, and the first thing that hit Harry was just how… peaceful it was. There were couples of all ages wandering the streets, hands threaded through arms, laughing, just enjoying the atmosphere of their peaceful little town. Harry almost felt like an intruder.

He followed Brandon to a beautiful Victorian mansion, where they both pulled into a driveway and came to a stop. They all got out of the vehicles, each taking a long moment to stretch muscles that were protesting after sitting for so long.

“I’ll take care of the check-in,” Jordan said after a moment, walking inside the impressive-looking building.

“Guess that leaves me on food duty. What are you in the mood for, sirs?” Brandon asked.

“I wouldn’t mind a burger, maybe some chips. Taylor?” Harry prompted.

“Sounds good to me,” Malfoy replied.

“Burgers and fries it is. I’ll return shortly,” Brandon said, fishing the keys to the SUV out of his pocket before climbing in and disappearing.

The two teens had just sat down on the steps leading into the house, Harry suddenly feeling the long hours he had been up, when Jordan came out of the house, informing them that their rooms were ready.

“Thanks, Jordan,” Harry said, dragging himself to his feet, “Shall we go up now?”

“If you’d like, sir,” Jordan replied, handing him a key, “Up the stairs, you guys are the first door to the right. I’ll get your things.”

Harry nodded as he took the key, and together with Malfoy, headed up to their room.

They saw no one on the way up, but the place was furnished beautifully, and their room was even better. Decorated for spring, the room had plenty of natural light that enhanced the overall feeling of the room. The beds were covered with white comforters and had flower petals of some variety sprinkled over them. Harry wanted to crawl in bed and spend the next day there, but the thought of food, and a hot shower, stopped him from caving into his desires. He peered into the bathroom, designed to perfectly match the room, and noted the massive clawfoot bathtub that could easily fit two, with room to spare.

Jordan followed them shortly, bringing in two rolling suitcases that, when the door closed behind him, melted away to show their school trunks.

“Brilliant,” Harry said, dragging his to the foot of the bed before opening it. Once inside, he dragged out a pair of pajamas, and some of the soap he’d gotten from Hermione.

“I’m just going to have a soak while we wait for Brandon to get back. Do you need to use the loo or anything?” Harry asked.

“No, I’m alright. I think I’ll just lie down in the meantime,” Malfoy replied.

“Sure. There’s a radio there,” Harry said, pointing to the dresser, ”See if you can figure out how to make it work. I shouldn’t be too long.”

And with that, he swept into the bathroom, turning the taps on and filling the bath with piping hot water and soap before stripping off his clothes. He swung a leg over and his breath caught at the temperature, but it was perfect. He brought his other leg over and then slid down into the water, sighing deeply when he was submerged to his neck. He was utterly relaxed after a soaking for just a few minutes, and if he fell asleep, only to wake when his head suddenly dropped below the surface, causing him to cough and splutter, well... no one needed to know…

---

He emerged from the bathroom 15 minutes after originally entering, and he was ready to eat and then go to bed. Thankfully, Brandon had returned, and Malfoy was just accepting a bag and tray of drinks at their door as Harry exited the bathroom. The smell of it hit his nose almost immediately and it set his mouth to watering, all drowsiness gone.

“Thank you, Brandon,” Harry said, walking up to the pair, “everything went okay?”

“Everything is well, Mr. Lewis. We will be on watch tonight, taking shifts. Should you require any assistance, our room is located directly across the hall, and one of us will be there. Do you require anything else from me, sirs?” Brandon asked.

Harry looked at Malfoy, who shook his head.

“No, I think that’s it for tonight Brandon. I would, however, like to leave before the sun is up, if that works for you?” Harry questioned.

“Not a problem. We will be ready to leave whenever you are, sir,” Brandon answered.

“Thank you. Sleep well,” Harry said, closing the door and following Malfoy to their beds.

He took the food that Malfoy offered him and grabbed one of the drinks, which turned out to be fresh lemonade.

They ate mostly in silence, occasionally remarking on the food, but it was obvious that they were both exhausted, and there was no protest when Harry turned the light out and crawled into bed. Malfoy had the bed closest to the window and Harry could see his platinum blonde hair reflecting in the moonlight.

“Good night… Draco,” Harry said quietly.

Good night, Harry,” he replied.

----

Harry slept as if he was dead to the world. It wasn’t until 5:30 the next morning that he moved, woken by someone moving in their room, and his heart rate spiked suddenly. But then the light in the loo flipped on and the door closed. Draco was up, apparently, and the sounds of running water came moments later. Harry contemplated going back to sleep, but decided he might as well get up and get dressed. The sooner they left, the sooner they would arrive at their new home, and Harry was excited, circumstances be damned.

He sat up and stretched his arms high above his head before throwing the blankets off him and sliding out of bed. He turned the light in the room on and then pulled his pajamas off, crouching down by his trunk to look for something to wear. He settled on a pair of designer muggle jeans that Sirius had gotten him and a simple black t-shirt. He left the robes packed. They definitely didn’t want to draw attention where they were going.

He had just finished lacing up his trainers when the bathroom door opened and Draco came out. He stopped in the doorway for a moment before continuing into the room.

“Sorry if I woke you,” he said quietly.

“Don’t worry about it. I wanted to leave early, anyways. This works out perfectly,” Harry told him.

Draco nodded and walked over to his trunk, putting his dirty clothes in a laundry bag before pulling out a bottle of cologne. He sprayed his wrists and then lightly dabbed his neck. It smelled wonderful, whatever it was, but Harry realized he was staring and stopped watching him. He turned around and closed the lid of the trunk just as a soft knock sounded on their door.

Harry walked over and tugged the door open, revealing Brandon and Jordan, both fully dressed in their immaculate suits and bright-eyed.

“We are ready to leave whenever you are, sirs,” Jordan said.

“Perfect, we can head out immediately. Would you mind helping with our trunks?” Harry replied.

Jordan walked into the room and produced a very dark wand from inside his suit jacket. It only took a moment and then the trunks were expertly transfigured; Harry still wasn’t sure what kind of magic it was, but once it was finished, they all left the room, heading down the stairs.

Harry had a hand on the doorknob, ready to leave, when a voice sounded to their right.

“Leaving so soon?” The voice asked.

Harry stopped and turned, looking for the source, and his eyes fell on an elderly lady, presumably in her late 70’s, sitting at a table that had a row of fresh fruit and bagels laid out.

“Yes, ma’am, we’re headed out. Early to rise, early to arrive, you know,” Brandon said with a charming smile.

“Of course, my dears. Can I offer you anything?” She asked, gesturing to the table of food laid out before her. There were strawberries, and blueberries, and peaches, and pears, and cherries, and giant apples, bowls of cream interspersed between them, and Harry was sorely tempted.

Brandon looked at Harry, who looked at Draco, who shrugged, but then nodded. Harry nodded once to Brandon.

“We’d be delighted,” Brandon said, inclining his head.

They started towards the table, but Jordan held back, saying he was going to take the luggage to the vehicles, but then he would be back. They settled themselves around the table, thanking the elderly woman as they did.

“Nonsense. You don’t send someone away without a proper meal,” She said.

They talked quietly with the woman while they ate. She filled them in on simple things about the town they were in, including information on the mansion they were in, which was built in 1883, before giving a great smile when they remarked on how delicious the fresh fruit was.

“The blueberries and peaches come from a local farm, and everything else comes in from around the state. The bagels are made fresh, every day, right around the corner. I won’t go anywhere else for ‘em!” She spouted off.

They finished up quickly after that, Harry itching to get on the road, and their bodyguards were quick to appease him. By 6:30 am, they had gotten back on the motorway, or freeways, as they called them here, and continued on their journey. The roads were still mostly empty, but got more traffic dense as they neared the northern part of the state. Not long after they started driving, Draco had found another robotic music station on the radio, and Harry decided that he was actually starting to like it.

They traveled for four hours, by which time the sun was high in the sky, and they were already over halfway to their new home. The decision was made to stop in Salem, Oregon for fuel and drinks, and Harry couldn’t help the small smirk on his face. This place was infamous for its witch trials of the 17^th century, and Harry never thought he’d find himself here.

When they had used the loo and grabbed a drink, they set off again. This would be the last stop before they arrived in the small town named Forks. Harry could hardly sit still.

---

They had hit cloudy skies about an hour after they left Salem and rain not long after that. It was one of the things Harry had liked about this place. It would remind him of home, as the weather in the UK was rarely sunny. Coming to one of the few places in the United States that could offer something like that was a no-brainer.

They were driving down a road with trees pressed close on either side of them, and Harry was gripping the steering wheel tightly, not wanting to risk a mistake in the rain, and cause an accident. They were close, within 30 minutes of arriving, when a crack of thunder and flash of lighting lit the world up.

Draco, who had been staring out his window, head bobbing slightly as he listened to the music, yelped and jumped away from the window. This caused Harry, who was focusing very hard on the Jeep in front of them, to jump violently. He swerved left, driving into the opposing lane of traffic and towards an oncoming semi who was blasting his horn, before he quickly jerked the steering wheel to the right, back into the correct lane of travel, just in time to avoid certain death. He slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the side of the road.

“What the fuck was that about, Draco?” Harry asked, hissing the boys name.

Draco opened his mouth to answer when there was a sharp knock on Harry’s window. Harry looked over and saw Brandon, whose head was practically on a swivel, scanning the area for any threats. Jordan stood to his left, doing the same. Harry rolled the window down.

“Are you two alright, sir?” Brandon asked worriedly.

“Yeah, I think so. I was just asking him what happened,” Harry replied, jerking his thumb at Draco.

“I-I… Look. I swear to you, I’m not crazy. But there was a MASSIVE something in the trees. When that lightning lit everything up, I saw it. I’m sorry I scared you, Daniel. It took me by surprise, is all,” Draco explained.

Jordan had started walking towards the tree line immediately, and as he neared the forest, he reached into his jacket and pulled a pistol out before walking further, something that caused Harry’s eyebrows to shoot up.

“You guys carry guns?” Harry asked Brandon, eye brows still raised.

“Yes, sir. This area is entirely non-wizard. We cannot risk raising any suspicions, and walking around with a wand out would definitely look… weird. Americans are more… used to guns, I suppose,” Brandon explained.

Harry nodded a few times to show he understood and looked back at the tree line. Jordan re-emerged a few feet from where he entered, shaking his head. He walked over to the vehicle, to where Brandon stood talking to Harry.

“Whatever was in there, sir, it’s long gone, most likely scared off by the commotion.  Perhaps it’s best if we continue? We are awfully exposed here,” Jordan suggested.

Harry nodded his agreement and rolled the window back up. While he was waiting for the two men to get back into the vehicle and drive off, he apologized to Draco.

“Sorry for snapping at you. Adrenaline. Not your fault some beast is lurking in the forest,” Harry said quietly.

Draco looked at him for a moment.

“That’s alright, Harry. We were almost flattened by that big truck,” he replied.

Brandon’s voice squawked over the radio and he pulled off the side of the road. Harry hastened to follow, unable to shake the feeling of being watched.

---

The speed limit dropped dramatically as they got closer to city limits, and Harry was both anxious and excited to get to the house. They slowed to 25 mph as they came into the city, and were greeted with typical small-town sights. Old, dilapidated houses were dotted here and there, followed by more recent housing and buildings. They followed the other Jeep through the town, Harry making note of the supermarket, hospital, high school, and short list of restaurants that were available.

Eyes from everyone they passed were glued to them as they drove through, and Harry was suddenly glad for the exceptionally dark tint on the windows. It was rather embarrassing when they pulled up to a stop light and the woman in the car next to them had actually turned her body 90 degrees to look at their vehicle. Harry was a little too enthusiastic with the gas pedal when the light turned green, and the engine roared to life, startling the woman. Harry’s face was beet red, and though Draco had chuckled, he politely didn’t say anything.

It took less than 20 minutes to drive through the town from one end to the other, and they were soon coming up on a sign that listed a turn-off for the Calawah River. Brandon made a sharp left turn a few moments later and Harry followed, now driving down another road that had trees pressing in from either side. They traveled down this road for a few minutes, and then he knew they were very close when they drove through a layer of wards and he felt the magic wash over him. They continued on for another 45 seconds and then suddenly, there it was. 

It was a beautiful 2 story log cabin built along the edge of the river with windows placed every few feet, and a porch that wrapped around to the side of the cabin, with a big swing that was supported by chains that were securely drilled into the roof. There was a car already parked in the driveway and Harry couldn’t help but smile as he rolled to a stop behind the other Jeep.

“We can get you a car; I’ll teach you how to drive whenever you want. We would have already had one for you, but I wasn’t sure you were coming, so…” Harry trailed off.

“I appreciate it… I appreciate all of this. I know I can’t pay you back right now, but somehow, someday, I’ll find a way,” Draco said quietly.

“Don’t worry about it. My parents left me more money than I could possibly spend in a lifetime, and I am well invested in a few companies back in England. I’m not worried about it,” Harry replied, “Now come on. Let’s go see the house.”

They both got out of the vehicle and met up with Brandon and Jordan, who were waiting patiently for them, luggage in hand.

Together, they climbed the few steps to the front door and Brandon handed him a few different sets of keys.

“Well, Mr. Lewis, this is it. You’ll find an envelope containing all the documents that pertain to the purchasing of the house and surrounding land, as well as detailed steps on how to allow and reject people from the grounds. As it stands, there are simple wards in place to prevent muggles from finding it, wards to prevent aerial surveillance, and aside from you and Mr. Taylor, apparition in or out is impossible. Would you agree that we have fulfilled our side of the bargain?” Brandon asked.

Harry knew that by ‘we’ he meant the goblins, and honestly, they had exceeded his expectations.

“Yes, Brandon, you’ve done a wonderful job. Please inform your employer to take an extra 20% from my vault, and that I’ll be in touch soon to arrange another vehicle delivery,” Harry replied.

“Yes, sir. I’ll be sure to do so,” Brandon said. He bowed slightly to the two of them and then walked away.

“It’s been a pleasure, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Taylor.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out, should you require a guard detail again,” Jordan said, pulling out his wand. With a flick, their trunks were back to normal, everything resized.

He bowed to them, as well, and then he was gone.

---

Harry looked at Draco, who backed away slightly.

“It’s your house, you go first,” Draco said.

“It’s our house, now, don’t even try that,” Harry replied brusquely, but complied anyways, reaching out and opening the unlocked door.

He hefted his and Draco’s trunks inside the door, followed by their brooms and Hedwig’s cage, before stepping inside, being closely followed by Draco.

Even with the clouds and rain, it was bright and inviting inside. Almost the entire first floor was an open floor plan, with the kitchen being partially walled off by a bar and small breakfast nook. The living room was decorated with large, squishy-looking black leather sofas, with a beautiful wooden coffee table that was placed on an animal skin rug. The dining area, which was just on the other side of the kitchen, was similarly decorated with an ornate wooden table that was already set for two.

The kitchen itself had high-end appliances that had been spelled to work without electricity, should the need arise, and the countertops were made of gorgeous Calacatta marble.

There was a wood-burning stove tucked away into the corner of the living area, and even though it was the beginning of May, there was a roaring fire going.

Harry had a huge grin on his face and when he turned to face Draco, it got even wider. The blonde was looking around in shock.

“Not bad for a muggle house, eh?” Harry teased lightly.

“You can say that again,” Draco replied.

Harry laughed, and then said, “Come on. Let’s go find our rooms.”

Harry tugged on Draco’s sleeve before walking across the open area to the stairs, which he took two at a time until he came to the second-floor landing. He stopped, as the second floor was decorated just as wonderfully; turning right from the top of the stairs led to a cozy little nook that overlooked the downstairs, and it had a very inviting chaise lounge tucked perfectly into the space. Turning left brought him to 4 doors, two in front of him, and one to his left and right. He opened all the doors, giving each room a quick but considering sweep.

There were three bedrooms to choose from, a master with an attached bathroom, a mini-master with an attached bathroom, and another room that had two single beds inside. The other door had led to a detached bathroom.

“Well, which one do you want?” Harry prompted when Draco had finished exploring.

“I’ll take the smaller one with the bathroom,” Draco replied.

“You sure? I really don’t mind. It’s all brilliant,” Harry countered.

“Yes, I’m sure. They aren’t that different, in all honestly,” Draco said.

“Alright, that’s fair. Let’s get our stuff brought up and then we’ll see what we can find for food,” Harry said, already heading down the stairs.

---

It took no time at all for the two of them to get their trunks brought up to their respective rooms, and then they were heading down to the kitchen.

Harry opened the fridge, hoping to find something in there, and was slightly disappointed to find it empty. The cupboards were all barren, too. He released a sigh. Leave it to the goblins to follow directions to the “t” and not a letter more.

“Looks like we’ll be going into town for supplies. Had to happen eventually, I guess,” Harry said, rubbing a hand through his hair, and then grabbing the keys that Brandon had given him before leaving.

Two sets were identical; keys to the house, no doubt. The other was just a key fob, with a blue and white logo and the letters B-M-W on it. He tossed a set of house keys to Draco and then pocketed his own.

“Let’s get going then,” Harry said, checking his watch. It was 5:30 pm, and probably the busiest time of day for the supermarket, but there was nothing to be done about it.

They trekked outside and Harry clicked the “unlock” button on the key fob until he was satisfied that all the doors were unlocked, and then settled himself behind the wheel of the completely black BMW M5. With a simple touch, the car started with a throaty snarl and then idled loud enough to send a thrill through Harry. He lightly touched the gas pedal, and couldn’t help the excited laugh that came out at the dull roar and loud popping sounds as the car backfired.

“Subtle, Potter,” Draco stated blandly, but Harry definitely heard amusement in there.

“You know me, I have to have all the attention,” Harry replied, unable to wipe the smile off his face.

Putting the car in drive dropped the RPM’s and now the car sounded absolutely filthy.

“I’d recommend a seatbelt,” Harry said with a wink and waited for Draco to put it on.

He pulled out of the driveway and before he could give Draco a chance to do anything else, slammed on the accelerator and shot them off down the long paved road that led them back to the city. Within seconds they had hit 100 mph and Draco was grabbing onto his door handle very tightly. Harry snuck a glance at him and smiled at the undeniable excitement on the blonde's face.

Harry sped down the road for probably a minute, gaining speed that the car gave so easily, before he backed off the gas and let the car decelerate to 25 mph, noticing the approaching main road.

“It’s not as good as flying, but it’s certainly an adrenaline rush,” Harry said, coming to a stop before making the right-hand turn to go into town, and looking over at Draco as he did.

“Bloody hell, Harry… Warn me before you do that next time,” Draco admonished, “But yes… you might be on to something. I’d like to see if your Firebolt could keep up.”

Harry’s grin, if possible, got bigger.

---

Harry maintained the speed limit as they drove through town, and people took to staring at them, just as they had when they drove through in the Jeeps.

“We’ll have to get a bit of everything while we’re there. Have you ever actually been grocery shopping?” Harry asked.

“Of course not, Harry. Until 2 days ago, I was a pampered Pureblood. My par… father would never have allowed me to do something so… plebian,” Draco said with a clipped tone.

Whether it was because of the mention of his father, or the mention of ‘parents’ or the fact that he was about to do something as mundane as grocery shopping, Harry was unsure what caused his sudden mood. But he let the topic drop. He honestly didn’t want to risk a fight with the blonde. Not yet, at least.

“No problem. I’ve been doing it for years, so I can pretty much take care of it. But if you see something you want, just grab it,” Harry said as they pulled into the parking lot.

It wasn’t busy per se, but there were definitely enough people that they’d have to be careful about what they said, or they risked being overheard.

“Also… We should probably get used to calling each other by our fake names, so anywhere outside the house, we should probably stick to them,” Harry suggested.

“Sure thing, Danny,” Draco replied with a smirk.

“Oh, Thomas. Do grow up,” Harry said as he pulled into a parking space and shut the car off.

They both got out, dutifully ignoring the stares and outright surprise that teenagers had just gotten out of the car. Harry grabbed a cart as they entered, Draco never leaving his side, and they were soon wandering the store. Aisle after aisle they went down, Harry piling in everything he thought they might need or want, with Draco occasionally slipping something in. They’d been there for nearly an hour and a half by the time Harry started heading towards the front of the store so they could check out.

They queued up to a line and 10 minutes later, Harry was unloading the massive pile of food and housewares onto the belt. Draco, who was clearly out of his element, just kept a hand on the cart. When everything was unloaded, Harry pushed the cart to the bagboy and fixed the cashier with a polite smile.

“Hello, young man. That’s quite the load you’ve got today,” The older gentleman said as he began ringing them up.

“Yes, sir. We’ve only just moved here, so this is hopefully a onetime thing. They should be smaller trips after this,” Harry replied, letting out a small laugh.

“Ah, just moved here, eh? Well, welcome to Forks. I truly wish that you enjoy it here,” He said.

“Thank you very much. I do believe this is going to be the start of a great new beginning,” Harry returned.

“That’s the spirit, son,” he said, before things lapsed into a comfortable silence while he continued to ring them up.

 With a final swipe (a candy bar that Draco had added to the belt when they arrived) the man hit a couple of keys on his keyboard.

“Alrighty youngster, altogether your total is $691.97. Is this going to be cash or card?” He prompted.

“Cash,” Harry replied, pulling out his wallet and taking out a stack of money. He counted out 7 $100 bills and handed them over. He waited for the man to verify that the bills were real and then accepted his change.

“You boys have a good evening now, ya hear?” The old man told them with a smile.

“Yes, sir, we will. Thank you,” Harry replied, taking the heavy cart from the bagboy before heading toward the exit.

They left the store, but Harry stopped suddenly when he noticed that there was a small group of people surrounding their car. Honestly, he didn’t think it was that nice. Then again… it was a small town. They’d probably never seen anything close to this before.  He sighed, but trudged on towards the car, realizing as they got closer that these were also teens, and his anxiety lessened. He could work with teens.

He unlocked the car as they got closer, causing two of them to jump back as if someone had yelled at them, and Harry had to stifle a laugh. Another button push and the trunk popped open. The teens looked around and spotted Harry and Draco nearing them, jaws dropping when they made the connection.

“No effin way this is your car, dude,” said one of the boys as they approached; he looked to be of Chinese descent.

“Ahh, indeed it is,” Harry said with a smile, extending his hand to the other boy, “My name is Daniel.” The teen quickly reached out and shook his hand.

“Eric,” He replied, “The blonde idiot that can’t shut his mouth is Mike, and that’s Tyler.”

Mike, hearing his name, snapped out of his amazement and shut his mouth with an audible click.

Harry just smiled and stretched his hand out to him, briefly shaking it before doing the same with Tyler.

“Great to meet you guys. This here is my best mate, Thomas,” Harry said, pointing to Draco. They all took a turn shaking his hand.

“Are you guys new here?” Mike asked the obvious question.

“Yeah, we just arrived here today. We’ve got a house a few miles outside of the city,” He answered, deliberately trying to be vague as they started loading the bags into the car.

“What brings you to Forks?” he followed up.

Harry glanced at Draco, who shrugged ever so slightly.

“Well, we immigrated to the US with our parents a few years ago. We lived together on the East Coast with my uncle, until… well. There was an accident, and we lost our parents and my uncle… we decided that it was too much to stay there, so I picked a place at random. Forks was that lucky choice,” Harry explained, hoping it was good enough. It wasn’t an outright lie, he supposed. Harry had lost his parents, and he considered Sirius to be an uncle, and Draco had lost his mother, so...

“That’s horrible, bro, I’m sorry to hear that,” Eric said quickly. The other boys were nodding their agreement.

Harry smiled a sad smile, “Thank you. I’d be lying if I said any of this was easy, but it’s getting better.”

“Yeah, totally get it,” Mike agreed.

Harry shut the trunk and since Draco was already headed for the front seat, took the time to return the cart to the shopping bay. He walked back to the car, but stopped at the driver's side door and looked at the three boys.

Eric spoke first, saying, “Hey, are you guys going to be going to school here?”

Harry pondered that for a moment. He hadn’t really decided what he wanted to do yet. Studies were important, but he could probably arrange a private tutor through the goblins. On the other side, going to school here sounded… exciting.

“Uh, y-yeah. Got to stop by the school on Monday, err, tomorrow, and see what we need to do to enroll,” he replied.

“Sweet, dude. We’ll catch you around, then,” Eric said, backing away from the car a few feet, the other two mirroring him.

Harry nodded to the group and then slid into the driver’s seat.

He started the car and had to really fight to keep the smile off his face at the teens’ expressions.

He backed out of the space, and off they went.

---

On the other side of town, a female vampire was currently being assaulted by a slew of visions. A raven-haired boy, standing in the cafeteria at school, Edward dragging him away… *flash* her family is sitting in the living room, joined by the mysterious boy and another mysterious face, this one with blonde hair, and they’re laughing… *flash*Edward is screaming, holding the lifeless dark-haired teen in his arms… *flash* She’s standing in front of a castle, there are streaks of light flying all around here, there’s carnage and explosions, and suddenly the Volturi are there, killing dark-robed figures in white masks with reckless abandon…

“Alice?! ALICE?!” A panicked blonde vampire yelled, rushing forward to grab her as she suddenly went boneless.

She couldn’t speak, and she was shaking uncontrollably. Every few seconds a tremor would rock her and she felt as if she was going to break.

“CARLISLE!” He screamed out.

It only took a second and the man was there, worry marring his beautiful features.

“What is wrong, Jasper? What happened?” He prompted, immediately noticing Alice’s state.

“I don’t know, but she was definitely seeing something. She fell down, Carlisle. And she won’t stop shaking.” Jasper replied.

Carlisle was speechless. Never, in over 300 years as a vampire, had he seen one breakdown as Alice was right now. Their minds were incredibly complex and they had the ability to process things normal humans couldn’t. Whatever Alice had seen had apparently shaken her to the core.

“I-I-I…. I don’t know what to do, Jasper. Maybe Edward can make sense of this?” Carlisle said, pulling out his cell phone.

At the mention of Edward, Alice finally broke from the vision of the battle, of the war, that she had just had.

“No! Do not call him!” Alice said, strength coming back to her all at once, the shaking stopping immediately.

“Alice, my love, are you okay?” Jasper asked worriedly.

“There is something wicked coming. I don’t know when, I don’t know how, but it’s all centered around Edwards mate,” Alice told them.

“Edwards mate? What did you see, Alice?” Carlisle questioned.

“I saw Edward at school. There is a new student, possibly two, and the moment Edward lays eyes on him, that’s it. He’s going to take him, Carlisle,” Alice explained.

Carlisle nodded, waiting for her to continue.

She couldn’t help the small smile on her face as she continued, “they’re so happy. We are so happy. But then something happens… I don’t know what, I only saw Edward breaking down, holding this boy in his arms.

She stopped a moment, letting the pain she had felt at seeing her brother so broken subside before continuing.

 “I-I… I saw us in front of a giant castle, and we are fighting, and there are beautiful beams of light shooting all around us… but there is so much death and destruction… People dressed in all black with white masks, killing people with these lights… And then the Volturi showed up, but they were helping us… Carlisle… there’s children. So many dead children…” she broke off, unable to continue, not for the first time wishing that she was unable to see the future.

Suddenly she was feeling much calmer, and she shot Jasper a grateful look before saying, “Thanks, Jas… Sorry for scaring you. I was trapped in that vision… it felt more real than any I’ve had before.”

Carlisle was quiet for a long moment before he asked, “And you were unable to see a date, or time, for any of this?”

“No, though Edward’s mate should be showing up soon. It definitely happens during this school year, and we only have a few weeks left,” Alice explained.

Carlisle nodded and stepped forward, wrapping her in a hug, which she returned easily.

“The future is always changing, my darling, and perhaps something will, but I fear this is one of those times where we’ll just have to let events unfold before we react,” Carlisle said, stepping back and holding her at arm’s length.

Jasper walked up beside her and grabbed her hand, entwining their fingers together.

“You’ll let me know if you see anything else?” Carlisle requested gently.

“Of course,” she replied immediately.

“Thank you, my dear. For now, at least, I think it best not to mention this. It sounds like Edward is in for a surprise and I do so love it when he is surprised, as it happens so rarely,” Carlisle said.

“I’m going to go away for a few days, see if focusing provides any clarity. Will you let me know if anything happens?” Alice asked.

“You’ll be the first phone call,” Carlisle promised, “Be safe, and please come to me if you need anything.”

Alice nodded and looked at Jasper.

He smiled at her and gestured to the open window, and with his thick southern accent said, “after you, ma’am.”

---

They had been driving for a few minutes when Draco spoke.

“So, you plan on going to school here?”

“Well, I hadn’t really decided, but Eric kinda put me on the spot,” Harry said.

“And… you plan on both of us going?” Draco asked.

“I mean… do you want to? I’m certainly not going to force you to go,” Harry answered.

Draco sighed before saying, “I don’t know what I want to do, to be honest with you. I’ve never been to a muggle school, let alone a muggle school in the United States. I wouldn’t know anything, and it’s rather unsettling to me.”

Harry considered his position for a moment. He made a strong point, and Harry was pretty sure that even with 11 years of primary under his belt, he was ill-prepared for American high school. But something about the novelty of going to school with people who didn’t know him and didn’t want to know him just because of his fame… well, it was a strong enough pull that he wanted to give it a try before looking at private tutors.

“Personally, those are the exact reasons I’m doing it, but I understand your point-of-view. You’re free to do whatever you want, Thomas. If you want to skive off learning right now, bloody well do it. The last year of school was shit, so I get it. If you want to hire a tutor through Gringotts, my money is your money. If you wanna bum around the house… you can do that, too. Take some time, think about what you want,” Harry said as they pulled into the driveway, “But first, help me with these groceries.”

He shot the blonde a cheeky grin before getting out and popping the trunk.

---

It seemed to take forever, having to make multiple trips back and forth, before they had unloaded the car and put everything away. It was pushing 8 pm and Harry was tired, but he was also so hungry that was feeling sick. He realized they hadn’t eaten since that morning, and knew that Draco had to be starving, too.

So he pushed the thoughts of his new bed waiting for him upstairs and started formulating a simple dinner. He thought for a few minutes, and then settled on spaghetti and fresh bread, since it would be fairly easy to make, and he would definitely be making good use of the dishwasher that had come with the house afterward.

He had just gotten all the ingredients out when Draco came into the kitchen.

“How can I help?” He asked.

Harry raised his eyebrows. He had assumed that Draco would take little interest in cooking, and he had planned, even before leaving, to be the one to do it all. His shock turned into joy, however, and he instructed him, “Finely chop the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and then just a rough chop on the bacon, please.”

Draco moved without asking questions, grabbing a knife and beginning to chop the ingredients with ease while Harry got a saucepan and pot out of the cupboard.

He turned the stove on and set the saucepan on the burner; turning away to fill the pot up from the sink, which he then placed on another burner and set to high. He grabbed a healthy pinch of salt and dropped it into the water before switching back to the saucepan, which had started to heat up nicely. Draco had chopped the produce and had moved on to the bacon, so Harry got the bottle of e-v-o-o they had just bought a poured a nice glug into the pan. He let it heat up for a minute before dumping the onion, carrot, and celery in, enjoying the satisfying hiss as they hit the pan.

He let them cook, stirring with a plastic spatula occasionally, until the onions had softened, and then dumped the bacon in. This, too, cooked for a few minutes, and when he saw it begin to crisp, added the garlic. He gave the pan a very thorough stirring and then added just under a pound of beef mince to the mixture, grabbing a wooden spoon now, breaking it up into small pieces.

While he was waiting for the mince to brown, he pulled out a big can of crushed tomatoes, a can of tomato paste, and grabbed the container of chicken stock from the fridge. It took some searching, but they eventually found a can opener and Harry quickly opened the cans. He was afraid the mince had burned, but when he got back over to the stove, it had perfectly browned. Satisfied, he gave the pan another thorough stirring before dumping in the crushed tomatoes, paste, and a measured half cup of stock, stirring again to combine before covering. The water for the pasta had been at a rolling boil for a couple of minutes now, so Harry added enough spaghetti into the pan that they could have seconds if they wanted it. He stepped back, content to let things cook for a moment.

“Thanks for the help,” Harry said.

“Yeah, it’s no problem. I see why you did so well in potions this year. You’re a bloody natural in the kitchen,” Draco commented.

Harry sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck before responding, “Yeah, that was a fluke. I had a book that someone had written in. I don’t really think I was cheating, but whoever wrote in it was brilliant at potions. They had all kinds of subtle differences to make things easier, so…”

“Where’d you learn to cook?” Draco asked.

Harry considered not answering but decided to indulge him.

“I’ve had to cook for my relatives since I was 6. I learned quickly that if I did a good job, I didn’t get punished. I was never praised, but it was better than dealing with Uncle Vernon if I messed something up,’ Harry explained.

Draco’s mouth thinned ever so slightly, and he took a moment to respond.

“I see,” was all he said.

Harry was slightly uncomfortable now, so he went back to the saucepan and uncovered it. It had thickened a little, but was still a good 7 minutes from being done, which would leave the pasta overcooked. He debated for a moment before making a decision. He pulled a colander from the cupboard and then drained the pasta.

“Done already?” Draco asked, surprised.

“Not quite, just a slight miscalculation on my part. I’ll fix it, don’t worry,” Harry explained.

He returned the pasta back to the pot and then carefully dumped the sauce on top of it, mixing the two together and adding another half cup of stock before returning it to the burner.

“There, two birds with one stone,” Harry said.

Draco nodded, and they fell into a comfortable silence as they waited. Harry checked the pot every few minutes until it was a minute from being done. He grabbed another healthy pinch of salt and added it, and then ground some fresh pepper in, stirring to combine before turning the heat off and announcing it was finished.

Draco grabbed the plates that had been on the table when they arrived and brought them to the stove while Harry pulled the fresh loaf of bread from the bread box and cut a few slices off.

He turned around to hand them to Draco, but the blonde had already taken both plates, piled high with pasta, back over to the table.

“Do you want parmesan?” Harry asked before leaving the kitchen.

“Mmmm… not tonight. I’d like to dig right in, and it looks perfect as it is,” Draco replied

“Alright,” Harry agreed, bringing the bread to the table and sitting down. 

Draco took his slice with murmured thanks and without ceremony, grabbed his fork, and took a bite.

“Merlin and Morgana, Harry… this is delicious.” Draco complimented, immediately going back for another bite.

“Really?” Harry asked, not expecting the praise.

“Definitely some of the best spaghetti I’ve had, and I grew up in Malfoy manor. You put our elves to shame!” He replied before his face went red and he stuttered out, “Not that I’m calling you a house elf or anything, I-“

“Don’t worry, Draco, I know what you meant. Thank you for saying so,” Harry said with an easy smile, picking up his own fork and digging in.

And it might be how hungry he was, but it was the best spaghetti he had ever made.

---

Cleaning was sped up with the assistance of Draco, who again surprised Harry with his willingness to help, and Harry fell into bed only 20 minutes after they got done eating.

It had undoubtedly been the craziest weekend of Harry’s life and he planned on going to the high school tomorrow to enroll. That, in and of itself, promised to be crazy, too. Harry took a deep breath and sat up, punching his pillow into a more comfortable shape, before turning on his side to stare at the raindrops that were sliding down his window. He closed his eyes and did his best to put a lid on his thoughts before dropping off.

He was almost asleep when something started tapping at his window. His eyes shot open, but he calmed down almost immediately. Hedwig was sitting on the window sill, clutching a dead mouse in her beak, and she was watching him with amber eyes. He got out of bed and walked over to the window, opening it when he got there. Hedwig hooted softly around the mouse, and Harry had to fight the strong urge to admonish her for talking with her mouth full. The thought made him snort, and he shuffled over to the bed and climbed in once again, content beyond measure.

---

Harry was up at 8 am the next day.

He needed to shower, dress, and eat, before heading to the school, and he wanted to make sure Draco knew where he was.

He opened his trunk and pulled out a much less nice pair of jeans, clean pants, and a comfortable t-shirt, before making the small journey into the bathroom.

He’d only been in here briefly to use the loo last night, but he loved this bathroom. It was bigger than it had any right to be and was stunningly designed. The floor was tiled with Montauk black slate, and the dual vanity had pure white marble countertops set over black cupboards. There was a simple, yet elegant, white freestanding bathtub that Harry couldn’t wait to try. The shower was modern, almost a work of art; three sides of it were surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass walls, with the back wall being made of some kind of dark grey natural stone that had white veins rippling through it. It featured polished silver fittings with a stone bench and had so many knobs and buttons that Harry spent over 5 minutes trying to figure out how to turn the damned thing on.

When he finally hit the right button, hot water started pouring from the ceiling-mounted fixture immediately, and when Harry finally stepped under the fall of water, he almost moaned. It was… weird. He’d never had a shower whose water he would consider “soft,” but that was the only word he could use to describe how the water fell over him. He stood there for a few moments, just enjoying the water and relaxing before he grabbed his soap and got cleaned up.

He got out a full 20 minutes later with a reluctance that he’d never experienced before; it was just a shower, for crying out loud. He dried off and got dressed, going by the sink to brush his teeth before he pulled the door open and left the bathroom.

He stopped by his trunk to grab a pair of socks and, taking a look out the window and the drizzling rain, a dark blue hoodie that he pulled on before leaving the room.

He walked over to Draco’s door and tapped lightly a few times before trying the handle. It was unlocked, so Harry opened it just enough to peek in. Draco was still sleeping, so Harry slowly closed the door before turning and going downstairs.

He tossed his socks on the couch near his trainers and continued to the kitchen, stopping by the fridge to grab a couple of eggs before moving to the stove. He pulled a pan from a cupboard and put it on the burner before turning the heat on, and then moved to the bread box, where he pulled 2 slices out of a loaf of bread from a bag, which he popped into the toaster. He turned back to the stove and cracked the eggs into the pan. He turned again, this time grabbing the coffee pot, which he filled with water and then poured into the coffee maker. He and Draco both enjoyed their coffee black, and they had settled on a local, medium roast coffee that made Harry’s mouth water to try.

He placed a filter in the pot and then scooped in 8 tablespoons of ground coffee before shutting the lid, pressing the button to start the brew, and then turned back to his eggs, which were ready to be flipped.

---

Harry was sitting down to eat 5 minutes later when he heard Draco’s door open and close, and the blonde sleepily made his way down the stairs.

“Morning, Draco,” Harry said as he walked past him.

Draco just raised his hand in a slight wave before grabbing a cup from the cupboard and filling it with coffee. He took three sips, sighing after each one, and Harry had to fight a giggle. Never in a million years did he think he would see Draco acting so… human. He shook his head and finished the last couple of bites before draining his coffee (which was quite good).

He stood up and walked his plate to the sink before he sat down on the couch to put his socks and trainers on.

“Headed out?” Draco asked, sleep still in his voice.

“Yeah, I wanna head by the school before I do anything else,” Harry replied.

Draco nodded and said, “Alright. I think I’m going to shower and unpack. Would you mind starting those driving lessons today?”

“Not at all, actually. It’s not difficult, mind. Just paying attention to the road is half the battle,” Harry replied.

“Okay. I’ll see you in a bit, then,” Draco said, already shuffling off and up the stairs.

Harry grabbed his keys and was about to head out when he realized that the school would probably need his records, especially the emancipation order. He turned around and ran up the stairs to his room, where he grabbed one of the folders the goblins had provided him. He checked the contents quickly to make sure they were all in order and then ran back down the stairs and out of the house.

---

The high school was about half the way to the supermarket, and while Harry had apparently arrived well after school had started, he was able to get a good parking spot near a staircase that lead to an official-looking building. He grabbed the folder, got out of the car, and then headed up the stairs, pulling the door at the top open when he got there. There were signs everywhere, directing students this way or that, but he finally found one labeled “FRONT OFFICE.”

He pulled the door open, and an elderly woman with grey hair looked up at him with a friendly smile.

“Well hello, dear. I don’t think I’ve met you before,” she said.

“No, ma’am. I’m new in town, just moved here this past weekend,” Harry replied.

“Oh, how wonderful. Welcome to Forks,” she stated, before asking, “Are we trying to enroll?”

“Yes, ma’am. I know I’m pretty late into the year, but I was hoping to get enrolled for this semester. And definitely the next one,” Harry told her.

“Of course, are your parents here with you, or…?” She asked tentatively.

“Ahh… No ma’am. My parents passed away, and I was emancipated a year ago,” Harry replied.

“Oh, you poor thing, I am so sorry to hear that. Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll get the required forms together to start the process. I’m not too sure about this year, but we can definitely get you in next semester,” she informed him, gesturing to a row of chairs.

“Thank you, ma’am. I appreciate it,” he said, taking a seat.

---

It took a couple of hours for Harry to actually enroll. It was a much longer process than he could have imagined, but the elderly lady was extremely patient and helpful. The documents the goblins had provided him with passed her scrutiny without so much as a second glance and Harry smiled internally. A bell sounded somewhere in the school, and Harry heard the slow rumble that signaled students leaving their classes.

“Your transcripts are nearly perfect, dear. I don’t see there being any issue with you attending next year, but it’s just too close to the end of the semester for you to start now. We’ve got less than a month remaining,” she told him.

“Oh, okay. I kind of figured as much. That’s fine, I’ll just wait until next semester then,” Harry replied with a smile.

The door opened behind him and he heard his name.

“Daniel? Wow, I thought you were kidding yesterday,” the voice said.

He turned around and openly smiled.

“Hey, Eric. Haha, no, definitely wasn’t kidding. Unfortunately, there isn’t much of a point in starting this late in the semester. I’ll be waiting until next year to join you guys,” Harry told him.

“Ahh, that sucks, man. I was looking forward to hanging out,” Eric said.

“Why don’t you take him on a tour, Mr. Yorkie? You’ve got P.E. right now, correct?” The elderly lady questioned.

“Yes, Mrs. Cope, that I do.” Eric replied.

“I’ll settle things with your teacher. You two run along now,” she said, handing the folder containing all his documents, back to Harry.

“Thanks so much for your help, Mrs. Cope,” Harry said genuinely.

“That’s quite alright, dear. You come and see me the second week of August, okay? We’ll be holding open enrollment, then.”

Harry nodded his understanding and then followed Eric out the door.

---

Eric, as it turns out, was actually a really nice guy, and he took her words seriously, showing Harry around the outside of the campus first, and then bringing them inside. He showed him classroom after classroom until the bell rang again.

“Ahhhh, lunch time! Are you hungry?” Eric asked.

“Yeah, but do you think it’ll be okay if I join you? I don’t actually go here yet…” Harry asked.

Eric waved him off with a grin, “Don’t worry, man. It’s part of the tour. Come on, I’ll show you where we sit.”

He set off down the hallway and Harry had no choice but to follow him.

They arrived in the cafeteria before most of the other student’s, something Eric said was a good thing.

“This is perfect. We’ll get to see everyone coming in and I can tell you who’s who,” he explained.

“Yeah, alright,” Harry replied, taking a seat next to him.

They sat there for 30 minutes while Harry listened to him talk about each person that walked through the door. Their table had slowly filled up with students, Mike and Tyler eventually showing up, as well. They had all shared something from their food tray, and Harry had been nibbling away as he listened.

“And there come the superstars of Forks,” he said, a little yearning unintentionally leaking into his voice.

Harry turned his head to the doors again, and his eyebrows shot up his head.

The students that came in were beautiful, and he couldn’t stop staring.

“The big one is Emmett Cullen, and the blonde with him is Rosalie Hale. The other blonde, that’s Jasper Hale, and the girl with him is Alice Cullen,” Eric told him, “They were all adopted by Dr. Cullen. He works for the hospital in town. And they’re all together, if you know what I mean.”

As if hearing their conversation, Alice’s eyes snapped to Harry’s and widened ever so slightly before she turned away again, lightly skipping beside Jasper.

“And lastly, we have Edward Cullen,” Eric said, slightly nodding his head toward the door.

Harry looked over again and froze.

The teen in the doorway was looking directly at him with what Harry could only describe as hunger. Harry stood up quickly, heart racing and feeling slightly uncomfortable.

“Thanks for showing me around today, Eric. But I really should be going, Thomas will be wondering where I am,” Harry said quickly, looking back at the boy, Edward, still frozen in the doorway.

“Yeah, of course, dude, any time,” Eric replied effortlessly, “Hey, do you happen to have a phone?”

Harry had just opened his mouth to speak when he felt someone grab his arm.

He gasped and turned. He was suddenly looking Edward in the face, and his heart stopped. He was gorgeous, no, fuck that, he was hot, and Harry’s brain couldn’t function.

“Excuse us,” Was all Edward said before he pulled on Harry’s arm. Harry’s brain, rather unhelpfully, still hadn’t unfrozen, but that didn’t seem to faze Edward in the slightest.

Harry stumbled, but Edward didn’t stop, he was dragging him along, walking far too fast, and Harry was stumbling repeatedly, trying to force his feet to move. It was all too much. Edward’s hand, clamped around Harry’s forearm was bordering on painful, the smell of his cologne was making Harry lightheaded, and he couldn’t imagine how it looked to everyone else. His shook his head, trying to gain some of his equilibrium back, and his eyes caught sight of Emmett, Edward’s brother, standing up before a light touch from Alice had him sitting back down.

Edward dragged him into the hall, slamming the door open as he got there, and Harry was powerless to protest. He could only follow Edward as the boy pulled him, faster and faster down the hall until suddenly, Edward growled, a low, throaty sound that sent a shiver of fear and, embarrassingly, pleasure through Harry, and he was being carried, bridal style, at a blinding pace.

Edward was carrying him. While running. Very, very fast.

There was nothing he could do; he’d been captured and he knew it. His only solace was that Draco had stayed at the house, and he hoped he was smart enough to keep staying there.

Harry could do nothing but watch Edward’s face as the trees blurred past him. Even knowing that Dumbledore, or Voldemort, had found him; he was still unable to find himself caring too much, as long as Edward kept Harry pressed tight against him.

Edward still hadn’t said a single thing, but as if hearing Harry’s thoughts, tightened his grip ever so much and Harry was boneless.

They eventually slowed down, though how long it had been, Harry had no idea. He couldn’t look at anything but Edward until they came to a stop at the top of a mountain, where Harry noticed for the first time that Edward wasn’t even breathing heavily as if it mattered.

He thought for a moment that Edward was going to put him down, and disappointment flashed through him.

Edward’s eyes found his and suddenly, they were kissing.

Harry was powerless to stop him, even if he wanted to. He was powerless to do anything except gasp breathlessly when Edward occasionally broke the kiss. Time had to be frozen, Harry thought, or he was dreaming. There was no way this was happening, and he untangled one of his hands from Edward’s hair (when had that happened???) and pinched himself on the leg.

He gasped a little and Edward broke the kiss again. Harry took a ragged breath in and made a sound of protest as Edward set his feet on the ground.

Edward’s answering smile was dazzling and did nothing for Harry’s frantic heartbeat.

“I’ve been waiting for you for a hundred years,” he said, cupping Harry’s cheek with one hand, his thumb rubbing idle circles, and Harry found himself closing his eyes and leaning into the ice-cold hand, “What’s your name?”

Harry had every intention of telling him his name was Daniel, he honestly did.

“Ha-Harry,” he answered, before his brain caught up with what Edward had said.

100 years… Kissing a body that was sculpted from stone… Inhuman speed…

“You’re a vampire,” Harry said.

The hand on his face stopped moving.

“How did you know?” Edward asked quietly after a moment, and began to pull his hand back.

Harry opened his eyes and looked into Edward’s.

“We have a lot to talk about… but it can wait,” Harry replied, and then he closed the foot of space between them and crashed his lips back into the other boys’.

Edward didn’t hesitate to kiss him back, and Harry felt hands slide down over his butt before they were lifting him up. He swung his legs around Edward’s waist and used this new position to deepen the kiss.

Harry was pretty sure he was going to pass out from lack of proper oxygen, but every time Edward pulled away and he was able to draw in much-needed air, Harry was always the one to initiate another round. Hours passed without either of them realizing it and it had started to get dark before Harry took notice, or rather, his body did.

“E-Edward,” he breathed out, resting his forehead on the others, “I’m in desperate need of food… and possibly the loo.”

Edward huffed out a laugh and replied, “My apologies, love. I’ve not been a very good gentleman, have I?”

 “It’s okay… bloody hell it’s more than okay. But do you think you could give me a ride back to my car…and then maybe… I wouldn’t mind if you came home with me…” Harry said, slowly rubbing his hands up and down Edward’s chest, unable to make eye contact with him.

Harry let out a surprised yelp and then laughed as he found himself on Edward’s back.

“You better hold on tight,” was all the warning he got before they shot off, faster than earlier, if such a thing was possible.

The trip back was actually short in comparison to how long it felt earlier. Harry still wasn’t sure what was happening, but the part of his brain that usually tried to figure things out was just not working, and he was willing to go with whatever this was, so long as Edward promised not to stop kissing his breath away.

Within a few minutes, they had arrived at the campus, which was now completely deserted, and Edward placed him down gently at his car door before stepping back and admiring the car with raised eyebrows.

“Beautiful,” Edward said.

“What, me or the car?” Harry asked with a cheeky grin.

Edward turned his attention to Harry, that hungry look back in his eye, and Harry’s throat went dry.

“Harry… I think we should go, or the fragile hold I have on my emotions right now is going to break,” Edward said.

Harry nodded and quickly fished his keys out. He unlocked the car and all but fell into the driver’s seat. Edward, who had gone twice as far to get to the passenger side, was already seated and watching Harry get in. Harry started the engine with a shaky finger; they left with a loud squealing of tires and smoke.

---

As they neared the house, Harry remembered the wards. He hadn’t yet had a chance to read how to allow someone through them, and he wasn’t sure how to tell Edward that he needed to wait at the ward line, or… what? What would happen? Harry didn’t know, but he wasn’t going to risk hurting Edward.

“Harry,” Edward said, getting his attention before continuing, “I’ll wait wherever you want me to. Just don’t forget about me.”

“Are… did you just… what?! Are you a legilimens?” Harry asked, curiosity burning through him.

“Excuse me, but am I a legilimens? No, assuredly not. I can, however, read your surface thoughts,” Edward told him.

“So you can hear me?” Harry thought.

Edward chuckled, “Yes, I can. I’ve yet to find someone I couldn’t hear.”

“Brilliant,” Harry replied before saying, “Alright. I think this is close enough. I really don’t know what will happen if we get closer…”

The car rolled to a stop and Edward opened the door and got out.

“I’ll just go and get the ‘instructions’ and I’ll be right back… Don’t go anywhere, okay?” Harry said.

Edward smiled, “I’ll be right here, mi amor.”

Harry wasted no time, racing off with a purpose, this time, passing through the wards in a few seconds and then pulling up to the house in a cloud of dust. He jumped out of the car, leaving it running as Draco came flying out the front door with his wand out.

“Harry? Where the fuck have you been?” He asked, sounding supremely irritated but also very relieved.

“Draco, it’s a long story. One I don’t even know how to answer yet. But I need to grab the papers on the wards and then go get someone. I promise I’ll explain when we get back,” Harry said, hurrying past him and then darting up the stairs.

He tore through his room and then spotted the unopened envelope sitting on his dresser. Snatching it up with a grin, he turned around and ran back down the stairs, jumping the last three.

Draco looked completely bewildered, still standing by the door with his wand, as Harry walked past him again.

“I’ll be right back, for real this time. Alright?” Harry said.

Draco nodded a couple of times and then backed up into the house, shutting the door as he did so.

Harry got back into the car and sped down the street until he felt the light brush of magic that let him know he left the cover of the wards.

He slowed down, scanning for Edward, until he saw him standing on the side of the road, talking into a cell phone. Harry drove a little ways past him and then turned around, coming to a stop next to him. Edward climbed in, still talking on the phone. Harry turned a dial and the cabin lights came to life, and he tore open the envelope, taking a quick look through the pages before finding the one he wanted. He read while Edward talked softly beside him.

“I understand that, Carlisle, I just wish she would have told me before I almost exposed us to the school, visions be damned,” Edward said.

He fell into silence, listening to whatever ‘Carlisle´ had to say.

“Yes, yes, it’ll be okay. I…” he trailed off and looked over at Harry, who looked back at him, before he continued, “… might be home tonight? Don’t wait up for me.”

Carlisle must have found that funny because Harry could hear him laughing through the phone.

“Yes, I love you, too. Give my love to Esme, too, please,” he requested, before he hung up the phone and turned to Harry.

“It should be pretty simple to allow you past the wards. I just need to get close to them and ‘reach out’ as if I’m grabbing something tangible, and then I should be able to actually see them, and then it’s just a matter of telling them what I want to do,” Harry explained.

“I… understood none of that,” Edward replied.

Harry laughed and said, “It’s okay. I’ll explain when we get to the house… and I should probably warn you, there is a friend of mine staying with me… Is that going to be an issue?”

“No, I wouldn’t do anything as uncouth as starting trouble when I’ve just found you,” Edward replied.

Warmth spread through him and Harry was happy.

“Let’s go then. The sooner I get you through the wards, the sooner I can use the loo,” Harry said.

---

It was as simple as the papers had said, as the wards seemed to be waiting for him to tell them what to do.

“I think you should try to walk through before we drive,” Harry suggested, after altering the wards to allow Edward in.

Edward nodded and took even, measured steps until he froze and looked back at Harry.

“That felt… strange,” He said.

“That,” Harry replied,” is magic.”

Edward’s eyebrows rose, but he didn’t comment further, choosing instead to get back in the car where Harry joined him.

“We do have a lot to talk about,” he laughed out finally.

“You have no idea,” Harry said, and then drove them to the house.

When they arrived and got out, Edward was at his side in an instant, gently grabbing his hand and wrapping their fingers together. Harry breathed out a pleasant laugh and pulled him inside the house.

Draco was sitting on the couch, flipping through the sixth-year defense book, wand laying next to him, subtly pointed at the pair of them.

“Draco?” Harry said, getting his attention.

The blonde’s head whipped up and he looked at Harry scrutinizingly before looking at Edward. His eyes widened and his mouth parted slightly. Harry smiled.

“This is Edward. I spent the day with him… Sorry for blowing you off. I was a little… distracted,” Harry explained, “but now, I really have to pee. Edward, please sit anywhere you like. I’ll be right back.”

He pulled his hand out of Edward’s and watched the vampire walk forward and gracefully sink into the smaller of the two couches, a barely visible frown on his face.

Harry was puzzled about what could have caused it. Draco hadn’t even said anything yet, but he put it out of his mind as he ran into the guest bathroom and relieved himself.

When he returned to the living room, Edward hadn’t moved, and Draco was overly casually flipping through his book. Harry’s confusion grew, but he walked in and sat next to Edward, taking his hand again.

Harry leaned over and asked as quietly as he could, “Are you okay?”

Edward looked at him and seemed to debate something.

“You know how I said I could read minds? I can’t read his,” he said.

“Draco? We should talk, the three of us. And don’t be worried about speaking frankly, he’s a vampire,” Harry said, and it was worth seeing Draco's head whip up again, eyes bulging.

“What?!” Draco yelled out, hand going for his wand.

Harry held has hands up, palms out, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. He hasn’t hurt me, and I don’t think he intends to… quite the opposite, in fact.”

“How in the bloody hell did you go to a muggle high school and come home with a vampire,” Draco asked incredulously.

“If it puts your mind at ease, I will not be harming Harry. Doing so would destroy me,” Edward said, and Draco looked at him, “since he’s my mate.”

Draco groaned and fell back into the seat, while Harry looked at Edward in surprise. Everything fell into place; his behavior in the lunchroom, the afternoon spent kissing a stranger, putting up with the weirdness surrounding Harry…

“Merlin, I should have stayed in England,” Draco said dramatically.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Harry laughed out, turning back to him, “this is the fun part about being my friend. Nothing ever goes the way you expect it to. It keeps things from getting dull.”

“Dull? Harry, the past three days, THREE DAYS, has been anything but dull. Now you’ve got a vampire that’s going to be lusting after you. I don’t think anyone has ever made the mistake of calling your life dull,” Draco exclaimed, standing up and walking away.

“Where are you going?” Harry asked, bewildered.

“I need a drink if I’m going to get through this… Merlin, help me,” Draco replied as he climbed the stairs.

Harry let out a nervous chuckle and turned to Edward.

“Well… I suppose that could have gone worse. At least he didn’t try to hex you,” Harry said.

“So, you two are what, wizards?” Edward inquired.

“Yeah, yes… We left England to avoid a war within the community,” Harry explained.

“Oh? Tell me everything. I won’t interrupt,” Edward said.

And so Harry did. He started from the time he was a baby, defeating Voldemort through his parents’ sacrifice, and moved on to his childhood. Draco had returned with a bottle of firewhisky and a tumbler as Harry explained that he grew up in a cupboard under the stairs. He was telling Edward, and by proxy, Draco, things that he’d never uttered in his life, and yet it surprisingly didn’t scare him.

When he got to the part where he received his first letter from Hogwarts, Draco stopped him.

“Hold on a minute, sorry. It was addressed to you with “cupboard under the stairs?” He asked.

“Yes, and it freaked my relatives out like nothing I’d ever seen before,” Harry replied.

“Those letters are entirely hand-written, Harry, from address to required items! Someone knew that they were keeping you in a fucking cupboard and they did nothing!” Draco raged.

Harry let that sink in for a moment. Someone knew? And said nothing about it?

“Wow… that’s heavy. I didn’t know,” Harry remarked quietly.

Edward wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close, breathing in deeply. Harry took the offered comfort with little thought, scooting close enough that they were pressed completely together, leaving no space between them.

“I’m sorry for derailing your story, but that is fucked up, Potter. I never knew!” Draco said.

“No one ever knew… well, apparently someone did. I’ve never told anyone,” Harry explained.

Draco sighed and drained his glass before refilling it.

“I’m sorry for being such an absolute bastard to you. It’s all so stupid now that I’m not directly in the middle of it anymore.”

His words, brought on out of shame, or regret, or firewhisky, touched Harry all the same, and he had to swallow hard before he replied, “Thanks, Draco. But it was a two way street… I wasn’t very kind to you, either.”

“But you still offered me a way out, after all that… I can’t say I would have done the same, in your shoes,” Draco said.

“Why can’t I read your mind?” Edward suddenly blurted out.

Draco jumped, apparently having forgotten he was there.

“You can read minds?” He asked, surprised.

“Normally, yes. Yours is the first I’ve come across where I can’t,” Edward replied.

Draco got a thoughtful expression on his face and then seemed to be concentrating.

“How???” Edward said suddenly.

“Occlumency; a type of wizard mind-magic. Works against vampires, too, I guess. It keeps people from, well, reading your mind,” Draco told him, “It’s subconscious for me to do it, now. I will have to concentrate on allowing you in if I want you to hear what I’m thinking…”

“That’s alright. I’ve never encountered something like this and it was driving me a bit crazy. Now that I have an explanation, it’s just fine. Thank you for being so open… It’s not something I usually have to ask,” Edward responded.

Harry watched them talk, amused despite the heavy topics. Perhaps it was his failed attempts at Occlumency that made it so funny.

Edward noticed his uplift in mood and turned to him. Harry looked back at him and then his lips were caught in a kiss. It was chaste since Draco was sitting in front of them and anything else would be rude, but it filled Harry with that warm feeling, and when Edward pulled back, Harry couldn’t help the smile on his face.

“Eugh, can you resist being all… lovey-dovey in front of me, please?” Draco said with a fake gag.

“Lovey-dovey? Really, Draco?” Harry asked dryly.

“Whatever, you know what I mean,” he huffed.

Harry just giggled, but replied, “I offer no promises… But we can try.”

“Alright, alright. We got quite off-topic, but I’d love to hear about your exploits while at Hogwarts,” Draco said with an eye-roll.

“Okay, but let me tell it while I make us some dinner. I’m starving,” Harry suggested.

---

He had made them shallow-fried steak and mashed potatoes with fresh green beans, telling the stories of his time while at Hogwarts, with Draco interspersing anecdotes every now and then. Edward listened in fascination as each year got crazier and crazier.

“… and then we arrived here yesterday. You are now, officially, in the loop,” Harry said, setting his knife and fork down and taking a drink of water.

“You’ve had quite a dangerous life… I consider myself lucky to be able to sit here with you, both of you,” Edward replied.

 He was looking at Harry with the look again and Harry had to fight to sit still.

Draco sighed loudly and said, “By the Gods… You two go, I’ll clean up.”

Harry’s smile was radiant as he replied, “Thank you!”

He stood up and held his hand out for Edward.

“Come on,” Harry said,” I’ll show you the house.”

“And my bedroom,” he thought.

Edward needed no further invitation.

---

 When they entered Harry’s room, Hedwig pulled her head from under her wing and hooted loudly, turning large amber eyes on Harry, and then Edward, and then Harry again.

“Hey, girl,” Harry said, walking up and stroking her feathers, “This is Edward. He’s my… well, he’s special to me.”

She lightly nipped at his fingers and hooted softly, turning eyes on Edward again, before letting them fall shut as Harry stroked her.

“Is this common in the magical world? I’ve never seen such a well-behaved owl before,” Edward asked curiously, stepping up behind Harry.

“Owls are used as one of the primary methods of communication. We still haven’t quite figured out how to make electronics work around magic, especially large amounts of magic, like at schools, and the ministry, and Diagon Alley, and such… Hedwig is exceptionally beautiful, though,” Harry explained, “she was my first friend.”

Hedwig, for her part, stood a little straight under the praise and Harry chuckled.

“Are you going out tonight?” He asked her.

She hooted again and climbed up his sweater. He walked her to the window and opened it and she hopped down to the window sill.

“It’ll be open if you come back before morning. Fly safe,” he said, and watched as she took off and disappeared into the darkness.

He turned around and saw Edward watching him again. He didn’t need to hold back now, and he took him by the hand, pulling them over to the bed. He pushed lightly on Edward’s chest, and the vampire fell backward into the blankets.

“Beautiful,” Harry said. He pulled his hoodie off, and when his shirt rode with it, he decided to lose that, too.

Edward was watching with thinly disguised want and Harry was ready to give whatever he wanted. That last thought sent the vampire over the edge, and Harry let out a laugh as Edward pulled him down on top of him.

Edward kissed him and suddenly nothing mattered again. They were back in the forest, just the two of them and their passion. Harry was touching, exploring everything he could, his hands roaming under Edward’s shirt, up his sides, and across his stomach and chest until he pulled back to tear his shirt off completely. He wanted to feel and see. Things were getting heavier and heavier, and when Harry ground his achingly hard cock into Edward’s, the vampire growled a throaty sound that made Harry impossibly harder still, and then flipped them over so that he was on top.

Edward was switching between long, deep kisses that left Harry breathless, to chaste kisses where he murmured sweet nothing’s that made Harry’s head spin. Then he moved to Harry’s neck and Harry could not stop the absolutely filthy moan that escaped his lips as Edward lightly nipped and teased.

Their friction increased, Edward now grinding into Harry and Harry was moaning, all thoughts of propriety out the window. He felt high off of Edward’s scent and he was slowly becoming undone at the seams. Harry wanted more, his mind racing with thoughts of them; Edward, staring into his eyes, unspoken need and want apparent on his face; Edward, holding him from behind, telling him he loved him before pressing into him. And then it happened.

Edward bit him, and rather than feeling pain, Harry’s endorphins spiked and he was suddenly cumming with a strangled cry, Edward following him immediately after, releasing his neck with a slightly wet sound, and for a moment, there was nothing but the sound of Harry’s ragged breathing.

When his heart rate had slowed down considerably, Harry’s face flushed with something close to embarrassment.

“That was… intense,” Harry said after a few moments.

“I’m sorry, Harry… I went too far. I did not mean for that to happen as it did,” Edward said quietly with his eyes closed and head bowed slightly.

Harry brought his hand to Edward’s chin and lifted his head, “Look at me, please.”

The vampire opened his eyes and they widened before he was suddenly in the bathroom.

“Edward, what…” Harry started to say, sitting up, before Edward returned, holding a damp washcloth in his hands.

“You’re bleeding,” Edward said, pressing the cloth into his hands, not looking at him again, “I bit you. I drank your blood…”

Harry raised a hand to his neck and was surprised when he pulled it away and found it covered in blood. He pressed the washrag to the wound, more surprised that he didn’t feel it than he was that Edward bit him.

“Hey,” Harry said, reaching out and gently tugging Edward’s face back to him, “I’m okay. It doesn’t hurt, alright?”

Edward didn’t say anything, and Harry frowned.

“… Is it me?” He asked quietly.

Edward was suddenly looking at him with an unrecognizable expression.

“I take advantage of you, embarrass you, bite you, and you think there’s something wrong with you,” Edward said.

Harry thought for a moment before speaking.

“In my trunk, bottom left corner, there’s a bottle labeled ‘dittany’. Would you mind grabbing it for me?” He requested.

Edward had started moving before Harry had finished speaking and had the bottle in a matter of moments.

Harry pulled the washrag away from his neck and saw Edward grimace.

“If you would, a couple of drops on the bite,” Harry instructed.

Edward sat on the edge of the bed and complied, almost recoiling at the greenish smoke that started billowing upward immediately. His mouth fell open in shock when the smoke cleared and the wound now looked several days old.

Harry smiled at his surprise and gently took the dittany from his hands, capping the lid and setting it to the side before scooting over and depositing himself in Edward’s lap.

“Now, I think I need to make myself clear. You did not embarrass me, Edward. I embarrassed myself, alright?” Harry said, cheeks warming up again.

“What do you mean?” Edward requested.

“I… well… I was being very vocal and there is no way that the universe is kind enough to have not let Draco hear every bloody sound I made,” Harry explained, “And if you’ll remember, I think I wanted more than what happened tonight, so you certainly didn’t take advantage of anything. I cannot explain why, or how, but I want you, Edward, and that has not changed.”

Edward looked him in the eye now, and Harry tried to push all the things he was feeling to the front of his mind so the vampire would be able to see how genuine he was being.

“So… you’re not upset?” Edward questioned tentatively.

“Not until you were,” Harry answered.

Edward finally wrapped his arms around him, and Harry practically vibrated with contentment.

“Are you tired?” Edward eventually asks.

“Are you going to leave if I say yes?” Harry countered.

“Only if you want me to,” Edward replied.

Harry shook his head before responding, “I’d like you to stay if that’s okay.”

“I’d like to stay, too… I think we should probably clean ourselves up, though,” Edward suggested.

“I’ve got a clean pair of pants you can have, and there’s a shower in the bathroom if you want…” Harry offered.

Edward turned his eyes on him, undoubtedly picking up on the images flashing through Harry’s mind.

He laughed and said, “God help me… I’ll take the clean underwear and change, alone, in the bathroom. I’ve corrupted you enough for one night.”

“Pity,” Harry said with an enormous sigh, but still slid off his lap and walked over to his trunk to find clean clothes for the both of them.

---

When Edward came out of the bathroom, he was just wearing the pair of pants Harry had given him, and it was with great difficulty that Harry didn’t jump on him again.

Instead, he finished tying the string on his pajama pants and walked over to the door to the room.

“I’m just gonna grab some water,” Harry said.

“Alright,” Edward called after him as he walked out.

Most of the lights in the house were off, but there was a light on in the living room and Harry could hear the crackling of a fire. He would have put a shirt on had he thought Draco was still up. He tip toed down the stairs and skirted around the living room, trying to be sneaky.

“Harry, what the bloody hell are you doing?” Draco said from the kitchen, causing a jump and rather high-pitched squeak to come from Harry, and Harry could see the corners of Draco’s lips twitching as he tried not to laugh.

“Uh, just- just getting something to drink.” Harry replied.

“Ahh, tiring work, was it, showing Edward the ‘house’? Draco asked before his amusement faded, his eyes fixed on Harry’s neck.

Harry realized what he was looking at and cursed himself for not putting a shirt on… or wearing a scarf… or something.

“I don’t know how it looks, but it’s not bad,” Harry told him.

“He marked you, Harry. He’s pretty much told everyone that you’re his. I thought you were tired of people claiming you and controlling you…Merlin…” Draco said, exasperated.

“First of all, I don’t think he has any plans on trying to control me, I don’t care what a bloody mark on my neck makes people think. Second, maybe I don’t mind being his,” Harry said testily.

Draco raised an eyebrow and didn’t respond. The silence stretched for a minute before Harry spoke again.

“I don’t know what it is about him, but I find myself ready to give him whatever he wants. I’m not a slag, Draco, and yet... I just don’t know. Everything in my body is burning for more, for him.” Harry said with a quivering voice.

“You’re worried, aren’t you? I can hear it,” Draco asked gently.

Harry clamped his jaw shut and bit down before he replied in little above a whisper, “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t… a little, at least.”

“Can I borrow Hedwig?” Draco asked suddenly.

“I’m sorry?” Harry replied, completely thrown off.

“I’ll need to borrow a few galleons, too… Maybe more than a few. I need a book, one I haven’t read in a long time. If we were still at school, I could just have it brought from the manor, but… That’s obviously not going to happen,” Draco explained.

“Yeah, sure Draco, but what are you hoping to find?” Harry asked.

“I don’t quite remember, and I don’t want to speak on it in case I’m wrong, but it shouldn’t take more than a couple of days to find out either way,” he replied.

“Yeah, sure, that’s fine. I’ll bring Hedwig to you when she gets home,” Harry told him, finally moving into the kitchen to get some water.

“In the meantime, Harry… Try to restrain yourself from doing something you might, or might not, regret. It wouldn’t do to get yourself hurt,” Draco told him.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you sound dangerously close to caring about me, Draco,” Harry teased.

Draco heaved a great sigh and said, “Go to bed, you idiot.”

Harry smiled and bumped shoulders with him as he walked out.

“Thanks, Draco,” he said quietly.

---

Edward was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling when Harry came back into the room. He’d been gone much longer than he intended, but when Harry closed the door, Edward turned his head to him with a small smile.

“Everything alright?” Edward asked.

“Yeah, I just ran into Draco. I think he quite enjoyed the fright he gave me,” Harry answered.

Edward nodded and went back to staring at the ceiling. Harry moved over to the bed and slid under the covers.

“And you still want me to stay?” Edward asked after another moment.

“Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I?” Harry replied, puzzled.

“I uh… couldn’t help but overhear parts of the conversation. Draco was not wrong when he said I… I marked you,” Edward said quietly.

“You heard that from up here? But the door was closed, and, well, it’s not exactly pin-drop quiet,” Harry questioned.

“One of the vampire ‘perks’ is incredible hearing, but you’re avoiding the topic,” Edward said evenly.

Harry pulled the blankets down and then patted the space next to him before saying, “Come, lay with me, please.”

Edward finally turned and looked at him and then climbed dutifully under the blankets and cuddled close to Harry.

“You’re going to end up freezing, Harry,” he said.

“Maybe, maybe not. These blankets are quite heavy… I think it might be kind of nice having something to keep me cool. If it gets too bad, I’ll put a sweater on. Stop trying to get away,” Harry replied playfully.

“You’ve got me caught in your web, Harry. I won’t leave unless you tell me to,” Edward said.

“Good, then give me a kiss so I can go to sleep,” Harry replied, tilting his head up.

Edward complied, giving him three kisses that had Harry grinning, and then Harry burrowed down into his chest. Edward started running a hand lightly through his hair and Harry softly said, “Good night, Edward.”

It was quiet for a few moments, and then Edward replied, “Good night, my love.”

Edward ended up being right, though it was simple enough for Harry to throw a hoodie on and go back to sleep, so it really didn’t matter either way.

---

Morning dawned cold and bright, not a cloud in sight, and the light from the rising sun was pouring into Harry’s window. He opened his eyes sleepily and his breath caught in his throat when he looked at Edward. The light was shining off his skin and it looked like he had thousands of shiny diamonds embedded in his body.

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” Harry asked.

Edward looked down at him with a small smile, “I pale in comparison to you. Good morning, by the way.”

“Good morning, Edward,” Harry said, and scooted up so that he was eye level with Edward before he leaned in for a quick press of their lips.

Edward raised an eyebrow, amusement plain on his face, and said, “So chaste early in the morning.”

Harry chuckled and replied, “Yeah, well. Morning breath is pleasant for no one.”

Edward pulled him close and then kissed him deeply and Harry found himself reaching out and carding his fingers through Edwards’s hair. When Harry broke the kiss, breathing deeply, Edward rested his forehead against the other boys.

“Now that was a proper good morning,” Edward said with a crooked grin.

Harry leaned forward and kissed him deeply again.

“Mmmm, I completely agree,” Harry said as he pulled back.

The sound of flapping wings and the sight of Hedwig coming flying back into the room distracted Harry from going any further. He slid out of bed with another quick peck to Edward’s lips, and then greeted Hedwig with some light neck scratching before offering her his arm to stand on.

“I know you’ve been out all night, but Draco requires your assistance. Are you up for it?” Harry asked while walking out of the room, “We can wait, if you want to rest first. It’s alright.”

Hedwig hooted softly before standing straight up. Harry smiled and then knocked on Draco’s door.

It took a few moments, but the door finally opened and Draco stood there, hair looking rather tousled from sleep, but eyes alert. He’d probably been awake, but hadn’t bothered getting out of bed.

“Hedwig is ready for a run, so long as it isn’t too far…” Harry said.

Draco stifled a yawn before replying, “Yeah, alright. Shouldn’t be far. They have a Gringotts in the States, right?”

“Yes, it’s in Seattle, actually. We aren’t far,” Harry informed him.

“I don’t know how they’ll respond to a letter from me, so you should probably write it,” Draco said, handing him a piece of parchment with his tidy writing on it.

“Sure, no problem… You still wanna learn how to drive?” Harry wondered.

“Yeah, if you’ve still got the time?” Draco replied.

“Of course. We can start today, after breakfast, if you want,” Harry suggested.

Draco nodded and said, “Alright,” before stifling another yawn.

“I’ll get this letter sent off and then I’m gonna jump in the shower… Give me an hour?” Harry asked.

“Sure, see you in a bit, then,” Draco said as he closed the door.

Harry made the quick trip back to his bedroom and set Hedwig back on her perch before going over to his trunk and fishing some fresh parchment and a quill out. Edward hadn’t moved from the bed but watched him curiously.

“You guys still use a quill and ink?” He asked with raised eyebrows.

“The wizarding community is very behind in some aspects. Why they haven’t started using biros is beyond me,” Harry explained.

Harry dipped his quill and quickly re-wrote what Draco had:

Most Honourable Goblins,

It is my request that you procure a copy of ‘Soul Magiks: Is It Real?’ and have it delivered to my address at your earliest convenience. In compensation, please withdraw your standard fee, plus 100% the cost of the book, for the rush, and for your discretion. 

Yours sincerely,

D. J. Lewis, D.A. Vault 687

He found a pin on the dresser and pricked his finger, letting a drop of blood fall on the parchment before tying it closed with a piece of string. He then handed it to Hedwig who took off without hesitation.

He looked over and saw Edward watching him carefully.

“Ahh, blood. Right. Sorry…” Harry said lamely.

“I do not actually lust for your blood, Harry. You are probably the safest human in regards to that,” Edward said.

“Oh… I see,” Harry replied.

“I was merely curious as to why you stabbed yourself and then bled onto the paper,” Edward expounded.

“Oh, I understand. Well, Draco and myself… Well, we’re here under false names. I kind of forgot to explain that bit. You know that we ran… You know that I’m important to some people back there… I can’t afford to be found. We can’t afford to be found. So the blood was for authenticities sake. They won’t accept anything less; they being the goblins.” Harry explained.

Edward nodded, “And they are the ones who helped set it all up. That makes sense, I suppose.”

“I’m going to take a shower and then grab some breakfast. Do you have any plans today?” Harry asked, already pulling off the hoodie and stepping into the bathroom.

“No. My family, we can’t go out in public while the sun's out. We usually go hunting or spend some time together at the house when the weather is nice,” Edward answered.

“I’m going to be teaching Draco the basics of driving if you want to hang out here or… I don’t know, I could meet you back at your house, or… I dunno…” Harry trailed off. He was thinking that it would be cool to actually meet his family, but thinking that Edward wanted to introduce him in the first place was rather presumptuous and audacious.

Edward was behind him before he had even finished the thought, looking at him with dark eyes flecked with red, reflecting in the mirror.

“Of course I want you to meet them,” Edward said to his unspoken thoughts, “and wanting to do so is neither presumptuous nor audacious. You are my mate, and they would expect nothing less.”

Harry was smiling as he said, “Sorry. Still very new to this, and I forgot you could hear what I was thinking… I’m used to internalizing a lot.”

“It’s prevented you from getting hurt,” Edward said quietly, “and I understand why. First, your relatives were horrible, and then the school you went to, and your ministry… No one listened.”

Harry’s smile had faded and he was looking at the counter now. Edward turned him around and lightly pulled his head up so that Harry was looking at him.

“But that was before me, and I promise you that I will listen with careful regard, to anything that you wish to tell me,” Edward finished.

It was such a simple thing to say, really, but it still made his eyes tear up. And when Edward kissed him and pulled him into a soft embrace, Harry was powerless to stop them from falling.

