Blood and Choice

Notes: This is a story in the Blood Magic universe. It's not an epic sequel, just a little Christmas story. I originally posted this in my journal on January of 2011.
This story pushes back the events of the Blood Magic epilogue by a little over a week, but I didn't see any reasonable way around that. Otherwise, it had incredible continuity work from clauclauclaudia and sociofemme, in addition to their regular beta help. Thanks to both of them, and to japonicastar for Britpicking.

1 -- Friendships>

Harry stormed back into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom minutes after leaving it. His mood was not improved when Remus looked up from gathering papers and burst out laughing.

"It's not funny!"

Remus's querulous "No?" was choked out between spasms of laughter. With a wave of his wand, he managed to turn the wall behind his desk reflective, and Harry was confronted by his own image.

Streams of bright silver and more subtle dark green descended down the straight, black hair which was just starting to cover his ears. His Gryffindor tie had taken the appearance of a pair of serpents -- properly red and gold and most improperly intertwined. His nose had turned black and leonine. The overall effect was amusing, or would have been on someone else.

"Fine, it's --" Harry swallowed. "I'm just sick of it, that's all."

Remus smiled sympathetically. "It's over at the end of next week, though -- he's only going until the end of term."

"And that's another thing -- I'm afraid I won't get to say goodbye to everyone, or if I do, I'll look ridiculous and be angry at him, and it's hard enough convincing people he's not torturing me as it is."

With a frown, Remus nodded. "There's that. I'll see if I can talk him into ending a few days early."

"Think you could?" As he asked the question, Harry realized the predictable answer. He scowled. "I know how effective your last conversation with him was."

"I'm certainly not promising anything." Remus walked around the desk to lean easily back against it. "But the last exchange wasn't too bad, after all. Yes, when I complained he was penalizing valuable reflexes, he shouted at me for interfering, ordered me out of his office, and gave me the cold shoulder for a week, but when I next went down for my potion, he told me a few things he was planning and asked my opinion -- not directly, but he asked, nonetheless."

"You've been helping him?"

Remus eyed Harry's bizarre appearance. "Not with the penalties -- he does have rather juvenile taste, doesn't he? -- but with the structure of some of the traps, yes. And there are two I talked him out of."

Harry gritted his teeth. "So, Professor," he forced out, "what was I supposed to do about finding Knorpelrand Fungus in the back stairway? Go tell a master?"

Remus raised his eyebrows. "As you were less than a hundred yards from the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, and the fungus is stationary? Yes."

"But I know what it is! I know how to deal with it!"

"If you had come and fetched me, I would have pointed out that Knorpelrand is never red. If you had checked your third-year text, you could have discovered that on your own." Remus looked steadily at Harry. "You did not know what it was."

Harry growled and slouched back against one of the student desks. "I'm sick of this," he repeated.

"As I said, I'll try." Remus stepped forward and clapped him on the shoulder. "Lunch in my rooms, perhaps? If we go there now, we have time."

"I thought things would be better after everyone knew."

Remus looked up from his soup at the confession, cocking his head slightly as his focus narrowed to Harry. "Have they not been, then?"

"Well...." Harry shifted in front of the small table, nearly dislodging the napkin in his lap. Describing it was difficult. "Some things, but ... but then this punishment started, so things between us are strained, and I don't think Draco will ever forgive me, and...." He swallowed. "Better with Gryffindor, at least," he said bravely.

"I thought you had reconciled with Draco."

Harry's mouth twisted at the turn of phrase. "I apologized to him, a few days ago, and he said I could sit with him in Potions, but then he didn't move over at the next lesson. He hasn't invited me again. I think we're ..." He couldn't find a word that fit. "... not friends."

"I see." The ghost of a smile played around Remus's mouth. "Have you asked if you may sit with him?"

"I --" Harry frowned. "I apologized! Why should I have to do everything?"

With a sigh, the slight smile vanished. "Quite honestly, Harry, because you were in the wrong. If he forgives you, you should move now -- every time you walk past him, he'll only grow further away from wanting to reach out."

"Thank you for the advice." Harry heard his father's acid bite emerge in his own voice, but Remus neither flinched nor smiled.

