A/N: Holy beans its been forever and a day for this story and I am so sorry for how late it is. My littlest is keeping me on my toes and I have had art muses attacking me and I've been attempting to focus on one story at a time and then of course get bit by more rabid bunnies of doom. So here I am writing this up as a thank you for all the patience you all have shown me and also as a thank you for respecting that my real life is sometimes going to make uploading rather spacious ( especially considering the fact I write it by hand and THEN type it up because I'm old and that's how I always did it in school because Floppy Discs sometimes failed you or were lost or in my case stepped on by a moose of dog xD Anyways, thank you all for following all of my works or this work only and sticking with it…. I love all of you and I hope you are having a wonderful day/night/week. Please stay safe! Now onwards!

Harry awoke fearing the worst. Knowing it really. What had he done? How much of a worthless child was he that he had thrown such an intolerable tantrum? Atro would be so disappointed. But he had felt so weak! So alone. So hollow. It was always better when Atropos was around, but whenever the Dementor Lord left he felt as if his soul was being ripped from him and he would remember everything anyone had ever done to him. He would see the disgust and hatred in their eyes and he would quake under their collective gazes. How could Atropos ever want such a weak , used, filthy mate. And so his spiral had begun. Eventually he had taken every pill that Luna had slipped him when she'd visited the manor. Despite how loving and caring the Malfoy's were to him, in fact Narcissa and he had already baked three cakes together, it wasn't the same. He'd been prepared to die. So why was he alive and still miserable?

"Finally awake, little death?" the soft deep voice of his mate was filled with sorrow and Harry his stomach lurch in pain.

The dementor child sluggishly turned his head, eyes widening at the disheveled stated that his mate was in. Dark circles were prominent, making the older creature's green eyes stand out vividly. The man's clothes were a hodge podge of rumpled fabric, his shirt untucked and his pants a hole ridden pair of jeans instead of the slacks he often wore. Harry felt tears leak from his eyes, knowing he was the reason that his lover was so ragged looking. It was all his fault. A sob escaped him and Atropos stood from his seat at the child's side to sit on the bed and gather the teen into his arms. Pain, regret, sadness, and love reverberated down the link between them in such a sudden rush of emotion , that Harry began to cry harder and Atro clenched his teeth.

He had done this to his little love, and he vowed to fix it. He sent out soothing waves of his magic and all of the love he could muster down their still oversensitive link. Harry shivered as his sobs abated to small hiccups of air as he calmed , but he didn't pull away from his mate. It was many minutes filled with cuddling and reassuring before Atropos rearranged them so that he was behind his lover. He held him gently and rested his chin on Harry's shoulder , breathing in the lad's distinct scent.

"W-why did you save me?" Harry finally inquired, his voice hoarse and crackly.

Atropos hid his face in love's neck and squeezed his eyes shut against the terror that lanced through his heart. He never wanted to feel so helpless again. Ever. The thought of losing his lover scared him worse than being banished by a Patronus.

"Because I love you. You are my mate. My everything, and I would be nothing without you." he replied, strained with tears he vainly tried to hide.

The young dementor stiffened before a fresh of tears began to cascade down his cheeks. He felt such an overwhelming surge of love and acceptance that he couldn't control the relieved sobs that enveloped his form. They sat together, comforting each other for many hours before there was a knock at the door and Severus walked on with a tray full of potion vials. Harry made a face, eyes tired but more clear than they had been in a long time.

"You gave us a scare, child." Severus stated with a straight face.

If Harry hadn't been writing the man all summer he might have believed that the man didn't care a bit. That he was mocking him. But the young Gryffindor could see the sheen of worry flitting through those dark orbs. Shame coursed through him and he looked down. He was so caught up in his own pain he'd forgotten that he had people who still cared for him. Hadn't Atro told him as much days ago?

"I'm so sorry, Sev." he whispered, his magics reaching out timidly towards Severus in silent entreaty.

The demon simply snorted and began handing potions to the weakened Dementor Prince.

"Silly child. I understand your pain, however you should have called us for help. You need not suffered alone." the Lytis demon stated with a calm he didn't feel.

Harry nodded, feeling even worse. He was acting as if he were a child. When Severus' magics cocooned around him he sighed, a feeling of completeness calming him, and causing Atropos to smile wickedly. Neither of the other two noticed the Dementor Lord's odd behaviour but instead took many moments to soak up the comfort that the other offered.

Eventually, the Potions Master administered the potions he brought with him…

[End Flashback]

Harry sighed , blinking as he emerged from his memory. The last few days had been hard, but also informative. Healing, yet guilt ridden until Narcissa had figuratively smacked them all upside the heads. Since then Harry and Atro had cemented their bond as mates and Severus had taken that time to get closer to smaller dementor Prince as well.