Edward said nothing until Harry had gotten himself under control again.

“Merlin what a mess… Sorry about that,” Harry said.

“Please don’t apologize for taking comfort, especially from me. I’d give you the world if it made you happy.”

“People don’t really talk like that anymore,” Harry said with a watery smile.

“No, but they should, even if I doubt they would mean it as much as I do,” Edward replied.

Harry looked into his dark eyes and then leaned in to kiss him deeply again.

“Thank you, Edward. You don’t know how much that actually means to me,” He said, and then gently pushed him towards the door, “Go on, go home and change. Let your family know I’m coming later so they don’t mistake me for a snack. But make sure you come back!”

Edward shook his head, but was smiling as he said, “Don’t be dramatic, Harry. They won’t eat you. But it’s been a while since I’ve been hunting; I think I might grab something before I come back. It shouldn’t take long, no more than an hour or two.”

“Oh, do you guys… go to cities further away? That makes sense, I suppose. Don’t want missing people raising a red flag. Yeah, I get it, totally fine. I’ll see you in a couple of hours then,” Harry replied, rambling but unsure of how to stop. He knew that Edward was a vampire, and vampires drank the blood of humans, but that thought hadn’t registered fully. It didn’t disturb him, but… Now he was rambling in his head.

Edward watched him with an amused expression before he spoke, “Harry? I don’t hunt humans.”

“What?” Was Harry’s reply.

“My family and I are vegetarians, or that’s what we say, anyways. It keeps the kids at school from asking too many questions about why we don’t eat in the cafeteria. But, yeah, we don’t feed off humans. We hunt animals; bears, deer, the occasional mountain lion if we can find one,” Edward explained.

Harry realized his mouth was open and he closed it.

“I wasn’t even aware that was possible. That’s actually… Wow. That’s excellent,” Harry said, before he went slightly red and continued, “Not that you guys drinking human blood would be bad, or anything. I’m not really in a position to judge anyone…”

Edward smiled his crooked smile again and said, “I’ll be back, my love. And then we’ll go meet the family.”

Harry nodded and Edward was gone.

---

Draco was now sitting in the driver’s seat, hands gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles had turned white.

“Draco, relax your hands. You wouldn’t grip a broom that hard, right?” Harry said gently.

Draco complied, relaxing his grip, hands at 10 and 2.

“Good, now you’ve checked your mirrors, your seat is in position, you can reach the pedals, and your seatbelt is on. What comes next?” Harry asked.

“I... start the car?”

“Yes! You may now start the car.”

Draco pressed the button on the dash and the car roared to life; Harry was pleased to note that he didn’t need to remind him to press the brake first.

“Okay, now what?” Harry questioned.

“While pressing the brake, I shift into drive,” Draco replied, going through the movements as he explained.

“Very good. Now that you’ve shifted into drive, you can release the brake and very gently press the gas pedal,” Harry explained, “Be sure to mind where you are going; don’t forget to steer.”

Draco complied again, and they set off slowly, not faster than 10-15 mph. Harry was grinning broadly, pleased that Draco was grasping this so easily. Not that driving was hard, but this was incredible for a wizard, in Harry’s opinion.

“Excellent. Now, there are rules upon rules that exist while driving, and it’ll take you a while to learn all of them, but for now, just focus on keeping the car on the road; speed up to 25 mph and keep us there,” Harry instructed.

Draco adjusted their speed and drove them steadily down the road. Harry let him adjust as he saw the main road in the distance, and said, “Alright, up to 35 mph. We’ll be slowing down and stopping shortly after.”

Draco sped up once more, bringing them steadily closer to the intersection of roads.

“You’re doing great, Draco, now take your foot off the gas, and slowly, but with purpose, apply the brakes as you pull off to the side of the road. Not too hard, or we’ll be jolted forward, and not too soft, or we won’t stop in time,” Harry continued.

Draco did as instructed and smoothly slowed them down to a stop, just a few hundred feet before the stop sign. He looked at Harry and grinned.

“Really well done, mate,” Harry told him earnestly.

“Yeah, well… That’s not really the difficult stuff,” Draco said, blushing lightly.

“No, really. You’ve done more than most other wizards would dream of doing. With time, it’ll become second nature. Like… flying,” Harry replied, “Now, let’s go back the other way. Turn the wheel sharply to the left and let off the brake before giving it a little gas.”

Draco took a breath and repositioned his hands on the wheel before he did as instructed. The car started to turn, and Draco released the steering wheel smoothly throughout. Another smile from Harry; Draco was a quick learner.

“This time, let’s get to 50 mph and we’ll call it there. Make sure you are always keeping in mind how long you need to stop. This car is a little better than most, so it’ll stop quicker and respond differently than your standard vehicle, but you should always be minding your spacing, especially with other cars on the road; if you’re ever in doubt, brake earlier rather than later,” Harry said.

Draco nodded again and sped up to 50 mph, eyes focused on the road, keeping them perfectly in line as they neared the house. He braked a little earlier than Harry would have, but he had followed Harry’s instructions to the ‘t’ and Harry was genuinely impressed.

“Now, you just shift it back into park while pressing the brake, and we’re done,” Harry directed.

Draco followed his command and Harry saw the tension leave him as the car started lowly idling.

“That was brilliant,” Draco said a little breathy.

Harry laughed a couple of times and replied, “It’s second only to flying, I promise you. Once you learn everything and get your own vehicle, you’re going to enjoy it so much.”

“Thank you, Harry, for being willing to teach me,” Draco said, looking over at him.

“Don’t worry, Draco. You’re probably one of the easier students to teach, from what I’ve seen. You know the driving classes I took? Some of the muggles were dreadful. You’re a natural, honestly!” Harry responded, “But you’re welcome, anyways.”

Draco leaned forward and shut the car off before he handed the keys over to Harry, and then they were both opening the doors to get out.

 “So, are you going to be with Edward this afternoon?” Draco asked as he shut the door.

“Yeah, I think I’m going to meet the family,” Harry said, and at Draco’s raised eyebrows, added, “The Cullens. Dr. Cullen, who works for the local hospital, ‘adopted’ Edward and his siblings, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie, and they all live in a house on the edge of town.”

“You’re willingly walking into a den of vampires? Bloody hell, Harry…” Draco said, sounding slightly exasperated.

“Well, I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine since none of them feed off humans,” Harry said with a grin.

“What do you mean, they don’t feed off humans? What do they feed off, then? You don’t expect me to believe they eat normal food since vampires can’t digest it,” Draco replied.

“No, no, nothing like that, though I admittedly had forgotten that fact,” Harry said, “Edward called himself a ‘vegetarian’; they feed off animal blood,” Harry explained.

“What?? But… why?” Draco said, definitely exasperated now.

“I… honestly didn’t ask. But… that’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Harry asked, slightly confused, “Otherwise, they’d be killing people.”

Draco rolled his eyes, “That’s hardly relevant. I thought your days caring for random people had passed.”

“I do care about the people back home, Draco,” Harry said quietly, frowning, “I’m just at a point where saving them matters less than saving myself, especially when they’ve done nothing to warrant me staying to help.”

Draco heaved a sigh, “Yeah, I get it, Harry. I spoke before thinking.”

Harry had opened his mouth to reply, but closed it as he caught sight of a blur in the corner of his eye. A smile slowly spread over his face.

Draco narrowed his eyes suspiciously, “What are you up to, Potter?”

Harry tried to school his features into something bordering on confused seriousness as Edward was suddenly standing behind Draco and answered innocently, “What? Nothing.”

Draco kept staring and jumped violently when Edward spoke directly behind him, “Hello, Draco.”

“Bloody hell!” Draco yelled out as he spun around and lost his footing.

Edward reached out and easily stopped his fall. Draco looked at Edward, and then his hand, and then back at Edward, before righting himself quickly. He dusted imaginary flecks of dust off of himself before speaking.

“You’re both terrible,” Draco said, sounding not at all like he’d almost just landed on his arse, and walked inside, straight-backed and proud.

As soon as the door closed, Harry let out a snort that turned into a laugh, and Edward had a crooked grin on his face.

“I hope he won’t hate me for that,” Edward said.

“Hate? I don’t think so. But he’ll definitely be looking for a way to pay us back,” Harry said, still smiling as he walked over to the vampire.

Edward pulled him close and placed a kiss to the top of his head before Harry looked up and gasped. His eyes, which had been dark black with little flecks of red only hours ago, were now a brilliant golden topaz, looking like gems glittering in the daylight.

“You flatter me with your thoughts, Harry. I do not think they are anything as beautiful as that,” Edward said with amusement.

“Nonsense. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and your eyes are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen,” Harry countered.

Edward pondered that for a moment, “Second most beautiful, then, to yours; such a brilliant shade of green.”

 Through Harry’s mind flashed images of his parents, Sirius telling him he had his mother’s eyes, of the bright green flash of the killing curse and the sound of his mother screaming. Edward looked surprised for a moment and then pulled Harry into a tight embrace.

“You’ve lived such a life in 16 years, Harry. It still amazes me,” Edward said after a moment.

Harry laughed somewhat humorlessly, “Yeah, tell me about it.”

“I’ll do everything I can to make sure you don’t have to suffer through any more horrors, my love. Even if I have to hide you away in the remotest places on Earth; they won’t touch you.”

Harry willed himself to believe the words, and for a moment, they stood there, unmoving and all thoughts of the world falling away. Harry eventually pulled back, just far enough that he could stand on his toes and press a small kiss to Edward’s lips, before breaking away completely.

“Are your family ready?” Harry asked, suddenly nervous.

“Whenever you are, Harry,” Edward replied.

Harry nodded, “Let’s go, then.”

They both climbed into the car, and Harry shot them off down the road; Draco had been watching the exchange with a neutral expression from the kitchen window.

Chapter Text

---

5,000 Miles Away, Hogwarts:

The past couple of days had been some of the worst Dumbledore had ever faced, and the lack of information made it even worse. Harry, along with the Grangers, the Weasley’s, and Draco Malfoy, had disappeared, seemingly into thin air.

--Sunday morning, two days previous--

Dumbledore had just finished getting ready for the day and was about to head down to the Great Hall for breakfast when his door was thrown open and Minerva stood in the doorway looking stricken. She was followed by Severus, Filius, and Pomona, who looked varying degrees grave and panicked.

“Minerva? Whatever seems to be the problem?” Dumbledore asked, confused.

“They’re gone, Albus. We’ve checked the dorms and searched the grounds and we cannot find a single sign of them. No notes, trunks gone, not a single hair to suggest that they even resided here,” Minerva explained quickly.

“To whom are you referring? I assure you, no one has attempted to leave the grounds. I would have been alerted,” Dumbledore said, ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach.

“Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley and his sister, and…”

“Draco Malfoy,” Severus cut in.

Dumbledore’s expression widened in shock, “That’s impossible. As I said, no one tried to leave via any methods that would be available to school children. Surely you are mistaken.”

“I’m quite sure they’ve gone, Albus. If their stuff was still present, I’d be inclined to agree with you, but it’s not. Furthermore, when I spoke to Mr. Finnigan and Mr. Thomas, who share a dorm with two of the missing students, as you know, they both stated that Mr. Potter was not in bed Saturday morning, and Mr. Weasley never showed up to breakfast. They’ve not spoken to either of them since Friday evening,” Minerva explained.

“I’m inclined to agree with Minerva, Headmaster. I’ve… interviewed Crabbe, and discovered that he has not had contact with Draco since Friday evening, as well,” Severus input, now staring directly into Dumbledore’s eyes, allowing him to see the truth in the statement.

Dumbledore was frozen; in truth, he wasn’t sure what to do. 5 students missing without a trace? It sounded nefarious, and the fact that Harry was involved… And Draco Malfoy? What had happened?

“Headmaster, what are your orders?” Pomona asked, after the silence had gone on for too long.

Dumbledore shook his head, trying to clear it, before barking out orders, “Minerva, alert the Order. Every single member is to be present at the Hog’s Head for an emergency meeting in 8 hours time. I don’t care what they are scheduled for, they will be present or they will be considered deserters. Severus, you’re sure that Voldemort has had nothing to do with this?”

“As sure as I can be about anything involving the Dark Lord, Headmaster. As one of his most trusted, I feel I might have been informed of him capturing 4 Gryffindor’s and a Slytherin,” Severus drawled.

Dumbledore nodded, “Then we must ensure he does not gain knowledge of this for as long as possible. You are dismissed, so you may have plausible deniability if he asks. I’d recommend storing the memories, for safety. You will have to tell him, probably soon, but the more time we are able to stall, the better.”

Severus simply turned on his heel and left in a swirl of robes.

“Pomona, Filius, you are to accompany me; we need to check a few of the hidden passages,” Dumbledore said as he strode from the room. The two professors hurried to keep up with him.

---

The passage of the One-Eyed Witch was the most logical in his mind, as it led directly into the Honeydukes cellar and would therefore have allowed the students to pass the wards unnoticed, but he didn’t know how they would have found out about it. As it was, it was the first passage he wanted to check, and so it was where they went.

Upon arriving, Dumbledore pulled his wand and did a complicated twirl with a sharp jab at the end, and sighed heavily as the hump of the witch glowed a bright blue.

“This passage was used recently,” he explained to the two professors, “Send a message to Molly Weasley to come to the school as soon as possible, please. Have her wait in my office.”

The two professors moved to obey his order, and as they hurried away, Dumbledore used his power as Headmaster, and apparated into Hogsmeade.

He went into Honeydukes and spoke to the man behind the counter.

“Ambrosius,” Dumbledore greeted serenely.

“Ah, good morning, Dumbledore! What can I do for you?” Ambrosius replied happily.

“It would seem as though some of my more curious students discovered the secret passageway that leads into your cellar. I was hoping you would allow me to investigate and see if they possibly left any clue as to what they were doing,” Dumbledore explained, fingering his wand, ready to engage the man should he deny him.

“Oh, goodness, that sounds quite serious. Of course, Dumbledore. It should go without saying,” the store owner said seriously.

“I appreciate it, Ambrosius. I hope I don’t need to impress on you the need for secrecy?” Dumbledore asked.

“Not at all. I’ll head upstairs and see what my darling wife is up to. The shop is yours for 15 minutes,” the man answered, already turning to leave.

Dumbledore released the hold he had on his wand, allowing a small smile on his face as he went down into the cellar; his name, apparently, still meant something.

Arriving in the dank room downstairs, there was nothing that was seemingly out of place. Dumbledore drew his wand, this time using it as more of a conductors wand, grip loose and eyes closed, as he searched for traces of magic. It took him almost the whole 15 minutes of near meditation before he found anything. The barest glimpse of a flash of blue with the hint of a magical signature and Dumbledore knew: Harry had taken a Portkey from here.

Dread that Dumbledore had not felt in years now threatened to strangle him. If Harry had been captured, or coerced, or had runaway… This was not good, and not what Dumbledore had been hoping to find. He swept out from the cellar, a deep frown on his face.

---

When Dumbledore apparated back into his office, he found two worried professors waiting for him.

“Pomona? Filius? Where’s Molly?” He questioned.

“We don’t know, Headmaster. I tried to raise her on the floo, but no one answered, so I went all the way through to the Burrow… Albus, I don’t know what’s going on, but it looks like they’ve gone. It was a right mess, like someone packed in a hurry,” Pomona explained hurriedly.

Dumbledore was angry almost instantly and he disapparated in a quick turn, directly into the Weasley’s sitting room. He surveyed the scene, and it was like he was seeing the ghosts of people tear through here in a hurry. He could follow the trail of destruction from the stairs, into the sitting room and then the kitchen. He was shaking slightly as he disapparated again, this time to the front door of Dr. and Dr. Granger.

He knocked with all the politeness he could muster and waited for as long as he thought appropriate before letting himself in with a simple, “Alohomora.”

The same sight met his eyes that he found at the Weasley’s, though this was considerably tamer. Less had been taken from here, yet nothing of value or significance remained. Places on the walls where pictures once hung were empty, framed by the thinnest layer of dust around the starkly clean squares of wall. They had left, of their own volition, as was showcased by their ability to take the things most precious to them.

Dumbledore turned and disapparated, leaving with a shuddering blast that destroyed the glass in the room.

---

He said nothing to the professors waiting in his office when he returned, instead sending them away with orders to meet him at the Hog’s Head before dinner. They left after once glance at his face, questions burning on their tongues, but wisely refraining from asking him anything.

He walked to the cabinet he rarely visited and pulled a Bulgarian firewhisky out, pouring a very healthy measure into a tumbler before he sank down into the chair behind his desk.

He drained half the glass before setting it down and rubbing his eyes, aware, now more than ever, of the curse that was being contained in his hand. He looked at it now, the decaying hand, with the black lines that had started to crawl down his arm in its bid to get to his heart and snuff out his life.

Nothing had gone the way it was supposed to. He knew that Harry was in a fragile state after Sirius’s death, but he was sure that he had played off the boys emotions perfectly. They were getting so close to open war, and now 5 of the most important figures in said war were missing, along with their bloody families.

He’d planned for so many things; his death, down to the hour that it would happen; when young Mr. Malfoy would find the spell that would allow him to fix the cabinet; when he would leave with Harry to the cave; when they would come back, and Mr. Malfoy would expertly play into his hands before Severus struck him down.

He’d planned for so much, damn them. He’d made sure that all Harry had to do was follow the subtle hints and clues Dumbledore had left behind, and with a little luck, after years of planning, Voldemort would be dead; and Harry, though perhaps a little worse for wear, would be alive, now free of the Horcrux that was leeching off his soul.

Dumbledore sighed deeply again and then stood up, draining the other half of the drink. He walked over to the case that held the Sword of Gryffindor, and swept the front pane of glass away with a wave of his wand.

“Fawkes,” he called softly to the phoenix, which was at his side immediately, “I’ll need a few tears in a moment, if you can muster them.”

The bird trilled a heart-wrenching musical sound and lightly bowed his head.

Dumbledore pulled his wand out and levitated the sword out of the case, letting it hover in front of him as he looked up and down the sharp blade. With another sigh, he held out his right arm. He took one last look at the blackened hand, and then flicked his wand, sending the blade sweeping through the air and slicing the appendage clean off, just below his elbow. He let out a cry of pain and Fawkes was there immediately, head turned as tears flowed freely, effectively cauterizing the wound and negating the effects of the Basilisk venom that imbued the sword.

When Fawkes had finished, he trilled another sad sound and flew back to his perch, watching Dumbledore with intelligent eyes. Dumbledore stumbled back to his chair after flicking his wand at the arm he had just cut off, vanishing it with little regard.

He pulled a pain potion from a drawer to his left and downed it, relaxing fully into his chair when it finally took.

He stayed there, thinking about everything, and nothing, until he noticed the darkening of the sky that signaled it was time for the meeting with the Order. He had still not decided what to tell them.

---

 When Dumbledore arrived at the meeting, it was plainly obvious that the Weasley family was missing and people were looking around worriedly.

He had conjured an arm made of silver for himself, and while he was physically strong with it, it left a lot to be desired when he tried casting spells. Stuff that had always been easy for him now took concentration, and the more complex spells that he’d tried flat out hadn’t worked.

He got surprised looks from everyone in the room and he bit down on a sigh.

“We have a lot to talk about this evening, but first things first. Yes, my arm has had to be removed. There was no way to stop the curse that caused the decay of my hand, and letting it go on much longer would have killed me,” Dumbledore explained.

No one said anything, so he continued.

“Now, on to more pressing matters, and the reason I’ve called you all here today. I apologize that I am resorting to this, but I’ll need a vow that none of you will speak of what we talk about tonight,” Dumbledore said.

Eyebrows raised around the room, and Kingsley spoke.

“But why, Dumbledore? I can’t remember you ever asking this before.”

Dumbledore regarded him gravely before replying, “It’s what must be done to protect the secrecy of things more important than you or I. If there are any among us that will not consent to a vow of silence, then they are free to leave. But I want to impress upon those that do leave, that they will not be allowed to return to the Order. This is my final word.”

A few people got up and left, Mundungus Fletcher among them, and Dumbledore openly sighed. Kingsley just took out his wand and said the simple oath that would bind to his magic:

“I do so swear upon my honour and magic that the things discussed in this room shall not go beyond this group.”

A brief light swirled around the tip of his wand and then it was gone. The rest of the room followed quickly, and Dumbledore spoke again.

“I’m afraid, my friends, that things have taken a turn for the worse. It would appear that Molly and Arthur Weasley, their children, Hermione Granger, her parents, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy have disappeared.”

Things were quiet for a few beats and then everyone spoke at once. Dumbledore held a hand up and quiet fell once again.

“I understand your worry and confusion and I’d be lying if I said I was not feeling what you are. I do not know what prompted their departure only that they didn’t speak to me about it and it was done suddenly. I do not have any reason to believe they were abducted or coerced into this decision.”

“But Albus, surely if the Malfoy brat is involved, something is going on,” Mad-Eye Moody cut in.

“I’ll admit I had the same suspicion that you did at first. But the evidence has become clear that they had time to pack and gather their belongings. That’s not done when under duress,” Dumbledore countered.

“What hope do we have when some of the strongest of our group have abandoned us? Surely they know something we don’t and left before it could come to pass,” Tonks said from his left, “Everyone here knows that you were grooming Harry to fight Voldemort… what’s your plan now?”

Dumbledore was quiet for a moment, choosing his words as carefully as he could, “I ask that you have faith in me. I will be spending the coming months preparing to face Voldemort myself. I like to think that I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

Tonks said nothing, but there were a number of people who had dubious expressions. None would speak against him, not face to face, but he knew there would be whispered conversations long after he left.

“I think that concludes our business for this evening, unless anyone has anything to share?” Dumbledore asked.

No one spoke, so he said, “Then I’ll bid you all a good night. Be safe.”

In groups of two or three, the Order quickly left the pub.

---

 9,400 Miles Away, Australia:

-Tuesday Morning, two days after leaving-

Getting there hadn’t been the issue. Hermione and Ron had both hit 17 during the school year, and as legal adults, were able to make their own decisions. Getting their families to go, after describing the severity of the situation, hadn’t taken much persuasion, save for Molly and Arthur, who had been in the first war and didn’t want to abandon their lives all because Harry had left. But when they saw Bill and Fleur, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George, Ron, and Ginny whipping through the house as if Voldemort himself were knocking upon the door, they ended up giving in, helping with the packing before apparating away with the group.

They had spent several days making a series of jumps from the burrow to Australia. They had to go slow since Mr. and Mrs. Granger were with them, and they looked downright sick after each apparition.

When they arrived on the grounds, Ron having showed each of them the parchment before burning it, they were amazed by the size of the house, the mansion, they’d been invited to stay in.

“Blimey, I know Harry has gold, but this kind of gold? I expect something like this of the Malfoy’s, not Harry,” Ron said, amazed.

“Well, he did inherit Sirius’s entire fortune, though I don’t honestly know how much that was…. Still, you’re right. This is a lot,” Hermione agreed.

“Alright, come on, you lot. Let’s get inside and find our rooms. And I expect everyone is hungry?” Mrs. Weasley said gently.

There was a chorus of yes’s and she smiled softly.

“Let’s get in and get settled, then,” leading the way to the large building, and for the time being, their new lives.

---

Edward, Harry discovered, really loved his car, especially when it was going fast. Harry, who had loved anything that could go fast since he was a small boy, was more than inclined to facilitate that love of speed, and was now taking them quite the opposite direction of the Cullen residence, north on Highway 101. They were constantly speeding over 100 mph, and dipped through corners much faster than any normal cars could hope to, all while feeling as if they were floating on a cloud. They didn’t cross paths with any other vehicles, which wasn’t all that weird, considering it was a Tuesday and school was still in session, and they drove for a few minutes, enjoying the thrill of high-speed driving, before Harry saw a sign for an upcoming gas station. He slowed down considerably as they approached before pulling into the station and stopping at a pump.

He looked at Edward who was still smiling, “I’m gonna run in and grab a drink before we head to your house. You want to drive on the way back?”

Edward’s grin got bigger.

“I’d love to… If you don’t mind, of course,” he said.

“Nah, not at all. Just switch places while I’m inside. I’ll be out in a minute,” Harry replied, climbing out of the car and heading inside.

Harry greeted the woman behind the counter as he entered and then walked back to the coolers. He scanned the labels, looking at what was available before choosing a bottle of Sprite and heading back to the counter, paying, and heading back out to the car. Edward was waiting patiently, looking completely at ease behind the wheel.

Harry climbed into the passenger seat for the second time that day and put his seatbelt on.

“Alright, I’m ready. Let’s go meet everyone,” Harry said.

“Don’t sound so worried, my darling. They’re going to love you,” Edward said, pulling back onto the road and taking them back towards Forks.

They were driving 10 mph under the speed limit and as Harry opened his mouth to point this out, Edward gunned it, causing Harry’s breath to leave him as he was jolted into the back of his seat.

They were driving faster than Harry had been, the trees whipping past in a blur of green, and when Harry looked at Edward’s face, he thought he might actually be seeing what pure joy looked like. That wonderful warmth spread through him again, and he looked back out the front windscreen, content that he’d been able to help put that look there.

They arrived back in Forks in record time, and Edward turned them down a street that took them past the police station, before turning down another road that wound through thick trees, which eventually opened up to reveal a large, extremely modern-looking house that looked equal parts glass and wood.

“Oh, Merlin… What a gorgeous house,” Harry said breathily.

“One of the few places we don’t have to hide. What did you expect?” Edward said with a laugh, getting out of the car and then immediately racing to Harry’s door and opening it for him.

“Honestly? I expected… the Slytherin common room, I guess?”Harry replied, and pulled forward images of the time he had spent in that somewhat depressing part of the castle as he also got out.

 Edward laughed again, “No, nothing like that, I promise.”

Harry started walking toward the door, but Edward reached out for his hand and grabbed Harry lightly, stopping him. Harry turned to face him, a little confused.

“I just want you to know that if you are uncomfortable at any time, we’ll leave. You don’t even have to say anything, just think it. Okay?” Edward told him.

Harry nodded and threaded their fingers together before saying, “Thank you, Edward.”

They walked together this time, hand in hand, up the steps and through the door. Harry released a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, and they entered a beautifully decorated living room; there was a long, dark-grey sectional that dominated the room, which also had high-beam ceilings and soft-grey wood flooring, quite unlike anything Harry had ever seen before. The whole place smelled of sweet flowers and Harry was immediately enchanted.

A soft laugh came from around the corner and he looked back at Edward, who nodded encouragingly.

They made their way across the room and went around the corner into another room, which turned out to be the kitchen, and ran into 4 other members of the Cullen family.

2 of them, Rosalie and Emmett, he had seen at the high school, and they were seated at the dining table that had been positioned along the windows on the far side of the room. The other two were moving around the kitchen, cooking, while a T.V. played a cooking show at a low volume. The laughter was coming from the female vampire in the kitchen and her face was so vaguely reminiscent of his mother that Harry’s breath caught in his throat.

The sound caused her to look up and smile warmly and Harry was… shocked.

“You must be Harry… Or do you prefer Daniel?” She asked, still fixing him with that warm smile.

“I-I… Please, call me Harry. I only go by Daniel in public,” Harry hurried to explain, stuttering over his first attempts to talk.

“It’s so lovely to meet you, dear. My name is Esme, and this,” she said, pointing to the vampire to her right, “Is my husband, Carlisle. The two sitting at the table are Rosalie and Emmett.”

Harry looked at each of them as she introduced them and they each of them gave him varying degrees of smiles.

“It’s a pleasure to meet everyone!” Harry said, voice slightly too high.

“Please, come have a seat wherever you’d like. You’ve given us an excuse to finally use the kitchen,” Esme explained, lightly nodding her head to the chairs and stools placed around the room.

Harry hesitated, unsure of where to sit, and Edward let out a soft laugh before leading them towards a row of stools at a standalone island.

“We didn’t know what you’d like, so we settled on a simple filet and a Caesar salad. I hope that’s okay?” Esme continued, once they had sat down.

“That sounds wonderful. Anything would have been fine, actually… I didn’t expect this, considering… our situation.” Harry replied.

Emmett laughed now, from their left, and said, “You mean, considering we’re vampires.”

Harry turned and Emmett was grinning broadly.

“Yeah, exactly. It means a lot that you’d go to the trouble…” Harry trailed off.

“Harry, it’s our pleasure, really. I’ve not seen Esme this excited in quite some time,” Carlisle said.

“Now, Edward has been quite evasive when it comes to questions regarding you. Are you… comfortable sharing your story with us? I’m quite curious how Edward came to find his mate, and why you are so calm” Esme asked.

Harry opened his mouth to reply when two thumps to his left distracted him. He looked over and the other two vampires, Alice and Jasper, from the cafeteria, walked in, with the smaller of the two walking quickly towards Harry.  When she reached him, she turned his chair and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Oh, Harry, it is so good to meet you. We are going to be best friends!” Alice said as she stepped back and held him at arm’s length.

“And these are our other two children, Alice and Jasper,” Carlisle explained.

Jasper inclined his head politely, obviously not as outwardly friendly as Alice.

“Alice, what are you doing?” Edward asked.

“Don’t worry, Edward. You know I’ve already seen this, Harry is perfectly fine,” Alice replied.

At Harry’s confused look, Alice continued, “I can see the future; usually by choice, sometimes at random.”

“Oh, I see. We have something similar in the wizarding world. We call them ‘seer’s’,” Harry replied.

“Wizarding? As in, magic?” Carlisle asked.

Harry nodded, “Yes, and to partially answer you, Esme, that is probably why I’m not freaking out. Well, that and nothing in my life ever goes the way I think it will… Honestly, I don’t mind sharing my story, if you want to know it.”

Esme had just plated him the steak and salad and set it in front of him on the island.

“I… excuse me, we would love to hear it,” Esme replied, making a broad gesture to the others in the room.

And as he did the other night, Harry explained to them how his life had gone as he ate the delicious meal they had prepared. He did slightly alter the story of his childhood before Hogwarts, and Edward noticed, if his eye brow going up was any indication.

The vampires around the room were very quiet as he explained how year after year, something always seemed to happen, and when he got to the part of him planning on leaving, Esme finally spoke, “The world you left behind… They truly lost something beautiful, but I am so glad you decided to leave. You’ve lived through true horrors, many times over, and yet you remain a delicate soul. Edward could not be luckier to have you as a mate.”

Harry blushed, not sure how to handle such a genuine compliment, but still murmured a, “Thank you, Esme.”

“We have we never heard of wizards, and witches, and magic? Surely they have magic here in the States,” Emmett asked.

“They most definitely do. Magic is… all around you. If I was of age, and not able to be tracked by the ministry, I could show you some simple spells. But I’ll admit, this is the first time in my life meeting vampires outside of a classroom, so I can’t say for certain, but there was an International Statute of Secrecy established back in the 1600’s, after the global witch trials actually started to damage our population,” Harry explained.

“Carlisle was born in 1640. You mean to tell me that the witch trials back in his day were real?” Rosalie asked.

“Very much so, and it was directly responsible for the magic world separating from the muggle world and we’ve lived in secrecy since then. Most vampires that I’ve heard of have their own types of magic, such as Edward’s mind reading, or Alice’s vision, but I’ve yet to meet a wizard who turned into a vampire. Vampires are usually… outsiders, in our world,” Harry answered.

“Why?” Esme asked, confused.

“Well, I don’t know about the American government, but in Europe, vampires, werewolves, vela, and many other beings are labeled dark, or dangerous, and as such, it’s extremely hard for them to find work or love, or even places to live,” Harry replied.

It was quiet for a beat, before Esme spoke quietly, “I think I am even happier that you’ve left. It does not sound like a very accommodating culture.”

“As I’ve gotten older, myself and my friends, we’ve noticed the inequalities. In my third year, you’ll remember that my defense professor was a werewolf, and he was one of the most brilliant professors we had. He was forced to resign at the end of the year because someone let it leak that he was a werewolf and they refused to let someone with his affliction teach children. We really hoped to make a difference, some day,” Harry said.

“You’re a very kind person, Harry. I speak for everyone in the family when I say that we are delighted to have you with us. I hope we get to meet your friends someday, they sound just as special,” Esme told him, walking around the counter before holding her arms open.

Harry accepted the hug, unable to chase away the images of his mum and the very real Esme, the two of which were clashing in his head. He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know if expressing what was he was thinking was even appropriate, seeing as how he’d just met her. And it was Edward’s mum, not his, so he settled on hugging her back tightly, trying to re-arrange his thoughts as he did so.

When he pulled back, Harry noticed that the vampires around the room had broken off into small groups, talking amongst themselves. His face colored brightly when he couldn’t tell how long they’d been hugging, and then Edward was suddenly at his side, standing to the side of Harry and Esme.

“I think I need some fresh air. Would you mind excusing us, mother?” Edward asked, voice trying to conceal a hidden meaning that Harry could not begin to unravel, and Harry watched as Esme’s eyes jerked ever so slightly towards Edward’s before she smiled slightly and nodded.

“Of course, Edward,” Esme agreed, “Harry, please don’t hesitate to ask for anything you need, and let us know if you’re planning on staying for dinner. I’d love another chance to cook.”

“Y-yeah, Esme, of course. Thank you, for all of this… it means more than you know,” Harry said, sliding off the stool and following Edward’s lead out of the kitchen, not stopping to talk to anyone else, but genuinely needing that fresh air.

He followed Edward through the house and up the stairs, watching the vampires back with focus until he literally crashed into him when Edward stopped suddenly.

“Sorry,” Harry muttered instinctually, looking around the room they were now in. It was decorated in bright white colors with a couple of pieces of wooden dressers skillfully placed to offset the stark whiteness. The entire right side of the room was dominated by a huge bookcase with a massive collection of CD’s and books, and in the center of it all, an expensive looking sound system, something Harry had only seen in muggle electronics stores. The left side of the room had a soft looking couch pressed up against the floor-to-ceiling window that ran the length of the wall. Directly across from them, on the back wall, was a door that had been opened, letting the cool air from outside perfectly temper the room.

Edward had been watching him as Harry took the room in, and when Harry looked into his eyes, Edward kissed him. Unhurried, soft and tender; it made a shiver run down Harry’s back. Harry backed him into the couch and let Edward pull him into his lap, where Harry deepened the kiss. For long moments, all Harry could hear was his own rapid breathing and light smacks when their lips separated. It had, quite effectively, derailed his earlier train of thought.

When Edward’s ice-cold hands idly drifted under his shirt and played at his sides, Harry broke the kiss as he sucked in a surprised breath.

“Sorry,” Edward said with a grin.

“It’s okay,” Harry replied, resting his forehead on Edward’s, “Once I’m 17 and the trace is gone, I’ll be able to cast a warming charm and then we won’t have to worry… in theory, anyways.”

“Mmm, I can’t wait to see this… magic that you’ve got,” Edward said before asking, “July 31^st, right?”

“I don’t know how you remember everything so well,” Harry answered, “but yeah, July 31^st. I think Draco’s is sometime in June… I’ll have to ask.”

“It’s one of the few perks of being a vampire, my love. I can recall just about everything that’s happened since I was turned,” Edward explained.

“Y-you remember everything from the past 100 years?” Harry asked incredulously.

“Everything since 1918, yes. Carlisle could probably tell you about the last 300 years if you cared to know,” Edward said.

“Blimey, that’s incredible... and definitely not mentioned in our defense books,” Harry replied.

“Not many people would be able to get near a vampire to ask our secrets, right? I can tell you things about vampires that I couldn’t tell anyone else, simply because you are my mate,” Edward told him, “all you’ve got to do is ask.”

“Okay… Hmm… How many of you are there? Like, in total,” Harry asked.

“Vampires? World-wide?   Due to fighting and… certain rules that we have to abide by, I’d say there’s probably less than 50,000 across the 7 continents. You’ll find a lot in the eastern continents, probably a couple of thousand near Italy and Romania,” Edward answered.

“Italy and Romania? What’s so special there?” Harry questioned.

“Volterra, Italy, specifically… and it’s where the Volturi reside. They are kind of the vampire secret keepers, and they almost exclusively handle punishments if a vampire does something that could potentially expose us. A lot like your wizarding ministry… just more lethal,” Edward explained, “And Romania, specifically the Romanian coven, were the original Volturi. They ruled for millennia before the Volturi overthrew their power.”

“They were in power for that long and the Volturi overthrew them? Bloody hell, they must be dangerous,” Harry said, sounding slightly awed.

“They can be, Harry, but they are mostly peace-keepers. They’ve intervened in quite a few wars that would have devastated the balance of the world, and even Carlisle was with them for a short time,” Edward countered.

“Carlisle was with them?!” Harry squawked out.

Edward chuckled, “Yes, he studied in Italy for two decades, and he stayed with the Volturi as he did. That was back in the 1700’s, though.”

“Wow… well, alright… one last question… for now, anyways?” Harry asked.

“You can ask me 100 questions, Harry,” Edward said with a small chuckle.

“Have I met everyone, now? Everyone downstairs… that’s all your family, right?”

“Yes, that’s everyone. We do have some ‘cousins,’” Edward answered with air quotes, “that are up in Alaska. Really, it’s just another coven that feeds the same way we do, and we are close with them.”

Harry nodded, “Fair enough. I wish I had family for you to meet, but… ya know.”

 “I’ve gone the past 100 years, waiting for something, not knowing truly what it was, until I saw you standing in the cafeteria. It felt like… like my heart, or my soul, if such a thing still exists, was finally complete, Harry. You are the only thing I need, now. Everything else is just… a bonus.” Edward said, looking Harry in the eye the entire time.

“It doesn’t… scare you? I-I… I didn’t know how to explain it, but you’ve put it into words so easily. It honestly feels as though I found a missing part of me, and it was only yesterday for Merlin’s sake… and part of me wants to give you everything I have, but then this other part is terrified…” Harry mumbled out, tears coming to his eyes as he reached the end, and he had to look away.

“What scares you, my… Harry?” Edward asked quietly.

Harry looked back at him as a tear fell.

“This,” he said, using a finger to point between them, “this. I-I’m bloody scared that I am falling for you so easily, scared of what it means, and… I’m really scared that I’m going to lose you.”

Edward had opened his mouth to speak, but had closed it when Harry finished.

“Nothing in my life is ever this easy… and nothing in my life ever stays good. H-Hermione thinks that it’s because of the prophecy, and that any attempt me or Voldemort make at ‘living’ instead of just surviving, then fate or whatever you want to call it… it stops us.”

Edward brought him down into a hug, and Harry tucked his face into his neck, breathing deep and trying to get his emotions in check.

“I can’t say one way or the other what this prophecy controls, or if fate even exists. But if it does, then that means you being in that cafeteria, us meeting… It’s no coincidence. What I can tell you is that short of my absolute destruction, I’ll never leave you. It’s true that we’ve only just met, but I know with every fiber of my existence, that it’s you I’m meant to be with… and that’s enough for me…” Edward trailed off, running his hands up and down Harry’s back.

Harry pulled back and cupped Edward’s face in his hands, “Promise you won’t leave?”

“You have my word,” Edward answered easily.

Harry leaned in and kissed him, feeling better, but still unable to chase away the doubt that something, somehow was going to go wrong. But while this, whatever this was, lasted, he was going to take all the comfort he could from it.

---

The rest of the week passed by quickly for Harry; Edward had gone back to school, and Harry passed the time teaching Draco how to drive. The blonde learned extremely quickly, and when Harry told him to start thinking about what he wanted Harry to get for him, Draco requested his help.

“Honestly, Harry, as if I could begin to know what I wanted,” Draco said on Friday afternoon.

“I can help you, obviously. I was thinking about asking Edward if he wanted to go clothes shopping in Port Angeles this weekend, since both of us have limited wardrobes, and I would like to get a laptop or a phone… It would be easy enough to search the internet for options, then,” Harry replied.

 They were still waiting for the book Draco had requested from the goblins, and Harry was starting to get itchy spending so much time with Edward and not doing things… He needed to stay busy, so this was his plan. And Draco had confirmed that his birthday was on the 5^th of June, exactly two weeks away, so Harry wanted to have the time to find a vehicle he would like and arrange for delivery by that date.

Draco nodded, “Alright that sounds fine. I wouldn’t mind having some more clothes, if I’m being honest. I almost had to wear nothing but my robes around the house while waiting for that infernal washing machine to finish my clothes.”

“You what?” Harry asked, laughing.

“Whatever, Potter. Just you wait until you realize you’ve nothing clean and have to wait ages for that thing to wash,” Draco replied primly.

“Yeah, sure, whatever you say, Draco. Look, it’s almost time for Edward to be out of school. You wanna drive us there today?” Harry queried, moving toward his hoodie that was on the coat rack and throwing it on.

“Are you being serious?” Draco returned.

“Yes, of course. You’ve done amazingly well this past week, and I honestly think you’ll be okay driving 25 mph down the road. Just remember not to panic and we’ll be fine,” Harry said easily before tossing him the keys.

“Alright, yeah, let’s go then,” Draco said, catching the keys and heading outside.

Harry huffed out a small laugh and followed him.

---

The drive, as Harry expected, was uneventful, and even though Draco was obviously tense through the whole thing, he relaxed considerably when they pulled into the parking lot.

“Alright, not so bad, really,” Draco said, letting his breath out steadily.

“I told you, Thomas. You need to let go of that self-doubt; you’re already loads better than most people, in my opinion,” Harry told him.

Draco was saved a response when the school bell rang and kids came filing out of the school’s doors. They didn’t have to wait long before the Cullen’s showed up, Edward breaking off from his siblings when he caught sight of Harry, who had stepped out of the car.

Harry had been there every day, waiting, and each day Edward met him with a toe-curling kiss that, even though Harry felt everyone staring, made him feel like they were the only people on Earth. When Harry eventually pulled away, always the first one needing a breath, damn Edward and his lack of need of air, Edward smiled easily.

“Hello, my love. I see you’ve brought company today,” Edward greeted.

“Yeah, I figured it would be okay if he came with us to your house,” Harry replied.

“Not a problem at all. The family has been wanting to meet him; they’re just too polite to say anything.”

“Oh… You should have told me! I think Draco has been a bit bored whenever I leave, anyways… I feel kinda bad.”

“Well, his thoughts are growing slightly impatient, so let’s not keep him waiting,” Edward said, and pulled Harry into the back seat with him.

Harry followed him easily and spoke to Draco when they were seated, “Uh, you don’t mind driving the rest of the way, right? It’s literally right down the street.”

Draco rolled his eyes before responding, “No, Daniel, I don’t mind. Just tell me where to go. Hello, Edward.”

“Good afternoon, Thomas. How are you doing?” Edward returned.

“Great, great… willingly about to walk into a coven of vampires… I’m just bloody great.”

Edward smiled his crooked smile as Harry leaned his head on Edward’s shoulder.

“Yeah, what a weird world we live in,” Edward agreed.

---

Driving to the Cullen residence was a simple matter of turning twice and then following a road, and it took less than 5 minutes before they were pulling up to the house. They had been followed by Edward’s siblings, and they all got out together, Draco following Harry extremely closely. When they arrived inside, Harry took Draco on a short tour of the first floor, showing him the kitchen and the bathroom, before returning to the living room and making introductions.

“Draco, this is Rosalie and her partner, Emmett. Next to them you’ve got Alice and her partner, Jasper. You know Edward, obviously,” Harry said, gesturing to each of them as he said their names.

Each of the vampires raised a hand in greeting as Draco bounced between ‘hello’ and ‘nice to meet you.’

As Harry got done introducing the people in the room, Esme entered the room on silent steps.

“Harry, dear, it’s so lovely to see you. And you’ve brought a friend!” she said, delighted.

“Hey, Esme, yeah I did. This is Draco,” Harry replied, dragging Draco in front of him, “Draco, meet Esme, their mum.”

 “You have a beautiful home,” Draco quickly said, “thank you for having me.”

“Oh, stop it, it’s nothing, really,” Esme said, playfully swatting her hands at him, “can I get either of you anything to drink? We’ve got just about anything you could want.”

“I wouldn’t mind some coffee, if you’ve got any,” Harry asked.

“I’ll have the same,” Draco inserted.

“Of course, you two have a seat and make yourselves at home. I’ll be right back,” Esme answered.

Harry moved and sat next to Edward, cuddling up to him when Edward put an arm around his shoulders. Draco chose the armchair, eyes slightly closing as he seemed to be absorbed by the material.

“Merlin, this is a good chair,” Draco murmured.

“Esme’s doing,” Edward said in reply, “she designed the entire house, actually.”

“Oh, that reminds me. Do you have plans for the weekend?” Harry asked Edward.

A gasp from his left made Harry turn wide-eyes toward the source: Alice.

She had a smile breaking out over her face and it looked slightly deranged. Edward just groaned and let his head hit the back of the couch they were on.

“What did I miss?” Harry asked, amused.

“Never, ever, mention anything shopping related around Alice,” Edward explained.

“Oh! Alice, would you like to join us? Draco and I find ourselves lacking in the clothing department, and I’d really like to get a phone, or a laptop… something that will get us access to the Internet,” Harry offered.

Another groan from Edward before Harry found himself with arms now full of Alice. She had quite expertly inserted herself between Harry and Edward.

“Oh, I just knew that we were going to get along. I would love to join you!” She said, excitedly.

“That’s wonderful,” Harry said, “That honestly goes for anyone. If you want to join, I don’t mind at all.”

Jasper and Emmett quickly declined but Rosalie said, “Thank you for the invitation, Harry. I wouldn’t mind tagging along. What did you have in mind? Port Angeles or something bigger?”

“I was thinking Port Angeles, but I’ve not been before, so I’m not sure. What do you guys think?” Harry asked.

Alice looked at Rosalie for a moment before replying, “We could probably make do with Port Angeles. If you want anything designer or personally fitted, though, we should probably go to Seattle.”

“I… don’t really mind either way. Draco? Edward?” Harry questioned the other two.

Edward shook his head, which was still thrown back dramatically.

“It’s not my money I’m spending, Harry. Whatever you want to do is fine with me,” Draco answered.

“I told you to stop worrying about that,” Harry said with a frown.

Draco just shrugged as Esme came back into the room with a tray that had two steaming mugs of coffee, with cream and sugar placed on the side, and two pieces of tiramisu that had been plated with blueberries and blackberries.

“That looks delicious, Esme,” Harry complimented.

“You’re a darling for saying that, Harry, but I’m not so sure about the taste. It’s been quite some time since I’ve made it, honestly,” Esme replied, warm smile firmly in place.

Draco scooted off his chair and settled on the floor, legs off to one side, looking all prim and proper, before gratefully accepting a plate and a cup of coffee.

Harry hurried down and sat next to him, accepting a plate and cup from Esme before grabbing a spoon and preparing a bite.

“Cheers,” he said to Draco, and together, they ate the dessert.

The explosion of flavor as cream, and espresso, and cocoa powder hit their tongues pulled soft sounds of gratitude from both of them. There was a barely noticeable taste of rum and subtle sweetness that Harry couldn’t put his finger on, but it was delicious. Draco had still not opened his eyes, savoring the treat.

Harry realized that Esme was watching them, and though it was obvious how much they enjoyed it, he still said, “That is the best tiramisu I’ve ever had.”

Draco reached out for his mug and took a small sip of his coffee and a smile curled as he opened his eyes.

“I second that, actually. I didn’t know it could be done so well,” Draco agreed.

Esme beamed with pride, “You two… you flatter me.”

She retreated into the kitchen quickly after that and Harry looked after her, slightly worried.

Edward leaned forward and whispered, “You just really made her happy. I think if we had the ability to cry, she might be dabbing her eyes in there.”

“Oh, I understand,” Harry replied.

“Anyways!” Alice said suddenly, causing Harry and Draco to jump.

“Alice! Oh, I’m so sorry. We kind of got distracted… Uh, yeah… Port Angeles or Seattle? Let’s go to Seattle, we’ll make a whole day of it or something,” Harry offered.

“Yes! Oh my god, it’s going to be wonderful. Come on Rosalie, we need to plan!” Alice said, rushing over to the blonde vampire and dragging her off the couch.

Rosalie, though trying to hide it, left with almost the same look of excitement that Alice had.

“I think we might be in a little trouble, Draco,” Harry said, watching them retreat upstairs.

“Oh, you have no idea,” Emmett and Jasper said together. Edward just sighed from the couch.

---

The girls emerged when Draco, Harry, and Edward were getting ready to leave. They had had another wonderful meal cooked by Esme, this time it was oven-baked tri-tip roast and homemade macaroni and cheese, with roasted carrots and broccoli. Harry had had second helpings of everything, along with Draco, and they were both feeling full and content.

“We’ll meet up with you guys tomorrow morning. How about the gas station here in town, let’s say around 7:30 am? It’s a few hours’ drive to Seattle, and it’ll be the weekend, so traffic might be bad once we get closer,” Alice suggested.

“Sure, Alice, that sounds fine with me,” Harry agreed easily.

“Awesome! See you tomorrow morning, boys,” Alice said, wrapping Harry up in a hug before disappearing with Rosalie again.

---

Chapter Text

5,000 Miles Away, Hogwarts:

--- Saturday, 2 am ---
Dumbledore was deep inside the Forbidden Forest, standing in a clearing he’d found many years ago; a perfect place for dealing with… unsavory, but often times necessary, people.

He had been waiting for nearly an hour, but he knew that showing his irritation could spell disaster, so he continued to wait, arms crossed, metal finger keeping a steady rhythm of tapping against his arm. Eventually, he felt a shift in the magic around him, immediately alerting him to their presence. The world around him darkened, the moonlight blacked out, and Dumbledore felt as if I hand was pressing on his chest, making it impossible to get a full breath.

“What do you require of us, old man?” a voice asked viciously.

“I-I n-need you to f-find someone and b-bring them back to me,” Dumbledore struggled to get out.

“We are not dogs; we do not fetch,” the voice spoke harshly.

“I u-understand that, but this person i-is important,” Dumbledore tried to explain.

“You’re wasting our time,” the voice said, and Dumbledore was thrown backwards, landing hard against a tree-trunk where he was held.

“H-Harry P-Potter… dead,” Dumbledore rasped out.

He was released from the tree, and he fell to a heap on the ground.

“You, mighty Dumbledore, are incapable of killing a child? You’re pathetic,” the voice taunted.

“H-he ran away,” Dumbledore replied, and silence reigned for a moment following his statement.

“Have you got anything of his? Preferably blood, hair, semen…” the voice asked.

Dumbledore fished around in his robes before pulling out a small vial of Harry’s blood.

“It’s n-not much, and it’s old, t-taken a year ago when I needed to t-test a potion,” Dumbledore explained, wishing that he could fill his lungs with air.

“Your explanation is not needed. Give us the vial and we’ll begin,” the voice demanded.

Dumbledore held the vial out into the darkness and recoiled when it was snatched from his hand.

“H-how long until you f-find him?” Dumbledore asked.

“Bore someone else with your questions, old man. You know where to send payment; we’ll be waiting,” the voice said, and as quickly as they had come, they were gone.

Dumbledore fell to his knees, dragging air into his lungs with ragged gasps.

Tears ran down his face as he said, “Forgive me, Harry.”

---

5,000 Miles Away, Forks:

--- Saturday Morning ---

Harry had hardly been able to sleep the night before; he was far too excited about their trip this morning, and he was up and in the shower by 6:30 am. Edward, Harry could tell, was restraining himself when Harry came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. Harry, for his part, had been restraining himself, too; scared of going further in case it led to disaster, and wanting to give Draco a chance to research what was happening.

As if waiting for him to think about it again, a tapping came from the window and Harry was delighted to see Hedwig standing there with a wrapped package resting at her feet.

Harry rushed over and opened the window, allowing her to jump in as he scooped the package up. She hooted softly when he ran a hand down her back and said, “Thank you, Hedwig, I really appreciate you.”

“Is that the book Draco requested?” Edward asked curiously.

“Let me check, but I’m pretty sure it is,” Harry said as he tore the wrapping off.

It was titled: Soul Magiks: Is It Real? By Aileen Ironwood and Harry smiled.

“Yup, this is it. Hopefully, it will have some answers…” Harry confirmed.

“Mhmm, perhaps; maybe give it to him on the car ride? He should have plenty of time to read it then,” Edward suggested.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea. Let me get dressed and then we can head downstairs for some food,” Harry replied.

“I’ll meet you down there. The view is… too good up here,” Edward said, leaving the room before Harry had a chance to reply.

At least he wasn’t the only one struggling to control his urges.

---

When Harry walked downstairs, book tucked under his arm, Draco was already in the kitchen, sipping coffee and munching on some toast. Harry walked up to him and handed him the book.

“It arrived this morning,” Harry explained, “I, uh, well, we would like to know if you could take a look at it today?”

Draco looked at Harry, and then to Edward, who was sitting on the couch, looking very disinterested in their conversation, before he turned back to Harry.

“Sure thing, Potter,” Draco said, amusement in his voice, and he reached out and took the book.

“Thanks, Draco,” Harry replied.

---

They arrived at the gas station at exactly 7:30 am, pulling up to Rosalie and Alice, who were sitting behind the wheel of a Mercedes SL 550 Roadster. Harry rolled the window down as he came to a stop next to their car.

“Morning, Rosalie, Alice,” Harry said happily.

“Morning, boys. You ready to hit the road?” Rosalie replied.

“Yeah, we’ll follow you. Have you decided all what we’re doing today?” Harry asked.

“It’s a surprise, Harry!” Alice chimed in.

“Haha, alright. You guys lead the way to this mystery destination, and we’ll try not to die from the suspense,” Harry said.

“Try to keep up,” Rosalie said with a grin before she took off.

---

It was like a race, trying to keep up with Rosalie, and it was a very good thing Harry was comfortable driving fast. The pair of cars weaved in and out of traffic, and with Alice using her ability to see the future, and Edward his ability to read minds, they avoided accidents easily and Harry was feeling borderline euphoric, high off the adrenaline rushing through his veins. Eventually, Rosalie slowed the pace and Harry continued to follow, now catching the view while also making sure he didn't crash, as they rolled through downtown Seattle, before eventually arriving at an upscale-looking building that advertised itself as the ‘Four Seasons Hotel – Seattle’, causing Harry to look over at Edward in confusion.

“Are we… staying here?” Harry questioned.

“It’s kind of part of their surprise, but since we’re already here… They might have rented a few of the suites,” Edward replied, “Things will go much smoother if you just let them have their way.”

Harry sighed; if this was the first stop, he was worried about what else they had planned. He was interrupted from his musing’s by a light tap on his window, and was greeted by a man in a dark suit when he rolled his window down.

“Good morning, sirs. Did we have reservations, or are we walk-ins today?” He asked politely.

“Reservations, I think. We’re with those ladies,” Harry said, pointing at Rosalie and Alice, who had just gotten out of their car and handed the keys to another man.

“Ah, I see, sir. We have a complimentary valet service, if you’d like. I can park your vehicle while you go and get checked in,” the man offered.

“Sure, that should be fine,” Harry said, and the three of them exited the car, Harry handing the keys to the valet, who handed him a slip in return.

“Simply provide that stub and we can retrieve your vehicle, whenever you wish,” the man explained.

“Uh, right. Thank you,” Harry said, pocketing the stub before turning to Edward and Draco, “Let’s go see what we’ve got ourselves into, yeah?”

Rosalie and Alice were waiting by the lobby doors, and Alice spoke as they walked up to them, “Finally! We’ve got so much to do, and we wanted to show you part of the surprise! Come on, follow us.”

Without waiting for a response, the two girls turned and walked inside, leaving the others to scramble and catch up to them. They walked to the front desk and greeted the receptionist with big smiles.

“Reservations for Cullen,” Rosalie said.

The lady punched a few keys on her keyboard and replied, “Ahh yes, I have you here. You’ve got the Presidential suite and the two-bedroom bay suite, is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s correct,” Rosalie answered, sliding her ID across the counter.

The lady picked up her ID and ran it through a machine before handing it back, “It’s my great pleasure to welcome you to the Four Seasons Hotel. If you’ll follow Andrew, he’ll show you to your rooms and give you your room keys. If you have any luggage, please allow one of our bellhops to assist you with transporting it to your rooms.”

“No luggage to speak of… yet. You’ve been a big help, though, thank you,” Alice inserted, before turning to the boys, “Come along, just a quick tour of the rooms and we’re out of here.”

They followed Andrew, a younger man in his early 20’s with dirty-blonde hair and blue eyes, into an elevator, where he pressed the button for the 9^th floor.

“Have you guys stayed with us before?” He asked pleasantly on the trip up.

“We have; our two friends here, however, are visiting and have not,” Alice replied, pointing to Harry and Draco.

“I certainly hope you enjoy your stay,” Andrew said as the elevator dinged, and the doors slid open.

They followed him down the hallway and stopped in front of a door labeled Bay Suite, where Andrew slid the room key into the key reader which beeped, followed by the sound of the door unlocking.

“This is your two bedroom suite with a view of the bay,” Andrew explained, gesturing for them to head inside.

It was incredibly posh; more of an expensively decorated apartment than a hotel suite, and Harry and Draco were impressed. The two bathrooms were all marble and expensive fixtures; there was a fireplace in the main sitting area that also featured a massive window that overlooked Elliott Bay and Puget Sound.

“Alright, we’ve wasted enough time. Last room and then we gotta hit the streets,” Alice said, ushering them all out of the room.

They followed Andrew back to the elevator, where he pressed the button for the 10^th floor.

“This is the top floor of the hotel,” he explained, “everything above this floor is residential living, and requires special access.”

The elevator dinged again and the doors opened. There were only two doors on this floor, and Andrew took them to the one on the right, sliding the key into the door and granting them access.

“The Presidential suite, for your pleasure,” Andrew announced, gesturing for them to enter the room again.

This room put the other suite to shame; there was a dining area that would easy fit 8 people, probably more; the bathroom was all marble and shiny, expensive fixtures again and it featured a separate powder room with a shower; though it only had one room, Harry could see an entire family living here with no problem.

“For you and Edward,” Rosalie explained, coming up behind Harry as he looked out the window.

“This is… a lot. Way more than I ever expected,” Harry replied.

“We don’t get to do flashy, expensive trips like this all the time. But for you and Draco, and this being your first time, well… we had to make it special,” Rosalie said.

 “Well, let’s not keep Alice waiting, then,” Harry suggested, just as Alice yelled out, “Alright! Time to go!”

“I promise, the fun stuff hasn’t even happened yet,” Rosalie said, looping her arm through his and leading them out of the room.

---

By the end of the day, Harry understood why all the male vampires had declined to come. Rosalie and Alice had taken them from store to store, getting them fitted for, admittedly, beautiful suits from a shop called Beckett & Robb, before whisking them away to a myriad of other shops: Mario’s, Indochino’s, Eames NW, Filson, Dolce & Gabbana, no less than 3 different shoe stores, a cell phone provider, and a computer store. They stopped at an amazing steakhouse for lunch in the middle of the day where Harry and Draco tried to subtly take their time eating to allow their already aching feet a break, before the girls had them up and off again.

Needless to say, by the time they called for a taxi back to the hotel, the humans in the group were tired, and Harry was very much looking forward to curling up in the massive bed in the too large suite with his wonderful boyfriend who had suffered through the trip with them.

Not to say that Harry didn’t enjoy it; he was just the type of person who went to one store and bought everything he needed there. Even Draco, who Harry assumed had spent a lot of time shopping, seemed to be run down by the end, though none of the males dared to complain. Alice and Rosalie had obviously tried very hard to make sure that Harry and Draco were taken care of, and that’s just not something you make a fuss about.

Harry was currently leaning into Edward, who had his arm wrapped around him as they waited for their cab. They had so many bags between them, and Harry would probably be slightly sick to think of how much money they’d spent, but the vampires hadn’t let them pay for a single thing. It was a little annoying to be constantly shot down when Harry reached for his money to pay, but when Edward had pulled him to the side after the third time, and told him to ‘let them have their fun,’ Harry acquiesced.

When their cab, or as Alice kept calling it, their ‘Uber,’ finally arrived, a hulking black SUV with dark tinted windows, it took them a few moments to stow all the bags in the back before they climbed in for the short 10 minute drive back to the hotel.

“Alice, Rosalie,” Harry said a few minutes into the quiet ride, “I just wanted to… ya know, say thanks. I’m not really used to anyone going through that much trouble for me.”

“Yes, I quite agree. You have my deepest gratitude,” Draco added.

“Goodness, you two. Lighten up! We just wanted to make sure you guys had a good time, and any time that we get to go shopping all day is a reward in itself,” Alice replied, “… but you’re very welcome.”

The slipped back into silence and Harry snuggled closer to Edward, needing the contact for a reason he couldn’t explain; Edward hugged him close and rested his head atop Harry’s.

They had almost arrived back to the hotel when Draco gasped. He’d been reading the book on soul mates next to a little courtesy light that was on the back of the driver’s seat; Harry figured he’d had to be almost done with it, since he’d taken to reading it every chance he got throughout the day.

“We need to talk!” Draco said, trying to whip around and face him, but getting caught by the seatbelt.

Harry snorted, unable to stop himself.

“I’m being serious. I need to speak to both of you, actually,” Draco added, successfully turning around to look at Harry and Edward. He gave them a very pointed look before turning around and closing his book.

“Hey, Alice, Rose… is there a pool here… no, better yet, a hot tub?” Harry asked as they pulled up to the hotel.

“Yes,” Rosalie answered, “On the fourth floor. They have a deck with an infinity pool and a hot tub.”

“Thank you,” Harry replied, before turning to Draco, “We’ll take all the stuff to the rooms and then Edward and I will meet you there, okay?”

 Draco nodded, but before they were able to grab anything, 2 bellhops appeared.

“Good evening, sir’s and madam’s, can we possibly be of assistance?” one of them asked.

“Oh, you’re simply wonderful,” Rosalie simpered, “Would you be so kind? We’re on the 9^th and 10^th floors.”

“Absolutely,” the other replied, bringing forward a luggage cart.

Together, the two bellhops were able to get the cart loaded, and what didn’t fit was much easier to manage, and they were soon all headed up the elevator and to the rooms.

As the bell dinged on the 9^th floor and the doors opened, Alice stopped them before they could go further.

“Just a sec,” she said, and began looking through a group of Harry’s bags from Mario’s, before pulling a pair of teal swim shorts out, “I think you’re going to need these.”

“You’re wonderful, Alice. Thank you,” Harry said.

“It’s nothing, H- Daniel. Now go and get changed,” Alice replied, lightly pushing Harry back into the waiting elevator, looking slightly abashed that she almost called him Harry.

---

The thought of Draco finding something of substance in the book spurred Harry into changing rapidly, though Edward still beat him with his unfair, inhuman speed. All thoughts of curling up in bed were forgotten, and not even the hunger that had slowly been creeping in for the past hour slowed Harry down, and they soon found themselves on the fourth floor deck, looking at a beautiful infinity pool with a detached hot tub.

A quick scan of the area showed Draco gingerly stepping into the steaming hot water, but Harry didn’t see anyone else; they made their way over to the blonde and also got in.

Harry sighed deeply as he sank down to the seat; two well placed jets hitting just the right spots on his back. Edward followed him, hardly breaking contact as they got in, and placed an arm around Harry’s shoulders as soon as he was sitting. It was quite nice; the contrast of the almost too hot water, and Edward’s ice-cold skin. Harry had completely relaxed, letting his eyes fall shut, before Draco spoke.

“So, I think I know what’s going on,” Draco said, not beating around the proverbial bush.

Harry opened an eye and regarded him for a moment before replying, “Is it going to ruin our day?”

“I… don’t think so. But knowing you, and your views on fate, I don’t really know,” Draco answered.

Edward flexed his arm slightly, but didn’t comment.

“Alright, lay it on me,” Harry said with a small sigh.

“Well, the book was pretty much useless except for the last bloody chapter. It waffles on and on about how rare and uncommon it is for soul bonds to even exist, and the lengths the author had to go to find someone who had a soul bond. Apparently, she spent over 70 years looking, and she didn’t even… you know what, it doesn’t matter. Long story short, from what I’ve read, and seen, you two are definitely soul mates. The author could have saved us all some time if she would have just listed the effin characteristics in the beginning, and not the end.

“Now, according to the book, soul mates are ‘destined’ to find each other, and once they do, separating them for long periods of time is inadvisable and destructive to the pair in question. I don’t know if you two have noticed, but this past week you two have become increasingly inseparable and all touchy feely,” Draco explained.

“So… you’re saying that it was our destiny to meet,” Harry asked, frowning slightly and not wholly believing any of it.

“Well, that’s what it says. And… uh… the sexual tension is another big indication,” Draco replied, not looking at them.

Harry’s cheeks went red but Edward just let out a small huff of laughter.

“Look, what I’m trying to say is, I don’t think you need to worry, Daniel. I’m definitely not, at least not anymore… I think I’m more shocked that you’ve somehow just added another impossible feat to your already substantial list. At least this one is, for once, a good thing,” Draco said.

Harry laughed humorlessly, “I’m a walking anomaly. Thanks, Thomas.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” Draco replied, rolling his eyes.

“So… what we talked about the other night… that’s normal?” Harry asked timidly.

 “As normal as anything surrounding Daniel Lewis could possibly be,” Draco confirmed with a smirk.

It was Harry’s turn to roll his eyes, this time at Draco’s obvious amusement at using their fake names.

Harry’s brain finally caught up to what Draco had told them, though. If this was a soul bond… That meant Harry and Edward were… what? Going to be together forever? He looked over at Edward and met topaz eyes burning with that hungry desire and Harry’s mouth ran dry.

“Uh D-Dr,” Harry stammered out, shaking his head, “I mean. Thomas. Edward and I need to… talk. We’ll see you in the morning, yeah?”

Draco snorted, “Yeah, alright Daniel. See you two tomorrow.”

Edward didn’t need telling twice, following Harry’s quick steps away from the hot tub with ease; they made it to the elevator before Harry found himself wrapped up in Edward’s arms, lips meeting harshly as they crashed into the back of the cart. Edward broke the kiss with an impatient growl and slammed the 10 button before resuming his ministrations. He pulled up Harry’s thighs, and Harry found himself wrapping his legs around his waist again, letting himself get lost in Edward. He didn’t hear or see anything after that until Edward was gently sitting him down on the counter in their massive bathroom.

“Edward, what…” Harry started to say before he realized they were back in their room.

“I thought maybe we could take a shower?” Edward suggested.

Harry looked the vampire up and down, a shiver going down his spine. He nodded, not trusting his voice to work.

Edward smiled his crooked smile and leaned forward to press a light kiss to Harry’s lips before fully stepping away and walking towards the shower, letting his swim trunks fall as he did so.

Desire, plain and simple desire ripped through Harry and he scooted off the counter, following Edward’s lead and stripping before he entered the stall. Edward already had the water turned to a comfortable temperature and Harry was able to walk up behind him and wrap his arms around his waist, pressing a kiss to his shoulder blade as he did.

Edward turned around and cupped Harry’s cheek with a hand, stroking his face ever so softly, before bringing their lips together again. Their tongues met and Harry’s hand found its way into Edward’s hair, trying to pull Edward closer, his other hand running slowly up and down Edward’s back.

Neither of them were hurried in their movements, letting their arousal build as the minutes passed, until Edward moved his hands down Harry’s sides, stopping at his waist, and pulled them the remaining few inches together. Harry’s breath hitched as their straining cocks met, so much better than that first night, and now Edward was the only thing that existed. Harry bit his lower lip as Edward moved from his mouth, pressing kisses down his neck and across his collarbone. His fingers raked Edward’s back as he moved them down the vampire’s stone body, settling them on his impossibly firm arse. A moan left Harry’s mouth as Edward lightly bit at the mark he’d made on Harry’s neck earlier that week, and Harry’s cock bobbed as pleasure raced through him.

“Bed?” Edward asked with lust thick in his voice.

“Y-yeah,” Harry replied shakily.

The water shut off and Edward took his hand, leading them out of the shower and into the bedroom, grabbing a towel as they walked by the rack. Edward stopped them at the edge of the bed and sank gracefully to his knees, drying Harry’s legs off while looking up at him and Harry couldn’t resist running his hands through Edward’s dripping hair. The vampire continued drying him off, rising up off his knees as he moved upward before gently toweling through Harry’s hair. When he was finished, he dried his own hair quickly and then tossed the towel over his shoulder. Edward wasted no time in pressing Harry backward onto the bed, following him as he scooted back up to the pillows.

Harry wrapped his arms around Edward’s neck and brought him in for another kiss, moaning deeply when Edward settled comfortably on top of him. Harry wasn’t aware he was shaking until Edward broke the kiss.

“Harry, we seem to be facing a logistical issue. You’re freezing,” Edward said.

“Is there a heater?” Harry asked, panting slightly.

Edward looked around and spotted the dial on the wall.

He darted over to it and turned it all the way up while Harry climbed under the blankets. By the time Harry had finished getting under the covers, Edward had returned, sliding in next to him.

“Do you want to wait a minute?” Edward asked. 

“Fuck no,” Harry replied, rolling on top of Edward and restarting their kiss.

Harry was panting again, arousal through the roof as he rocked his hips back and forth, dragging their leaking erections together. Edward was making the dirtiest sounds, and Harry knew they were both getting close. It wasn’t until Edward’s hands gripped his thighs that he stopped moving, however.

“Harry, do you want to… to try… you know…” Edward stated lamely.

A wide grin broke out on Harry’s face, along with a slight blush; he’d never seen Edward at a loss for words.

“Do you have… lube?” Harry asked.

Edward nodded and carefully extracted himself out from underneath Harry, leaving the room in a blur. Harry heard bags rustling down the hallway and figured Edward was going through their purchases.

He leaned his head back on the pillows and slowly stroked himself, willing himself to relax, as he knew being tense would only cause pain for what was to come, letting images of the past half hour play through his head. He didn’t hear Edward return, and didn’t know he was being watched until he opened his eyes and saw Edward smiling the crooked smile, looking all the better with the obvious want in his eyes.

Harry blushed furiously and stopped moving, but Edward was at his side in an instant.

“You have no idea how much I want you, Harry. I don’t think you know just how hot you are or what you do to me,” Edward told him.

Harry didn’t know what to say, so he just pulled the covers back, inviting Edward back in.

Edward gave him another smile and kissed him deeply, re-depositing himself on top of Harry, before breaking away and kissing his neck and collarbone, moving slowly down Harry’s chest, hands running up his sides and down his thighs. Harry’s breathing increased in speed, heart rate rising as Edward started trailing kisses down his stomach, and then suddenly, without any more allusion, his cock was swallowed by the vampire, and his breathing hitched before coming out in a rush and a deep moan. Edward’s mouth was all Harry was able to focus on, and he was completely unaware that he was vocalizing just how good he was feeling. Edward released his cock from his mouth just long enough to raise Harry’s legs up and drape them over his shoulders, before he was back to swallowing Harry, applying wonderful, constant pressure and sucking and it was almost too much for him. Harry fisted the sheets in an attempt to ground himself but was unable to hold back another moan when Edward slowly started rubbing at his bumhole with a lubed finger, the cold digit making him involuntarily clamp down before he realized what he was doing and quickly rectified his mistake.

Through it all, Edward kept up constant suction and light bobbing on Harry’s cock and Harry was so close. Edward released him again, chuckling deeply when Harry looked down at him with a complaint on his lips.

“Not yet, mi amor, but soon,” Edward said, and then without further preamble, pushed his finger inside Harry.

Harry gasped, but resolutely kept himself relaxed, allowing himself to adjust to the feeling and temperature.

“Hmm, where…” Edward mused as Harry was watching him, blanket over his head, when suddenly, Edward dragged a finger over that spot and Harry’s head fell back with a moan as he tried to scoot down and apply more pressure with Edward’s finger.

“Ah ha,” Edward said triumphantly.

“D-don’t stop,” Harry gasped out breathlessly.

And Edward didn’t. For the next 10 minutes, he alternated between fingering and sucking, gently adding fingers as he went, and Harry was quivering by the time Edward pulled his fingers out for the last time. Harry looked down and saw Edward slicking his cock up with more lube and bit his lip again. His breathing and heart rate sped up as Edward scooted forward, keeping his knees hooked over his shoulders, until he was close enough to give Harry a quick but deep kiss.

“I’ll stop whenever you want me to. A simple thought will do,” Edward said.

Harry nodded, knowing that he meant it, but also knowing there was no fucking way he was stopping him.

Harry took a deep breath, a move that was oddly mirrored by Edward, before slowly letting it out and relaxing into the position.

“Whenever you’re ready,” Harry said with another nod.

Edward looked into his eyes as he slowly, achingly slowly, pushed into Harry. Almost immediately, there was a burning sensation that made Harry want to clamp down, to stop the intrusion, but he knew that it was temporary, and he rode it out. He was breathing evenly, deeply, until he felt Edward bottom out, and the vampire stopped moving.

Edward was letting him adjust, and Harry knew it, so he took the time to let the burning fade away to the dullest of aches before he said, “Ready.”

The vampire didn’t need to be told twice and started moving immediately, slowly pulling out before driving back in, hitting Harry’s prostate with nearly every thrust, and Harry was seeing stars. All pain was forgotten as Edward picked up the pace; Harry was unable to do anything except drag Edward’s head down for harsh kisses and stare into his eyes.

It didn’t take long before Edward wrapped a still slick hand around Harry’s cock and began jacking him off. Their arousal was reaching its crescendo and Harry did his best to hold out, but it was futile.

“Edward!” Harry cried out as he came furiously, cum landing all over his chest and soaking the sheets. Edward seemed to follow suit seconds after, pumping into Harry a mere two more times before becoming as still as a statue, eyes closing as pure pleasure rocked through him.

They lay there together, Harry panting, sweat beading on his forehead, Edward resting his head on Harry’s chest, until they had both come down off the high of their mutual orgasm; when Edward pulled out, Harry winced slightly.

“Are you okay?” Edward asked at once.

“Of course I am,” Harry said with a bright smile, “better than okay, really.”

Edward smiled back at him and ducked out from under Harry’s legs, letting them gently fall back to the bed before crawling up and settling himself next to the raven-haired teen.

Harry pushed the comforter down, exposing their torsos to the now very warm room before he deposited himself in the crook of Edward’s arm, turning on his side and draping a leg over the vampires. He looked up and saw Edward smiling at him. He smiled back, a little shyly, and then Edward leaned in and began pressing little, chaste kisses to his lips, completely without heat, and Harry found himself with that damned warm feeling seeping through him again.

“Sleep now, my love,” Edward said softly, and it was all the tempting that he needed. Harry burrowed as close as he could to him before letting his eyes fall shut, letting the exhaustion of the day take him to sleep as Edward hummed a simple melody.

Chapter Text

Harry awoke the next morning, finding himself in the same position the he fell asleep, something that was incredibly rare for him. Edward was lightly trailing his fingers up and down Harry’s bicep, soft as a feather. He stopped when Harry started stretching, making random joints pop, before settling on his arm again.

“Good morning, Edward,” Harry said, content now that he had finished his stretches.

“Good morning, love. How are you… feeling?” Edward replied, slightly hesitant.

Harry honestly thought about it. Had he ever woken up feeling this good? He racked his brain, trying to think of a time he’d ever woken up content to just… exist. He was slightly stricken to think that he’d never felt as good as he did then, and he said as much.

“Better than I can ever remember,” Harry answered somberly.

Edward had obviously been listening to his thoughts, because Harry found himself having his head tilted up, and Edward looked sad, but it still didn’t wipe the obvious contentment off his face.

“I…” Edward started and stopped, “I will do everything I can to make sure that this is the first of a thousand, a hundred thousand, good memories. I… love you, Harry.”

Harry inhaled a sharp breath through his nose, trying to control his emotions, suddenly feeling the overwhelming urge to cry. He lost the battle and quickly looked away as silent tears started rolling down his face, and he found himself wrapped completely in Edward’s arms. It was absolutely ridiculous because he had been feeling so good, so content, and with that one statement, Edward had touched something inside him that made him want to weep.

“I don’t think you’re being ridiculous, Harry… Since we’ve met, a mere week ago, you’ve told me of horrors that most people couldn’t even imagine, and through it all, you’ve seemingly only had two others you felt you could truly rely on… and I don’t think anyone has ever stopped and told you just how important you are, not for the sake of some war, but for you as a person. You deserve to be loved, unconditionally,” Edward spoke as he held the crying teen.

Harry wrapped his arms around the vampires chest and let the tears fall; some dam had been broken, and Harry found himself carried down a stream of sorrow that he’d never felt before; 16 years of feeling unwanted, unloved by anyone save for a few a special people, and then Edward had showed up and in the space of a week, he’d made Harry fall in love with him. And he loved Harry back, without the expectations and his stupid name… he loved… just Harry.

The tears eventually stopped, though how long it had been Harry was unsure. He was tired, however, at the end of it, and hungry, and he needed the loo, but everything could wait.

He pulled back slightly and Edward released him. Harry took the vampires beautiful stone face in his hands and said, “I love you, too.”

---

Harry had gone back to sleep after using the bathroom, forgoing food against Edward’s wishes, but promising to eat before they left. He’d felt drained, not having cried that much since losing Sirius, and all he wanted was to curl up next to Edward and sleep.

