Draco: Phoenix Rising

Chapter Fifty - A True Gryffindor

Harry watched Draco for a moment, astounded at the change in the Slytherin. Less than a month ago, Harry would have given anything to watch Malfoy suffer. Now it was agony. He held Ginny tightly; knowing he should ask her about the Death Eaters, but nothing seemed to matter except Hermione's shallow breathing.

A small rattle behind him made him turn. Dobby's cage was twisted and bent, but not broken. Harry released Ginny and walked over to release the lock. Dobby climbed out and gratefully looked at Harry sadly.

"Dobby found the Dark Lord, Harry Potter," the house-elf said. Harry tried to smile. Dobby went on, "Kreacher is free."

Harry nodded. "Because Regulus Black is the true master of Grimmauld Place and has been since Sirius died."

"Yes, Harry Potter."

Harry's eyes went to Regulus, who still lay unmoving where Voldemort's spell had broken him. Harry walked over and knelt beside him. For a moment, he thought Regulus was dead, but he blue eyes--so like Sirius's--opened and glanced at him. Blood bubbled from his lips with every breath.

"We need to get you some help," Harry said in alarm.

"No, Potter," Regulus rasped. He grimaced. "So. You managed to win, after all."

"Thanks to you," Harry admitted, although he wasn't certain he meant it. His memories of Snape were so steeped in hatred, it was hard to reconcile years of anger with the man who now lay before him.

Regulus closed his eyes.

"You were so awful to me," Harry whispered.

"I hate you, Potter," Regulus admitted with a slight smile. "I hated your father, I hated Remus Lupin, and I hated my brother... until he was gone. I wish..." He coughed and wiped his lips with a pale wrist, leaving a smear of red across his handsome face. "We had fun together as children. I wish we could have held onto that as we grew. I missed him when he chose James Potter over me."

Harry felt a yawning chasm of pain calling him, as it always did when he thought of Sirius. It was mingled with the ever-present rage.

"You let him rot in Azkaban," Harry hissed.

"Do not try to lay penance on me, Potter," Regulus snapped, Snapelike. "I know what I've done."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "You killed Snape after you were both out of Hogwarts. Yet when I saw the memory in the Pensieve during Occlumency lessons--you... Snape? were in school."

Regulus barked a wet laugh.

"That was a true memory of dear Severus," he admitted. "I coaxed it out of him one night when we were both smashed. I kept several of Snape's old memories to help in my charade. Luckily, the horrid little git was never popular and no one knew him well. My identity was never questioned."

A coughing spasm wracked his body and Harry stood quickly.

"I'll get you some help."

"Heal me so I can go to Azkaban for killing Dumbledore?" Regulus asked and grinned horribly.

"No... I'm sure--"

A shout distracted Harry--Fawkes had returned.

The phoenix landed on Draco's shoulder and dropped the vial into his hand. It was a tiny, opaque brown bottle with a green label. The writing had long since faded into illegibility.

Hermione had slipped into delirium. She kept murmuring Draco's name between wrenching spasms of pain. He carefully uncorked the bottle and slid a glance at Regulus Black. Harry crouched over the former Death Eater.

Draco paused with the vial poised over Hermione's lips. Regulus despised her kind--the potion could easily be another poison to hasten her demise. Hermione whimpered and Draco realized it would be a mercy to kill her quickly rather than let her suffer the torment she now endured.

He tipped the potion into her mouth.

Regulus's hand caught Harry's as he began to walk away.

"Potter--perhaps you can help me."

Harry threw an anxious glance toward the others gathered around Hermione and then crouched beside Black once more.

"In my cape--there is a potion with a red stopper. It will help with the pain. Left pocket."

Harry quickly rifled through Regulus's pockets--the man was a veritable cornucopia of potions. He finally located one with a red stopper. It was an ugly blackish potion, unlabeled.

Harry held it up dubiously, wishing he had paid more attention in Potions class. Regulus reached up and took it, but he did not have the strength to unstopper it. Harry took it and popped out the red cork.

Regulus grasped the vial with a shaking hand and emptied the contents into his mouth. He grinned sardonically at Harry.

"I'll say hello to Sirius for you, Potter," he said. Harry watched in disbelief as Black's hand dropped lifelessly to the floor. The vial clinked on the stone and rolled away.

"Damn you," Harry whispered and grabbed Regulus's throat, feeling desperately for a pulse. After a moment, he sat back on his haunches with a strange sense of despair. Regulus Black was dead--in truth this time. And Severus Snape with him.

Harry rose and walked back to his friends.

After a long moment, Hermione's breathing eased. Draco did not know whether or not it was a good sign. He held Hermione tightly, as though he could somehow transfer his life force to her.

