Let the Darkness Take You

She loved Harry and would never turn her back on him.

And that's what scared her about their relationship. Love. Was it the sort of love that her parents had... that James and Lily Potter had? Or, was it the sort of love that good friends had for each other? She had always had a crush on the Boy-Who-Lived. Over time, she started to realise that the Boy-Who-Lived was actually Harry Potter, or then just Harry. Then, she had had a crush on Harry. The boy with round, black glasses, beautiful emerald eyes, stubbornly untidy black hair, and an unfortunate scar on his forehead. Was this boy the boy she was in love with, or did she love him?

In all truth, she wanted to be in love with him more than anything. But when she was honest with herself, the love she felt for him wasn't the sort of love Harry so desperately deserved. But if Harry was in love with her... the last thing she wanted to do was break it off with him and break his heart in the process.

Ginny shook these thoughts away as she continued her journey to the expansive library of Hogwarts. She had the last class period of Tuesday off and had promised Harry to go into to the library to do a little more research on their dilemma. The red hair girl shifted her bag on her shoulder when she noticed an open door a little way ahead of her. A head peeked around the corner and looked at her. Ginny didn't like the looks of this.

"Oh, hello!" exclaimed the man.

"Hi," Ginny said slowly and quietly.

The man gave a booming laugh and stepped out of the room he was in. "Where are you off to? Isn't there a class you should be in right now?"

"No. I have this period free on Tuesdays. Why are you here? Isn't there somewhere you should be?"

"Why, yes. I'm supposed to be right here. I was just making myself some tea, would you care to join me?"

"Actually, I was heading to the library. I have some research to do."

"Oh, yes. I've seen you and that Harry Potter boy doing that a lot lately. Anything in particular?" he asked suspiciously.

"No. Not really. If you don't mind, I'll just be going now."

"Oh, just come in for a quick cup of tea. It won't take long."

"No, thanks."

The man took out his wand and pointed it at Ginny. "What are you doing?" she asked fearfully. She realised what he was doing as her feet disobeyed her mind and started walking into the room after the man.

"I'm just asking you for a small cup of tea. I would just like some company. Is that so much to ask?"

"Um... no. I suppose it's not," she replied hesitantly. She watched with wide eyes as the man poured blood-red tea into two cups and handed one to her.

"Bottoms' up," he said softly.

Ginny looked suspiciously into her cup and, took a drink, and immediately began to splutter. "I'm sorry, but that's terrible."

"That's why I chose not to drink it."

"But then why..." She stopped talking as she started to feel dizzy. She grabbed onto a chair for support, but it was no good; she was down on the floor in a dead faint.

The man put his untouched ‘tea' onto a table and walked towards the girl. "That's why, Miss Weasley. Exosus, Harry Potter."

***

Harry walked out of Transfiguration, completely exhausted. McGonagall had been particularly short with him today, more so than usual. And, the Gryffindors were no better. Hermione had ‘accidentally' turned her crab into a blast-ended skrewt just as Harry was getting up to chase after his crab, which had fallen off his desk and was scuttling across the floor. The skrewt had been testy and attacked him; as a result, Harry had several burns on his hands. The healing charms he had placed on himself were very unsatisfactory. They never worked as well when you performed them on oneself. Harry hoped that Ginny was good in that area.

That's why he was now headed straight to the library, where he knew Ginny to be. He figured that he could go to Madam Pomfrey... but he didn't want to risk getting more injuries. He did not know if she still liked him or not. And, frankly, Harry wasn't willing to find out when he was already injured. So, Harry hid his hands from view in case people got the nasty idea to do something even more dreadful to him because of it.

Harry silently slid into the library, taking in the musty smell of books and dust. The room had only half of its torches lit since the setting sun was shining brightly through the windows. There were a few students working around the tables and they sent nasty glares to Harry when he walked by. He unsuccessfully tried to ignore them and continued on his search of his only friend, Ginny. As he walked, he began to wonder if taking their relationship in the direction he was taking it, was a very good idea.

