Nied is Not Enough

Chapter 15

The two men stood next to their table for several minutes, just holding each other. Draco whispered something inaudible into the room and soft music began to emanate from the floor. Harry remained tightly wrapped around the blond as the two began swaying back and forth. Draco moved his hands up and down Harry's back, pressing his fingertips into the tingling skin.

Without saying a word, the men continued swaying, feeling each other, breathing each other, holding each other.

Harry finally loosened his hold on Draco and pulled away only far enough to look into his face. He studied every line and curve, every eyelash. He considered the shape of Draco's mouth and eyes, how the smirk he was so used to made the corner of Draco's left eye squinch up a bit.

Draco looked at him with a bit of confusion, and then realizing what Harry was doing, let his smirk spread into a full grin. "What is it, love?"

Harry looked into the hazel eyes and shook his head. "You are so beautiful, Draco. Just...beautiful."

Draco dropped his grin slightly, planting a sweet kiss on Harry's forehead. He pulled away again and looked at Harry. "I know."

Harry immediately stopped swaying and cocked his head to the side in disbelief of this supercilious git. Draco broke into a full smile at the look on Harry's face. He cocked his head back and began laughing. Harry pouted for just a moment before he couldn't contain his own laughter.

Draco threw his arms around Harry's neck, squeezing him tightly. "You made me this way. I was perfectly fine the way I was before you filled me with Gryffindor..."

Harry slapped Draco's arse in retort before he could finish the sentence. "Let's get out of this place, okay?"

"What, without dessert?" Draco stuck his bottom lip out just slightly.

It was a few minutes past nine when the two men left the restaurant. As they walked past the long table, Harry smiled at the same woman from before. He winked at her as he kissed Draco on the neck. Harry heard a muffled "oh, dear," as they reached the foyer. He couldn't help but grin a little.

The cool city air was quite refreshing after the heat of the restaurant. The two men walked a few blocks before anything was said. Both were relishing being near each other after the meal they had shared.

"Do you still want to go dancing?" Draco asked without turning to Harry.

"Do you?"

"I thought I'd be nice and ask you instead of forcing you because of our little, ahem, bargain." Draco stopped walking and turned to look at Harry. He reached up and brushed a small bit of hair from Harry's forehead. "Actually, I took the bargain charm off before I set the Praesum loose on you."

Draco moved his eyes from Harry's forehead to the sky behind him. Harry raised his eyebrow questioningly and was about to say something when Draco grabbed him by the arms and spun him to the side. A large tawny owl was heading directly toward them and dropped a parchment into Draco's outstretched hand.

Harry read over Draco's shoulder.

Harry and Draco:

We need you here immediately. Something has happened in your House. Please hurry.

Hermione

The two men looked at each other for just a second before apparating to the front gates of Hogwarts. A frost covered the grounds, leaving a brittle white mantle. In the hollow air of the night, the pop of the men apparating echoed off the old stone walls of the castle. They ran in near silence to the front doors; the only sound being the slight crunch of gravel beneath their feet.

As the doors to the main hall swung open, Harry could feel a strange energy emanating from the floor which made him stop in his tracks. Draco was nearly at the dungeon corridor before Harry snapped out of it to follow. He stepped carefully trying to determine what kind of energy it was. It felt almost electrical, but not quite. The hairs on the back of his neck stood out, but the crackle of electricity was not present. He walked slowly through the entry hall, gathering as much as he could about the energy. It seemed a combination of both dark and light: a strange swirling of the two, neither fighting to be stronger, nor content with the other.

"Mr. Potter..." Harry nearly jumped out of his skin as his own name echoed throughout the entry hall. He spun in all directions trying to find the speaker. Standing on the landing between the first two staircases amidst an eddy of billowing black, was Severus Snape.

"I see that rules still somehow do not apply to you." Severus sneered down his nose at the man before him.

"What the hell are you doing here, Snape?" Harry let out a slight sigh of relief and began walking toward the Potions Minister.

Severus whipped his robes out of his way and began the last flight of stairs down. "I think the more appropriate question is 'why were you not here' Mr. Potter." As he reached the bottom step, he shook Harry's hand and Harry clapped him on the shoulder.

"I was...we were...Draco and I..." Harry really couldn't answer. "What happened?"

"Walk with me, Potter." The two men started toward the dungeon corridor. "It seems as though a student in your house finds it highly amusing to terrorize teacher's private rooms."

"Was it that Wolfe kid?" Harry let out a sigh of frustration.

"Ah, aah, Potter. All Slytherin students are precious and shall not be referred to as 'that'."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Listen, Snape, that kid was a sweetheart when she first got here. After being sorted into Slytherin, I've had nothing but problems with her."