"Harry -- listen, please. I am telling you this because I was ultimately glad that Lily explained it to Sirius after what he did in our sixth year. She gave us five years -- or seven, I suppose -- that we otherwise would never have shared." He cut a slice from his pork chop. "You need to make an effort -- invite him to join you in things he enjoys. Draco is a proud young man, and you are hardly the most approachable of people." His mouth quirked up. "And I've been getting a lot of practice, lately, in approaching the unapproachable."

Harry coughed, and managed a smile. "Is he --? He doesn't mention you, but I've seen you talking at the staff table...." Indeed, his father seemed to exchange words with Remus -- without scowling, at least -- more frequently than with anyone else. In response to a questioning rise of Remus's eyebrows, he took a step, with some embarrassment, towards clarifying the question. "Does he ever to talk to you privately?"

Remus shrugged, and swallowed. "Only when I come to him, and only about you -- or your punishment." He winked, and Harry grinned back. "Keep a secret?"

"What?"

"I plan to invite the two of you to some sort of outing during the Christmas break. I'm not set on what, yet, but will you try to coax him into accepting?"

"Of course!" In the middle of thinking how he would enjoy that, a memory of the previous Christmas struck Harry with sudden melancholy. He poked at his food. "Do you ever miss Sirius?"

"Often." Remus hesitated. "But it's better than the first time -- the years he was in Azkaban. Now, at least, I can remember him with the affection he deserved." He reached across the table. "People die suddenly in war. He wasn't my first loss; he wasn't in the first dozen. He was past the point I stopped counting. Closer than most, but still ... you need to let the dead go, Harry."

"Would he still like me, though?"

The hand on Harry's wrist gripped tight. "Yes. Sirius was loyal, above everything. He would still love you, and he would make it painful and difficult, regardless." He took a deep breath. "Perhaps he has more perspective, now." He smiled, although it wavered slightly. "Perhaps Lily is telling him that you need to let the living go."

Lunch was a respite, but Harry still needed to go to afternoon lessons. He walked into Charms to predictable sniggers and sympathetic looks, some from the same people in sequence. Sighing, he swung his bag down to the floor and dropped into the seat next to Hermione. Ron, having already argued the point of Snape's malice several times with both Harry and Hermione, sighed and shook his head, but forbore from indignant exclamations.

"So," Harry asked, turning towards them, "imagine that you're walking down a back stairway that isn't used very often--"

"Well, there's your mistake right there!" Ron exclaimed, and Seamus, nearby, snorted.

"Tch, Ron!" he scolded. "It's not sporting if he stays out of play."

"Well, that's rather the point, isn't it?"

"Will you listen? So, in this stairwell, growing low down on the wall, you see globs and strings of a dark red fungus growing along the edges of each stone. What do you do?"

Ron scratched his head. "That has that German name, right? Freezing charm, I think?"

"No, Soaking charm," Padma interrupted.

Harry wondered if everyone was listening to them.

"Not either," Hermione said, exasperated. "Knorpelrand Fungus is always grey or brown or blue. I don't know of anything that's--"

Harry threw up his hands in disgust. "Right. They want me to be you."

Hermione sighed, but reached out to lay a hand on his arm. "I really don't think so, Harry."

"But they do! I'm supposed to know everything."

Shaking her head, she squeezed his arm a little. "No. He just wants you to know when you don't." She smiled, her cheeks dimpling. "But I'm flattered that you think I know everything."

"What 'they'?" Ron asked. "Isn't this just Snape?"

Harry dropped his voice a little. "Remus has been helping him."

"Re--!" Ron caught himself. "Why would he do that?"

"Well, helping with the traps. He didn't approve of some early ones, so Dad started consulting him, apparently." He looked at Hermione, feeling his leathery nose wrinkle. "But he told me he hasn't been helping with the penalties, which he thinks are rather juvenile."

Ron sniggered. Hermione bit her lip.

"Well, you have to expect that, don't you?" she said uncertainly.

"Expect it? Why?"

"Well.... I mean, he became dangerous rather young, didn't he? So I doubt he has much range between juvenile and hazardous, and I know he doesn't want to hurt you."

That made Harry feel better. He smiled at her as he got out his notebook, although it took some effort not to twitch his nose.

