Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Bound	By : goldhorse Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 126119 -:- Recommendations : 15 -:- Currently Reading : 31
Disclaimer: JK owns HP. Not me. I also don't own any quotes you might recognize. I make no money doing this, I just get the plot bunnies to quit interrupting my sleep.

Chapter List
- 36
- 37
- 38
“Oh come on Potter, it’s not that hard,” they heard Melody growling when they returned to the DADA classroom.

“I just can’t get it,” Harry huffed in frustration.

“Bet your father could have,” Melody said softly. “He was perfect, wasn’t he?”

The four people stopped just inside the door when they heard the deadly tone Melody was using. What in the hell was she doing?

“Don’t talk about my father,” Harry said flatly.

“Why not Potter, soft spot? Should I mention your mother then? Everyone seems to sing her praises. Precious Lily, smart, funny, powerful, and could do no wrong. Slughorn never seems to shut up about her. She was brilliant at potions but that didn’t seem to rub off on you. Well, not without your precious book,” Melody sneered. She shot a worried glance over at Severus to make sure he could hold his temper in check.

“Don’t talk about my parents!” Harry shouted. Ginny held her arm out to keep him still but Melody waved her away. Ginny narrowed her eyes but stood back.

“I have to have a reason not to Potter, after all, they sired you. You must have some of their attributes…somewhere. You’re certainly as arrogant as they tell me James was, the same disrespect for authority, the same need for fame.”

“I do not need fame!” Harry yelled indignantly. “I want to be normal.”

“Well you certainly are that. There is absolutely nothing special about your lack of ability to use your gifts. I swear, between you and Neville in a fight, I’d pick him. At least he tries.”

“I am trying!” Harry growled.

“No, you are whining about how hard everything is,” Melody snapped. “That’s one way you aren’t like your dad Potter. Your dad never complained about how hard something was. If he wanted something, he took it. It didn’t matter if it belonged to someone else either, great bully that he was. He could even manage a decent animagus form, unlike you.”

“Stop!” Harry screamed.

“No. You need to hear the truth Potter and since James and Lily Potter can do no fucking wrong in anyone’s eyes, I guess I should be the one to tell it to you. Your mum was a fair weather flyer with a great gift for seeing the good in someone but no talent for forgiving them of their transgressions, a typical fucking Gryffindor. What good is befriending someone if you drop them the second they do something you disapprove of?”

“Stop!” Harry said, trembling with rage.

“No,” Melody growled, her eyes flashing yellow. “I’m not done yet.”

It was all Hermione could do to keep breathing. She understood what was happening. It was the same thing she’d done to them, gotten them angry enough to transform. However, she could feel Snape behind her, shaking from the exertion of having to stay still while Melody ripped his old love a new one.

“Your father was a first class asshole. When he wasn’t picking on the weak and being a bully, he was a pompous prick who thought the rules didn’t apply to him. He thought he was better than everyone else, a black and white world with that one. No one ever had a chance to prove themselves with him. It’s probably why he’s dead!”

“You shut up! You don’t know anything about my parents!” Harry said, his green aura flickering dangerously.

“Neither do you!” Melody yelled. “They’re dead!”

Harry made to lunge at her and she stepped back slightly as his mouth dropped open. He looked panic.

“Let it happen Potter,” Melody said softly. “Don’t fight it.”

Harry screamed as he felt his body contort and transform. In his place was a snorting stag with huge antlers and brilliant green eyes. Hermione figured that he looked similar to his father’s form. He was trembling from the exertion. She remembered her first transformation and the energy it took.

“Well now, perhaps you aren’t a lost cause after all Potter,” Melody said softly, trying to suppress a smile.

“Leave him alone,” Ginny said. She’d tried to hold herself back but she was angry at the way Melody was treating Harry.

“Why? Don’t want to hear the truth about your hero? He really isn’t all that special you know, just a boy playing at being a man.”

“Enough!” Ginny yelled and lunged forwards.

Hermione could tell the transformation was upon her when her brown eyes widened in panic.

“If you want to lunge, lunge!” Melody shouted and then shuffled backwards, watching as Ginny transformed into a beautiful chestnut horse. She snorted a few times and then whinnied. Then her eyes widened and she sunk down, frightened at her sounds.

Melody let the grin slide across her face as she hopped up and down and clapped. “Well done! Damn, I thought I was going to have to take a few hexes before you two turned. Whew.” She snapped her fingers and produced a floor length mirror. “Go ahead, check yourselves out.”

The stag and the mare cautiously stumbled over to the mirror to look themselves over. It was hard for them to gain purchase on the stone floor but they got it down after a few tries. They made astonished sounds as they inspected themselves in the mirror and then each other by way of sniffing.

Melody giggled. “Yes, the heightened senses to take a bit of time to get used to. You may or may not notice these senses carrying over into your human form. Actually, in retrospect, I wish I would have taken you two to the ROR because it could simulate an outdoor environment where you could roam and get used to your forms.”

“We could disillusion them and send them up there,” Snape drawled, startling Melody so badly she jumped.

“Oh yes, that’s a good idea. It’ll be amusing watching you two flounder over the stones though. Izzy tells me all the time how slippery her hooves are on the road,” Melody said, breathing a bit heavily from her scare. “And, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry for what I said. A bit of raw anger always helps with the transformation. I did it for those two as well.” She pointed to Hermione and Draco. “One more thing and then we’ll head up to the ROR.”

Melody gulped nervously and walked over to Severus. After staring at him for a moment, she closed her eyes and dropped to kneel in the position they’d taught Hermione. “I am so sorry Sev.”

Severus took a deep steadying breath and laid his hand on top of her head gently. “I understand. Were those your observations?”

“Unfortunately,” Melody said softly. “Third person and all of that.”

“I see. Arise,” Severus said with some authority and took his hand off of Melody’s head. She got up and it was easy to see that she was near tears. She had never meant to hurt anyone but if there was one button to push to make Harry angry enough to spit fire, it was to talk badly of his parents.

“Stop that,” Severus snapped and rubbed his fingers over her eyelids, wiping away the gathering moisture. “Necessities are often unpleasant.”

