"What's a Horcrux?"

Harry's legs pumped the pedals. He realized he could have charmed the bicycle to pedal itself-probably Malfoy was doing that very thing-but Harry liked the exercise.

Harry had never told anyone but Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Dumbledore about the Horcruxes and everything relating to Voldemort's demise. The Daily Prophet clambered for details but none of them ever said anything. Harry felt that the less said about it the better…and safer. "Well, a Horcrux is a way to encase a piece of one's soul so that you cannot be killed. It's very Dark magic because you can best achieve it by murder, because murder already affects your soul."

"Voldemort," breathed Draco. "That's how he stayed alive."

"Yes. Only the evil prat didn't just tear his soul in half like any other decent Dark wizard might. He tore it into seven bits and hid these Horcruxes all over. In order to kill him, I had to destroy all six Horcruxes first."

"Six? But you said-"

"The seventh was still inside the bastard himself."

"How did you find out about all this?"

"Dumbledore told me in our sixth year. While you were busy working on those Vanishing cabinets, I was taking private lessons from Dumbledore. I'd only just found out the summer before about the prophecy and what it said. Neither can live while the other survives. I was destined to be the only one capable of killing him…or he to kill me."

"Gods! Why is Fate so desperately stupid! Leave the future of the world to a boy?"

Harry looked over at Draco. He knew Draco meant well, even if his words came out wrong. "Right. Well I didn't do badly, did I? And it wasn't actually Fate, because I had a choice to ignore the prophecy if I wanted to. Of course, I didn't want to leave it. Voldemort had not only killed my parents but his own relatives, and Cedric Diggory, and so many others. He just had to be stopped and I wanted to be the one to do it. But to tell you the truth I didn't really think I had a scrap of hope surviving it. I mean, you knew what kind of a wizard I was. That versus Voldemort? But when Dumbledore took me on I started to think that at least he thought I had a chance."

"So what did he teach you? Hexes and such?"

"No. He just showed me memories of Voldemort's life."

There was silence. Only the sound of birds and the squeak of bicycle wheels met their ears.

Finally Draco said, "Was he mental? How the hell was that supposed to help?"

"It helped me to understand him. And it reinforced what Dumbledore was telling me all along. Voldemort never believed in the power of love. A power the Dark Lord knows not."

"What? What does that have-"

"Are you telling this or am I?"

Draco shrugged. "Sorry."

"Okay then. He showed me Voldemort's life, and he told me how he had begun to hunt for the Horcruxes with clues from these memories. Voldemort liked trophies, liked to collect things from the founders because he had an especial attachment to Hogwarts…much like…er…I do. In fact, I was a lot like Voldemort in a lot of ways. Except I wasn't evil and all."

"Only a bit of a mean streak."

"Do not!"

"Oh yeah? I have only one word for you: Sectemsempra."

"That…was an accident."

"Accident my arse!"

"Well I didn't mean it and I said I was sorry. Besides, you were trying to Crucio me."

Draco scowled. "Get on with your story."

Harry gripped the handle bars. "So Dumbledore had already tracked down some of the Horcruxes. And one of them I'd already managed to destroy: Tom Riddle's diary."

"Bloody hell. My father got into all kinds of trouble with Voldemort for that. Took him a week to recover from the Cruciatus."

Harry shook his head. "And you still wanted to join him?"

"You don't understand. I've been waiting for it all my life; trained to it; preened for it. When the reality was so far different from what I imagined, I wasn't prepared. Thought it was my fault. Until I finally-" Draco fell silent. "Isn't this your story?"

"Yeah. We were talking about Horcruxes." Harry took a deep breath and inhaled the scent of lavender. "Another was a family ring-which Dumbledore destroyed-and another Slytherin's locket. Dumbledore took me on a journey to get that one. It was horrible. Voldemort had rigged the place it was hidden in. It was designed to be impossible to survive. The locket was at the bottom of this stone basin in the middle of a lake stocked with inferi."

"Bloody hell."

"Yeah. And the basin was filled with a potion you couldn't penetrate except…except by drinking it." It happened so long ago now, but Harry was still filled with dread when he thought of it.

"So which one of you drank it?"

"He did. And it made him see…horrible visions. He…he…pleaded, he begged…begged me to kill him. And all the while I had to force him to drink it all."

