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
- 44
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- 46
“You want me to insult your parents again Potter?” Melody sneered.

“You leave them alone,” Harry hissed.

“Then concentrate!”

“On WHAT?”

Melody took a deep breath and counted to ten before she continued. “Think of your transformation to the buck, how you feel, and what your state of mind is when you do. It was anger at first, remember? Now you can shift at liberty. During that time, your mind is on shifting. I want you to think about how you’d do it differently. What form might be of use to you? What form brings you comfort? Just let your mind drift on it for a while and then just shift.”

“Just shift?” Harry asked incredulously.

“Yes, Potter. Not every bit of magic is rocket science. Now, I’m going to-“ She was cut off by the sounds of dual screams.

“What is going on?” Harry asked in alarm.

“Training,” Melody said grimly.

“That doesn’t sound like training. It sounds like torture!”

“They coincide more than you think,” Melody said sadly. “Keep working on your forms. I’ll go check it out.”

“I want to go to!”

“I’ll hex you to the ground and leave you there Potter. They need to do this on their own. It’s something we’ve been working on. They know it’s coming and it’s needed. Leave it.”

“They’re just allowing you to torture them?”

“Yes,” Melody huffed. “Potter, they have to learn to control the pain of torture. You…you didn’t see how bad Hermione reacted to Draco’s torture at the hands of the Dark Lord. She needs to be able to separate the pain, not only for her own sanity, but also so no one else is the wiser. Think Potter. If Draco took a painful hex in the middle of class and Hermione shrieked in pain, how would it look?”

“It happened before but she was standing next to him. Snape played it off as a ricochet.”

“So you see the need. What do you think would happen if she weren’t next to him, across the room perhaps? We’re so close Potter. They might even be able to shut the pain link down for hours at a time. They have to try and we have no other way to stimulate or check it,” Melody said miserably.

“He probably enjoys it.”

“You’re the bonded son of a vampire now Harry. It would behoove you to learn their customs and limitations. No father can strike down his child. If it needs to happen, he must order another to do so for him. To torture one, you can’t imagine the grief that comes with it. It’s like having your heart ripped out with your bare hands.”

“Then why do it?” Harry asked glumly.

“What other choice do we have? They either learn from someone who will stop the instant they accomplish their goals, or they learn the hard way, possibly exposing them to danger worse than you could imagine.”

“So they’re found out.” Harry shrugged. “They level them and get out of there.”

“Sounds so simple doesn’t it? It doesn’t work that way Potter. That would be considered misuse of their powers. If word of what they are gets out or they use an abundance of power for their own benefit, the fates will cut their strings. They get no second chances Potter. The fact that they allowed them to live at all is astonishing.”

“The fates will kill them if they try to defend themselves?” Harry asked in alarm.

“If they did it spectacularly, in a heartbeat. Now, back to your transformations. We’ll have an animagus battle before the day is out.” She stepped into the grove of trees just beyond the clearing and smiled when she saw the small array of animals. Severus and Celeste were in their wolf forms. Hermione and Draco had chosen their fox forms. Alex was a bat. “How long?” She whispered.

Severus stomped his paw one time in answer.

“One minute. Not bad, not bad at all. I take it you heard Potter’s little explosion?” The animals nodded. “So protective. He’ll be the perfect lamb to send to slaughter.” She furiously wiped a tear from her eye. “Enough melancholy. They’ll get their forms here in a few minutes and then it’s war.”

Hermione snuggled into Draco’s chest, reveling in the feel of his smooth pelt against hers. She still ached, or rather, felt him aching from the cruciatis that had been cast on him but she figured it was something they needed to work out, like a muscle cramp. He craned his neck and licked her behind her ear. She giggled, coming out as a bark of sorts. How strange it was, being animals and letting their instincts take over. For the fox, licking was natural and so she didn’t feel it was weird in this form. Her brain, however, still processed things as a human and it was having a tough time dealing with the absurdity of it all.

Their attention was drawn back to the clearing when someone, or thing, let out a strangled yelp. Where Harry and Ginny were standing only moments ago, two large dogs were sitting, trembling with fear and exhilaration. They were both the same breed, their coloring and eye color the only things that gave them away. Harry was the larger of the two, his emerald green eyes striking against his reddish tan coat. He had a black muzzle and ears and sparse black hair throughout. Ginny was blood red, her brown eyes a beautiful feature. Both had prominent ridges down their backs.

“An excellent specimen Potter. Rhodesian ridgebacks, also known as lion dogs, I’m impressed. Alright!” Melody called, walking out into the clearing. “These are the rules: No magic, animagus forms only, you can shift as many times as you need to but only to other animals.”

Harry barked in alarm. Melody turned around and grinned. “Just think of the buck Potter, or the horse in your case Ginny, and transform just like you were going to shift to them. Try it now.”

Harry and Ginny looked at each other warily and closed their eyes. They immediately shifted to the buck and the horse.

“Well done!” Melody clapped. “You’ll just do that back and forth. Continuing on, since there is no magic and we’ll be fighting like animals, there will be pain. There will also probably be blood. If, at any time, you decide you’d like to sit out, simply shift back to human form and walk away. Once a person is human, they can’t be touched. If they are, I’ll hex you a new asshole. Winner is the last beast standing; this includes you’re partners. Either one of you concedes or you have a fight. As a side note, Severus and Celeste’s third forms are poisonous. Their toxins will kill you and we have no antidotes. Please avoid dying. Also, Draco, no frying people. Singeing is acceptable but watch it. Everyone please meet here in the middle. Time starts as soon as I shift!”