“I just, I’m sorry,” Melody choked out and made to hug him but held out at the last moment, trembling in place. Severus nodded and she jumped in his arms, squeezing him rather hard. He laid his chin on her head and gave her a gentle hug back before releasing her.

“Now, we need to get them up there and then we have many things to discuss. Sergei was in the forest tonight and he had some very interesting news,” Snape said softly.

“Shit,” Melody hissed. “Well alright then. Hermione, Draco, disillusion them and cast cushioning charms on their feet so they don’t clip-clip through the hallways. Make sure you are disillusioned as well. We’ll follow you there and once we’re in the room, they can get used to their new forms while we talk some obviously needed strategy.”

They made it to the seventh floor before they noticed anyone out an about. It just so happened that it was Ron and Lavender they stumbled upon. Hermione’s heart sunk just a bit and she stepped backwards, stumbling into either Harry or Ginny, she couldn’t tell at first. The subsequent snort let her know it was, in fact, Ginny that she’d run over. She apologized in a whisper but their party remained stock still in the shadows in case the obviously arguing couple noticed them.

“Why won’t you tell me who did this to you Won-Won?” Lavender whined in her grating high pitched voice. She rubbed over Ron’s newly acquired forehead tattoo. He’d gone back to the common room the previous night too late for anyone to notice and had disappeared most of the day. Apparently, he couldn’t avoid her any longer.

“Because I can’t,” Ron said through clenched teeth.

“Why not?” Lavender pouted.

“It doesn’t matter why not. I just don’t want to talk about it.”

“But it says hypocrite! Why are you a hypocrite?”

“I don’t know,” Ron said, his face reddening, giving away the fact that he knew exactly why he had that tattoo. He just couldn’t figure out how Celeste knew he was sleeping with Lavender.

“Yes you do!” Lavender snapped. “I’m your girlfriend! You can tell me anything!”

“Not this,” Ron snapped.

“I bet you could tell Hermione,” Lavender spat. “Don’t think I don’t see the way you look at her.”

“I’m not telling anyone. Hermione and I are just friends. Leave her out of this.”

“She’s never in the dorm anymore you know. She’s always sneaking out to meet some guy. I caught them in the bathroom together before Christmas.”

“So who is he if you caught them?” Ron asked, honestly curious.

“I didn’t see his face,” Lavender mumbled. “But he was there. He made himself invisible and then snuck out. Your sister knows who he is I bet. She threw a bat bogey at me when he was escaping!”

Ron rubbed his face but Hermione could tell it was because he was having a hard time not laughing. He’d been the victim of a bat bogey more than once. “And what does that have to do with anything.”

“I’ve been following her, trying to figure out who he is. I even tried to brew a potion but it was confiscated. I think she did this! She’s jealous of me and she wants to steal you away from me!”

“I doubt that,” Ron said flatly, the sadness apparent in his voice.

Hermione felt a pang of guilt but she was angrier at Lavender. How dare that bint spy on her like that? Not only that, what if she succeeded? She started panting in a panic as Lavender went off on a tangent about who she thought her secret boyfriend was until she felt Draco place a hand on her back. He leaned over and whispered in Melody’s ear.

“We’re going to have to put an end to that.”

Melody bit her lip and then nodded as an idea came to her. “Put the medallion on. Change your hair to black. Make sure your fangs are visible.”

“What are we doing?” Draco asked curiously.

“We’ve all seen Lavender’s reaction to vampires,” Melody said with an evil grin. “If one happened to threaten her…”

“Ah, so we scare her silent,” Draco said with a smirk. It faded quickly when he heard his wife’s thoughts. “What if she talks?”

“Then the school knows that Hermione’s been seeing a vampire.” Melody shrugged. “It spreads like wildfire; boys might actually leave her the fuck alone; rumors die and it becomes commonplace. If the snake bastard finds out then he’ll be looking for a black haired vampire that looks like the medallion’s glamour. Oh, why don’t you make him French? They’ll have to spread out to find him. I bet they give up quickly.”

“How in the hell do you come up with this shite?” Draco asked with a half laugh as he put his necklace on.

Melody smiled. “An idle mind is the devil’s playground I guess. Seriously, no one wanted to fuck with me back in school. I was the master of revenge. Then I met a different type of master and I guess my virtue went to hell.”

Draco chuckled. “So how are we going to play this?”

“Plan A: sneak up on them like you’re sneaking around school. Get “caught” and threaten the daylights out of her.”

“There’s a problem with that one,” Severus drawled. “A vampire could hear them long before they got there. Hell, those two could probably hear them from a few floors away. They could also smell them.”

“Ah, forgot about that, although that’s probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.” Melody snorted. “Alright, Plan B: It’s certainly a lot more risky and we chance Weasley having a mental breakdown. You two are being loud. They hear and I’m going to risk the fact that they’ll probably hide. Hopefully, they either overlook the fact that you could smell them or they chock it up to you being eager to feed. Either way, beg her to do something risqué, dance, fuck, whatever floats your boat. End it with a feeding. That’s sure to freak Lavender out bad enough to scream. If Weasley erects a privacy spell, which I hope he’s smart enough to do but doesn’t actually do it, I’ll take it down. When she freaks, slam her into the wall. Don’t hurt her but let her know you mean business. Then let your Malfoy propensity for threats out.”

Draco snorted. “Heard a few of those, eh?”

“Actually, yes. Your dear old dad threw a whole slew of them while he was simultaneously trying to cure his boils, stop his growing teeth, and get rid of his extra nose.” Melody smiled at Severus.

“Wow.” Draco chuckled. “Wish I would have been there to see that.”

Melody let out a giggle. “I’ll put it in a pensieve for you. You can both have a laugh. It was rather humorous. Hell, we’ll all jump in. It was a lovely day.”

Draco smiled. “Well, I think we’ll dance but we don’t have any music.”

“Leave that to me,” Melody said and took the disillusion spell off of a trembling Hermione. “Courage lioness.” Hermione straightened her back and took a deep breath. “If you’re really good, you might just make it easy for Ron to find himself free of a girlfriend.”

“Why would we want to do that?” Hermione asked in shock.