Hours later, Edward woke him up with soft kisses and the smell of something delicious that had been placed near them. Harry stomach growled fiercely when he sat up and spotted the plate; grilled beef tenderloin with demi-glace, mashed potatoes, and broccolini, with another smaller plate of cheesecake topped with berry compote and whipped cream off to the side.

Harry looked at Edward in slight amusement before he grabbed the plate containing the protein and started eating.

“The woman at the front desk assured me this is the best they’ve got to offer,” Edward said as Harry ate.

Harry, who’d hardly stopped eating to breathe the past few minutes, swallowed the bite in his mouth, and replied, “I so wish you could still eat food. This is incredible.”

“I’m enjoying it through your thoughts,” Edward said with a smile as he began running his hand up and down Harry’s back, before, “Draco called an hour ago. They went out to a car dealer that Alice recommended.”

Harry nodded as he listened; maybe Draco would find something he liked. It would be easier to pay Alice back than to arrange delivery through the goblins.

“Do we have to leave by a certain time?” Harry asked as he finished his mains and moved to dessert.

“We have time to shower before we head out to meet them. We’ll most likely leave from wherever they’re at. The trip home shouldn’t be too bad,” Edward answered, hand pausing on Harry’s lower back.

Harry turned, setting aside his half finished cheesecake.

“Oh? We’ve time for a shower?” He asked.

Edward smiled that crooked smile, “Yes, indeed.”

He huffed a laugh out when Harry jumped on him, food abandoned as they kissed before Edward easily maneuvered them out of bed and then walked them to the bathroom.

Harry was fully aroused by the time they made it under the spray of hot water, and was clinging to Edward.

The vampire had him pressed against the wall, the water pouring down off his back and they were thickly shrouded in steam; Edward had one hand on the back of his neck, the other had pulled one of Harry’s legs up, and their erections were now slipping and sliding against each other. Harry was getting quite worked up, little sounds falling from his mouth whenever their kiss broke.

“Are you sore… from last night?” Edward eventually asked, leaning his forehead against Harry’s.

“Not enough to stop,” Harry replied simply, and Edward nodded once.

“Be right back,” He said, opening the stall door and darting to the bedroom, no doubt to retrieve the lube. Harry had barely counted to six before Edward was back and kissing him again.

Edward reached up and adjusted the fixture controlling the spray of water, so that it was mostly hitting the wall, where he turned Harry to, pressing him up against it lightly. The vampire started kissing and sucking on his neck as a lubed finger snaked its way inside Harry. The teen, now knowing what to expect, was as relaxed as possible, letting Edward take control as he enjoyed the steady thrum of pleasure that was coursing through his body.

When Edward pushed inside a few minutes later, Harry found it easier to control his natural urge to stop the pain, actually pressing down on the muscles in his arse, and he sighed deeply when Edward slid in easier.

When they were thigh to thigh, Edward reached around and started a up a steady pace on Harry’s cock, almost in sync with his thrusts. It was as good as last night; Edward seemed to know exactly how to hit his prostate and Harry again found himself getting ready to climax after only a few moments. Edward sped up his thrusts and his hand, and then he bit Harry again, not enough that it drew blood, but it sent a shock through the teen, and he was coming, hard; semen splattered his chest, and Edward’s hand, and the wall. The vampire came at the same time as Harry, a statue behind the raven-haired boy.

Harry was boneless, having to be supported by Edward, who eventually pulled out of him and then backed them into the middle of the shower, reaching up to adjust the nozzle to start spraying on them again.

There was a definite soreness in his backside now, but Harry wouldn’t trade pain relief for the world. There wasn’t a single thing he would do differently, and when Edward started lathering soap on him from head to foot, he couldn’t help the wide smile that was on his face.

---

They were dressed, Harry wearing a pair of dark grey, ultra soft drawstring pants and a matching cashmere sweater, Edward in a new pair of dark-wash straight legged jeans and black pullover, and they had enlisted the help of another bellhop as they prepared to check-out.

Checking out was quick and after being graciously thanked by the woman behind the desk, they exited and climbed in Harry’s car, this time with Edward driving. Harry found himself to be a little tired, and fully planned on taking a nap on the way back to Forks. As they pulled out of the hotel, Harry saw something flash in the corner of his eye, and he turned to look, anxiety spiking; but there was nothing there. It looked like a bloody spell had been fired at them, and Harry was unable to quell his unease.

“Harry, are you okay?” Edward asked, catching the teen’s train of thought and obviously noticing his distress.

“I don’t know…let’s just meet up with the others. I’ve got a really bad feeling  all of a sudden,” Harry replied.

Edward complied immediately, speeding them through downtown Seattle, no doubt breaking multiple laws in the process, but Harry didn’t care. He was positive that he saw something; he just wasn’t sure what it is.

The drive was quiet, with Harry looking over his shoulder the whole time that Edward drove, turning them down seemingly random streets until they pulled up in front of a large car lot full of a mixture of expensive looking vehicles. They stopped in a parking space near a building that had a large sign stating it was the main office, and Harry opened the glove box as Edward turned the car off. His wand had been concealed in a compartment within the glove box and he wanted it with him. Edward looked extremely serious when Harry stuck the wand in the pocket of his sweater.

“Won’t they be able to track you if you use magic?” Edward asked quietly.

“Yeah,” Harry replied with a sigh, “but better than going down without a fight. I’ll be damned if I go back.”

Edward entwined their fingers before bringing his hand up and placing a kiss on it.

“I’ll ask if Alice has seen anything, maybe she can meditate and catch a glimpse of something if not… and I won’t leave your side until you can freely use magic,” Edward declared.

“Thank you, Edward,” Harry said, the feeling of unease lessening.

“Come on, love, let’s go get the others and get home. I’ll feel much better when we’re back in Forks,” Edward said.

They both got out and walked inside the building, spotting Draco and Rosalie almost immediately, their blonde hair being so easily recognizable, sitting in an office that had a large desk and computer. Harry noticed Alice wasn’t there as they approached the two, who were now shaking hands with the portly man behind the desk.

“Can I help you gentlemen?” The man asked politely as Harry and Edward came to a stop at the office door.

The two blondes turned to look at the interruption, and smiles quickly rose on their faces.

“They’re with us, the other two in our group that we mentioned,” Draco explained.

“Ahh! Yes, Mr. Edward, and Mr. Daniel, correct?” the man said cheerily.

“That’s us,” Edward offered with a polite smile.

“Did you find something?” Harry asked, looking at Draco.

“Yes, actually, I did. Rosalie and Alice recommended we stop by before leaving… It’s a bit pricey, but,” Draco explained before Harry stopped him with a raised hand.

“Price isn’t an issue, Thomas. As long as you like it, that’s all that matters,” Harry said.

Draco nodded a couple times, “Well… I really like it.”

“What needs to be done?” Harry asked, turning to the man behind the desk.

“Well, Mrs. Rosalie here already arranged for payment and delivery. We were actually just finishing up when sirs arrived,” the man replied.

Harry frowned at Rosalie who just smiled brightly back.

“So we’re good to go, then?” Harry continued.

“Yes, sir. We’ll be delivering the car to the specified address within the next 10-14 days,” the man explained.

“Excellent. You’ve been a great help, so I apologize for how rude this is going to sound, but we really need to be going,” Harry said, getting that itchy, prickling feeling that he was being watched.

“Not at all, sir. I understand you and your companions have a few hours’ drive back to your home, and I do not wish to keep you from more pleasant company. I’ll be calling with updates on the vehicle,” the man remarked, “Thank you again for your business.”

The two blondes stood up and shook his hand again before they all moved to leave. When they were out of earshot of the man, Draco spoke.

“Bloody hell, Daniel, I knew you could be blunt, but that was bordering on tactless,” he said with a laugh.

“Don’t react, but I think we’re being watched. I’m pretty sure I saw a wizard when we left the hotel,” Harry uttered quietly.

All amusement faded from Draco’s face and he nodded once; none of them spoke until they had gotten in the car and left.

“Where did Alice go, Rose?” Edward asked as they sped through the city towards the ferry that would take them across Elliot Bay.

“I’m not sure. She saw something when we pulled up to the dealership and asked to take the car. She said she needed to ‘follow-up’ on something,” Rosalie stated.

Harry looked over at Edward; his hands were gripping the steering wheel tightly and he looked angry.

Harry reached a hand out, laying it softly on Edward’s forearm, causing the vampire to look at him sharply before his face softened. He took a hand off the steering wheel and entwined their fingers together again.

“Whoever, or whatever, was following us… I don’t think it’s there anymore. That feeling I was getting is gone,” Harry said softly.

“What happened, exactly?” Draco questioned from the backseat.

“When we were leaving the hotel, I swear I saw someone cast a spell when we pulled out. I only caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye, and by the time I turned to look, there was nothing. But it made me really uneasy, and when we got to that car dealership, I could feel someone’s eyes on me,” Harry replied.

“Are you sure?” Draco asked.

“No, I’m not bloody sure, I just know what I felt,” Harry snapped.

Things got quiet in the car, and Harry sighed deeply.

“Sorry, Draco… I’m just worried about this. I didn’t mean to snap at you,” Harry offered.

“It’s okay… I’m worried, too,” Draco replied.

---

The nap Harry planned on taking never happened; he was too keyed up to even attempt falling asleep.

However, with Edward driving nearly 100 mph, the whole way home, they made it in half the time that they should have, stopping in town only long enough to drop Rosalie off at the Cullen residence. She promised to call Edward as soon as she had any news, before they sped off again, driving straight to Harry and Draco’s house. When Harry felt the magic of the wards wash over him, he finally let himself relax.

As long as the wards were there, no one would be able to touch them. And it would take not an inconsiderable effort to take them down; more than long enough to give them warning that someone was attacking them.

“You two should go inside; I’ll get the bags,” Edward suggested.

“You sure?” Harry questioned.

When Edward nodded, Harry didn’t press it any further, instead going inside and flopping down into the sofa, followed by Draco.

Edward joined them a few minutes later, carrying an impossible number of bags on one arm, the other talking into a phone so fast that Harry couldn’t actually make out what he was saying. He set the bags down on the rug that was spread out in the living room and then growled fiercely.

The sound made Harry and Draco jump, but Harry realized that it was directed at whoever was on the phone.

“Not a single mention of where they went?” Edward demanded angrily of whoever he was talking to; Harry hoped it wasn’t Rosalie.

Things were quiet as Edward listened for the reply, and then he turned to Harry.

“Harry, my love… would you mind allowing Rosalie and Emmett to come over?” Edward asked, tone abruptly changing.

“N-no, that’s fine. I can have them added into the wards by the time they get here,” Harry answered quickly.

“Please,” Edward replied softly, and Harry hastened to comply.

He grabbed the key Edward was holding out for him and ran outside, jumping in the car and racing down the road to the ward line; it was the most accessible, anywhere else would require a trek through the forest.

He followed the same steps that he had previously, finding the wards as easy to manage as he had before. Just as he turned to get back in the car, however, he saw a blur of something to his right, in the tree line, and he raised his wand, ready to curse whatever it was. But then the blur reappeared, followed closely by another hulking figure; Rosalie and Emmett. They were quick.

 “You almost gave me a heart attack,” Harry said shakily.

“Yeah, well, Edward is losing his mind. We wanted to get here as fast as possible,” Emmett explained.

“What’s going on?” Harry asked.

“Let’s talk about it at the house. Edward will no doubt ask me again,” Emmett offered.

Harry nodded his agreement and they all climbed into the car, which he turned around and then drove them quickly back to the house.

Edward was waiting on the bottom stair, looking very relieved that they were back. He was at Harry’s door before he turned the car off.

“I should have gone with you. I don’t even know what I was thinking,” Edward said as soon as Harry opened the door.

“Hey, it’s fine. We should be safe here, even if they knew we were here. Getting through the wards would take time,” Harry comforted.

 Edward reached up and held his face in his hands before leaning down and placing a kiss on his lips.

“Let’s go inside,” Harry suggested, taking Edward’s hand and following Emmett and Rosalie inside.

“Nice crib, Harry,” Emmett commented.

“Thanks, Emmett,” Harry replied with a small laugh before continuing, “now, can you please tell me what’s going on?”

“Alice arrived a couple of hours before you guys did. We’ve got some of your stuff at the house, by the way,” Emmett started, before Edward huffed in annoyance, and he continued, “She was in a hurry. She all but dragged Jasper and Carlisle into Carlisle’s office and slammed the door. They were talking so low I couldn’t hear them, but when the door opened, only Carlisle came out. He grabbed Esme, and said that they were leaving.”

“I’m still not sure why you didn’t ask them where they were going. You didn’t think it was odd that Alice showed up alone, freaking out, before leaving, followed by Carlisle and Esme?” Edward asked fiercely.

“Edward, man, Alice has weird visions all the time. You know this as well as I do. How many times have you seen her freak out and do the same thing she did today? I’ll admit, Carlisle and Esme leaving was odd, but I am not their keeper. We don’t even know that they’ve gone anywhere. They could be out hunting, or hell, even gone to talk to Alice,” Emmett answered before asking, “Now, will you please tell me why I’m getting grilled for this?”

Edward didn’t speak, jaw clamped tight, so Harry explained instead.

“We were leaving the hotel this morning, and I am fairly certain I saw a spell being cast. I only saw the flash of color out of the corner of my eye, but when I turned to look, there was nothing, nothing to indicate that my eye caught something else, but also no one holding a wand. It made me feel extremely uneasy, and I’m 99% certain that someone was at the car dealership, watching us. I felt like I could reach behind me and find someone there.”

“And Alice had a vision when we pulled into the car lot. She took the car and left,” Rosalie added.

“So you think whatever she saw was related to whatever is going on here?” Emmett asked.

“That’s what we planned on finding out,” Edward ground out.

“Look, if I had known that anything weird was going on in Seattle, I would have asked questions, okay? I didn’t know, Edward,” Emmett snapped back.

Edward glared at him for a moment and then deflated.

“You’re right,” He said, “You didn’t know. I’m not being fair.”

“All their phones are off. That hasn’t happened since we all started carrying them,” Rosalie said.

“I don’t think they would leave without a good reason, and we don’t know for certain that they aren’t coming back,” Emmett replied.

“I hope you’re right, Emmett. I just wish Alice would have waited,” Edward said, looking down at Harry and squeezing his hand gently.

---

5 hours previous

Seattle, WA:

They were headed to the Mercedes dealer, excitement flowing through her; she’d seen this in a vision just this morning, seen Draco picking the perfect car.

She was about to open her mouth and speak when a vision hit, so powerful it was like Alice was standing in the room.

“Harry is a horcrux, Minerva. A piece of Voldemort’s soul is tethered to his; ‘neither can live while the other survives,’” A man with a long, white beard and shockingly blue eyes said to a woman sitting across from him, “As long as Harry lives, Voldemort cannot be killed.”

The woman, Minerva, was pale as a ghost when she spoke, “So you felt the need to send those… those wretched hunters after him?! Have you lost all sense, Albus? Have you even tried to find a way to remove it?”

“Do not speak to me like I’m a fool! I planned for many things, Minerva, things that were destroyed when Harry decided to run. This is the only alternative!” Albus nearly shouted.

“Does he know? Did you ever tell him what he was?” Minerva questioned.

“Of course not! How do you think he would have taken that?” Albus replied angrily.

“THAT Albus, might have made all the difference. You’ve once again thought yourself to know what everyone needs, and now you’ve condemned an innocent boy to death,” Minerva said, standing and walking towards the door.

“Now, listen here, Minerva,” Albus started to say.

The lady whipped around, raising her wand menacingly.

“No! I’ve had enough. It’s bad enough that I had to view the memories of those terrible muggles, and after I warned you what type of people they were? Their memories are disgusting, Albus, and it pains me so much that I never checked on him. Have you even seen how he was treated? And now you tell me you’ve signed his death certificate. You- you, you have my resignation, effective at the end of this year. I will not stand for this,” she yelled, turning back around and launching herself through the doorway before slamming the door.

Alice wanted to cry, to yell, anything to let out the horror she was feeling. They were moments away from pulling into the dealer, and she had to get away, away from Edward, knowing she wouldn’t be able to hide this. Another vision hit as they got closer.

She’s telling Carlisle and Jasper in whispered tones what she’s seen. She’s telling them they need to leave; Jasper, Carlisle, Esme, and herself. They are trying to ask questions, but she begs them to trust her, and it’s Alice, so they do.

*flash*

Edward is screaming, holding Harry in his arms.

She’s seen this, and her hands clench tightly as she tries to accept that Harry is going to die.

*flash*

 Carlisle is there, yelling instructions to Edward, who is now biting Harry on the neck, venom overflowing and dripping down the side of the dead teen’s throat.

*flash*

She standing in the doorway of a room she’s never seen, looking at the screaming, writhing form of Harry. She looks left, and Edward is beside her, gripping her hand so tightly she can see it cracking.

Alice jolted back into the seat as the onslaught of visions finally stopped and she felt, for the first time since she’d become a vampire, truly breathless.

“Alice? What did you see?” Rosalie asked curiously.

---

When the Cullen’s didn’t return, Edward became depressed. He put on a brave face for Harry, but he knew that Edward was upset; he had every right to be, in Harry’s opinion. Edward also wasn’t letting Harry or Draco leave, having Rosalie and Emmett do the grocery shopping when it was needed, and sending them to collect Draco’s car when it arrived late afternoon the day before his birthday.

It was like someone had sucked the joy out of their life, like they were being guarded by dementors. Harry tried to put a happy face on as Draco described the beautiful vehicle.

“It’s an AMG E 63 S Sedan; Rosalie recommended it. She helped pick everything and I absolutely love it,” Draco rattled off as they walked around the car.

“You should drive it, mate. It looks incredible,” Harry suggested.

“Eh… Yeah. Maybe later… I don’t think that now is the best time,” Draco replied.

“Sorry, for… for all this. Vampires and visions and… being unable to leave,” Harry said.

“Don’t worry about it, Potter, honestly. This past month has been the best I’ve had since the Dark Lord returned. I wouldn’t do a damn thing differently.”

“Yeah, you have a point, I guess.”

“Come on, let’s go back inside and see if we can beat them in Gobstones,” Draco proposed.

---

They played well into the night; Draco had brought out a bottle of Ogden’s finest in celebration of his birthday, and he and Harry had had a good portion when a clock chimed in the background, altering them that it was midnight. Harry and Draco looked at each other with matching grins.

“Happy birthday, mate,” Harry said, followed by Edward, Rose, and Emmett.

“Thanks, everyone,” Draco replied happily, brandishing his wand, “What shall I do first?”

“I don’t suppose you know any cleaning spells?” Harry asked, looking over his shoulder at the pile of dishes.

Draco rolled his eyes, but dutifully flicked his wand at the dishes, vanishing the leftover bits of food and causing the vampires to laugh in delight.

“That is wicked, bro,” Emmett said.

“Incredible,” Edward remarked.

“Come on, give me something difficult,” Draco requested.

Harry was thinking about what spell he should cast when Hedwig suddenly screeched from upstairs. Harry looked towards his room, wondering what could have upset her, when he felt it. There was a searing pain in his scar, and he slumped over, passing out from the pain that exploded in his head.

He was looking down at the broken, bloody form of Lucius Malfoy.   

“Have you died, Lucius?” Harry asked coldly.

When the man didn’t move, Harry chuckled humorlessly and then cast, “CRUCIO!”

He watched as the man screamed, it was strangled and hoarse, and Harry felt sick.

“Ahh, there you are. Harry Potter, you will serve witness and report to that filthy blood traitor the death of his father,” Harry spoke in a cold, cruel tone.

Harry tried to leave, to pull out of Voldemort’s mind, but he was trapped, forced to bear witness as Voldemort raised his wand and cast, “Avada Kedavra.”

He recoiled back into his own mind, and promptly threw up. His forehead was bleeding, but there was something wrong. Harry heard screaming outside and when he stumbled to the door, he froze, pure terror griping him. Draco was dueling someone, with Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward dodging curses that were being cast by three separate groups of two.

When Draco narrowly avoided getting hit with the same sickening green curse that Harry had just seen Voldemort cast, he ripped the door open, sprinting towards the field where they were fighting.

He never made it. As if waiting for him to make an appearance, an oppressive darkness closed around them, making it hard to breathe. He lost sight of the others, but could still hear the fierce growls and snarls coming from the vampires somewhere in front of him.

“Harry Potter,” a voice spoke from directly behind him.

Harry whirled around, still unable to see, and he was pushed, hard, in the middle of his chest, forcing him to the ground.

“Who are you and what do you want? Stop trying to kill my friends and we’ll come quietly. Okay? Just stop trying to kill them,” Harry rasped out.

“That is not possible, Harry Potter. We do not take people alive, once they’ve been marked for death,” the voice spoke, directly beside him now.

Harry heard Draco scream and go quiet and panic flooded through him.

“You’re only here for me, right?” Harry asked quickly.

“Yes,” the voice replied.

“Then let me talk to them. I can get them to stop. I’ll surrender. They don’t need to die for me, they aren’t involved. Please,” Harry begged.

It was quiet for a moment and the darkness faded, allowing Harry to see Draco laying in the grass, unconscious but still breathing. The vampires were in a frenzy of rage, darting in and out, trying to get at the wizards who were back up against each other now, firing a constant stream of spells.

“Edward!” Harry yelled.

Edward, who had been a blur until then, stopped mid run and snapped his eyes to Harry. Rosalie and Emmett stopped, too, both in a low crouch, ready to pounce on the group of wizards.

There was a loud crack and the group disappeared, and Harry saw the confusion on the vampires’ faces. He felt the tip of a wand touch the back of his head, and he closed his eyes, letting a tear run down his face as he heard Edward scream.

“I love you,” Harry thought, and then the world went back.

---

It was completely dark, so much so that it was disorientating, and Harry couldn’t tell if he was falling, or standing, or if he even existed. He wasn’t aware how much time was passing, but it was very peaceful.

No sooner had he realized that when he was suddenly standing in a cozy room with two others who were holding hands while sitting in wing-backed chairs placed in front of a roaring fire. The room itself was made up of beautiful dark woods, had bookcases lining the walls, and it smelled of pipe smoke, peppermint, patchouli, and sandalwood.

“H-hello?” Harry stammered out.

The hands dropped and a man and woman peered around the edge of the chairs, two pairs of eyes widening in shock, before the woman gasped and jumped up.

“Mum? D-dad?” Harry said, voice breaking.

“Oh my baby, my beautiful baby,” Lily said, rushing forward and gripping him in a tight hug. James followed behind her, wrapping his arms around the two of them.

Harry couldn’t help the sobs that fell from his mouth as he clung to them, not fully believing it was real, but unable to stop the happiness that spread through him at being able to hug his parents. He didn’t know, didn’t care how long they stood there, but his heart was warm, warmer and fuller than it ever had been in his life, and when he pulled back, Lily held him at arm’s length like he was a great treasure, but she also looked so sad that it broke Harry’s heart.

“Am I… not what you expected?” Harry asked, unable to stop the tears.

“Oh no, no no no, Harry, I am sad that you are here with us, still a boy and far, far earlier than you were supposed to be,” Lily answered, wiping the tears from his face with her hands. The warmth in Harry’s heart increased and it was slightly uncomfortable.

“He’s not staying, Lily,” James said, reaching out and grasping Harry’s shoulder tightly.

Harry looked at him and asked, “What do you mean, dad?”

James moved his hand down, letting it rest above Harry’s heart, as if he could feel the warmth too, “Someone isn’t ready to let you go.”

“Edward,” Harry said as fresh tears now spilled over.

James nodded and Harry took a shaky breath in.

“Can’t I stay?” He asked.

“Oh, yes. It is your choice, my son. Don’t think for one second that I don’t want you to, I just…things will be… different, if you go back, but they will be better. You’ll have a chance to actually live your life, and your mother and I… we’ll be here whenever you… come back this way,” James said.

“Did… did Sirius ever… ya know, come this way?” Harry questioned.

James smiled brightly and barked out a laugh, and said, “He’s gonna be so upset that he missed this. He is here, at peace, as we are.”

Harry nodded as he absent-mindedly rubbed his chest, his heart feeling uncomfortably warm.

“I… don’t think I’m ready yet,” Harry said, looking between his parents as tears fell again.

“It’s okay, baby,” Lily said, her own tears now spilling over, “That’s not a bad thing. You have such a long life ahead of you, and we’re already so proud of you. You can go back, and we’ll be here whenever you’re ready.”

Harry was wrapped in a hug by both of them again, his heart burning and hurting as he prepared to say goodbye.

“I love you, mum, dad,” He said.

“And we love you, more than the world, more than anything,” Lily said, stepping back.

Harry was clenching his chest, feeling like his heart was on fire as James clapped his shoulder again and said, “Now go give them hell, son.”

Chapter Text

Harry felt like he was being portkeyed away; something hooked behind his navel and he was rapidly ascending through darkness.

His first coherent thought was that he was actually on fire, and wouldn’t that just be great; get back to his body just to burn to death and be sent back to his parents. But as a scream tore from his lips, he knew this was internal. Vampire venom would be causing the searing, burning pain as it coursed through his veins, and Harry found himself wishing for death. Death had been painless, hadn’t made him feel like he was swimming in molten lava. Every breath felt like he was inhaling flames, and screaming did nothing to quell the torture.

He couldn’t think about anything else, couldn’t think around the fire that was consuming his body, and time was a concept he had long forgotten. Agony was the only constant, the only thing holding him to the earth as he was charred alive.

Eventually, though, Harry was able to string thoughts together; his first was of his parents’ faces as they said goodbye. Another scream tore through him, sadness this time, and anger that he was still fucking burning.

“Harry, my love, can you hear me? I’m so, so sorry I took you away from them,” Edward said from somewhere next to him, sounding agonized.

Harry gathered every ounce of strength he had and opened his eyes, wanting to scream again as the fire continued ravaging him.

Edward moved into his line of sight, and Harry’s heart broke. Edward looked as bad as he felt.

“Don’t. Apologize. My. Choice.” Harry said almost imperceptibly through a clenched jaw. He knew that opening his mouth would only lead to more screaming.

“I never wanted this for you. I-I just couldn’t lose you, not so soon after finding you... It’s only a little longer, my love,” Edward said.

Harry’s hopes rose ever so slightly, but it seemed the searing fire in his veins wasn’t happy with that, and Harry found himself screaming again, unable to hold it back any longer. He felt Edward grab his hand and he latched on, squeezing so tight that he heard Edward gasp out in obvious pain, but he couldn’t let go, and it was a long time before Edward even tried to get his hand back.

He heard Alice come in, light, rhythmic steps that could belong to none other, and except for her light humming, there was nothing said.

There was nothing for him to do except count the time as he withered away. 35,628 seconds later, Harry felt the change in the pain; it slowly, slowly, started to fade from his fingers and toes, but with it came a whole new set of issues. Harry’s throat felt as if he’d been wandering around in a desert, without water, for weeks. He tried to swallow and got angry when it did nothing to quench his bone dry throat. And his heart, which he thought had been burned badly enough, thank you, started burning worse, and began beating impossibly faster, and the fire inside him responded to it, searing him faster, if such a thing was possible, before it retreated from his palms, leaving them blissfully pain-free and cool.

It retreated to his heart, which beat even faster still, blazing even hotter.

“Carlisle,” Edward called in a low clear voice.

Harry heard him coming upstairs and he realized they were in his house. Everything had been so quiet since he started burning that it hadn’t registered before then.

“Listen,” Edward said when the older vampire entered the room.

The only thing that could be heard was Harry’s frenzied heart, reacting to the horrible inferno.

“Ah,” Carlisle said, “he’s nearly through it.”

Harry tried to take relief in that, but it was overshadowed by the excruciating pain in his heart. He whimpered in pain, even as the fire receded from his wrists and ankles, leaving only cool limbs behind.

“Very soon,” Alice agreed eagerly, “Should I let the others know?”

“Yes,” Edward said, sounding slightly irritated, “And make sure we’re clear to go straight from here.”

Harry heard her leave the room, walk down the stairs, and across the house to the front door before he stopped listening.

Edward gripped his hand again, and Harry was able to restrain himself from hurting him this time.

“Harry, can you hear me?” Edward asked.

Harry nodded slightly, not trusting himself not to scream if he opened his mouth as the fire got hotter in his chest, receding from his elbows and knees.

“You’re so close, so, so close to being done,” Edward informed him.

Harry’s heart took off then, sounding like a single sustained note as the fire flared up in the center of his chest, drawing in the rest of the flames to a single point. His back arched and he cried out again, wanting to give in to the fire; it could have him.

The fire, as if sensing his surrender, constricted inside and around his heart with a final, unbearable surge. His heart answered with a deep, hollow-sounding thud, stuttering a few times, before giving one last feeble thump, and then coming to a stop.

There was no sound, no breathing, no frantic heart beat, and gloriously, thankfully, no more burning.

---

He opened his eyes and gazed in surprise and awe. Everything was clear, sharp, defined. He could see the individual grains in the wood ceiling above him, and if he focused even a little bit, he could count the dust motes floating around in the air.

He took a breath, brow wrinkling when the action felt… wrong. He realized a moment later he didn’t need the air and his eyes widened again. He took another breath, and he was able to taste the things in the room, the dust, the stagnant air, the sweet taste of lilac and honey. Things were dead silent in the house as he gazed at the ceiling, allowing him to hear the birds chirping outside as if he was standing there with them.

“Harry?” Edward asked low and anxious.

Harry’s head snapped to him, and Harry watched as Edward recoiled slightly. That wouldn’t do; Edward had no reason to fear him. Harry spun around, grabbing Edward’s arm in the process, and pinned him underneath him. It didn’t take more than a second, and someone gasped from beside the bed, causing Harry to snarl and turn, ready to attack, before he recognized Carlisle.

The older vampire was now standing, hands up, against the wall of the bedroom.

“I’m sorry for startling you, Harry. I remained only to make sure you were okay,” he quickly explained.

Harry deflated immediately.

“Carlisle, I…” Harry tried to say, before grabbing at his throat as it seared.

“The damnable thirst,” Edward supplied quietly.

Harry turned back to him and was thoroughly distracted by Edward’s beauty. Harry had thought in the past weeks, that Edward was like a Greek statue, but he’d never been so wrong about something. Edward was a God, someone that the Greeks would have worshipped were these still those days.

“You should see yourself, Harry. If I’m a God, then I’m second to you,” Edward replied to his thoughts.

Harry reached out and gently stroked Edward’s cheek, watching in amazement as Edward’s eyes fluttered closed, and Harry found himself leaning in, pressing a small kiss to his lips.

It was like someone flipped a switch, and Harry immediately pressed for more, and Edward gave it to him, easily, fiercer than any kiss they’d shared before, and Harry realized that Edward had always been holding back; never able to use his full strength in their passions. But that was a thing of the past, and though he didn’t need it, Harry’s breathing sped up, as fast as it had been when he was burning on the bed, but the fire raging in him now was pure desire.

Carlisle cleared his throat and Harry jolted back, embarrassed beyond belief that he’d forgotten Edward’s father was there.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, my love. You’re handling everything extremely well, all things considered,” Edward said, sitting up and opening his arms back open for Harry.

Harry was there instantly, still not used to how fast he was actually able to move, and he inhaled Edward’s scent deeply when the vampire closed his arms around him.

“How are you feeling, Harry?” Carlisle asked gently from the wall.

“Honestly? Overwhelmed,” Harry said, but his voice wasn’t his own; it was melodic and alluring, seductive to even his own ears.

“I understand completely. Vampires are not often created without forewarning, with the exception of my family… usually there is time taken to explain the changes you undergo, but as you were changed out of necessity…” Carlisle said.

“I still feel like… Like myself. Sort of?” Harry tried to explain.

“You’re the most controlled new-born I’ve ever interacted with, Harry. Often times the only thing we can think about is our thirst,” Carlisle replied.

The reminder brought the dry, burning ache back to his throat and Harry’s hand flew up again.

“Sorry,” Carlisle offered, “it’s a lot to get used to and I’ll explain whatever you want me to, but we should wait until after you’ve hunted.”

Harry nodded, consumed by the burning in his throat; an uncomfortable reminder of the fire that had ravaged him.

“I’ll leave and wait for your call, Edward. When you are ready, let me know; I’ll bring the family,” Carlisle stated.

“Thank you, Carlisle,” Edward replied as the older vampire swept out of the room.

“Before we go,” Harry said,” I need to apologize. What I did, sacrificing myself… I didn’t want them to hurt you, and when I heard Draco go down… It was too much. I’m sorry.”

Edward hugged him tighter, “I’ve never been as scared as I was in that moment. Hearing your heart stop… If Carlisle hadn’t come, I don’t know if I would have had the capacity to bring you back… And seeing the pain that it caused you… Did I do the right thing?”

“My parents… I won’t lie to you, I almost chose to stay. Seeing them, hugging them, felt so good, but I came back. I came back for you,” Harry explained.

“I love you, Harry. No matter what happens from here on out, I’ll never take it for granted that you’re with me.”

“That’s not,” Harry started to say.

“I know, but I want you to know that. I’ll cherish every moment we have together. But now, we’ll hunt before your hunger consumes you,” Edward said.

The reminder of hunting lit Harry’s throat on fire again, and he nodded. Edward walked to his window and opened it.

“Come on, lover. Follow me,” Edward said as he hoisted himself over the window sill and disappeared.

Harry darted after him, making it across the room and out the window in the matter of a second, and he watched as the ground came towards him in slow motion, giving him more than enough time to position himself, and he landed silently on his feet.

Edward watched him in wonder and then shook his head, holding out his hand in offering.

Harry took it, and together, they darted into the forest, whipping around the closely packed trees; Harry let go of Edward and truly started running. He found it exhilarating, speeding through the trees, seeing what was ahead of him perfectly even though he had to be running at over 70 mph.

He laughed, a beautifully musical sound, when Edward appeared next to him with a crooked smile on his face. Harry sped up as the trees thinned, loving his new found strength, and he began taking bigger strides, moving faster, not feeling this free since he had last ridden his Firebolt.

He didn’t notice Edward falling behind, focused only on his running, and he heard Edward’s warning too late.

“Harry, stop! Back this way!”

Stopping was easy, but when the wind lightly blew past him and Harry inhaled, his throat caught fire, catching a fragrance so attractive, it caused an uncontrolled reaction. With a snarl, he shot off again, faster than before, all rational thought leaving him as he barreled through the forest toward the source of the delicious scent. He heard them long before he saw them; a small group, maybe four people, two strong heartbeats and two considerably softer ones. He was getting closer and became more frenzied, maybe four hundred yards away now, when he heard something behind him. His reaction was immediate; letting out another feral snarl, he reached out to grab a tree and used it to swing his momentum in the opposite direction, launching himself toward whatever was following him. He crashed hard into Edward, sending them flying into a clearing. Harry’s mind cleared when he realized who he had hit, who was pinned under him now, whose face was cautious and a little worried.

Harry jumped back, landing at the base of a tree, and held his breath. He was forced to take a breath, however, when a branch above him rustled and he heard a menacing growl. He whipped around and saw a cougar looking down at him, hissing and swiping at him. His thoughts abandoned him again as he launched at the cat, teeth going straight for its throat and latching on, easily tearing through fat and fur and sinew. The cat struggled uselessly as Harry held it down and drank, its screams of anger choking off with a horrible gurgle. All Harry could think about was the blood quenching his searing throat and the warmth that radiated through him.

The cougar ran dry long before he was finished, and Harry angrily shoved it away, licking his lips for the last drops of blood.

“Harry?” Edward questioned tentatively from a branch 20 feet above him.

Harry looked up quickly, guilt spreading through him rapidly as he remembered getting ready to attack Edward.

The vampire moved down the tree, coming to stop on Harry’s branch, before bringing him into a hug that would have crushed human Harry.

“Listen to me, Harry, the fact that you broke off a hunt, a hunt for humans, is incredible. I would take all that and more to prevent you from feeling the guilt of attacking a human you didn’t want to. There were… children at the camp you were headed to,” Edward said softly.

Harry froze, not allowing himself to take a breath again, lest he catch their scent again. Edward was right… He would never forgive himself.

“Don’t think about it anymore. You have amazing control for a day old newborn,” Edward continued.

“I just… I heard you behind me and I attacked. There was no thought behind it,” Harry replied.

“Come on,” Edward said, releasing him from the tight hug, “I caught the scent of a herd of mule deer a few miles back.”

Harry nodded and followed Edward as he took off; Harry followed much more controlled, not allowing himself to breathe until he was sure the danger had passed. His first breath alerted him to a rich and tangy smell, and as they neared, Harry listened, catching the *thump thump* of multiple heartbeats and he sped ahead again, racing toward the slightly off-putting smell. When he broke the tree line, he saw the herd and launched the last 50 yards, crashing into a twelve point buck, and latching onto its neck, letting instinct rule again. He was more in control this time, though, and watched Edward effortlessly take down two in the time it took him to finish one.

He was graceful in his movements, taking them down without even ruffling his shirt, and as Harry looked down at himself, covered in dirt and grass and drying blood, he decided that this would be the only time he allowed himself to look like a slob while hunting.

When he was done drinking from the buck, Harry was much gentler in setting it to the side, and he stood, brushing himself off as best he could. Edward was at his side in a moment, stilling his hands.

“You don’t have to worry about stuff like that, especially not yet… Do you want more?” Edward asked.

Harry considered that. The burn in his throat was still present, but it was much more manageable, and he honestly felt full, if not satisfied.

“Good for now, I think,” Harry replied.

“You get used to it, after a while,” Edward said, speaking on the thoughts in Harry’s head. “Let’s go home.”

They raced back, properly this time, and Harry felt the same rush of exhilaration as he really let himself run. He was laughing madly as he slowed down and sped up, keeping Edward close, and within minutes, they were back at the house.

As they approached, Harry was a little apprehensive. The memories of his last night as a human came rushing back, slightly muted, and he realized he didn’t know what had happened to Draco, or what even caused the duel in the first place.

Harry slowed considerably, coming to a stop on the porch, which he leaned against while he waited for Edward. He spotted him coming through the tree line and smiled.

“I win!” Harry said as Edward settled next to him.

“You are very fast, Harry, even for a newborn,” Edward replied.

“Before we do anything else… can you tell me what happened?” Harry requested.

 “Well… you remember you and Draco drinking?” Edward asked, and at Harry’s nod, he continued. “Well, things went to hell pretty quickly after that. You passed out just as something attacked your wards, which we haven’t been able to resurrect, if you’ve noticed. I caught a glimpse of whatever you were seeing, but I had to help the others, so I… I left you inside. I hoped beyond hope that you were okay…

“We were outnumbered, and outmatched, and it became apparent pretty quickly that these were no ordinary intruders. They had come prepared, and they had definitely fought vampires before. Draco kept one of them distracted while Rose, Emmett, and I took the other six. I don’t know where the guy that- that killed you came from... They all disappeared after you went down, like they’d never been there.

“I ran to you, not knowing what to do, if there was even anything I could do, and then Alice, Jasper, Esme, and Carlisle showed up. Alice was saying over and over how sorry she was, that this was the only way, but I couldn’t listen to her. Carlisle, thankfully, told me to bite you, to put as much venom into you as I could while he started chest compressions. You were gone for so long that we almost gave up hope, but Alice demanded that we keep going, not to despair, as you became clearer to her even though you were technically dead.

“We had to stop, briefly, when something black, like… tar? We weren’t sure, but it was leaking from the scar on your forehead, and it was burning your skin, like acid, as it evaporated into black smoke. It was… terrifying, to say the least, and we didn’t find out until later what it was. The important thing was still trying to save your life, so we resumed, while Rose and Emmett carried Draco inside. You were officially dead for 9 minutes, 47 seconds, and it will forever be the longest period of my life.

“When you started breathing…” Edward trailed off, took a breath, and continued, “We brought you inside, to your bed, just in time for your screams to start. I wished, wish, I had been able to take your pain, Harry… I was so angry, at the men who attacked us, and at Alice, who left us. But she showed me her visions, and it made me understand that it really was the only way…”

“What did she see, Edward?” Harry asked quietly.

“She saw a man, Albus Dumbledore, if I’m correct, telling a woman, Minerva McGonagall, that you were a horcrux, and the only way to get it out was for you to die,” Edward explained.

Harry had frozen; he was a horcrux. What the fuck? How?

Edward continued, “He… was the one who hired the men that attacked us.”

“Dumbledore?” Harry asked incredulously. “Are you sure?!”

“Is there anyone else with the name Albus?” Edward asked genuinely.

“Not that I know of, no,” Harry replied.

“That’s who she saw talking, Harry… He owns a beautiful red and gold bird, office full of moving portraits?”

“Yeah… yes… bloody fucking hell. Dumbledore… I can’t believe it.”

The wood railing in his hands snapped and broke and Harry looked down to see he was the cause.

 “What- what happened to Draco?” Harry asked.

“Draco is fine and well, actually. He’s at my family’s house, working on a sophisticated potion, aided by Carlisle,” Edward told him.

“He’s working… on a potion?” Harry repeated.

“Yes, as I understand it, he’s trying to find a way to make his blood undesirable. He very much wants to be able to see you again,” Edward said.

“Draco Malfoy? Are you sure?!” Harry asked again.

“He’s just as upset as the rest of us are, Harry… When he came around and heard you screaming… He was… tetchy.”

Harry could imagine Draco being tetchy alright.

“What has the world come to when Draco Malfoy actually cares about Harry Potter,” Harry said, not expecting a response.

“I haven’t had a chance to tell him what I saw, what you saw the night everything happened. When I tried to tell him that night, he brushed me off, and I’ve only seen him once since. He came to see you before he started working on the potion, the first day of your transformation; I tried to tell him then, and he said to save the speech and to bloody protect you,” Edward imitated Draco’s irritable drawl perfectly.

Harry didn’t know how to tell Draco… Lucius was a piece of shite not worth a single tear, in his opinion… But he was Draco’s father.

“I’ll have to find a way to let him know, especially if he’s working on this potion for an extended amount of time… Did he say if he was creating it? Or just modifying one, or…?” Harry asked.

“He didn’t mention anything to me, but from what Carlisle said, it’s extremely complicated. He seemed genuinely excited for the challenge, though.” Edward replied.

“They both are, no doubt, but it sounds like Draco was a bit of an arse. When I speak to him, I’ll make sure he apologizes to you.”

“It’s alright, love. He was reacting to the stress of the situation and seeing you like that was… hard. It’s hard to see someone you care about, hurting.”

 “I’m not in any hurry to feel that pain again.” Harry replied with an involuntary shiver. “The black stuff that burned me was no doubt the bit of Voldemort’s soul that was attached to mine. While my soul left my body and found my parents’, his had nowhere to go. I can’t believe… I lived my whole life with a piece of that bastard infecting me. And Dumbledore fucking knew.”

“Harry, my love,” Edward started to say.

Harry, however, was angrier than he’d ever been before, and wasn’t listening.

 “He sent bounty hunters to kill me, and almost killed Draco, and Rose, and Emmett and... And you.” Harry turned furious eyes on Edward, who closed his mouth and let Harry speak. “All he had to do was tell me. Did he honestly think I-I wouldn’t have sacrificed myself? Last year, I was begging for death. Fuck, up until I decided to leave Europe, I would have jumped off the astronomy tower if Dumbledore had told me it would stop Voldemort. Why didn’t he tell me?”

Edward sat quietly, watching him with a slight frown. Harry realized he was shaking and tried to pull his emotions back in check, but found that while he was capable of thinking clearly, it was like a barrier that was previously blocking his anger had been removed.

“Newborn emotions are volatile, Harry. The fact that you are still thinking and talking to me through your rage shows that you have exceptional self control.”

Harry scoffed. “I have exceptional self control? Would you mind waiting here while I gather the professors of Hogwarts so you can tell them, too?”

Edward opened his mouth to reply when both vampires heard the distinct sound of twigs breaking in the forest, some 300 yards into the tree line.

Both their heads snapped towards the sound.

“Are we expecting anyone?” Harry whispered.

“No. Everyone is on stand-by until I call.” Edward whispered back, and then his eyes widened. “Shit.”

“Edward?” Harry asked, surprised by the language.

Edward had his phone out and was furiously whispering into the receiver. “Get everyone here, now! The wolves want to know why we have a house and a newborn in neutral land.”

Harry’s jaw clenched as he saw what Edward was talking about. They were still 100 yards into the tree line, but Harry could easily make out the huge wolves standing in a v formation, a horse-sized jet black wolf at the front of the pack. He was flanked on either side by 3 more wolves, though only one was bigger than the black one. They stopped advancing 30 yards from the tree line and sat on their haunches, looking dangerous even in inaction. Harry was sure if he still had a heartbeat, it would be racing right now.

He jumped when Edward gently grabbed his hand and locked their fingers together. “It’s okay, my love. We know each other, and they have no intention of harming anyone.”

“What are they?”

“They consider themselves to be werewolves.”

“How are they so much like wolves? The werewolves I’ve seen look nothing like that…”

“They aren’t technically werewolves. I think shape-shifter might be more accurate.”

Harry’s eyebrows raised and he muddled through his human memories, trying to recall information on Animagi.

“How is that possible, if they aren’t wizards?” Harry asked.

“I… am not sure.” Edward replied sheepishly.

Harry felt himself suddenly relaxing; the fear that had his muscles tense and ready to fight draining, leaving him able to breathe normally. He was slightly worried that something was happening to him until Edward spoke up.

“The others have arrived.” Edward said, loud enough to be heard easily across the distance between them and the wolves.

Jasper and Alice were the first to make it, and Alice immediately sat on the stairs of the porch, rubbing her head. Jasper was calm and serene as usual; Harry was glad for Jasper’s ability to manipulate emotions then.

“Alice, are you okay?” Harry worried.

“Yes, Daniel, I’m fine. I just haven’t been able to see anything for the past 30 minutes. We were a little panicked back at the house when everyone’s futures suddenly vanished, but I’m pretty sure they are causing it.” Alice explained, jerking a thumb towards the wolves.

“30 minutes? So did you see me… in the forest, I mean…” Harry beat around.

“I saw many futures based upon your actions, and only one ended with you… doing anything rash.” Alice explained while casting weary glances at the tree line.

 Harry nodded as the other vampires filed onto the porch. One possibility out of many; he could handle that. And he would do his best to ensure that he wasn’t sorely tempted again. Harry switched focus to Carlisle, who was standing the furthest away from him, when he started speaking.

“Hello Sam and fellow friends.” Carlisle said, bowing slightly toward the tree line.

“Carlisle,” Edward said, “you know why we’re here. You violated the treaty by creating that new vampire, and you did it on truce lands. Explain yourself!”

Harry was surprised at first, but quickly realized that Edward was speaking for ‘Sam.’

“I certainly will. I ask only that you hear us out.” Carlisle returned.

“You have our attention, now speak.” Edward/Sam said.

“Many things have changed these past few weeks. The young vampire you see is unlike anything you, or I have ever encountered and he was changed out of necessity, not out of want or desire. This is his home, which he lived at as a human, for a month; until he was attacked by his own kind. We either turned him and saved him, or let him die, and since he’s Edward’s mate… the decision was made. The only decision we could make.” Carlisle explained.

“What do you mean by ‘his kind’?” Edward/Sam asked.

Carlisle looked at Harry, who nodded infinitesimally, before continuing.

“He’s a wizard. Not someone who plays cheap tricks or sleight of hand at the expense of a crowd, but a true magic wielder.”

“You expect us to believe that?” Edward/Sam asked, agitated.

“I would show you,” Harry spoke up, also agitated, “but governments would be notified, and things would get… messy.”

“Say for a second I actually believe this load of bull,” Edward/Sam said, “why would your own kind attack you?”

“That’s complicated.” Harry replied.

There was a snarl from the tree line and Sam had moved out from under the tree cover.

“That’s not good enough!” Edward/Sam ground out angrily.

“They came here on the orders of someone else to take his life. They were almost successful; had it not been for the powers of vampire venom and our resolve to not let him die, Edward would have lost his mate.” Carlisle continued.

It was weak, even to Harry’s ears, and he wanted Carlisle to be right.

“Do you think this is a game, Carlisle? That a technicality is going to save the treaty?” Edward/Sam asked dangerously.

“Please don’t misunderstand me, Sam. I do not wish to fight with you or your pack, merely explain our actions. When we struck the treaty with Ephraim Black, we understood that you viewed the creation of vampires as equal to us preying on humans. Daniel was hit with a spell that instantly, and usually, irrevocably ends someone’s existence.  We made the choice to try and save him given that he was, for all intents and purposes, already dead. We did not feed upon him, and we absolutely have not strayed into Quileute territory. Since the meeting with your great grandfathers, we have done everything in our power to abide by the treaty; but saving Edward’s mate, our new family member… there was never a choice. I’m sure you can understand that.” Carlisle replied.

It was quiet for a few long moments. “This is something we’ll have to discuss with the Tribal Elders. I’ll send word when we’ve come to a decision.” Edward/Sam said.

“Would you allow someone to speak on our behalf? Another wizard, maybe?” Harry yelled out as Sam was turning to leave. The wolf stopped and turned his head back to him.

“ Of course no-“ Edward/Sam started to say before Harry heard him snort across the field. “You know what, just to show how crazy you are; why not.”

The wolf aimed towards the forest now and coiled back slightly before shooting off in a blur into the darkness.

With a *thunk* Alice let her head hit the wooden post she had been casually leaning on, sighing in relief as her hand dropped from her forehead.

“Definitely the wolves, then.” Edward said, looking over at her.

“I wonder why?” Alice questioned.

While the two debated the issue, Harry was still hand in hand with Edward, looking at the spot Sam had disappeared to.

“Harry?” Esme asked, coming up next to the young vampire. “How are you doing?”

Harry looked at her with an easy smile, genuinely happy to see her.

“Hey, Esme. I’m alright, I think… I’m used to weird things happening around me by now. This barely even registers on the grand scale of things. I’m more worried about Draco right now than I am myself.”

“What troubles you, dear?”

“I… saw his father get killed, the night we got attacked. And I have to tell him, and then ask him to go to a meeting of wannabe werewolves to show them magic. I don’t think he’s going to be thrilled.” Harry explained.

 “Oh, my word, that’s awful! Draco seems like such a kind soul; he’ll be devastated.”

“His father wasn’t a good person; one of the worst people, actually. But still, he’s his dad. And I can’t even tell him in person because I’m a vampire now and all I’ll be able to think about is trying to drink his stupid blood.”

“I’m sorry, Harry,” Esme said, wrapping her arms around him; Harry reached his free arm up and squeezed back. “I’m not opposed to letting him know if you’d like? Or I could deliver a message.”

“I feel bad putting it off on someone else, but I don’t see another way without calling him on the phone, and that’s even worse. If you really don’t mind?” Harry asked, pulling back.

“Of course not. No one enjoys being the bearer of bad news, but it must be delivered to start the grieving process. Perhaps this will convince him to take a break and get some sleep. He’s been slightly manic since your transformation; staying up 20-21 hours a day working on that potion.”

“I don’t suppose he told you what it was?”

“Not in specific terms. He said it involved wolfsbane, but when I tried to ask a follow-up question, he gave me a very pointed look and I got the hint.”

Harry nodded, a grim frown set on his face. Wolfsbane? What the bloody hell was Draco up to?

“Harry?” Edward asked, pulling him from his musings. “Do you think you could get the wards back up without activating the trace on you?”

“I can see if the goblins left anything in that paperwork.” Harry replied.

“I would feel better if we had some kind of warning should the wolves decide to come back.” Edward offered.

“I’ll get them now. If not, I can send Hedwig.” Harry said, turning to go inside.

“Harry, dear?” Esme said softly.

Harry turned back to her, stomach clenching at the look on her face.

“Your owl took off the night of your transformation. We haven’t seen her since.”

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, another wave of calm sweeping over him; Jasper again, no doubt.

“Wonderful. Thank you.” Harry said, and then disappeared quickly into the house.

Chapter Text

Draco, June 5^th

 Birthday -night of the attack:

 Draco knew something was wrong the moment Harry gasped and fell forward. The explosion from outside confirmed that things were about to go to hell in a handbasket, and Draco could only wonder if it was light or dark forces that had completely obliterated the wards.

He didn’t waste any time running outside and engaging the group of dark figures that had apparated in the moment the wards had fallen. He was flanked by the three vampires, and thought it was going to be a quick fight; it was that arrogance that almost got him killed.

He was soon barely holding out, avoiding spells and curses in colors and patterns he’d never seen. He had just dodged a killing curse when the world went black; the effect of dark magic settling in around them, and Draco knew he was trapped. He could hear the vampires fighting to his right, and tried to make his way to them when a red curse slammed into his ribs; he felt like he’d been stabbed and blood cascaded down his side, causing him to scream, before another spell hit him, knocking him blissfully unconscious.

---

When Draco came to, he could hear Harry screaming; the same scream that people who had been held under the Cruciatus curse for too long sounded like. He tried to sit up and gasped as pain flared in his side, making his hand jump to it in response.

“Easy there, tiger. If you’re gonna sit up, do it slowly.” Emmett said from Draco’s right. 

“What’s going on? What is happening with Harry?” Draco said, struggling to sit up.

“Not gonna lie to you, bro… he would be dead if it wasn’t for Edward and Carlisle.” Emmett replied.

“What?!” Draco barely avoided yelling.

“Some of those guys we were fighting got a hold of him and cast that green spell at the back of his head.”  Emmett explained.

“H-how the fuck is he still alive?”

“Edward bit him. And then he and Carlisle performed CPR until the venom had a chance to work its magic.”

Harry’s screams peaked again, and Draco had a flashback to Dolores Umbridge getting ready to cast the Cruciatus curse on him in his fifth year. Draco had wanted her to do it then. The thought was making him sick to his stomach now and he felt truly ashamed at his past self yet again.

“I-I… Can I go up there?”

“It’s your house, Draco. Just… it sounds worse up close. And you don’t have to see him thrashing around down here.”

Draco was already struggling to his feet, wincing as he held his side in pain. Emmett made no move to help him, but Draco probably would have refused his help anyways.

He made his way across the house and up the stairs, pain making his breathing labored, but he had to make sure that scrawny, speckled git was okay before he did anything else. If Edward bit him, and Harry was really transforming into a vampire… it would likely be a long time before Draco saw him again. The thirst of newborn vampires was talked about in many of the books in Malfoy Manor, and Draco was hit with the sadness that he’d only just gained Harry as a friend, and now he was saying goodbye.

He stopped in the doorway to Harry’s room, unable to bring himself to go further. The screams were so loud that he wanted to cringe, and seeing Harry’s body contorted and writhing as the vampire venom attacked his system was going to leave Draco with nightmares for weeks to come.

“Draco,” Edward spoke from beside the bed, watching Harry with the same helplessness Draco felt. “I’m sorry. I should have protected him. I-I…”

“Yeah? Tell that to Harry when he’s done being tortured.” Draco snapped.

Edward looked at Harry again, head bowed, and Draco felt his anger surge. Harry needed him to be strong, not dejected and mopey for Merlin’s sake.

He was about to open his mouth and tell Edward exactly what he was thinking when Alice entered the room. Edward’s head snapped up and Draco was shocked to see the anger that was burning in the vampire's eyes.

“Finally come to check on him, Alice? I’m sure he’d be touched, but as you can see, he’s a little preoccupied.” Edward said coldly.

“I know you’re mad at me, Edward. I won’t try to deny you your right to be. I only wanted to tell you the reasons why we left.” Alice replied.

“I don’t think-“ Edward started to say.

“I had a vision the morning we left Seattle. It was one of the most real visions I’ve ever experienced, Edward. I was standing in a room containing two people; Albus and Minerva. It felt like I could have reached out and touched them like I was actually there. They were discussing Harry and the man, Albus, said that Harry was a horcrux.” Alice said.

 At the mention of Dumbledore and McGonagall, Draco’s stomach had dropped. But when Alice had said that Harry was a horcrux, he actually felt the sudden need to sit down. He wobbled a little on his feet before a strong hand caught him under his arm; Draco looked over and saw that it was Alice who was steadying him.

“Perhaps we should go to the living room?” she suggested.

“If you think for even a second that I am leaving his side, you’ve got terrible foresight.” Edward replied.

“I’m okay, Alice, just wasn’t expecting any of what you said.” Draco said.

He pulled out his wand and aimed at the pillow that had fallen off the bed in Harry’s squirming and accio’ed it to himself, setting it on the ground at his feet. He took a deep breath and silently cast the spell that transfigured the pillow into an elegant wing-backed chair. He sat down with a breathy huff, his ribs no longer protesting, unaware that he had just shocked the vampires into silence.

“If you wouldn’t mind continuing with your story, Alice? I’d quite like to hear what you saw.” Draco said as soon as he was comfortable.

“Alright. Well, Albus said that Voldemort’s soul was tethered to Harry’s and that as long as Harry lived, Voldemort couldn’t die.” Alice told them.

“A horcrux is some of the darkest magic that exists. You see, when you murder someone, not in self-defense, but simple, meaningless murder, your soul is split. A horcrux is an object which holds part of your split soul. Creating a horcrux would make you immortal, but… Splitting your soul and then hiding it away would have terrible effects on you. Merlin, no wonder that bastard is so fucking crazy…” Draco cut in.

“And Harry had a piece in him?” Edward asked horrified.

 “From what I saw in the vision, that’s what was said. They were arguing about the need for Albus to send those bounty hunters after him. Minerva was angry that Albus had acted so rashly. She even yelled at him about the treatment he received from his relatives before she handed in her resignation.” Alice confirmed.

“Professor McGonagall is the Deputy Headmistress for Hogwarts and Harry’s head of house if you remember…  If she’s resigned, then she must really be furious.” Draco said.

“I had 4 more visions back to back; myself telling Jas, Carlisle, and Esme that we needed to leave. Edward screaming as he held Harry’s lifeless body. Carlisle telling Edward to bite Harry. And finally, this.” Alice said, stepping next to Edward. She looked down at Harry screaming and writhing, and Edward took her hand, grabbing it so tightly Draco was sure he heard something break.

“So that black stuff that was leaking from his scar… that was the horcrux?” Edward asked quietly.

“According to the books that mention horcruxes, which aren’t many, the only way to get rid of one is to completely destroy the container… Harry was hit with the killing curse. Not something you usually come back from. So I’d be willing to wager that what you saw was the horcrux dying.” Draco replied.

The group fell silent as Harry continued thrashing and screaming, and it wasn’t long until Draco felt a hand gently squeeze his shoulder. He looked up into Carlisle’s gentle face.

“I would like to take a look at your injury, and you’re definitely in need of rest. The sun will be rising in about an hour.” Carlisle said.

Draco nodded, slightly relieved that he had a good reason to leave; he felt bad for Harry, but there was nothing he could do now.

“Sure, Carlisle.” Draco agreed, rising to his feet. He took another look at Harry and then flicked his wand at the chair he’d been using, returning it to a pillow before leaving the room.

He was about to head down the stairs when Carlisle stopped him.

“Would you like to stay with us for a few days?”

Draco sighed softly. “Probably a good idea. I’ll just grab my trunk, then.”

Carlisle nodded his agreement and was standing in the same spot when Draco returned a few minutes later, dropping a now shrunken trunk into his pocket.

---

Draco and Carlisle were now in the vampire’s office at the Cullen residence, and Carlisle was unwrapping the bandage that had been wrapped around Draco’s torso.

“Ow.” Draco hissed as Carlisle pulled the bandage away, sticky and dripping with blood, but seeming to be completely unaffected by the smell. “Does it not bother you?”

“Treating your wound? No. If you are asking about your blood affecting me, then that’s also a no. I’ve been treating bloodied, bandaged humans for quite some time now. Your blood is no more alluring to me than that of the animals I choose to hunt.”

 “Mhmm… and how long did it take for you to become… desensitized?”

“Well, I’ve never drank human blood. Killing someone to feed myself was not something I could bring myself to do. When I found out animal blood could sustain me, I exclusively fed off them. I suppose you could say that since then, I’ve not thirsted for human blood.”

“You have incredible self-control then. Every book I’ve read said that a newborn's thirst was always at the forefront of their minds and being in close proximity to one would certainly lead to getting bit, or more likely, dying.”

“For newborns, that’s generally the case, yes. But I get the feeling this isn’t as much about me as it is Harry.”

Draco sighed again. “It’s just… we never really got along. When we were in school, we made each other miserable, and this is the first time since I’ve met him where we got along and everything was going so great. He’s been an incredible friend to me, and now… he’ll be a crazed, blood-lusting monster. N-not that I have a problem with him being a vampire.”

Carlisle chuckled.

“You don’t need to worry about offending me, Draco. You’re not wrong to assume he’ll be thirsting for blood, and it could certainly be a while before he can tolerate being around humans. I’m truly sorry that it had to come to this, but I think it would be foolish to think that once he finished transforming, he’ll consider you anything less than a friend. He’ll be stronger, faster, much more dangerous… but he’ll still be Harry.”

“Yeah… it’s too bad you guys aren’t werewolves, the symptoms of which are easy enough to manage with a potion, but then again, I doubt werewolf saliva would have brought Harry back from the dead.”

“A potion that cures lycanthropy? That’s impressive.” Carlisle commented, starting the process of re-wrapping Draco’s wound.

“It doesn’t cure it, exactly. It just allows the afflicted person to retain their human mind throughout the transformation. It stops them from transforming into a feral, raging werewolf.” Draco explained.

“I don’t suppose there’s a potion out there to control vampire thirst?” Carlisle asked with a light tone.

“Not… not that I’ve heard of.” Draco replied, frowning deeply until a thought occurred to him. “But what if I made my blood undesirable? Made it smell like something completely non-human?”

“Is such a thing possible?” Carlisle questioned.

“I honestly don’t know. Are there any smells that vampires find repulsive?”

“Yes, actually. Monkshood; smells like… wet dog.”

“You’re kidding.”

“No, I’ve encountered it a few times while exploring the west coast. It’s overpowering, to the point we can taste it. Why? Do you know of a potion?”

“The Wolfsbane potion! The one that helps control werewolves' minds when they transform. Highly toxic to humans, but if I formulate my own recipe, and remove the toxic stuff… this could actually work, Carlisle.” Draco explained excitedly. “Do you have somewhere that I can work?”

“Do you have a problem with using this office? I can find somewhere else if you’d prefer.”

Draco scanned the rectangular room. If they pushed all the furniture to one side and set up a high counter opposite the window, then the room wouldn’t be half bad. “It’ll suffice, as long as you don’t mind a little redecorating?”

“Just tell me what you need.” Carlisle offered.

---

Draco had fallen asleep waiting for Carlisle to return from ‘The Home Depot’ or some such store, in Port Angeles. The sun had risen and Draco couldn’t fight the pull of sleep as he sat and waited for the patriarchal vampire to return with the requested items. He startled awake, however, when something was draped over him, but settled down when he saw Esme smiling softly at him.

“Sorry, dear, just thought you might like a blanket.” She said softly.

“No, it’s fine. I’m just a little jumpy after everything that’s happened.” Draco replied, stretching. “What time is it?”

“A few minutes after 9:00. Carlisle should be on his way back.”

Draco nodded and sat up out of the slouch he’d fallen into in sleep.

“I really didn’t mean to wake you, Draco. If you’d be more comfortable in a bed, we have a wonderful guest room.”

“Actually, I’m gonna head back to my-… well, Harry’s place. I’d like to tell him what I’m doing and… it might be the last time to see him for a while.”

Esme looked deep into his eyes for a moment but eventually nodded.

“Sure, sweetheart. I really think you ought to sleep, though.”

“I will when I get back; at least until Carlisle returns.” Draco agreed.

---

Apparating was something that was surprisingly easy for Draco to do. His ability to properly Occlude no doubt had something to do with it, as being able to focus solely on his destination with determination and deliberation, was a huge help.

Landing in the driveway to Harry’s house, he heard the screams immediately. He raised his wand and started casting silencing charms around the perimeter of the house, not stopping until all was peaceful again; a simple façade to cover the sounds of torture and pain inside the building.

He let himself in and went up the stairs slowly, sadness seeping into him that Harry’s screams would have undoubtedly caused damage to his throat. It was strange to him, caring so much about Harry. The boy was someone who he’d despised for so long, and yet here he was, heartbreaking as he listened to the pain his friend was in.

Arriving at the room, he saw Edward sitting on the edge of the bed, looking like utter shit. He watched as the vampire leaned forward and brushed Harry’s hair back off his forehead before leaning back with a horribly pained expression.

“Edward,” Draco called out.

Edward turned to him but said nothing.

“How is he?” Draco prompted.

“He’s still in agony; still not able to think clearly. His mind is racing with so many thoughts that I don’t know what’s real or figments of his imagination. Some of the stuff I’ve seen…”

“Perhaps you should stay out of his head, then.”

“I don’t know if-“

“Look, I really didn’t come here to tell you what to do. I just came to see Harry and- and let him know that I was going to start work on a potion to make my blood undesirable. I don’t want him to think that I’ve abandoned him to this fate.”

“I’ll let him know as soon as he’s through this that you came by.”

He ignored Edward and stepped into the room before walking up to the side of the bed. “Listen, scarhead. I-I know I was an absolute shit before, but… I don’t want to lose your friendship. Not for something as stupid as you becoming a vampire. I’ll figure this out; I promise.”

He turned to leave immediately, not wanting to watch Harry in agony anymore, when he was stopped by Edward.

“Draco, there’s something else you need to know. Last night-“ Edward started to say.

“Save your speech for someone who has time to listen, Edward. I need to get some sleep until Carlisle gets back and then I’m going to start on this potion. I’ve put silencing spells around the house and they should last a few days. You won’t have to worry about someone coming by and hearing… anything. Bloody well try to protect him this time.”

He didn’t wait for a response and apparated directly from the room to the front door of the Cullen’s house, where he gently knocked. It didn’t take long before Esme opened the door.

“Draco, darling, please don’t think you need to knock before coming in next time. Think of this as your home away from home.” Esme said kindly. “Follow me, dear. I’ve got the guest bedroom all ready for you.”

Draco nodded his understanding and then let her lead him upstairs and down the hall, to a room that was on the opposite side, and a door before, Carlisle’s study. The room itself was stark white with a few tastefully dark pieces that tied in well with the theme of the house. The curtains had been closed, leaving the room dark and oh-so-tempting to crawl into for hours to come.

“You’ll wake me as soon as he returns?” Draco asked.

“If you’d like me to.” Esme replied after a moment’s hesitation.

“Please do. I’d like to get things set up, and I’ll need to give Carlisle a list of ingredients to start with.”

“ I’ll come to get you as soon as he returns, Draco. Sleep well, darling.” Esme said.

Before Draco could turn around and sink into the darkness, Esme leaned forward and grabbed him into a light hug, which he found himself returning with little thought.

“You’ve been through a lot; please don’t forget to take care of yourself, too.”

---

Chapter Text

Draco had been working himself hard for the past couple of days. He was tired, agitated, and he had the annoying feeling that he was working on something that was out of his depth. In theory, the potion was possible, but the 3 attempts he’d already made had failed, with one actually spewing extremely toxic fumes that had Carlisle rushing it outside.

What he needed was Severus; the man had always prodded him in the right direction when it came to potions, and he found that he sorely missed that now.

He was deep in thought, going through different potions ingredients in his head before discarding them, and therefore didn’t hear Esme enter the room.

“Draco?” She spoke, effectively breaking his concentration and making him jump.

“Esme!” Draco said with a hand going to his chest. “Merlin, you startled me. Is everything alright?”

“Perhaps we should have a seat? I have some information that you’ll no doubt not want to hear, but need to.” Esme suggested.

Draco followed her over to the chairs that had been placed by the window and sat as soon as she did.

“What is it, Esme? Is Harry okay?” Draco asked rapidly.

“Harry is fine, dear. As well as can be, considering the circumstances.”

“Then what is this about? I really need to get back to work.”

Esme surprised him when she reached out and clasped his hand gently. Her ice-cold skin made him focus on her, truly, for the first time since she’d arrived. Worry shot through Draco as he looked at her face and saw the pain and worry written across it.

“Esme, please. Just tell me what’s wrong.” Draco asked shakily.

“The night that Harry was attacked, he was pulled into a vision. I’ve not been able to get all the details, only what Edward read from his mind… Draco, darling, I hate to tell you this, but your father… has passed.”

“That’s impossible. There are ancient magic’s, ancient family magic’s, that would have let me know the second father died.” Draco replied.

But he had a horrible sinking feeling in his stomach and he couldn’t help but think that by his leaving Europe, he had somehow interfered with the magic.

“No, I won’t accept this!” Draco shouted, shaking his wand into his hand as he did so. “Statut de Lucius Malefoy,” he cast.

His wand tip flared a deep red and he felt as though he’d been punched in the stomach.

“That’s not possible.” Draco whispered, a tear falling from his face. “Statut de Lucius Malefoy.” He cast again, hand shaking.

When the tip flared deep red again, he lost his composure. “NO! I WON’T BELIEVE IT! STATUT DE LUCIUS MALEFOY!”

The wand lit up red for the third time and Draco was hit with a wave of emotion that was threatening to choke him. He’d lost both his parents now, lost them because he was too weak to do what was necessary; too scared. He broke down as a breath turned into a sob and he was pulled into Esme’s arms.

---

Draco had never allowed himself to grieve his mother. When the Dark Lord had killed her, Draco pushed all his feelings down and simply refused to think about it. Now that his father had joined her, it was like the proverbial damn breaking and Draco could do nothing to stop the coming flood.

He was being held by Esme on the couch downstairs when he was hit with the sudden urge to be alone. He pulled away from the vampire and did his best to stem the flow of tears and breaths that were turning to sobs.

“I-I need to be alone right now, Esme.” Draco said shakily. He remembered the car that he owned sitting just outside; he could think of nothing better than going for a drive. “I’m g-going for a drive. I won’t go far.”

“I’m so sorry, Draco. You’ll call if you need me?” Esme replied sadly.

Draco nodded as he walked across the room to the front door and pulled it open.

“Thank you for telling me.” He said to Esme, and then stepped outside.

---

Draco headed north out of town, following highway 101 to a turnoff for highway 110, and drove for the next 30 minutes, doing 15 mph under the speed limit. There were one or two cars that had passed him, but he paid no mind to it. He was caught up in his grief and was content to cruise along the lonely road until he would inevitably have to turn around.

He had just driven past some smaller houses when he heard the sounds of surf break coming from around the bend of trees. His tears slowed and he wiped the remnants on his face as he drove slowly along the coast, passing a store and coffee house until he saw a turn-off and parking some 400 feet from the water’s edge.

Draco took the turn-off and pulled into a nearly deserted parking lot, coming to a stop and killing the engine as far from the other parked cars as he could be.

For a long time, he just sat and let the tears slowly drip down his face; his thoughts weren’t very productive, mostly images of his parents with their small smiles, telling him they loved him, and the last time he talked to them. It hit him hard that he’d not had the chance to say goodbye to either of them.

Draco scanned the water, looking for any of the people the cars belonged to, but the beach appeared to be empty, and he found himself wanting to go and sit by the water. As he got out and shut his door, he never caught the faint *buzz buzz* of his phone going off.

Walking down one of the well used trails to the sand and surf he noticed there were washed-up trees everywhere and that it was far too cold to be early May. He chose to sit at a seemingly abandoned fire pit, and after a surreptitious look around, let his wand fall into his hand before casting a murmured incendio at the half-burned logs, setting them ablaze immediately.

Draco slipped his wand back into his sleeve and then slid down in the sand as the sun dropped lower. It had gotten late as he mourned his lost parents and had to be nearing dinner time, but he just didn’t care. He brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs before leaning his head on his knees and let the tears flow freely again.

---

It was dark when Draco woke from his slumber, though the fire was still burning quite well on the logs he’d added sometime earlier, so it couldn’t be too late. He had never cried himself to sleep before, but after three days of little rest and an entire afternoon of tears, he could understand why it happened. He took a deep breath and stretched, feeling slightly better after spending the afternoon here.

He groaned when he heard short barks of laughter and loud voices getting closer to him. Perhaps if he didn’t move, they would just ignore him and keep walking.

His luck, it would seem, sucked.

“And who do we have here? I’ve never seen you on the res before.” A man asked.

Draco schooled his face into something impassive and looked up at the group. There were 6 of them, and they appeared to range in ages from 18 to their late 20’s.

“Yeah, I’m new here. I just moved with a mate of mine to Forks.” Draco answered. He’d briefly considered lying, but his accent would give him away, and his clothes were screaming that he didn’t belong here, too.

“This ‘mate’ of yours wouldn’t happen to be named Daniel, would he?” The hulking figure asked. Draco could see the rest of the group sharing a look and he subtly palmed his wand.

“And if he is?” Draco asked nonchalantly.

“Then you should have waited for our invitation, rather than invading our territory.” Another of the figures said.

“Your territory? Do you own the beach? You have my apologies, then. I was under the impression that this was a public place. I’ll just be seeing myself off, then.” Draco said, standing and tightening the grip on his wand.

“Like hell you will. You should have known better than to come here without our permission. We’re taking you to the elders.” The figure snapped.

“You’re taking me nowhere, actually.” Draco said, turning to face the group fully for the first time.

“You’ll do as you’re told or I’m going to get angry. And trust me, you don’t want that to happen.”

Draco took a deep, calming breath and turned 180 degrees before lightly jumping over the log he’d been resting on.

“I’ll be seeing you, boys. Have a nice night.” He said cheekily. He whipped back around when he heard the sounds of clothing tearing followed by the snarl of what was unmistakably *not human.*

There was a massive, dark silver-colored wolf where there had just been the man demanding that he come with them, and Draco watched as the rest of the group slowly backed away.

He wasted no time in raising his wand and sending a stunner at the beast, not waiting around to see if it had any effect before he turned and took off towards his car.

He only made it 100 feet before he felt teeth clamp onto the bottom of his shirt and he was tossed to the side, flying a few feet before landing on his back with the breath knocked out of him. The wolf was about to be upon him as he raised his wand again, this time with something a lot more nefarious on his mind, when another wolf, this one much smaller and sandy-colored, slammed into the attacker.

They both went down in a heap of snarls and nips and Draco was unable to do anything other than watch as these beasts fought just a few feet from him. They went at it for a couple of minutes, longer than Draco imagined it would, what with the other wolf being so small, but it was ultimately the appearance of another wolf that barked a short, sharp warning toward the two that they stopped fighting.

The small one, the one that had ‘saved’ Draco from the larger wolf, immediately trotted over to him, sniffing the air around Draco with flattened ears and tail tucked between his legs, but it quickly started wagging its tail and dropped its head and front legs to the ground, an obvious indication that it was being playful.

“I don’t know what the fuck is happening here, but thank you for that.” Draco said from his sitting position.

The wolf closed the 2 feet of distance between them and flopped down next to him, resting his head lightly on Draco’s outstretched leg. Draco was surprised, but gingerly let his hand wander over to the wolf and began petting his head. The wolf sighed deeply and leaned more heavily on Draco, who couldn’t help the smile that broke out on his face.

“Awfully friendly, aren’t you?” Draco said.

“Seth, what the hell are you doing?” A woman yelled, causing Draco to jump and look up, noticing for the first time that the group of men had regrouped and were now carefully watching them from a few yards away.

“Leah, stop!” The original hulking figure said angrily.

“Piss off, Sam, that’s my little brother casually blowing our secret to shreds. He was just supposed to come to tell you dinner was ready!” Leah said, now marching angrily towards Draco and the wolf.

“Leah, as your alpha I’m ordering you to stop!” Sam ordered.

Leah froze mid-step, which she held for a moment until she very slowly lowered her leg to the ground. She was still a good 20 yards from where Draco was sitting but he could see the fury on her face.

“Anything else you want to order me to do or can I go?” Leah asked icily.

“Go run it off.” Sam replied.

Leah wasted no time in doing so, and Draco got a full view of what had happened earlier when the clothes ripped. These people were Animagi!

“You guys are wizards?” Draco questioned.

 Sam’s eyes snapped to his and Draco wanted to look away, but he held the man’s gaze. Sam was frightening, sure, but he was no dark lord.

“Seth,” Sam said, ignoring Draco’s question, and the wolf that was resting on Draco’s leg looked up immediately. “Go get changed and come back.” The wolf nodded once and turned to look at Draco, catching his eye and looking for a moment longer before bounding off over the hill.

Sam sighed as Seth disappeared. “What’s your name?” He asked.

“Thomas.” Draco replied.

“My name is Sam and to my right, you’ve got Jared and Paul. To my left, you’ve got Jacob, Quil, and Embry. The woman that ran off is Leah, and the one that protected you is Seth.” Sam listed.

“Would you mind explaining what’s going on? How do you know Daniel? Why did Seth step in?” Draco fired off.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. That’s a lot of explaining and like you heard, it’s dinner time. Would you like to join us?” Sam asked.

“Of my own free will?” Draco replied.

“You are free to come and go as you please, Thomas. Though if you’ll join us for dinner, I’ll explain what’s going on.”

