Are You That Somebody?

Are You That Somebody?

Chapter Four

Last time:

Draco and Alyniana received mysterious gifts from inside Dumbledore's office and were offered the one-time chance to learn more of their current subjects on their own. Alyniana received a surprise visit from her mother and Draco learns a little about his gift.

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On Tuesday morning, two very tired Heads trudged down to the Great Hall. After dinner, Draco had been as persistent as ever and had argued with Alyniana long into the night and even provoked another chase. On top of that, they had fitful dreams, so the duo had had very little sleep and had slept in leaving only time for getting ready. When they reached the hall and went through the double doors, Dumbledore motioned them up to the Head table. He pointed at the two empty seats that flanked Snape's sides and the two gratefully sank into them. They had a very quiet meal, enjoying the coffee the professors were served and occasionally answering questions from the surrounding professors, until the mail came.

Alyniana got a letter from a small barn owl, which she promptly opened. 'We're all ready for our publicity. Fred and George.' Standing up, she whistled for silence. All heads in the hall looked at the table, even the Gryffindors who were grumpy because Harry, Ron and Hermione were still under the spell. But as soon as Alyniana whistled, the spell ended and the Gryffindors were about to cheer for joy when they remembered everyone was supposed to be attentive.

"Attention everyone, your attention please. Draco and I have solved the problem of the mysterious and unfortunate accidents that occurred to Draco, Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. The culprits, shockingly, are Fred and George Weasley." She paused as a collective gasp filled the room. "Yes, it seems that although they left us two years ago, they still love Hogwarts and apparently decided to advertise their new product on some of their favorite people in the school. Their product is called 'Surprise bomb' and they are available through mail order or at both of their shops."

"Thank you Miss Greenleaf," said Dumbledore with a wink, "continue eating students, classes do start soon."

Draco and Alyniana were finished breakfast and were planning to leave because of the excited chatter of the Gryffindor table because they were happy the Trio was back to normal and were congratulating Fred and George in their conversation. Dumbledore sensed the duos plan and motioned them to stay. He waited until all the students and all the teachers except Snape had left before he spoke again.

"So, have both of you decided to do the Independent Study?" Dumbledore questioned.

Draco and Alyniana nodded.

"Well, for your first four days of Independent Study, you will be working on creating some potions. Professor Snape has agreed to let you two use some of his potion stores because you will be working out of Moste Potente Potions," Dumbledore explained.

"Oooh, advanced potions! Woo!" exclaimed Alyniana. 'A chance to make my potions stores bigger and use up some of my old potions,' she thought.

"Will we be working in the Potions classroom Professor Dumbledore?" asked Draco, more reserved at the news of producing potions from a restricted book.

"No, you will not Draco. Thank you for reminding me," Dumbledore replied," Professor Snape will lead you to a room just for the two of you. Now I will leave you in his capable hands and owl your parents of the good news."

"Come along you two, I have a class soon," Professor Snape ordered.

"Yes Severus," said Alyniana.

"Yes Professor," said Draco at the same time.

Snape led them out of the Great Hall down to the dungeons and beyond. He led the silent and watchful duo to a room hidden deep in the second dungeon floor. He pushed open a heavy wooden door which gave a frightening *creak* sound. There were two old tables to brew potions in mini-cauldrons and a massive fireplace for large cauldrons. There were torches around the room and a candle chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Despite the walls being black and glistening, the room was very cozy. There were some wall hangings of past Slytherin achievements and a pair of comfortable-looking armchairs. Another wooden door graced the back of the room. That was the door which Snape walked to while Draco and Alyniana examined the room.

"I shall leave you here," he growled, "If you get lost coming here, this room is in the west corner of the castle. And when you need your ingredients, knock 4 times on either door. I suggest you discover why portrait subjects are able to move around and how humans can duplicate it, because this room will become a second home." With that, he opened the door and disappeared.

"Well," started Draco gazing around the room, "which potions should we make?"

"I was thinking of the shrunken head potion," replied Alyniana as she sat down in an armchair and pulling out her book, "since we only have four days." She glanced in her copy, which had seen better days. "Or we could do the draught of invisibility."

"I haven't done the animagus brew," he said, plopping down as well and taking out his hardcover copy. "Or we could start the Polyjuice potion."

"We could always chose to combine some of the strange potions we have already brewed and dilute them a bit to get a full cauldron and then keep his ingredients for our own stores," she plotted.

"Really..." Draco raised an eyebrow, "A goody-Gryffindor cheating on an assignment?"

"Not cheating per-say, unless he can tell the freshness of a potion," Alyniana confessed.

"Well I brewed my regular collection before school started," Draco stated, "but I didn't just say that out loud."

"I brewed most of the potions in book too, before school started, but I ran out of time before I could make a fresh thought-link potion. It only takes two days, but I only had some many cauldrons and time."

"I've never seen that one before."

"Well my mother pointed it out when she found out that I was brewing potions secretly eight years ago," Alyniana slipped," you can only see it the first time during a full moon."