Draco and Harry had played Quidditch, while Lucius had done all he could to ensure that Harry never felt alone again from a familial angle. They had all poured over countless texts about mates and Atropos had even managed to scrounge up some for Harry about their People. The dark haired teen no longer felt the agony of his split from Cedric, though it still hurt. He knew that this school year would be especially difficult but he was determined to keep moving forward.

He supposed he would always care for the Shadow Demon, but he knew that whatever friendship, whatever love, had been present before was forever tainted by that night. He still had anxiety about being separated from Atropos, fearing he would finally have a reason to leave him , but Atro had given his lover a piece of his cloak in a bracelet so tha this presence would always be felt between visits.

With another sigh, harry looked out the window. Sev said he would require more potion treatments, and had asked that he stay away from the pills and drinking. It made sense, though with all the stress that was likely to happen, it would be difficult. Atro, likewise, had asked that any time he felt the urge to self harm, to come to him of one of his friends. He had reluctantly agreed just before the they had left for the station.

He turned his attention back to his compartment when the door slid open, his magic recognizing Luna and Draco as soon as they entered. They gave the smaller male a quick (or in Luna's case, rather dreamy) smile and closed the door behind them. They each sat beside him and pulled out some treats that they all shared with each other. The ride to Hogwarts was rather quiet but filled with the gentle companionship that they had come to expect from each other. Halfway through the ride Blaise and some of the other Slytherin's joined them and each shared their summers (though Harry kept what happened after the tournament to himself). Each had settled down with a small book to read when their silence was once more broken by the door banging open.

There stood two redheads and a bushy haired loudmouths, making them cringe. They had been hoping to avoid them until Hogwarts.

"So, Potter. How was it, living with your relatives? Proper cowed are you? I knew you would be. Now let's leave these losers and go to Gryffindor." Ronald began only to be met with vacant or dry stares.

Draco stood and acted as a shield for his friend who was gazing at the posse of idols like they'd finally gone round the bend. Perhaps they had. The blond snorted when the red haired menace began to grow cherry red in embarrassment followed closely by the steady impatient tapping of the Granger girl's foot. Luna's normally dreamy stare narrowed on the both of them.

"You seem to be under the impression that Harry will simply waltz out of here with you three." she commented in irritation

Ron's smug gaze, shared by Ginny and Hermione, was full force. This caused Harry to straighten and the others in the compartment to scowl or draw protectively towards their friend in response.

" Word is, your boyfriend discovered how tainted you are and left you for better fair." Ginny sniped, a crazed glint in her eyes and a vicious grin, causing Harry to grip the gift from his mate tightly.

Draco hissed, liquid silver orbs cold with rage. How dare this bint even mention the brute that had hurt his veritable brother. Said Dementor Prince curled up against Luna, clutching the bracelet to his chest, pale as a sheet and obviously wishing they would just go. Cedric was still a fresh wound, despite the healing that had begun. The Malfoy heir became rigid as the group sniggered at Harry's reaction. They would pay, he would make sure of it.

"Wow, Weasel, such eloquence exiting your mouth must cause your brain to hurt. Either you had lines or you were coached. Tell us, which was it?" Blaise commented drolly. He appeared bored, but any who knew him could sense how utterly livid he was.

The Bushy Haired Twit flinched, proving how accurate, Blaise's assumptions were. Draco quirked one corner of his lips in amusement. Oh this was rich. The vaunted Light Lord counted on the rift in his ex-scion's unit and decided to attack, but apparently knew his followers were dumb and therefore tried to coach them in an attempt to control the dementor child. A rather pathetic one.

While the Red Head Brigade both appeared fit to be tied, Luna lay a gente hand on their friend's raven locks , calming him before he inadvertently called his lover to the train. They didn't need bloodshed this early in the morning before school had even started.

"Shut up. Like you have room to talk. We all know who your mother is. So tell us, is your newest step father going to survive the year?" Ginerva snapped, eyes like chips of ice.

The Zabini heir stiffened, his magic rippling out slightly. Draco made to intervene when, surprisingly, Luna stood, her wand drawn and trained on the group of intruders. Dreamy gaze absent, lips curled in revulsion.

" You know nothing of his family. Keep it out of your mouth, blood traitor." she hissed in a waspish voice.

Harry blinked in surprised before nodding in agreement. No knew except the members of Silver Hope knew even a fraction of went on in the Zabini household. But most understood that Mrs Zabini loved his child more than anyone else in her life and she would do anything to keep him safe.

Not one of them saw a problem with what she did relationship wise as long as no harm would come to their friend. Blaise had assured them all that none of the beus had touched him and if they ever tried she would make sure that they did the threatening only once.