All the animagi walked out to the middle of the pasture. Hermione stuck close to Draco, nervous and a bit scared that they’d lose control. They’d never tried blocking pain in an animagus form before and this sounded like the beginning of a bloodbath.

‘If it doesn’t work, we’ll either stick it out or sit out,’ Draco said sensibly.

Hermione agreed and waited, tensed on the ground for Melody to shift. The twin closed her eyes and took a deep breath, morphing into a cute little sparrow and flying in a circle. Severus immediately launched into the air and snapped his jaws around the bat’s leg. Alex screeched and turned into mist before materializing as a wolf. The two wolves went tumbling into the thicket of trees.

Draco stepped over Hermione, pushing her head to the ground just as Harry lunged at her. The buck overshot by quite a bit and ended up in a tussle with Celeste in wolf form. His antlers nearly gored her but she quickly turned into a frog and hopped underneath him. Seeing what she was, Harry jumped straight in the air and sideways trying to avoid her toxic skin. Hermione cringed when Celeste turned back into the wolf and went for his leg.

She had no time to linger on it though because Ginny came up, full gallop and tried to stomp Draco’s tail. The two foxes quickly morphed into hummingbirds and hovered just out of her reach. Ginny tried snapping at them with her teeth but narrowly missed each time. Having a thought, Hermione quickly transformed into a lion and sunk her claws into Ginny’s rump. The horse screamed and transfigured into a dog, going teeth to claws.

Draco was about to come to her rescue when he was dive bombed by Melody in her sparrow form. He did a barrel roll to get away from her and then morphed into his dragon form, blowing a light burst of flame at the bird and singeing a few of its feathers. Melody squawked and dove underneath him, disappearing. He rolled in midair, trying frantically to find her. Suddenly, he saw the brown recluse clamber up his body and make her way to his eyes. Fearing her bite, he dove to the ground and morphed back into a fox. The spider fell by the wayside, landing just underneath a still fighting Severus and Alex.

Hermione was frantic, feeling Draco’s fear of a spider bite and trying to fight Ginny off. The Rhodesian ridgeback clamped it’s jaws down on her throat but managed to miss her windpipe. Thinking quickly, she turned into the hummingbird and was now firmly in the dog’s mouth. She pecked as hard as she could, causing Ginny to open her mouth in a yelp. She turned into a fox and darted to the trees, running up a rather tall elm to catch her breath. Draco ran up beside her.

‘You alright love?’ he asked, panting a bit from exertion.

‘Yes, I’m fine. Do you feel any of my pain?’

“Not so far. I think we can manage it this way as well.’

‘We need a strategy,’ Hermione insisted.

‘I say we double team.’

‘Who first?’

‘Red, until Melody somehow works her way out from under Alex and godfather.’

‘Let’s do it then,’ Hermione said, morphing to a bird and taking flight.

Draco turned into a bird and brought up the rear. They circled Ginny for a moment, causing her to sit back on her haunches. Suddenly, Hermione dived and turned into a lion, tackling the large dog. They rolled a few times and Hermione took another swipe at Ginny, drawing blood from her muzzle. Ginny was about to lunge but was brought up short by Draco. He’d turned into a dragon and scooped her up with his claws. He opened his mouth, pretending to try and set fire to her.

Ginny yelped and changed back into her human form. “I’m out!”

Draco nodded and swooped over to another part of the field. He set her down as gently as he could and then held still until she was out of the way. With a nod, he took flight again. In the time it had taken to deliver Red to safety, Hermione had started another battle with Melody. The horse was standing on its back legs and pawing fiercely. Hermione was hissing, trying to find an opening. She wasn’t willing to transform just yet for fear of being trampled. Draco swooped in silently and picked Melody up in the same manner.

Melody transformed back with a giggle. “How in the hell do you fight a dragon?” She yelled and patted a few of his scales as he sat her down close to Ginny.

Draco flew back over and landed beside Hermione as a fox. She was busy watching Harry and Celeste fight. It seemed like a never ending circle of fighting tactics. Harry would try to gore Celeste and then end up leaping to the side when she turned into a frog. He’d turn into a dog and wait until she switched to a bat. He’d leap up, grab her leg, and then end up having to let go when the wolf landed a particularly hard blow to his face.

‘I say we get them at the same time,’ Hermione thought. ‘That way, they’ll be surprised.’

‘Which one do you want?’

‘Could you get Harry? That dog is brutal.’

‘My pleasure,’ Draco chuckled evilly and crouched on the ground.

He leapt into the air and morphed into the bird so he could get closer. Hermione changed into a bird as well. It would cause quite a shock to drop her full lion weight on Celeste. Harry had just jumped sideways as a buck away from the frog. They waited a second until Celeste transformed into a bat and pounced at the same time. Hermione’s full weight landed on Celeste who tried to frantically change and failed. She hit the ground with a thud and a dull squeak. Blood trickled out of her nose as she transformed back to herself.

“Done,” Celeste croaked and Hermione leapt off of her as quick as she possibly could, nudging the woman with her nose to make sure she was okay. Celeste gave her a tired pat in reassurance and limped over to the other girls.

