- Rating:
- R
- House:
- Schnoogle
- Genres:
- Drama
- Era:
- Multiple Eras
- Spoilers:
- Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban
- Stats:
-
Published: 08/25/2001Updated: 12/24/2001Words: 95,561Chapters: 12Hits: 9,501
A Type of Revenge
Myst
- Story Summary:
- Draco returns from his 6th year at Hogwarts to find his world turned upside-down. Is it enough to make him change sides? Will this new trial make him stronger or will he collapse under the strain? A death changes everything, but whose? And why has Draco taken up the habit of playing the piano all hours of the night? In store for Draco over the year is much mental anguish and a number of suprises for everyone.
Chapter 09
- Chapter Summary:
- Someone close to Draco dies, and his revenge takes an unusual twist. Caught up in a tangled web of love and death, honour and betrayal, he and his beloved must fight in a war that could lead them to their ultimate destruction, or a new freedom for their world.
- Posted:
- 10/28/2001
- Hits:
- 506
As well, I have additional warnings:This is a war story with all the gruesomeness and violence that come with war.Admittedly it isn’t very bad yet, but I just thought that I would get you used to the idea.There is also SLASH and TRIADS.If any of these things either annoy or scare you, I wouldn’t bother reading any more, because there will be lots of those things.If not, keep reading.
Chapter Nine: Security
“So what is it that you guys are working on so hard?” asked Seamus for what felt like the fiftieth time that day.
“It’s none of your business,” said Ron crossly.He was starting to regret that they had ever allowed Seamus to join them.
“But you could still tell me, right?”
“No, we could not.” Hermione also sounded irritable.They both enjoyed being around him, which was one reason why he was still with them - the other being the insular comment he had made earlier that week.Neither of them had appreciated the comment, and were working to change that impression.Unfortunately, it wasn’t really working, since Harry, Ron and Hermione had been a close knit group since first year.But the dynamics of their group had changed this year, with Harry being so focused on training for the war.When they started their own training over Easter, their relationship with Seamus would also change.Unless, thought Hermione suddenly, Seamus....
“Ron, I need to talk to you.”
“What, now?” asked Ron resentfully, looking up from the essay he was currently writing.It was actually going all right for a change, and he didn’t want to stop writing it while the words were flowing off his quill so nicely.“Can’t it wait?”
“No, I need to talk to you now.”
“Then talk,” said Ron absently, writing another paragraph for his essay.
“Not with Seamus here.”
“Hermione, it’s really rude of you to say you want to talk with Ron about something you don’t want me to know about in front of me.There are other ways of getting rid of me, you know.Like saying ‘Seamus, we don’t want you here, go away.’Or ‘Seamus I want to talk to Ron about something you don’t want to know.Go away.’Or even more simple: ‘Seamus, piss off.’That sort of thing.”
“And would that have worked?” asked Hermione, laughing.
“Probably not,” he admitted, “I’ll find out one way or another, Hermione.So why not just tell us both now?”
“Cause I want Ron’s opinion on something first.Go away, Seamus, we’ll tell you later.”
“Not being very pleasant are you?”
“Seamus....”
He held up his hands in a peacemaking gesture.“I’m going, I’m going, Hermione.”He packed up his stuff, and left, but as he passed Ron, who had just finished his essay, he hissed, “Don’t say that I never did anything for you, Ron.”
Hermione sat down again, lips pursed, but fighting against laughter.“That Seamus.And I didn’t even guess what he was doing.Was it deliberate, do you think?”
Ron considered it thoughtfully.“Yes, I think so.He’s a lot more observant than he appears.He could see that I was nearly finished, so he decided to help me be able to finish it, cause if you’d dragged me off like you were going to.”
“Right.”Hermione glanced around to see if anyone was listening or paying attention to them, and cast a quick privacy charm.
“What did you want to talk about?”
“Seamus.”
“Why?I thought you liked him.”
“I do.That’s the problem.”
“Why is it a problem?” asked Ron, confused.“I like him too.”
“That’s just it, Ron.If we like him, we’ll trust him.And if we trust him, we’ll let something slip.”
Ron frowned.“I see,” he said slowly.“So am I right in thinking that you’re suggesting something?”
“Yes.”
“Something to do with Seamus.”
“Yes.Ron, I think we should get him to join us.”
“That’s not our job, Hermione.We’re supposed to be learning for our jobs in the war.”
“See, I was thinking,” continued Hermione, as if he hadn’t spoken, “That we should get him to be trained at the same time.Harry’s already trained and is doing extra stuff with Professor Grey and the others.And since there’s three of them, it’ll probably be easier if there’s three when we train.”
“That’s probably right, Hermione.But we can’t just ask him without telling them about it.”
“Why don’t we ask Harry?”
“Ask Harry what?” asked Harry, coming and sitting with them.“Where’s Seamus?I thought he was hanging out with you guys lately.”
“He was.She needed to talk to me without him around.”
Harry noted the privacy spell surrounding them.“Is this to do with the League?”
“Yes.You’re in it, right?”
“Yes,” said Harry briefly.“So what did you want to ask me?”
“We wanted to know whether you’d mind if we told Seamus about the League.”
“Ah.Um.I’m not really the person to ask about that.Personally, I wouldn’t mind, But the others might.Ask Professor Grey.”
“So we can’t tell him?”
“Only if you’re prepared to face Sarai in a very bad mood because you compromised security without her permission, or the Spymaster’s orders.I am not taking the responsibility for telling him.I have enough to do at the moment.”He opened his books and grinned at them.“I happen to think Seamus would do very well.”
