Lumos Obscurum

Chapter 6 - The Temptation

To his great surprise, Harry didn't dream at all that night. His slumber was blissfully blank, and as he showered the next morning he couldn't help but wonder why this was so. With everything he had endured yesterday, one would think that he would experience a nightmare or two at the very least during the course of the night.

He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, letting the warm water flow over him. The stream pounded against his neck and shoulders, massaging them, and Harry felt himself exhale softly. He turned, letting the water gush onto his face and cascade soothingly over his shoulders.

The hot water, however, was running out. As it turned cool, Harry realised belatedly that he had been in the shower for quite a long while.

He thought again about the peaceful night as he reluctantly turned the shower knobs off. Maybe, he reasoned, I was too worn-out to even conjure up a light dream about fluffy kittens and rainbows, much less a full-fledged nightmare.

Harry stepped out of the shower and reached up for the towel hanging off a hook. He wiped the dripping water off his skin before rubbing the towel vigorously through his hair. He supposed that he should be thankful for the uneventful night's sleep since every other night out of the year he was usually plagued with nightmares.

"Enjoy every peaceful moment you can get, Harry," he muttered to himself as he pulled on his clothes for the day. "They don't come nearly as often as you'd like."

Now fully dressed, he opened the bathroom door (shivering slightly as he stepped out of the warm steamed filled bathroom and into the cool hallway), and headed toward his bedroom. Upon entering, he noticed that Draco was reclining in the desk chair by the bed, fast asleep.

Did he stay there all night? Harry thought to himself. He ran a hand through his damp hair as he opened the curtains, letting the bright sunlight spill into the room. He made his way over to Draco, and laid a hand on one of his thin shoulders, shaking it slightly. "Malfoy," he said quietly. "Time to wake up, Malfoy. Don't want my aunt and uncle complaining again about how you sleep day in and day out."

There was no response from the boy, other than a soft snore.

Harry shook Draco's shoulder a bit harder and continued, "They might decide to put you to work, and I don't think I could stand your constant whining if they do. C'mon, Malfoy," he said loudly, giving the other boy one last, hard shake. "Wake up."

Draco awoke with a jerk, and immediately let out a small cry, throwing one arm up to cover his eyes from a blast of intense light.

"Bloody hell!" He swore. "What is that?"

"That would be the sun, Malfoy. It is morning, after all."

"It offends me. Turn it off."

"It's lightyears away."

"You have a broom. Fly up there and curse it down for me," Draco grumbled. But he at last lowered his arm and, blinking rapidly against the light, stood up.

Harry threw him a look. "You're acting strange," he said. Then he paused, considering. "Stranger than usual, I mean."

"Shove off," Draco muttered, bending down and opening his trunk, rummaging around for some clothing.

Once he had found some, he stood up and headed for the door, and startled Harry by stumbling right into the doorframe.

"Blast it all!" Draco swore again before orientating himself and walking out into the hallway, heading to the bathroom.

Harry frowned after him. Draco was acting very out of the ordinary...

"Weird," Harry said softly to himself. "Very weird."

He walked over to his own trunk, reached down, and extracted his wand. He placed it in his back trousers pocket, and threw on a light jacket over top his t-shirt so as to hide the protruding wand from view.

After the incident yesterday afternoon, where he had to suffer the embarrassment over borrowing another wizard's wand (and Draco Malfoy's no less), he decided that it would be in his best interests to have it on his person at all times. Not that he wanted to use it, specifically... not that he wanted to perform any magic... he didn't even know whether Draco was planning to continue with his education of Unforgivable Curses in the wake of what had happened... it was just in case some sort of emergency came about. That was all.

Or at least, that was how he justified this to himself.

Trying to banish these thoughts from his mind, Harry headed downstairs and into the kitchen. The Dursleys were not there, and Harry pondered over this odd occurrence for a minute before he noticed the wall clock above the stove: it was quite late in the morning and it seemed that he and Draco had missed breakfast.

He wandered over to the kitchen counter and made himself a couple pieces of toast. He took his plate into the living room where he found his cousin sprawled on the sofa in front of the television with a bowl of sweets next to him.

Dudley looked up as Harry entered the room and smirked. "Sleep much?"

"Eat much?" Harry countered, scowling and taking a seat in the large armchair. "Why aren’t you at one of your underlings' houses, smoking it up?"

