The Heirs of Dreams

Chapter Twelve

Sensing his duty as a friend, he sat next to her and placed his hand on her arm. She tensed under his touch but did not stir. She only removed her hands from her face and said, "I just...put my hand...inside of Draco," she said with distant disbelief as if she were just realizing it.

"Why did you do that?" Harry asked.

"The swords were tipped...sort of. A design of Salazar Slytherin himself. The ones you and Draco fought with were normal, but since he wanted to be sure one of us would die, he used those. The tips were made from poison...that break off once it enters the body so the poison can't leave unless the tip is removed. I had to get it out of him or else no antidote would work, it'd just keep releasing in him."

"Are you all right?" Harry asked.

"I'd be a lot better if none of this had happened," she said and returned her hands to her face.

Harry wondered as he peered at her hands if she realized they were drenched in blood. He knew she hated the very sight of blood, no matter what type of blood it was. He lent forward and gently stroked Zora's long black hair, although part of him didn't think she even knew he was there with her.

Zora and Harry remained in the potions classroom, away from the storeroom and Draco's spilling blood for as long as they could. Even when Hermione and Ginny returned, Zora almost refused to join everyone in the cramped space. She took in a deep breath and pressed her blood stained hands to the floor, lifting herself up and following everyone into the room.

Ron had lifted Draco up to have him rest against the crowded shelves opposite the doorway. The blonde boy's face was hideously pale with his lose of blood. His eyes were heavy, as if he were fighting falling asleep. Zora walked over to him and gently shook his shoulder, as if waking him.

"I'm up," he replied quietly, "I'm still here."

"We...we err..." Zora heard in the distance, Hermione was trying to speak to her. She turned her head from Draco and listened, "we ah...found the books, and we got the Pepper Up potion, but why does he need it?" she asked as she motioned towards Draco.

Zora walked the two short steps to Hermione's spot and took the bottle from her hands. "It's not for them," Zora said as she removed the cork of the bottle. She sniffed the elixir, enjoying the peppermint smell. "It's for me," she smiled.

She took swallow, the liquid burning her insides all the way to her stomach.

"When you don't have a cold or flu," she began to explain, "and you drink this stuff, it acts like alcohol. Why do you think so many are in the Infirmary during the winter, you didn't really think they were really sick, did you?"

She took another mouthful, closing her eyes as the elixir began to take effect. She was more relaxed and calm than she had been seconds before. She wiped the burning liquid from her lips and took on a slight smirk. She pointed the bottle to each person in the room, "Anyone want some?"

Ron took a step forward, but was given a deadly glare from Hermione at his side. He nervously laughed and took a step back against the shelves. Everyone else politely shook their heads and looked to the ground.

"Oh sod it," Draco said weakly from the floor, "give it here."

Zora eyed him a moment, deciding whether to give it to him or not.

"A dieing man's last wish," he pleaded and reached out his arm.

Zora handed the bottle down to Draco. He tipped it against his lips and took a long sip.

"Shouldn't we be finding Dumbledore? Is he in the castle?" Hermione asked as she leaned against the shelves.

"No!...Just stay in the room, no Dumbledore and no wands."

"You lot don't know what you're missing," Draco smiled as he admired the bottle. "Plus...you may want some in a few minutes," he added before taking another swig from the bottle.

"Even on your deathbed, you're still an asshole," Zora remarked as she roughly took the bottle from his hand.

"Must be kicking in...you just admitted I'm dieing," he replied with a smile.

"What are you talking about...why would we want some in a few minutes?" Hermione intervened with her uncontrollable need to know.

Zora looked at her and looked as though she were going to speak but took another sip from the bottle.

"Shall you tell them? Or should I?" Draco smiled, his eyes closing slightly from his weakness.

"Shut up, Draco," she sneered at him as she wiped her lips.

"Talking keeps me awake," Draco said with a small curl of his lip. "I'll just keep going, you can stop me when you want to tell the rest. How much do they know? Anything at all? Hmm...let's find out shall we? Shall we start with a Q&A?"

"Don't!...don't...be a smart ass," Zora said, recovering herself.

"Let's face it, darling, if you had been honest with them from the beginning...well, they wouldn't be speaking with you at all would they...much less be here?"

Everyone was eyeing each other, all eyes eventually falling on Zora.

"If you want to tell them...then tell them," Zora approved as she corked the bottle of Pepper Up potion.

"Fine then," Draco smiled, "anything anyone's confused about...any questions?" he asked with a cock of his eyebrow, as if he were making fun of everyone for not knowing.

"What's up with you and Zora?" Ron asked and Harry recalled his wild outburst when he was let out of his cell.

"Easy," Draco smiled. "Zora's not the only one here spurned from old Voldie's plans. There were two created...a boy and girl. Draco and Zorina. Kinda has a ring to it. She and I were supposed to get married, but some people didn't like that idea," Draco went on a little drunkenly.

