Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/10065641. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Rape/Non-Con, Underage, Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence Category: M/M Fandom: Harry_Potter_-_J._K._Rowling Relationship: Lucius_Malfoy/Harry_Potter Character: Harry_Potter, Lucius_Malfoy, Luna_Lovegood, Remus_Lupin, Severus_Snape, Draco_Malfoy Additional Tags: Explicit_Language, BDSM, Slash_sex, Mpreg, Sexual_Content, Action/ Adventure, Alternate_Universe, Drama, Romance Collections: HPFandom Stats: Published: 2009-06-09 Completed: 2009-10-03 Chapters: 19/19 Words: 54413 ****** Haut Magique ****** by julesmonster [archived by HPFandom_archivist] Summary **Currently on Hold... I may never get back to finish this, so you have been warned** Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus. Notes Note from SeparatriX, the archivist: this story was originally archived at HP_Fandom, which was closed for health and financial reasons. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on HP_Fandom_collection profile. ***** Chapitre Un ***** Haut Magique By Julesmonster Summary: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus. Warnings: Violence and Torture; Semi-Dark! Harry; Dubious consent; MPreg; OOC and AU; Sexual Situations; BDSM; and Vulgarities. Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. ***** Chapitre Un ***** Harry looked out across the tiny lawn of number four Privet Drive and longed to be anywhere but there. Why had he returned? A promise made to a dead man meant next to nothing right at that moment. A promise that was made to a man who had done more to harm Harry than the boy had ever realized. Harry tried hard not to lose consciousness. The pain was almost unbearable, but he knew that if he fell asleep, he might never wake up again. He needed to stay awake and try to focus his magic on healing. He needed to concentrate on how he was going to survive this mess. Slowly, Harry could feel his magic working, easing a bit of the discomfort, but there was little he could do for the broken ribs that were pressing painfully into his lungs. If he moved too much, or the wrong way, he would surely drown in his own blood. He lay still, staring up at the stars in the sky on that clear July night, and recalled the howler Petunia had received two years ago. Dumbledore had admitted to sending the thing after Sirius died, Harry remembered. He should have been more leery of the fact that Dumbledore had been in contact with his family, but he’d been so scared, angry and frustrated at the time that he’d overlooked that small detail. Now he wished he’d paid more attention. Now Dumbledore was dead, and Harry could never make him pay for the things he had done. Everything he’d thought about his life was a lie. Harry knew that now. He knew that Dumbledore had lied and manipulated his entire existence. He just didn’t know all the details yet. But he would. He would somehow survive this latest assault and he would get the answers to his questions. Then everyone who had ever hurt him, everyone who had lied and used him, would pay for their betrayal. The day Harry had returned to Privet Drive for his final summer under their hateful care he had been assigned his usual list of chores to be completed even before he’d made it through the front door. There were the normal things, like coking and cleaning the house, doing laundry, but there was also something new. He was to clean out the attic, which had been infested with bats over the winter, and get rid of the pests while reorganizing decades' worth of junk. Harry’s days over the following week were taken up with doing regular chores all day and cleaning the attic every evening. He really didn’t mind it so much, as it kept him out of his Uncle’s way, resulting in fewer black eyes and bruises. But he hadn’t really expected to find anything damning in those old trunks and boxes. It was on the fourth evening in the attic that Harry had found the small wooden chest with the letters in it. They dated from the time Harry was dropped on the Dursleys’ doorstep to just a week before Dumbledore’s death. They were preserved very carefully, and Harry soon realized why. Petunia kept them to protect herself if it ever came out how they were abusing Harry. With those letters, she could claim that it wasn’t their fault at all; they were just following orders. Harry shivered as the cool night breeze blew across his bare arms. The wet patches on his clothes soaked with blood were beginning to dry; a good sign, meaning that he would probably not bleed to death. He wished he could have at least had a blanket. No matter how warm the night might seem, Harry knew he was close to going into shock, and he was getting very cold. He thought back to those letters. The first had been left with him in the basket Dumbledore had dropped him off in. In it, he had instructed the Dursleys not to “coddle or baby” him. He would need to be broken in order to fall in line with Dumbledore’s plans. The old man had outlined exactly what he wanted them to do to the small baby, including putting him into the cupboard. As the letters went on, Harry could tell that Dumbledore was often replying to questions Petunia had asked. There was also evidence that Dumbledore had been paying them to abuse their nephew. Harry wondered where he had gotten the funds. Harry coughed and noticed the coppery taste of blood. Oh. Not good. If he was coughing up blood, then the broken ribs had most likely already punctured his lungs and it was only a matter of time before he died. He knew that the Dursleys would never help him. They were the reason he was like this to begin with. Aunt Petunia had come to check up on Harry’s progress in the attic. Harry had been so caught up in the web of lies and betrayal that he hadn’t heard her coming. She gasped when she realized what Harry had found, and before he could even move, she was calling Vernon and Dudley upstairs. The Dursley males dragged Harry down the stairs and out into the garden. Petunia didn’t deign to touch Harry herself, she never had, but she watched on with an evil smirk while Vernon and Dudley did their worst. Fists were just the start. They quickly moved on to kicks and using blunt objects that were lying around the yard. All the while they were all screaming at him about how worthless he was that even his own kind hated him. And this time, with tears filling his vibrant green eyes, Harry believed them; after what he’d read, how could he not? ***** Severus Snape was leery of approaching Privet Drive. After all Dumbledore had always maintained that the blood wards surrounding the house could not be penetrated by any with the Dark Mark. But Dumbledore was dead now, and he needed to get to Harry Potter at all costs. The old Bastard had done more harm than Severus had ever realized before and now he had to try and make things right before it was too late. Draco followed close behind him, with Lucius bringing up the rear. They were as silent as death as they made their way through the shadows toward the house where Harry was being kept. In his mind, Severus went over every detail of the letter he had received just that morning. Each lie, each betrayal burned into his memory. There were many who deserved his wrath, but the one who most deserved it was already dead. He was glad he had been the one to kill Dumbledore; he just wished now that he could have tortured him a bit first. The old bastard deserved to pay for his crimes. “Are you sure this is the place?” Draco asked with a look of absolute horror on his face. “I’m positive,” Severus growled. This little bit of Muggle Hell was so insipid and over-manicured that it offended their magical sensibilities. A wizard’s magic was directly connected to nature, and this blatant exploitation of nature was odious to these three wizards. “It was no secret among the Order where the boy is being housed. It is amazing to me that the Dark Lord never discovered it in all these years.” Lucius just snorted as they continued on up the lane. When they reached the walk to number four, Severus paused momentarily to feel for the protective wards. If his information was accurate, he would not be affected by the blood wards, and in turn would be able to admit his colleagues. Sure enough, as he passed from the street to the front walk, he felt the tingle of magic, but no harm came to him. Reaching out both hands, he grabbed his comrades and led them through the magical barrier without incident. “Now what?” Draco asked. “Do we simply knock and ask where Potter is?” “HARRY,” Severus hissed at his young companion. “Please do not call him Potter!” “Harry then,” Draco shrugged. “Why not?” Lucius smirked, answering Draco’s question as he walked to the front step and rang the bell. Severus and Draco followed him and were standing just below him on the step, their wands already drawn. “Who the hell are you?” a boy, about Draco’s age, spat as he swung the door open. He was fat, as wide as he was tall, and looked like the beached whale Harry had often described to his friends. “We are here to see Harry,” Lucius said pleasantly. The boy looked to say something rude, but then noticed the two wands pointed at his face. “I- I…Daddy!” Dudley yelled before tripping and falling on his fat arse in his haste to get away from the dangerous wizards. “What is the meaning of this?” Vernon shouted as he lumbered down the hall, a napkin still tucked into his shirt from where he had obviously been enjoying his dinner. There were greasy gravy stains down the napkin and on his ugly grey pants. Lucius gave a shudder of distaste at the sight of the overgrown pig. “We are here to collect Harry,” Lucius told the man as he pushed his way inside. Severus and Draco followed and shut the door behind them with a snick. ***** Harry could hear something going on inside the house, but couldn’t really tell what was happening. He could hear raised voices, though. Vernon usually only ever shouted at Harry, so it must be something pretty big. He just hoped he wouldn’t get blamed for it. He knew that his body couldn’t take much more abuse. A sliver of light swept over the yard as the back door was opened and a silhouette appeared. At first Harry thought it was Vernon and he tried to roll into a ball. But the figure was too thin to be Vernon or Dudley, and too tall to be Petunia. Without his glasses, though, they were just an indistinguishable blur of darkness in the backlight. “Muggle bastards!” the figure swore and moved quickly to Harry’s side. It was Snape. Snape, the traitor to the Order. Snape the man who had killed Dumbledore. Harry had wanted to kill the man just weeks ago, but now… “You killed him,” Harry wheezed out, coughing up more blood as he did so. “Th- thank you.” Snape gave Harry a puzzled look. He had expected curses and hateful words, not gratitude. What had happened to change the boy so drastically in the weeks since they had traded curses on the lawns of Hogwarts? “You’re injured,” Snape said idiotically, still confused and upset with the whole situation. “I need to get you stabilized so we can move you to safety.” Harry nodded weakly, not having enough strength to reply aloud. Over the next few minutes, Severus catalogued and treated the most serious of Harry’s injuries, paying specific attention to the broken ribs and punctured lungs. He could not remove the fluid that was already in the organ, but he could prevent further damage. While he worked, Harry drifted in and out of consciousness. Finally, Severus removed his robe and covered the boy’s shivering body, carefully lifting Harry in his arms and carried him into the house. “You are lucky that you did not kill him,” Severus snarled at the trembling muggles currently bound together on the sofa. Lucius was calmly sipping the muggle’s most expensive brandy while Draco held his wand at the trio. “We will be taking Harry with us. You will not tell anyone we were here. If anyone asks, you will tell them that Harry left of his own accord. Know that we will return for you. You have hurt a child who was placed in your care, an unforgivable offense in our world, and you will suffer the consequences.” “But Dumbledore-!” Petunia protested. Severus gave her his most intimidating death glare and she shut up. “I do not care for your excuses. This child was left in your care and you are responsible for your actions, no matter who told you otherwise. You will pay for your crimes!” Severus stalked out of the house and apparated to Malfoy Manor. He knew that Lucius and Draco would follow in their own time. His first priority was making sure that Harry was safe and his injuries treated. “You saved me,” Harry gasped out as Snape was settling him into a bed. “Why?” Severus looked down into those brilliant green eyes that looked so much like Lily’s and sighed. “There will be time enough for questions and answers later. For now, you need to rest.” Harry nodded once and passed out. ***** Chapitre Deux ***** Author's notes: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus. This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   =============================================================================== ***** Chapitre Deux ***** Harry awoke to brilliant sunshine lighting up the room he was currently occupying. It took him some minutes to recall that he was somewhere safe, even if he had no idea where that actually was. He remembered Snape coming for him and healing his wounds enough to move him, but not much beyond that. “You’re awake,” a familiar voice came from beside the bed. Harry could make out the blur of blond hair over pale skin. Draco Malfoy? “I should go get Severus.” “Wait!” Harry croaked, his dry throat painfully sore. “Where am I?” “You’re at Malfoy Manor,” Draco told him. “Why?” Draco let out a sigh of annoyance. “You could just wait for Severus to ask all these questions.” “Why?” Harry grabbed Draco’s arm and repeated as firmly as he could. “You were hurt, and Severus brought you here,” Draco huffed. “Now let me go get him before he hexes me for delaying!” Draco swept from the room and Harry gave his own little sigh. He was at Malfoy Manor. Did Snape save him only to turn him over to the Dark Lord? Not that Harry could blame him, really, but he wasn’t ready to face Voldemort yet, and he had retribution to deliver before he died. If worse came to worst, he supposed he could offer to join Voldemort for as long as it took to do what he needed. The megalomaniac didn’t know the part of the prophecy that said one of them had to die. He might let Harry live for a while if he thought it was worth his while. “You are thinking too hard,” Snape told him. “And you are broadcasting your thoughts. The Dark Lord would never be fooled by your weak attempts at deception.” “Sorry,” Harry muttered. He never had learned Occlumency properly. “In any case, we are not going to turn you over to the Dark Lord, so your machinations are wasted,” Snape said as he sat on the edge of the bed Harry occupied. He gave Harry a potion to drink that would soothe his aching throat, and then ran his wand over Harry in a manner that reminded the boy of his visits to the Hogwarts Infirmary. “You seem to be healing alright. Your ribs have finally mended, and your lungs seem clear. You will experience some weakness for a time. The blood in your lungs developed into pneumonia, a condition we can cure, but it still weakens the rest of the body and requires a period of recuperation. I suggest you rest as much as you need to for the next week, and refrain from any strenuous activity.” Harry nodded at the instructions, but then asked the question that was burning at the forefront of his mind. “Why did you come for me? Why help me?” Severus tucked his wand back into his sleeve holster and paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. “There is much that was hidden from both you and I that has only recently come to light,” Severus said. “I have always known to some extent that Dumbledore was manipulating me to further his own cause, but never to the extent that I have come to understand. I blamed myself, my father, James Potter and Sirius Black for much of the misery that defined my life, when I should have blamed Dumbledore for the entirety of it. “I received information three days ago, just hours before we came to Privet Drive to take you away,” Severus continued. “A letter from Lily, your mother, addressed to me. She sent it before her death, but Dumbledore somehow blocked its delivery. With his death, the letter was finally able to reach me. In it, your mother told a fantastic tale that I still find difficult to fathom, but the documents she included are irrefutable. “Dumbledore manipulated every aspect of my life, from the day I walked through the doors of Hogwarts for the first time. He perceived me to be weak because of my abusive home life, and toiled to make me feel even weaker. He encouraged your father and his friends to torment me, supporting their arrogance. He encouraged the Slytherins who were known to associate with Death Eaters to befriend me. He made me an easy target for Voldemort, fully intending to use me for his own personal spy. “What he never counted on was the fact that one person would give me another option.” Severus closed his eyes lest the grief overwhelm him. After a moment, he went on. “Lily was the best thing that ever happened to me. She was my friend, my only true friend. And she was my love.” “Wait, you and my mum?” Harry was not surprised that Dumbledore would push someone into becoming a Death Eater, but this stuff about his mum… Severus looked at Harry for a long time before nodding slowly. “We dated for almost three years. We were engaged to be married, but things…” “She found out you’d become a Death Eater,” Harry supplied. “Dumbledore told her,” Severus said. “At least that’s what she said in her letter. He told her that I’d joined the Dark Lord and offered to protect her from me. All I knew was that she disappeared. Dumbledore was supposed to tell me why, give me the option of turning away from that life, but he never did. He let me believe that she left me for James. The next thing I knew, she was married and pregnant with you. I was so hurt and angry with her. I never understood. I never knew.” Harry was starting to get a sinking feeling in his chest. “What didn’t you know?” “Harry…” Their gazes locked and Harry knew. He didn’t need the words to be spoken. He didn’t need the confirmation that came with hearing the words out loud. He simply knew. “When I got her letter, that was the first time I had any clue,” Severus went on, a hint of anxiety tainting his tone. He needed Harry to understand, to forgive him. “I was with Draco and Lucius at the time and asked them to come with me to get you. I didn’t know that I would find those people treating you like that. I am so sorry. I’m sorry that I allowed that bastard to manipulate me like that. I’m sorry you ever had to go live with those horrid people. I’m sorry I took my own anger and hurt out on an innocent child all these years. And I’m sorry that I’m not the perfect father that I am sure you imagined James to be.” Harry looked on at the man before him. This man had made his years at Hogwarts miserable at every opportunity. This man was cruel and could hold a grudge like no other. Yet he had also saved Harry so many times. He had been used and controlled as much as, if not more than, Harry had. Severus Snape was not a nice man, but he was an honorable man. And he seemed to want to be Harry’s father. “Do you want to be my father?” Harry asked quietly. He needed to be sure. Severus looked up from where he had been studying the small tear in the cuff of his robes and met his son’s eyes. “More than anything.” “Good,” Harry said softly. “‘Cause I think I’d like to have you for a dad. I never knew James Potter, but I know you. There are things I don’t like about you, but there are just as many that I do. You are a good man, and I can’t blame you for being vulnerable to Dumbledore’s plots when I’ve been just as susceptible. He was a bastard, but he is gone now.” “And we are left to pick up the pieces,” Severus sighed, but there was a spark of hope in his eyes now that Harry had never seen before. “You should rest some more. We’ll talk again when you wake.” ***** “How did he take the news?” Lucius asked when Severus joined him in his study later for a drink. Severus sighed and sat heavily in the matching leather armchair across from Lucius’ own. “Better than I expected,” Severus said. “I think…there may be hope for us to be a family.” “Congratulations,” Lucius smiled at his oldest friend. “Something is bothering me, though,” Severus muttered. “When I found him in the Muggle’s yard he thanked me. Not for rescuing him; at the time he didn’t know that was what I was doing. He said ‘You killed him.’ And then thanked me. And just now, he was not at all surprised by the extent of Dumbledore’s manipulations. He has always been Dumbledore’s Golden Boy. What has changed?” Lucius got up to fix them each a drink, pondering the question, before answering. “Perhaps he has discovered a bit of Dumbledore’s manipulations himself. He has a way of figuring out puzzles, and the devil’s own luck for stumbling across just the right information.” “Indeed.” “You should ask him the next time you talk,” Lucius advised as he handed a Severus two fingers of Scotch in a crystal tumbler. “He said he thinks I am a good man and he’s glad that I am his father,” Severus whispered, as if he could hardly believe it was true. He stared into his glass for a moment before taking a healthy swallow. Lucius sipped his own Scotch and replied, “Then the boy is smarter than you led any of us to believe.” ***** “I found a box of letters from Dumbledore to my Aunt Petunia,” Harry told Severus that evening after they shared dinner in Harry’s room. “Fifteen years of correspondence. He paid them to take me in and mistreat me. He was very specific about how I should be treated. He even gave them the order to keep me locked in the cupboard under the stairs. But that’s not even the worst of it.” Severus was struggling to keep his temper under control. He was filled with rage at his former employer and the Muggles who had raised his son. “Dumbledore hinted at other things, things that would mean nothing to the Dursleys, but meant a lot to me,” Harry said. “He told Aunt Petunia that he was taking care of my godfather, that she wouldn’t need to be concerned about him interfering. The letter was dated three weeks before Sirius died. It was followed by another just after Sirius fell through the veil. Dumbledore set it all up. He never came right and said so in the letters, but it was all there. He locked Sirius up in that house knowing how awful it would be for him after all those years in Azkaban, then encouraged you to goad him, until it was almost certain that he would jump at the chance to see some action. Dumbledore wanted him either dead or caught. Either way, he would be out of my life.” Severus noticed the silent tears that were streaming down Harry’s face, but chose not to say anything. “I think he was using my money to pay those Muggle berks,” Harry laughed harshly. “He wrote that there were others who were ‘nudging me along in the right direction’ as well. It makes me think: who else was he paying off? I don’t know who I can trust anymore.” “You can trust me,” Severus offered. “We’re in this together, you know.” Harry gave him a sad smile, “Yeah, we are.” “And we have time to form a plan while you recuperate,” Severus reminded him. “We don’t need all the answers right this second.” They were both silent for a time, somewhat uncomfortable with the unfamiliar closeness they had just shared, but eventually, Harry had another thought and changed the subject to safer territory. “Why don’t I look like you if I’m your son?” Harry asked. “I mean, everyone says I look so much like James Potter.” Severus nodded, “You do. Lily’s letter indicated that Dumbledore placed very strong glamours on you that could not be broken with a simple reversal spell. However, now that he is dead, any spells he cast will have weakened. It should be possible for us to remove them if you would like.” Harry thought about that for a moment. “If we remove them, will it be possible to put them back in place later? I need to find out who all was involved in Dumbledore’s manipulations, and I doubt I can do that if I show up looking completely changed. Depending on how much the glamour is hiding, they may not even recognize me.” “It should be a simple matter to teach you how to change your appearance back,” Severus mused. “Dumbledore more than likely used your magic to power the glamour, so your magic would already be intrinsically accustomed to the glamour, making it easy enough to replicate it again. Of course, there is some risk involved.” Harry only considered this for a moment before nodding. “Let’s do it. I am tired of being someone I am not. If I can’t change back, we’ll find another way.” Severus smiled and began to weave a complicated spell to remove the glamour. It took several moments and a lot of concentration, but Harry’s appearance began to slowly morph into one less like James Potter and one more closely resembling a combination of Severus and Lily. Harry felt the shift and stood to look at himself in the full length mirror nearby. The first thing he noticed was that his eyes were exactly the same; they were still the familiar brilliant green that Lily had always had, though he no longer needed glasses. But his nose was now smaller and upturned, like his mother’s, with a bump at the bridge, smaller than his father’s. His chin was more angular. His cheekbones were more prominent, like his father’s. His hair had grown longer and was blacker than ever. It hung straight down his back in an ebony curtain. “Why is my hair so long?” “I would venture a guess that Dumbledore’s glamour did not allow your hair to change in appearance?” Severus said. “No, every time it was cut, it ended up looking exactly as it had before. Why?” Harry said, looking at his father. “The glamour only hid the changes that were made,” Severus told him. “If you eventually stopped trying to cut it, it would have simply kept growing.” Harry nodded and looked back to the mirror. “The last time I had a hair cut was before going to Hogwarts.” Harry looked over his body as well, now. The changes there were not as drastically noticeable. He was still much shorter than Severus. Both Severus and James were tall men, but Harry’s height had been stunted by neglect as a child. No glamour had affected that. But his shoulders were wider and his chest filled out more. He was still thin, but the pajamas he wore were almost too tight on his upper torso. Except for the eyes and nose, he now looked like a smaller version of his father. The resemblance was unmistakable. “I look like you.” Harry breathed, reaching out a hand to touch the figure in the mirror. “Only without the nose,” Severus agreed, but there was a note of pride in his voice. “You are a very handsome young man.” “Thank you,” Harry smiled as he turned away from the mirror and watched his father closely. “Sit. I will braid your hair so it does not become tangled while you sleep,” Severus said and led Harry back to the bed. “You will want to decide if you wish to keep your hair long, but for tonight, you’ll want it out of your way to sleep.” The following moments were quiet, but very comforting for both men. Severus gently brushed out Harry’s long locks then carefully braided them and tied the braid with a cord. Once Harry’ was tucked back into the bed, he was almost instantly asleep from the emotional and physical strains of the evening. “G’night father,” Harry whispered as sleep claimed him. “Goodnight, Harry,” Severus returned, as stood to watch over his sleeping son for long minutes before leaving to find his own bed.   AN: It is so great to be back! I wasn't going to post again until tomorrow, but I was just so happy to see so many familiar names in the reviews that I had to go ahead and post chapter two. In the future, I will plan on posting on Tuesdays and Fridays, unless something comes up. ***** Chapitre Trois ***** Author's notes: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus. This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   =============================================================================== ***** Chapitre Trois ***** The next three days were spent with Harry and Severus getting to know each other better while Harry continued to regain his strength. They would spend some time together each morning and share lunch, and then Harry would rest most of the afternoon. Harry would be up in time for dinner, which they shared, and then they would talk through the evening until Harry was too tired to stay awake. The young wizard’s health was improving at a fast rate, and on the fourth morning, Severus declared that Harry was fit enough to take a walk through the gardens if he so desired. Harry, who was getting a bit of cabin fever, was glad to be allowed out. “So this is Malfoy Manor,” Harry said once they were strolling through the gardens. “It’s nothing like I expected.” “No?” Severus looked at Harry curiously. “No, I expected it to be…colder, less welcoming.” Harry shrugged. “This is nice—very homey and comfortable, but still just as posh as you would expect from a Malfoy.” Severus chuckled. He’d felt very much the same way his first time at Malfoy Manor. Just then Severus felt the unmistakable burn of the Dark Mark on his arm. He turned to Harry, who was rubbing at his scar and wincing with pain. “Go on, I know he’s calling,” Harry told his father. Severus nodded before rushing back to the house. Harry found a bench to sit on, feeling suddenly very tired. He’d only been resting there for a few minutes when Draco strolled up the walk. “Severus asked me to make sure you could make it back to your room okay,” Draco said. There was none of the usual icy demeanor that Harry had always associated with his school rival. It wasn’t a warm tone by any means, but it was obvious that Draco was making an effort. “Thank you,” Harry said, trying to return the effort. “I think I could do with a bit of help. I’m feeling very tired all of a sudden.” “Sit for a few minutes, then we’ll get you back to your room,” Draco decided. They were both silent for a long time, somewhat uncomfortable with the unspoken truce between them. Finally Draco broke the silence. “Listen, I know we have never been friends, but with the way things are right now, I think we should probably make the effort.” Draco extended his hand to shake and Harry had a moment of déjà vu. First year, on the train to Hogwarts, Draco had made the same gesture. Harry had refused then, but now he wondered how different his life would have been if he had accepted. “Friends,” Harry agreed, taking Draco hand. “I was a real ass for refusing your friendship that day on the train.” Draco shrugged and turned away. “Yeah, well, I wasn’t exactly being very sympathetic to you, insulting the only people you had met so far and spouting anti-Muggle politics to a kid who’d grown up in the Muggle world.” “It’s all in the past now,” Harry said. “If what my father says is true, then we are all in this together. You helped save me. Thank you.” “Not that any of us knew that the situation was so dire at the time,” Draco shrugged, “but you are welcome.” “I think I’m up to walking now,” Harry said as he stood. Draco was solicitous and moved within easy reach in case Harry lost his balance or weakened. They began to walk back together. “Was Father the only one called?” “No, but the Dark Lord isn’t very fond of me these days,” Draco sighed. “He hardly ever calls for me, and when he does call, it is rarely pleasant.” “I am sorry,” Harry said sincerely. “It’s not your fault,” Draco sighed. “Dumbledore used a Mesmer on me. Even as weak as he was—unarmed and injured—he could still mess with my head.” “That’s why you hesitated?” “It certainly wasn’t out of some misguided sense of right and wrong,” Draco snorted. “Although I can see how it could have looked that way. He simply took any doubts I might have been feeling at the time and amplified them to make me hesitate. Severus has told me since then that Dumbledore wanted him to do it. There was some plan that Dumbledore had concocted to fake his death and let Severus get in tight with the Dark Lord. But he hadn’t counted on the fact that he had played with Severus for too long. The old fool left documentation clearing Severus of his murder, allowing him to get back into the Order, be free of the Ministry, and keep in good position with the Dark Lord. The only thing the old coot didn’t plan for was for Severus to actually kill him. Dumbledore was the master manipulator, but Severus beat him in the end, and now…” “Now we are all free of his manipulations,” Harry smiled as he recalled the look of surprise on Dumbledore’s face as the green light of the killing curse streaked towards him. “Tell me more about this Mesmer stuff.” Draco looked startled for a moment before speaking. “I sometimes forget that you didn’t grow up with all of this. A Mesmer is a form of Mind Magic, like Occlumency or Legilimency.” “Mind Magic?” Harry asked. “Why haven’t I heard of that?” “Mind Magic is one of the categories of Haut Magique—Higher Magic,” Draco explained. “They don’t teach Higher Magic at Hogwarts. It is expected that a wizard will learn what he needs in his training for his career, if he needs any at all. Higher Magic basically combines the base magic we learned at Hogwarts into specialized areas of focus. Mind Magic obviously focuses on the Mind.” “And the other Categories?” Harry asked. “Let’s see, there’s Blood Magic, Shadow Magic, Life Magic, Death Magic, Sex Magic, and Mind Magic.” Draco listed. “Like I said, most people never need to learn Higher Magic, because they are not necessary to normal everyday living. Dumbledore was exceptionally good at Mind Magic. My father is good at Sex Magic. Severus is good with both Blood Magic and Mind Magic. I’m still just learning, so who knows what area I’ll be good in.” “Do all purebloods learn this stuff?” Harry wondered. “Not at all,” Draco laughed. “Some are too weak magically, some too lazy. And some think the Higher Magics are Dark Arts. They aren’t, but the ignorant wouldn’t know that.” “So the Weasleys…?” “Most likely a combination of the three,” Draco snorted. “But my father was trying to teach me Occlumency in fifth year,” Harry protested. “Why wouldn’t anyone explain it to me if I was already learning it?” “Why did Dumbledore keep any of the stuff from you that he did?” Draco shrugged. “I’d guess no one told you because he didn’t want you to know.” “You think they are in on it, don’t you? My friends?” Harry asked quietly. Draco stopped walking and turned Harry to look at him. “For your sake I hope not, but I find it highly likely that they are. You trusted Weasley’s opinion on people, and you let Granger do your research for you. They both had a huge influence on how you saw things, and what you learned of our world. They are the most likely candidates. I’m sorry.” Harry turned away and continued walking. Draco caught up quickly. Harry did not look at the other boy when he finally responded, murmuring, “I know that. I know that it is probable. But I need to know for sure before I cut all ties. I spent six years with them. I trusted them.” ***** Harry and Severus joined the Malfoys for dinner that evening in the family dining room. Harry had been informed that this room was reserved for dining with family and close friends, whereas the formal dining room was for large dinner parties. Since this room could have easily seated more than a dozen people, Harry wondered just how large the formal dining room was. “So, are you going to share with me what the Dark Lord was up to when he called you today?” Harry asked once he was seated and they had begun to sip their soup. Severus and Lucius exchange a silent debate before Lucius set his spoon beside his soup bowl and spoke up. “Before we delve too deeply into the Dark Lord’s machinations, there are some issues of trust and loyalty that we should settle among ourselves.” Lucius said diplomatically. “In other words, my father trusts me, but you do not?” Harry said. “After recent events, I do not know where your true loyalty stands,” Lucius acceded. “Nor do you know where mine stands at present. I would think we would all benefit from having that settled. You have reasons to trust your father, beyond that of blood, but you and I do not share the same history.” “No, you have tried to kill me on more than one occasion,” Harry smirked. “Indeed.” Draco and Severus seemed content to watch the other two work out their differences in silence; however they were both keeping close eyes on the two wizards lest anything get out of hand. “Severus tells me you have reason to mistrust those you have up to now called friends and