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There Be Dragons, Harry	By : Scioneeris Category: HP Canon Characters paired with Original Characters > Slash - Male/Male Views: 58354 -:- Recommendations : 8 -:- Currently Reading : 27
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of its characters. I make no money by writing this story..

Chapter List
- 38
- 39
- 40
RECAP: Charlie and Theo's dominance fight takes place while Ilsa and Harry are in the kitchen, they come to an agreement. Harry and Theo have their first simple, triad moment, sharing pudding, before a knock at the door puts everyone on edge. It turns out to be Professor Snape and Blaise, who have returned from the forbidden forest with an unconscious Hermione. Expecting a battle, Severus burst through the door and Terius is 'ported to his side, to fight. Thankfully, Terius' political connections allows him to recognize Ilsa as the Cheif's daughter from the Earth Clan and they are able to avoid a fight. Harry is finally able to reach Hermione's side, only to become extremely distressed upon seeing her near lifeless state.

HOGWARTS' GROUNDS : SNAPE'S QUARTERS : MONDAY

"Ilsa?" Aracle grabbed for the short woman as her body suddenly jerked and twisted as if it had a mind of her own. "Ilsa!"

She twitched out of his hands, her own coming up to grab tufts of her short, two-colored hair. A gasp escaped. "Augh."

"Ilsa, what is it?" He took a cautious step backwards as she backed herself into the wall and threw her head from side to side. "Ilsa!"

"What's the matter?" Terius looked up from where he'd just conjured a cloth for Hermione's forehead. Charlie cast a cooling charm over said cloth, hovering uncertainly at the back of the settee. Severus currently rubbed a light green potion into the girl's newly bared arms, while Harry and Blaise held an assortment of potion-filled vials between them. "Aracle?"

"I think someone's calling her." Aracle swallowed. "It's happened before. The distance is probably too long for the usual mindspeak, so it's straining her. I only hope that it isn't something serious. Ilsa, love, is it-"

"Mauriel, I swear I'll kill you-!" Ilsa broke off, clutching her head as her eyes squeezed shut. "I really will you bloody irritating woman!" She moaned. "The gates…they want me at the gates…something…someone."

"I thought you were off guard duty and border patrol for at least two weeks!" Aracle exclaimed. "You said that you'd be handling paperwork and we could spend some time with-"

"I know what I said, Aracle!" She hissed, golden eyes flying open. "I also know that it takes five of them to fill my single position!" Her eyes glazed over and she straightened abruptly. "South border, number twelve, left gate. Breach." The hazy look disappeared as Ilsa came back with a gasp.

Aracle reached for her, hesitantly.

"We're 'porting back." She said, abruptly. "I'm going, if you can't. I have to go."

"What's the matter?"

"Fabrine. Crawling all over the place." She spat, speaking the term that encompassed dark creatures of all kinds, a darkness tainted with evil. Something rumbled in the distance and Hogwarts herself, groaned under pressure. "They're going under lockdown. We must go now or they will refuse us entry and it is not safe to stay in this realm." Her eyes flickered to Theo and they held a silent conversation before he looked away. "We have to hurry. I do not know…we have to hurry!"

"Ilsa, calm yourself!" Aracle caught her arm and whirled her around to face him. He pressed himself close to her, chest to chest, forehead to forehead and shared a spark of white energy between them. They breathed deeply for a moment and Ilsa sighed. The tangible pressure in the air dropped to a more tolerable level, magic still spiking. "We'll go. We'll all go. Now?"

"I'm fine. It's fine." She pulled away, gently. "Yes now. You can go in straight, I'll 'port in to my post."

"Ilsa!"

"No, Aracle. They need me there."

"Oretta?" Theo eyed the couple wearily. "What do you mean lockdown and what breach?"

"It means, I'll port you in to the main gate and you tell them that you're my personal guests and they'll let you through. By breach, it means I must be on my way, because there's heads to roll." Her gaze flickered quickly over the chamber's occupants. "I suppose I have to include all of you?"

