Spike was surprised by how much Dumbledore's folly seemed to amuse his little mate – in fact it kept the boy in an absolutely fabulous mood for the rest of October and as a result, so was Spike. Even the appearance of Willow with Xander and Illyria in tow couldn't dampen his spirits.

Having Draco as a stalking horse relaxed Harry as nothing else could – not even mind blowing sex, which his happier Gryffindor now allowed them to indulge in more and more often – and a relaxed Harry was a never before observed creature.

While there relationship was still a secret, having both of the younger Malfoys in the loop provided Spike time with Harry that didn't involve frenzied sex. His demon, of course, thought that was a complete waste of time, but the rest of him lapped it up. Harry was actually a rather lively conversationalist once he got started.

Dumbledore pretended ignorance of their little family get-togethers while Lucius used Draco's wand to keep him ignorant in truth of what really went on, killing any and all listening and monitoring charms in his room. So the old man continued to think Lucius and Spike were prepping the Gryffindor to become Draco's husband. Harry was indeed learning abut the Malfoy family history and Wizarding traditions, but all three Wizards were also learning about Vampiric traditions.

Harry soaked it up like a sponge.

Spike was also interested to note Buffy leaving the infirmary just as he, Draco, and Harry were entering – on several occasions. Lucius, of course, was a fount of silence on the issue.

Personally he couldn't wait for the fireworks to start. Narcissa had been a wonderful woman and a good wife to his descendant, but she was a product of the Pureblood aristocracy; a delicate flower to be cared for and treasured. Lucius needed fire – a challenge, while Buffy needed a strong hand to curb her... enthusiasm.

Quite a pair they would make.

Not to mention the werewolves – the werewolves who had moved from being amusing to annoying thirty seconds after Red arrived on the grounds. They circled each other warily nipping at the other's flanks. Maybe two alpha wolves would be able to anchor the Witch where a lone individual had failed.

On top of that, Illyria had taken to following around Harry's little friend Neville Bigbottom or something, Angel seemed to be stalking his nephew, and Xander was being... well Xander!

Love was apparently in the air – and it was driving him bloody well insane.

The only mercy the Powers had seen fit to bestow upon them was that Remus had bought the 'Shrieking Shack' over the Summer, so for the most part the Sunnydale crew was confined outside the school and away from him.

He really was glad they were here, though. His mate needed protection and while he was confident in his own abilities, there was no one else he trusted more to back him up than the Scoobies – not that he would ever, ever, ever admit that to them.

Spike was snapped out of his wandering thoughts by a handful of fifth year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws settling themselves in a bit early for class.

That was more than enough woolgathering for one day, he had children to nurture... and just how wrong was that?

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Harry skipped down the hall, heading for the Halloween Feast – or tried to skip. At nearly four months pregnant he was starting to show now and who would have thought such a small bump could throw his center of gravity completely out of wack? So in actuality he bounced back and forth between Hermione and Ron all the way from Gryffindor Tower to the Great Hall.

The two friends just smiled indulgently with Neville quietly chuckling behind them. They met up with Draco and Luna at the entrance to the Hall. So great was Harry's good mood that he hugged the blonde in front of everyone already present – which consisted of most of the school and staff, including Dumbledork himself.

Hearing the gasps behind him Harry just ended the hug and grabbing both Draco and Luna's hands, pulled the two of them to the Gryffindor table; all the while smiling obliviously. Of course Harry was well aware of the chaos the embrace of his rival had caused and he was enjoying it immensely.

"Careful Harry. You want this charade to last to December don't you," Draco hissed in his ear.

The Gryffindor grinned as if the Slytherin by his side had just whispered the most sinful secret to him and hissed back, "No worries Dray, you know we'll have a nasty row at some point this week. We'll just make sure it's in public.

Draco smirked. "You are completely nutters Potter," he said aloud.

"Well I'd have to be to put up with you, now wouldn't I," he shot right back, breaking the tension that had been slowly building at the Gryffindor table since the Slytherin had seated himself next to their Hero. While Harry's friends had accepted the blonde, his House had not but Harry wasn't going to let anything spoil his good mood.