It wasn't until leaving Transfiguration that Harry encountered a friend who wasn't in his lessons. Olivia was descending from some upper-floor classroom, apparently heading for the dungeons. A few of her friends were with her, and they pushed her and whispered when they saw him. From the pained look on Olivia's face, Harry suspected that his punishments embarrassed her.

"Hi, Olivia," he called, pausing a few steps below them. "See you this weekend? It should have worn off by then." Long before, he hoped.

Olivia turned her face down, not quite hiding her smile. "I'll need to revise some, but of course." To his surprise, she walked down to him and laid the tip of one finger on the front of his nose. The touch felt odd on his transfigured flesh. "My foolish lion," she whispered fondly, and then, giggling, headed off down the stairs, followed by the girls who had been with her.

By breakfast the next morning, most of signs of the attack had already faded, leaving only faint silver streaks in Harry's black hair. In the Potions classroom, he gathered all of the vaunted courage of his house, and forced himself to stop beside Draco's bench, where Draco had his cauldron and scales spread out to leave little room on either side. Draco glanced up from his text, but quickly looked down again.

"Draco?"

Another flicker of silver eyes. "Yes?"

Harry nearly walked away. He took a slow breath and told himself that he'd make Remus regret it if Draco told him to go hang. "May I sit wi--" with you "-- here?"

Draco met his eyes this time, and for a moment, Harry thought he saw relief on those haughty features. "Of course."

Draco shifted over on the seat, and the act of closing his book somehow involved sliding his scales further to the side, so there was adequate room for Harry's equipment. Severus swept in while Harry was still setting up, and gave a slight nod that Harry recognized as approval. His voice, however, was clipped and critical.

"Potter."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, sir?"

"Five points from Gryffindor for being unprepared. Do you at least know today's exercise?"

"Detection of certain potions that weaken the will -- all the ones using hellebore or fairy wings, and some others."

Severus sniffed. "Adequate. Mr. Malfoy, tell me two uses of these potions."

"To increase susceptibility to the Imperius Curse, and to make the victim less likely to check for tampering or poisons in another tempting object."

"Good. Five points to Slytherin."

Harry glanced at Draco, who smirked at him. He felt his mouth twitching as he tried not to grin widely in response.

They didn't speak during class. It wasn't until Harry was stuffing his equipment into his bag that Draco shifted just a little closer, and said, "Miss me, Potter?" and Harry knew that was Draco's version of "I missed you."

"Loads," he answered, his heart lifting, and he waited for Draco's more meticulous packing job so they could walk up to Remus's class together.

Severus glanced up as Harry entered his rooms. "You have made peace with Draco Malfoy, I see." Without waiting for a reply, he returned to marking the essay in front of him.

Harry crossed to the sofa, sat down, and waited. He was shifting position for the third time when his father finally set parchment and quill aside and moved to the armchair. Harry looked pointedly at him. "Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, I've made peace with Draco -- somewhat."

Severus rubbed his forehead, but did not apologize. "You have reservations?"

"I -- no." Harry looked down, thinking of yesterday's quiet walk to Remus's classroom. "He does."

"Of what sort?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm not sure. Just ... we walked up to Defense together, and he sat with me, but ... well, he didn't joke around like he used to."

"It will take time, I expect." Severus looked uncomfortable. "About your punishment...."

"Yeah?"

"Since you appear to be ... trying, and your level of comfort in public seems appropriate ..." He struggled for a moment. "I thought we might end early."

"Really?" Harry felt his cheeks lift in a grin. He wondered if Remus had brought this about. "That would be wonderful! When? Now?"

Severus sat back, poised again, his hands steepled before him. "Let us say ... after dinner tomorrow? That finishes off the school week."

Harry eyed him suspiciously. "You have something planned."

A twisted smile met his regard. "Why would I not?"

Harry was pensive as he made his way to dinner. He chatted with Ron, Hermione, and Dean as he ate, and if anyone noticed how frequently his attention strayed to the Slytherin table, they did not comment on it. When he saw Draco shift back from the table, he stood himself.

Ron's eyes darted over, and he frowned. "Do you really need to?"

"Yeah." Harry gripped his shoulder briefly. "Later."

He left the Great Hall a few yards behind Draco and quickened his pace as soon as he was through the door. Draco glanced over his shoulder.

"Harry."