Theo stifled the urge to roll his eyes. "If you would be so kind." He murmured.

"Including the girl? She's not dragel-kind."

"We're not leaving Hermione." Harry came to stand beside Theo. "She's my friend and I'm not leaving her again." He said, strongly.

Ilsa studied him for a moment and then gave a slight nod of her head. "As you wish. The guest house won't be cleaned, but if you don't mind the dirt, you're welcome to stay there for the time being. Aracle will send someone over to fix it up as soon as he can."

"You are welcome to lodge with us." Terius interjected. He helped the still-unconscious Hermione to sit up, so Severus could coax a potion down her throat. The Potions Master didn't wish to spell it into her stomach, afraid of lingering magic in the brand. "Mr. Zabini, you are welcome to stay with us as well." He extended the invitation and nudged Severus lightly, the two engaging in a silent exchange that validated his claim. "It is my family home and it is along the cliffs, near the Merrow Waters. Has a lovely view and plenty of room."

"Is that where Draco is?" Severus asked, quietly.

"Yes and he is safe. I would not have left his side if he were not." Terius nudged him again, this time, a little gentler, his knee to the back of Severus' crouched figure. It was part of their silent, complicated language between them.

"He'd better." Severus snapped. He rose fluidly to his feet and brushed off a patch of invisible dust before watching Terius ease the body back to the settee, beneath Charlie's watchful eye.

"Will you stay with him?" Ilsa nodded towards Terius, her gold eyes glittering.

"Charlie?" Theo looked to his beta, he didn't have any unfinished business and he doubted that Harry had much—besides taking arms against a certain dark wizard that really needed to drop dead in a gutter somewhere. Charlie was the only one he wasn't entirely certain on, after all, they'd all but abducted the dragon tamer from his home, subjected him to a rather painful and vigorous ritual, engaged in a—and well, Theo stopped thinking there. He had the authority to make the choice, but rather than pulling rank, he simply waited for Charlie to weigh in.

The redhead gave a careful, if hesitant nod and Theo turned with a smile to Ilsa, his arm coming up to wrap around Harry beside him. "We'll stay." He looked to Harry for confirmation as well, just to be sure. This circle would only be as strong as they all were and it certainly needed to start with shared trust among them all, even in the little things. The brunet gave a tiny nod of acceptance. Theo smiled for him.

"Good boy." Ilsa turned to face them, drawing her wings out once more and flexing them. "I'll leave you halfway out, follow Aracle through to the end and be sure to keep a good hold on each other." The last words were directed to Charlie, Harry and Blaise. "I'd wager none of you younglings have traveled this far via portal before." She winced, her hand going to her head. "Blast it, Mauriel, I heard you the first time." Her hand clenched into a fist. "Just hold on tight, Theo's 'ported before. Trust him. The magic will respond to your emotions and feelings." A shudder rippled through her.

"Ilsa…" There was a hint of warning in Aracle's tone. "If you're going to full, flat-out morph, I don't know how well these rooms can-"

"I'll do it in the portal." She hissed, doubling over. "Just listen, whichever one of you can. I know you'll probably have to go straight home." This was directed at Aracle. "But one of you listen. Speak to Councilman Terius about the girl and hellhounds. I'm sure you can dig up enough to find out what's wrong with her. A hellhound's brand is not something to take lightly. The fact that's it is on her stomach in the very position of the third Chakra means it was done for the sake of control. If the brand was placed there in a peaceable attempt—you should be able to tell if it was wanted or not—there's a spell for it, I'm sure. If it was, then well, I shouldn't air the girl's dirty laundry. It's not mine to speak of." Ilsa shuddered. "Specifically though, that's a claiming mark, meaning that someone's taken her as theirs and since we welcome their kind in Nevarah, you're bound to run into one. I'd advise you to be very careful." She paused. "I also can't say when you can come to see me, but send a note to the house of Ithycar Deveraine once you're settled. You remember." She reached for him.