Now it was Draco’s turn to sigh; should he go, or should he get the car and get back to the safety of the Cullens?

He was debating his options when a hand squeezed his shoulder, and when he looked over and saw the face of who could only be Seth, suddenly the decision wasn’t difficult.

“I’d be glad to join you.”

---

The group had split, with Draco, Seth, and Jacob heading toward Draco’s car, while the rest of the wolves had disappeared into the trees.

Seth was walking so close to him that their shoulders and arms were almost rubbing, while Jacob took the lead for the short walk to the vehicle.

“So, it’s true, then? You can do magic?” Jacob said when they arrived to the car.

“I’d be happy to give you a demonstration.” Draco offered, idly toying with the wand in his hands.

“What can you do?” Jacob asked.

“Hmmm. Let’s try… rictusempra!” Draco incanted, pointing his wand at Jacob who yelped as the silver bolt of light shot towards him, before buckling to his knees, hardly able to breathe as he was mercilessly tickled.

Seth moved forward with apparent concern but Draco lifted the spell before he took more than two steps. Jacob let out a few giggles as he caught his breath and stood again.

“That was intense, dude. I haven’t been tickled since I was a kid.” Jacob commented, still slightly breathless.

“And that’s only a second-year spell.” Draco added with a wink.

“Wow.” Seth murmured.

Draco turned a smile towards him and Seth’s face lit up in response.

Draco was about to respond when the faintest *buzz buzz* came from the car.

“Ah, shit.” Draco cursed, pulling open his door and grabbing the phone off the passenger seat. He had 104 missed texts and 35 missed calls. Whoops. He quickly tapped in the password and called back the last missed call.

“Draco, sweetheart, are you okay? Where are you?” Esme’s worried voice came through.

“Esme, hi. Yes, I’m alright, sorry for worrying you guys. When I left, I ended up finding my way to La Push Beach and… Well, some things have happened. I guess I am going to dinner with a pack of wolves.” Draco explained.

It was quiet for a moment.

“As long as you’re safe… They didn’t try to hurt you, did they?” Esme asked.

“Well… not really. It seemed to be more of a misunderstanding than anything else. Sam offered me an explanation if I joined them for dinner…”

“I’m sorry, Draco, for not warning you beforehand. We have a treaty with them and you should have been informed. If you feel like you’re in danger at any time, send a message and we’ll come get you, alright?”

“I will, Esme. Thanks for earlier, ya know…”

“Oh, hush now, my child. It was the very least I could do. Stay safe, and we’ll see you when you get back.”

Draco hung up and the three of them sat in awkward silence for a moment.

“Thought you said your name was Thomas?” Jacob asked from the back seat.

“It…” Draco started to say, before sighing. “It’s a long story.”

“Better wait until we get over to Emily and Sam’s to start it, then. I’m starving.” Jacob said.

---

Chapter Text

The drive over to the wolf's den was short, and even though Draco was doing his best to focus on the road, it was hard to do when Seth was practically burning a hole in the side of his head and seemed to be vibrating in his seat. It was made worse by the fact that every time Draco looked over, Seth would jerk his head forward and pretend not to be looking, but would go back to staring when Draco focused on the road again.

Jacob was the one giving directions, and they eventually pulled up in front of an old two-story house that had a tree growing through the middle of the porch. Bright light was pouring out of the house and Jacob didn’t even wait for the car to stop rolling before he had jumped out and raced inside. Draco could see the pack of wolves sitting at a table eating massive plates of food; the only one interested in them was Sam, who was watching them from inside the house.

“Are you coming?” Seth asked gingerly.

“Should I be worried?” Draco asked with a smile, trying to hide his worry.

“No. They won’t lay a hand on you, I promise.”

“What makes you so sure? Paul seemed more than ready to have a go at me.”

“That was before… well, before things changed.”

“What do you mean?”

“Better to let Sam explain… if you’re genuinely worried though, I wouldn’t mind going in and grabbing you a plate. I’ll join you out here.” Seth offered.

 Draco weighed his options. He didn’t know why this wolf was willing to go above and beyond for him, but he found that he didn’t really mind the attention. Still, he wanted answers more than he wanted to eat dinner in the car, so with a heavy sigh, he opened the door.

“Better find out what I’ve gotten myself into.”

The two started walking towards the house, and Seth was close enough again that they were almost touching. Draco had the insane urge to grab his hand, just to see what he would do, but he clamped down on that urge. Things were weird enough without him grabbing another boy's hand for no reason.

---

The group at the table made room for them and a woman with deep scars along the side of her face, who turned out to be Emily, Sam’s fiancé, sat two heaping plates of spaghetti with garlic bread in front of them. Seth dug in immediately, but Draco found himself not being very hungry and mostly played with it.

“How about we go have a talk?” Sam offered after it became clear Draco wasn’t really going to eat.

“Sounds good to me.” Draco replied. He pushed his almost untouched plate towards Seth, who hastily swallowed the food in his mouth before he gave Draco another grin that showed his perfect teeth.

“We’ll just be in the living room, Jared. Take these beasts out for a patrol once everyone is done eating.” Sam instructed.

“You got it, boss.” Jared nodded.

“Except for you, Seth; come join us when you’re finished.” Sam directed.

Seth nodded, and if such a thing was possible, seemed to eat faster.

 Draco followed Sam through a small hallway that lead to a ‘cozy’ living room. There were mismatched sofas and love seats taking up the space along the walls with a single coffee table placed in the middle of the room, and the entire space seemed to be centered around the fireplace.  It was small, but it had that feeling of being well lived in.

When they were both sitting, Sam folded his arms behind his head and nodded once to Draco.

“First things first, Thomas.” Sam started.

“Actually, it’s Draco; long story.” Draco cut in.

“Okay… Draco, then. First things first. We were informed that you were a wizard by your friend, and we all saw that red light you sent at Paul and saw him stumble for a second, but I’d like more definitive proof.”

Draco looked around the room before spotting a beautiful vase with fresh wildflowers sticking out of it. He shook his wand out of its holster and calmly pointed it at the vase.

“Bombarda.” Draco cast, watching in satisfaction as Sam recoiled.

“Was that really necessary?” Sam asked, shielding himself from the exploding glass.

Draco concentrated a little harder now, taking aim at the ruins of the vase, before casting again. “Reparo.”

He watched Sam’s look of annoyance turn to one of surprise.

“Anything, in particular, you wanted to see? Or is that enough?” Draco questioned.

“I can’t believe magic is real. If I hadn’t seen you do that, I doubt I ever would have…” Sam uttered quietly. “That’s really quite amazing.”

“Sometimes it is… Other times it’s not. There’s a war going on in Europe that no one knows about, save for the magical communities. It was getting bad before Daniel and I decided to leave.” Draco said.

Seth walked in just as Draco finished speaking, and he walked right over to the blonde, casually falling into the open seat next to him.

“Had enough?” Sam asked.

“For now.” Seth replied with a smile.

Sam shook his head fondly, but he took a deep breath and his face showed nothing but seriousness.

“You want to go first? Or shall I?” Draco offered.

“Why don’t you go first, and then I’ll do my best to explain what happened tonight.” Sam said.

Draco decided to give them the whole story, and so he started with the downfall of Voldemort 16 years ago, and what had happened since then. Multiple times throughout the story, Draco could see both of them tensing, getting angry, then sad, and when Draco got to the part about why he was at the beach in the first place, Seth actually reached out and patted him gently on the back a few times.

“Jesus, dude. Don’t you guys have some form of police, or military, or some kind of plan for this?” Sam asked incredulously.

“We have the Ministry of Magic, yes. But they are so corrupt that it’s hard to know who to trust, let alone form any kind of resistance with. The Aurors, or wizard police, have been infiltrated, too. People got complacent after the Dark Lord fell last time, and now they’ve got the mess they’re in now.” Draco explained.

Seth had begun rubbing small circles at the top of Draco’s back and the blonde found himself leaning into it, ever so slightly.

Sam sighed loudly from the other side of the room and spoke again. “Well, I don’t think you were lying about anything. Unless you’re an excellent liar, I don’t know. But your heartbeat was steady the whole time… except for the understandable parts. So, since you’ve been honest with me, I’ll be honest with you. You’ve seen that we’re werewolves…” Sam said.

“Uh… Not true werewolves. Trust me, you don’t want that title.” Draco cut in.

“No, I suppose you’re right. We don’t change with a full moon, and we’ve never intentionally hurt a human… much.” Sam agreed with a wink. “But, we do change into wolves. It’s something that gets passed from generation to generation, and we begin to transform when there is leech-, I mean, vampires around. When the Cullen’s returned a couple of years ago, I was the first to transform, and then we started changing in rapid succession, until little Seth there transformed, just a couple months ago.”

“I’m not little, Sam.” Seth replied irritably.

“Physically, no, though some of your thoughts lack real-world experience. You’ve grown up a lot in 2 months, I’ll agree.” Sam placated.

“How old are you?” Draco asked, turning to Seth.

“14, going on 15.” Seth answered with a sigh.

“Whoa, you’re way younger than I thought.” Draco said and internally groaned when Seth’s hand dropped from his back. “I just turned 17, myself.”

 “On to a more pressing matter. You asked me earlier why Seth stepped in and fought with Paul… it’s kind of complicated, and there are a lot of theories floating around about why this happens, though with you two now, that kind of destroys everyone’s theory except for Billy Black…. of course, the old man is right about something else…” Sam spoke, seemingly to himself.

Draco cleared his throat politely and Sam refocused on him.

“Right, anyways. I think it would be easier to speak from experience than speak for what Seth felt… I once dated Leah, and I loved her deeply. Still do. But one day, her cousin, Emily, was visiting from the Makah tribe, and the moment I laid eyes on her, something changed. Suddenly, it wasn’t gravity holding me here, but it was her. My whole world suddenly revolved around making her happy… even though it meant hurting Leah and breaking it off with her. I didn’t have a choice anymore.

“The elders call this ‘imprinting’ and for a long time, we’ve believed that we imprint on the person with whom we have the best chance to reproduce… until tonight.” Sam finished.

Draco had been listening very closely, drinking the story in, and it took him a second to realize what Sam was alluding to.

“You’re saying, what? That Seth imprinted on me?” Draco asked skeptically.

“Had I not felt his connection to you, I’d be just as skeptical. I think Billy Black, Jacob’s father and the natural chief of the Quileute tribe, was irritatingly correct in his view on imprinting. He believes that imprinting is designed to make the wolf stronger, and that imprinting on someone only happens if that person is able to provide the greatest support or strength to the wolf.” Sam explained.

 Draco swallowed hard and found that he was unable to look at Seth.

“Seth won’t look at anyone else… romantically… again. And he’d do anything for you, without question.” Sam continued.

“Why are you bloody telling me that? Don’t you know what I could do with that information?” Draco asked exasperatedly.

“I’m telling you because you need to know how serious this is, and it isn’t something that he, we, can just turn off. It’s all or nothing for him.” Sam replied.

Draco chanced a look at Seth now and stilled at what he saw. The teen wolf was vibrating in his skin again, and he looked very upset. Draco reached a hand out and lightly placed it over Seth’s.

“You look like you’re freaking out, which means that I can’t freak out, and that’s just not fair.” Draco said.

Seth locked eyes with him and after a few moments, stopped shaking and took a deep breath.

“Why don’t you two go for a walk or a ride or something? Catch some fresh air and clear your heads. You can have the night off, Seth, but I expect to see you tomorrow. We’ll figure out the rest from there.” Sam suggested.

“Fresh air sounds good, actually.” Draco said, standing up and then offering a hand to Seth, who took it and pulled himself up.

“Thanks, Sam… I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” Seth replied quietly.

Draco lead the way out of the small living room and back through the kitchen where Emily was cleaning up the dishes from dinner.

“Thank you for that delicious meal, Emily. I will try to bring an appetite with me next time.” Draco said to the woman who was bent over the sink, scrubbing a rather blackened pot. A thought struck him and he had his wand out before she was able to turn around, and he pointed it at the pot and muttered, “Scourgify.”

The effect was instant and Draco smiled widely as the pot was stripped of the scorch marks and grime, making it appear almost brand new. Emily gasped and dropped the pan into the sink before turning around with wide eyes.

“Did you do that?” Emily asked, looking from the wand in Draco’s hand back to the pan.

“That was just my way of saying thank you for hosting me on such short notice.” Draco replied, bowing his head slightly.

“So they weren’t kidding? I thought they were joking when they said you were a wizard.” Emily said.

“Definitely true, though if we could keep that quiet…” Draco asked.

“You don’t need to worry about us. We’re used to keeping secrets. And thank you, for cleaning that pan. I bought it second-hand and I’m kind of embarrassed to admit that I thought it was supposed to be black.” Emily explained sheepishly.

Seth gently pressed a hand into the middle of Draco’s back, pushing him towards the sliding glass door and Draco couldn’t help the small huff of laughter that came out.

“You’ve been wonderful. If you have anything else that needs the extra help, just bring them out the next time I see you. It’s no problem at all. But, Seth is getting impatient…” Draco said.

Emily chuckled. “I understand. You two have a good night; I look forward to seeing you again. Draco, right?”

“Yeah, though if you wouldn’t mind using Thomas if you see me in public. We’re trying to maintain some semblance of our identities, even though that seems to be pretty much useless around here.” Draco answered.

“Of course. See ya later, boys.” Emily replied, turning back to the sink to drain the water.

Draco allowed Seth to lead them back outside before he stopped again.

“Shall we go for a drive? Or do you want to go on a walk?” Draco asked.

 “Hmm… Do something I do all the time or go for a drive in an incredible car? Choices, choices.” Seth said, playfully tapping his lip as if it was a hard choice.

“Alright, I get it. Get in.” Draco instructed with a laugh.

There was a full moon out and Seth suggested they head north toward Lake Pleasant, and since Draco didn’t really have a plan, he agreed.

They had been driving in near silence since leaving Sam and Emily’s nearly 10 minutes ago, with Draco focusing on the road while Seth vibrated in his seat and stole glances at him until Draco finally decided to break the ice.

“So… I’m the one person in the world that’s truly compatible with you, huh?” Draco fished.

“Yeah, I guess you are. Look, I know I’m young, and that it might be a little weird for you… But, Sam was right. I came to get the guys for dinner, and then I saw you, and suddenly, nothing else mattered. You were, are, the only thing I can think about.” Seth replied.

“Mhmm… and what exactly are you thinking about?”

“Whatever the imprint is, it’s telling me to touch you. But... in my head, I’m scared that you’re going to reject me.”

“Can I reject you?”

“It’s not happened before, but you could. I don’t think it would be pleasant for me. Even with being this close to you, my body is practically itching to touch you…  If you rejected me, though, no matter how much it hurt, I would obviously respect your choice.”

“Before tonight, had you even thought about… you know, if you were gay or not?”

“I’ve known for a while that I was attracted to other guys.” Seth answered quietly.

“So your attraction to me, your ‘imprinting’ doesn’t bother you?”

“Of course not, D-Draco. I thought I was going to end up with some girl. It was expected, actually, to carry on the line.”

Draco looked over at the young wolf and saw how distressed the thought had made him. Draco knew that feeling of helplessness. That had, after all, been what was expected of him.

He reached a hand across the car and grabbed Seth’s hand. Seth calmed down almost immediately, the shivers that had been wracking his body finally stopping.

“I know what that’s like. Did any of your pack know?”

“Yeah, we kind of have the ability to read each other’s thoughts while we’re in wolf form. Let’s just say that the past couple of months, Paul and Jared have been changing away from me. The others don’t really care, but…”

Draco sighed quietly.

“I’m going to be honest with you, Seth. I’ve got some reservations about you practically being forced into this.”

“It’s just part of who we are. If it makes any difference, I think you’re h-hot.” Seth said, stuttering over the word and then focusing on the road. Draco could see that his cheeks were red, and he grinned. “Make your next left and follow the road to turnout. We can walk down to the lake.” Seth instructed.

Draco followed his directions and turned down a dark dirt road that they followed for a few minutes until there was a large dirt lot on the right side of the road that couldn’t have been more than 20 feet from the water. He pulled over and killed the engine and both boys got out of the car.

“Come on.” Seth said, leading the way down the sloped hill that led to the water. He waited for Draco to follow and shot a hand out when the blonde started to slip. “Careful, unless you feel like going for a swim.”

“Wonderful as I’m sure that water is, I’ll have to pass tonight.” Draco replied, accepting the offered hand. He kept hold of it, even after he’d made it safely down and he didn’t miss the smile that Seth had at the action. “Do you think we’re being watched?” He asked.

“This late in this area? No way.” Seth answered.

“Good.” Draco said.

He took his wand out and aimed at the remains of a fallen tree, casting and transfiguring it into a smooth-looking wooden bench. There was excitement in Seth’s eyes as he watched Draco cast.

“I still can’t believe that there is a whole wizarding world hidden away.” Seth said, bringing them over to the bench and sitting down. Draco followed and sat close enough to the wolf that their legs were touching.

“One day, perhaps we could come back into muggle society. I doubt that it’ll happen any time soon, though. Too much distrust from wizards.” Draco replied before switching topics. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”  Seth nodded quickly.

“When’s your birthday?”

 “Not until September. September 21^st.”

Draco nodded. “This kind of thing is frowned upon, you know, where I come from.  I’m considered to be of age, and you’re still quite young. You’d be a 4^th year at Hogwarts.”

Seth visibly slumped and he started shaking slightly. “We can wait. Until I’m older, I mean. Quil imprinted on a baby. He’ll pretty much fill the role of older brother until she’s more mature, and then things will go from there…”

“He feels the same way about her that you do me? He sees her romantically?” Draco said sounding scandalized.

“No, no, nothing like that. That would be... gross. No, he doesn’t have romantic feelings for her, yet. The imprint won’t let that happen until she’s way older.”

“But in your case, you do have romantic feelings?”

Seth nodded. “I know, I’m 14, and I know Sam thinks I’m immature, but… tell me. Would you have pegged me for 14?”

“Merlin, no. Late teens, at least.”

“That’s how I feel, too. I went from being 5’0” to 5'11” in less than a year, and nearly doubled my weight. It was the most uncomfortable growth spurt ever.”

“So you’re really just prepared to accept that it’s me that you’re destined to be with? Even knowing my past, what I’ve done?”

 Seth had been rubbing small circles with his thumb on the back of Draco’s hand since they sat down, but stopped now and looked Draco in the eyes.

“I’m on your path, now, Draco. Where ever that goes, it doesn’t matter to me. It’s you that I want.”

Draco swallowed heavily. He knew with every fiber of his being that Seth was being serious and it was intense. He looked away, back at the lake, in time to see a fish breach the water and flop back down, causing ripples to mar the otherwise calm lake.

“It’s a lot to take in and it’s weird. I get it, if you need time or whatever… or if you want to wait until I’m older, I get that, too. Just, please don’t reject me without giving me a chance.”

“I think there’s been a slight misunderstanding.” Draco said, looking back at Seth. At Seth’s look of confusion, he continued. “I don’t know a damn thing about you, and you’re younger than anyone I’ve even considered being with. Not to mention, I’m no doubt wanted by one of the most dangerous men in the world. This isn’t a good idea.”

Seth tried to pull his hand away and hide his face, but Draco held on tight.

“Look at me, please.” Draco said lightly.

When Seth made eye contact with him, Draco leaned forward and pressed a light, chaste kiss to the teen. It was as deliciously warm as the rest of Seth, and Draco had a sudden chill run down his spine.

“I’ll tell you another thing, Seth,” Draco continued in a soft voice, hovering just above the other boy’s lips, “I don’t bloody well care.”

---

Chapter Text

Draco woke the next morning with the sun blazing down on him and the sounds of birdsong loud and clear, and he had the delirious moment of thinking that he’d slept with the window open until he remembered the events of last night.

They’d ended up snogging well into the night, and Draco had eventually transfigured the bench into a full-size bed where they then spent hours talking. Draco listened to the stories of the tribe and of Seth’s childhood before he told of what it was like growing up in the manor and the wizarding world. It had been very late when the wolf had started to drop off and Draco, after casting a strong notice-me-not spell, simply followed his lead and fell asleep loosely curled around the younger teen.

The teen that was currently still sleeping, snoring ever so softly with a hand draped over Draco’s waist. Draco took the opportunity to really look at Seth; he was unsure of how he really felt about the whole imprint business, but he was kind of relieved, in an odd way. Seth was every bit the physique that Draco was attracted to and he was beautiful to boot. He traced a hand down the teen's chest, outlining his pecks before roaming further down, letting his hand explore the taut stomach and washboard abs.

Draco swallowed hard, unable to completely control the thoughts that were racing through his mind. He was undeniably attracted to Seth, which was good, considering that Seth’s happiness now depended on Draco. His age wasn’t exactly an issue, but it did feel a bit like robbing the cradle. Even if Seth looked older, Draco knew the truth. This brought him back to the imprint, and what Sam and Seth had said. It was involuntary, permanent, and only happened when the two people were truly compatible.

Draco had to admit to himself that this could be a very good thing. He’d not put a lot of thought into his future since leaving Europe, allowing, for the first time in his life, to just let things come as they did. He could accept Seth and not have to worry about feeling like he was settling or that he’d made the wrong choice. Especially if the wolf was as devoted to him as was implied. It was vain, Draco knew, but he needed to feel like he was special, needed to know that his partner was actually attracted to him.

Draco chuckled, imagining what Harry would say about his vanity. Thinking about Harry made Draco realize that he’d stopped working on the potion and he sat up quickly. Seth stirred, cracking open an eye to the bright sky before his brow crinkled and he shut his eye again.

“Seth?” Draco asked, amused.

Both of the teens' eyes opened now and he focused on Draco with a smile falling into place.

“Good morning. Have you been up long?” Seth questioned in a voice still thick with sleep as he sat up.

“Not really. Maybe half an hour? Sorry for waking you, but I’ve just remembered I’m supposed to be working on something.” Draco answered.

“Oh. So you need to go?” Seth guessed, voice now reflecting sadness.

“Yes. We need to go.” Draco replied.

Seth made eye contact now and Draco couldn’t help but smile. He leaned forward and pressed their lips together, intending to keep it chaste, but let out a surprised huff of laughter when Seth pulled him into his lap.

The teen seemed to be waiting for him to protest, so he just raised an eyebrow and smiled wider. His lips were captured and Draco found himself making some kind of noise when Seth’s tongue started playing with his. Seth had an arm wrapped around Draco’s back with his free hand coming up to cup his face and Draco’s thoughts were effectively derailed until Seth pulled back.

“Sorry-“ Seth started to say.

Draco put a finger to his lips and then leaned in for another kiss, pulling back after only a moment. “Never apologize for that.” He instructed.

Seth nodded and Draco smiled softly.

“We’ll have a lot of time to… learn. Unfortunately, now is not that time. I really do have to finish this project.”

“Alright.” Seth replied, sighing lightly.

“You want to come with me?” Draco asked.

Again, Seth locked eyes with him, but he didn’t answer immediately.

“We’ll just be going to the Cullens. H-Daniel isn’t there, and I can call Esme to make sure it’s okay.” Draco continued.

“It’s not so much them I’m worried about. Sam probably won’t like it if I go, especially without an escort.”

“Want to borrow my phone, then?”

Seth debated this for a moment and Draco allowed him to.

“No, it’s fine. Better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission, as Jake is always saying.” Seth finally replied.

Draco smiled broadly now. “Excellent. Let me just get rid of this and I’ll call Esme on the way.” Draco said, gesturing to the bed before scooting out of Seth’s lap and standing up, holding a hand out to the teen, who took it and easily pulled himself up.

It was a few simple waves of his wand later that the area had returned to normal and they were back in the car. Draco noted, quite guiltily, that he had a missed call and text from Esme, and remembered that he didn’t send any notice of his plans last night after the dinner. He abashedly called her back, and the phone rang not even once before it was answered, increasing his guilt.

“Draco, is that you?” Esme asked.

“Yes, Esme, it’s me. I’m truly sorry for not calling, but I am perfectly okay,” Draco explained, looking over at Seth, and then adding, “Better than okay, really. I’m going to be on my way back shortly, but would it be alright if I brought someone over with me?”

“Alice lost sight of you, and we were starting to fear that…” Esme broke off but then continued, “Never mind. All that matters is that you’re safe. I’m guessing this ‘someone’ is someone you met in La Push?” Esme asked.

“Yes, and he’s aware of the state of things.” Draco offered.

“Then I see no reason to bar him from our residence, as long as the peace is kept.” Esme replied evenly.

“Thank you, Esme… I’ll explain when we get there. We’re leaving now and it shouldn’t be too long.” Draco informed her.

“I’ll see you when you get here, darling.” Esme said before ending the call.

Draco slid the phone into his pocket, resolving to carry it with him from now on. Esme had sounded quite upset and he didn’t want to be the cause of that again.

“She sounded… worried.” Seth said.

“Yeah,” Draco replied with a sigh. “She’s been wonderful to me the past few days and I’ve repaid her kindness by causing her to worry.”

Seth grabbed his hand after he started the car. “Not intentionally, right?” He asked.

“No, of course not.” Draco answered.

“Then I think she’ll understand; anyone would. You’ve got a lot on your plate, and now you’ve got a devastatingly handsome werewolf to worry about, too.”

Draco looked over and saw the grin that Seth had and couldn’t help but laugh.

“True.” He agreed, before shifting the car into drive and turning them around, heading back towards Highway 101.

---

The drive back to the Cullen residence was quick, taking only 10 minutes from their spot at Lake Pleasant, and though both boys were well inside their own thoughts and didn’t speak much, Seth never attempted to release Draco’s hand, and it made the blonde happier than he thought it would.

There was a noticeable tightening of the hand that held his when they pulled into the long road that wound through the trees and led to the Cullen residence.

“Are you okay?” Draco asked.

“Yeah. The smell is just overpowering and I wasn’t prepared for it. I’ll be alright, though.” Seth replied, loosening his grip.

“What does it smell like?” Draco wondered.

“It’s… sickeningly sweet syrup mixed with… bleach? I don’t know how to describe it any better, sorry.” Seth explained.

“Wow. They smell so good to me, that’s surprising.” Draco said as they drove past the door and came to a stop just a few feet past.

Draco looked over at Seth, who was looking at the massive house and was radiating tension. Draco leaned over and touched his face, startling the wolf, who jerked his head to look at Draco before calming down.

“If this is too much, please tell me. I won’t think any less of you.” Draco said quietly.

Seth took a deep breath and let it out slowly and then reached up to cup Draco’s hand.

“I’m with you.” Seth said. He turned his head and placed a kiss in the palm of Draco’s hand and then dropped it, turning as he did to get out of the car.

Draco followed him, trying, and failing, to erase the shit-eating grin he had. Seth should not be able to make him this happy after less than a day, but here they were.

He caught up to Seth and grabbed his hand, leading him to the front door and opening it without hesitation, as Esme had instructed him. He was not ready, however, to be met by Jasper, Emmett, and Carlisle, who were standing in the short walkway that led to the living room. Emmett’s hand jumped to cover his nose the moment they walked in the door and Draco was slightly offended.

“Draco, I’m so glad that you are well.” Carlisle spoke, looking first at Draco, then at Seth, then at their hands clasped together. “It seems a lot has happened since yesterday.”

“Indeed it has, Carlisle, and I’m more than willing to explain what I can.” Draco replied evenly. Seth was very tense, but he hadn’t backed away and hadn’t dropped Draco’s hand.

There was a wave of utter calm that swept over them then, and Draco looked at Jasper, who nodded slightly.

“Allow us to continue this conversation under more pleasant conditions. Perhaps the kitchen?” Carlisle suggested.

Emmett looked at the older vampire but didn’t comment on it, instead choosing to slink backwards into the living room far more gracefully than his hulking figure should have allowed.

Jasper and Carlisle moved together then, leading the two teens into the kitchen, where Carlisle gestured to the seats at the island. Draco led Seth to them and they both took a seat. Seth was sitting straight-backed and on the edge of his seat until Draco squeezed his hand. The wolf looked at him for a moment and then relaxed ever so slightly, sitting further back in the seat and taking the first solid breath since they had arrived.

“I apologize for the reception, Draco. We were a little caught off guard when Alice’s visions got… complicated. We were unsure of what was going on, but things have cleared up slightly now. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to hear what happened yesterday.” Carlisle said, sliding two cups of coffee in front of them, complete with a bowl of sugar and pot of creamer.

Draco looked at Seth before grabbing his coffee, taking the customary three sips, and then launched into his tale.

He told of how he ended up in La Push, and how he’d happened upon the beach where he fell asleep before running into Sam’s pack. When he got to the part where Paul attacked him, Emmett growled viciously from behind them, causing Seth’s careful hold over his emotions to crack, and he started quivering. It was a sign of danger, a sign that Seth was about to lose control and Draco would not let that happen.

He quickly set his almost empty cup down and jumped off his seat. He crowded Seth’s space and took the wolf’s face into his hands, forcing their eyes to meet.

“Hey. You’re still with me, right? Everything is okay. Emmett was just reacting to the story.” Draco assured him.

Seth was looking deep into his eyes, breathing deep and fast until slowly but surely, his breathing evened out and the tension in his shoulders released; Draco stroked his cheek once with his thumb before he let his hands drop.

The room was silent, and Draco could feel the presence of Jasper’s ability now. He wondered if it had been there the whole time, trying to prevent a disaster. Carlisle had backed away to the sink and when Draco scanned the room, he didn’t see Emmett.

“I’m sorry, Draco.” Seth almost whispered.

Draco was already shaking his head before Seth had got the first word out.

“You’ve nothing to be sorry for. Emmett reacted to the stress of yesterday’s events, and you’re surrounded by the very beings you are sworn enemies with. I think everyone is doing bloody brilliant, all things considered.” Draco replied.

“Emmett has excused himself upstairs. He will listen from there. That should make things a little easier.” Carlisle said.

Draco nodded. “I… didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I’m sorry to put you in this spot; both of you.” Draco responded, looking from Seth to Carlisle.

“All I ask for is your honesty in telling what happened, Draco. The rest we can adapt to.” Carlisle appeased.

“I’m with you.” Seth said quietly, bringing one of Draco’s hands up to his mouth and pressing another kiss to it.

Draco nodded again and took a deep breath before launching into the story again. He didn’t feel the need to bring Paul up again, so he skipped to the part where Seth had approached him and told them of Sam’s offer and calling Esme. He continued to recount last night’s events, skipping the parts where he and Seth had kissed each other breathless, and the parts of Quileute legend that Seth had sworn him to secrecy on. Carlisle had interrupted only a few times for clarification, and Jasper was a silent figure in the background; a calm, steady presence.

“So, you had quite the adventure, then.” Carlisle summarized when Draco had finished.

“To put things lightly.” Draco replied with a small laugh.

The tension in Seth had decreased the more Draco had explained things, and he was now smiling softly.

“I would love to hear more about the process of imprinting, perhaps not today, but sometime in the future, if you are amicable, Seth.” Carlisle asked with bright eyes.

Seth turned to Carlisle and hesitated for a moment before answering. “Sure, Carlisle. When that day comes, I’ll try to answer your questions. Sam would have to approve it, though, and I have a feeling he’s not going to be very happy with me after today.”

“Perhaps. Perhaps he’d be willing to meet with us again, knowing what he does now? We’ve never wanted anything but peace with your people, doubly so, now that you and Draco are… a pair.” Carlisle replied.

“I’ll relay that message. I can’t make any promises, though.” Seth responded.

“That is all that I can ask.” Carlisle said before turning to Draco again. “I was going to ask how your work with the potion was going, but it seems you’ve worked it out. I’m very proud of you, Draco.”

Draco blinked stupidly a couple of times, trying to figure out what Carlisle was talking about.

“I’m sorry, what?” Draco eventually replied.

“I assumed you’d successfully infused the Monkshood with whatever potion you were trying to infuse it with. You are, quite literally, radiating the smell of-“ Carlisle stopped short. “Oh. It’s not you, or perhaps not just you. It’s Seth.” Carlisle finished.

“What?! Are you saying that I smell like, like wet dog? That Seth smells like a wet dog? You have my respect, Carlisle, but that’s kind of rude.” Draco said with eyebrows pulled down.

Carlisle actually chuckled. “Please, Draco. I’m a doctor in an E.R. and I’ve smelled all manner of things over the years; extremely unpleasant when you’ve got an enhanced sense of smell, but I digress. I simply thought that you had corrected the potion, as you truly smell non-human.”

Draco’s indignation at being told he smelled bad turned to surprise.

“How is that possible?” Draco asked.

“I think it’s something to do with us being ‘natural enemies’.” Seth input.

“I’d have to agree with that. As Seth is no doubt suffering from the overpowering smell of vampires, he, too, has his own distinctive smell. It appears that you’ve spent enough time with him that it’s effectively masking the smell of your blood.” Carlisle added, looking thoughtful. “This is purely speculation, but it could be a chemical addition to the sweat secreted by the wolves.”

“If that’s true, then it wouldn’t be hard to break their sweat down and isolate whatever it is. This could be the key, Carlisle.” Draco chattered excitedly.

 “That is assuming, of course, that Seth is willing to provide a sample of his sweat.” Carlisle said, bringing Draco’s excitement to a halt.

“Oh. That’s true.” Draco replied.

Seth took his hand and Draco looked over at him.

“Can you show me what you’re working on? Before, ya know…” Seth asked.

“Yes, of course, I will, it’s just upstairs in the office. Do you mind, Carlisle?” Draco questioned.

 “By all means, Draco, show him around. Emmett, Jas, and I will be down here, and you know I’m only a word away for any assistance you may, or may not, need.” Carlisle offered.

“Thank you, Carlisle, for being so understanding.” Draco said, grabbing Seth’s hand and standing up.

“You’re family now. I’d do anything in my power to help you, or Harry.” Carlisle said.

Seth’s eyebrows bunched up in a slight scowl but he didn’t say anything. After a polite nod, he allowed Draco to lead him through the house, getting a quick tour before they ended up in the office-now-potions-lab.

When they entered the room, Draco closed the door and turned to face Seth, who had walked into the lab, looking around curiously. When he neared the cauldron, he recoiled slightly before getting a little closer.

“That smells disgusting, you know.” Seth commented.

“Yeah… the last attempt didn’t go so well and I didn’t thoroughly clean it before leaving yesterday. Best not to stick your nose directly in there.” Draco explained.

“And what, exactly, are you trying to do here? Is it super complicated?” Seth questioned.

“I’ve been trying to infuse a very volatile potions ingredient into existing potions, with less than amazing results. The thought was that if we could infuse Monkshood, also known as Wolfsbane, into a potion without it becoming toxic, then there is a good chance that that potion, upon consumption, would mask the smell of my blood from vampires… especially newborn vampires.”

Seth nodded his understanding and looked around the room for a few moments while Draco watched him, waiting.

“Who’s Harry?” Seth asked suddenly.

Draco’s mind was going through their conversations, trying to think of when he had slipped and mentioned Harry by name. It dawned on him that Carlisle had said it in the kitchen. Draco sighed heavily and walked to one of the armchairs that had been pushed along the wall, flopping into it.

“Harry is Daniel.” Draco answered.

“And why couldn’t you just tell me that earlier?” Seth pressed.

“You know that evil wizard that is hunting me? Harry has been the object of his obsession for 16 years now. If he were to find out that Harry was here…” Draco trailed off, shuddering.

Seth was quiet for a moment before he replied. “So that story you told us last night, about the baby that killed him once, and did all that amazing stuff while you were in school. THAT is the newborn vampire that we discovered in neutral land? Didn’t you say you hated him because he was on the opposite side of your war?”

“That newborn you ran into was none other than the famous Harry Potter, yes. And I did hate him for a long time. But he offered me a way out when I had no one else to turn to. He gave me a chance at another life, gave this,” Draco gestured back and forth between them, “the chance to happen. I’m sorry that I withheld the truth last night, but I did not lie to you, or to Sam. It just wasn’t my secret to share.”

Seth walked over to him and sat and the arm of the chair. Draco leaned his head against his side.

“That I can actually understand. We, as wolves and Quileute’s, are bound not to reveal our secret except in a few situations. Imprinting, for example, is one of the very few ways we’re allowed to tell anyone. Even though we are the ones who transform, we are carrying generations of history in our blood and in our tribe. If anyone were to find out, it wouldn’t be long before we were locked up in some lab being experimented on. It’s like you said… not our secret to share.” Seth explained. “I accept your apology.”

Draco shook his wand from its holster and let it fall into his hand. With a wave, the armchair expanded and Seth landed next to Draco.

“Holy shit! Give a guy some warning, next time!” Seth exclaimed.

Draco gave a cheeky smile and laugh, but sobered rather quickly. “You’re right, actually. I’ve been getting a little too comfortable with doing that. I’ll give you a warning, next time.”

 Seth nodded once, but then cracked a grin. “Is there a reason you made the chair bigger?” He asked.

“Only so I could do this.” Draco replied, closing the small distance between them and kissing him.

Thoughts of the potion left his head as their kiss quickly became more passionate, with Draco feeling like there was electricity building between them, with Seth eventually re-positioning them so that Draco was lying down with his head on the armrest, with Seth sat perfectly in-between his legs.

Draco let out a low whine when Seth suddenly pulled away. “Is something wrong?” Draco panted.

“No, no… Just, is there a blanket somewhere?” Seth asked.

“A blanket? Are you seriously cold?” Draco replied.

“Trust me.” Seth said.

Draco looked at the teen for a moment but nodded.

“Okay. A blanket…” Draco looked around the room and didn’t see a readily available blanket. As it was Carlisle’s study, and he was a vampire, he wouldn’t have much need for one Draco surmised. There was a very light fleece draped over the back of the chair for decoration, and Draco could work with that.

Picking up his discarded wand from the floor beside him, he aimed at the blanket and cast a transfiguration charm on it, tripling its size and weight. Seth watched in amazement at the magic.

“That is seriously awesome. I doubt I’ll ever get bored of seeing you do that.” Seth complimented.

“Transfiguration is one of my stronger subjects and that really is beginner magic, but I appreciate it all the same.” Draco replied, handing the blanket to Seth, who set it down next to them.

“What…” Draco started to say.

Seth continued to move, pulling his shirt off and effectively cutting off Draco’s thought process. The wolf tossed the shirt on the floor and then draped the blanket over them, settling in-between Draco’s legs again with ease.

“This would be better if you had your shirt off, too.” Seth said with a small blush.

Draco looked up in the almost darkness at Seth for a moment longer and then his brain caught up and he was scrambling to pull the hoodie and shirt over his own head. Seth laughed when he finally succeeded and Draco opened his mouth to ask what was so funny but found that Seth was not going to wait for more questions. He re-ignited their kiss as if no time had passed, getting them both worked up in just a matter of a minute.

When Draco felt Seth press his naked torso against his, all thoughts abandoned him again, and he let instinct and his desire take over. It wasn’t long before Draco had his legs wrapped around Seth, with his hands exploring the wolfs body, and Seth was not missing the opportunity to return the favor, running hands up and down Draco’s chest, sides, and back. It was stiflingly hot, with Seth’s higher-than-normal temp and the blanket, and their heavy breathing, but Draco was on cloud 9.

They were both losing themselves to their arousal, every touch and every kiss stimulating them into crossing the threshold of their orgasms until Seth promptly pulled away. Draco actually whined now, wiping sweat from his brow as he struggled to see Seth.

“Are you okay?” Draco asked.

“Way okay,” Seth replied. “And I’ve got that sample for you.”

Draco chuckled and then giggled, and then full-on laughed. “Merlin, you’re a fucking tease… Are you really willing to let me run tests? I know you said this is pretty sensitive to you and your people.”

“Only you, okay? Anyone else will have to be approved by Sam.” Seth stipulated.

“Done.” Draco replied easily.

“Then yeah, I don’t think you plan on hurting me, so it’s okay.” Seth said.

Draco fished a hand out of the blanket and blindly felt around for his wand until he found it. “Accio test tube.” He cast.

There was the slight sound of something whistling through the air and then something thumped into the blanket before falling to the floor. Again, Draco fished around blindly until he found the tube and brought it up under the covers.

“Trust me?” Draco asked.

“Yeah.” Seth replied quietly.

Draco ran his wand up Seth’s chest, concentrating on a variation of the Tergeo charm that would siphon liquid, but not vanish it. He’d only made it halfway up the other boy’s chest when there was a trail of sweat following his wand. He carefully directed it to the test tube and stoppered it when it had filled.

“Eau de Wolfe?” Draco asked, holding the tube up in the small amount of light.

“Gross.” Seth said, just as his stomach growled loudly.

Draco huffed a laugh and pulled the covers back, reveling in the cool air that blasted his sweat-soaked skin. “Come on; let’s get some food before I get to work. I can get pretty focused once I get brewing, and I can’t have you withering away to nothing.”

Chapter Text

There were the sounds of movement when the pair neared the kitchen, and Draco stopped in the threshold when he saw Esme whirling around, putting together a large pan of what looked to be enchiladas.

“Hello, boys. Don’t just stand there, come and have a seat. These just need a few minutes in the oven and everything will be ready.” Esme said, turning to cast a glance at them when they didn’t move, and then nodding at the island.

They moved to quickly follow her instruction after that, taking the same seats they had occupied when they were speaking to Carlisle.

“Esme?” Draco called, once he was seated.

“Yes, dear?” Esme replied, stopping mid-transfer of the pan into the oven.

“Uh… I don’t… You’re not cross with me, are you?” Draco babbled out, turning slightly red in the process.

Esme finished sliding the enchiladas into the oven and wiped her hands off before coming around the counter, walking over to where Draco was seated before coming to a stop. She delicately took his face in her hands and wore a soft smile.

“No, my darling, I’m not upset with you. I was worried, absolutely, but I see that you are safe and sound, so there is no more reason to be. I do ask that perhaps, in the future, you’ll let us know if you plan on leaving for an extended period of time? I don’t want to smother you, but…” Esme said.

“It was extremely thoughtless of me not to send you guys a message, especially when I left in the state I did. It won’t happen again. I really am sorry.” Draco replied.

 Esme moved forward and wrapped her arms around him and Draco easily returned the embrace, soaking up the love that she seemed to be radiating, and didn’t move until he heard Seth fidgeting an unknown number of minutes later.

Esme stepped back and let her hands drop to her side before she turned to Seth.

“My name is Esme; if there is anything we can do to make your time here more comfortable, please don’t hesitate to ask.” Esme said, introducing herself.

“I’m Seth.” The wolf replied. ”And you guys have already done more than I expected of you.”

“Perhaps, in time, you’ll learn to see us as Draco does. I know that it’s in your nature to hate us, but give it time. All we want is peace.” Esme said, stepping back around the counter. “Draco, would you mind pouring Seth and yourself a drink? Lunch will be served shortly.”

---

After lunch, Seth and Draco returned to the office-turned-lab to begin working on the potion. Well, Draco was going to begin working on it. Seth was going to watch until he inevitably had to leave, and Draco was doing his best not to think about that. One day, one day was all it had taken to completely change his life, just like when Harry offered him a way out, and just like when Harry had met Edward. Was it Forks? Was this some weird, supernatural hotspot, or was this just his and Harry’s luck? Draco had too many questions and not enough time in the day to worry about them.

As he started brewing and preparing to break down Seth’s sweat, he took one last look at the wolf. Seth was looking back, but was deep in thought and didn’t actually notice that Draco was trying to catch his eye, so with a small smile, Draco threw himself into his work.

He had three different potions in mind that could aid in discovering what exactly was causing the ‘wet dog’ smell for the vampires. The most important one, the one that would tell him the chemical makeup of Seth’s sweat, was the first one he worked on. It was the one with the highest chance of success, in his mind, but it was very complicated, requiring precise timing and specific stirring instructions over the course of three days. He would definitely be relying on Carlisle to carry some of the burdens until the potion was prepared.

Draco had just finished gathering and preparing the required ingredients, intending to start on the potion, when a loud howl was heard in the distance. His hand froze in the process of starting the fire under his cauldron.

“That’s Sam.” Seth said, sighing.

“Come on. I’ll go with you; this can wait a few minutes.” Draco said, casting a stasis charm on the ingredients before meeting an already waiting Seth at the door. He grabbed his hand, and together, they walked down the stairs and through the house, stopping at the front door where Esme and Carlisle were now standing.

“Sam and two others are out there, right at the edge of our territory.” Carlisle informed them.

Seth nodded and kept moving, bringing Draco along with him.

“Seth?” Esme said as they were about to walk out the door.

The wolf stopped and looked at Esme.

“Should you ever need it, we’re here for you. I hope we see you again, soon. The same goes for any of your pack.”

Seth met her eyes and nodded again. “Thank you.” Seth said before lightly tugging on Draco’s hand and moving them along again.

Draco followed him into the tree line that ran along the Cullen property for a few hundred feet until Seth stopped again.

“We gotta go fast. Sam is already going to be irritated. Jump on my back?” Seth asked.

Draco couldn’t help but snort, but he knew Seth was being serious. “Of course.” Draco agreed, climbing up onto Seth's back.

“Hold on tight.” Seth warned, and then took off at a run, easily darting through the forest.

Seth ran in as straight of a line as he could for 6-7 minutes until Draco caught sight of 3 wolves, 2 who were sitting on their haunches, while another paced back and forth in front of them. Seth ran right up to them, letting Draco down once they had neared to 10 feet.

The pacing wolf, Sam, Draco knew, stopped pacing when they had neared and was looking very unimpressed. Sam turned and jumped in between the other wolves, disappearing into the foliage, only to return in human form moments later, wearing the trademark cut-off shorts Draco had seen the rest of the pack use. His jaw was set and it was obvious to see he was angry.

“What the hell do you think you were doing, Seth?” Sam asked quietly.

Seth opened his mouth to reply, but Draco cut him off.

“Before you tear into him, I’d like the opportunity to explain.” Draco said.

Sam slowly turned his head toward Draco and stared for a few seconds until he nodded once.

“I suggested we come here after we spent last night at Lake Pleasant. It’s my fault, really. I left the Cullen’s yesterday to grieve and then left them to worry overnight while Seth and I talked. I also left in the middle of an important project, something that will hopefully make me undesirable to Daniel.” Draco explained.

Seth moved forward now and placed a hand on Draco’s shoulder. Draco stopped speaking and looked at Seth.

“I chose to stay with my imprint, Sam. And the Cullen’s… well, you know they’re different. I know I should have asked for permission, but I didn’t think you’d allow me to come into enemy territory. Esme, actually-“ Seth started to say.

“So you’re on a first-name basis with the leeches, now?” Sam asked quietly, and Draco could hear the danger in his voice.

“I know you’re mad Sam, but-“ Seth started to say before being cut off again.

“YOU HAVE NO IDEA! Jesus fucking Christ, Seth, you don’t think we had enough to sort out with you imprinting on a guy, but now you’re off playing house dog for the Cullen’s? I couldn’t bring Paul or Jared with me today, because they wanted to charge the line and bring you back. You don’t get to make your own fucking decisions, whether you’re with your imprint or not. This is exactly what I was talking about when I said you have a lot of growing up to do.” Sam said viciously.

Seth looked smaller than Draco thought was possible and felt equal parts upset and pissed off. Seth wasn’t in danger from the Cullen’s, and he certainly wasn’t playing house dog for them.

“Sam, I honestly don’t think-“ Seth tried to say.

“Exactly, Seth, you don’t think.” Sam said, cutting him off again. He turned to Draco now. “I spoke to the Elders this morning. Given all the recent events, starting with the Cullen’s creation of a new vampire, Seth’s imprinting on a male, and now his utter disregard for our laws, we’re locking the Quileute lands down. Draco, you are not allowed in La Push until further notice, and Seth will not be allowed to leave until we can figure out what exactly we’re going to do. Any attempt to break these rules will be considered an act of war.”

“You can’t do that, Sam.” Seth countered. Draco could hear his rapid, shallow breathing. “You can’t force a wolf and his imprintee to be apart like that.”

“The council agreed with my decision. And it’s my final say on that matter.” Sam said.

Draco saw the wolves behind him share a look and the one to his left let out a low whine.

“Be quiet, Jacob.” Sam commanded.

The wolf, Jacob, shook his head a couple of times as if trying to shake the order off.

“This is so wrong…I- I’m sorry, Sam. Okay? I’m sorry for not asking for permission first, I’m sorry that you think I was acting like a dog for the Cullen’s. Please don’t split us up. It’s not fair.” Seth begged, and he was shaking now, but not in anger; this was sadness.

“What’s not fair is you thinking more about your hormones than you do about the tribe.” Sam replied coldly.

It was Draco’s turn to place a hand on Seth’s shoulder and his heart clenched when Seth turned teary eyes on him. Draco took a deep breath and then squared his shoulders. With a shake of his arm, his wand fell into his hand.

“I don’t think so.” Draco said angrily.

“And I don’t think you realize how outnumbered you are, Draco. I promise if you raise that piece of wood to us, it’ll be the last time you use that hand.” Sam warned.

“I don’t think you understand. You’ve never seen me use anything above what a third-year can accomplish, and I promise you that if you try and force Seth and me apart, that I will not hold back. You want to see some tricks? Try me.” Draco bit back. The air around them was already crackling in response to Draco's anger and it was the closest he had ever come to performing accidental magic.

“You think you’re going to just, what, keep one of my pack members in a house full of vampires? You’re fucking insane.” Sam said.

“Until you decided to impose bullshit rules, Seth and I were perfectly fine with having to separate. I no longer find myself willing to follow through with that plan.” Draco said firmly.

“Tough shit, because he’s coming with us.” Sam said, turning back to Seth. “As your alpha, I am ordering you to shift and return to the res.” Sam ordered.

Seth tried to resist, but he had violent tremors start immediately, and he turned horrified eyes on Draco. The blonde reached out and grabbed his hand, deperately willing him to fight it. To his surprise, the wolf stopped shaking and he was able to breathe deeply; his face mirrored Draco’s shock.

“Jacob, escort Seth back to the reservation, now.” Sam demanded, infuriated.

Jacob whined again, standing up on all fours, but didn’t move forward.

Draco could see the control that Sam had over his emotions starting to slip, his shaking body a sign of the coming danger.

“Now, Jacob!” Sam ground out through clenched teeth.

Jacob tried to resist, as Seth had, but took a step forward.

“If you come near Seth, I’ll put you down.” Draco snarled, moving to stand defensively in front of Seth.

Jacob froze, one paw lifted off the ground, and he sneezed and shook his head, ignoring the order of his alpha. Draco wasn’t sure how he was doing it, but he was eternally grateful that he did. He didn’t want to start a fight.

The next second, Jacob became a blur, and then he was standing, naked as the day he was born, next to Sam.

“This isn’t the right way to do this, Sam, and you know it.” Jacob spoke.

“And it’s not your place to tell me how to handle the pack, or the res, Jacob. You will do as I’ve told you, or I’ll make Quil do it.” Sam replied.

Jacob looked at the remaining wolf before he turned back to Sam.

“Either you back off, or I’ll challenge you for my rightful spot as alpha.” Jacob declared.

Sam whipped his head to look at Jacob, a snarl already forming. “You declined that role already, and the rest of the pack would be damned before they followed you.”

“You ignored my father at the meeting today, as you always do once you’ve made up your mind about something, but this is wrong, Sam. You spouted that shit about Seth not following our laws and yet you’re willing to break them yourself. That’s not something I’ll stand by and let happen.” Jacob replied.

“I’M DOING THIS FOR THE PACK, YOU FUCKING IDIOT!” Sam roared. “Don’t you see what’s happening? Two wizards come to town, which should be cause for alarm as it is, but then the leeches turn one of them and the other gets Seth to imprint on him. That’s too much coincidence for me. Something’s not right, and until we figure out what it is, I want everyone back on the res. That is my decision to make. If you wanted to make these decisions, you should have accepted alpha when I offered it to you.”

“No.” Jacob replied simply.

“No? Are you fucking kidding me?” Sam snarled, and with that, there was a blur and a ripping sound as the shorts he was wearing were destroyed, and then Sam the wolf was standing there. He was growling and had his hackles risen, teeth bared. He barked once, a harsh sound that raised goose flesh on Draco’s neck, before letting out a long, deafening howl.

Draco looked at Jacob, who had started backing away, closer to Draco and Seth as Sam took a step forward.

“This is not the way, Sam, and we all know it. Don’t do something you’ll regret.” Jacob tried one last time.

Sam had apparently had enough though, as he was barreling through the air the next moment, aiming for Jacob with Quil hesitantly springing into action behind him.

Draco reacted as Jacob blurred again, aiming at Sam and casting, “Bombarda Maxima.”

The spell caught Sam in the shoulder, not even a second from the wolf making contact with Jacob, and everyone stopped to watch as Sam was promptly blasted backward, somersaulting through the air until he slammed into a tree with a sickening crunch; he did not move again. Quil jumped toward Draco with a snarl and he raised his wand again, this time casting the strongest ‘Protego’ he could.

The wolf slammed into the shield charm and immediately tried to swipe and bite at him, quickly getting frustrated when he couldn’t make contact.

“I suggest you stop this foolish attempt at attacking us and leave.” Draco said. “This is my last warning.”

Quil stopped moving and instead stared at Draco for a long minute before he looked at Seth, and then Jacob. He barked a couple of short, clipped times before he turned around and lumbered toward where Sam was laying.

Draco thought this was a sign that he had listened and lowered his wand, but Seth and Jacob froze a moment later. Through the fading light, Draco could see the shapes of an advancing line of wolves and quietly cursed his luck.

“Nothing for it, then. Both of you grab hold of me.” Draco said.

Seth complied immediately, and Jacob placed a tentative hand on his forearm after only a moment’s deliberation.

With one last look at the hostile line of wolves, Draco turned into the darkness of apparition.

---

They landed hard in the driveway of the Cullen residence, the loud *crack* from Draco’s hurried apparition causing Jasper, Alice, Carlisle, and Esme to coming running from the house in a blur.

Jacob and Seth both immediately bent over and emptied the contents of their stomachs, but Draco could only spare them a little sympathy as he sprang into action again.

“Do I still smell like a wet dog?” He demanded of the vampires, who’d stopped a few feet short of them.

“Stronger than before, I dare say.” Carlisle answered.

“Good. I need to go get the others from Harry’s. I may have just started another fucking war.” Draco informed them. He noticed the tightening in Carlisle’s face, but didn’t wait for the inevitable questions that would be coming, choosing instead to apparate again. This time, he landed on the doorstep to Harry’s.

He burst through the door, and ignored the surprised expressions of the 4 gathered vampires, each of them personifying solid stone as they looked at him.

“We have absolutely zero time for questions. Grab anything that’s necessary, and get in Harry’s car. We need to go.” Draco directed.

His words had an immediate effect, and he watched with satisfaction as Harry and Edward darted upstairs while Rosalie and Emmett literally dropped what they were doing and raced outside.

Draco followed them out the door and then said, “Meet back at your place. As fast as you possibly can.”

Emmett nodded and Draco apparated for the third time. He landed a few feet from where he’d left the Cullen’s only a minute ago, and he stumbled a little on the landing. Back to back to back apparition tended to have that effect, Draco decided.

There were hands on him in a second and Draco found he was looking in the face of Esme.

“Are you alright?” Esme asked worriedly.

“Fine, just too much spinning,” Draco replied. “The others should be here shortly. I’m going set up some basic wards when they arrive if you don’t mind.”

Esme looked to Carlisle, who nodded, and she nodded to Draco, in turn.

“Draco, what happened?” Carlisle questioned.

“Please, let’s just wait for the others. Until then, keep an eye on the tree line.” Draco replied.

Seth and Jacob had recovered, and while Seth looked slightly better being surrounded by vampires, Jacob was extremely tense. He was completely naked and trying to stand off to the side of everyone, watching the trees with tense eyes. Draco picked a leaf up off the ground and concentrated on transfiguring it into the pair of shorts he’d seen the wolves wearing. The end result was a rough imitation but would do its job and protect Jacob’s modesty.

He walked over to Jacob and handed them out to him, clearing his throat when the wolf didn’t acknowledge him. Jacob startled and looked at him, then at the shorts, before he took them and quickly slipped them on.

“Thanks.” Jacob murmured.

“It’s the least I can do.” Draco replied, turning towards the driveway as he heard Harry’s car approaching.

It was seconds later that the BMW came charging into view before slamming to a halt, kicking up dust and rocks. Four very tense, very worried-looking vampires exited the car, and Draco couldn’t blame them. They were definitely an odd group now, wolves, and vampires, and a single human. It would have made Draco laugh under different circumstances.

He froze when Harry was suddenly wrapping him in a hug that knocked the breath out of him and made it impossible to get another. He heard Seth growling viciously behind Harry, but Edward intervened before things escalated. “Harry, my love, he’s only a human. You need to let him go before you kill him.”

Harry reacted instantly, dropping Draco and flying backward as Draco sucked in a breath of air. Seth was at his side before Draco could pick himself back up.

“Did he hurt you?” Seth asked angrily.

“No, just got carried away I think.” Draco replied breathlessly. “I’m gonna set the wards, and then we can explain to everyone what happened.”

Draco allowed Seth to help him to his feet and then pulled his wand out. He started walking around the Cullen’s house, casting Protego Totalum, Repello Muggletum, Muffliato, Cave Inimicum, Fianto Duri, and Disillusio over and over as he circled the property. He watched in satisfaction as a great blueish white dome formed over the house and started sealing, casting the spells once more when he reached the place he began. He felt the wards sink into the ground, and there was a light thrumming feeling in his body that assured him of their completion; there was no one getting through without a wizard’s help.

“It’s safe.” Draco informed the group, with only Harry not staring at him in utter amazement or wonder. “We should go inside. It’ll be more comfortable if nothing else.”

The large group moved to follow his suggestion until it was Draco, Seth, and Jacob remaining.

“You’ll be safe here until we can figure out what to do. None of these vampires will hurt you.” Draco said to Jacob.

“I… just need a few minutes to think.” Jacob replied.

Draco nodded and then grabbed Seth’s hand. “We’ll be inside whenever you’re comfortable joining us.”

He led the younger wolf inside, leaving the front door open as an obvious invitation, and proceeded to the living room. He found the coven of vampires talking low and fast before they abruptly stopped when they caught sight of him.

“Let me start off by apologizing for causing panic, but Sam is not thinking rationally, and I couldn’t risk anyone being attacked because of my actions.” Draco said.

“What caused this, Draco?” Carlisle asked.

“Seth and I went to meet Sam, as you know. When we arrived, Sam was angry but was willing to hear what was going on. I attempted to explain, and so did Seth, but Sam went on the offense. He accused Seth of playing the role of a pet to you guys and then demanded we be separated. He claimed that it was because of a number of reasons, Harry’s transformation, Seth imprinting on me, and his disregard for Quileute law… He said that we would not be allowed to see each other for an indefinite amount of time and that any attempt to break that rule would be considered an act of war.” Draco explained.

“He has the ability to create those kinds of stipulations?” Rosalie asked.

“Not usually,” Jacob answered for him, entering the room, “but he went to the Elders this morning when he tracked Seth and Draco to the treaty line. He assumed Seth had gone rogue due to the imprint and wanted permission to bring him back. The Elders listened to his side of the story, wholly believing him even though he had no evidence of this actually occurring. He’d made no attempt to contact Seth, and even though my father tried to get them to reconsider until we had all the facts, they gave him permission to come and find Seth and order him back. They did ask that all attempts be made at resolving things peacefully, but you can see how that went.”

 “He threatened me when I disagreed with his plan of action, and tried to order Seth to go back to the reservation, and when that failed, tried to order Jacob to do it. Jacob stood up for us, and that was the last straw. Sam transformed and tried to attack Jacob, which is when I attacked Sam to defend Jacob.” Draco continued.

“What did you hit him with?” Harry asked.

Draco was shocked to hear how his voice had changed but quickly recovered.

“He caught a bombarda maxima to the shoulder and probably broke a few bones when he hit a tree.” Draco replied. “The last wolf tried to attack me directly, but I cast a shield and warned him off. That’s when the rest of the wolves showed up, and I decided to apparate rather than face off with them. I really didn’t want to hurt them.”

Harry nodded a couple of times and didn’t ask any more questions.

“I’m not sure what will happen as a result of this.” Carlisle admitted.

“I doubt he’ll risk attacking while we’re all here. If he is going to try anything, it’ll be when we’re smaller in number, hunting or something similar.” Jacob said.

“It is impossible for them to attack the house, even if they can get close. I used a muggle repelling charm and two different protective charms that were designed to keep people hidden. One of them made it impossible for them to smell us inside here. So not only is the house invisible but so is our scent.” Draco informed them.

“We’ll need to make a plan, then. I wouldn’t mind setting up a meeting with these Elders on neutral ground if it meant sparing the treaty. But only if you think that’s possible.” Carlisle said, speaking to Jacob.

“We’ll hang out for a few days, give everyone a chance to cool down before I transform again. I’ll send the message along that we want to meet then.” Jacob replied.

“Sounds like a good idea. In the meantime, we have an available bed upstairs. I can show you where it is, if you’d like.” Carlisle offered.

Jacob nodded and stood up, catching Seth’s eye for a minute and then turning to head up the stairs. Esme and Carlisle followed him, moving hand-in-hand.

“Draco?” Harry said as they disappeared.

Draco looked up at his friend, taking the time to really look at him for the first time since they’d been reunited. He’d changed in subtle ways, looking more sharp and less boyish than when Draco had seen him only days ago. His eyes were no longer strikingly emerald, but were instead blood red, making him eerily reminiscent of the Dark Lord, and Draco was unable to look away. But then he spoke again, and Draco was able to break the spell he’d been lured into.

“Do you think we could go upstairs and talk?” Harry asked.

Draco swallowed hard, but nodded. He didn’t need any further invitation, nodding once to the other vampires before grabbing Seth’s hand and heading upstairs. He knew without needing to look that Harry and Edward were following.

They ended up back in Carlisle’s study, and Draco brought out his wand and transfigured the other armchair so that it now matched the one he and Seth had used earlier. Harry and Edward moved silently and gracefully and sat as Draco and Seth did.

Things got awkwardly quiet after that, with Edward half holding Harry, and Seth doing the same with Draco. It was too awkward and Draco couldn’t help the snort that eventually came out.

“Fucking hell, Potter. It’s only been 5 days, and the world has turned itself upside down again. I’m really starting to think you attract chaos.” Draco said with a wry grin.

Harry’s face lit up into a beautiful smile, and Draco had certainly never seen that before.

“I told you, mate, keeps things interesting. Though I can’t really take credit for the wolves.” Harry replied.

“No, no, that was definitely all me. But I’m finding that I quite like them… Or at least one of them.” Draco said, bringing Seth’s hand to his mouth and placing a light kiss on it.

“Who is your new friend?” Harry asked.

“Merlin, I didn’t introduce you. Seth, this is Harry and Edward, Harry, Edward, this is Seth. Seth had the absolute misfortune of imprinting on me.” Draco explained.

“Hey, I’ve got no complaints. Well… other than wishing Sam wasn’t being a complete moron, but I’m happy that I’ve got you.” Seth cut in.

“You guys look… happy, despite the circumstances. I’m glad you found someone, Draco.” Harry commented.

“You look pretty damn happy yourself, Harry. If you’d told me when we left Hogwarts that any of this was going to happen, I would have had Snape or Dumbledore check your head for an injury. Now I can’t imagine life any other way.” Draco said.

Harry smiled brightly before sobering. “Listen, mate, about Lucius…” He started to say before Draco held up a hand.

“Please, Harry, whatever you’re going to say, please don't; I’ve done my grieving. He made his choice, it’s only a shame that my mother went down with him.”

Harry nodded a couple of times and was quiet for a moment before a puzzled look came over his face. “You know you could have come over as soon as you figured the potion out. Leave it to you to have a revolutionary potion whipped up in 3-4 days.”

“I haven’t actually got it worked out, but I’m pretty sure that with Seth’s help, it’s just a matter of time.” Draco replied. Seeing the crease on Harry’s forehead and Edward’s raised eyebrows, he explained Carlisle’s theory and what he planned to do. Harry looked curiously at the makeshift potions lab and then at Edward, who nodded once.

“I wouldn’t mind helping.” Harry offered.

“I would like that, Harry, but Seth-“ Draco said.

“Seth would like that, too.” Seth cut in again.

Draco saw Edward smile suddenly and place a kiss on Harry’s temple before sliding away from him.

“It was a pleasure to see you again, Draco, and to make your acquaintance, Seth, but I’d like to go and speak to Jacob if he’s up for it.” Edward said, bowing slightly before heading toward the door.

Draco reached out as he passed and Edward stopped, looking at him curiously.

“I just wanted to say sorry for my behavior, and also thanks, for watching over him.”

“Your sharp tongue only let me know that you really cared about him, Draco, and as for that other part, I intend to follow through with that until the end of time.” Edward replied.

Draco nodded and Edward continued on his way out of the room.

“Well, shall we get started?” Draco asked.

---

Chapter Text

June 30^th – Forbidden Forest, Hogwarts –

Dumbledore entered his chambers after the goodbye feast to find a letter, smudged and covered in dirty fingerprints, demanding his presence in the Forbidden Forest at midnight. He’d known who and what it was about without needing to really think about it, and though he wouldn’t admit it to anyone, he felt the cold tendrils of trepidation grip his stomach and heart as he read the words.

It was a feeling that increased over the next few hours as he paced his study, trying to forget his anxiety, until the time came for him to leave. He proceeded silent and stealthily through the forest, when he was struck with the sudden realization. He was powerful; a fact that he took pride in and always sought to subtly remind people of. But as he came upon the clearing and the shadowed figures moving silently around, and he was once again assaulted by the darkness that pressed on him from every side, making it difficult to breathe, he didn’t feel powerful. He felt like a timid, scared child, and he hated it; hated his weakness. So captivated by the darkness, was he that he flinched lightly when a dark figure spoke to him.

“It’s done, Dumbledore. Harry Potter is dead.”

“Where is he?” Dumbledore asked, winded by the simple task.

“We left him where he fell… in America.”

“America?” Dumbledore repeated, shocked.

“With a clan of vampires, and Draco Malfoy.”

“Sweet Merlin… He was with vampires and you just left his body?”

The figures in the clearing paused for a moment, and Dumbledore watched uncomfortably as the one closest to him, the one who’d he’d been speaking to, lowered his hood.

The face that presented itself was mangled, hardly resembling a human; grotesque boils that were blackened from repeated, extended use of dark magic, with a lopsided mouth and thin lips that barely hid the dirty, black teeth, now bared at Dumbledore.

“That sounded mighty close to an accusation, old man. We carried out the contract, nothing more, and nothing less. You wanted him dead, he got dead. We aren’t some carriage service for dead bodies.” The figure said dangerously low, staring deep into Dumbledore’s blue eyes with its piercing red ones.

“I didn’t mean… you just left him with vampires. You don’t think they would try to change him?” Dumbledore countered.

“I’m sure they tried. Maybe they succeeded. Maybe they didn’t. That’s not our concern, Dumbledore. I attest only to casting the killing curse directly at the back of Harry Potter’s head. He was, or is, no longer among the living.” The figure rasped out angrily, still piercing Dumbledore’s eyes with its own.

“Yes, yes, I understand… But I must be certain he did not survive. I need to know his last location!” Dumbledore asked.

The figure turned to look at one of the others in the clearing and they seemed to share some form of silent communication, as it was quiet for a long moment before the one closest to Dumbledore turned back to him.

“For a price.” It said with a wicked grin.

Another beat of silence while Dumbledore counted back from ten.

“Very well. This has to be done.” Dumbledore replied, trying to keep his outrage contained. He’d already paid these creatures a small fortune, and this was a blatant attempt to extort him.

“It’s simple,” the figure explained, eyes glinting. “You must be the one to confirm his status. That is the payment.”

“What? Why?” Dumbledore asked, caught off guard.

“I don’t think that’s any of your business. Those are the terms, take it or leave it.” The figure replied, anger quickly leaking into its voice.

It was quiet for a while this time while Dumbledore debated whether it was worth trying to argue. He steeled his jaw as the dark pressure surrounding him got heavier.

“F-fine. You have my word; I will be the one to check on H-Harry Potter.” Dumbledore eventually ground out, hating that he was being forced to do this; hated the feeling of his magic reacting to the vow.

The figures cackled loudly as one of them told Dumbledore of Harry’s last known location, before slipping away into the darkness of the forest, echoing laughter slowly fading away.

 ---

July 15^st – Forks, WA:

After Draco had successfully created and brewed a potion he was calling “eau de wet dog,” the group of vampires, wolves, and wizards had spent the weeks telling each other stories from their lives. Harry was amazed at the amount of information he could retain now, filing every piece of knowledge away, and then pulling it up seamlessly when related topics arose.  He was getting quite used to their routine; hunting every few days in large groups with the wolves running interference, before spending hour after hour learning about U.S. history from Jasper, Carlisle, and Edward (such as the fact that Harry had been terribly mistaken when he thought Salem, Oregon was the site of the witch hunts, when in fact, it was Salem, Massachusetts); learning about stocks, bonds, and IRA’s from Emmett; learning about color schemes and all the million different types of fashion from Alice and Rosalie; learning what a mothers unconditional love was like from Esme; learning from Draco, Jacob and Seth what it was like to have obnoxious brothers. Learning, more than anything, what it was like to truly have a family.

He should have known that he was Harry Bloody Potter and nothing good in his life stayed good for long.

---

July 15^th –Headmasters Office, Hogwarts:

Dumbledore had spent the last fortnight preparing to confirm Harry’s status; reviewing decapitation spells, fiendfyre, and immobilizing charms strong enough to restrain an adult vampire. He had a bad feeling that he was walking into a trap set by the dark creatures he’d sent after Harry, but he had to be sure. He had to be sure.

Over the last two weeks, his anger at Harry had grown into a raging monster inside his head, and just the thought of seeing him again caused his vision to be tinted with red.

The boy had ruined so many plans with his foolish cowardice, and now Dumbledore was being forced to go half way around the world to make sure that he had died properly. But the elder wizard knew he would have to tread lightly. Walking into a vampire coven that may or may not be mourning the loss of a mate was probably one of the most dangerous things a human could do, and Dumbledore was going to do everything in his power to avoid bloodshed.

A sharp knock on the door startled him from his brooding and a quick tempus charm showed that the time was now 07:51pm. He was preparing to take an International Portkey to America in just a few minutes.

“Enter.” He eventually said softly, voice not betraying any of his inner turmoil.

Minerva swept into the room, unease and irritation plain on her face. “What did you need, Albus?”

“I asked you here simply to raise your awareness, perhaps ask for a favor? I have been called away to something of great importance and will be leaving the castle tonight. I do not know how long I shall be gone, and since the last of the students have left, I’d like you to postpone your retirement, until such a time as I return.” Dumbledore explained, turning to the window and leaning stiffly on the sill, staring out into the darkening evening.

“Where are you going?” Minerva questioned.

“There have been rumors of Tom gaining support from wizards abroad. I’ve been offered an invitation to speak with the American government this evening. I’m taking a Portkey in just a few minutes.” Dumbledore lied easily, still looking out over the grounds.

“Americans?” Minerva asked shrewdly. “Since when have they ever been concerned about what’s going on on our side of the pond?”

“We shall see what they have to offer, Minerva. This might be our chance to turn the tide of the war.” Dumbledore replied.

“Your chance, Albus. I haven’t changed my mind; I will give you two days, and then I am leaving this school, whether you’ve returned or not. I will not be used as you see fit!” Minerva snapped.

Dumbledore sighed heavily and turned to look at her fully. “I had rather hoped you’d reconsider your retirement altogether.” He pulled his wand and saw Minerva stiffen, her hand inching to where her own wand was stowed. They stared at each other, tension almost palpable in the air, until Dumbledore smiled serenely. With a flick, a piece of parchment appeared on his desk; a teaching contract that had been signed and regularly updated for over 40 years.

“It’s plain to see that I’ve lost your trust, Minerva. I hope that, one day, we can reconcile our differences. I’ve only done the things I have for the continued survival of our race, for the survival of magic.” Dumbledore said sadly. “In respect to your decision, as of this time forty-eight hours from now, I declare your tenure as Transfiguration professor and Deputy Headmistress at these grounds complete. I greatly appreciate your dedication to this school and its pupils, and wish you happiness in retirement.” He pointed his wand at the parchment and made a great slash with his wand, causing a rush of air and golden hue to envelope the parchment before settling down again. It now bore, in large red letters, the word ‘RETIRED’ splashed across the front with an effective date of July 18^th.

The Transfiguration professor took a shaky breath before nodding her head once to Dumbledore.

“Best of luck with the Americans, Albus; trust the school to me.” Minerva said. “Is that everything?”

“That’s all, Minerva. Please alert the other professors as you see fit.”

She gave a stiff nod before turning on her heel and quickly leaving. As the door clicked shut behind her, Dumbledore was whisked away by a Portkey that had suddenly turned blue.

---

July 15^th Forks, WA 12:00 pm –

Dumbledore landed in a clearing, immediately taking a deep, calming breath to control the urge to vomit. International Portkey’s were his least favorite method of international travel, but were necessary when Apparition wasn’t feasible.

As such, it took him a moment to realize he was standing in the yard of someone’s home.  It was surrounded by trees, with a driveway leading through a small gap; the only sign that it wasn’t totally cut off from the outside world. The house itself was rather nice looking; a two story log cabin with a wrapped porch complete with a big swing. Even though it was raining and an absolutely gloomy day by all accounts, the house looked bright and welcoming.

 It reeked of domesticity, and Dumbledore had a light sneer on his face as his wand fell into his hand. He crept as close to the house as he dared, crouching low to the ground when he was within fifty feet of the porch. There was no discernible sound coming from inside and a ‘hominum revelio’ showed that there was no one home. No one with a beating heart, anyways.

He took a deep breath, letting the negative energy flow out of him as he exhaled, repeating the process until he felt more like the twinkle-eyed professor he believed himself to be, and marched right up to the front door. He rapt sharply on the door, four or five times, and took a step back.

---

July 15^th Forks, WA 12:05 pm – (Draco’s POV)

Esme, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jacob were currently out hunting. They had left just thirty minutes ago, and weren’t due back until late that evening. Draco, Seth, Harry, Edward, and Carlisle remained behind, enjoying each other’s company.

Seth and Draco had just walked into the kitchen for lunch when Draco felt it. The alarm of wards ringing in his head that alerted him to someone gaining entry to Harry’s house. It was a simple ward, hard to detect when cast right, but it allowed Draco to know the moment someone crossed it.

His body went rigid with tension and Seth reacted instantly, shirt disappearing as he prepared to transform. Draco held a hand up to stop him.

“It might be nothing, it might be something. Someone just tripped the door ward on Harry’s house.” Draco explained. “Hey, Scarhead, can you come down here?” Draco asked in a level voice.

It was only moments later that Harry and Edward entered the kitchen, silent as death, and Draco knew he had heard about the ward being tripped. Carlisle joined seconds later, concern etched on his face.

“Draco? Any idea who it could be?” Harry asked quietly.

Draco was about to reply, but was stopped when a bright blue Patronus came soaring through a wall; a phoenix Patronus.

“Harry, my boy, please. All I want is to speak to you, to make sure you’re safe, and then I’ll go. No one needs to know you’re here. I’ll swear on my magic, if you want. Please, let me see that you’re okay. I will wait until nightfall at your residence.”

Draco was looking at Harry with fear in his eyes as the Patronus faded, and though Harry had changed in many ways, Draco was looking at that same fear being reflected on the vampire’s face.

The kitchen was quiet, no one wanting to break the silence, though they all certainly had questions.

“Surely he doesn’t know you’re alive?” Draco eventually asked.

Harry laughed bitterly before replying. “Draco, the man sent bloody assassins after me, he undoubtedly just wants to make sure that the job was done right.”

“But for him to come personally? That seems odd, even for Dumbledore.” Draco said.

 Harry was quiet for a long while, until eventually Edward snarled.

“I would follow you to certain death, my love. There is no way I would stay here.” Edward said fiercely to his mate.

Harry sighed and closed his eyes, but nodded, unable to keep the slight small off his face as he opened his eyes again.

“Draco, if I asked for you and Seth to stay here, w-“ Harry started to say.

“No.” Draco and Seth answered together. “Get real, Potter. Dumbledore is a powerful wizard, and unless you feel like everyone knowing exactly where we are, you can’t use magic for another two weeks. You need me.”

Harry looked searchingly at Carlisle, who had been silent since he entered the kitchen.

“Harry, my son. If we are going to confront this man, we will do it together.” Carlisle said.

Harry heaved another completely unnecessary sigh and stood up.

“Fine, we’ll go together. Someone want to call the others? See if Alice has seen any of this?” Harry asked.

Carlisle pulled the small cell phone out of his pocket and pressed a number before holding it to his ear.

Harry could hear each ring of the line until it was eventually picked up by the answering machine.

“Hello. You’ve reached Esme Cullen. I dearly apologize for missing your call, but if you leave me a message, I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

They waited as Carlisle tried different members of the family, each of them going to answering machines.