"Hi." Harry hurried up to him. There were a few other people in sight, but no one was near. "I ..." He felt awkward. "Would you like--?"

"Spit it out, Potter," Draco said, smirking in undisguised amusement. Harry felt a flash of fierceness and took a step forward. Suddenly, he had no problem either finding words or saying them.

"I have a Kerner Dark Detector. Want to play?"

Draco's eyes widened. "How did you-- Never mind. Yes. I would very much like to 'play,' Harry."

Harry led Draco up to the Room of Requirement. He hadn't arranged for a Kerner Dark Detector, but he was certainly feeling desperate enough that the room should oblige him. Draco watched him, eyes narrowed, as he paced and the door appeared, but did not ask questions. Harry opened it with some trepidation.

It wasn't quite his lounge, although it did have the same facing couches. It certainly wasn't the DA practice room, although the area directly in front of the door looked like a small square of that. In the center of that square was a Kerner Dark Detector, set on a stand. Harry gestured toward it with a flourish, as if he had known it would be there.

Draco entered slowly, and shut the door behind him. "You still haven't explained this room." He looked around. "I mean, it hasn't been the same twice when you've brought me, and it's not here when I come alone. Does the door go to different places?"

Harry cast a quick privacy spell on the door before answering. All of Gryffindor and most of the D. A. would probably consider what he was about to say an act of treason.

"It's whatever you need." He shrugged. "For its interpretation of 'need.' I'm not clear on that part. It won't provide things you think would be sort of fun, but it's not things you'd die without -- obviously."

Draco watched him intently. "In what sense do you 'need' a Kerner Dark Detector?"

"I ..." Harry looked over at the gleaming cylinder. He didn't know how to explain it. Because it was what had made them be friends in the first place? "To ... to have something to invite you to do."

Draco's mouth turned in a partial smile. "I suppose it is a bit cold for flying." He glanced to the side. "And the couches?"

Harry reddened. He had no idea about the couches. "I ... it usually does when I have friends here? I don't know. I didn't ask for them."

Draco looked amused, but didn't question any further. Instead, he gestured toward the device. "Will you start?" Harry nodded, but when he tried to gather his control, Draco, reading his intent, caught at his arm. "No. I want to hear all of it."

Harry stared. He remembered the cacophony the first time he had approached the Kerner Dark Detector. Why would anyone want to be subjected to that?

"All of it," Draco repeated, his eyes icy.

When Harry nodded, Draco released his hold, allowing him to step away. Harry took two steps towards the Dark Detector before the noise started. It was a low, teeth-jarring roar. Moving few inches closer raised it to a strident cacophony. He looked back, but although Draco's face was tight with withstanding the racket, he gave no sign that it was enough.

Please, Harry mouthed, and after a moment of hesitation, Draco nodded sharply. Relieved, Harry began Occlumency, and within a minute, had lowered the noise to a dull rumble. Draco came carefully to stand across from him, and brought his own sound in at a harmonious tone. Harry, pleased, smiled a challenge at him, but before he could do anything, Draco shifted back again.

"What?" The noise spiked as Harry's control wavered, and he took a step back. This was going all wrong. Draco shouldn't have that tight, scornful look on his face.

"I want to hear the Fealty charm."

"What?" Harry said incredulously.

"The Fealty charm. Move back and prepare to cast it. I want to know how it sounds."

"Draco, I swear I won't ever--"

"Shut up! I want to know how it SOUNDS. Do it, or I'll leave!"

Hysteria brought a quaver to Draco's voice, and in resignation, Harry stepped forward. There was a low buzz from the Kerner Dark Detector, but he tried to ignore it and remember how the spell was cast. The subject would be kneeling. He looked at the base of the stand, trying to imagine someone there, and his memory was far too happy to oblige with night-black mail and pale hair that had shimmered in the light of a waning moon. For a moment, dismay broke his focus and the muddled roar of Voldemort's darkness began to rise again. Harry Occluded.

"Sorry," he said through clenched teeth, and worked on picturing it again, but accepting the picture. You will be mine, he thought, as he raised his hand, as if wielding a wand. All your heart, all your power devoted to ME.