“He wants to get rid of her. I don’t like her either. I rather think him and Luna could hit it off well.”

“Looney?” Draco asked in shock.

“Don’t call her that,” Melody snapped. “She’s different to be sure, but her inability to be angered would balance out his lightning fast temper. She’s not bad too look at either. Oh, and she’s an empath.”

“Really?” Draco asked in shock.

“It actually makes sense,” Hermione said with a frown. “She’s always had this sixth sense about things, even if she goes on and on about some nonsense creatures.”

“Exactly,” Melody said proudly. “Too bad she doesn’t like him because he, and I quote, “can be quite unkind.”

“I didn’t like Draco at first either,” Hermione said with a soft smile.

“That’s the sprit. Anyway, we’ll worry about playing match maker later. Right now, go scare the bejesus out of that jumped up little tart.”

“Wait.” A feminine voice frightened them. Celeste gave them an apologetic look before she sniffed the air. She’d transformed back without anyone noticing. “Severus, do you smell that?”

“What?” Severus asked, sliding his eyes discreetly where he thought Harry and Ginny to be.

“That little slut.” Celeste sniffed. “She’s been seeing someone on the side, reeks of him actually.”

“Who?” Melody asked curiously.

“I can’t put my finger on it.” She bit her lip. “It smells very familiar but I’m having trouble pinpointing it. He’s in your class though, your DADA morning class. Slytherin, plays quidditch if I’m not mistaken.”

“That’s half the class,” Draco snorted.

“This one is the leader I think,” Celeste said, sniffing again.

“Urquhart?” Draco asked in shock. “He’s the team captain and a chaser. I think I might have said maybe ten words to him all year. He’s supposedly a Dark Lord sympathizer.”

“Well it looks like he’s slumming it,” Celeste said with a shrug. “Either way, she’s not the doting little girlfriend she touts herself to be.”

Draco grinned evilly. “Perhaps my vampire nose will pick up on it.”

Celeste smile matched. “It’s no secret I don’t like Weasley but he deserves better than her.” With that, she transformed back into her wolf form and laid down, her head on her paws.

“Well then, let’s go ma chérie.” Draco drawled deeply in a fake French accent. Hermione almost swooned and he smirked wickedly. Taking her hand, he dragged her out of the shadows. Thank goodness they were a ways down the hall so they could make an entrance.

“Come on ma chérie!” Draco hollered. “You dance so beautifully. Let me see you move.”

“No!” Hermione protested loudly. “We could get caught and you need to keep your voice down.”

“Who cares if we get caught? I’m not ashamed to be seen with such a beauty on my arm.”

Hermione gasped. “I care because I could get in real trouble for sneaking you in here. What if they found out?”

“Then perhaps all of those other oafs would keep their hands off of my lady,” Draco growled.

“They’re harmless. Honestly, I swear you’re more jealous and protective than my friends.”

“You are mine,” Draco said softly. “I do not wish to share you with anyone. I wish to have you all to myself, your beauty, your smell, your taste, I wish to consume you.”

Hermione blushed and cleared her throat, turning to Draco and catching movement from the corner of her eye. Ron and Lavender had ducked behind a statue in a little niche. “I’m glad you like me so well but I love my friends and I can’t just abandon them for you.” She spoke softly but she was certain they could hear her.

“Very well,” Draco said sadly. “I will come to you only when you wish it if you dance for me.”

“Not here,” Hermione squeaked. “Why don’t we find a classroom and I’ll dance for you.”

“No, here. It makes it so much more alluring when I see your give yourself over to the music. You are a wondrous beauty. Dance for me.”

“Please, let’s not do this here,” Hermione whined.

“Right here ma chérie. Right now.” He drew his finger over her nose. “I can hear your pulse as it races. It’s intoxicating. Please do not make me ensnare you and do my bidding.”

“It wouldn’t work anyway,” Hermione quipped.

“Are you so sure love? It is said that when a vampire bites his mate, she becomes immune to all others, not the mate.”

“You wouldn’t,” Hermione gasped, making sure her voice quivered just enough. She could hear Lavender squeak and had to smother a smile.

“I would. I desire it so much I am willing to do anything to get it.” He almost lost it when he heard Lavender’s faint gasp and the subsequent clawing of Weasley.

“You’re incorrigible.”

“Only with you,” Draco drawled. He smiled when a fast beat wafted through the air. “Now my love, dance for me.”

Hermione started with a few sways of her hips, obviously trying to work out her nerves. Draco stared at her as if he would consume her with just his eyes. She felt herself falling under his spell, moving more fluidly, craving to dance with him. He easily obliged, dipping her and placing his hands on her hips as she rolled them. She almost forgot where she was by the time the music ended.

“That was beautiful ma chérie,” Draco drawled. “I must taste you.” He opened his mouth and let the torch lights flicker off his protruding fangs. “Tilt your head and brace yourself my love. I want to hear your cries as I drink from you.” With that, he sunk his teeth into Hermione’s tilted neck.

Hermione couldn’t help it. The surge of pure pleasure that jolted through her body caused her to moan loudly. Draco took a few pulls from her and she lost it; her orgasm washed over her. She cried out in bliss. Lavender’s screams halted them in their tracks. Draco removed his fangs and licked the puncture wounds so they would seal themselves. Then he turned his eyes over to the niche they were hiding in and ran over, grabbing Lavender by the throat and shoving her up against the wall. He smirked when she squeaked.

“What have we here?” He hissed, blood still dripping down his fangs. Ron squeaked and he threw his hand out, slamming him against the wall with his magic. “Did you enjoy the show?”

“Ron!” Hermione gasped, trying her hardest to feign shock. She was still a bit dazed from Draco feeding on her. “What are you doing here?”

“We were just talking,” Ron said, his eyes wide with fear.

Hermione put her hand on Draco’s arm. “It’s okay, he’s my friend.”

“Are you certain? Does he realize what could happen should he relay his tales to someone?” Draco asked in a hard tone.

“I won’t tell,” Ron said faintly. “Wizards oath!”