Draco closed his books with a sigh.It was not a sigh of relief that he had finished his homework, because he had to have another session with Pansy next.Rather, it was a weary sigh, because one unenjoyable thing was out of the way, and now he had another.Hopefully Pansy had finished her work this time, because he didn’t really feel like breaking her wrist again.It almost shocked him that he could turn to violence so easily.Technically he understood why.He had grown up in a world full of manipulation, both by words and violence.And that’s what he used on Pansy.A combination of words and violence.Manipulation.What fun.It didn’t matter so much on Pansy, since she was fairly skilled at that type of thing too. But on other people, was it really right?Would he want other’s to use it on him if their positions were reversed?Draco shook himself impatiently, tired with his train of thought.He was a pureblood wizard.Therefore, non-purebloods weren’t as good as him.Therefore it didn’t really matter what he did to them.So why was he starting to feel guilty about hurting people?
“Pansy, sweetheart, are you finished?”It was Salem’s influence, he supposed, and Potter.
Pansy looked up with a hint of fear in her brown eyes.Good.She had learnt her lesson then.Don’t mess with Draco Malfoy.Especially when he’s in a bad mood.“Yes, I’ve finished.Are we going out for more fun and games now?”
Maybe she hadn’t learnt her lesson then.Draco’s hand swooped out and took the wrist that had recently been broken.He lifted her hand to his lips mockingly.No one saw the pressure that he put on it, but Pansy dropped into a curtsey that was only partly scornful.The pressure on her wrist eased, and his hand slid down, until their palms were touching.Holding hands like any dating couple, they went to the disused classroom that was set up for the lessons.
“Time for you to learn about how to behave in the initiation,” said Draco dryly, “The part you’ve been waiting for, I am sure.”
“Yes,” said Pansy, breathlessly, looking properly enthusiastic.
For all Draco knew, she was properly enthusiastic.In fact, knowing what he did about her after these past few weeks, he would be surprised to know that she wasn’t properly enthusiastic.“Never lie to him, girl.”
“What?But we’re Death Eaters - I mean - I will be and you are already are, and you’re saying we can’t lie?”
“Pansy, try not to act any more stupid than Crabbe or Goyle.We both know that you’re not.Think about what I said more carefully.”
“And if I don’t?”
“If you missed what I said, Pansy-love,” and the endearment sounded more cold and cruel than ever then, “You-Know-Who won’t be missing out on much.”
“Draco, how could you say something like that?”
“Very easily.You may have noticed, my love, that there is very little that I dare to do.”Pansy’s big, brown eyes filled with tears, and Draco’s impatience grew.Surely Lucius wouldn’t have order Pansy to test his patience.He dashed the tears from her eyes.“That doesn’t work on me, and you know it.I am training you because I have been ordered to.I do not care whether or not you become a Death Eater.If you think that you cannot lie, my sweet, this should not be your career option of choice.”
Pansy eyed him narrowly.She didn’t trust him when he was in one of those crazy weird moods.She didn’t trust him anyway, but that was beside the point.It looked like her attempt at getting him to slow down and be slightly calmer hadn’t worked.“So, you’re saying that we shouldn’t lie to him?”
“I’m saying never lie to him.He can smell it when you lie.”
“How?” whispered Pansy.
“Who am I to fathom the secrets of the Dark Lord?” asked Draco.
“There is that, I suppose,” she stupidly mused aloud.He slapped her, leaving a red mark on her skin.
“Do you, or do you not want to be trained, Pansy Parkinson?”
“I do,” whispered Pansy.
“Then, shall we begin tonight’s session again?”
Sarainail opened the door to her private quarters.Her triad had just about finished talking when the knock came.While they had finished with the League side of the conversation, the interruption had meant that they hadn’t had any time to chat, or relax in the safety of their joined minds.“Yes?What are you lot doing here?”
Ron, Hermione and Seamus looked at her nervously.At this point in time, Sarainail Grey did not look at all like the teacher they saw in class everyday.Sure, she was still wearing that old green dress that she wore under her robes, and her hair was loose, but there was something indefinable different about visiting a teacher in her rooms, instead of the office or the classroom.“We wanted to talk to you, Professor.”
“I gathered that.Otherwise why would you turn up on my doorstep on a Thursday night when Harry has Quidditch practice.What’s so important that it couldn’t wait until tomorrow, or for an appointment after class?”
“It’s not precisely to do with class, Professor.”
“Then what is it?” demanded Seamus.“They won’t tell me.They say that you have to decide about it.”
“Come in,” said Sarai abruptly.She made eye contact with Ron and Hermione and they both nodded.So this was to do with the war then.Obviously her talk about security had had no effect on them, or else they would not be breaking character and coming to speak to her at this time of night.They had never done this before.Dammit!If them coming here, now, at a time when they had never done so before put one of her people at risk, she was going to kill them personally.Well, maybe not kill them, amended Sarainail, inherently honest, but certainly damage them enough to make them never do anything of the sort again.And even if no one is hurt through their stupidity, they will certainly pay.The grim smile on her lips was enough to distract them from the worried expression in her eyes.If something happened to Sirius or Remus....
“So, what did you want to ask me?”They flinched.Warm, friendly Professor Sarainail Grey sounded colder than Draco Malfoy ever could.
“It’s about after we finish school.”
Seamus pricked up his ears.He really wanted to know what was so important that Hermione and Ron had dragged him here at this time of night. He had suggested that they wait for the following day, and speak to her after class, but that had been vetoed for some reason.