The sound rose, growing clearer and stronger, like the deep-throated note of a hunting horn. Grimly, Harry raised his eyes to meet Draco's stare. Draco stepped in. The noise of his power was strident, disruptive, and free. Harry dropped his head back, letting it push over him. The energy he had massed for the Fealty charm dissolved, and he pictured Draco from earlier that same evening, bright and dangerous with grace, dancing across from him with the energy of a duelist. There was no spell he knew for that -- just pure intent, to match and counter -- but his tone shifted higher and brighter.

Draco smiled.

They played.

**********

Sometimes, Albus Dumbledore moved into action immediately when one came to him with a crisis. This, Severus realized, was not going to be one of those times.

"I am confident young Mister Malfoy is well, Severus. You really should go back to bed; you have morning lessons."

"You don't understand!" Severus could hear his voice starting to rise, but he couldn't be bothered to control it. "His refusal to take the Dark Mark has put him a precarious position. Someone may have decided to make an example of him."

"Perhaps, Severus." The twinkle in the old man's eye kept Severus from taking any hope from his mild acquiescence. "Still, don't you think it more likely that he has simply strayed afield? Young men do still do that you know; young women too."

Quick footsteps approached the office door. "Headmaster!" Professor McGonagall entered, looking flushed. Her hair was down in nighttime braids and her robes askew. "Harry Potter is missing!"

Severus's heart tightened with fear, but before he could speak, Dumbledore was turning to him with a warm smile.

"There, Severus, as I said: nothing to worry about."

"Nothing--!" McGonagall choked indignantly.

"Draco is also missing, Minerva." Severus scowled at the headmaster. "A second disappearance is hardly reassuring."

Dumbledore waved his hand in dismissal. "Tut, tut. I suggest you try the seventh floor, across the hall from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. I heard the most interesting music emerging from there, earlier."

"Music--?"

"Run along, now. I, at least, need my sleep."

Severus found himself in the corridor -- although he did not remember descending the staircase -- and facing an alarmed Minerva McGonagall.

"Well?" he asked.

"There is no room across from that tapestry! It's a blank wall!"

Severus snorted, his mood slightly improved by knowing something about Hogwarts that his chief rival did not. "There is a room -- sometimes. Remus used to take me there when we were students, but I could never find it on my own. I though that possibly it appeared only to Gryffindors. Apparently I was mistaken." As he raised his head to look down his nose at her, an alternative explanation occurred to him: Perhaps it only appears to mismatched pairs. Didn't Harry take me to another place on that corridor once? Try as he might, though, he could only remember one door. "Come, then. Let us hunt them down."

When they reached the corridor, Severus was relieved to find that the elusive door was visible. He sliced his hand down in front of McGonagall's extending arm.

"I was only going to knock."

"I know." Severus set a hand cautiously to the knob. It wouldn't turn. "I prefer to enter unexpected."

Minerva rolled her eyes, but she did step back from the door. She stood, her arms crossed over her chest, impatiently tapping the toe of one shoe, while Severus worked on dismantling the protections that Harry -- or possibly Draco -- had placed on the door. He didn't bother with disrupting the spells that blocked sound -- once they were inside, it wouldn't matter. His lip curled in a sneer as he recognized the block to scent. Definitely Harry, then.

Unless... His jaw clenched at the thought it might be Remus. Remus tangled with a lover on that bed in the corner.... He felt his nails digging into his palms and forced himself to relax. Ridiculous. Lupin has his own rooms; he wouldn't bother.

The block collapsed. Severus scowled when there was no sign of a trap or even an alert charm. Harry needs more lessons in security. He set his hand to the knob again, and gave McGonagall a nod. She straightened and nodded back, and he quickly and smoothly opened the door, taking care not to let it bang into the interior wall.

The room was larger than he remembered -- about twice the size of his sitting room -- and dimly lit by tiny, colored, floating lights that bobbed and swirled through the still air. There was no sign of the bed that Remus had pulled him down on. In the center of the room, a large cylindrical object rested on a stand that raised it to about waist height. He took several steps towards it before recognizing that it was a Kerner Dark Detector. Music. Of course. To the right, two low, cushy sofas made an alcove with the wall. Severus stepped forward to look in the alcove. Both sofas were empty. The floor between them was covered with a thick sheepskin carpet. Harry and Draco were lying there, facing each other, with about eighteen inches of space between them, and hands just touching. As Severus watched, frozen, Harry's side rose and fell in a reassuringly visible breath.