“They’re far enough out that they don’t have reception.” Carlisle explained.

Harry turned to Seth. “Would you mind changing and see if you can talk to Jacob?”

Seth nodded and walked out of the kitchen. They heard a zipper and the sound of shorts hitting the floor, followed by the sound of paws landing moments later. Seth came hulking into the kitchen and sat on his haunches. The group looked between Edward and Seth as Seth whined.

“What’s the problem?” Harry asked.

“Alice and Jasper split off about 10 minutes ago. Alice said something about her vision being clouded and took off. She asked them to continue on and she and Jas would catch up.” Edward translated.

“Carlisle?” Harry questioned softly. “What do you think we should do?”

Carlisle looked pained for a moment, but eventually said, “Tell them to come back, with or without Alice. Whatever she could or couldn’t see is important enough that she needed to see it clearly, but that puts them at much lower odds of survival should they be getting hunted by the Quileute pack.”

Seth nodded once, and then flopped down on the floor, resting his head on his paws.

“Seth is going to stay transformed until they are in range of cell phones again.” Edward said.

July 15^th Forks, WA 12:10 pm – (Harry’s POV)

Time ticked slowly by while the group waited for the others to return. Draco was pointedly ignoring Seth, who was in his wolf form and making serious puppy dog eyes at his boyfriend, for a few minutes before finally giving in and dropping to the floor next to him, softly stroking his head; Seth loved every minute of it.

Edward and Harry shared a few tender kisses before Harry dropped his head to the other vampire’s chest, where the two stayed, still as stone while they waited.

Carlisle was pacing on silent footsteps near the door of the kitchen, apparently not content to sit and wait.

Eventually though, everyone except Draco heard the faint *crack* of a twig outside, and they were on alert once more. Moments later, they were reunited with their family, though there was still no sign of Alice or Jasper.

“Carlisle, darling. Jacob only told us that we were needed back immediately. What’s the issue?” Esme asked worriedly.

“My old headmaster has decided to pay us a visit.” Harry spoke, slightly muffled from his position against Edward.

Harry heard the slight gasp from Esme and lifted his head. Edward was giving him a level look, and it was hard for Harry to guess how he was feeling.

“We can run. We can run forever, until the name Harry Potter doesn’t mean anything.” Edward told him quietly.

Harry smiled, soft and genuine. “Knowing that you would do that for me… means more than you’ll ever know. But I don’t think it’s going to work.”

Harry stepped back and grabbed Edward’s hand before turning to address the group in the kitchen. All eyes were on him, and he looked at all of them before speaking.

“I hate to sound so pessimistic, but I’ve been expecting something like this to happen for weeks now. Any time in my life that I’ve really experienced happiness, something has always come up to stop it. All through my childhood and into my Hogwarts years, every bad thing that has happened… I thought I was cursed, that maybe I wasn’t supposed to be happy. Then I heard the prophecy about me and Tom Riddle, and everything was so clear.

“I thought that coming here and trying to create a new life, far away from Voldemort and that blasted prophecy, would finally allow me to move on, but if the past few weeks have shown me anything, it’s that I can’t run from this. I’m going to have to face Tom, whether I want to or not, and one of us has to die. Dumbledore might provide the best way to accomplish that, which is why I think I should go and meet with him.” Harry said.

“He literally had you killed.” Draco replied.

“I won’t make excuses for his actions, and I don’t plan on working with him further than this. Any information he can give me this afternoon will be used by us, independently from Dumbledore. After today, I don’t plan on ever seeing him again.” Harry explained.

“What would you ask of us?” Rosalie questioned.

“What I want is for everyone to stay here.” Harry said, gaining glares from multiple people in the room. “But I understand that’s not going to happen. I suggest we travel together, on foot. We make a large circle around the house in the woods; check for traps, anyone that might be lurking. If it’s clear, we meet with him in the open. No one goes in the house.”

“And if there is anyone waiting in the trees?” Emmett asked.

“Incapacitate them, unless they leave you no choice. Spells travel very quickly, so be aware that if a witch or wizard is aiming a wand at you, you have less than a second or two to react. Don’t give them a static target; keep moving.” Harry replied. “Any questions?”

The room was quiet, and once Harry was sure they understood, he spoke again.

“Alright then. Let’s get moving.”

---

July 15^th Forks, WA 11:55 am (Alice’s POV) –

She and Jasper were following the hunting party, focused on feeding as soon as possible and returning to the house before they had a chance to be caught.

Alice was looking over at Jasper when the vision hit.

It was the clearing at Harry’s house. Harry and Edward were within arm’s reach of Harry’s headmaster, Dumbledore, and they seemed to be speaking.

The vision disappeared as quickly as it came. Her and Jasper slowed down and were met by Jacob a few seconds later, who came bounding to their side. He had his head cocked to the side, and she forced a smile on her face.

“Hey, Jacob. We’re okay; I just got a vision that was pretty hazy. I need to be able to see properly. You guys go on ahead, we’ll catch up.” Alice said, hoping he didn’t push it.

Jacob gave a heave of his shoulder and darted back through the trees, no doubt going to meet the others.

“Come along, Jasper. I think this is important.” Alice said, taking hold of the blonde’s hand and making a beeline directly east.

---

July 15^th Forks, WA 12:30 pm (Harry’s POV) –

They were making their way through the trees at a blinding speed and were upon Harry’s house in no time at all. Like a well-oiled machine, they split off from each other and made quick work of checking the surrounding forest for anyone who might be hiding.

“Jacob and Seth don’t have anything that’s out of the ordinary, and we aren’t getting any new smells. I think it’s safe to say that whoever is here has stuck to the house.” Edward said, barely above a whisper, to Harry.

Harry only nodded as Carlisle and Esme came to rest at their flank. The raven-haired vampire pulled his phone out of his pocket and quickly dialed Draco’s number. He heard the faintest *buzz buzz* coming from across the clearing before Draco answered the call.

“What’s the plan, Harry?” Draco asked.

“Seems to be clear, I think he came alone. Do you have a good line of sight on the front of the house? Just in case things go bad…” Harry replied.

“I do, but there’s a chance I could hit someone else if you’re close to him, so if things go to shit, get out.” Draco answered.

“Yeah, sure thing... listen, it’s been the vacation of a lifetime, mate. Never thought I would end up becoming friends with such a prat.” Harry said after a moment’s hesitation.

“Friends with Harry Potter.” Draco said with a snort. “I guess there are worse things. Be safe.” He said, hanging up the phone.

Harry put the phone back in his pocket and gripped Edward’s hand tightly.

“Carlisle, Esme, I hope I’m not making the wrong choice here. But if I am, just know that I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

“You’ve nothing to thank us for, Harry. You’re family.” Carlisle said, laying a firm hand on his shoulder. “We’ve got your back. At the first sign of trouble, we’ll be right beside you.”

“I know.” Harry said. “That’s what worries me.” He left off.

Edward squeezed his hand then, and when Harry looked at him, he nodded toward the house.

Harry nodded back and together, they emerged from the tree line, barely moving, no doubt looking ethereal as they seemingly floated towards their destination.

They stopped midway to the house, hopefully leaving enough room for them to get away should the worst happen. Harry shouted out, “Dumbledore?”

It was quiet for a moment, and then the front door opened, showing Dumbledore in a shockingly blue set of robes, loosely carrying his wand in his left hand. Harry’s brain was cataloguing every move, noting that he didn’t seem to have a right arm, as the right sleeve just seemed to kind of hang there. Noticed, for perhaps the first time ever, just how old the man seemed.

Dumbledore started moving toward them, but Harry stopped him before he took more than a few steps.

“Leave your wand.” Harry instructed.

The older man complied easily, setting his wand on the railing before moving down the few short steps and then toward Harry and Edward.

“Able to read his mind?” Harry asked in a whisper.

“No.” Edward replied.

Dumbledore stopped not more than ten feet from the couple and showed his hand was empty.

Harry wasn’t interested in idle chat, so he got straight to the point.

“What do you want, Dumbledore?”

“Well, Harry, I can say after discovering you missing with another pupil of the school that I wasn’t sure how this meeting was going to go, but I didn’t imagine you would be cross with me.” Dumbledore replied.

“Weird how a little bit of knowledge changes things, isn’t it? Let’s not beat around the bush. I know it was you that sent those assassins after me, and I know why.” Harry said.

Harry could see the minute changes in Dumbledore’s face as he spoke. The man was surprised, but not at his accusations. He was surprised Harry knew.

“I can see for my own eyes that you have undergone the transformation to a vampire. Tell me,” Dumbledore said, eyes flicking to Edward, “was it optional?”

Edward growled and Harry didn’t attempt to stop him.

“I don’t know what you’re playing at, sir, but leave him out of this.” Harry said, jerking his head toward Edward. “If it wasn’t for him, I’d be spending time in the afterlife because of you.” He spat.

“Harry, you must understand. There is something inside of you that is more dangerous than you can imagine.” Dumbledore tried to explain.

“The horcrux, you mean?” Harry asked pointedly.

“You know of it, then?” Dumbledore asked.

“It’s gone. Poured out of my scar like acid the night I died.”

“But Harry, how can you be certain? Have you had any diagnostic spells cast to make sure it’s not leeching off your magic anymore? If you’d be willing to come back with me, I can arrange to have it all taken care of.” Dumbledore offered.

“Do I look like a fool, Dumbledore? I bet you’d love nothing more than to have me at the end of a wand. No bloody thank you.” Harry scoffed. “Before you speak again, allow me to tell you that there is nothing, short of you killing everyone right here and now, that would get me back to England. With that being said, if you have any idea how to stop Voldemort, now would be the time to tell me. You were getting close to revealing something when I left school, something about the Horcruxes. What was it? ”

Harry heard the *buzz buzz* of someone’s phone from off to his left, but he spared it no attention. There was no way he was looking away from the threat in front of him.

“Harry, my boy…” Dumbledore said with a sigh. “There’s really only one way for us to be sure.”

Harry’s brow crumpled as Dumbledore met his eyes.

“EDWARD! GET HIM AWAY!” Carlisle screamed, darting from the trees.

Time seemed to slow down as Harry broke eye contact with Dumbledore. The vampire looked over the man’s shoulder and noticed his wand was no longer on the railing.

Harry met Dumbledore’s eyes again, fury burning in his stomach that the old man had actually thought to try something.

Dumbledore was in the process of raising his wand, “Fiendflam-“ already being spoken before he was abruptly cut off. In the time it had taken Harry to realize Dumbledore’s treachery, his family had already reacted.

Edward had started moving the moment he noticed the wand. Like a bullet from a gun, he sped toward the Headmaster, his only intent to get the threat away before he had a chance to use his wand. The man was already starting a spell and so he put every ounce of energy he was able to into going faster, until he made contact; bone-breaking, satisfying contact.

---

July 15^th Forks, WA 12:37 pm (Alice’s POV) –

Alice and Jasper were running as fast as they could through the forest, phones in their hands, constantly dialing, desperately trying to reach someone.

Alice had finally gotten the full vision, most likely because the wolves had gotten some distance from the others, and she had almost tore Jasper’s arm off when she started franticly running towards the house.

Harry and Edward are in the clearing at Harry’s. Harry is asking the Headmaster for information on Voldemort, and Dumbledore replies, and then suddenly, the old man is attacking. It’s not at all like what Alice would have expected of someone his age and down an arm. The wizard is lethal in his attacks, controlling some fiery beasts that destroy Harry and Edward where they stand, swallow Draco’s spells and burn everything else they touch to ash. There is no one alive when Dumbledore finally crumples to the ground, and the vision goes black.

They’ve been running for so long that Alice is worried they won’t make it in time. She’s not sure that it’s not already happened. She’s so focused that when the phone finally starts ringing, she misses a step and has to recover quickly to avoid falling and rolling comically down the steep hill they were on.

“Alice? What’s going on?” Carlisle’s voice whispered from the speaker.

“Carlisle? Thank the holy deities that I reached you. Get Harry and Edward out of there, NOW!” Alice couldn’t help screaming the last word, as her fear and relief bubbled over.

She could hear as Carlisle followed her command without hesitation, she could hear the cries as Carlisle caught up to whatever commotion was happening there before the line disconnected.

---

July 15^th Forks, WA 12:38 pm (Harry’s POV) –

He was surrounded by his family in seconds, but it was seconds that Harry knew they wouldn’t have had if Edward hadn’t reacted as quickly as he had. He was able to process things at a superhuman level, and he still hadn’t been fast enough for Dumbledore. Perhaps it was the shock of seeing the man that he had looked up to for 6 years actively try to kill him that had given Dumbledore the edge. Harry also realized that had it not been for Carlisle and Edward, he would be dead; they would all be dead.

He replayed the image of Edward slamming into Dumbledore and sending the wizard flying, hard and fast enough that he had crashed through the railing and come to a thunderous stop against the side of the house. He darted to Edward, who had advanced on the man and was now holding his head against the wall, getting ready to slam his fist into the side of Dumbledore’s face. Harry grabbed Edward’s hand, causing Edward to look at Harry with all the rage and anger he was feeling toward Dumbledore before realizing it was Harry and Harry watched as the fight left Edward.

“He’s done, my love. Mere moments from leaving this world; may I speak to him?” Harry asked, far more calm than he felt.

Edward stood up but hovered very close as Harry crouched down and looked into Dumbledore’s eyes again.

“H-Harry.” Dumbledore wheezed out, before coughing sharp and wet, spraying blood as he did.

Harry ground his teeth together and stopped breathing, locking all his muscles down in an attempt not to attack the dying man.

“T-take them, boy, and decide for y-yourself.” Dumbledore rasped, hand flicking briefly to his face, where Harry was able to see memories playing in the tears on his cheeks.

“Draco! I need something to catch his tears. Quick!” Harry fired off.

He only had to wait a moment before a wine glass was being pressed into his hand; he scooped up tear after tear, memory after memory as Dumbledore’s breathing became shallower, his heart beat light and arrhythmic.

“H-Harry…” Dumbledore said finally, and Harry looked into his eyes for the last time. “Forgive me.”

As Dumbledore uttered his last words, his heart stopped and his body went limp.

One of the greatest sorcerer’s in the world was dead.

Chapter Text

Harry stayed where he was, afraid that if he moved near so much blood he wouldn’t be able to control himself. As it was, his throat was searing in pain that was agonizingly reminiscent of the transformation, and it was taking 100% of his restraint, along with Edward’s strong arms wrapped around him, not to move. Edward was undoubtedly hearing Harry’s thoughts as his mate used every ounce of self-control to not attack his ex-Headmaster’s corpse.

“Harry is fighting for control. We need to get him out of here immediately.” Edward ordered, confirming what Harry was thinking.

“We’ll handle it, son.” Carlisle offered, stepping forward immediately.

He stopped, however, when Draco spoke up.

“It's okay. Leave him, Carlisle. I can take care of this.” Draco said, raising his wand and aiming it at the headmaster’s corpse.  “Fieri Ossum,” he incanted.

There was a horrible, crunchy, squelching sound following the spell, and Harry heard someone, one of the wolves, gag. He remained motionless though, waiting for the okay to move before doing so. He felt a soft brush of magic against his skin, and cracked the tiniest of smiles when Carlisle said, “Simply incredible.”

“Not even a hint of blood left... Smells like soap, honestly.” Rosalie commented, sounding impressed.

“Human to bone spell, and a simple Scourgify. You should be good now, Potter.” Draco explained.

Harry slowly uncoiled his muscles and took his first breath in minutes, immediately overpowered by scents; soap, pine, and wet dog being the most prevalent; but, graciously, he couldn’t smell Dumbledore.

“Well done, mate. Seriously, you’d give Professor McGonagall a run for her money.” Harry said, beaming at Draco.

“Yes, yes, whatever,” Draco said, brushing him off even as his cheeks got the faintest tinge of pink. “We can send the bone to her. I’ll include a note explaining; she should be able to reverse the transfiguration and get him sent to wherever he needs to be sent.”

“We’ll need an owl. Or go to Gringotts and see if they can arrange something; not too chuffed about trying to explain the what and the why’s to goblins, though.” Harry said.

It ached, remembering that Hedwig had left. He’d spent a lot of time thinking about it, and his best guess was that she had sensed the change in him from human to a dark creature, and had left in an act of self-preservation. It was fair, Harry thought, seeing how thirsty he was when he first woke from the transformation. Did she know that vampires usually take a year to adjust to the thirst, and would eventually come back? Would she come back at all? Or was it that she was simply afraid of dark creatures? But that wouldn’t explain why she wasn’t afraid of Edward the night he had come home with Harry. Did she think he had died?!

He was interrupted from his looping, depressing thoughts by Edward twining their hands together.

“I’m sure we’ll find out one day, my love. She obviously cared for you.” Edward said soothingly.

Harry just nodded and pushed the thoughts down; it wouldn’t do him any good to get maudlin.

“Yeah, you’re probably right. We’ll figure out a way to send Dum… the bone to McGonagall, Draco.” He said, turning around to look at the small group of people gathered in a circle at the bottom of the nearly destroyed stairs of his front porch.

“I…” Harry started to say. He planned on saying, again, how much they meant to him, how much he considered them to be his family, but as he met everyone’s gaze, he knew that they knew it. And that he meant the same to them. “I want to go home.” He said with a slight smile.

---

July 15^th Volterra, Italy 9:20 pm (Demetri’s POV)

In a thousand years of life, the 6’3”, black-haired, olive-skinned, red-eyed vampire known as Demetri, had never encountered truly dark magic. He’d encountered wizards, vampires, vampires that were wizards, and all manner of dark beasts and beings. But the magic that had come to Volterra the previous day was unlike anything he had ever seen. The undead bastard had left hours ago and still, Demetri felt its heavy presence as if it left a greasy coating on his skin.

So much had gone wrong yesterday; Felix was dead, Volterra was a flaming ruin, and the Volturi guard was shaken, scared of further unknown attackers.

That’s why Demetri hadn’t moved in nearly twenty-four hours. Aro had made it very clear that finding the attackers and the object of their fixation were the only things that mattered, and that failure wasn’t an option. Since Demetri had never failed before, he wasn’t going to start now.

It didn’t make sense, though. Aro had confirmed through touch that the… monster, the thing that had come through the palace yesterday, had actually touched this boy, and Demetri had almost decapitated the creature, so he should be able to track both of them. Instead, he was left with an annoying silence the likes of which he had never encountered. Aro, again, had volunteered that it likely had something to do with their magic abilities.   

While he focused, waiting for his uncanny tracking ability to once again find him his prey, another part of his mind wandered, not for the first time, to his vanquished friend, and he was hit again with a wave of sorrow, loss, and deep-burning anger.

That thing, “VOLDEMORT,” his mind screamed in pain and anger; he’d killed Felix with what seemed barely a thought and flick of his wand. Felix was struck by a spell that flew impossibly fast and had started screaming immediately, forcing Demetri to stop chasing the fast fleeing blob of black smoke to aid his friend; but there was nothing to be done. Seconds after the vampires broke off, Felix had erupted into a ball of flame from the inside out, leaving Demetri, Alec, and Jane, the latter two arriving far too late, to watch as their long-time friend withered away.

His eyes snapped open as the urge to reach out and grab someone suddenly came to him.

“Harry Potter.”

He knew it was him without knowing how he knew it. Maybe it was magic?

His quick grin at his stupid joke was replaced with cold fury and an expression that could kill, however, when he realized where the boy was.

“Oh my dear, dear Carlisle, we are in trouble.”

---

July 15^th Forks, WA 12:40 pm (Harry’s POV)

The Cullen’s were together in the living room. Harry was wrapped around Edward, and the older vampire was stroking a thumb in small circles on his lower back. Alice and Jasper were talking in extremely low voices across the room with Draco, Seth, and Jacob, while the rest were seated around the many sofas in the room. It was quiet, save for the near steady stream of barely whispers coming from the mixed group of vampires and wolves. For all Harry cared about at that moment, he could sit in Edward’s lap the rest of the night and be just fine.

They hadn’t been gathered long before it happened. And Harry should have known that something was going to happen. Because this was Harry. Nothing stayed stable in his life. So when Alice suddenly stopped speaking and rocked on her feet, and Edward tightly locked his arms around Harry, his eyes growing wider and wider, and Harry could smell the fear that was now permeating the air, he knew should have seen it coming. Again.

“Edward? Alice? What’s wrong?!” Harry nearly shouted, squirming to try and get out of Edward’s hold.

“But we didn’t do anything wrong.” Edward whispered, horrified.

Across the room, Alice looked, if at all possible, paler than usual. “I don’t think it matters. They’ve decided; you saw how clear that was.” She whispered, staring at the floor with horrified eyes.

“Baby, please tell me what we’re missing. Is it Voldemort?” Harry begged.

“Alice, my dear, what’s wrong?” Jasper whispered urgently at the same time.

Esme darted to Alice and lightly pulled her face up to look into her eyes.

“Take a breath. Start with the beginning.”

Alice sucked a deep breath in and visibly calmed. She shook her head a little and blinked, and then hurriedly retold her vision.

Demetri was stalking through the halls of a beautifully decorated castle, his face still looking murderous, blowing past fellow members of the guard; Alec and Jane had seen him and fallen into silent step with him. Eventually, they arrived before a set of heavy, carved wooden doors, illuminated by torches on either side, which Demetri pushed through without preamble.

The large rectangular room was lavishly furnished with a wooden heirloom table, chairs, and sofas. Priceless books lined the walls from top to bottom, kept safe from air and dust behind a thick glass wall. A few paintings from different art periods hung in the empty places that were available. The only source of light came from the massive roaring fireplace across the room.

Aro, Marcus, and Caius sat in large wing-backed chairs facing away from the fire; Marcus and Caius each had a finger touching Aro’s hand, and all were now looking pointedly at the intruders.

“Demetri, Alec, Jane… my most lovely children. What troubles you so that you felt it pertinent to enter our quarters with no regard to propriety?” Aro said with a small smile.

Demetri spoke immediately, avoiding their eyes.

“I’m sorry, Master. I’ve located Harry Potter.”

“That didn’t require you to rush in here without an invitation.” Caius snapped angrily.

“No, my king, it did not. I believe, however, that you will wish to hear that he is residing with Carlisle and his coven.”

All sound ceased in the room. Even the fire seemed to mute itself.

“Perhaps I heard you wrong from all way across the room; your hand, Demetri.” Aro spoke dangerously soft, standing and opening his hand in invitation.

The tracker wasted no time in crossing the small distance and offering his limb, which Aro took with the look of slight madness that he always had when viewing people’s thoughts, memories, and feelings.

Aro dropped it after a short time with a hiss and nodded toward Alec and Jane, signaling Demetri back to his spot.

He turned back to his brothers and exploded in rage.

“Assemble the guard! I want everyone recalled and ready by the first week of August. If the Cullen’s are responsible for bringing death and destruction to our doorstep, then I will have their heads!”

---

“Death and destruction? What are they talking about?” Edward asked quietly.

Harry sighed loudly. “It’s obvious, isn’t it? Something attacked them and now they are looking for me. I’d be willing to wager half my vault at Gringotts that Voldemort was involved somehow.”

“Before we left, there were rumors that he was looking for allies abroad. It would make sense to ask one of the largest gatherings of vampires for assistance.” Draco added.

“So you think it’ll come to a fight?” Jacob asked no one in particular.

“In the twenty years I was with them, I never saw them mobilize the guard without it coming to a fight. It’s too much trouble to get that many vampires together, so it’s usually reserved for the most severe infractions. I think it’s safe to say they won’t be waiting to hear us out.” Carlisle replied.

Alice gasped now and it was quiet for a moment while Edward watched what she saw. Then Edward let out a nasty snarl and shook his head vehemently while Alice looked at Harry with sad eyes.

“Absolutely not, Harry!” Edward said viciously.

“You’re not thinking straight, babe. If I do this, we avoid the fight completely. If Voldemort is responsible for whatever got their knickers in a twist, then it should be simple enough to explain that I am not allied with him and would rather see him wiped off this earth.” Harry explained. “Alone.” He thought, looking at Edward pointedly.

“Harry, my love, even if I thought we could make them listen, there is not a reality that exists where I let you walk into the Volturi’s hands alone. What happens if this has nothing to do with Voldemort?”

“My life for everyones? Not that difficult of a trade.” Harry thought to himself. Edward narrowed his eyes and looked extremely cross; Harry could actually hear him grinding his teeth.

“Perhaps you could fill the rest of us in, Scarhead?” Draco suggested.

“Rather than let the Volturi come here, Harry wants to fly to head them off and smooth things over.” Alice quickly explained.

“You’re insane.” Rosalie said quietly, frowning.

“I’m not, Rose. I’m just not going to allow the bloody vampire police to come and slaughter us over a misunderstanding. Not when I’ve only just started living.” Harry replied.

“Carlisle, surely this can’t be the right thing to do? There’s got to be a better way.” Edward asked desperately.

“This time, my son, I think Harry has a point. Going to the Volturi shows courage and implies a certain amount of innocence. On the other hand, it also shows recklessness.” Carlisle said, weighing his words. “We could try and run, though no one has ever escaped the Volturi for long. We could stay and fight, and most likely die. Or we could allow young Harry to try and de-escalate things.”

Edward was on his feet and glaring with such ferocity that it would have indeed killed a lesser man, but Carlisle just looked sad.

“Is that how you all feel, then? We allow my SIXTEEN-year-old mate to willingly surrender himself to the Volturi on the off chance that they feel like listening to him? That they don’t kill him even after hearing him out?!” Edward yelled at the vampires assembled in the room.

Harry silently rose from the couch and grabbed Edward’s hand.

“Can we talk? Outside?” Harry asked quietly.

Edward let out a sharp huff of breath but nodded and followed Harry's lead out the front door.

They started slowly walking around the perimeter of the wards, neither one speaking. There was a soft drizzle of rain with an occasional gust of wind, and Esme must be doing laundry because Harry could detect the smell of the fabric softener on top of the smell of the forest and petrichor. He found himself feeling quite relaxed and at peace despite everything, and then realized it was probably because he really considered this place home. He broke the silence when it became apparent that his partner was thinking way too much.

“What would you have me do?” Harry asked quietly.

The vampire didn’t respond for a long time; they were getting soaked in the light rain, but it wouldn’t affect either one of them, so Harry was content to wait as long as he needed. Finally, after countless laps of the wards, Edward voiced his thoughts.

“Objectively, I know that Carlisle has a point. Since the Roman vampires fell, no one has successfully stood up to the Volturi. Fighting would most likely end up with all of us dead, even with two wizards on our side. The same thing would happen if we ran; they do not forget and they do not forgive. But, Harry… even if I concede that you going to Italy makes sense… you know I can’t let you go alone. Surely you remember the soul bond? Separating us would destroy us. And if I can’t survive without you, then I damn well intend to die with you, fighting by your side.”

They had stopped walking, and Harry was looking deep into the other vampire’s eyes. He could see the fire and passion and he knew Edward was right.

“Okay. We’ll go together.” Harry said evenly.

“Just like that?” Edward questioned with a furrowed brow.

“Yes, of course, Edward. You and Draco have mentioned the soul bond a few times since my transformation, but I don’t remember the particulars that well. I had forgotten we can’t go far from each other… I feel the same way you do, babe, I just want you to be safe. I want everyone to be safe, but I see that asking you to stay here is wrong, especially when the thought of it causes you so much pain.

“But, please don’t be mad at your family. You know if our only way was to fight, they would be right there with us. As long as we have a chance to explain and de-escalate this, then we should try.” Harry replied.

Harry yelped when Edward suddenly jerked him into his arms.

“They’re your family now, too, you know?” Edward said, leaning in and hovering right above Harry’s lips.

Harry couldn’t help the warm, sappy smile that broke out over his face and he laughed joyfully.

“Yes, alright… don’t be mad at our family.” Harry corrected.

He felt the smile on Edward’s face as the vampire crushed their lips together.

---

“I don’t suppose you have a Pensieve?” Harry asked Draco as they walked into the unusually empty kitchen.

Once Harry and Edward had returned, Seth had gone with Jacob and the other Cullen's to the backyard to hopefully start getting to the bottom of, or find a way around, Alice’s mental block.

“No, but that might be another thing we could request at Gringotts. In fact, I think we need to make another trip to Seattle… I’ve got to say, these Volturi have horrendous timing.” Draco replied.

“Have you forgotten that I’m barely able to restrain myself around one human, let alone hundreds?” Harry asked completely monotone with a raised eyebrow.

Draco looked up as Edward entered the kitchen and slid in behind Harry, dropping a kiss on his hair from behind. The two had come in from the rain and disappeared into their room for half an hour before Harry had emerged feeling much better and wearing dry clothes.

The blonde had to look away quickly, lest they see the disgustingly sentimental smile on his face.

Harry caught it though and thought, with a smirk, that years of Malfoy training should have made hiding his feelings behind a mask easy, but something about Harry, Edward, and Seth had made it difficult for him.

“Obviously not, Harry,” Draco replied, finally looking back up with furrowed brows. “But I can still go with Seth and one of the Cullen’s. I can apparate us somewhere in Seattle and we can go on foot the rest of the way. When we’re done, we can apparate home from the bank. There is very little chance of exposure.”

“You’re right… Sorry.” Harry said as he blew out a heavy sigh, his irritation completely forgotten.

“Don’t worry about it, Potter. It’s been a long day.” Draco replied with a little smile.

“When were you thinking about going?” Harry asked after a few moments.

“We can go as soon as we figure out where it is, and that’s a problem because of our lack of an owl. Was there anything in those documents that we got from our escort?” Draco asked.

“I never looked that closely. I’ll go check now.” Harry said, already halfway out of the kitchen.

---

July 15^th Seattle, WA 4:30 PM (Draco’s POV)

Draco was standing outside of a rather impressive-looking skyscraper in downtown Seattle, arms linked through Emmett’s and Seth’s; ‘Smith Tower’ it was called, and was one of the biggest in the city, judging from a quick scan of the surrounding buildings. There had been an address listed on Harry’s bank records, and with a quick internet search, Harry and Draco had been equally surprised to find out that it was less than half a mile from the Four Seasons they had stayed in.

The wizard had been able to drop them in an alley extremely close to the building and being back in Seattle now, surrounded by people chatting happily, all the smells coming from the different restaurants, and the drizzle of rain that never seemed to let up, Draco was almost overwhelmed. Someone bumped into his shoulder roughly and didn’t stop to apologize, seemingly not caring that he just jostled Draco into Seth. The wizard took a deep breath and forced himself to stay calm while Emmett chuckled.

“Where do you think we should go?” Seth asked.

Draco slowly scanned the area around them, trying to find a distinct landmark, a magical indication, anything that implied they were in the right place.

“I doubt the entrance would be something so easily accessible to muggles,” Draco replied, gesturing to the people around them. “What about the back?”

The trio headed off, matching pace with a couple in front of them as they strolled around the giant building. There was no point in trying to muscle their way through the throngs of people, especially since they were trying to keep a low profile.

It didn’t take but a minute to reach the back of the building, anyway, and it led to a delightfully deserted alleyway, large puddles dotting the walkway every few feet.

“If there’s an entrance, it’s most likely back here.” Draco said confidently.

Setting off down the alleyway, Draco wasn’t surprised to find that sound from the street almost completely faded in the ten or fifteen feet they had gone.

“We’re definitely in the right place; you hear how quiet it is, just a few steps away from the crowds? That’s a sound-dampening spell, I'd bet gold on it. And I’m also fairly certain they have the entrance to this alley warded against muggles; no ones looking this way.” Draco explained.

Emmett and Seth looked at the throngs of people moving past the alleyway, not one person glancing their way, and nodded in agreement as they continued.

In another twenty feet, they were standing in front of a plain black door with a small Gringotts logo stamped near the top.

“This is it.” Draco said, stopping the other two who had kept on walking.

“What are you-? Wait, what?!” Emmett said. Beside him, Seth looked equally as confused.

“What’s the issue?” Draco said, head whipping around, looking for danger.

“I didn’t even see that door until you pointed it out.” Emmett said. Seth nodded beside him.

“Ahh. I thought you, at least, would be able to see past magic, Emmett, since you’re considered a dark creature, but Seth... I kind of expected. Sorry, love.” Draco offered.

“It’s not a big deal. Let’s just do what we came here to do.” Emmett cut in.

Seth grabbed Draco’s hand and gave him a reassuring squeeze, and Draco shot him a smile before turning back to the door and pulling it open, feeling relieved that it opened with no resistance. He stepped over the threshold and felt magic wash over him; undoubtedly being checked for any obvious funny business.

“It’s safe to follow.” Draco said, unable to look away from the sight in front of him. They were only in the entrance hall, but it was obvious that this place was heavily influenced by magic. The ceilings were impossibly vaulted, with a giant crystal chandelier dangling elegantly in the center. Gold tastefully accented the white marble that covered the floors, walls, and roof. The two massive windows in the room were of the same magic that was used to mirror the weather in the subfloors of the ministry in England and would perfectly allow the midday sun to catch the chandelier and create a stunning effect on the walls.

There were two guards, dressed in white and gold uniforms, flanking a set of doors that led further inside the bank.  One of them cleared their throat pointedly when the trio had stopped for too long. Draco shook his head, reminding himself that he wasn’t new to magic, and didn’t need to stand around gawking at it. He tugged at the other two to get them to follow as he approached the guards.

“Good afternoon, sirs. How can we assist you today?” The guard on the right asked.

“Good afternoon. My name is Thomas Taylor and I’ve come regarding the procurement of a Pensieve and to arrange the transportation of human remains.” Draco explained.

The guard nodded once. “And these two?”

“They are my escorts. He’s a vampire.” Draco said, cocking his head to the left. “He’s a werewolf.” With a cock to the right.

If it made the guard uncomfortable, he didn’t show it. He only gave another stiff nod.

“Will you consent to a search before entering the bank?” The man asked.

“Do we have a choice?” Draco asked.

“Of course you do.” The man said, rolling his eyes. “You can choose not to get searched, and turn around and exit the way you came.”

Seth snorted next to him and Draco elbowed him in the side, probably bruising himself in the process.

“We consent.” Draco complied, stepping forward with his arms out.

---

Once the guards had used their Probity Probes to search them (Draco had been checked an extra time, likely for his cheek) they were allowed to cross the doors into the main bank.

Draco felt like he was a kid again, seeing the Gringotts back home for the first time. This room seemed massive when compared to the one in Great Britain and it did a number on the blonde’s head trying to figure out how they expanded something so perfectly, even with the use of magic. It was darker in here than the entrance hall; there were only a few windows and they were far from the ground. Most of the provided light came from torches, candles, and flickering oil lamps. The theme had carried through from the hall, though; there was gold and marble everywhere you looked. Goblins worked from the same high-seated bars that they did in England, with a line of doors behind them, leading deeper into the bowels of the bank.

Draco squared his shoulders and set off across the grand foyer, enjoying the small rush that it sent through him at being flanked by two people that most would consider dangerous. He was being vain, but he knew it and accepted that part of himself.

By the time he reached the counter the feeling had faded, and Draco easily slipped into the pureblooded persona he had worn for 17 years.

The goblin didn’t immediately look up from his work, so Draco cleared his throat pointedly.

Still, the creature continued writing on a piece of parchment until it had, presumably, finished, upon which the scroll automatically sealed itself and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The goblin looked directly into Draco’s eyes once the smoke had cleared.

“What can I assist you with, young wizard?” The goblin asked.

“Good afternoon, my name is Thomas Taylor. I need to arrange for the transportation of human remains and to acquire a Pensieve.” Draco said, repeating the information he’d told the guard.

“Name of the deceased?” The goblin questioned, bored, shuffling through papers.

“Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.” Draco said.

The room was suddenly silent. Quills no longer scratched parchment and gold no longer *clinked* as it was moved from one pile to another. No one seemed to breathe. The goblin he was dealing with just openly stared.

Draco wondered for a moment if he had miscalculated; if the goblins would simply see this as too much. He discreetly palmed his wand and cast a glance at Emmett. The vampire tensed slightly but reacted no further.

A door was thrown open behind the goblin and a frail, ancient-looking thing came out.

“With him, boy.” The goblin said roughly, jerking a thumb towards the elder.

Draco nodded his understanding and their group hastened to follow the older goblin that was already disappearing into the corridor behind the door.  Once they made it through, it shut behind them with an echoed *click* that felt slightly ominous, but he couldn’t dwell on it. In front of them was a well-lit, long hallway, with doors placed in an alternating pattern on each side of the walls with large gaps in between, suggesting that the offices behind said doors were quite large.

The goblin had made it to the end of the hall already and veered left. Draco and his two companions shared a look and then set off quickly to catch up to him, making the left just in time to see the goblin turning into an office.

When they finally caught up to him, the goblin was seated behind his desk, looking at them with polite interest.

Draco took in the posh leather chairs meant for guests, with their beautifully carved wooden accents and legs that matched the engravings on the desk. There was a lit fireplace behind the goblin’s chair, and throughout the large office were cabinets with glass viewing panels, showing unknown pieces of armor and shiny artifacts. This was undoubtedly a high-ranking bank official.

“I understand that you’ve come to our branch for a couple of reasons, Mr. Malfoy.” The goblin said, motioning with his hand for the three of them to sit. “Perhaps you would like to start with the more… pressing, of two matters.”

It wasn’t a question, but a polite demand.

“Certainly. Though, might I ask how you know my name, Mr…?” Draco asked with a raised eyebrow as he fully entered the room and sat down.

“Boggrot, son of Brodragg the Great.” Boggrot replied; Draco nodded his head at the goblin in greeting. “Thomas Taylor is an identity we created, and the scan you underwent when you first entered Gringotts told us far more about you than you’d care to know.”

“Right, right, of course.” Draco said with a sheepish smile. “Well, to put things simply, I have the transfigured body of Albus Dumbledore. He died earlier today after succumbing to injuries in a battle he perpetrated against a coven of vampires. I only want him transported back to Scotland.”

The goblin’s eyes flicked to Emmett before settling back on Draco.

“If we agree to transport his remains, people will ask questions. Are you asking for our discretion, as well?”

“No. Tell whomever you want the truth; we have nothing to hide. Dumbledore travelled to America with the intent of destroying a wizard, two muggles, and eight vampires. This was justified self-defense.”

“And for those that require proof?” Boggrot asked, blasting past the fact that Draco just admitted to associating with vampires and that Dumbledore tried to commit mass murder.

“I can provide the memory if it’s necessary.” Draco offered, after thinking for a moment.

The goblin was already producing a vial for him. Draco could only smirk at the creature’s successful and subtle manipulations as he placed his wand against his temple and withdrew a translucent, glowing strand of his memories, and directed them to the glass container.

“What are you asking for in terms of compensation?” Draco asked once Boggrot had stored the memory.

The goblin leaned back in his chair and looked at him over steepled fingers. “We’ll do it for free.”

Draco’s composure broke, and genuine surprise rippled across his face. The goblin barred a very toothy grin.

“Wha-. Nothing is free, Boggrot. Please don’t insult me.” Draco said, recovering quickly.

Boggrot chuckled, a rough and gravely sound, before he sat up and dropped his hands, all traces of politeness and good humor fading; he was all business, now.

“Change is coming, Mr. Malfoy.” Boggrot said, closing his eyes and tilting his head as if he could actually hear it. “Change is coming on swift wings, and for the first time in nearly three-hundred years, all manner of ‘creatures’ have a chance at proving our worth and showing that we aren’t a taint on magic by existing! We’ve been waiting a long time for something or someone to come along and wreck the ridiculous hold that light wizards have over magic.”

“Goblins made a deal with Voldemort, then?” Draco asked quietly, and suddenly the air was thick with tension. The blonde could see Seth squirming and he locked their hands together.

“We do not believe that Tom Riddle will win his war in England, Mr. Malfoy. As such, making any ‘deals’ with him would just be a bad investment. No no, we are placing our futures in the hands of Harry Potter.” Boggrot stated after another beat of silence.

Draco scowled while Seth’s hand had gone slack in surprise. Even Emmett with his super brain seemed caught off guard.

“He’s not even seventeen, yet. He’s just a kid. Why the fuck does everyone just decide that it’s up to Harry?!” Draco sneered, anger coursing through him, speaking before thinking.

“Because Harry Potter fighting in this war is inevitable, Mr. Malfoy, and he is going to need all the help he can get. You have no idea the effect that Albus Dumbledore being dead is going to have on England, do you?! The effect it’s going to have on magical communities around the globe? This is one of those proverbial ‘shots heard round the world’, boy. The stage just happens to be set in England, and trust me when I say that right now, all roads lead to that stage.

“The power that Harry Potter is destined to wield is going to change everything, whether he is ready for it or not, whether he wants it or not. You speak about decisions as if everything does not happen because it is willed that way. If you step off the curb and get run over and killed, then that is your destiny! Yes, you certainly ‘decided’ to step off, but only because your destiny has led you to that point; intentionally, uncontrollably, inevitably!” Boggrot was nearly shouting, losing his temper as well.

Draco was having trouble finding a good argument for that, so he diverted. “Why tell me any of this? Why not tell it to Harry? You’ve been going back and forth with him for ages, and he’s the one who needs to hear it. I certainly don’t make his bloody decisions for him.”

“I’m telling you because on July 31^st at 8:00 am, the moment of Harry Potter’s 17^th year of life, he’ll gain his magical inheritance. Why don’t you come to see me again then, hmm? We’ll close the bank to the public and we’ll offer you the ability to apparate directly into the atrium. As a sign of good faith, of course.” Boggrot proposed, abruptly ending their conversation.

“What are you on about?! Why after?” Draco pushed.

“If I told you, Draco Malfoy, you would not believe me. Ask me again on the 31^st. For now, I’m afraid we’re running short on time. I accept your request to transport the body of one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, to be delivered to…”

“Uh… M-McGonagall. Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts McGonagall.” Draco stuttered. He looked at Seth and Emmett, and they both looked as confused and wrong-footed as he felt.

“To Deputy Headmistress McGonagall, then. I will arrange to have a Pensieve provided to you upon your exit. Please produce the transfigured body so that I may inspect it.” Boggrot requested.

Draco took the shrunken bone from his pocket and set it on the desk, enlarging it once he did so.

Boggrot picked it up and held it lengthwise between his palms. His eyes fluttered shut as he seemed to concentrate. He rotated it a few times and then placed it gently back on the desk.

“Gringotts will agree to transport and deliver the body of Albus Dumbledore. Your request will be taken care of before the day is over, Mr. Malfoy.” Boggrot said. The goblin reached a hand out and to all appearances, grabbed a piece of paper from thin air. He settled it on the desk and quickly started writing. The room was quiet again and Draco glanced over at Seth who looked bewildered, and he couldn’t help the small grin that broke out. A glance to his left showed Emmett sitting still as a statue; he’d hardly moved since they entered the room.

There were a couple of quick scribbles and flourishes that dragged Draco’s attention back to the goblin, just as Boggrot looked up. “A simple contract, Mr. Malfoy.”

Draco took the paper and painstakingly read through the document, knowing that goblins were more likely than not to add ridiculous clauses or harsh fees, but he could find no fault in the wordage the goblin had used, and he was a little skeptical about it.

“It looks okay.” Draco said as he signed, unable to keep the suspicion out of his voice.

“The next time we meet, Mr. Malfoy, I will do my best to answer your questions. I think you will find that your… reservations, while not unfounded, are unnecessary. Until then, I should think this concludes our meeting this evening?” Boggrot said, his office door opening of its own accord.

“Good day, Boggrot. This was… informative.” Draco replied, standing up and stretching his hand outward after only a moment’s hesitation.

Boggrot’s eyes widened, but he shook the offered limb.

Emmett and Seth both bobbed their heads in farewell, mirroring Draco as he stood, and together, the trio left the office and retraced their steps to the exit. When they arrived at the door that lead to the atrium, there was another goblin waiting with arms full of what appeared to be liquid silver.

“Boggrot wishes you safe travels and a happy fortnight. You may come and go from the bank atrium on July 31^st – though I must caution that you do not attempt to do this before then.” The goblin said with a wicked smile, offering the disk to Draco. “You are free to apparate directly, tonight.”

He hastily accepted it, and never having held a Pensieve before, was surprised that it seemed lighter than air.

Draco nodded, mind still whirring from the meeting. “Thank you.”

The goblin turned and started to walk away so Draco led Emmett and Seth further into the main room.

“Grab hold of an arm, boys. Let’s get out of here.”

Chapter Text

July 15^th Forks, WA 5:10 PM (Harry’s POV)

There was a loud *crack* of apparition outside and Harry and Edward were there to meet the group just a few seconds later.

“I’m glad you guys are back safely. It looks like you found the bank alright?” Harry asked, gesturing to the magical looking disk in Draco’s hands.

“Harry, Edward… Yes. We were able to find the bank with little difficulty. The real ‘fun’ started once we got inside. As soon as I said Dumbledore’s name, it was like the lobby froze. Then, we’re suddenly being asked to follow the quickest effin’ goblin I’ve ever met through long, obscenely posh hallways. And that leads to the strangest meeting I’ve ever had. You know what, just see for yourself.” Draco rattled off before marching past Harry and Edward and into the house, dragging Seth along with him.

Harry looked at Edward, confused by Draco’s bizarre behavior, and then at Emmett, who was looking sympathetically at the pairs retreating form.

“It probably would be easier to show you than explain. The goblin we met with said some pretty heavy stuff.” Emmett offered.

“I suppose we should head inside and get the pensieve set somewhere so we can see this for ourselves. Just tell me, good or bad?” Harry asked, heading toward the house.

“From what I heard and understood? Little of both.” Emmett replied.

 Harry nodded and took Edward’s hand before leading them through the front doors and into the living room, where Draco had a wand out; the pensieve was hovering tranquilly a few inches above the surface of the table. A copy of Spellman’s Syllabary was also hovering near Draco, and Harry watched as the blonde started drawing on the surface of said table with the tip of his wand, magical fire streaming out in a trail behind it. He drew four other runes, and Harry grinned in satisfaction when Draco completed the last one and the fire extinguished immediately, fiery characters sinking into the wood and leaving an etched rune behind. The surface of the pensieve started swirling, breaking the other-worldly effect it appeared to have; Harry could hazily remember Dumbledore’s looking similar.

“No lasting harm to the table, I assure you, Edward; you know, should anyone ask. They can be removed with a simple spell, but these are needed to anchor the pensieve.” Draco explained when he was finished.

“No harm done, even if it does leave a mark. It would give Esme a readymade excuse to completely redecorate the living room.” Edward replied with a wry grin.

Draco nodded and then sucked in a deep breath.

“I’ll add my memory first, just to make sure it’s okay.”

The blonde brought his wand to his temple and after a moment, carefully extracted a shimmering strand of a memory, which he displayed for the small contingent gathered in front of him, before he shook it loose from the tip of his wand, letting it drift lazily into the pensieve; it was caught in the steady current of cloudy gas that had casually begun swirling around in the pensieve.

Draco nodded once and then swept his hand over the top of the pensieve, which had the effect of bringing up the memory he had deposited; the group watched the surface as the memory started to play out soundlessly.

“I’ll go first and then you follow me? We’ll watch this before adding Dumbledore’s." Harry suggested.

Edward nodded his understanding, and Harry stooped over the surface of the pensieve until he felt his feet leave the office ground and he began to feel like he was free-falling; the sensation of entering the magical item.

---

July 15^th Forks, WA 5:30 PM (Draco’s POV)

Harry and Edward emerged after twenty minutes, as Draco had only extracted the time from them entering the bank to the end of the meeting with Boggrot. When he and Edward had returned to the room and taken a seat on the sofa, Harry was frowning.

“What’s all this rubbish about my magical inheritance, Draco? Did you get something on your birthday, too? I’ve never heard of this before.” Harry fired off quickly.

“You likely have heard of it, but didn’t realize it was such a big deal. Turning seventeen is a big thing in the magical community; magical inheritance can vary by family, and is normally only discussed within the family. For example, my ancestors wanted to ensure that we didn’t stray too far from familial expectations, and that Malfoys would always come first; so you either produce an heir, or you don’t inherit the family magic. Failing to produce an heir with an acceptable pure-blood family would be putting an end to ‘sacred blood’ and the Malfoy ancestor’s couldn’t have that,” Draco said bitterly, before continuing. “Most pure-bloods are in arranged marriages, but that’s always been especially true for Malfoys; I was supposed to marry Astoria, and because I intended to do that, up until I left Hogwarts with you, our family magic alerted me when… when the Dark Lord killed my mo-mother.

“I was sitting in class at the beginning of April when I was hit with a wave of extreme nausea and I felt like, like death actually washed over me. I barely made it to the bathroom before I broke down. The Dark Lord had threatened it enough times… Harry confirmed it when he found me crying in the bathroom right before we left…” Draco tapered off, looking at the pensieve.

Seth scooted as close as he could and wrapped their hands together, and Draco was enveloped in his warmth; the suddenness causing gooseflesh to ripple down his arm.

“I had to perform the familial status spell to confirm that father had died. In his mind, I was no doubt a blood-traitor, not worthy of the inheritance.”

“So when I turn seventeen, I’ll inherit whatever magic my family knew? You didn’t get yours, so does that mean that you’ve been disowned?” Harry asked.

“No. It’s impossible to disown one’s only heir if it would mean the end of the Malfoy line; ancestors, again. But my father’s feelings would greatly sway the magic, which is likely why I didn’t feel it… when he died.” Draco took a deep breath before speaking once again. “I can’t say for sure what the Potter inheritance is; I was only made to study the sacred twenty-eight.”

“First you said sacred blood, and now you mention the sacred twenty-eight? What’s that about?” Seth asked softly.

“The sacred twenty-eight refers to the twenty-eight ‘truly pure-blood’ families of Great Britain, as of 1930.” Draco explained.

“I know you said you guys were wealthy, but that sounds a lot like royalty.” Seth replied, and Edward nodded with him.

“For a while, Malfoys were probably the closest you could come to royalty in the wizarding world.” Draco said, looking up from the swirling pensieve and meeting Harry’s blood red eyes, before turning to Seth. “But, pure-bloods haven’t tried really tried to advance our society in quite some time, preferring to keep the power, and money, for themselves. We have been stuck in the past and now we’re fighting another dark lord, what, fifty years after the last one was defeated?”

“So, Harry could potentially inherit some kind of power or abilities from his ancestors?” Edward asked.

“Exactly. Though unfortunately, since he’s the last surviving member of the Potters, we don’t know what it’ll be, but if Boggrot is to be believed, it’ll be significant.” Draco replied, turning back to look at the other pair.

“What will you inherit, or would you have inherited, I guess…?” Seth asked timidly.

Draco smiled and took Seth’s hand.

“Nothing I can’t live without, especially with you.” Draco replied, going with a non-answer that caused Seth to grin.

Harry was looking into the pensieve, deep in thought.

“What’s on your mind, Harry?” Draco asked.

“Wouldn’t my magical inheritance be the same as my father’s? If our family magic is so strong, wouldn’t he have just stopped Voldemort in the first place?” Harry questioned, looking up to the blonde.

“I’m… not sure, Harry.” Draco replied honestly.

 Harry cracked a wry grin then. “Draco Malfoy, not knowing something pure-blood related?” he teased.

Draco rolled his eyes and huffed out a small laugh as he stood up.

“Whatever, Potter, I told you I wasn’t versed in your family history. I suggest you start going through Dumbledore’s memories, though. C’mon, Seth.”

Seth stood up and started following him, but Draco was stopped by Harry.

“What?! You don’t want to see them too?” Harry asked incredulously.

“We can look after… if you think we should.” Draco replied, meeting Harry’s blood red eyes once more before continuing on his way out of the room.

---

July 15^th Forks, WA 6:00 PM (Harry’s POV)

Harry was holding the sealed container that now held Dumbledore’s memories, looking down into the pensieve; Edward was behind him with his hands resting lightly on his hips.

Harry felt the vampire press a kiss to the back of his head and smiled as he leaned further into his support.

“I’m… not sure what else he had for me to see. I’m not sure if I even want to see it.” Harry said softly.

“We don’t have to. Carlisle, I’m sure, would love a chance to interact with the magic.” Edward offered.

Harry angled his head to better see Edward. “That’s alright, love. I think I should do this, even though I don't want to.” Harry said, breaking the piece of tape on the lid with a nail and then pouring the memories over the surface of the not-liquid, watching as they created a maelstrom of images in the magical current swirling around inside the pensieve. Harry wasted no more time, leaning forward over the surface and dropping into Dumbledore’s offered memories before he could change his mind.

---

Harry and Edward are following Bob Ogden to his visit with the Gaunt’s, passing the tree with the snake nailed to it. They watch the nearly hostile interaction, and view the signs of neglect around the house. Edward is unable to mask his shock as Marvolo abuses his daughter.

---

They follow a much younger Dumbledore as he enters a dreary orphanage and asks to meet one of their charges. They listen as the matron, Mrs. Cole, explains about ‘terrible’ things happening to other children that interact with the boy in question, tells of ‘weird accidents’ that happen while they go on summer outings.

“Hello, Tom.” Dumbledore says, meeting a boy who is immediately suspicious of him.

They watch Dumbledore explain about Hogwarts and magic, they listen to the boy explain how he can make people hurt, and even though Harry dimly remembers seeing this before, he and Edward both jump when the wardrobe suddenly catches fire.

---

They watch a young Tom confront his Uncle Morfin before stunning him and using his wand to commit a gruesome assault on his father and his family. Morfin is accused of the crime.

---

They watch a teenage Tom charming a younger Slughorn right before asking him about horcruxes. The memory is badly altered and it subtly reminds Harry of Dumbledore’s request, and the very real need to get the original.

---

They watch a newly seventeen-year-old Tom using his charm on Hepzibah Smith and see her make the fatal error of showing her most prized possessions; Slytherin’s Locket and Hufflepuff’s Cup. The memory bleeds into one of Hokey the house-elf being arrested for the accidental poisoning of her mistress.

---

Dumbledore is looking at a shell of his former student. Tom, Voldemort now, is asking for the defense position. Harry thinks Dumbledore is seconds from being cursed, or killed, but all Dumbledore is showing is sadness as he declines the position to him.

Tom’s face is contorted in rage as he spits, “This is your final decision?”

“It is.”

---

“The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…”

They hear Trelawney give the prediction that changed Harry’s life.

---

“Severus, what news do you bring?” Dumbledore asks; he looks younger, and his eyes are lacking their usual twinkle.

“See for yourself.” Severus says, meeting Dumbledore’s gaze.

They were inside Snape’s memory inside Dumbledore’s memory, and lines were becoming a little blurred.

Snape is silently advancing down a corridor in a posh manor, expertly disillusioned and visible only because he was moving. He meets no one as he prowls hallway after hallway until he comes to a stop at a seemingly random door. He pulls his wand and sends an eavesdropping spell at the door before settling back into a low crouch.

 “…but you’re right, Bellatrix. You and Lucius will become part of my… most trusted. You’ve both shown incredible mastery of the dark arts and a willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve power.” Voldemort said softly.

“Yes, my Lord. Whatever you need, I am yours to command.” Bellatrix whispered.

“Such loyalty deserves a gift...” Voldemort is whispering so softly now that Severus is leaning forward to hear and the next few words Voldemort say are lost in the memory. Then, the shuffling of cloth and the faintest *click*.

Bellatrix loudly gasps. “It’s beautiful, my Lord.” Another gasp. “ Is- is this-?”

 “Yes. The badger isn’t fake.”

It’s quiet for a few moments, before, “you will keep it safe for me, won’t you?” Voldemort asks quietly.

Severus’s face ripples out in shock at the tenderness in the Dark Lord’s voice.

“No one will ever get their hands on this, my Lord. You honour me with your trust.” Bellatrix replied breathily.

“We shall see, Bella…” Voldemort says softly, before raising his voice again. “Now take it, and tell no one. I have things to do.” Voldemort replied, the dismissal clear in his voice.

“Good evening, master.” Bellatrix replied.

Severus slinks as far away from the door as fast as he can, flicking his wand at the door to end whatever spell he’d been using to listen. He tucks into a darkened alcove as the door opens and Bellatrix exits. There’s the sound of apparition from the room she came from, no doubt the Dark Lord leaving. Bellatrix is walking down the hallway with a plain box clutched tightly to her chest. Severus catches the wicked look that is on her face as she throws her head back and begins cackling, the laughter echoing throughout the house as she moves away.

Back in Dumbledore’s office, the older wizard is looking decidedly confused.

“How did you hear of this meeting, Severus?” Dumbledore asked.

“Lucius came to gloat the moment the Dark Lord presented him with his ‘gift’. He wanted to rub it in that he is one of the Dark Lord’s closest, and he hinted that Bellatrix had been ordered to the manor for much the same reason. I sent him out of my house and managed to catch the end of… whatever that was.” Severus explained.

“Did Lucius say what his gift was?” Dumbledore asked.

“No. I asked what the Dark Lord had given him and he merely laughed at me and shook his head. I doubt I will be able to find out what it is without raising suspicion.” Severus replied.

“I'm afraid I agree that it would put you at risk to try and do so. You’ve done a good job tonight, Severus. I will take it from here and see if I can discern the meaning behind these gifts.” Dumbledore said.

“Were you able to get her hidden?” Severus asked while looking at the floor.

“Was I able to get them hidden, you mean? Yes, Severus; they are as safe as they can be, for now.”

---

Dumbledore is handing over an ink-stained journal to a very young Harry Potter, who looks tired, and upset, and yet so determined. He watches as the young boy chases after Lucius Malfoy and smiles at the thought of how proud Lily and James would be. His smile falls and his face morphs into one of slight horror as realization hits him like a freight train.

“Surely not, Tom. Not horcruxes.”

---

Dumbledore is in an office, not dissimilar to Boggrot’s office from Draco’s memories. His face is nearly expressionless, but Harry thinks he can tell he’s not happy.

“It cannot be done, Dumbledore! Not once in three-hundred years have we allowed anyone but the sole owners, inheritors, or guardians of vaults to access them. Unless you plan on taking the vault by force, and I do so wonder how well that would go,” the goblin smiled a horrible, toothy smile, “we cannot assist you with your request. Someone of Black descent must request access, or the vault in question will stay sealed.”

The goblin picked up a large stamp off its desk and slammed it down on top of a small pile of papers. He pulled it away to reveal *REQUEST DENIED* in blood red ink.

---

Another memory of Dumbledore meeting Mrs. Cole, and judging by the look of the woman, she is in her late 60’s now. The woman is slumped slightly back in her seat, in some sort of trance, while Dumbledore is stood over her, going through her mind as delicately as he can. He needs information only she can give; information on their summer vacations when Tom was but a child.

---

The memories are seamless now, and they show Dumbledore systemically checking a series of caves along a coastline, always entering with caution and diligently searching, yet apparating with a sigh of frustration from each one.

The memory mash-up ends when Dumbledore is back in the headmaster’s office at Hogwarts. There is a piece of parchment with a list of cities and villages on it. There were only a few more places to check…

---

They watch as a slightly younger Harry is telling Dumbledore that he feels like he was a snake that attacked Arthur Weasley. They watch Harry’s eyes flash red as he makes eye contact with Dumbledore as the group of himself and the Weasley children Portkey away.

“Nagini as well, Tom? Out of necessity this time, no doubt.” Dumbledore says, frowning, after the group of children have left. He runs a shaky hand down his beard.

---

They watch as Severus scolds Dumbledore for trying to wear a cursed ring; the Gaunt ring lays discarded and cracked on the desk. Severus is angry as he’s telling Dumbledore he has only a year to live. He’s getting ready to leave when Dumbledore stops him.

“We both know that Voldemort has ordered Malfoy’s boy to kill me. If, and undoubtedly when, he fails, we both know that Voldemort is going to expect you to do it. You must be the one to kill me, Severus.”

---

The memories are old again, and Harry is looking at a much younger Dumbledore negotiating with Severus Snape. The man is telling Dumbledore that he overheard the prophecy, and that Lily is now being hunted.

“He has decided it’s her son! He intends to hunt them; to kill them. Please, hide her. Hide them all. I beg you.” Severus cries.

---

Another memory of Severus and Dumbledore, Severus looks a mess and Dumbledore seems to be vibrating slightly.

“You said you would keep her safe.” Severus accuses, still in shock.

“Lily and James trusted the wrong person.” Dumbledore says, looking out the window. “But their son has survived. He’s got her eyes, you know?”

Severus is gasping lightly and Dumbledore turns to face him.

“It pains me to say this, but I am not of the opinion that everyone else is. I fear that Voldemort will return one day, and their son, Lily’s son, will be in grave danger. He will need more protection than what I can offer. If you truly loved her…” Dumbledore trails off.

“No one can know.” Severus replies after a shudder.

“That I shall never reveal the best in you Severus?” Dumbledore leaves the question hanging, making no promise to do so, and turns back to the window.

---

They watch Dumbledore argue with Professor McGonagall about his decision to have Harry killed, and though the vampires had already known about this, Dumbledore didn’t know that, and Harry is able to see firsthand her defense of him.

---                                                                                                                      

Dumbledore is alone in his office. His wand and the Gaunt ring are in front of him. The crackling fire in the fireplace is the only source of light as he takes the ring and turns it three times in his hand, and suddenly there’s another person in the room; sort of.

Harry notes that she is a young teen, and he is surprised to see Dumbledore in such a state.

The man begins to sob as he leans forward and tries to grab the hand of the girl, clenching his fist around nothing when it has the same consistency as smoke.

“I’m so sorry, Ariana. I’m so, so sorry. I have wished to take your place every single day since you died.” Dumbledore cries.

Ariana sits there for a moment with grief written on her face and tears running down her cheeks. She looks down at Dumbledore’s hand and briefly covers it with her other.

“You have to let me go.” She says softly.”This isn’t right, Albus.”

Dumbledore drops the ring as though he’s been burned and the girl disappears as quickly as she came.

The old man leans forward and weeps.

---

Dumbledore is reading ’Dark Creatures and Things Most Foul’ that he’s holding with his silver hand, a glass of firewhisky in the other. He sighs and puts the book down.

“All of this researching, refreshing, and studying is going to be for naught if I am right about the prophecy.” Dumbledore says to the room. Fawkes trills lightly from his left.

“I’ll admit, I thought Harry would be something akin to untouchable by anyone except Tom, but I’m still fairly certain that going to confront the boy is only going to lead to my death.”

Another trill, this one is heartbreaking.

“It’s no matter, Fawkes. As we both know, death is but the next great adventure.”

---

Dumbledore is in his study, looking out the window at the view that he has become so accustomed to. Snape is watching him with a tight expression.

“If you would feel so inclined as to inform me the nature of this meeting, Headmaster?” Snape drawled lazily.

“The night that Lily sacrificed her life for Harry, she created a shield made of pure love. When Voldemort tried to kill young Mr. Potter, it did what every other shield has failed to; it rebound the killing curse. Unfortunately, while that destroyed Voldemort’s physical body, it also allowed a piece of his soul to break free. And it latched on to the closest living thing that it could.” Dumbledore said, still not meeting Severus’s gaze.

“You mean to tell me,” Severus growled after a beat, “that Harry Potter has a piece of the Dark Lord’s soul residing in him?”

“I believe so, Severus. Harry knows Parselmouth and has a previously unheard of, undeniable connection with Voldemort. I do not think, however, that its creation was intentional, and I believe that Tom remains ignorant of its existence.” Dumbledore replied gravely.

“Why are you telling me this? Surely me having this knowledge is more dangerous than not?”

Dumbledore sighs and turns around, looking Severus in the eye.

“Perhaps, but consider this: I’ve arranged for an International Portkey to America tomorrow,” Dumbledore says, gesturing to a peculiar-looking broach, “and there’s a chance I might not return. If that happens, my dear Severus, I need you to accept the position as Headmaster of this school. Minerva has shown no sign that she is going to rescind her decision to retire and I can think of no one else that I trust more right now. Someone must know the truth and someone must protect the students, at all costs.”

“What do you expect of me, Albus?”  Snape asked dangerously.

“I tried to do this the best way I could, Severus. I’ve played things so close to the chest for the past fifteen years that I think I’ve forgotten the difference between enemy and friend, doubly so when I realized what Tom had created. I did not ever intend for Harry to die in this war; in fact, I believe I had a rather ingenious plan when it came to ensuring his survival. But, alas, that path is no longer available to us. Now, there is only way to ensure that the piece of Voldemort’s soul inside Harry is destroyed, and I think you know what that is.”

Silence meets his statement, and Dumbledore continues. “I leave you in the care of my pensieve, Severus. Should I not return, it might save your life.”

“All these years, you’ve had me spying, risking my life for him… and now because you can think of no other way to remove this piece of Voldemort’s soul, you’ve decided he must perish, like a pig being led to slaughter?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve grown to care for the boy?” Dumbledore asked scathingly.

“For him?” Severus replies, incredulous. “Expecto Patronum.”

A bright silver doe springs forth from his wand and dances around the office before disappearing through a window.

“Lily? After all this time?”

“Always.”

---

It was after midnight when Harry and Edward finally emerged from the pensieve, finding Draco and Seth fast asleep on the couch while the rest of the Cullen’s were spread around the room, talking quietly, or watching the TV with the volume nearly muted.

“Edward, Harry; welcome back.” Carlisle said, approaching them with an easy gaze.

Harry was turned away, looking toward the stairs, standing stiffly. Anger coursed through him as he went through the memories now in his head. “Even in death you’re still trying to be the one to pull the strings; still trying to get your fucking golden boy.” Harry thought furiously.

He could hear the hesitation in Edward’s voice when the vampire answered for them.

“Thank you, Carlisle… it was an enlightening experience, to say the least.”

Harry snorted, though it sounded far from amused, and said, “I need a shower.”

Without waiting for a response, he darted up the stairs in a silent blur; he slammed the door to the bathroom with satisfying force.

His movements turned automatic as his brain sifted through all the new information; clothes were stripped and the water was turned to some random temperature before Harry stepped under the spray.

His mind settled for a moment on Snape. The man had sold his family out to Voldemort and Dumbledore had thought it was a good idea to make him a teacher. He wanted to laugh, and scream, and hit something. “…grown to care for the boy?”  That was a bloody great joke. Snape had been- no, was in love with his mother, and all the years of mistreatment and hatred finally made sense to Harry. He was living proof of Snape’s precious Lily choosing to marry someone else; have children with someone else.

The memory of him raging at Edward about Dumbledore when the truth about Harry being a horcrux had first come to light came to front of his mind. He’d been actively avoiding thinking about it, he realized.  

“All he had to do was tell me. But he didn’t trust me. His memories proved that. He chose Snape over me. Snape, who now thinks I’m a fucking Horcrux.” Harry thought angrily.

Dumbledore had had a plan, and Harry had ruined whatever it was. Ruined it because Dumbledore was afraid of losing Harry’s support, was afraid of losing his weapon.

There was a sound behind him, and he spun around with an angry snarl, and then calmed just as quick, seeing Edward standing there with his hands raised, as he had done in the forest weeks ago.

“I thought maybe you would like someone to vent your frustration to. Perhaps we can spare future bath products?” His mate asked.

Harry looked down and was surprised to see the bar of soap he’d apparently been holding had been completely smashed, shooting between his fingers in long, messy strands. He opened his hand and let the mangled bar fall to the floor.

“I- I hate him so much, Edward…” Harry said. “I feel like my whole life was controlled by that man and yet I’m somehow the one feeling wrongfooted and fucking guilty.” Harry let out a strangled sob and felt his eyes burning, his face a mixture of shock and confusion. His bewilderment seemed to snap Edward out of his wariness, because Harry was suddenly wrapped in the other vampire’s arms as he began sobbing tearlessly.

“I was just so tired of people fighting and dying, and now I feel like such a bloody coward for leaving. We’ve got to go England, Edward, as soon as possible, I feel so stupid-.“ Harry gasped out.

Edward had stepped slightly away and tilted Harry’s head back to look him in the eye as the water rained down around them, effectively cutting him off, before bringing their lips together softly. Harry took everything he could from the kiss, pressing himself flush against Edward and letting the panic, anger, and guilt stop drowning him. Edward eventually pulled back and golden irises met blood red.

 “You’re not stupid, and you’re not a coward. After everything you’ve told me, I don’t think it was wrong to want it to stop, to want to get away. Harry, you still protected the people you cared about first and then worried about you. Having a little self-preservation isn’t wrong, baby. You had a piece of the wizard that has tried to kill you five times leeching off of your soul, and you’re still one of the purest, most kind people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing” Edward said fervidly, “And after everything we’ve seen and experienced in the past few months, I refuse to accept that what is happening is anything other than how it should be. We are meant to be together and that is a fact no one can deny. How would we have found each other, had you not left?” He questioned.

Harry laid his hands flat on Edward’s chest, followed by his forehead. “I don't know... I’m sorry.” He mumbled, slightly muffled by the water and, well, chest.

“For getting upset? My love, even if you weren’t a newborn vampire with mixed up emotions, watching those memories would have been very distressing. I can assure you that from an outsider’s perspective, it absolutely was. I have serious questions about the wizarding world and the safety it seemingly fails to provide its citizens. It shouldn’t fall to a teenager to save everyone.”

Edward reached behind Harry and shut the water off and then pulled them out of the shower in a swirl of motion that would have made his human self very sick.

When they each had a towel draped across their shoulders, Edward pulled Harry by the hand into the bedroom, depositing the younger vampire onto the bed before straddling his lap and resting his naked arse on Harry’s thighs.

“You’re the most amazing, incredible, and beautiful creature on this Earth, Harry Potter.” Edward said tenderly.

Harry dragged Edward’s head down and crushed his lips against the others, moaning as he did and sounding anguished and needy, before breaking away. “Make me forget, Edward, just for a while.” Harry begged.

Edward closed the small gap and re-captured his lips, more than happy to oblige him.

---

July 16^th Forks, WA 02:30 AM (Draco’s POV)

Something had startled Draco awake and he now had his wand half-raised, looking around for the disturbance. Seth had reacted in tandem with him and was now trembling slightly as he scanned for the threat. Another loud noise... wait. Was that a moan?

Someone, Emmett, he realized after a second, snorted softly.

“Oh, and now they’re awake. I am so going to love this.” Emmett said from the other couch, cracking a wicked grin at the pair.

“What the bloody hell is Harry doing, auditioning for a role?” Draco asked with a voice thick with sleep.

“Usually they aren’t this loud,” Emmett replied, laughing softly, “but not tonight, apparently; didn’t figure they’d wake you, though.”

“How did things go in the pensieve?” Draco questioned, giving said item a wary glance before leaning back into Seth’s embrace. Any remaining tension melted when Seth wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close.

“We didn’t get a chance to ask. Harry looked upset and bolted upstairs almost immediately when they came out, and Edward followed him shortly after, saying they’d be down in a bit.” Rosalie said from next to Emmett.

This statement was punctuated by another two moans, long and slightly drawn out.

“Circes tits, they’re really going at it, eh?” Draco said, amused.

“Just be glad that your hearing is only good enough to hear the moaning.” Emmett replied with another wicked grin, pointedly looking at Seth.

Draco tilted his head back far enough to see his boyfriend’s face and was shocked to see that it was rather red and he had a slightly bashful grin on his face.

“Oh, by the Gods, stop listening to them! They’re going to turn you into a deviant.” Draco said in a dramatic whisper.

“Yeah, right... Edward and Harry are going to be the cause of another giant shift in my life, like you don’t hold every ounce of my attention.” Seth said with a cheeky smile.

“Well, when you say it like that…” Draco said, biting his bottom lip.

Another snort and something muttered about ‘attention spans’ from Emmett made him roll his eyes and look at the vampire.

“Whatever, you big oaf; don’t pretend like you don’t look at Rose and forget about everything else.” Draco replied.

 “That’s true, but that’s because Rosalie is, like, insanely beautiful. You guys are alright, handsome even, but compared to her, you’re norm-…” Emmett cut off after taking what sounded like a sharp elbow to the ribs.

Draco froze, indignation washing over him at being considered ‘normal’ for just a second, before he laughed softly.

“Seth, I believe Emmett needs a lesson in magic; just like Jacob.” Draco whispered, barely audible.

His wand still loosely in his hand after waking with it, with as casual a flick as he could, he let a wordless Rictusempra fly toward the unsuspecting vampire. He grinned in satisfaction as Emmett’s booming laughter started filling the house.

“Wh-what is h-h-happening?” Emmett howled with laughter, looking around wildly.

Draco quickly looked at Rosalie to make sure he was okay, and saw her fighting, and losing, out-right laughing at Emmett. Seth was shaking with silent laughs and Draco had his lips pressed together. The pair swiftly lost the not-laughing battle when Emmett whirled on Draco, one hand raised and pointed accusatorily at Draco, the other clutching his side tightly.

“St-t-t-op this,” Emmett cried out, “D-D-Draco!”

“Apologize for calling us ugly.” Draco said, crossing his arms and trying for a haughty expression that was likely bellied by his absolute amusement.

“I d-d-didn’t c-c-call you u-u-ugly!” he replied.

Draco turned his head away and Emmett tried to growl through his laughs; the sound produced was a weird, choking noise like he had a sudden attack of phlegm.

“F-F-FINE! I’m s-s-sorry!” Emmett roared.

Draco flicked his wand and ended the spell, raising an eyebrow at the vampire who had actually been bent over double with the force of the spell.

Rosalie continued laughing; the sound of soft bells coming from the couch, while Seth was wiping tears from his eyes.

Emmett took a controlled breath in and exhaled slowly before speaking.

“Oh, it is so on, Draco.” The vampire warned before disappearing in a blur of speed.

Rosalie laughed openly at Emmett’s departure. “Oh my god, Draco, that was amazing. He never gives in that easy; though, you probably should check around corners from now on.” She advised, standing up in the process. “I’m going to go find wherever he’s sulking and talk him out of… anything extreme.”

“Thanks, Rose. It’ll be fine, right? I was just joking.” Draco said.

“No worries, Draco, he’s just not used to anyone getting the drop on him.” Rosalie said, and then she too, was gone.

Draco cast a tempus that showed it was well after two a.m. and he suddenly felt the tiredness that was stinging his eyes. He set his wand on the coffee table and leaned back against Seth‘s chest bringing his arm up to rest on Seth’s stomach; both of them kicking their socked feet onto the coffee table. It was delicately quiet for a moment, and then there was another moan that sounded suspiciously like ‘Edward,' shattering the peace and Draco couldn’t help the groan he let out.

With a sigh, he leaned forward and grabbed his wand once more, taking aim at the stairs and casting the most perfect Muffliato he can.

“Oh my God, thank you. I’m going to have to request that you use magic to make them be quiet a little sooner next time, babe.” Seth said. “I don’t know how I was sleeping through that.”

“Shit, I’m sorry. Emmett wasn’t kidding when he said you could hear them…”

“Not everything, thank God, but enough… yeah. That was kinda my first time… hearing something like that.” Seth said, blushing and looking down. “The pack has been pretty careful about what they think about when I’m phased. Trying to keep me from growing up too fast, I think.”

Draco was biting his bottom lip again. Seth was too fucking cute when he blushed like that, but he also felt bad that he hadn’t realized Seth could still hear them. No one wants to listen to their family go at it.

With some maneuvering, he switched his position so that he was straddling Seth’s lap, letting his weight rest on the muscled thighs beneath him, and with soft hands, he tilted Seth’s chin up.

“It’s okay to be embarrassed, you know? It’s a little awkward, but… it’s also natural, right? Especially for them, since they’ve got that weird soul bond.”

Seth nodded his understanding and his blush was quickly fading, so Draco counted that as a win. He leaned closer and the pair shared a few soft kisses before Draco pulled away and made to stand-up.

“Let’s go to bed? I’ll put silencing spells everywhere.”

---

July 16^th Forks, WA 08:30 AM (Harry’s POV)

At some point in the early morning, their activities had been interrupted when Draco and Seth, who had been trying to quietly enter their room, failed miserably; a blood curling scream was issued by Draco, followed by Emmett’s loud, booming laughter and shouted exclamation of, “We’re even!”

Harry and Edward had frozen, realizing as they hadn’t for a few hours, that they were indeed living in a house full of other people, and Harry especially had been more vocal while trying to forget and smother the feelings that Dumbledore had evoked. He expected to feel the heat on his face, blood rushing north to show his embarrassment, before he realized that he would never have to worry about an unexpected blush again.

Edward had chuckled before lightly pulling him down and capturing his lips again, all passion and heat gone, simply allowing Harry to calm down, before Harry broke the kiss and scooted down, resting his head on his lovers chest and beginning a small trace of his chiseled abs. They hadn’t moved since, with the exception of Edward occasionally interrupting Harry’s train of thought when it was headed anywhere too dark, and the smaller vampire was thankful for having a partner that understood when he just needed a moment to process.

Harry, for his part, had spent hours replaying the memories that Dumbledore had given them, trying to decide what exactly Dumbledore was expecting. He had, at some point, forgiven the old man for failing to tell him about the Horcrux that had attached itself to his soul, knowing that if the situation had been reversed, Harry wasn’t sure if he could tell a child that horrendous bit of information, either. Yet, on the other hand, he also knew that had Dumbledore chosen to tell him, Harry would have met Voldemort face on and without a wand, if only on Dumbledore's word that it would lead to that bastard’s downfall.

