Desperate Measures

Chapter 32 - The Queen's Blessing

-June 10-

Snape's fury was absolutely incandescent. He'd tutored the boy when he was little. He'd encouraged him in his potions work. He'd protected the boy while at Hogwarts. And this was how he was repaid? How dare he? How dare he?

He'd kept his fury hidden, with supreme difficulty, while still at Hogwarts. But now Lucius was in his sights.

"Osseus Frango!" Severus yelled.

Lucius ducked the bone shattering curse and screamed back, "Artus Seco!"

Severus twisted away from the spell and ignored the cry of a random Death Eater behind him getting his leg severed and shouted another vicious dark curse. This one clipped Lucius and Severus cried out in triumph then immediately shielded a spell from the blond.

They continued on for nearly a quarter hour when both combatants were suddenly felled by the strongest cruciatus curse they had ever felt. Neither Severus nor Lucius felt like moving when the spell was finally lifted some indeterminate time later.

"Are you quite finished trying to kill one another?" Voldemort hissed dangerously.

Both men muttered the appropriate response although neither felt the fight was close to over.

"Now, if I understand correctly all your screeching prior to this display of dueling prowess, young Draco has gone and done something foolish once again. Am I right?" Voldemort asked sweetly.

Severus shook in fear. It was never a good thing when Voldemort sounded like that. "This imbecile has raised a fool for a son!" he said as loud as he could as he attempted to climb to his knees.

"He has been under your guidance these last years! This is your fault!" Lucius spat out as he also laboriously gained his knees.

"Silence," Voldemort said angrily. "We were to discuss our new target tonight and instead I find out that Draco is Potter's mate! Potter's mate! You both are to blame for this travesty!"

Severus and Lucius both remained silent, hoping against hope to make it out alive this night.

"Crucio," Voldemort said softly.

-June 11-

Luna watched with a smile as Ron Weasley threw yet another fit about the identity of Harry's mate. The redhead wasn't the only one furious over the revelation, but he was the most vocal. She looked around at the other students.

The Gryffindors were upset. Luna noted that most didn't understand the lesson that could be learned from this pairing. With long practice she ignored the white skulls superimposed over the faces of most of that House. They would die before the new era.

The Hufflepuffs were upset, too, but more of them were wondering about what it meant that Harry Potter had mated to Draco Malfoy. Some of the most stalwart romantics were in Hufflepuff and they were already talking about love and destiny. Many of them would die, too, though, before the new era, and sooner than the Gryffindors.

The Ravenclaws vacillated between shock, anger, and an analytical wonder. She absently noted the few among them that she would end up saving from death. The stories running through her House at the reasons behind Harry's choice were quite funny. None had yet thought to suggest a growing respect and affection between the pair. Silly Ravenclaws.

Slytherin House was the most affected. There had already been many who had started rethinking their priorities due to the fight between Draco and Millicent last year. And now to find that their leader had chosen so? Many would save themselves by leaving. Others would die in the destruction or by the King's hand. A few she would save when the time came.