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Of Lions And Lambs - Part Four	By : Marblez Category: Harry Potter Crossovers > Slash - Male/Male Views: 9326 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Twilight and I will not make any profit from writing this story.

Chapter List
- 17
- 18
- 19
Chapter Seventeen

“You’re stealing half my coven, Carlisle!” Amun’s sharp voice cut through the silence of the large house all of a sudden, startling Draco so badly that he dropped the glass he had just been filling with water into the sink where it smashed into tiny pieces. “Is that why you called me here? To steal from me?”

Jasper was at his side in a second.

“Draco?” he asked softly, his gentle hands reaching down to examine the skin of his husband’s hands and wrists. “I can’t smell blood. It didn’t cut you…”

“No, I’m fine,” Draco mumbled. “It just…startled me. I wasn’t expecting them to start shouting like that. I thought they were just discussing Alistair.”

Alistair’s disappearance had been noted that morning by Edward.

“Yes, Carlisle picked a fight with the Volturi, endangered his whole family, just to lure me here to my death,” Benjamin’s voice followed that of his creator although not quite a loudly. “Be reasonable, Amun. I’m committed to doing the right thing here – I’m not joining any other coven. You can do whatever you want, of course, as Carlisle has pointed out.”

“Amun doesn’t really think this was all a ploy to gain new coven members, does he?” Draco couldn’t stop himself from asking softly as his husband took another glass down from the shelf and filled it with water for him. “Thanks.”

“This won’t end well,” Amun’s voice interrupted them once more and Draco followed his husband obediently when the vampire made his way towards the living room where the meeting was taking place, the pair standing close together in the doorway. “Alistair was the only sane one here. We should all be running.”

“Think of who you’re calling sane,” Tia muttered, rolling her eyes cynically.

“You know, she’s kind of got a point,” Draco agreed softly, taking a sip from his glass of water. “He wasn’t exactly the dictionary definition of sane.”

“We’re all going to be slaughtered!”

This time Amun’s voice came out as little more than a hiss.

“It’s not going to come to a fight,” Carlisle vowed softly.

He probably would have continued had Amun not interrupted him again.

“You say!”

“If it does, you can always switch sides, Amun,” Carlisle pointed out, somehow managing to remain perfectly calm in the face of his old friend’s accusations. “I’m sure the Volturi will appreciate your help.”

Amun sneered across at him.

“Perhaps that is the answer.”

“I wouldn’t hold that against you, Amun,” Carlisle’s answer was soft and sincere. Draco could barely contain his short of disbelief. “We have been friends for a long time, but I would never ask you to die for me.”

“But you’re taking my Benjamin down with you,” Amun pointed out as though he hadn’t just heard the vampire in question point out that it was his choice. “I’ll stay, Carlisle, but it might be to your detriment. I will join them if that’s the road to survival. You’re all fools to think you can defy the Volturi.”

“Won’t be the first time I’ve been called a fool,” Draco muttered, leaning back against his husband chest fully confident that the vampire would support him.

“I will witness that the child has grown,” Amun announced, glancing across the room to where Renesmee stood holding her parents hands, the key hanging around her neck. “That’s nothing but the truth. Anyone would see that.”

“That’s all we’ve ever asked.”

“But not all that you are getting, it seems,” Amun sneered across at his friend once more before turning to face his prodigy. “I gave you life. You’re wasting it.”

Draco had seen cold expressions before but Benjamin’s was almost glacial.

“It’s a pity you couldn’t replace my will with your own in the process,” he snapped sharply. “Perhaps then you would have been satisfied with me.”

Amun chose not to respond verbally, fixing the younger vampire with a hard glare before stalking out of his house followed by his mate, Kebi.

“He’s not leaving,” Edward reassured the group softly, smiling down at his daughter briefly. “But he’ll be keeping his distance even more from now on. He wasn’t bluffing when he spoke of joining the Volturi.”

“Maybe we should just let him,” Draco muttered, taking another sip of water. “I know for a fact that having a possible turncoat amongst you never ends well.”

“No,” Carlisle disagreed softly. “We need all of our friends here with us.”

“Why did Alistair go?” Bella asked softly, a look of confusion on her face.

“No one can be positive, he didn’t leave a note,” Edward murmured just as Harry stepped into the room from the door leading out onto the wooden decking, JJ held in one arm so that he was snuggled against his chest whilst his other hand held Teddy’s tightly to stop the little boy from running off. “We can continue this discussion outside. It’s time for Teddy and JJ to leave.”

Renesmee’s pout could only be described as one of epic proportions.

When the little girl had learned that her favourite playmate and his baby brother were being sent back to England for their own safety she had thrown what could only be described as the tantrum to end all tantrums.

It had been oddly fascinating to watch.

She was usually so grown up, after all, but when she was begging for her friend to stay with her or, when that argument didn’t work, for her to go with him to England she had most definitely been acting her age.

Or rather the age she appeared to be.

Pulling away from her parents Renesmee hurried over to her friend, taking hold of his other hand as she took up a protective position in front of Teddy.

“Renesmee…” Bella sighed, preparing herself to deal with another tantrum.