“Very well,” Draco said softly and dropped Ron who took a few steadying breaths and stared at him. “What say you?” He whispered softy to Lavender’s and made a show of cleaning the blood from his fangs. He moaned softly; Hermione’s blood was intoxicating and he was hard as a rock from her writhing beneath him. He could tell his patience would be limited.

“You’ll not get away with this,” Lavender squeaked.

“Oh yes I will,” Draco said with an evil grin. “Would you like to know why?”

Lavender’s face was a comical mixture between curiosity and abject horror. “Why?” She demanded with false bravado.

“Because you must sleep sometime and I do not,” he said softly. “Keep your mouth shut and I might just look elsewhere for a snack. One peep and you’ll be on the menu.”

“You wouldn’t,” she whimpered.

“Would you care to find out? I am a soulless creature of the night. Why should your insignificant life mean anything to me?”

Lavender’s eyes flickered with fear. “You, I, she…you fed from her and she’s still alive.” Her eyes slid over to Hermione’s. “I could do the same. You could have me. I’m better. I’ll give you more than that. You can have all of me.”

Draco chuckled darkly. “I won’t be the first either, nor the second and that’s just today.” He allowed his eyes to glow a bit as she trembled.

“How do you know that?” Lavender asked weakly.

“I can smell it,” Draco said sinisterly. “You reek and not of the one you are with. She, on the other hand, is pure. Only my hands have known her. Only my fangs have tasted her. She is mine and I have all of her.”

“I know more. I can show you things she’s never dreamed of.”

“I’m sure,” Draco said dryly. “Practiced moves from well used goods. Did you watch her dance? She is exquisite. Every move from sheer natural talent and not a learned response; it’s alluring. If I need her to know things, I will teach her myself. I can assure you, she is a most adept student.”

Lavender huffed. “All learned from books.”

Draco grinned menacingly and leaned in, looking for all the world as if he was going to pierce her skin. Lavender screamed as loud as she could and struggled. Draco pulled back with a disgusted snort. “She has passion and an open mind, two things you will never own. However, you do have blood and that is the only thing I’m interested in at the moment. You see, I am quite thirsty and someone interrupted the most delicious feast I’ve ever had. I’ll need to be fulfilled.”

“You’re going to kill me,” Lavender squeaked.

“Only if you decide you will not hold your tongue. Your silence for your life madam,” Draco spat.

“You’ll let me go?” Lavender asked cautiously.

“On my word. I’ll take an oath with you. Your silence for your life.”

“Vampires can’t die though. What good is an oath?” Lavender sneered.

“I can still turn to ash,” Draco bit out. “I’m getting rather impatient.”

“Fine,” Lavender said angrily.

She thrust her arm out and she made the oath with Draco. Hermione sealed it with a sigh of relief. Lavender wouldn’t be able to tell anyone and she’d stay off their backs from now on. Still, Hermione hadn’t missed the look of betrayal on Ron’s face when Draco mentioned Lavender’s indiscretions.

“Come on Won-Won. Take me back to the common room.”

“Others,” Ron said softly. “There were others.”

Lavender paled. “They don’t mean anything to me Won-Won. You’re my boyfriend now.”

“And yet he can smell him on you right now.” Ron’s eyes darkened in anger. “Walk yourself back to the common room. We’re done.”

“But Won-Won,” Lavender pleaded.

“No,” Ron said harshly. “You’ve thrown in your lot with another bloke. Go to him if you want something.” With that, he turned his back on her. Lavender screamed indignantly and stomped towards Gryffindor tower.

When she was certain Lavender was well out of earshot, Hermione put her arm tentatively on Ron’s shoulder. “Ron, are you okay?”

Ron spun around quickly causing her to jump back in shock. “No I’m not bloody okay!” He yelled. “Who in the bloody hell is this and how did he know she was cheating on me?”

“I thought you wanted to be shot of her Weasel,” Draco snickered in his own voice as he took the glamour off his hair and removed his necklace. “I’d say good riddance to bad rubbish.”

“Malfoy,” Ron said flatly. “Was it even true then.”

“It was,” Hermione said softly. “Celeste smelled it actually.”

Ron paled. “Why would she care?”

Hermione smiled. “She said she didn’t like you but no one deserved to be treated like that. She’s not really that bad. You just annoyed her.”

“If that’s her just annoyed, I’d hate to see her angry,” Ron said shakily.

“No you don’t,” Hermione said as she and Draco shuddered simultaneously. An image of Celeste ripping the throat out of one muggle while she carelessly broke another in half flashed through their minds. An angry Celeste was no one to be trifled with.

Ron gulped. “You, you’ve seen her angry then.”

Hermione nodded and shivered so hard that Draco had to steady her. “It’s not a sight I ever want to see again.”

“I’ll remember that. What are you two doing here anyway?” Ron asked, trying to change the subject.

“OH!” Hermione said brightly. “We’re going to the ROR. Come with us. We’ve got something to show you!” She said, anxious for him to see Harry and Ginny.

“Um,” Ron said, looking past them to see Snape and Melody leaning against the wall with identical smirks on their faces. At their feet was Celeste, still resting her head on her paws. “Are you sure?”

“Yes Ronald,” Hermione snapped. “Now come on!” She grabbed his arm and dragged him down the hall. Draco shook his head and cast a disillusion spell over himself. The walk to the ROR was going to be quite uncomfortable. At that thought Hermione stopped and gasped. “Stay here.” She ran to Draco, shoving him in an alcove and throwing up a silencing charm.

“What-“ was all Draco could get out before she sunk her teeth into his skin. He cried out in shock and rapture when he came hard in his trousers. He shuddered for a moment as she took a few pulls and then licked over the wound. “Good grief woman.”

“I had to return the favor.” She smirked and ran out of the niche leaving him to clean himself up.

‘You’ll be the death of me yet woman,’ he thought and smirked at her corresponding chuckle.

------------

“Bloody hell, that’s brilliant!” Ron said again for practically the hundredth time since they stepped foot in the ROR.

Melody had requested a duplicate of her ranch and the room responded beautifully. Harry and Ginny had stood patiently while Ron inspected their new forms in shock. They ran off to try out their new legs and learn to maneuver in their new forms. He sat on a nearby bench and stared at them longingly while Snape relayed Sergei’s message for Melody.