Draco looked at Harry. His eyes were horrified but he said nothing.

"Yeah. That was the night we returned to the Astronomy Tower and you tried to kill him. Bad night all around." He glanced at Draco who was studiously avoiding Harry's eye. "Draco, if the other Death Eaters hadn't shown up, what would you have done?"

Draco snapped his head toward Harry. "Hang on. How did you know about all that?"

"I was there. I had ridden the second broom, remember. I was under my invisibility cloak."

"That damned cloak."

"But Dumbledore had petrified me. Or I certainly would have done something to you I would have later regretted."

Draco thought about that but said nothing.

"So. What would you have done?"

Draco kept his eyes on the road. "He said he could hide me. And my family. I was beginning to believe him. I think…I might have agreed."

"That was too bad. Of course, he and Snape had already decided ahead of time that he would pretend to kill him. Snape argued with him about it, because there was every chance that it really would kill him, especially in the state he was in. But Dumbledore had decided it was worth the risk. He knew about your plan, you see, and wanted to save your soul."

Draco wiped his face again. "You were saying about Horcruxes."

"Right. Well, after all that, the locket in the basin turned out to be a fake. The locket was in fact at the Black residence in Kreacher's nest. Then there was Hufflepuff's cup. I was certain another was Gryffindor's sword, but I was wrong and I'm afraid I ruined it trying."

"Is that why it is so blackened?"

"Yes. I should have trusted Dumbledore. He didn't think the sword was it."

"What about Hufflepuff's cup? How did you know about that?"

"Through the memories. Hermione and Ron went with me that summer in search of them. We hadn't remembered about the locket's whereabouts until much later and we didn't know where the cup was or about the last two. Until I remembered something."

"You mean Ron and Hermione spent the rest of the seventh year searching with you?"

"Yeah. None of us really thought we'd make it out alive. You see, Voldemort never noticed when we destroyed them. But when we were down to the last two, something tipped him off and he sent everyone after us; Death Eaters, inferi, werewolves, vampires, dementors…can't remember what else. Were you one of the ones after me, too?"

Draco swallowed. "I was supposed to be. The Dark Lord thought I might relish it, not that he was in to rewarding me. He rather enjoyed punishing more than rewarding. I went with the others but I did my damnedest to thwart them."

Harry smiled. "I know. I saw your veritaserum transcripts."

"You did? When?"

"Not long after the trial. I had to know. You see, that's why I knew I could trust you in my flat. I knew you wouldn't try to kill me. If you didn't try then when you wanted to, I knew you wouldn't later."

"Oh." Draco fell silent again and Harry continued.

"So what was the last one?"

"I thought it was the last one. It was Nagini."

"That great dirty snake?"

"Yeah. You see, when Voldemort was going to kill me when I was a baby, he was going to make his final Horcrux from my death, the prat. So when it backfired and he lost his body, he couldn't make the last one, and he really wanted to. Seven is supposed to be a very magical number. So because he could control Nagini he must have reckoned she was a good choice and keep this one close."

"You could use something living-a creature-as a Horcrux?"

"Yeah, but it's tricky busy because if it can think for itself it may not always want to do what you tell it."

"So that's why you made such a fuss about killing that snake first."

"And why Voldemort fought like the devil to keep us from doing it."

"Good thing Hermione's quick."

Harry nodded. "But before that, we searched. But I couldn't help but feel we were running out of time. We were getting pretty tired, Ron, Hermione and me. Constantly on the run, dueling. It was touch and go. Besides, we thought we'd got them all. I still thought one of them was Gryffindor's sword. So after Hermione got Nagini, that's when I faced off with Voldemort. But I couldn't manage to kill him. That's when I discovered I'd been wrong. But it was Voldemort who came to Hogwarts and there was no reason for him to because everyone was gone, except to protect the last Horcrux. Then I finally remembered it. Tom Riddle had opened the Chamber of Secrets when he was a student at Hogwarts but he blamed it on Hagrid and got him kicked out of school. The Chamber was closed and the monster-they thought-vanquished. And Riddle received a special award for services to the school-like I did for killing the basilisk. It was a trophy-a real one-and it was kept in the trophy room. And that was it. The last Horcrux-besides the one in Voldemort himself."

"So then he was able to be killed. But how did you actually do it?"

