A/N: Hello, again. I've slunk back out of the shadows to give all you lovely readers chapter five. Yes, I know it's been almost three months, but as to some good news my muse has finally returned from it's extended vacation to somewhere far away from me. (Hooray!) Again, no promises on updates, and this thing is still unbeta'd.

Harry sat curled up in Draco's lap, gazing worriedly at Hermione's still form, tears pooling in his eyes. Draco rubbed his back and murmured words of comfort. A breeze sauntered through the open windows, touching a cool breath to Harry's face and freezing the tears on his cheeks. Harry buried his face in Draco's chest and gave a wet sob, only looking up again when the doors opened. Albus Dumbledore strode in, eyes betraying his concern. Mrs. Weasley followed behind him, with Bill, levitating an unconscious Ginny, bringing up the rear. "That's two young ladies that have had mental breakdowns after seeing Misters Malfoy and Potter together. Something tells me that it's not just teenage infatuation. Have either of you received anything suspicious? Mail? Strange notes? Anonymous gifts?"

"I haven't gotten anything since Christmas. Mother sent me a box of sweets and Father sent a new set of formal robes."

"I got a package of French owl treats from Sirius while he and Remus were on vacation. Oh, and another set of glass panels for the mosaic I'm making in my spare time."

"You're making a mosaic? Since when?"

"I wanted something to do to take my mind off the Dursleys last summer. So Sirius got me a summer apprenticeship with an Italian glassblower. I made three vases and decided that while my talents did not lie in glassmaking, I did enjoy putting together pictures from glass shards. So I spent two weeks with a man who repaired mosaics in Italy. I'm making a mosaic for Sirius and Remus as an anniversary gift and if you tell them I'm going to kick you in the shin." Draco kissed Harry's forehead.

"Yes, dear." Harry scowled in mock anger before grinning and kissing Draco's cheek. Harry shuddered as the wind blew through the window, and Draco pulled Harry further into his lap. Harry cooed with pleasure and nuzzled into Draco's chest. Suddenly, Harry sat up and looked around in confusion.
"Did you say something?" Draco shook his head. "I could have sworn I heard somebody say something." Harry closed his eyes and listened intently.

... Reason ... everything ... little ... help ... dark ...

"And you're telling me you can't hear any of that?" Harry demanded. Draco looked at him, opening and closing his mouth with no sound coming out.

"What do you want me to tell you? 'Yes dear, I hear whatever it is you're talking about. No, I don't think you're crazy. Hearing voices is perfectly normal.' Is that what you want to hear?" Harry shrunk back and whimpered, his Ventus shouting at him to appease his dominant. "Oh, sweetheart, sweetheart, don't do that. Hey, hey you're all right. Don't you cry." Harry whimpered again, baring his neck and attempting to dislodge himself from Draco's lap to kneel at his feet. Draco tugged him back up into his lap and Harry whined in desperation, beginning to cry. "I'm sorry, my dove. I didn't mean it that way. You're all right. Hey, hey, stop that. Come back here. Why do you do this?" Harry sobbed frantically and rubbed up against Draco.

"Must please you. Have to keep you happy. Can't lose you. Can't lose you, can't lose you, can't lose you." Harry drew deep, gasping breaths, and Draco rubbed his back, letting his wings emerge and wrapping Harry in sweet downy softness, all the while crooning endearments and calming words. Harry gave a muted wail and Draco hushed him, gently pressing kisses to his mouth and cheeks and nose.

"Hush, my dove. Do you remember what I told you?" Harry was shaking like a leaf, tears welling anew in his eyes. Draco brushed the droplets on Harry's cheeks away. "I told you you'd never have to doubt your place at my side. Hush, now. You're beautiful. My one and only." Harry looked down, trembling still. Draco cupped Harry's cheek but didn't push. "Nothing to fear, my love. Nothing to fear."

Harry rubbed his eyes and yawned, his eyes fluttering shut as Draco rubbed his back. "Are you ready to face the others?" Harry nodded but clung tightly to Draco.