"I do." Theo tilted his face and accepted the kiss to his forehead without fuss.

Harry blinked up at her in surprise, unable to move away, due to Theo's grip around his shoulders, as she planted a feather-soft kiss on his own forehead.

"Travel safe, by Portgas." She murmured. "Not Ergen. Your mates aren't used to it." She winced as a powerful wave of magic rippled through the room and Hogwarts groaned again. "Don't forget to schedule a healer's appointment as well! For both of them in addition to yourself!" Ilsa shot a final look at Theo and then rolled her shoulders back. Her body twisted and arched, her height nearly doubling as her spine stretched and her dragon-creature began to hum to life. "Aracle?" She called, muscles rippling beneath the stretching, bulging skin.

"Everyone ready?" The Rheyo wrapped an arm around Blaise and Charlie came forward as Ilsa reached one clawed hand up to the ceiling.

"Temptrificus Ergen!" She shouted.

"Temptrificus Portgas!" Aracle intoned.

THE BURROW : BATTLE AFTERMATH : SUNDAY AFTERNOON

"Mrs. Weasley?" Seamus dropped to a crouch beside the reclining witch, worry showing on a face far too young to bear that sort of expression. One hand clutched a thin, golden filigree necklace, bearing a four-leaf clover. He rubbed it, absently, with one hand as he took in the older witch's exhausted state. "Mrs. Weasley? It's Seamus Finnigan, can you hear me? Are you alright?" She blinked, wearily in answer and then again to show that she was following his questions. He smiled, encouragingly and turned to look over his shoulder at the little audience there, tucking the necklace back into his shirt. "She's fine. I think it's just shock or something. Is everyone else alright?" He slipped into the leader-like role among the younger witches and wizards without so much as a blink.

No one protested.

"I'm alright." Lavender quavered. She snuck a glance over one shoulder, searching for Ron. They'd been partially separated throughout the fight and she didn't like it. His absence was now weighing a little heavier on her than she'd realized. She held her right arm stiffly beside her where a fire spell had caught her unawares, burning off the sleeve of her blouse, but thankfully not searing the skin below. It was red and tender, but as long as she held it where it was, it didn't pain as bad as it could have. "Just my arm."

"Arm." Seamus repeated, he turned to Dean who was rummaging through the medicine kit he'd accio'd from The Burrow and with some help from a pink-haired Tonks, they were helping as best as they could. "Lavender."

"Got it." Tonks said, cheerfully. Her pink hair dimmed faintly to a slightly reddish hue as she waved the young witch over. "Over here, let's get a look at it." She tapped her wand on her battered trousers, having weathered the battle fairly well.

Lavender crept over while Seamus continued to take inventory of their little bunch.

Neville was pale and exhausted as he let Ginny help him stretch out on the grass beside her mother. He mumbled a few things and the redheaded witch bit her lip before darting a glance to her mother and then shaking her head and bending to whisper something in the boy's ear. Ginny nodded to Seamus who nodded to Dean, who whispered to Tonks, when she'd finished with Lavender.

The sweaty, shaking, Gryffindor calmed faintly when the tingle of healing magic spread over him. A moment later, his body when slack after Tonks had poured a small vial of potion down his throat. "He needs rest." She said, in answer, to the questioning faces around him. "Anyone else in you lot need help?" A tingle of white magic rested on the tip of her wand.

"I think that's it." Seamus flashed a winning grin. "Many thanks!"

Tonks gave a wink and a two-fingered salute, her head jerking up at the barking orders from her Auror superior. Her eyes gave a spectacular roll and her hair went electric blue as she leapt to her feet and tripped off—only stumbling once.

"Ah, incoming!" Seamus said, scrambling to stand behind Dean for better protection as the group of redheads came barreling forward. George, Fred, Ron and a rather white-faced Percy.