"Ha, you got caught! But under a full moon, I've never seen any moon writing before."

"You never had a parent show it to you, you mean. So want to do that one?"

"Let me read it first." Alyniana tossed him the book. He studied the ingredients and most of them were very common with the exception of four very weird ones. He did not like the prospect of handling shark innards because they were very slimy and thick and he did not want to repeat the experience he had with unicorn hair. All in all, it was quite an intriguing potion and he was for it.

"Now, who's going to knock?" Draco asked.

"You do it. He's your house leader," Alyniana responded.

Draco went and knocked on the door four times. A sign appeared on the door reading 'Out to Lunch.' "Great, a door with humor," he commented and Alyniana laughed. He knocked again and the sign read, 'Really, Out to Lunch. 40 minutes remain.'

"It must be lunch," Alyniana observed.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" he asked, but she didn't reply. She was busy studying the tapestries on the wall.

"Draco, which one of these is near the Great Hall? I can't remember," Alyniana said, pointing at the walls. He studied them for a minute.

"I think it's the one with the snake, the mom and a dead wizard."

"Thanks! Transportus!" she yelled, pointing her wand at said hanging. "C'mon, it's only temporary!" she cried as she jumped through. Alyniana looked around and she was indeed around the Great Hall entrance. She moved out of the way and Draco landed beside her, only on the ground.

"Not as graceful as you seem," she quipped.

"Ha ha, but it was closing," Draco explained. She stuck her hand into the tapestry and it showed their little room.

"Doubtful, but let's chow down now," Alyniana said.

"Huh?"

"Let's go eat, Mister I-Know-Everything." And she stalked off into the Great Hall.

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After lunch, Draco and Alyniana managed to catch Professor Snape and tell him what ingredients they'd need.

"You will only need enough for one, Alyniana, because you two will be testing it on each other. And I will expect you to make the short-term one as well as produce a six-foot essay on the production and uses from each of you, no copying," Snape instructed when they told him. The pair nodded and only Alyniana caught his frown as he walked away. The duo watched his retreating back until he was out of sight and then made their way back to their dungeon room. The ingredients were all lined up on one of the small tables when they returned.

Alyniana pulled out her Moste Potente Potions and opened it to the directions for a short term thought-link for Draco to reread, because she sensed he had only glanced at it. She knew that the order of ingredients was the same as always, so she proceeded to commence it. She lit the fire under the combined ingredients, Draco never having to touch the shark innards or unicorn hair, and glanced at her watch. She had just conjured up a clock with forty-seven hours, fifty-six minutes remaining on it when Draco finished reading.

"It requires two days continuous watch?!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, didn't you see that before? Besides short term gets heated on high for the entire time," she answered.

"And long term only heats for six hours, yeah, yeah. What's the difference?"

"Between long and short term?" He nodded. "Short term only lasts for an hour, long term...lasts forever."

"Forever?" Draco's eyes went wide. "The book doesn't mention that."

"It does, on the next page under the light of a Blue Moon."

"Are you sure it's forever?"

"It has already been eight years," Alyniana mumbled quietly, her eyes looking down.

"What did you say?" Draco questioned. Did she just say eight years, but for what?

"Oh, it was nothing important. So who is going to get food?"

"I'll call a house elf."

"And to use the bathroom?"

"You use the door at the back of the room to take you to your own if you can picture it," said Dumbledore.

"How would we get back Professor?" Draco asked.

"Well, you could leave the door open," he chuckled, "or you could do as you did yesterday. Grab you pendant and imagine your surroundings, or the person you wish to find." He winked at Draco.

"Will it be as bad as yesterday?" asked Draco.

"No, that was only because you had anger when you demanded to see Miss Greenleaf."

"Well, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit, Professor Dumbledore?" asked Alyniana.

"Actually, I was admiring a tapestry outside the Great Hall and ended up here."

"Uh, I'm sorry. I haven't had time to set the password protection solidly yet," she said.

"Not a problem and congratulations on solving how to create it, Miss Greenleaf."

"Are there other doubles of these tapestries elsewhere?" Draco asked.

"I believe those two other there have copies within the school, but rest are originals," Dumbledore replied.

"So we could copy them? And Alyniana could make the portrait spell and we wouldn't have to run around the school?" Draco asked.

"You can in theory yes, but I don't know if you have the permission of the inhabitants," Dumbledore answered. "Now I have to do some mediating between a pair of troublesome students. Have fun." And Dumbledore walked out through the tapestry.

Password, password, how to prevent people without a password. Hmm, maybe Draco would know, Alyniana thought, glancing over at him. He was muttering about how unfair something was and stirring the cauldron. Better not, she conceded. So Alyniana was focused on where the copies of the two tapestries Dumbledore had pointed out were. She couldn't remember where she had seen them before, so she decided to take a chance on them. She cast the portal spell and went through the first one.

This tapestry led her to a hallway in the dungeons, the Potions hallway to be more specific. Hearing a group of students approaching, she slipped back through into the room.