"Lord Black, will you kindly sit down?" Harry and Draco unwrapped themselves to see Madame Pomfrey waving her wand in a threatening manner and Sirius cowering on a bed. "I should have checked for this in the first place but more pressing matters needed attention. Now, kindly hold still." Sirius sat like a statue. "Aperire Uterum." A soft silver glow surrounded Sirius, and slowly shifted to a gold hue around his middle. Sirius went pale and Remus fainted, Bill catching him and laying him on a nearby bed. "As I suspected." Madame Pomfrey held out her hand and Sirius took it mechanically. "Congratulations, Lord Black, you're pregnant. Now, sit and take it easy. I'm going to finish my paperwork in my office." The plump woman bustled away and Sirius, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, fell backwards until he was laying flat. Harry stifled a giggle.

"What was that spell Madame Pomfrey used?" Harry asked as Molly Ennervated Remus and Sirius curled up in a ball on the bed.

"It's an old Roman spell. Latin for 'open the womb'." Mr. Weasley explained. "It doesn't cut the patient open, of course, but the Romans were very poetic. All it does is ascertain the health and wellness of the fetus."

"And the golden glow meant what?"

"The silver glow means there is no baby detected. Sirius is pregnant, so the glow shifted around where his womb would be. The gold means the fetus is healthy and everything looks normal, and the fact that the intensity matched his silver means there's only one baby. There are books that list the different colors and intensities of glow and what they mean. The thicker the glow is, the more babies there are. Molly's glow matched intensity with hers for all our children, except for the twins. Then the glow around her middle thickened enough for us to tell for sure there was a difference. There was this French witch in the 1800s whose glow looked like pea soup and then she had quintuplets." Draco laughed and Harry gave a wistful sigh and touched his flat middle. Draco caught the movement and captured Harry's mouth in a kiss. Harry opened willingly and Draco tenderly explored the wet chasm before pulling away and tucking a lock of Harry's hair behind his ear.

"When we bond, my love, I'll give you all the children you want." Draco murmured. Harry smiled and then turned. Remus had moved from the chair to the bed Sirius had collapsed on, and the wolf was stroking Sirius' belly with an awestruck expression on his face.

"Will the babe... " Molly began before falling silent. Remus shook his head.

"Not when the carrier is a male. Something in masculine magic negates the passage of the curse. Our baby will be perfectly normal. Only I... I never thought I'd father a child..." Remus was tearing up and Sirius stroked his cheek.

"Don't cry, my love." Remus scooped Sirius into his arms and kissed his cheek. "I'm happy to bear your child. I do expect pampering, though."

"Yes, dear. Whatever you say, dear. Anything to make you happy, dear." Sirius laughed and smacked Remus' shoulder.

"Oh, be quiet you."

Lucius was sitting in Severus' former office waiting for the house elf to return with clothes and his personal items. The blonde shuffled through the papers Severus had left scattered all over the desk and idly fiddled with a quill before his eyes landed on a thick book left open, like Severus had been reading it before being suddenly called away. The wizard readjusted his chair and brushed back his hair before settling in and flipping the book over to see the cover. "Rare and Endangered Magical Beings. Hmm." Lucius waved the newly returned house elf away after asking for a cup of tea.

Welcome, reader. This book is my life's work and all I ask is that you respect those I have gathered this information on. Wizardkind is moving into a dark age of intolerance and hatred, and I can see nothing good can come of this, even as I lack Sight. Reader, I may be long gone when you read my words, but my idea will ring true. I beg of you, trust in my words, and protect the rarities of the world. Soon enough, they might all be gone for the rest of time. - Written this seventeenth day of May, the year of our Lord, 1653, by Archibald Thicknesse.

Lucius pondered the last name, remembering what he could about the lesser pure-blood family that shared the name. Pious was an intelligent fellow. Staunch, upright, if a little weak-willed. Opposed restrictive legislation, freed his house elves. A good man, overall. Ah, well. Let's see if there's a table of contents.