Her little daughter huffed loudly, turning away from her mother in a show of childish defiance before rushing over to the Teddy and hugging him tightly.

It had been amusing to watch over the last few days as the two children, one a toddler still and the other now a pre-teen, had remained as close as they had been when they'd both appeared to be the same age if not getting closer, Renesmee ignoring almost everyone else in favour of spending time with Teddy who was more than happy with the arrangement.

Draco chuckled softly.

“Seriously, I cannot wait to see what the pair of them are like when they grow up if they're this close already,” he sniggered under his breath as Teddy placed an overly exaggerated kiss on Renesmee's smooth cheek, receiving a happy little giggle from the girl in question in response. “How does that muggle song go again? Oh, right, there may be trouble ahead…”

Bella shot him a glare but Harry's only response was to laugh and smile fondly down at his godson, his hand moving to rest on the little boys shocking green hair.

“Time to get going, little man,” he murmured apologetically, his words causing both children to frown unhappily and actually cling to each other tightly. “It's only for a little while and then everything will be back to normal.

“Pwomise?” Teddy demanded seriously, tilting his head back as far as it could go so that he could blink up at his father without letting go of Renesmee

“I promise,” Harry repeated firmly before sharing a smile with Draco as he rubbed absentmindedly at his scar. “After all we've faced and conquered in the past I don't think we'll have much trouble sorting this out, do you?

“Are you kidding?” Draco snorted, pitching his voice to be more cheerful and confident than he really felt about the situation. “I'll take the Volturi over my Aunt Bellatrix any day. Talk about a dangerously unstable witch…”

Harry shot him a thankful look for playing along with his act.

“See? Everything will be fine and I'll be coming to pick you and JJ up in a couple of days,” he reassured his adoptive son who, after a long moment of consideration, nodded and stepped back from his friend after giving her one final hug. “Ok, final goodbye for everyone, Teddy, and then we have to get going or Nanny Andy will be wondering what's happened to us.

At these words Teddy quickly rushed around the room, hugging various people around the legs but only lingering with a few, Draco being one of them.

“Unca Dwaco?”

Looking down at the little boy still attached to his legs Draco smiled and, after carefully loosening the surprisingly strong grip the little boy had, knelt down so that they were eye level, catching Teddy when he all but threw himself into his arms.

“You look after Nessie and bump?” Teddy asked seriously, his suddenly ice blue eyes fixating on Draco's stomach as he tilted his head to look down between their bodies. “Pwomise?

Draco smiled, brushing his fingers through the little boy’s hair, unable to resist the cuteness that was his little cousin and his current obsession with ensuring that pwomises were made and kept with the utmost seriousness.

“I promise,” he responded as seriously as he could manage, using his other hand to stroke the smooth skin of Teddy’s cheek. “See you soon, little man.”

Draco blamed his pregnancy hormones for the tears that sprang to his eyes as she watched the little family enter the fireplace arm in arm, offering them a small wave as the green flames flared up around them until they were completely obscured from view as they were transported halfway across the world.

Of course Harry and Jacob wouldn’t be staying.

They'd be back in a couple of hours, but the boys would be safe and given their current situation that was all that mattered.

“Looks like we're heading over to the clearing,” Jasper murmured once the flames had been extinguished leaving behind only an empty fireplace, nodding towards the patio doors behind which numerous people were obviously preparing to move locations, packing up the tents and their belongings. “I want to ask you to stay here where it's relatively safe but I know you won't.”

Draco offered his husband a meaningful look.

“You remember what I said in my wedding vows?” he enquired softly as he reached out to rest the palm of his left hand on his husband’s chest, his wedding ring catching the light right above his un-beating heart. “I love you, Jasper, and I will never leave you. I will, however, agree to stay towards the back, to stay out of the line of fire but I won't hide away and wait for word of the outcome. I can't.”

“I know,” Jasper smiled sadly, his handsome face twisted into a tortured smile as he placed his hand on top of the wizards, linking their fingers. “I just…don't think I’ll survive if anything happens to you. I can't…I can't be alone again…”

“And I know for a fact that I won't survive if anything happens to you,” Draco responded, resting his head on his husband’s shoulder while pressing a kiss to one of the many bite scars littering the vampires neck. “I don't want you worrying about me. You'll be distracted and distractions are dangerous things at times like these. I'll stay within the wards that we’ll set up and I’ll try not to piss anyone off too much…although I can't promise I won't taunt them a little bit.”

“You wouldn't be you if you didn't use that wicked tongue of yours to full effect,” his husband chuckled, tracing the fingertips of his free hand up and down Draco's aching spine, rubbing soothing circles at the base. “But I trust you, Draco, to look after yourself and our child. I know you won't let anything happen to them.”

“Never.”

Their linked hands moved down to touch the swell of his stomach.

“We should probably get going before all the good camping spots in the clearing have been taken,” Draco sighed sadly, pulling away from his husband’s gentle hold and nodding to the fact that most of the Wizards and witches had vanished already. “Although I'm thankful we've got magical camping equipment because there is no way I could survive even a single night in one of those muggle monstrosities. How anyone can be comfortable in such a small space, not to mention with the lack of home comforts and amenities I will never know.”