“We got that Weasley,” Melody called as she rolled her eyes. “Perhaps you should use this time to do those meditation practices I showed you.”

“But you said that you made them angry and they changed that way,” Ron said, tearing his eyes from the sight of his sister galloping across the field, Harry hot on her heels.

“That’s the final step,” Melody acknowledged. “But you must first know yourself Weasley. Close your eyes and explore your mind. Examine all your feelings and your beliefs. To know one’s self is a true feat and will help you on your journey.”

“What if I don’t have a form?” Ron asked sadly.

“It’s in there. You just need to search yourself before we try to find it. I’d recommend the stables. They’re nice and quiet. I always go there to think. There’s a comfy recliner in the back. Sit down and meditate for a while.”

“Whatever you say,” Ron said wistfully as he strolled over to the stables to think.

“What is he?” Hermione asked curiously.

Melody cackled loudly. “He’s a weasel!”

“You’re joking,” Hermione said incredulously as the other’s laughed.

“Nope. It’s actually a good form. He’ll be able to hide should he need to. Weasels are stealthy and smart little buggers to boot.”

“He’s not going to be thrilled,” Hermione said, trying to not laugh at the imagery of a little red weasel.

“Thrilled or not, that’s what he’s got,” Melody said, wiping a tear of mirth from her eye. “Now, down to business. I suspect I’ll be getting a call from Vladimir any time. He’s usually the one that books me. Alex said he’d contact me as soon as Sergei’s woman is safe.”

“Do you think the Death Eaters will try something?” Hermione asked.

“No doubt they will if Bellatrix is in charge,” Snape said darkly. “She’s going to try to kill Melody at every turn.”

Melody snorted. “Not if I kill her first.”

“She is the Dark Lord’s absolute favorite. You’d do well to stay out of it.”

“Then she should be fully aware that walking into a vampire club and spilling first blood is a very bad idea,” Melody smirked.

“There’s a thought,” Celeste said with glowing eyes.

“You know what?” Melody asked irritated at Celeste’s lack of control. “Why don’t you march your sweet little ass over to those trees and cast as many freezing hexes as you can in ten minutes and then come back.”

“Says who?” Celeste said, sticking her tongue out.

“Says I,” Severus drawled slowly.

Celeste lowered her eyes. “Yes sir,” she whispered and walked quietly over to the small grove of trees. She cast dozens of freezing hexes at them.

“You’re going to have to bite her soon Sev,” Melody said, biting her lip in worry. “She grows stronger every day. You do too. You feed off of each other and she’s never needed the rigid discipline you have imposed on yourself.”

“I don’t wish to bind her to me when my future is uncertain,” Snape said softly he gazed at his lover.

“If you die Sev, the bond will die with you. A few months of bliss could make all the difference.”

“And if it turns?” He asked, bringing his eyes to meet Melody’s. The wariness in them was unmistakable.

Melody sighed and walked over to him, plopping herself down in his lap and forcing him to look at her. “Sev, it’s time to let that go. She isn’t like her. She’s not going to turn her back on any of us. Merlin knows she could have chosen to walk away so many times but she hasn’t. When she makes a commitment, it’s for life Sev. Life. You two are very similar in that aspect. I think that’s why she accepts your way of thinking so readily. I won’t tell you what Harmony has seen Sev but I will tell you that it’s so good. Let yourself live again, love again. I know you can do this.”

Severus closed his eyes. “She deserves better.”

“Spoken like a man in love,” Melody whispered so softly that Draco and Hermione barely heard her. Severus’s eyes flew open in shock. “I’m right.” She smiled. “Oh Sev, you are so close to making me the happiest person on the planet right now. Just give in.”

“You are not making any sense,” he growled and made to shove her off his lap.

“Don’t you dare,” she said, her hair whipping up suddenly in a yellow glow. “You listen to me Severus Snape. Celeste deserves the absolute best person for her. That person is you. Do you have any clue how deliriously happy it would make me to see my best friend content? I might actually get some sleep at night!”

Severus frowned. “You don’t sleep?”

“Hardly ever,” Melody said softly. “I worry about everything until I pass out from exhaustion and then the nightmares wake me back up. They’re always of you Sev, you dying alone because you pushed everyone away. Please Sev, I know the truth. I can see it in your eyes. Please consider this. Please? Please?” She begged in a tiny broken voice as she shoved herself off of his lap. She turned around and wiped her eyes several times before she transformed into a horse and charged off at a full gallop.

Severus sat there for a moment, his eyes unfocused until Hermione cleared her throat. “She’s right father. Love can hurt but it’s one of the most fulfilling experiences you’ll ever have if it’s mutual.” She smiled and looked at Draco. Who would have known how happy they’d be a mere six months ago.

His eyes narrowed. “And if it isn’t mutual?”

“Look in the mirror,” Hermione said softly. “Only a woman who loves you would be willing to kneel so readily, tear herself into pieces because she disappointed you, and still bow at your feet merely because you ask it of her. Isn’t that what you said?” With that, she nodded to Draco and transformed into a bird and flew off to catch up with everyone.

“I agree,” Draco said softly before he transformed into a dragon and flew high in the artificial sky. They frolicked with Harry and Ginny so he could think for a while. It seemed to be what he needed. They still kept a sharp ear out though, in case something changed.

Snape sat stunned until long after Celeste returned and sat at his feet, her head in his lap. She knew that Melody had cast a silencing spell as soon as she walked away. The look on his face said that she’d told him things he hadn’t expected to hear.

“You look like someone told you that you had to wear a pink tutu and dance as the sugar plum fairy,” Alex quipped as he sat next to Severus.

Severus jumped and looked Alex wide eyed. “How did you get in here?”

Alex shrugged. “Melody required me to be in here, I guess. Where is she?” He looked around.

“Probably off cantering in the back forty,” Celeste sighed.

“Well that explains why she didn’t answer her mirror,” Alex mumbled. “I have news though.”

“Vladimir wants her to perform tonight,” Severus drawled.