Entering into the village where the hôtel was located, they were momentarily separated by traffic. When they came back together again, Harry said, "With love."

"Didn't you A.K. him?"

"Nope."

"No?"

"I've told you. I've never been able to do the Unforgivable curses."

"Then how-?"

"It's not easy to explain. I'm not entirely sure I understand it. But since he was so full of evil-the opposite of love-I sent every loving thought and feeling, every loving experience I had into him. Including what I felt about you."

"Really?" Draco was so enthralled he nearly ran into a light post. He swiveled just in time and righted himself. "So how-?"

"He sort of-overloaded. His wand backfired. Everything that could go wrong did. And then I…well…I vanished him."

"Vanished him?"

"Like Snape used to do to my potions. Vanished him. His soul, anyway. And that was it. He died instantly. Well, not so instantly. All his being was sucked into a vortex and-"

"I know. I was there, remember. It was bloody horrible. But I cheered when it was done. At least inside."

They made it to the hôtel and parked their bicycles near the front steps.

"Were you glad, Harry?"

"I was glad it was over. But I hated having to do it. I was angry at a universe that expected me to. I mean, hadn't I already had enough with dead parents and guardians who didn't give a fig for me? Wasn't that enough?"

Draco breathed deeply and stared at Harry's feet. "I'll say it again. I'm sorry for any bad thing I ever did to you."

Harry put his arm around Draco's shoulders. "I know. You're forgiven, okay?"

"Sometimes I can't believe you love me."

"Well sometimes, mate," he said climbing with Draco up the stairs, "I can't believe it either."

Evening fell and they spent it cuddled on a sofa in their room, each reading a book they'd brought. Occasionally, Harry would look up at Draco silently turning the pages of his text, watching that pointed profile, that blond fringe catching golden light from the setting sun.

Intent on his book, Draco's mouth curved. "Stop staring at me."

"I can't. You're irresistible."

"Then kiss me."

Harry leaned over and Draco turned to him. He accepted Harry's lips and they kissed softly, gently. Harry sighed. "I'm starved."

"What? You're thinking about food? You're supposed to be thinking about me."

"Well…you're like food. But I need sustenance. Shall we go downstairs to the dining room?"

"All right. I'll try to teach you a little French."

Harry grabbed his jacket from the wardrobe and drew it on. "I wonder if I can teach you Parseltongue."

"How can you teach it when you don't know when you're speaking it?"

"Good point."

"But you can speak it to me any time."

"You're sick, Malfoy. You're way too Slytherin for your own good."

"Thought you liked getting up close and personal with the Malfoy snake."

Harry had grabbed the door knob and stopped. He made an embarrassed smile. "Yeah. Maybe I talk to it too much." He yanked opened the door and headed down the stairs.

Draco ran after. "No you don't. It's okay, Harry. Really."

"Don't worry," he said over his shoulder with a wide smile. "I do like a good natter."

They made it to the dining room and the maitre d' found them a cozy table by the window. A votive lit their table with a nimbus of golden light. Draco took Harry's hand. Harry felt a little strange about it in public, but Draco didn't seem to mind the occasional odd glance their way. "This is very romantic, Draco. This whole holiday."

"It's meant to be. Honeymoon, and all."

"Yes, but I mean that at every turn it's been very personal and intimate. I think it's the most fun I've ever had."

"Well, the sex is excellent." The waiter appeared at that moment and Harry was glad the man only spoke French. Or did he? Draco turned the smile he directed at Harry up to the man. He rattled off some French and the waiter bowed before he left.

"What are we having?"

"You'll see. Have I ever steered you wrong yet?"

Harry took Draco's hand again, his thumb rubbing the back of it. But even as Draco talked to him in low tones, Harry felt the sense of something else behind him. Casually, he turned his head until he spied a pale man with long black hair watching him. There was a fleeting sense of recognition before it disappeared again. The man's concentrated stare was a bit unnerving and when there was a break in the conversation, Harry squeezed Draco's hand. "Don't look around. Just now, slowly. Do you see that man behind me? That pale man with the dark hair. Looks a bit like Snape? What do you think of him?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he's been staring at me."

"Well, you are a handsome man."

"It's not that kind of stare. Do you think he's a wizard?"

"I think he's a vampire."

"A vampire?"

