The Snake's Clan

Chapter 7: Tears and regrets

Tuesday, October 13th

"Professor?" Draco Malfoy asked his Head of House indifferently.

"Yes Draco?" Severus spoke knowing who had come to see him in his office and acknowledged the student without even turning his head up from the parchments he was working on.

"How is the potion going?" Malfoy, with a slight tone of anticipation asked.

"Badly." Snape knew he was going to have to answer this question at some point, figuring to get it out of the way earlier than later, "the potion itself isn't difficult to prepare and is ready, but the spells that are needed are too difficult for me to perform." He finished his sentence looking at his favourite potions student, who he noticed seemed to have done some growing up since last term.

"I have already cast most of them on a testing specimen," Draco said, pulling out a vial and showing it to Professor Snape. "Do you think you can work on it?" Draco handed the vial to him.

"Yes, it should be enough," Snape looked at his student closer. To anyone else it would have been only a mere quick glance, but the innate abilities of Slytherins made it possible to size his student up quickly, Snape continued with an odd feeling of sorrow for Draco "you still haven't told me what you plan to do with it."

Draco had noticed Snape looking at him, and was slightly abashed at what he thought was a flash of empathy from his Professor but he dismissed the thought as quickly as he had seen it leave, all the while not letting his emotions discern him. "I don't know yet; it will depend on the capacities the potion will give the drinker."

"You are aware that you're destroying maybe the only way to kill Voldemort?" Snape questioned with his normal stern tone, trying to make sure it was stated as more fact than questioning.

"Are you not happy of that?" Draco's tone was suspicious but with a cool calm to it, keeping his shield in place as if ready to strike at any signs of weakness or betrayal with the Professors following words.

"I don't know," came Snape's reply, rather indifferently "it might be dangerous."

"For Dumbledore and his muggle-lovers." Draco spat with a vile venom which seemed to ebb from his words, almost visibly.

"No," Snape replied with just as much calm as Draco had said before, ignoring the boy's obvious attempts to bait him into an argument of some sort "for every person who know the ingredients and spells of this potion."

"If I didn't know you better, I might think you didn't have full faith in our master." A thin smile played on the edge of Draco's lips.

"I do trust our master," Severus recited quickly, "I am just prudent." He gave a curt nod of his head, as if proving that he was outraged that the younger would come to such an inclination.

"I prefer this course of action." He was pointing to the potion vial with his eyes. "How does it work?"

"This potion is to be prepared progressively, in different stages." Snape prepared himself for a long explanation of what he had discovered of his findings. "The first is a Primary Nawglan, or the Sacred Nine. It's composed of River's Willow, Rock's Hazel tree, Marshland's Alder, Waterfall's Birch tree, Shadow's Ash, Plain's Yew tree, Valley's Elm, Mountain's Sorb and Sun's Evergreen Oak. Plucked and combusted during only the night of full moon. This potion will dissolve the body of the one who drinks it. It's a powerful poison. I have already casted the most protective spell I know, I believe it is enough. The Magus said to add crushed chelidoine leaves, braked with a mole heart, and diluted in the equivalent of a forium potion." Snape finished tired from his long explanation, but knowing the younger would ask him a few more obvious questions, braced himself and inhaled another breath, making it seem as though he was expecting everything the boy was going to ask.

"What does it do?" Draco asked, his mind satisfied with the knowledge of what he'd just been told.

"It gives the drinker the ability, to go trough walls." Snap added, seeming to satisfy the younger boy's knowledge.

"That is the effect of Chelidoine and Mole alone. Why the Nawglan if you have to break its power by a spell?" Draco furrowed one of his brows while raising the other as he asked Professor Snape.

"I'm not sure really; Nawglan is a part of potion magic that disappeared long ago. We'll discover that later, I suppose," Snape replied, not willing to begin testing of the potion on humans just yet, "but for now, it's necessary that I know how long the potion can affect a human organism."

"To prepare the exact measurements of the other ingredients." Draco finished for him.

"Yes." Snape replied looking at Draco in the awkward silence that had just seemed to come up between them.

They were silent for a moment. Draco grabbed the prepared potion vial and put it in his inside robes' pocket.

"I have to go, it's late." Draco quietly but quickly made his way to the door and was halfway there before he was stopped.

"Draco." Snape noticed how quickly the young Slytherin was moving to get away from him and he stood from his chair and made to go after him , he couldn't help but wonder what was wrong. "I'd like to talk."

The blond had stopped halfway to the door, and turned around as if waiting for more to follow.

"About the Slytherins, and about what happened this summer?" Snape was careful not to say anything to brash as he noticed Malfoy's posture slip into that of a hardened statue, and his shield forced on as though he were bracing for the worst.