Ron sneered in an attempt at seeming superior and condescending all at once. It looked like it hurt.

" Like you can talk, Looney. Your father is so barmy he makes You-Know-Who seem intelligent!" he snapped.

Every one of the Silver Hope friends fixed the trio with harsh glare. How DARE this swine spout off about a man he didn't even know? About the Dark Lord even? Who did this cretin think he was?

The compartment became cold as what little control Harry had accumulated shattered like fine glass. This red haired buffoon , a child he once considered friend - brother - dare say such things about the Dark Lord? About his Luna-sister's father?

His eyes glowed and he stood, nearing the offending group in no time, leaning in and baring his teeth. A flash of fear in those eyes had the Dementor Prince breathing in deeply. His creature side was pleased, the threat to his sister bringing forth all of his instincts.

" You need to leave, children. Before things get ugly." came a scraggly voice from behind the children at the door.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the peaker only to find a tall man with a scarred face and a wildly spinning magical eye. His staff at his side was obviously used for the false leg that the wizard in question thumped in irritation.

Those instincts that had been focused on the others flared and surged towards the new entity before stopping short. Green eyes lost some of their storm before blinking and slowly looking the man over.

"Who are you?" he rasped, feeling the dark magic help deep beneath many layers of concealment charms. He doubted anyone but a fellow Dark Wizard would know, however.

A smirk lit those features, lifting scars and transforming the face into an ugly countenence.

"This is Mad-Eye Moody, you dunce!" snapped Hermione , only to come up short when that whirling eye landed on her. The wizard snorted before straightening.

" Missy you best run along before you find out why that's a nickname." he replied with a sneer.

Ron sputtered and puffed up like a puffer fish.

"You're on Dumbledore's side! You're not supposed to attack us!" he shouted , confused.

Moody scoffed and leaned into the Weasley male.

"I'm sure he won't mind me dealing with some upstarts who almost triggered a war with the Dementor Lord." he hissed, a dark gleam in his remaining eye.

Hermione's eyes widened before she grabbed Ron's arm and spun to leave, pushing passed the elder wizard and leaving the youngest Weasley to squeak before following behind. When they left the Wizard stepped into the compartment and closed the door, locking and warding it tight.

" Ok, who are you really?" Luna inquired, gaze sharp. Moody smirked before leaning against the door so that his broad shoulders blocked the window.

"Our Lord sent me to help you guys this year. Mostly to help our Little Dementor here until Atropos- Mr. Dark and Gloomy- was able to visit." replied the man causing Harry to let out a giggle at his mate's description.

Only a friend of the Dark Lord would know of the fact that Harry and Atro were so close. None of the ones outside of the Inner Circle - aside from the rat- knew that they were even mates.

Finally calmed, the young dementor nodded his head in thanks and reclaimed his seat, his friends creating a protective barrier to shield him just in case this pseudo- Moody turned out to be a traitor.

'Moody' clicked his tongue in exasperation but didn't comment, inwardly proud that they didn't take his explanation at face value. Though he was sure young Malfoy would with the revelation of who he was. The young Zabini raised a brow for him to explain.

"I am Barty Crouch Jr. and you can rest assured that your friend is safe with me." the dawning understanding in Malfoy's eyes amused the devoted follower of the Dark Lord.

"I thought you had gone to prison with Aunt Bellatrix and Uncle's Rodolphus and Rabastan?"

Barty snorted and shook his head, leaning forward enough to ruffle that perfect hair if only because he knew how much it absolutely galled the Malfoy's to have even a tiny hair out of place. Sure enough the tyke scowled before smoothing it out with a wave of his wand, a trick his father did before him. The disguised wizard chuckled whilst straightening again. He fixed the group with a broad grin before sighing.

" Careful this year young ones. The Master says the old coot is going to try things with Harry using the Triwizard Tournament as a cover. He sent me to negate any such attempts but I'm only one person. Snape and Flint have been informed but again, you'll need to remain cautious."

Harry nodded solemnly. With everything that had happened this summer he had completely forgotten about the Headmaster and his antics. He swallowed and looked out the window. He really didn't want to deal with the idiots at school. And considering that many of the Silver Hope members wouldn't be there, he didn't have much in way of options of hide outs.

Draco cursed, wondering why his father hadn't said anything to him. Normally, he and Mother were good about keeping him abreast of goings on in the Ministry or Hogwarts. It must have been a last minute decision. Which meant that Crouch was correct and the Old Codger was up to no good.

"We'll help him." promised Luna, a determined light to her eyes.

Each occupant nodded and matters shifted to summers and the Dark Lord, Barty watching on.

To be continued…