Harry Potter and The Serpent King (BP5)
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
52
Views:
20,697
Reviews:
85
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
52
Views:
20,697
Reviews:
85
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
An Unwelcome Plan
Chapter Number/Total: 33/52
Chapter Title: An Unwelcome Plan
Words: 2883 Words
Harry was sitting in his usual spot in bed, his shirt discarded as Valen suckled. He looked up when Draco entered.
Draco's eyes took in one of his favourite sights and it made him feel a bit better. He crawled into the bed and laid his head in Harry's lap, watching the baby and his husband.
Harry gave him a small smile and cocked his head to the side. "What's up?" he asked quietly.
Draco shrugged, reaching up to pet the soft hair on his child's head.
Harry raised an eyebrow, but didn't know if he should push. "Oh, is that all?" he said, deciding to push just a little bit.
"I want to be with you," Draco said softly, pouting a bit as he did.
Harry wasn't convinced. "I'm not going to make you tell me, Draco," he said, "but I'm right here if you want to."
Draco kissed Harry's stomach, the soft hairs tickling his nose.
Harry sighed, using one hand to stroke Draco's hair. Sometimes he found that he wished he was still blissfully ignorant of when something was bothering his husband. It usually came out anyway if it was important and Harry wouldn't have a niggling need to find out what it was.
The blond closed his eyes, sighing as Harry played with his hair.
"Did anyone tell Hagrid?" Harry asked, staring down at the baby.
"Yes," Draco said without opening his eyes.
"Mm," Harry said to Draco's short response. "What'd you come up here for? Not that I mind. Everyone's not going home, are they?"
Draco shrugged.
Harry sighed again. "Those are some wonderful answers, my love," he said, staring down at Draco with an eyebrow raised.
"Is Valen asleep now?" Draco asked, still not opening his eyes.
"Nearly," Harry answered, watching Valen's eyes open and shut as he tried to keep himself awake.
Draco lay still, feeling comfortable with Harry and Valen. He knew Harry would push for more of an answer once the child was asleep. He sighed.
After another few minutes, Valen didn't open his eyes again. His mouth was slack around Harry's nipple and he was breathing evenly. "He's out," Harry said quietly.
"Are you going back to the meeting?" Draco asked.
"Well, shouldn't I?" Harry said, but he knew he wouldn't be able to go unless he knew what was bothering Draco.
Draco sighed, sitting up and reaching for the baby. He curled the small bundle protectively in the crook of his arm. "I suppose we should get back in there then," he said.
Harry sighed and stared at Draco for a moment. "Why don't you put Valen in his cot and talk to me a bit?" he said. "They can wait for a little while."
Draco hesitated and then with a sigh that was as much a huff, laid the baby in the cot. He turned to face his husband and arched an eyebrow at him questioningly.
"Draco, please tell me what's wrong," Harry said. "You knew I was going to ask again so I don't know why you don't just volunteer the information."
"What's wrong?" Draco repeated, and shook his head. He dropped his eyes, picking non-existent lint from his robes. "It's time, that's what."
Harry was silent for a few seconds. "I know," he said quietly.
"I know ... " Draco echoed, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I know you have to face Him, but I don't want to let you. I get angry just thinking about it."
Harry knew the feeling. He reached for Draco and pulled him into his arms and against his chest. "We've known this was coming," he whispered. "I'm the only one who can do this." Harry realised then that Draco had had a reason to try and keep him safe and physically uninvolved. Now that reason was upon them and meant Harry's very definite involvement.
Draco trembled as Harry held him, anger and fear making him feel like he would shatter. "I just keep thinking: why can't someone else do it?" he whispered. "Why you?"
"Because Voldemort picked me," Harry answered. "He'll never stop until I'm dead. If I don't kill him, I'll be running for the rest of my life. I - I know I've said that I wish I could run, but I don't want to, not really. I can't."
Draco's arms were around Harry's waist and his head pressed against his chest. He held him so tight it probably hurt.