Jasper chuckled deeply in response to his husband’s predictable feelings towards camping, specifically the muggle kind which was significantly less glamourous.

Given that Draco was banned from using excessive amounts of magic his mother had volunteered to transport her son’s supplies and set them up where required so all that was left to do was get the pregnant wizard to the clearing.

“I’ll carry you,” Jasper murmured, effortlessly lifting his husband into his arms bridal style before making his way out of the house at a faster than human rate but definitely not at his usual vampire speed, worried about the effect it would have on the baby. “One day I’d like to be able to carry you through the woods like this and it not be part of an effort to save your life, you know, maybe for fun. Like a picnic.”

“That sounds nice…”

They arrived at the clearing to find the camp already in full swing on what Alice had described as being “their side” in her visions and Draco was rather touched to discover that a space had been left not only for his tent but for Harry's as well right in the centre of the campsite where the wards being set up would be strongest.

“I really want to pick up my wand and get stuck in,” Hermione bemoaned not ten minutes later from where she and Draco had been left beside the roaring fire, wrapped in blankets and sipping from mugs of hot chocolate, complete with whipped cream and marshmallows, as people worked all around them. “I mean, I understand why we can't, but I hate feeling useless. I need to be busy.”

As if on cue Molly Weasley appeared with a large bowl of potatoes and a cauldron filled with water, the type a witch would cook in rather than a potions cauldron, two potato peelers, a chopping board and a deadly looking knife.

“You couldn't just keep that to yourself, could you?” Draco muttered grumpily as one of the potato peelers was pressed into his hand, fixing his unimpressed gaze on the motherly witch as the chopping board, knife and second potato peeler were passed to Hermione. “And what, pray tell, am I meant to do with this?”

“I'm sure someone as bright as you can figure it out, Draco,” Molly teased him lightly, gesturing between the bowl of potatoes, the chopping board and finally the cauldron. “An army marches on its stomach, or so they say, so how about you two help us get things ready for the evening meal?”

“How about no?” Draco scoffed only to find himself elbowed in the arm by the young witch at his side. “What was that for? I bruise easily, you know?”

“That sounds like a good idea, Molly,” Hermione addressed the older witch with a bright smile, ignoring the wizard glaring at her as he rubbed at his arm. “It gives us something to do that isn't too taxing.”

Molly smiled happily as her idea was welcomed by at least one of her charges.

“Don’t worry, Draco, I'll show you how it works…”

To say that Draco complained practically non-stop for the duration of their “menial labour” as he called it would have, in fact, been a complete understatement and Hermione would have found it incredibly annoying to the point of infuriating if she hadn't realised just how amusing the situation actually was.

What made it even better was the fact that, despite all of his complaining, Draco had picked up the task in no time at all and quickly became a quicker worker than she was, his nimble fingers effortlessly stripping the potatoes of their skins.

It probably had something to do with his natural talent for potion making, given the strange preparation that was sometimes required for certain potion ingredients.

This did mean that, between the two of them, they had the bowl empty in no time.

“That was disgusting,” Draco muttered as he wiped his hands clean on a towel, frowning at the state of both his skin and nails. “I am never doing that again.”

Of course that was when the large bowl of carrots, onions and leeks arrived.

Draco glared at the offending bowl as though it were the spawn of all evil.

“No.”

“Draco…”

“No. No more.”

And yet by the time Molly came back to begin cooking the stew everything was peeled and chopped as required and Draco was sat trying to save what was left of his nails with a nail file someone had lent him, bemoaning their loss.

Loudly.

“Seriously, Draco, could you be any more of a woman?” Harry snorted as he approached the pair having just returned from dropping the children off.

Draco glared up at him.

Thankfully Jasper spirited him away before anything else could be said as that would more than likely have resulted in blood being spilled and spent the evening pampering his husband, giving him not only a foot rub but a back rub as well.

Of course it didn’t help that the stew was utterly delicious and everyone praised the cooks and their “little helpers” for preparing it so well given the circumstances.

“Never again,” Draco vowed as they retreated to their tent once more for another round of pampering, this time in the form of a head massage. “From now on I will be sticking to potions ingredients. No more potatoes or carrots or onions…”

Jasper merely smiled in response and applied more pressure, earning a pleased moan in response as his husband finally began to relax properly in his lap.

“Never change, Draco,” he murmured much later when the wizard was drifting off to sleep in the bed which had come with the magical tent, his head pillow on Jaspers chest, his arms wrapped around his husband and their legs tangled together but of course being careful of bump. “I love you just the way you are.”

They spent a grand total of 36 hours in the campsite waiting for the Volturi to arrive, everyone trying to appear relaxed but really they were all anxious to “get this over and done with” as someone put it during their second evening meal there.

Finally though the Volturi were spotted in the distance and it was time.

They gathered together in their pre-arranged groups, covens sticking together for the most part, the wolves spread out amongst them all while the witches and wizards arranged themselves in groups of mixed talents and abilities.

As agreed the witches and wizards around the edges immediately began setting up the wards and protection spells around the large group, the air shimmering briefly around all of them before returning to normal so that the Volturi wouldn’t notice anything was different about the people they were facing off against.