Draco had Potter in his claws high up in the air. He’d already tried changing into a dog but Draco held him even tighter. He ducked down and opened his mouth, blowing what he knew to be scorching hot air on the Chosen One. Harry transformed back as soon as he took another breath.

“Damn it,” Harry huffed. He had black smudges on his nose, various cuts and bruises from his previous fight with Celeste, and was now a lurid shade of pink. “I’m finished.”

Draco sniggered and sat him down with the others. He flew back and took his bird form, landing on Hermione’s head as she watched the show. Alex and Severus were morphing back and forth, exchanging blows at a lightning fast pace. They could hardly keep up with the moves. Alex as a wolf would tackle Severus. Then Severus would shift into a snake and bite him, which surprised them at first. Then they realized that Alex was already dead so the venom didn’t affect him. Alex would shift to mist, and then the wolf, pouncing the snake and taking him in his jaws. Severus switched back to wolf form and the fighting continued.

‘How are we going to do this?’ Hermione worried.

‘I say we let them tire each other out,’ Draco said, his beak dropping open when Severus managed to turn into a bat and fly out of Alex’s jaws at the very last second.

‘They’ll go on for hours.’

‘They might,’ Draco agreed. ‘But they are too fast for us and I’m not sure about you, but I don’t fancy getting near those fangs.’

‘Why don’t you just turn into a dragon and singe them a bit.’

‘Why Hermione, that sounds a bit Slytherinish.’ Draco chuckled.

‘Shut it. I hurt and I want it to end.’

‘Are you alright?’ Draco asked worriedly.

‘I’ll be fine. It just smarts a bit.’ Hermione shrugged him off.

‘But you aren’t surrendering, are you?’

‘Never.’

‘That’s my lioness,’ Draco purred and transformed into a dragon. He blew fire just above the heads of the now wolves, singeing a bit of fur in the process. The pair broke up and ran for cover in the trees. Draco took off after them as quickly as he could.

Hermione sprinted to the trees and darted behind a rock, lunging just as Severus ran by. She pounced, knocking the wind out of him. They tumbled several times until a tree stopped their trek. She could hear bones cracking as Severus’s back hit a trunk. He whined and she backed away cautiously, baring her teeth to show him that she wasn’t going to back down but giving him space in case he needed it.

His shift back was obviously painful, if his harsh grunt was anything to go by. She yowled at him, trying to ask if he was okay. He braced himself against the tree, his breathing shallow and his face pale. It was obvious that he’d been severely beaten by Alex but the cracked ribs were giving him fits. He waved her off, as if to say he was okay but in the next second, he collapsed. Not thinking, she transformed back to herself and caught him just before he fell to the ground.

“You’ve just taken yourself out of the game,” he wheezed.

“Shite,” Hermione growled. “Oh well, we’ve got to get you out of here.” She placed his arm over her shoulders and held as much weight as she could without hurting his ribs. He protested loudly but went along as she led him over to the others. Celeste cast the spells to put his ribs to rights as Hermione looked on to watch her husband battle Alex.

She barely saw them as Draco swooped high in the air, something black between his talons. He landed beside the group, the wolf pinned to the ground and one long claw poised over the wolf’s heart. Alex shifted back to his human form.

“Damn, those claws are something.” Alex chuckled and clambered to his feet, swaying a moment before righting himself.

“Looks like Draco wins,” Melody said cheerfully. “That was absolutely amazing. Now, we’ve been at it for some time now. Everyone will be home soon. Let’s get patched up before they get here. I don’t want to explain why we all looked like we took a roll in some barbed wire.

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Hermione laid her head on the dinner table. There wasn’t a place on her body that didn’t ache. Draco wasn’t much better, his head resting on the back of his chair since Hermione was in his lap. It was Friday and they could barely move after their very long night. They’d trained hard all week, making sure their tactics were air tight. However, that hadn’t helped them last night.

It was one in the morning and they were sound asleep. They never heard Alex and Severus sneak in and had no time to fight back as they were whisked outside. If the cool night air on their bare skin hadn’t startled them awake, the rough bark of the elm trees they were tied to would have. They didn’t have time to think as the torture started.

Luckily, they could thwart the pain in seconds but the torture hadn’t stopped, only the use of Unforgivables. They were expected to fight back this time and they had to use as little force as they could to do so. It took a huge amount of concentration to undo the ropes and fight back but they did. However, they were severely beaten by that time. They’d been healed and clothed in short order but that didn’t mean the pain and fatigue wasn’t there.

“You hanging in there?” Melody asked softly. She’d been there last night but she hadn’t participated very much. They could tell that it was agonizing for her to watch.

“We’ll live,” Draco groaned and sat up a bit straighter.

“Well, coffee makes it all better. Drink up,” Celeste said with false cheer as she handed them a pair of mugs. She’d been there as well, her teeth gritted the entire time.

The coffee was spiked. It was easy to detect the taste of pain and healing potions even in the rich brew. They were thankful for it though. The pain potions from the night had long since worn off. Draco nodded his thanks at his godfather, receiving a curt nod in return. The man had barely been able to look at them the entire time.

“So, today is our last day here,” Melody announced. “I’m very proud at what we’ve accomplished. Therefore, I’ve got a treat for you tonight.”

“What is it?” Ron asked. He’d been slowly mellowing out in the mornings, becoming more and more used to the mannerisms of Hermione and Draco. They thought Luna might have had a hand in that as well. They’d taken to having tea on the porch at night and having lengthy chats, although no one was sure what they were about.

