When the Stars Fall

Twenty-Four: An Unlikely Blood Brother

April was being particularly unforgiving with its customary rains. The lake was flooded, and one of the wings of the dungeons was closed due to flooding. Draco was actually thankful that he didn't have to worry about his common room and more importantly his dorm being flooded as he now resided in a tower. He could hear the rain beating down upon the castle roof and walls, and turned slightly to look at his wife. A smile played across his lips as he watched the rise and fall of her chest with every breath she took.

He gently placed his hand across the immense swell of her seven months pregnant belly and wondered how she could sleep with all of the activity going on inside of her. He grinned as he felt a pair of bumps across his palm. At the sound of a tired sigh he looked up and saw his wife peering down at him.

"Oh, honestly, Draco. Don't encourage them. You've no idea how restless they get and try so hard to keep me up at night. Do you know how often I go to the toilet because of them? I think they see my kidneys as a pair of footballs."

"If you must know, I've timed your bouts in between bathroom trips. My count was every thirty minutes. I am a light sleeper you know. As for the little kickers, at least it's a sign that they are healthy," he said and then leaned up to kiss her lightly on the lips.

When he drew back he noticed the raised eyebrow and snorted with laughter. She narrowed her eyes and groaned as she managed to finally roll over and sit up. "If you feel that way, Draco, you should try carrying them. This isn't exactly the easiest thing in the world to do," she snapped.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm the one living with your mood swings and having to bear witness to you eating some of the most disgusting things I've ever seen combined in my life. Tell me, how can you even contemplate escargot, pumpkin pie, and sherbet ice cream all mashed together like that, and when you add the honey mustard. Ugh. My stomach churns in horror."

"It's not entirely my fault you know," she answered primly. "You helped get me like this."

"Yes," he said and then put his arms around her, his hands coming to rest on her bulging stomach. "Only two more months and we'll have a couple of beautiful angels."

"You say that now," she said with a smirk. "But once they get here, they will be squalling bundles that will keep us up late have us worrying over everything, and changing the most atrociously dirty nappies ever to grace mankind."

"But they will be ours. Our family, and that will make it all worth it," he whispered against her ear and then brushed his lips across her throat.

"Yes, a little boy and a little girl," she sighed. "Who would have ever thought that we would come this far, after all those years of animosity? To be married and happy with a family on the way."

"Yes I'm more than certain that several generations of pureblood bigot wizards and witches are spinning in their graves and tombs. I'm sure various graveyards are having reports of strange vibrations of the grounds," Draco said with a laugh.

Hermione smiled at this and thought of a certain portrait. "Yes, and I can imagine the portrait of Sirius' mother if ever she found out."

"Oh?" Draco said in curiosity.

Hermione grinned. "She rivals Lucius in bigotry, my dear ferret."

At that he wiggled his nose and rolled his eyes. "Isn't there some other pet name you could come up with?" he asked wearily.

She lifted an eyebrow in deep thought for a moment and then shook her head. "No. You're just such an adorable little furball when you change. You're my favorite pet, which would have made Crookshanks very jealous had Ginny not insisted upon taking him."

"Furball?" He nearly choked at the very thought of that term in address to him.

She couldn't suppress the laughter that bubbled up in her throat at the expression on his face. Once she managed to regain control she shook her head and said. "I haven't seen that look on your face since Severus and Remus got together."

At that Draco made another face. "That is still something that will take some getting used to. I was just beginning to adjust to Severus as my father and then to discover his romantic involvement with a werewolf, and a male one at that..." Draco said.

"Former werewolf," Hermione cut into his tirade. "And I think it's rather sweet. They've both been so lonely for so long, and grief does strange things to people, especially lonely people. Besides your reaction was nothing compared to Sirius'! He wouldn't speak to Remus for weeks!"

"I suppose every family has its odd turn abouts..." Draco said, "But how do I explain Grandpa Sevvie and his companion Remus?"

"At least our children will be rather open minded. Don't you think?" she pointed out.

Draco rolled his eyes. "How am I ever expected to win a perfectly good argument when you are always so bloody logical?"

"Force of habit?" she responded and turned her head to kiss him.

They sat together like that for a few more minutes before getting on with their morning rituals and preparing to head down for breakfast...