"We'll be okay. I'll be okay," Harry said soothingly. "Look what we've got going for us. Voldemort doesn't know about us having the Horcruxes, or about the power from the Ministry. I'll be okay."
"We need a plan," Draco hissed. "We need a way to kill both him and that damned snake."
Harry didn't react to Draco's tone, just held him. "I know we do," he said. "And we will have one. I'm not going after him tomorrow, love."
Draco took several deep shuddering breaths, trying to pull himself together. He pulled back and looked into Harry's eyes. "We should go back in there," he said.
Harry nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind Draco's ear. "Let's go down then," he said.
Draco leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss. Then he rolled off the bed and picked up the sleeping baby again. "Ready?" he asked.
Harry smiled gently and pulled his shirt back on. He stood and shrunk Valen's cot and put it in his pocket so that he could sleep away from all the noise at the table.
They made their way down the stairs and back into the kitchen. Draco took a deep breath, following Harry into the room.
Harry gave everyone a small wave, noting Hagrid staring, and set up Valen's cot in a corner.
Draco laid the infant in the cot and then cast a Dampening Charm so that the room's noise would be muffled but they could still hear the child.
Harry took Draco's hand and led him back to the table, taking his seat again.
"Tha's yer baby, Harry?" Hagrid asked almost immediately.
Harry nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry I couldn't explain it myself. I had to feed him."
Hagrid shook his head, staring at Harry and then around the room. "Well, I never thought I'd come back ter all this," he said. "Yer married and have a baby and Sirius is back and ... all that awful stuff's been goin' on."
"Yes, you've missed quite a bit," Harry said.
Draco noticed Tonks was quiet and withdrawn. He sat down beside Harry but near enough to give her a sympathetic half-smile. He was glad for Remus, but he felt divided with what it was doing to his cousin.
"All right, now that everyone's been brought up to speed, let's really start this meeting," Harry said. "There's no use beating around the bush - we're close. We all know it. I'm as ready as I can be. I think all you lot are too. Now, for the most part, it's just a matter of who moves first."
There were nods and mumbles.
"We need a strategy," Shacklebolt said. "Either we pick the battle ground and bring them to it or they will."
"Exactly," said Harry. "And I personally would rather we pick it."
"We're going to call them to us?" Mrs Weasley asked, looking nervous. "We've never done anything like that before."
"This war has been going on for years," said Moody. "Since before he got his body back. It never stopped."
Dedalus Diggle nodded. "But now we've got Harry and we can finish it," he said.
Harry nodded. "This is between me and Voldemort. We all know that, but it's not just him we need to wipe out. There are still Death Eaters. So many of them slipped through the cracks when he disappeared the first time and they know they won't be able to do it again. They're fighting for their own purposes, which means they're not all going to just vanish when Voldemort is gone. We have to fight them as well as him."
Draco's eyes narrowed at his husband's words and he cocked his head, considering. "And if they surrender?" he asked.
Harry sighed. "Then I suppose we're sending them to Azkaban," he said. "What other choice will we have? With Voldemort gone, they aren't going to break out. And things are being done to up security at the prison."
Draco frowned but nodded.
"So where do we want this fight?" Tonks asked.
Harry let out a small humourless laugh. "Where does one plan a battle?" he said. "I haven't any idea."
"And how would we get them there?" asked George.
Draco took a deep breath and stood up, drawing their attention. "I have information I have been holding until the right time," he said.
Harry knew what this was about and looked up at Draco with everyone else.
Draco took a couple minutes to explain the Malfoy properties they had cleared of Death Eaters before, and then told them about the Scottish island.
"And you think their headquarters are on this island?" asked Mr Weasley.
"Yes," Draco said. "And I have been there before," he added.
Harry hadn't known that. "You have?" he said, raising an eyebrow.
Draco nodded, glancing down at his silver arm. "On my sixteenth birthday," he said. "It was a Side-Along Apparation."
"So how do you know you can get there?" Moody said.
Harry swallowed, remembering the "strategy" conversation he'd had with Draco, Ron and Hermione.