"Why this question?" Draco asked, not wanting to be here in Professor Snape's office any longer and wanting to leave so that he could finish his planning. He kept his calm as he spoke though, making it seem as though he expected this and was willing to answer it.

The professor chose to use the cards of sincerity, confidence, friendship and fatherhood when speaking to Draco. "Because you've changed since then. You used to trust me, why not anymore? You can tell me, Draco, I'm your teacher, but also a Slytherin." Snape spoke with a sincerity he rarely ever showed to anyone, anyone except people he really felt he knew and trusted.

"A Slytherin?" Draco half spit the words out of his mouth. "Are you sure?" He sneered one of his more devious smirks, this was one of the moments he'd been waiting for. The moment when his Professor would show a weakness so that he could tear him apart verbally.

Severus was flabbergasted. "Of course I'm sure! What's gotten into you?!" Snape was completely caught off guard, and it showed. He dropped his shield only for a moment to let his feeling of hurt astonishment show on his face and posture.

"No, I don't think so. You act more like a Gryffindor." Draco had taken a few more steps towards the Professor, waiting to continue his coming onslaught of words.

"Wha?" Snape was clearly flabbergasted. He was not expecting this sort of response from someone he thought he knew, let alone one of his favourite students.

"You sold your life and soul to a Gryffindor; you lied to your housemates and I. No, I don't think you're a Slytherin, for if you were, you'd never have lied to me." Draco had stressed the last word, knowing that he was making this to personal and was letting his shield fall while he spoke, he didn't want to leave himself exposed to a verbal attack, but this conversation hurt more than it should have.

"You. You know?" Snape replied, though it seemed he was saying it in disbelief. He was so careful about keeping his secrets, how had the younger Slytherin know...

"Yes, I know you're a spy for Dumbledore, but I don't really care, that, is not the problem." Draco continued to walk towards Snape, but instead of actually getting near him, Draco turned his walk into a pace around the room.

"If you knew, why did you act as if you didn't?" Snape said, clearly wondering why this conversation hurt him so much.

"To verify myself if you were ready to lie, to me." Draco had again stressed the last part of his conversation, making it clear to the Professor that it was him who had made the wrong in his decision.

"..." A look of lost bewilderment showed clearly on Snape's face.

"You were. And still are." Draco said sneering, at his confused Professor.

"No, Draco, you're mistaken ..." Snape said, quickly trying to regain his composure

The Slytherin cut him short, "I am not. If it had been last year, I would only have been hurt, but times have changed, and I have to consider it treason. I hoped you would understand by yourself but you didn't, and failed me. You're no Slytherin, at least not to me anymore," Draco said as he turned on his heel and walked away.

Alone, Severus fell on his knees, trembling.

What he suspected was finally truth: the Clan had been reformed and he was excluded.

* * * * * *

Wednesday, October 14th

Severus had passed the night at his desk, wondering what to do. What Draco had accused him of was correct. By lying to them, and Draco, he had betrayed them, and the entire Clan. By associating himself with Dumbledore and being a member of the Order of the Phoenix, he had ceased being a Slytherin and had become a Gryffindor.

The new password the Slytherins had chosen was clear enough about what they thought of him. Cauda Draconis. In geomancy, it meant destruction and treason.

During Draco's sixth year, he'd been aware of the Slytherins' distress. When the Gryffindors were united around the symbol that was Harry Potter, and protected by the Order; Draco's influence had revealed itself as not to be enough to maintain order in the house. The young Slytherins were pressed by their parents into following their paths, with no other choice than that of obedience. Severus knew that; till his father's death, he too had been forced into a particular way of life. But between his potion classes and spying for Dumbledore, he hadn't found the time to help them. Each Slytherin was afraid of being spied on by roommates, who would in turn report their behaviour to the dark lord, and get them punished. Since he wasn't there, nobody had searched to understand what was the reason of the bags under the eyes of each Slytherin child, assuming they worked as spies for Voldemort or learned dark magic in secret. Nobody had sought out who screamed and cried in the dungeons each night. The dormitories had become fields of nightmares to make Potter's premonitory dreams blanch of horror.

Outside, the war was going on, and deaths were accumulating. To each acquaintance, which died, killed by death eaters, the Gryffindors made the Slytherins painfully regret their parents' actions. Black eyes and bleeding noses were common. The worst, surely, was that when attacked by Gryffindors, and forced to protect themselves, the Slytherins were also punished. The few exceptions concerned students found unconscious, such as Draco after the Yule Holidays.