“You’re all coming to the club tonight,” Melody said brightly.

“The vampire club?” Ron squeaked.

“That’s the one! However, tonight is muggle night, no fangs needed, only costumes,” Melody explained. “I’ve managed to scrounge up four more glamour necklaces so we don’t have to worry about anyone spotting you. Also, Demitri will be there.”

Hermione’s heart jumped at the last bit of news. They’d get to speak with him about detaining Bellatrix. She could tell that the others had picked up on that tidbit as well. With any luck, they’d be able to get the cup before the school year was out.

“What kind of costumes?” Luna asked in her typical dreamy fashion.

“Anything goes,” Harmony smiled. “Go as whatever you like. The reason for it is that the vampires can explain their appearance as a costume.”

“Why bother?” Ron grumbled. “They can just use mind control or whatever.”

“Actually, they can’t,” Melody cut in. “There are charms in place that block the thrall. It’s a control to make sure that there isn’t a bloodbath. To answer your unasked question, the club is still a business. They need money to run just like everyone else and vampires don’t really hold down full time jobs.”

“So the muggles keep the place afloat,” Harry cut in. He was rubbing his nose again, his glasses lying on the table. Philippe had needed to adjust his prescription every day.

“That’s the gist of it,” Melody shrugged. “Feeling alright there Harry?”

“Yea, just my glasses again.”

“How many fingers am I holding up?” Philippe asked from across the table.

Harry looked up. “Two, why?”

“I think you can forgo the glasses now,” Philippe said softly.

Harry blinked in disbelief. “Blimey.”

“Just change his glasses to clear Philippe,” Melody said softly. “We don’t want any questions.”

“Consider it done,” Philippe smiled. “It’ll make his disguise that much better as well. After all, who is Harry Potter without the glasses?”

After breakfast, everyone went their ways, anxious about the evening’s activities.

“One last thing before we go in for the day,” Melody said softly as they rested in the pasture. “We’re going to stop death.”

They’d had a very long day of sharing magic, dueling, shielding, and learning fighting tactics. Hermione was so tired, wanting nothing more than to trudge upstairs and crawl into bed. Draco agreed with her whole heartedly but the temptation to thwart the killing curse was too much. They hadn’t tried it since they’d demonstrated for Potter. The later, of which, had come huge strides since he’d married Ginny.

“What do you mean stop death?” Harry asked.

“Do you remember the demonstration we gave you the first time we officially met?” Melody asked.

Harry rubbed his eyes and thought for a bit. It was still strange seeing him without his glasses but Hermione was happy that he no longer had to worry about them steaming up or breaking. “You stopped the Avada curse.”

“Exactly. It’s the last skill that you absolutely need. Everything else is gravy.”

“How do you do it?” Ginny asked.

“It’s a standard shared shield. You just put more intent behind it,” Melody continued and waved Severus and Celeste over. “Now, these two will block. Seeing as how I’ve never been able to cast an unforgivable, I’m going to have Alex cast it and stand behind him. I suggest you two stand behind Draco and Hermione because I know they can do it and ricochets are unpredictable.”

Once everyone was set up, Alex stepped into the middle of the pasture. Draco and Hermione stood in each other’s arms, poised to throw a shield. Severus and Celeste were across the field, also standing in each other’s arms. Knowing how extremely dangerous this was, they’d decided to stand behind a small tree. That way, if the shield failed, it would hit the tree and not them. They couldn’t afford to lose their lives to a simple training exercise.

Melody gave a three count and Alex threw the spell. As the dreaded green light hurdled through the air, Draco and Hermione immediately threw a shield up. They were taking absolutely no chances with this one. Severus and Celeste managed to get a shield up just in time for it to bounce back. The light flew through the field and hit Hermione and Draco’s shield, much to their relief. It ricocheted and hit Alex in the shoulder.

Time stopped as the vampire fell. All the shields came down and no one breathed, except for Melody. She appeared calm, serene, and certainly not the least bit upset that Alex had just been hit with a killing curse. She rubbed Alex’s forehead and then his nose, seeming to wait for him to wake up.

Hermione couldn’t breathe. Why didn’t he shield? He’d just stood there like he had expected it to hit him all along. She felt like screaming and crying at the same time, but the tears didn’t come. She was entirely numb and not at all shocked to know that Draco felt the same way.

Harry’s mouth was set in a firm line. Gone were the days when he wept over Cedric’s body, the veil Sirius had fallen through. He’d seen too many die. Hermione could tell that he was devastated though. Alex had magically adopted him so he could marry Ginny. During their short week together, she could tell that they’d gotten along swimmingly, having many late night conversations about vampires, customs, and life in general.

“Mother fucker that hurt,” Alex wheezed and sat up which caused Hermione to let out a little scream. Alex gave her a lopsided grin. “Vampires are already dead sweetheart. You can’t kill them again.”

“Oh you sorry bastard,” Hermione breathed in anger and relief.

Melody cackled. “That’s the spirit. Now, let’s do it again. We’ll work on Harry and Ginny shielding.”

“Wait just a bloody minute,” Draco growled, finally snapping out of his shock. “Why in the hell did you step in front of that curse?”

“Because I wanted to end the ricochet,” Alex said with a painful shrug. “Who knows what the curse would have struck if I hadn’t.”

“We’re not doing that again,” Draco growled.