“Bad news travels fast then.” Alex frowned. “I suppose you know who requested her?” At Severus’s nod he hummed. “Well, Sergei’s woman is hanging out with Sampson right now. For someone who has taken a vampire as a lover, she sure it terrified of them. Sampson seems to have hit on something though, always has been a drama queen I guess.”

Severus smirked. “Not your type then?”

Alex grinned. “No, I prefer tall, dark, and sinister.” He gave a hearty laugh when Severus rolled his eyes. “Well, I do. Then I ended up with short, light, and absolutely wicked. It’s a good fit.” He smiled softly but it soon turned into a frown. “This is not going to go well. There will be several Death Eaters in attendance tonight. Vladimir left out the whole part about the place being charmed so that no one can tell the truth of identities once they leave. I am grateful for that. Still, we’re going to have one hell of a time. The vampires can all smell who her true mate is. If they should let it slip, well, I’m not sure if Melody could obliviate them all in time.”

“And you?” Severus asked softly.

“I’d kill them in a heartbeat; you know I would. However, I fear that would lead me to a one way staking and I have no wish to leave this plane before she does.” Alex frowned again. “Besides, just because they can’t tell who she truly is doesn’t mean they can’t tell that she can see.”

Just then, Severus felt an intense burning in his forearm. He hissed and rubbed the Dark Mark, a look of terror flitting over his face before he smoothed it back out. Celeste merely pecked him on the cheek and moved back, a sad look on her face. Melody came galloping across the pasture and came to a skidding stop before him, transforming into herself.

“Have you been summoned?” Severus asked.

“No,” Melody said, her lip quivering. “Be careful Sev.”

He nodded and with a pop, he disappeared. Melody plopped down on Alex’s lap and hugged him fiercely. She was so worried for her friend.

“You’re going to have to be alert tonight,” Alex said into her hair. “They’ve got a muggle with them and he seems to know entirely too much about you and Harmony.”

“Exactly how much are we talking here?” Melody asked, pulling back to look at him.

“Like proving everything you told the Dark Lord wrong. They know Harmony is your twin although Victor, Sampson, and Vladimir all thoroughly denied it. They know you can see although, once again, they denied it. They know you have special gifts, or Harmony does at any rate.”

“Why am I not dead yet?” Melody asked with a frown.

“Because they learned these things in Vladimir’s office,” Alex grinned. “And it could possibly be because I hit him with a verbal block once he left with them.” He shrugged. “It won’t hold for long though. We’ll need to corner him and pump everything from him before we dispose of him.”

“Who is he?” Melody asked softly.

“I’m not sure. I couldn’t very well break into his mind right there, could I? I was hanging from the rafters at the time. Suffice it to say, he knows way more than those two that met interesting ends a while back.”

“You think he’s the leader,” Melody said softly.

“The original. You were able to see then weren’t you?”

Melody nodded. “I’ll never forget his face.”

“Then have a look,” Alex said gravely and looked deeply into her eyes. After a few moments, Melody gasped and started shaking. He hugged her tightly to him because he knew then. “It’s him.” He sighed sadly when Melody jerkily nodded her head.

“Then we destroy him,” Draco said, startling everyone. They hadn’t even noticed him creep up. Hermione was right behind him. “It’s the least he deserves.”

“Perhaps,” Melody said. “However, he might be of some further use.”

“I don’t see how,” Draco scoffed and sat down on a nearby log. He pulled Hermione into his lap.

“Well,” Melody began, worrying her fingers together. “Harmony tracked those other two muggles down to find the rest. Perhaps we can get him to sing a different tune. A few memory charms, a well-placed imperious, and a tracing charm would allow us to keep tabs on him as well as any Death Eaters he might encounter. We can pick off the low level ones and sabotage the higher ranking ones. The less credible they look, the higher we rise in the ranks. We get better information and save more lives and we use that muggle to place the blame on others.”

“The Dark Lord would hardly trust the word of a muggle,” Draco sneered.

“Unless he thinks that muggle is the key to winning over the prized twins of the Paranoid Prince,” Melody said softly.

“And if he found the curses?” Hermione asked softly.

Melody grinned maniacally. “That is where you two come in. You are stronger than even me. Cast them with signatures and I’ll teach you how to weave the spells that thwart detection.”

“But we’re still using him,” Hermione said, voicing her internal struggle at treating the muggle so harshly.

“He doesn’t deserve your compassion,” Melody snapped. “I am not the first he’s ever attacked; I certainly wasn’t the last, and if we let him go he will do it again and again. He has no soul, no redeeming qualities. He lives to inflict pain and thrives off of gaining power. He will never learn.”

“How do you know all that?” Hermione asked timidly.

“My sister is an annoying little know-it-all,” Melody answered, smiling fondly. “War isn’t pretty sweetheart. You might as well get used to that fact right now. We will save as many as we can but spending time on lost causes is, forgive me for this, but frivolous, short sided, and stupid. The world isn’t black and white. There aren’t strictly good people and bad people. I know I’m not good but I don’t think I’m entirely evil.”

“You are a good person.” Hermione frowned.

“Am I?” Melody asked quietly. “I’ve killed half a dozen muggles Hermione. Am I still a good person?”

“It was in self-defense though,” Hermione argued.

“It was but what happens the first time the Dark Lord orders me to avada some poor muggle that he’s tortured half to death? They could be innocent but I have no choice but to obey because I’m selfish enough to want to live. If I was entirely good, I’d refuse to do it and die myself.”

Hermione furrowed her brow in thought. She could tell that Melody had paused to give her some time to work everything out. She was well aware of the point the older woman was trying to drive home. There wasn’t a right and wrong sometimes, merely a lesser of two evils. Faced with the same options, what would she do? On one hand, if she failed to kill the muggle she would save her own soul but she would lose her life and the muggle would probably die anyway, more than likely an even more painful way. If she killed them, then she’d have their blood on her hands but she’d keep her own life and spare the muggle any more pain. There was another factor as well, Draco. If she died, he would as well so she would have essentially signed both their death warrants if she refused. She would also deny them a chance to save countless others.