"So...you're brother and sister?" Ron asked with confusion and a hint of disgust mixed in.

"Hell no," Zora and Draco rang together.

"They're connected mentally but have no physical relation," Harry replied from between Ron and Zora in the cramped space.

Zora turned to him with wide eyes and Harry felt his cheeks turn a little red as he felt her eyes digging into the side of his face.

"Very good, Scarhead," Draco went on. "Zora been confessing an awful lot to you? Or at least someone very close to her," he added with a knowing smile which sent a shiver down Harry's back as he recalled his meeting with Lara hours before. "More on that later, I'm sure. But does that answer your question? Destined to marry and bare children and all that...but someone grew a conscience in the orphanage, and those plans disappeared...for now at least. Anything else?"

"Why?" Ginny squeaked quietly from the corner. Harry turned back and noticed she was practically hiding behind he and Ron. She stepped between their shoulders and asked again, "Why...I mean, I know Zora's his...daughter or whatever, but...why me? To lead Ron or Harry?"

"Ah..." Draco smiled more happily than Harry was comfortable with.

"Careful, Draco," Zora warned from his side.

"You gave me permission...would you prefer to tell her?" Draco eyed her.

Zora turned her eyes to Ginny. Her brown eyes were wide and confused and they were darting between Zora and Draco. Zora couldn't bear to tell her, it was bad enough being in the same room when she found out the truth.

Zora looked at Draco and shook her head, her long black hair falling from the back of her head and fell into her eyes.

"Well then, I'll continue. 'Why were you abducted?' I believe is your question? Well, it's not really that easy. This isn't the first time the Dark Lord has had some...connection with you is it? If I remember correctly from the rumors floating about the dungeons...it was your first year here?"

Ginny turned her eyes to the ground and blushed a little, but she did not back up between Harry and Ron. She took in a deep breath and raised her eyes bravely to Draco, "Yeah...and what of it?"

"You see...his intention was not originally to use you the way he did. Although as useful as you proved to be, I assure you, he didn't come up with it until later. No...he had realized by this time that both his creations were not in the school. He knew I was there certainly, but not the black haired vixen we all love so much. He was a bit...desperate. He could feel old scar head was near, but he was worried about half his line being absent. He needed the other half to get his lineage before scarhead fucked everything up for him...so he chose you to take her place."

"Why her?" Ron sounded from just behind Ginny.

"Why not?" Draco smiled. "She's female, completely innocent, wouldn't have known any better, and completely starved for attention. But of course as dear little red knows, she wasn't exactly...ready to fulfill his request. Sort of a late bloomer aren't you? Just last year, right? That's when the Lethifold came and-"

"Enough of that," Zora stepped in.

Ginny's face was now the same color as her hair. Her eyes darted over to Harry behind her and pressed through he and her brother to the door.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Draco warned, suddenly sounding quite sober and almost afraid, "not unless you want to be personally responsible for all of us being found out."

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked with a crack in her emotional voice as she stepped away from the door.

"Ask Zora, she's the one who's responsible for that one," Draco sneered.

"I didn't see you coming up with anything...it was the only way out," Zora replied.

"Unimportant," Draco commented, with a weak wave of his hand. "You see," Draco went on as he directed his attention to Ginny, "it's a really funny story...you and old scar head there set off an alarm when you went through the portal."

"What sort of alarm?" Harry asked.

"A very loud one...the Death Eaters are looking for you right now."

"Well, they won't find us here...will they?" Ginny asked Draco as she slid safely between Harry and Ron once more.

Draco smiled at her and turned his eyes to Zora, who was being very quiet standing in her corner.

"It's not the first place they'll look," Zora assured Ginny once she realized all eyes were on her once again.

"But it certainly isn't the last," Draco finished for her.

Zora shot Draco a deathly glare, she looked as though she were about to strangle him.

"Where are they looking for us?" Harry asked as he took a step towards Zora.

"Well..." Zora began, trying to find the best way to tell them, "Privet Drive...and...the...the ah...the Burrow."

"The BURROW?" Ron asked as he took a dangerous step towards Zora.

"Ron, RON," Harry intervened as he and Hermione eased Ron away from Zora as much as the tiny room would allow.

"There are Death Eaters at my house...with my mother and father..." Ron trailed off as he glared at Zora.

"They won't go inside," Zora assured him desperately. "They'll cast a spell to find you over the house, but they won't go inside. If they do they'll set off an alarm linked directly to Dumbledore. Aurors will be all over the place. They're not going to risk that until they know where we are for sure. They'll cast the spell and leave. Same thing for Privet Drive and Hogwarts too."

"However," Draco went on with his nasty smile, "they'll actually find out we're in Hogwarts. Trust me...they won't be leaving."

"If they know Aurors will show up when they enter Hogwarts, why would they even come after us?" Hermione asked.

"The Aurors won't get here until almost an hour after they get here," Draco explained.