There was no doubt that Harry was very grateful to her unwavering friendship. He would be forever in her debt as soon as this was all over; that much was certain. What wasn't certain was Harry's feelings for Ginny. There was no denying that she was a beautiful girl; and anybody who said otherwise, was in Harry's opinion, crazy enough to be admitted to St. Mungo's. She was beautiful in the way of looks. With all her fiery red hair that hung in waves down to the middle of her back, her big brown eyes, her smile that seemed to light up a room, her little nose, her body. And she was beautiful in her personality, the way she never strayed from Harry, even though everybody else had. That was loyal. Her sense of humour. Her wit. Smart. Talented. Sweet. She was everything that Harry could ever want in a friend.

…And that was just the thing. In his mind, he kept referring to her as a friend. Not a girlfriend. Their relationship never was that way, and he thought it likely that it never would be that way. No matter how much he lied to himself, he just wasn't in love with her the way she wanted him to be. The last thing he wanted to do was break Ginny's heart by telling her this... but he knew that he had to. He wouldn't be able to go on, leading her on the way he had been. Harry did have to admit... he would miss the snogging sessions. Another quality to her: she was a great kisser. Any man will be lucky to have her for a wife. In a way, Harry was sad that he couldn't be the one. But there was no place in his life for Ginny, except as a good friend.

Harry now found himself walking in the deserted corridors, with still no luck in finding Ginny. He thought it to be strange that she hadn't been in the library. She had promised him that she would do more research while she had her free period. "Maybe she had just gone to dinner?" he thought. With that in mind, he turned around and headed in the direction of the Great Hall. Luckily, she was just coming out of the Great Hall as he came down the marble staircase.

"Hey, Ginny! I've been looking all over for you!"

When the Gryffindor girl looked up at him, there was something different in her eyes. Harry's heart clenched. It had got to her, too. She wasn't his friend anymore. He hurried down to her, hoping against hope that it was just his imagination or that something had happened that had pissed her off. She wasn't really directing that hate towards him.… She couldn't be.

"What's wrong, Gin? Did someone do something to get you mad?"

"No," she replied coldly. Harry placed a gentle hand on her elbow but which she very roughly shrugged it away. "Don't touch me," she commented, her voice low and even.

"Oh, no.… Ginny, please don't say it has you, too."

"If you're talking about what I think you're talking about, then just drop it already. Things like that get old really fast. Nobody hates you."

"Then why are you talking and looking at me like that?"

"You're imagining things. Go get some rest. You look like shit."

Harry moved closer and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ears. "Please don't do this. Look at me. Remember who I am. Remember that you don't actually feel this way about me, Gin. I'm your friend. You're my friend. Think. Don't let whatever it is get to you."

"There is nothing! Okay, I admit it. I don't like you. The only thing you were good for was getting in some good snogging time in. I wouldn't have put up with it if you weren't such a good kisser... but we're over. I'm sick of being around you all the time. Now, get over yourself because nobody here hates you but me."

She leaned up and took him forcefully in a deep kiss. When she pulled away, they were both out of breath.

"I must say... I think I am going to miss that a little," she said, still breathing hard as she turned to walk away.

Harry watched her go sadly. He had wanted to break off their little ‘fling' off but not in this way. As she disappeared from view at the top of the stairs, he turned slowly around and looked into the Great Hall. It seemed funny... 1,000 people gathered in this one room, and not one person liked him. He looked mournfully around at the laughing groups at each table until his eyes fell on the group that he should have been with. Ron was currently laughing at something that Seamus said. It was probably another one of his crude jokes. As gross as they were, Harry missed hearing them. Hermione had a disgruntled look on her face which only proved his theory on their conversation. Ron looked at her and threw an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. Hermione looked up at Ron with undisguised adoration in her eyes and returned the kiss to his cheek. Ron blushed profusely as cat calls were made down the table. Harry furrowed his brow. When had that happened? He had seen it coming after the Yule Ball in fourth year, but both had been too cowardly to do anything about it from then on. Obviously, something had happened since their estrangement.

Harry sighed and felt tears welling up in his eyes and a painful wrenching at his heart and stomach. He wanted nothing more than to be with his friends again. At least they were happy... even if he couldn't be. Harry began to blink angrily as he felt the tears in his eyes begin to threaten to spill over. Crying wasn't something that would help the situation. And besides... he was sixteen. Sixteen year old boys didn't cry just because their friends wouldn't talk to them.

