“Dobby has gone to the school to get your things. We are going to the Manor and heightening all of the wards.” Severus told the two children who he had pulled close to him, walking out of St. Mungos as quickly as possible.

“Dad…” Harry’s voice was frightened. It shook as he talked, despite the fact that he was trying to keep it calm.

“Not right now, Harry. We have to go. I have to get you both to Lucius and Cissy. They are waiting for you both. I have to go back to Hogwarts and get Mum and our things. I’ve already sent Dobby on his way to help. We haven’t time to talk right now.”

Severus never stopped walking. He pushed the two teenagers out of the hospital and then pulled them against him as close as he could, apparating to the front gate of Malfoy Manor.

Narcissa and Lucius were waiting for them at the gate, and, after Severus passed Hermione and Harry over, he apparated away again without another word.

Harry stood there. He wanted to say something. He wanted to tell his Dad to be safe. But, Severus had been too fast.

“Come, children. Harry, Draco is in his room. Hermione, Love, I need to talk to you.” Narcissa said. Both of them followed the adults obediently. While they had expected this to come eventually, they had not realized that it would happen so abruptly. Or, so soon.

They had left so many things unsaid at Hogwarts; so many things that would never be the same, no matter what happened. No matter what the outcome of the final battle was.

“Come on, Harry. I am sure that Draco would like to see you in an atmosphere that does not involve the two of you sending hexes at one another.” Lucius said with a smirk.

Harry nodded and then stopped, looking up at the older man, “Uncle Lucius, do you think that my Dad will be able to get himself and my Mum out safely?” the thought had plagued the fifteen year old since Ron had caught he and Hermione talking to Severus. They had gone over this plan so many times that it should be flawless, but the circumstances had changed the minute everything happened in the hospital and not at Hogwarts as they had all thought it would.

He knew that even though Ron had been obliviated that it would not take Dumbledore long to realize that something was amiss and would search through Ron’s mind to get answers. Ron would remember then.

He wanted his parents long gone before then.

Because if Dumbledore hurt his parents, there would be hell to pay.

Even at the thought, Harry felt the magic tingle at his fingertips. His fingertips were literally beginning to glow.

Lucius gently rubbed the teenager’s back. He could see the magic surrounding Harry, and an accidental bout of magic was not something they could afford right now.

Not that they hadn’t dealt with Harry’s accidental magic in the past. The child had a temper and as soon as he had realized that Severus would never send him back to his relatives, he had shown it several times when unhappy. Even Narcissa, whom Harry had wrapped around his fingers with a mere pouty glance, had had to stick the boy in a corner in the past so that he would calm down.

No, they had to wait until the time was right. Then Harry’s magic, combined with Hermione’s, who they had also discovered was equally as powerful, would save them all. Because together the two were like one whole entity. Their power could outshine every living witch and wizard.

Then they would be able to be peaceful, happy, and safe.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione followed her Aunt Cissy into her bedroom. It was a welcome sight for Hermione, who always missed her true life when she was pretending to be someone that she didn’t like.

The-Know-It-All.

Just like Harry was The-Boy-Who-Lived. Regardless, Hermione did have the best marks in her year and Harry did have a saving people thing, but that was not all they were. They were so much more than that.

“Hermione, I need to talk to you about something very important. I didn’t know that it would be this soon, though I am so happy that you and Harry are home. It just isn’t safe out there anymore.” Narcissa said, and then stopped and wrapped her arms around her niece.

Why was the world so dangerous?

And why was it the most dangerous for her fifteen year old niece and nephew?

“Hermione?” A voice came from the doorway.

Hermione looked towards the doorway.

There stood person that she had only seen in pictures.

“Mum?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry and Draco sat silently in Draco’s room. Harry had come in the room fifteen minutes earlier and from the look on his face, Draco could tell that he was in a temper. For what, he did not know.

To say that Draco was surprised that Harry was there was an understatement. It was supposed to have been the first time that they had all spent Christmas apart since Harry and Hermione had come to live at the Manor at seven. He didn’t say anything to Harry though knowing it was best to wait patiently for the other boy to talk. Draco knew that when he was ready, he would tell him why he was here.