allies,” Lucius said before taking a slow sip of his dinner wine. “And we all know that you have reasons to hate the Dark Lord. So where does that leave you?” Harry too paused before speaking, gathering his thoughts. “At the moment, there are only two people I trust implicitly: myself and my father. As for political loyalties, I will need time to think about that. As you say, I have some compelling reasons for hating the Dark Lord. But I have figured out that there are reasons to distrust the Light side of this war as well. I don’t believe that the current ministry or social structure is beneficial for the wizarding world. So I suppose that leaves me somewhere in the shades of gray in the middle. And you?” Lucius chuckled at Harry’s oblique answer, but was happy to reciprocate. “I was a child when I joined the Dark Lord, believing when he espoused the political agenda to separate the wizarding world from the Muggle for our protection. I allowed him to dictate my life and my beliefs for many years in the hopes that his power could make things better for all. I am no longer that same blind child.” “Meaning?” Lucius paused to allow the house elves to clear the soup bowls away and serve the next course, a delicately filleted broiled salmon. “Toward the end of the last war, and throughout his return, the Dark Lord has lost sight of his earliest political agenda. He has become obsessed with two things. Killing you and wiping out the Muggle world.” Lucius looked at Harry for a moment. “I believe that he is quite mad with these obsessions and no longer have any interest in following him into a losing endeavor. “He has proved over and over that killing you is a undertaking that he is incapable of achieving.” Lucius paused to smirk at Harry’s surprise. “He has turned on his followers on multiple occasions. Specifically, he killed my wife and was content to allow me to rot in Azkaban. If I had not had a team of very good law wizards on my payroll, I would still be rotting in that hell. As for wiping out the Muggles. Well, there are simply too many of them. I have spent time studying their war techniques. The truth is, if they accurately understood the danger we present to them, they have ways of simply eradicating our entire world, making the witch hunts of past centuries seem like child’s play. There are reasons to fear them beyond the loss of blood purity.” Harry took a moment to process that before nodding. “I am sorry for your loss, but you are right about the Muggles. They have weapons that can destroy every living thing for miles. Even magic would have a difficult time withstanding that sort of attack. And they have proven themselves to be just as ruthless as the darkest of wizards in that respect. They would not hesitate to lose innocents if it meant protecting their world at large. Explain to me this twaddle about blood purity, though. I have only ever heard one side of the argument, a side which I now have some reason to doubt.” Lucius gave a genuine smile at this. “Blood purity, in its truest sense, has little to do with prejudice, though that is what the Light side of this war has always supposed. In truth, magic has been slowly diluting for generations because there are those who insist on breeding outside of our world. The most powerful wizards tend to come from the purest of blood lines.” “Then how do you explain a wizard like your Dark Lord, who is a half-blood?” Harry asked. He wasn’t really trying to be smart or obnoxious. He was truly curious to see how their logic played out. “The Dark Lord may be half Muggle, but he is also half Gaunt, a family that can trace its lines back to Salazar Slytherin himself. They were a powerful magical family; powerful enough to overcome the weaker genetics passed on by his Muggle father. But that does not make my theory any less valid. If his mother had married a wizard, the chances are great that he would have been even more powerful. You must have noticed that the most powerful among your peers have all been pure-bloods?” Harry thought and realized that he had a point, except… “Then how do I fit in? Or Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom?” “Hmm, let us address Longbottom first,” Lucius said. “He’s such a twit,” Draco mutter, and Harry gave him a dark look. “Longbottom has a very deep pool of magic,” Lucius went on, ignoring Draco. “His environment has prevented him from fully tapping into that power, however. You must have noticed the way his grandmother treats him, belittling him until he believes he is as weak as she purports. She is afraid that if he is as powerful as her son was that Neville will be taken from her as well, so she squelches his power to keep him safe.” Harry thought he could see that. “But he excels in certain areas, areas she has deemed safe for him, such as Herbology.” “Precisely,” Severus agreed, finally joining the conversation. “I would not be surprised to find that he is quite gifted in Life Magic if he is ever given the opportunity to explore such things.” Harry grinned at his father. “I can’t believe you just complimented Neville!” Severus glared, but Harry ignored him to turn back to Lucius. “And Hermione?” “Miss Granger is a very smart witch, but she does not display a high level of power,” Severus noted. “She makes up for her lack in power by working hard and using book knowledge. That does not make her a powerful witch.” “But how can she possess magic at all if magic is passed down through blood?” Harry asked. “Because there is no such thing as a true Muggleborn,” Lucius stated. “Her family may have been a long line of squibs with not enough power to manifest itself. Two parents from such a line may luck out and produce a child with enough magic to manifest itself, but that child will never have the potential that a pureblooded child will have.” “And me?” “You, dear Harry, are beyond all explanations,” Lucius conceded. “Even your father’s strong bloodline from his mother’s side cannot fully explain your power. A power which your father and I both believe has yet to be fully unlocked.” “What do you mean?” Harry demanded, looking between the two older wizards. “I have always believed that you possess greater power than you have previously demonstrated,” Severus told him. “It would take one proficient with Shadow Magic to be sure, but I think your powers have been blocked. I had mentioned it to Dumbledore on several occasions, but he always told me I was being paranoid. He was quite gifted in Shadow Magic. Now, though…” “You think he was the one who blocked my magic,” Harry finished for his father. “That slimy bastard! He wasn’t happy with making my childhood completely miserable; he had to make sure I couldn’t win against Voldemort as well!” “On the contrary,” Lucius said. “I believe he wanted you to defeat the Dark Lord. But I do not believe he wanted you to survive the encounter. If you are as powerful as Severus and I suspect, he was probably afraid of what you could do once the Dark Lord was gone. He would have had no way to defeat you himself.” “You think I’m more powerful than Dumbledore was?” Harry was incredulous. Draco snorted. “Fuck, Potter! If you can take on the Dark Lord at eleven without your full powers, what kind of damage do you think you could do with them?” “Don’t call him Potter!” Severus hissed. “He is my son, and nothing to do with that obnoxious bastard!” Harry smiled at his father’s possessiveness while Draco cringed and muttered an apology. “So how do we unlock my powers?” Lucius looked at Severus, who was glaring back at him, clearly not happy that Harry had asked that question. “You remember how I was telling you about Higher Magic this morning?” Draco asked, ignoring both his father and Severus. Harry nodded so Draco went on, “Well Father and Severus think they have found out how to remove the block, but it will take a pretty powerful spell. A Sex Magic spell.” Harry looked at Draco, then at Lucius. Draco had said that Lucius was the one who was gifted in Sex Magic. Oh Sweet Circe! He needed to have sex with Lucius to get his full powers back?! “It is a rather powerful spell,” Lucius explained to the silent room. “But it does not require penetration to-“ “Please do not finish that sentence,” Severus hissed at his friend. “This is my SON you are discussing so blithely!” “Oh grow up Severus,” Lucius smirked. “He will be of age in less than a week. Surely you had done more than a simple hand job by the time you were his age?” “Not with my father’s best friend,” Severus growled. “Enough!” Harry shouted, though he could not keep a faint blush from his cheeks. “Father, we will not discuss this further in your presence as it obviously makes you uncomfortable. I will, however, do what is necessary to regain full use of my magic. Now would someone please be kind enough to explain more about the Higher Magics? Draco only told me the names of the seven categories.”   A/N: Sorry I'm late posting this week. Baseball happened. On the up side, that means I should be able to post chapter 4 tomorrow. Sorry this one was so much dogma. The next one will have a bit of that as well, but at least you'll get to know a bit about the title of the story. Oh! And I think there's some smex in the next one... ***** Chapitre Quatre ***** Author's notes: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus. This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   =============================================================================== ***** Chapitre Quatre ***** The rest of dinner was spent discussing the relatively safe topic of Higher Magic. At first Severus was rather tense, especially while Lucius explained about Sex Magic, but he eventually loosened up. Sex Magic, Harry found, was pretty self-explanatory. A person gifted in this area had the ability to focus the magic that is naturally released during sexual acts of various types. The better the practitioner, the more effective the results would be. Sex Magic often combined charms, curses, potions, and rituals to achieve the required results. As with all Higher Magic, there were some aspects that could be considered dark, but those were in the minority. Harry was surprised to find that most wizards and witches employed a form of a low level Sex Magic spell to consummate their marriages. Blood Magic, too, was pretty obvious, though it relied heavier on potions than Sex Magic, probably why Severus was so proficient at the art. Every magical being, human or not, carried their magic in their blood, another argument for the preservation of the purity of bloodlines. A practitioner of this art harnessed that magic and used it to focus the magic. Harry already had some ideas about Mind Magic; after all, he’d studied Occlumency and knew a bit about Legilimency. Severus also explained a little about using Mesmerism and suggestions. It all smacked of Imperius to Harry, which was closely related, but on a much lower and more insidious scale. By the time they reached the four categories that were completely foreign to Harry, they had finished dinner and moved on to the sitting room for drinks. “So what about Life, Death, Elemental and Shadow Magics?” Harry asked as he took a careful sip of the brandy Lucius had offered him. He found that the taste was pleasant and it gave him a warm feeling that spread through his whole body. “Life Magic is the highest form of healing,” Lucius said. “It can also incorporate fertility spells and rituals. But not every healer uses Life Magic.” “Does Madam Pomfrey?” “No,” Severus answered as he studied the dark liquid in his own glass. “She is not powerful enough to use Life Magic. There are very few truly gifted in this art, though as I said before, I believe the Mr. Longbottom may have the potential.” “Life Magic is used for creating and preserving life; Death Magic, on the other hand is not simply all about killing,” Lucius said. “Although there is that aspect of the art. Death Magic is also about manipulating death and communicating with the dead.” “Like creating Inferi?” Harry asked, remembering his time in the cave with Dumbledore. “Yes,” Severus replied. “That is one use for Death Magic; one of the darker uses.” “So if I could learn Death Magic, I could communicate with my mother? And Sirius?” “It would take time to learn the art, but if you were gifted, it is possible,” Lucius conceded. “There are risks, however. When a spirit is summoned, it is possible to allow an uncalled spirit free into our world.” “Oh,” Harry murmured, unsure if it would be worth letting some evil spirit freedom to speak with his mum. “Elemental Magic is the showiest and possibly the least useful of the Higher Magics, though that is a point that is still debated amongst the academians,” Lucius explained. “For our purposes, it is not very useful since it merely manipulates the four basic elements: fire, water, air and earth. Those four elements can be manipulated, however, by all wizards.” “What third year can’t perform a decent Auguamenti?” Harry nodded. “And Fiend Fire is fairly simple to conjure.” “Indeed. The last category of Higher Magic, Shadow Magic, is not as easily replicated by the common wizard,” Severus said. “Given your talent at stalking the corridors of Hogwarts at night, though, I would think you might have some talent in this area.” “What does it do?” Harry asked as he took another sip from his now half-full glass. “Shadow Magic is the rarest form of Higher Magic,” Lucius explained. “It allows the practitioner to see the magical nucleus that is at the core of all magical beings. It also allows that person to use the shadows of magic to travel, hide, or obscure the vision of those around him or her. It is the rarest form because it literally allows the practitioner to open a gateway to another dimension that exists parallel to this one, a dimension where magic itself is tangible and easily manipulated. The shadow realm.” “And you think I might be able to do this?” Harry was slightly incredulous. “I mean, I know you all seem to think I’m going to be pretty powerful once my magic is unblocked, but really…” “Harry, you are a unique wizard,” Severus said. “You have been doing the impossible since you were an infant. You have more than just blood and prophecy going for you. There has not been another wizard with as much potential since Merlin himself.” “Draco said you’ve already started teaching him some of this stuff,” Harry said. Draco had gone to his room when they settled in for drinks, having learned all of this information as a child. “So when do I get to learn?” “Not until you have your powers released,” Severus said. “As it stands now, there is no way of knowing how releasing the gaeas would affect your gifts.” “And we will not be releasing your magic until you are completely well,” Lucius told him. “Though you and I will be discussing the ritual over the coming days.” “Is this why you helped me?” Harry asked Lucius. “I mean, I know why my father helped me, and I know that he’s your friend and all, but you are a Slytherin. I can’t imagine that you would risk so much just for friendship.” Lucius chuckled at that. “You are correct. I would not risk my life, nor that of my son, by harboring the Dark Lord’s greatest enemy without a greater cause than friendship. As you said, I am a Slytherin, and one thing my house prides itself on is its sense of self-preservation. THAT is why I helped you. I intend to be on the winning side of this war; not only surviving, but prospering. I think you, Harry, have the greatest chance of coming out on top, despite the disadvantages Dumbledore saddled upon you. Now that he is out of the way…Well, if I have the ability to obtain a position of influence from the beginning, all the better.” Harry grinned at the man. “Glad to know that it isn’t all altruism.” ***** Harry spent the next several days regaining his strength and thinking over the things he had learned. Once he had come to some personal decisions, he began planning out exactly what his own goals were. It was impossible to spend so much time with three Slytherins and not begin to think a bit like them. In the meantime, Lucius, Severus and Draco began teaching Harry a combination of Martial Arts and dueling that would help him regain his physical strength and help him in fighting situations, as well as learning meditation, which would help him focus on his gifts once he was able to practice them. The night before his birthday, Harry sat up alone in the library, going over his lists and plans as he awaited midnight. It had become a ritual, one that he intended to keep, even though he was not alone this year. “What are you still doing up?” Lucius asked, breaking the silence and causing Harry to startle. “Sorry, didn’t mean to frighten you.” He took a seat across from Harry and eyed the parchments the boy had been poring over. “Just going over some ideas I had while I wait for midnight,” Harry shrugged as he gathered his lists in a stack. “What about you?” “Ah yes, your birthday is in…seven minutes. I had forgotten,” Lucius said. “Actually, I came to talk with you while your father isn’t around.” “I take it that this is about the ritual, then?” “Yes,” Lucius said. “I doubt he wants to know much more than the results, so I thought we might go ahead and perform the ritual tonight. Now that you have reminded me that it is your birthday, it is even better.” “Why should my birthday make a difference?” Harry asked curiously. “It is not just any birthday,” Lucius reminded him. “This is your coming of age. A very auspicious event; ordinarily it would mean that your full powers would be attained. But with the ritual, we can use that natural progression to aid in our endeavor.” “And my father won’t know to object until it is too late,” Harry grinned. “Why is he so set against something that is necessary? Even he admits that it must be done.” “Ah, it is a father’s prerogative to be overprotective of his child,” Lucius chuckled. “I must say that he is handling it better than I would have expected of him.” “But he has only known I am his son for a couple of weeks,” Harry protested. “Yet, he has been protecting you for years because you are Lily’s son,” Lucius pointed out. “Now that he knows the truth, did you think his protective streak would lessen?” “No I guess not,” Harry muttered. “Happy birthday, Harry,” Lucius murmured as the clock struck twelve. “Are you ready to do this?” Harry nodded. “After listening to your instructions all week, I’d have to be. Besides, all I have to do is lie there. You have all the difficult work to do.” Lucius laughed. “That is true enough, though many in your position would not feel the same. You truly are the most amazing combination of Gryffindor and Slytherin. Come. We will retire to my rooms for this ritual. We will both be more comfortable there.” Harry rolled up his parchments and tucked them awkwardly into his robe pockets before following Lucius out of the Library and up to the east wing of the manor. He had never been in this part of the house before, but it was just as comfortable and welcoming as the rest. They reached a set of double doors and Harry followed Lucius through to a large sitting room. “Would you like a drink to settle your nerves?” Lucius asked as he poured two glasses of scotch. Harry hadn’t noticed that his hands were shaking, but gratefully accepted the offered drink. “I’m not sure why I’m so nervous all of a sudden,” Harry mumbled. “I’ve known about this for almost a week now. I thought I was okay with it.” “It is your first sexual experience is it not?” Lucius asked. “Yes, sort of,” Harry said. “I mean, I snogged a bit with Ginny last year, but nothing below the waist. Ron would have killed me.” Lucius chuckled a bit. “Yes, well, I can see how the threat of bodily harm might dampen your ardor. Everyone gets a bit nervous their first time. But I can promise you that I will make this pleasant for you.” Harry snorted. “What could be unpleasant about being wanked? Even if it is from my father’s best friend.” “The gender issue does not bother you?” Lucius asked. “Why should it?” Harry countered. “I know that it is an issue in the Muggle world. But I’ve been around wizards long enough to realize that sexuality is a non-issue. And for me…well, I’ve never been attracted to a guy before, but you aren’t exactly unpleasant to look at. It could have been a lot worse.” “Good to know,” Lucius smirked as he finished his drink. “If you are finished?” Harry swallowed the last of his drink and stood to follow Lucius to his bedroom. He hadn’t been joking when he’d said that all he had to do was lie there. Lucius was the one who had to do all the work. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t a bit embarrassed to have to undress in front of the man. “You can set your things on the chair over there,” Lucius indicated as he began to nonchalantly disrobe, completely uninhibited about being naked in front of Harry. Harry watched Lucius’ casual grace as his lean and beautiful form was revealed. There was no doubt that this man was breathtaking. Even his semi- erect manhood seemed to scream elegant perfection. Shaking himself from his stupor, Harry quickly undressed as well, deliberately leaving himself no time to worry about how scrawny he was or if his penis didn’t measure up. He forced himself to put all negative thoughts aside and went directly to the large bed where Lucius was now making preparations. “Just lie down and make yourself comfortable,” Lucius said as he gathered the potion and brush he would need, along with a basin of warm water and a towel. He glanced at Harry from the corner of his eye and had to hold in a gasp of surprise. The boy was lovely. His newly broadened chest and shoulders led to slim hips and a gorgeous cock that was already showing signs of interest at the proceedings. And Harry’s blush, which reached all the way down to his pert nipples, was extraordinarily fetching on his naturally pale skin. “Relax, Harry. I’m going to bind your hands and feet like we discussed. The ritual requires your submission to me. Try not to panic.” Harry nodded and allowed the older man to position his hands and feet before conjuring silk scarves to tether his appendages to the four posts of the bed. Lucius then called the potion and the brush to him and began painting runes all over Harry’s body. The cool potion felt soothing to Harry’s overheated skin, but the soft brush only served to tantalize and enflame his body more. With each rune, Lucius murmured an incantation in a language that Harry did not understand. With each rune, Harry could feel his magic hum in anticipation. His cock responded almost immediately and he felt like he was floating on a sea of pleasure, soft moans falling from his lips. When Lucius finally touched Harry’s erection, he thought he would come from that simple touch alone. Lucius continued to chant over him as he slowly tightened his grip and used firm, deliberate strokes. The magic seemed to swell around them and Harry could feel his magic struggling to break free of its bindings along with his orgasm. Precome was leaking from the tip of his cock, and Harry knew he couldn’t hold on much longer. “Let go, Harry,” Lucius whispered into his ear, his voice a caress, and that was all it took. Harry released his seed and his magic exploded around him in such a way as to make the whole room quake with the intensity. The last thing Harry remembered before the world went black was Lucius’ soft gray eyes smiling down over him.   AN: Sorry guys. I wanted to post two chapters a week, but life, even in the summer, seems to take up too much of my time. I'm not getting as much time to write as I had hoped, and I've even had trouble finding time to post. So, for now, I'll say one chapter a week, and I'll attempt to be more consistent. Hope you like the story anyway! ***** Chapitre Cinq ***** Author's notes: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus. This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   =============================================================================== ***** Chapitre Cinq ***** Harry woke up the next morning in his own bed, dressed in his usual pajama bottoms; his tops no longer fit properly. It took him a moment to orient himself and recall the events of the previous night clearly, but when he did, he felt a surprising pang of…disappointment. But why should he be disappointed? The ritual had gone exactly as planned. Already he could feel the difference in his magic; he felt stronger, more powerful. Lucius had done everything according to the ritual set out between them before the fact. So why was he disappointed? Harry shook off the confusing feelings and dressed for the day before heading down to the family dining room for breakfast. Draco, Lucius and Severus were already seated around the table and Harry took his seat. “Good morning,” Harry muttered sleepily as he filled his plate. “Happy Birthday, Harry,” Lucius smiled at him and Harry could feel a blush stealing over his face. He quickly looked down at his plate and murmured a quiet “Thanks.” Severus looked back and forth between his blushing son and his smirking best friend for a moment. No. They couldn’t have… “You bastard!” Severus hissed at his friend. Lucius just sat there calmly, while Harry’s blush deepened and Draco looked lost. “It had to be done,” Lucius said calmly before taking a sip of his coffee. “There is no point in getting hysterical over it. It is done and now Harry’s powers have been unlocked.” “You mean you…?” Draco looked from his father to Harry. “Eew. I really didn’t need that image over breakfast.” Just then, several owls swooped into the room and deposited several packages at Harry’s plate. There were gifts from Ron, Hermione, Ginny, the Weasleys, Remus and Hagrid. Harry looked at them skeptically before opening each one. They contained the usual assortment of trinkets and food, but Harry could no longer view them at face value. Now he wondered why each one sent the gift; what was their motivation? Harry pushed the gifts aside with a frown. “Draco and I got you something to celebrate,” Lucius said as he handed Harry a slip of parchment. It was a gift voucher for Madam Malkin’s. “We thought you might like to replace that awful wardrobe the Muggles gave you.” Harry grinned at the man who had just hours before had seen him at his most vulnerable. “Thank you. That is very thoughtful.” “I have something as well,” Severus said gruffly as he handed Harry a small velvet box. Harry opened the box to find a signet ring, and looked at his father expectantly. “It is the Prince family crest. It has been passed down through generations. I thought you might like to have it.” “Thank you,” Harry whispered and gave his father a tight hug. Both men clung for just a moment before they became uncomfortable with the physical affection and moved away from each other. “So what are your plans for the day?” Severus finally asked after clearing his throat. “Well, I was hoping that you could teach me Legilimency,” Harry said hopefully. “I have to go to Bill’s wedding on Saturday and I would like to use the opportunity to find out just who has been playing me for a fool.” “Then let us hope that your newly released powers enable you to learn more quickly than you did with Occlumency,” Severus drawled. “As I recall those were not the most successful lessons.” “No, but we hated each other then,” Harry pointed out. “And I didn’t have the motivation that I now have to learn.” ***** The rest of that day Severus and Harry worked on Legilimency. It turned out to be much more successful an endeavor than either man had anticipated. Severus had been spot on with his prediction that Harry’s newly released powers would make all the difference. That and the meditation techniques he’d been learning during his recovery. By dinner, Harry had already achieved the basic skills necessary to perform Legilimency. With a little bit of work, he would be able to perform the spell so well that no one would even notice he was doing so. The next day was spent in Diagon Alley with Lucius and Draco. Though Severus had been cleared of Dumbledore’s murder because of the documentation the old man had left, Severus had work he needed to do for the Dark Lord in order to have time to spend with Harry the rest of the week. Harry kept his natural appearance, only hiding his scar so no one would recognize him. The Malfoys were very generous in their gift, and Harry walked away from Madam Malkin’s with not only a whole new fashionable wizard’s wardrobe, but a new set of dress robes for the wedding and some Muggle style clothes as well. Harry was surprised at just how much fun it was spending time with the two blonds. He’d always thought them to be arrogant pricks, but they were quite funny when their acerbic wit was not aimed at him. Harry spent the rest of the week working on his Legilimency skills, as well as testing out his gifts in the other categories of Higher Magic. He was quite surprised to note that he had some talent in each of the seven categories, a nearly impossible feat, but was especially gifted in Mind, Shadow and Life Magic. Severus and Lucius thought he should be trained in all categories, however, so that he could make the most of the gifts. They set out a training schedule that was more strenuous than his seventh year Hogwarts schedule would have been. Harry didn’t mind. He was focused on his personal goals, and knew that the training would help him see them through. The day of the wedding arrived and Harry dressed in the black brocade dress robes with silver stitching that the Malfoys had picked out for him. He was pretty sure that they cost a small fortune, but didn’t really worry about the fact. If anyone questioned his attire, he could truthfully say that he could afford the extravagance. He had, after all, inherited both the Potter and Black fortunes. Harry looked in the mirror at his reflection. He looked rather good in black, a fact that the Malfoys had taken advantage of when selecting his wardrobe. His coloring, like his father’s, looked best in dark colors. And they brought out the bluish highlights in his ebony hair. Of course, he had to replace the glamour on his appearance to be recognizable to his old friends. With a sigh, Harry waved his hand over his face to become The Boy Who Lived once again. That was another thing they had discovered since his birthday. Harry could perform some serious wandless magic now. He had begun to believe that he really was as powerful as his family kept telling him. And they really were his family. Despite the relatively short time they had been together, the Malfoys and his father were more family than the Dursleys or Weasleys had ever been. With them he could be himself, not the hero or the freak the others expected. With a sigh, Harry turned away from the mirror and headed off to the Burrow. ***** “Harry!” Hermione squealed as she hugged her friend. “Why haven’t you been in touch? We haven’t heard from you since school let out! I thought we were going to look for the you know whats?” Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes and shove Hermione away from him. He did not have proof yet about her loyalty, and could not afford to give too much away. “Some things have come up that have kept me busy.” “More important than that?” Ron asked. “What is it?” “Nothing we can discuss here,” Harry murmured, looking significantly at the assembly of family and friends milling around them. Hermione nodded. “Later then. You look really good. Are these new robes?” “Yeah, do you like?” Harry grinned. Ron frowned. “A bit flashy, aren’t they?” Harry knew that Ron was thinking of the price tag and did roll his eyes this time. Hermione caught the look and smiled. “I think they look wonderful on you. Brings out your eyes. And did you get contacts?” Harry sighed. They hadn’t been able to change his eye sight back and his Muggle lenses were oddly resistant to magic, so he’d had to go without. “Yeah,” Harry lied. “I got tired of having to repair my glasses all the time.” “Harry!” Ginny cried out as she launched herself at her ex-boyfriend. Harry could tell by the way that she clung to him that she hadn’t given up on a relationship, no matter how understanding she had seemed at Dumbledore’s funeral. She leaned in close to whisper in his ear, “I’ve missed you.” Harry tried to extricate himself politely from her arms and said, “Um, yeah, me too.” ***** The wedding was simple but beautiful. Fleur and Bill were obviously ecstatic to finally be married and their happiness was contagious for everyone but Harry it seemed. Harry waited until the reception, when everyone let their guards down and had a few drinks to loosen them up before using Legilimency on anyone. He started with Ginny and was rather shocked to discover that not only had she been following Dumbledore’s orders when she set her sights on him, but she used a love potion to get him to comply. That was why he’d ‘suddenly’ begun to see her in a different light. She had played him for a fool, and had every intention of continuing to do so. Harry studiously avoided eating or drinking anything at the party. Her reasoning was simple: she wanted the fame and notoriety that would be hers if she landed The Boy Who Lived. Dumbledore hadn’t even needed to bribe her. Hermione was another story. Dumbledore promised her not only better grades, but a place in the ministry where she would be able to influence politics. Half of the information she had ‘researched’ for him had come directly from Dumbledore. Ron, along with the rest of the Weasleys, had wanted money. The reflected glory was only a bonus. Hagrid had been a pawn, easily led by Dumbledore’s manipulations. Any time he’d had a thought against anything Dumbledore did, the old man had used the power of suggestion to sway his thinking. He wasn’t very bright to start with, and had been easily misled. Remus was the only one Harry found that hadn’t knowingly been a party to the old man’s manipulations. That didn’t mean he was completely innocent of hurting Harry, but he was ignorant of the hurt he was causing. Dumbledore had deliberately misled the werewolf on numerous occasions and sent him away on missions when he was too close to being of any real help to Harry. Harry suspected, however, that Remus would have been the next person in his life sacrificed for the greater good if the werewolf had insisted upon being around more. By the end of the wedding, Harry had seen glimpses of almost every Order member’s mind and didn’t like what he had seen. Some had been misled like Remus and Hagrid, but most of them had knowingly supported Dumbledore’s manipulations. He also learned from Moody that Dumbledore had in fact been siphoning funds from Harry’s vaults. The ex-auror had helped the man forge paperwork in order to get the goblins’ cooperation. He needed to get to Gringotts as quickly as possible and stop them from stealing more. “Are you leaving so soon?” Ginny slipped her arms around Harry’s waist from behind as he was gathering his cloak to apparate back to Malfoy Manor. He wanted to shove her away from himself. He wanted to hex her into oblivion. He wanted to see her pay, but he held his anger in check and eased out of her grasp. “I told you Gin,” Harry sighed heavily. “We can’t do this. It is too dangerous, and I won’t be around for quite some time.” “But you’re taking Hermione and Ron with you,” Ginny pouted. “No, I’m not,” Harry said. “You aren’t?” Hermione frowned. Harry really needed to get away from all these people. That was the second time he’d been snuck up on in less than a minute. “No, I’m not,” Harry stated. “I’ve had time to think things over, and I believe that there is a reason that Dumbledore only involved me in this search, and I’m going to stick with his original plan. It’s dangerous and I’m not taking anyone with me.” “But Harry…” Ron started only to have Harry interrupt him. “Don’t argue with me on this point,” Harry said firmly. “I won’t change my mind. You will go to school when it opens in September and I will complete my task. He gave me the information. He took me with him on that last mission. I’m the one that has to do this, and I won’t be talked out of it.” “At least let me do the research for you,” Hermione argued. Harry looked into her eyes and cast a silent Legilimency on her, this time looking for information on the Horcruxes. She was full of the stuff. Dumbledore had obviously wanted her to guide him on the path that he had mapped out. Well, he would just have to take the information from her. He’d need more time than he had right then, but he’d find a way to get it out of her. And perhaps make her pay for her betrayal. “No,” Harry said. “I have to go now.” “But Harry,” Ron clasped his arm to keep him from leaving. “At least tell us where you are staying. We know you left the Dursleys.” “Do you?” Harry said, a cold gleam in his eyes that he quickly covered. Over Ron’s shoulder he noticed Luna slip through the door; his face and demeanor softened as he nodded to her. “I’m