As if coming to a decision, Harry turned angrily on his heel and began another trek to the library. He might be virtually alone in the world now... but he'd be damned if he was just going to sit around and take it. He'd get to the bottom of this if it was the last thing he did.

***

Severus Snape walked into the Great Hall for dinner, acting as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. His jobs as spy and Potions Master seemed to be even more trying lately. And, it was all because of one person. Harry Potter. Severus had noticed the odd change in everybody. The cool looks towards the Gryffindor boy, the rude remarks, the slugs being thrown at his face by his so called best friend. All this left Snape to wondering what was going on. It seemed as if he was one of the only people who was wondering.

Just a couple weeks ago, he had tried to evasively ask the Headmaster if he had noticed, but even Dumbledore himself seemed to be affected by whatever was affecting everyone else. His action in sending Potter out of the Great Hall that one night a couple weeks ago was enough to prove Severus' theory. And Potter's reaction to it was certainly enough to confirm that he too was noticing the change. How could he not? Severus had always thought the boy to be quite dense... but nobody in their right mind could possibly be that dense. The boy had some brains in him. Potter did know how to talk, after all. Which in itself was quite remarkable.

So, it didn't come as much of a surprise that Potter noticed. Ginny Weasley also seemed to have noticed and was on Potter's side. At least that was something good. But, if one more thing went wrong, Severus would be forced to do something about it. But he really didn't want to have to work with a Potter. Of all things... it had come to that again.

It was only halfway through dinner when the Potions Master noticed the Weasley girl get up from her place at the Gryffindor table. Once outside, he heard Potter call to her and moments later, he was beside her, giving her a look of concern. They spoke a bit and a scared/angry look crossed Potter's face and the curiosity became too much for Severus. He cast a listening charm on them as discreetly as he could and their voices sounded in his head.

"If you're talking about what I think you're talking about, then just drop it already. Things like that get old really fast. Nobody hates you," Ginny's voice said, coldly.

"Then why are you talking and looking at me like that?"

"You're imagining things. Go get some rest. You look like shit."

Severus saw Potter move closer and tuck a stray piece of hair behind Weasley's ears. "Please don't do this. Look at me. Remember who I am. Remember that you don't actually feel this way about me, Gin. I'm your friend. You're my friend. Think. Don't let whatever it is get to you."

"There is nothing! Okay, I admit it. I don't like you. The only thing you were good for was getting in some good snogging time in. I wouldn't have put up with it if you weren't such a good kisser... but we're over. I'm sick of being around you all the time. Now, get over yourself because nobody here hates you but me."

Even Severus winced at the tone of her voice. It was actually only part of why he winced. He could have really lived without the knowledge of what they did in their spare time. Weasley then kissed Potter. And by the looks of it, it wasn't a nice kiss.

"I must say... I think I am going to miss that a little."

Weasley walked to the stairs and disappeared from Severus's sight. Potter, however, stared after her, then slowly turned around and took in the sights of the Great Hall. He looked from the Slytherins, to the Ravenclaws, to the Hufflepuffs, and then finally to the Gryffindors. A sadness the professor had never seen before was settled in Potter's eyes. There was also longing there. Even from this distance, Severus could see his eyes becoming wet with tears. And then all of a sudden, his face furrowed in confusion and the Gryffindors started cat calling. From what Severus could see, it was because of Weasley and Granger. Potter's confusion was probably because he hadn't known about them.

Even he, Severus knew that they had only been together for about two weeks. All the latest gossip got around to the teachers. Not that Severus cared to hear it, but it was hard to avoid when all the female staff would come in and gossip when he was trying to have a quiet time in the teacher's lounge. It really was quite pathetic the life they had to lead if they got all their entertainment from the lives the students led.

Severus turned his attention back to the Potter boy and saw him blinking furiously. A few moments later, a firm resolve had crossed his face and he immediately turned around and left. He sighed, exasperated. Why was he the one that was always pulled into this? And this time, he'd have to deal with Potter alone! Of all the things to that could happen! Why did he have to choose the side of the Light? Things seemed to be so much more simple on the Dark side. Torture, kill. Torture, kill. Severus shuddered involuntarily and quickly decided that he liked being on this side. It didn't make it any easier, though. There just had to be a way to ease the situation.