His eyes met Weasley's. Ron knelt nearby and his blue eyes mirrored Draco's. For the first time, he felt kinship with the Weasel and smiled ruefully.

"She'll be fine," Ron murmured fervently.

Draco glanced over at the passageway as several people entered--Neville, Luna, Susan Bones, Tonks, Remus Lupin, and Jack Williamson. Harry joined them as they approached.

"Regulus Black is dead," Harry said. Draco felt a twinge of... what? Remorse? Regulus, as Snape, had taken an active role in Draco's life, especially recently.

"Regulus Black has been dead for years," Tonks said, puzzled.

"Not quite as dead as everyone assumed," Draco commented. He noticed Lupin was bleeding from several claw like gashes, especially one that had carved a furrow across his scalp and over one temple, narrowly missing his eye. Blood trickled down his face and dripped onto his robes. Tonks repeatedly tried to dab at it with a cloth, but Remus waved her back.

"Voldemort?" Lupin asked.

"The Chosen One triumphed over evil," Draco said dramatically and grinned at Potter's glare. He felt Hermione's hand clench on his and looked down to see her eyes open. She smiled softly.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"A bit better. I'm no longer praying to die."

"Thank goodness, because I'm praying for you to live and it would be damned counter-productive." His words were light, but still he feared the potion might not be an antidote. It could yet be a painkiller or sedative.

"What happened to the Death Eaters?" Harry asked.

"Susan Bones killed most of them," Ginny said. Draco decided to hate Susan a bit less next time he saw her.

"Greyback nearly got me," Luna said. "But Professor McGonagall saved me before..."

"Before Greyback killed her," Tonks said quietly. Harry sucked in a harsh breath, but Draco felt little at the news. McGonagall had been a minimal presence in his life. Hermione's eyes filled with tears and Draco decided it would be a good idea to comfort her. He kissed her and was pleased to note her lips were no longer ice cold. He was mildly entertained by the gasp of surprise his action brought from Lupin.

Hermione's hand reached up and touched his hair. Draco enjoyed the kiss a bit too much and had to force himself to break it.

"I can't breathe again," Hermione murmured.

Draco looked at her in alarm, but she giggled.

"It's your fault this time."

"Voldemort said he had the Ministry," Harry said. "Is there any word?"

Lupin snorted and batted away Tonks as she held the cloth up to his head.

"Voldemort was a bit premature, there. If he had waited a bit longer, until the full moon--it would have been awful. As it was, they were poorly organized; a rabble, really. They were led by Avery and consisted of a group of Greyback's pet werewolves. They completely broke ranks and ran amok throughout the Ministry. That Death Eater with a face like a hatchet--"

"Lars," Draco supplied.

"--arrived later and tried to get them under control, but it was too late. A handful of Aurors and some of the more competent Ministry officials made mincemeat of them."

"And then Fred and George appeared and it was quickly over," Jack said. "Those two are bloody brilliant."

"Although they are now in some trouble with Rufus Scrimgeour..." Lupin added.

Jack chuckled. "You should see what they did to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

Lupin sighed and ducked Tonks again.

"If you don't hold still and let me tend to that, I'm going to bloody well hex you unconscious and then do it!" she yelled. For a moment, Draco thought the werewolf might actually defy his cousin, but then Tonks smiled and wheedled, "Please." Lupin caved like a cheap cauldron hit by a Bludger.

"What about Percy?" Ron asked suddenly. Luna had sidled over and attached herself to Weasley's arm, as she usually did to Draco. Ron didn't seem to mind.

"He's fine. The exchange went as planned. He's at St. Mungo's with your parents. A bit bruised and shaken, but he should be all right."

"I think I can stand," Hermione said. Draco helped her to her feet, wincing when the phoenix shifted and dug its claws into his shoulder. He wondered how to make the bird depart, but forgot the thought as Hermione swayed against him. Draco caught her and his arms went around her waist. Her hands clutched his shoulders. He stared into her wide brown eyes for a moment before he noticed she was grinning wickedly.

"I did that on purpose," she admitted.

"You are turning into a shameless hussy, Granger!" he whispered into her ear.

"I nearly died," she said. "I realized there are some things I want to do before that happens. Most of them involve you... without clothing."

Draco went rigid and sucked in a shocked breath.

"Should we leave?" Potter asked dryly, echoing Draco's thoughts. When Hermione looked at Harry, he grinned and enveloped her in a hug--which included Draco, since he had not released her. Malfoy suffered Potter's arm around his shoulders. For a moment.

"Potter can't keep his hands off of me, Granger. You might want to have a word with him."

"If you let go of her, I won't need to touch you at all," Potter commented.

"I don't want to deprive you of your meager pleasures."