Dean gave a snort of amusement, but stood tall as his boyfriend took up residence behind him. The worry on his face was somewhat muted as he moved back a half-step to allow the redheaded siblings to swamp their mother.

"Mum?"

"Mum!"

The Weasley twins came barreling over and promptly swallowed their mother in tight hugs, dropping to their knees beside her. Percy stood awkwardly for a moment and then a few stray tears trickled down his face and he flung himself into the group hug as well. If the normally strong and stout witch happened to cry as she clung to them, rubbing, touching and patting every bit of her children that she could, no one mentioned it.

Something strange, dark and unusual had just taken place.

Certain things were most definitely allowed.

Most of them would never be spoken of again.

"Molly!" Arthur's roar rang out against the emptying yard at The Burrow. He strode towards the group consisting of wife, children and guests, his face a dark shadow as he drew near, hands fisted at his sides. The conversation with Albus had taken a turn that he hadn't even expected and now, he didn't know what to do with that sudden, horrific knowledge.

The wizard in question had dared to cast a spell that was borderline dark for the sake of creating an unofficial creature army from the ungraduated sixth and seventh years in Hogwarts. It would certainly explain the recent flux in registered creatures at the ministry and some of the high society gossip floating about with snickers and sniggers towards pureblooded families suddenly saddled with a child bearing a natural creature inheritance.

Albus Dumbledore was uprooting children, ruining entire lives and bloodlines all for the sake of his greater good.

It made Arthur sick to his stomach.

Hang the secrets were they stood! He couldn't keep that to himself. He'd have to tell, someone, anyone—people deserved to know!

The redheaded woman staggered to her feet with some help from her twin sons and stood, half-braced against Percy, with Ginny sidling up to wrap her thin arms around her mother's ample waist. Confusion showed plainly in the children's faces as their furious father advanced. What little color had returned to Molly's face now drained to a pallor the same hue as the unconscious Neville.

"Arthur." She gasped out, her grip tightening on Ginny. She'd seen that look on his eyes a few years before. A look she'd hoped she'd never have to see a again. To her immense relief, it softened at once when he took in the sight of their children all crowded around her and of course, her own self.

"Molly." He stopped a few feet away. His eyes were bright, ice blue as they searched over her. He closed the gap and swept her up into a tight hug, half-squashing his own children as he tried to touch them all the same time and reassure him to their current living status. "Oh Molly." He kissed her cheeks, her hair, her trembling hands. "Molly. He said…he did it." His grip tightened to bruising. "I can't believe it. He did it, Molly! All those children…! How could he?" The wizard trembled.

"Shh." Molly soothed. "It's alright. It'll be fine." She murmured the comforting words even as she tried to process what he'd said. The words clicked into place and immediately shuffled her other worries to the side. Oh Merlin help them all! "He didn't."

"He did."

"Oh Arthur!"

He clutched her even tighter to him, clinging to what they had. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. You? I was worried." She snuggled into his comforting embrace, feeling her children retreating just enough to allow her the closeness she needed with her husband. "I was so worried, love." For the next few minutes, they hugged, kissed and clung to each other, seeking the kind of comfort that could only come between a mated creature pair. Subconsciously, she nuzzled his neck and rubbed her cheek against his.

He stroked her hair and crooned softly in her ear, breathing in the sweet, musky scent of her hair. It calmed his nerves, faintly, but his blue eyes narrowed as he watched Albus Dumbledore gliding to the edge of their property, preparing to apparate. He was the last of the others to leave and it seemed as if he'd planned it that way. Arthur watched with narrowed eyes as he continued off. As long as the wretched manipulator left, he'd let it go—this time, maybe. There were things he'd said that Arthur wasn't about to believe.

The liar! He thought, viciously. He knew his family. He knew Molly. She wasn't a Dragel. She'd never kept a secret from him before and most certainly not one like that. He was Torvak after all, pureblooded Torvak and surely he'd have been able to tell if his wife was a Dragel. They were hunter kind. His family line, the Weasleys, had always been the best hunters and trackers amongst the main clan.