"Thought I'd relax here today," Dudley said casually.

Harry took a bite out of his toast and didn't say anything.

"Figured I'd get more out of the day if I was here," Dudley continued in the same light-hearted tone, "seeing as how Mum and Dad have gone shopping, and probably won't be coming back 'til late."

Harry paused mid-chew and looked up.

"That's right, dear cousin," Dudley said, with a nasty little smile curling around his porky face. "You know what that means."

Harry shut his eyes slowly. Indeed he did know what that meant. In the past, when the Dursley's took day-long trips, Dudley would take advantage of the lack of parental supervision to harass Harry in every way imaginable. Of course, Dudley has never been hesitant to pester Harry to the point of collapse, even with his parents in the same room... but with Vernon and Petunia gone, he could essentially do whatever he pleased to Harry. And if Harry tried to tell his aunt and uncle what Dudley puts him through... well, the chances of them believing him (or caring) were nil.

But not this time, he said crossly to himself. Harry wouldn’t take any of his crap this time.

Without saying a word to Dudley, Harry stood up, shoving the rest of the toast into his mouth as he walked into the kitchen. He dumped his crumb-covered plate into the sink, and went over to the front door.

At this point, Draco came down the stairs, seeming more awake, more alert, (and more normal) than he had been earlier. He stared at Harry, who was holding the door open and was about to step outside, and, with a perplexed look on his face, asked, “where are you going?”

Harry hesitated for the briefest instant before coming to a decision. As much as he disliked Draco, he didn’t want him subjected to Dudley’s ridicules either.

Dudley, who must’ve heard Draco’s inquiry, rumbled towards them from the living room. “Hey! Potter, don’t you even think about leaving!”

Harry strode quickly to Draco at the foot of the staircase, and grabbed his arm, marching him purposefully through the front door. He shut it behind them, ignoring Dudley’s muffled cursing.

“Oi!” Draco said, trying to wrench his arm out of Harry’s grasp. “I asked where you were going, not where we were going!”

“Too bad,” Harry said, dragging Draco along the pavement. “I’m going for a walk, and you’re coming with me.”

“I haven’t even had anything to eat yet!” Draco complained.

“We’ll stop somewhere.”

“Potter, let go of my blasted arm already!”

Harry glanced down, and with a slight flush, released Draco’s arm. He hadn’t realised that he was still holding it.

“Now then,” Draco huffed, making a big deal out of straightening his shirt. “Want to tell me why, exactly, you dragged me out of the house just to take a walk?”

“Because,” Harry growled, walking briskly along, with Draco determined to match his fast pace. “it’s a lovely day.”

Draco glanced up at the dark, overcast sky. “Um.”

“Problem?” Harry snapped.

Wordlessly, Draco shook his head.

***

The cafe they stopped in was just off Magnolia Crescent. It was a small place, consisting only of a miniscule front space with a few tables, a counter, and storage room in the back.

Harry and Draco were seated next to one of the windows, outside of which was growing progressively gloomier as the storm clouds continued to move in. Harry sat in silence, brooding alternately at either the table top or out the window, while Draco ate his fill.

It wasn't until Draco had finished and the waitress set the bill in front of them that Harry remembered he didn't bring any money.

"Have you any money?" Harry asked Draco, the first thing he said to the boy since leaving the house this morning.

"Not any normal money, no," Draco said, reaching into his pocket. "But McGonagall gave me this stuff on the way over to your house. She said it works the same way." He pulled several notes out of his pocket. "Though I don't understand these little numbers on them," Draco added, peering curiously at the pieces of paper he held.

Harry, used to having to help Mr. Weasley with this sort of thing, stretched out his hand. "Give them here then, I'll take care of it."

"How do I know you won't cheat me?" Draco asked, but handed Harry the notes anyway.

Harry shrugged. "What good is Muggle money to you anyhow?"

"Money is money, Potter."

Harry rolled his eyes and stood up, grabbing the bill off the table. "I have no reason to take your money, Malfoy," he said as he headed over the counter to pay.

"But how do I know you're telling the truth?" Draco pressed. "You could be running an illicit ring of toad trading. Maybe someone stole all your merchandise, and now you're in debt to your cold-hearted goblin boss-type person."