“After you finish school?” asked Professor Grey softly and dangerously.Seamus recognised the signs of an eminent eruption, and tried to edge towards the door.“You - stay right there,” she snapped, and Seamus froze.“What the hell did you think you were doing, coming here at this time of night and bringing him?Did anything I said about security sink into your brains, or did you conveniently forget that I have to keep track of this kind of thing?”
“Butthe teachers are supposed to be available after hours.”
“Only in set times, and after that only the Heads of Houses and the Headmaster.Right now with me falls into none of those categories.I expected better of you.”
“But....”
“No buts.I told you about security.And you have just ignored everything that I tried to teach you.How could you?I swear, if someone is hurt through this stupid mistake....”
“Our lives won’t be worth living?” asked Ron.
Sarainail smiled coldly then.“That’s absolutely correct.”
Seamus decided that this would be a good time to try and leave again.
“Seamus Finnegan.Since you are here, and security has been hopelessly compromised, I will not compromise it further without discussing what you were brought here to learn about.”She got a large leather bound book off the table, and gestured him towards a seat.Ron and Hermione stood around nervously until she irritably waved them towards a seat too.“Have you ever thought about what you’re going to do when you leave Hogwarts?”
Seamus looked startled.“Not really.I’ve always assumed that I’d go into the family business.”
Professor Grey did not ask what the family business was.Presumably, she already knew.“And you think that that will happen while Voldemort rises to power?”
He flinched at the name.So did Ron and Hermione, but he didn’t notice that.He was entirely focused on Professor Sarainail Grey.“I don’t know, Professor.”
“Why not?”
“I’ve never really thought about it before.”Seamus sounded subdued, and she hated doing this to him.Seamus should be bright and bouncy, like he was in her classes.Hermione and Ron made a move towards him, but she waved them back.Seamus would have to work this out for himself, even as they had.That was one of the myriad of reasons besides security that she preferred to do this alone.
“And what do you think now?”
Seamus frowned, trying to put what he felt into words.“I don’t know enough about other jobs to really make a decision.I never wanted to go into the ministry, and that’s the most obvious other option.The family business is run from home, and we always had a good relationship with the Faerie and the other magical creatures around the place.Have an agreement with them.We won’t sell the place, and will let them stay around, which gives them a home, and in return, they protect us and our land.”
“Even with this war on?”
“Yes.The land has been in our hands since before Cromwell, and the agreement has stood through several wars, both magical and muggle.”
“So, do you still want to go into your family business?”
“I don’t know what other options there are.”
The teacher’s mouth twisted wryly.“And that is one reason why you are here.I am going to tell you about this option.If you choose not to take it up, I’m going to have to do a memory charm, to keep our security.If you do choose to accept our offer, then nothing that is said in here goes beyond these walls.Security is vital for this.There were too many mistakes with security in the last war.”
“So what is it?”
“An organisation called the League of Light has been set up to fight Voldemort.”Three people flinched.Hermione kicked Ron to prevent him from commenting on the use of the name.Sarainail ignored them, and Seamus was so focused on what she was saying that he didn’t even notice the interaction between the pair.“Most of the people who have joined so far have lost something in the last war, or have a high stake in this one.If you join us you will be trained over the Easter holidays along with Ron and Hermione in how to fight in both magical and muggle styles.Most wizards never expect an attack by something other than magic, which is why we include hand to hand combat in our training.You would receive more training after school finishes.All of our prophesies and strategic analysis predicts that the war will begin in earnest when you finish your seventh year.It is of course because Harry Potter finishes this year, and we need him to be a symbol for the League.Whoever has Harry Potter on their side will have the support of the general wizarding population.And we need that support.”Sarainail continued speaking about the war and their plans for it, while Seamus sat absolutely still, listening intently.“So that is what is going on with the war.What say you?”
Seamus didn’t move.There was no indication that he had even heard Sarai’s last sentence.She waited silently for him to think about what she had said.Ron started fidgeting a little, but was hushed by Hermione.At length though, he stretched and stood, moving around the room to get the kinks out.He never sat still for that long.As Ron had observed, Seamus was constantly moving, and after concentrating hard for such a long time, he really needed to move.He paced over to the window and back again.“I don’t have much choice.”
“You always have a choice, Seamus.”Sarainail sounded completely calm and relaxed.Inwardly she was tense.Please, Powers, let Seamus agree.It means so much to these children.Hermione and Ron said nothing.As young as they were, they were wise enough to understand that Seamus had to make this decision on his own.As they all did.Joining a war was not something that you did as a group.It had to be your own choice, and often, for this type of war, there were extenuating circumstances which influenced their decisions.
“No,” Seamus said firmly.“I don’t.There is no other option that is acceptable.”
“And what have you chosen?”
He gave her a half grin.“You’re going to be training three people over Easter, Professor.”
“Yes!”Ron shouted.He and Hermione got up and whirled a slightly confused Seamus around in a circle.
“What?What did I say?”
“You agreed to join us.”Sarai sounded calm, but there was a smile playing around her lips.“Now, it’s getting late right now.You have classes tomorrow, and so do I.Seamus, if you’ll stay behind after my class tomorrow, I’ll go over all the forms with you, and discuss security.”
“Didn’t you do that tonight?” he grimaced.“I mean, I’m not going to be telling anyone.Not after what you said earlier.”
“That’s good.Hermione, Ron, are you taking notes?No one hears about this.No one.”
“What about Harry?”
“Harry will find out when he needs to know.You do not discuss this.That is an order from a commanding officer.”
“You’re our commanding officer?”