Severus's eyes fell on the Slytherin table. And then on one particular Slytherin, Draco Malfoy. A sadistic grin crossed the professor's face and he stood up and walked to his favourite student. "Mr. Malfoy."

"Yes, Professor?" Draco asked with a questioning look in his eyes.

"I'm in desperate need of an aide. I've chosen you for the job. Meet me in my office in ten minutes."

At times like these, it was good to have students to pray on. Yes, indeed. Life was sweet.

***

Harry was currently sitting at a table in the library, swamped in books. He idly wondered what book he had taken out the day himself and Ginny had been caught kissing by Sirius in-between the book cases. He had forgotten about the book as soon as he had checked it out, even though it was still in his possession. Now he wondered if it would help him any. He made a decision to look for it as soon as he got back to his dormitory. He started to flip through a book on legal Dark curses when he heard softly arguing voices. One sounded like Professor Snape and the other sounded like Draco Malfoy. Harry shook his head in exasperation and continued to bury his face in his reading.

Two shadows fell over him and he could barely read what was written. He looked up irritably into the faces of said people. "Oh, please. I don't need this right now."

"It's a wonder nobody likes you anymore, Potter," Snape whispered softly. "With an attitude like that, I'm surprised you kept your friends for as long as you did."

Harry clenched his jaw. "That's none of your business. Please just leave me alone. I have research to do now."

"Actually... you'll have to consider doing that at a later date and time. Our Potions professor has decided to give us detention for something that only he knows about," Draco drawled.

"Detention?!" Harry said loudly.

"Shut up! Do you want Pince over here?" hissed Snape.

"Why are you giving me detention? Black is already giving me a detention this weekend but only because he was spying on me. I never did anything!"

"Just shut your mouth and follow us to my office. I have a few things I need to speak to you two about before you clean my dungeon."

"Fine! But let me put my books away first."

"Let the librarian do it."

"Oh, and then she'll want me back here," he said sarcastically. "She already hates me too much."

"Then I'll tell her that I need you for detention and that it's my fault for you not clearing your books up. She'll be mad at me then. You're insufferable."

"You would be too if you were me," Harry mumbled.

Snape rolled his eyes and motioned for the two students to follow him. They stopped briefly beside Madam Pince so Snape could explain why Harry couldn't put the books away and then quickly left. Harry angrily followed behind Snape and Malfoy, wondering what had got up Snape's arse to give them detention for no reason. Harry stood stiffly in his professor's office as he closed the door. "Well... sit down!" he snapped and the two boys jumped and immediately sat. Harry sent Snape a confused glance when he put up a locking and silencing charm. "We don't want people in here," he said irritably as he saw Harry's questioning gaze.

"But.. why? I thought this was about detention?"

"Merlin, Potter. That was just so people didn't actually think I was trying to be nice to you."

"Okay..." he said slowly. "And why wouldn't you want anybody to think that?"

"For a number of reasons. Anyway, as you may or may not have guessed, which I'm guessing you haven't, I'm not really giving you a detention..."

"I figured it out. I'm not completely dumb."

"Hmm," Snape said in a tone of wonderment. Harry glared.

"Indeed. Well, believe it or not, I'm trying to help you. Correction: we're trying to help you. Draco is a little reluctant of course. As am I, but this is for a good cause."

"I don't need your charity," Harry said bitterly.

"Oh, it seems you do. Because it seems to us that you are without a single friend in this entire school, possibly in this entire world for all we know. But we don't know, so we won't assume that."

"How would you know what goes on in my life?"

"Oh, come on, Potter!" exclaimed Malfoy. "It's kind of hard not to notice that nobody likes you anymore. You're never with the Weasel and Granger anymore, only with the Weasley girl. Which I just heard that you two just had a falling out."

"Again, how would you know that?"

"I heard it," replied Snape.

"Ah! What is it with teachers spying on me?"

"I thought that it was for the best. You might want to try being a little more grateful here. I'm trying to help your dire situation. Which normally, I couldn't care less about but if this spreads even more... I'm afraid to think of the consequences. They could possibly be catastrophic."

"Then... you two know that there is something going on? I'm not completely crazy?"