Snagging a roll he waved to the 'Scoobies' as William called them, sitting at the visitors table Dumbledore had set up at the front of the hall. With Halloween being a Thursday combined with the steadily rising tensions in the Wizarding World, the Headmaster had declared Friday a Holiday and invited anyone with ties to a student to visit and socialize. Most of the parents had jumped at the invitation and several were attending tonight's feast with the School graciously providing overnight accommodations.

Harry thought the whole thing was an excellent idea – even if Dumbles was only doing it as a publicity stunt. Either way it allowed William's friends to spend more time at the school proper when Harry could actually talk to them, and he did want to talk to them. He was learning so much about his mate during their almost nightly meetings with Lucius – when he wasn't falling asleep after the extra Defense lessons anyway – but he also wanted to learn about him through the eyes of the people who'd known his William best.

But that was for after the feast, now it was time to eat.

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Afterwards, students lingered, enjoying the novelty of a three day weekend mid term and the parents socialized, reminiscing on their own school days years past.

Giles, Oz and Buffy stood near the entry doors talking quietly, while Illyria was once again stalking Neville who was trying not to look like he was hiding behind his Gran when he was. William and Angel were in a dark corner at the opposite end of the hall, Remus and Willow were still at the guest table looking horribly uncomfortable all of which left Xander at the tender mercies of a fawning mass of seventh year girls who apparently found his eye patch sexy.

The Gryffindor went for Buffy. Xander had made comments that made him suspect there had been more to his lover's and the Slayer's relationship then he had been told. Of course, he couldn't just come out and ask... perhaps his inner Slytherin needed to come out and play...

He really only had two questions to ask the girl, scratch that, woman. He wanted to make sure she had no intentions to try and reclaim the vampire and... he wanted to know what had broken them up so he didn't make the same mistakes.

While the Gryffindor felt very secure in the affections of the vampire, there was still that small part of him, that part molded by the Dursleys that just couldn't really accept that William truly loved him – would never leave him. It was that small, insignificant piece of him that believed Hermione and the Weasleys only had anything to do with him because they were told to, or they pitied him, or they got something out of it... but it was most certainly not because they believed in him. That small part of him was also the part that allowed him to still function each time he was proven right; each time in the past when they, and the Wizarding World turned their backs on him. It was the part that always allowed him to smile and welcome them back with open arms; after all, he was grateful for what little they could give him and really, who could love him anyway.

He had just reached Oz's side with Draco hard on his heels – yes, Draco was still attached to him at the hip and no, he still didn't mind; the blonde had a wicked sense of humor – when a loud 'boom' rattled the huge wooden entry doors of the school. Another impact and the doors splintered, then the hinges slowly pulled away from the wall and the great doors fell.

The Great Hall was silent behind the brunette until the dust cleared revealing three huge, horned men, each with an equally huge hammer; then the screaming started. Of course those screams were nothing compared to the absolute hysteria that broke out when a dozen scaly blue... humanoid... things swarmed past the Hammer trio.

Harry blinked and realized that while everyone behind him seemed to be running screaming in circles; Oz, Buffy, and Giles were relieving the suits of armor in the entry of their weapons and attacking what he assumed were demons.

Draco jumped in front of him, wand drawn and began tossing spells left and right; all the time backing up, forcing Harry back into the Great Hall. Unfortunately there was little the brunette could do the help; Madam Pomphrey had confiscated his wand that very afternoon.

Apparently it was standard procedure when a pregnant male entered the second trimester but it left him with few options in this particular situation. All he could do really was cling to Draco's shoulders as they moved back through the crowd and try to keep them both from tripping over their panicked schoolmates.

Swinging his head back and forth to keep an eye on their attackers and on their retreat through the crowd, he saw William and Angel struggling to get to the pair. Dumbledore and McGonagall were funneling the children, or trying to rather, out the small service entrances at the back of the hall – though that didn't seem to be working too well. At the front of the hall, four of the scaly blue demons looked to be either dead or dying, but the Sunnydale trio now had to spend more time dodging the hammer-wielding creatures than anything else.

"There he is," a raspy, hair-raising voice cried.

Harry didn't even have to look to know who the demon was talking about; instead he tried desperately to locate his mate, now lost in the surging throng.