"Finite incantatum!" she said, pointing at the tapestry. Draco was still muttering and stirring so she activated the other one and stepped into the kitchens. A few house elves swarmed up to her and took her order for a cup of hot chocolate. She went back holding the steaming mug in her hands. She stared into the chocolaty depths before deciding to go back to the Potions hallway.

"Priori incantato!" she told the tapestry and it swirled a bit to show the portal was formed. It clicked in Alyniana's brain for a password protection, but it would require two passwords. She removed the enchantment on the three tapestries she had used and then set the portal spell to work with 'Alpha' and end with 'Omega.' She obtained permission to make copies of the other two tapestries from their inhabitants and decided to make them portals to the Head's common room and to the passageway outside Dumbledore's office.

By the time Alyniana was finished, Draco was ready for a break. She discovered him yelling obscenities at the cauldron and stirring the potion viciously. She had to stun him with a minor 'stupefy' and take over.

Draco woke up a few minutes later, acting very groggy and confused.

"Where am I?" he groaned, looking around.

"You're in our private dungeon Draco. You had a little too much fun stirring the potion and I had to stun you," she replied while trying not to laugh.

"Oh, okay. What time is it?"

"It is time for supper, if you want to summon a house elf for it."

"What about you?"

"I'll go through the kitchen tapestry later. I'm not hungry now."

"Okay, which one is the kitchen tapestry?" Draco asked.

Alyniana sighed, realizing he had been really into stirring the potion earlier. She patiently pointed out where the different tapestries went to Draco and then turned back to the potion. She heard him get up and then collide with a wall.

"The passwords are 'Alpha' to activate it and 'Omega' to deactivate," she said waiting for him to question and not looking up from she had started writing.

"Thanks," Draco mumbled before saying the password and going through the Great Hall tapestry. Might as well have some company for dinner, instead of sitting with mangy house elves, he thought as he sealed the tapestry.

The next forty-three hours were spent bickering over the next potion to do and whose turn it was to stir. The pair also spent time going to the kitchens, having fun knocking on Snape's classroom door, then disappearing, and starting the essays that went along with the draught. The subject of pasts was forgotten in favour of trying to coerce prefects to cover for them in the patrols.

Finally one pm on Thursday arrived with the loud dinging of Alyniana's enchanted clock. Snape, who had free time, was with the duo assessing their results. The potion was the correct thickness and colour. He filled two beakers for them to drink and counted them down.

"Three, two, one, drink!" yelled Snape and they drank.

Alyniana felt the same tearing sensation and then fusing she had for years, but it was quicker and less agonizing, probably because Draco was a teenager. He felt the tearing sensation and it was like someone ripping off a piece of his brain and then fusing it to Alyniana's. Granted he had a disgusting and vivid imagination, but it pained him a little.

Then the strangest sensation yet invaded Draco...another presence in his mind and his distant one in another mind, but he received none of Alyniana's thoughts though he could feel her sifting through his mind.

"What is Draco thinking Alyniana?" asked Snape.

"He's thinking about how disgusting the connection felt, Professor. Also about how he can sense my presence in his mind reading his thoughts and how he can't access mine," she replied, "sorry Draco." She concentrated and allowed him into her current thought process.

"And what is Alyniana thinking Draco?" Snape asked.

"She's hoping that she has the right thought barrier in place so I can't read her entire mind, Professor. Also about how boring my mind is and if you're going to leave soon," Draco answered.

"I will, but first tell me what your next potion is," Snape said.

"It's the animagus brew," said Alyniana, "and Draco's is the invisibility draught."

"Very well," said Snape," your thought reading should be ending in another twenty minutes. Your essays are due on Monday before breakfast: both for the thought-linking brew and your individual potions. Seven feet for you Miss Greenleaf on the difficulty of becoming an animal and four feet for you Mr. Malfoy on the sensation of being invisible." He turned around and strode out of the room, missing the two tongues stuck out at his back.

After fifteen minutes of trying not to think, Alyniana started rebuilding her shields. Sorry Draco, out now, she thought before the barrier closed. She knew from her past experiences with her step-father with the hour potion that the separation bloody hurt without full mental shields. She waited patiently while sifting through Draco's subconscious for the last few minutes when she found a really interesting fact. Draco liked, no loved, Hermione Granger. She reached for her centaur pendant and thought of her home where she was transported just as the tearing occurred.

Draco was surprised when he had been locked out of Alyniana's mind again. True, she hadn't thought about much, but attempting to crack her barrier was fun. When she had started poking through his mind it made him think of odd and random things as she sensed them. His face paled as he sensed her poke into his secret thoughts. To his indescribable horror, she found the thought he was dreading, his thought professing his love for Granger. And then the separation occurred. He had had pain from his father in the form of the Cruciatus and fending off the Imperius, but this was intense. It was like some one was burning every inch of his flesh and ripping out his brain through his eye and despite his best efforts, he blacked out.