Dumbledore and Voldemort fully believed in the prophecy, and Harry had no choice but to accept things for what they were. It was something that had angered and scared him at first, but now… if it was fate, or destiny, or just damn bad luck that had ruined his chances of a normal life, he was now fully committed to preserving his current way of life, and that meant making sure that Voldemort didn’t succeed in capturing the power he was so desperate for; which meant they were going to need help. They would need to meet with Boggrot, and the vampire government… and maybe some old friends.

“Edward, love. I’ve been thinking…” Harry started, sitting up.

“And as you know, I have unashamedly been listening.” Edward replied, amusement lacing his tone as he scooted up on the full size bed and leaned back against the pillows.

Harry huffed a laugh and continued. “You already know what I want to do, then. I’ve had a chance to think through and accept… everything, and the only thing we can do is move forward. Voldemort is a threat because he believes in the prophecy and he’ll never stop coming after me. But I think before we attempt to face that, face him, it would probably be a good idea to see what Boggrot has to say, and the Volturi definitely cannot wait unless we want to die… and I think I’d like to go and check on Ron and Hermione. With Draco’s potion, being close to them shouldn’t be dangerous and… well, Hermione is a bloody genius. Her input might be invaluable and Ron… Ron is probably the best strategist I know. Even if they don’t want to help, I feel so guilty about leaving… I just need to check on them.”

“So you want to go to Seattle to learn about your inheritance, Italy to get the Volturi off our backs, Australia to check on your friends, and England to save wizards proverbial way of life, is that correct?” Edward recounted.

“Oh, and we need to find a way to see Professor Slughorn. He has a memory that we need to get.” Harry grinned widely.

“Should be a simple task, we’ll be back in no time at all.” Edward replied completely deadpan, which he sullied with a smile. “When were you thinking of going?”

“Two weeks, maybe? We can start on my birthday with Boggrot and work our way around the world from there, as long as Alice doesn’t see anything that would make us leave before then.” Harry explained.

“Sounds like a plan, Harry; were you thinking of bringing anyone with us?” Edward asked.

The idea had crossed his mind, but he hadn’t given it much thought. Draco was his first and obvious choice, and with the Cullen’s safely behind the wards, leaving them without magic didn’t seem like a big risk, but on the other hand, Seth would have to join. Seth, who was fourteen and definitely not old enough for this shit (and while it was one thing to have him staying as a runaway a few miles from his family, it was a whole different set of rules knowingly bringing him into what was inevitably going to turn into a war) It would never be allowed in any other circumstance, but Draco and Seth had a bond similar to Harry and Edward, and Harry could hardly ask Draco to come and not Seth if Harry wouldn’t (couldn’t) leave Edward behind. If Seth came, then Jacob would be going, and the rest of the Cullen’s would undoubtedly be needed at some point, and they wouldn’t be content with sitting on the sidelines while Edward and Harry were both in trouble, anyways, not to mention Seth and Draco.

Harry sighed and then laughed. “Everyone? We can meet the Volturi by ourselves, and then have a stop in Australia to rally the troops. We can start the horcrux hunt from there.”

“Not a bad idea, babe. You’re right in thinking that they won’t stay out of this. Not with so much at stake.” Edward replied.

 “Well, we still have to ask what they think, and we need to make sure that everyone understands how dangerous this is. I’m kind of hoping they’ll say they want to stay here.”

“I know. The past two days have been… surreal. Dumbledore, and Voldemort and the Volturi… everything seems to happen at once when wizards are involved. I’m sensing quite the pattern here.”

“Wizards have nothing if they don’t have a flair for the dramatics. I thought you would have realized that after hearing all mine and Draco’s stories.” Harry said with a toothy grin, settling himself back against Edward and the pillows.

Edward was interrupted in replying by a knock on the door.

“Come in.” Harry said after it became clear Edward was letting him answer for them.

The door opened and Draco poked one eye cautiously around the door frame. “Potter, Edward; are you adequately dressed?”

Harry snorted heavily in amusement and rolled his eyes. “Any embarrassing bits are covered, Draco. Stop acting like a prude and get in here.”

Draco flung the door open all the way like Harry had expected him to do originally, and strutted in as if he owned the place. He was still wearing his pajamas, a pair of slightly-too-big sweats and a zip up hoodie. He was avoiding looking at the pair of vampires and instead glanced about the nearly pristine space with critical eyes before gingerly sitting on the edge of chair at Edward’s small desk. He turned his attention to Harry and Edward then, his face a perfect mask of Pureblood indifference, and as silence reigned, Harry was unable to keep the small smirk off his face.

“Good morning, Draco.” Harry said trying to start a conversation.

“Potter.” Draco replied flatly.

Harry’s grin grew wider. “Stop being a prat and tell us what has your wand in a twist this morning, Malfoy.” He said playfully.

Draco rolled his eyes, but said, “I know you probably didn’t think about it, but you’re not the only one with super hearing in the house.”

Harry lost the grin, replacing it with a look of confusion.

“Okay?” 

“Look… I just need to cast some silencing spells in here, okay? Seth and I sleep right next to you, and, well, everyone heard last night, but he heard more and he’s probably not going to look you in the eye for a couple of days.” Draco replied. “Kidding, mostly. He’s just… that was his first time actually hearing anything like that, and… yeah.” He finished lamely.

For the second time that morning, Harry was sure that if he was still human, his face would be bright red and he’d be stuttering. But, as he was now dead, his composure held and his voice was quite steady as he replied, “Shit… sorry, Draco. Last night, the pensieve brought up some really bad feelings and I was… I was venting.”

Draco looked at Edward, who was looking at the ceiling and fighting a smile, and then looked back at Harry.

“Venting?” Draco repeated with a slightly raised eyebrow before breaking out in a grin. “Well, I suppose that’s one word for it, Harry.”

“Alright, alright. Listen, mate, cast whatever you want, alright?” Harry suggested, just as he caught the sound of Draco and Seth’s door quietly opening and closing with footfalls making their way the short distance to Harry and Edward’s room, stopping just outside of view. “You’ll let Seth know how embarrassed I am, won’t you? Even with magic, I’ll make sure to keep it down.”

“Don’t worry about it, Harry.” Seth said, taking another step and coming into view while running a hand through sleep-mussed hair; he was shirtless and wearing a pair of sweats that matched Draco’s. “Sorry for eavesdropping, but I figured you knew I was there.” He entered the room and sidled up behind Draco, draping his large hands on the blonde’s shoulders and leaning down to press a kiss on his hair. “I see that you're wearing my jacket… again.” He whispered just loud enough for Harry to make out.

“Yeah, I heard you coming down the hallway.” Harry said smiling. “But all the same, I don’t want Draco thinking we’re trying to impugn your honor or purity. I really am sorry about last night.”

“Seriously, man, it’s alright. I doubt that will be the last time I overhear something I’m not supposed to.” Seth replied with a light blush and sheepish grin.

“Draco has our full permission to use whatever sound dampening spells he’d like. As the ranking adult here, we should have been more… aware of who we had staying with us. You have my apology, as well.” Edward chimed in from behind him.

Draco took this as his cue to get started on said task, slipping out from underneath Seth’s hands and looking around the room once more, his hand reaching into the pocket of the hoodie and pulling out his wand.

“A simple Muffliato ought to suffice. You’d have to be… venting pretty loudly to break through it” Draco said, dragging his wand in the shape of an extra-squiggly three, and then sweeping it around the room. He headed toward the door.

“That should have taken care of that. Someone say something.” He said, opening the door and standing in the hallway.

“I’m sure your spell work was fantastic, Draco.” Harry said with an eye roll and grin. “Can you hear us?” He asked while pointedly looking at Draco.

Draco smirked and walked back into the room, stopping next to Seth and wrapping their hands together. “It was successful. No more stray sounds coming from here.” He said.

Harry rolled his eyes, but couldn’t really dispute that, so he ignored him. “While you two are still here, I want to ask you something apart from the others, but before I begin… just, please tell me no if you don’t want to do this, okay? No hard feelings.”

“One moment, let me just…” Draco said as he aimed his wand at the small chair he had been sitting on. It widened until it was big enough to comfortably sit him and Seth and he stowed his wand, the pair taking a seat and completely serious now. “Go ahead.”

“I need to see Boggrot on my birthday, and then Edward and I need to go see the Volturi. After that, I was thinking about going to see the Weasley’s and Hermione.” Harry explained.

Draco frowned slightly, but nodded.

“After that, I’m going after the other horcruxes, and then focusing on bringing Voldemort down. I won’t be trapped by this prophecy any longer.”

“But, we left because-“ Draco started, but stopped at Harry’s slightly raised hand.

“We left because I was being selfish, Draco.” Harry cut in, and continued talking when Edward tried to say something as well, “No, it’s the truth. I might have offered Ron and Hermione a way out, but how many people did I leave behind? I can’t say how I was feeling before the change, not accurately, but whatever the case was, I find myself agreeing with Edward, now; I think this had to happen, whether it was a good or a bad moral decision that led me, us, here. I know I ran away once, but I have to go back.

“I offered you a way out of England, and a chance at a new life. I won’t be mad if you choose to keep that, Draco; you and Seth have each other and it makes me so fucking happy that you do, but… I think we’re going to need your help, mate, I’m not gonna bullshit you.” Harry said, looking at Draco. “I know that by asking you to come with us, you’ll be entering the war we just left… and that by asking you, I’m also asking Seth.” Harry stopped, and let the silence grow for a minute.

“I don’t want an answer right now. Please, take some time to think about this and… whenever you decide, whatever you decide, we won’t be hard to find. We have a few days before plans really need to be finalized, so…” Harry trailed off, still being met with a slight frown by Draco, and Seth looking worried.

Harry swallowed hard, reflexively, already regretting asking. The upcoming war and subsequent battlefields were no place for a fourteen year old. He was on the verge of taking it back, mouth open, when Draco’s face smoothed out and he bobbed his head at them.

“Well, this has definitely been an eventful morning, Harry, Edward. It sounds like we have quite a bit to consider.” He said, jumping up. “Seth, I don’t know about you, but I am simply famished; would you care to join me for some breakfast?”

Seth looked at Harry and Edward with raised eyebrows before standing up and following Draco, who had nearly fled the room.

Chapter Text

July 16th Forks, WA 09:00 AM (Alice’s POV)

She’d been focusing on trying to view their future since the last vision had come in yesterday and was, frustratingly, coming up with nothing. Jasper was next to her, using his power to send calming waves that washed over her and stopped her from completely panicking.

This had been happening for a while now; ever since the wolves became so integrated with the family. Alice and Carlisle had theorized that spending time with, and learning about, the shapeshifters was the key to seeing into their future, but time was not a luxury they had at the moment. Between the Volturi coming for them, and the magical world looking for its savior, Alice was desperate to catch even a glimpse of what was going to happen, only to fall irritatingly flat.

“I don’t understand, Jas. I can see Harry and Edward meeting with the Volturi now, but there’s just nothing after.. .  what if I’m not seeing everything and they’re walking into a trap?”

“I know, love. I’m worried, too.” Jasper replied softly.

Alice was quiet for a long time, staring at something on the wall with a small frown on her face.

“What if we lose them? What if we lose Harry and Edward, or  anyone  Jas? I… I don’t know if I can live with that.”

“Alice, your visions have always helped us get through whatever difficulties we were facing. Whether it’s been danger, fortune, or anything in between, you’ve never failed us. The fact that you saw the Volturi coming probably saved our lives as it is and we all know it. This block or whatever that’s preventing you from seeing… it’s going to pass. And if it doesn’t, well… we’ve got magic on our side, now. We’ve got as fair a fight as possible without your sight.” Jasper said, sweeping her into his arms as he did.

Alice reciprocated and wrapped her arms around the blonde.

“I hope you’re right.” She whispered.

---

July 15th Hogwarts 08:39 PM (Severus POV)

Severus was being forced to play the waiting game. Dumbledore had departed, not yet an hour ago, and the potions master was more confused and worried than he’d been since the day he found Lily dead.

He had completely purged his mind of the information regarding the Dark Lord that Dumbledore had told him the day previous, choosing to pull the memory out of his head as soon as he had returned to his office, attempting to prevent it from leaving behind an impression, before sealing it in a vial, which was now sitting on his desk.

His hands were steepled together and he was sunk low in his chair while he contemplated what was happening; viewed the thing that could make or break wizarding Britain, maybe even the world.

If Dumbledore had really gone to America to find Potter… then the boy stood little chance. Albus had learned and forgotten more magic than someone like  Potter  could hope to have learned in his few years… so why was the old man so worried? Why would he be so desperate as to tell Severus information that was so critical and damning, especially in the wrong hands?

His train of thought was interrupted when there was a noticeable shift in the atmosphere of the room. Severus reacted without thought and brandished his wand, sweeping it back and forth in front of himself in a flurry of color.

“Who dares disturb my personal quarters? Show yourself!” He yelled.

His eyes scanned the room; rare potions ingredients speckled on shelves. A cauldron simmered away in the corner. Silence reigned following his statement. His eyes squinted slightly before there was another shift, like the air was getting thick, and then he was completely overwhelmed.

It was like he was being crushed under the weight of a thousand books. Immense pressure forced him to a knee, his wand falling to the floor in a clatter, air rushing out of his lungs.

Then, just as suddenly as it came, it dissipated. He took a great, ragged breath in, trying to figure out what the bloody hell just happened, and then he felt it.  Hogwarts .

---

July 16th Hogwarts 01:00 AM

He had spent hours trying to raise Dumbledore, find any indication of what was going on. He’d even broken into the man’s office (though it was a stretch to say that, as the door had unlocked at his very thought) only to find nothing disturbed, save where Fawkes normally sat; the bird was gone. Severus had found nothing and had finally decided to bring the other Professor’s up to speed, hoping beyond hope that Dumbledore had truly not gotten himself killed.

So there Severus stood, at the head of the staff table, looking out at the smattering of professors that had been roused from their beds. Minerva had chosen a chair as close to the door as she could, perched on the edge of her seat, and Severus could easily see that she intended on leaving as soon as possible. Pomona and Slughorn both had their eyes closed, and Flitwick looked to be moments behind them. The only people who looked alert were Sinistra and Pomfrey, but Severus supposed that came with the territory.

 Fine; he would get through this as quick as possible.

“I have reason to believe Albus Dumbledore is gravely injured, more than likely dead.” He stated bluntly, and would have laughed had he the ability, at the immediate reaction it caused.

The sleep was wiped from their collective faces, and expressions turned from annoyance and grogginess from the wake-up call to dread, sadness, and confusion, with a gasp from more than one person.

“What are you talking about, my boy? Surely you’re mistaken? I just spoke to the man earlier this evening.” Slughorn spouted out.

“How could you possibly believe that, Severus?” Pomona asked, cutting into Slughorn’s statement.

He opened his mouth to reply when he felt a gentle caress in his mind; the knowledge that someone was  firmly  requesting access at the main gate floated through his consciousness.

“Hold your questions. Someone is attempting to gain access to the grounds via the front gate and I need to respond.” He replied before dramatically whipping his cloak behind him and descending through the corridors faster than he ever had before.

---

Arriving at the gate, Severus was met by a two men dressed in black muggle suits, though both had a wand out. The unofficial headmaster made no move to open the gates, and the men simply stood there.

The sound of crickets chirping, leaves rustling in the light breeze, and the lit sconces flickering in the wind gave the whole scene an eerie, clandestine feel to it.

“We represent Gringotts Wizarding Bank and request a brief audience with Deputy Headmistress McGonagall.” The man on the left said after it became clear Severus wasn’t going to say anything.

“On what business?” Severus barked out.

He gave a slight start when something curled around his feet, but he calmed himself when he realized it was a cat… a cat that was settling down on the man’s feet, almost hidden by the length of his cloak. He was going to strangle Minerva for involving herself.

“We have a rush delivery from the Seattle branch; top priority.” The man replied.

“I see no parcel.” Severus sneered, looking around pointedly. “I demand proof of your affiliation at once, or I’ll be forced to remove you from our doorstep.”

The other man, the one who wasn’t speaking, reached into his suit breast pocket and withdrew a wallet, which he flashed open and held as close to the gate as he could get. Severus took as good as look as he could without moving, keeping in mind that he had a transfigured cat on his feet.

“Could be fake.” Severus shrugged, and watched in satisfaction as the guy scowled and roughly stowed his badge.

His look was quelled when his partner’s hand touched his arm, however, and the man spoke again.

“Professors,” The man started, with a pointed look at Severus’ shoes, “we’re here on official business, not to cause an issue. How about we leave the package here, along with our form that needs signing, and we’ll leave; you can take delivery and sign, and we’ll come back in… let’s say five minutes?”

Severus debated whether or not the man could be trusted, and decided quickly that it didn’t  matter.  He could check whatever it was before bringing it on school grounds and sign their damn paper without ever having to  touch  anything, which was his biggest concern right now.

“Fine. Set this ‘package’ down and leave. You’ll have your signature. But I warn you; if you attempt to return before -“ Severus said before being interrupted.

“As I stated, professor, we simply have a job to do.” The man said, pulling a wrapped manila envelope out from  his  breast pocket and placing it on the neatly-trimmed grass. He flicked his wand and a piece of parchment appeared, hovering a few feet off the ground. “Your delivery and our end of the paperwork; please make sure the Deputy Headmistress signs.” The man said, with another glance at Severus’s shoes, ”On behalf of Gringotts, we hope you’ve enjoyed our service, and bid you good evening.”

Twin cracks of apparition sounded as both men disappeared.

Minerva moved as soon as they left, fluidly transforming back into a human, and turned a worried look on Severus.

“Severus, do you have any idea what’s happened? Why Gringotts is delivering me something in the wee hours of the night?” She asked.

Severus said nothing, choosing instead to flick his wand sharply at the front gate. He moved toward it and stepped through the previously solid bars, which now closely resembled smoke, and cast a flurry of spells at the item the men had left behind, while the transfiguration teacher watched with worry.

He was seven spells in when the item reacted to something he cast, and he nearly dropped his wand in shock. 

Another spell after a moment’s thought, this time causing the item to flare green, and he was pretty sure he could say he knew what, or should he say  who,  the item was. Severus waved his wand again, this time causing the envelope to rise in the air, where he then guided it past the threshold of the gates. Another flick and the parchment floated to Minerva, where it was sloppily signed before being sent back. The gate re-materialized as he stepped back through it again.

“Minerva?” Severus requested gravely as he approached the witch, now safely on school grounds again.

She approached him, having seen the same things he had in his diagnostic charms.

“P-place it down, Severus. I’ll transfigure… it.” She said haltingly, showing a rare moment of hesitation.

Severus complied and placed the envelope at their feet. He watched Minerva raise a steady wand and take aim before a bright light flared, and the night was suddenly filled with the sound of breaking bone and a subtle  sucking  of air, as if something had just been decompressed.

Albus Dumbledore; mangled, and very dead.

“Does that answer your questions, Minerva?” He asked, lacing it with a little venom, while simultaneously feeling his world crashing down around him.

Minerva said nothing, choosing to turn away and march back toward the castle. He hastily conjured a stretcher and magicked Dumbledore’s body onto it before floating it along in front of him. His long strides easily caught him up to her, and together, the trio made their way up to the castle and along the deserted corridors, and for perhaps the first time that night, Severus was glad for the lateness of the hour. It meant that the many inhabitants of the paintings wouldn’t be seeing the longtime Headmaster’s corpse be carted through the school, and even more, it allowed them more time to come up with a plan.

Minerva took them straight to the teacher’s lounge, and Severus was able to hear the immediate cessation of murmured conversation. It didn’t take but a few more heartbeats for the collected professors to notice Dumbledore’s lifeless body and shortly thereafter, the wails and cries started up; he shut the door with a resigned sigh.

“What the blazes is going on? You have suspicions he’s dead?! I’d bloody well say so.”

“Surely not, Severus? Minerva?!”

“What happened?!”

“Enough!” He said angrily, effectively stopping their protests. “I know this is shocking, but we are all of us adults and we will act accordingly.” He looked around slowly and took a deep, centering breath. “I do not know what happened, but Dumbledore took an international Portkey at 08:00 last night, with the provision that he would be back within forty-eight hours. As Minerva has planned for her retirement, he named me next in line for Headmaster. Sometime after 08:30 this evening, I was the rather unknowing recipient of the holder of the wards of Hogwarts. That is all the information I currently have.”

Silence followed his explanation, punctuated only by the occasional sniffle or nose being blown. The professors were in varying states of shock and sadness.

“I don’t think I need to tell any one of you what this means… that the Dark Lord is going to take control. Dumbledore was the only thing standing between him and certain victory.” Severus said softly.

“What do we do?” Pomfrey asked quietly, looking toward him.

“We do nothing, because we can do, nothing. The Dark Lord was already winning with Dumbledore alive... things will only get worse now.” Severus replied.

“So what, we let him take over? Kill indiscriminately, expose us, even?” Minerva said viciously, the signs of recent tear tracks still on her face.

“We must wait, Minerva. Rash action will only result in our deaths, leaving the Dark Lord with even less opposition.”

“Wait? Wait for what?”

“ Harry Potter, of course.”

---

July 16th Wiltshire, England 03:28 AM

 Severus apparated from the headmaster’s office, not even remotely able to drum up any excitement for now having the ability to do so, and landed outside the gates to Malfoy Manor. With a sharp flick of his wand, the gate separating him from the property dissolved and allowed him access to the grounds. He traversed through the near oppressive darkness and let himself in the manor, allowing his Death Eater persona to flow through him, his cloak billowing menacingly behind him as he stalked down dimly lit hallways.

He checked Lucius’s personal office, which had been claimed by their Lord shortly after Lucius’s death, before setting off to the dining hall, where the Dark Lord frequently held meetings. He heard voices as he got closer, allowing one small moment of breath before sinking fully into his alternate persona and slipping into the room, interrupting someone’s detailed population count.

He was noticed immediately.

“Ahh, Severus. I was not aware you had been invited to this meeting.” The Dark Lord said softly, barely above a whisper. The man who had been speaking had cut off abruptly and was now staring with open malice at Severus.

“I am not here on invitation, my Lord. I came bearing news that I could not trust to be delivered any other way.”

“Don’t keep us in suspense, Severus.” The Dark Lord ordered while sliding his hand down Nagini’s head.

“Albus Dumbledore is dead.”

“What?”  He hissed, surprised and disbelieving.

“It’s the truth, my lord. I took delivery of his body only a couple of hours ago.” Severus said.

Red eyes met his from across the room and he felt his old master invade his memories just as he had so many times before. His lord probed his most recent memories, and Severus could almost feel the satisfaction radiating from his master at seeing Albus dead at his feet.

“What do you know of the events leading to his demise, Severus?” The Dark Lord asked.

He thought of the now-altered memory of the meeting from Dumbledore’s office, just two nights ago; Dumbledore sighs and laments that he has to go to America and cryptically hints he might not return, while simultaneously relaying that he had lost faith in Minerva and wants Severus as head of the school.

The Dark Lord broke eye contact at that, apparently satisfied with the ease at which Severus had recalled the information.

The followers seated around the table looked between Severus and their leader, clearly waiting for a sign to relax or attack. The Dark Lord was quiet for a long moment before throwing his head back and letting out a cackle that would surely haunt Severus to his grave.

“Dumbledore, you old fool. Britain is mine!”

---

The Dark Lord had sent the others from the room shortly after that, instructing them not to wander, as they still had a meeting to finish, but had ordered Severus to sit.

“You’ve done well, Severus, even if it was not you who struck the killing blow. It matters little to me how the old man got himself killed, only that the deed has been done. You’ve shown me great loyalty for coming here as fast as you did, even at the risk of facing my wrath for interrupting an important meeting.”

“Yes, my lord,” Severus replied.

“Outstanding loyalty deserves to be rewarded, does it not?” The Dark Lord asked.

“If my lord deems me worthy; I only wished to share news of importance.”

“You currently have control over the wards of Hogwarts?”

“I do, my lord.”

“Excellent. Things will have to be made official in the coming days, but congratulations, Severus, in becoming the headmaster of Hogwarts. You are dismissed.”

---

 July 20th Forks, WA 11:15 AM (Harry’s POV)

It had been a few days since Harry had asked Draco if he would come with them, potentially putting himself and Seth directly in the line of fire. He and Edward had gone about business as usual since then, trying to allow the pair some time to make sure they weren’t making the wrong decision. So, Harry felt a surge of anxiety when Draco approached the pair as they were discussing travel arrangements in tones barely above a hiss.

“Hey Harry, Edward; can we talk to you upstairs?” Draco asked quietly.

Harry nodded and stood up immediately, quickly followed by Edward. Draco nodded once and turned to the stairs, leading them to their room, where Seth stood stoically next to the door.

“Everyone inside, then,” Harry suggested when they had all stood there for slightly too long.

Draco huffed a small laugh and opened the door, followed by the other three. Draco and Seth ended up on the same transfigured chair and Harry and Edward sat on the edge of the bed.

“Did you guys come to a decision?” Edward asked lightly.

“We did.” Seth and Draco said at the same time, each turning to give a quick smile to the other, before they faced back and Seth spoke.

“This wasn’t an easy decision, just so you know.” He said, with a smile.

“But yes, we did.” Draco said.”We’re with you, Potter. I- well, when we left Europe originally… I’m not sure I ever believed we’d really left. These past few months have felt like the best dream I’ve ever had, but it’s time to wake up now.”

“And Seth? I’m sorry to ask, but I have to know. You’re really okay with coming with us? Because if either one of you has any doubts, I swear there’s no hard feelings, really.” Harry pressed.

“Listen, man, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about going to a war , but… I consider you to be part of my family already. You’re important to both me and Draco, and I appreciate you looking out for me. This sounds like something that needs to be done… so let’s do it.” Seth replied.

Harry sighed internally. He was both getting what he wanted, while also feeling terrible that he was even considering bringing a kid into all this mess.

Edward’s hand slid into his and squeezed gently before the vampire spoke.

“We need to bring the others up to speed, now that we have your answer, but everything should be on track for us to leave the morning of the 31st. Can you guys be ready to leave by then? We’re not sure when we’ll be back…”

“We’ll be ready. I’ve got more eau de wet dog ready, as well. I figured you could all take it, and if we end up… you know, in a bloody battle or whatever, you won’t be distracted.” Draco replied.

“Good thinking, Draco.” Harry complimented. “You sure you’ll be okay seeing the Weasley’s and the Granger’s?” He asked.

Draco sighed dramatically and had a slightly pinched expression.

“It’s a huge imposition and it will severely damage my reputation among proper blood circles,” he said with heavily affected air, “but then again, so does being bound to a werewolf.” He added with a smile at Seth.

“Am I a hot werewolf, at least?” Seth asked quietly.

“A very hot werewolf,” Draco replied lowly, and then stood up, bringing Seth with him. “I’ll be fine, Potter. We’ve spent months in the muggle world; they aren’t that bad.”

Harry smiled widely, showing off his perfectly white teeth, as he and Edward stood with them, before he responded.

“If any of them give you a problem, just ask me to show them this memory. It’ll throw them off so badly, they won’t know what to say to you.”

---

Fifteen minutes later, Harry was surrounded by his surrogate family in the living room, their attention focused on him and Edward.

“I apologize that we didn’t come forward and explain sooner, but we needed a few days to figure things out,” Harry started, “and we’ve made some decisions. Before we get too far into this, I'd like to explain why Dumbledore’s memories bothered me so much.”

When no one stopped him, he continued.

“Everything from before I turned has become a bit foggy, and hard to remember… like, I’ll know something happened when I’m reminded, but it’s like it happened a life time ago...” He stopped when Emmett snorted, and he gave him a quick grin at the double meaning before continuing, “but there is something I’m sure I didn’t tell you, because I don’t think I ever believed I truly had to be the one to take care of it.” Harry said, and sighs lightly before continuing, ”Voldemort has multiple horcruxes, and Dumbledore wanted me to help him hunt them down. He was preparing me for the past year with his memories. I am not sure, honestly, of how long he was sure of me being a horcrux, but he had some kind of plan that I threw a wrench into by leaving.

“I was so angry at seeing the confirmation that he knew and didn’t tell me, and it hurts to know that I was really just a pawn in this game between him and Voldemort. But my anger doesn’t change the fact that I am going to have to finish this if I ever want to be free. Between Voldemort and Dumbledore’s schemes, they have made the prophecy real, and I can’t ‘live’ while Voldemort survives.

“I plan on accepting the goblin’s invitation on the 31st, and then moving on from there. Edward and I are going to see the Volturi and then plan on making a stop in Australia to hopefully recruit some more allies… and then I’m going after the remaining horcruxes, and making sure Voldemort is dealt with. It could very well result in… in getting us killed, but I’ve tried running once and now I've brought all you into this mess.” Harry explained.

The room was quiet as the vampires digested this information, until Carlisle eventually spoke up.

“Will you allow us to help you, Harry?” He asked gently.

 And in that simple question, Harry was sure he would have teared up if he was still capable of such a thing. Carlisle was way too willing to lay his life on the line.

Edward, no doubt reading his mind again, entwined their fingers together and Harry looked over to see him give a small, reassuring smile and a slight nod.

Harry nodded back and looked to Carlisle. “I want to say no, because the thought of any of you getting hurt for me…” He trailed off and took a deep, unnecessary breath, feeling more unsettled than he had since the change and then continued, “But, like I told Draco and Seth… I think we might really need the help, and as long as you know that this is obscenely dangerous, I would really appreciate your support.”

He looked around at the gathered vampires, and Jacob, who had been surprisingly quiet.

“Count us in,” Jasper said next to Alice.

“Us, too.” Rosalie piped in.

“Of course, Harry. We’d do anything for family, you know that.” Esme said.

“We’ll do whatever we can to keep him out of the fighting, Jacob. It’s not like that, and you know it.” Edward suddenly said.

“Is it not? Because it sounds like you’re trying to take a kid into the frontlines of a fucking war.” Jacob responded hotly.

Edward had opened his mouth to reply, but Seth beat him to it.

“Chill the hell out, Jacob. That isn’t fair to throw in their face, and you know it. I can’t be away from Draco for any large amount of time anymore, and Harry’s side might need him, so we’re going.  That’s the end of the discussion.”

“The hell it is, Seth. You’re fourteen, kid. You don’t get to decide that you’re up and joining a war and leaving the country.” Jacob rebutted.

“That was before I imprinted on a wizard that was caught in the middle of it all. It’s not a choice anymore, Jake, since he is literally the only thing that matters to me. You know that. My age didn’t factor into our freaky genes doing what they do. Don’t you remember what it was like for Sam to be away from Emily? Can you imagine what it would be like if Draco was thousands of miles away?” Seth countered.

Jacob winced at the thought and turned his eyes to the coffee table.

“This is bullshit.” He grumbled, and then turned a frosty glare at Harry and Edward. “I’m coming, too, but I’m not leaving Seth’s side, and I swear to whoever matters that if he gets hurt, you’re going to have to deal with me. ”

---

Harry and Edward spent the next few days arranging flights from Seattle to Italy, Italy to Australia, and then Australia to England. If things went well in Australia, a private plane could be chartered alongside their current travel plans, at a premium cost, but one that didn’t bother anyone involved.

They had solidified their plans, starting with Harry’s 17th birthday. The goblins had mentioned 8:00 am on the 31st, which was an oddly specific time, but Harry supposed being ‘famous’ came with people knowing oddly specific details about your life, so they would wait until then to visit and learn whatever the goblins were willing to share. They would set out for the Seattle airport afterward, using a private hanger and Disillusionment Charm to hide Jacob and Seth and the vampire's ‘sparkling personalities’ before embarking to Italy, where they would go and offer the Volturi the truth, and hope it was enough.

If they made it out of that encounter alive, they had an evening flight to Australia, where they would make the 5 hour trip from Perth to the south western coast, to the outskirts of a town called Denmark, where there sat the Fidelius-charmed manor that Harry had offered to his closest friends. He hoped that they had taken his offer and that he would find them healthy and safe… he’d have a hard time forgiving himself if they weren’t.

---

“I still think it’s wrong that we aren’t doing anything fun for your birthday, baby. Seventeen is a big deal for wizards, right? We should do something.” Edward brought up, again, now two days before Harry’s birthday.

They were, surprise surprise, in their room. Harry was packing a trunk for them to shrink and bring with them while Edward sat on the bed, probing him with questions he didn’t want to answer.

“You realize that most people would consider a trip around the world a pretty good birthday present, right?” Harry said with an amused smirk.

Edward rolled his eyes, something the younger vampire rarely saw him do, but was a good indication that Harry was riling him up. “Yes, the trip around the world that you mostly paid for. Why won’t you let us do anything?” He asked.

“I don’t really want anything, Edward. I’ve already gotten the best gift in you, and our family… and we’re heading into a shit storm, and… I don’t know… it’s just not the time to celebrate.” Harry tried to explain, and then bit his lower lip while thinking for a second, before continuing. “If you guys really want to do something, just make it small, please. I don’t want a house, or an island, or anything crazy.”

“You’ve just shot down my first two gift ideas, babe. What the hell?” Edward asked with a frown before losing the fight with being serious, promptly breaking into soft laughter as he pulled Harry into his lap and wrapped him in his arms. “I love you, you know that?”

Harry felt impossible warmth spread through him and he settled in Edward’s grip. “Hmmmmm.” He mouthed while coyly playing with a button on Edward’s shirt from his position on the vampires lap. “I think you might have told me, once… no- wait, it was at least twice…”

Anything else was cut off when Edward kissed him; packing could wait.

---

July 30th Forks, WA 11:58 PM

“You’re sure the trace breaks at midnight in whatever locale you’re in?” Harry asked Draco for the one-millionth time that day.  

Harry was with everyone in the living room. They’d had dinner with the wolves before settling down on the large sofas, enjoying their last night before facing whatever was coming their way in the coming days.

“ Yes, Potter, for the love of all things sacred. They didn’t trace us on my birthday, did they?” Draco replied, clearly exasperated. Emmett was smirking, and Harry felt a wave of calm wash over him. Looking over at Jasper, the vampire slightly inclined his head and Harry looked away.

“You’re right, you’re right. I’m sorry. I don’t feel much like a dark, scary vampire right now… more like a scared kid.” Harry replied with a forced laugh.

“Everything will be fine, Harry. In less than a minute, you’ll be able to use magic freely and all will be right with the world again.” Draco replied with a softened tone.

“What if the transformation fucked something up, though?” He voiced, though less strained than just moments earlier.

“Then we focus on actually turning you into a dark, scary vampire.” Edward input, with a smile.

Harry sighed, but counted down the seconds until midnight in his head, which he had been doing since he woke up that morning.

Something beeped as Harry hit zero in his head, and Carlisle confirmed what he already knew.

“It’s midnight. Happy birthday, Harry.”  Carlisle said.

“Happy birthday, Harry!” The group chorused behind him.

“Thank you, everyone,” Harry replied. He pulled his wand from his jacket pocket, where he’d been holding onto it for nearly an hour. He could almost feel the magic bubbling under his skin, waiting to be used, and his trepidation melted away. “What do you want to see?”

The group exchanged glances, each searching a face for ideas, when Draco spoke up. “Show them your Patronus.”

Harry grinned widely and nodded. “Perfect.”

He stood up and walked into the room a bit more, away from the couch, and let the happiness that he felt when Edward told him he loved him earlier fill him again, concentrated for moment, and then dragged his hand in the form of an imperfect O, intoning  EXPECTO PATRONUM!  With his eyes closed.

He knew it worked when there was light suddenly trying to breach his shuttered lids, and he quickly opened them, unable to help the wide smile that spread on his face at seeing his magic take shape again.

“Hey, Prongs.” He whispered, raising a hand and running it just above the light and warmth. “It’s good to see you again.”

He let the spell linger for a moment before it dissipated and faded from view. He turned around and his smile got bigger at the amazed expressions that were on nearly everyone’s face.

“Bloody showoff,” Draco said quietly, but he was also smiling.

“That’s the Patronus charm; the only defense against a dark creature called a Dementor. They suck the happiness right out of you, and if they get close enough, they can literally suck out your soul.” Harry explained.

“That was beautiful, Harry. What was it you called it? Prongs?” Esme asked.

“Yeah, I’ve been told my dad was an Animagus, or someone who is able to transform into an animal, and his form was a stag, as was his Patronus… so I kinda named mine after him.” Harry clarified.

Esme’s smiled softened as she said, “Lovely.”

“Well… now that I have free reign of my magic again, I suppose we should make sure everything is ready? Jacob and Seth, I suggest you guys try to get some sleep, since we’re going to be hunting before heading to Seattle. Jacob, you’re still okay with leaving at sun-up?” Harry asked.

“As ‘okay’ as I can be with this situation.” He replied in clipped tones.

Harry nodded and opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Edward.

“Before everyone heads off, I want to give you your gift.” The older vampire said.

“Edward! I thought-“ Harry replied, slightly frantic.

“No island, no house; I bought this almost forty years ago from a pawn shop in Las Vegas. I just didn’t think I’d ever find someone who would deserve to wear it.” Edward said before offering him a long, slightly bulky, rectangular, and velvet box that had been loosely tied closed with a ribbon.

Harry took the box and pulled on one of the loose strings, pulling off the ribbon and then carefully opening the box. He gasped softly when he saw the necklace that was nestled inside.

“I’d love nothing more than for you to accept it as a token of my love; something tangible, should you ever doubt it,” Edward said softly, but there was also passion burning in there.

Harry was staring at the piece of jewelry. The chain was a simple, thick, braided gold, but it was holding the most mesmerizingly royal blue sapphire he’d ever seen, set into a gold and diamond-lined pendant. It also didn’t seem feminine, which surprised him even more.

“This is incredible, Edward, thank you, I-… would you help me?” He gestured to his neck.

Edward was already standing up and taking the necklace from the box. Harry met his eyes as he leaned in and secured the sapphire around his neck, before pulling him into a kiss that lasted until someone cleared their throat pointedly.

“What do you guys think?” Harry asked with a smitten smile when Edward pulled back.

The assembled group had similar reactions, and Harry found himself mobbed by Rosalie and Esme, who had sprung up and moved closer to get a better look almost immediately. Alice had remained in her seat, a frown on her face. Harry didn’t miss Edward casually move away from him to go sit with her, nor did he miss him lean and whisper something to het, which caused her to frown even more, before he refocused his attention on the two women, and now Draco and Seth, as they studied his present.

---

“Is everything alright with Alice?” Harry asked once they were back in the bedroom. Harry was going through everything one more time before shrinking them and stowing them in his jeans pocket.

“Yes,” Edward replied from the bathroom, where he’d just finished a shower. “She’s just not used to not seeing things, and since the wolves have become so integrated into our lives, her vision doesn’t work more often than it does. It’s throwing her off. I apologize if she seemed rude tonight, though.” Edward explained.

“No, that’s fine. I can see how that’s a problem for her. Anything we can do to help?” Harry asked.

“Unfortunately, we’re already doing all we can. She has to get used to how the wolves think and behave. It’s easy for her to see vampires and humans, because she was a human, and is a vampire. But any other species? It’s going to take time.” Edward said.

“Time we may not have,” Harry replied.

“Maybe, maybe not. I’m not thrilled about walking into this blind, but I’ve always got faith in the family, and that now includes two werewolves and two wizards. We’re a force to be reckoned with, at least.”

---

July 31st Forks, WA 06:00 AM

The sun had just barely started creeping over the horizon, taking the surrounding woods out of pitch darkness and promising a day of beautiful sunshine, a rare day in Forks. It mattered little to the group of eleven that was currently moving near silently through the forest, prowling for a quick meal before heading back to the house and leaving for Seattle.

They split into two groups as they moved further north, one wolf going with each group, and it didn’t take long for both parties to get on the trails of bigger game, and shortly thereafter, find the herds of deer large enough to feed them.

---

July 31st Forks, WA 07:11 AM

Harry, Edward, Alice, Jasper, and Jacob were the last ones to return, and Harry was covered in blood.

“Geez, Harry… Do you even try to drink the blood, or does simply bathing in it suffice?” Draco asked with a wicked smirk.

“Piss off, you absolute wanker.” Harry said with a laugh. “I’ll go get cleaned up and then we can leave. We’re still planning on using my car and the Jeep, right?”

“That’s right, Harry. We’re ready when you are.” Carlisle confirmed.

---

In the end, the same groups that hunted together ended up riding together, with Harry leading the Jeep down the 101 south. Accompanied by Edward, Harry was comfortable in pushing his car to speeds that exceeded 120 mph, with Emmett matching his pace with apparent ease.

“That Jeep is a trackhawk, right?” Harry asked.

“That’s correct,” Edward replied.

Harry floored it, laughing softly as the car responded with a roar, rapidly shooting the vehicle forward even though they were already traveling at speeds that most cars couldn’t reach. Emmett reacted as Harry hoped he would and he watched the Jeep close the distance between them, a look in the rear view mirror showing the dark-haired vampire grinning broadly.

“We’ve got a car full of people coming up in about four seconds. You’re safe to pass in oncoming lanes.” Edward warned.

Sure enough, a red Toyota Camry popped up in their horizon and Harry looked down to see their speed was 160 MPH. He signaled that he was passing with his blinker and Emmett followed right behind him, both vehicles blowing past the car full of people. Edward laughed a second later.

“What’s funny?” Harry asked.

“The people in that car are… freaking out,” Edward said with another chuckle.

Harry smiled and pushed the car to its limit, topping out somewhere between 185-190 mph, simply enjoying the feeling of flying and the ease at which he was able to see and calculate things, before an upcoming bend in the road forced them to slow back down.

“Well, it’s faster than my broom, I think,” Harry said as the car sped back up after slowing to less than 100 mph for the corner. “… at least in terms of overall speed. I think the Firebolt might accelerate faster, but we should definitely test it.”

“It can be the first thing we do when we get back, my love.” Edward agreed.

Oh. Right. This wasn’t a pleasure trip to the city. Harry’s grip on the steering wheel tightened and a more serious expression replaced his smile.

“If we are able to keep this pace, we’ll be in Tacoma by 08:30. We should probably stop at the next gas station and fill up and switch… I don’t want to be driving at 8:00, just in case… ya know.” Harry trailed off.

“I’ll let them know,” Edward replied.

---

July 31st Elma, WA 7:59 AM

They had decided to wait in town until after 8:00, just to make sure that everything was okay before continuing. Harry hadn’t said anything the past few minutes, feeling more and more anxious as the last minute before gaining his alleged magical inheritance, ticked away.

They were parked under a tree behind a Shell gas station that was just off the highway, avoiding the bright rays of sunshine that were now beating down on them.

Draco had come to crouch at the passenger side door, where Harry was now seated with the window rolled down. “You’re going to be fine, Harry. Nothing bad happens when people inherit; otherwise it would be a much bigger deal than it is. It should be seamless; one second the knowledge isn’t there, the next it is.”

Harry only nodded and leaned his head back against the seat.

5…

4…

3…

2...

1…

Nothing happened. He checked the dashboard, his watch, and his phone; all read 08:00 AM.

“Well, that was anti-climatic. I got nothing.” Harry said.

“Are you sure?” Draco asked, frowning.

Harry rolled his eyes.

“Yes, I’m su-“ He started to say, before promptly blacking out.

---

For Harry, his life was a constant roller coaster. He was used to the ups and the downs and the crazy corners, but when things like this happened, he wondered if maybe he wasn’t going a little crazy.

One moment, he’s sitting next to Edward and talking to Draco, and the next, he’s in a well-furnished study, sitting in a wingback chair with a snifter of firewhisky.

“Um… what the hell is happening?” Harry asks.

“Harry?!” A voice behind him wonders.

Harry almost breaks his neck looking for the source and shoots from his chair at finding it.

“Dad?! What the fuck??? Did I die?!” He shouts as he wraps the man in a hug.

James Potter wraps his arms around him, but begins speaking almost immediately.

“We’re breaking a lot of rules here, son. I had to offer a gift to an old friend to get some strings pulled, and we don’t have much time, I’m afraid. I didn’t even think he would do it… Anyway, never mind that. This will be the last time you see me until… well, until.” James said.

“What do you mean? What gift? Is Sirius involved?” Harry questioned, pulling back.

“I made a deal to see you on the morning of your 17th birthday, and since we don’t exactly have calendars here, I’m assuming that’s today. Happy birthday, young man.” James said, clapping his shoulders before continuing. “The Potter’s do not have written records of the family magic, but someone needs to explain how dangerous it is to play with. When you wake, you’ll be gifted with the same knowledge I was, and that my father and his father knew. But you must respect it, because it can turn on you in an instant.”

“What is it, dad?” Harry asked.

James took a deep breath and pulled his wand.

“I will show you before sending you back, but our time is running short. Before I do, I need you to take the invisibility cloak to Godric’s Hollow and leave it by the giant, dead tree in the middle of the graveyard. Promise me.” James requested.

“Leave it there? What if someone nicks it?” Harry asked.

“That was the deal I made, Harry. Can you do it?” James asked.

Harry shook his head to clear it. “Why am I arguing? Of course I’ll do it.”

James laughed lightly and pulled Harry into another tight hug. “I love you, kid. We’ll be waiting.”

The man pulled back and re-gripped his wand, taking a few steps back. He brought his other hand to chest level, palm up. He said nothing, but he apparently didn’t need to; Harry stopped breathing as fire sprouted in the center of the man’s hand, starting out as barely a lick of flame before James was holding a genuine ball of fire.

“The most dangerous magic you’ll ever wield, Harry. Be safe.” James warned, before snuffing out the flame by closing his fist.

“Can I just ask why, if this is so strong, why… weren’t you able to stop Voldemort,” Harry asked.

James’s face turned painful, and Harry started trying to back track immediately.

“Sorry, sorry, I was just curious. You don’t-“

“No, it’s-… I didn’t have my wand. I had left it on the couch. I thought… I thought we were safe.”

---

Harry jolted from his position, his eyes shooting open.

“Harry!” Edward said, hovering above where ever Harry was now lying.

“Thank fucking Merlin. Potter, you complete bastard! Of course you would be the exception to inheritances being safe. Why do we expect anything less at this point?!” Draco ranted.

Harry didn’t care. Edward was drawing ragged breaths; now half holding Harry at an awkward angle and Harry did his best to hold him back.

“I- I saw my dad, again,” Harry said.

“You did what, now?” Seth asked, with wide-eyes.

“He said he made a deal to see me today. He said he needed to show me what the family magic was so I wouldn’t… I dunno… lose control.” Harry tried to explain, while also glancing around. Their activities hadn’t gone unnoticed, and more than a few patrons of the gas station had taken out phones, cameras pointed toward them. “We’ve drawn attention to ourselves. I’m sorry for scaring you guys, but this one wasn’t on me. We need to get out of here, though.”

“Harry’s right. They’re starting to take pictures.” Carlisle agreed.

“I’m good to drive, Edward. Let’s just focus on getting to the bank.” Harry replied, already up and moving toward the driver side door.

---

July 31st Seattle, WA 09:24 AM 

They traveled through downtown Seattle until Harry pulled up in front of the Smith Tower. From there, Emmett took the lead, driving around the side of the building and into the alleyway with Harry following closely behind. They drove down the alley, passing a few doors, until Emmett rolled to a stop. Harry parked behind him and cut the engine.

“We still haven’t really decided if everyone is going, or…” Harry said.

“I’m not leaving your side. I don’t really mind what the others do.” Edward said quickly.

“We’ll all go, unless an issue arises inside the bank. Let’s just head inside for now.” Jasper suggested.

Harry nodded his agreement and got out of the car before making his way up to driver’s window of the parked Jeep, where Emmett rolled the window down.

“What seems to be the problem, officer?” Emmett asked with a cheeky smile.

Harry huffed a laugh but ignored him.

“Jas thinks we should all go inside; I agree. If the goblins have an issue with that, we can figure it out in there.” Harry explained.

“Sure thing, bro.” Emmett replied, and then turned to the others in the Jeep. “You heard the officer, everybody out.”

When everyone had grouped together, Draco led them to the ordinary looking black door, pulling it open and sweeping his hand in a wide gesture before sinking into a slight bow.

“After you, I insist.”

Harry rolled his eyes and laughed as he led the group of vampires and werewolves into the ornately decorated entrance hall, feeling a wave of magic wash over him as he did.

“Those are the guys that were here last time; don’t give them any cheek unless you want to be probed twice,” Draco warned as he came up behind them.

Harry nodded and started moving toward the security guards.

“Harry Potter?” One of the men asked as they approached.

“That’s me, sir,” Harry replied.

“Follow us, please.” He said, flicking his wand lazily at the door they’d just come through, causing it to sink into the stone and disappear, before opening the doors to the main chamber of the bank and entering, walking swiftly and with purpose into the room.

Harry grabbed Edward’s hand and the pair of them followed the guard, trailed by the rest of their family, and flanked by the other guard.

Their steps echoed in the massive room that Harry had to imagine was usually bustling with activity. It once again brought him back to Earth, realizing that this was happening because of him. He focused on the guard in front of him as he led the across the grand foyer, traveling the room from one end to the other, and bringing them to another set of ornate, dark wooden doors.

“They have been alerted to your presence and await your arrival.” The guard said as they neared the set of doors.

“They?” Harry repeated.

The guard simply reached down and turned the handle, before pushing both doors open, and then stepping to the side, out of the way.

Inside was a well lit meeting room; the space was dominated by a wooden table long enough to seat twenty on either side, with three seats currently being occupied. Scanning the walls, Harry noticed there were numerous artifacts on display on raised daises, each one looking to be a flawlessly crafted weapon of some sort, often inlaid with beautiful gems or carved with intricate patterns.

“Ah, Mr. Potter and… company. We did not anticipate you bringing so many guests… you understand that we cannot risk the things we’ll be discussing being repeated outside of this room?” The goblin seated at the head of the table asked, getting straight to business.

“Anything you have to say to me can be said to them. It won’t matter, since the only person here who can occlude is Draco.” Harry replied, leading the group all the way into the room before sitting down.

“We’ve already taken the liberty of drafting a contract for you that will ensure your silence. We planned to offer it to you this morning; it wouldn’t take much time to gather a few others.” The oldest, frailest looking goblin suggested.

“And what are the effects of not upholding this... contract?” Harry asked.

“It’s unbreakable, and as such you cannot renege on the promise of silence. There are no ‘effects’.” The goblin replied.

Harry looked at Draco, who raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve never heard of something like this. This isn’t how Gringotts typically conducts business, is it?” Draco spoke up.

“Goblins aren’t typically in the business of sharing our magic with others. We’ve learned from wizards, in that regard.” The older goblin replied, turning his pitch-black eyes to Draco before adding, ”And this is not your typical business transaction, Mr. Malfoy.”

“What exactly does the contract stipulate?” Draco asked.

The other goblin, the one who had yet to speak, cleared his throat then.

“Good morning, Boggrot.” Draco greeted, his eyes settling on the goblin.

“Mr. Malfoy.” Boggrot replied with a slight nod, before, “The contract is simple. It will prevent any attempt to speak about the things discussed from the time you entered this room, to the time you leave.”

“Blood magic?” Draco asked.

“Of a sort, Mr. Malfoy, but seeing as Mr. Potter and the majority of your party cannot bleed, this would be a rather great flaw; a drop of any bodily fluid will suffice,” Boggrot explained.

“How long do you intend to enforce the contract?” Draco asked.

Boggrot smiled wide, showing rows of razor-sharp teeth; it was somehow dangerous, though Harry didn’t know if he meant for it to be.

“I daresay your father would be proud of you, Mr. Malfoy. You’ve learned from him very well.”

Harry could actually hear Draco’s heart rate speed up and the slightly sharp up-tick in his voice as he replied, “Thank you, but you didn’t answer my question.”

“At the end of the day, the contract is just a piece of parchment, Mr. Malfoy, and it can be destroyed at any time. However, if we can agree on a time as to when it should be destroyed, would all in your party be willing to sign it?” Boggrot asked.

Draco looked to Harry, then, and Harry looked at everyone else. Each of them nodded, though it took Jacob a lot of effort, and it came out as more of a shrug than a nod. Harry looked back to Draco and confirmed, and Draco nodded to Boggrot.

“If we can agree on terms, we’ll sign,” Draco said.

---

 In the end, they settled on the contract being destroyed after the war was over. Draco had originally raised issue with this, stating that the end of the war was deliberately vague and allowed for ambiguity as to ‘when’ the war was over, so it was re-worded to the end of the war being marked as ‘the destruction of the Dark Lord.’

Draco was handed a stack of parchment that he painstakingly read, and Harry was sure he was doing it more to rile the goblins up than he was actually worried they were trying to dupe them. When he eventually got to the final page, he nodded to himself and started passing the pages to their named recipients.

“I can’t find any cause, or clause, to be alarmed about. It’ll cover the time we spend in this room, and it actually provides you with a measure of protection. You cannot speak about our time in here, and it cannot be brought up through Legilimency.” He recited. “I see why you’ve been keeping this to yourself. The Ministry would go crazy for this kind of thing.” Draco said to Boggrot.

“Venom will suffice, as will spittle, sweat, and several other things, should those not be producible,” Boggrot explained, ignoring Draco. “Allow a drop of your chosen fluid to fall on the bottom of the parchment and send them back.”

The room was filled with the sounds of soft shuffling as they completed their task, various states of wonder on their faces as the page seemed to shimmer when their venom or spit landed on the page. When Boggrot had received the last parchment, Harry spoke up.

“Now that you have our silence, care to introduce yourselves?” He asked.

“I am Garnast, son of Banlus the Bane.” The older goblin, Garnast, offered.

“I am Furkoff, son of Lugkor the Lucky.” Furkoff said behind Garnast.

Harry’s group took their turns introducing themselves, and Boggrot spoke up as their last member, Jasper, got done.

“Now that we have taken care of the trivial aspects of this meeting, let us continue with our business,” Boggrot said, immediately grabbing everyone’s attention. “Am I correct in believing that Mr. Malfoy relayed to you the details of our last meeting?” He asked Harry.

“That’s correct,” Harry replied.

“And?” Boggrot asked.

“How much do you really know about me, Boggrot? I saw the memory, and you seemed to know an awful lot about my inheritance. How?” Harry countered.

 “We read the stars and see the signs, just as many other… species do,” Boggrot replied.

“The stars,” Harry repeated, deadpan. “The stars told you the exact minute I was going to inherit magic that - well, inherit powerful magic, anyway?”

“You were born at four after twelve, on this day, seventeen years ago. It is an eight-hour difference in time between Seattle and your village of origin, Godric’s Hollow. I converted the time while speaking to Draco in our first meeting.” Boggrot explained easily. “You are correct in assuming that I do not know exactly what you inherited.”

“But you have an idea.” Harry guessed.

“The Potter family has been well respected for many years, Mr. Potter; very strong, very proud, and firmly on the side of the light. Yet, there are not many stories of the males in your line engaging in combat after coming of age, staying out of matters of state with most of them choosing instead to invent, or paint, or procreate… until your father joined the Aurors.

“It was rumored that a number of the wizards he brought down, he brought down alone.” Boggrot let that hang before continuing. “It was also said, that the ones he apprehended alone often needed healing from a certain type of spell damage. Can you guess what kind of spell damage it was, Mr. Potter?”

“Fire?” Harry guessed quietly.

Another razor-toothed grin, this one aimed at him.

“And what led you to that assumption?” Boggrot pushed.

The knowledge needed to conjure fire was there, itching in the back of his mind. It was almost… instinctual, like it had been part of him forever; like learning to walk. It wasn’t something he’d ever be able to forget.

“What exactly do you want from me, Boggrot? Let’s say I inherited some great power. How does that benefit you?” Harry asked, choosing to ignore his last question.

Boggrot continued to smile, though it had lessoned and was more tight-lipped.

“We’re looking to trade. We have information that is vital to your war that we believe you remain ignorant of. In exchange…” Boggrot started to explain, stopped, and then started again. “In exchange, we’d like you and Mr. Malfoy to use your political power to lobby for the rights of dark creatures.”

Draco snorted, and Harry could have stabbed him.

“Are you serious?” Draco asked incredulously. “You want political favor? Am I dreaming right now?”

“Do not dare make a mockery of this, Mr. Malfoy, for you do not understand the power that the ministry holds over us, over dark creatures in general! You do not understand the hopelessness we’ve felt for hundreds of years, waiting for someone with the power to change things to come along, to care enough to change things. We rejoiced, Mr. Malfoy, upon hearing that Mr. Potter had transformed into a vampire because while he may now be considered a dark creature, the wizarding world would not dare defy their savior.” Boggrot had gone from nearly shouting, to a deadly calm by the end of his speech, and Harry was feeling like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. “If Mr. Potter can manage to defeat Mr. Riddle, the world will be forced to view dark creatures in a different light.”

“Nobody is going to listen to me. They already hate me; being a vampire will just give them something else to harp on about.” Harry replied. “I don’t know what you think I’ll be able to do.”

“With the help of Mr. Malfoy, we believe you stand a high chance of swaying the public. Regardless, it is the first chance we’ve had since the goblin rebellions in the 1600s, and we won’t squander it. All we’re requesting in exchange for our assistance is that you try.” Boggrot requested.

Harry met his eyes and almost had to look away at how earnest his expression was. He’d never been good with expectations, but if all he was asking was that Harry tries to help better their lives, could he truly say no, especially when this now affected him as well?

“We’ll do it,” Draco said from next to him, taking the decision out of his hands. “Harry and I, together, will be unstoppable. He will appeal to the half-bloods and muggle-borns, and I’ll handle the Pure-bloods. Coming off the back of war will help, and using Harry to showcase that dark creatures aren’t all bad is a good play. Better, even, if we have the Cullen’s stand with him. We can announce your assistance in the war effort, to show another race of dark, sentient beings that just want more rights.”

“Would you be willing to swear upon your magic that you won’t back out once the war is over?” Garnast asked.

“If the information is valuable enough? Yes.” Draco agreed.

“We’ll have the vow before we divulge our information, not after,” Furkoff said.

“Then we’re at an impasse. I’ll not swear on my magic for some half-baked information that ends up being a load of rubbish.” Draco replied, crossing his arms.

The room was quiet as Draco and Furkoff each tried to kill each other via dirty looks.

“Mr. Potter,” Boggrot spoke, breaking the heavy silence. “I doubt it would surprise you to find that the vaults of Gringotts hold all kinds of precious treasures.”

“It would not.” Harry agreed with a curious frown.

“It didn’t surprise Dumbledore, either.” The goblin said.

Harry narrowed his eyes before they widened when he realized what Boggrot was getting at.

He stood up, ignoring Draco’s look of surprise, and pulled his wand out.

“I, Harry Potter, do so swear upon my magic that I will do everything in my power to improve the laws governing dark creatures after the war.” He vowed, filling the room with bright light. “Your turn, Draco. Trust me.” He requested, looking at the blonde.

Draco sighed, heavily, but stood up and made the same vow as Harry, before flopping back down in his seat.

“Satisfied?” Harry asked Boggrot.

“Not in over one hundred years,” Boggrot said, and Harry would be damned if he didn’t have to fight a snort of amusement. Was that a joke?

“Yes, well, we’ve taken our vow,” Harry stated pointedly.

“Everything that enters our vaults is catalogued, meticulously, whether the owner of the vault knows it or not; it’s part of the contract that’s signed when you open a vault with Gringotts. Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that when Mrs. Lestrange made a trip to her vault shortly before the downfall of Mr. Riddle, there was a contingent of goblins dispatched to catalogue any changes.” Boggrot explained.

The room was pin-drop quiet and every eye was focused on the goblin. Harry had even leaned forward, drawn in by the story.

“We discovered, for the first time since the founding of the bank, that someone intended to use our vaults to pervert themselves, and the cycle of life. The team reported that she had stored a cup of great value, but one that had been so tainted with black magic that it could be felt even once the vault had been closed.” Boggrot explained. “The vault was immediately ordered off-limits to anyone but the owners and it remained that way until Mrs. Lestrange returned.”

“You… you know what it is?” Harry asked softly.

“As do you, Mr. Potter, having been so thoroughly entwined with the same magic yourself; until recently, that is,” Boggrot said simply.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Harry asked defensively.

“Do not play coy, Mr. Potter. We have known since your first visit to Gringotts that you had a piece of Tom Riddle’s soul attached to yours.” Boggrot replied.

“How the bloody hell is that possible?” Harry pressed, anger flaring to life. “And why the fuck didn’t you bother saying something?”

“Goblin magic differs from that of wizards, Mr. Potter, and the same thing can be said about any other creature that wields magic. This is the ultimate ignorance of your kind; you assume that because you sit upon the throne, that you are superior.” Boggrot said angrily. “You underwent the same scan upon entering Gringotts London, six years ago, that you underwent today, though you were still a child and likely didn’t realize it at the time. As to your last question; we’re telling you now.”

Harry was tense, feeling like he was ready to jump across the table and strangle the condescending goblin; in fact, his fingers were flexing as he imagined it. Edward suddenly pulled him to his side, knocking their chairs together and completely de-railing Harry’s train of thought.

“It’s not worth it.” His mate whispered.

Harry forced a breath in and out of his lungs, repeating the action in an attempt to calm down.

“What are you offering, Boggrot? We have a plane scheduled to depart soon, and we’ll need to take our leave before much longer. Cut to the chase.” Draco requested, taking over.

“We are not willing to simply hand the cup over; doing so would violate the trust that the global community has placed in our institution. However, if a certain someone were to show up at Gringotts London and request access to a certain vault, certain parties are well within their rights as a family member to do so.” Boggrot hedged.

“Am I that someone?” Draco asked.

“Your aunt provisioned that ‘family’ was to be allowed access to the Lestrange vault, just before she was sent to Azkaban; we do not believe she remembers its existence,” Boggrot replied, with a nod.

Draco looked over at Harry but Harry looked away, still trying to reign in his temper.

“I think we’d better leave it at that for today. Thank you for sharing what you know, Boggrot. We’ll hold up our end of the bargain, of course.” Draco informed the goblins diplomatically.

“Heed our warning from last time, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter. There is darkness brewing, bringing war with it; it is unavoidable. I will inform Gringotts London of what has transpired and to expect your company at some point. Good day.” Boggrot said before slipping off his chair and leading the other two goblins through a door in the back of the room.

Harry watched them leave and then looked at his gathered family. Most of their expressions were carefully blank, though Jacob was scowling heavily and Seth definitely looked unsettled. A pit of guilt opened at the teen’s expression, and he hated the way it made him feel. Like everything was his fucking fault.

“We need to go,” Carlisle said softly from where he sat near the door.

“Right,” Harry said, forcefully cramming his feelings down before standing up with a pasted-on smile. “One destination on our world tour marked off; more fun to be had at the next, no doubt.” He said fake-cheerfully.

---

Chapter Text

July 31st Seattle, WA 11:00 AM (Harry’s POV)

The clouds that had rolled in while they were in the bank reflected the overall mood inside the BMW, with Harry driving far more aggressively than he had any right to as they weaved in and out of traffic on the surface streets that were leading them to their private plane. Then again, Emmett seemed to be keeping up fine, so maybe it was the residual anger that was coursing through him, tilting him, making him feel like the fifteen-minute trip to the airport was taking three times longer than it was.

He wasn’t mad at the goblins, per se, but more with the situation. He was angry that so many people seemed to know all this important shit about him and just dropped it on him whenever it was convenient to them. He knew Edward was watching him worriedly, but so far he’d been giving him space. Harry didn’t know whether he was more grateful or resentful at that fact.

He cocked his head slightly, checking the left lane before switching into it as they rapidly approached a shuttle bus, only to be stopped by a red light. By the time it turned green and they made it through the intersection, traffic had seemed to double, so Harry reluctantly slowed down, still being trailed by the Jeep as they approached King County International; the private strip located at Sea-Tac.

A couple of minutes later, as they neared the turn-off for the airport, Harry pulled his phone from his pocket and speed-dialed Draco.

He picked up after two rings.

“Harry?” Draco queried.

“Make sure you disillusion Jacob and Seth before we get there; cast a notice-me-not, too, just to make sure,” Harry said, trying and failing to mask the demand in his voice.

“I will,” Draco replied. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Anything else?”

 “No. Just remember your name is Thomas and I’m Daniel.” Harry replied before cutting his phone off.

He slipped the device back into his pocket just as they rolled up to the passenger terminal, and he led the Jeep to the back of the parking lot, where they easily found spaces next to each other.

“Damn, little brother! If everyone in the UK drives like you, I know where we're moving next.” Emmett shouted at their car as he got out. 

Harry got out and tried to walk away quickly while ignoring Emmett, intent on heading directly into the airport when Edward caught his hand and held him back.

“You guys go ahead, we’ll catch up.” His mate instructed to their group.

Varying looks were given, but no one argued as they gathered purses and backpacks before setting off toward the terminal.

Edward looked around and spotted a tree line on the other side of the train tracks that they were parked near, and gestured with his head toward it.

“Follow me?” He asked.

Harry nodded and took off when his mate did, easily matching Edward’s speed. It didn’t take more than a few seconds until they were a couple hundred feet into the trees, where Edward slowed to a stop and turned to look at Harry.

“Hit something.” He ordered.

“What?” Harry asked with confusion and irritation leeching into his voice.

“You heard me. Hit something. Take a tree down. Take a few down. Hell, I’ll even try to spar with you, but you cannot get on a plane feeling the way you are now.” Edward replied. “You haven’t really had to deal with the volatile emotions of a newborn yet, my love, and even though you are right to feel it, that anger that you feel simmering, just under the surface? It’s going to get worse, and you’ll end up exploding and taking the plane down… and while I’m fairly confident we’ll survive a plane crash, I’d rather not test it.”

Harry couldn’t explain it, but it was true. Since they had left the bank, he had become angrier, and now that he had acknowledged the simmering rage in his head, it was growing rapidly.

“Let it out, Harry,” Edward said gently.

“WHEN DOES IT FUCKING END?!” Harry screamed, taking a blind swipe at the nearest tree, his fist cutting through the trunk like butter and causing the thin tree to topple sideways. “Happy Birthday, Harry! We knew you were a Horcrux all along, stupid boy, but it wasn’t the opportune time to tell you.” Harry said, laughing self-deprecatingly. Another tree fell with a swipe of his hand and he kicked the trunk viciously, sending the entire tree sailing through the air, until it came to rest against the trunk of another. “Every time I think I’ve accepted that my life is fucked up, something else happens to remind me what a joke it is. Am I cursed, Edward?” Harry asked, whirling on his mate. “Would you even tell me if I was?” He questioned, but as quick as it had come, the strings to his anger were abruptly cut, and he sank to his knees.

“It’s not you, Harry,” Edward said as he approached the smaller vampire, stooping to his level before helping him to his feet and leaning back down to brush the dirt off his jeans. “I’m sorry that so many people are trying to use you, my love; it’s not fair. It wasn’t fair when your parents were betrayed, it wasn’t fair that Dumbledore tried to control you, and it’s certainly not fair that the goblins are now trying to do the same thing. If I thought I could convince you, I would hide you away on an island and shut the world out, but I don’t think you’ll let me.”

Harry gave a weak laugh and hugged Edward around the middle, placed his head on his shoulder, and proceeded to just relax for a moment.

“Maybe after?” Harry asked after a few minutes had passed, and it didn’t feel like the world was out to get him any longer.

“Perfect,” Edward replied, tightening his grip slightly before letting him go. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, I am,” Harry said, before making a split-second decision, “but actually, before we go back… well… you know I got my inheritance.”

“I heard you mention fire at the bank, and something flashed through your mind, but it was too fleeting for me to catch,” Edward replied, nodding.

Harry nodded back and took a step away before casting a furtive look around. After making sure they were alone he brought his hand up in between them, much like his father had, and recalled the knowledge that was now a part of him.

“Ignis Inciper,” he intoned, concentrating very clearly on recreating the same small flame his father had. He laughed giddily when it did as he commanded, starting a stream of thin, unwavering flame that hovered just above his bare skin, yet did not burn.

“That’s amazing, Harry. Can you manipulate it?” Edward wondered.

Harry nodded and said, “Yes, I think so, but not here. We have a plane to catch… and it could be dangerous.”

He was hesitant to try expanding it, especially in the middle of a forest, especially in the middle of a forest with Edward a foot away, so he intoned the counter, “Praefoco,” and smothered the flame by closing his fist as he had seen his father do.

It never really occurred to him to use his wand.

---

Entering the terminal a couple of minutes later (with matching backpacks, courtesy of Alice) they easily spotted their family on the other side of the single TSA checkpoint, and though the two wolves were disillusioned, Harry could see the faint shimmering blurs that were waiting along with the rest of them.

Harry and Edward queued up to go through the checkpoint and were processed through the simple metal detectors fairly quickly. As soon as they were through and had reclaimed their luggage, they walked over and reunited with the group.

“Is everything okay, Edward? Harry?” The oldest vampire asked with concern.

“Yes, Carlisle, we just needed to smooth some things out,” Edward replied.

The blonde nodded his understanding and then gestured at a low counter, where a cheerful-looking woman sat in a chair, typing away.

“That’s the air carrier over there. We’ve already spoken to her; our flight is scheduled to depart in an hour, and we’ll be boarding in about half that.” Carlisle explained. “It’s a two-hour flight to San Francisco where we’ll transition to a Bombardier Global Express before we make the thirteen-hour flight over the Pacific to Auckland, where we land and refuel before making the last leg of the journey to Perth.”

“If everything goes smoothly, we should be in Perth in twenty-four to twenty-six hours.” Esme finished.

“And they confirmed that they’ll have rental cars ready in Perth?” Harry asked.

“They did. We’ll have two Audi Q8s or their equivalents waiting for us.” Carlisle confirmed.

“We’ll go get checked in for our flight and meet you after,” Harry said with a nod, taking Edward’s hand before leading them to the counter.

There was soft music playing as they approached the desk, and Harry was able to smell coffee, perfume, and the overpowering smell of wet dogs.

“Good morning, sir. How can I assist you?” The young woman asked, looking up politely before seemingly being unable to stop herself from raking her eyes up and down their torsos.

“Good morning, we’re checking in for the chartered flight to Italy,” Edward stated with a charming smile.

“Mr. Cullen and Mr. Lewis, correct?” She confirmed after swallowing heavily.

“That’s correct,” Edward replied.

“May I have your confirmation number and I.D.’s, please?” She asked.

Edward rattled off the sixteen-digit number from memory while the pair handed over their documents. When the woman had confirmed their information, she handed back their identification.

“Everything looks to be in order. I have your flight aboard the Praetor 600 confirmed with one stop in Montreal, Canada before arriving at your destination in Pisa, Italy on August 1st at 10:00 AM local time. Your plane is currently being fueled and undergoing inspection by the flight crew assigned to your flight. If you want to take a seat, someone will be along to gather you shortly.” She informed them.

“Thank you,” Harry and Edward both said before heading back over to meet with their family; Harry pointedly held Edward’s hand and heard the faintest of sighs come from behind him.

“Our flight is almost ready to leave.” Edward announced as they approached their family. “We’ll be in Italy in fifteen hours or so. Assuming our meeting goes well, we will be in Perth about twenty hours after that.”

Several nods followed his statement, but no one seemed to have anything to say until Esme stepped forward and brought Edward into a hug before doing the same with Harry, starting a chain reaction of hugs from each member of the family.

“Make sure you come back to us,” Alice whispered anxiously to Harry as she wrapped her arms around his middle.

“No matter what,” Harry promised.

---

July 31st San Francisco, CA 02:17 PM (Draco’s POV)

Boarding the flight with two nearly invisible people while not looking awkward about it had been a slight challenge, but once they had all been seated, it was simple enough to take the spell off and use a Confundus Charm on the stewardess to make her forget that Jacob and Seth weren’t supposed to be there.

The flight had been uneventful, with low conversations taking place all over the cabin while Draco was simply content to rest his head on Seth’s shoulder and exist, and before he knew it, they were being told to buckle up for landing. Twenty minutes later they touched down in San Francisco, where they were shuttled on golf carts from the smaller hanger they’d originally been taxied to, to a much larger hanger where their heavy jet sat, prepped and ready to take them across the ocean.

Seth expressed his excitement to Draco that something so large had been reserved solely for them and his happiness was the cause behind the quite uncharacteristic warm smile that Draco was now sporting. Their relationship might be relatively new, but Draco was truly, madly in love with his wolf.

“Is it weird that I feel kind of important?” Seth asked quietly once they had taken their seats on the lavish aircraft.

Draco laughed softly and replied, “You are important.”

Seth smiled widely and took his hand before turning to watch the plane taxi to the runway; Draco preferred to watch Seth, instead.

---

August 2nd  Auckland, NZ 04:30 AM (Draco’s POV)

Draco, Seth, and Jacob were roused from sleep when a voice came over the speaker system as they began preparing for their final descent into New Zealand.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, this is your co-pilot speaking. We’ve begun our landing procedure into Auckland International and politely request that you return the seats to their upright positions and fasten your seatbelts. We expect to land within the next thirty minutes, at 0500 local time. There will be approximately ninety minutes in between flights, and you are welcome to deplane and get some fresh air while we get refueled and prepare for the trip to Perth. The weather is currently 54° F, so we suggest bundling up if you wish to leave the plane. On behalf of all of our crew, it has been a privilege to serve you today.” The co-pilot stated before going quiet.

There were varying states of movement after that, as the vampires pretended to stretch and groan while the three living members of their party actually stretched.

“How far is it from Auckland to Perth again?” Seth asked sleepily.

“About seven hours,” Rosalie replied, sitting directly across from the couch where Seth had crashed.

Seth nodded while yawning widely and sat up. Draco dropped heavily on the now vacated cushion and leaned his whole body against his boyfriend.

“I hate flying; next time, we Portkey.” Draco groused.

“Mmm,” Seth mumbled, wrapping an arm around Draco before leaning his head back against the headrest, both falling back asleep until the wheels hit the ground.

---

August 2nd Perth, AU 1:57 PM  (Draco’s POV)

The flight to Perth was passed in blissfully unaware sleep, with Draco and Seth sharing the couch as they snoozed, but it was still a relief when the plane jolted on touchdown, waking the three humans who had slept through the flight.

“The weather is on our side today. Thank fuck for that.” Emmett commented from somewhere to his right.

Draco turned around and pulled open the shade, revealing a slate-grey sky that promised rain at any moment.

“At least we won’t have to worry about using my mag-,” Draco started to reply as the stewardess walked by, promptly choking over his words. “My m-massive umbrella,” He finished lamely.

“Smooth, dude.” Jacob jabbed as he walked past them.

There was a flurry of activity after that as they deplaned and made their way to the shuttle that would take them to the car rental counter.

Seth had a hold of his hand as they followed the group of vampires through the airport, with Jacob trailing just a few steps behind.

Thirty minutes later, Jasper had arranged for their transportation, which indeed turned out to be two Q8s, and then they were on the road, beginning the five-hour trip to an Airbnb that was located a quarter of a mile from the coast in Denmark WA.

Draco and Seth were seated next to Jacob, in the second row of the vehicle that was being controlled by the vampire patriarch. The wizard was just getting settled when there were a few *dings* on Carlise’s phone, a sound Draco was familiar with and recognized as an indication of a text message, as they began their trip.

Draco watched as Carlisle pulled out his phone and read the text before chuckling softly.

“Everything okay?” Draco asked, curiosity overtaking his born-and-raised politeness.

“Yes, everything is alright; I’m just getting a few delayed text messages. Edward and Harry are going to be a bit held up; Edward has a few more surprises for Harry. They’ll be about twelve hours later than we originally expected them.” Carlisle explained.

Draco nodded, but his anxiety spiked. They would be waiting all day to hear how things went.

---

August 1st Pisa, IT 10:00 AM (Harry’s POV)

Arriving in Pisa, Harry was struck by how calm and peaceful the terminal was; having now been exposed to three airports in three countries in thirteen hours, he was thrown off by the abrupt serenity. Beautiful sculptures and pieces of art adorned the walls and platforms, creating an almost museum-like quality to the building.

“Have you been here before?” Harry asked quietly as they moved through the corridors, pulling the jacket sleeves down around his hands, while avoiding the windows and bright sunlight streaming through them.

“This is my fifth time here,” Edward replied.

“Is it always this… chill?” Harry asked.

Edward laughed softly and replied, “Yes. People are very considerate of how much noise they are making.”

Harry nodded and they continued carefully winding their way through the hordes of people. Harry had to stop breathing at some point in their walk as he was completely overwhelmed by the smell of wet dogs, and they, thankfully, quickly reached a row of counters with queues of people lined up.

“Car rentals,” Edward explained, taking them to the very last counter that coincidentally had the shortest line. It took nearly thirty minutes for them to reach the agent, despite the line length, but things progressed smoothly after that. Edward spoke to the man behind the counter in perfect, fluent Italian for a few minutes before he was handed some documents to sign.