The Hall was finally starting to empty but there were still too many people in the room to make Harry and Draco's own escape a possibility. He did see Willow though, standing on the guest table with arms raised. She was saying something but he couldn't make out what over the screams and frantic shouting. Even with all of the other distractions he noticed that her eyes... her eyes had turned completely black.

Draco stumbled and Harry snaked one arm around the blonde's chest to keep him upright and still move them away from the demons. It took a moment for him to realize that his sleeve was wet... warm and wet. Stopping Harry stood on his toes to see over the Slytherin's shoulder – and the four gashes across his chest.

The demon that had managed to land the blow was now crawling towards them, a victim of a very nice JellyLegs curse, by all appearances.

"Keep moving Potter," Draco hissed before flinging a Difindo at the creature. The curse caused only a shallow cut on the demon's back, making it hiss at the pair.

Harry started moving again, half dragging the blonde with him.

"Potter," Draco wheezed, "you need to move faster."

Harry snorted, "You're not exactly light, ya know."

"Well 'scuse me," the boy's words were slurred now, "savin' you... ungrateful... poisoned..."

And then the Gryffindor was dragging the Slytherin in truth. Draco had passed out.

He reached down for Malfoy's wand – he had to do something or they were both going to die – but suddenly he felt a large hand grab the back of his robes and jerk him into the air. He lost his grip on the other boy and the wand, able only to watch in horror as the blonde fell limply to the stone floor.

Turning his head, he realized that it was one of the hammer demons – it grinned at him, displaying yellowed tusks protruding from its mouth. Then it tossed the Gryffindor high into the air and Harry did the only thing he could think of – he screamed.

"William!"

He landed with a grunt in the arms of another of the hammer things – thankfully on his back – and immediately he began to struggle. Thanking Merlin for loose Wizarding robes and the demon's preoccupation with an irate Slayer, Harry managed to slip the creature's grip and slide to the floor. Scuttling away to the relative safety of a wall he realized that there were still three hammer demons and five blue ones between him and his now game-faced mate.

A breeze ruffled his hair.

Looking behind him he beheld the grounds of Hogwarts – with nothing blocking his way. He could lose the creatures on the grounds; maybe even make his way to the Quidditch Pitch and the broom shed...

Taking one last glance at the battle he found that the demons had realized he was no longer captive and they were closing in on him.

He ran.

Halfway to the Pitch a blue demon tackled him from behind, sending him rolling across the grass. Landing sprawled on his back, Harry found himself at the feet of a very large, very angry, and very battered hammer demon with said hammer raised to strike. The Gryffindor could only wrap his arms around his stomach before the hammer fell.

He closed his eyes...

...

...

Slowly he opened his eyes... and found a pink translucent barrier between him and the furiously hammering demon; the blows bounced harmlessly on the barrier making hollow 'thwump'-ing sounds.

Behind the creature Harry watched as the entire Sunnydale group and his mate took out the remaining demons with a bit more ease now that they were out in the open and it was with no little satisfaction that he watched his current attacker felled by a Buffy/Spike/Xander triple threat.

Surprisingly it was the Slayer that got to him first.

"You all right, Harry," she asked, trying to reach through the barrier only to have her hand forcibly repelled by it.

Harry sat up, "Ummm, yeah. I think so."

"Well cancel this shield-thingy then so we can get you back to the castle and get you checked out."

"I...I can't."

"Well why not?"

The rest of the Scoobies were gathering around him now.

"I don't have a wand! I don't even know who cast it much less what spell it is."

Willow ran her hand just above the barrier as if warming her fingers.

"It doesn't feel like Harry's magic," she said, startling the Gryffindor. He hadn't realized that the Wicca could identify magic in such a way. "It's similar... very similar but it's cool to the touch where Harry's almost burns, it's so hot."

William knelt at the edge of the shield, demon still showing and eyes examining every part of the brunette.

"Are you really all right Pet?"

Harry bit his lip and shook his head. "No," he whispered, and he wasn't; not really. Tonight had been close, too close. The demons had actually had him.

William lifted a battered hand to the shield and when his fingers actually touched it... it popped, like a soap bubble.

Harry launched himself into his mate's arms as soon as he realized the barrier was gone. He managed not to bawl like a baby but only just.