Being Types - Arranged in Chapters

Chapter 1 - A Brief History of the Definition of Being

Chapter 2 - Humanoid Beings - Immortals

Chapter 3 - Humanoid Beings - Elementals

Chapter 4 - Humanoid Beings - Seducers

Chapter 5 - Humanoid Beings - Others Unable to Fit in Any Previously Mentioned Grouping

Chapter 6 - Beings that Deal with Dreams or Dreamers

Lucius flipped to the fifth chapter and felt around on the desk for his tea. "In the second section, I discussed the fairy folk, and in the third, I described at length the different varieties of elemental veela's. I will now share with you what knowledge I have gained on the winged beings who do not fall into a previous chapter. One of the rarest are the Venti. Like with their cousins, the sirens, Venti have some bird-like characteristics, but do not crave human flesh. The bond between a dominant Venti, the Dominus, and a submissive Venti, the Submorus, is one of love and tenderness unsurpassed. The Dominus provides for and protects his submissive, and the Submorus bears young and cares for the home. Contrary to what it may seem, the Submorus retains his or her mind and feelings. There is a submissive nature to their actions, but the Submorus is never reduced to the level of a bonded servant or a slave. The Dominus will strive to ensure the Submorus feels their feelings and thoughts bear weight. I was greatly honored to hear a Submorus describe one of her pregnancies, or "carryings", and what follows is her account.

"My Dominus and I live in a warmer region, so the conceptions of our children are slightly easier than those Venti who live in colder places. When the child I carry has quickened, around the second month, I begin to desire a safe place to bring the child into the world. My Dominus aids me in choosing a proper place, up high, where I and the child will not be easily seen. Oftentimes, a full-grown oak is perfect for my needs. I will begin to gather soft materials, such as quilts, and pillows, that hold good memories and feel clean. There's something to some materials that make them smell right, and those are the ones I choose. My carryings are easy, compared to human women, and magicals, and the babes are docile for the most part. There is generally no ..."morning sickness", I think is the proper term, due to an increased sense of smell warning me away from foods that might harm my babes, but I do gain new instincts to fortify my dwelling, and will often create a false nest or two to lure away predators, such as the cursed succubi.

Around four months into my carrying, I will stockpile clothing and sealed jugs of water, and place them in my nest. Everything I do to my real nest, I do to my false nests to disguise the deception. Around the end of the fifth month, I begin to consume massive amounts of food, as I will not eat from the time I go up into my nest to the time I return with the babe. After the sixth month, during which the babe is enclosed in an egg, I lay with my Dominus one final time, sending out pheromones to stimulate the production of a specific blend of nutrients to begin the laying. After this, I go to my nest, and my Dominus will sit at the foot of the structure I have chosen. I am a female, so the egg will emerge like a human or magical female gives birth to live offspring. My Submorus cousin is a male, so he develops a temporary birthing canal between his rectum and his member during the sixth month. After the laying, the canal is reabsorbed into his body. When the egg emerges, I cover it in my scent and it is then that the babe develops the parts constituting sex. Until then, the babe remains sexless and no magic will reveal the gender.

After a three week period of the egg increasing in size, my babe hatches. I remain ever vigilant from the moment of the laying, as my aid is required to free my babe from the shell. The babe will make the first and final push with it's magic, but I pull away bits of the eggshell. These pushes strengthen it's magical core, and when my babe nurses for the first time, it draws from my magic as well as my milk. Half an hour after the hatching, I permit my Dominus to come into my nest after he searches the surrounding area, and he is always on his guard. He chooses two others to watch with him during the three weeks, and it has always been a great honor to be chosen. The two chosen will guard us as my Dominus marks the babe with his scent. This is the essential period where the babe registers my Dominus and I as his parents. When another half an hour has passed, my Dominus will fetch me clothing and then we will emerge from the nest. I do not permit others to hold my babe for the first twenty-four hours, as that is the time the newborn smells sweetest to a Succubus and I -

"Lucius?" The blonde looked up to see his cousin Maximilian standing in the doorway. Lucius felt Maximilian's family ring send out a pulse that resonated perfectly with his own Lordship ring.