Draco was stood in the centre of the large group with Harry and Jacob to his left, his husband, Peter and Charlotte to his right, Carlisle and Esme a few paces in front of him and his parents, Blaise, Pansy and George Weasley behind him.

Bella and Renesmee were more exposed, standing with Edward at the front of their large group whilst Hermione was practically hidden at the back with her husband, Molly, Arthur, Terrence and the Carrow twins surrounding her.

As they advanced slowly, the wards moving with them, Draco became aware of a touching little moment taking place a few groups to his left where the Denali’s stood.

“If we live through this I'll follow you anywhere, woman,” Garrett muttered sincerely, holding out his hand to Kate in a remarkably trusting manner given the shocks she had given him over the past few days whilst they'd been training.

Kate smiled, albeit somewhat sadly.

“Now you tell me…” she muttered, placing her hand in his.

His smile was also tinged with sadness as he returned his gaze to the unexpectedly large group of people emerging from the trees, passing through the morning mist in an almost pre-planned manner to make them appear even more menacing.

“The redcoats are coming!” he chuckled mirthlessly. “The redcoats are coming!”

Looking out at the approaching group of Vampires, all dressed in long black cloaks of different ages and styles, Draco couldn't help but be reminded of a certain group of individuals most of their group had faced in the past.

“Talk about an unwelcome blast from the past…” he muttered softly, unwittingly drawing the Volturi's attention to him even as the shifter contingent emerged from the woods to join the rest of them in the clearing. “All they need is some masks…”

The Witches and Wizards within hearing distance grunted in agreement, their grips on their wands tightening automatically as they sized up their opponents.

Acting almost completely as one without only a couple of stragglers the approaching group of vampires came to a halt in an almost perfect line, obviously in an attempt to look as threatening as possible and Draco could understand why that would have worked in the past but they had a few tricks up their sleeves.

Literally in some cases given that not everyone had their wands drawn yet.

Jaspers hand came to rest on the small of his back as Aro assessed their group.

“He's looking for Alice,” the southern vampire murmured softly, his thumb stroking the bumps of Draco’s spin through his layers of clothing. “He's wanted her for years.”

“Good luck with that,” Draco snorted loudly, leaning into the touch. “I don't think anyone could get that woman to do something she didn't want to.”

Aro dropped his hood and almost as one his coven followed suite.

“Aro,” Carlisle called out softly as he disentangled his fingers from his mates and took a couple of steps forwards, drawing attention to himself as he placed himself between his family, friends and allies and the large group of vampires come to deal with them. “Let us discuss things as we used to, in a civilised manner.”

“Fair words, Carlisle,” Aro’s deceptively calm voice echoed through the clearing thanks to the spells cast on the clearing so as to allow the mortals to hear all that was said. “But a little out of place given the battalion you've assembled against us.”

Draco couldn’t help but start comparing this figure in black to the Dark Lord he had feared for most of his life and, along with several other members of the magical contingent who were obviously doing the same thing, found the vampire wanting.

“I can promise you that was never my intent,” Carlisle responded sincerely, never once looking away from his opponent. “No laws have been broken.”

“We see the child,” Caius spoke up condescendingly. “Do not treat us as fools!”

“She is not an immortal!” Carlisle called out, raising his voice for the first time as he looked back at their large gathering for moment before fixing his attention back on Aro and the vampires surrounding him. “These witnesses can attest to that.”

A sharp pain struck Draco's side as his unborn child chose that precise moment to wake up from his nap and start kicking like his, or her, little life depended on it, causing Draco to wince uncontrollably as his skin began to bruise.

“Draco?” Jasper murmured worriedly, obviously keen to get him out of danger.

“I'm fine,” Draco countered firmly. “I'm not leaving.”

Jasper sighed worriedly.

“Or you can look,” Carlisle continued, his tone calmer than before as he gestured towards his granddaughter who was stood between her parents with her body leaning against her mother’s side, their hands resting protectively on her delicate looking shoulders. “See the flush of human blood in her cheeks.”

“Artifice!” Caius scoffed loudly.

Aro held up his hand to silence his fellow leader.

“I will collect every facet of the truth,” he announced calmly, slowly lowering his hand back to his side as a smirk appeared on his lips as his gaze sought out Edward. “But from someone more central to the story.”

They'd been expecting this.

Apparently Aro was nothing if not predictable.

At least he had that in common with the Dark Lord, Draco thought to himself as he rubbed at his side where his child was still kicking him.

Must be something about megalomaniacs.

“Edward,” Aro called out as he took a step forwards, extending his hand towards their group. “As the child clings to your newborn mate I assume you are involved.”

Edward hesitated, taking the time to run his fingers through Renesmee’s beautiful hair as he offered her a gentle smile, before he stepped away from his wife and child and made his way across the clearing towards the Volturi.

“See, that just adds a whole different level of creepy to his persona,” Draco couldn't stop him from muttering as Aro took hold of Edwards hand, covering it with both of his own and actually raising it up towards to mouth. “Seriously, I understand the fact that he needs skin contact in order to be able to read people's minds but does have to act so…rapey…when he's doing it? Because that’s just gross…”

Someone snorted loudly.

Across the clearing, however, the reaction was a little different as the Volturi and their witnesses reacted to the apparent insult to their leader.