"I wouldn't go that far. But yes, there is something going on. I haven't figured out what but for me to even begin figuring... as much as I hate to say it, we need to work together."

"Actually, I don't understand why I'm here. I mean, I'm glad that I don't actually have to be your aide and everything... but it still doesn't make sense,." Draco commented.

"Do you need an answer for everything?"

"Quite frankly? Yes, I need one and I demand one now."

"You expect me to work with this?" Harry asked in disgust.

"Yes! And if you two fight, I don't want to hear it!"

"Answers!" needled Draco.

"I'm never going to survive this," Snape muttered under his breath. "Draco, you are here because you are the only one that I know of that doesn't have a complete hatred towards Potter, and one of the only people I know of who isn't under the spell, or whatever it may be. I trust you the most out of anybody anyone in Slytherin house. I know where your loyalties lie. And I need all the people I can get to help. Which it looks like this is all we're getting. No one else is trustworthy anymore. As much as I hate to say it, Dumbledore isn't either."

"He really isn't?" Harry asked fearfully. "I was afraid of that. So... what's happened to the Order of the Phoenix. Who do you report to now? Do you still report to him at all?"

"The Order is still running smoothly from what I can tell. Dumbledore is still against Voldemort but there are things that have changed, like his feelings towards you. I am still reporting to him... I'm just being a bit more careful about it."

Harry felt doomed. If even Snape had lost his faith in Dumbledore... This was really bad. As far as Harry knew, Dumbledore was the only person Snape showed respect to and now that he was outright defying him, it was all Harry could do to stop himself from having a nervous breakdown. Things were worse than he thought. The Dark side was slowly infiltrating Hogwarts, with next to no one here to stop it from happening. It was now up to Harry and two Slytherins. Slytherins, of all people. Hagrid had most definitely been wrong about all Dark wizards coming out of that house.

"Report to Dumbledore? What do you mean?" asked Draco.

"I guess you better know as well. Just as long as you don't tell anybody. I'm a spy for Dumbledore. I'm in Voldemort's inner circle. I would have thought Lucius has let something slip when he's drunk or something of the sort."

"No. He's careful. Really careful. I know nothing because he doesn't trust me. And for good reason."

Harry turned and studied his nemesis. "You're on the Light side?" Malfoy gave him a withering look.

"Yes. Don't get too excited. It's not like you converted me or anything."

"I wasn't. I'm just a little surprised is all...." An evil smirk crossed his face. "And you don't hate me?" Suddenly remembering Snape's words. They had completely gone through one ear and out the other at the time, but now they were coming back. Malfoy scowled.

"You did it now, Severus."

The professor smirked evilly. "I purposely did that."

"I hate you."

"You really don't hate me?" Harry asked, now completely surprised that it could be true.

".... Well... not completely. No questions. I'm done on this subject," Draco said hastily.

"Not to worry, Potter. He still dislikes you, he just doesn't hate you. That'll never change, I'm sure. You are and always will be just like your father... an insufferable prat."

"Says you. I may be like my father but that doesn't make me an insufferable prat. That was just your opinion of him. It's not my fault you didn't like him. You were probably hoping when I came here that I'd be more like my mother."

Snape's face paled and he looked down at his hands. "Well... who would blame me? Your mother was a wonderful person." Harry blinked.

"Huh? You liked her?"

"Yes. We were friends," he said evasively.

"Do I... do I remind you of her at all?" he asked nervously. Snape closed his eyes tightly and looked back at Harry with firm resolve on his face.

"Sometimes, yes. When you're quiet. She wasn't rowdy like James was. And when you start things, you always finish them. Your honesty as well. James lied through his teeth all the time. Especially to me...." He fell silent and Harry stared down at his hands for a bit.

"Thank you," Harry finally said, quietly.

"For what?" Snape asked, clearly startled.

"For telling me about her, even just a little bit. Everybody only tells me about dad. I don't know anything about mum."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Your aunt doesn't tell you any stories?"

Harry snorted. "That'd be the day. The only time she ever mentioned her without me asking her was when Hagrid came to get me on my eleventh birthday. That was the first time I heard the real story of how they died. She always told me they died in a car crash."