“Live to see another day and save as many others as you can,” Hermione said softly, a tear rolling down her cheek. Draco squeezed her tightly, silently offering her strength at her revelation.

“That’s the jest of it sweetheart. It isn’t pretty. It’s not right. It’s the reason Severus only sleeps a few hours at a time and paces when the nightmares get to be too much. No one who has fought a war will be proud of all their actions, if they are truly a decent person. Every life, whether deserving of a second chance or not, is still a life. The blood is still on their hands. However, if no one stepped up and did the dirty work, how many more would be lost?” Melody got out of Alex’s lap and walked over to kneel beside Hermione. She brought her face up to see her eye to eye.

“If using one soul, who by the way doesn’t want to be redeemed, is a way to save the rest of us, then why wouldn’t we take that opportunity? It’s his life for all of ours and I deem us more important than the life of a greedy bastard who will never see the error of his ways. We are the lesser of the two evils because we plan to save countless others with the life we will be granted. Do you understand?”

Hermione shut her eyes and nodded. “It just feels dirty.”

“No one ever said we would be able to walk through hell wearing white and not get bloodstains on our robes,” Melody acknowledged. “The trick is to justify it, accept it, and try not to let it eat at you. See the good of the outcome rather than what had to happen to get there. If Merlin’s potion fails and Dumbledor falls, whether it is by Severus’s hand or Draco’s, they must know that it was for the good of the war. Albus is willing to sacrifice himself like a chess piece to capture the king. Now, I’m hedging bets that it won’t come to that but I’d like you to see the worst case scenario.”

“That’s not the worst case scenario,” Hermione said suddenly. “Harry might not come back.”

Melody smiled sadly. “In that case, he sacrificed himself to rid an entire world of evil. I would consider it the noblest act of all. Therefore, we should buckle down and work on figuring out exactly how all of us are going to show up at Fangs and Thangs and take care of that muggle and those damned lackeys before it gets back to Moldy Shorts.”

Just then, Severus came crashing through the door. He looked no worse for wear but his face said everything.

“Someone spit in your pumpkin juice?” Melody quipped, trying to lighten his mood.

“You could say that,” Severus drawled and sat down on a bench. “The Dark Lord has requested that I go with you tonight. My presence will be explained.”

“That’s good news Sev,” Melody said with a furrowed brow. “Why do you look like someone stole your lolly?”

“Because I found out who will be there, Bellatrix, Lucius, and Dolohov to name a few. I believe Wormtail might be making an appearance as well.”

“Oh I do hope he turns into a rat. It’ll be fun to hear him squeak when I have someone eat him,” Melody said venomously.

“Yes well, as appetizing as that sounds, we have more problems. Members of Sergei’s coven have decided to join in on the fun and they are loyal to the Dark Lord.”

Melody gasped loudly and brought her hands over her mouth in shock. “We’re screwed.”

“Not necessarily,” Alex said thoughtfully. “The charms should still hold. However, if we don’t play this cool, it’s going to be a bloodbath.”

“You can say that again,” Melody muttered.

“If we don’t play this cool, it’s going to be a bloodbath,” Alex snarked.

“Alright smartass,” Melody sniffed. “Well, one good thing could come of it. Sergei can decide to stay tonight and Sampson and Victor can speak with his coven directly. Hopefully they don’t lose their shit over it.”

“Ever the optimist.” Alex laughed. “Well, one thing if we do this, Draco and Hermione will have to come separately.”

“What? Why?” Hermione squeaked.

“Because if you aren’t seen with us then you can’t be linked to us,” Melody said. “Alex will probably be scarce too.”

“I will. Vladimir wants Harmony to sing as well, as per Death Eater request. I figure Philippe and I can smuggle the girl to the Ranch while they do their first number. None of the regulars will allow her to be touched. They’ll smell that she is with child.”

“They’ll protect her?” Draco asked in confusion.

“Vampires are fiercely protective of those they consider to be theirs,” Alex explained. “Harmony and Melody are favorites at the club and they’ve helped more than one of the regulars with meals, hiding spaces, potions, jobs, etc. They’ve earned respect and appreciation and that doesn’t go overlooked. Harmony’s children are an extension of her. They won’t let anyone near her except those they deem safe.”

“I still don’t want her to sing without extra protection,” Melody huffed.

“I’ll do it,” Celeste said quietly. “I’ll join you on stage in the background. No one will touch her.”

“Thank you,” Melody sighed, relieved that her sister would have extra protection.

“That’s settled then,” Alex said. “Now, the next part is tricky. The muggle will be with the Death Eaters but we need to lure him into the back room alone.”

“The back room?” Draco asked curiously.

“The back room is the only room in the entire joint that’s not warded,” Melody explained. “It’s used for private feedings. House rules state it must be consensual and no turning or killing is allowed. Most want to be under the thrall when fed from, heightens the experience but if you remember, the whole club is warded against the thrall. Else the vampires could just ensnare anyone to do their bidding and it becomes a free for all.”

“Smart vampires,” Draco murmured. “So how do we lure this muggle back there?”

“With a pretty face?” Melody threw out. “He’s always going on and on about pretty faces and how he loves to see them screwed up in pain.” She shuddered.

“Won’t the Death Eaters notice that he’s following some woman into the back?” Draco questioned.

“That’s where the whole team effort thing comes in,” Melody said. “They need to be distracted by something so sensational that they aren’t paying attention. The muggle is easily distracted by a pretty girl. He’ll go without a struggle. You two will need to be in the room when he gets there so you can keep him there. I want him cracked, hexed, and ready to go by the end of the set.”

“Cracked?” Hermione asked in confusion.

“She means she wants us to break into his mind and get all the information we can get out of him,” Draco said. “Will it be difficult though?”

“Shouldn’t be. I got in one time. Disgusted me so bad I never tried again.” Melody shook her head to dislodge the memories. “You’ll need to do it together though. With you both working together, you can make your magic untraceable.”

“How so?” Draco asked, interested at the new development.

“Oh!” Melody said, always excited to explain magical theory. “Well, remember your collar, how I can barely see it and Moldy Short’s wards can’t touch it?” Draco nodded. “Well, it’s the magic behind it. Magic has wavelengths. Depending on how strong or weak it is, magic puts off certain auras. Weak magic is easily detectable, even to your eyes. A poorly cast disillusion for example, how easy is it to see the shimmers?”