Caius actually flashed his razor sharp teeth towards Draco.

“I'd like to meet her,” Aro announced when he finally released Edwards hand, his gaze flickering back and forth between Renesmee and Draco's protruding stomach just as they had expected it would. “And Draco…such a remarkable turn of events…”

“No…” Jasper hissed in protest even as Bella and Renesmee moved somewhat hesitantly to join Edward on the other side of the clearing. “It's too dangerous. I knew we should have kept you out of sight…”

“He'd have learned about me one way or another, Jasper,” Draco sighed, not particularly keen to approach the Volturi any more than his husband but unfortunately he also knew they didn't really have a choice at this moment in time. “Come on, let's get this over and done with so we can go home. I'm craving a cup of tea with a bar of galaxy chocolate dipped in it.”

Slipping his hand into his husbands Draco led the way across the clearing, heading the unimpressed murmur spreading through their group of witnesses and the sounds of his parents being physically restrained by someone, he was unsure of who.

Good.

He didn't want them to get caught up in this should it turn nasty…nastier…

Emmett, Harry and Jacob in his enormous wolf form brought up the rear.

“Ah…” Aro sighed with pleasure once the group came to a halt, Draco finding himself stood beside Renesmee. “Young Bella…immortality becomes you, my dear.”

He paused, skipping over Renesmee for a moment to study Draco's face closely.

“And you must be Draco,” he murmured, extending his hand to him which Draco instantly decided he would not be taking. “It's a pleasure to meet you, dear one.”

“Uh-huh.”

Caius growled loudly whilst Aro merely frowned, retracting his hand in response to Draco's less than polite response to his sickeningly sweet greeting.

“I had no idea that such a pregnancy was possible,” Aro murmured, recovering his composure as he gazed down at Draco's stomach. “It is truly…remarkable…”

Draco was almost overcome with the need to hide his unborn child from the vampire standing in front of him but he managed to retain his composure, merely stepping backwards slightly when Aro reached out to touch his stomach.

“Don't take it personally,” he found himself explaining in a remarkably calm voice. “I'm at that stage of my pregnancy where I don't want anyone touching my stomach, not even Jasper unless I’ve given him express permission beforehand.”

“Of course,” Aro murmured after a long pause before turning his attention to Renesmee ego, like her parents and uncles, faced the ancient vampire calmly. “Ah…”

What happened next was even more shocking than the time the Dark Lord had given him a hug during the battle, something he still couldn't figure out or explain.

Aro laughed.

And seriously, how ridiculous was that laugh, Draco found himself wondering slightly as everyone stared at Aro in both confusion and amusement.

No wonder he was so serious all the time if that's what his laugh sounded like.

“I can hear her strange heart beat,” he cried out, sounding strangely childlike in his excitement. “And that of your unborn child, Draco. Oh, how wonderful!”

Draco wasn't the only one giving the leader of the Volturi an odd look at that point.

Glancing up at her parents for a moment, obviously seeking their approval, Renesmee stepped forwards and actually approached the ancient vampire.

“Hello, Aro,” she spoke calmly and clearly as she stopped directly in front of him, her piercing gaze never wavering even as he smiled almost carnivorously down at her.

Ignoring the hand he eagerly extended towards her she placed her delicate hand on his cheek, his brief expression of shock transforming into one of wonder as the little girl communicated with him using her gift rather than her polite words.

“Magnifico…” he murmured almost reverently. “Half mortal, half immortal.”

Draco sighed in relief.

They'd worried that he would try to deny whatever facts he was shown in favour of maintaining his reason to exterminate their coven and take those he wanted.

“Conceived and carried by this newborn while she was still human,” Aro continued softly, his penetrating gaze returned to Draco. “And this unborn child, too, is half immortal although it will also have magical blood running through its veins.”

Draco felt himself pale as Aro’s gaze turned particularly maniacal.

“Such potential…”

“Impossible!” Caius countered him, glaring at their group in obvious distaste even as Aro spun sharply to glare at the other vampire. “This is nothing more than a trick!”

“Do you think they fooled me, brother?” he demanded. “Me?”

Yup, definitely an egotistic narcissist, Draco thought to himself.

“Bring the informer forward,” Caius ordered, turning his head to watch as Irina was pulled forwards by two members of the Volturi guard, her entire body trembling uncontrollably from the fear she was experiencing. “Is this the child you saw?”

Irina’s fearful gaze fell on Renesmee.

“I'm…I'm not sure…” Irina responded hesitantly. “She's changed…”

Caius scoffed.

“Jane.”

As her tortured screams filled the air Draco squeezed his husband’s hand as tightly as he possibly could in an effort to retain control of his senses as his body was assaulted by the first horrific scream of pain he'd heard in a long, long time.

This was not the time for a break down.

He could do that later on but right now he needed to be here, in his right mind and able to defend himself and his unborn child should the need arise.

“She's changed…” Irina repeated when her screams ceased. “This child is bigger…”

“Then your allegations are false,” Caius concluded coldly, barely looking at her where she was knelt on the ground trying to recover from Jane’s mental attack.

Irina took in a deep, shuddering and completely unnecessary breath.