"Stupid Muggles," Malfoy whispered under his breath. "No wonder you looked so lost in Madam Malkin's. You really had no idea what I was talking about when I was talking about houses and Quidditch... did you?"

"No. I didn't. I had to ask Hagrid afterwards." He reached up and scratched his head and was about to speak again when Snape gasped.

"Good lord. What happened to your hands?" he exclaimed.

"Oh... um.. well, a blast-ended skrewt happened." His hands really weren't looking well. They were slightly swollen and incredibly red with white patches on them. "I tried healing them myself but it doesn't work too well when you do it to yourself."

"No kidding. Why were you around a skrewt? We didn't have Care of Magical Creatures today!" exclaimed Draco.

"I was in Transfiguration."

"And..."

"Well... my crab got away from me and was running across the floor. And well, Hermione turned hers into a skrewt when I went by her. It attacked me."

"Minerva wouldn't help out?" asked Snape.

"No, she told me to handle it myself. She looked like she was having quite the time trying to hold in her laughter."

"That's not like her."

"Who is acting like themselves?" Harry asked bitterly. "Certainly not you two," he added as an afterthought.

"Same cause, Potter. We have to be civil or it won't work. Let me heal your hands," Snape said, as he pulled out his wand.

Harry held out his hands as Snape muttered a few spells that made the swelling go down and then he retrieved a tube of some sort of gel that was cool when it was smoothed over his burns. He then conjured up some gauze and magically wrapped Harry's hands up, for the finishing touch.

"Thanks."

"You'll have to wash the gel off before you go to bed, but then put it back on with some new gauze. Do the same in the morning. They should be better in about three days. Now... we have to talk about what we're going to do. First of all, I'll start trying to get some information out of Voldemort without being too obvious. Potter, you keep doing what you're doing. Research. Draco, see if you can make friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Ask them why they hate him. You can even compare notes on why you hate Potter. It'll be more believable."

"Oh, I'd just love to be there for that!" Harry said sarcastically.

"But, Sev! I don't want to make friends with them!"

"Do not take that whiny voice with me, Draco! You know I don't put up with it. You will do whatever it takes to help us. You will at least attempt to make friends with them. And if anybody asks why, say because you three hate Potter, might as well take advantage of it. If need be, make fun of him with them. You don't want to lose your image. You've been a bit soft on him lately."

"Well, it's not fun when so many people are doing it already," Draco pouted.

"It almost seems like you come in here to plan my humiliation all the time."

"Oh, but we do, Potter!" said Malfoy with an evil smirk.

"Yeah, and Sev?" Harry asked laughing.

"Don't you dare," Snape said menacingly. "Draco is not supposed to call me that and he knows it."

"And he's allowed to call you by your first name?"

"I'm friends with his father, and have been for a long time. I've known Draco since he was a baby, I was at his birth, actually. So, I allow him to call me Severus when we're alone. Don't you think of it, Potter. I still don't like you."

"I wouldn't even dream about it, Sevy Pooh."

Snape growled and Harry and Malfoy laughed. "Anyway," the professor said loudly. "You'll do well not to call me that, Potter. And Draco... whenever possible, you'll help him with the research. Probably not together since it'd be best if we are never seen working together. We'll have to keep acting as though we loathe each other. Which I can tell you that I won't have a problem with." Harry rolled his eyes. "If we need to contact each other, send word by owl. We won't use names even though the owls will most likely be going short distances. No obvious displays of comradeship. Is that clear?"

"I don't think that will be a problem, Professor," said Harry, through a laugh.

"I'm glad to hear it. Now get out of my office, I have people to contact now."

"Good night, Severus," replied Malfoy has he stood up.

"Good night, Professor."

"Good night. Get out!"

Harry smiled a little as he followed Malfoy out of the potion dungeons. They walked along side-by-side for a bit, with Harry sneaking side glances at Malfoy's profile. "So, Malfoy... why don't you hate me anymore?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Not now, Potter. I have homework as I'm sure you do as well. And we're not to be seen together now. If you want to talk later, then owl me a note or just a place and time and I'll be there. Good night."

"Okay. Good night," Harry said softly as Malfoy rounded the corner to the left and out of sight.

It was nice. He wasn't alone after all, and Malfoy liked him.