Severus still hadn't established the verity on this story. Charlie Weasley had been declared as dead, killed by death eaters. However, Severus was certain no one in the dark lord's ranks had spoken about Weasley's death. They would have been too happy about it, but no mention had ever been made of it. What happened to the young man? Had he been secretly killed? Or rather was he still alive...

Dumbledore had required his presence at the reunion of the Order of the Phoenix, in the evening. What was he going to say then? To confess the Snake's Clan was reunited, or to lie, one more time?

An opening door and the entrance of students interrupted his thoughts. It was already the time for his class. It was his Seventh year Gryffindor- Slytherin class. How were they going to act vis-à-vis to him?

But the students didn't say anything, ignoring him as always since the beginning of the year, behaving with their Head of house as with any other professor. That hurt. Deeply. During the time that lasted the class, Severus felt both empty and heavy. He didn't care aout what he was teaching, his voice repeating without intonation a lesson he remembered preparing some time ago.

As he finished writing the instructions for an assignment on the cupboard and turned back to his desk, sitting; he saw Draco smiling to him. An intelligent smile, the one of a child scheming a nasty trick. He spent the last hour searching for what the boy had in mind, and finally found it. Collecting the students' essays, he noticed on Malfoy's desk a small vial, as the one Severus had given to him the previous day, containing some of the potion. He then perceived the look Ron Weasley was sending Draco. The Gryffindor had understood his Slytherin classmate was plotting something, and that this something had to do with the vial. He looked determined to discover what the potion served to.

Smiling at the devilish intelligence of his best student, using the others curiosity to satisfy his research, Severus finished collecting the compositions and went back to his desk. Should he let Weasley steal the vial to test the potion, or order Malfoy to give him this vial that lied on his worktable? Maybe it was time for him to be a little more Slytherinish.

As students went out the classroom, Potter stayed besides Snape. Preferring not wanting to know why, and Weasley observing carefully Malfoy, Severus called the blond to his desk.

"Yes, sir?" Draco asked innocently, as if nothing was out or place.

"Do you know it is forbidden to make human tests?" Severus asked, his face impassable.

"Human tests? Why would I want to make human tests, sir?" The Slytherin asked with an innocent grin.

"Don't make a fool of me child, I perfectly know what you're planning." Severus was loosing his patience, he hated dancing around the obvious.

"Oh, really? Are you going to denounce me?" Draco replicated, pursing his lips.

"Weasley is gone, you may join your housemates." Severus had noticed that the vile was now missing from Draco's desk and looked back to his favourite student. Maybe now he would be able to show Draco that he still cared for him.

Smiling broadly, Draco went away, noticing as he walked by his desk and left the vial had disappeared.

'If he's willing to use the weasel as a test, then, maybe he's still recoverable.' Draco thought to himself, smiling an evil grin as he left the classroom.

* * * *
Gryffindors bedroom

"Ron, what are you doing?" Harry asked his friend, unsure of what his friend of 6 years was smiling about.

Ron, who had just hide the vial in his robes at the door's noise, showed it to Harry.

"What is it?" Harry asked, eyeing the contents of the vial.

"I don't know. I stole it from Malfoy." Ron said with a triumphant grin on his face.

"What?" Harry felt morally inept, "but Ron, what if it's important? You can't steal other's things like that!"

"Oh, stop protecting him," the redhead said rolling his eyes, "It's just a potion."

"Yes, but ..." Harry wanted to say that he didn't want anything to do with this, and that he should give the vial back to Malfoy.

"Okay okay, I'll give it back, but first ... I want to know what it is. Will you help me?" Ron was examining the contents of what lay inside the vial, tempted to drink it right there to find out what it did, and to deprive Malfoy the satisfaction of ever seeing it again.

Reluctant at first, but soon Harry was curious about the potion as well and accepted.

"You spend a lot of time with Malfoy, was he preparing a potion?" Ron looked at his friend, angrily, and speculatively at the same time. He was making sure that Harry wasn't aware of what lay inside the potion as he didn't want to fall into a trap that either Malfoy, or his best friend would have formulated together.

"No, I don't think so." Harry shook his head, clearly showing that he had no idea what so ever lay in the vial.

"It must be important though, 'cause he kept it in sight on his potion table." Ron made to open the top and inhaled a bit of the scent.

"Ah? I didn't notice." Harry blushed slightly and looked away from his friend. He couldn't tell Ron the real reasons why he was spending a lot of time with the blond Slytherin.

"It could have been a pink hippogriff and you wouldn't have seen it," Ron said looking up from his examinations, ribbing Harry with his free hand in mock teasing.

"Ron!" Harry was furiously blushing. It was true that he was so occupied at watching Draco that the world around them was hardly noticeable to him.