“I am superior to you at the moment.You haven’t even been trained.No go to bed, and if anyone asks, Hermione, you dragged them off to a deserted classroom to practice some charms for your NEWT’s.Understood?”
“Yes, Professor.”
“Uh huh.”
“Right, Professor.”Seamus stayed behind a minute when they turned to go.“Professor Grey?”
“Yes?”
“Were you going to ask me?I mean if Ron and Hermione hadn’t....”
“Yes, I was going to ask you.Is that all?I have some more work to do.”
“Yes.Thank you.”
“No problem.”
Harry dreamt that night.It wasn’t what his dreams had been about lately.He didn’t mind those ones so much.They were more along the lines of ordinary nightmares - at least, they were as ordinary as nightmares ever got for him.He’d heard others discuss nightmares before.You didn’t live in the same room as four other boys for nine months out of the year for seven years without learning something about their dreams and nightmares.They all knew about some of his, of course - the trade went both ways - but his were easily the scariest and most screwed up.They dreamed about things like coming into the Great Hall naked or having to use muggle transportation or occasionally about Voldemort coming to take them away, ha ha.As far as he knew, none of them had dreams or nightmares about Voldemort killing their parents, or silver grey eyes being caught up in a web of helplessness and despair, and their being nothing that he could do about it.Normal nightmares and dreams, for him were what would make someone else up, screaming in terror.He did scream - he would wake up in the morning with a sore throat from it - but he didn’t wake up through the dream.
Tonight the nightmare was not one of the usual ones.
Harry was at the edge of a muggle car park.His scar started to hurt, and he realised that he was listening to a conversation between two Death Eaters.They were talking beside man that was tied up to a lightpost in the carpark.
“Well,” sneered a voice, “If it isn’t our muggle eavesdropper.”
“Peter,” warned another voice sharply.
“You would object to me having some fun with him before we give himto our Master?”
“I would not object; since he has thwarted our plans, but I doubt that our Master would be pleased if he is in less than perfect condition.”
“The Master will accept him any way that he can get him, I believe.”
“Yes,” drawled the voice, and Harry recognised it as Lucius Malfoy, “I can believe that.After all, He accepted you back, didn’t He?”
“I was the one who found Him, Lucius,” said Peter Pettigrew sounding annoyed, “While you were cooped up in that Manor of yours, getting rid of the Dark tools of yours, that He might need, and pretending to be a good citizen to the Ministry.”
“At least I never needed to hide as a rat.”
“My ability to do that, Lucius is the only reason that Sirius Black, one of our worst enemies, is still an escaped convict, and not working for the Auror’s again.”
“You hid because you were afraid, Peter.Don’t deny it.”As Harry watched in fascination, Lucius Malfoy leant over the smaller man threateningly.
“I don’t deny it.But I kept in a position to monitor what was going on in the world.And when the opportunity came to help our Lord, I took it.One can hardly say the same for you, Lucius.”
“No?”The moon came out from behind the clouds, and cast a most inappropriate - in Harry’s opinion - halo around Malfoy senior’s head.“I had a son whom I have given to our Master.And a daughter, a Bard, whom I killed because she was asking too many questions, and I knew that she would never accept what our goals are.Foolish muggle loving child.But she was a Bard, Wormtail, a Bard.I took that risk, and made it so that my son would also be implicated in her death if he ever tried to do anything about it.I gave the Weasley girl a diary from our Master’s time at school, and that made her reopen the Chamber of Secrets.The only reason it didn’t work was Harry Potter and his stupid accomplices.And I am certain that the boy knows something of what I am about.He is not stupid - despite all evidence to the contrary.And Dumbledore may suspect something.Don’t you talk to me about risks,Peter.”
Harry decided to take a risk and see who the prisoner was.Even though he was dreaming, maybe he could do something.
“I’m not convinced that he’s a muggle, Lucius.”
“Of course he’s a muggle.Look at the clothes, and where we found him.”
“But the wards should have killed him.”
“If he was within the warded area at the time that they were cast, they wouldn’t have affected him.I am sure that all the time that you spent as a rat has affected your mental abilities.That is,” he added as almost an afterthought, “If you even had any to start with.”
“Lucius!” snarled the Animagus, “How dare you?”Losing control quite conveniently, he leapt upon the other man.Harry watched in fascination.
“Pssst, kid.”
Harry whirled.How could the muggle see him?He wasn’t even really here!“How come you can see me?”
“Can you get me out of here while those two are arguing?I have to let some people know some very important information.”
“I’m dreaming,” explained Harry, holding up one arm in explanation.It was partially see through, and he was vaguely interested to note that he could see the gravel on the ground with the same pattern to his pajamas.
“Don’t give me that crap, kid, let me out before those two see you and catch you too.”
“I can’t touch anything, I don’t think.”
“Try,” ordered the man.As Harry came closer he heard the other mumble something.It sounded like ‘I hope the bloody confundus charm doesn’t wear off soon.’
“What was that?” he asked, “I thought you said something.”
“It was nothing, kid.”
Harry tried to undo the ties on the man’s wrist, but there was nothing that he could do.The dream state he was in didn’t allow him to touch anything apparently.“I’m sorry,” he said eventually.“I can’t even touch them.”
“Why not?”
“I’m dreaming,” snapped Harry, coming around to stand in front of the man.“Is there anything else that you would have me try to do?”
The other’s eyes went wide.“Harry?What the hell are you doing here?”
“I told you, I’m dreaming,” Harry snapped, “Is that so hard to believe?And how do you know who I am, anyways?”
“Everyone knows who you are, Harry.”