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It was a Saturday and hence quite a few students had opted to skip breakfast to catch up on sleep. Sharp sable eyes looked around, and sparked with happiness at the site of a familiar blond head next to a head full of honey brown curls. Years of training kept the smile from crossing his lips, not to mention how disturbing most of the students would have found their usually surly Potions professor smiling would be. The Hufflepuffs alone would probably faint in shock from the sight.

A prickling along his spine alerted him to the fact that he was being watched, by two sets of eyes no less. He turned to his right and raised an eyebrow as his sable eyes met the light brown eyes of Remus Lupin. He then scowled as he looked down and noticed the large bristling black dog sitting between himself and Remus.

"Do you have to bring that mangy brute to breakfast every morning and insist that I be present? It's bad enough I have to sit through lunch and dinner with him," the Potions Master said.

At this Remus just rolled his eyes. "You know, you two will eventually have to get used to each other, Severus. I don't see why you don't just let go of old grudges and move on."

"I have," Severus Snape said in his own defense, "But that does not entail dealing with Black every day, practically at every meal for the rest of my life."

"Do you ever take anything seriously?" Remus asked, and most of the staff was listening in as the two began to bicker.

Eventually the bantering took its usual turn and the staff simply shook their heads and chose to ignore the Potions professor and the DADA professor. Still every now and then one of them would look up and try to squelch the laughter that wanted to escape at the sight of the playful banter between the two obvious lovers. Especially when Remus managed to bring Severus down a notch or two.

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"Harry, I don't know why you insisted upon us waking up at this GOD AWFUL hour. I love a meal more than most, but it could have waited at least until seven-thirty. Or even later, as we could have just raided the kitchens," Ron whined sleepily, as he rubbed at his eyes and looked blearily around the Great Hall.

Harry sighed and using his abilities as a thought reader, mentally pushed Ron in the direction of the Gryffindor table. He sat next to Hermione, and Ron took a seat across from Hermione, Harry, and Draco. Hermione of course was flanked by on either side by Harry and Draco.

"So, how are the little cretins?" Ron asked, as he began to pour himself a bowl of cereal.

Draco shot him a glare, and Hermione simply sighed and responded, "Just fine, as always Ron. Honestly, couldn't you try to be nicer? They are going to be your godchildren, yours too Harry."

"Hey," Harry said defensively. "I'm always nice."

"Sure, Potty," Draco mumbled, and then nearly choked with laughter as Ron came up spluttering from his bowl of cereal.

"I don't think the bowl is quite big enough for swimming, but I could fix that with a shrinking charm on you Weasel," Draco said and brandished his wand from his sleeve.

Hermione shook her head as the pair shared a glare, and Harry simply sighed, and wondered for the umpteenth time, what in all of his life had he done to end up putting up with Draco Mal...Snape for the rest of his life. Wasn't dealing with the Potions Master for seven long years torment enough?

Suddenly the sound of rain stopped, and silence fell thick throughout Great Hall. Electricity seemed to crawl up everyone's spine as they all looked around at each other, then all tables turned to the Slytherin table, and noticed how the fifth year Slytherins and above were the only ones present.

Light from the enchanted ceiling filled the hall as the sun came out for the first time in days. Something strange was happening. The entire castle began to tremble with a strange explosion and then chaos erupted as the stained glass windows lining the hall imploded. A ripple of dark magic hanging in the air. Draco barely had enough time to grab Hermione and shove her and himself under the table; both were followed by Harry and Ron.

Draco suddenly grabbed Ron by the shirt collar and growled, "Get my wife out of here now, Weasley. Keep her safe. Go before anymore damage is done!"

Hermione looked from her friend to her husband and began to protest, but Draco wrapped an arm around her and kissed her fiercely, before saying, "Go with him Hermione. He will protect you. You know Lucius will come for me. Please, just go and be safe with him. I will be fine, and when this is over I will find you no matter what. I swear it. I love you."

"I love you, too," she whispered, tears springing to her eyes as Ron began to tug on her sleeve. "You come back to me," she said, her voice thick with the tears and sobs she was trying to suppress.

He nodded, and felt his heart leap into his throat as he watched her crawling toward one of the side doors that led to a passage that would take them, her straight to Gryffindor Tower. He swallowed thickly and hoped that Weasley would keep her safe. He then turned to Harry Potter, the silver flecks sparking in their indigo depths as his gaze locked with the emerald gaze of the Boy-Who-Lived.

"This is it, Potter. Swear that you can beat him. My family is at stake," Draco said.