Harry gave him a pained look. "Malfoy--"

"Oh all right," Draco said and freed Hermione. Harry immediately pulled her into a joyful embrace, joined quickly by Weasley. Strangely, Draco felt no envy seeing the trio thus enfolded. He no longer felt like an outsider.

Lupin was kneeling by Wormtail. He gently pulled the metal hand away from Wormtail's throat and closed the staring eyes with one hand.

"Maybe we were too hard on him," he said regretfully. "Did we exclude him? Sometimes I felt inadequate next to Sirius and James... It must have been so much worse for Peter."

"Don't blame yourself, Remus," Tonks said with a hand on his shoulder. "Peter was responsible for the choices he made. He had to have known the consequences."

Lupin sighed and stood up. "It was such a bloody waste."

Draco agreed with that statement, although he felt no remorse whatsoever that Wormtail was gone. The little bastard had caused so much destruction in his quest for... what? Power? Any power granted to him by Voldemort had been an illusion.

"Let's get out of here," Lupin said.

Harry retrieved Gryffindor's sword, grimacing when the black cloth dropped to the seat of Malfoy's ruined chair. Draco noted he'd have to find another for his father. Ron picked up the invisibility cloak and slung it over his shoulder. Jack Williamson levitated Regulus Black's body and Lupin did the same for Wormtail.

As they left the chamber and walked through the passage, Potter glanced at the phoenix on Draco's shoulder.

"Looks like you've acquired a pet," Harry commented.

"I think it acquired me," he said wryly.

Harry blinked and said, "You know, we could have used Fawkes to heal Hermione--his tears..."

Draco glared at him.

"Bloody brilliant of you to think of it now, Potter."

Harry grinned.

"You know, Malfoy, Dumbledore once told me something interesting." He paused dramatically and Draco steeled himself for the dreaded snippet of wisdom. "He said only a true Gryffindor could pull Godric's sword from the Sorting Hat."

Draco halted, aghast. Hermione laughed merrily.

"Maybe you should switch Houses," she said.

Draco and Ron spoke together.

"You've got to be joking."

Hermione wasn't. "Just because it's never been done before doesn't mean it can't be done."

Weasley groaned and clapped a hand to his head. The red-haired stick girl looked equally horrified, which made Draco pause and actually consider the idea. Anything the Weasley's hated...

"Red is an appalling color on me," he murmured, but the thought of being in the same portion of the castle as Hermione had its appeal, particularly since Draco already knew how to disable the spell that kept boys out of the girl's dorm...

He looked at Hermione in sudden, wicked speculation and she caught her breath in surprise.

"Why the hell not?" he said and laughed. If nothing else, it would cause a bloody uproar in both Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses. Hermione threw her arms around him and gave him such a heady kiss he was ready to throw off his green robes and don the hideous red at that moment--figuratively speaking.

"God, I'll never be free of him!" Weasley moaned.

Epilogue

Draco tugged at his new dress robes. Hermione had picked them out for him after informing him that his black ones made him look like a vicar. He flicked a speck of imaginary dust from the silver-grey sleeve and grinned. She stood across from him and her brown eyes glowed appreciatively. She winked evilly and his pulse sped a bit at the anticipation of dragging her away after this foolish wedding business was over.

Bill Weasley looked nearly as nice as Draco from where he stood next to the minister. His long red hair was pulled back in a silver clasp and he wore rich blue robes trimmed in silver. He looked cool and confident. The rest of the Weasleys looked well-scrubbed and polished, even the red-haired stick girl who batted her lashes at Potter. Draco grinned. He had asked Harry if Ginny had extended him sexual favors and Potter's scarlet reaction had more than answered the blunt question. Draco had been happy to note that tormenting Potter was far more satisfying now than it had ever been when they were enemies.

Fleur Delacour appeared and Draco's brows rose appreciatively. She looked a vision in palest peach and the satin gleamed where the summer sun touched it. They could not have chosen a more perfect August day. Draco's eyes left Bill's bride and touched the school beyond. It was still uncertain whether or not Hogwarts would reopen in a few weeks. The battle over the new Headmaster or Headmistress continued. Slughorn had agreed to return as Potions Master once more. In a surprising twist, Lucius Malfoy had announced his intention to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts and become the new head of Slytherin House. He had been cleared of any charges after the testimony of Potter and Ron Weasley at the trial.

Draco knew his father had decided to teach solely to sway Draco from the "insane path" he had chosen--namely his decision to join Gryffindor House, but also his open infatuation with Hermione Granger. There had been quite a row at Malfoy Manor once Draco returned home, although most of the shouting had been done by Lucius. Draco had listened with a pleased smile--so glad to be home without the threat of imminent death hanging over them that he barely heard his father's words. Lucius had finally collapsed in his new chair with a frustrated glare. Draco had walked over and planted a kiss on his father's forehead.