Draco nodded. "We have one person on the inside already," he said
Harry looked away. "But what's the difference if one of us can get there?" he said quickly. "It wouldn't matter all that much."
Ron and Hermione avoided looking at him and Harry knew that they were thinking of the plan Draco had proposed as well.
Shacklebolt was frowning and looking directly at Draco. Tonks looked down. Remus's eyes had gone wide in understanding of the implications.
Draco looked sadly over at Harry and took a deep breath before turning back to the others. "I might be able to help take down the defences," he said.
Harry covered his face with his hand.
"Who do we have on the inside?" Mr Weasley asked, frowning.
"I can't say," Draco said. "But I trust the person."
Bill stared at Draco like he might know exactly who he was talking about.
"What do you mean you can't say?" said Moody, who seemed most displeased with not knowing.
"I mean that I am not willing to take more chance than this that I will get the person killed," Draco snapped at him. "Constant vigilance? Isn't that what you tell us?"
Moody narrowed his normal eye.
Harry brought his face out of hiding. "Is this really necessary?" he asked, sounding pained.
"Is what necessary?" Draco asked. "Do I want to go in there? No. Do I welcome a plan that doesn't include it? Yes. Do I have a better plan? No." He sighed and looked around the room.
"Taking the battle to them has the advantage of surprise," Shacklebolt said, "but the disadvantage of being on their home ground."
Harry leapt at those words. "Yes," he said, “and who would have the true advantage then? Knowing Voldemort, he's likely to have hiding places and traps set up all over that bloody island."
"But we would need something to draw him out," Shacklebolt said. "Do we have anything that would get him to come to where we would want him? And where would that be?"
Harry huffed quietly. "Like I said, I don't know where we could plan it ... and I don't really know what would draw him out. If it were me that was being used for bait, I think he would suspect something."
"We are losing more people every day," Shacklebolt said. "The longer we wait, the worse things get."
"He's right," said Mr Weasley quietly, ignoring the glare sent his way from Mrs Weasley. "Harry, we need something to happen. If we're ready, there's no use waiting."
"I know," Harry said quietly as well, glancing sideways at Draco. "But I know we can come up with something better than just sending Draco in there, and no, I'm not saying that simply because he's my husband. I don't want him to go, of course, but there are also so many things that could work against us if we were to follow that plan."
"I could Side-Along one person with me," Draco said.
Naturally, Harry opened his mouth to say that if Draco was going, he was going as well, but Sirius spoke up before he could get a word in.
"I would go with you," the older man said, staring at Draco.
Harry scowled. "No, I would," he said. And nearly everyone sighed and shook their heads.
"Harry," said Hermione, "must we really explain to you why you wouldn't be able to go with Draco if we were to use this plan?"
Draco sighed. "We need to talk with our contact inside," he said. "But Sirius might be a good choice."
Harry did not see how Sirius would be a good choice, especially if they were going to be working with their "contact inside". "And how is it that he's a good choice?" he asked.
Sirius raised an eyebrow at him.
Draco looked sadly at Harry. "He can change form," he answered. "He might be able to get around without being caught if we were to get separated."
"And none of them know that I'm alive," Sirius put in.
Harry clenched his teeth, suddenly feeling angry.
Most people in the room looked nervously or sadly at Harry.
"Harry, we know this is upsetting for you," Tonks said. "But if we can get those wards down and get others inside, it might be a way to keep the bloodshed down."
Harry huffed and couldn't look anyone in the eye, because he couldn't come up with anything to say against this. He wondered where the Harry that had been comforting Draco upstairs had gone.
"If we do this," Draco said, "we are going to need to have everyone ready. This is a waste unless we can take him down."
Harry made fists with his hands and looked up. He tried to put personal feelings aside, no matter how hard it was to do. "If we do this - and I mean if - then Draco's right. We'll need everyone ready. Hagrid, you'll have to get Grawp and ... whoever the other giant is."
"Dolf," Hagrid answered.