Minerva shifted closer. "At least they're dressed," she whispered, with a trace of amusement. "Shall we shout?"

Severus touched a finger to his lips. Carefully, he stepped gently across the carpet and turned so that he had one booted foot between their faces. He lifted it. Unfortunately, it wouldn't make much noise on this thick covering, but....

He stomped it down as hard as he could. With a satisfying "thwup!" dust flew up around the soft fleece.

Harry's eyes flew open. After a second of complete immobility, he twisted, surged to his feet, and drew his wand, all in one motion. Severus was impressed by his reflexes, but kept up a sneer of scorn as he stared down the extended length of wood to Harry's fierce alarm. Harry's face suddenly relaxed.

"Dad!" he complained, annoyed.

Behind him, Minerva cleared her throat, and Harry whirled, alarmed once again. "Shit!"

"Five points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter." Before Severus could do more than choke at that absurdly light sentence, Minerva added, "--for language. Thirty for wandering the school after lights out --"

"I wasn't!" Harry protested. "We just fell asleep --"

"That is not an excuse." She looked at Draco, who had slipped quietly to his feet, and was standing behind Harry, as pale as Harry was red. "Thirty points from Slytherin also, Mr. Malfoy."

Severus watched with interest and concealed amusement as Draco's features smoothed into his most sincere well-bred-boy look.

"We were working on an extra credit project for Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor. It was more exhausting than we expected."

Minerva, Severus thought, might actually have fallen for that if Harry hadn't interrupted. Of course, he would have disabused her of that notion himself, had Harry not done so.

"No."

"Harry!"

"Draco, do you have any idea how well both of them know Re-- Professor Lupin?" Harry seemed to draw confidence from the exchange, however, and when he turned to Minerva, his blush was abating and his voice steady. "It was further research on something R-- Professor Lupin showed us in class, but he didn't assign it. It was just for fun." He glanced over at Severus. "Well, and Occlumency practice."

"And this exhausted you sufficiently that you collapsed onto the floor and fell asleep?"

"Yes."

Severus snorted at Harry's sincerity and Minerva's subsequent weakening.

"That, at least, I can believe," he interjected. He was tempted to mention the cost of controlling Dark energies, just for the delight of watching Minerva explode, but he decided he would prefer to keep that lecture private.

"Draco, ten points from Slytherin for attempting to lie to your professors." Five for one of them being me, and five for the lie being inept. "Harry, you will come speak to me at the end of lessons, tomorrow. Draco, an hour later. Both of you have three nights of detention, each starting directly after dinner." He looked at Minerva. "But for now, perhaps, we should get them to their beds?"

"Agreed." Minerva's mouth set in a thin line. "Come along, Mr. Potter."

Severus led Draco down to the dungeons, but not directly to Slytherin. Instead he made a detour to his office, ushering the Malfoy boy through the doorway in front of him.

"I thought you were talking to me tomorrow, sir."

Severus sneered. "I see no point in giving you additional time to devise stories, Mr. Malfoy."

"But Harry is allowed that?"

"An unfortunate necessity of Professor McGonagall's presence. I don't want to place him in more trouble than I consider appropriate. Now, what were you doing?"

Draco raised his head very high, until he looked like a mediocre imitation of his father. "Playing with the tonal aspects of the Kerner Dark Detector," he said precisely. His lip curled in scorn. "Sir."

"Did this involve casting any spells?"

"No."

"Were you gathering energy to cast spells?"

Draco hesitated. "For some of it. But we didn't cast anything."

"What spells?"

"That's none of your business."

Severus snarled. "I am your head of house and his father! I declare it my business. Which spells?

"I am not speaking for Harry. For the most part, we didn't discuss how we were achieving the tones."

"And the exceptions?"

In a momentary loss of poise, Draco glanced down. "I wanted ...." He glared. "I asked him to prepare for the Fealty spell. I wanted to hear it."

Severus only barely restrained himself from asking how far that had gone. From Draco's coherency, it had obviously not exceeded the mimicry of intent. He cleared his throat.

"Very well. Since you are here ..." He sat back, giving Draco time to worry. He was pleased to see that Draco had enough presence of mind to recognize the maneuver and concentrate on breathing, instead of letting speculation fray his control. When it was clear that Draco was not going to break and prompt him, he continued. "I wished to ask you about your plans for the holiday."