“Ron saw me and Hermione with Dad at St. Mungo’s.” Harry whispered, looking out a window towards the back garden that Draco’s room overlooked.

Draco stared at him for a moment.

“Why were you at St. Mungo’s? I thought you were supposed to be in hiding at Grimmauld Place?”

Harry was silent for a few minutes.

“Dumbledore sent us to destroy the Horcrux and find several more.” Harry whispered.

Harry looked over to Draco.

Draco’s eyes were wide.

“He what? You can’t even do magic outside of school! What did he expect of you?” Draco demanded.

Harry cleared his throat.

“He took the trace off of our wands. Once it is gone, it can’t be put back on. Not once it is taken off.”

“He was sending you on a death mission. He doesn’t want you to live through this war.” Draco hissed.

Harry looked at Draco for a moment and narrowed his eyes slightly in thought.

“Draco, he nearly killed Mr. Weasley. He doesn’t want anyone to live through this war. I saw him. He wasn’t expecting that and he thinks I dreamed that it was Voldemort. Something happened. Maybe Mr. Weasley knows too much.”

“What did he do to you, Harry? What did Dumbledore do to you?” Draco asked.

“Nothing. Yet. He can’t obliviate me. He doesn’t know that, but it doesn’t work. Just like the imperius.” Harry said.

Draco knew that he was lying. Something had happened.

If it was the last thing that he did, Draco would kill Dumbledore. Even if he made it his mission in life.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Hurry, Rosemerta!” Severus yelled at his wife. They were waving their wands as quickly as they could, packing everything they could and then shrinking it to put in their pockets. They had not been expecting this to happen so soon. They had thought they would be discovered during the children’s sixth, possibly seventh year.

Never had they thought that it would happen during fifth year.

Dobby was at the Three Broomsticks, Rosemerta’s bar and restaurant, quickly packing up anything there. He had already gone to Gryffindor Tower and packed everything that Hermione and Harry had left.

Anything else could be bought new, if it was needed, though Severus doubted that Hermione had left anything behind at Grimmauld place. He felt that the child had probably known that this might happen, and had probably made Harry pack all of his things for safe keeping. All of their belongings were probably in the handbag that Cissy had bought her a couple of years ago and had cast a never ending extension charm on it. The kids could both jump in that bag and no one would be the wiser.

“I am finished, Sev. We need to go. I want to see Harry.” Rosemerta said. Severus, for a split second, looked at his wife. He took in her beauty; the golden eyes, so unlike any other persons he had ever seen in his life; the golden brown hair that flowed down her back in massive curls. He loved this woman with all of his heart. He knew that he never told her that enough.

“He is fine, Rose. He is with Lucius and Cissy.”

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. Both adults froze in place not daring to even breathe.

Another loud knock.

Severus motioned for Rosemerta to walk towards the only thing they had left on the mantel of the fireplace.

The only thing that they had left unpacked of their old life.

The knocking was getting louder. More urgent.

Rosemerta picked up the item on the mantel.

It was a picture frame. It was usually hidden from view, in their bedroom, under a concealment charm.

The picture was the only thing they dared carry around with them of their family.

Harry, Hermione, and Draco were in the photo, all ten years old, smiling at the camera. Harry had a mischievous glint in his eyes as he looked over towards Draco. Draco’s eyes held laughter, for he knew that his cousin was up to something. Hermione’s eyes were full of love for both boys. They were her family.

In the background, Rosemerta, Narcissa, Severus, and Lucius had eyes and smiles only for the three children that had changed their lives so dramatically.

Around the frame, it said, diligere tua familia magis quam vita.

Love thy family more than life.

Severus grabbed a corner of the frame and looked into Rosemerta’s eyes.

“I love you.”

Her eyes told him everything that he needed to know, just as the pounding on the door began to get louder, and a person on the other side cursed in a low, breathy, agitated voice.

“Portis.”

And the couple vanished.