"Anyway. I wonder what would happen if I take it." Ron was apprehensive, but ready to ingest the potion, looking as though he were bracing himself for the worst.

"You're mad! Maybe it's a transfiguration potion and you'll change into a rat, or a niffler. Or if it's a poison, you'll be endangered." Harry was thinking a million horrible thoughts all at once, knowing that he wasn't the best at handling morally sound decisions.

"Then you'll call Hermione for help," Ron said with a hope of acknowledgement towards Harry.

" I will." Harry only nodded with his reply, why didn't he think to ask for Hermione's help with this. She was a much better decisions maker than he was.

Ron gulped the potion in one swig. Nothing happened.

"So?" Harry asked, checking his friends' body as if trying to determine if something were horribly wrong with him.

"I don't know. I feel something in my stomach, but that's all." Ron looked slightly relieved that he hadn't blown up, or started throwing up anything. He shuddered at the thought of throwing up, especially when the image of him throwing up slugs in his second year because a curse had backfired on him came back to his mind.

"It might be a medicine," Harry thoughtfully added.

"Yeah, maybe," Ron said looking clearly disappointed that nothing surreal immediately happened.

The vial Ron was holding fell on the floor.

"Fabulous," Ron said finally as realization dawned on him.

"It traversed your hand!" Harry was shocked at the sound of glass being shattered on the floor.

"An Incorporeal potion, that's great! I never though the git would ever be able to make a potion like this!"

"Stop calling him a git, Ron!" Harry glowered, annoyed that his friend couldn't stop insulting his love.

"Yeah, yeah," Ron made to go over to a wall to try out the newfound abilities made by the potion, Ron tested the ability with a finger first, then his whole hand and finally his whole body, "ah! Look! I can go through the wall!" As he said it, Ron slowly disappeared through a tapestry, whereas a picture grumbled at 'how there wasn't courtesy anymore', then reappeared again through another part of the wall.

"Come on Harry, I have a good idea of what I'm going to do with this little talent of mine." Ron's face flashed with a smile as he spoke and led Harry on.

They were half through the way to the dungeons when Harry recognized their aim.

"Ron, why are you always causing them problems?" Harry was annoyed that his friend couldn't leave his other acquaintances alone.

The redhead turned toward his friend, suddenly realizing that he had been missing something for days. "And you, are always protecting them. Or rather protecting Malfoy," Ron whispered the last part because he didn't want Harry to know how he truly felt about the situation between the two of them.

Harry looked guiltily at the floor, but still his ears were turning red.

"I don't blame you. You act as though your holding a secret, when you're ready, come and tell me." Ron regretted his previous words, but maintained his attempt at genuine sincerity.

"Yes," Harry looked thoughtfully towards the other boy ,"thanks, Ron."

"Alright then." Ron had meant to give his friend a pat on the back but his hand only passed through the other boy.

They were now in front of the Slytherin's entrance, "Now, let's play some the fun. You'll see their faces when they'll run out of there, screaming their lungs out of fear."

Ron positioned his arms as the ones of a zombie and grinned mischievously. His hands penetrated the wall slowly and he suddenly stopped.

"What?" Harry asked, unsure of why Ron had stopped moving.

Ron stared at him, a surprised look on his face that showed incomprehension, "I can't move."

"What?" This time, Harry had almost shouted.

"I can't move," repeated Ron, "my hands are stuck in the wall."

Harry extended his hand toward his friend and touched him.

"The potion's effects have ceased," Harry said matter-of-factly.

Ron's jaw dropped, "Oh shit."

At that precise time, the portrait door opened, leaving way to a broadly smiling Draco, who was putting back in his pocket, a small chronometer.

"What are you two are doing here? And in this strange position?"

"Malfoy! You fucking bastard! You planned this!" Ron was pissed and his anger showed through the red that flushed his face and ears as he spoke.

Draco grinned even more if it was possible, "Not exactly; but when I saw the vial had disappeared, I presumed you were going to use it."

He turned towards Harry, mimicking Professor McGonagall, "Mr. Potter, I'm really disappointed in you. I thought you were better than. Oh! Hello professor!" Draco turned as he heard the familiar footsteps of women's heeled shoes behind him.

"Hello, Mr. Malfoy. Would you tell me what is happening here?" Professor McGonagall was frowning at Ron while she spoke; she turned to look at the two of her House students, waiting for one to speak. But it was Malfoy who answered.

"I don't know, professor. I just came out and found him like this," Draco told the truth, halfly.

Ron's eyes were sending him daggers.

"If you don't mind, professor, I have to go and eat lunch," Draco said staring down the Professor, who acknowledged he could go. With that Draco turned and walked away.