Harry threw him an exasperated look, and Draco looked somewhat abashed. "Okay, unlikely."

Harry paid the bill and gave Draco the remainder of the money. They stepped outside, where a cool wind rustled their clothing. Draco made to turn the direction of the Dursley's house, but Harry steered him the other way. "We're going this way."

Draco sighed. "Potter, it's going to rain."

"A little rain never hurt anyone."

"But it will mess up my hair," Draco grumbled.

"Hush. We want to stay out of the house as long as possible."

"Why?"

“My aunt and uncle are out for the day and Dudley will take this opportunity to give us hell."

Draco rolled his eyes. "I don't understand why you put up with them, Potter. I sure as hell wouldn't."

"Well I'm not you, obviously," Harry said, and with a small shudder he added, "thank God for small miracles."

"I'll choose to ignore that," Draco said. "Although I can't ignore that you are a bloody coward."

"What?" Harry whipped his head up and glared.

"You're a disgrace, Potter, simple as that. You let those horrendous Muggles taunt you, enslave you, and now they've even driven you out of your own house. You're a wizard, aren't you? You've got a wand - use it."

"You have no idea what's going on, so stop pretending you do," Harry snapped, quickening his steps. "Don't talk about things you don't understand, you pompous git."

Draco's grey eyes narrowed. "I understand things well enough. I know what I see."

"You haven't got a ruddy clue what's going on, and that's that," Harry said.

By now they had reached a park a fair distance from the Dursley's house, which was why it was left untouched by Dudley's gang. It was deserted, no doubt because of the impending storm.

Harry sat forcefully down, his arms crossed, on a green bench under an oak tree whose branches were blowing ominously with every gust of wind.

Draco remained standing. "So you're going to sulk here all day then, is that it?"

"You have something better to do?"

"Yes," Draco stated a-matter-of-factly. "Passions is on. Little Timmy fell down the well, and I don't want to miss what happens."

Harry stared at the Slytherin in disbelief. "Tell me you're joking."

Draco only stared impassively right back at him.

Harry sighed and shook his head. "Right, well, at any rate, I'm not going to have to worry about dealing with my aunt and uncle for much longer."

Draco leaned against the tree. "How do you mean?"

"I'm going to Weasleys soon. They're coming to get me on Tuesday. And," he added, "you're coming with me."

Draco stood up straight, looking alarmed. "I'm - what?!"

"You're coming to the Weasleys with me. You can't very well stay with the Dursleys on your own, can you?" Harry said rationally. After all of the aggravation Draco had just put him through, Harry had decided he wouldn't try to convince Draco to come agreeably to the Weasleys with him, rather he would just flat out state the situation.

"But-"

"I go to the Weasleys around this time every summer," Harry continued.

"I will not be spending the rest of my summer with those poor excuses for purebloods!" Draco said furiously.

"The world cannot cater to Draco Malfoy's whims," Harry said. "There's no reason for me to endure the Dursleys any more than I have to, just because it displeases you."

"Potter-"

"And don't even try pretend that you won't be happy to leave the Dursleys," Harry interrupted., "because I know you hate living with Muggles. At least the Weasleys are a wizarding family."

"They're filth."

"They're my friends," Harry said angrily. "They're everything the Dursleys aren't."

"They're everything normal wizard families aren't, that's what they are," Draco retorted. "And furthermore - dammit, Potter! I told you it was going to rain!"

Indeed, Harry felt a few drops of water begin to fall on the top of his head.

"I've had enough of this!" Draco seethed. "I'm going." He spun on his heel and headed for the park exit.

Once there, he paused and looked left, then right, then left again. He turned back around and looked to Harry, who was still standing calmly under the oak tree. "Er, Potter... which way?"

Harry, with a sigh, withdrew from shadow of the tree, and walked over to Draco. "That way," he said, pointing left.

Draco nodded, and the two boys began the long walk back to the Dursleys in silence.

***

By the time they reached the house, they sky had grown significantly darker, and it was now raining in earnest. Both Harry and Draco were thoroughly soaked through.

Harry paused at the bottom of the drive. There was no car in the driveway, and the only light in the house was coming from the bluish-coloured flickering of the television in the living room.

"What's the matter?" Draco said loudly in order to be heard over the rain. He was already halfway up the drive, and he was looking back at Harry. "It's bloody freezing, and I'm soaking wet! Hurry it up already!"