“Indeed,” Severus hissed. “We’ll conjure wooden shields to take the blow if it should bounce from now on.”

“Probably hurt less,” Alex mumbled and slowly rose to his feet.

They took up positions again but they were all more than a bit jittery after that. It hit home just how dangerous this last task was…and how valuable it would be in the future if they were successful.

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“Oi! What in the bloody hell is this?” Ron screeched and ran down the stairs to the living room where everyone was waiting to go to the club.

Draco could barely contain his laughter. Weasley looked absolutely ridiculous. Due to their intensive and terrifying training that day, no one had been able to get into town and buy costumes. They’d just transfigured some things that Melody had lying around. Therefore, Ron and Luna had gone it alone. Apparently, he’d let Luna do the picking.

The red head was now spinning frantic circles in a bright red suit made of skin tight spandex. He had on red boxer shorts with a pointy tail attached to the bum. A set of sparkly red horns were strapped to his head and clashed horribly with his hair. A pair of shiny red loafers and a red pitch fork completed the outrageous look.

“Speak of the devil,” Melody joked and failed miserably at stifling her giggle.

“I look like a bloody ponce!”

“I think you look quite dashing,” Luna called, stepping into the room. Ron turned around and gasped. She’d chosen an angel costume. The gauzy fabric crisscrossed her torso, hung mid-thigh and flared out in a bell shape. Her knee length gold boots clicked against the floor as she joined them. Huge plastic wings and a halo with fake white feathers glued to them completed the ensemble. It was very garish but somehow looked ravishing on the flighty blond.

“You look…wow,” Ron stammered.

“Thank you Ronald,” she said breezily and smiled at everyone.

“Very nice Luna. Come on Weasley. Let’s get…that… sorted out,” Melody dragged him out onto the front porch to modify his costume. When they came back in, Ron was wearing a deep red muggle suit that was tailored to fit his body perfectly. The tail and horns were still there but they were no longer sparkly, instead made from leather suede.

“Much better,” Ginny giggled. She was wearing a flapper outfit in green. Harry had gone for the gangster look, complete with pinstripes and a fedora to compliment her.

“You all look very nice,” Harmony said softly. She was in an empire waist toga and had golden leaves in her hair. Philippe dressed to match.

“What are you all going as then?” Ron asked, eyeing the rest of the occupants in the room.

“Vampires,” they all said in unison. All the teenagers save Ron burst out laughing.

“I don’t see it,” Ron said, shaking his head.

“Oh come on Weasley,” Melody sighed. “Tailored pants, white dress shirt, cape, Dracula couldn’t have done it any better.”

“You girls aren’t wearing trousers.”

Hermione supposed that they were a bit risqué. They were all wearing faux leather halter dresses. Melody was wearing red which matched the lining in Alex’s cape. Celeste cut a striking figure in black. Hermione had decided to go for silver because it reminded her of Draco’s eyes. It was a bit sappy but she was beyond caring at this point.

“Female vampires dress a bit more provocatively than males,” Melody shrugged.

“You and Snape aren’t vampires,” Ron countered.

“You sure about that?” Melody smiled and then motioned everyone to follow her before he could ask any more questions.

Draco was having quite the time watching Weasley’s facial expressions. He went from pale to angry and then brushed it off as her having one on. If he only knew. Draco couldn’t wipe the grin off his face as he pulled Hermione close. Weasley was in for quite the shock tonight and there wasn’t a thing he could ever say about it. It was the one thing he loved about the club. You could be yourself and no one could say a bloody thing about it because of the privacy charms.

‘We need to thank Melody for those,’ Hermione thought.

‘We do indeed. It’s nice to just let go and have a bit of fun every now and again.’

‘Think they’ll freak out?’

‘I think Weasley will be the only one who will have a hard time. Potter and Red are well aware of what they’re walking into and Lovegood is…well…Lovegood. I’m not sure if anything could faze her.’

Hermione giggled. ‘I like that about her, despite her silliness.’

‘She’s gotten much better since we’ve come here you know,’ Draco thought. ‘She hasn’t mentioned made up creatures in days.’

‘I’m glad she’s still herself though. It just wouldn’t feel right if she was as serious as the rest of us.’

‘It’s strange. I find myself thinking the same thing.’ Draco laughed.

They finally arrived at the back pasture so they could portkey to the club. With such a big group, it was better to travel that way. It was safer for Harmony as well. The landing was a bit abrupt but they managed to remain standing, which was quite a feat with a group so large.

“Wait,” Hermione said. “I can see the door.”

“Muggle night, remember?” Melody asked. “They took the enchantments down.”

“All of them?” Draco asked a bit uneasily.

“Of course not,” Melody snorted. “But the ones to mask the entrance are gone for the night. How can you attract customers to something they can’t see?”

“Guess it makes sense.” Draco shrugged and took his and Hermione’s charmed necklaces out of his pocket. They placed them around their necks and waited for Melody to pass out the rest. She’d refused to do so until they were there. They studied the new faces of everyone for a while until they were sure they would remember them in a crowd. The group then made their way to the club.

“Aha! There you are little star,” Victor said at the door.

“Hello Victor.” Melody smiled and leaned up to kiss the vampire on the cheek. “Sampson on break?”

“He is settling in all of the bands.”

“You aren’t singing tonight?” Hermione asked in shock.

“Nope! I’m a free woman tonight.” Melody laughed. “Besides, I believe we are expecting a guest.”