“The Cullen’s are innocent,” she whimpered, ducking her head in order to hide her shame. “I…I take full responsibility for my mistake.”

That did not sound good…

She looked across the clearing, her fearful gaze matching that of her sisters.

“I'm sorry…”

Without any further command Felix and Dimitri moved forwards to take hold of her shoulders and head in clear preparation for her execution and, without any form of discussion of planning both Draco and Harry raised their wands and took aim.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you,” Draco announced as calmly as he could. “Hmm…seems oddly familiar. You, wanting to execute someone for something that definitely doesn't warrant execution. Us, stepping in to save the damsel in distress.”

Felix growled.

“You have no right to interfere with our justice, mortal,” Caius snapped, moving as though he was going to take care of the job himself and before he even realised what he was doing Draco had re-aimed his wand and was casting the first spell that came to mind given the current situation,

“Expelliarmus!”

Unwittingly he put enough force before the disarming spell that Caius, unarmed in the strictest sense, was sent flying back into several of the Volturi's witnesses.

A shocked hush fell on the clearing as Draco kept his wand trained on the vampire now struggling to his feet with his hair and clothes in complete disarray.

“You will pay for that!”

“Oh, I'd love to see you try,” Draco chuckled sincerely, holding his wand by both ends with only the tips of his fingers as he smirked across at his friend. “Harry? Care to demonstrate why threatening witches and wizards is a bad idea?”

“I'd love to,” Harry responded, aiming his wand up into the sky above the Volturi's heads as he planted his feet firmly in the snow before calling out sharply, “Incendio!”

A jet of fire burst out from the tip of his wand, making the Volturi and their witnesses take a couple of steps backwards out of fear even as the flames disappeared after only a moment.

“See?” Draco pressed with a smirk. “Bad idea. So how about you hand her over?”

“Why do you wish to help this one?” Aro spoke up softly, regaining his composure and actually taking the time to fix his hair. “She attempted to betray you. She knew the punishment for her accusations was death should they be proven false.”

“Yeah, I know,” Draco sighed loudly, thinking about all the things Irina had said or done to him since they met. “But she only made those accusations because she genuinely thought we'd created a monster. Which we haven't, as you now know.”

Irina shot Renesmee a guilty look.

“Yeah, she probably should have got her facts straight before going to you but that doesn't warrant the death penalty,” he continued, bending his wand slightly between his hands before using it to gesture towards the frightened vampire. “So let's just agree to forget all about this…”

“She is special to you, this one?”

Draco sighed.

Seriously, couldn't they just take a hint and give in gracefully.

“No, not really,” he answered. “She's a bitch and currently we operate under a mutual hate/hate relationship. “But that doesn't mean I'm going to let you kill her.”

A spark appeared at the tip of his wand.

“Take her.”

Caius was obviously less than pleased but Draco would take what he could get and gestured for airing to go, actually shooing her away when she hesitated a fraction before running to join her incredibly relieved sisters on the other side of the clearing.

“Perhaps we should join the others,” Harry suggested softly as some of the Volturi's witnesses began to shift somewhat menacingly, obviously unimpressed with the turn of events and the way they had just fern threatened. “Don't you agree, Draco?”

Draco caught on to what Harry had spotted.

“Yes,” he agreed, smiling somewhat insincerely at the three leaders of the Volturi who had grouped together. “Lovely to meet you. Let's not do this again soon.”

Leading the group in their retreat from the line of fire, Draco took Renesmee's hand in his whilst curling his other hand around his protruding stomach and encouraged the little girl to skip along happily in an effort to annoy Aro further.

Let him think they weren't afraid of them…

“Aro, you see there's no law broken here,” Carlisle called out softly once everyone was safely back inside the hidden wards and shields bring projected by several of the witches and wizards. “Let us part as friends as we once did.”

“Agreed…” Aro muttered, turning as though he were going to leave only to pause at the last moment. “But does it then follow that there is no danger?”

Not good.

“For the first time in our history humans pose a threat to our kind,” Aro continued to preach loudly, his own witnesses shifting where they stood in response.

The Volturi guard, however, remained perfectly still.

“Their modern technology has given birth to weapons that could destroy us.”

Definitely not good.

“Not to mention danger than is posed by the world of magic,” Aro’s gaze locked with Draco's for a moment. “Maintaining our secret has never been more imperative. In such perilous times only the known is safe. Only the known can truly be trusted. And we know nothing of what this child and her unborn cousin will become.”

Bella pulled Renesmee close to her side once more as several of the Volturi's witnesses voiced their agreement and displeasure, Draco himself shifting so that he could hold on tightly to his husband’s hand.

“Can we live with such uncertainty?” Aro continued, spreading his arms wide a dramatic gesture. “Spare ourselves a fight today, only to die tomorrow.”

A murmur spread through both groups, the Volturi and their witnesses agreeing with his words while the Cullen’s and their witnesses loudly disagreeing.

“No.”

The voice which echoed through the cleared was as familiar as it was unexpected.

“Alice!”

Various voices cried out as the vampire walked calmly out of the woods alongside her mate, heading not for their respective families but towards the Volturi.