Even if she'd hid it, people and creatures alike made mistakes, she would've slipped up somewhere. He would've known. He'd hunted with the best of them after all.

He'd quit, for Molly's sake, she'd begged him before agreeing to his marriage proposal. She'd worried for him, worried for his family and eventually, her own family had turned her out for her association with him. After that, he hadn't even thought twice to quit the family business and wed her within the same week. Sure, things had been stretched and rocky as far as galleons went, but he liked to think that they were happy and content and that was all he ever really cared for.

His father, Septimus, had made sure that his status in the wizarding world was fitting for turning his back on his own kind, but in the face of Molly's warmth, brilliance and strength, he hadn't counted it as a loss. Even when they'd stuck him to work in the Ministry of Magic, at least his father had been kind enough to stick him in a department he somewhat enjoyed, the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office. Life had become rather boring then, but he wouldn't have traded it at all, the moment Molly had become pregnant with Bill.

It had taken nearly two years for the pregnancy to occur and he'd begun to worry until that morning when his wife had stumbled out into the hospital waiting room, her eyes red-rimmed and tears of joy streaming down her face. They'd danced right there, for a moment. He'd been so happy then…and even more with the birth of each son afterwards and even—Merlin bless them—a daughter! Dear, dear Ginny. Life had been good. So good.

How dare Albus Dumbledore try to ruin everything!

He'd given enough—to his own people, to his family, to the first wizarding war. He had every right to live and live to a good end. The same for his children.

Arthur felt his fingers itch and crawl as he watched the old wizard pause, before apparating. He could feel the old, familiar itch in his hands as the feathers residing just beneath the surface of the skin, dying to be released. He could feel the chill behind his eyes, the ice building up, begging to be released. He drew in a shaky breath. Emotions would make his gift run wild, he'd worked for many years to perfect the blank stare and the ability to hold his tongue. Thankfully, Molly often spoke up when he wanted to and it worked out that he'd never had to give into the avian urges that lurked in his very being.

Urges that were now clawing their way to the surface, desperately seeking an outlet. Arthur swallowed hard, his blue-eyed gaze riveted on the apparition point that Dumbledore now stood on.

The old wizard had the gall to turn and wink at him and for a moment, that was all it took.

Rationally took a hike as the mocking smile registered and the younger wizard fully understood. This was a game to him, wasn't it? Hang their secrets. There was nothing left to be lost or gained now. Arthur roughly jerked away from Molly's soft embrace, his blue eyes bristling as a fine smattering of miniature black feathers began to sprout from the back of his neck and along his arms, his facial features growing sharper and more pointed.

"Arthur?" Molly's hand on his arm, tangled with his jacket sleeve. "Arthur, wait!"

He felt her restraining hand and heard the worry behind her voice, but it was too late for that. His control snapped like an elastic band pulled one meter too far. A freezing, burning ball of icy choked in his throat and instinct took over before Arthur could help himself. With a bird-like shriek, he screamed a volley of white-blue energy at the retreating wizard.

Albus threw up the shield at the same moment that he focused to apparate. He disappeared in a wink.

"Arthur, calm down!" Molly all but wrapped herself around her husband from behind, feeling a burn of her own as long-suppressed traits struggled to the surface. She was too exhausted, too stressed and running too deeply on instinct to fight the pull of the secret she'd kept for well over three decades when it came to this man. The loss of access to her Dragel powers had been a bit of a shock—years ago—now, it wasn't half the headache it had once been.

But the simmering and throbbing of energy, wild energy, humming just beneath her skin as it fought and clawed its way out of the bonds meant to restrain it, pushed one button a little too hard. Her grip on Arthur tightened even as she gasped, softly, seeing the pale skin on her hands turning into the shimmery sheen of scales.