Harry couldn't help but smile secretly. It seemed that Ron had fallen into a trap. Not a hating and resentful one, but an amusing one. Ron vaguely tried to explain what had happened to him, but failed when Snape arrived and asked the Gryffindor where he had found the potion. Per chance, Harry escaped the interrogation as the Headmaster too showed up and sent the two students away, after having liberated Ron from the wall.

Dumbledore walked back in his office, followed closely by Snape, who was fuming that he couldn't take points from Ron.

"Severus, I asked you to watch this potion closely." Dumbledore's voice was dark, showing out slight anger and high disappointment.

"As I did," Severus said to the Headmaster, clearly regretting in his mind that he had been caught using Weasley as a testing subject.

"Not enough, it seems. What if young Mr. Weasley had been stunk wholly in the wall? He would have died, Severus!" Dumbledore was trying very hard to control his temper and it showed, which was surprising to Severus, as well as to Dumbledore himself.

The professor was going to surrender unflinchingly to the reproaches, as he didn't have much of a choice, but remembered his conversation, not a day sooner. Had Dumbledore cared when Weasley had almost killed Draco, one year ago? Had he tried to stop him? No.

"But he didn't," Snape said cold heartedly surprising even himself, "Maybe he will learn not to steal his schoolmates' belongings."

"That is not the problem Severus! I trusted you with the potion! You failed me in your responsibilities." Dumbledore; who usually kept calm during even the direst of consequences had lost it. His anger towards Severus was showing, and Dumbledore did nothing to stop it.

Severus stopped in shock. That was nearly the same thing Draco had told him. Nearly. The crucial difference resided in that Draco had considered it as treason, a treason that had hurt him.

'If it had been last year, I would only have been hurt, but times have changed, and I have to consider it treason.'.

Did Severus have a life here where he had no place for feelings? Here where he was considered as a pawn in the fight against Voldemort? Certainly not.

"No, I did not fail!" Snape screamed, bellowing in a low growl.

What surprised Dumbledore only more was the firmness in Severus's voice.

"On the contrary, I succeeded. I betrayed them and I know I'll have to pay, but I don't care. I'm not a part of the Order of the Phoenix anymore. I'm going back where I belong." Snape said scowling and shooting nothing but the most contempt look of loathing for the Headmaster. He was tired of being pushed around by Dumbledore, ashamed that he hurt the whole of his House, and more importantly, extremely pissed that while he thought he was doing good by bringing down Voldemort by helping the Order of the Phoenix; he thought he was a valuable member. Now he found that his worst fears were correct, he was a pawn and Dumbledore was just using him to get what he failed to do so many years ago.

And to Dumbledore's disbelief, he walked away.

* * * * * *

Friday, October 16th

After a hard day of school it was Harry's custom that he made his way toward the dungeons, searching for pleasant company for the evening. Since he was a frequent visitor, he was communicated the password. He usually would enter the common room and sit down at Draco's worktable. They ordinarily would work on their lessons until diner and chat a little, or rather, Harry would talk and Draco attentively listen to him. But today, the second Harry passed the portrait he merely caught the sight, through a window, of Draco flying away in the night, then was dragged in forcefully by Zabini and pushed hard against a wall, his hands tied by a binding charm.

"What are you doing? Release me!" Harry yelled as he tried without success to free his hands from the spell.

"I don't think you're in a position to give me orders, Potter!" Zabini said, emphasizing Harry's last name to show that he had no power over the Slytherins in their domain.

"What's going on? And where did Draco go?" Harry stopped trying to free himself, realizing that he couldn't undue the binding spell cast on him unless he could get to his wand, which was hidden underneath and inside his robes.

"Draco went to make up with what he thinks are his errors!" Zabini muttered angrily, knowing that Harry had been the one to cause Draco's absence.

"What errors?" Harry looked concerned and extremely upset, "If you don't tell me what happened, how can I understand?"

"Draco didn't bother with you knowing about Pritchard," Zabini admitted to the bound boy. "He trusted you," at this Zabini made a face to show his distaste in Harry, "and as a good little Gryffindor, you ran and reported it to the old fool of a Headmaster!" Zabini walked to a chair and made to sit, not taking either of his eyes off the other boy.

"... How do you know that?" Harry asked, unable to fathom how this was apparently a vary bad thing to have done.

"Because he is spied! Because Graham was taken away from Hogwarts two days sooner that what we anticipated! And because now, Draco is putting his life in danger for he thinks he failed us and the Clan by trusting someone who doesn't deserve it!" Zabini said, making it clear that he didn't trust Potter for anything in the world.