"Plans, sir?" Draco sounded politely confused. Severus felt his face twist in a snarl.

"Mr. Malfoy, you have been quite blatant about your lack of interest in serving the Dark Lord. You have also become associated, to some degree, with Harry Potter. For your own safety, I would advise you against returning to Malfoy Manor."

"My mother loves me."

"She may nonetheless be angry. And she has never been good at standing up to those stronger than herself."

"She won't allow anyone to hurt me."

Severus wanted to shake the boy.

"If they have deduced that you helped me escape, she may not be capable of protecting you, even if she tries. I doubt she even knows which of her husband's allies has access to the property, much less how to bar it."

Draco looked momentarily panicked, but his fear was soon replaced by anger. "So help her!"

"You are assuming I know."

Draco raised his head in scorn. "So you're just guessing."

"I know I can get in -- and I'm not going to help her prevent that. I was not, by far, the closest of Lucius's associates, so it is more than a guess that there are others with that privilege."

For a moment, they just stared at each other. When Severus opened his mouth to ask again, Draco took a step back.

"I'm going home. You can't stop me."

Severus considered that. He could, of course, stop the young fool, but the price would be high. He pointed his wand, and the door swung open.

"To bed then. Now."

**********

Harry heard the great clock striking three as he went up the stairs, and he tiptoed into his dormitory hoping everyone would be asleep.

"What's the damage?" Ron asked, as Harry stepped in between their beds.

"What? Oh. Thirty-five points from Gryffindor, and three nights' detention."

"Thirty-five points?" Ron yelped.

"Well, it was forty from Slytherin."

"Oh." Ron settled back against his pillow. "Who caught you, then?"

"Dad and Professor McGonagall. I lost extra points for swearing, and he lost them for attempting to lie about why we were out."

"What were you doing? Trying to prank your Dad back?"

"God, no!" Harry shrugged and pulled off his shirt. "Just playing with a Kerner Dark Detector, but we fell asleep -- or passed out, more like -- you saw how I was after that the first time. But Draco tried to say it was a Defense Against the Dark Arts project."

"Oh, like Snape wouldn't ask!"

"Exactly."

"Will you two shut it?" Seamus growled. "It is dark-thirty on a school night."

"Sorry!" they chorused, and Harry, by now in his pajamas, squirmed into his cold bed and shivered until it grew warm.

On Friday morning, the House counters had obviously changed, and breakfast was uncomfortable. Harry entered the Potions classroom with something like relief. Draco was already there, and already fully set up, although it was still early. Harry sank to the seat beside him and plopped his own equipment down in an untidy heap. Behind them, Millicent Bulstrode sniggered. Harry froze.

"Be glad Pansy isn't here," Draco muttered. "She went on about my 'boyfriend' all through breakfast."

"What?" Harry asked incredulously.

"She overheard some Gryffindor seventh-years asking Longbottom when you came in."

"Oh." Harry didn't want to think about that too closely. "Well, I do that." He frowned. "I mean, it's not the first time I've been missing at odd hours. I got ragged about being out all night, after Halloween, but not about last night. What my housemates care about is the loss of points."

With a soft snort, Draco reached over and began setting up Harry's scales. "Well, I'm getting all the hassle of an affair with you, to no benefit at all. At least tell Olivia it was nothing, won't you? She might believe you."

**********

Severus paused in the door to Remus Lupin's office. As expected, the werewolf glanced up, already speaking a greeting. "Come in! It's--" He froze, voice failing, at the sight of his visitor, but recovered quickly. "Severus! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Your annoying usefulness," Severus sneered, but he didn't put any real malice into it. He found himself as drawn to Remus as he had been as a teen; had he seen any way past the accumulated barriers of the intervening years, he might be taking it. As it was, he was willing to settle for a civil relationship marked by occasional intelligent conversation. He walked into the room, and when Remus gestured at a chair beside the desk, consented to sit in it.

"Oh -- am I useful, now?" Remus asked teasingly.

"I can hope." Severus cleared his throat. Now that he was here, the question seemed even more embarrassing than it had when he left his classroom.