She breathed a prayer of relief that her hands hadn't turned to claws, but it was a prayer breathed too soon as she felt the scales taking over. They settled as if they had a right to belong when she desperately wanted them elsewhere. She felt her husband tremble in her embrace as strength rushed to her own limbs and magic crackled tangibly in the air.

Instead of the surge of acceptance in their marriage bond, there was a sudden spike of irrational anger.

A cold fear crept into her bones.

This could only end in disaster.

When he turned in those strong arms, Arthur wasn't quite sure what he was expecting. It certainly wasn't the exotic scaled face with rich brown eyes staring back at him. Red hair had darkened by several tints, whether magically or otherwise, he wasn't sure. There was virtually no recognizable feature, beyond the familiar hints in those brown eyes and the hair that he knew her so well for.

This was not the Molly Weasley he knew.

It wasn't even the Molly Prewitt he'd known.

Dragel! His senses screamed and suddenly, the final pieces of the puzzle clicked together. The suggestions Dumbledore had hinted at and the presence of an unknown Dragel. His blue eyes scanned the yard, straying back to settle on the beautifully scaled face before him.

Charlie.

Charlie was missing.

Surely…?

"No…"

"Arthur?" The lovely face grew worried and a near melodious voice sounded forth. "Arthur…it's Molly, I…just a moment."

He stared as those gorgeous brown eyes were hid behind fluttering eyelids and her high-brow furrowed in concentration. With conscious effort, the lovely pearlescent scales faded into creamy skin with a light smattering of freckles across the cheekbones. The hair lightened and returned to its usual frothy, curly mass of fire red and when her eyes opened, the warm, hazel hue was back to its normal circular pupils.

When his wife stood before him once more, her creature nature safely tucked away, he could only feel a sudden rush of anger and then one of embarrassment. Dumbledore had known. He'd known! That miserable old coot had been privy to a personal secret that his wife hadn't even dared to share with him. No wonder he'd been so smug and condescending.

It'd all been a joke on him.

His icy blue eyes flared and burned with the power that sang beneath his fingertips as he turned his fierce glare on that pleading face and saw the pain slip into her hazel-hued gaze. He could ignore it, sort of, kind of…maybe.

But then he remembered the fight, the screeches and the screams.

Charlie.

She'd been screaming for Charlie and then Theo had come. Then things had gotten complicated and then of course, Theo had left.

Arthur stifled a shudder, the last thing he wanted to do was to think of his second-eldest as a dark creature, but that was what he knew. There'd never been a Dragel to prove him wrong, at least, not in the one's he'd hunted and taken. Old memories, feelings and emotions welled up inside as he remembered. And in remembering, came a wellspring of pain.

He'd turned his back on his Torvak roots and his family, for Molly's sake.

All for her.

He'd let go of the friendship of two brothers and their wives, a few assorted nieces and nephews. His parents, Cedrella and Septimus. The Oath he'd taken as a hunter.

For her.

All for her.

The ice flowing through him helped to numb the pain beginning to come from the thought of his wife betraying him.

Torvaks were loyal. Their very nature demanded it, a one for all and all for one sort of philosophy. There were no secrets, no lies and no betrayals. To betray meant consequences far beyond a simple slash in the family tree. But that kind of honesty, that kind of loyalty—it was for life, the kind that let you know that no matter where you were and what should happen, there is never anything to worry of.

"Charlie." He said, simply.

Her face grew pale and drawn. She swallowed once, twice and then those honest eyes looked away, head bowed.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" He asked. He had to know.

She took a deep breath and then blew it out. "There's nothing to tell." Her eyes snapped back to look at him. "I gave it up, same as you did."

"You told Albus."

"He already…knew." She hesitated. "He found out by accident and I-I didn't have anyone else to tell, I'd already-"

"So, never, then?"

"I gave it up!" She leaned towards him, pleading. "I gave it up for you, Arthur!"