“Charlie!” Molly gasped, clutching her husband’s hand tightly in her own as she caught sight of her second son for the first time in months, for the first time since he became a vampire, in fact, and the petite woman he had fallen in love with. “Oh…”

Charlie didn't respond verbally, he couldn't at that particular moment in time, but he did offer her a smile as he and Alice continued to walk towards the Volturi line.

They were stopped, predictably, by the guard before they could even reach Aro.

A discreet nod from Aro had them allowing Alice, and only Alice, through to him.

“My dear Alice,” Aro greeted her uncharacteristically warmly, reaching out towards her with a thinly concealed eagerness. “We’re so glad to see you here, after all.”

He really wanted Alice.

“I have evidence that the children won't be a risk to our kind,” Alice announced confidently, standing as tall in the face of their enemy. “Let me show you.”

She paused for a moment, offering both Bella and Draco a reassuring smile over her shoulder before holding her deceptively delicate hand out to the ancient vampire.

For a long moment nothing happened as Aro seemed to become lost in whatever he was seeing through his connection with Alice's mind, a mixture of the past, the present and the future no doubt, and then just as gently as he'd taken her hand he released it, his eyes slowly clearing as he looked out towards his opponents.

“Now you know,” Alice announced once they had parted completely, her voice quivering ever so slightly as though she were as affected by whatever vision she'd shown him as he was. “That's your future unless you decide on another course.”

“We cannot alter our course,” Caius insisted firmly. “The creature and the Wizards unborn sport still possess a great threat to us and our kind!”

“…did he just call my child a spawn?” Draco demanded, his hand snapping up so that he wand was trained on the blond wizard as he attempted to take a step forwards.

Jasper stopped him.

“Wait…”

“But what if you were sure she could remain concealed from the human world?” Edward called out, his hand resting on his daughters back between her shoulder blades. “Could we leave in peace?”

“Of course,” Caius agreed surprisingly. “But that cannot be known.”

“Actually, it can.”

Edward sounded more confident than he should have done given the circumstances but when Alice turned and walked away from Aro her calm expression was enough to reassure Draco, along with everyone else watching her for some sort of a sign, that she had succeeded in her mission to find help.

And that was when they heard it.

Footsteps, along with the distinct jingle of a bracelet, coming from behind them.

Draco wasn't the only one to turn and watch the pair emerge from the trees far behind them, their calm footsteps in perfect synchronisation despite the thick layer of snow they were fighting against as they moved through the large group.

The male appeared to be wearing nothing more than a type of loin cloth with what appeared to be a short skirt over the top of it, leaving his chest completely bare but for some tribal looking necklaces and arm cuffs around his wrists and biceps.

The female on the other hand wore a floor length dress, albeit with a thigh high slit up one side, cinched in at the waist by a somewhat decorative belt, a large necklace made up of dozens of strands of what appeared to be glass beads, big beaded earrings which were almost completely hidden by her hair and two arm cuffs.

On their feet they wore flimsy looking sandals with straps that on the male wound around his legs all the way up to his knees and on the female wound only about her ankles but either way were not very practical when dealing with snow.

“I've been searching for witnesses of my own among the Ticuna tribes of Brazil,” Alice explained once the two silent vampires had reached her, coming to a stop beside Charlie who looked about as relaxed as he ever did despite the situation.

“We have enough witnesses…” Caius attempted to counter her statement but Aro interrupted him with his own sharp words, “Let him speak, brother.”

“I am half human, half vampire,” the male vampire announced calmly, his voice deep and heavily accented, whilst his female companion merely smiled, first at him and then over at Charlie of all people. “Like the children in question.”

Another round of murmurs spread through the two groups.

“A vampire seduced my mother, who died giving birth to me,” he continued with his calm explanation. “My aunt, Huilen, raised me as her own. I made her immortal.”

Here he paused, reaching out to take the woman now identified as his Aunt’s hand.

“How old are you?” Bella asked eagerly, stepping forwards and drawing their attention to her as she tried to find out information which could help her daughter.

“I am 150 years old.”

Draco smiled.

There went the nagging worry they’d all been trying to hide that Renesmee and his child wouldn’t be immortal due to their half mortal side.

“And at what age did you reach maturity?”

Aro sounded genuinely interested, reminding Draco of how some of his professors had sounded when questioning a student’s methods and/or findings.

“I became full-grown seven years after my birth,” the as yet unidentified vampire answered calmly, turning his attention back to the mass of black cloaks with never a hint of fear or concern for his safety. “I have not changed since then.”

“And your diet?”

“Blood,” he answered quickly. “Either that of a human or an animal. I can survive off both. However I do still partake in human food when the mood strikes me.”

“These children are much like us,” Marcus announced, his soft words being drowned out when Caius stepped forwards to attempt to stir up the situation once more,

“Regardless, the Cullen’s have been consorting with werewolves, our natural–”

“Technically that’s not true,” Hermione piped up, stepping out from the crowd so that she could be seen but not stepping out of the wards. “The term werewolf is used to describe men and women who suffer from lycanthropy, a condition which causes them to transform into fearsome wolf-like creatures upon the complete rising of the full moon. They have no control over their actions once in wolf form.”

“And?” Caius demanded sharply.