"Right," said Harry. "Remus, you'll need to try one last time with the werewolves, we'll need to gather everyone willing to fight, we'll all need to be there. We'll need everyone and everything possible to take them down, and even then I think we'll be outnumbered."
"It would also be best to do this on a new moon, not a full," Draco said. "The other side's werewolves will be less effective that way."
Harry nodded. "Yes, they'll have many more than us," he said.
"When?" asked Ron. "When do we do this?"
Harry was quiet for a moment. "The next new moon," he said, staring at no one again.
Remus was looking as unhappy with this plan as Harry. He frowned and looked up. "That's only a week from now!" he complained.
Harry looked over at him at his tone. Of course he would be upset. Sirius had volunteered himself after only just coming back. "Well, should we wait until the one after?" he said, not really caring for doing this in a week. He would take as much time as he could.
"Let's be prepared for next week," Shacklebolt said. "I don't know how many more people we will lose in another five."
Harry sighed and looked down again. There was a heavy silence in the room.
Everyone looked at Harry.
"Um, is that everything for now?" Tonks asked.
"Yeah - yeah, I guess," Harry said, taking a deep breath. "I'll, er, see you all in the next few days."
Draco sat down next to his husband and took his hand.
Harry held Draco's hand tightly, looking down at it. He refused to say that he was terrified.
Instead of the usual talking after a meeting, most people were being quiet and giving them space.
Harry stood up and tried to smile a bit, Draco's hand still clenched in his. "You're all welcome to stay for as long as you want -" He paused. "Hell, what am I saying? This is Sirius's house again, so I suppose it's up to him, but I think I'll head up to bed. Good job, everyone."
Mrs Weasley looked tearful, and people looked at him with strange expressions on their faces, but he ignored it, leading Draco over so that they could collect their son.
Draco kept his face carefully neutral while Harry made his little speech and led him to the cot.
Harry carefully lifted Valen and laid him against his shoulder. He waited at the foot of the stairs for Draco to get the cot as the baby squirmed a small bit.
Draco shrunk and picked up the small bed, following Harry. He noticed that Remus and Sirius seemed to be in a whispered argument.
Chapter Title: An Unwelcome Plan
Words: 2883 Words
Harry was sitting in his usual spot in bed, his shirt discarded as Valen suckled. He looked up when Draco entered.
Draco's eyes took in one of his favourite sights and it made him feel a bit better. He crawled into the bed and laid his head in Harry's lap, watching the baby and his husband.
Harry gave him a small smile and cocked his head to the side. "What's up?" he asked quietly.
Draco shrugged, reaching up to pet the soft hair on his child's head.
Harry raised an eyebrow, but didn't know if he should push. "Oh, is that all?" he said, deciding to push just a little bit.
"I want to be with you," Draco said softly, pouting a bit as he did.
Harry wasn't convinced. "I'm not going to make you tell me, Draco," he said, "but I'm right here if you want to."
Draco kissed Harry's stomach, the soft hairs tickling his nose.
Harry sighed, using one hand to stroke Draco's hair. Sometimes he found that he wished he was still blissfully ignorant of when something was bothering his husband. It usually came out anyway if it was important and Harry wouldn't have a niggling need to find out what it was.
The blond closed his eyes, sighing as Harry played with his hair.
"Did anyone tell Hagrid?" Harry asked, staring down at the baby.
"Yes," Draco said without opening his eyes.
"Mm," Harry said to Draco's short response. "What'd you come up here for? Not that I mind. Everyone's not going home, are they?"
Draco shrugged.
Harry sighed again. "Those are some wonderful answers, my love," he said, staring down at Draco with an eyebrow raised.
"Is Valen asleep now?" Draco asked, still not opening his eyes.
"Nearly," Harry answered, watching Valen's eyes open and shut as he tried to keep himself awake.
Draco lay still, feeling comfortable with Harry and Valen. He knew Harry would push for more of an answer once the child was asleep. He sighed.