"When we were ... young, there was a room that you liked. It was on the seventh floor, across from a tapestry with some trolls in ballet tights...." and it had a large bed, and a cozy fire, and the softest carpet; pitchers of water, goblets of wine.... He hoped what he felt didn't show on his face.

Remus licked his lips. "I remember."

"I-- That room was never there when you were not with me."

"Ah." Remus cocked his head to one side, regarding him with what might have been amusement. "Was there another room?"

"No!" Severus hadn't meant to snap. He looked away. "No -- there was nothing."

"So what do you want to ask?"

"What," Severus hissed, "calls the room? Does it require two people of different houses to find the door? Is there a charm? Does it appear only to lovers? I had thought it was a Gryffindor secret, but Minerva had never heard of it, before last night."

"Last night?" Remus raised his eyebrows inquiringly.

"Harry and Draco were in there. Asleep." At the widening of Remus's eyes, Severus relented and flicked his hand to the side in dismissal. "On the floor, and fully clothed, but nonetheless.... What calls it?"

"Ah." Remus shrugged. "It is what you need. Think of what you need, and walk back and forth a few times--"

"You needed a bedroom?"

Placidly, Remus looked back at him. "Outside of Gryffindor or Slytherin. Yes. Desperately, as I recall."

Severus looked away. Need. "It ... it cannot evaluate...."

"The Room is not judgmental." Remus shrugged slightly. "As to what Harry -- or Draco -- needed, I cannot say."

When Severus put the question of need to Harry, after lessons, the answer seemed to be "a Kerner Dark Detector."

"To be friends with him again, you required a powerful magical device?" Severus asked incredulously.

"You know how it's been. And that was how we became friends in the first place."

Severus sighed. "Be that as it may.... Did you cast anything?"

"No."

"Did you prepare to?"

Harry made a face. "The Fealty charm, but only because he insisted. I don't know if it made him feel better or not, but once that was over, he relaxed."

Severus relaxed as well. "Acceptable. That brings us to the next issue...."

"Oh?" Harry, of course, refused to be cowed by the threat in his tone.

"Your pitiful security."

"I'd put up protections!"

"But I broke them. And all protections can be broken -- but you had nothing more."

"What should I have had?"

"A trap. An alarm."

"If I'd been awake--"

"You were NOT awake! What I did should have woken you!"

"Oh!"

"I'll teach you some spells. Also, I'd like you to leave an opening, when you construct such protections -- something that will admit me or Professor Dumbledore." Severus took a breath. "Professor Lupin, if you wish."

"I'm not sure...."

"If something happened to you, we could lose valuable time reaching you."

Harry nodded. "Yes, but ... Draco expected privacy. If I wasn't providing that, I'd need to let him know."

"You are far too trusting."

Harry laughed harshly. "I'm not even sure I'm trusting enough."

"Hm." Severus studied him for a minute. He knew what Harry meant; he had much the same sort of lack of trust himself, and it was not always useful. "I've heard the rumors around Slytherin," he said, changing the subject.

"And you know they're not true."

Severus nodded. "However -- are you interested in Draco?"

Harry frowned. "I don't think so," he said, but Severus thought he said it slowly, with the thought perhaps not ending as he spoke. Harry shrugged. "Anyway, I wouldn't do anything."

"An interesting response, as such things don't appear to bother you, in theory. Why would you not act, in this one case?"

Harry looked exasperated, as if whatever strange tangle had formed in his mind should be obvious. "Well, I don't think I'm interested -- I mean, I can tell he's attractive, but that's not the same -- so it would be mostly curiosity, if I were to, you know, snog him or whatever. And I...." What had been a light blush deepened to true red. "I think he might, um, to me? Well, he flirts," Harry said defensively. "I can't tell. But if he means it, I shouldn't do anything I'm not sure I mean."

"Ineptly expressed, but well reasoned," Severus said, pleased enough with the response to release the boy from his humiliation. "I would agree that he is 'interested' in you -- and that is why there are rumors, or at least why the rumors have taken this form. I also agree that any experimentation would be inadvisable. He would treat it as an offense if you encouraged him and then backed off again. Furthermore, while he is still legally a minor, his family could use him against you."

Harry nodded. "And then there's school. We couldn't avoid each other if we needed to." He grinned. "And Olivia would kill both of us!"