"In ... in danger?" Harry was beginning to understand what Zabini was saying, horrified.

"Yes. Now, pray with us that he'll come back alive or I swear," Zabini looked solemnly at his captive and bowed slightly to emphasize his point, "I'll kill you." Zabini said finally sitting in a chair next to Draco's desk.

Harry was having difficulties breathing. He had thought that Dumbledore would have helped them, he had thought Draco would be happy; but all he'd managed to do was put his love in a mortal danger. Tied up in a corner of the room, his wand hidden away from him, he did what the Slytherin had advised: he prayed. He prayed with his soul, his heart, and with his tears all night long.

* * * * *

Saturday, October 17th

Sunrise came. Zabini, who hadn't had much more sleep than Harry, finally released his prisoner.

At the painted door, his eyes red of the tears and the lack of sleep, Harry spoke his voice one last time, "Is there anything I can do?"

"No." Zabini seemed to think for a moment "When Draco began to protect others, he forgot how to protect himself. That's why I don't want to see you again near any of the Slytherins, least of all him." His words word finite and didn't leave a trace of uncertainty in them.

Harry left felling pain and grief.

'What have I done?'

As Harry passed the Gryffindor's portrait door, he expected his friends to all be asleep, but Ron was waiting from him, concern submerging his face. When the redhead saw the tear-ravaged eyes of his best friend, he immediately brought him to the couch, where the Gryffindor collapsed, trying to calm down. For the first time in months, Harry seemed willing to talk to him.

"Ron, I've fallen in love with someone who hates me," Harry said as the waves of tears poured down again.

"Ah ... That's a problem." Ron didn't know exactly how to comfort his friend in his current state as well as with his current problem, knowing who it was. He surely wasn't waiting for a confession of this sort. "... Please, tell me you're not in love with Parkinson," Ron asked trying to make the situation seem lighter and play off his ignorance as well, but it had the opposite effect and it showed in Harry's expression. Though the question was stupid, as he knows Harry was gay this had the effect to stop his tears.

"Ron, Parkinson is with Zabini." Harry said blandly, wiping his tears with his sleeve from his robes.

"Err. Maybe. Okay then, who is he?" Ron asked, waiting for the deathblow.

Harry flushed as he lowered his head.

Ron silently understood what Harry was feeling. The desire to tell his secret, but afraid of what would come of it's revelation. His friend was in the same state during the beginning of their fifth year: all remorse. And Ron felt remorse pounding in his own heart, for not having been able to see it sooner. He had to redeem himself and support his friend.

"Since you said he hates you, he must not be a Gryffindor. In last news, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws hadn't been holding any grudges against you, so I assume he's a Slytherin. As I don't see much of attractive persons in this house..." He paused for a moment, not expecting that he'd ever be in this situation with his friend. "Harry, are you in love with Malfoy?"

Tears fell on Harry's cheeks as he whispered and nodded.

"Hum. Malfoy." Ron tried to play the card of ignorance, and it seemed to be working to his advantage quite well.

"Ron, I did something horrible. I'm horrible, and I was stupid to think he would help. Why didn't I trust Draco? And now, he won't ever want to see me again. I'm such a fool," Harry abruptly rambled, surprising himself.

Ron thought for a while and finally went on, "Last year, Professor Dumbledore lectured me. My mother lectured me. Hermione lectured me, and that was the hardest. I don't understand why you're all forgiving Malfoy when he may be a death eater."

As Harry was going to retort, Ron stopped him, "I know that he's keeping you out a lot this year. I also know that since last year, Hermione and I spend a lot less time with you than we used to. I thought you were going to finally find happiness with Ginny or Cho. I'm sorry it didn't work out well." Ron's face and words were truthful. "Then I thought you might find some nice guy but, once again I was wrong. I'm not sure that falling for Malfoy is a good idea. No, in fact, I know it isn't, but I'm not going to lecture you on this, it's useless. If you love him, then I'll accept your choice. You can talk to him tomorrow, and if he doesn't want to speak to you again, whatever fault you said you did, I swear I'm going to punch his face, however angelic it is."

Ron coddled Harry in a warm hug, one that friends as close as they, can get away with and not worry about the stares and whispers from other people.

A faint of smile appeared on Harry's lips.

"And now, you sleep! I don't know how much you slept last night but it's certainly wasn't a lot," Ron mused as he tousled Harry's hair.

The redhead waited till his friend was profoundly asleep in his bed to silently find his way back in the common room, where Hermione was sitting, probably aware of what had been going on. Ron fell on the couch and stared at the fire.

"I've never seen him so ... fragile." Ron looked awestricken.