When the paperwork was taken care of, Edward took Harry’s hand and guided him through the rest of the airport, stopping occasionally to show him a piece of art or a sculpture, before leading them out of the airport and under a covered gazebo that was lined with a red carpet, at the end of which sat a bottle green Aston Martin DB11 that had pitch-black window tint.

Harry’s mouth formed a small ‘o’ of surprise and Edward chuckled.

“We can’t show up in just anything, of course.”

“Of course not.” Harry agreed, itching to take the car for a drive.

“I was thinking… it’s only an hour to the coast and then a few more minutes’ drive to one of our properties… would you like to join me?” Edward asked as they moved down the catwalk.

“What about…” Harry started and stopped, finishing the thought in his head. “… the Volturi?”

“They likely already know we’re here, because of Demetri. We can wait until dark before showing up in Volterra; it should help to put them more at ease.” Edward explained. “And I was sort of planning on you saying yes, so I already changed our flight... and sent Carlisle a text explaining.”

“Who gets to drive?” Harry asked, signaling his agreement with the new plan as they arrived at the car, looking up at Edward through his eyelashes.

“Happy birthday, my love,” Edward said with a soft chuckle, holding the key out for him to take.

---

Driving through Italy on the SGC Firenze, with the sun high in the sky and while there was minimal traffic, was easily one of the more beautiful things Harry had seen in his life. It was undoubtedly ordinary for people who lived there, but there was something about the sustained feeling of driving through a quaint countryside where nothing bad was happening that the young vampire really enjoyed. Driving the DB11 was like driving an exceedingly fast cloud, and Harry was really enjoying himself - daunting night meeting with the vampire government be damned.

“If you like this, just wait until you see Casa de Cullen,” Edward said, reaching over and gently placing a hand on the back of Harry’s neck.

Harry looked over with a wide smile. “All things considered, this day is turning out to be pretty amazing. Thanks, babe.” He said, catching Edward’s pleased grin before turning his attention back to the road.

Edward was rubbing his thumb softly up and down the base of Harry’s neck and continued to do so throughout the hour-long trip to the coast. When they reached a turn-off for Livorno, Edward directed him to take it, and Harry followed his orders, continuing to follow his directions as Edward told him where to turn throughout the city. The streets had narrowed significantly inside the town, and many people were choosing to ride motorized scooters or bikes as they went about their business.

After making a few turns and slowing down considerably, partly because of traffic, and partly because Harry was committing the city to memory, they eventually pulled up in front of a large, crème-colored multi-level standalone house that was probably as close to the water as was safe. The edge of the property had large privacy hedges that were bordered by a thick, green fence with a short, smooth stone driveway that led to a multi-car garage.

“Welcome to our Italian property; this is the only house that remains from when Carlisle lived with the Volturi,” Edward said, while pulling a key fob out from his pocket and pressing it, causing the gate to slowly and quietly swing inward, while the garage simultaneously opened. “It’s had a few upgrades since then.” He added with a smile.

Harry laughed softly and drove onto the property, stopping inside the garage that already had a midnight blue Maserati Ghibli and dark grey Alfa Romeo Giulia parked inside it.

“Is someone here already?” Harry asked curiously.

“No, it’s just us. Uh… Emmett and I might have a bit of a car thing.” Edward replied, gesturing to the other vehicles.

“Never would have guessed,” Harry said with a wide grin as he cut the engine to the Aston Martin.

Edward suddenly leaned over the center console and kissed him passionately, surprising the younger vampire for a moment before he responded just as fervently.

“Let’s go inside and I’ll give you a tour,” Edward said a few minutes later when he pulled away.

“Are there any bedrooms in there?” Harry asked, his voice husky with arousal.

“There might be one or two,” Edward replied with an amused grin.

---

Edward led him upstairs to a bedroom that was tastefully decorated in different shades of red. There was no bed, but instead, there were several couches placed around the room, with a desk taking up the wall directly across the door, placed under the large window that light was currently pouring through.

Harry bypassed the couch and moved to the window, taking a moment to look at the sandy beach and Italian coastline, while Edward came up behind him and dropped a kiss on his head before wrapping his arms around him.

“I wish we had more time. I’d love to take you out into the water and show you the world under the waves.” Edward said.

Harry sighed contentedly, turning to face his mate. “We’ll just have to come back,” he said, bringing Edward into another kiss. Edward responded by pulling them toward the couch, stripping them of their clothing before pushing Harry down onto the cushions.

“I want you to make love to me; if the Volturi are to end our lives, I want to know what it feels like to have you inside me,” Edward said, straddling Harry’s lap.

 ---

August 1st Livorno, IT  7:30 PM  (Harry’s POV)

Leaving the house felt like finalizing something. Neither of them spoke as they dressed, with Edward helping refasten his birthday gift around Harry’s neck. The silence reigned as they locked the house up and climbed into the DB11, this time with Edward driving; they had a mission, and everything felt… final. Like they were leaving behind relative safety and were headed to their execution.

“I’d be very surprised if Aro attacked us, Harry. I know we’ve made them out to be this authoritarian body, but he will listen to us; he’ll want the facts and that will stay any order to execute us. I believe that we’ll be left whole and intact, or I never would have agreed.” Edward said as they got back on the road.

Harry sighed lightly. “I know, I know… I’m just preparing for the worst. It’s usually the route life has planned for me,” he said.

Edward reached out and twined their hands together. “Whatever happens, I’m so glad you were in that lunchroom. You’ve been the sole reason for my existence since I laid eyes on you.”

Harry smiled, letting the melancholy and dread he was feeling drift away and instead focused on the happiness he felt fill him, as it so often did whenever Edward said something so horrendously sappy. “I love you, Edward Cullen.”

“And I love you, Harry Potter.”

---

August 1st Volterra, IT  8:22 PM  (Harry’s POV)

The normal 85-minute trip from Livorno to Volterra had been cut almost in half, thanks to Edward’s ability to read minds while simultaneously keeping the car going well over 100 mph. It was both a blessing and a curse; there was less time to fear what was coming, but they also had to face it that much sooner.

Volterra itself was beautiful in the evening. There were lights everywhere, though there seemed to be little to no foot traffic now that the sun had set, something Harry imagined had something to do with the vampire presence in the city.

“Volterra is one of the few places the Volturi don’t hunt residents. Living in Volterra as a human is probably one of the safest places to be.” Edward explained. “It is unusually quiet, but if I had to guess, there’s probably an event going on somewhere nearby.”

Harry nodded his understanding as they continued the slow drive into the heart of the city, taking a few turns and then heading up a small mountain, before driving down a winding lane, at the bottom of which lay a massive structure that Harry hesitated to call a ‘castle,’ at the risk of calling something so ornate, something so plebian.

Edward chuckled. “Keep up that flattering commentary and Aro is going to love you,” he said.

“Do you see what I’m seeing?” Harry asked. “How could I not think it’s incredible?”

Edward smiled again but it was quickly replaced with a much more serious expression.

“They’re following us,” he said. “I mean, more of them are following us. There’s been a pair since we entered the city, but… now there are more. Slow movements when we get out, alright?”

Harry nodded again, rubbing his hand on the outline of the wand in his pocket, and within another twenty seconds, they were driving through a pair of wrought-iron gates and into a courtyard that was lavishly decorated. Edward pulled to a stop near a fountain that depicted a nude Neptune wrapped around an octopus, getting ready to thrust his trident into an unseen beast. The area looked something more like a posh museum than a private dwelling.

Edward opened his door and Harry mirrored him, doing his best to keep his movements slow and visible as he came around the front of the car, when all he wanted to do was dart to Edward’s side. He could easily see them now, forming a tight semi-circle around the gate they had just come through; thick, stocky vampires dressed in grey robes cutting off the easy escape. Harry was unable to look away as he came to a stop next to his mate.

“Hello, Edward.” A voice called behind him, allowing him to tear his gaze away from the Volturi members behind him and focus on the vampire that had just spoken. “We were just wondering if we were going to have to come and get you from the coast.”

“Hello, Demetri. I apologize for our delay; I only wanted the opportunity to show my mate some of the best views that Italy has to offer.” Edward replied.

Demetri smiled a predatory grin that would have given Harry goosebumps were he still human as he was joined by two much younger-looking vampires who were wearing pitch-black cloaks lined with red. “Fear not, Edward. All that matters is you are here now; Aro is prepared to receive you.”

Edward nodded and grasped Harry’s hand. Together, they climbed the short set of stairs and followed Demetri into a hallway that was lined with dim lights. The two young vampires fell into step behind them, and there was an oppressive stillness in the air that was raising all kinds of alarms in Harry’s head. Under different circumstances, he would have enjoyed the opportunity to see such a beautiful castle, but each step they took felt like a step further from freedom.

They took an abrupt left turn and continued down another hallway that seemed just as long as the one before until they came to a stop outside a steel door that had a single-lit torch hanging beside it.

Demetri opened the door and entered, followed by Edward, Harry, and the two younger vampires. Inside the room, there were three fancy wooden, wing-backed chairs on a stone dais and every three or four feet around the room was another vampire, though these wore much darker cloaks than the vampires they saw outside. Harry didn’t know if he was imagining it, but he could swear he could feel bloodlust pouring off them. His grip tightened in Edwards's hand and Edward rubbed his thumb soothingly against his skin.

“Edward, Edward, what a pleasant surprise.” The vampire sitting on the middle throne said, standing and moving toward them as he did so. “What brings you to Volterra without any advanced notice?”

“Good evening, Aro.” Edward greeted. “I bring Carlisle’s best wishes, and would like to introduce to you, my mate; Harry Potter.”

Aro held out his hand and Edward offered the one not linked to Harry’s. Harry didn’t miss the way Aro’s eyes seemed to light up at viewing Edward’s memories; it was over in seconds, and Aro let his hand go gently.

“That’s quite an interesting perspective, Edward; I think, however, that I would like to see things from the source,” Aro said, moving two feet to the left and standing in front of Harry with a pleasant smile on his face. “That is a beautiful necklace," Aro said, looking at Harry's neck before meeting his eyes. "I say it is quite a pleasure to meet you, Harry Potter,” Aro said, holding his hand out.

“It’s nice to meet you, too sir,” Harry said, raising his right hand and placing it in Aro’s, feeling nothing as the other vampire invaded his mind. Aro’s eyes fluttered shut for a full minute before opening, and his smile dampened a little as he refocused on Harry and let his hand fall away.

“You have endured such a life for one so young; your abilities are… extraordinary,” Aro said, backing away and retaking his seat on the middle throne. “This is quite the situation we’ve found ourselves in, my dearest Edward.”

“What did you see, Aro?” Caius asked from the throne on the left.

“That we were mistaken; Carlisle, or rather, Edward and his young mate Harry, are not to blame for Felix’s death any more than we are. Harry has been hunted near relentlessly since he was a baby… by Voldemort.” Aro said, spitting his name.

“Why was he here?” Harry questioned after a moment.

Aro looked at him steadily before answering. “He wanted our assistance in a siege against the general public in Britain. His offer was… tempting… but it went against the very thing we stand for; discretion above everything else.”

“He corrupted his soul trying to obtain immortality, and he’s going insane,” Harry said, unprompted. “For what it’s worth… I’m sorry that you lost someone close to you.” Harry offered. “As you’ve seen, we’re planning on destroying his ties to Earth, and then sending him straight to hell. Anything we try to do before destroying those items and… there’s no point. He can just come back.”

Aro locked eyes with him and no one moved. The pale, cloudy-eyed vampire seemed to be thinking before nodding his head once, his face deadly serious. “We will continue to gather our allies,” Aro said, looking at Edward before looking at Harry again. “You will send word when he is mortal and we… will finish it.”

“You have our word, Aro.” Edward agreed.

The elder vampire leaned back onto his throne and his seriousness faded, being replaced by a serenely pleasant look.

“Then go… and give Carlisle my best,” Aro said. Harry and Edward turned to leave but were stopped. “Before you leave… Harry.” Aro said, waiting until he turned to speak again. “You must promise to come to Italy again after all this unpleasantness is dealt with.”

Harry felt Edward’s hand tighten around his own but didn’t see a polite way out of saying no.

“Can I bring my family?” Harry asked.

Aro’s expression tightened a little before he smothered his irritation in an odd smile.

“Of course.”

---

Chapter Text

August 1st Volterra, IT 9:30 PM (Harry’s POV)

“Edward, what just happened in there?” Harry asked quietly as his mate whipped the car through the deserted streets of Volterra.

Edward didn’t respond at first, his hands flexing around the steering wheel he already seemed to have had a death grip on. Harry heard the faintest sounds of metal being crushed before he exhaled and inhaled rapidly, his grip easing as he did so.

“I hadn’t mentioned this before now, and I hope you aren’t too angry at me for not,” Edward said, taking his eyes off the road and looking over at him before refocusing on driving. “Aro has previously tried to get Alice and I to join him. He’s offered us more riches and more status than we could ever want, but… we’ve turned him down twice in the past fifty years, and it’s been at least two decades since he last offered. We thought he had given up, but tonight, he… slipped up? He looked directly at me while he was thinking about his reason for amassing an army, and it wasn’t just you that they were after; he wanted to incapacitate Alice and me in Forks and take us. What I don’t get is why he wanted me to see his plan.” Edward said, exasperated.

“He only offered the pair of you to join, and not the whole family?” Harry asked. “How would attacking us make you guys willing to join?”

“Aro likes to collect vampires that increase the Volturi’s power, and he is willing to go to great lengths to sway people to join his cause. But at the same time, he demands blind obedience to himself, Marcus, and Caius, and that’s not something we believe in. He planned on having Alec incapacitate us while Chelsea destroyed our bonds.”

"This is something that Eleazar, one of our cousins in Denali, has vaguely commented on happening in the past, but… having Aro confirm that he operates that way doesn’t really matter. Why would he willingly think about all of this, knowing that I was in the room? That’s what worries me the most. I can’t see any benefit to him doing so.” Edward replied. “And even more than that… he wants you to join them, now, too. You irritated him when you asked if the family could come when you came back; he was hoping to have the two of us alone.”

The DB11 purred as Edward pressed on the accelerator after coming out of a banked freeway interchange, sending the car hurtling forward and overtaking several cars in the process.

“They have someone that can destroy bonds? Like… our soul bond?” Harry asked quietly, feeling a stab of worry shoot through his lifeless heart.

“I’m not sure, my love. I doubt Chelsea would be able to affect our bond, but… I don’t know.” Edward answered honestly. “What we need to do is let the others know we’re okay and focus on our main goal right now. Aro will wait for us to call on him; we’ll just have to try to prepare for what that entails. We’ll figure this out, okay? Nothing is going to take me away from you.” Edward replied.

Harry nodded, unable to rid himself of the feeling of unease, but knowing that they had a much more important mission gave him something else to focus on.

“I’ll call Draco and let them know what happened.” Harry offered, extracting his phone from his left pocket before pulling up his recent call log and sliding his finger across Draco’s name. The call rang once before going to a generic voicemail, and Harry hung up before it played the entire message.

“They’re probably still in the air, or they don’t have service,” Edward said, glancing at the clock on the dash, which now read  10:02 PM . “Carlisle hasn’t responded to my message letting him know about our extended stay yet. We can either fly out immediately or wait until they get back into contact before leaving; your choice, love.”

They couldn’t be more than thirty minutes from the airport at this point, and Harry desperately wanted to leave.

“We can send them a text letting them know we’re okay, and on our way. I don’t want to wait here any longer, though.” Harry decided.

“I agree. Let’s get out of here.” Edward confirmed.

---

August 2nd Perth, AU 1:58 PM (Draco’s POV)

Carlisle had just set his phone down when it chirped again, along with Draco’s device sending three short bursts of vibration in his back pocket, indicating a text, which was quickly followed by a steady stream of short vibrations. Draco hurried to extract his phone, scared of what he was going to read; some kind of hostage situation, someone injured, or something just as dangerous and deadly, undoubtedly.

He pressed his thumb to the fingerprint reader on the shiny glass screen and opened the phone, quickly finding the new messages, each of which was timestamped to show when they  should  have been received.

04:04 AM – Daniel L : We’re fine. Everything went okay in our meeting. We’re planning on getting out of Italy ASAP so we’re going to jump on the next plane out of here; we just need to return the rental and get through security. Assuming you guys still don’t have service?  

05:22 AM – Daniel L : Car returned and tickets to Singapore purchased. We didn’t want to wait for the next flight to Dubai, so we’re altering the route a little. We found a flight that connects to Singapore via Frankfurt which leaves in thirty minutes. Our flight numbers are EN 2907/ LH 777 / QF 808. I’ll try to call again when we land to refuel in Germany. 

08:02 AM – Daniel   L : We just landed in Germany. Edward and I both tried to call. You guys should have been in NZ by now. We have a forty-five-minute layover here; call if you can. If not, we’ll call in Singapore.

09:00 AM – Daniel L : We’re taxiing to the runway. Hope to hear from you guys when we land in twelve hours. Stay safe, - D.

Draco quickly tapped out a reply and pressed send, waiting for a few moments while it tried to send before a small warning popped up saying the message had failed.

Failed to send! - 02:02 PM Thomas T : What do you mean, “the meeting went okay?” I need more information than that, Lewis! Carlisle said the phone service is bad here, but we should be at our rental by the time you land. Try and call when you land, you berk… thanks. 

“Any idea what’s wrong?” Draco asked Seth quietly, turning the screen so he could easily read it.

Seth looked down at the phone for a few seconds before pointing to the top right of the display.

“You’ve got no service, I think.” He replied, before asking, “Hey, Dr. Cullen? Any idea what’s going on with the reception here?”

Carlisle was talking softly to Esme, likely discussing the texts he and Draco had received. He paused and turned his attention to the rearview mirror, focusing on Seth for a moment as he started replying.

“We’ve vacationed here a couple of times, but it’s been about fifteen years since our last visit. Cell phones have evolved a lot in that amount of time, and while we have a generally good provider in the U.S., it’s apparently not the best with roaming outside of the country. I expect our service is going to be spotty at best while we’re here.”

“But it’s alright. We know what flight Harry and Edward are on and since they left Germany five hours ago, they should be about seven hours from Singapore. We’ll be at our rental home by then with a solid Wi-Fi connection and that should give them more of a chance to get through.” Carlisle explained.

Draco took a deep breath and exhaled, leaning into Seth’s side as the wolf wrapped an arm around his shoulders and let his arm drape down Draco’s chest. The blonde reached up and absentmindedly traced invisible runes on his hand and forearm, locking his anxiety away behind his wall of Occlumency shields as he stared out the windshield, watching the different types of Eucalyptus trees go by in a haze of speed.

At least Harry and Edward were safe.

---

August 2nd Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore 9:22 PM (Harry’s POV)

Their plane had been taxied to gate D49, and their connector was scheduled to depart on the other side of the terminal, at gate C26. Harry had been following in Edward’s footsteps as the older vampire led them to their flight, which was scheduled to leave in forty-five minutes. He was anxious to hear how the others were doing and was just about to suggest trying to call Carlisle when Edward’s phone rang. Harry’s phone rang almost immediately after, and Edward smiled as he pulled his phone and showed him his caller’s ID.

Carlisle Cullen

Harry extracted his own device and looked down at the ID before flashing the screen to Edward.

Thomas Taylor

Relief spread through Harry as he slid his finger over the screen and accepted the call. Edward guided them out of the main throng of people who were navigating the airport, leading them off to the side and into an enclosure that looked to be used as a lobby for vending machines.

“Thomas?” Harry asked as they entered the lobby.

“Circe's sagging  tits , Daniel, getting a hold of you on these stupid phones has been a nightmare. Just when I thought I was starting to understand muggle technology, they go and throw in stuff about ‘cellular data roaming’ and different service providers for different countries, and on and on and on. Honestly, it’s a bloody nightmare, and it’s no wonder the muggle governments haven’t been able to detect us; everything is so bloody inefficient.” Draco ranted. Harry was silently laughing, but he had to agree. He’d been worried about their lack of communication.

“Someone should let them know that owls are still the superior method for communicating,” Harry said as seriously as he could. “Though, I suppose it would be kind of a drag in this situation.”

Draco huffed out a laugh, and his tone softened.

“Never mind all that. As we’ve all been waiting to hear what happened… do tell.” Draco demanded.

“Put it on speaker, so we can all hear.” Someone, Seth by the sound of it, suggested.

There was a moment of fumbling on the other side of the line before Draco triumphantly exclaimed, “Aha! Speak now, Lewis.”

“Hello?” Harry said.

“Hi, Daniel,” Seth replied.

“ 'Sup, bro?” Emmett chimed in as well.

“Hi, guys. Blimey, it’s good to hear your voices. It feels like it’s been  much  longer than a day.” Harry replied, moving to take a seat next to Edward, who was talking quietly and fast, no doubt recounting everything Aro had seen and been thinking about to his father.

“We totally agree. How’d the visit to Italy go?” Seth asked.

“Good and bad, I think. Once they saw the proof of what had happened, they agreed to let us go, so long as we invite them to the party once Riddle is no longer cheating death.” Harry vaguely explained, keeping in mind they were still in a very public space.

“Why is that a bad thing? With the Volturi on our side, he doesn’t stand a chance.” Emmett said, and Harry could tell he was grinning.

“Well, Edward… did his thing to Aro and caught some of what he was thinking, and  that  wasn’t good,” Harry said lowly before stopping, not wanting to take any chance of being overheard.

He looked around the small, deserted space they were in before palming his wand in his pocket. With a discreet move, he cast an intoned  Muffliato , filling any nearby listening ears with a soft, unidentifiable buzzing sound.

“What did he get?” Draco asked when Harry didn’t immediately elaborate.

“Sorry, needed to cast a privacy charm to make sure we weren’t overheard,” Harry explained. “Edward found out that Aro had planned on trying to steal him and Alice away again. The Volturi coming to Forks to find me was only a part of the big plan; I guess they have a way of manipulating relationships and making you loyal to them, and that’s why they were amassing an army.”

“What the hell?” Seth asked, clearly surprised.

The conversation was halted when there was a door slamming somewhere on their side of the conversation followed by another door slamming somewhere further away a few seconds later.

“Sorry, I should probably follow him. Nice to hear from you, Harry.” Rosalie said, speaking for the first time.

“Bye, Rose!” he said before he heard a door presumably open and close. “So… what just happened?” he asked after a few seconds.

“Emmett stormed into Carlisle and Esme’s room; he looked pissed,” Draco answered. “Rose went, too.”

Harry sighed.

“Well, Edward doesn’t think they are going to try anything, at least not for a while. Aro told us that he was going to continue building up an army and that they would be ready to fight when we called on them... he also made me promise to go by Volterra at some point, once all the fighting was over. Edward said I irritated him when I asked if you all could join me, but… I don’t know. I still agreed to show up, because how couldn’t I? Aro is crazy in his own way... like, when he smiled, I was reminded of Voldemort.” He explained.

“You’ve seen the Dark Lord smile?” Draco asked.

“A few times, I think. A bit hazy on the particulars, but meeting with Aro definitely dragged up some memories of him. Edward said he expects blind devotion from his followers, too.” Harry replied.

“Great, so assuming we survive the Weasleys, and I’m highly skeptical about that, deal with you-know-who, save wizarding Britain, and then campaign for a better deal for goblins, all we have to worry about is the Volturi… again,” Draco said dryly. “I find that I’m asking myself more and more why I originally agreed to follow you; I was safer with the other lot.”

Harry grinned, ignoring his complaints. He knew without a doubt in his body that Draco wouldn’t change a damn thing.

“I suppose I could just turn myself in, save myself all this trouble and heartache. I reckon he’d do me in quick, don’t you?” Harry said seriously. Edward paused in his conversation and looked at Harry with deep concern in his eyes. Harry grimaced and held his hand out for Edward to take. “ Just kidding; sorry.”  He mouthed.

Edward took his outstretched hand and closed his eyes for a moment before jumping back into his conversation with Carlisle.

Draco laughed on the other end of the call.

“If you turn yourself over to him, I think he might just be in a good enough mood to let me move back home,” Draco said. “That’s perfect, actually… when were you thinking about going? I can’t wait to show Seth what a  real  house is.”

Harry laughed openly now, too. “You’re a prick, you know that?”

Seth chuckled in the background while Harry honed in on an announcement that was being broadcast in the airport.

“-ntas passengers; Flight 808, with service to Perth, AU, will begin boarding procedures in five minutes. Please make your way to terminal 1, gate C22 with your luggage and boarding pass ready. I repeat, attention to all Qantas passengers; Flight 808 will begin boarding in five minutes. Please make your way to departure terminal C22 at this time. Thank you.”

“When are you supposed to fly out?” Draco asked.

“They just announced that our flight is about to board,” Harry replied, easily returning to the conversation.

“Awesome. How long is the flight?” Seth asked.

“Five and a half hours?” Harry guessed as he looked over at Edward. His mate nodded to him and moved to stand up while Harry mirrored him. “I think we’re going to head to the gate and get seated. Are you guys planning on picking us up?”

“Yes, yes, we’ll be there. Are you sure we  must  go see the Weasleys?” Draco asked.

Harry barked out another laugh. “Listen, mate, after the last twenty-four hours, I  definitely   think we need to go see them. It’ll be fine.”

“Time will tell,” Draco said, sighing dramatically. “See you in a bit, Lewis.”

“Tell Edward we said hello,” Seth added.

“I will. See you guys soon.” Harry replied, ending the call with a tap, and catching the end of Edward’s hushed conversation.

“Yes, that sounds fine Carlisle. Discreetly as you can; no need to cause any panic until we know for sure, right?” Edward said, rubbing circles on the back of Harry’s hand. “Alright, thank you. We’ll see you in a few hours. Give everyone our love.” He finished, ending the call, and placing his phone in his pocket.

“Seth and Draco said hi,” Harry said as soon as he hung up. Edward smiled softly but seemed a little tense.

“I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again. We should get to the gate.” Edward suggested, pulling them out into the main walkway and leading them toward their departure gate.

“What is Carlisle up to?” Harry asked quietly, knowing Edward would be able to hear him despite the dull roar of noise surrounding them. His mate was weaving them in and out of the slow-moving lanes of foot traffic with practiced normality, and he took a few moments to reply.

“He’s going to reach out to our cousins in Denali and have them check on a few things. It’s probably nothing, but… we should wait to talk about this until later.” Edward explained.

Harry wanted to press him for a little more info, but he supposed they  were  surrounded by a bunch of muggles and if he freaked out or lost his temper… they didn’t need the attention drawn to them, so he let it go. They were at their gate, anyway, and were fast-tracked to be one of the first on the plane.

“Good evening, sirs.” A stewardess (Emilia, according to the name stitched into her coat) greeted. She was dressed in an informal, navy-blue suit, with a blood-red handkerchief knotted around her neck, and Harry could smell a sweet perfume that was mixing horrendously with Draco’s potion, making him want to lean away and hold his breath. “Boarding passes, please,” she asked, indicating to a scanner on her right where they could swipe their passes.

Harry and Edward ran them through the scanner as requested.

“Mr. Lewis and Mr. Cullen, it’s a pleasure to have you on board this evening. Please head down the ramp and take your seats at your leisure. The flight is scheduled to depart on time.”

“Thanks,” Harry said, flashing her a smile. He followed Edward down the short jet bridge and onto the plane, before stuffing their bags into the overhead bin and dropping into the first two seats on the right side of the aircraft.

The plane filled quickly behind them, with Harry resting his head on Edward’s shoulder while they waited for the stewardess to announce they were ready and preparing to take off. It would only be another six hours until they were reunited with the others, but Harry could hardly stand the wait. Since they had left Italy, the anxiousness he had been feeling had increased, and he was ready to risk splinching them to Apparate the remaining leg of the journey. Vampires were durable and could be put back together, right?

And what even was this feeling? Was this some kind of coven thing? You got separated from it for any length of time, and it felt like months of time passed when it had really been two days, max, and all you could think about was seeing them again?

Edward chuckled softly beside him.

“Interesting theory, my love, and not  entirely  off the mark. I think you’ll find as the years pass that you’ll be able to venture away from the others without feeling so… anxious; I was the same way after joining Carlisle. It took me ten years to venture away from home the first time and I only stayed away as long as I did in an act of rebellion.” Edward said.

“That’s when you were out hunting the worst of the worst?” Harry asked while raising his head, referring to the period in the early 1900s when Edward openly admitted to feeding off humans.

“That’s correct,” Edward confirmed, talking softly as the stewardess walked by and closed the door to the plane before taking her seat and strapping herself in. “By the time I returned to Esme and Carlisle, things were easier. I can come and go as I please, but I haven’t really wanted to leave. I think part of it is that it feels like a real family, most of the time; more so, ever since you guys arrived. Esme and Carlisle love all of us unconditionally; Draco, Seth, and Jacob included.  That’s  what I think you’re missing… and I love it so much, because that, more than any words, expresses what they mean to you.”

Harry was nodding his agreement as the co-pilot came over the intercom, announcing his pre-flight speech as their plane was pushed away from the gate and taxied to the runway.

“I love you, Mr. Cullen, and our crazy family, too; I just didn’t recognize how much until I started missing them... I don’t know how I ever thought I would be able to leave you in Forks and do this on my own.” Harry replied, resting his head back on Edward’s shoulder as his mate twined their hands together.

“Where you go; I go. I love you, too.”

---

August 3rd Perth, AU 04:10 AM (Harry’s POV)

It was pitch black outside as they taxied from the runway to their terminal, and many of the passengers of the plane were still trying to wake up as the plane came to a jolting stop and doors were opened. Harry and Edward didn’t suffer from fatigue, however, and were the first to get off the plane, moving toward the airport exit quickly once they had deplaned. Harry was again following Edward, trying to regulate his speed and not look unnatural, which was difficult when all he wanted was to bolt and find the other members of their party.

They were through security and out of the airport in four minutes, faster than most people had probably been able to get off the plane, and Harry  smelled  them before he saw them. His head whipped to the left, and his face broke into a grin when he saw Draco and Emmett leaning nonchalantly against a metal support beam for the terminal. He led himself and Edward toward the other pair, stopping when they were a couple of feet away.

Relief washed through him at seeing them unharmed and seemingly in a good mood.

Harry reached out and pulled Emmett into a sturdy hug, surprising the brunette vampire.

“Hey, little brother. Miss us?” Emmett asked, gingerly returning the hug.

Harry didn’t respond, instead releasing him and advancing on Draco.

“Don’t even thin-“ Draco tried before Harry wrapped  him  into a much gentler hug. Draco sighed loudly but returned the gesture. “Bloody needy vampires.” He muttered when Harry let him go, though his cheeks were slightly pink, causing Harry to laugh.

Edward and Emmett were wearing identical smirks as they shook hands and pulled each other into a one-arm hug.

“Fuck, it’s good to see you guys,” Harry said, unable to contain his grin, as Edward and Emmett broke apart. “Everyone else waiting at the house?” He asked.

“Yeah, we figured we could hitchhike our way back,” Emmett said, jerking his finger behind him and into the darkness.

Harry’s brow crumpled in confusion, so Edward leaned close to his ear and hissed, “Draco is going to Apparate us once we’re far enough away from the airport.”

Oh.

“Hitchhiking it is,” Harry replied with a wider grin.

---

August 3rd Denmark, AU 04:30 AM (Harry’s POV)

The group landed in the yard of a beautiful home, undoubtedly the Airbnb located on the western coast of Australia. They were now only a couple of miles away from the Weasleys and Granger’s, who were likely still sleeping at half past four. Harry was okay with waiting until the sun rose before heading over there, knowing they were likely going to be walking into an already tense situation that didn’t need to be made worse by the oppressive darkness and humans who couldn’t see in it.

Besides, they were trekking into the house now, and Harry and Edward were promptly embraced first by Esme, then Carlisle, and finally Alice, which was enough to push everything else to the back of his mind.

“You all had total faith in us, I see,” Harry said with a small smile when Alice finally released Edward and stepped back.

“We should be concerned if what Edward read from Aro’s mind is not just a ruse. We’re just glad to have you back safe and sound.” Esme said, speaking from beside Edward. “The others are in the dining room, waiting to hear firsthand how things went. Why don’t we join them?”

Harry and Edward nodded and followed the trio of vampires into the dining room, where Draco and Emmett had already found seats next to their partners.

“Welcome back,” Jasper said in greeting, dipping his head in a slight bow toward Harry and Edward. Rose waved from her seat, and Jacob rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, great, great, they’re back,” Jacob said, brushing them off with a wave of his hand. “The world can start spinning again.”

Harry opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Carlisle’s phone ringing.

The blonde patriarch held his index finger out to the room, turning to face one of the windows in the room before he slid his finger across the screen, accepting the call. Harry and Edward settled themselves into a pair of chairs next to each other, tucked beside Alice and Jasper on one side, Draco, and Seth on the other. The room fell silent and Harry, to his own delight, was able to hear the conversation clearly. Being a vampire had  some  perks.

“-giving you an update. We reached out to a few of our contacts in Romania as you requested, and the news isn’t what we hoped for. The tomb was abandoned. We’re on the next flight out of Fairbanks and we’ll be in Cluj-Napoca in thirty-six hours to confirm.”

“Understood, Tonya. I can’t express my gratitude enough that you guys are putting yourselves on the line for us. I know I don’t really need to say this, but please be safe – any hint of danger and you guys get out.” Carlisle replied stoically.

A soft laugh on the other side before,  “You know how it is Carlisle; family has got to stick together. You would do the same for us. I’ll text you when we land in Romania. Love you.”

“Love you, too, Tonya. Take care.” Carlisle replied, hanging up the phone. He slid the phone into his pocket and crossed his arms, continuing to peer out into the darkened backyard.

The group that was seated around the table shared looks with each other before Edward cleared his throat.

“Tonya got word about the Romanian vampires?” Edward asked.

“Yes,” Carlisle replied, letting out a large sigh, and then turning to look at them. “I asked her to put some inquiries out to some contacts in the area. Tonya is Slovakian by birth, and they travel to the area every few decades, maintaining properties and friendships; convenient, for days like these.” He explained with a slight frown. “There were reports that Stefan and Vladimir were resting in an underground vault north of Cluj-Napoca as recently as a month ago. She didn’t go into much detail, but her contacts couldn’t find them, so they are going to fly in and check themselves…”

“Um, who are Stefan and Vladimir exactly?” Seth asked. Draco nodded in agreement beside him.

“And who is Tonya, while we’re on the matter.” The blonde added.

“Stefan and Vladimir are the last of the Romanian coven,” Edward explained, turning to look at the pair. “Think Volturi before the Volturi came to power. Aro and his followers destroyed the Romanian and Egyptian covens to bring order to the world and to protect our secrets from ever being discovered. They’ve harbored a grudge against the Volturi ever since.”

Things were slowly falling into place in Harry’s head and his anxiety was rising.

“Tonya is the leader of our sister coven in Denali. They are also “vegetarian.” Edward finished.

“So, you’re worried that these Romanian blokes are going to try something? How would they even know anything is wrong?” Draco questioned.

Edward was slowly tracing the blue veins on the back of Harry’s hands as he answered.

“I’m just guessing here, but it stands to reason that since Voldemort has already tried to reach out to the Volturi, he could try and reach out to other vampire covens. I don’t think the Egyptians would be willing to join a war after previously being decimated by Aro, but Stefan and Vlad? If there’s even a slight chance it leads to a fight with the Volturi, I think they would jump on an opportunity like that in an instant. And considering that Romania is right next door to Italy... we must know for certain.”

“How did the Volturi react when you showed up?” Alice asked.

“Better than expected, but still not great. They followed us through Volterra and made sure we didn’t detour, and we’re still in one piece. The problem is Aro and the fact that he’s trying to steal us away again. Harry included, now.” Edward answered.

“What exactly did he let slip?” Emmett asked.

“Just that he was excited to have the opportunity to punish us; it’s the perfect excuse for him to sever ties between covens. He’s planning on trying  something  when we go to visit them after all the dust has settled.” Edward explained.

“But why think about any of that when you’re in the room, knowing that you’re reading his mind? He’s crazy, not stupid, and he must know that this is just going to put us on the defensive when we go back.” Emmett asked.

“I’ve been contemplating that myself since we left. It doesn’t make sense for him to show his cards like this.” Edward replied.

The room fell silent except for the quiet  thud thud thud  from the hearts of the living members and occasional inhaling and exhaling of breath from around the table.

“It’s something to think about another day. For now, we’ll just have to accept that Aro has agreed to assist in the fight against Voldemort, whether it be for personal gain or flat-out revenge, and the Volturi are too powerful to turn down. We’ll just have to be careful.” Carlisle said from the head of the table. “The sun will be rising in about fifteen minutes; enough time to prepare some food for Jacob, Draco, and Seth. You’re still wanting to head over to meet the Weasleys at first light, correct, Harry?” He asked.

Harry nodded then answered, “Yes, that’s right. I originally wanted to head down the coast and approach the house from the beach, but I think it best if we take the vehicles and try the driveway. It’ll give them the most notice that someone is coming and might prevent us from accidentally getting cursed.”

“I doubt it’ll be an accident,” Draco muttered from beside Seth.

 Harry shook his head at the blonde but couldn’t stop the small smile that formed at his complaining.

 “I’ll go first, Draco. You can hide from the big, bad Gryffindors behind Edward and I.” Harry said, turning and leaving the room quickly after catching the other wizard’s scowl.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Potter!” Draco shouted as the door swung shut.

---

  August 3rd Denmark, AU 05:30 AM (Ron’s POV)

Ron woke with the rising sun, something he’d started doing shortly after they arrived in Australia. It was surprisingly brisk in the early morning, and he often grabbed a cup of coffee before finding a nice spot along the private beach that was on the property gifted to them by his best friend. He was joined in his usual routine this morning, however, by Hedwig, who had mysteriously shown up six weeks after they had, refusing to deliver any mail, and generally only showing herself when she needed food.

“Hedwig! Nice to see you, girl.” Ron said, reaching out to stroke her feathers as she perched on his left knee. “Beautiful views out here, huh?”

Hedwig hooted in seeming agreement, looking at Ron before swiveling her head around to gaze at the inlet.

Ron smiled softly as he drained some more coffee from the cup he was holding, not for the first time wondering where Harry was and how he was doing. There had been an announcement in the  Prophet  last week, letting the magical community know that Dumbledore had died from a “great fall,” and from what little information they had been able to gather, wizarding Britain had been in disorder since. Severus Snape had made second-page news with his appointment as Headmaster.

He didn’t know how long he sat and watched the waves break, but he sighed contentedly when a pair of soft, warm hands slipped over his eyes and a kiss was pressed to his hair.

“Good morning, ‘Mione.” He greeted.

“Morning, Ron. How long have you been out here? I rolled over and you were already gone.” Hermione replied.

“Since 05:30 I think. You know I like to sit out here and brood.” He replied. “Hedwig joined me this morning.”

“What a pleasant surprise. Good morning, Hedwig.” Hermione said, sitting to his right and reaching out to stroke her feathers before tucking her arms around her middle. He set his cup in the sand and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, bringing her close.

They sat together for a few minutes, watching the surf crash against the rocks while giant groups of pelicans hunted the shallow pools that lay closer to shore.

The sun had risen fully and his stomach was aching before he made any attempts to disturb their peaceful moment.

“I reckon Mum will have breakfast started by now if you’re hungry.” Ron offered eventually.

“If  I’m  hungry, huh?” Hermione asked with a soft laugh. “I guess I am a little. C’mon, we can get a good seat at the table.” She said, carefully standing up and brushing the sand from her pajama pants.

Ron was about to offer Hedwig a new perch so he could stand when she suddenly dug her talons into his knee and took off.

“Ow! Bloody hell, bird, what was that for?” He yelled at the white owl that was rapidly flying away. He could see drops of blood starting to seep through the jeans he had on.

“I wonder what-…“ Hermione started to say before she was abruptly cut off by a sudden wailing sound. Ron froze momentarily as his body flooded with adrenaline, and then he was a whirlwind of activity. He pulled Hermione close to him and Apparated them to the front door, which was pulled open from inside to reveal his twin brothers, looking more serious than he’d seen them in years.

“Two muggle vehicles; no time,” Fred said, pointing over Ron’s shoulder.

Ron spun around and caught sight of two black SUVs rolling to a stop forty meters away.

“Get out of the blasted threshold, you lot! Are you trying to make yourselves an easy target? SPREAD OUT!” Mrs. Weasley shouted from behind the twins.

Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George were rooted to the spot, though, watching with tight chests and soaring anxiety as the doors to the vehicles opened.

The caterwauling charm was silenced as a white blob, “ Hedwig,”  his brain supplied, swooped in from somewhere high in the sky, flying like a missile at the passenger side door of the closet SUV, which had just opened.

“Hedwig, no!” Ron shouted, too late.

Hermione gasped beside him, and he wrenched his gaze away from the scene in front of him to look at her, panic flaring as he saw she was gripping her chest. His brain finally caught up with what his mother had said, and he pulled her to his side, giving the twins enough room to push past, wands drawn and aimed at the intruders, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and their oldest brother, Bill.

“Hedwig!” A voice exclaimed from the open car door, and Ron’s face immediately warmed.

“D-did that sound like…?” He bumbled out, not daring to believe his ears.

“No  fucking  way,” George whispered, lowering his wand. “Look!”

He needn’t have said anything, though, as all eyes were trained on the SUV’s. It took a few moments (hours, in Ron’s mind) but they eventually saw a hand, arms, and shocking, jet-black hair, before-

“It’s Harry,” Ginny said softly from the doorway and Ron knew she was crying. “He showed up.”

Ron took two steps toward the car before he was ripped back by a strong hand. He looked behind himself angrily, at his father who wasn’t looking back at him, but was instead watching Harry with absolute distrust.

“That’s not Harry anymore,” Bill said gravely from beside Mr. Weasley.

“What the bloody hell does that mean?” Ron asked, pulling his shirt out of the man’s grip. “Of course that’s Harry.”

“No, Ron, look. Look at his arms, and his hands, and his  face .  Think!  Basic D.A.D.A., year three. Professor Lupin taught us how to recognize vampires.” Hermione said.

The word  vampire  burned through his mind, and he focused on the details they pointed out. Harry was  shining  in the light, and… and there was no other word for it; he looked  incredible .

Ron swallowed thickly before speaking again.

“Why is he just standing there?” He asked.

The driver’s side door opened, and three wands flicked over to and tracked another figure as they got out and made their way to stand next to Harry. This was another vampire, shimmering just as bright, and looking just as attractive as Harry did.

“My name is Edward Cullen.” The vampire said, and though he was forty meters away, Ron could hear him as if he was standing beside him. “On behalf of myself, and my family, we would like to extend our deepest apologies for showing up unannounced. I can assure you that we come in peace, and if you would allow us to explain, I believe that we can all benefit each other.”

Ron could hear grips being re-adjusted on wands; everyone was suffering sweaty hands. How the hell could they trust vampires?

No one else seemed to know what to say, and there was no sound save for the surf crashing on the beach and the occasional squawk from a bird.

He heard his dad suck a breath in, clearly getting ready to say something, before deflating again as Edward leaned close and whispered something in Harry’s ear. Harry smiled and looked at Hedwig, who was happily perched on his shoulder before he finally spoke.

“Hey Ron, ‘Mione. Everyone…. I… I’m so sorry.” Harry said, taking a few steps toward the porch, before stopping at their combined tensing, wands pointed at him. “I know what this looks like, but I can explain. I’m still me, I’m just… I don’t know, more durable.”

“Vampires are dark creatures, you would know that, Harry. You… you aren’t  you , anymore. Your soul is… is gone.” Hermione said, looking absolutely devastated as she did.

There was a snort that could be faintly heard from the back seat of the SUV Harry and Edward had climbed out of, followed by some muffled words that caught Harry’s attention.

He turned and nodded a few times at the voice, then faced back to them.

“What if I prove I’m still me?” Harry asked.

“And how do you plan on doing that?” Mr. Weasley asked, speaking for the first time since coming outside.

“I’ll need my wand. Please don’t hex me.” Harry said, fishing the thin piece of wood out of his pocket. Ron held his breath as Harry closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. With practiced ease, his best friend traced the wand movement that Ron knew only light-sided wizards could reliably use.

It didn’t take but a moment before Prongs came to life, and Hermione was half-choking, half-sobbing as the Patronus regally approached them. When it had closed the short distance, it dropped its head in a low bow before leveling its gaze at them. Ron could feel the familiar warmth it exuded, and he could feel his eyes welling in response.

“Promise not to eat me?” Ron said shakily, moving a few feet forward as Prongs dissipated, before someone had a chance to grab at him again.

“You guys smell wretched, no offense, so I have no desire to ‘eat you.’ And while I’ve got a few other vampires with me, we all survive off the blood of animals. You really have nothing to fear. We just… we need your help.” Harry said.

Hermione had moved forward with him, and Ron met her gaze, silently trying to guess what she was thinking. She gave a hesitant nod and wrapped their hands together before looking back at Harry.

“We’ll meet you halfway.”

---

August 3rd Denmark, AU 06:00 AM (Harry’s POV)

“We’ll be arriving in about a minute. Last chance to re-think our strategy.” Edward said, glancing down at the GPS that had their route to a seemingly deserted stretch of beach highlighted.

“Last chance to not get hexed, is what he means to say,” Draco added from the backseat. Seth chuckled, once, before wrapping his arm around his imprintee.

“I won’t let them get you, babe,” Seth said quietly.

Harry looked in the rearview mirror, catching half of Draco’s face while Seth leaned in close. He could tell the blonde was valiantly trying not to smile and failing miserably. He looked back down at the road with his own content smile and sighed lightly.

“I considered these people my family for a long time. I doubt that they would openly attack us unless we threaten to harm them; worst case scenario, they ask us to leave.” Harry replied.

Harry had written the address to the house down for everyone to memorize, and he knew it had allowed them to see the property when Edward suddenly slowed.

“Bloody hell, Potter. I thought you said this was a house?” Draco asked accusatorily.

“It is?” Harry replied. “What’s wrong with it?”

“That’s a mansion if I’ve ever seen one,” Seth answered.

“Well, it had to be big, didn’t it? It had to fit the Weasleys and the Grangers, and I didn’t want them to be cramped. The goblins offered this place at an unbeatable price, so… here we are.” Harry explained as they rolled to a stop.

His heart would have been in his throat, had it the ability. Ron and Hermione were standing on the porch, looking at their vehicles with gob-smacked expressions, flanked by the twins who were pointing their way.

“They’re getting ready to fight. You should show them who we are before they start shooting.” Edward suggested.

“Right,” Harry replied, reaching for the handle, and popping the door open. He moved to step out when a white mass flapped awkwardly down into his lap in a tangle of feathers and soft screeches. “Hedwig!” Harry exclaimed, stroking her feathers automatically.

She nipped playfully at his fingers, and he was so happy he felt like crying. “I missed you so much, girl, you have no idea.”

Hedwig peered at him through her amber eyes before Edward quietly cut in.

“Not to ruin your moment, my love, but they are getting antsy.”

“Of course,” Harry said, looking back up through the windshield. “Reunion later.”

He held his hand out to Hedwig and wrapped her talons around it, giving her a secure spot as he exited the vehicle and then transferring her to his shoulder when he was upright.

He heard a faint, “ It’s Harry. He showed up!”  and looked over in time to see Ron being pulled back by the scruff of his shirt.

“That’s not Harry anymore.”  Another voice, Bill, said. Harry froze, wondering how they guessed so quickly, and looked down at himself, wondering if he had it spelled across his chest. He heard Ron’s indignance that of course he was Harry, and the vampire almost grinned at his old friend’s easy defense of himself.

“No, Ron, look. His arms, hands, and face. Think! Basic D.A.D.A, year three. Professor Lupin taught us how to recognize vampires.”  A soft voice, Hermione, rebuked.

Hearing their voices was both extremely comforting and terrifying in equal measures and Harry found himself frozen, unable to move, unable to defend himself.

“ Why is he just standing there?”  Ron asked.

Harry heard another car door open and was joined by Edward a moment later. His mate placed a hand in the middle of his back and whispered, “Breathe.”

Harry took a deep breath, and though he didn’t technically need the oxygen, something about the motion helped to ground him.

He listened as Edward introduced himself and their family, and tried to assure them that they were friendly. The group of Weasleys made no move to reply, and Harry was worried he’d made the wrong decision to come here.

“They need to hear from you, love. Look how happy Hedwig was to see you.” Edward said quietly. “They feel the same way, but they’re scared.”

This made Harry beam up at his bird, who was still watching him with her amber eyes.

Right. To hell with it, then.

“Hey Ron, ‘Mione. Everyone… I- I’m so sorry.” He tried, taking a few steps closer to make sure they heard him. He froze when their wand arms tensed, knowing he was close to getting cursed.

Don’t move, got it.

“I know what this looks like, but I can explain. I’m still me, I’m just… I don’t know, more durable?” He tried again.

“Vampires are dark creatures; you would know that, Harry. You… you aren’t  you , anymore. Your soul is… is gone.” Hermione said loudly, and he could see how much it hurt her to say it.

Draco snorted from the backseat and grabbed his attention.

“Oi, Potter, show them your Patronus,” Draco said.

Harry turned to look at him with an eyebrow raised.

“Only those of pure heart and soul can cast a Patronus. Humor me.” The blonde asked.

Harry nodded and turned back to the group on the porch. “What if I prove I’m still me?” He asked, hoping Draco was right.

“And how do you plan on doing that?” Mr. Weasley asked him.

“I’ll need my wand. Please don’t hex me.” Harry requested, not giving them a chance to respond before fishing his wand out of his back pocket. He closed his eyes, barely needing to concentrate on how it would feel to have everyone together before the happiness at the thought started to course through him, and he began drawing circles with his wand.

“ Expecto Patronum.”  He intoned.

He knew it worked without needing to open his eyes, but he did so anyway.

He half smiled at the literal spell of happiness before ordering the Patronus to approach the gathered wizards, hearing Hermione choke on a sob as it neared them. When it got close, he had Prongs bow deeply before canceling the spell and then looked at his friends to see if they had accepted it was still him.

Ron looked from the spot where the Patronus had vanished directly at Harry and moved a few steps forward.

“Promise not to eat me?” He asked, sounding breathless.

Harry wanted to laugh but knew that doing so in such a tense situation wouldn’t be looked upon well, so he chose a more… neutral response, instead.

“You guys smell wretched, no offense, so I have no desire to ‘eat you.’ And while I’ve got a few other vampires with me, we all survive off the blood of animals. You really have nothing to fear. We just… we need your help.” He explained.

Hermione moved forward to Ron, and Ron looked down at her, engaging in some kind of unspoken communication before she hesitantly nodded and wrapped their hands together.

Harry wanted to jump in joy for them but also thought this would be viewed badly, so he remained motionless, waiting for them to make the next move.

“We’ll meet you halfway,” Hermione said.

“Of course.” Harry agreed immediately. “Anything you guys want.”

“Leave your wand with- with Edward.” She added.

Harry nodded and turned to his mate, holding out the piece of wood for him to take.

“Everything going well?” Harry asked.

“None of them are thinking about attacking you, though Bill is probably the biggest threat. He’s killed a few of our kind, and he’s not really convinced. He’s ready.” Edward said quickly and quietly.

Harry nodded once. “Good. Be right back.”

Harry squared his shoulders and moved forward, going a little further than halfway, hoping to put his friends at ease. Ron and Hermione either didn’t notice or didn’t mention it, but he was okay with that. They hadn’t outright denied him, and that was more than he felt he deserved.

When they were within reaching distance, the three of them stopped.

Harry looked down and scuffed the toe of his shoes on the stone driveway, before looking up at them through his lashes. The pair of them seemed shocked, seeing Harry up close, and things were definitely awkward.

“Er… hey guys,” Harry said lamely.

“Yeah, er… hey,” Ron replied, just as lamely.

Hermione looked between the two of them and then let out a small sigh of frustration.

“Boys, honestly!” She said, dragging Ron closer, before grabbing Harry’s hand to do the same. “Oh!” she said, dropping his limb like she’d been burned.

Harry would have flushed if he were human but instead chose to bury his hand in his pockets.

“Sorry, Harry, you’re just…” She trailed off, and Harry could see the realization dawn in her eyes.

“Really cold? Yeah, I know… I kind of died.” Harry said. “I always knew it was you two keeping me alive.” He added, trying to defuse the awkwardness.

Ron let a snort of air out of his nose and the next thing Harry knew, he was being wrapped in a hug by his first friend.

“I don’t know what the  fuck  happened to you, or what’s going on, but I am so bloody glad to see you,” Ron said thickly.

Harry wrapped an arm around his back and pulled his other hand free of his pocket, opening his arm for Hermione. His second friend wasted no time in joining, tears streaming down her face.

“You’ve no idea how many authors you’ve just proven wrong, Harry. Vampires  should not  be able to produce a Patronus.” She said.

“I’ll be sure to remember that,” Harry replied, with a small laugh.

Harry closed his eyes while they stood there, fuzzy images of their childhood friendship racing through his head, and listened to their hearts go from erratic, wild thumping to something much calmer, and when they broke apart minutes later, they had regained most of their composure.

“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, you know?” Ron said, wiping a last tear from his eye.

“I know, and some of it you aren’t going to like. A lot of it, probably.” Harry replied.

Ron was looking him in the eye, and Harry wished he had Edward’s ability to read what he was thinking.

“You swear that no one gets bitten today?” He asked.

Harry nodded. “I, uh… I am taking a potion right now that makes human blood smell disgusting, and the rest of my family haven’t had a drop of human blood in over seventy years.”

He didn’t miss the way their eyebrows raised at the mention of ‘family’, and he knew this was going to be a long day.

“Why don’t I have everyone I brought with me come out, and we can do this properly?” Harry asked. “And before any wands start getting pulled,” he said with a deep sigh, “I have Draco with me.”

Ron’s mouth snapped shut, and Harry could see the muscle flex in his jaw as his arms came up and crossed his chest.

“Draco  Malfoy ?” He asked icily, like anyone else on planet Earth would name their child ‘Draco’.

“Ron, please. Let’s hear him out first.” Hermione asked.

Ron looked at her for a solid minute before deflating, letting his arms drop to his sides and looking up to shake his head at the sky.

“Sure, sure. Go ahead and get everyone out here.” He said, still looking up.

“Alright, be right back. There’s a few of us, so don’t panic.” Harry explained, giving Hermione a small smile before turning around.

Hedwig landed back on his shoulder as he walked away, and he was surprised not to have noticed her departure in the first place, though it only made sense since he’d been engulfed by Ron and Hermione.

Harry reached up and stroked her feathers as he approached Edward, who already knew what had transpired.

“They really love you.” His mate said when Harry stopped in front of him. “It’s been a while since I’ve read minds as pure as theirs.”

“And here I am about to ask them to join a war I wanted them to leave behind. Awesome.” Harry replied.

“Hey,” Edward said, grabbing Harry’s upper arm when Harry tried to go around him, “I didn’t say that to make you feel bad. They have pure thoughts, but that doesn’t mean that this is a bad idea. The adults on that stoop over there have killed, and a couple of them have already made up their minds to help you however they can.”

“Yeah, but Ron is pissed. I knew he was going to be pissed.  Draco  knew he was going to be pissed.” Harry said.

“He’s not mad, he’s hurt, and he doesn’t know how else to express it. You can repair that damage. He agreed to meet the rest of us, didn’t he? If he was truly mad, he would have told you to shove your wand up your arse and get lost.” Edward consoled.

“Is that what he was thinking?” Harry asked, shooting a look over his shoulder at Ron, who had retreated and was in deep, hushed conversation with Hermione and the others on the porch.

“Yes, but he didn’t say it, and that’s what counts. People think horrible stuff all the time, but it’s just that; a thought.”

Harry took a deep breath and leaned his head on Edward’s shoulder. Hedwig hooted softly and nipped at his ear before taking off again, heading toward the group of trees across the road.

“You’re right. Let’s get everyone introduced. It would have been a miracle if Ron  wasn’t  pissed.” Harry said, stepping back from his mate. Edward surprised him by pulling him into a kiss, though it was not at all unwelcome.

“Just so they all understand,” Edward said as he broke the kiss. “There’s been a lot of questions going through their minds, wanting to know how we’re connected.” He continued at Harry’s questioning frown.

Harry nodded and wrapped their hands together, leading them toward the rear of the SUV and popping open the door.

“ Finally ,” Draco said dramatically. “I thought you had forgotten we were here.”

His ribbing was belied by the leg that was uncharacteristically bouncing up and down. Draco was more nervous than Harry had ever seen him.

“As if you would ever let someone forget about you, you prat. Now come on, Ron and Hermione have agreed to be civil. They want to meet everyone.” Harry replied with a smile. “Seth, Jacob, you guys ready? You’re sure you’re okay with sharing your secret with these people?”

Seth nodded and looked at Jacob, who scowled but sighed in resignation.

“Yes, Harry, for the thousandth time, if they are willing to ‘swear on their magic’ that they won’t tell anyone, I will transform.” He replied.

“Alright, thank you, Jacob. I know you’re not happy with any of this, but I really appreciate everything you’re doing.” Harry said honestly, leaning a little into Draco’s space so he could look at the eldest wolf clearly.

Jacob just shrugged his shoulder, opened his door, and stepped out. “Thank me again when we make it back to the States and I don’t have to worry about Seth dying.” He retorted, closing the door a little harder than necessary.

A stab of guilt, straight to the gut. He was right, and it killed Harry that he was.

“Ignore him, Harry. He’s trying to be pissed, but he knows we’re doing the right thing.” Seth said.

“Right,” Harry said, putting a small smile on his face for the wolf’s benefit. “I’m gonna go let the others know what’s going on. We’ll meet you at the front of the car.”

He backed away from Draco and Seth and led Edward to the other SUV that was parked at an angle behind them. Carlisle rolled the window down as Harry approached and looked between Harry and Edward.

“I trust everything is well?” Carlisle asked.

“As well I hoped it would be,” Harry replied. “Ron and Hermione have agreed to meet everyone before the rest of their family gets involved. Jacob, Seth, and Draco are waiting for us to join them. I’ve explained our diets to them, so they’re willing to hear us out.”

“Everyone ready?” Carlisle asked, turning to look at the other occupants. Harry looked over his head and saw heads bobbing and murmured affirmations. “Let us not delay any further, then. Lead the way, Harry.”

Harry waited until they had all exited the vehicle before turning and leading them the short distance to the front of their SUV, where the wolves and one very pale Malfoy stood waiting.

Most of the Weasleys were glaring daggers at him, and Harry felt bad. He ambled up next to him and Seth and lightly elbowed him.

“It’ll be alright, mate. They haven’t cursed us yet.” Harry said.

Draco just nodded, and Harry knew that was all he was going to get for now. He quickly looked up and down the assembled line, then started making the twenty-five-meter walk back to Ron and Hermione. He heard everyone following him, and he could see his waiting friends seemingly shrink under their advance.

It didn’t take long before they were just outside of reach, and Harry abruptly stopped.

“Here should be good. No need to crowd them.” He said. Ron and Hermione looked relieved, and he knew he had made the right choice. “Ron, Hermione, this is… my family.” He was torn between coven and family but calling them anything less than family felt like a slap in the face, so he said as much. This time, their reaction to his words was controlled, and Harry could tell they were busy trying not to squirm under the gaze of so many people.

“Well… uh, this is my soulmate, Edward Cullen.” Harry started, raising his and Edward’s hand, and Hermione’s eyes bulged, and she looked back and forth between them.

“A-are you sure, Harry? Wait, never mind that.” The witch said, shaking her head. “Of course, you’re sure. But how did you find him?” She asked, breathless.

“I was in the right place at the right time,” Harry said with a genuine smile, turning to look at Edward for a moment. “We can go over that with everyone, though, if you don’t mind. Let’s get through this or we’ll be here all day.”

“Of course, sorry. Please continue.” Hermione said quickly.

“To my left is Dr. Carlisle Cullen, and his wife, Esme. They are the parental figures in our lives, and you would be hard-pressed to find more generous, loving people. To their left are our brothers and sisters, Rosalie and Emmett, and Alice and Jasper.” Harry said, going down the line, allowing each vampire time to wave or nod.

“To the right of Edward, we have Seth Clearwater and Draco, obviously. To Draco’s right is Jacob Black; Seth and Jacob are muggles.” Harry said, finishing the quick introduction. Ron and Hermione’s eyebrows shot up at the statement that there were muggles in the group, but they made no move to interrupt. “Everyone, this is Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, my first and closest friends.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet everyone,” Hermione said, still sounding slightly breathless, and Harry knew she was burning with questions.

Ron was glaring daggers at Draco, and Draco was studiously ignoring him.

“I just want to know why you chose him over us. Before this goes any further, I think we have a right to know.” Ron said, looking at Harry now.

“Because he saw the Dark Lord murder my mum,  Ronald . All because I wouldn’t let a group of fucking Death Eaters into the castle. I was a scared kid and all I wanted was to leave. Potter has a savior complex a mile wide; of course, he helped me escape.” Draco said suddenly, cutting over whatever Harry had been about to say.

“So, you severed ties with your best friends, couldn’t even say goodbye, mind, and chose a blood supremacist to go into hiding with? I can’t believe what I’m bloody hearing.” Ron retorted, looking back and forth between them.

Harry opened his mouth but was cut off again.

“You’re right, I  was  a blood supremacist,” Draco said evenly. “I believed every bleeding thing my parents told me and never questioned it. You can imagine my surprise in first year, when the best student in the whole school was a muggle-born witch, who, by all my parents proselytizing, should have been completely awful, turned out to arguably be one of the best witches the school had ever seen. It pissed me off, Weasley, to know that I had been bested by someone I had been taught to hate, and I said some truly awful shit because of it. But I was  wrong . Muggles are…” he trailed off, clearly struggling to speak his mind. “Mugglesaren’tthatbad.”

Ron and Hermione were shocked silent, gaping at him with open mouths.

“I’m sorry, to both of you, for what’s it worth. Spending the past few months with Harry has been life-changing… I-I met my boyfriend because of him, and none of it ever would have happened if he hadn’t stumbled across me in Myrtle’s bathroom. So, if you’re going to be pissed, be pissed at me, not Harry. He just did what he thought was right.” Draco finished.

Seth wrapped their hands together when he was done speaking, and Ron and Hermione looked down at the movement, still completely speechless.

“Yeah, you know… I wanted you guys to be safe, and I knew that getting you out of the country, away from me, was the best chance at that, so I started preparing. I arranged for this property to be purchased, along with my cabin in America, and paid for a new identity. Draco was a last-minute addition… after I had a vision of Voldemort killing his mum, I found Draco in the bathroom. We almost cursed each other, but… I don’t know. Something told me to help him, and… here we are.” Harry explained.

Hermione recovered quickly, snapping her mouth shut before looking at Ron, who was wordlessly mouthing something, and she gently reached up and closed his mouth, too.

“You are going to be the death of me, Harry Potter,” Hermione said steadily after turning away from Ron, looking him in the eye, and then turning to Draco. “I want to be angry with you. I want to yell, and hex you, and maybe give you another good slap, but… I just can’t. I honestly never thought I would see that day that you would apologize to me, and,” she said, looking at his and Seth’s hands again and then back in his eyes, “I believe people can learn from their mistakes. I hope you’ve learned from yours.”

“What  I  want to know, Harry,” Hermione continued, “is how I’m talking to a group of vampires that don’t want to eat me. How are you not being driven crazy with bloodlust? Even if you got turned the day after leaving, standing this close to a human should be impossible.”

“It’s like I said,” Herry replied, “I’m taking a potion that Draco makes. It could revolutionize how vampires are treated in the future; after the war. I can discuss this in detail, but I’d prefer to do it with everyone involved.”

“Fine,” Ron said, finally coming back to the conversation. “There’s a dining room on the ground floor with enough room for everyone. I’m sure Dad and Bill are going to be absolutely mental about this, so let us talk to them first. We’ll just go explain the situation and let you know when to come over.” He said.

Harry nodded, casting a glance over Ron’s shoulder. It was clear the others were getting antsy, and a little forewarning would likely go a long way in establishing some goodwill.

“Sure, Ron. Just say when.” Harry agreed.

 His friend didn’t waste any time in turning around and marching back toward his family, followed shortly after by Hermione, who only lingered to give them a departing wave.

Edward moved his hand to Harry’s lower back and leaned in.

“Draco denying his parents outright like that really surprised him. He does think he needs to speak to the others, but he’s relieved to have a moment to collect himself.” Edward whispered, close enough that only Harry could hear him. He placed a kiss on his hair and then stood up straight, returning to watching the porch as Ron and Hermione spoke with the others, occasionally gesturing toward them.

Harry couldn’t help a small grin. He felt sorry for the situation he put Ron in, sure, but having everyone together was like an early Christmas present. He loved the Cullen’s, and they would be his family for an eternity, but the Weasleys were the ones who provided the first clues as to what a family  should  be.

It wasn’t long after that before the Weasleys retreated into the house and Ron turned back to them, making a summoning motion with his hand.

“Come on,” he said. “Everyone has agreed to hear what’s going on.”

Harry started moving forward automatically and the others fell into step without needing to be told. They met Ron at the threshold and followed him without incident through the entryway and ground floor.

The house itself was tastefully decorated, with nothing overtly flashy that screamed opulence, but the wide hallways, with thick, wooden walls and stone flooring, lined with doors and occasional tables demonstrated that it was far from humble living.

Ron led them past several closed doors before arriving at of set of partially open double doors. Harry could hear nothing, though he knew the chances of them sitting in silence while waiting were slim.

“Privacy wards? Or are we using  Muffliato ?” Harry asked.

“ Muffliato , since we didn’t want to add or change anything without your consent. It  is  your house, after all.” Ron replied, looking at Harry and the others as they came to a stop. “Bill isn’t happy about this, and neither is Dad. Just, uh… thought maybe you could use the warning.”

“Thanks, mate. If I thought leaving you guys in peace was still the right call, I wouldn’t be here. But after everything we’ve learned…” Harry trailed off.

“Right. Let’s get this over with.” Ron said, turning around and entering the dining room.

Harry and the rest of the family followed him, a slight roar of murmured conversation filling his ears as he crossed the threshold. The two families dominated half of the massive table that took up most of the space in the room, clearly leaving a side open for the newcomers.

The discussions stopped almost immediately when they noticed Ron and the vampires’ arrival, and Harry took a moment to look at each person, trying to get a feel for their moods. The first faces he found, the twins, were completely void of emotion, something Harry had never seen. Ginny next, scowling but looking more in thought than angry. Mrs. Weasley was next to Ginny, and she was dabbing at the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief, looking solely at Harry with a devastated expression. Mr. Weasley and Bill were next, and though Mr. Weasley looked extremely uncomfortable, Bill was the one he found that looked particularly angry. To their left were Ron and Hermione, and Hermione’s parents, who were darting glances between everyone in the room, clearly feeling the tension.

“Right… I’ll just go through some introductions, shall I?” Harry said, clapping his hands together lightly. No one said anything, so he continued, presenting everyone the same way he had with Ron and Hermione, while also naming each of the Weasleys and the Grangers in turn.

“Why don’t you take a seat and… start at the beginning, dear.” Mrs. Weasley said when Harry had finished.

Harry nodded and the Cullen’s moved almost in sync, taking a chair each before sliding up to the table. Edward’s hand found a comfortable resting place on his thigh, and Harry closed his eyes, wracking his brain for the human memories that seemed to grow fuzzier and fuzzier each day.

“I guess it started after we fought the Death Eaters in the DoM.” Harry began, still sifting through memories. “Losing Sirius to the veil, seeing Ron get attacked by knowledge itself, seeing Hermione fall to some unknown curse… I was not in a good state. Then I found out that Dumbledore knew about the prophecy all along; told me that neither of us could live while the other survived. He knew and never bothered to tell me because Dumbledore knew best. I don’t know if I can accurately describe how I felt when he sent me back to the Durleys last summer, but I do know that’s when I decided that I was done.”

“I was done being a pawn in his war. I was done sacrificing my life and the people I care about, when he couldn’t even trust me enough to tell me the truth behind the reason my parents were murdered until it was far too late.” Harry explained, opening his eyes now that he had his thought arranged. “So I reached out to the only beings that I thought I could trust; the goblins.”

Bill laughed, actually  laughed , when Harry said that.

“The goblins are motivated by one thing and one thing only, Potter, and that’s gold. If you thought you could truly rely on them, I’m surprised you’ve made it as far as you have.” Bill said scathingly.

“Maybe you’re right, maybe I was foolish to trust them. I was hoping after giving them over two million gallons that I had possibly bought their silence, if not their loyalty, and since I’m still here, against all odds, something obviously worked in my favor.” Harry replied.

“T-two million?” Bill repeated, completely surprised.

“Nearly wiped out the Potter fortune, but that doesn’t matter. I did what I needed to do.” Harry said.

No one said anything, though he definitely had their attention now.

“I sent a letter to my vault manager, Griphook, asking if they could make someone disappear. I got a letter back not a day later, informing me that Gringotts was not in the business of assassinations, but if  Harry Potter  was asking, they could probably find someone who was willing. I corrected him immediately, and things went from there. By the time I returned to school, I already had one foot out of the country. It was thanks to Dumbledore that I decided to wait.”

“This is where you have a decision to make,” Harry said. “There are some things I cannot tell you, not without everyone being sworn to secrecy. Ron and Hermione know a little of what I’m talking about, but they don’t even know the depths that Dumbledore and Voldemort were fighting the war. I can try to explain without going into details, but if you want the full truth, there’s only one way.”

“Unbreakables?” George asked.

Harry nodded. “They can be worded so that they cancel themselves after the war, but we cannot risk Voldemort finding out what I know.”

There was a collective flinch from the Weasleys, and even the Grangers when Harry said his name.

“Ron, Hermione? What’s this about?” Mr. Weasley asked.

Ron and Hermione were looking at Harry, though, and took a moment to respond.

“Why now, Harry?” Hermione finally asked.

“Because the –“ he started to say, before finding that he literally could not speak. “Because,” he tried again, “The-,” starting and stopping. He looked at Edward, thinking the word  goblins  and Edward nodded.

“We got some information from-“ Edward started, then stopped. He raised an eyebrow, and it was Draco who cut in.

“Remember what we agreed to, Harry, honestly.” Draco drawled.

The  goblins  had made them sign a form, forbidding them from mentioning anything about the meeting they’d had just a few days ago.

“Right, of course. We just… we were told to get ready. No more sitting on the sidelines.” Harry tried to explain.

Bill was stroking his chin thoughtfully, looking at Harry and the other vampires with slightly narrowed eyes.

“Fuck it.” He said suddenly. “What’s one more vow? Gringotts has me under about a hundred of them. I’m sure to drop dead at some point from mentioning the weather to the wrong person. If I don’t like what I hear, I’m leaving.”

“We’re in,” Ron said, accepting on behalf of Hermione and himself as soon as Bill was finished. “We’re in 100%.”

“Us,” Fred added.

“Too,” George finished.

“I’m game,” Ginny said.

“Absolutely not, Ginevra. You are going to remove yourself from this room and find something else to occupy your time.” Mrs. Weasley said sternly. “I thought perhaps this would be a lighter conversation, but I should have known better.”

“But mum, that’s completely-“ Ginny tried.

“Enough.” Mr. Weasley said, cutting his daughter off. “Your mother is right. Everyone else is a consenting  adult , and we cannot stop them. But you are still a child, our child, and you will do as your mother says.”

Harry, who’d never heard Mr. Weasley reach a level of severity that rivaled his wife, raised an eyebrow.

Ginny didn’t say anything, but instead stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

It was quiet for a moment until Mr. Granger spoke up.

“Hermione?” He questioned, getting the witch's attention. “You know you have our full support, but this sounds a little beyond us.”

Hermione looked sad but nodded at her father.

“I don’t think we would be able to use an unbreakable vow on you, to be honest. I-I’m sorry, Dad…Mum.” Hermione apologized.

Mrs. Granger reached out and cupped Hermione’s hands in her own briefly, a show of strength and comfort.

“We’ll go and see if we can keep Ginny company. Be careful, my darling.” She said, standing along with her husband and exiting the room.

“What are the terms?” Mr. Weasley asked, sending a spell at the door with a flick of his wand as the Granger’s left.

Harry could hear a soft suctioning sound as the door sealed and likely became soundproof.

“You agree not to discuss anything mentioned in this meeting, from this point forward, from now until Voldemort is defeated, with anyone outside of this room.” He answered.

“That’s all?” Bill asked.

“I’m not trying to cause any more grief than I already have. I wouldn’t even be asking if the information wasn’t so sensitive.” Harry replied.

He nodded.

“I can act as a witness.” Bill offered.

“I’ll be the witness. I’m already neck deep in all this.” Draco said, speaking up for the second time.

Bill looked from Harry to Draco, to Harry, then closed his mouth. “Sure.” He said with a slight frown.

Draco wasted no time, moving over to Ron and Hermione, and motioning for Harry to join them.

Harry got up and rounded the table, coming to a stop in front of Ron, who was now standing up with his hand extended.

Harry grasped Ron’s forearm and Ron mirrored the action. Draco hovered his wand over their hands and a second passed before his wand tip flared bright, and a string of light wove around the boys’ hands.

“Do you, Ronald Weasley, swear not to discuss any of the information divulged in this meeting, with anyone outside of this room, for the entire period that it takes us to stop Lord Voldemort?” Draco asked.

“I do,” Ron said immediately.

Draco moved his wand away and the spell completed, with the strand of light seemingly sinking into their skin. With the blonde's help, they moved through the rest of the group quickly, and when they had received a vow from everyone present, the pair returned to their seats on the opposite side of the table.

“Thank you, everyone, for being willing to take the vow. I’ll just get back to where I was unless there are any questions?” Harry asked, looking everyone in the eyes before continuing. “Alright, so I was at the start of 6th year? Right. So, Dumbledore showed up at Privet Drive and after threatening the Durleys a bit, made sure I would be able to return this summer. He believed keeping me behind the blood wards was still the most secure way to keep me safe. When he was finished, he offered to take me away, and I accepted. I thought we were going to the Burrow, but instead, he stopped in some muggle village, and explained we were there to recruit Professor Slughorn.”

“I helped him convince Slughorn to return to Hogwarts and then met up with you guys for the last little bit of summer. I didn’t know it at the time, but Dumbledore had a mission for me. You see, Professor Slughorn was the potions professor at Hogwarts when another important person was going to school; Voldemort. I was called to Dumbledore’s office for tutoring shortly after the new term started, and I thought he was  finally  going to start teaching me how to defend myself, but we ended up viewing some of his memories, instead. Memories regarding Voldemort’s family and past.”

“At first, Dumbledore just wanted me to see where he came from, and that he was capable of murder at a very young age. Then came the memory that changed everything: When Tom was still a student, he approached Slughorn and asked him about a very dark bit of magic. Slughorn’s memory of the event is altered, badly, and we don’t know exactly what he told Tom, but Dumbledore believed it is the key to everything.”

“What magic was he asking about?” Bill asked wisely.

“Horcruxes,” Harry answered, looking directly at him.

Bill’s mouth fell open slightly, then he chuckled.

“Good one.” He said, trying to get Harry to smile. When Harry didn’t, he looked at Ron and Hermione, who were stone-faced. “You’re not joking?”

“Nope.” Harry replied, popping the ‘p.’ “Dumbledore was waiting for me to get the memory from Slughorn when I had a vision of Voldemort murdering Draco’s mum. I was tired of carrying the wizarding world on my shoulders, so after I found Draco in Myrtle’s bathroom and offered him a way out, I left. I was at my limit. I thought I could ignore the prophecy and live in hiding, but I was wrong.”

“What’s a Horcrux?” Mr. Weasley interrupted, while Molly nodded beside him.

“A Horcrux is a container for part of your soul. It…. It, no  shit  he is so powerful.” Bill started, then looked at Harry. “Having a Horcrux will prevent you from dying. It tethers a piece of you to this world so that even if someone deals you a mortal blow, you can come back.”

“How do you,” Fred started.

“Create a Horcrux?” George finished.

“By committing the evilest act a person can; killing another human. The act of murdering someone tears the soul and allows for a Horcrux to be created.” Hermione explained.

Harry waited for more questions, but continued when there were none.

“Shortly after we arrived in America, we ran into Edward and his family, and seeing Edward for the first time…” Harry explained, feeling his mate squeeze his thigh in support. “I doubt I will ever experience something so life-changing again. We didn’t know it at the time, but we are genuine soulmates and Edward is…  everything  now.”  

“Were you able to confirm an actual soul bond?” Hermione asked. “I mean, is there a way? This is incredibly obscure magic, I understand. In all my reading, I think I’ve only seen it mentioned once or twice, so I didn’t believe it existed.”