safe. That is all any of you need to know. It’s better this way for everyone.” Harry pulled away and was finally able to Apparate away before they could say another thing to him. ***** Lucius was the only one still awake when Harry finally made it back to the manor. Harry walked into the library and went straight for the liquor cabinet before he noticed the older wizard sitting in a chair by the fire. Lucius set his book aside and quirked his brow at Harry. “Well?” Harry took a deep gulp of the firewhiskey in his glass then another before refilling his glass and sitting down. “They are all a bunch of liars and backstabbing users,” Harry bit out. “Only Remus and Hagrid were innocent of betraying me. Though they both let Dumbledore play them against me. They just didn’t know it.” “All of your friends?” Lucius looked mildly shocked, which was saying quite a bit for the unflappable Malfoy. “Every single fucking one of them,” Harry confirmed, a single tear making its way down his cheek. “Fuck! How could I not see it? How could I fall for their lies over and over again?” Lucius got up from his chair and moved across to sit beside Harry on the sofa. He pulled Harry’s chin up to look into his eyes. “Listen to me, no matter what that old bastard did,” Lucius said with conviction, “no matter how many lies those people told, it does not change the fact that you are remarkable person and a powerful wizard Harry. Dumbledore preyed on a child. He set you up to become vulnerable to their lies. But you can beat him. You can beat them all. Don’t blame yourself for what he did. Blame them. And do something about it.” Harry cried then, his heart breaking for the friends he thought he’d had, and for every betrayal they’d perpetrated upon him. He allowed himself to grieve for the life he’d thought was real, and Lucius simply held him and comforted him until there were no more tears left to cry. “They will pay for their deeds,” Harry said with steely resolve, once he had dried his tears. “I will deal with the mad man Dumbledore created and they allowed power, and then I will make the changes that are necessary to protect our world. But most of all, I will make them pay for what they have done to me.” “And we will be with you every step of the way,” Lucius promised. “You don’t ever have to be alone again.” ***** Chapitre Six ***** Author's notes: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus. This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   =============================================================================== ***** Chapitre Six ***** “So why have you called this little meeting, Harry,” Draco complained the next morning. He’d had plans to go horseback riding with Blaise that he’d had to cancel, and was a little annoyed. “I called this meeting because I have come to several decisions and we need to make some plans,” Harry said coolly. “If you are serious about helping me stage a revolution, you will stop whinging and act like the pureblood you are. Otherwise get the fuck out of my sight.” Draco paled. He hadn’t seen Harry this pissed off ever. Not even when he’d insulted his mudblood friend. “Sorry.” “What are these decisions you’ve made?” Severus asked his son, drawing his attention from the perpetually petulant Malfoy heir. “After seeing into the minds of my so-called friends, I have come to the realization that there is nothing to stop me from doing what it takes to change this world into what it should be,” Harry stated. “First on the list, Voldemort has to go. We can use our sources in both the Death Eater circles and the Order to help us with this goal, but it will happen. “Next, the Ministry is a sham. They make a mockery of protecting the people they are supposed to serve by arresting the innocent and allowing corruption to flourish. It is made up of the most fraudulent people I have ever seen. Most people involved are only out to protect their own arses and promote their own interests. Scrimgeor is the worst of the lot, and will be held accountable for allowing the Ministry to become a travesty of government. “Lastly, we will deal with the supposed Light side of this war. They will not get away with using me and stealing from me. They will each pay for their crimes as I see fit,” Harry finished. “And how do we go about all of this?” Lucius asked with a smile. This was the man he had known Harry could be when he’d decided to change allegiances. “Voldemort had six Horcruxes,” Harry began. “He now has four. Dumbledore was trying to get rid of them when he died. He gave me some information, but he gave Hermione more with the intent that she would still have influence over me as long as I needed her for that information. We will extract that information from her and destroy the remaining Horcruxes before destroying Voldemort.” “And the Ministry?” Severus asked with a smile. He was proud to see his son taking his rightful place as a leader of men. He was too powerful to continue allowing others to rule him. “We will begin by undermining the Ministry while we finish the war,” Harry said. “By the time Voldemort is gone, Scrimgeor, and the entire fucking government, will look like the fools that they are. The people will be screaming for new leadership, and we will provide it. Lucius, ever thought of becoming the Minister of Magic?” “I would be honored,” Lucius smirked. “Once we have control of the government, it will not be difficult to make the changes I envision.” Harry said. “And those would be?” Draco asked, getting excited by Harry’s enthusiasm. “We will reinstate a policy of isolationism,” Harry told them. “We will give back rights to the so-called dark creatures, like werewolves and vampires. They are useful members of the magical community, and as long as they abide by our rules for secrecy and hunt from the Muggle population, they should be allowed equal rights. “We will also restrict access to Muggleborns,” Harry said. “I have taken what you have said about blood purity under advisement, but I still believe that anyone who can perform magic has a right to belong to our society. We will, however put some serious restrictions on them. They have to make a choice between the Muggle world and ours. They will be given the right to go to Hogwarts, but they will not tell even their families about it. We have ways of restricting that information, its time we used it. “When they come of age, they will be asked to decide where they want to live. If they choose the Muggle world, they will be put out of our world and not be allowed to return. They will give up their magic voluntarily. There will be no more mingling of the two worlds, for all of our sakes. Those in our world who like to torment Muggles will be punished by losing their magic and facing banishment,” Harry stated. “And the Wizengamot?” Severus asked. “Without their cooperation, the laws cannot be altered, and they are notoriously reticent about any adjustment to the status quo.” “We will be making a few changes that they won’t have any choice but to accept,” Harry smiled. “The members currently in office have inherited their positions. They were not elected, nor have they earned the right to govern the people. Therefore, we will change it. The Wizengamot will be disbanded as we now know it. It will be reformed, with one of our people in charge. It will become a body of elders, much smaller than it is now, with each member voted in by the people. There will be two representatives from each population of magical beings currently residing in Britain, including elves, werewolves, veela, vampires, wizards, centaurs, and goblins. Wizards will actually have four seats, as we out number the other creatures so drastically.” “Did you have someone in mind to head up this reorganization?” Severus asked. “As a matter of fact, I do,” Harry grinned. “I thought Remus Lupin might make a wonderful chairman.” “Indeed,” Lucius agreed. “He is levelheaded and intelligent. Of course, his position in our plans will depend upon your ability to get him to appreciate our standpoint.” “Don’t worry about Remus,” Harry said confidently. “Once he learns the truth of what has been going on, I believe he will be quite happy to see our way of thinking. He may not approve of my plans for the rest of the Order, but he is a practical man, and he cares for me. He will see the rightness of our goals for the wizarding world.” “We will need others to make this work,” Lucius said. “You are powerful, and your name will carry a lot of weight, especially once Voldemort is gone, but we cannot do this with just the four of us.” “You are correct,” Harry said. “That is why we will quietly begin to recruit others to join our cause. But truthfully, it will not take all that many to do what I have set out to do. We are not setting out to fight a full-scale war; we are staging a political coup. We use the Ministry and the Order to defeat Voldemort. Then we use political power and influence to take out the Ministry. I can handle dealing with the Order later by myself. Basically, it means getting a few key players in the right places at the right time.” “Including the media,” Lucius smiled. “I do still have quite a few contacts both in the media and the Ministry that I’m sure will be willing to help out for the right price.” “Which is why I think you will make a wonderful Minister,” Harry said. “This only leaves us Hogwarts to deal with. Lucius, I know you were booted from the board of governors, but do you still have some influence there?” “I do, but there would be a much easier way to influence them,” Lucius said. “You do realize that you hold both the Potter and Black family seats on the board. And now that Draco is of age, he is eligible to take up the Malfoy seat.” “Really?” Harry grinned. “I didn’t know the seats were passed down through families.” “Yes,” Severus said. “I hold the Prince seat, though I have yet to actually use it.” “So we control four seats out of how many?” “Twelve,” Lucius replied. “But I can pretty much guarantee the Parkinson and Zabini votes, assuming we allow them into our little revolution. They are trustworthy and would make good political allies in other areas as well.” “Are any of them currently Death Eaters?” Harry asked. “Gil Parkinson is, but he has been wavering in his loyalty since before the Dark Lord’s return,” Severus supplied. “The Zabini’s have traditionally been neutral in all wars through the centuries.” “Okay, any others on the board we can sway?” “Well, the Weasleys are probably out,” Lucius said. “The only two I haven’t gotten a read on are Charlie and Bill, but I doubt that they will be easily influenced, even if they had nothing to do with Dumbledore’s plotting,” Harry sighed. “The Patils are the newest to the board, and may be easily swayed to our way of thinking,” Lucius said. “Parikh has been advocating for stricter policies for years. And Artemis Aburrido is easily influenced.” “That’s four seats that belong to us and four possible seats,” Harry said. “Even if we can only get three of the four, it will give us a majority. Good.” “A majority for what?” Draco asked. “To vote my father in as the headmaster and get rid of Dumbledore’s Scottish whore,” Harry told him. “We need to influence not only how the people are governed, but how they think. Hogwarts is the key to changing the way people view our world. That is the reason Voldemort is so obsessed with the school, and it is the reason Dumbledore chose to remain when he could have become Minister. The Minister may have more prestige and immediate access to power, but the headmaster has more long-term influence.” “And if I don’t want to run Hogwarts?” Severus asked snidely. “Oh come on, father. Think of it,” Harry grinned as he cajoled. “The school run your way. No more letting rule breakers slide. And you wouldn’t actually have to teach. You would have time to do your research if you wanted…” Severus pondered that scenario for a few moments before sighing. “I knew I would never get out of that infernal place. Fine! I’ll take over Hogwarts, but it will be run my way and it will only be until we can put the necessary changes in place and find a satisfactory replacement. I have no intention of spending the rest of my life locked away in that teen-infested hell. And I expect that there will be adequate compensation for my work.” “Of course!” Harry laughed. “Hey,” Draco pouted. “Father gets to be minister, and Severus gets to be headmaster, but what about me?” “Well, you will have your seat on the board of governors,” Harry reminded him. “But I expect that if you learn a bit about politics from your father you might just earn a seat on the new Wizengamot if you want it. Either that or you could head up the new department of Muggle affairs, which will monitor all witches and wizards coming into and leaving the wizarding world, among other things.” “I think I’d rather sit on the Wizengamot,” Draco said. “Less paperwork there.” “I think we are getting a bit ahead of ourselves here, though,” Severus told them. “Our first priority has to be dealing with the Dark Lord, and in order to do that, we must destroy his Horcruxes.” “And in order to get to those, I need to get to Hermione,” Harry told them. ***** They waited outside of Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes, where Hermione had gotten a summer job doing the books for the Weasley twins. It was cramped in the shadowed alley, but it was the perfect spot to catch the girl as she left the small shop. Her habit was to head from there to Flourish and Blotts to browse the latest releases, and that evening was no different. Hermione stepped from the shop and paused for a moment to tie her shoe, which had conveniently come undone with the help of a little spell. Four men in black robes and white masks stepped from the alley and grabbed her. Before she could even pull her wand or think of screaming, they had her petrified and had apparated away. Once back at the manor, Harry, Draco, Lucius and Severus removed their masks and robes before levitating the petrified girl down to the dungeons. It was only when she was secured away in a cell without her wand that Harry removed the Petrificus spell. “Who are you and what do you want?” Hermione demanded when she saw Harry. The others were nearby, but out of sight. Harry just laughed coldly. “Such demands from one in your position! I would think you would be begging for your life right about now, mudblood.” “Who are you?” she repeated, looking more afraid now that she had time to notice her surroundings. “You may call me Mister Snape,” Harry told her. “And I am here to extract information from you before I turn you over to the Dark Lord.” “Snape?” Hermione said. “As in Severus Snape?” “My father,” Harry smirked. “That murdering lying bastard traitor!” “I wouldn’t throw stones if I were you, Miss Granger,” Harry snarled. “From what I understand you have been doing a bit of lying yourself.” “Me?” Hermione asked. “What the hell are you talking about?” “So you maintain that you really do care about your dear friend Harry,” Harry drawled sarcastically. “You just want to protect him and do what is best for him, right?” “Of course I do!” Hermione yelled. “He’s my friend!” “And friends often lie to their friends?” Harry said. “Do they also take bribes from manipulating old bastards to influence their friends? Do they call their friends ugly names like ‘freak’, or ‘dangerous fool’, or ‘gullible idiot’?” Hermione began to look more nervous and afraid. “How did you…” “I can read minds, little mudblood,” Harry hissed at her. “Did you think your secrets were safe? Think again!” “Oh my gods, Harry! Is that you?” Hermione cried, finally recognizing the voice of her one-time friend. “I am my father's son,” Harry told her. “Snape? He’s not your father!” Hermione was becoming a bit hysterical now. “Harry, I don’t know what lies they have fed you, but you have to let me out of here! We’ll both get out of here and we can get you help!” “Save it bitch!” Harry yelled and waved his hand. Suddenly, Hermione was writhing on the floor. Even wandless, Harry’s Crucio packed a punch. When she had recovered from the spell a bit, Harry went on. “Tell me, did he send you to befriend me from the beginning, or did he wait to offer you your hearts desire to betray me after we’d become friends?” “Harry, I don’t-.” “I told you to call me Mr. Snape!” he shouted at her before casting the spell again. “Can you get that through your fucking brain? I am not the naive little fool you used all those years, mudblood. Now tell me what I want to know!” Hermione was panting and gasping with the residual pain from the Cruciatus curse. “After. He came to me after we became friends. He offered me knowledge and a position of influence in the Ministry.” “So you betrayed me after we became friends,” Harry mused. “I think it might have been better if you had agreed to it before knowing me. At least you would have had the excuse that you didn’t know me. But really, either way, it doesn’t matter. A betrayal is a betrayal after all. And I’m sick of being pissed on by you and others like you.” “What are you going to do?” Hermione gasped out. “I already told you,” Harry smiled cruelly. “I am going to extract the information that Dumbledore gave you on the horcruxes, then I will hand you over to Voldemort to play with. Not that there will be much left of your mind by then. By the time I’m through with you, Longbottom’s parents will look healthy.” ***** Chapitre Sept ***** Author's notes: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus. This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   =============================================================================== ***** Chapitre Sept ***** Muggles have a term, ‘Mind Fuck’, which means that someone is getting their head messed with. Harry took that term and used it quite literally on Hermione. It is possible to use Legilimency so gently that the person doesn’t even know the caster is in their mind. It is equally possible to rip through a person’s mind and leave nothing but pain and destruction in one’s wake. Harry chose the latter of the two. “Did you get the information you need?” Severus asked his son as he looked down at the quivering mass of flesh that was once Hermione Granger. She was still alive, but her once brilliant mind was shattered. Yes,” Harry said grimly. “And I made sure to remove any traces of memory from her about the horcruxes or her time here. Even if Voldemort finds a way to piece her mind together, he won’t find anything to hurt us.” “Good,” Severus smiled and laid a comforting hand on his son’s shoulder. “It needed to be done.” “And she needed to pay,” Harry agreed. “It doesn’t change the fact that it hurts.” “No it doesn’t,” Severus sighed. “Go rest. Lucius and I will bring her to the Dark Lord.” ***** Harry was bombarded with owls over the next two days. The twins had witnessed the kidnapping and Ron wanted Harry to go after Hermione, to save her. Harry had replied that he couldn’t risk his life for one person and jeopardize the safety of the world, but if Ron wanted to be the hero, he could go right ahead. Ron had not replied to that. Harry had also gotten an owl from Remus telling him not to go after her, and he got one from Voldemort, taunting him with the threat of killing her. Harry had replied the same to both of them, saying, “I’m not that stupid.” Hermione’s body was found a week later, naked and tied to a stake in Diagon Alley. Harry did not go to the funeral. ***** After Remus’ letter regarding Hermione, Harry began a tentative correspondence with his surrogate godfather. Remus seemed pleasantly clueless about what was really going on, and Harry was a bit anxious to see how he would react to the information he had learned that summer. Severus and Lucius, on the other hand, were reluctant to give the werewolf that much information about their plans, and encouraged Harry to continue the search for horcruxes, now that they had access to all of the information Dumbledore had given to Hermione. The locket was easy enough to locate, once Harry explained about the initials on the note from the fake. R.A.B. turned out to be Regulus Arcturus Black. The locket had been among the items found when they had been cleaning out Grimmauld Place. Getting it back, however, was a bit more difficult. Harry made a trip to the Order Headquarters, but discovered that the locket had gone missing. Either Kreacher had it, or Mundungus Fletcher had to have pilphered the thing. Harry called Kreacher to him, but the elf disavowed any knowledge of the locket. So Lucius began asking discrete questions around Knockturn Alley at some of Fletcher’s favorite pawn brokers. In the meantime, Severus went in search of Hufflepuff’s cup at Hogwarts. He had yet to collect his belongings from the castle, and it was as good an excuse as any for poking around the place unnoticed. He and Harry had discussed possible locations for the golden goblet for several hours before Severus left, and when he returned, it was with the item in question in hand. It had been hidden in the Storage room off of the kitchens, where only house elves ever ventured, stored among a large collection of old mugs and glasses that had been left behind by centuries of headmasters. There were no secret hiding places or booby traps on the thing. They figured that Voldemort had simply figured no one would look for the thing right under their own noses. Lucius came back a week later with the locket in hand. He had traced the locket from the pawn shop, to an antiques dealer in Hogsmeade, and finally to an old witch, who had been happy to sell it to Lucius for twice what she had paid for it. That only left Nagini and Ravenclaw’s hair pin. Harry wasn’t sure how Dumbledore had discovered the hair pin was a horcrux, but he had several possible locations for the item. It was by then September first, the day the younger wizards should have been going back to Hogwarts for their seventh year, and Harry and Draco were feeling a bit depressed about missing the final year of their education. The older wizards seemed to sense their feelings and decided that they all needed a break from training and horcrux hunting to get their minds off of things and to relax. “What should we do then?” Harry asked, a bit bewildered by the idea of having a holiday, even one so brief. “Can we go to the coast?” Draco asked. Their family had a cottage in Cornwall that he had always loved to visit as a child, however, they hadn’t gone in almost five years. “I think that’s a splendid idea,” Lucius agreed. The Cornish winters set in quickly and that day would probably be the last warm day before spring. “The sea?” Harry grinned. “I’ve never been. My relatives would always find a way to leave me behind when they went anyplace that I might remotely like to go.” “Well, then, a day at the beach it is,” Severus agreed, though he wouldn’t normally be caught dead in such a cheerful spot. A few short hours later, Harry was sitting on a beach blanket and regretting their decision to go to the beach. He’d been having trouble lately getting the memory of his birthday, and the ritual Lucius had performed, off his mind. Now, sitting there watching Lucius in nothing more than a pair of tight fitting swim shorts had Harry’s mind going directly to that night, and how Lucius had looked wearing nothing at all. His erection was testament to the fact that it was definitely a good memory. It was also quite embarrassing, as they were on a private beach, and there were no girls around on whom he could blame his condition. Lucius looked good, Harry thought. His body was lean and muscular from the Martial Arts he practiced, and he had a healthy golden glow to his skin. His long blond hair shone in the late summer sunlight, and drops of water sparkled over his tempting expanses of flesh. Harry nearly groaned out loud when the man dropped onto the blanket beside him. “Like the view?” Lucius smirked. Harry peeked over at where his father was napping under a beach umbrella, his open book resting on his chest. “Um, I guess,” Harry said, blushing. “Harry, it is alright for you to notice and appreciate the physical form,” Lucius told him. “If I am not embarrassed, neither should you be.” Harry really wanted to bury himself in the sand and disappear. Lucius had noticed him watching. “I don’t think my father would agree,” Harry mumbled. “He wasn’t too keen on that ritual, I doubt he’d like to know his son has been ogling his best friend.” Lucius laid his hand on Harry’s thigh and stroked up and down several times before answering in a sultry voice, “What he doesn’t know can’t hurt him, and I think he would feel worse knowing that his best friend was attempting to seduce his son. Besides, you are an adult now, are you not?” Harry’s breath had stopped the moment Lucius had touched him, so when he answered, he was breathless. “I am. But…” “But nothing,” Lucius said softly as hands continued to create seductive patterns on Harry’s heated skin. “We are both adults. And if I am not mistaken, we are both consenting. It is only our business what we choose to do together.” “I doubt Draco would like it much better than my father,” Harry gasped out as Lucius’ hand came ever closer to where his cock was straining against the fabric of his swim suit. “Perhaps not,” Lucius said nonchalantly. “It is a good thing I do not allow my son to dictate my private affairs.” “Um, yeah. Good thing.” Harry wanted nothing more than to lie back and feel Lucius’ body over his. He wasn’t sure where this slightly submissive side was coming from, but the urge to give over control was almost overwhelming. Lucius looked at where Draco was rounding a bend out of sight down the beach before pushing Harry gently back onto the blanket. When their lips finally met, Harry thought he had died and gone to heaven. Lucius tasted of salt water and limeade and something uniquely Lucius. Their lips caressed each other for long sensuous moments before Lucius dared to lick at Harry’s bottom lip, requesting entry. Harry groaned and parted his lips happily. The next few minutes were a series of long slow hot kisses that melted Harry from the inside out until he was a shimmering blob of jelly in the hot sun. “Oh fuck, Lucius,” Harry murmured when the older man moved from his mouth down to suck at his neck and collar. “Not yet, love,” Lucius chuckled. “I doubt you would enjoy an audience for your first time.” Harry groaned at the reminder that Severus was only meters away and Draco could return at any moment. Lucius didn’t seem to care, however, and simply continued to devour Harry. When he rolled atop the younger wizard, they both groaned as their straining erections were pressed together. “Salazar! You make me feel like a randy teen again,” Lucius whispered. He began shifting, slowly rocking over Harry and creating the most delicious friction between them as Harry wrapped his legs around Lucius. “I had almost forgotten how much fun frotting could be.” Harry was incapable of speech by this point. His entire being was focused on staying quiet and enjoying the feelings washing over him. Their cocks were pressed together, separated by only thin damp layers of cloth. Harry could feel the pressure building up inside and pulled Lucius’ mouth back to his own. He needed to smother the scream that was threatening to be dragged out of him. When Harry’s orgasm did hit, it was so intense that he thought he just might pass out again, but the gray faded away until he could fully appreciate the experience. Lucius was still rocking over him, but soon jerked his hips tightly against Harry and moaned his own release into Harry’s mouth. When they’d both had time to recover, Harry waved a hand and the evidence of their passion had disappeared. “Next time, I want to taste you,” Lucius whispered as he rolled off of Harry and rose to his feet. Harry watched him stroll over to Severus and throw a small rock at his friend. “Wake up you lazy sod! It’s almost time to go home.” ***** Harry received a letter from Alastor Moody the next day calling for a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. It was the first time he’d been invited to such a meeting, though Severus had been reporting to him after each such meeting since he’d come to Malfoy Manor. Harry really did not want to go, but both Lucius and Severus reminded him that they would need the support of the Order for a while yet in order to defeat Voldemort, so Harry sucked it up and got ready to go. Dressed all in black and glamoured to look like The Boy Who Lived, Harry apparated to Grimmauld Place alone; Severus would follow after since they couldn’t be seen arriving together. Harry made his way to the kitchen, where everyone was already assembling and bore the dark glares from some of his former friends. The worst was coming from the Weasley camp—including Ron, who had been brought in from Hogwarts by the headmistress—off to the far side of the room. Harry studiously ignored them and took a seat beside Remus. “How are you holding up, Pup?” Remus asked him quietly. “I’m fine,” Harry muttered. “There was nothing I could do to save her, and Ron knows that.” "He’ll come around,” Remus said as he watched Severus enter the room. “Severus must be faring well. I don’t think I remember him ever looking so healthy.” Harry noticed the hint of color his father’s skin had gained from their time at the beach and smiled. “Yes, I think you may be right.” The meeting began and Alastor called for Severus to give his report. “Miss Granger was abducted by several lower level Death Eaters trying to prove themselves,” Severus began. “It was not a planned attack from the Dark Lord; however he did wish to make use of the situation. I believe he sent a letter to Mr. Potter.” He spat out the name with such venom that many cringed, but Harry understood that it was the name that pissed him off more than anything. “Yeah, and Harry just let the bastard torture and kill her!” Ron shouted angrily, moving in a threatening manner in Harry’s direction. The twins held him back, but they didn’t look any happier with Harry. “She knew the risks,” Harry stated coolly. “And she knew that there was nothing I could do save her. She made her choice a long time ago, just like you did. You KNOW there are things I have to do before I’m ready to face him. What is more important, one friend or the future of the world?” “You’ve changed,” Ron accused. “That never would have mattered to you before!” “And I risked the lives of hundreds of innocent people as a result!” Harry shouted back. “I have changed, and you know why. This isn’t just about me any longer! Now shut the fuck up and let Snape finish his report!” There was a brief moment of shocked silence before Severus cleared his throat and continued. “Thank you, Mr. Potter. As I was saying, Mr. Potter was sent a letter, but when he did not reply, the Dark Lord became enraged. He killed the Granger girl and disposed of the underlings whose plan had failed so miserably. Currently, I believe he is working on plans to attack Hogwarts, as it is no longer as well protected as it once was. If he succeeds, he will have a base of operations which will be extremely difficult to penetrate.” The rest of the meeting was subdued after that pronouncement. It was obvious that the Order was floundering a bit without Dumbledore’s obnoxiously cheerful presence. Moody questioned Harry about his living arrangements and his task, but Harry remained stubbornly silent on the issue. Finally, Harry breathed a sigh of relief when the meeting was adjourned. “Stick around for a few minutes,” Remus whispered to Harry before going to talk with Moody and Shacklebolt. Harry sat back down and shot a look to his father. Severus glared a warning to him, but Harry ignored it. He wanted to tell Remus what was going on. It took about twenty minutes for everyone else to clear out, and Ron refused to leave without tossing a few more slurs Harry’s way, but eventually Harry and Remus were alone in the dank kitchen. “So, Pup, what is going on with you?” Remus asked as he set a tea tray on the table and took a seat. ***** Chapitre Huit ***** Author's notes: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus. This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   =============================================================================== ***** Chapitre Huit ***** “So, Pup, what is going on with you?” Remus asked as he set a tea tray on the table and took a seat. Harry watched Remus pour two cups of tea and thought about how to broach the subject. “Can I ask you a hypothetical question?” “Sure,” Remus smiled. “Just know that the answer will have to be hypothetical as well.” Harry smiled. “Yeah. Okay, here goes. If Dumbledore was alive and you had to choose between him and me, who would you choose?” “I’m not sure I understand the question,” Remus frowned. “Okay, like tonight, Ron and I have obviously chosen to see things from opposite sides of an issue,” Harry said. “What if the same thing had happened with me and Dumbledore and you had to choose sides, even without knowing all the facts. I want you to be honest with me. If you would side with Dumbledore, say so. I won’t hold it against you.” “But you won’t tell me what is going on either,” Remus said knowingly. Harry didn’t deny it; he simply gave Remus time to formulate his answer and used a light touch of Legilimency to see how honest Remus was being with himself and with Harry. “I suppose that all things being equal, and not being privileged to know the details of the split, I would have to side with you.” “Why?” Harry asked, recognizing that Remus was being completely honest. “For several reasons really,” Remus said. “Not the least of which is the fact that you are my surrogate godson, and I made a promise to Sirius and your parents to protect you with my life. Besides that, though… Dumbledore had a way of losing sight of the fact that those of us fighting this war are not pawns in his personal chess game with Voldemort. He often made decisions that he felt were in the best interest of the majority, forgetting that he was sacrificing the minority to do so.” “Do you think him capable of cruelty and betrayal if he thought it would serve his purpose?” Remus gave Harry a searching look before answering. “Yes, I do. Harry, what did he do to you?” Harry tried to keep it together, but Remus saw him faltering and pulled him into a tight embrace, and that was all it took. Harry cried for the second time since discovering Dumbledore’s betrayal, and that of his so-called friends. Long moments passed while Harry gave vent to his emotions. “I’m sorry, I don’t usually let it get to me that way,” Harry finally choked out. “He paid the Dursleys to beat and starve me. He manipulated my friends to betray me. He put a gaeas on my powers and planned to kill me if I survived Voldemort. But that isn’t even the worst of it. He kept me and my father apart all these years.” “James? But…” Remus looked completely lost. “Not James,” Harry said softly, almost fearfully. Harry waved his hand to remove the glamour. “Severus Snape is my father. Dumbledore manipulated my mum and caused their break up so that he could use my father as a spy. Mum sent Father a letter explaining all of it, but Dumbledore blocked it from being delivered. Once he died, though…” “Oh sweet Merlin,” Remus said and touched Harry’s cheek with a trembling hand. “You are the image of Severus in school…And Dumbledore…He used us all. He pushed us to torment…” “I found a stash of letters at my aunt’s house,” Harry went on. “In one letter, dated three weeks before the…Ministry, he told her that he was in the process of removing the problem with my godfather. He set up Sirius. He wanted Sirius to take a stupid risk that night. He thought he’d either end up dead or in Azkaban; either way he was out of the picture and couldn’t protect me.” Remus was on his feet by now and pacing the room. “That bastard killed Padfoot. And then he made sure I was always unavailable to you. Fuck! I played right into his hands! I was supposed to protect you!” Harry stood in Remus’ path and put his hands on the other man’s shoulders. “I’m okay, Remus. But I refuse to play the game by his rules any longer. We are going to beat Voldemort and we are going to change the way things work in this society so this can’t happen again. And we are not going to let those who hurt us get away with it.” Remus looked lost for a moment, but a flicker of feral delight lit his eyes briefly. “We?” “Me, my father, a couple of friends, and you, if you’ll join us.” “I’m in,” Remus nodded and led Harry back to the table, sitting calmly just as if he’d never had an outburst. “Now tell me, you said that others had betrayed you as well?” Harry nodded and began to tell the whole story, how he’d found the letters and been caught and beaten, how Severus and the others had come to rescue him, finding out about who his father was, removing the gaeas on his powers, learning Higher Magic, and using Legilimency to discover who