"And so did I." He countered. "I gave up everything for you. Everything!" Something caught in his throat and he swallowed hard. "You knew. All this time, you knew. You had—and you weren't going to even say anything? Just let me keep playing the happy fool?"

"It wouldn't have changed anything!" She shot back. "It wouldn't have changed my feelings for you and-"

"And yet you think so little of me that you couldn't share this?" He gestured to himself and then to her. As if on cue, a fine scattering of small black feathers began to sprout near his ears and along the sides of his face. "The children?" He took a shuddering breath, attempting to force the Avian instincts down, even as they flared protectively and he took note of his brood of children. A sudden feeling of cold dread wormed its way into his stomach. "Tell me that you didn't suppress the children."

Those hazel eyes met his gaze steadily.

He turned away with a muttered curse. "They're children, Molly! Children!" He ran his hands through his hair and tugged at the reddened strands in frustration. "It's all—all of them?" He whirled around to look at her. "All of them?"

She didn't answer.

"Do you have any idea what you've-"

"They'll be fine."

"Fine?" He shot back. "How can you possibly think that they'll be fine? What about Bill? He's engaged now and you-" He held up a hand. "No. We can't—I can't—this-" he rubbed his forehead. "I can't do this."

"Arthur?"

"We need, I need," he amended at her sudden glare. That inner fire within, never dimmed. "Some time to think. Clear my head, if nothing else." He sighed, wearily. "Can't you give me this, at least? You can't expect me to simply take all of this and-" he gestured to the children and her then to himself, where the feathers were now growing in quite nicely.

"I understand." Her voice was soft. "We can sort it in the morning, then?"

"The morning?" He stared at her in disbelief. "No, no I don't think so."

The pain began to glimmer, a few swatches of it showing on her pale face. "Don't." was all she said, a single word.

His smile trembled. They were married man and woman. Husband and wife. Wizard and witch. Torvak and…Dragel. It nearly killed him to refuse. "I can't."

"…please."

"I would do anything for you, Molly, but this time, I can't. Not this time." He turned, meeting the worried gazes of his children in turn and the uncertain ones of their guests. "Was it a ritual, a spell or a potion?" He asked, at last. She didn't answer. His blue eyes flared with ice. "Answer me!"

She closed her eyes and spoke barely above a whisper. "Spell at conception, ritual at birth…potion afterwards."

An agonized cry left his lips. "All three?"

"I did the ritual on my own. I bore the marks. I would never subject a child to that. I am no monster!"

"Did you take me for a monster, then?" He demanded. "Did you think I'd abandon them? They're my children too! Just as much mine as they are yours! I wouldn't have cared! As long as they were alive and happy and healthy as God intended, Merlin help me woman, I wouldn't have cared!"

"Wouldn't you?" There were tears now filling her eyes as she stood there, her hands shaking at her sides. "Even when they were all going to be like me?"

Arthur froze, the sudden surge of anger fleeing almost as quickly as it had come. "That's not, they—it's a fifty-"

"It's always the dominant gene."

"That's not—take the spell off them!"

She sucked in a breath. "I cannot."

"Molly…!"

"I did not cast it." She elaborated. "I could not. I had help."

"Dumbledore?"

"I would never have let him keep the memory otherwise."

"Really?" He said.

"I obliviated him, six, maybe seven times." She half-smiled. "He always broke it. I wasn't at full strength, so it never held. He wouldn't remember I'd put it on him, but they'd never hold. I didn't mean for it to turn out like this." She twisted her hands in her dress and apron. "I didn't—it wasn't supposed to be like this."

"So you can't take it off?"

"I can release my half of it." She hesitated. "But I cannot-"

"Who can? Who in your family can take it off? Your father? Mother?" He tried and failed to recall any memory of the redhead's family, only able to place Gideon and Fabian, brilliant wizards who had died for the sake of a good cause.

Molly flinched. "No one." She said, at last, so low, he had to strain to hear her.

