Harry breathed raggedly. He was losing consciousness more and more often. He had no idea how much time had past. Was it hours? Days? He no longer shivered with cold. He barely felt anything anymore. When he looked down at himself, he saw the myriad of bites from them all, small trails of blood coming from every part of him. Not enough blood loss to kill him but he already felt a strange change. He wished he knew where his wand was. He tried nonverbally Accioing it, but it could not come from wherever it was they put it.

It never occurred to him to try any other magic. The glamour over him saw to that.

He felt as if he were being emptied and with the part of his mind still in focus, he knew why. His own consciousness was being emptied, so that he couldn't fight when they put their souls into him. And from what he could reckon, they would keep him in this strange twilight state for all eternity. Just a vessel like they said, not quite human and not quite anything else.

There was one thing he wanted desperately to hold on to. Draco. He could still feel his beloved's magic behind his heart but he felt his awareness of it slipping away and he didn't want that. If all he could have was the feeling of Draco, then he could be happy. He knew he could. Even in this half-life they were forcing on him.

"Let me keep Draco," he whispered.

Diablerie leaned over Harry's lips. "What's that you say, Harry? Keep Draco? But you can't keep anything. You must be emptied in order to receive us. Completely emptied; of memories, of feelings, of self."

"No," he whimpered. "Not feelings. Not memories."

Diablerie laughed. "Feelings and memories are more important than 'self', Potter? You are an unusual man."

But Harry had no strength to argue. He was putting all his energy into remembering Draco. Draco. I mustn't forget. I mustn't leave it behind. Draco…

* * *

Sanguini and Draco ventured into the dark caverns. Draco relied on the vampire to lead him as he simply couldn't see anymore. The caverns were getting colder the lower they went and Draco shivered. He lit the very tip of his wand just a little, no more than a vague glow. He looked at Sanguini in that insignificant light. He wasn't shivering.

"Is this far enough?" he asked the vampire.

The man stopped and pivoted. "Yes."

"So. What I was thinking you meant was…was that you were going to make me a vampire in order to save Harry. Am I right?"

"Yes."

"So you don't think there's any way I can defeat them as I am."

"No. And they will not take you in exchange. He is more powerful."

"But if you…you know. Do it to me, will Harry and I…will we be able to…to stay together?"

Sanguini said nothing. He merely stared in that same petrified expression. "I think you already know the answer to that."

"Oh." A single tear welled up in Draco's eye and ran down his pale cheek. Well. It was nice while it lasted. "After I save him, then, will you…kill me?"

"Why?"

"Because I don't think Harry will be able to stand the fact that I'm a…you know. It will tear him up inside. And I couldn't bear that. So it will be best if I was just…gone. Will you?"

"Certainly. If I am able. You will be powerful and difficult to defeat."

"Not if I let you."

"True. Vampires are imbued with a strong sense of character. You will be braver."

Great. I have to die to actually be braver. That sounds very Gryffindor, sod it all.

* * *

Something pulsed within Harry. At first, he was afraid it was the ritual, but on examining the feeling he didn't think so. It was Draco's magic. And he wondered if it was because he was concentrating on it so much. Maybe he could keep Draco there. It would be all right, then, even if holding these evil souls hurt as he imagined they might. If Draco was there, it would be bearable.

But then something happened. Suddenly, Harry's bonds fell away. Incredible strength coursed through him and he sat up.

The vampires drew back. Were they afraid suddenly? Harry felt normal. No, he felt more than normal. He felt powerful and he couldn't understand why. He looked at the vampires in a circle around him and waved his hand. He hadn't needed his wand after all. He hadn't needed to say anything aloud. They flew backwards and slammed against a wall. Diablerie lurched toward him, but Harry merely looked at him and he stopped dead.

Only then did Harry notice two new figures in a doorway behind him, one dark and the other tow-headed. More vampires? Harry ignored them, slid off the table, and approached Diablerie. He reached forward and had no difficulty grabbing him around the neck with one hand. He squeezed. "I don't like what you did to me. I don't like what you planned to do to me. It's not nice."

"I see I underestimated you."

"You know, evil creatures seem to do that all the time. And it's always to their detriment."

"We can catch you off guard again. We will have you eventually."

"And that's another thing. Bad guys always seem to keep talking. Never shut up. Yet it never gets them anywhere… Obliviate!" A powerful wave of magic shuddered over the vampires with the wave of Harry's hand. They fell back. He wasn't certain it would work and when they clumsily got to their feet, he was ready to try it again. But from the looks of their faces, he was certain they had no idea who or what they were. Perhaps they would starve to death, or crawl back into an oblivious twilight, much as they had wished on Harry. He didn't know, and he didn't care.

He turned to leave and saw another vampire standing slightly in front of a blond man. Wait. A blond man?

"Draco?" he whispered.

"Harry!" Draco ran toward him and took him in his arms. They hugged for a long time. Then Harry pulled back. "Draco? What's wrong? You're cold and you have an odd look about you."

"I'm…just amazed at the power. As soon as I got closer to you, I felt my magic join with yours."

"Is that what happened?"

"Yes. And you were able to break free. I'm so glad…well. I've never been so glad to be a coward in all my life." And he hugged Harry tighter.

"What?"

"I'll tell you later. Where are your clothes?"

"Where's my wand?"

They got to the outer cave and Harry tried again. "Accio wand!" This time, something whistled in the air and slapped into his upraised hand.

"They had wards on their antechamber entrance," Draco explained. "Dumbledore's here. At least conjure some trousers."

Harry did but never took his hand from Draco's. "I knew you'd come back for me."

"Of course I did. I'd never leave you."

"So why was being a coward a good thing?"

Sanguini spoke. "He would not allow me to sire him."

Harry turned. The vampire could be incredibly quiet and unnoticeable when he wanted to be. It was annoying. "Sorry? Who are you?"

"Sanguini," said the vampire with a bow.

"Hold on. I've met you before, haven't I?"

"Horace Slughorn's Christmas party. Hogwarts."

"Oh yes. I remember you now. What are you doing here and what do you mean by 'sire'?"

"Dumbledore brought me to help find you. I did not join the Dark Lord when the other vampires rose with him. I was not interested in what he had to offer, knowing well that they were lies."

"Okay. And the 'siring' thing?"

He turned to Draco who silently pulled Harry along toward the cave entrance. "He would not allow me to make him a vampire."

"And why would-"

"It was the only way to fight them. He had to become a vampire, and he would have been the strongest one there. Even stronger than Diablerie and he is quite old."

"What?" Harry stared at Draco. "Why would you think I'd want you to become a vampire just to save me? I'd never let you do such a thing."

"That's what he said, in the end," said Sanguini. "He said he'd rather die a man than have you see what he had become. Personally, I find that a bit insulting."

Draco snatched a look at Harry then. "By not turning I could have failed. And I took the risk. I could have failed you."

"But you didn't. You did the right thing, Draco. We're never to be like Voldemort. Our humanity is what counts the most, you know. Our love. Our feelings." He leaned over and kissed him.

Sanguini rolled his eyes. Harry thought he heard him mutter something like, "Overrated."


On to Chapter Eight
"Honeymoon"

Back to Chapter Six
"The Nest"

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