After another few minutes, Valen didn't open his eyes again. His mouth was slack around Harry's nipple and he was breathing evenly. "He's out," Harry said quietly.
"Are you going back to the meeting?" Draco asked.
"Well, shouldn't I?" Harry said, but he knew he wouldn't be able to go unless he knew what was bothering Draco.
Draco sighed, sitting up and reaching for the baby. He curled the small bundle protectively in the crook of his arm. "I suppose we should get back in there then," he said.
Harry sighed and stared at Draco for a moment. "Why don't you put Valen in his cot and talk to me a bit?" he said. "They can wait for a little while."
Draco hesitated and then with a sigh that was as much a huff, laid the baby in the cot. He turned to face his husband and arched an eyebrow at him questioningly.
"Draco, please tell me what's wrong," Harry said. "You knew I was going to ask again so I don't know why you don't just volunteer the information."
"What's wrong?" Draco repeated, and shook his head. He dropped his eyes, picking non-existent lint from his robes. "It's time, that's what."
Harry was silent for a few seconds. "I know," he said quietly.
"I know ... " Draco echoed, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I know you have to face Him, but I don't want to let you. I get angry just thinking about it."
Harry knew the feeling. He reached for Draco and pulled him into his arms and against his chest. "We've known this was coming," he whispered. "I'm the only one who can do this." Harry realised then that Draco had had a reason to try and keep him safe and physically uninvolved. Now that reason was upon them and meant Harry's very definite involvement.
Draco trembled as Harry held him, anger and fear making him feel like he would shatter. "I just keep thinking: why can't someone else do it?" he whispered. "Why you?"
"Because Voldemort picked me," Harry answered. "He'll never stop until I'm dead. If I don't kill him, I'll be running for the rest of my life. I - I know I've said that I wish I could run, but I don't want to, not really. I can't."
Draco's arms were around Harry's waist and his head pressed against his chest. He held him so tight it probably hurt.
"We'll be okay. I'll be okay," Harry said soothingly. "Look what we've got going for us. Voldemort doesn't know about us having the Horcruxes, or about the power from the Ministry. I'll be okay."
"We need a plan," Draco hissed. "We need a way to kill both him and that damned snake."
Harry didn't react to Draco's tone, just held him. "I know we do," he said. "And we will have one. I'm not going after him tomorrow, love."
Draco took several deep shuddering breaths, trying to pull himself together. He pulled back and looked into Harry's eyes. "We should go back in there," he said.
Harry nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind Draco's ear. "Let's go down then," he said.
Draco leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss. Then he rolled off the bed and picked up the sleeping baby again. "Ready?" he asked.
Harry smiled gently and pulled his shirt back on. He stood and shrunk Valen's cot and put it in his pocket so that he could sleep away from all the noise at the table.
They made their way down the stairs and back into the kitchen. Draco took a deep breath, following Harry into the room.
Harry gave everyone a small wave, noting Hagrid staring, and set up Valen's cot in a corner.
Draco laid the infant in the cot and then cast a Dampening Charm so that the room's noise would be muffled but they could still hear the child.
Harry took Draco's hand and led him back to the table, taking his seat again.
"Tha's yer baby, Harry?" Hagrid asked almost immediately.
Harry nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry I couldn't explain it myself. I had to feed him."
Hagrid shook his head, staring at Harry and then around the room. "Well, I never thought I'd come back ter all this," he said. "Yer married and have a baby and Sirius is back and ... all that awful stuff's been goin' on."
"Yes, you've missed quite a bit," Harry said.
Draco noticed Tonks was quiet and withdrawn. He sat down beside Harry but near enough to give her a sympathetic half-smile. He was glad for Remus, but he felt divided with what it was doing to his cousin.
"All right, now that everyone's been brought up to speed, let's really start this meeting," Harry said. "There's no use beating around the bush - we're close. We all know it. I'm as ready as I can be. I think all you lot are too. Now, for the most part, it's just a matter of who moves first."
There were nods and mumbles.
"We need a strategy," Shacklebolt said. "Either we pick the battle ground and bring them to it or they will."