“I thought they said you were a muggle,” said Harry, shocked and forgetting that the man might be lying.
He shrugged awkwardly because of his bonds.“Well, no one ever said that Death Eaters were the smartest of people.”
Harry nodded.“Who are you?” he asked.
“You don’t recognise me?”Harry shook his head.The stranger was tall, with long mousy brown hair that was done in a ponytail.Very skinny, too, probably from lack of food, and dressed in what was undeniably muggle clothing.“Well, I guess the glamorie didn’t break after all.”
“Glamorie?”
“These changes are partly illusion and partly physical.For example, I actually died my hair, but the freckles were removed by magic.”
Harry glanced over at the still fighting Death Eaters.“That must have been some charm that you put on them.”
“I hope it keeps working.Harry - I’m Bill.”
“Bill Weasley?” said Harry incredulously.“I thought you were in South America or something.”
“I was.I was contacted by some people from the League of Light - do you know of them?”At Harry’s nod, he continued, “They wanted my expertise with trap spells and the like, so they hired me off Gringotts, and I was left some money by a friend who died recently, so I could still help support my parents.So I came home to work for the League.They decided that the best way that I wouldn’t be found would be to live as a muggle.It’s my own fault that I was caught.I was practicing with the Talisman that Salem left me, and saw the wards being put up, so I decided to investigate.And I got caught.They’re waiting for You-Know-Who now.”
“Voldemort,” said Harry automatically.Bill flinched.Harry sat down by him.“I can’t do anything,” he said, frustrated.“I can’t even feel the ground that I’m sitting on.I wish there was something that I could do.”
Bill was quiet, obviously lost in thought.“Harry,” he said eventually, “Do you work for the League?”
“Yes,” said Harry, unsure of where this was leading.
“If I tell you all the information that needs to go to the Spymaster, can you see that it gets there?”
“Yes,” Harry told him firmly, and Bill started talking.He was only half way through when they came for Bill.He ducked out of the way, but they didn’t seem to notice him.The nagging ache in his scar flared up, and Harry slid into unconsciousness behind therubbish bins.When he came to he was still in the dream.Voldemort had arrived.Bill, his disguise still holding, was on the ground before the Death Eaters.He looked a mess already, although Harry didn’t think that he had been unconscious for that long.Apparently, Voldemort had been letting the two Death Eaters work out their frustrations on him.
“He isss not a muggle,” hissed the Dark Lord eventually.
“What?” yelped Lucius.
Peter grinned smugly.
“I will keep him forrr a while.He may be ussseful.”
“Does that mean we have to heal him?”
Voldemort looked pained.“What do you think, Worrmtail?”
“Uh, no?”
“That issss correct.”He pointed his wand at Bill.“Crrucio.”
Bill screamed, writhing on the ground in obvious agony.Then Voldemort stopped the curse, and Bill lay there, shaking uncontrollably.Harry crept towards the small group, hugging the ground and sticking to cover as much as he could.Since he was his dream-self, maybe they wouldn’t see him, but he wasn’t currently willing to take the risk.But if they couldn’t see him, he could eavesdrop on what was happening - or at least be able to report on what happened to Bill.
“Now, do you have anything to tell uss?”
“Why have you brought me here?I didn’t do anything.”Harry had to admire Bill’s presence of mind.Even now he he kept in character.“I don’t even know who you are?”
“You lie, but I will play along forrr now.I am Lord Voldemorrrt.What arre you doing herre, muggleborrn?”
“I was out for a walk, and then I couldn’t get out.And what do you mean muggle?”
Voldemort turned away in disgust.“Thisss is what you have brrought me here to ssee?I thought you at leasst had ssome brrainss.It appearrss that I wass wrrong.”
“Master....”
“Sssssilence, Wormtail.I don’t think that he’ss telling usss everything.Maybe sssome morrre pain will help you rrrememberr.Crrucio.”
Harry watched in horror as Bill caught the full force of the curse.Voldemort left it on for longer this time.In the end Harry almost couldn’t keep watching, but he felt a sick fascination in the sight.And it wasn’t only that, he felt that he owed it to Bill to watch.Bill couldn’t be the only one who remembered this scene.Finally, after far to long, Voldemort whispered “Finite Incantatem,” and the screaming stopped.“So, what do you have to tell me?”
And Bill told him everything.About the League, about the Spymaster, what he was doing for them, the locations of any other spies that he knew about.Harry listened to this intently, training taking over the automatic reflex of trying to stop him from saying anything.“Ssssstop,” said Voldemort abruptly.Bill stopped talking would have edged away, but his bonds prevented him from doing so.The glamorie flickered and wavered then lessened.He hoped that it would fade slowly, instead of crashing all at once.It would be safer for Bill that way.“He will be ussseful.We will take him with usss.”
“Master?”
“He is obviously not a muggle,” snapped Lucius, “And the information about this League of Light is very interesting.Do you want me to take him to the Manor, Master?”
“No.He will come to the camp with uss.And therre, my loyal followerrs will be allowed to play with him ass a rrewardss for good worrk done.Afterr he hass told uss all he knowss, of courrsse.”
“Master.”Lucius and Pettigrew bowed respectfully.
“Luciusss.”
“Master?”
“You and Worrmtail will be the firrst to play with him, ass yourr rrewarrd forr capturring him.I do not want him dead.I know yourr tassstes, Luciusss, but you will not indulge them on thisss boy.Not forrr a long while.”He started laughing, and Lucius and Pettigrew obediently joined him.“Now, go get rrready.”
“What about the prisoner, Master?”
“He cannot move.Leave him forr now.”