Draco laughed. “You can see the entire outline. It isn’t really an invisibility at all, even standing still.”

“Exactly. The magic surrounding the person is weak. Now, on the other end of the spectrum, take Potter’s invisibility cloak. I know its exact origins but Dumbledore has told me explicitly to keep my mouth shut until the proper time so I will. Never the less, the magic that surrounds it is more powerful than anything I’ve ever seen. I can see through it, of course, but it muffles so well that I have to be looking very closely to find it. It cannot be summoned as other invisibility cloaks can. While it can’t protect fully from a hex, mild ones will bounce off of it. It will also pass through Moldy Short’s revealing charms where as others of its kind won’t.”

“So the stronger the magic, the harder it is to see?” Hermione asked in confusion. Melody nodded. “That doesn’t make sense though. Strong spells like stunners and even the avada can be seen.”

“They can,” Melody granted. “However, their purpose is not to hide but rather to strike with force. It’s a different wavelength. Let me see if I can explain it.” She bit her lip in thought for a moment. “Okay. When you two power up, you glow, do you not?”

“Well yes, white if we’re together and silver and gold when we’re separate,” Hermione said, trying to figure out where this was going.

“It’s due to an excess of magic. The same happens when you cast a shield with the intent of only blocking. Now, stand up. We’re going to try something.” Melody hopped up and walk a ways out.

Hermione and Draco got up warily. What on earth was she playing at? She directed them to stand in dueling position but together to share power.

“Now, I’m pretty sure you two are ready for this. Before, when I asked you to power up, I only asked you to hold it on the surface, hence the glowing. But that’s not going to work on the battlefield. You’ll need to keep the power within, concentrate on not being seen. So, meditate for a moment, talk amongst yourselves, try to share as much magic as you can without it spilling out. Concentrate on being invisible.”

‘I think she’s gone round the bend,’ Draco said.

‘Well, she knows more about magical theory than most. Maybe she’s on to something.’

‘Maybe,’ Draco seceded and held her tighter. They concentrated on sharing their magic as they had countless times before, this time concentrating on an invisible sharing. They felt the crackling, the vibration threatening to turn loose but turned it inwards. Their cores burned and they got an adrenaline rush.

“Hold!” Melody said suddenly. “Hold it right there!” She shrieked happily. Then she snapped her fingers and a mirror appeared. “Look!”

They peered into the mirror with great curiosity. It was hard to concentrate on both the magic to hold it and looking in the mirror but their lessons with the dolls had helped tremendously. What they saw there shocked them. Nothing! There was absolutely nothing but a reflection of the pasture.

Melody cackled and clapped. “Now, cast off the excess magic in the air, fireworks or something.”

They did as they were told to, creating a beautiful green dragon with a large red lion intertwined. They soared through the air before they burst into magical flames and streaked through the sky. They sighed at the relief they felt and looked back into the mirror. They were visible once more, no glowing, no sparking, just them.

“See? It wasn’t an invisibility spell. It was the sheer force of the magic and the intent behind it. No one since Merlin has been able to do that, and he only wrote it down in an old set of notes that have long since fallen apart. You two will be able to do so much more than that. This is just the tip of the iceberg.”

“You’re joking,” Draco breathed. “I mean, I know we could probably blow up the continent but now we can become invisible by simply summoning our magic. There’s more?”

“So much more,” Melody said. “That’s why it best to remain incognito. Could you imagine the unwanted attention, the backlash from fear?”

Hermione gasped. “They’d lock us up and throw away the key.”

“They would try to at least. No mere magic dampening wrist cuff could stop you two but they’d try their hardest,” Melody said bitterly. “Reminds me of Spiderman, with great power comes great responsibility. You two must learn to harness all aspects of your power but you can’t abuse it.”

“I can’t say it isn’t tempting,” Draco muttered. “But the scrutiny isn’t worth it. So now what?”

“Well, now I teach you the spells to make the hexes and curses invisible. Then you two catch a few winks. America is six hours behind here remember and you’ll need the rest. I’ll send your clubbing clothes and a portkey with Dobby. Leave around four a.m. here. It’ll be ten p.m. there, my start time. Act like normal clubbers but remember it takes fangs or a referral to get in. Be sure to wear those medallions. Sampson will be looking for you so you’ll be fine. Once we’re there, we’ll play it by ear.”

“What about Harry and Ginny?” Hermione asked, pointing to the two animals frolicking in the back pasture.

Melody smiled. “I think they’ve gotten the hang of their forms. I’ll bring them back in a moment and we’ll work on returning them to humans. Hopefully they aren’t too put out with my methods. Anyway, we’ll be here for a while yet. You’ll need to find another place to sleep.”

“Well, I don’t think Lavender will be messing with me for a while. Draco and I can sleep there. No one suspects Roman the hummingbird anyway, well except Harry and Ginny.”

Melody chuckled. “Yes, that was rather beautiful earlier. Go on, enjoy some rest, reconnect, but be ready to work in a few hours.”

The couple nodded and walked back to Gryffindor tower, the tasks ahead weighing heavy on their mind.

AN: Hello everyone. Next stop, the club and men in leather pants. I know you've all been dying to read about that again. :) So, here we get a glimpse of just how much power our happy couple is going to have, we get to see animagi Harry and Ginny, and we've thrown over Lavender. YAY! I do realize that Melody is a bit of a spotlight hog but these two need all the support they can get right now because soon (not saying HOW soon) they will have to do this alllll on their own. *que ominous music* As always, thank you everyone so much for your lovely reviews. They mean so much to me. (Oh, and please try to stay seated. I don't want anyone hurting themselves!) Keep them coming and let me know how I'm doing and if you find any errors. I went back and changed the ones that you guys caught. Sharp eyes, you all have. :) It seems a bunch of you do have an interest in Snape and Celeste's relationship so I'll write about that soon. It will be after the next chapter though because I have the perfect scene in mind for them. Until next time... love you guys!!!
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