"Hour at the latest...and you know that," Zora tried to correct him.

Draco gave her a weak smirk and raised his index finger, spotted with his own blood, to his temple. "An hour," he repeated, "at least."

"That's why we're in a room with no windows?" Hermione asked.

"They'll know we're here...they won't know where. The castle is huge; it will take them forever to find us," Zora assured them.

"Is that true?" Hermione asked, turning her eyes to Draco. "They say you dream...did you dream this?"

"Well, to be honest, no. All of us never made it out of the castle. Because that's been tampered with," Draco said as he eyed Harry's shoulder to Ginny, "there's no telling how this will end...but chances are it will be catastrophic."

"Such a drama queen," Zora said as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, yeah...I can see what they're talking about now. Definitely feel the love between you two," Ron said with a small smile.

"Can it, Weasley," Draco sneered.

"Enough chatter...unless there's anything else anyone wants to know I think we should start the brews," Zora said with finality.

When no one appeared to object, Zora opened the black book to a predetermined page and handed it to Ginny.

"Can you do this?" she asked as Ginny quietly took the book.

Her cheeks were still a bit tainted with color and her voice squeaked a bit when she spoke, but she nodded her head and was looking to the shelves for the ingredients. Zora went to the other books Hermione had brought her. She could hear whispering from the other side of the small room, wondering if Ron truly thought no one else would hear him.

"What was all that about Ginny? Late bloomer?" he asked in a hushed voice. Zora watched Ginny out of the corner of her eye and was pleased to see she hadn't turned or even acknowledged her brother's remark.

"I'll...I'll tell you later," Hermione stammered out.

"What do you suggest?" Zora interrupted their whisperings, "for the wounds...what potion is the best to close them?"

"Ah...I think the simpler the better. We haven't much time, only a few hours, correct?" Hermione asked as she flipped through the book in her hands.

Zora eyed Draco's smile cautiously and nodded. Hermione placed her book on the floor and took one of the books from Zora's hands and flipped to a potion and began gathering ingredients. Zora walked to Draco's side and sat where she thought she would be out of the way. Harry and Ron stood near the girls' sides, assisting.

"Pathetic isn't it?" Draco muttered with his eyes half closed, seconds from drifting into sleep.

"I don't think it's pathetic that they're trying to help you," Zora commented as she shook her head.

"Not them...I mean me," Draco corrected. "All the strength in the world, all the intelligence and arrogance...where would it have gotten me tonight if it hadn't been for your friends? No one in Slytherin would have done this for me. They could have left me so many times....but they didn't."

"Too bad it's your death that makes you see clearly," Zora slightly chuckled.

"What's it like?" Draco asked with a hard swallow.

"Dreaming..." Zora answered after a little thought, knowing exactly what he was asking. She went on as she remembered, ignoring the chills running down her back as she spoke, "you know it's not real, but it still feels it. There's this room, with a little girl sitting in the middle and she's playing with a toy. She looks up at you and tells you how peaceful it is on the other side...how great it is and all. She says no one cares where you've come from, that they already know you're gone and they don't want you back. And you believe her...there's no one there to tell you differently. So there's this door behind her and it opens. The light's blinding, but it's warm. It's only then that you realize how cold you are. The thing is...once you cross the threshold, that's it. That's when it all stops...everything. Then there's nothing...just...death," Zora added with a chill.

"How long were you across?" Draco asked as his eyes began to close and he quickly opened them again.

"A second, maybe two...it felt like forever," Zora recalled.

"You do know what this means, right?" Draco asked in a low whisper. "Tonight...the battle and the escapes...the fact that all of us are here. We told too much, Zora...you know that right?"

Zora turned to Draco. His eyes were locked closed. She placed her hand on his chest and felt the gentle rise and fall of his breathing. She smiled slightly and let out a sigh of relief. Of course he was tired...who wouldn't be?

The tiny room became filled with the smells of the two potions. Unfortunately, the two smells did not mix nearly as pleasantly as anyone would have been comfortable with. Ginny held her nose as she began to stir her potion, Harry watching over her shoulder. The substance turned to the familiar turquoise color he recognized from taking care of Zora.

Harry looked from the potion to Zora and Draco. He had been struggling to keep his eyes open for the past hour as the potions simmered and were stirred again. His eyes were closed, but he was certainly awake, making comments about the smells every few minutes. All had learned to ignore him by this point. And then came the silence. They had been locked in this room for what seemed like an eternity. The smells and the cramped space had gotten the better of their tempers and all had silently decided that it was best to keep quiet rather than taking their annoyances out on each other.

"Shh!" Zora hissed from Draco's side, although Harry couldn't tell why she had shushed them...no one had spoken for the past thirty minutes at least.

Harry concentrated and he heard it. Footsteps. Heavy and yielding from the potions classroom just outside the door.

"It's them," she commented, "it's the Death Eaters."