"No one?" He repeated incredulously. "Your entire family…circle?"

She lifted her chin, a hint of strength returning to her. "I gave them up, Arthur. It wouldn't have been right to ask you to give up everything and to give up nothing on my side. It doesn't necessarily matter though, after Gideon and Fabian, there is no one left."

Icy blue eyes locked with pale hazel ones. He met her gaze, evenly. "Then I suppose it is fortunate that my family may speak to me on our children's behalf."

"Arthur-"

"For their sakes at least, I should hope so." He snapped, turning to the young audience. "Fred, George, Percy, Ron, Ginny." He rattled off their names in a single breath and gave a light jerk of his head. "You're coming with me. This is very important, stay close, please."

"What? Where?" Ron wanted to know, he looked at Lavender, who'd been snuggled under his arm for the past several minutes and then scowled. "Why? What's going on with you and Mum? Why are you sprouting feathers?"

Fred glowered at his younger brother, a look in his eye as if he wanted to bop him one. George elbowed him in the stomach before he could. Percy stiffened, but held himself up, ramrod straight.

Ginny frowned. "What about Mum?"

Arthur forced a smile. "Mum isn't feeling well, Ginny." He said, carefully. "So, we're going to give her some time to get herself together and-"

"I am well within my mind, Arthur. There is nothing wrong with me, but you think I am unstable, then, we have guests." His wife interrupted. "Are you going to take them too?"

A/N: Gah. That was really sad. Now I'm half-depressed. *flumps over keyboard* Bother you, Arthur! Why can't you see that she loves you as much as you love her? *headdesk* Er, right. The guys aren't saying anything yet, because they're unsure how to react. Fred and George are remembering the little chat with Charlie about Dragels and specifically, Theo and Harry. Ginny is following some of it, but she's mostly worried for her Mum and of course, that idiotic Dumbles has caused even more trouble. Oh joys. The next chapters should be fun...

Oh and happy mother's day, if there's any Mum's reading this fic. (I know, I know, that's a whole day late, but I ended up taking my Mum out to dinner and stuff. It was nice.)

If you have questions, ask away. I'll answer what I can and read the replies below-you might find answers to your questions before you even ask. ^_^

Green--I take it you liked the twist then? :P Ah, that's the last major creature plot point I intended to throw in there. Yes, love is very blind in here and as much as Arthur loves her, he's going to need some time to process, but he won't abandon her. Well, you're right on Percy, he is going to be a Torvak--the others we'll see in the next few chapters or so. Thanks for reading! ^_^

Unneeded--Not too complicated, I hope! I wanted a Creature B to be against Creature A, so therefore we have Dragels and Torvaks. Molly is a sub (the barely there hint was her pearlescent wings) and as a Dragel sub, she is very fertile, namely, how they had so many children--and especially Ginny. Yep, Dumbles has done something stupid here again, we'll find out just how horrible it is pretty soon. Arthur won't dump Molly, but he's not very happy with her right now, so he'll take some time to clear his head when he takes the kids to his family to get their seals off. When Hermione wakes again, she will find herself in Nevarah. It'll be interesting from there. Yep, Ilsa and Terius having to be all polite and formal is really fun to write.

Jan--Your review made me giggle. Harry's seal coming off probably within the next two/three chapters, as I need to get him to Nevarah and then to straighten out the time difference as the Weasley drama is happening a whole afternoon behind Harry's present time. Hope you enjoyed this one!

Morbid_and_Sexy: Hermione will heal pretty nicely, especially once they get her to a healer. Draco is about 3-ish months along in a Dragel pregnancy (more details in the Terius/Snape conversation coming up), he wouldn't be showing much, if at all and while he'll feel a near constant urge to eat and be generally lazy, he's fine for the moment. I haven't forgotten him, because he's preggers, that's why he didn't appear with Terius.

Bluedoves--Thank you! I hope you enjoy the rest. ^_^
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There Be Dragons, Harry