"Exactly," said Harry. "And I personally would rather we pick it."
"We're going to call them to us?" Mrs Weasley asked, looking nervous. "We've never done anything like that before."
"This war has been going on for years," said Moody. "Since before he got his body back. It never stopped."
Dedalus Diggle nodded. "But now we've got Harry and we can finish it," he said.
Harry nodded. "This is between me and Voldemort. We all know that, but it's not just him we need to wipe out. There are still Death Eaters. So many of them slipped through the cracks when he disappeared the first time and they know they won't be able to do it again. They're fighting for their own purposes, which means they're not all going to just vanish when Voldemort is gone. We have to fight them as well as him."
Draco's eyes narrowed at his husband's words and he cocked his head, considering. "And if they surrender?" he asked.
Harry sighed. "Then I suppose we're sending them to Azkaban," he said. "What other choice will we have? With Voldemort gone, they aren't going to break out. And things are being done to up security at the prison."
Draco frowned but nodded.
"So where do we want this fight?" Tonks asked.
Harry let out a small humourless laugh. "Where does one plan a battle?" he said. "I haven't any idea."
"And how would we get them there?" asked George.
Draco took a deep breath and stood up, drawing their attention. "I have information I have been holding until the right time," he said.
Harry knew what this was about and looked up at Draco with everyone else.
Draco took a couple minutes to explain the Malfoy properties they had cleared of Death Eaters before, and then told them about the Scottish island.
"And you think their headquarters are on this island?" asked Mr Weasley.
"Yes," Draco said. "And I have been there before," he added.
Harry hadn't known that. "You have?" he said, raising an eyebrow.
Draco nodded, glancing down at his silver arm. "On my sixteenth birthday," he said. "It was a Side-Along Apparation."
"So how do you know you can get there?" Moody said.
Harry swallowed, remembering the "strategy" conversation he'd had with Draco, Ron and Hermione.
Draco nodded. "We have one person on the inside already," he said
Harry looked away. "But what's the difference if one of us can get there?" he said quickly. "It wouldn't matter all that much."
Ron and Hermione avoided looking at him and Harry knew that they were thinking of the plan Draco had proposed as well.
Shacklebolt was frowning and looking directly at Draco. Tonks looked down. Remus's eyes had gone wide in understanding of the implications.
Draco looked sadly over at Harry and took a deep breath before turning back to the others. "I might be able to help take down the defences," he said.
Harry covered his face with his hand.
"Who do we have on the inside?" Mr Weasley asked, frowning.
"I can't say," Draco said. "But I trust the person."
Bill stared at Draco like he might know exactly who he was talking about.
"What do you mean you can't say?" said Moody, who seemed most displeased with not knowing.
"I mean that I am not willing to take more chance than this that I will get the person killed," Draco snapped at him. "Constant vigilance? Isn't that what you tell us?"
Moody narrowed his normal eye.
Harry brought his face out of hiding. "Is this really necessary?" he asked, sounding pained.
"Is what necessary?" Draco asked. "Do I want to go in there? No. Do I welcome a plan that doesn't include it? Yes. Do I have a better plan? No." He sighed and looked around the room.
"Taking the battle to them has the advantage of surprise," Shacklebolt said, "but the disadvantage of being on their home ground."
Harry leapt at those words. "Yes," he said, “and who would have the true advantage then? Knowing Voldemort, he's likely to have hiding places and traps set up all over that bloody island."
"But we would need something to draw him out," Shacklebolt said. "Do we have anything that would get him to come to where we would want him? And where would that be?"
Harry huffed quietly. "Like I said, I don't know where we could plan it ... and I don't really know what would draw him out. If it were me that was being used for bait, I think he would suspect something."
"We are losing more people every day," Shacklebolt said. "The longer we wait, the worse things get."
"He's right," said Mr Weasley quietly, ignoring the glare sent his way from Mrs Weasley. "Harry, we need something to happen. If we're ready, there's no use waiting."