“ Soul Magiks: Is It Real?  By  Aileen Ironwood. ” Draco cut in again. “And if her research was as thorough as she wants everyone to believe, they show all the characteristics of soulmates. Aside from the sexual aspects of their relationship,” Draco said, ignoring the choked sound Mrs. Weasley let out out, and the suddenly burning faces of the other Weasleys (save for Fred and George) “they check all the other boxes. Since they’ve met, I don’t think Harry has been out of Edward’s sight, especially since Harry has become a vampire. I do not think it would be possible to separate them without killing them. They balance each other out in ways I didn’t know possible, and Edward is directly responsible for helping Harry avoid killing a couple of unlucky hikers that he came across shortly after the transformation.”

Harry immediately felt the burning, searing pain in his throat as he remembered the scent of human blood. Edward huffed a laugh next to him and moved his hand to Harry’s lower back, where he began small, soothing circles with his thumb.

“I can read thoughts, but I’ve been trying to allow you all some privacy,” Edward said, unprompted, before looking at Hermione. “Though you are practically shouting right now.”

Hermione reddened immediately, and Harry looked at Edward to see the relaxed smile he was giving her.

“I-I, what about-?” She asked, clearly mortified about something.

Edward smiled a little wider and ducked his head.

“Oh, my god.” She whispered.

“What are we all missing?” Ron asked, clearly confused.

“Nothing, Ron, I will tell you later,” Hermione said, beat red, and her tone brooked no argument. “Please continue with your story, Harry.”

“Right,” Harry said, as confused as Ron. “Well, uh… things were going well for a while after first meeting Edward. Draco and I got settled in the new house, we officially met the rest of the Cullens, and really, everything was perfect until Draco’s birthday; that’s when everything exploded.”

He looked over and saw Draco leaning into Seth, mask perfectly in place.

“Voldemort pulled me into another vision, this time Lucius was at the end of his wand. He was in really bad shape, and Voldemort wanted me to be there when he killed him. I tried to leave, but I was trapped. He cast and it was over so quickly... the next thing I knew, I was getting sick back in my house. As soon as as I recovered, I could hear yelling coming from outside and when I looked out the window, I saw Draco was dueling while Edward, Emmett, and Rosalie were engaged by another group of wizards. I saw Draco narrowly avoid a killing curse, sprinted outside to help, and was caught almost immediately, like they were waiting for me.”

Harry could hear the humans’ hearts beating wildly, clearly hanging on to what he was saying. Their breathing had sped up, and their faces were deadly serious.

“I asked the guy who caught me to spare them in exchange for my life; he agreed,” Harry said simply. “He cast the killing curse at my head and I… died.”

“H-how are you still here?” Bill asked softly.

Harry smiled at Edward, then looked at Bill.

“Well, I  was  actually dead, mind. I got to see my parents, briefly.” He explained, and there were a couple of gasps around the table. “But Edward is persistent, and I am lucky that he is because I was offered a choice; accept my fate and stay with my parents, or come back and have another shot at life. I chose life, obviously, but for a split second, I regretted it. Do you know what happens when you get bit by a vampire?” Harry asked, not waiting for a response before continuing. “I thought I had been thrown into molten lava, the searing pain was so bad. But, I was alive, and eventually, the burning receded into my heart, which against all odds, was beating wildly, trying to escape the fire, until… it stopped. Everything stopped. I was pain-free, and my senses were amazing.”

“After an adjustment period, and a hunting trip that almost ended badly for a family of four, I found out all that had happened while I was going through the transformation. I… I…” Harry explained, struggling to express how it felt to find out Dumbledore tried to have him killed for being a Horcrux. How to begin telling them everything that transpired since then?

“I had a vision shortly before Draco’s birthday.” Alice cut in, relieving Harry immensely. “In which I saw the headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, discussing with Minerva McGonagall, the sending of bounty hunters after Harry.”

“WHAT?” Mr. Weasley yelled.

“I don’t believe it.” Mrs. Weasley said moments later. “Albus loved Harry. There is no way he’d do such a thing. What did he stand to gain?”

“He found out I was a Horcrux,” Harry said, composure regained. “An accidental one, admittedly, but for sixteen years, I was playing host to a piece of Voldemort’s soul.”

Bill went white, and the others were sporting expressions of disgust and pity.

“Oh, my god,” Hermione said softly. “Parseltongue? The connection to his mind? That was because of the Horcrux?”

Harry nodded. “I haven’t seen a snake that I could try and talk to, but I imagine I lost that ability the night I died. Edward and Carlisle saw something like acid pouring out of my scar while they attempted to turn me. Did you know vampire venom is said to be able to fix everything?” He explained, lifting the fringe that covered his forehead, revealing a smooth patch of skin where there used to be a lightning bolt scar.

There was a loud growl across the table, and Harry looked toward the source: Ron.

His friend was grinning sheepishly and scratching his head. “We haven’t eaten this morning, sorry.”

“If someone can direct me to the kitchen, I would be more than happy to help with getting something put together.” Esme offered.

“That’s quite alright, dear, quite alright, don’t worry yourself at all.” Mrs. Weasley said quickly, standing up. “I’ve got a small mountain of muffins that need to be eaten, if everyone will excuse me a moment. Please, continue Harry.”

Harry waited for Mrs. Weasley to leave before speaking again.

“The next bit involves Draco, Seth, and Jacob. Jacob, are you still comfortable with us discussing everything?” Harry asked.

“Go ahead,” Jacob said.

“Draco, care to tell this bit?” Harry queried.

Draco took a deep breath and jumped right into the story.

“While Harry was transforming into a vampire, I spent the better part of three days brewing, trying to create a potion that would make it safe for Harry to be around me, when I was relayed the news about my father passing. Finding out that I’d lost both my parents crushed me and I… reacted poorly. I left the Cullen residence in tears and ended up driving to a deserted beach, where I was overcome by my grief and eventually ended up falling asleep next to a fire. By the time I woke up, night had fallen, and I was being approached by a rowdy group of teens.” Draco explained.

Seth was positively beaming beside him, knowing what was coming next, and Draco had just opened his mouth to continue as the door opened and revealed Mrs. Weasley, who was levitating a silver tray that was nearly overflowing with chocolate muffins. It floated over their heads before neatly coming to a rest near the center of the table.

“Help yourselves.” She offered.

Jacob and Seth were first, unsurprisingly, both taking 3 muffins that were the size of a softball, followed closely by Ron, who scooped a couple for himself and Hermione, while the twins each took one and passed one to Bill and their father. When everyone had started eating, Draco continued.

“As I was saying, I was woken up by a group of ruffians, and in my emotional state, I let my mouth get me into some trouble with one of them. Before I knew it… he had transformed into a wolf.” Draco said, smirking as he saw the group of wizards and witches stop chewing. “Obviously, I tried to leave,  posthaste , but I was too slow. One second, I was running, the next I was sent flying. I was getting ready to defend myself with something a little stronger than the original stunner I’d used while trying to get away, when another wolf came soaring out of nowhere and slammed into the wolf that was attacking me.”

Draco stopped and looked lovingly at Seth, who was smiling at him from around the muffin.

“My sandy-haired saviour,” Draco said, raising and kissing the knuckles of Seth’s hand before continuing. “I was unaware at the time, but Seth imprinted on me. In a way, it’s like we’re also soulmates. From what Jacob and Seth have explained, the imprint process is supposed to match you with the person you are most compatible with.”

“Really, Malfoy? I’m finding it hard to believe you’ve had this massive change of heart. Especially a change of heart big enough that you’re able to accept being, what, bound to a muggle?” Ron said, scowling.

“As I said before, I know I was a right bastard growing up, and my parents were even worse, but all I can do is move forward and try to atone for the past. That’s part of the reason I worked so hard on the potion for Harry, and why I’ve flown halfway across the world to help convince the rest of you to join us. You don’t really have to accept or forgive me, but Harry needs your help.” Draco replied with a level tone.

Harry was impressed that he didn’t snap back, and it was a mark of how much Draco had matured in such a short time that he hadn’t.

“As far as I’m concerned,” Draco continued, “the blood feud between our families is over. Since I am heir to the Malfoy estate, I plan on making a public statement explaining as much… when the war is over, of course. It costs me nothing to admit that pureblood ideology is extremely flawed, and as long as the rest of the wizarding world is ready to compromise, I see no reason to continue denying that muggle-borns and half-bloods are just as capable as a pureblood.”

Silence followed his declaration, and even Harry was surprised. Mutual hatred for Voldemort would have allowed the two families to work together, but Draco never mentioned that he felt so strongly about righting previous wrongs.

“Back to the topic at hand, then?” Draco asked, continuing after a moment of delay. “While I was meeting the rest of Seth and Jacob’s family, Harry finished the transformation into a vampire. I knew that I couldn’t wait however long it was going to take Harry to control his thirst, but I still hadn’t worked out a potion that would control his thirst. Luckily, Seth proved to be invaluable to that cause. You see, vampires, and the wolves that Seth and Jacob transform into, are natural enemies. Aside from having the ability to kill each other, they find each other’s scents repulsive. To Harry and the other Cullens, Seth and Jacob smell like wet dogs, and breathing the scent of a vampire to the wolves is like inhaling the odor one would expect to find in the tomb of recently mummified bodies; sickeningly sweet, like syrup that’s been mixed into buttermilk that’s gone slightly off.”

“Why bother telling you this? Upon arriving back at the Cullen residence after first meeting Seth, I was told that I reeked, and admittedly, I had spent the night… wrapped up with Seth. This gave me the idea of using their sweat, which, logically, seemed to be the source of that wet dog smell, as the basis of this new potion. Along with Carlisle, we were able to create something that can be absorbed by Harry and renders the smell of human blood… unappealing.” Draco finished.

Hermione was practically vibrating in her seat, and Harry had to bite down on a smile.

“Questions?” Draco asked, looking around.

“So, so many, but this is neither the time nor the place,” Hermione said immediately. “Just… do you understand what you’ve done, Malfoy? This really  could  revolutionize how vampires are treated in the future. With some refinement, I imagine that you could even get rid of the side-effect smell of wet dog, and make it so that human blood just doesn’t appeal to the vampire in question. I-I thought… well, I thought Harry might be exaggerating a bit, but the potions world is never going to be the same. I’m truly impressed.”

If anyone else saw Draco sit up a little straighter in his seat, they didn’t mention it.

“Perhaps we can collaborate, after everything is said and done. I won’t be mentioning Seth, Jacob, or any of their tribe in my findings, to protect them, but Carlisle has agreed to be named whenever I submit my research.” Draco offered casually, like they’d been friends for years. “I’d be glad to have your support.”

Hermione was nodding long before he was finished.

“M-Malfoy, that’s extremely generous, and I would be delighted, but… are you sure?” Hermione replied. “I mean, I’m not even sure what I can add, but I would love a chance to see your research.”

“Once we’ve addressed the reason for our visit, we can come back to this,” Draco said. “I think Harry can probably tell the story from here.”

“Right,” Harry said, jumping back in. “So… Draco returned with Seth and Jacob after a falling out with Sam, who was another shapeshifter, and the leader of their pack. He was already on edge with a couple of wizards showing up in town, but after he learned that Edward had changed me, and Seth had imprinted on Draco, he was furious. He tried to stop Seth from seeing Draco, which would have taken a serious toll on his mental health.” Harry explained, looking around and waiting for questions.

“We’d like to know more.” George started.

“About the imprinting process.” Fred ended.

“It’s pretty simple,” Seth said, speaking over Harry as he also began explaining. “Our ancestors taught us that there is one person in the whole world with whom you are truly compatible and that there was something hardwired in us to ensure that if we ever met this person, we would know. When I met Draco, it was like everything else ceased to matter.  He  was the person tethering me to this planet, not gravity. My whole world revolves around him.”

“Doesn’t that feel like,” Fred said.

“Slavery?” The twins asked together.

Seth frowned, and Jacob cut in.

“No. Not for us. I don’t expect that you’ll understand, but for Seth, there is nothing and no one in the world who will make him happier, who will see to his needs and wants, better than Draco.” Jacob said, looking directly at the twins. “Seth can tell him no, about  anything , if that’s what you’re getting at. Imprinting is just our genes telling us that a certain person among billions is a perfect match for us. A soulmate. It’s taboo in our tribe to prevent an imprintee from seeing their wolf because wolves have gone crazy in the past, sometimes dying from self-inflicted wounds or broken hearts.”

Fred and George nodded, and their expressionless faces returned. It hit Harry that they might be occluding but would need to wait until after the meeting to confirm with Edward.

“Would you be willing to show us?” Bill asked. “Your other forms, I mean.”

“Not in here. We channel our anger in order to transform, and it can be a little destructive. I’ve agreed with Harry to show your family what we look like, but only outside. I could lose control and end up hurting someone in a closed space like this.” Jacob explained.

 Bill nodded, and when everyone was focused on Harry again, he continued.

“Draco realized after returning home with Seth and Jacob that he could use their sweat to mask the scent of his blood, and they had a working potion faster than I thought would ever be possible. I doubt Snape could have done the same in the same situation.” Harry explained. “But we had the new issue of Sam and the rest of their pack potentially trying to attack us when we hunted, so we decided to ward off the Cullen residence, and only leave in big groups to go hunting. It was a good system… until Dumbledore showed up.”

The temperature in the room must have dropped ten degrees following his statement, and every one of the Weasleys was rigid in their posture.

“His Patronus landed in our kitchen while half our family was out hunting, and he claimed he wanted to make sure I was okay,” Harry said, then laughed hollowly, sounding scary to even his ears. “The man sent a hit squad after me, but he wanted to make sure I was okay. I was terrified, at the time, thinking he was going to try and drag me back to England, but what he wanted was so much worse.”

No one interrupted now, so he continued.

“We met with him, Edward and I, while everyone else waited in the tree line beside my cottage, waiting to provide support if he tried anything. We asked him to leave his wand on the railing before coming near us, and he appeared to do it. When he approached us, he said he was surprised that  I  was mad at  him , when I was the one who’d run away. I decided to stop beating around the bush and informed him that I knew what he had done, and  why  he’d done it. I tried telling him that the Horcrux inside me had been destroyed, but he wouldn’t accept it. He tried to get me to come back with him, and when I declined, he tried to use Fiendfyre to destroy us.”

Harry could hear the heartbeats of every living member in the room, and they were all thundering wildly.

“What were we to do?” Harry asked softly, dangerously, “Stand by and let him murder us all, because he  thought  I might still have a piece of Voldemort in me?” He shook his head. “I didn’t react in time, regardless. I froze when I realized he was going to attack again, and I would be dead for real if it weren’t for Edward. He reacted faster than Dumbledore could cast, and he used his body to slam into Dumbledore, sending him flying through the air before he crashed into the house.” Harry explained, stopping again to allow someone to speak.

Still, no one moved, no one spoke; they hardly seemed to breathe.

“He was in bad shape, obviously, and there was blood everywhere. It took every ounce of my control not to attack him, but I was able to resist. I resisted, and he offered me the last bit of help he ever would: his memories. We were barely able to collect them by the time his heart stopped, and then... he was gone.” Harry finished, looking around at the members of the first family that had ever loved him.

Mrs. Weasley had tears dripping down her face and Mr. Weasley looked seconds away from the same. Bill had a hard expression on his face but didn’t look angry, at least not at Harry. Ron was pale, and Hermione was wiping tears from her own face. Fred and George were still emotionless.

“We read he had passed.” Mr. Weasley said hoarsely. “Said he died from a great fall. I… I guess they weren’t too far off.”

“I don’t want to believe Dumbledore died trying to kill you, but… having dealt with a vampire or two in Egypt, I know how fiercely protective they are, and I can see the situation playing out like that. The wizarding world is going to turn on you, no matter how you present it, you know that, right?” Bill said.

“Probably.” Harry agreed. “It does not change the mission he gave me. If you believe in it, fate has also issued me the same mission.”

“What do you mean?” Ron asked, still quite pale.

“His memories included some of the ones that he had previously shown me and a bunch of new ones. I won’t go into detail, because I’ve got them with me, secured, of course, for anyone wanting to see them firsthand, but Dumbledore believes Voldemort created more Horcruxes than the ones we already know about.” Harry replied. “Tie that in with the ‘prophecy’ and you’ve got me.”

“And how many do you know about?” Bill asked.

“We know about Tom’s diary from second year. That one possessed Ginny; the ring, that cursed his hand; and me, who was an unintentional creation. Those are the ones we know about for sure.” Harry explained.

“And how many does Dumbledore think were created?” Mr. Weasley asked.

“I don’t know. His memories showed a witch by the name of Hepzibah Smith, who claimed to be descended from Hufflepuff, showing two items that belonged to the founders, to Voldemort, shortly before she was “accidentally” poisoned by her house elf. I think it’s safe to say those probably became Horcruxes. This is partially backed by another memory, originally provided by Snape, that shows a meeting between Voldemort and Bellatrix, where he is gifting her something with a badger on it. This was shortly before he killed my parents and tried to kill me.”

“Nagini, his familiar, is another of his guesses. He believes I was able to see the snake’s view of the attack on Mr. Weasley because of my connection to Voldemort, so I’m going to have to find a way to get to her, too. And that,” Harry finished, “is where his memories end. At least where horcruxes are concerned. There were a few memories that weren’t relevant, and one showing that he also told Snape about the Horcruxes.”

“Excuse me?” Fred said.

“Repeat that, please,” George said.

“Dumbledore told Snape about the Horcruxes. He trusted him implicitly, and I think we are going to have to, as well. Before we set out to hunt the Horcruxes, my family and I plan on stopping by Hogwarts. We need to speak to Slughorn.” Harry replied.

“Say we agree to help you.” Mr. Weasley said. “What are you asking of us?” 

Edward was rubbing small circles on his back, and Harry took a deep breath.

“Voldemort has already tried recruiting the biggest, most powerful vampire coven in the world. They are known-“ Harry started.

“As the Volturi?” Bill cut in.

Harry nodded, looking at the eldest brother in confusion. 

“You said earlier that you’ve come across vampires in Egypt?” Carlisle asked. “Might I ask who it was that spoke with you so freely?”

“Why? Do you plan on hunting them down?” Bill asked, slightly defensive.

“Not at all. I just wish to warn them from revealing such information in the future. The Volturi are not known for their forgiveness, and they must have been quite young to make such an error in judgment.” Carlisle replied. “Though, I might be able to hazard a guess as to which coven you encountered. After all, not many would let a human walk away unscathed.”

“I won’t provide their names, but I will tell you if you happen to guess correctly,” Bill replied. “And I don’t think they thought I was going to be able to escape. I doubt they had come across a curse-breaker before.”

“Was it Amun? Or perhaps, one of the young members of his coven? Benjamin or Tia?” Carlisle asked.

Bill smiled and nodded. “Impressive. I came across Benjamin and Tia. I had been with Gringotts for nine months, maybe a year, when I came across a tomb that was heavily warded. It took a month or two to safely walk the main corridor, and even then, the rooms were unsafe to enter. I was exploring one day and happened upon a treasure room. To my surprise and immediate suspicion, I encountered a young man and woman. Benjamin and Tia were in a very comprising position on the throne, and I thought I was possibly hallucinating.”

“I attempted to turn and leave quietly, but my shoe scuffed a vase on the way out, and Benjamin moved faster than I thought possible at the time. He somehow had control over the tomb and a door that was previously not there rose out of the ground and cut off my escape. We felt each other out; Benjamin asked my name, and how I got there, and I asked him the same. I took a chance and told him I was a wizard, thinking I could obliviate him in the end if necessary, and then he admitted to being a vampire. He was trying to get close to me, by that point, and I was having to move to keep space between us. I tried to warn him that people would come looking for me if he tried to feast on me, and he smiled and said the Volturi would not allow him to let me go, because he had exposed himself. When he eventually lunged at me, I took a chance and disapparated. Luckily, the tomb had been sealed before anti-apparition wards had been created, and I got out of there alive.”

“They were the first pair of vampires I ever came across, and after that, I did my best to avoid conversation with dark creatures in sealed tombs. Though I have seen other vampires display the same type of protective behaviour that Edward exhibited when Dumbledore tried to harm Harry.” Bill said, scratching his neck.

“Quite a thrilling tale,” Carlisle said, sounding genuinely fascinated. “With the best possible outcome for all involved parties, I believe. I don’t think I need to approach Amun regarding this, though I do wish to speak to Benjamin just to hear his side. I’m sure he will find it quite humorous that we’ve run into you again.”

Bill was smirking as he replied, “Tell him to keep it down next time or they’ll wake the dead.”

Carlisle chuckled and nodded before saying, “Of course.”

“So, er… Yeah. Basically, the Volturi have already tried to be recruited by Voldemort.” Harry said, bringing the attention back to the matter at hand. “They declined, and he murdered one of their favoured guards on his way out, but not before he mentioned my name. The Volturi thought we were involved, so they planned to hunt us down. That was part of the reason for our travel plans. Edward and I just arrived in Australia this morning after meeting with the Volturi in Italy. They’ve agreed, after seeing our memories, not to hunt us anymore, but they’ve requested to be notified when Voldemort is mortal again, so they can take revenge.”

“How did you guys find out Voldemort was meeting with the Volturi? And how did you find out they planned on coming after you?” Hermione asked.

“I can see the future, especially my family’s future,” Alice explained, speaking up again. “Over the years, I learned to control my ability, and I can often see the outcomes of simple, everyday decisions with a little focus. I knew that Harry and Edward would run into each other and I knew that Harry was going to become a vampire. I didn’t expect to get a vision of Dumbledore and McGonagall discussing the bounty hunters Dumbledore sent after Harry, but as it pertained to Harry and decisions that would be made in the future, I was able to see it. This is similar to what happened when I received a vision of the Volturi’s tracker, informing them that they knew where Harry was, and the actions they planned to take against us.” 

“Do you know whether we’re going to agree to help you or not?” Ron asked.

“No. Though under different circumstances, I would likely be able to see your decision before you consciously made it.” Alice replied.

“What’s preventing you from seeing the future now?” Mrs. Weasley asked.

“Seth and Jacob,” Alice replied. “It’s complicated, but I can’t see their futures,  yet , and because they are so entwined with us, I cannot see our futures, either.”

“Bloody hell, would it be useful though,” Ron said.

Harry looked down at Alice, who looked like she agreed, though she didn’t say anything in response.

“Voldemort is preparing for something. He’s looking for dark creatures willing to support him, and since the Volturi have turned him down, we think he’s asked the Romanian vampires to join, and that can’t mean anything good.” Harry continued. “We’re here to ask for your assistance in hunting his remaining Horcruxes down, destroying them, and finishing him off for good. It’ll be dangerous as hell, and there is a war brewing in England. There’s a chance that we might not all make it through this.”

He looked at each of the Weasleys again, trying to impress how serious a situation it was upon them, half-hoping they would turn him down.

“It’s a big decision, and it does not need to be made today,” Harry said. “Travel arrangements have been made for tomorrow afternoon. We have a plane chartered for London and can arrange to accommodate everyone that wants to come. I have been as honest as I can possibly be, and Dumbledore’s memories can be viewed should you want to verify for yourself what I’ve seen, assuming there’s still a pensieve in the house. Any questions?”

Mrs. Weasley sat forward, having regained her composure a while ago, and looked at her gathered family. When none of them moved, she stood up.

“No questions right now, dear.” She said softly, looking him in the eye. “I would like to request a hug if it’s on the table.”

“Of course, Mrs. Weasley,” Harry replied with a shocked laugh, standing up and meeting her at the head of the table. 

She didn’t hesitate in wrapping her arms around him, and he easily reciprocated the gesture.

“You brave, stupid boy.” She said after a moment, and he realized she was crying. “I can’t believe we almost lost you.”

“Almost. I’m still here, though. Arguably less killable, now.” Harry replied.

She laughed, and it was watery, but she pulled back and took his face in her hands.

“I don’t know what my children plan on doing, Harry Potter, but you will always have my wand. Just tell me where to point it.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Weasley,” Harry said, hanging his head a little. 

She stepped away, drying her eyes, and moved around him, headed for the door.

“I’m going to step outside for some fresh air. Please feel free to join me.”

Esme stood and followed her, as did Carlisle, Jasper, Alice, Rose, and Emmett. Bill hastily mirrored them and moved to the head of the table. He clapped a hand on Harry’s shoulder and then moved around him, following his mother and the line of Cullen’s that had followed her.

Mr. Weasley followed Bill, also stopping to give him what Harry imagined was a good, hard squeeze on his shoulder, before moving out of the room.

Harry was standing near the twins, and they looked up at him in turn.

“Do we get to hug,” George began.

“The big scary vampire, too?” Fred asked.

Harry grinned widely and held his arms open as they stood up, carefully wrapping his arms around them.

“All jokes aside, mate,” Fred said. “It’s damn good to see you again.”

“And not just because we thought we lost a business partner,” George added. “But that definitely sucked, too. We have so much to show you.”

“It’s good to see you guys, too. I can’t wait to see what you’ve been cooking up.” Harry replied, releasing them as they stepped back.

“We’re here for you, too, like mum. We’d have followed you to America.” Fred said.

“Just don’t ditch us again,” George said.

“Not this time.” Harry agreed. “Thank you both.”

They mock-saluted him and then trooped out of the room behind the others.

Harry turned and faced the remaining people.

Edward was looking at him, eyes so full of love and pride that Harry almost squirmed under the attention. Draco was running his hand through Seth’s hair while the teen leaned on his shoulder with his eyes closed. Jacob was scrolling on his phone, no longer paying attention, and Ron and Hermione were looking at him, though with a much different expression than his mate.

“Have I got something on my face?” He asked, running a hand over his forehead, cheeks, and chin, in an attempt to dislodge whatever they were looking at.

Ron laughed, and Hermione smiled despite herself.

“No, mate, you just look bloody gorgeous,” Ron said. “It’s hard to look away.”

“And your voice is so much different, but also not. It sounds quite nice.” Hermione explained. “Not that it sounded bad before, but…”

“I know what you mean. Vampire venom makes everything better, except the whole dying bit.” Harry said, relieved. “And I am not  gorgeous .”

“Oh, no, you definitely are.” Edward cut in. “Though I can think of a thousand other words to describe your beauty. Shall I start alphabetically?”

Harry was once again thankful he couldn’t blush, choosing to roll his eyes instead.

“You’ll do no such thing, babe. Think of the children in the room.” Harry said.

Jacob looked up at that, and so did Seth. They both flipped him off before resuming their activities, and Harry grinned.

“Why don’t we join the others? You guys can transform, and maybe we can have a friendly race down the beach.” Harry suggested.

Jacob stood up immediately, stretching and popping the muscles in his back before fixing Harry with his own grin. “That might be the best idea you’ve had yet.”

---

Chapter Text

August 3rd Denmark, AU 10:00 AM (Harry’s POV)

“They need to be naked when they transform, or their clothes will get ripped to shreds.” Harry explained to the new members of the group as they shared questioning looks when the mentioned wolves disappeared around a corner shortly after they rejoined the group. “Side-effect of the change, unfortunately.”

“Interesting.” Hermione replied, a thoughtful look on her face. “Have you had a chance to research any spells that could assist with magically repairing or changing their clothes when they shapeshift?”

“Uhhhh.” Harry responded. “No. Hadn’t thought about it, honestly.”

“You’ve had other things to worry about, it sounds like.” Hermione replied, shrugging. “I’ll keep an eye out for anything that sounds like it could help.”

“Thanks, ‘Mione.” Harry said, beaming.

Their conversation was interrupted by Ginny, who squealed with delight when the pair came back around the corner, shifted into their enormous wolf forms.

“Mum, look!” The girl shouted, dragging everyone’s attention and drawing gasps and shocked utterances.

“Oh Merlin, how beautiful!” Hermione whispered.

Harry looked with everyone else and agreed that the pair made quite the sight. Jacob’s massive form was showcased by the fact that he made Seth look noticeably smaller when standing next to him - an impressive feat considering that Seth was 7’ tall. The sun shone on Jacob’s russet brown fur, creating a golden hue that seemed to highlight him while casting a shadow on Seth, his mostly black fur, and sandy-haired paws.

The wolves walked slowly and gracefully toward the assembled group, the heavy *thud* from their paws slapping the ground one of the many sounds Harry was now able to discern with crystal clarity.

Edward laughed as they neared, and Harry looked at him questioningly.

“Jacob would like to get your guys’ race settled as soon as possible.” Edward explained as the new members of their group moved forward to meet the transformed boys, running their hands through their fur while gawking at their size.

“Oh?” Harry replied with a grin, already eyeing the long, deserted stretch of beach. “What do you think? First one to that cliff and back is the winner?” Harry asked loudly, looking at Jacob as he pointed to the cliff he was referring to far off in the distance.

The wolf bobbed his head as Ginny patted his side and Edward confirmed, “He agrees. First one to the cliff and back.”

Emmett elected to move forward and draw a line in the sand with his shoe.

“Sounds like we’ve got ourselves a little competition.” The hulking vampire said eagerly.

Jacob pulled away from the group that had gathered around Seth and himself, walking up to the line Emmett had drawn.

“What do you think my odds are?” Harry asked Edward quietly as he eyed the wolf.

“Against Jacob? 50/50.” Edward replied honestly.

“He’s that fast?” Harry asked, shocked.

“Faster than me. I believe in you, though.” Edward said, leaning in to give him a quick peck on the lips before lightly pushing him toward Jacob. “Go get him, my love.”

Harry chuckled nervously and let his gaze sweep over the group of his family and friends that had gathered to watch. The vampires looked hopeful and confident, while the Weasley’s and the Granger’s watched with a mixture of amusement and excitement.

“Come on, Harry, you got this!” Ron yelled encouragingly.

“I dunno, man. Jacob is preeeetty fast.” Emmett countered skeptically, not missing a beat. “I love you, Harry, but I gotta bet on Jacob!”

Harry huffed a laugh as he lined up next to Jacob.

“No pressure, eh?” He asked.

Jacob snorted as Emmett walked between them before coming to a stop a few feet in front of them.

“When I say go, you go.” The vampire said, grinning. “Ready?”

Harry and Jacob nodded.

Emmett raised his hand and looked at Harry, then Jacob.

“Go.” He hissed, ripping his arm through the air in a blinding motion.

The duo took off, chunks of semi-wet sand spraying the gathered group in their wake.

Harry quickly pushed himself to go faster than he ever had before, hoping to easily outstrip Jacob, but was surprised when the wolf could be heard only a few steps behind him as they hastily neared the cliff, which had to have been half a mile away originally.

There was nothing but their frantic footsteps and Jacob’s steady breathing as they approached, and moments later the vampire was focusing on his technique for turning around while losing as little momentum as possible, pivoting on his right foot while swinging his left leg and rotating his body, and then using his left leg to push off the rockface with, executing the turn with ease thanks to his new power, before blasting off toward the group of people again. It felt incredible to run with abandon, and as they neared the finish line, with Jacob trailing right behind Harry, Harry had a newfound respect for Jacob. The young vampire knew without a doubt that once his blood had been diluted like the rest of the Cullen’s had, Jacob would be far quicker than him.

The group was cheering as they crossed the finish line, with Harry in the lead by a full second, and he watched with slight concern as the wolf didn’t stop but instead blew past the line and only slowed to a trot as he disappeared around the side of the house. Seth was seen going after him a moment later.

“They’re going to shift again.” Edward explained.

“That was close.” Harry commented. “Jacob is faster than I thought.”

“That was wicked, though, mate. You guys were a blur when you crossed the finish line!” Ron commented excitedly.

“Honestly, Harry, that was seriously impressive. I had no idea vampires and werewolves could run that fast.” Hermione added.

“Thanks.” Harry said with a sheepish smile. “Looks like everyone is heading back to the deck.” He noted, tipping his head toward the group that was walking away. “Now you can tell me what you were thinking that Edward heard that had you blushing so furiously earlier.”

“Oh, yeah.” Ron said, snapping his fingers. “I had forgotten about that.”

Hermione blushed again and looked at Harry guiltily. “It was nothing, Harry. Just a passing thought.”

“’C’monnnnn, ‘Mione. You can tell us.” Ron begged.

Edward was hiding a smile in Harry’s shoulder as Hermione floundered for a moment.

“I just had a passing thought about Harry and Edward, alright? They both look- well, you know, and I just thought they looked good together.” She said, gesturing to the pair. “Like, r-really good. I couldn’t help but imagine… other things.”

“I concur.” Edward agreed, his composure regained. “An errant thought and nothing more.”

Hermione looked relieved that Edward had come to her rescue.

“If you say so.” Ron said suspiciously. “Come on, let’s go see what everyone plans to do now.”

---

Harry was standing on the beach with his back to the crashing surf, away from the group of co-mingling families of vampires, shape-shifting wolves, humans, and wizard folk. Most of them were eating the snacks that had been spread out while making small talk, and they were all seated at a giant table which was centered on a wooden deck at the rear of the house.

The sun was beating down on them, causing the vampires to sparkle indiscriminately, but the breeze coming off the ocean was helping keep everyone cool.

Edward was behind him, letting the younger vampire lean into him while they watched light and dark creatures break bread together, little scraps of their conversation occasionally being heard over the crashing waves.

“I thought the goblins were crazy,” Harry said softly. “Asking me to speak on behalf of dark creatures. I didn’t think it was going to go well, especially because the wizarding world hated me before I was a vampire, and now they are going to feel like they have a valid reason for it, but… looking at this?” He said, gesturing to the group. “I can envision a future where this is just regular life. Light and dark, existing in balance.”

Edward hummed and Harry felt the vibration against the back of his head.

“Bloody hell, listen to me worry about the future when we have real problems to deal with now.” Harry groaned.

“Planning for the future is a good thing.” Edward replied. “And I love to hear you talk; about everything and nothing. Mrs. Granger was being sincere when she complimented your voice, though having heard both versions myself, I think you’ve always sounded wonderful.”

Harry smiled wide, exposing his teeth, and then chuckled.

“I appreciate that… ‘that’ being your completely unbiased opinion regarding anything to do with me, right, my love?” Harry asked.

“Oh yes, completely unbiased.” Edward confirmed, his voice laced with amusement. “I would never skew the truth based on my overwhelming sense of love and affection for you.”

Harry turned in his mates’ arms and placed a hand behind Edward’s neck before pulling the taller vampire down into a kiss.

It was light and soft and would have completely stolen his breath had he still been human. It only lasted for a few moments before Harry heard the voices around the table suddenly stop, and remembering they had an audience, he regretfully pulled away.

“Who was watching?” He asked. “And more importantly, does anyone care?”

“Who was watching two adults share a chaste kiss? Everyone was, of course.” Edward replied with a smirk, before leaning in and kissing him again. “That was for good measure. And no one cares. They’re just getting used to seeing it.” He explained as he pulled away.

Conversation resumed at the table and Harry snorted softly.

“Bunch of voyeurs, I swear,” Harry said. “I know you said you were trying to give them privacy, but did you catch anything during the meeting? I was expecting them to be angry, especially at learning the truth behind Dumbledore’s death, and they just… sat there.”

“They were not expecting you to be so forthright with all the information, for one. I, too, expected some sort of negative reaction to the news, but it seems their faith has been shaken in him for some time, if their thoughts are anything to go by. When you mentioned Dumbledore sending those bounty hunters, a letter flashed through Arthur and Molly’s heads. It’s possible they had some kind of prior knowledge of this, but not to the full extent. They seemed genuinely surprised to find out he tried to have you killed, and though they were quite distressed to found out why he died, I didn’t read any immediate hostility from them.” Edward answered. “I believe the three eldest Weasleys will ask to view his memories and decide for the younger ones… though as Molly has stated, her mind seems to already be made up.”

“That’s all I want, is for them to make the best, most informed decision for themselves. I feel like Dumbledore could have done a lot better if he had trusted a few more people, but… I don’t know, finding out that Voldemort had multiple horcruxes really shook him.” Harry replied.

Edward wrapped his hands around Harry’s waist and pulled him closer, burying his face in the younger vampire’s hair as he did so. “I’m glad we came. I admittedly had a bad impression of your life prior to you meeting me, but with this group of people in it, at least I know it wasn’t all bad.”

Harry looked at his best friends and family again, a sense of completeness filling him.

“I’m glad we came, too.”

---

August 3rd Denmark, AU 4:30 PM (Harry)

Mr. Weasley had just finished lighting the fire for the grill when there was a faint *pop* of apparition that came from the yard, drawing the attention of everyone with super hearing, but going otherwise unnoticed. That was, until the arriving party started yelling in surprise.

“What in Merlin’s name is going on here? Who are these people? HARRY?” Percy shouted from yard.

“Percy! There you are. I was starting to wonder if we shouldn’t send someone to fetch you.” Mrs. Weasley yelled above the commotion, walking down the steps to meet her son. “You’ve missed so much, dear.”

“No kidding.” Percy replied as Harry, Edward, Ron, and Hermione approached. “Harry, is that really you?” The wizard asked with skeptical eyes darting between Harry and Edward.

“Yes, Percy, it’s me. A lot has happened, though.” Harry replied, watching the surprise flicker across his face at hearing his voice.

“Where ya been, Perce?” Ron asked. “You left so early this morning, we were starting to get worried.”

“Yeah, sorry. I was in town and wound up at the pub watching the news. There was a major attack in Muggle London. They labeled it an engineering disaster, but a building that was previously structurally sound somehow collapsed, killing hundreds. It was urgent news, so I stayed to see if anything else was going to be reported on.” Percy explained.

“Oh, Merlin, how awful!” Hermione said with a deep frown.

“You think this was caused by magic?” Edward questioned.

Percy looked at the vampire for a moment before sticking his hand out. “Percy Weasley.”

“Ah, yes, sorry, how rude of me; Edward Cullen.” Edward replied, grasping the wizard’s hand.

Percy gasped. “Your hand is-“

“Ice cold?” Harry cut in with a small smile. “Mine too, Percy; we’re vampires.”

Percy took a step back with his hands held up. “What?”

“So are they.” Harry said, pointing out the remaining Cullen’s, who looked amused. “Long story, mate. Don’t mind telling you about it, but you’ll have to take the same vow everyone else took this morning.”

“Bloody hell…” Percy said, trailing off. “What vow?”

---

August 3rd Denmark, AU 05:30 PM (Harry)

It took nearly an hour to catch Percy up to speed after he took the same unbreakable everyone else had, but it was easier after already having told the story once that day.

“So let me get this straight: Voldemort created a bunch of these Horcruxes, accidentally created one that resided in you, Dumbledore found out and successfully had you killed, you somehow survived and came back as a vampire, Dumbledore was killed trying to assassinate you again, and now you’re headed back to Scotland to interview Slughorn and hunt the remaining Horcruxes. Did I miss anything?” Percy asked. “Oh, lest we forget that you have a soul bond with a vampire, you ran away with Draco Malfoy, who’s in a relationship with a male muggle, a shapeshifting male muggle, and you have the promise of the vampire government to come to your aid when this all inevitably goes tits up. NOW did I forget anything?”

“No, you pretty well wrapped that up.” Harry said with a cheeky smile.

Percy huffed out a laugh and took his glasses off, rubbing the indentation from where they’d been sitting all day.

“What a mess we find ourselves in.” He lamented before stuffing his glasses back on. “I’ll look at the memories, if you don’t mind, but I don’t see any reason not to help. Just let me know what I can do.”

“Thanks, Percy. That means a lot.” Harry said genuinely.

A knock at the door interrupted them.

“Boys? We’ve got dinner ready if you’d like to wash up and join us.” Mrs. Weasley announced from the doorway.

“Thanks, Mum. We’ll be right there.” Percy answered.

Mrs. Weasley nodded and backed out, closing the door behind her.

The wizard reached a hand back out to Edward, which the vampire took with a puzzled frown.

“Sorry for my reaction earlier, I just… wasn’t expecting that.” Percy said, shaking Edward’s hand before taking Harry’s and pulling him into an awkward half-hug. “Same to you, Harry. Thank you for getting us out, but more importantly, for coming back to us. You’ve been part of the family since Ron found you, you know? It sucked having you just take off on us.”

Harry bobbed his head up and down against the wizard’s shoulder, knowing that Percy meant what he said.

“Alright then. Let’s go find out what mum made.” Percy suggested, pulling back and leading the way outside.

---

Dinner that night would go down as one of Harry’s fondest memories. The co-mingling from earlier in the day had easy flowed into the evening, and everyone seemed in high spirits, laughing and sharing stories while digging into the massive feast that Mrs. Weasley and Esme had managed to whip up… it felt like all their problems were forgotten, if only for the night.

Carlisle and Esme were currently regaling most of the older members of the family with tales from the past 300 years, starting with the witch trials of the 1600’s and moving through the ages.

Ginny was trying, and failing miserably, not to get caught staring at the newcomers, something Rosalie found immensely entertaining, until she eventually made her way over to the young girl and struck up a conversation, and the pair were soon whispering to each other, pointing discreetly at random people around the table while giggling.

The twins had gotten a round of laughs from everyone, Jacob included, when Ron took a swallow of his drink and promptly turned into a frog, jumping off the bench while croaking loudly and proceeding to hop around the area, until eventually reverting back to his human form in a large puff of smoke, crouched down on his hands and legs in an awkward manner.

“OI! I THOUGHT WE HAD A DEAL!” Ron yelled at the twins as soon as he was able.

“But we had to show.” Fred said.

“Harry the new product.” George finished.

“Croak-a-cola!” They announced proudly.

“Absolutely brilliant.” Harry praised while beaming.

“Oh, yeah? Tell that to my knees.” Ron complained, rubbing said part of his body as he stood up.

“We’re still working on the joint stiffness.” George said quietly to Harry, subduing the vampire’s laughter as he watched Hermione begin gently rubbing his friend’s knees.

“He’s playing it up.” Edward whispered softly into his ear. “He’s totally fine.”

Harry couldn’t help the wicked snort that escaped his nose, drawing the people’s attention nearest to them.

“Sorry.” He said, raising his hand while shaking his head at Ron, who smiled conspiratorially toward them. “Prat.” He mouthed, causing Ron’s grin to grow wider.

---

The moon was shining brightly in the sky by the time the meal began to wind down, and most of the Weasley’s along with members from the coven, had retreated inside, leaving Harry, Edward, Seth, Draco, Ron, Hermione, and Jacob outside. Jacob was shifted into his wolf form and was resting his head on his paws on the sand, watching the surf crash against the shore, while the couples were in varying positions dotted around him.

“I still can’t believe you died, mate.” Ron said quietly from beside Hermione, who nodded to show she agreed. “We were this close to never seeing you again.”

“It’s kind of mental when you think about how lucky I’ve been.” Harry agreed. “By all rights, I shouldn’t still be here. Between Dumbledore and Voldemort, they nearly succeeded in getting rid of me.”

 “Do you… do you regret anything?” Hermione asked softly.

Harry thought back to start of this… adventure, and seriously contemplated her words, though he already knew the answer.

“Honestly? No. It was hard to leave you guys behind, but I just remember being so angry and feeling so used that… I dunno. I might have done something rash had I stayed any longer.” Harry explained. “I never would have found Edward, or the family, or the Horcrux inside me… and Draco would probably be dead, or a prisoner. I really can’t bring myself to regret anything.”

Seth and Draco looked over from where they were laying and Draco held his gaze for a moment before turning to look at the sky again, which was dotted with thousands of stars.

“Everything seems to have worked out so far.” Edward added. “Be it luck, or fate. I cannot imagine a world without Harry now, and I have no idea how I survived for a hundred years without him.”

Their conversation was interrupted when the back door opened, a sound that drew the attention of those with super hearing.

Harry looked at the deck and saw Mr. Weasley waving at them.

“They’d like to see the memories before it gets any later.” Edward said.

“Ahh, okay.” Harry said, moving to get up.

“I’ve got it, Harry. The pensieve is in my trunk and I’d like to shower, anyway.” Draco offered as he stood up with Seth, their movements shadowed by Jacob.

“Thanks, Draco. You know where I put them, yeah?” Harry asked.

“With your necklace, right?” Draco countered.

With Harry’s nod, he began walking away with Seth and Jacob in tow.

When the door eventually closed again, Edward tightened his arms around Harry, pulling him close and kissing his hair.

“Malfoy is like a completely different person.” Ron said after a few beats of silence. “I didn’t know he could be so civil.”

Harry let a small snort escape and turned his gaze to the redhead.

“For what it’s worth, I appreciate you guy’s hearing him out and I’m sorry for springing it on you that I had been traveling with him. I’m not a mind reader like Edward, but if I believed for a second that he still espoused any of the blood supremacy crap, he wouldn’t be here. Losing his mum changed him, doubly so after finding out about Lucius. I imagine that it’s hard to believe you’re fighting for the right things after losing so much.” Harry explained. “And once Seth came into the picture… they’re a perfect match. I’ve never seen Draco so happy.”

“I’m glad you were able to find what you were looking for, Harry,” Hermione said, “Even if you didn’t know you were looking for it. It’s so good to have you here, though. Not knowing where you were or what you were doing was driving us mad.”

“Thanks, ‘Mione. No more secrets and no more running away, I promise.” Harry replied.

Ron stifled a yawn, and Harry smiled as Hermione slowly began rubbing up and down his friend’s back.

“I always knew you two would end up together.” Harry said through his smile. “I hoped, anyway.”

Ron turned to him, a bashful smile on his face. “You mean, once I realized Hermione was a girl and not just another friend?” He asked as he turned back to her. “It didn’t take me much longer after you left to realize how happy she made me, and how hopeless I would be without her.”

Harry could see her smile and leaned his head back onto Edward’s shoulder as he watched them.

“C’mon, Ron. You’re starting to get sappy, so it’s time for bed.” Hermione said, standing up and holding her hand out for Ron. The wizard took it, and the pair looked down at Harry and Edward before walking away. “Everything changes tomorrow, huh?”

Harry’s easy smile dimmed before fading completely.

“Yeah… yeah, it does. No more hiding.”

 ---

August 4^th Denmark, AU 8:30 AM (Harry)

Harry and Edward waited until they heard the living members of their group start to move around in the house before they exited their room and followed a sleepy looking Ginny down the hall and into the kitchen.

“Morning, Harry, Edward.” She said sleepily as she threw herself into a chair at the island. “Any idea where mum is?”

“Morning, Gin.” Harry replied. “Nah, I’ve no idea.”

The woman in question came bustling into the kitchen a heartbeat later, her wand twirling in her hand, a flurry of spells shooting off toward the magically cooled fridge, which popped open and brought a plethora of ingredients soaring out. She directed the pile of food to a counter before turning to the three of them.

“Good morning, boys, good morning, my lovely daughter.” Mrs. Weasley said, moving forward as she did to give Ginny a tight hug, which was then levied to Harry and Edward, before she turned back toward the breakfast items she clearly intended on making. “Harry, darling, we kind of left things in the air yesterday, so I wanted to let you know that Aurthur and I discussed it, and we’ve officially agreed that the lot of us will join you. Ginny will be staying with our Aunt Muriel, whose house is under Fidelius, and the rest of us will follow as you command.”

Harry swallowed hard, never having heard Mrs. Weasley speak so matter-of-factly.

“But mum!” Ginny tried to protest.

“There is absolutely no room for argument here, Ginevra.” Mrs. Weasley said, her attention focused on prepping the ingredients, a slight shake to her wand.

Ginny looked toward Harry and Edward, the sleepiness wiped from her face, replaced with indignation and outrage.

Harry frowned and shook his head slightly, causing the girl to huff.

“This is so bloody unfair!” She shouted, launching herself out of her chair and stalking out of the kitchen, banging the door open as she went.

There was a thick silence in the room following her departure, and Edward looked from Harry to Mrs. Weasley for a moment before placing a kiss to Harry’s temple and quietly backing out of the room.

“Mrs. Weasley, I’m sor-” Harry started to say.

“Don’t apologize, dear. There’s nothing to apologize for. Ginny is too young to be wrapped up in this, and we, Aurthur and I, wouldn’t be able to focus on anything if we were constantly worried that she was in any more danger than she needs to be. Aunt Muriel might not be the greatest company, but she won’t let any harm come to her, and that’s the most important thing right now.” Mrs. Weasley said, completely cutting him off.

“I understand.” Harry replied.

And he did, honestly. It gnawed at him that he was bringing Seth into this, and he was two years younger than Ginny, but it was a discomfort he had to deal with. Without Seth, there was no Draco, and Draco felt necessary to bring along.

“It’s such a mess.” He lamented with a sigh.

Mrs. Weasley snorted and turned around with a smile.

“Family often is.”

---

Breakfast was a subdued affair, completely different from the carefree and lighthearted meal they shared last night. There was an air of finality hanging about them as the morning passed by, drawing them closer to the time they needed to head to the airport, and few words were shared as people ate, then disappeared back to their rooms to finish packing.

Jasper had spent an hour and a half on the phone with their air carrier making arrangements for the newly joined members of their group to be added to their upcoming flight.

“Do you know if they have passports?” Jasper asked while looking toward Harry, moving the phone away from his mouth while soft music played from the speaker.

Hermione, who was sitting in the room with them, shook her head.

“I have mine, and so do my parents, but the others do not. It should be easy enough to create fakes that will get them through security, though.” She replied.

“Even though they scan them through a computer?” Emmett asked.

Hermione nodded. “I can create a duplicate of mine, change the picture and information printed, and it should be enough. Worst case, we have to Confundo the security agent and computer.”

“Which is only slightly illegal.” Harry added.

 “Like smuggling two invisible wolves out of the country?” Emmett replied with a grin.

“Exactly.” Harry said with a grin of his own.

“You don’t have to worry about my parents, either,” Hermione added softly. “They’re going to stay here.”

Harry’s grin died down, and he reached a hand out, touching her forearm. He didn’t need to say anything.

“That’s correct, ma’am. We’ll be traveling with an additional eight adults, and three children. I can provide their information whenever you’re ready.” Jasper said, clearly being taken off-hold.

Harry did a quick mental count. Three children?

“Seth and Jacob aren’t going to be as easy to smuggle with such a large group in a large airport. If we can duplicate the passport for everyone, we might as well go that route.” Edward explained in a whisper.

Harry nodded his understanding, feeling slight anxiety over how large their group was going to be.

Edward slid their fingers together and squeezed his hand in support.

“It’ll be okay. We’ve got this.”

---

August 4^th Denmark, AU 1:30 PM (Harry)

Getting everyone to the airport had been a slight ordeal, as they only had the two mid-sized SUV’s to take them back, but the issue was solved when Rose offered a simple solution.

“Why don’t we just Uber?” She suggested.

“Great idea.” Carlisle agreed, pulling out his phone. “Assuming there are any available drivers around.”

 “What’s an Uber?” Mr. Weasley asked while Carlisle tapped away on his phone.

“It’s like a taxi, or someone you pay to take you places in their own vehicle.” Edward replied.

“Oh, how marvelous.” Mr. Weasley replied, clearly thrilled with the idea.

“We’re in luck.” Carlisle said, still looking at his phone. “Unfortunately, not with Uber, but there is a private bus service that offers transportation to Perth. I’ve booked a shuttle that leaves in an hour.”

---

August 4^th Denmark, AU 7:00 PM (Harry)

Getting through security with everyone had required the use of the Confundus charm, as the RFID chip in the duplicated passports came up with Hermione’s info, leading to a bit of alarm from the security agent, which Mr. Weasley took care of with a subtle flick of his wrist, his brow wrinkled in concentration.

“There’s nothing odd about the information you’re seeing. We are all Hermoine Granger.” Mr. Weasley said.

The guard shuddered where he stood, his jaw slack and eyes unfocused.

“R-right.” The man agreed, handing the fake passport back to Mr. Weasley, who took it with a cheerful smile.

The spell had to be repeated twice, both times by Harry, as he was the last wizard in line, while the others continued to the metal scanners with other guards that were waiting on them to come through.

All in all, it was stressful, but not something they couldn’t handle, and far easier than trying to smuggle a big group of nearly invisible people through the airport.

When they had all made it through the scanners, Carlisle led them through the airport to a somewhat secluded section of the terminal, where a lone gate agent stood apart from the rest.

“Mr. Cullen and party, I presume?” The man said as they approached.

“That’ll be us.” Carlisle replied.

“I’ll need identification from everyone, if you would. Your flight is on time and scheduled to leave within the hour.” The man informed them.

“Excellent.” Carlisle said, collecting everyone’s passport and passing them across the desk.

The agent went through each one, clicking his mouse as he moved down some sort of list, and eventually he passed them back.

“Everything seems to be in order. I’ll just print off your boarding passes and show you through to the waiting area. Someone will be by to escort you to your aircraft shortly.”

“Thank you.” Carlisle said.

The assembled group of people were silent as they watched the interaction, and only moved when the agent called their name to accept the boarding pass.

---

August 5^th Glasgow, GB-SCT 1:00 PM (Harry)

It had been another long twenty-four-hour flight with a quick layover in Dubai, and Harry had considered just Apparating there a few times, but they’d set a course, and they were going to stick to it.

It allowed them time to plan, if nothing else.

They decided that Carlisle, Esme, Rose, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, Arthur, Molly, Bill, Percy, Fred, George, and Ginny would break off from what had been dubbed ‘Harry’s group’ – which consisted of Harry, Edward, Draco, Seth, Ron, Hermione and Jacob – to drop Ginny off at Aunt Muriel’s, and then everyone would reconvene at 12 Grimmauld Place, hopefully with a new memory from Slughorn.

“Stay safe,” Molly said, her voice catching as she looked at the seven of them, standing apart now from the larger group. They were tucked into a thicket of trees near Glasgow airport with hugs and handshakes going around in circles.

“You, too, Mrs. Weasley. See you soon,” Harry replied, looking back at the two families that meant more to him than anything else. “We’ll see everyone soon.”

They began disapparating, the vampires being side-alonged with various Weasley’s, until only Harry and his group remained.

“I can’t imagine anyone at Hogwarts is going to be thrilled to see us,” Draco said lightly.

“Hogsmeade?” Harry asked, forcing himself to remain calm, but knowing Draco was right.

“Hogsmeade.” Ron agreed, grabbing his and Edward’s forearms.

They disappeared, loud cracks disturbing the air once more.

Chapter Text

August 5^th Hogwarts, GB-SCT 1:30 PM (Harry)

The August sun beat down on the long road to Hogwarts, making the castle shimmer faintly on the horizon. Without students milling about, the grounds looked unnervingly empty — a hollow shell of the school Harry had once called home.

Hermione stuck her hand out as they stepped into the shadow of the gate, her voice tight. “Stop. We don’t know how the wards will react. Professor Snape is Headmaster now, remember? We don’t know what will happen if we try to enter uninvited.”

Ron shifted beside Hermione. “Well, only one way to find out, isn’t there?”

Harry stepped forward first, Edward just behind him. The moment he reached for the gate, a ripple of power surged across the iron bars, forcing him back as if he’d pressed against glass. The wards flared, silver lines sparking briefly in the air before fading again.

He tried once more, pushing harder, but the gate held firm. No pain, no explosion — simply an impenetrable barrier.

Hermione’s face went pale. “It won’t let us through.”

Draco gave a laugh. “Figures. Severus wouldn’t just allow students to roam around freely during the summer.”

Seth glanced around. “So what now?”

Hermione bit her lip in thought. “There are secret ways in. The tunnel from the Shrieking Shack still exists… and the passage under Honeydukes should—”

“—be heavily warded as well,” Draco cut in. “Severus isn’t an idiot. If he’s locked us out here, he’s locked the rest too.”

Before Hermione could argue, a cool, familiar drawl rolled across the summer air.

“Well, well… if it isn’t Hogwarts’ favorite celebrity.”

Every head snapped up. Standing just beyond the shimmering wards was Severus Snape, black robes billowing slightly in the breeze, his expression unreadable except for the sharp gleam in his eyes.

“Potter,” he continued, voice dripping with disdain. “And his… entourage. I wondered how long it would take before you came sniffing around again.”

Harry stiffened, hand brushing instinctively toward his wand, but Edward squeezed his shoulder — a subtle warning.

“You going to stand there and sneer at us all day,” Harry shot back, “or are you going to let us in?”

For a long, tense moment Snape said nothing, gaze sweeping over the unlikely group — vampire, wolves, friends, enemies. Then, with a flick of his wand, the gates groaned open.

“By all means,” Snape said smoothly. “Come in. I insist. We should… talk.”

The words were edged with something Harry couldn’t quite place — sarcasm, perhaps, or something sharper — but there was no choice.

Without another word, Snape turned, robes flaring, and began striding toward the castle.

“Follow him?” Seth whispered.

“Yeah,” Harry muttered grimly, stepping past the gate. “We follow him.”

The seven of them moved together up the path, the gates closing behind them with a heavy clang.

---

The sound of their footsteps echoed through the silent corridor, unnervingly loud without the chatter of hundreds of students to soften them. The castle felt asleep - hollow, yet watchful. Snape led them with long strides, not deigning to speak.

Harry thought they might go to the headmaster’s office, but instead, he stopped at the towering doors of the Great Hall. With a flick of his wand, they creaked open, revealing a cavernous room stripped of its usual warmth. No candles floated, no food glimmered on the tables — just empty benches and shafts of daylight cutting through the enchanted ceiling.

“Sit,” Snape ordered, voice cool.

But before anyone could move, Harry stepped forward. His voice carried through the hall, steady despite the thrum in his chest. “No games, Professor. We don’t have the time. I know everything.”

Snape arched an eyebrow. “You know… what, exactly?”

Harry’s hands curled into fists at his sides. “I’ve seen Dumbledore’s memories. All of them. I know you’ve been protecting me, even when I thought you hated me. I know he told you I had to die.”

For the first time in Harry’s life, he saw Snape’s composure waver, the faintest flicker of something sharp in his eyes.

“But here’s the thing,” Harry pressed on, his voice gaining strength, “I already have died. Surely you’ve noticed the changes?”

Snape’s expression hardened. “Explain yourself, Potter.”

Harry glanced at Edward, who had stepped closer, his presence grounding.

“Dumbledore sent something after us – after me and Draco. They… killed me, in exchange for leaving everyone else alive. Vampire venom brought me back,” Harry explained.

“That’s impossible,” Snape snarled.

Harry took two steps forward with Edward, directly into the beam of light coming down from the ceiling. Their skin sparkled brightly, and Snape recoiled, his wand coming up between them faster than Harry thought possible.

Harry felt Edward go tense next to him. Wait! He yelled in his mind.

“The Horcrux was destroyed the night I died,” Harry said, raising his hands lightly. “We mean you no harm – I need your help, actually.”

Snape scanned their faces, his composure broken, finally landing on someone. “What is this madness, Draco?”

“He’s not lying, Sev. Dumbledore tried to kill him – twice – and he’s alive by the grace of vampire venom, or fate, if you believe it. You heard the prophecy yourself,” Draco replied.

Snape’s wand lowered an inch, though Harry couldn’t tell if it was intentional, or pure shock that they knew so much.

Edward’s eyes locked on Snape. His voice was quiet, but certain. “I saw it. The thing inside him — the Horcrux— it bled out from his scar like black acid. We’ve recently had independent confirmation that it’s gone.”

The hall seemed to contract, the silence heavy.

Snape’s gaze flicked between Harry and Edward, and for a moment, something unreadable crossed his face. Then he gave the faintest nod, more to himself than anyone else, his wand slipping back into his robes.

“You always did have a flair for the dramatic, Potter,” Snape murmured, though for once the disdain rang thin, as if something else — acknowledgment, perhaps — pressed beneath it.

Draco snorted and Harry heard Hermione exhale slowly.

Snape’s eyes narrowed. “Fascinating as your… fairy tale may be, Potter, you did not march an army to my gates to perform theatrics. Why are you here?”

Harry met his gaze head-on. “Because Voldemort can’t be killed until the Horcruxes are destroyed. I think I’ve seen enough of Dumbledore’s memories to know he never told you the whole of it. There are more, and we need help to find them.”

Snape’s lip curled, though not with his usual disdain — it was sharper, edged with calculation. “Typical,” he spit out.

Hermione, clutching her bag to her chest, spoke up. “Professor Slughorn has the memory. One with Voldemort asking about Horcruxes. We need to see it. We need you to get us to him.”

Snape turned his gaze on her, unreadable. Then, slowly, he looked back to Harry. “And you expect me to hand over one of my colleagues — to indulge this reckless scavenger hunt of yours?”

“You don’t have to indulge anything,” Draco cut in coolly. “You know the Dark Lord. You know what happens if we’re wrong. You also know what happens if we’re right and do nothing. Pick your poison, Sev.”

Harry took another step forward, lowering his voice. “I’m not Dumbledore’s pawn anymore. I’m asking because we don’t have time to waste on pride. Help us get to Slughorn, and we can end this — once and for all.”

Snape studied him for a long, unbearable moment. Then, at last, his mouth thinned into something like agreement.

“Very well,” he said softly. “Follow me. But if this ends in disaster, Potter — the blood will not only be on your hands.”

He turned on his heel, black robes flaring, and began leading them toward the dungeons.

Hermione let out the breath she’d been holding. “Slughorn…” she whispered, eyes wide.

Ron muttered, “This is going to be a nightmare,” but even he fell into step behind Harry.

Harry’s gaze flicked once more around the empty, watchful Great Hall, and then caught up to Snape.

The hunt for the truth had begun.

---

Snape led them to the potions corridor. It was damp, quiet, and tighter, more claustrophobic, than Harry remembered. The door to the potions classroom was closed, but Harry, and likely Edward, could hear the faint sounds of tinkling glass on the other side.

Snape paused with his hand on the door. “If this turns to violence, I will not choose a side. You will be on your own.”

Harry nodded, feeling more than seeing the reaction mirrored by his friends.

Snape hesitated a beat longer, then threw the door open.

Slughorn gave a startled yelp, a flagon of purple potion slipping from his fingers and crashing into the ground, splattering the contents.

“Merlin and Morgana, Severus, what is the meaning-“ He cut off abruptly when Harry entered, followed by the others fanning out around him. “H-Harry? How good to see you, dear boy. You’ve had us all quite worried, you know?”

Harry grimaced. “Hello, Professor. I wish I was here for a better reason.”

Slughorn looked decidedly uneasy. “What do you mean?”

“I need the memory you gave to Professor Dumbledore; the real one,” Harry replied steadily.

Slughorn’s eyes darted between their faces, landing on Snape. “I’ve no idea what he’s talking about, Severus. Why have you brought them here?”

Harry watched as Snape rolled his eyes, looking thoroughly unimpressed. “Spare me your lies, Horace,” he sneered.

“He’s lying,” Edward whispered in his ear. “It’s there.”

Cold fury, not unlike that which flowed through him in the forest in Washington, washed over him again. “Professor, look at me,” he snapped.

Slughorn’s eyes flew to him, and he cringed.

“I don’t want to hurt you, but we don’t have time for this. We both know what Tom asked you, we all know about the Horcruxes,” Harry said, lowering his voice on the last word. Slughorn still flinched like he’d been slapped. “Give me the memory, Professor.”

“He’s going to attack,” Edward whispered urgently.

In less than a blink, Harry blurred forward, the air snapping where he moved. Slughorn gave a strangled yelp as his arms were crushed against his sides with inhuman force.

Hermione gasped, and Ron muttered, “Bloody hell.”

“You would attack me, attack your students, rather than give up a memory? You would rather protect Voldemort,” Harry growled, tightening his grip and causing Slughorn to cry out again, “than allow yourself to be shown in an unfavorable light? You bring shame on everyone you’ve ever taught, on every person who has ever trusted you.”

Harry let him go, and he slid to the floor.

“What good could it possibly do, boy?” Slughorn cried, hugging his arms to himself. “You already know what he was asking about.”

“He created more than one, professor,” Hermione said, her voice breaking. “We need to know exactly what you told him.”

Slughorn looked at her, his expression stricken with grief.

“You can provide the memory, Horace, or I will deliver you to the Dark Lord myself. The time has come to choose a side,” Snape drawled softly, deadly.

 Slughorn leaned his head against the wall, tears leaking down his face. “S-someone get me a vial.”

Snape turned to the wall he was standing next to and grabbed an empty glass container from the rack, tossing it to Harry who caught it with barely a thought.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you, professor,” he said quietly, his anger fading as quickly as it had come.

Slughorn didn’t respond but pressed his wand to his temple and withdrew a silvery stand from it, letting it drift to the bottom of the flask. “J-just try not to think too terribly of me, my boy. I didn’t know.”

Harry nodded once and stood up, turning to Snape. “Can we use your pensieve?”

 Snape looked from Harry to Slughorn, then back at Harry. “You know where it is. The password,” he hesitated a beat, “is Emerald. I am going to stay here and keep Horace company until you return.”

Harry was shocked but didn’t show it. “Thank you, professor.”

Snape leaned back against the wall. “Go.”

---

They made it to the stairs leading from the dungeon before Ron spoke. “Did you have to be so rough, Harry? I mean, I can’t deny it was effective, but… I thought he was going to croak, right in front of us.”

Edward interlaced their fingers. “If he didn’t, I would have. He was getting ready to curse us all.”

“Didn’t think you had it in you, Potter,” Draco said lightly. “I agree with Weasley – bloody effective technique.”

Harry shook his head. “I… lost my temper. I moved before my brain even registered I was moving.”

“God damn vampires,” Jacob muttered before getting elbowed by Seth.

“Let’s just find out what Professor Slughorn was fighting so hard to hide, and we’ll go from there. I-I can’t lie and say that you didn’t scare me, Harry, but… good job on getting the memory,” Hermione said.

---

The surface of the Pensieve rippled, silver and beckoning. Harry braced himself and leaned in, the others following.

“…Yes, sir,” said Riddle. “What I don’t understand, though – just out of curiosity – I mean, would one Horcrux be much use? Can you only split your soul once? Wouldn’t it be better, make you stronger, to have your soul in more pieces, I mean, for instance, isn’t seven the most powerfully magical number, wouldn’t seven-?”

“Merlin’s beard, Tom!” yelped Slughorn. “Seven! Isn’t it bad enough to think of killing one person? And in any case… bad enough to divide the soul… but to rip it into seven pieces…”

Harry watched as Slughorn warned Tom of letting anyone know what they had discussed, catching the way Tom’s face had morphed into something ugly at the end of the memory, and then it blurred, sweeping them back into Snape’s office.

Hermione’s face was bloodless. “Seven. He wanted to rip his soul seven times.”

Harry’s hands curled around the rim of the Pensieve. “What do we know? We know that Tom believed seven to be the most powerfully magical number, and that he did not mean to create one when he came to kill me as a baby. I think… I think we need to assume that he had the six when he showed up in Godric’s Hollow that night.”

Six faces peered back at him, silent.

“We know two are destroyed, the diary and the Gaunt ring. Three if you count me - which leaves four. Dumbledore believed the two missing items from Hepzibah Smith were converted – a cup from Hufflepuff, and Slytherin’s locket. Nagini is another one. That leaves… one.”

“Any brilliant ideas?” Draco asked, perched in the window, a hand carded through Seth’s hair.

Harry shook his head. He wasn’t even completely sure the one’s he’d listed were Horcruxes, and the prospect of finding and destroying any of them…

Edward moved beside him, placing a hand on his cheek.

“Let’s go relieve your professor from guard duty and meet up with the others. We can go from there, my love.”

Harry bobbed his head. “Someone grab Slughorn’s memory, yeah? We’re going to go let Snape know he can have his office back and then we can go to London.”

---

Harry felt steadier with Edward’s hand in his, but the silence pressed oddly. Hogwarts was too quiet, the empty halls thick with shadows. He focused on the familiar path down toward the dungeons—

“Harry Potter.”

The whisper slid against his ear like cold silk. He stopped dead.

Edward turned instantly, scanning the hall. “What is it?”

“Come, Harry.”

“You didn’t hear that?” Harry whispered.

Edward’s brow furrowed. “No?”

Harry swallowed, eyes drawn down a side passage lit by a single sconce. “My name – something’s calling me.”

Edward tightened his grip. “Then let’s follow it.”

Harry nodded, pulling them down the passage. The whisper came again, closer now, leading them through the twisting hall until they spilled into a small courtyard, the midafternoon sun casting deep shadows.

Harry’s pace slowed to a stop as he noticed a ghost – glimmering, ethereal, sorrow etched into her pale face – the Grey Lady.

“Incredible,” Edward whispered beside him.

Her attention snapped to them.

“You’re the ghost of Ravenclaw, aren’t you? Helena?” Harry asked tentatively.

The ghost inclined her head, floating closer. “That is correct, Harry Potter – I called you here.”

Harry stared at her, unsettled by the look she was giving him. “Why me?” He asked. “Why call me?”

She tilted her head slightly. “Because I know what it is you seek. You, who carry both light and shadow. You, who have walked in death and returned. You are my last hope for peace.”

Harry was confused, but Helena continued.

“He came to me, decades ago, feigning interest, promising to free me from my torment if I entrusted him with my mother’s lost treasure. Fool that I was, I believed he thought to destroy it. Instead…” Her face contorted, sorrow bleeding into rage. “He defiled it. Twisted it into darkness.”

“Tom?” Harry whispered, finally catching on.

She nodded. “My mother’s precious diadem,” Helena whispered. “The wisdom of Ravenclaw. What once brought clarity now festers with corruption.”

Edward’s hand closed around his shoulder.

“Do you know where it is?” Harry asked, his voice rough, his hands shaking.

Helena’s gaze drifted away, her tone distant, almost incantatory. “It lies where all things are hidden, in a place that shifts with need, in a castle of memory.”

His mind raced – that sounded an awful lot like the Room of Requirement.

Helena’s expression softened, sorrow overtaking her anger. “Destroy it, Harry Potter. Release me from my torment so that I may know peace.”

 Silence pressed in, heavy with the enormity of her revelation. Then Harry inclined his head, voice quiet but resolute. “You have my word.”

Helena studied them both, the corners of her lips twitching into something that might have been a smile, or only a trick of the light. “Then my burden is yours now.” And with that, she drifted away, through a wall, leaving only the echo of her voice: “In a place of need…”

Harry turned slowly, the weight of the moment sinking into his bones.

“That’s quite a lot of trust to place in someone,” Edward murmured.

Harry nodded once, jaw tight. “We won’t fail.”

---

Harry and Edward resumed their descent into the dungeons. The air smelled faintly of spilled potions and dust.

Snape stood where they’d left him, robes drawn close, while Slughorn had slumped into a chair, nursing his left arm, face still blotchy from tears.

Harry straightened his shoulders. “The memory was real. Exactly what we needed.”

Snape’s black eyes cut across him, assessing, sharp as ever. “And?”

Harry met the gaze without flinching. “We know about the Horcruxes. All of them. And we know what’s left.”

A flicker of approval — so brief Harry might have imagined it — crossed Snape’s face before he turned away. “Then your role here is finished. Get out of my sight before you draw more eyes than even you can withstand, Potter.”

Edward’s hand closed firmly around Harry’s arm, steering him toward the door before Harry could say anything.

---

The Headmaster’s office loomed as they gathered again, the strange silence of the castle pressing down even here. Harry stood at the center, Edward beside him, the others fanned out like a circle of support. Fawkes’s empty perch looked oddly accusing.

Harry relayed everything — Helena’s voice calling him, her tale of betrayal, the defiled diadem. When he finished, silence hung in the air like smoke.

Then Draco’s voice, cool and sharp, cut through. “Wait. A diadem?”

Harry turned to him. “What?”

Draco’s eyes were distant, remembering. “When I was trying to mend the Vanishing Cabinet — in the Room of Hidden Things — there was this old, dusty crown sitting on a bust. I didn’t think twice about it at the time, but…” His expression hardened. “It must have been the diadem.”

Hermione gasped. “That would fit perfectly. A place where generations of students hid things, where Voldemort could leave something no one would randomly stumble across.”

Harry felt the urgency set in. “Then that’s where we go.”

But before anyone could move, Snape’s voice curled out from the shadows of the stairwell. No one had heard him enter.

“You are walking into a lion’s den,” he said softly. “If you mean to pursue this folly, do it quickly — and unseen. The Dark Lord is sending replacement staff and they are due shortly.”

Harry met his gaze, so many things he wanted to say springing to mind, none of them appropriate for the situation.

For once, Snape didn’t sneer. He only inclined his head a fraction, unreadable. Then he swept from the office, robes billowing behind him, leaving silence in his wake.

The group exchanged glances. The path was set.

---

They moved quickly through the castle, their footsteps echoing in the silence. Harry led with his wand out, though he had no idea what to expect.

The Room of Requirement door appeared as soon as they turned the final corner, blank and seamless against the wall. Harry paused, forcing his mind into focus. We need the place where things are hidden… we need the diadem… we need the place where things are hidden.

A door rippled into existence.

Harry exchanged a look with Edward, then Draco, then the others, before reaching for the handle.

The door groaned open.

They hurried inside, shutting the door with a quiet slam. The sheer scale of it made Hermione gasp. A cathedral of forgotten things stretched before them: towering stacks of broken furniture, bookshelves, shattered broomsticks, tarnished silverware, crates, trunks. Dust hung in the air like smoke.

“This is it,” Draco said quietly. “This is where I saw it. Somewhere… deeper in.”

“Keep your senses sharp,” Edward murmured, his eyes already sweeping the shadows. “I’ve got a bad feeling.”

Jacob padded a few steps ahead, muscles taut beneath his skin, already trembling and on the edge of shifting. Seth kept close to Draco, wary but steady.

The group spread into the labyrinth, winding through narrow aisles of abandoned junk. Harry’s ears picked up every scrape of a foot, every breath too loud in the stillness.

Then — a glint.

On top of a crooked pile of junk, balanced on the head of a cracked bust, sat a tarnished crown. Its once-delicate filigree was dulled with grime, but there was no mistaking the faint shimmer of wrongness radiating from it.

“Got it,” Harry called out, afraid to look away.

Hermione drew in a sharp breath. “I can’t believe it.”

Edward’s hand hovered near Harry’s arm, steadying him.

“Now comes the hard part,” Draco said. “How to get it down?”

---

The crown shimmered faintly from atop the bust, a beacon of wrongness in the mountain of discarded things.

Harry’s throat felt tight. “Don’t even bother trying to summon it. And do not put it on. That’s exactly what Voldemort would have counted on.”

Hermione swallowed hard. “The ring was cursed, the diary tried to kill you and Ginny… it makes sense he’d do the same to this.”

Edward’s voice was cool and steady beside him. “I can move quickly, without spells. If it’s only about getting it off the bust, I’ll do it.”

“No,” Harry cut in. “We do this together.”

Jacob growled low in his throat, pacing. His wolf instincts picked up the danger, hackles rising though he hadn’t shifted. Seth hovered close to Draco, tension written all over him.

They climbed carefully. Every step closer, the oppressive weight of the diadem pressed harder against Harry’s senses, as though the whispers were trying to find the cracks in his mind. Wear me, wield me, claim me… The hissing promises made his skin crawl.

“Block it out,” Edward murmured. His hand brushed Harry’s back. “I’ve got you.”

Harry nodded once, then moved closer. Without thinking, he grabbed a length of torn cloth from a nearby pile and used it to cover his hand. Slowly, carefully, he lifted the crown from the bust.

The instant it left its perch, the room shuddered. A sound like stone grinding against stone reverberated, and green fire flared in the distance, spreading across the piles of junk like living veins.

“Protections,” Hermione gasped. “It’s warded against removal—”

Harry tightened his grip on the wrapped diadem. “Too late now. Move!”

The fire spread unnaturally fast, twisting into shapes — snarling faces, clawing hands made of green flame. The very room seemed alive, desperate to keep them from escaping.

Jacob growled, his form tearing as he shifted mid-run, a massive russet wolf barreling ahead. Seth shifted beside Draco, the two wolves waiting for direction.

Edward was suddenly at Harry’s side, his speed a blur, steadying his arm as the diadem pulsed faintly, angry at being moved.

“This place is collapsing,” Hermione cried. “We need to get out before it seals us in!”

“Edward, you take Hermione,” Harry ordered. “Ron, climb on my back. Draco, on Seth. Don’t look back.”

He waited for the two seconds it took people to move, then darted for the entrance. Piles of junk around them were engulfed in flame, forgotten potions and illicit drinks causing the occasional explosion, but they were faster than Voldemort could have ever anticipated.

The door was in sight in moments, flinging open of its own accord as they neared, and they exited in a blur, skidding to a stop before they crashed into the wall. Harry turned, looking at the destruction of the Room of Requirement, catching sight of a fiery snake coming straight at them. The door slammed shut.

Harry let Ron climb off his back, clutching the wrapped diadem like it might bite. The stone corridor outside the room was dead silent — only frantic heartbeats filled the air.

“No burns,” Edward said lowly, scanning the others. “We made it.”

Hermione’s voice shook despite her effort at composure. “That fire wasn’t just flame. It was meant to consume anyone trying to steal it. He—he wanted to make sure no one would ever walk out of that room alive.”

Jacob gave a sharp snarl, his massive form pacing in front of them, while Seth pressed protectively against Draco.

Harry straightened, his eyes on the crown bundled in cloth. “Whatever else happens, no one puts this on. Ever.”

“Noted,” Ron muttered, pale-faced but steady.

“What do we do with it?” Draco asked.

Hermione hesitated, then glanced at Harry. “The basilisk venom destroyed the diary. And there’s only one place we’ll find that.”

A grim smile twisted Draco’s mouth. “The Chamber of Secrets.”