They moved off, and Harry snuck up to where Bill was.“Bill?” he whispered.
“Harry, you should’ve gone. I didn’t want you to see that, he hurts people, should’ve died before saying anything, they would do that for me.Glamorie will fade and then a hostage I am.No!They can’t use me like that, die first.Should’ve died...thought I could make it.Weak and broken, they’ll use me....”Neither of them were under any delusions of what that use would be.
“I think I’m going to wake up in a few minutes, but I’ll let the Spymaster know what’s happened.Hopefully a rescue can be organised.”
“Don’t tell Mum,” said Bill faintly, “She’ll just fret.”
“The Spymaster will organise a cover story,” Harry assured him.“I won’t tell any of your family, okay?”
“Thank you....”
“I’m going now...”Harry felt himself dissolving, and....
Woke up.
It was still dark and his scar was hurting.It wasn’t blinding pain.With a rush, the dream made itself very clear in his mind.This was something that Sarai had to know now, and damn all her fuss about security.This was the bigger security breach, and she had to know as soon as possible.Harry fumbled for his glasses and robe.He wouldn’t bother getting dressed just yet - Sarai wouldn’t be in robes - and since they’d lived in the same place last summer, he was fairly comfortable with her in various states of dress - or undress as the case may be.She probably wasn’t even in bed.Using the Marauder’s Map, he made his way to her rooms, and tapped on the door.She answered almost immediately, but in her nightgown, which made his theory half right.In bed, but not asleep.
“What is it?” she demanded, pulling him into the room and activating the privacy wards.“You look like hell.”
He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror above the fireplace.He hadn’t realised that he looked that bad.He sat down on the couch before trying to start.Sarai sat down beside him and put her arms around him, comforting.He clung for a moment before pulling away.This was not something that you could tell unemotionally, and he didn’t want to start crying.“I dreamt....” he began, and then couldn’t go on.Sarai wrapped her arms around him again and held him close.Automatically he stiffened.
“Relax, Harry,” she murmured in his ear.“Cry if you need to.”He shook his head, and with delicate precision, she plucked his glasses off, so that they weren’t digging into his face or her shoulder.“It’s all right.”
“No, it’s not.”It was whispered almost soundlessly, but she still heard him.
“What isn’t, Harry?”
“It’s Bill Weasley.He’s been captured.”A sudden tensing of her body was all that told him that the news meant something to her.
“How do you know?”The voice was still Sarai, but it was professional now, not the comforting godmother.Sirius had once said that her ability to compartmentalise the parts of her life had come from their exile.Harry suspected that the ability was always there, she just hadn’t used it.
“I dreamt it.”
“You dreamt it?”She sounded curious.She knew something about his dreams, having been told about them by Sirius, but had never encountered one like this herself.
“Yes.It was different from normal.I knew I was dreaming and I was there, but my dream self couldn’t touch anything.”He explained what he had seen, and how Bill had recognised him, and everything else.“And he doesn’t want his family to know the truth....”he finished eventually.
“Of course not,” Sarai said promptly.“I wouldn’t either in his position.”
“What will you do?”Harry still sounded a bit shaky, and Sarainail handed him a piece of chocolate automatically.
“Send out a search party, and try to trace him magically, to start off with.Then if we find him, we’ll mount a rescue attempt, and if we don’t, we notify his parents that he disappeared after being hit by a very strange curse in South America.”
“You have all this planned out, don’t you?”
“The Spymaster is always prepared for such things.At least, as much as possible.”
Harry nodded.“Can I stay here the rest of the night?I don’t really feel like being alone right now.”
“Of course.I’ll wake you shortly before dawn, so that you can get back to your dorm without anyone suspecting anything.”She tapped the couch with her wand, and it turned into a bed, complete with sheets, blankets and pillows.“Go to sleep, Harry.I have to do some work now, then I’ll be going to bed.”He nodded.He’d thought that he’d never be able to sleep, but telling someone who knew about this sort of stuff, and had the ability and authority to deal with it relaxed him and he slept.Once she was sure that he was asleep, Sarainail got up and put the mildly drugged chocolate away.Light shock was not conductive to sleep, and somehow she doubted that Harry had had much rest that night.Then she turned her attention to the parchments and notebook that held the information that she needed.There was work to be done.
Harry had yawned through his morning classes, but double Potions with Slytherin was not something that you could very well sleep through.Especially when you were partnered with Malfoy.
“Remind me why I agreed to this, again?” asked Malfoy.
“Because you wanted to talk to me for some reason I assume.”Harry knew he sounded tired and cross, but talking to Malfoy - something that always required his concentration- was doing that to him.Or at least, he added, incurably truthful in his own mind, making it worse.
“Or maybe I didn’t want to go with Longbottom, Potter.”Malfoy gestured over at Neville’s cauldron, which had turned an interesting shade of pink.The cauldrons weren’t supposed to changed colour, although the potion that they were making was a rather noxious shade of green.He didn’t precisely mind going with Malfoy any more.It wasn’t precisely pleasant, but Malfoy was better than some of the other Slytherins, such as Pansy and Goyle - two of his recent partners - and he was far better looking than either of them.In fact, Malfoy was probably the best looking male in the school.Harry shook himself irritably.Where had that thought come from?He noticed Malfoy staring at him with wide eyes and glared at him.
“Yes?”
“Are you sure that you’re sane, Potter?”
“Pretty sure, yes.I think someone would have noticed by now if I wasn’t.What about you?”
“Are you implying that I am not sane, Potter?”
Harry shrugged.“You were the one who brought the issue up, Malfoy.”