"That's love for you, the most powerful of all magic's. It can protect, as did Harry's mother's, and it can destroy. I'll go and try to talk to Malfoy." Hermione looked amazed at Ron. She was surprised at his maturity and how well he was taking the news.

"I'll go with you. I still have to punch him for the potion." Ron bounced up, grinning from ear to ear at the prospect of maiming Malfoy, whether or not he was Harry's lover, he still wanted to get back at him for the whole potion ordeal.

"Ron you stole the potion, not him. It's you who's at fault here." Maybe Hermione was to quick to jump to conclusions about Ron's maturity.

"But he knew I was going to steal it. He set me up." Ron was half pretending to be serious.

"And you fell into it," Hermione said, dumbfounded as to how anyone could have seen that what Draco did was a trap.

"I know, but just the same," Ron had a sudden serious look on his face. "I can't bear to see Harry like this. He's so sad, and all because of this git."

"You don't know what happened, Ron," Hermione interjected to her friend, who always seemed to jump to conclusions without looking at all the facts.

"How do you know that?" Ron stopped and looked to Hermione curiously.

"I was listening at the door," Hermione said, making her way to the portrait hole to leave.

Ron gasped but abandoned. Why would he care? If it could help Harry.

"We'll see Malfoy at lunch and then, we'll know."

The two agreed, almost consecutively

But Draco didn't show up. He had also missed diner. He missed breakfast and lunch again on Sunday. At each meal, Harry's anxiety was growing worse. He didn't eat anymore and only starred at the place where the Slytherin usually sat.

When Draco finally did come back, his anxiety didn't ebb or diminish. The blond had black bags under his eyes, as if he hadn't seen any sleep for months. He seemed to be in pain when he walked, however slowly it was; but never accepted the arm Zabini was holding to him. Draco didn't sit with his back towards Harry, but still whenever the dark-haired student reached Draco's eyes, it suddenly and hurtfully appeared to him that the Slytherin acted as not being able to see more than one or two meters away.

Harry was unaware of the whisperings that were growing at the Gryffindor table, when they too had noticed Malfoy's state. He briefly noticed Professor Snape going to the table and handing a small vial to Draco, but Zabini's eyes shut up every reflection he was going to have. If looks could kill, Harry would have suffered the worst of deaths. His icy glare pierced till Harry's heart hurt like dark thunder, showing pure hatred towards the Gryffindor. Harry stood up and fled from the Great Hall.

His going hadn't passed unnoticed, and during the following days, Harry was the recipient of students' curiosity. He carefully avoided most of them, spending most of his time alone in his bed. Visions of Draco haunted him, and came back in his mind the visage of the dying shadow of the blond. Draco's health was having highs and lows. Harry had hoped to see the Slytherin during potions, but the blond had been absent. A week later he seemed better, broadly speaking. There existed times when he suddenly froze in the middle of a corridor, fell on the floor and writhed in convulsions. His fellow Slytherins, obeying Malfoy's orders never took him to the infirmary, but handed his unconscious body to Professor Snape. Harry would have sold a year of his life to know what happened beyond his fateful door. He kept himself from spying, knowing that if Draco ever learned of it, it would be a disaster for their relationship. Whatever was left of their relationship anyway, unfortunately in his heart of hearts, Harry sincerely thought all he ever had had was over.

* * * * * * * *

Tuesday, October 27th

Potions classroom

"How are you Draco?" Professor Snape asked his student, unsure of what to expect from Draco this visit.

"Fine, thank you for your concern, Professor," Draco nodded curtly to the older man.

"No rejection or secondary effects of the potion?" Snape asked, scribbling notes in a medium sized black book.

"None of importance, but Blaise noticed a change." Draco only smirked when he looked to his teacher as he spoke.

"Which is?" Snape had stopped what he was doing and looked over to Draco concerned as to why he was smiling.

"Aggressiveness and irritability," Draco finished, dropping himself into a seat in Snape's office.

"Hum," Snape pondered how to phrase his sentence properly before starting "you have to be prudent, I don't like this. You normally would have been drained by the potion and spells, and you were, but only for a day. This is powerful dark magic and I'm afraid you're not reacting properly to it." Concern spread over Snape's face.

"But still, I don't feel in bad shape. On the contrary, I'm in better form that I've ever been." Draco emphasized his point by jumping out of his seat and pretended to box with his shadow.

"Physically, yes. Be careful when ..."

He was interrupted by a knocking noise.

"Enter," invited Snape, thought not happy he was cut off mid sentence.

It was Terry Boot. He announced that Dumbledore wanted to see Draco.

In the headmaster's office, Professor Dumbledore and Malfoy were facing each other, none of them uttering a word during long minutes, till the older man finally raised his voice.