"I know," Harry said quietly as well, glancing sideways at Draco. "But I know we can come up with something better than just sending Draco in there, and no, I'm not saying that simply because he's my husband. I don't want him to go, of course, but there are also so many things that could work against us if we were to follow that plan."
"I could Side-Along one person with me," Draco said.
Naturally, Harry opened his mouth to say that if Draco was going, he was going as well, but Sirius spoke up before he could get a word in.
"I would go with you," the older man said, staring at Draco.
Harry scowled. "No, I would," he said. And nearly everyone sighed and shook their heads.
"Harry," said Hermione, "must we really explain to you why you wouldn't be able to go with Draco if we were to use this plan?"
Draco sighed. "We need to talk with our contact inside," he said. "But Sirius might be a good choice."
Harry did not see how Sirius would be a good choice, especially if they were going to be working with their "contact inside". "And how is it that he's a good choice?" he asked.
Sirius raised an eyebrow at him.
Draco looked sadly at Harry. "He can change form," he answered. "He might be able to get around without being caught if we were to get separated."
"And none of them know that I'm alive," Sirius put in.
Harry clenched his teeth, suddenly feeling angry.
Most people in the room looked nervously or sadly at Harry.
"Harry, we know this is upsetting for you," Tonks said. "But if we can get those wards down and get others inside, it might be a way to keep the bloodshed down."
Harry huffed and couldn't look anyone in the eye, because he couldn't come up with anything to say against this. He wondered where the Harry that had been comforting Draco upstairs had gone.
"If we do this," Draco said, "we are going to need to have everyone ready. This is a waste unless we can take him down."
Harry made fists with his hands and looked up. He tried to put personal feelings aside, no matter how hard it was to do. "If we do this - and I mean if - then Draco's right. We'll need everyone ready. Hagrid, you'll have to get Grawp and ... whoever the other giant is."
"Dolf," Hagrid answered.
"Right," said Harry. "Remus, you'll need to try one last time with the werewolves, we'll need to gather everyone willing to fight, we'll all need to be there. We'll need everyone and everything possible to take them down, and even then I think we'll be outnumbered."
"It would also be best to do this on a new moon, not a full," Draco said. "The other side's werewolves will be less effective that way."
Harry nodded. "Yes, they'll have many more than us," he said.
"When?" asked Ron. "When do we do this?"
Harry was quiet for a moment. "The next new moon," he said, staring at no one again.
Remus was looking as unhappy with this plan as Harry. He frowned and looked up. "That's only a week from now!" he complained.
Harry looked over at him at his tone. Of course he would be upset. Sirius had volunteered himself after only just coming back. "Well, should we wait until the one after?" he said, not really caring for doing this in a week. He would take as much time as he could.
"Let's be prepared for next week," Shacklebolt said. "I don't know how many more people we will lose in another five."
Harry sighed and looked down again. There was a heavy silence in the room.
Everyone looked at Harry.
"Um, is that everything for now?" Tonks asked.
"Yeah - yeah, I guess," Harry said, taking a deep breath. "I'll, er, see you all in the next few days."
Draco sat down next to his husband and took his hand.
Harry held Draco's hand tightly, looking down at it. He refused to say that he was terrified.
Instead of the usual talking after a meeting, most people were being quiet and giving them space.
Harry stood up and tried to smile a bit, Draco's hand still clenched in his. "You're all welcome to stay for as long as you want -" He paused. "Hell, what am I saying? This is Sirius's house again, so I suppose it's up to him, but I think I'll head up to bed. Good job, everyone."
Mrs Weasley looked tearful, and people looked at him with strange expressions on their faces, but he ignored it, leading Draco over so that they could collect their son.
Draco kept his face carefully neutral while Harry made his little speech and led him to the cot.
Harry carefully lifted Valen and laid him against his shoulder. He waited at the foot of the stairs for Draco to get the cot as the baby squirmed a small bit.
Draco shrunk and picked up the small bed, following Harry. He noticed that Remus and Sirius seemed to be in a whispered argument.