“He has already arrived little star,” Victor cut in. “He awaits you in a back booth. Please, let me walk you in.”

“The front door?” Melody asked pointedly.

“That is why we have help.” The vampire grinned and snapped his fingers. Sergei appeared from inside the club. He looked a hundred times better than he did the week before. All the blood had done wonders for him.

“I’ll take it from here,” the Russian vampire drawled and then turned to Hermione and Draco. “Roman, Julie, I am forever in your debt.”

“It was nothing,” Draco brushed him off as he shook his hand and stood patiently as he kissed the air above Hermione’s knuckles.

“Come along,” Victor said imperiously and they followed him in, ignoring the groans and shouts of the people standing in line.

“Roman and Julie?” Harry asked.

“Can’t very well go around spouting our names out loud, can we?” Draco muttered.

“Never thought of that,” Harry muttered. “What about us?”

“Pick a name and make sure we all know what it is,” Severus hissed.

“I’m going with Clyde,” Harry said with a grin.

“I suppose she’s Bonnie then?” Celeste laughed.

“Might as well be,” Ginny breathed. She was too busy taking in the club. It was packed already, dozens of people were in various groups and dressed from anything to muggle versions of fairies to mummies. There were more than enough vampires to be had as well. They didn’t stand out at all in this hodgepodge of pretend creatures. It was genius.

“Demitri!” Melody exclaimed happily as they got to the back booths.

“Melody,” the old vampire said affectionately. Draco was a bit taken aback by how warmly he greeted her. It hadn’t been that long ago that they’d decimated most of his coven.

“I am so glad you decided to accepte our invitation,” Melody said softly.

“It was nothing.” Demitri waved her off. “Besides, I’d like to check on my progeny.” He eyed Severus who stiffened a bit and shook his head slightly. “They seem to be doing very well,” the vampire continued, not mentioning names. He took a deep breath. “Very well indeed.”

Alex stiffened and bared his fangs. He instinctively stepped forward. Hermione had a hunch as to why. Demitri had smelled his bond to Harry and probably Severus’s bond to Ginny. He could probably even tell Harry and Ginny were married now too. They couldn’t afford for him to expose them.

“I mean no ill will young one,” Demitri said soothingly. “I am merely happy at the prosperity I see.”

Alex relaxed a bit and nodded, shaking the older vampire’s hand. They all sat down around a large booth. It was quite snug so the all the men except for Ron pulled the girls in their laps. Introductions were made all around. Ron and Luna had chosen to go with the monikers of John and Jane, rather plain but easy on short notice.

“Roman, Julie, so nice to see you again,” Demitri drawled from across the table. “I am glad it is in this capacity.”

“It’s lovey to see you again as well,” Hermione said softly, taking the lead because Draco was still wary.

“Now, why did you ask me here?” The vampire immediately cut to the chase.

“We need a distraction,” Melody said curtly. “Bellatrix has become a bit of a thorn in my side and I’d like her…suitably occupied for a day or so.”

“You don’t say,” Demitri said with a sparkle in his eye. “I have it on good authority that she is thoroughly occupied at the present time.”

“The present time isn’t when we need a distraction,” Melody clarified. “We need one later, after her current engagement is most likely to finish. In fact, it needs to be at that time and not a moment before.”

“Does it?” Demitri asked in surprise. Then he snapped his fingers and a man with waist length dreadlocks appeared at his side. It was the same man that had knelt before them in the graveyard. “Would this do?”

Melody gazed at the dark vampire for quite a while, taking in his mocha skin and old world manner of dress. Then she smiled. “I believe so but can he be rough?”

“As rough as you need,” the dark vampire drawled in a slight French accent.

“Perfect,” Melody hissed. “I should like to show you Demitri.”

“Be my guest.” Demitri motioned for her to approach him. She slid from Alex’s lap and touched her fingers to his temple. When she was done, Demitri bared his fangs and hissed in pleasure. “Consider it done.”

Melody returned to Alex. “Thank you.”

“Oh no, the pleasure is all mine. Now, I should wish to speak with your acting master in private if I may.” Severs nodded and slid out from under Celeste. “Bring her,” Demitri ordered.

They left in a flurry of cloaks, several gobsmacked teens in their wake. “That’s not at all how I pictured that to go,” Ginny said with a furrowed brow.

“You’ll find that Vampires don’t wish to dance around any subject. They might have an eternity but they don’t wish to spend it tip toing around issues. They are very direct,” Melody said, leaning back into Alex’s chest. “Why don’t ya’ll go have some fun? That’s what we’re here for after all. Victor will provide butterbeers for everyone if you go to the bar but don’t try to con him. You’ll be out on your ears in a heartbeat.”

Harry and Ginny took the hint immediately. They soon got lost in the crowd of dancing bodies but Hermione spotted them in quick fashion. The vampire that Demitri had brought with him had pulled them over to the corner with Demitri, Severus, and Celeste. No doubt the old vampire wanted to meet them.

Ron shook his head. “I haven’t got a partner.”

“What is Luna, a codfish?” Harmony snapped.

Ron’s ears reddened and he seemed to war with himself for a few moments before he got up and asked her to dance. When they were suitably caught up in the crowd, Draco leaned over. “So he’ll keep her occupied while we do this?”