"You must already know that our world is at a decisive turning point. Decisions that will be made in these days will be taken forever, with no chance of turning back," Dumbledore stated very calmly.

Draco silently nodded, beginning to understand where the headmaster wanted to go with this conversation.

"You'll have to choose where your loyalties belong," Dumbledore finished.

"My choice has been made for some time yet," Draco said with a slight laugh, not breaking eye contact with the older man.

"Oh," Dumbledore paused, apparent he was waiting for just the right opportunity to finish his thought "may I know?"

"If you want me to say 'I am a death eater, fanatic of Voldemort and I'm plotting ways to destroy Hogwarts'." He slowly pulled up his robes and shirts' sleeves, showing bare arms, "then you're totally wrong."

Dumbledore coughed, "I didn't accuse you of anything." Slightly relieved to not see the mark on the younger man.

"Of course." Draco only sneered at the lie that was apparent in Dumbledore's breathing.

"No, I called you to talk about other things." Dumbledore regained his composure, knowing that he would have to make a decision on Draco's fate at the school, and that of his students as well.

"Concerning a certain potion I presume," Draco was becoming quite angered about the whole going round in circle. "So, what about the potion?"

"If the Minister of Magic ever found out, by a way or another, who really stole the vaults' contents, you'll be in high danger," Dumbledore said, knowing that even he would not be able to protect Draco from the Minister of Magic once he found out what had happened to such a powerful potion, that in the wrong hands could be devastating to the whole world.

Draco smirked letting his shield drop a little, taking it as a personal attack. "First of all, you have no evidence of it, and second," his smile broadened, "you'll have to reveal what was in the vault, and I'm sure that then, you'd be in high danger, dear Headmaster. How will you explain to the Minister that you, the said most powerful light wizard in this world, knows about the most dark potion that was ever made? Know your enemy, it will help you to defeat him, maybe? People don't trust that crap anymore."

As they were getting into political opinions, Dumbledore preferred to drop the subject, "You're powerful and clever; you would make a wonderful Auror, of this I'm sure."

"Or a very dangerous Death Eater. Don't you think its hypocritical of you to make me a proposition of such a sort?" Draco was barely able to contain his laughter at the statement just presented to him by the Headmaster, surely he was insane.

"Hypocritical? No, I don't think so, I'm just trying to make you accept a fair deal," Dumbledore threatened cautiously

"I don't recognize any deal here. And I don't think you'd be able to act fairly with me even if you wanted to," Draco spat, ready to end this conversation.

"Why would you think that?" Dumbledore asked calmly, keeping his nerves in control at the insult.

"When last year Weasley beat the shit out of me, you gave him four months of detention, I agree with that decision, but did you take any house points from Gryffindor? No, not the slightest bit, and you're perfectly aware that there are all that count to us. So don't make me a speech about what's fair or not, I'm up to all your tricks." Draco was a bit hysterical at his statement and he cursed himself for letting it show.

"Why do you hate me so much, Draco?" Dumbledore asked. He was feeling hurt and it was starting to show, he had only ever tried to do what he thought fair, and now that was being called into question. His moral code was being abused and it hurt him severly.

"I simply hate people who hate me. During my first five years, I assumed it was favouritism for Gryffindors, as you had been one yourself; but then I met up with someone that made me realize how much I was wrong. Of course, you prefer Gryffindors, but you hate Slytherins above all else. You hate them because they represent the utter limit of your possibilities." Draco had since gained control over himself and his shield was back in place, he was ready to strike the Headmaster with words that had poison that was strong enough to cause pain to anyone who laid witness to them.

"Really?" Dumbledore asked, trying not to sound so surprised about the grief in the voice of a seventeen years old boy, Harry was the only exception to that rule, and for that he was sorry ...

"Yes. The day Riddle turned into Voldemort, you lost. You hadn't been able to save him from himself as you could have and so, are partly responsible for all his crimes. And now, you hate me but for other reasons. Though I suppose you mostly hate me because Harry chose me over you." Draco's words oozed poison and even he was beginning to feel the effects from it, he made to leave.

"I would not be so sure of this, if I were you," Dumbledore said, trying to get the last word in and have the younger man contemplate what he was saying.

"What? That he chose me?" Draco turned to face the Headmaster, "But I am. Watch him and you'll notice how much he regrets his speaking to you. He's seen with his own eyes that you're not infallible and he doesn't trust you anymore. Zabini scared him, but I can have him back whenever I want. You've lost him to me." Draco smirked his trademark grin, knowing that Dumbledore was at a loss of words, Draco turned and left the Headmasters office.

End of the chapter 7.