"The car isn't here... my aunt and uncle aren't home yet!" Harry called back.

"Potter, I am not waiting out here for them to get back! It could be hours!" Draco said, frustrated. He started splashing through puddles over to the front door.

"Alright, alright," Harry said quickly. "But let's go in this way. Be quiet, and we'll be able to sneak past Dudley." He walked around the far side of the house, and Draco followed.

They reached the back door, and Harry eased it open, thankful that it didn't creak. Harry and Draco slipping inside, dripping water onto the tiled kitchen floor, and Harry shut the door with a barely audible click.

"C'mon," Harry whispered, walking slowly through the kitchen to the staircase. He peered around the stairs to see inside the living room. Dudley was still laying on the couch staring at the television. Without making a sound, he started slowly creeping up the stairs, gesturing for Draco to follow suit.

They reached the top of the stairs with no problem. They crept down the hall, went into Harry's room, and as Harry shut his door he breathed a sigh of relief that they were able to make it up to his bedroom without alerting Dudley to their presence.

Draco immediately went to the mirror hanging on the wall and critically examined his reflection. He ran one hand through his sopping wet hair and shook his head dismally. "Ruined, Potter, just like I said. Completely ruined."

"Get over yourself, Malfoy," Harry said with disgust.

He turned away from Draco and the mirror and began rummaging through his closet for dry clothes. Settling on a ratty old t-shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans, he peeled his drenched shirt off his chest and threw it into a pile of dirty clothes. Grabbing a clean towel, he wiped the excess water off his bare chest before rubbing it through his hair. Glancing up, he saw that Draco was watching him. He felt his mouth tighten. "Yes?" he snapped.

Draco shook his head and bent down to retrieve a towel out of his trunk.

Harry exhaled loudly and tossed his towel over one shoulder. "I'm going to the toilet," he said as he exited the room, the door clicking shut behind him.

A few minutes later, when Harry emerged from the loo, he heard a rather large crash, coming from the direction of his room.

"Bollocks," he swore under his breath, and ran to his room, wondering what Draco could've possibly done this time.

When he reached his room, he threw open the door, and was met with the sight of Draco Malfoy, staring down at a mess of an upturned bureau with piles of clothing spilling out, and the shards of a broken lamp. Draco jerked his head up as he heard Harry come in.

"What the bloody hell did you do?"

Mutely, Draco pointed to Harry's owl. Hedwig, who was still in her cage, screeched indignantly at being accused of causing this mayhem.

"Oh, right," Harry said sarcastically. "Right, the bird somehow got out of her locked cage in order to overturn my dresser and break my lamp. It makes perfect sense now, how could I have ever thought otherwise?"

Harry stormed through the door, and started gathering his clothing into an untidy heap.

"What the hell?" Came a new voice from the doorframe.

Harry looked up warily and saw Dudley staring into the room, his watery eyes bulging at the sight. He looked at Harry and suddenly grinned gleefully. "Oh, you're in trouble now, Potter. You were out all day (dragging David with you, I might add), without permission. You snuck back in, dripped water all over the kitchen floor, and now, to top it all off, you've made a disaster out of your room!"

Harry straightened up and took at step towards the door. "Dudley..." he started, his voice low.

"You just wait until I tell Mum and Dad!" Dudley said with delight. "You just wait- you put that thing away!"

Dudley drew back, his eyes suddenly fearful, as Harry withdrew his wand from his pants pocket and pointed it at his cousin.

No one said anything for a moment, the silence of the room only being broken by a crack of thunder and the pounding of the rain against Harry's window.

"You can't do anything, Potter," Dudley said, his voice trying to convey a braveness Harry was sure his cousin didn't feel. "Not a single thing. You'll get expelled from that freak place, Potter, remember? Expelled!" Dudley said, with a nervous little laugh.

Harry's wand didn't waver, nor did his expression of abhorrence. Draco's words from this afternoon were coming back to him. He was sick of being taken advantage of, sick of being stepped on by Muggles, sick of it all. Maybe Draco was right... maybe they were better than them. Muggles, after all, could never match the power that wizards were capable of.