Harry looked solemnly at the blond, a sort of grim understanding building between them. "Whatever it takes," the dark haired boy replied.

Once they saw that Hermione and Ron were safely on the other side of the door, the two boys got out from under the table and looked around. Death Eaters began to fill Great Hall, apparating into the room. Obviously the wards around Hogwarts had been breached. The pair shared a look as they then turned to look up at the staff table. Most of the teachers, having been caught by surprise, were either stunned, being cursed, or worse, were dead. Lupin, Snape, McGonagall and Dumbledore were still active and throwing curses at the invading Death Eaters, and a large black dog had already leapt upon one robed figure and was savagely handling the situation. Still what the teachers failed to notice were the Death Eaters that were surrounding and circling Harry Potter and Draco Snape, still assumed to be Malfoy by most.

The Death Eaters circling the two boys began to chant, and as they did a force field surrounded them, holding the two boys captive within the circle and the Death Eaters. A moment later a crack was heard within the circle and then a high-pitched chuckle. Both boys froze and turned to look. They were met by red eyes set in a pale serpentine face.

"Any ideas, Potter?" Draco asked nervously.

Harry shook his head and glared at the Dark Lord. "No, usually I just manage to wing it."

"Well, isn't that reassuring?" Draco snapped dryly.

"It's worked so far, hasn't it?" Harry said with a shrug, and then they moved as one, both having similar ideas, as they were back to back, slowly circling to view their current situation in it's entirety.

"Malfoy, is that you?" Voldemort asked as he caught sight of Draco. "How odd, you don't look a thing like Lucius."

"Something for which I am very grateful," the blond snapped, and winced at the chuckle this got from the slit of a mouth on the Dark Lord's face.

"Such a troublesome boy you've become, and taking Potter's side, of all people," Voldemort continued and tsked. "What a pity..."

An idea suddenly struck Draco, and he quickly reached down to his boot, nearly tripping up Harry. Harry shot him an annoyed looked and raised a brow at the triumphant look on the blond's face. Draco then grabbed Harry's right hand and brought the blade of a dagger across it, he then repeated the act across his own right hand and then grabbed Harry's bleeding hand. Their blood began to mingle as words rose unbidden to their lips.

"By blood, this oath of brotherhood I swear.

Power of my flesh, my blood, each we share.

Brothers from now and forever more,

Now to hell with the bastards,

For together we even the score!" the two boys shouted together as one, just as the Dark Lord brandished his want, aiming it at the pair, and spoke the most feared words in the wizarding world, "Avada Kedavra!"

Green light shot from the end of Voldemort's wand, but a blazing white light suddenly engulfed the two boys and absorbed the green light. Suddenly the bright light around the boys began to twist and coil before another explosion rocked the very foundation of Hogwarts as magic erupted, and tore throughout Great Hall, all those previously standing in Great Hall were knocked to the floor with the force of the blow, all except the two boys, who stood, their hands locked in a bond of brotherhood, their eyes tightly closed against the blinding light, still colors exploded behind their closed eyelids.

When they opened their eyes they noticed the students shakily coming out from under the tables, and the teachers who'd previously been stunned either from various curses or the explosion, shakily get to their feet. Everyone looked around in awe as the Dark Lord and all of the Death Eaters that had been present in Great Hall were all dead and sprawled throughout the room in various gruesome poses, and then all eyes locked on the two boys in the center of the action. The two boys looked at each other grinning idiotically, both just happy to be alive.

"So, I guess this means the truce is permanent?" Harry said with a slight cough and glint in his eye.

Draco rolled his eyes. "We're brothers now, you dolt, so what do you think?"

Harry looked at his right hand, noticing a jagged scar, like a bolt of lighting similar to the one on his forehead, on his palm. He traced it with his left hand and noticed Draco mirroring his actions.

"Bloody hell! You prat! You gave me another scar!" Harry said and then clapped the blond boy good-naturedly on the back.

"Saved your arse, too," Draco added wryly.

And then his expression faltered as a cold chill ran up his spine. He noticed the change in Harry and knew that his new brother had felt it too. They looked at each other, and then both ran for the door that Ron and Hermione had managed to crawl through earlier. Once they managed to get the door opened they saw Ron out cold on floor not two meters from the door. And then the two boys heard something that made their blood curdle...

A very familiar scream echoed down the corridor and Draco's heart clenched in fear, with but one thought on his mind, 'Have to get to Hermione...'