"I'll be fine, Father. We all will."

Draco's meeting with Granger's parents had gone much better. They immediately adored him, largely due to his stunningly perfect teeth, apparently. Draco had spent several days there and enjoyed the shower as often as possible, both singly... and with company. He flushed momentarily at the memory and glanced at Hermione in remembrance of her wet body covered in suds... She caught his steamy gaze and blushed profusely. Draco willed the bloody ceremony to end.

The last of the Death Eaters had been rounded up and sent to the Ministry for trail--but for Fenrir Greyback, who had escaped after attacking Lupin in the Chamber. Auntie Bellatrix had not gone quietly, screaming insanely that the Dark Lord would return as before. Potter and the others had exchanged smug looks at that outburst--they were confident all Horcruxes had been destroyed. Her husband, Rodolphus, had been killed in the battle with Susan Bones, Neville, and the others. Susan had stood trial and been released after the Carrows activities had been examined. The Carrows had been instrumental in the murders of Amelia Bones and several others. Susan was being closely watched by the Ministry and had to report in weekly, but at least she was not in Azkaban. The Longbottoms had taken her in and Draco vowed to watch that relationship closely. Psychotic Susan with passive Neville. It was curious.

Potter's birthday had been a riotous celebration. They had held it at Harry's house in London--horrid nasty place though it was, especially jammed with Weasleys. Their house was being rebuilt, but they planned to live with Harry until it was complete. Draco was certain the fringe benefit of having the red-haired stick girl under his roof had not escape Potter. The party had begun innocently enough with singing, eating cake and opening cute gifts. Draco had finally tired of it, kidnapped Potter and taken him to a seedy wizard bar. They had gotten completely shitfaced and Potter had been in the process of drawing lightning bolts on the ample bosoms of several local girls when Hermione and Ginny had tracked them down and ended the festivities.

Draco looked at Granger again through narrowed eyes. He still wasn't sure how she'd managed to find them. Clever little minx. He might have to torture the information out of her. The thought made him pleasantly warm again and he looked at Bill and Fleur. They were finally exchanging vows, thank God.

Finally the kissing, cheering, flower tossing and other wedding-related chores were past. They all adjourned to the Great Hall for the reception. Draco dragged Hermione straight to the Slytherin dungeon. She was vexed with him for almost two minutes until he kissed her senseless.

"We're going to miss the gift opening," she protested.

"Thank God," he said ardently. His fingers worked on the buttons of her gown while his mouth worked on the hollow of her throat.

"Won't it be nice to get back to school?" she asked.

"Nice," he agreed as the fabric pooled at her feet. Bloody hell, she was wearing those delectable lace undergarments again. Burnished copper in color. He picked her up and carried her to the cashmere rug he had installed before the fireplace.

"It will be rather sad, though. Our last year. I never asked what you plan to do after school."

Draco wasn't listening. It didn't matter; he knew how to silence her.

"Hermione?" he asked before kissing his way beneath the lace. She gasped and arched beneath him.

"Draco?"

"I love you," he said and proceeded to prove it.

The End!!!!

Author's really long note:

What a wild ride this fanfic has been! I never expected to write a novel-length fanfic. It all started one day when I was pondering the motives of Snape, Regulus Black, and the others that lived during the Marauder's era. I didn't think Regulus would go quietly and gave me the amazing idea that he had killed Snape and taken on his identity. It fit nicely with JKR's pattern of people not being who everyone thought they were. I'm also hopelessly addicted to the idea of Draco redeemed, even though I fear JKR won't share that view. I just hope she doesn't kill him because I'm sure I'll want to write another fanfic once the last book is out!

I want to thank everyone who has stuck with this story and especially those keeping me motivated with incredible reviews. It took me five years to write 300 pages of my own novel, yet I cranked this one out in just over three months--go figure! I could have made it longer (no wonder JKR's books are 600+ pages - do you know how many bleeding character plotlines she has to wrap up? I was going crazy just with the Dobby, Percy, Wormtail, and Greyback plotlines!) but the characters in my own book are sharpening their swords from being neglected. And Toryn is rather like Draco--I don't want to irritate him.

I plan to convert this to .pdf once I do a final clean-up edit, so anyone that wants a copy can email me from my fictionalley link and I'll send you one. Eventually, I'll have it online somewhere for direct download. If you find any errors or inconsistencies or things I forgot, please let me know!

Many thanks to JKR for creating these characters and not fussing at us when we twist them into directions she never would have guessed. Thanks also to everyone at Fiction Alley--I had a couple technical difficulties and they always responded immediately to correct the problems. Excellent work!

Cheers, everyone!

Cheryl