"I'm looking at the mirror behind him and he isn't in it."

Harry's breath quickened. "What does he want with us?"

"Don't know. Let's ask him." Draco stood before Harry could plead with him not to. Harry reluctantly rose from his chair and joined Draco, his hand on his wand in his jacket pocket.

"Pardon me," said Draco to the man who began to studiously examine his wine-unless it wasn't wine, Harry thought with a sickening feeling. "But my partner and I were wondering why you're staring at him so rudely. And I'd bloody well like to know it, too"

The man slid his gaze toward Draco and Harry got a distinctly uneasy feeling creeping up his spine. The man swiveled his head as smoothly as an owl might. "I do not think I know you, monsieur."

"Oh. Sorry." Draco sat opposite him. "I'm the wizard that's going to drive a frigging stake through your heart if you don't leave us alone."

The man's pale face darkened. "You mistake me for someone else, monsieur."

"I don't think so. I know a vampire when I see one. Or rather, when I don't." He nodded toward the mirror behind him and the man turned sharply once to look. He spun back and glowered. "Cheap mistake, Fangs," said Draco. "I'm telling you now. Stay away from us. In fact, you're going to get up right now and leave this dining room."

"I have not received my meal."

"And you won't. Hop it!"

The man took a deep breath-a feat for a creature who no longer breathed-and slowly rose. Draco rose with him. He was taller than Draco and imposing in his darkness. But clearly Draco had dealt with his kind before. The vampire growled at Draco and then turned to Harry. "Until we meet again…Harry Potter."

Draco's expression grew livid. He clearly didn't like the fact that the man knew Harry's name. "Out. Or it's permanent midnight for you."

The vampire left, seeming to glide across the floor. Draco relaxed and shook out his arms. He returned to their table and sat. Harry could now see that Draco's hands were shaking. Something was nudging the back of Harry's mind. "I've met him before. I'm almost sure of it. Recently, you know?"

"You mean here?"

"Maybe. Not sure."

"He was using a glamour on you."

Instant recognition flooded his senses and Harry shuddered. "It was at the club!"

"What do you remember?"

"He…he-" Oh Merlin! What did he remember? He sent a desperate look at Draco. "He…he kissed me. And…well. I seemed to have kissed him back."

He expected Draco to be jealous and turn his rage on Harry. But Draco only drew on a thoughtful expression. "Hmm. He's trying to court you. I wonder why."

"Court me? As in…court me?"

Impatient, Draco turned to him. "Yeah. You know. Like getting ready to shag?"

"Eww. He's dead."

"Sort of, yeah."

"I'm afraid I don't know enough about vampires to understand this-"

"Look, there's something about you they want, so he's trying to get you into their nest and probably make you a part of it."

"Can he tell, do you suppose, about my power?"

"That's got to be it. You're a powerful wizard Harry. If they make you a vampire then they will be powerful too. They could pose a huge threat to everyone, killing whenever they wanted, whomever they wanted, making more vampires until there was an army of them."

The food arrived but when the plate was set before Harry he had suddenly lost his appetite. "What should we do?"

"I think we should get out of here."

"Leave?"

"Yes. First thing in the morning."

"If we leave will they leave us alone? Won't they follow?"

"Maybe. The other alternative is find their nest and kill them."

"Um…Draco. That's not something I'm prepared to do."

"That may be what we end up doing."

"Can we survive that?"

Draco drank down his wine. He didn't touch his food either. "I don't know."

Suddenly their idyllic honeymoon was turning into a nightmare. They both fell silent, drinking down their wine much too fast.

"Is there a charm or something that deflects vampires?" asked Harry. "Garlic, maybe?"

"There's a few but I rather think these chaps are more dangerous than the average vampire."

Harry angrily threw down his serviette. "This is ridiculous! They're ruining my honeymoon!"

"Mine, too."

"I won't stand for it! I'm flooing Dumbledore."

Harry left the table and stomped toward the stairs when he suddenly slowed. He wasn't certain why he slowed, or why he pivoted toward the door, or why he was walking in that direction, but he suddenly became aware of a pair of dark eyes in the night; dark eyes into which he wanted to plummet, and he moved toward them as if in a dream.


On to Chapter Six
"The Nest"

Back to Chapter Four
"Draco's Detour"

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