had betrayed him at the wedding. He stopped when he got to the part about Hermione. “I’m not sure you’ll approve of this part,” Harry said hesitantly. “Whether I do or not won’t change my mind,” Remus told him. “I’m not here to judge your actions, but to help you and protect you in any way I can. I will love you no matter what you tell me.” “Dumbledore didn’t tell Ron much about what he was planning,” Harry said. “He basically used him to sway my feelings on certain subjects and usually only gave him enough information to get him to do what he needed. Hermione was a different story altogether. He trusted her, and treated her like a respected apprentice. She knew almost all of his plans. She even knew about what he had planned for Sirius and helped the situation along. “When I read her thoughts at the wedding, I knew she was the worst of the lot,” Harry continued. “But I didn’t realize just how awful she was then. We were the ones who nabbed her. I needed information that Dumbledore had given her about Voldemort’s horcruxes-.” “Wait, Voldemort has horcruxes? As in more than one?” Remus was shocked at this news. “Yeah, he had six, but he’s down to two now,” Harry grinned. “Anyway, once I got into her mind, I saw just how twisted she really was. She hated me. From our first year, after we got the Philosopher’s Stone, she thought I was a reckless nuisance, but she stuck around me because Dumbledore promised to train her to take his place. He was lying to her of course; she never had the power necessary to take his place, not as a Muggleborn. She had every intention of being right there with me all the way through to the final battle with Voldemort, and if by some miracle I survived, she would kill me herself. Ron too, if need be.” “What did you do?” Remus asked gravely. “I did the only thing I could do short of killing her that would stop her from following through with her plans,” Harry sighed. “While I was inside her mind, I removed all memory of the horcruxes and her visit to the manor and then I shattered her mind. From there it was a kindness to send her to Voldemort to finish her off. Besides, we had to send her on to keep our covers with both sides of this war.” “She was a very determined young lady,” Remus nodded. “I think you did the right thing. If you hadn’t removed her from the equation, she would have not only figured out your role before you are ready to reveal it, but she never would have stopped coming for you.” “That’s what Father said, too,” Harry sighed. Harry looked up at Remus and a soft smile played at his lips. “Can I ask your advice on something completely unrelated?” “You can ask me anything,” Remus smiled back at him. “See the thing is, since the ritual to unlock my powers, I’ve been a bit obsessed with Lucius,” Harry blushed. “And then yesterday, he kinda let me know he’s interested in me too.” “Kinda?” “Okay, so we fooled around a bit,” Harry’s blush deepened. “The thing is, though, that Father had several hissy fits over the ritual, being all over- protective. Lucius said we should just keep it to ourselves since we’re both consenting adults and all, but how do I know that he isn’t just trying to get his end away? I just found my real Father and…” “And you don’t want to mess things up with him already by keeping something like that from him,” Remus supplied. Harry nodded miserably. “Well, knowing Severus, he won’t take the news well, but I think you should probably tell him. I’d wait, however, to see if this is going anywhere first. It seems pointless to upset him needlessly if this is just a hormonal thing that will pass in a few weeks.” “But if it’s more serious…” “Then you will have to tell him before long,” Remus said. “For now, just figure out how you each feel, and take it from there. If you decide to tell Severus, let me know, and I’ll be there to support you.” “Thanks Remus,” Harry grinned. ***** “You told him, didn’t you?” Severus asked petulantly over dinner that evening. Lucius and Draco watched the father and son exchange with barely concealed interest. “Yes,” Harry replied calmly. “And he will support our cause whole heartedly. I invited him over for lunch tomorrow to talk about our plans.” “I’ll just bet he was so pleased to hear that I’m your father and not his precious James,” Severus said snidely. “He said it doesn’t mater,” Harry told his father coolly. “And I believe him. There was no hint of deception in his mind. “So what happens now? Is he just going to start loitering around here all the time?” Severus snarled. Harry suddenly realized why his father was acting so unbearably snarky again. Harry’s voice was much calmer when he replied, “He won’t take your place, you know. He can’t. He’s not my father; you are. But he does love me, and he wants what is best for me. I hope that you can accept that.” Severus got a bit red in the face, but his posture relaxed visibly. “Yes, well, he’d better not do anything to harm you.” Harry just smiled at his father and continued to eat his dinner. ***** “Did you happen to talk to the werewolf about anything else today?” Lucius asked, startling Harry, who had been reading alone in the library after everyone else had gone to bed. He had hoped that Lucius would seek him out. “As a matter of fact I did,” Harry grinned as he put his book aside and looked up at his lover. Lucius was already dressed for bed, wearing black silk pajama bottoms and a black silk robe, untied so his muscular chest was on full display. “And?” Lucius smirked as he sat on the sofa and pulled Harry onto his lap. “He suggested we keep things under wraps until we know just how serious we are about all of this,” Harry said, ending on a gasp of pleasure when Lucius took his earlobe into his mouth and sucked lightly. Lucius ran his hands lightly over Harry’s shoulders, down his chest and ended up cupping Harry’s growing arousal. “This here seems quite serious,” Lucius purred stroking Harry through his trousers. “As I recall, I mentioned something about tasting you yesterday.” Harry groaned in pleasure as Lucius’ nimble fingers reached for his trouser fastenings. Their lips met and Harry lost all ability to think as he was devoured by his dominant lover. For a long time, all Harry could do was feel. When he could think again, it was only a brief, passing thought of how stunning Lucius looked on his knees before Lucius’ mouth caused him to lose all track of reality once more.   AN: Hey guys, sorry I was late this week--family issues. Anyway, that's not why I was writing. Some of you may have noted that I've made changes to the warnings for this story. I try not to do such things very often, but this story has taken on a personality all its own and is going in a whole direction I never anticipated. You won't see any of these changes for a few chapters, but just be forewarned, they are coming! Jules PS. There is a really hot sex scene coming up, but not until chapter...um, 13 I think. Until then, I'll keep giving little tastes of what is to come. Hope that's enough to tide your voracious appetites over! ***** Chapitre Neuf ***** Author's notes: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus. This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   =============================================================================== ***** Chapitre Neuf ***** “I think your plans have merit, and I certainly agree with your ultimate goals,” Remus told Harry over lunch the next day. “But?” “But I think you need to move on the Ministry much earlier than you originally planned,” Remus continued. “Why do you say that?” Lucius asked, wiping his mouth with a linen napkin. Remus took a sip of his wine before explaining. “The current plans rely heavily on the Order, a group you neither like nor trust. And to be blunt, they do not have the power or organization that they had while Dumbledore was alive. Your only reason for using them is to gain the manpower you currently lack. If you take the ministry now, you will have that manpower from a source you are better able to control. “It would be easier to accomplish the takeover after Harry has defeated Voldemort,” Remus said to the group gathered around the Malfoy dining table. “But, with the right media spin, it is possible to do so now. The people believe he is the Chosen One, and they are currently panicking from the loss of the late great Albus Dumbledore. If we give them hope to cling to, they can be swayed. And it will be much easier to institute the changes you have in mind if we are at war while you are making them.” “Use the threat of the Dark Lord to instate Executive Powers,” Severus mused. “Disband the Wizengamot under the auspices that it’s filibustering and lack of action is counter-productive to the war effort.” “Exactly,” Remus smiled at his old school rival. “It makes sense to me,” Harry agreed. “But what is our next move then?” “You said something yesterday about suspecting that Dumbledore was embezzling your money,” Remus said. “Have you done anything about that yet?” “No,” Harry admitted. “Other things keep taking precedence.” “Well, now you will consider this a priority,” Remus told him. “We will look to prove how Dumbledore was financing his little machinations.” “Mmm,” Lucius smiled. “I see where you are going with this. We prove Dumbledore was a scheming fool, thereby undermining him and the Order. At the same time, we can use this against the Ministry, who gave Dumbledore the power to abuse and rob a child. And not just any child: The Boy Who Lived.” “We’ll need to get those letters from the Dursleys,” Severus added. “Those, along with the letter from Lily will help tremendously.” “But if we publish Mum’s letter, won’t Voldemort question your loyalty?” Harry asked his father. “He’s right,” Lucius said. “The question is, is it worth taking that risk?” “I think it is,” Severus said. “And not just because of the gains we will receive from vilifying Dumbledore. I am proud to call you my son, Harry, and I would be honored if the world knew.” “Well, Voldemort may very well see this as an opportunity to plot against Harry again,” Remus said. “He may wish to use your relationship to lure Harry into a trap.” “Either that, or he’ll want to lure him to his side,” Draco said, speaking for the first time since Remus had arrived. “Oh, wow,” Harry grinned slyly. “What?” Draco asked nervously. “I just had an idea,” Harry laughed. “Oh, I think this will be good. We go public with our relationship. You go to Voldemort beforehand and tell him of this new development. You convince him that you can get me to turn away from the Light, an idea made believable by the public disclosure of my horrible childhood. Meanwhile, Lucius goes to him with plans to become Minister. Voldemort would love to have his own man in position, and will support the bid. We use my relationship with Father to make him believe that is why I am supporting you in public. “Now, to convince the people to support Lucius, we will need to bring out all of Dumbledore’s evil deeds. Lucius is made to be a hero for saving me from my awful Muggle relations. We use the outrage that engenders to justify our new policy of separatism. We build up our power base, all while Voldemort happily watches on, unknowingly helping us to ensure his downfall. “We’ll need media support and documentation, as we have discussed,” Harry looked around at his companions. “Anyone have good contacts at the Daily Prophet?” “I still have one or two reporters on the payroll,” Lucius smiled. “And I own a rather hefty percentage of the paper.” “So you’re the reason they made me out to be crazy a couple years ago?” Harry teased. “Oh no,” Lucius chuckled. “I had nothing to do with that. That was Minister Fudge’s doing. And that cow Umbridge. I didn’t need to influence them at all to get them to undermine you.” “What about his Dark Mark?” Draco asked. “It was a difficult thing in both of Father’s trials for the law-wizards to keep that as inadmissible. The media has no such loop-holes.” “Voldemort used Death Magic to create the Marks?” Harry asked soberly. Lucius and Severus both nodded. “Well, you present the plan to him, and mention that you’ll need to be unmarked to be elected. If he does not agree, then I will use Life Magic to reverse it. It will mean that we will lose his support in our bid, but it is a necessity.” “You can do that?” Draco asked. “I’m pretty sure,” Harry shrugged. “If I use my Shadow Magic to find the dark magic in the mark, and then use Life Magic to break the connection, it should be feasible.” “Harry, you’ve only just begun training in Higher Magic, haven’t you?” Remus asked. “You can’t possibly…” “He can,” Severus interrupted with pride for his son ringing in his voice. “His power and skills have grown exponentially since his magic was released. His proficiency with the various forms of Higher Magic is evidence of just how powerful my son is.” “Well then,” Remus said, clearly still dazed by this news, “I suppose that settles that.” He took a moment to visibly pull himself together before turning to Lucius. “So you will present this plan to Vol- to the Dark Lord?” “Severus and I have a private meeting scheduled with him for tomorrow morning,” Lucius nodded. “If we can hammer out the finer details today, we can present it to him then.” “Okay, then,” Harry smiled at his family. “Let’s head to the library and get to work hammering out the details.” ***** It was decided, in the end, that Remus and Harry would go to Gringotts while Draco retrieved the letters from the Dursleys and Lucius and Severus presented their ideas to the Dark Lord. Of course, Lucius and Severus had the most difficult task, giving him the facts and having to word things in just the right way to make Voldemort believe that he was the one who came up the entire plan. Draco simply used Harry’s invisibility cloak to get the letters, and Harry didn’t have to act at all to display the necessary degree of outrage over the discovery that his vaults had been pillaged. When they met back up at Malfoy Manor over dinner, each had good news to share with the others. “So, how did everyone’s day go?” Lucius asked as they tucked into their pasta salad and grilled chicken. Harry grinned and decided to go first, “We were lucky enough to have not only a large crowd in the lobby while I pitched my fit over the theft, but there was a reporter from the Daily Prophet who just happened to be depositing his pay packet. When I finally allowed the goblins to calm me down with promises of being fully cooperative in finding out how it happened and making those responsible pay—and let me tell you, you don’t want to be caught stealing from a goblin!—he came over and asked if I would be willing to discuss what had happened. Daniel McCollum was his name. I set an appointment to meet with him day after tomorrow, after I have a chance to hire a barrister to see to getting my galleons back.” “We were also pleased to find out that the bulk of Harry’s inheritance had been protected,” Remus smiled ruefully. “Both the Potter and Black vaults were sealed until he came of age, which means that Dumbledore couldn’t get his hands on them. He only had access to Harry’s personal vault. The old man stole about a million galleons over the course of the past fifteen years, but it might have been much worse.” Draco was next to report. “The older fat one had gone before I got there, just as Harry said he would, and it was simply a matter of waiting for the horse- faced woman and the fat boy to head out for the day.” “If nothing else, my relatives are creatures of habit,” Harry muttered. “Sunday is the day they head to the shopping area so ‘Dudders’ can pick out a special treat before they catch the matinee.” Draco looked uncomfortably at Harry before returning his attention to the older wizards at the table. “Yes, well, they did leave at exactly ten o’clock, and I was able to slip into the house. I found the letters without any problems, back in the same box Harry described in the attic. I knew I had a bit of time, then, so I decided to poke around a bit before leaving. I used Accio to summon anything that belonged to Harry, thinking that we’d probably left a few things behind when we got him out of there. I was expecting a few old text books, or pictures of his parents, or something he’d hidden away. Instead, I was nearly incapacitated as half the house came flying at me. It took me almost an hour to figure it all out, but I eventually found the deed to the house and a log book of purchases made with the funds Dumbledore provided to the Muggles for Harry’s care. Magically and legally, the house and most of the larger items in it belong to Harry. Apparently, Lily Potter had inherited the house from her parents but never knew about it. I wouldn’t put it past those Muggles to have deliberately not told her so they could live there. When she died, the house transferred to Harry.” There was a stunned silence as each person attempted to process this new development. Eventually, Harry shook his head and muttered, “I can’t think of that right now. I’m sure we can use that information to make their lives hell later, but right now…” Draco nodded, “We’ve got other things to do. I get it, but just so you know, I boxed up a bunch of the things that I thought might have sentimental value for you, things from your mum’s childhood, family heirlooms and such. I also kept the deed to the house and the titles to the cars.” “Thank you,” Harry smiled sadly and glanced at his father, who looked stricken at the turn the conversation had taken. “I’m sure father and I will want to look through them someday, but not just yet.” Lucius cleared his throat and said, “I am pleased to say that we had a successful morning as well. Severus presented Lily’s letter to the Dark Lord and told him of our rescue of Harry. He seemed quite pleased to learn that Harry has turned against Dumbledore and his people. We didn’t even have to nudge him very much to get him to come up with the amazing plan to get Harry to come to the Dark side and put me into office as Minister. He even volunteered to remove both Severus and my Dark Mark with no hints or helps from us at all. He says Severus should be looking into ways to become the next Headmaster of Hogwarts.” Lucius and Severus smirked at this pronouncement while the others laughed. It was incredible how the Dark Lord seemed to be fitting into their plans. ***** Harry and Severus were walking in the garden the next day after Harry returned from his appointment with his new solicitors. The firm assured that they were extremely discrete and would handle everything swiftly and with the utmost care. Of course, their discretion and ability to get things done was the reason that Lucius had recommended them to Harry in the first place. Harry assumed that anyone who could keep a marked Death Eater out of prison was damned good at manipulating the law. A year ago Harry would have found this detestable, but now…well things had changed. “They think they will be able to get every cent back,” Harry told his father, who had been unusually quiet that morning. “And bring the offending parties up on charges for theft. Even the Dursley’s will have to pay up. McDougal said there is precedent to charge the Dursleys back rent for living in my house all these years.” “McDougal, Gentry and Webster are the best firm in Britain,” Severus said absently, his mind obviously on something else entirely. “If anyone can do it, it would be them.” They walked in silence for a few minutes, the air thick with some unnamed tension. Finally Severus turned to his son, “Harry, have you—?” “Harry! Severus!” Their quiet walk was interrupted by Draco, who was running up the path from the house. Severus’ uncompleted question was forgotten for the time. “Sorry. I don’t like to interrupt, but Harry has a visitor.” Both men looked at Draco questioningly. No one knew that Harry was staying at the Manor besides Remus, and Draco wouldn’t have come running out here if it was Remus. “Who is it?” Harry asked. “Luna Lovegood,” Draco told them. Severus and Draco both grimaced at the mere mention of her name, but Harry smiled. “I should have known she would find me,” Harry chuckled and turned back toward the house, his pace picking up with each step. The others followed quickly behind. “What do you mean?” Draco asked. “How the hell did that witch find you here?” “I have no idea,” Harry laughed and broke out into a full run, his laughter echoing back to the two Slytherins. “No offense, Sev, but your son is as crazy as Looney Lovegood,” Draco muttered. “Hmm,” Severus grunted, not wanting to agree, but not totally disagreeing. When they finally caught up with Harry on the veranda, he had Luna in his arms and was swinging her in a circle. Her laughter resonated through the garden like wind chimes carried on the evening breeze and Harry looked happier than either man had ever seen him. “I still can’t believe you found me!” Harry laughed as he finally set Luna down, but kept his arm around her protectively. “I have ways to find the things of mine that others mislay,” Luna said in her ethereal voice. “Especially those things that are most important to me.” “Are you comparing me to your lost trainers?” Harry asked with mock offence. “Of course,” Luna teased. “But really, Harry, you should have told me you weren’t coming back to school. It would have saved me no end of trouble having to run away.” “Miss Lovegood,” Severus intoned, “are you saying that you left Hogwarts grounds without informing the headmistress or any other teacher? Does you father know where you are?” “No, no,” Luna looked slightly miffed at the assumption. “They all knew I wanted to leave, and since I turned seventeen yesterday, they couldn’t very well stop me, now could they? And my father…well, he knows I’m able to take care of myself.” “What about school?” Harry asked. “What about it?” Luna replied, looking truly perplexed. “I’ll study on my own and take my NEWTs. Isn’t that what you and Draco are doing? Now, Draco, you’ll have to show me to my room. I’m not sure I could find it without help. It’s the purple one, with the flutterbies on the lampshades. I think in the West wing.” Draco looked completely floored by Luna’s description of one of the guest rooms in the west wing and looked to Severus for help, but the older man simply nodded. So Draco led Luna into the house with as much chivalry as he could muster. When he paused by the French doors to look indecisively back at Harry and Severus, Luna took his hand and led him inside. “I would try to explain,” Harry grinned, obviously enjoying the girl’s madness, “but I don’t think I can. She is just Luna. She decided I needed someone to take care of me after Sirius died, so…” He gave an insouciant shrug of his shoulders. Severus shook his head. “Do not attempt to explain the inexplicable. The only concern I have is will she make trouble for us? Will she talk to the wrong people? Will she object to our plans?” “No,” Harry said, his countenance now serious. “Luna is loyal to me—not to a cause or a side, but to me—she would never do anything that would cause me harm. I don’t think she will object to what we have planned, but if she objects, she will try to talk me out of it in her own unique way. She won’t interfere. It’s not the way she is.”   AN: Well, for those of you asking for Luna, here she is! ***** Chapitre Dix ***** Author's notes: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus. This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   =============================================================================== ***** Chapitre Dix ***** Draco sat in the library and studied the blond girl who had invaded their lives. She was just as eccentric as he had always known she would be. After showing her to the guest room she had requested, she had promptly begun to decorate the room with crystals and beads that she explained kept nargles and glengoyls, or some other nonsensical pest, away. At the time, Draco had personally thought they might keep anyone with half a brain away. Now, a week later, Draco had to revise his opinion of the strange girl slightly. As odd as she was, she had been a great help in researching the legal channels they would need to traverse in order to stage their coup without a full-scale war on the Ministry. Long hours had been spent with Draco, Lupin, and Luna in the library researching together while Harry had lessons with Lucius and Severus. A part of Draco was jealous of the extra time Harry got to spend actually training, but another part was happy right where he was. After all, he may have been stuck in the library with Loony, but he also got to spend hours surreptitiously studying the werewolf. Remus Lupin was an anathema to the young aristocrat. The man was poor and dressed in shabby clothes, but he still held himself with an air of pride and confidence that Draco respected and envied. He was soft-spoken, but his words were at times laced with a steely potency. As Draco had witnessed in his third year at Hogwarts, the man could command respect more fully than even Severus could, and without a harsh word or dark look. A shiver of arousal ran down Draco’s spine. “Do you see something interesting?” Remus asked mildly, startling Draco from his reverie. “You’ve been watching me quite a bit lately.” Draco glanced around the room, noting with relief that Luna had gone at some point while he was lost in his thoughts. And Lupin had shut and locked the door behind her. Uneasy, Draco stood up abruptly and backed away from the man now leering at him. “I…I was just…” “You were just staring at me,” Remus chuckled, a darkness in his raspy voice that Draco had never before heard. “And you were getting aroused while doing so.” “I wasn’t!” Draco nervously tried to deny. Remus sniffed the air meaningfully and then glanced towards Draco’s groin. Draco didn’t need to look down at himself to know that he was hard and getting harder by the minute. “I’d point out how blatantly false that last statement is,” Remus said as he slowly stalked Draco, a predator toying with his prey, “but I hate stating the obvious.” The older wizard was now only a few feet from Draco, close enough that the young man could smell the uniquely pungent musk that had turned him on so many times over the weeks since Remus’ arrival. He knew that he was running out of time to make up his mind. Should he stop this? Or should he willingly give in to the attraction that Lupin had been sensing for days? “What do you want from me?” Draco finally asked in a shaky voice as a last attempt to buy time. He put his hands up defensively just as Remus reached him and grasped him by the hips. “That seems to be the question,” Remus breathed out, his words ghosting over Draco’s cheek and ear as both men leaned closer into the embrace. “I want what you are willing to give me. I most definitely want your body and your obedience. Anything more is up to you.” “Yes,” Draco sighed as their bodies finally fell flush against the other, pressing together from knee to chest, and further arousing them both. “Yes, anything, everything—take me. Own me. Make me yours.” Remus let the growl he had been holding back loose. “I will do all of those things. Soon. Very soon. For now, I want you on your knees. You will earn the right to come to my bed.” Draco nodded with embarrassing enthusiasm, already thinking how best to please the wolf. “Yes, Remus.” Draco began to drop to his knees, but Remus grabbed him by the hair and tugged painfully. “What did you call me?” “Sir! I’m sorry, sir!” Draco corrected himself quickly. The part of his mind that knew he should be horrified by the idea of a Malfoy submitting to anyone, let alone a werewolf, was completely overruled by the unrelenting arousal that surged through his veins and electrified his nervous system as the pain registered in his brain. He wanted this. He wanted the pain and pleasure that was being offered. He wanted the arousal spiked with a hint of fear. “That’s better,” Remus said and released Draco, who went to his knees with grace. “You may show me just how talented you are with that mouth of yours.” Draco didn’t bother to reply, he was already busy loosening the button fly of Remus’ denims, his mouth watering in anticipation. As Draco reverently laved attention on Remus’ swollen cock, the werewolf couldn’t help but think how lucky he was to find a boy so willing to submit to his more aggressive nature. The wolf needed to dominate in the bedroom, now matter how docile Remus may appear otherwise. And Draco Lucius Malfoy simply reeked of excitement and apprehension. His submission was the perfect compliment to the wolf’s authority, a fact Remus planned to test in his bed that night. He could hardly wait to see his boy tied up, with his ass red from Remus’ hand, begging to be fucked. He was amazed by the things the boy could do with his tongue…well. Remus lost all train of thought and simply allowed his instincts to take over. His hips thrust erratically, choking the young man on his knees, but Remus was too excited to pull back, and Draco seemed willing enough to continue. The younger wizard was taking Remus all the way into his throat and swallowing around Remus’ cock, causing Draco’s throat muscles to contract and milk the turgid flesh. “You like to have your face fucked, don’t you my pretty little slut?” Remus grunted between thrusts. “You like being my bitch. I’ll have you begging me before the night is through. You’ll like that won’t you?” Draco gave a deep moan of approval and the vibrations in his mouth and throat were enough to send Remus over the edge. Draco pulled back so just the head of Remus’ cock was in his mouth and sucked each spurt of come from the twitching member, savoring the wild and musky taste of the werewolf. A part of his brain reminded him that he hadn’t come yet and was still rock hard, but the other part of him was satisfied simply because he had pleased Remus. His master. “Good boy,” Remus panted, running a shaking hand through Draco’s sweaty hair. Draco curled up like cat who had, literally, gotten the cream at his feet and rubbed his face lovingly against Remus’ thigh. When he had gained his breath and his control, Remus continued, “You’ve been a very good boy, Draco. I think you have earned the right to come tonight. Meet me in my room in ten minutes. I want you naked and kneeling at the foot of the bed by the time I get there. I’m going to make a stop in the kitchens for our dinner, because I have no intention of sharing you with anyone tonight.” ***** Luna wasn’t lost. Even after a week of living there, however, she still wasn’t used to the maze of corridors that made up Malfoy Manor. If she didn’t know better, she might have worried that she had been bitten by a wander bug. A librarian had been infected once and gotten lost in her own library for four days. But Luna warded against such creatures, and she knew the Malfoys had strong protective spells over their home, so the manor must just be leading her someplace new. If she had gone the right way out of the dining room, the wing with her bedroom should have been in the second corridor to the right after passing the billiards room. Except she hadn’t seen the billiards room, because she was too busy wondering what Remus and Draco were getting up to, and whether she thought it would be serious or just a fling. “I do believe that they will be good for each other,” Luna whispered to the portrait she was passing. “One needs to be weak and the other needs to be strong.” “Whatever you say, my dear,” the centuries old woman in the portrait replied. “It is quite late. You should be off to your bed.” “Oh, yes,” Luna smiled and wandered down the hall. The various portraits curiously watched the odd girl go, but none offered to help her find her room. “I’m on my way now.” She continued down the hall for a time before speaking again, to no one in particular. “Do you know, not one other person showed up for dinner tonight? I’m sure that Remus and Draco are off consummating their new relationship, and Harry and Lucius always find some reason or another to be alone, but I had expected Professor Snape to make an appearance…” Luna turned to the left down the next corridor and knew she most certainly felt misplaced. She didn’t recognize anything. Of course, she didn’t allow this to bother her. If she was here—wherever here was—she was obviously meant to be here. Professor Snape was a very interesting man. Fascinating really. He had a wonderfully rich aura, indicating a depth of emotion that was almost unmatched in her experience, but he hid his feelings away from the world, showing only anger and bitterness. Until he was with his family. With Harry and the Malfoys—even Remus to a certain extent—he smiled and laughed at times, he showed concern for them. And lately—though he tried desperately to hide it—he showed his hurt and confusion. Harry and Lucius may have been trying to spare his feelings, but they were hurting him more by lying to him than they would have by being open about their burgeoning relationship. Luna decided she would have to talk to Harry soon. Another turn and she realized she was nearing the blue salon, a room she knew well. Deciding to go into the cozy and familiar room, Luna was not surprised to find Severus Snape sitting on the sofa in front of a cheerful fire. He was leaning over the tea table trying to pour a glass of amber liquid into a crystal tumbler. He was obviously quite drunk, because the Potions Master proceeded to pour half of the liquid over his hand before finding the glass and filling it to the rim. He then swayed ominously as he attempted to bring the glass to his lips and spilled more down the front of his robes. “Ahh, Looshus doesh ha-ave ex—exsquishi—exwizi—fine ta–ashte,” the older wizard hiccoughed after taking several swallows of the expensive alcohol. Luna was about to turn around and leave when her ex-professor noticed her standing in the doorway. “Oh! Mish Goodlo–ove. Mish Goodlove? Good—hic—love! Oh tha–at is amu—amush—funny! Tell me, do you give good love?” Luna giggled softly at the drunken flirtation. Severus Snape could be quite endearing. “I’m sure I don’t know,” Luna answered with a smile. “But I would imagine so. After all, good sex is about sharing and openness and being sensitive to your partner’s needs and desires. I am quite intuitive and have few inhibitions, so it should follow that I would be a good lover.” “Yesh,” Severus nodded full of sincerity, his head lolling more than was necessary to express his thoughts on the matter. “Yo–ou are a very—hic—sensh—shenshi—nice girl. Boo–ootiful too. And I am a very ugly, very mean—hic—very old man. Why would anyone love me? They shou-ouldn’t and they don’t. No one loves me. Did you know that, Mish Goodlove? Even my son…He’s lying to me.” Severus choked down a drunken sob. “Harry doesn’t love me, Luna.” Luna took pity on the man and sat down beside him. She ran one pale hand down the older man’s cheek and tilted his chin so that he was looking directly into her eyes. “You will listen to me, Severus Snape. You are drunk and feeling maudlin, you probably won’t remember much of what I tell you, but I want you to remember one thing, can you do that for me?” “I’ll remember,” Severus vowed with all the sincerity of the extremely inebriated. “You are not ugly, mean, or old, and plenty of people love you,” Luna told him sternly, though her voice never lost its ethereal tone. She kept her hold on his chin and looked deeply into his bloodshot eyes. “Harry loves you. He loves you because you are worthy of being loved. And I’m going to knock some sense into that idiot if he doesn’t tell you so himself. Now, no more of this self- pity; it is a waste of time and energy.” “Yes, Lu-una,” Severus nodded slowly, his eyes already beginning to droop. “I’m loved. I’ll remember. Will you shtay wiv me?” “I’ll stay,” Luna promised as she allowed him to finally lower his head. She took the drink from the long thin hands and set it on the tea table. She sat back and Severus curled himself up on the sofa, his knees to his chest and his head resting in the young witch’s lap. She gently carded her fingers through his hair until his breathing evened out and he began to snore softly. “I’ll stay because you need me more than you know.” Luna rested her head on the back of the sofa and closed her eyes. She had been correct. She hadn’t been lost at all; she was right where she was supposed to be. ***** Harry lounged on Lucius’ bed, waiting for the older man to return. They had found an excuse to go out to dinner in London, visiting a contact of Lucius’ who was looking for a buyer for his great aunt’s hair pin, which was rumored to have belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw once upon a time. It was a short meeting; it took no more than five minutes to determine that the hairpin he was selling was not the hairpin they wanted. After that, it was easy enough to spend the rest of the evening at a cozy little Muggle bistro that Lucius favored sharing an intimate dinner for two. Harry had been looking forward to finally being fucked by his recalcitrant lover. Though he thoroughly enjoyed the things they did together, Harry wanted more. Lucius had been putting off intercourse for weeks, saying that Harry wasn’t ready, or that they should wait for the “right time.” Well, it was Harry’s body, and he was more than ready. And he was beginning to suspect that there may never be a “right time” where Lucius was concerned. As soon as they walked through the front door together, Lucius had sent Harry away with a distracted excuse and headed off to his study alone. That had been three hours ago. Completely fed up with his older lover, Harry pulled a silk robe on, grabbed the jar of lubricant he had brought with him, and headed to Lucius study. He found Lucius sitting in his favorite armchair, his feet resting on the ottoman and his eyes staring blankly through the fire, totally lost in his private thoughts. The firelight captured his white-blond hair and turned it to spun gold. The fire also highlighted the beauty of the man’s profile. Harry briefly forgot to be angry as he watched his lover, but he did not forget his resolve. He wanted Lucius more than ever. Taking a deep breath, Harry locked the door behind him, dropped his robe, and walked slowly over to his lover. Before Lucius could fully register his presence, Harry had knocked the older man’s feet from the ottoman and knelt upon it, his back to his lover. “Harry, what are you doing?” Lucius asked, his throat tight with the instantaneous lust that Harry always seemed to bring out in him. “If you won’t fuck me,” Harry told him as his fingers dipped into the pot of honey flavored lubricant, “I’ll fuck myself while you watch.” Harry proceeded to lean forward slightly and give Lucius a perfect view of his pucker, which he then teased with two slick fingers causing it to wink in anticipation. When he sank those fingers slowly past the guardian muscles, there was a single moan that originated from two men. “Wait,” Lucius croaked. He cleared his throat and tried again, this time reaching a hand out to stop his young lover. “Harry please, stop.” Harry did stop. He removed his fingers, and ignored the pang in his belly and the pain in his heart as he rounded on his lover, his earlier anger returning. “What is it this time, Lucius? What excuse do you have for me this time? I’m so sick of this! If you don’t want me, then just tell me so!” All the fight left Harry almost as quickly as it had come and silent tears ran unchecked down his cheeks. “If you don’t love me, just tell me so and I’ll leave you alone,” he whispered brokenly. “Oh Harry,” Lucius sighed and wiped a tear from his lovers face with a single finger. “That’s the problem. I do love you, you idiot boy. Too much, it seems.” “Then why—?” Harry hiccoughed. He looked so lost and so adorable that Lucius had to pull the younger man into his arms. “Because it was only supposed to be fooling around,” Lucius told him as ran his hand soothingly over Harry’s back. “I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with you. I can’t be everything that you need, Harry. I can’t make love to you because if I do, I won’t be able to walk away from you. And I have to walk away. I’ve been married, and I’ve been miserable. I refuse to go through that again. I refuse to put you through that. But you are young, and you deserve to have it all: marriage, a family…all the things I can’t give you.” “All the things you won’t give me,” Harry muttered into Lucius’ shirt. He took a deep breath and pushed away from Lucius. “I get it, Lucius. I may be young, but I’m not naive. You want me, but only for a while. You think I deserve better than a fling? Well, you’re right I do deserve better. I deserve better than a man who is too cowardly to take a chance on love. I deserve better than a man so desperate to avoid making another mistake that he’s allowed his heart to become frozen with fear. I deserve better than you!” Harry stooped to pick up his discarded robe and walked to the study door. With every last ounce of will he possessed, Harry walked away from the man he knew in his heart he would always love, his heart breaking with every step.   