“He will.” Melody nodded. “I need only to write him. We’ve just got to figure out when the Dark Lord is done with her punishment. It is apparently very severe. I doubt we’ll be able to strike any time soon. She’ll be healing for a while.”

“That will give us enough time to find a goblin and get the information we need,” Hermione said.

“It does. I’d say it was rather convenient. We’ll continue with training when we get back to school. You can’t be too prepared after all. We also need to tend to Merlin’s potion as well,” Melody said softly.

They had decided to go ahead and make another batch of Merlin’s potion just to be sure they had enough. As it was, they weren’t sure who was going to be able to dose the headmaster with it so it stood to reason that they each needed a vial to cover all scenarios. They still had to plan for his transport to the Ranch for recovery and the cure for the poison Harmony thought he would ingest beforehand. Hopefully Dumbledore could find the locket before time was up.

“Enough of this,” Melody growled. “Let’s have some fun one last time.”

With that, they all got up and approached the dance floor. The night was delightful. They danced, drank, talked, had fun, and even sat in awe when Severus spun Celeste around the dance floor in expert fashion. They looked beautiful together. Even Weasley and Luna seemed to be getting along smashingly. It was the perfect escape before they faced reality again. They would be leaving the next day.

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“Look alive. You’ve got to get back on schedule.” Celeste laughed as they touched down in the forest.

“What time is it here?” Ron asked tiredly. It had been two in the morning when they’d left the Ranch. They’d all tried to go to bed early but it proved to be a near impossible feat.

“It is eight on Sunday morning. We’re just in time for breakfast,” Severus said curtly.

Things between the professor and the students hadn’t been quite as tense after the club. They’d seen another side of him and he seemed to relax just a bit. However, Draco smirked when he saw his godfather straighten up just a bit. He was slipping into royal bastard mode. There would be no quarter in the next few weeks.

“Back to the real world,” Hermione said sadly and kissed Draco one last time before she headed up to the castle. It had been lovely having him close to her the entire week. Ron had even quit protesting their relationship and accepted the inevitable. Then again, it could be a certain blonde who held his attention now. She smiled at the thought.

“Um, Hermione, can I talk to you a sec?” Ginny asked, catching up to her.

“Of course Gin. What is it?”

“Well, um…” Ginny cleared her throat. “I was wondering something.”

“What?”

“How, um, how did you and Draco keep from getting caught in your dorm?”

Hermione laughed. “He could fly.”

“Well of course, but I mean the spells that kept Lavender from seeing.”

“You’re going to be thwarting your brother then,” Hermione said knowingly and grinned when Ginny nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll teach you both the spells after breakfast.”

Breakfast at the Gryffindor table was uncomfortable, to say the least. They were bombarded with questions about how they spent their holiday. They’d prepared a story but hadn’t thought about all the details and they were woefully lacking. So much so that Lavender called them out on it.

“I don’t believe you,” the haughty blonde said flippantly. “How could you have spent the week together and not have done much?”

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the nosy little tart. “Not everyone is as busy as you are Lavender.” She could tell her jab struck home when Lavender visibly paled and looked down at her plate. It was all Harry and Ginny could do to keep from bursting out laughing. They’d been in that hallway that night as well.

After breakfast, Hermione took the time to teach Harry and Ginny some privacy spells so they could be together. She knew all too well how hard it was to sleep alone after being with someone for a while. She was having a hard time remembering the last time she hadn’t slept in the same bed as Draco. In fact, she was starting to miss him already. What would happen when they needed to separate? She pushed the sinking feeling away and headed to the DADA classroom. They needed a plan for Dumbledore.

“Come in,” Severus called when she timidly knocked on the door. She stepped in and closed it behind her, warding it heavily against intrusion. She didn’t even have to look around to know that Draco was there. She plopped down in his lap, unwilling to give up the last bit of time they had together before they had to start hating each other again.

“We’re all here then.” Melody said, dragging chairs around Severus’s desk. “I long for the day we don’t have to have these meetings anymore.”

“I’m afraid that will be a while,” Dumbledore said softly and ambled into the room from Severus’s office. Hermione hadn’t even realized that he’d been there.

“You’re probably right,” Melody sighed and plopped down in her chair. “First order of business, how’s the potion?”

“The potion is fine,” Severus said. “It will be ready at the next full moon which is just around the corner.”

“Should we test it?” Hermione asked, biting her lip in nervousness.

“There is no need. I can vouch for its effectiveness,” Severus drawled.

“So now we need a plan,” Draco said gravely.

“That we do,” Harmony said softly. “If my visions are correct, the night this is to happen, Albus will be on a mission with Harry. I do not know if you’ll find what you seek but I do know that you will most likely consume the poison then. I’d urge you not to but you wouldn’t listen anyway.”

“Certainly not,” Dumbledore said with a twinkling smile. “I would never risk Harry like that.”

“Like that,” Hermione snorted. She was still angry that they were leading Harry like a lamb to slaughter.

Dumbledore’s smile faded. His face looked much older than before. “I never wanted any of this for him. You’ll never know how much I regret.”

“That’s the problem with regret,” Melody said curtlu. “The regrettable action can never be taken back. We all live with our own demons. Can we move past them for now?”

“Indeed we can,” Dumbledore nodded. “I just want it known that if there was another way.”

“I know,” Hermione cut him off. “I just don’t like it. I feel just as guilty for this.”