"Come and sit down. What brings you here?"

"I've heard rumors of your intentions not to renew your marriage to Narcissa and was wondering what you wanted to do with her. My condolences on the loss of your friend... Severus, was it?" Lucius nodded. "And since when do you teach potions to wee first years?"

"It's been my secret desire ever since I graduated." Maximilian nodded, face serious. Lucius smiled and shook his head. "I wanted to be readily accessible to Draco and his mate. The floo system can be easily blocked so I'm staying here for the foreseeable future." Lucius and Maximilian talked quietly about nothing at all for a while, each one enjoying the company of the other. A house elf popped in and the pair jumped.

"The headmaster is wishing to speak with you, Master." Lucius nodded.

"Tell him I'll be along in a moment." Lucius and Maximilian rose and embraced.

"My brother." Maximilian murmured. "My dearest friend. I missed you." Lucius nodded, forehead resting on Maximilian's shoulder.

"This will never happen again. I will stay in contact with you. This I promise." The two men walked out of the room together and Lucius shut and locked the door. A house elf with a glazed look in it's eyes popped in, placing a letter on the desk, careful not to get too close to the fragrant parchment. A tremor racked the elf's thin frame before it quietly popped away.

Lucius returned from Dumbledore's office and unlocked the office door. He froze at the sight of the light pink envelope. Familiar, feminine handwriting adorned the front of the letter. The blonde stumbled forward and picked up the envelope, shuddering at the scent that surrounded it. Lucius sunk into the chair and closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening the letter and promptly obtaining a face-full of silvery powder. The blonde coughed and felt his mind go hazy around the edges. He collapsed on the floor as his vision grayed before everything went dark. The last thing he saw was the hem of a delicate green robe.

Narcissa smiled to herself and levitated her unconscious husband to the fireplace. Grabbing a fistful of his robes, she flooed them to the Manor. After landing in the foyer, she levitated him downstairs into the bowels of the house. Arriving in her private sanctum, and being sure not to smudge the chalk on the floor, she secured Lucius to a chair before lighting a stick of incense, careful to cover her own mouth and nose. Lucius stirred, groaning softly as the scent from the incense permeated the air. Narcissa smiled to herself.

Lucius groaned and shifted against the chair. His head was throbbing and he just wanted to sleep. Narcissa picked up her chalk and closed off the circle on the floor. Picking up her tome, she began to recite the chant that would reinforce the binding on her husband's will. A white mist began to fill the room, smelling of something long since dead. A semi-transparent shape began to materialize, a hint of an aristocratic nose, what would have been an expensive style of robe twenty years before, cold, cruel grey eyes. Narcissa nodded in approval and continued to chant, and the ghostly figure watched as Lucius began to shiver, continue to breathe in the mixture of white most and incense. Silvery writing covered pale skin and formed what were undeniably the outlines of shackles and a collar. The chalk on the floor glowed bright for a brief moment before darkening to pitch black. The restrained blonde gave a scream and his body shook and trembled in agony. Narcissa smiled to herself and the apparition nodded once in approval before dissolving away. Lucius whimpered in pain as spasms wracked his weak form. Narcissa came close, stepping over what was once chalk, and gently touched Lucius' face, cooing gently. Lucius shuddered and Narcissa pressed her mouth to his. Her husband gave a final, weak cough and fell silent. She drew a dagger and began to remove his bonds, all the while whispering instructions into his ear.

Lucius' skull was throbbing and he moaned. It felt like a weight was pressing on his chest and he twisted uncomfortably. The blonde sat up and looked around, his vision fuzzy around the edges. Lucius stood up, legs unsteady, before pulling the wastebasket toward him and producing the contents of his stomach. Black sludge filled the basket and he pushed it away, wiping his mouth. Lucius shivered, suddenly colder than he ever remembered being, and he drew a robe around his shoulders. There was something important I had to do, but what was it? Why can't I remember?