“Potter,” a voice whispered against his ear. Harry jumped, startled, but did not turn his gaze away from Dudley. It was only Draco. He had stepped forward so that he was just behind Harry. “You’re thinking about it, Potter, I know you are.” His breath ghosted across the back of Harry’s neck, causing him to shiver. “Do it.”

Harry gulped, his forehead breaking out in a cold sweat. He knew exactly what Draco was telling him to do: the Cruciatus Curse.

“He’s had it coming to him for how long now, Potter? Sixteen years? Do it now, and I’ll guarantee he’ll never bother you again.” Draco continued to whisper. Harry didn’t react, his eyes stayed on Dudley, who was now shifting his eyes from Harry to Draco and back, looking disoriented.

“You did it yesterday with no problem, Potter. This is no different. Except...” Draco paused. “Except for one thing. You have your own wand now, Potter. A wizard never performs as well with a wand that is not his own. And we both know you performed well enough yesterday. Think of what you could do with your own wand... just think of it.”

Harry finally tore his gaze from Dudley to glance behind him. Draco was at an uncomfortably close distance, staring right at Harry, a hungry look in his eyes.

He’s right, said a voice inside Harry. Think of what you could do. What you are capable of. Your pathetic cousin has had it coming for ages now, don’t you agree? Surely a little display of your power will put him in his place.

“Potter?” Dudley said uneasily from the doorway, his cool demeanour abandoned.

“Do it.”

Do it.

Harry drew in a deep breath. Draco was right, Dudley does deserve it. Maybe after this Dudley would leave him alone forever.

Harry raised his wand a little higher and-

No. Harry blinked and wavered. This is different, much different, despite what they say. Bugs are one thing. This is a human being. And your cousin. Your cousin! Where does this sound familiar?

Harry lowered his wand slowly. My cousin....

He shook his head. “I can’t,” he whispered miserably.

Behind him, Draco let his breath out in a loud, disappointed whoosh, while in front of him, Dudley just looked mystified: “You can’t what?”

Harry didn’t answer, he simply held his wand by his side and stared at the floor.

A second later, the unmistakable squeal of brakes was heard from outside.

Dudley looked triumphant. “Mum and Dad are home! Wait ’til I tell them you tried to do ‘m’ word on me!”

“You will do no such thing,” came Draco’s commanding voice. He had stepped out from behind Harry, and was now aiming his own wand directly at Dudley.

Both Harry’s and Dudley’s eyes widened, though Dudley’s were considerably wider. “What-?” he gasped as he stared down the point of Draco’s wand.

“Draco!” Harry said urgently.

“You heard me, Muggle,” Draco said, ignoring Harry.

“You... you... you...” Dudley spluttered, unable to comprehend the fact that not only were there now two wizards standing in front of him, but also that one of those wizards was his parents’ beloved houseguest.

“That’s right,” Draco said mockingly. “Me, me, me.”

“Malfoy, no,” Harry urged.

“Relax, Potter,” Draco said, his hard stare still on Dudley. “I won’t do anything.”

Dudley started to breathe a sigh of relief-

“As long as he does what he’s told. Right, Dudley?” Draco continued, his voice now suspiciously kind.

Dudley nodded fervently, bobbing his head quickly up and down.

A door slammed somewhere in the house. “Dudley?” Aunt Petunia’s sickeningly sweet voice called. “Duddekins, where are you, dear?”

“Well, go on then,” Draco gestured with his wand. “Go. And remember, not a word,” he added threateningly.

Dudley nodded nervously again, and took off down the hall, thudding down the staircase.

"There," Draco said as he pocketed his wand. "All better."

"No, it's not," Harry groaned. "He'll be sure to blab everything he knows to my aunt and uncle now. Threats don't work on him, he knows his parents will protect him."

"That was before, Potter. I'm here now, and I've decided that some things simply need to change," Draco said smugly.

Harry shook his head, certain that things around here, no matter how hard he or Draco tried, would never change.

Sure enough, no sooner than Draco had reassured him everything would be okay, a loud roar came from downstairs followed a thumping noise growing closer and closer.

The door to Harry's room was violently thrown open and Uncle Vernon stood in the frame, his face bright red and his chest heaving.

"You!" he snarled, pointing a fat finger to Draco. "Explain yourself!"

Draco blinked and turned to Harry. "So, uh, when did you say we leave for the Weasleys?"