“It’s something that you’ll have to deal with sweetheart,” Harmony sighed. “There is no other way. I’ve seen that much at least. Now, once you take the poison Albus, you must try and come back to your senses. Shove the bezoar in your mouth as soon as you can and get yourselves out of there.”

“How will we know that Dumbledore and Potter have left?” Draco asked.

“I will contact Severus beforehand,” Dumbledore announced. “He’ll be able to let you know.”

Draco nodded. “I guess I’m to let the Death Eaters in the school at that time?”

“Indeed,” Severus drawled. “I’ll summon you immediately after they leave. You’ll make your way to the Room of Requirement to let them in.”

“Then we fight,” Draco stated. “Where do we meet though?”

“I should believe the Astronomy tower would be the best place,” Dumbledore offered. “We’ll be able to reach it by broom.”

“I’ll break away from the group before then,” Draco said, trying to plan it all out. “I’ll throw you Merlin’s potion and we can spin some sort of story for Potter to tell all and sundry.”

“That still leaves one more thing,” Harmony said softly. All eyes were on her. “Someone must cast the killing curse. Who is going to believe you’d poisoned the Headmaster if they don’t see it.”

“If we cast the curse, he’s dead,” Hermione said in despair.

“So I took a hit for nothing?” Alex grimaced. A look of understanding dawned on Hermione’s face. “We didn’t just practice for our health dear.”

Hermione nodded. They’d shield Dumbledore from the curse and the potion would take over from there. “There’s still a problem though. The curse will bounce.”

“That’s the next thing,” Melody cut it. “I think that there may be a way to absorb it but you two are the only ones who can even think about doing it.”

“Won’t we get in trouble for that?” Hermione whispered.

“I should think not,” Melody said indignantly. “It’s necessary.”

“I’m willing,” Draco said softly.

“We’ll begin trying tomorrow. We’ll start with inanimate objects,” Melody said and they nodded.

“That means I’ll need to be nearby,” Hermione said.

“I’ve managed to procure another invisibility cloak for you,” Severus interjected, “since Potter will no doubt be using his. Just make sure you are there when the time comes.”

“What about the Death Eater wards?” Draco asked.

“I’ll get her in,” Melody said. “She should be able to pass through with me, shouldn’t she?”

“As long as you are touching, yes,” Severus acknowledged.

“Death Eater wards?” Hermione asked.

“There are certain wards that we use to keep others out,” Severus explained. “They only allow those with the Dark Mark to enter. However, if you are touching a Death Eater at the time, it will let you through. Since Melody has the Mark, she can lead you through the ward and sneak back out. Then I expect you to stay put until we get there.”

Hermione nodded. “What about the Death Eaters that are loose in the school?”

“We’ll keep as many students safe as we can,” Melody said. “I’ll warn the teachers as soon as I get back from the tower. I’ll have to be stealthy so I don’t blow my cover though.”

“It’s not going to be enough,” Harmony rasped, her fingers kneading her temples.

“What if we called in the DA?” Hermione asked. It was a long shot, but they had to do something.

“It would even the score until the Order could assemble,” Harmony nodded, opening her eyes. “I think that does it.”

“Well, not everything,” Draco said miserably. “I can’t cast the shield and throw the killing curse at the same time.”

Severus sighed. “I shall cast the curse. Since you completed half your tasks, you’ll be given a lesser punishment and I’ll be able to move up further in the ranks. We can tell the Dark Lord that you’d already poisoned him and I deemed it too slow, if you like.”

“We’ll have to play that one by ear,” Draco thought aloud.

“Alex will collect Dumbledore from wherever he is and take him,” Melody stated.

“What if he accidentally falls off the tower?” Hermione asked in alarm.

“Nothing a simple spell can’t fix,” Melody said. “Once he’s been certified as dead, Alex will transfigure a replacement and switch them out. Then we just nurse him back to health and keep on going until we can bring old Moldy Shorts down.”

“I think that’s everything then,” Severus said.

“No it’s not,” Hermione’s voice wavered as she leaned her head against Draco’s shoulder. “You’ll have to run.”

“We’ll make it, ma chérie. We’ll make it,” Draco whispered and kissed her fiercely.

AN: Hello everyone! Whew, I did it. New class + stomach flu + spring break for the kids = one very tired goldhorse. However, I promised myself I wouldn't go to bed until I got this stinkin' chapter finished and I did it! YAY! I'm quite proud of myself actually. Let's see, I had some questions. Let me try to answer them.

Half improvement of Harry's eyesight...well I think I fixed that. It just took a while. Remember, turning into a vampire takes a week so it stands to reason that full effects of drinking one's blood would take just as long.

The kneeling- vampires don't form bonds from simply drinking blood like day walkers do (or at least mine do). They also have much more control when someone drinks from them. I also think that with Alex absent most of the day, that wouldn't be a huge problem. However, as you can see from this last chapter, he is overly protective of him.

Ginny not getting any powers- the bonding only transfered strenghts. Since they don't have any superhuman abilities, there aren't any to transfer and I'd hate to make Ginny blind as a bat! As far as only getting his eyes fixed... well, that remains to be seen.

Last one, did everyone see Draco and Hermione's alternate future in the circle - yes.

I think that is everything. If I missed anything, just point it out. Thank you so much everyone for the reviews. I'm completely and hopelessly addicted to them. Keep them coming and let me know how I'm doing and if you find any mistakes. Until next time (which I hope is quicker than this time)....Love you guys!!!
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