AN: Okay, So the good news is, I've posted a day early, established all the main pairings in the story and gave you some hot smex (even if it wasn't Harry and Lucius doing the smexing). The bad news is, I left you with a not so happy ending to the chapter. Sorry, but I can't make everything happy all at once...where would the fun be in that? "Harry met Lucius. Harry and Lucius fell in love. Harry and Lucius took over the world and had hot sex. The end." You don't want that, do you? So no pelting the author with rotten fruit or kicking stray puppies in frustration. I will resolve all issues...eventually! *cue evil laughter* ***** Chapitre Onze ***** Author's notes: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus. This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   =============================================================================== ***** Chapitre Onze ***** Severus Snape woke the next morning in his own bed with no recollection of how he got there. His head was throbbing, his mouth was filled with cotton, and his stomach was rebelling at even the thought of moving. His only hope was to use his wand to summon headache and nausea potions, since he knew he didn’t have any of his special hangover relief potion. Reaching blindly with as few unnecessary movements as possible, Severus grabbed for his wand. What he found instead was a vial of green potion. It looked like his hangover recipe. He carefully pulled the cork from the vial and sniffed. It smelled like his hangover cure. With only a brief hesitation, he swallowed the potion down. In seconds, his head and stomach settled enough that he could think clearly again. In less than a minute, he was able to sit up in bed and look around the room. By the two minute mark, his hangover was completely gone and Severus was positive that someone had stolen his potion formula. Except this potion hadn’t tasted like his hangover potion. It had tasted of spearmint and honey. Severus took careful stock of all of the evidence before him. The last he could remember clearly, he had been in the blue salon drinking Lucius’ most expensive bottle of scotch, a Dalmore ‘62 Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky worth about £35,000. It was a petty revenge, since Lucius could well afford to replace the bottle, but he had been feeling particularly petty. He had chosen the blue salon for its privacy, as he knew he could get maudlin when inebriated, and that room was out of the way. So who had found him? Slowly, he remembered small details, like spilling the scotch and ranting to himself. Then he remembered her: Luna Lovegood. She had come into the room with the light from the corridor behind her, giving her an ethereal glow. She had seemed like an angel come to comfort him in his hour of need. And he had needed her comfort, as humiliating as the thought was. She had made him promise to remember something. “I am loved,” Severus whispered, his unfocused eyes imagining Luna’s face again as she spoke so vehemently to him. His heart gave a pang at the thought that she had only spoken of Harry’s love, but he quickly squashed the feeling. She had let him lay his head in her lap and had run her fingers through his hair. She had told him he wasn’t ugly or old or mean. She must have been the one to bring him up to his room and transfigure his clothes into silk pajamas. Severus didn’t even own pajamas; he preferred to sleep nude. But where had she gotten the potion? He was about to give up his musings and head for the shower when he noticed the note laying on the nightstand beside his wand. Dearest Severus, I do hope you don’t mind that I left you alone this morning. I know I promised to stay, but when the fire died and the first light of day began to seep through the windows, I thought it might be better to put you to bed. I’m sure you would have been embarrassed to wake up in my arms, though I found holding you quite enjoyable. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, really; even Nargles need a cuddle every once in a while. I left a potion for you. It is based upon a recipe my mother was working on for migraine headaches before she died. Though she died before she could perfect it, I spent all of last summer completing the formula. It is rather good. The potion relaxes the muscles and releases tension while easing nausea. It should work well for your hangover. I added the flavoring. Remember what I told you. I will find you soon, and we will talk about this silly insecurity that has you doing such self-destructive things. I warn you, I will not tolerate a drunkard in my life, so we had better get your heart straightened out rather quickly because I will not wait for you forever. Yours, Luna Severus chuckled with amusement and admiration. The girl had gall; that was for certain. He was actually looking forward to their upcoming conversation. ***** Harry sat down to breakfast completely unaware of the underlying tensions running the assembled group at the table. His only concern was to get through the meal without throwing himself shamelessly on Lucius and begging the man to take him back, any way he would have him. Harry had spent most of the night tossing and turning in his cold, empty bed. He knew he had done the right thing by walking away, but it just hurt so much. So, he forced himself to swallow the food the house elves had prepared and kept his bloodshot eyes on the plate in front of him. If he had looked up, he might have noticed that Lucius didn’t look any better than he did. The older wizard had dark circles under his eyes and barely touched his food. He had sat in his study all night, trying to convince himself that he had done the right thing by turning Harry away. Now, he couldn’t take his eyes off of the young man who held his heart. Severus Snape observed his friend and his son with a detachment that would have been impossible only the day before. Somehow Luna had changed him with only one short conversation and a little comfort. Because he was no longer afraid of being left alone, he was free to see things the way they truly were. He recognized the deep pain displayed by two of the most important people in his life and wanted to ease it however he could. He glanced at Luna across the table and gave her a brief smile and a nod. They would have their talk, but he also knew that he was going to be alright thanks to her. Draco and Remus were oblivious to the others as they stole heated and furtive glances at each other. Their night of passion had been everything either of them could have hoped for, and they were both looking forward to their next opportunity to be alone. When Remus’ bare foot snuck its way up Draco’s robes and began a sensual caress of his inner thigh, any thoughts he may have had of trying to be sociable with his fellow diners was completely forgotten. Luna sat across from Severus and returned his smile. His mood this morning was a good sign that the tides had turned for him last night. He even seemed to be aware of and concerned for his son and his friend, rather than being absorbed in his own misery. She would set aside time to speak with Severus that evening, but in the meantime, she was curious to see how everything played out. ***** “Harry, I would like a word with you after breakfast, if you wouldn’t mind,” Severus stated, breaking the seemingly unbreakable silence that had fallen over the group. “It’s no problem,” Harry quickly responded. “I’m sure Mr. Malfoy won’t mind postponing our tutoring session. In fact, I have been thinking that I could probably leave off the sex magic lessons. I’m not going to need them to fight Voldemort, so it would be better for me to concentrate on areas that would be more useful, right?” “Harry—,” Lucius began, but Severus interrupted, acutely aware that all eyes were now firmly set upon the three of them. “We can discuss that after breakfast.” “Severus, you can’t mean to allow him to just quit!” Lucius tried to argue, but Severus wasn’t listening to his friend. “He needs to learn ALL of the Higher Magics if he is to defeat the Dark Lord.” “Lucius, this is a decision that is between me and my son,” Severus told his friend firmly. “Harry, we will discuss your training after breakfast.” Lucius glared at Severus for a long minute before turning his eyes to Harry. The younger wizard refused to look up from his plate, and so Lucius threw his napkin down in an atypical fit of temper and stormed out of the dining room. Everyone followed his progress from the room except Harry, who was too busy trying to swallow back the urge to cry. ***** Severus held his tongue until he and Harry were alone in the green salon after breakfast, and then he let loose. “Just what the hell is going on with you?” Harry, who had been feeling guilty over lying to his father, and who was now completely distraught over the breakup with Lucius, did not know how to answer that question. Instead, he felt the tears that he had been holding back all morning well up in his eyes as he collapsed onto the silk upholstered sofa and let a sob escape. “I—I—I—!” Severus now felt like a complete bastard as he watched his normally strong son break down. Taking a seat beside Harry on the sofa, he pulled the younger man into his arms and tried to soothe him. “I’m sorry, Harry. I didn’t mean to shout. Please, talk to me.” Harry gave a few hiccoughing sobs before gaining enough control to finally speak, if still a bit incoherent. “I’ve been lying to you, and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. And Lucius is such a bastard! And you were right, but I love him and I can’t be with him!” “Shhh,” Severus whispered. “It’s alright. Everything is going to be just fine. I wish you would have felt confident enough in our relationship to confide in me earlier, but you’re telling me now. And now that I know what is going on, I can help, right?” “Um-hm,” Harry agreed, grateful for the unconditional love Severus was showing him. “I really am sorry. It’s just that you were so vehemently against even the necessary sex ritual we used that I was sure you wouldn’t be happy with us doing anything else by choice.” “And I’m not,” Severus admitted wryly, but refused to release Harry when he tried to pull away. “But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have supported you anyway. I may have blustered a bit, but I thought you knew me well enough by now to know that most of that bluster is just hot air. Harry, I love you. You are the most important person in my life. Seeing you happy makes me happy. And when you hurt, I feel like my own heart is breaking. I just want to do whatever it takes to put a smile back on your face. You are my son, Harry, and I love you more than life itself.” Severus’ speech brought on another short bout of tears, but it didn’t last nearly as long this time. “I love you too,” Harry told his father when he had calmed his emotions again. “Now, tell me what is going on between you and Lucius,” Severus commanded as he got comfortable on the sofa and let Harry settle his head on his shoulder. “He was right about the sex magic lessons. You still need to know as much about all aspects of magic as we can teach you. You cannot know what will be the one thing that tips the scales in your favor. So, that means you still need to maintain a working relationship with Lucius.” “I know,” Harry admitted with a slight pout. “I was hoping…Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. “We started out just fooling around, with the intentions of seeing where things would lead. At least that was my intention. I thought if things got serious, then I would let you know. Sorry. Anyway, I got serious, but he didn’t. I mean, he says he loves me, but he won’t let our relationship get serious.” Harry took a deep breath before continuing. “He said that he won’t have sex with me because he can’t give me everything I deserve, like marriage, a family, all that stuff. And the thing is, I do want all those things, and I know I deserve them. I told him that, too. But the thing is, I only want those things with him.” “So you told him you deserve all of those things and walked away?” Severus asked, trying to get straight in his own mind the sequence of events. “Yes,” Harry whispered. “I might have called him a name or two before walking out the door.” Severus chuckled and stroked Harry’s hair. “Well, I would expect so. You did inherit my temper, after all.” “So what am I going to do?” Harry asked, finally sitting up and looking into his father’s eyes. Severus gave his son careful consideration before answering. “If Lucius says that he loves you, I do not doubt the veracity of his claim. He is, by Slytherin standards, an honest man. Having said that, he was also more than likely being honest with you about his feelings towards marriage and children. So you, my son, have to make up your mind which is more important to you: being with Lucius or having a family? When you know the answer to that question, you will know how to proceed. In the meantime, I will attend all of your lessons with Lucius, until you tell me otherwise. Hopefully, having a third person present will make the situation slightly more bearable.” ***** Halloween was quickly approaching and the occupants of Malfoy Manor were making steady progress in their plan to take over the ministry. Despite the tension between Harry and Lucius, the two had made several appearances in public together, garnering the desired media attention. An exclusive interview with a reporter from the Quibbler—whose following had become almost as large as the Daily Prophet since Harry’s last interview—enabled Harry to divulge enough clues to interest the news hounds. Soon reporters were camped out at the gates of the manor, trying to get a quote on the mistreatment Harry had suffered at the hands of Albus Dumbledore and an ineffectual Ministry of Magic. When the frenzy of media hype was at its apex, Lucius arranged for a press conference. “I really don’t want to do this! I hate the press!” Harry whinged all the way to the dais Lucius’ house elves had erected on the south lawn. Severus smirked, and dragged his recalcitrant child the entire way. But when it was all over, the hardened reporters had tears in their eyes and they were pushing for drastic Ministry reforms and for Lucius Malfoy—the man who saved their “Chosen One” from his evil, magic-hating Muggle relatives—to be elected into office. After Minister Fudge was ousted from his post and Rufus Scrimgeor took office mid-term, no one had expected there to be any opposition in the January election. Now, it seemed that a true race was set to be run. And with Harry Potter regularly pointing out Scrimgeor’s mistakes to the press—like arresting innocent men and women or attempting to force Harry to publicly support the ministry—and publicly supporting Lucius Malfoy, there was little doubt in anyone’s mind who would win this one. For the holiday, Lucius decided they should host a masked ball. It would be a perfect opportunity to mix and mingle with all of the politically powerful witches and wizards in Britain. And he could use it to officially announce his intention to run for Minister. All of the major press organizations were included on the guest list. The night of the ball, Harry dressed carefully in the exquisite dress robes that Draco had helped the Malfoy tailor design. They were of black silk with real silver and gold embroidery on the collar, cuffs and hem. He wore a black brocade waistcoat beneath the robe, and a silk white shirt beneath that. His hair had been styled by a stylist that Draco insisted was necessary for the occasion, and now lay in artfully messy waves. With a last glance in the mirror, Harry tied on his mask, black silk with diamonds and gold beads patterned around his left eye; it covered most of his face but left his scar on display so that he was completely recognizable. The ball was already underway when Harry reached the manor’s ballroom. The room was filled with gaily dressed witches and wizards, with robes in every color of the rainbow, each disguised by intricately decorated masks. Some masks were adorned with feathers, some with jewels; some were shaped to resemble an animal or person, others were completely abstract; some covered most of the wearer’s face like Harry’s, others covered only the eyes. Harry spotted his father, wearing a black velvet robe and a simple black mask which covered only his eyes, observing the crowd from the shadows in the far corner of the room. He headed that way, but was stopped half way across the room by a hand on his upper arm. “Dance with me.” The demand was made in a hoarse whisper just inches from Harry’s ear, and from a voice that the young wizard would recognize anywhere. He shivered with suppressed need. “Please don’t do this to me,” Harry begged. Shaking, he pulled away from Lucius’ grasp without even looking at his former lover and continued his way across the room. If he had looked back, he might have seen the pain in Lucius’ eyes. As it was, Harry made it to his father’s side, barely able to control the emotions burning through him. “Do not think on it,” Severus advised. “Simply put the incident out of your mind. You have much to accomplish tonight and, no matter what Lucius has said or done, you must see the plan through.” Harry took several deep breaths, schooled his features back into the happy, carefree expression that the public expected from The Boy Who Lived, and nodded to his father. Without a word, Harry left his father’s side and began the campaign to gain the political support of every powerbroker in the crowd. Three hours later, Harry felt as if his smile was permanently and painfully affixed to his face. He had revealed himself to each of the major players in the room, one by one, subtly convincing each of them that he was allowing them in on a playful little secret as he did so. After he gained their trust, he began the retelling of just how Lucius had saved his life and why Harry thought he would make a great Minister of Magic. Just before midnight, Harry took the stage and watched as the others made their way forward as well. Lucius stood out in the crowd like a light in the darkness. His blond hair was gleaming in the candlelight, and his silver-gray dress robes shimmered with each step he took. His entire outfit was understated, yet elegant, and Harry had never been more attracted to the man. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Harry announced, his voice magically enhanced to be heard over the noise of the music and conversation. “The time has come for the unmasking. Tonight, we have asked you all here as a community, to literally unmask ourselves. We also come together to figuratively unmask the dishonesty and corruption that has taken over our government. Our host, Lucius Malfoy, has been a champion of the wizarding world for many years. He has worked to save our community just as he has saved me. Tonight, I ask you to support our next Minister for Magic, Lucius Malfoy!” As Harry spoke, Lucius removed his mask, followed by Harry and the rest of their family group. The crowd followed suit, and were soon clapping and cheering their support of their newest candidate. “Thank you, Harry,” Lucius smiled at his former lover with a calculating look in his eyes before returning his attention to the people before him. “And I thank each one of you. I am gratified to feel the support of my fellow wizards and witches. I promise you on this most sacred and magical night that I will do my utmost to protect our world. But we have had enough politics for one evening. Let us spend the rest of the night enjoying the music and each other. Harry, would you care to dance?” He held out his hand to Harry expectantly while their audience clapped and the women sighed their approval. Harry started and barely kept control of his facial expression. This had not been part of the plan, but Harry could not refuse in front of all the people they were trying to convince. If Harry turned Lucius down after singing his praises so loudly, people might begin to doubt his sincerity. “Of course,” Harry replied and took Lucius’ hand. He allowed Lucius to lead him to the dance floor, where the crowds moved aside to allow them to restart the dancing. Harry made no protest when Lucius pulled him closer than was strictly appropriate. When the music began, the young wizard allowed himself to forget for just a few short minutes that Lucius was not his, that none of this was real, that Lucius had no intention of marrying him or giving him a family. For those few minutes, Harry allowed himself to feel like Cinderella at the ball, and dreamed of Happily Ever After with his very own Prince Charming. But when the music ended, and reality set back in, Harry knew that he could never have a happy ending with Lucius. “I’m sorry,” Harry managed to mutter. “I’m not feeling very well. Please excuse me.” With one last lingering look at Lucius, Harry fled the ballroom. ***** Harry rushed down the corridor, fighting to keep the tears at bay until he reached the solitude of his rooms. He couldn’t believe he had been so stupid as to let himself believe even for a minute that a future with Lucius was possible. The man had made his feelings on the matter perfectly clear. And Lucius was not a man to change his mind. He swiped at the tears that escaped against his will. His vision blurred, Harry did not see the figure waiting in the shadows of the corridor. He was not prepared to fight back when a wand was raised against him. He did not see the spell cast in his direction until it was much too late to do anything about it. “You!” Harry cried out in surprise, and then the spell hit and the world went dark.   AN: Okay, I had such a great day writing that I had to celebrate with an extra chapter! My boss was out and I spent all day writing! I finished a whole chapter! And so, as a reward for all the lovely reviews, I will reward you with another cliff hanger! **Author walks away muttering to herself, "I really must be a sadist!"** ***** Chapitre Douze ***** Author's notes: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus. This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   =============================================================================== ***** Chapitre Douze ***** Severus Snape watched Harry flee the dance floor from his own dark corner of the room. He was worried about his son, but he was becoming just as worried about his friend. Unlike Harry, he had seen Lucius’ eyes when Harry had pulled away from him earlier. And he had seen the way Lucius had been devastated by Harry’s hasty departure from the dance floor just now. Not that anyone else would recognize the signs for what they were. He allowed his eyes to follow Lucius as he swept elegantly to a side door, presumably to follow Harry. Severus pushed away from the wall, intent upon following them. “Leave them be,” Luna told him, appearing from nowhere and grasping his large hand in her delicate one. “They will need to work this out on their own. And you have not yet danced tonight.” Severus gave her a startled look. “I do not dance.” “You do now,” Luna insisted and began to drag him to the dance floor. In order to keep from being a spectacle, Severus reversed their positions, took her arm and led the young witch to the floor. As the music started, Severus took the lithe young witch into his arms and felt a flash of something he had thought dead and buried along with his beloved Lily flare back to life. In the days since his drunken indiscretion, Severus had spent considerable time with the young witch now in his arms and he had surprisingly enjoyed every minute of that time. Luna looked up into his eyes as they began to move with to the music of the waltz playing. Severus could easily get lost in those fathomless blue eyes. Luna Lovegood held the secrets of the universe behind her eyes, and suddenly Severus knew without a doubt that he wanted to spend the rest of his life discovering those secrets. “Marry me,” Severus whispered impulsively, before doubts and insecurities could settle in, before he could change his mind. He stopped dancing in the center of the dance floor and waited expectantly for her to answer. “Yes,” Luna smiled serenely. Severus wanted to laugh and swing her around in his arms, the way that he had witnessed his son do when Luna had first arrived, but his over-developed sense of decorum prevented such uncharacteristic actions. Instead, he smiled and pulled his fiancé closer and resumed the dance. ***** Harry woke slowly, his eyes bleary and unfocused. For a moment, he thought he was in his bed, but the canopy above him was not the familiar royal blue he knew so well. In fact, he was not sure where he was at all since the surface he was lying on was lumpy and uncomfortable. Harry couldn’t think of a single room in Malfoy Manor with a lumpy bed. Then it all slowly came back to him. The dance with Lucius, his flight from the ball, the figure in the corridor, and the spell cast. No, he was sure he was no longer in Malfoy Manor. Harry tried to move, but his arms and legs were secured to the posts of the narrow bed. Harry was grateful that he no longer needed his glasses, because as his head cleared so did his vision. The strange blobs of color began to take the shape of familiar objects. If he hadn’t known before who had taken him from Malfoy Manor, the bright orange uniforms on the Chudley Cannons poster would have given it away. “So, you decided to wake up then, traitor?” Ron Weasley snarled from the open doorway. ***** Lucius had wanted to follow Harry, wanted to tell him how wrong he had been, that he would give Harry everything he wanted and deserved, but his pride and his self-esteem would not allow him to make that move. So, instead of rushing after the love of his life, Lucius spent the remainder of the night in his private study swigging expensive brandy and staring at the fire. Which is where he found himself when the morning light made its way through the draperies and straight into his bloodshot eyes. He called for a house elf to bring him Severus’ special hangover cure and a pot of tea, both of which he finished before he even contemplated moving from the divan. Once he felt semi- human again, Lucius made his way to his rooms and his shower, grateful for the fact that they were not very far. By the time Lucius made his way to breakfast, it was already quite late in the morning. After the late night, however, he was not surprised to see the other inhabitants of the household still lingering over their meals. There was one obvious exception, however. “Where is Harry?” Lucius asked without preamble, not even bothering to hide his concern. Harry never missed a meal. “He’s not with you?” Severus asked, his own concern growing. Despite the blissful mood he had been in since the night before, he knew his son well enough to know that he was not one to hide from a confrontation. “I saw you leave after him last night, so when neither of you came for breakfast, we just assumed…” “He wasn’t with me,” Lucius bit out. “Has anyone seen him since last night?” Luna, Remus and Draco each denied seeing him. “Mitsy!” Lucius called one of the house elves and she soon appeared in the dining room. “Where is Master Harry? Why has he not come to breakfast?” “S-sir! Oh, Master Harry not being in the manor, sir!” Mitsy cried. “When did he leave?” Severus asked, his voice softer, yet no less intense. “We is not sensing his needs since last night,” Mitsy told them. “Is anything Mitsy can do?” She nervously twisted her tea towel in her hands and bobbed from one foot to the other, anxious that she could do something, anything, to please her humans. “Go make a fresh pot of tea,” Remus told the elf, recognising her need to do something useful. Once she was gone, he turned to the others in the room. “Where do we start looking? Even if Harry has been upset by whatever is or isn’t happening between the two of you, Lucius, he wouldn’t just leave without telling anyone. Something must have happened.” “We start with the guest list,” Luna said decisively. “We can look for anyone who might have a reason to harm Harry. If that doesn’t pan out, then we move on to those with connections to someone who might do something like this.” “Luna is correct,” Severus agreed. “And in the meantime, Harry is a very intelligent and powerful wizard; he will be able to take care of himself.” Severus wasn’t sure who he was trying to reassure with that statement, Lucius or himself, but he felt that it needed to be said. “He will be okay,” Lucius said with determination. “He must be.” ***** “Yes, I’m awake,” Harry told his former best friend. He was very careful to keep his tone and expression neutral. “Why am I here?” “They did this,” Ron all but shouted. Harry could see a mania in his eyes that had never been there before and it made him nervous. There is no predicting what a madman will do. “They turned you against us!” “Against who?” Harry asked carefully. He needed to keep Ron busy while he focused his magic on dismantling the various spells keeping him captive. “Me and Hermione!” Ron ranted. “You don’t talk to us anymore! Don’t you realize that you need us. Isn’t that right, Hermione?” Ron turned his head to ask his girlfriend—a girlfriend who was long dead buried. Definitely mad, Harry decided. “Why don’t you and Hermione untie me and we can talk about this,” Harry suggested. “Now that you’ve saved me from those awful Death Eaters, we can all be friends again, can’t we?” “I’d like that Harry, but Hermione says I can’t trust you,” Ron said slowly. “She says you’re trying to trick me. You have been with them too long and you’re tricky like they are. I have to purge the Slytherin out of you, first, and then maybe we can be friends.” “Purge?” Harry asked, getting more nervous by the second. “What will you do?” “Fire,” Ron said calmly, as if he was talking about the weather. “They use fire to purify precious metal, did you know? Hermione told me. She’s so smart, and I’m so lucky she loves me. She said fire burns away all impurities and leaves only the untainted behind. We’ll burn, then, when we are both pure, like Hermione, we can all be together again. The Golden Trio will rise from the ashes. Like Fawkes. But he’s gone now. Dumbledore took him on his adventure, I think.” “Ron, if you burn me, the house will catch fire and you could hurt everyone in the house,” Harry tried to reason with the insane man holding him at wand- point. “You could all die.” “I don’t care,” Ron told him. “If we die, we’ll all be dead together. And then I’ll be pure too. They cremated her. Hermione’s parents said that she wanted it that way. So you see, she’s ashes now. And we’ll be ashes. And we’ll all be ashes together. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Mum and Dad can be ashes too. Ashes, ashes, we all fall DOWN!” “Wait!” Harry yelled, but it was too late. “Incendio!” Harry didn’t have time to block the spell, so instead he dodged it. Leaping from the burning bed, Harry tackled Ron before the redhead could lift his wand a second time. The room was quickly being engulfed in flames, the orange Chudley Canons poster blackening with the heat of the inferno. The two wizards struggled for dominance as the flames licked higher, catching the curtain on fire. Harry could hear the ghoul in the attic rattling his chains desperately. He could feel the heat of the blaze as the rug beneath them caught light. With a last burst of adrenaline, Harry gained the upper hand and held Ron beneath him. “Fire!” Someone downstairs had noticed the smoke and flames. Harry had only seconds to do what he needed to do before sending Ron to his family out on the lawn and then Apparating himself to Malfoy Manor. He grabbed Ron by the collar and demanded, “Look at me!” ***** “The only persons of any interest on the list didn’t even show up last night!” Lucius shouted and tossed the list of guests to his desk. “This is pointless! Luna says it was a Weasley, but there were no Weasley’s on the list. I need to get out of here and do something proactive! Harry could be hurt! They could be torturing him! He could be dead for all we know!” “Shut your mouth!” Severus shouted, finally losing his own cool. “My son is…my son is not dead!” “Your son is here,” Harry smiled from the doorway, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. “And without a scratch, thank you very much.” No one pointed out the soot that covered his hands and face. “Harry!” Severus cried out and moved to embrace his son. “Thank Merlin you’re okay. I’ve been worried sick. We all have.” Harry enjoyed the comfort in his father’s arms, and happily offered his own comfort in return. He looked at the others from over his father’s shoulder. Luna was gazing fondly at both he and Severus, and Harry made a mental note to ask about that later. Draco and Remus were standing very close together, their fingers brushing every so often in a manner that entirely too casual to be accidental. Then there was Lucius, standing behind his desk and nervously shuffling papers. He could not meet Harry’s gaze. Harry had seen the blond take a single step in his direction when he first made his presence known, but Lucius had pulled himself back. So, Harry thought sadly, nothing has changed. He took a deep, bracing breath to hide his sigh. “Well, I’m fine,” Harry told his father and pulled out of the embrace. “Ron Weasley, however, will be checking into St. Mungo’s mental ward any minute now. He decided to purify us both by fire. Burnt down the Burrow, though I can’t say that was much of a loss. He was hallucinating that Hermione was still there, telling him what to do.” “What did you do?” Draco asked. “How did you get away?” “Getting away was the easy part,” Harry laughed. “It’s not that difficult to break the spells of a lunatic. Driving his mind the rest of the way over the edge without leaving a trace the mind healers would stumble across while a house is burning around your ears is another matter altogether. I left his memories of me being there, but made them appear as hallucinations; much like Hermione’s presence in his mind is now. Then I found and snapped the last tenuous connections to reality that his mind had and sent him off to his family. He’ll be completely incurable.” “Nice one,” Draco laughed. “Punishes him, and tortures his dear family.” “Why would it torture his family,” Lucius wanted to know. “They’re optimistic Gryffindorks, aren’t they?” Draco said. “They’ll spend the rest of their lives waiting and hoping for a cure, probably even blaming themselves for his breakdown.” “I hate to admit it, but he’s right,” Remus said. “Molly Weasley will spend every waking minute with her son, hoping to coax some sort of sanity out of him.” “Well, that’s two betrayers down, and the Weasley family home gone,” Severus said. “I wonder who will be the next unfortunate soul?” ***** They had an impromptu celebration over dinner that night, each one partaking in more wine and Champaign than was strictly necessary. Lucius, the most vocal in his concerns while Harry was missing, was now silent. Luna kept a watchful eye on the older wizard who was drinking more than his share of the alcohol and less than his share of the food, but Harry was watching as well. When the party broke up, and the various parties went their separate ways, Harry stayed behind. Lucius, hadn’t budged from his chair as the room had emptied. He was too busy staring into his empty wine glass, contemplating the emptiness of his life and debating whether to call an elf to refill it. The glass, not his life. His life could not be refilled so easily. “Mitsy!” Lucius called. The elf appeared and Lucius demanded more wine. “No, Mitsy.” Harry contradicted his orders. “Lucius does not need any more wine. You may go now. And tell the other elves not to answer Master Lucius’ call for the rest of the night. I will see to his needs personally.” Mitsy looked to her master, who glared at her through bleary eyes, but he did not override Harry Potter’s orders, so she disappeared with a grateful sigh. Master Lucius could be quite unreasonable when he had been drinking. “So you are going to take care of me?” Lucius sneered. “You can barely take care of yourself. I hardly need you…need you to baby-sit me.” “Good,” Harry said coolly, “as I’ve no intention of wiping up your spit-up. I’ve another way to take care of you entirely.” Harry didn’t wait for Lucius’ alcohol soaked brain to process his words before he pulled the drunk man to his feet and kissed him. The kiss was hot and domineering in a way that was new and electrifying for Harry. Slightly tipsy on wine himself, Harry became drunk with the power to dominate his reluctant lover. “We can’t…can’t do this Harry,” Lucius slurred even as he tilted his head to the side and submitted to the sucking kisses Harry was placing on his neck. Harry paused and looked into Lucius’ eyes. “We can and we will.” Without another word, he Apparated them to Lucius’ bedroom and warded the room to prevent anyone from coming—or leaving. Harry roughly pushed Lucius onto the bed and quickly covered his body with his own. “You may think you are always in control Lucius, but tonight—tonight, I’m calling all the shots.”   AN: Okay, so it's another cliffie...I'm really sorry. Seriously. I'm really not gigling madly as I write this. Really. I mean it. ***** Chapitre Treize ***** Author's notes: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus. This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   =============================================================================== ***** Chapitre Treize ***** A sober Lucius might have had a fighting chance, even with their disparate magical levels. After all, he had age and experience on his side, not to mention physical strength. But with his mind dulled and his reflexes sluggish from alcohol, Lucius was definitely at a disadvantage. And Harry had decided that he was going to use Lucius’ inebriation to his benefit. A wave of his hand had each of them completely naked. Another wave and Lucius was gagged with his hands and feet tied to the four posts of the bed. In a mimicry of the night Harry’s powers had been released, Harry conjured a brush and a pot of melted chocolate and began painting designs over Lucius’ body, then licking them off one by one. “You taste delicious, love,” Harry sighed. “You taste even better than the chocolate, and that is saying something.” Harry ran his tongue over Lucius’ ribs and up to his right nipple. Lucius moaned around the gag and Harry watched with fascination as the older man’s cock slowly filled, twitching with every flick of Harry’s tongue. “Your body wants me, doesn’t it? That was never the problem, was it? It was your mind that was the problem. You always let your brain have the final say. Well, this time, love, I’m not going to give your brain the opportunity to object. So sit back and enjoy, love. It’s all out of your hands.” Lucius groaned as Harry began to slowly stroke his cock. He couldn’t believe that his once shy lover was being so aggressive. It was arousing in the extreme. Despite Lucius’ earlier objections, he had never wanted Harry more than when he had thought he had lost him. And Harry was making his point in a way the Slytherin could admire and enjoy. He moaned again as Harry used his teeth on a particularly sensitive area of his body. Harry was lost in a haze of sexual awareness, all thoughts of ethics and morality had been left behind while he took what he wanted. Here was his fantasy spread out before him, with long muscular limbs and a beautiful cock. That these things belonged to a man Harry loved was a bonus his mind couldn’t quite wrap itself around. Harry kissed, licked and nibbled every inch of Lucius, getting as much pleasure from the act as he was giving. And Lucius was enjoying every moment of it, if the moans and grunts coming from behind his gag was any indication. Harry nibbled the older man’s toes and kissed his instep. He was surprised by the strength of the reaction Lucius gave when Harry kissed and sucked at the back of his knees. He wasn’t all that surprised when Lucius whimpered as Harry paid special attention to the juncture of his hip and thigh. From head to toe, Harry explored every part of Lucius, and then he turned him over and started on the other side. By the time Harry reached Lucius’ arse, the older man was whining and trying to writhe against the duvet for friction. Harry smacked his bum, leaving a red handprint behind. “None of that, love,” Harry scolded. “You’ll come when I say you can. And I have plans for that lovely seed that does not include spilling it on your duvet.” Harry used a spell Lucius had taught him in their sex magic lessons, one used to prevent ejaculation before the proper time. Until Harry released the spell, Lucius would not be able to come. Satisfied with his spellwork, and ignoring Lucius’ pitiful moans, Harry set about exploring his lover’s most private part. Parting the cheeks gently, Harry studied the lovely pink rosette. This, just like the rest of him, was utterly perfect and Harry’s mouth watered in anticipation. “I’m so going to enjoy this, love,” Harry told him. Then he buried his face in the cleft of Lucius arse and licked from his balls to the base of his spine in one long sensual swipe of his tongue. Lucius groaned into his gag and pushed his arse back for more. Harry chuckled at the wanton eagerness he saw displayed and decided to reward it. Circling in on that perfect pucker, Harry watched the muscles loosen and wink at him in response to his ministrations. When he finally stiffened his tongue and shoved past the outer ring of muscles, he thought they might have both died and gone to heaven. The taste, the smell, the feel of Lucius on and around him. And Lucius was screaming behind his gag, panting and moaning as well. Harry knew he needed more than just anilingus, though; so, as he continued to tease Lucius, Harry began preparing himself. His lessons with Lucius were turning out to be quite useful. Using another spell Lucius had taught him, Harry lubricated himself and stretched his own muscles. He used three fingers to make sure he was sufficiently prepared before reluctantly pulling away from Lucius’ arse and flipping him over again. Lucius’ cock stood straight up, like a monument to sex, and Harry was momentarily distracted with the need to worship and taste it once again. Using just the tip of his tongue to lap up the fluid spilling from the head, Harry tormented them both. “Mmmm,” Harry moaned as he straddled Lucius’ waist and sat back on his heals. “You are a tasty treat, love. But I told you I have plans for your seed tonight. Tonight, your seed belongs in me.” Without another word, Harry lifted himself up and guided Lucius’ cock to his own hole. With a grunt from Lucius and a groan from Harry, the head slipped past the first ring of muscles and then past the second. Harry paused there for a minute to catch his breath and to adjust to the new sensation. It was painful, and it did burn a bit, but Harry knew what was coming would make the discomfort worth it. Lucius strained against his bindings and Harry thought about releasing them, but he couldn’t take the chance Lucius would stop him before he was finished. With a deep breath, Harry allowed his weight to pull him the rest of the way down until he was seated fully on Lucius’ cock. Slowly, Harry shifted around to find the perfect angle. Leaning back slightly, he found that he could stimulate his prostate on every stroke. Harry grabbed the canopy brace above him for balance, leaned back and began a steady rhythm, up down, up down. He released Lucius’ legs and the older man began to pump his hips into Harry increasingly faster. Harry held on with one hand and used his other to reach back and finger Lucius’ hole, finding Lucius’ prostate. The added stimulation seemed to drive the man wild under him and Harry thought for a brief moment that he now knew what it would be like to ride a bucking bronco. Harry hummed as he rode his lover. There was no chanting that Lucius could recognize, but the swirl of magic that surrounded them made him sure that Harry was casting something. It was too late for him to stop it, even if he had wanted to, but the truth was, Lucius didn’t want to stop him. Harry’s magic enveloped them and electrified every place where their bodies touched. It intensified the sensations and made everything more vibrant and alive. Life magic. Lucius recognized the swirling magic in the air around them even as he recognized the sex magic that was dancing just under his skin. Harry was calling upon both magics to cast his spell. When Harry released the spell preventing his ejaculation, Lucius could hold back no longer. In seconds he was coming into his young lover, planting his seed into what he knew was fertile ground. And Harry was coming too; without a single stroke to his young cock, he was coming like a fountain over Lucius’ chest and belly. They both came down from their orgasmic highs slowly. Harry slid to the side of Lucius and waved away the bindings and gag. Lucius curled his arms around Harry and pulled the duvet over them. Together, they drifted off to sleep. ***** Sometime in the night, Harry woke up on his side, with Lucius wrapped around him and his older lover preparing him for penetration manually. Harry sighed in contentment as he moved his top leg forward and enjoyed the slow slide of Lucius’ cock as it entered and filled him. What had been hot and hurried before was now slow and leisurely. Harry closed his eyes and enjoyed each minute of their joining, knowing it would probably be their last. Once Lucius was sober and fully aware of what Harry had done…Well, Harry didn’t expect the man to forgive him, never mind love him. So for tonight he would enjoy this final bittersweet moment of happiness, and forget about tomorrow for just few more hours. ***** Harry stared at the canopy over Lucius’ bed and tried to keep his mind completely blank. It wasn’t working. Thoughts—unhappy, dark thoughts—kept creeping in. He had forced Lucius to have sex with him. He had taken what he wanted with little to no thought of Lucius’ wants or feelings. No, it was worse than that; he had raped him. Rape. He was a rapist. Harry leaned over the side of the bed and vomited. When his stomach was completely empty and the bile had thoroughly burned his throat and nostrils, his stomach finally slowed its unremitting spasms. Weakly, he waved his hand and the mess disappeared, but his troubling thoughts did not. Lucius shifted in his sleep, curling up closer to Harry’s side. Harry wanted to scream at him to get away. Didn’t he know what Harry was? What kind of monster does that to someone he claims to love? Harry refused to consider the answer to that question. Instead, Harry rose from the bed, carefully stretching his aching muscles, and quietly put his clothes back on. Lucius hadn’t wanted him before; he certainly wouldn’t want him around after this. He would leave, he decided, before Lucius sobered up and threw him out. He knew that he deserved to face Lucius’ wrath, but he just wasn’t sure he was strong enough to do so right now. One last look at Lucius showed the older wizard was reaching out for Harry in his sleep. Harry almost went to him, but Lucius found a pillow and curled up with that instead. Harry shook his head and closed the door sadly. Harry snuck down the hallway to his own set of rooms and quickly packed everything he owned into his trunk. He slipped a note under Severus’ door before heading to the front hall. The sky was still dark, the deep indigo blue it becomes just before dawn. There was an optimism in the morning air that Harry could not feel in his own heart. With a single tear falling from his eye, Harry closed the door and Apparated away. ***** Lucius woke up in bed alone. He had thought that he and Harry might make love again before breakfast. In fact, he had been counting on having Harry bugger him silly. He’d been aching to be filled since Harry had tormented him last night with that wicked tongue of his. Not that having Harry finger him while riding Lucius was anything but exceptional. Nor would he trade a second of their slow and leisurely lovemaking in the wee hours of the morning. But he had wanted to be fucked. With a sigh, and an inappropriate amount of optimism, Lucius went to his bathroom to relieve his bladder and hopefully find Harry. He was sorely disappointed to find the room empty. After relieving himself, Lucius pulled on his dressing gown and walked quietly to Harry’s rooms. After a quick knock on the door, he let himself in. “Harry?” Lucius looked around the room, peeked in the bathroom, and walked over to the dresser. Something was wrong. That’s when he noticed Harry’s things were no longer cluttering up his room. There were no socks on the floor. His brush was missing. Lucius opened and shut drawers in the dresser, slammed open the wardrobe door, and found absolutely nothing to indicate that Harry had ever been there at all. He had just gotten Harry back, and now… “Harry!” Lucius shouted on his way to the front of the house. He ran from room to room, looking for his erstwhile lover. He was getting scared, and when Lucius Malfoy was scared, he got angry. “Where the hell is he?” Lucius shouted as stalked down another hall to Severus’ room. “Where is he, Severus? That idiot son of yours—!” “That idiot son of mine has run away,” Severus interrupted. He handed his stunned friend the note Harry had left behind. Dear Father, I am so sorry. What I have done is unforgivable. Lucius will probably hate me for the rest of his life and he has every right. Do not defend me; I don’t deserve your defense. I’m leaving because I cannot imagine facing Lucius’ disgust every time he sees me. I have not abandoned our cause, but we will need to make modifications to the plan. Give me time and I will be in touch. If Lucius asks, tell him…tell him I’m sorry, so sorry. I love him Father, but I hurt him. All my love, Harry “So what has my idiot son done that has him running for cover?” Severus asked when a speechless Lucius looked up from the parchment. “He…he…” Lucius couldn’t say it. It wasn’t the truth, not the whole truth, at any rate. “Severus, Harry has to be found, his health may be in danger.” “What the hell are you talking about?” Severus snarled. He was already worried about his son, but once again Lucius had to make matters worse. “His body will be changing, that I’m sure of,” Lucius muttered to himself, still staring at the parchment in his hand. “It was powerful magic, and the consequences…I’m sure it will be painful. And he’s obviously not thinking clearly…He’ll be vulnerable…” “Lucius!” Severus shouted, interrupting his friend’s rambling. “What are you talking about?” “I think Harry’s pregnant with my child.”   AN: Well, there is another chapter finished. And another minor cliffhanger. It's just a little one. And I promise the next chapter is totally cliff-free. At least I gave you some down and dirty smex. ;) ***** Chapitre Quatorze ***** Author's notes: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus. This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   =============================================================================== ***** Chapitre Quatorze ***** It was eight o’clock in the morning, much too early to be imbibing, but Severus suddenly needed a drink very badly. “Lucius,” Severus said in a deceptively calm and quiet tone, “perhaps we could discuss this in your study. Where there are numerous decanters of alcohol, preferably.” Lucius nodded and led the way to his private study. He gestured for Severus to sit while he nervously poured two very large tumblers of scotch. “I’m sorry that I don’t have anything better than 12 year old Talisker. My Dalmore seems to have disappeared.” “Bloody hell, Malfoy,” Severus swore and took a swallow from the drink Lucius handed him. “You tell me my son might be pregnant and you’re worried about scotch? I drank the bloody Dalmore because you were fucking around with my son. Get over it! And tell me, what the hell leads you to believe that you got my son up the duff anyway? Were you slipping him potions behind my back? Does he know?” “I was not slipping him potions!” Lucius denied indignantly. “I’m sure Harry told you the reason we broke up. If I walked away from the man I love because I didn’t feel like I could give him a family, why would I turn around and trick him into becoming pregnant? Use your head man!” “The note,” Severus said as he worked things out in his own head. “He forced the issue and…but how could he become pregnant if he didn’t take a potion?” “Did you ever tell him a potion was necessary?” Lucius asked. “I certainly didn’t. Harry believed it was possible, and with as strong as he is in Life Magic and Sex Magic…” “He wanted it enough that he simply made it happen,” Severus sighed and drank down the rest of his scotch. He rose and retrieved the bottle, pouring more in each of their glasses before resuming his seat. “He thinks he forced me against my will,” Lucius told his oldest friend. “That’s why he left, I’m sure of it.” “Did he?” Severus asked quietly, unsure if he wanted to know the answer. “I was drunk when he overpowered me and bound me to the bed,” Lucius admitted. “I can’t say I would have chosen for it to happen the way it did, nor would I have wanted him to be pregnant so soon, but after everything that happened with Weasley, I had already decided I couldn’t live without him. I would give him anything to get him back.” “You’re an ass,” Severus told him. “But it seems Harry loves you. So much so that he has acted completely out of character and is now torturing himself with the consequences.” “Where could he have gone?” Lucius asked. “I have to find him. Explain. He thinks I don’t love him.” “When he ran away from home his third year at Hogwarts, he went to the Leaky Cauldron,” Severus shrugged. “With Grimmauld Place and the Burrow both out of the picture, I don’t think he knows anywhere else to go.” “Then what are we waiting for?” Lucius asked, rising to his feet and dragging Severus with him. He was determined to find his wayward lover and bring him home. ***** Severus commanded the attention of the sleepy barman as soon as he walked through the door. “Tom, I was wondering—.” “He’s in room eleven,” the hunchbacked barman yawned. “Looked terrible when he came in.” He dug through a pocket and handed Severus the key he found there. “Take him home and take care of the poor boy.” “We will,” Lucius promised. “Thank you.” Severus and Lucius took the stairs two at a time and quickly found room eleven. Without bothering to knock first, Severus used the key Tom had given him and swung the door wide open. There was an unnatural silence in the room as both men’s eyes were drawn to the writhing body on the bed. Harry had obviously cast a silencing charm around the bed, because his mouth was open in a silent scream as his body jerked and twisted in evident pain. “You brought the pain potion?” Lucius asked even as he was moving toward the bed. “I’ll need your help getting him to drink it,” Severus replied, his eyes focused on his son. As he passed through the silencing barrier, Harry’s screams were enough to rip his heart out. “Harry. Harry! I’m going to help you, but you need to drink this potion.” “Can’t, no potions!” Harry shouted back, panting and whimpering with the pain. “It hurts so much!” “Hold him Lucius,” Severus instructed. “Harry, this potion is safe for you and…for you and the baby. You have to drink it. Lucius, help him hold his head up.” Soon, Lucius was sitting behind Harry on the bed, holding him up against his chest. He could feel Harry’s entire body trembling and tense with the pain that he was experiencing. Lucius knew Harry’s jaw would be too tense to allow him to open it properly, so he gently pried it apart with one hand while rubbing soothing circles on Harry’s chest. As soon as Harry relaxed enough to swallow the potion, Severus poured it in the younger man’s mouth. A few coughs and splutters ensued, but within seconds, Harry’s body released the pent up tension and he fell into a comfortable sleep. “Let’s take him home,” Severus sighed, sitting wearily on the side of the bed. Lucius, reluctant to let him go now that Harry was back in his arms, agreed. ***** Harry came to consciousness slowly. His whole body ached, the type of soreness that came after a long bout of Cruciatus. He blinked his eyes slowly and the first thing he saw was his father. The older wizard was slumped in a wing chair right beside Harry’s bed. Then he noticed the strong arm around his waist holding him tight against a firm male body he assumed was Lucius. His last clear memory had been of a searing, burning pain cutting through his abdomen. He had just barely made it to the bed in his room at the Leaky Cauldron before collapsing. After that, everything was a bit foggy. He did recall glimpses of his father and Lucius, which explained why he was back in his room at the manor, instead of alone in London. Harry closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them a gain, Luna was sitting on the bed beside him and enclosing them in a silencing bubble. “I’m glad you are awake,” Luna told him, “but I didn’t want to wake those two. They have both been out of their minds with worry since they found you missing. You did a very stupid thing Harry.” “I know,” Harry sighed. “But why…why is Lucius here? I thought…” “You thought he would hate you?” Luna finished for him. “I doubt there is anything you could do that would make him hate you.” “But I took his choice away,” Harry said. “I didn’t give him a choice about...having sex with me…and I didn’t give him a choice about being a father again.” “And yet he’s here with you,” Luna smiled. “It must mean something, don’t you think?” “So what should I do?” Harry asked. “Beg for forgiveness,” Luna suggested. “Then use your delicate condition to get sympathy from both your father and Lucius. And check your hair for glengoyles. They make people do really brainless things.” Harry chuckled at that, but soon sobered again. “What happened? Why was I in so much pain?” “When you used your considerable power to override the laws of nature, there was an inevitable backlash,” Luna explained. When Harry still looked lost, she explained, “Your body was not made to carry a child. In order for the magic to work, your body had to undergo drastic changes. When a wizard uses potions to sustain a pregnancy, the potions work slowly, changing the body over a period of weeks. Your magic forced the changes in a matter of hours to accommodate the child you created. So what should have been a mild discomfort was excruciating pain. Rather dim-witted of you really.” “Yeah,” Harry moaned. “And now I’m going to have to hear about it from everyone.” “Not everyone,” Luna said. “At least not right away. Draco and Remus have gone to France for a week to do research at the Bibliothèque Nationale de Magie. It has the largest collection of international political and legal tomes in the world. Remus is concerned that when we take over the Ministry that the other governments of the world might object, creating an international problem. He want’s to be prepared before we disband the Wizengamut.” “So, we’re that close to being ready for the takeover?” Harry asked, getting excited now. “We are,” Luna confirmed. “We just need to get Lucius elected to office and everything else should fall into place.” “Harry?” Lucius’ groggy voice broke through the silencing bubble, so Luna ended the spell. “Lucius,” Harry responded, turning in the other man’s arms so that he could see his face. “You stupid, stupid, beautiful boy,” Lucius sobbed, and kissed Harry breathless. “Hey!” Severus’ voice broke through their reunion and Harry reluctantly pulled away. “Lucius, my son has just spent three days in a healing sleep. I do not believe that sucking all the air out of his lungs will be beneficial to his recovery.” “It’s beneficial to my sanity,” Lucius retorted, loosening his hold on Harry slightly. “Your sanity is not my concern,” Severus snarked back. “Severus, dear,” Luna interrupted before Lucius could rejoin. “I do believe that Harry and Lucius could use a few minutes to themselves.” “Luna, I do not think—.” “Severus,” Luna said, giving Harry’s father a look the young wizard couldn’t interpret, but one to which his father surprisingly responded. “Fine,” Severus huffed. “Luna and I shall return momentarily with a tray of tea and toast, as well as Harry’s next round of potions.” Harry sat up against the headboard and waited nervously for the door to close before he looked at Lucius again. “Luna said I should beg for forgiveness.” “Did she?” Lucius asked, holding his emotions in check. “I’m so sorry, Lucius,” Harry cried, his tears falling unchecked to the duvet across his lap. “For what are you apologizing?” Lucius asked. “I would just like clarification.” Harry gave hiccoughing laugh and swiped at his eyes. “For everything. For...for attacking you like that, for not giving you a choice…for forcing you into fatherhood again…for everything.” “First of all,” Lucius told his lover. “If you had not gagged me, or if you had bothered to use Legilimency on me, you would have known that I was not objecting at all to anything you did that night. In fact, I rather enjoyed being tied up like that and letting you take charge. It was quite erotic. As for the baby…well, I can’t say that if you had asked for my permission that my answer would have been yes.” Harry’s face fell with those words. “But not for the reasons you are imagining. We are in the middle of a war, Harry, and you are a key player. This is a dangerous time. And the fact that you used an untried and risky method to conceive is a point against this plan as well. “Having said that,” Lucius continued, “I am not nearly as averse to the idea of being a father again as I would have thought. In fact, I cannot wait to see your belly all swollen and rounded with my child. I look forward to feeling my child move within you. I keep imagining what our child will look like, what his or her personality will be like. So, while this may complicate matters a bit, I am not unhappy with the outcome.” “Truly?” Harry asked, not entirely believing that Lucius could be so forgiving. “You’re not angry with me?” “Oh, I’m angry with you,” Lucius said sternly. “You, idiot boy, ran away from me and put your life in danger. What were you thinking?” “That you couldn’t possibly love me anymore,” Harry said. “And I didn’t know that the spell would cause that reaction. How long was I out, anyway?” “Three days,” Lucius told him. “You probably would have awoken sooner, but Severus insisted that you should be put into a healing sleep or else you would never stay still long enough to let your body heal.” “So…” “Go ahead and ask,” Lucius told him. “So, does this mean that we can…be together again?” Harry asked shyly. “Do you still love me?” “Yes, I still love you,” Lucius told Harry, pulling the younger man into his arms. He kissed him then, expressing all of his emotions in that one act. “And I’m hoping that you’ll marry me.” “Marry?” Harry gasped. “Marry? You wanna…? Me?” “Yes, you!” Lucius chuckled. He gently set Harry away from him and climbed down from the bed. Kneeling in front of Harry, Lucius dug for something in his trouser pocket and held out the velvet box to Harry. “Harry James Potter, will you do me the honor of marrying me, bonding your magic to mine, and creating a family with me?” “Yes, yes, and already did that,” Harry laughed as happy tears flowed down his cheeks. He took the box and opened it to find a ring with the Malfoy crest and a large emerald. Lucius took the ring and put it on Harry’s left hand. “It’s beautiful, Lucius.” “Not as beautiful as you.” When Severus and Luna returned to the room, it was to find the newly engaged couple snogging rather enthusiastically on the bed. “Hey,” Severus shouted, slightly disgruntled. “I thought I told you to keep your hands off my son!” “You may have,” Lucius responded, his mirth-filled eyes still on Harry. “But you never said anything about kissing my fiancé.” “Your…!” “Hey,” Harry interrupted before his father could start to rant. “What was all that with you two earlier? Something I should know about?” Severus, a man notorious for his ability to hide his true feelings behind a mask of contempt, blushed like a schoolgirl. He was thrown completely off balance. “I…We…I…That is to say…” Luna laughed at her intended’s discomfort and spoke up. “We’re engaged. Severus asked me last week, at the Halloween Ball.” Both Harry and Lucius were shocked into silence for a few long moments before Lucius began to laugh. “Severus, you sly dog! Congratulations!” “Hey, Luna’s younger than I am!” Harry objected. “And Lucius is older than me,” Severus retorted, finally pulling himself together. “Oh, yeah…right.” Harry’s argument was quickly deflected and he turned a happy smile on the other couple. “Well, congratulations then!” “What is it with us?” Lucius asked with a chuckle. “Has someone spiked the drinking water?” “No,” Luna responded in all seriousness. “I checked. But I would not be surprised if Remus and Draco are engaged by the time they return.”   AN: Look at that! No cliffie!   ***** Chapitre Quinze ***** Author's notes: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus.   =============================================================================== ***** Chapitre Quinze ***** Remus and Draco were not, in fact, engaged upon their return from the Malfoy estate on the French Riviera. They were, however, nicely tanned, with no visible tan lines; moreover their one week of research had miraculously extended into three. The two wizards were surprised to find that while they had been away much of the family’s plotting and training had been temporarily set aside in favor of preparations of another sort. Indeed, wedding plans were well underway for Lord Malfoy and his young lover. “What’s the rush with you and Harry?” Draco wanted to know when confronted with the flurry of activity that was taking place in his father’s study. As he spoke, several glances were exchanged, and a mass exodus ensued, soon leaving father and son in privacy. “Severus and Luna are waiting until the summer, aren’t they?” “They are waiting the traditional nine months,” Lucius agreed, “but they aren’t expecting a child.” He gave a surreptitious glance at his son, while pretending to peruse the sample menus presented by the caterer. Draco sat heavily in the seat in front of his father’s desk and let out a gust of air. “A child?” Other than a curt nod of confirmation, Lucius didn’t respond. He knew Draco, and he recognized the younger man’s need to process the information before deciding how to react. In fact, they sat in silence for almost five minutes before Draco sat up straight in his chair and looked directly at his father. Lucius set aside the menus and gave Draco his full attention. “Congratulations,” Draco said with a small, secretive smile. “I always wanted a brother or sister to corrupt. I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting one this late in life, or from a male step-mother, but c’est la vie.” “Draco, are you truly okay with all of this? Harry, the baby…it’s a lot of change in a short period,” Lucius said. “Even I’m having trouble keeping up at times.” Draco shook his head and smile ruefully. “It is a massive change, but if Harry makes you happy, then I’m all for it. Father, I know you were not happy with mother, but you have been happy with Harry. You light up when he enters the room, and you were a shell of yourself when you two were apart. As for this child…well, I meant it when I said I have always wanted a sibling.” Lucius nodded in acceptance of this, but his face still looked strained and rather pensive. After a moment he voiced his concern. “Draco, I have not been the best father to you…” “Stop right there,” Draco interrupted. “You have been an outstanding father. I have always known that you loved me. And you have always done what you thought was best for our family.” “But I was wrong,” Lucius said. “I was swayed by the need to prove our superiority and almost destroyed our family.” “You made a mistake,” Draco conceded. “But you are now working to correct that mistake.” He paused to gather his thoughts once more before continuing, “You will be a wonderful father to this child. Not in spite of your past, but because of it. And because Harry will not allow you to be otherwise.” Lucius chuckled, his burdens now lighter, “Yes, he certainly will. He’s already riding roughshod over this wedding. I told him small and simple, but he won’t hear of it. He said, and I quote ‘We are not going to hide our happiness from the world! Our wedding is not some dirty little secret, even if I did get knocked up first. We will have the wedding of the century, and no one will question that this is a love match.’” “He’s right,” Draco told his father. “If we don’t do this just right, the press will turn this into a scandal. ‘Suspected Death Eater weds Boy Who Lived in a Secret Ceremony…What is this candidate for Minster hiding?’” “I know,” Lucius sighed. “Which is why I’m in here trying to decide whether we should serve salmon or tilapia, chicken or guinea fowl, beef Wellington or roast beef. And that doesn’t even begin to cover the side dishes, cocktail buffet, drinks, or desserts—because not everyone will want cake.” “Okay,” Draco said, settling in to help his father. “I would skip the tilapia and the salmon and go with sea bass for the seafood option. And pheasant is always a good bet. As for the beef, we are British. Beef Wellington is the only way to go. Now, what side dishes are you looking at?” ***** “A Christmas Eve wedding is very romantic,” Luna told Harry dreamily as they sorted through bolts of fabric, searching for the perfect material to create Harry’s wedding robes. “It wasn’t just the romance we were considering when we chose the date,” Harry admitted. “The fact that the election is only two weeks after played a large part of that decision. After all, what better positive publicity is there than a huge wedding? Especially one with the Chosen One at center stage.” “But having it in the garden, with the snow all around…” Luna smiled. “It will be beautiful.” “Yeah, it will,” Harry agreed. “Now, what do you think of these fabrics together?” Harry held up a bolt of icy blue velvet and a bolt of blue brocade in a slightly darker shade. “I was thinking of doing the outer robe in the velvet, with the brocade for the waistcoat.” “Hmm,” Luna considered the fabrics, touching each one in turn. “If you wear white breeches and trim the robe in white fur, I think this will be absolutely splendid. You’ll be a handsome snow prince. And if we use the same materials, only with silver velvet and gray brocade for Lucius, I think you will be an unbelievably stunning couple.” “Yes,” Harry smiled. “I think you are right. I’ll let the tailor know this afternoon. Well, that’s one item off today’s list. I’ve a meeting to choose flowers and go over the decorations and seating arrangements with the wedding planner at half one. Then the baker is stopping by to meet with me and Lucius so we can choose a wedding cake. After that, we meet with the tailor for our initial fittings.” “You are quite busy,” Luna said. “I hope you aren’t doing too much. You look a bit peaked.” Harry gave her a wry grin. “This baby has been a bundle of trouble already. First the debilitating pain from the transformation, and now, morning sickness. I’ve been up with the sun every morning this week emptying my stomach. I count myself lucky, though, since it only lasts as long as it takes me to get some tea and toast. By lunch time, I’m right as rain again.” “Does Lucius know?” Luna asked pointedly. Harry looked a bit sheepish. “Yes, he does now. I didn’t want to bother him with it, since this is really all my fault, but he found me this morning and let me know how dumb I was being. He asked Father to brew an anti-nausea potion for me, so tomorrow should be better. The exhaustion, on the other hand…well, there isn’t much that can be done for that. Healer Bledsoe says that my body is using a lot of energy and magic to sustain the pregnancy, and the only cure for the fatigue that causes is rest. So I’ve been napping a bit each day.” Harry turned and gazed directly at his soon to be stepmother. “And how are you and Father doing?” Luna actually blushed. “He’s…Are you sure you want to hear this?” Harry chuckled. “Yes, it’s fine. Unlike Draco, I didn’t grow up with my Father. I do know he has a libido and it doesn’t bother me to hear about it.” “Yes, well, you couldn’t prove his libido by me,” Luna grumbled in a very uncharacteristic and earthy way. “He’s being very proper and wants to wait for the wedding.” “Yeah, I’m familiar with the misguided nobility of the older generation in this house,” Harry said dryly. “I don’t want to force the issue,” Luna said, casting an apologetic glance at Harry. “But, Merlin’s beard! I’m seventeen! I have needs!” “Maybe he thinks you are too young,” Harry suggested. “I’m the same age Lily was when she got pregnant with you,” Luna pointed out. “I’m only two months younger than you, and you’re pregnant already. And…and you aren’t the one I need to convince.” “Nope,” Harry grinned. “But you were rather convincing in my opinion. You really should talk to him about how you feel, though I might leave my name out of it. And don’t mention anyone getting pregnant; it might backfire on you. He may seem like the most stubborn man in existence, but it just takes him a while to believe he’s worthy of whatever happiness comes his way. So, state your case and let him mull it over. He’ll come around in his own time.” “You are right,” Luna nodded thoughtfully. “And maybe I’ll make a string of radishes for him to wear. They help keep negative thoughts away.” “I’m sure if you present him with a string of radishes that his thoughts will become amazingly positive,” Harry laughed and hugged his friend. ***** As the wedding drew closer, Harry’s health once again became the focus of Lucius and Severus’ worries. Harry, completely oblivious to their concerns, carried on with the wedding preparations, though he took more frequent naps and slept later each morning. Although the doctor had said he would feel a drain on his magic, Harry never noticed a significant difference, so he kept going as much as his body would allow. By mid-December, however, Lucius was becoming seriously anxious, and Severus was right there with him. Harry was surprised when Lucius and Severus both insisted on being present for Harry’s prenatal check up three days before the wedding, but didn’t see any reason to refuse. So, as Harry happily let the healer run his tests, with the occasional uncomfortable poke from the man’s wand, Lucius and Severus looked on anxiously. “Well, then,” Healer Bledsoe said after he had finished his tests. “It looks like you and the young one are doing just fine. You are a bit anemic, so I’ll go over the modifications your father will need to make to your potion with him after we are finished here. Other than that, you are perfectly healthy.” “But Healer,” Lucius interjected, “Harry has been sleeping so much! And the morning sickness…it can’t be normal to be that ill every day! And the crying! I found him weeping over a magazine advertisement this morning! That’s not normal.” “Mister Malfoy—,” the healer began, and then paused to adjust his expression into one of professional detachment. “Mister Malfoy, all of the symptoms you have described are perfectly normal for a pregnant person, whether witch or wizard.” “Lucius, I’ve told you this,” Harry said with exasperation. “I’m fine. I just get tired in the afternoons.” “Harry’s body is working very hard right now,” Healer Bledsoe explained. “Not only is he creating a new life, but his body must sustain that life by working extra hard. He’s eating and digesting for two. His immune system is working for two. Every function his body normally performs must now be performed for two beings. Even his magic is working overtime—though with his magical levels, I doubt it has had a noticeable effect. It is no wonder he gets a little tired in the afternoons, or has an hormonal outburst. As for the morning sickness, Harry has actually been very lucky that it isn’t worse. Some patients experience nausea all day every day for months.” “But isn’t there anything I can do to make things better?” Lucius demanded, unsure how to respond to what the healer was telling him. “Yes,” Bledsoe smiled, and patted Lucius on the shoulder. “When the cravings hit, be prepared and be willing to get him whatever he wants. Other than that, just be patient with Harry and with yourself.” “And lay off the overprotective nonsense,” Harry admonished, glaring at his fiancé and father. “Both of you. I’m perfectly fine to continue training.” “As a matter of fact, training is good for both Harry and the baby,” Bledsoe told them. “Just avoid any debilitating curses if you are dueling. And Harry should pay attention to his body; it will let him know when it’s time to stop.” “And he’ll be safe, even if we are training Harry in Higher Magics?” Severus asked for clarification. “I would avoid using an abundance of dark magic around Harry, however the occasional spell or curse shouldn’t do much harm,” Bledsoe conceded. “Other than that, he should be fine. And you have my floo if anything should come up. Now Mister Snape, about that potion…” Bledsoe left, taking Severus with him and leaving Harry and Lucius alone in Harry’s bedroom. Harry stared at Lucius for long minutes waiting for the older wizard to process everything. “So vigorous exercise is permitted,” Lucius confirmed. “Yes,” Harry smiled, knowing just where Lucius’ mind was headed. “So I won’t hurt you or the baby if I, for instance, decided to fuck you hard up against the shower wall?” Lucius was purring in Harry’s ear and Harry’s body was responding predictably. “Or if I put that big blue dildo in you before I paddled you beautiful bum? Or if I—.” “Fuck, Lucius,” Harry groaned. “I don’t care what you do, but you had better do it to me now!” “Hmmm,” Lucius pretended to consider Harry’s demand. “Well, the healer did say I should indulge your cravings.” “Right now, I’m craving your cock,” Harry told him as he removed the dressing gown he had been wearing for the examination. He brushed his lips to Lucius’ ear and whispered in a hoarse, needy voice, “I’m craving your cock pounding hard into my hungry arse. Are you going to fulfill my need?” “Your every wish is my command,” Lucius groaned. Harry had moved to display his eager and taut young body on the bed. In seconds, Lucius had shed his own clothes and joined him there. It was a hot fast ride, one that was laced with passion and desire. For once, Lucius forgot to be totally careful and Harry forgot everything but the feeling of fullness, completion and the throbbing ecstasy of having Lucius inside of him. There was biting and licking and thrusting and fucking. It was wild and joyous and free from fear of the past or future. And when they came, each man felt their love reconnect stronger than before. “Did I hurt you?” Lucius asked, still panting as he pulled out of his young lover. Harry tried not to wince, but the sex had been vigorous and he was now paying the consequences of their zeal. “I did. I’m so sorry. I’ll get a healing salve and then the doctor can come back…” “I’m fine, Lucius,” Harry sighed. “Seriously. I’m just a bit tender. The healing salve would be appreciated, but the doctor can stay where he is. A little sex is not enough to keep me or our baby down. Lucius, you have got to stop this incessant worrying. It really isn’t very attractive. And showing so much emotion is totally out of place on a Malfoy.” Lucius looked totally taken aback by this. Had he been overdoing the doting spouse thing? He had thought Harry would prefer that he be involved in the pregnancy, but perhaps he should back off just a bit. He could still worry, he would simply do it in the privacy of his own mind and keep his concerns to himself. “I apologize if I was overzealous in my concern for your welfare,” Lucius said, his formal tone totally out of place in their current situation, sweaty, naked and covered in Harry’s come. “I shall endeavor to keep my overactive imagination to myself in the future.” Harry sighed as he felt Lucius pull away from him, if not physically then emotionally. He hadn’t meant to hurt Lucius’ feelings, or to drive him away. He had simply wanted a bit of breathing room. Harry waved his hand over their bodies and the excess fluids disappeared, another wave and they were covered by the duvet. Harry’s last thought before drifting off for his afternoon nap was: Well, at least he’ll stop hovering quite so much.   AN: I've given you the gift of an extra chapter this week. Just because I love you all. And because I've had a particularly good week. Cookies and Fruit baskets are welcomed. Any guesses as to why 9 months is the traditional period of engagement in wizarding betrothals? ***** Chapitre Seize ***** Author's notes: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus.   =============================================================================== ***** Chapitre Seize ***** Every witch and wizard of good standing in Britain, or so it seemed, had gathered in the Malfoy gardens for the wedding of the century. In actuality, Harry had limited the guest list to only five hundred of the country’s most influential and powerful people, including Hogwarts school governors, ministry officials, international politicians, wizarding celebrities and the business elite—along with a handful of the more respectable Death Eaters of Lucius and Severus’ acquaintance. The elves had outdone themselves creating a winter wonderland. The mild winters of Wiltshire had been overridden by elf magic and the garden was now covered in a pristine layer of snow and decorated with crystalline ice sculptures. There were white roses and white silk ribbons adorning the rows of chairs and the posts of the canopy where Harry and Lucius would exchange their vows. The canopy itself was made from layers of the sheerest white gauze, draped from the peak and allowed to billow in the breeze, and the posts were made from white birch trees. The guests were all wearing their finest white winter robes and cloaks, but they all seemed to fade in comparison to Harry and Lucius. When the two grooms made their way down the aisle to the music of the fairies, every eyes was on them and every breath was held. They were the embodiment of winter, the Prince of Snow and the King of Frost come to life. They brought color to a monochromatic world, silver and blue on a field of white. The ministry representative took them through their vows, cast the appropriate spells, then Draco and Severus, as the honored witnesses, cast their own spells of blessing on the union. Rings were exchanged in honor of Harry’s Muggle upbringing, then bonding bracelets. They ended the ceremony with a kiss to seal their vows. As they made their way back down the aisle, the guests had their opportunity to cast blessings upon the couple. Once they were through the gauntlet of people and in a private nook, Harry leaned to his new husband and whispered, “I had to keep reminding myself not to hex them all. That was not a very comfortable exit.” “It is tradition,” Lucius explained, though he knew that Harry had researched all of the wizarding wedding traditions. “The assumption is you would only invite those closest to you, those you can trust, to share in your wedding. Of course that has changed in recent centuries. Now we have special spell blocking wards. The guest could not cast anything but blessings. Now, put your smile on; we have to greet all of these guests you insisted upon inviting.” Harry groaned. “The receiving line. Ugh. Okay, I’ll smile and make nice, but you have to promise me two pieces of cake when we’re finished. Big pieces. And a foot rub before bed tonight. My ankles are already swelling.” Lucius kissed his new husband and smiled. “Anything for you, Mister Malfoy.” Harry grinned and kissed his husband with a bit more zeal. “I do like the sound of that.” ***** There was dancing and Champaign and more food than Harry could remember seeing in one place in his life—which was saying a lot since that included the Welcoming feasts at Hogwarts—before the couple was finally able to cut the cake and Harry got his promised two pieces. In fact, the grooms took respite in a shady corner while Harry indulged and Lucius rubbed his husband’s sore feet. Soon Draco and Remus had found their way over and settled in to share the bottle of Dalmore ’67 that Draco had tracked down just for this occasion. Before they had the first glass poured, Severus and Luna had joined them. “Mmmm, this is good stuff,” Lucius sighed after savoring his first taste of the expensive whisky. “Thank you, son.” “Mmm, not as good as this cake,” Harry pointed out. He was the only one not partaking in the alcohol, but he was buzzing a bit on a sugar high. He had insisted on trying each and every one of the desserts the caterer had provided. “Your sweet tooth has gotten out of control since…”Severus did not continue his sentence. Even after several glasses of Champaign and a bit of whisky, they all knew better than to mention the baby where nosy-nellies could overhear. They were saving that announcement for after the election. After all, the wizarding world was, in some ways, still very antiquated in its ideas; there were some who would condemn them for getting pregnant before getting married. “Yes, well, I never was allowed sweets when I was younger,” Harry pouted, playing on his father’s sympathies. “And you shall have everything your heart desires from now on,” Lucius promised. “Within reason,” Remus corrected. “Neither of you would like the limitations gestational diabetes can impose on an expecting…shite. I’m sorry.” “It’s fine, I don’t think anyone heard,” Harry assured his godfather. “And you are right. Moderation is the key, according to my healer. But he also said that one night of indulgence shouldn’t be harmful.” “And now, let us move on to other, safer topics,” Draco drawled. “How soon before we can kick these leeches off of our property? While celebrating my father’s nuptials has been fun, I’m ready for bed.” “Then go to bed,” Harry told him. “We’ll be doing our formal exit in the next few minutes. After that, everyone should start going home. And even if they don’t you are not obliged to stay to the end.” “You’ll stay until Harry and Lucius leave,” Remus said in a drunken whisper, loud enough for everyone in their party to hear clearly. “Then I want you naked and spread out on my bed, waiting for me. And use that new toy I bought you.” Draco, who had drunk far less than Remus, was mortified. And oddly turned on by his humiliation. “Yes, sir,” he replied with a fierce blush on his cheeks. “Perhaps we should retire as well?” Luna asked Severus, a look of hopeful expectation in her luminous eyes. Severus, whose barriers were weak already where Luna was concerned, was hopeless lost while in his cups. “Of course,” Severus agreed, his eyes filled with the heat of passion he had been denying for weeks. Harry smiled at his family, each of whom was pairing off, “It looks like we won’t be the only ones on honeymoon tonight, love.” “Perhaps not,” Lucius agreed, “but we are the only ones who still have to run another gauntlet, this time with people armed with bird seeds on every side.” Harry groaned. “Well, best get to it then. Otherwise we’ll never get to the great sex.” ***** It was a good plan, and it almost worked. Harry and Lucius ran through the crowd of well-wishers as they pelted the couple with bird seed. Then Lucius swung Harry up into his arms and carried Harry across the threshold of the Manor. Soon the guests were milling about, saying their farewells, before Apparating away. Glad to finally be alone, Remus chased Draco through the French doors which led into the green salon, and ended up toppling over into an ungainly heap when Draco stopped rather abruptly. “Draco,” Remus whined in his drunken stupor. “Why’d ya go and stop like that?” “Because the Dark Lord is sitting on our sofa,” Draco replied, his voice tinged with fear and dread. Remus gasped and looked to where Draco’s eyes were glued. Both men sobered up remarkably quickly when faced with the unexpected sight of Lord Voldemort. They scrambled to their knees and sketched a respectful bow. “I have come to offer my congratulations,” Voldemort hissed. “Where is your father and his new bride?” “Um…I’m not sure,” Draco said. “Why don’t Remus and I go look for them?” “No, I don’t think so,” Voldemort said. “I think a house elf can find them. Call one now, boy.” Remus had to hold back a possessive snarl; Draco was his boy, not Voldemort’s. Draco pinched him, and Remus regained his control. Just then Toodles appeared and Draco gave instructions for the elf to alert his father, Harry, and Severus that the Dark Lord had arrived and was awaiting them in the green salon. “You’ve taken up with the werewolf,” Voldemort commented as they all waited. “I thought you had better taste than that, young Malfoy. I do hope you at least keep him on a leash.” “Yes, my Lord,” Draco mumbled awkwardly. “My son has tamed the wolf,” Lucius declared as he and Harry entered the room. Lucius bowed low, then Harry followed suit. “Welcome to my home, my Lord. You honor us with your presence on this happiest of days.” “Yes, yes, you always use the prettiest words, Lucius,” Voldemort simpered. “But enough of that, introduce me to your bride.” “His husband,” Harry corrected. “I am no man’s little woman.” Voldemort glared at Harry for his impertinence. “Is that true Severus? Has Lucius given up his arse to your son?” Severus took a deep breath from the doorway, glad he had left Luna behind in his rooms, and replied, “I try not to dwell upon the intimate details of my son’s love life.” “Lucius isn’t a woman either,” Harry insisted. “And if you have a problem with what I say, you should address me. Neither my father nor my husband are responsible for my words or deeds.” Beside him, Harry could feel Lucius’ frustration overwhelm the older wizard. He wanted to put a gag in his new husband’s mouth and shut him up. But Harry knew what he was doing. Voldemort would never believe that the arrogant boy he had fought against for years would change into a simpering sycophant in so little time. Harry had to approach the man as an equal, whether they were enemies or allies. Voldemort finally nodded his head grudgingly. “You have not changed, Harry Potter. Still as arrogant as ever. I have come to offer my felicitations, and to ask how the election is progressing.” “The announcement of our wedding boosted his popularity dramatically,” Harry told Voldemort smugly. “The latest poll has Lucius in the lead by more than thirty-five percent. In two weeks time, my husband will be the Minister for Magic.” “And I will have the wizarding world under my command before Valentine’s Day,” Voldemort boasted. “You have all done well, and you will all be justly rewarded.” “Thank you my lord,” echoed from three of the five other wizards in the room. Remus remained silent, his dominant wolf not allowing him to be subservient to anyone. And Harry, just smirked at Voldemort. “You doubt me, Harry Potter?” Voldemort asked. “It’s Harry Malfoy,” he corrected. “And no, I don’t doubt that you will reward those who are most faithful to you. But I do not believe you know who is those persons are.” Voldemort narrowed his serpentine eyes at the boy before him. “What do you know?” “I know that there is a movement in your ranks to depose you and replace you with another,” Harry shrugged. “My father has been teaching me mind magic, and I thought I would test out my new abilities at the wedding. There were several of your followers present who are not as loyal as they appear. But I’m sure that this is not news to you. I’m sure you have already determined Dolohov and the Lestranges to be conspirators and have a just punishment waiting for them.” “Of course,” Voldemort lied. “There are, as we speak, plans in progress to ensure that there are no others being swayed by their treachery. But I thank you for your warning.” “We live to serve you,” Lucius bowed again, followed by the others. Only Harry remained erect while Voldemort Apparated away. “Are you out of your mind?” Severus snarled at his son while Lucius alternated between hugging and shaking his husband. “The Dark Lord is not one of your Gryffindors. You cannot play mind games with him! He will discover your lies and be back to kill you slowly and painfully!” “Harry, your father is right,” Lucius told him, finally settling on holding his husband. “You took a very big risk in standing up to him tonight. And lying about those Death Eaters was not a smart way to prove yourself to him.” “First of all, he would not have bought me bowing and scraping to him,” Harry told his family. Remus, at least, seemed to agree with him. “I’m a Gryffindor, and I’ve always faced Voldemort as an equal, even when I was eleven. No matter what else has changed, that would not. And second, I wasn’t lying about Dolohov or the Lestranges. Of Course, Bellatrix is still loyal—if mad—but the others have been recruiting Death Eaters and dark supporters alike to take over after we defeat Voldemort for them.” “You really went around using Legilimency on your wedding guests?” Draco snorted, highly amused now that Voldemort was gone. “Only you Potter.” “That’s Malfoy,” Harry reminded him with a sly grin. “Or you could just call me Dad now!” “Ugh,” Draco groaned. “Harry Potter is my step-mum!” Everyone laughed, releasing the tension of the past half hour, before heading off in separate directions to fulfill the plans they had made before being so rudely interrupted by the Dark Lord.   AN: Okay, another chapter down. I've really got to speed up the writing process, though, or I'm going to fall behind once my grad classes get started. *sigh* As for the nine months...most of you got the general gist. it was used (at least in my universe) to make sure that the couple hadn't jumped the gun and that no bastards would be brought into the marriage. Of course, the practice became nothing more than tradition with the introduction of paternity spells and contraceptive charms. ***** Chapitre Dix-sept ***** Author's notes: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus.   =============================================================================== ***** Chapitre Dix-sept ***** Harry was the first person in the Manor awake on Christmas morning. Unfortunately, it was not because of his normal Christmas morning exuberance. As soon as Harry sat up in bed, the nausea of morning sickness hit him hard and he rushed to the en suite bathroom. After vomiting everything he had ever eaten, everything he had ever thought of eating, and everything he had ever refused to eat in his entire life, Harry lay exhausted on the cool floor tiles and swore his eternal hatred of Lucius Abraxas Malfoy. When he had regained enough energy to crawl back to the bedroom only to find his new husband sleeping peacefully, Harry’s hormonal temper took control. “Get up you lousy lazy git,” Harry commanded, pushing his magic out and knocking the older wizard out of the bed. Lucius landed hard on the floor and woke with a startled yelp. “Harry?” Lucius’ voice was sleepy and confused as it drifted up from the other side of the bed. Harry carefully crawled back under the covers and ignored his husband. Lucius sat up and found his mate lying in bed with his back to him. “Um, Harry? Are you okay?” “Bloody fat lot you care,” Harry muttered, but refused to turn around. Lucius got to his feet and tried to climb back into bed so he could comfort Harry. He was stopped cold by the force of Harry’s magic, which had erected a barrier around the bed. “Love, could you let me in?” Lucius asked calmly. “No!” Harry shouted and pushed out with his magic again. This time Lucius ended up out the door and halfway down the hall before he was able to stand on his own. Of course, by the time he reached his bedroom door, it had been locked, warded, and barricaded with large pieces of furniture. “Harry?” Lucius shouted through the door, still trying to maintain some semblance of control over his own formidable temper. “Let me in, love…At least let me get my dressing gown!...Dammit! Harry James Potter Snape Malfoy! Open the fucking door!” “Problems?” Remus asked. Lucius paused to count to ten before turning to face the werewolf. When he did turn, he was confronted by the sight of Remus, Draco, Luna and Severus all gawking at him. Draco at least had the decency to hold out a dressing gown so Lucius could cover his nakedness. He snatched the robe and snarled at the faces that had come to witness his humiliation. “I do not appreciate being made a spectacle in my own home.” “We aren’t here to humiliate you,” Luna scolded him. “I am here to help your husband, who is obviously in considerable distress. I do believe the others are here to keep you from saying anything that will damage your marriage before it has truly begun.” “Not me,” Remus corrected. “I’m here to be amused. Besides, who could sleep through the magical storm that Harry created?” “Fuck off, Lupin,” Lucius snorted good naturedly, finally finding some humor in the situation. “Did he really send that blast of magic through the whole manor?” “Twice,” Severus confirmed. “You are lucky he didn’t decide to silence you as well as lock you out. Personally, I would have started with the silencing curses and moved on from there. Now, let’s go down and have a drink while Luna talks sense to my son.” As Draco, Severus and Lucius disappeared around the corner, Lucius could be heard to say, “This drinking first thing in the morning is getting to be a bad habit.” “My son can do that to a man...” “They’re gone,” Luna said, not raising her voice at all to be heard through the door, but Harry must have heard her nonetheless because the door swung open. Luna and Remus walked into the room, one with confidence, the other with the barest hint of trepidation. “Now, Harry, what has you in such a snit?” Remus looked around the once immaculately kept bedroom which now looked like a bomb had gone off. All the contents of Lucius’ wardrobe was scattered around the room, many with visible scorch marks, and there were bits of fluff and feathers from Lucius’ pillows still dancing in the morning light. Remus watched Luna sit beside the lump on the bed that was his godson and shook his head. How could the boy be so strong and commanding in the face of Voldemort, but completely fall apart over some tiff with his husband? “H-He was sleeping!” Harry tearfully accused, finally looking up from his nest of pillows that were still intact. “And you wanted him to be awake?” Luna nodded as though she completely understood what Harry was on about. “So you tossed him out of bed, didn’t you?” Harry nodded and hiccoughed. “He should have been concerned for my welfare, and the welfare of our child, but instead he was snoring away!” “Were you sick this morning?” Luna asked. Harry nodded. “And did you think to call for Lucius? Or wake him up before you went into the bathroom?” Harry started to look a bit guilty, “Um, no…but he should know when I need him!” “Of course he should,” Luna agreed. “But he doesn’t have the Sight, does he?” “No,” this said with a pout. “So he can’t know unless you tell him, can he?” Luna asked. She went on before Harry could argue the logic of that statement. “Hasn’t he always tried to help you when he knows you need him?” “Yes.” Harry was crying again, but this time it was obviously over his own guilt. “I’m a horrible person Luna! I kicked Lucius out of bed for no reason! Last week, I told him not to spend all his time hovering over me, but now…Now, I freak out and toss him out of our marriage bed with hostile magic because he didn’t wake up to what? Hold my hair while I threw up?” “Worse,” Remus pointed out, “you locked him out of the bedroom without any clothes and did a number on his wardrobe while you were at it.” Luna glared at Remus as Harry broke down sobbing. “That was not helpful. Harry, you know that your hormones are playing tricks on you, right? Remember what the healer told you.” “But L-Lucius is g-gonna hate me!” Harry cried. “I doubt it,” Remus said. “He was a bit upset at first, but I think he was more worried about you than anything. Your father took him downstairs for a stiff drink.” “He’s drinking at...”Harry frantically checked the time, “…seven in the morning? What is my father thinking? He’s going turn Lucius into an alcoholic! I have to get down there and stop them!” “Harry!” Luna shouted as she grabbed Harry’s arm to prevent him from traipsing through the manor nude. “You aren’t dressed. And they are not going to become alcoholics because they had one drink before breakfast. It’s medicinal. Besides, you have a bit of cleaning up and settling down to do here before you go down to face your husband.” Harry visibly deflated. “Okay. Sorry, Luna.” “Good. Now, go have a long bath and soak away your worries. And check your hair for glengoyles while you are at it,” Luna instructed. “Take your time getting dressed, while Remus and I do a bit of cleaning in here. Although you weren’t completely rational in your actions this morning, it won’t hurt Lucius any to sweat for a bit. It will help remind him what his priorities are.” ***** “I bet he was sick this morning,” Lucius muttered into his tumbler before taking a healthy swig of the potent substance. “He’s always a bit grouchy when he’s sick.” “And he probably was pissed that you slept through it,” Draco pointed out helpfully. “Undoubtedly,” Severus chimed in. They all sat in silence for a few long moments before Severus spoke again. “I’m doubling Luna’s anti-conception potion between now and the end of this war.” Draco snorted. “I wouldn’t try it. She’s a fierce one when she sets her mind to something. If I were you, I would simply pray she doesn’t set her mind to getting pregnant and leave it at that.” “Yes Severus, do you really want an enraged witch of her intelligence and power pissed off at you?” Lucius asked, glad to have the attention off of him for the moment. “At least she isn’t tossing me out into the corridors completely naked,” Severus snarked at his friend. “Yet,” Lucius countered. “Do you think Harry has calmed down yet? I’d like to go check on him.” “Give Luna and the wolf a bit of time before you go up there,” Severus advised. “If I know my fiancé, she has Harry in a soothing bath right about now.” Just then Remus entered the room and chuckled at the long faces which greeted him. “Merry Christmas to you too!” “Remus, love, I doubt now is a good time for holiday cheer,” Draco explained cautiously. He did not wish to overstep his place in their relationship, but he thought his lover was out of line. “Of course it is,” Remus contradicted. “Unless you would rather I scolded your father for not taking proper care of my godson?” Before Draco could answer, he was saved by his father. “So he was sick? Why didn’t he tell me? I would have been right there beside him.” “He said that you should have known,” Remus told him. “Of course Luna corrected him on that score. He also said something about telling you to back off last week?” “Lucius was being…overcautious,” Severus supplied. “Me?” Lucius scoffed. “What about you? You were right there with me when I was questioning the doctor.” “Interrogating is more likely,” Draco put in. “Both of you were being mother hens. The poor man couldn’t sit without one or both of you running a diagnostic scan to see if he was ill. If I had been in Harry’s place I would have told you to back off too!” “So you went from hovering annoyance to disinterest?” Remus asked. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Not the smartest move you have ever made. You really have not been behaving much like yourself lately, Lucius.” “I don’t know how to be what he wants me to be,” Lucius muttered. “He fell in love with the arrogant prick you always were,” Severus reminded him. “I doubt he wants you to change much.” “Maybe just try to find a happy medium as far as interest in the baby and his health goes,” Draco suggested. “And you might ask him what he wants,” Severus suggested. “And, by all that’s holy, do not sleep through his morning sickness again,” Remus scolded. “Put an alarm on the bathroom doorway, or find a charm to let you know when he’s feeling ill, but do not make the rest of us go through another morning like this one.” They were all silent for long minutes, each enjoying the peace of the holiday morning. Eventually, however, Severus broke the silence, voicing what each of them had been thinking. “Those surges of raw magic seem to indicate a marked increase in Harry’s powers, even since the ritual to remove Dumbledore’s block.” “Yeah,” Draco nodded. “I would say it was the pregnancy, but…” Lucius let his sentence trail off. “But he should not have been able to get pregnant in the first place,” Remus finished. “Even with potions, a male pregnancy usually drains the carrier’s magic. It never causes an increase.” “So it isn’t the pregnancy,” Lucius sighed. “I suppose that the ritual I used might not have released his powers all at once. But the likelihood of that happening is very slim, especially given the auspicious circumstances.” “I don’t think it was your ritual,” Severus commented. “I think it is something within Harry himself which is growing stronger everyday, and which encourages his magic to multiply.” “What do you mean?” Draco asked. “I mean,” Severus said, “that Harry has spent his entire youth being abused and being told how worthless he is. He was discouraged by both his Muggle relatives and by Dumbledore from using his magic to its full potential. I think that now that he feels more secure in our family, he is subconsciously allowing his magic to grow to its full potential.” “The more loved he feels, the more likely his magic is to grow,” Remus said, nodding in agreement. “It makes sense. Dumbledore a¬lways said that love was Harry’s greatest strength, and Vold—the Dark Lord—has said that it is his greatest weakness. I doubt that either knew that they were both right. As long as Harry feels loved, he will continue to grow stronger, with the potential for power beyond our wildest imagination.” “But if he loses that love…” Severus refused to finish that sentence. “He will never lose that love,” Lucius told them. “I—WE—will not allow it.” “He’s not going to be happy to find out that his magic is different than everybody else’s,” Draco warned. “He hates being different.” “Which is why we will not tell him,” Lucius said sternly, looking around the room to see if anyone would dare to contradict him. “Nobody outside this manor knows the true depth of his power, so unless we tell him, he will never know the difference. As it stands, Harry believes that he is simply stronger than the average wizard. It will stay that way.” “He has the potential to become…” Draco didn’t finish. “He does,” Severus confirmed. “But he won’t.” “And even if he does, I will still stand beside him, proudly,” Remus stated. “As will I,” Lucius agreed. Severus and Draco each agreed in turn with silent nods of the head. “So now what?” Draco finally asked. “Now?” Remus grinned. “Now we wait for Harry and Luna and then we all celebrate Christmas together. The war and all of this other nonsense can wait for another day.” “As you say, tomorrow is soon enough to return to our plotting and planning. For today, we shall celebrate our odd little family,” Severus said, and held up his glass in a toast. Soon the others held theirs high. “Merry Christmas, my friends.” “Merry Christmas.” ***** Chapitre Dix-huit ***** Author's notes: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus.   =============================================================================== ***** Chapitre Dix-huit ***** Boxing day was the one day a year that the Malfoy elves took off to honor their masters’ generosity. As a result, Harry and Remus spent much of the day in the kitchen, laughing over their attempts to provide a box lunch and a decent dinner for their family. Luna and Severus had taken responsibility for delivering the holiday gifts for their new allies, while Draco and Lucius delivered gift boxes to their elves, employees, laborers, servants, service staff and tradespeople. In the past, Narcissa Malfoy had arranged to have the gifts delivered by a service, but Harry insisted that they do it themselves this year, because it was politically savvy—they made sure to leak to certain members of the press that Lord Malfoy would be hand delivering his boxing day gifts this year—and because Harry simply thought it was the proper thing to do. When they had all returned from their various duties, they gathered around the table in the family dining room to celebrate the holiday and to swap stories about their day. Harry was beaming; quite enjoying the normalcy and the feeling of family that the celebration had engendered in this group of seemingly disparate individuals. In the end, Remus and Harry had managed a relatively simple menu of turkey soup, salmon marinated with dill and pernod, warm potato salad, and a poached pear tart for pudding. “That was quite satisfying,” Lucius announced after clearing his dessert plate. “I didn’t know that either of you were so proficient in the kitchen.” Remus chuckled. “I’m not. My talents begin and end with making soup. Harry’s the cuisinier.” Harry ducked his head and tried to ignore the blush rising in his cheeks. He was thoroughly fed up with the way his hormones were wreaking havoc with his emotions. “It’s nothing really. I just threw a few things together.” “You are quite talented,” Severus contradicted. “There is nothing wrong with accepting due praise.” Harry looked up at his father and a silent conversation seemed to take place between them. Finally Harry replied out loud. “Thank you. I was pleased to be able to make something nice for my family. Now, shall we retire to the study? I do believe that it is past time that we got back to the business at hand. We have some long neglected work to discuss.” ***** The January elections were swiftly approaching, and Harry and his family were forced to put aside all personal concerns in favor of getting all the pieces to their rather complex and wide-ranging puzzle in place. The timing of each step was becoming more and more critical. Once Lucius was in office, it would not be long before they were forced into a confrontation with the Dark Lord. They needed to have the entire ministry firmly in their grasp before Voldemort realized their deception. Which meant that the groundwork for disbanding the Wizengamut had to be laid before the New Year, with supporters outside their inner circle taking up the banner for them. Remus and Draco’s research in France proved to be invaluable in the campaign to oust the ruling body. According to international law any magical governing body could be legally suspended in the case of war. They would not be the first, nor the last, nation to use war as a means of leaving behind outmoded governing models. Their ever broadening base of allies had already begun the campaign in the press, calling for drastic changes. The issue had become one of the defining issues of the election, dividing Scrimgeor and Lucius along with many of the most vocal citizens in the community. Harry secretly found it quite amusing to see who had taken up their cause unknowingly. Arthur Weasley, for one, had been surprisingly outspoken in favor of change. In fact, the Weasleys various stances on the issue had been an ongoing feature in the Daily Prophet. While Arthur and his oldest two sons were in favor of change, Molly, Percy and the twins had come out against any form of reform. Harry could understand Molly and Percy, but was rather surprised by the twins’ firm stance. “They make quite a bit of money with the economy in its current structure,” Draco explained one afternoon as he, Harry and Lucius walked through Diagon Alley. “Unlike your Black and Potter inheritances or the Malfoy fortunes, they are dependant upon the continuation of the status quo. Whenever there is political change, a period of economic upheaval necessarily follows. Most family businesses will not suffer unduly, but the businesses that specialize in luxury items and merchandise not necessary for basic survival are usually hit the hardest. Their joke shop, Fortescue’s, Honeyduke’s…those will have a difficult time.” “We have plans in place to assist those small businesses, don’t we?” Harry asked. “We do,” Lucius confirmed. “But there are any number of reasons why a merchant might not wish to participate in a government program such as the one we will offer. I would guess that the misters Weasley are so distrustful of the Malfoy name that they wouldn’t accept even upon pain of death. Others may fear losing their autonomy. Most, however, will do the smart thing and take the help offered.” “I’m not sure I want to help the twins, anyway,” Harry muttered. “Is there a way to disqualify them if they do seek our help later?” “I think there are other ways to deal with that pair,” Lucius told his husband. “Let’s wait and see. In the meantime, I think we should stop at the Leaky Cauldron for lunch. You didn’t have much for breakfast this morning. I know that you weren’t feeling well, but you need to keep up your strength.” “Good,” Harry smiled. “I’m absolutely famished. I’d kill for Tom’s shepherd’s pie with a bit of brown sauce and a garlic pickle on the side. Then, maybe we could stop for ice cream at Fortescue’s.” “You had to mention Fortescue’s,” Lucius scolded Draco playfully. “Hey, I’m all in favor of a bit of ice cream,” Draco grinned. “Anything to please my dear step-mum!” ***** “The election officials are reporting a record turn out for today’s election,” the Wizarding Wireless Network reporter announced. “The lines have been two hundred deep all day long, even with the extra volunteers recruited for the day. It is estimated that an astonishing 93% of wizarding Britain’s eligible citizens have turned out. Considering that the average turn out for Ministry elections has been a mere 52% in recent years, the numbers tell quite a story. “With the war with You Know Who forefront in everyone’s minds, it is not surprising that our citizens are choosing to stand up and demand a change in the status quo. Our exit polls have been decidedly in favor of Lucius Malfoy and his platform for change. While these polls are not completely accurate, it does give us a sense of how this will conclude.” The reporter gave a brief description of the crowds gathered in Diagon Alley, waiting for the final votes to be tallied. The polls had closed about an hour earlier, so they expected the results any minute. Lucius was waiting in the small storefront where one of their allies had set up a campaign headquarters along with Harry, Draco, Severus, Luna and Remus. They listened attentively, with Harry occasionally peeking through the privacy curtains that kept them from the view of the mass of people waiting outside in the alley. “Harry stop peeking out there,” Severus scolded. “That crowd surely has enough photos of your disembodied head by now.” “Sorry,” Harry muttered. “I just hate waiting.” “You heard the reporter,” Draco said. “Father is a shoe-in.” “Those are not official results,” Harry argued. “They could have only asked people who looked like they were going to vote for Lucius.” “Harry, calm down, please,” Lucius said, coming to embrace his fidgety spouse. “It’s not good for you or the baby.” Harry leaned into Lucius, tucking his head beneath Lucius’ chin and listening to his steady heartbeat for comfort. After a few minutes he looked up and smiled at his husband. “Are you sure you want to announce the baby tonight? What if something happens? Maybe they could repeal you or something if they don’t like it.” “Impeach, not repeal,” Lucius corrected. “And magical children are a gift, no matter what the circumstances, Harry. Our child will be welcomed.” “So you’re sure?” Harry asked, but the distress had left his voice and a small smile tilted his lips. “I am sure,” Lucius chuckled. “Listen. I think the officials are coming out,” Draco hushed them. “Yes, yes, there they are,” the reporter’s voice stated, as if he had heard Draco’s statement. “Witches and Wizards, we are about to find out who the next Minister for Magic will be. Here is Mr. Abacus Tallium, head of the Ministry’s Department of Electoral Affairs.” There was indistinct shuffling and whispers then a new voice came on the wireless. “Ladies and gentle wizards, it is my greatest honor to announce the results of today’s elections. With an unprecedented turn out of more 94% of the populace, and taking 79% of the votes, Mr. Lucius Malfoy will be our next Minister for Magic!” The ministry official and the reporter were both speaking, but neither could be heard over the deafening roar of the crowds outside. Magical fireworks lit up the night sky and bangs and whizzes drowned out everything but the constant buzz of voices raised in victory. Harry and Lucius hugged, for long minutes before the others interrupted them to congratulate the eldest Malfoy. It was a victory for all of them. “It is time for your speech,” Luna finally interrupted the back clapping and laughter. “The crowd has been chanting for you for a few minutes now.” Lucius nodded, kissed Harry again, then, without letting go of his husband’s hand, he led the way out to the dais that had been set up in the alley. Thousands of people thronged the small stage, eager to hear what Lucius had to say, and eager to catch sight of the newlywed couple as well. At the first glimpse of Lucius and Harry, the chants became a roar once again. It took several minutes to get them calm enough for Lucius to be heard over the noise. By that time, the rest of their odd little family had joined them on the platform. “Fellow citizens,” Lucius said into the microphone provided by WWN, his voice being carried through the crowd and over the airwaves simultaneously. “It is with my humblest gratitude that I stand before you tonight. The faith you have placed in me is awe inspiring. I give you my vow as a wizard to do my best to live up to that trust during my tenure as Minister. I campaigned on the promise of change, and by voting for me today, you have confirmed that what we want, what we need, in Britain today is change. A new day is about to dawn from the darkness of the past.” Lucius paused a moment to allow the cheers to subside once again. “We all deserve a future filled with promise and hope. As I stand before you tonight, I tell you that this promise of hope has become all the more important to me personally in recent days. Harry and I have recently discovered that we are expecting a child together.” Again the roar of approval forced Lucius to pause and Harry blushed at the overwhelmingly positive reaction. He turned to hide his face in Lucius’ shoulder for a moment before Lucius started to speak once again. “Our child, indeed all children, deserve to grow up in a world of peace, not the uncertainty of war. I pledge to each of you, and I pledge to my unborn child, that I will do everything in my power to bring this war to a swift and peaceful end.” The roar at this made the ground shake. It was quite some time before Lucius could continue. “In the coming days, you will see many changes in the way things are done at the Ministry, and in wizarding world. While we have cried out for change today, the realities of change can often be hard to face. I ask that when the difficult days come, that you remember today and the promises I have made to you. As they say, it is always darkest before the dawn. We will face a short time of uncertainty together, but we emerge, victorious, on the other side, and then we will celebrate as one the harmony we will create together. Thank you.” There was another roar of approval before the chanting changed. This time they were calling for Harry. Harry was reluctant to speak, both because he abhorred public speaking and because he did not want to steal any of his husband’s glory, but Lucius quickly urged Harry to speak with a few whispered words in his ear. Much to the delight of the gaggle of photographers at the foot of the dais, Lucius gave Harry a happy kiss and the young bridegroom blushed prettily. “Um,” Harry started as he stood before the microphone, Lucius standing close behind him. “Thank you all for coming out today and voting for Lucius. It’s nice to know that you all can see in him what I’ve known for a while was there.” There were happy laughs from the crowd. “We’re both quite pleased at the outcome. I know that many people see me as a hero, but in truth, Lucius is my hero. I know he will be yours too, soon enough.” Harry paused again for the cheers. “I want to thank you on behalf of our entire family: my father, Severus Snape; his fiancé, Luna Lovegood; Lucius’ son and my friend, Draco Malfoy; and my godfather, Remus Lupin. For many years, I believed I had no family, but now I am blessed with the love and support of these wonderful people. And just as Lucius said, I will fight to keep my family safe and to give our children a peaceful future. Thanks.” There were other speeches and more cheers, but Harry didn’t pay much attention to the rest of the officials. He was simply happy to have their plans coming to fruition at last.   AN: Sorry for the big break in posts, faithful readers. I have been innundated with real life issues of late. Between school, family and work (they reduced the staff in our department from 5 to 3 so I've had to do almost double my previos work load), things have been really stressful. I hope to get back to posting once a week again, but there may be one or two more brief delays, depending on how things go. Those who have read my other stories know that I always try to be consistent with my posts, and I will attampt to be in the future, so please have patience with me! Now, if you are still upset, I will try not to take it personally. Just, please, if you must throw things at me, make sure there are no sharp edges...Please? I bruise easily. ***** Chapitre Dix-neuf ***** Author's notes: Harry returns to Privet Drive following the events of HBP only to discover that everything he thought he knew was a lie. He is rescued by the most unlikely group when his relatives finally go too far. Now, surrounded by his new ‘family’, Harry has the chance to make things right, and to finally come out on top. My one and only take on Severitus.   =============================================================================== ***** Chapitre Dix-neuf ***** There was something decidedly odd in the air, Harry decided at dinner one evening a few weeks after the election. He couldn’t put his finger on it at first. Instead, he covered his fish and chips in vinegar and honey—much to the horror of the rest of the manor’s inhabitants—and let his own magic absorb the magical auras in the room. “Great bloody fuck!” Harry shouted and stood up from the table when his brain caught up with what his magic was telling him. He stared at the individuals around the room in horror. “Can’t you people keep it in your bedrooms? I don’t care what your reasons are, I have no desire to know that Draco is wearing nipple clamps and a cock ring, or that my father…Merlin, seriously?...or that my father has a thing for his teenaged girlfriend’s knickers. And Lucius…while I appreciate the thought, couldn’t you wait until after dinner to use the butt plug?” “Harry?” Lucius asked tentatively, carefully rising from his own seat and wrapping Harry in his arms. He was more than a little bit embarrassed by Harry’s outburst, but his concern for his husband outweighed any personal discomfort. “Harry what’s going on?” “You people!” Harry said, his voice filled with emotion, on the edge of tears. “You’re all obsessed with sex! And you come in here with those things…Like I’m not supposed to know what you’re getting up to. But I do. And it’s gross knowing those things about my family. And I can’t…I can’t…” “Harry, how do you know what people are trying to conceal?” Severus asked, very careful not to upset his son further. “I…” Harry paused and looked up in confusion. “My magic. I could tell that there was some tension in the air and my magic sought out the source.” “So your magic told you what each of us was up to?” Lucius asked, a small smile quirking at his lips. Unlike Harry, he could see the humor in the situation, despite his own embarrassment. After all, what is a little thing like an anal plug in comparison to Severus in Luna’s knickers? “How long have you been able to do that?” “Um, always?” Harry said, his confusion was apparent. “Can’t everyone? I mean, it’s not because my magic has grown, so I just thought it was something anyone could do. I’ve always been able to tell if someone meant me harm or wished me well…the only difference now is I can sense how they intend to go about it.” “Harry, you can sense magic on other people to the point of being able to discern their intentions,” Remus said. “I hate to tell you this, but that is not something that everyone can do.” “Or anyone that I’ve ever heard of,” Draco muttered. “Great,” Harry moaned and buried his face in Lucius’ shoulder again. “Draco, if you have nothing helpful to say, keep your mouth shut,” Remus reprimanded. “In fact, go to my room to wait for me.” Draco dropped his head and slunk from the room like a scolded puppy. When Harry saw Draco’s utter dejection he laughed because he could also feel the arousal and anticipation that Draco was truly feeling beneath his mask. His hormones were fluctuating madly, and the humor of the situation finally hit him. Soon, Harry was laughing almost hysterically. “Harry?” “He’s…and you…and Father!…” Harry gasped out between bouts of laughter. It didn’t take long for the rest of the room to let loose with the laughter they had been holding back for Harry’s sake. Except for a very disgruntled Severus. Slowly, they were able to calm the hilarity and Harry grinned up at his husband. “We are a kinky lot, aren’t we?” “It appears so,” Lucius agreed. “Can we discuss my magical abnormalities tomorrow?” Harry asked, and then leaned up to whisper in his husband’s ear. “I’d like to take a look at that new toy you’re wearing for me.” “Over breakfast,” Severus concurred, more than willing to let the topic of their various perversities drop. He was also quite eager to reach his bedroom and let Luna fulfill her promise to take charge tonight. He had no idea what she had planned, but considering the black lace thong knickers she had him wearing and the brand new vibrating dildo he had spied in her nightstand, he was sure it would be very interesting indeed. “Make that brunch,” Lucius corrected, never taking his eyes from Harry. “A late brunch,” Remus agreed, already thinking of just how he could punish his petulant little pet. ***** Draco was naked and kneeling at the foot of Remus’ bed when the werewolf walked through the door. His head was lowered in deference; his long pale arms were folded behind his back. The only ornamentation on his body were the nipple rings and cock ring that Remus had put in place earlier that day. His blond hair, which he had been growing long, was bound at his neck with a leather cord. Remus didn’t acknowledge Draco’s presence, though he knew that the younger wizard was seeking his attention. Instead, Remus began moving about the room with purpose, setting the scene for Draco’s punishment. A cleaning spell here, a transfiguration there, and before long the room was ready. Remus turned to study Draco once again. The boy had learned early on not to fidget or look up when in position. He had done well today, despite the curiosity Remus could sense crawling over Draco’s skin. For almost five minutes, Remus just leaned against the bedpost and drank in the beauty of his submissive lover, intensifying the anticipation and dread that was competing for dominance in Draco’s mind and body. “What did you do to deserve punishment?” Remus finally asked, his tone light and calm. Draco finally broke position to look up at Remus, meeting his master’s gaze as he answered his master’s question just as he had been trained. “I spoke out of turn, adding tension to an already tense situation and making Harry feel worse.” “That is correct,” Remus stated, finally giving in to his own urges to pet Draco’s hair as reward for his response. “And to help you remember to curb your wayward tongue in the future, I must punish you.” “Thank you, sir,” Draco murmured. “We shall see if you are still thanking me when we are finished,” Remus said dryly, though he was pleased by Draco’s gratitude. It showed a proper respect for both his master and his master’s will. “Follow me on hands and knees, pet.” Remus led Draco over to the bench he had transfigured into a padded trestle. “Bend over the trestle and grasp the handles on the legs on the far side.” When Draco had complied, Remus attached the cuffs to lock his wrists in place. “Comfortable?” “No, sir,” Draco replied as the blood rushed to his head and the bar of the trestle bit into his belly, despite the padding. “Do you need to use your word?” Remus asked, not particularly concerned about a little discomfort, but not willing to seriously harm his pet if he had misjudged the situation. “No, sir,” Draco said. “Good,” Remus smiled and ran his hands soothingly over Draco’s exposed flanks and arse. “Now, relax for me, I want to get you ready.” Draco followed the instructions, physically relaxing each and every muscle in his body and slowly allowing his mind shut down and forget about his concerns. This was Remus, after all, and Remus wouldn’t harm him. Hurt him a little, help him to walk the razor’s edge between pleasure and pain, but never harm. He trusted Remus. And as he reminded himself of that fact, his mind let go of the last doubts holding him back and he truly relaxed. Remus watched as Draco visibly relaxed for him, the changes in his musculature and his gaze slow and subtle, but there nonetheless. When he saw Draco take a deep breath and slip past his final internal barriers, Remus stopped stroking his flanks and summoned the tea cart which held the instruments Remus had prepared. The first thing he reached for was the lubricant. A small scoop of the special formula Severus had provided would be more than enough for what he had in mind tonight. He didn’t linger over the preparations. The purpose of this task was not to incite Draco’s lusts, but to ready him for his punishment. Quick swipes around the pink pucker that so captivated Remus, then a little more lubricant before dipping inside and coating the passage walls thoroughly. By accident or design, just before withdrawing, Remus brushed against Draco’s prostate, drawing a low moan of pleasure and a slight wiggle of the hips from the greedy pet. “Enough of that,” Remus scolded with a light smack to the upturned bottom. “You’ll get your arse fucked when I say so. Now, this might be a bit cool. Try not to tense up.” Remus picked up the new anal beads he had recently purchased for just such an opportunity. They were made of polished pink quartz and glittered as they slipped inside the matching pink hole, one by one. Draco moaned and squirmed some more, and Remus was forced to swat his bottom several times over the course of the insertion. He knew that the more of the little balls that were inserted, the more pressure they put upon Draco’s prostate. Because they were not a single solid mass, each time Draco shifted, the balls would shift as well, until they had created a writhing mass of need. “Please, sir?” Draco said, asking for permission to speak. While he still looked somewhat composed, Remus could smell the musk of sweat on his pet’s skin and see the way Draco tightly grasped the handles on the trestle. “What is it pet?” “Is this to be my punishment, sir?” There was just the hint of sweat on Draco’s upper lip. “No, not entirely,” Remus chuckled. “In a moment, I am going to release you from your bonds and make one last adjustment to your ornaments. Then you will crawl to the bathroom and prepare a bath for me. When it is ready, you will undress me and you will bathe me. Then you will dry my body. You will not touch yourself—though it will do you no good if you do, since you still wear my cock ring. Since you are being punished for you lack of control over your mouth, you will not make a sound throughout the entire punishment—no speaking, no panting, and no moaning. You will not come and you will not attempt to remove the beads I have so carefully inserted. If any should slip free, you will receive five swats with the paddle for each bead you lose. Do you understand what I expect of you?” “Y-yes, sir,” Draco replied, his face now quite red from being upside down for so long. “Good.” Remus flicked his wand and the restraints released Draco’s wrists. Then Remus helped Draco to stand upright and supported him while the blood settled back into its normal flow pattern. When he was sure Draco could stand on his own again, Remus picked up a thin Y-shaped chain from the cart and hooked one end to the hoop dangling from the anal beads, used a second clip on that length of chain to connect it to the cock ring, and then finished by clipping the other two lengths to the two nipple clamps Draco still wore. “These aren’t too tight are they?” Draco shook his head while Remus inspected his pet’s tender flesh. The nipples were swollen and red, just as they were supposed to be, but there was no tearing or blockage of circulation. “Good. Now, on all fours. Remember my instructions.” Just getting to the floor proved to be a difficult proposition. Each time Draco bent over, he felt the chain pull taut and a bead would slip dangerously close to sliding free. It took several attempts, and a very odd contortion, but he eventually managed to make it to his hands and knees with all the beads in tact. He crawled slowly to the bathroom, holding back moans with every movement. The beads seemed to shift against his prostate with every move he made. And the chain pulled each time he shifted forward, tugging at his tender nipples and his trapped balls. But worst of all was the fear that one of the beads would be pulled free if he moved too quickly or the wrong way. Every moved pulled the string of beads closer to the edge. It was only by concentrating on keeping his anal muscles tight that he was able to slowly slink across the floor. Once in the bathroom, crawling up the stairs to the raised platform surrounding the tub and reaching the faucet proved to be a whole new challenge. He was sharply focused on every move he made, every sound that wanted to break free. This punishment was an exercise in control that pushed Draco to his limits, demanding more from the inexperienced submissive than he had ever before given. Each time his confidence would falter, Draco reminded himself that Remus would not give him a task he could not accomplish, and he would focus once again on the task at hand. When the tub was filled, Draco found Remus standing behind him. He slowly stood, performing his earlier contortions in reverse, and undressed Remus one item of clothing at a time. He found that if he stood on tiptoe, rather than stretching his arms, he could reach further without tugging too hard on the chain. He methodically worked his way lower on Remus’ body, so that he would not have to stand again once he was back on his knees, and eventually removed the socks, shoes, and puddled trousers all at once. Once Remus was in the tub, he handed Draco a sponge and his favorite bath soap. The older wizard was impressed by the methodical way his pet was handling his punishment. He was taking each step one at a time while still planning ahead for the next. He could tell that Draco wanted to moan and gasp as the beads continued to stimulate and torment him, but he was being very controlled. It was that control that was at the heart of this punishment. Draco showed very little self control when it came to voicing his thoughts on a daily basis. Perhaps this lesson in control might make him think twice before saying careless things in the future. By the time Remus was bathed and dried off again, every muscle in Draco’s body was shaking with the effort of controlling his every move; his erection, however, had not flagged despite the difficult task. Remus considered making him return to the bedroom, but decided that Draco had taken his punishment well and deserved a reward. He patted his pet’s hair and Draco looked up at him with tired but proud eyes. “You did very well, love,” Remus crooned. “Now, just let me remove the chain, and I will return the favor and give you a bath before we retire to our bed for the night. You may speak.” “Thank you, sir,” Draco gushed, greatly relieved to be able to make noise again. Even worse than not being able to speak was not being able to moan. It didn’t take long for Remus to remove the chain from Draco’s various trinkets. Then he carefully removed the nipple clamps and soothed the aching nubs with wet licks while the blood returned in a stinging rush. Draco was grateful for Remus’ strong arms as the contrasting pain and pleasure nearly knocked him from his tired feet, his cock responding with renewed enthusiasm. “Into the tub with you,” Remus said, gently nudging Draco to the newly freshened tub. Draco gratefully eased his sore muscles into the potion laced water and settled back. “Scoot up. I think I’ll join you.” Draco scooted forward and let Remus slide into the tub behind him. There was more than enough room for two, but it was still cozy enough to require Draco to snuggle up close between Remus’ legs. For the first few minutes they just relaxed and allowed the water and potions to ease away the tensions of the past hours. Eventually, Remus reached for the sponge, added creamy bath soap and began washing Draco’s body with gentle, unhurried strokes. He started with his back, moved to his chest, and then they shifted so that Remus could wash Draco’s legs. Remus was very careful to avoid over-stimulating Draco’s most sensitive places, wanting to create a slow burn that would drive Draco to the brink. When Remus finally shifted Draco’s compliant body so that he could wash his arse, he gently tugged at the small hoop attached to the anal beads. “Hmm, I almost forgot about these,” Remus lied, tugging again and drawing a strangled moan out of his pet. “What was that? I think you need to lean up against the side of the tub while I take care of this.” Draco scrambled to comply, leaning his chest over the side of the tub so that his arse was mostly out of the still warm water. His cock, desperate for attention, was pressed against the side of the cool marble tiles, creating a delicious pressure, despite the cock ring still denying him orgasm. “Eager, are we, pet?” Remus chuckled. “Well, just let me finish washing, then I’ll be happy to take care of this little toy.” Remus sponged every inch of Draco’s magnificently rounded cheeks, taking the time to rinse away the soap before taking a small bite of the peach-like mound. “You are just too delicious.” Draco moaned and panted out his desire, but he didn’t ask for what he really wanted. He knew that Remus knew and would give him what he needed when he was ready for whatever Remus had planned. He didn’t have to wait long because he felt the older wizard tugging again on the string of anal beads, causing the beads to shift against his prostate again, and creating a delicious friction inside. When the first bead popped out of his arse, Draco shuddered with a pleasure so intense that he knew he would have come if his cock hadn’t been restrained. Remus continued to tug gently, not wanting to remove the second bead quite yet. “You like this, don’t you, pet?” “Y-yes, sir,” Draco stuttered. His cock was still twitching from the first bead and he humped against the tile, trying to create more friction. “What’s this?” Remus asked, and grasped Draco by the hips, pulling his body away from the tub momentarily. “I don’t think I gave you permission to hump the tub, did I pet?” Draco groaned in frustration, “No, sir. Please!” “Please, what, pet?” “Please, I want to come,” Draco begged, his earlier resolve to trust Remus forgotten in his haze of need and desire. “Please!” “I promise, you will come tonight,” Remus whispered into Draco’s ear, his body pressed against his sub’s. “Just, not yet.” With that, Remus repositioned Draco’s cock so it was pointed down, still pressed against the tub, but without the pressure from his body to create friction, he was denied any semblance of relief. Remus quickly dislodged two beads and Draco howled out in ecstasy while his cock twitched helplessly against the tub. Draco was panting and pleading, his whole being focused on the jolts of pleasure echoing through his body. Remus slowly pulled another bead free and watched in fascination as Draco’s entire body twitched this time. There were only four beads left, so Remus pulled them all at once. Draco’s body spasmed over and over again with an orgasm that was not an orgasm before the poor pet lost consciousness. When Draco awoke, he was lying on his side in bed, one leg pushed forward, with Remus’ cock up his still twitching arse. He groaned as he felt the fullness and friction he had been wanting for so long, but instead of the good, hard fucking he had expected, Remus was using long, slow strokes to torment him further. “Please…” “Awake, are you?” Remus chuckled with a slight catch to his voice, letting Draco know that Remus was as affected by their play as he was. “Please, sir,” Draco moaned. “Please what?” Remus asked. “Please, fuck me hard, sir,” Draco sobbed, his whole body tingling with the need to come. “I want to come, sir. Please…please, sir! Oh Merlin, please!” As if he had said the magic words, Remus rolled them so that Draco was face down on the bed and began to thrust fast and hard into his pet. The entire bed rocked with the force of the werewolf’s desire and Draco was being, literally, fucked through the mattress. His achingly hard cock was squeezed between his body and the firm mattress below. It was heaven and hell at once because the cock ring kept Draco on the edge of orgasm, but would not let him come. He began pleading again, this time all coherency gone as a string of grunts and moans and partial words and pleas were muffled by the pillow beneath his face. After what felt like an eternity of dancing on the edge, Draco could tell that Remus was getting close to his own orgasm because the older wizard began to lose his rhythm, thrusting brutally and randomly. Then, without a word, Remus released the cock ring with a snap of his fingers and Draco was coming and Remus was coming and the world that only they occupied exploded around them.   AN: Oh my goodness, that was hot! And long…I was intending on having a little glimpse of what went on in each bedroom that night, but…GEEZ! Remus and Draco stole the spotlight! That was totally a case of the characters taking over the story. I guess I’ll just have to give Harry and Lucius a chance to come back with something just as good, or better, in a later chapter. And no, I’m not going to give Sev and Luna equal time. I just don’t do het. :p Hopefully this will make up for my previous tardiness. Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!