Malfoy glared at him, and started to say something.Harry switched off.Because they were actually working together for a change, they had finished early, rather than on time or late.Besides, all that needed to be done was have the potion checked, and then they could go.He put his head down on the desk and closed his eyes.A short sleep - and he rather suspected that it was a drugged sleep - on top of a Dream and all his usual work was not enough to keep him properly awake and focused for the day.
“Oi.Potter.”He was being poked by someone.“Wake up.Didn’t your mother ever teach you that it’s rude to fall asleep in class?”
Harry muttered something under his breath, and turned so that he was facing in the other direction.Draco bent over him and whispered in his ear.“Wake up, Potter, you’ll get in trouble.”
“Don’t care,” Harry muttered back.
“Your contact might.Or I will if you get in trouble.Now wake up dammit.”
Harry sat up and glared at his adversary.“What do you want?”
“Preferably for you to drop off the face of the earth.Failing that, leaving Potions without you will do.”
Snape came over then.“Are you finished?Malfoy?Potter?”
“Yes, Professor,” said both boys simultaneously.
Snape examined the substance in their cauldron dubiously.“It appears that you have done this perfectly.Five points to Slytherin.”
“What about Gryffindor?” asked Harry angrily, waking up enough.
“Malfoy was the only one whom I saw doing any work,” Snape said coolly.“Since you are finished, you may leave.”
They quietly packed up their things and left.Harry could feel Ron glaring at him as he left with Malfoy.Ron was probably annoyed that Harry had got to leave early and he hadn’t.He would have to make it up to Ron later.Right now he was too tired to do anything but collapse somewhere and sleep for a few hours.He’d set an alarm spell, so he’d be woken up in time for afternoon classes.
“Are you all right?” asked Malfoy quietly, after glancing around to see if anyone was near, and could possibly be listening.“You look rather tired and pale.I don’t want my contact to be sick.It would make things incredibly awkward.”
Harry sighed.Was that all that Malfoy thought about?“Been busy with extra Defense Against the Dark Arts stuff.”
“You’ve been doing that for ages - the entire time I’ve been watching you in fact - so that’s no excuse, Potter.What else is there?”
“All right,” Harry sighed.He suddenly wanted to tell someone who wasn’t a commanding officer.To hell with security.Malfoy would probably be told by Lucius anyways.“I Dreamt last night.”
Malfoy missed the emphasis.“So?I dream every night.Doesn’t make me wander around in a daze.”
“No,” Harry repeated.“I Dreamt.”
“Oh.”Malfoy was silent for a while and Harry leant against the wall tiredly, just letting his mind wander where it would, not really thinking at all.They were standing beneath one of the windows in this corridor, and the sun played tricks on Malfoy’s hair, catching the silvery strands and turning them a pale gold.Sunshine suited him, mused Harry abstractedly, not the night in which he moved so comfortably.He closed his eyes and relaxed in the soft warmth.“Potter?Potter, wake up.”
Harry shifted and opened his eyes as he became aware of someone calling his name.“Hmmm?”
“You can’t go to sleep in the middle of the hallway, Potter,” said the voice, sounding slightly amused, “And you really don’t want to be caught here with me.”
Malfoy.It was Malfoy who was talking to him, asking him to move.“All right, I’m awake, Malfoy.”He opened his eyes properly.Malfoy was standing quite close to him with a concerned look on his face.He could feel the warm gusts of air on his skin as Malfoy breathed.Then he moved away and Harry started to wake up.“I was telling you about the Dream, wasn’t I?”
“Yes.You don’t have to, if you think it’ll affect security.”
He shook his head.“I think I will.We can use it as a test to see how much your - Lucius is telling you.”
Malfoy nodded thoughtfully.“That makes sense.So you’ve decided that you can trust me after all?”
“More or less.They have Bill Weasley.He was disguised as a muggle and got caught within some wards that they were setting up.They know it’s him - they used Cruciatus - and some things about the League, but not who the League is made up of, apart from me, and that’s fairly obvious anyways.”
“Who was it?”
“Pettigrew, Voldemort and....”
“And?” prompted Malfoy impatiently.
“Lucius Malfoy,” said Harry unwillingly.
“Oh.”Malfoy started walking, and automatically, Harry followed him.They ended up on a balcony a few stories up.Apparently he had decided to skip lunch too.“You don’t have to follow me, Potter.”
Harry shrugged.He couldn’t think of anything better to do right now.Somehow sleeping didn’t sound as attractive as watching Malfoy.He was dimly aware that this attitude was because of the said lack of sleep, but that wasn’t really important right now.The wind ruffled Malfoy’s hair as he leant against the balcony edge.Harry slid down the tower wall until he was sitting down, leaning against the wall and watching Malfoy.It was comfortable there, out of the wind.The sun was warm, and if he hadn’t been watching Malfoy he would have gone to sleep.But evaluating Malfoy’s reactions seemed to be very important in this half awake state.
“What?” demanded Malfoy irritably, still looking out over the balcony.“I’m hardly going to throw myself off the balcony just because you told me that Lucius was involved in torturing a Weasley.There’s no need to keep staring at me like that.”
“For a Slytherin, you’re rather fond of heights,” said Harry and clapped his hands over his mouth.Where had that come from?
Malfoy turned around.“What did you just say, Potter?”
Harry looked at him startled, eyes wide.He blushed.“Just ignore it, okay?”
“For a Slytherin, I’m fond of heights?” demanded the other boy.“What, Gryffindors have a monopoly on liking heights do they.”