“The wolves of La Push, however, are a variation of Animagi,” she explained sounding as though she were in a classroom answering a question from a teacher and not trying to counter yet another excuse being used in order to get all of them executed by the Volturi, gesturing to the wolf nearest to her which just happened to be Leah. “As such they have the power to transform at will and retain complete use of their sense, meaning that their human minds are in charge despite their wolf form. This means that they aren't as dangerous to humans.”

Aro blinked almost owlishly across at the young witch who continued calmly.

“And you are?”

“Hermione Granger,” she answered Aro's question calmly, raising her wand so that it was perfectly visible. “A witch, in case you were wondering.”

Aro seemed to contemplate his options before turning to face his coven.

“Dear ones, there is no danger here,” he addressed them calmly, spreading his arms wide to encompass all of them metaphorically. “We will not fight today.”

“Such a prize…” Marcus spoke up softly for the first time but his attention wasn't on Bella, Renesmee or even Draco. “So like my dear Didyme…”

His attention was firmly fixed on the smartest witch of their age.

“We have them on the run,” Vladimir protested sharply as the Volturi began to depart at various speeds, the three leaders and their personal guard taking the longest time so as to appear as though they had won. “Now is the time to attack!”

“Not today,” Carlisle insisted firmly, moving away from the group and heading instead towards Aro who stopped in his own departure to await his old friend. “Aro, I have a proposition for you which will hopefully enable us to coexist peacefully.”

“You're all fools!” Stefan snarled. “Fools!”

“What sort of a proposition do you have in mind, Carlisle?” Aro asked, barely concealing his eagerness as he obviously hoped that whatever the suggestion was would benefit him, his hands moving to rest fingertip to fingertip over his heart.

“I propose that you assign a member of your guard to stay with us, to watch over Renesmee and Draco's child as they grow,” Carlisle announced and Draco wasn't the only one of their group to gasp in shock at this unexpected suggestion from their leader. “They would be able to report back should there be trouble.”

This had not been discussed.

At all.

Aro hummed thoughtfully.

“Would you be willing for someone to come back to…”

“No,” Carlisle interrupted him softly. “We are a family. We shall remain a family.”

Aro grunted in displeasure.

Eventually though he sighed deeply and nodded.

“I agree to your proposition,” he announced spreading his hands wide once more as he was obviously pleased with how easy it was to get a spy into their midst. “Do you have any preferences as to who I leave with you, old friend?”

“I thought perhaps Dimitri,” Carlisle suggested nonchalantly. “Or perhaps Alec…”

“Not Alec.”

Draco frowned.

What was Carlisle doing?

They were home free!

The Volturi were leaving!

And now he was inviting two of their deadliest members to stay?

“Trust him,” Edward murmured softly. “Carlisle knows what he's doing.”

“Dimitri,” Aro beckoned the vampire in question forwards. “You will remain with the Cullen’s for the foreseeable future in order to keep an eye on their new additions as well as their unusual friendships. I expect you to keep up a regular correspondence.”

Dimitri offered no verbal confirmation to his orders, merely offering Aro a respectful bow of times gone by moments before striding across the clearing to stand silently beside Carlisle, never once seeming to express any emotion.

“Welcome, Dimitri,” Carlisle murmured seemingly genuinely as the remainder of the Volturi turned and left the clearing with all haste now that their dealings were truly finished, only a couple lingering to glance worriedly at their friend before leaving.

Jane, her cold eyes fixed on Bella, was the last to turn away.

“…that's who you're all so terrified of upsetting?” Draco couldn't help but scoff loudly, slipping his wand back up his sleeve, heedless of whether he could still be heard or not. “That narcissistic drama queen with a superiority complex?”

Dimitri stiffened visibly whilst Stefan and Vladimir, frustrated by the lack of a fight, couldn't contain their laughter at his brutal description of the Volturi leader.

“Draco!” Esme hissed fearfully, glancing across the clearing fearfully.

Dimitri scowled at the wizard, still not saying a word.

“What?” Draco protested. “I'm sorry but when you compare him to someone like the Dark Lord who almost everyone here will agree was pretty much the dictionary definition of a clinically insane megalomaniac it makes that ponsy twat look like…well, like a ponsy twat!”

“…he kind of has a point,” Harry piped up from where he was leaning against Jacob, the latter still in wolf form. “Voldemort was significantly more impressive.”

“See! I'm not the only one,” Draco crowed happily, running his fingers through his hair in order to recover the messy style he had begun wearing as of late which had suffered in the snow. “Now, I don't know about everyone else but I'm still craving my cup of tea with a bar of galaxy chocolate to dip in it, not to mention the fact that I and I expect every other mortal here am in desperate need of a hot shower so now that that little drama fest is over and done with can we go home now?”

“Yes. Let's go home.”

A/N The whole dipping a bar of chocolate into a cup of tea is something which I actually do on a regular basis and for me anyway has nothing to do with pregnancy cravings, I just like the way it melts the chocolate and the way it tastes. Anyway, sorry for the delay as per usual but as this story is coming to a close I want to get it right and it just took me a while to get it the way I wanted it. Comments welcome. X
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Of Lions And Lambs - Part Four