Cash and Burn (Sequel)

Chapter 10

It had been a few weeks since their return from St. Mungo's. They were on summer holiday now, celebrating Harry's birthday at Thronton House. Most everyone had left besides the student's that resided there and they were all sitting around the living room, chatting about the days passed festivities. Draco had been acting strangely since speaking to Narcissa and Snape before they had mysteriously disappeared, looking ragged and worn. That had been two weeks ago and now Draco and Blaise sat together between their bondmates, not really joining the conversation, just sitting there and looking sullen- occasionally giving each other knowing looks. They had been this way for a while and everyone passed it off as Draco's pregnancy hormones.

Harry stood, stretching as he did so and grinning at all of his friends. Ron, Neville and Hermione began to chant,

"Speech! Speech! Speech!" while Draco muttered something about loud Gryffindors.

"Okay, okay- don't get Dray all worked up and excited, we don't need anything else exploding." Harry said, glancing over at the staircase banister which had obviously been replaced recently. Draco smiled geuinely, rolling his eyes. Harry beamed back at him, obviously preening and strutting, "Since it *is* my birthday, I have- in fact- composed a speech!" Hermione, Ron and Neville cheered, clapping.

Wiith an innocent, boyish, smile Harry lept to the top of the cofee table between them and began to pace dramatically. Both the residing Slytherins sat as far back as they could, as though maybe... just maybe... this ridiculousness could be contagious. It was, afterall, very out of character for Harry.

"As I was saying, today is my birthday. I have received many beautiful and wonderful gifts, and spent my day with those I love most. Hermione!" He called out her name as if she were a queen, "the baby book was thoughtful, heartwarming and will be very useful to Draco and I- thank you!," he bowed deeply to her and then, turning to Ron and Neville, "Ronald, Neville- both the Snitch and camera deeply touched my heart. You are true friends." he bowed again, Draco and Blaise looking at eachother nervously- they were next, "Blaise, the clown prince of Slytherin! The crib is beautiful, also touching, as well as the Quidditch book. I bow to you as well sir, and Draco! My dear Dragon, I have never been given something so beautiful, I love it nearly as much as I love you!" He double bowed to them quickly before standing and beginning his pace again. "*However* it is *my* birthday, and I have failed to get the one thing I wanted the *most*!" He threw his hands in the air now. If one were to be watching him from afar they might think he was drunk and giving a pre-battle speech to troops, "I feel that, since it's my birthday, I should get the one thing I want. I have my friends, my family, a roof over my head- that leaves only *one* thing left. Ronald!" With that, Ron tossed a small something to him- no one could see quite what as Harry's Seeker skills snatched it skillfully from the air.

Then, Harry leapt from the table to the floor in front of Draco and went to one knee. Blaise quickly skittered away, nearly sitting in Neville's lap. Draco shot him a look of betrayal and then stared back at Harry,

"What is it that you want, love?" he asked softly, smiling. Harry drew the small something- a ring box from behind his back.

"For you, my Dragon, to say yes. Will you marry me?" Harry went to open the box to show off the emerald and opal ring but failed as Draco tackled him to the floor, the ring box flying up as they went down.

With the same Seeker skill, Draco's hand snatched it from the air, opening it and quickly putting it on his own finger before kissing Harry deeply. Ron, Hermione, Neville and Blaise all stood, clapping cheering and cat calling. For that day, they were normal teenagers, taking a break from school and celebrating their friendships and lives together. They were all locked together in a never ending circle; each one supporting the next, and unbreakable like the strongest magical chain.

That night, while everyone else slept Blaise and Draco slipped outside, into the night to talk. They walked around the yard in the dark, neither afraid of what could be lurking just beyond the fence. Combined, there weren't many creatures- magical or not- that could stop them.

"Dray, you are undoubtedly my best friend. I would follow you through hell and come out on the other side, bitching you out for letting me get any tanner than I am. However... I just don't know if I have it within me to do this. I don't know that you do either."

"Blaise. Listen. The final battle is coming. My Lilly Korai will not be born before then, and that fact places us all in danger. Mother...Aunt Rose... Severus, they would not steer us wrongly. When it comes, you and I will have to be front and center, holding onto both Neville and Harry for them to win this. I don't trust that 'Headmaster', brother. He is raising Harry like a pig to slaughter and I'll not have it. I'll not have him die. With you and I on the battlefield, especially with my pregnancy, we will only serve as distractions, not help."

"I see that point, Draco. I get the plan and the entire idea. We've formed our own Order of sorts here, all of us. United, we are powerful. Our greatest weakness being each other. I know this, and fully understand it. I just don't know that *we*- you and I- can do this. To betray Neville and Harry... it's against who and what we are."

"It is. But, they will live Blaise, we all will. What's more important to you, his temporary unhappiness or his life?"

"His life, Draco, you know this. I will go with you, and we will show everyone why we are Slytherin royalty," Blaise snickered, "but what if we die in the process, Draco? What of Lilly?"

"We will survive Blaise, this is too well put together for us not to. I may not, due to this pregnancy, but Harry will and Neville will. They will continue on, in a free world, with no Voldemort- happiness."

"I guess a plan that you and I put together with our parents has to be unstoppable, right?" Blaise asked, the worry clearly ringing in his voice.

"Right. We begin tomorrow. Take in all of him that you can, Blaise. This is going to take a while." Draco replied, both heading back to the house. It was clear to Blaise, though it may not have been to anyone else, that Draco had no idea what he was doing. As Blaise headed off to bed with Neville, Draco headed to Ron's room, slipping quietly through the halls in his Veelan form.