Harry’s face went even redder.“Just leave it, Malfoy.I’m tired and not thinking straight, okay?”
“Do you ever think straight?” sneered Malfoy.
“I said leave it,” snapped Harry.
Draco sighed, and sat down so that he was facing Potter.Extreme tiredness seemed to do for Potter what alcohol did for other people.Hmmm.This could be fun.The sun glinted off his hair, creating blue-black highlights in what was otherwise stark black hair.The green eyes that haunted his nightmares were dazed and sleepy, but not full of the pain that was always there when he dreamt.“Are you hiding something from me, Potter?”Oh, this was fun.Potter was getting increasingly indignant but for some reason, refused to leave.Draco suspected that it was out of sheer stubbornness, which was much the same reason as why he was refusing to think about a tall red haired man with a dragon’s fang earring and a summer afternoon spent in muggle London.That man, so calm and confident, broken before Lucius and Voldemort?Draco shivered mentally, and chalked up another reason for him to betray the Dark side.Not for Weasley’s sake, but for Salem.Salem had cared for Bill Weasley and the man had loved her.Even if he ignored the fact that Salem more or less cared for every bloody person on this planet, Weasley needed avenging now, too.Draco knew what sort of thing happened in the camp.And a Weasley was a prize.You-Know-Who wouldn’t kill him because of that, but would hold him hostage, so that the League would have to move carefully because they didn’t want him dead.What the League doesn’t realise, Draco thought bitterly, is that he may well prefer to be dead than alive in the camp.He felt someone touching him, warm fingers running through his hair, soft breaths near his face.
“Malfoy?Are you all right?It’s just that you’ve spaced out and I’m not sure whether I should get Madam Pomfrey and have her wake you up, or kiss you.”
Draco snapped back to reality with an abruptness that almost hurt.“Go on, Potter, I dare you.”
Potter grinned triumphantly.“Thought that would work.”
“Huh?”
“Threatening to kiss you to get you out of that dazed state.”
“And do you ever follow up on your threats, Potter?” asked Draco.He wasn’t quite sure where this was leading, but he knew that he wanted something to take his mind off thoughts of death and betrayal and pain.Potter looked at him, brilliant green eyes sparkling with mischief.He was still in that strange state due to lack of sleep, Draco observed dispassionately.Good.That would make this easier.
“Are you sure that you want this, Malfoy?” the other boy asked cautiously, coming closer until their faces were only a couple of inches apart.
“Yes,” snarled Draco desperately.Anything, anything, so long as it buries the memories of broken bodies, of rape, of betrayal and hopelessness and despair.He had to lose himself in something other than what he was, a betrayer and deceiver, a liar and a Death Eater.Had to forget - if only for a short time.
Potter leaned into him, hands braced on the wall beside his head.Lips, soft and gentle caressed his, but it wasn’t enough.He had to have more, to drown out the harsh memories.Frantically, he grabbed Potter’s head and kissed him back, hard.Potter gave a startled gasp beneath his mouth, which Draco put to good use, inserting his tongue, and twining it around the other boy’s.Potter did nothing for a breath or two, and Draco would have thought that he had terribly offended his contact, except that he was too busy investigating every crevice of Potter’s mouth and then Potter was kissing him back and it was hot and heavy and wonderful and right.At length, they drew apart, gasping for air.Draco had somehow ended up sitting on Potter’s lap, with Potter’s head hard against the cold stone of the balcony wall.He had an unfocused look in his green eyes, and there was something different about them.Draco concentrated on slowing his breathing, and had almost succeeded before he realised that the face so near to his own was missing the glasses that customarily guarded all the emotion in the cool green eyes.Well, they weren’t so cool and collected now.In fact, they were quite heated with desire.He drew back slightly further - not too far, can’t leave the heat - and looked intently at him, “Like that did you, Potter?”There was no animosity in his voice as he gasped out the question in between pants.Just intense curiosity and more than a hint of desire.A look that said if it was answered in the affirmative, he would find himself being leapt upon and thoroughly ravished.
“Er.Um,” said Potter with the normal amount of coherence that one would expect from someone who had just been soundly kissed.“Yes.But do you think that you could call me Harry now?It’s just that it’s really weird being called Potter by someone who’s just kissed me.”
Draco froze on Harry’s lap.He couldn’t think of him as Malfoy now.He’d actually been having trouble doing so ever since Draco had become all hysterical and he’d had to kiss him to calm him down then.Harry had a moments warning, a shift in the colour of silver eyes before Draco flung himself on him, kissing him as though there would be no tomorrow.He kissed back.It felt right, this, kissing Draco.His mind shut down and refused to think about the possible ramifications of this act.There would be hell to pay later, but for now, all he could do was kiss Draco desperately, running his hands up his spine and feeling the quiver that went through him when he did.Draco had his hands firmly around the back of Harry’s head, holding him closely to him, as though he feared that Harry might escape.Escape was the last thing on Harry’s mind right now.Investigating the curve where Draco’s neck met his shoulder was far more imperative, and Harry was only too glad to yield to the demands of his body.
Time faded and passed in the glow of the golden afternoon as they kissed and stroked each other.Harry dozed briefly and Draco held him tightly.Neither of them really wanted to face the real world again.It was nice being here in the warm sunshine with each other.They could finally start to get past all that nasty behaviour that they had treated each other to these past seven years.Not that their behaviour could change in public, of course.But in private they could learn about each other without some of the insults that so characterised their relationship.The glow started to fade along with the sun, and Harry sat up in shock, banging his head on Draco’s chin.“Bloody hell!We missed Defense Against the Dark Arts!”