Severus merely scoffed at the suggestion that Slytherin made the child behave the way she did. He mumbled something about letting a Gryffindor take over his house...ruins everything...

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe it's not the house itself, but someone in the house? You, perhaps?"

"Why would she have a problem with me?" They were almost at the Slytherin Dungeons entrance. The energy was slowly returning to normal but with the current conversation, Harry felt nearly as uncomfortable as he did before.

"Well, she's your...student. Why don't you speak to her? Maybe she could give you some answers." The two men waited for the entrance to swing open.

As they entered the hallway, Harry saw three professors standing around the entrance to his rooms along with the Slytherin Prefects. If they spoke to him, he didn't hear. He was too focused on seeing what had happened in his private quarters. They all stepped out of his way and allowed him to enter.

His rooms were a mess. Books were thrown everywhere, parchments tossed on the floor, furniture ripped apart and photo frames smashed on the floor. Harry looked around at the devastation in utter disbelief. There was no way a student could have done this; no way could a student have gotten through his wards to begin with. Hermione.

He turned to face the professors at his doorway. On cue, the Arithmancy Professor stepped through the small crowd to face her friend. "Harry, I'm so sorry..." she trailed off.

"What the hell happened here?" He didn't know quite how to react to his old friend. She gave a weak smile and closed the door to the people in the hallway.

"Please sit with me for a moment, Harry." She drug her feet through the mess of papers on the floor toward the wingback chairs near the fireplace.

Harry looked around the room, still in disbelief at the mess his rooms were. Magic clung to the walls and his belongings, every once in awhile sending a book off the shelf or another piece of parchment flailing through the air. He sat carefully in the chair, staring at Hermione in expectation of some answers.

"Harry...I'm so, so sorry for all of this." Hermione looked pleadingly at him. "I wanted some answers so I called Morgan in here to speak with her."

"Where was Ron?" He asked looking at her slightly hurt.

"Ron and I, well, let's just say, he's in trouble with me right now and I sent him back to his rooms."

Harry nodded once.

"I wanted to tell you about the Wolfe women before you left, Harry. They are powerful witches. Even at such a young age..." Hermione seemed to be skirting the issue at hand. She looked around the room again and shook her head in incredulity. "Okay, so I asked her to come in to speak with me for a few minutes. She begrudgingly agreed, saying she had a lot of studying to do, but would speak to me for a few minutes. Harry, this child is, I don't even know how to explain the anger she holds her little body."

A few more books gave their last effort to fling off the shelves. Out of frustration, Harry stood and held his hands to the room. He closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating on removing the magic Morgan placed there. The books and parchments gave a slight tremor on the floor before suddenly flying back into their rightful places. Hermione ducked under the flying books, squeaking as the air around her caused her hair to fly every which way. The chair she was sitting on mended itself as did the other wing back. Harry's candles stood straight and relit themselves. Within minutes, Harry's sitting room was back to normal. The magic Morgan used was sliding down the walls like heavy water, dissipating throughout the floor and back into the earth.

After everything was in its rightful place, Harry sat and faced Hermione again. She smoothed her hair down while she stared at Harry in trepidation. "I, erm, I asked her if there was anything she wanted to talk about. She said no. I asked her if her classes were going okay and she said they were fine, except for Defense Against the Dark Arts. I asked her why and she wouldn't answer. I asked if she sent the bludger at you the other week. Harry, I swear, if I had known what was going to happen, I would have just left her alone." Her eyes began to swell up with tears as she continued.

"Morgan started breathing really hard and her eyes changed to all white. Her hair stood up starting at the ends, it was really frightening. She started yelling things like 'I hate him! He killed my mother! I want him dead!' and other things like that." Hermione was almost shaking at this point. Harry reached his hand across to sooth her.

"Then she started moving her hands and arms like she was having a fit of some sort and everything flew around the room. Harry, I felt like I was in the middle of a tornado. This kid had everything flying around. I didn't know how to stop her and something hit me and knocked me out. I'm so sorry." She bent her head and sobbed into her hands.

Harry moved from his seat and kneeled in front of Hermione on the floor. He put his arms around her and held her close. She kept sobbing on his shoulder. Harry searched his mind for answers to why Morgan would do this to his rooms. Why did the child hate him so much? He met her mother only once at the train station.

There was a quiet knock on the door and Harry let loose of Hermione. She wiped the tears away from her cheeks and straightened her robes. He smoothed down her hair and walked to the door. The Headmaster stood in the doorway, leaning on his staff. "I was wondering if you'd like to join me in a walk to my office, Harry." His eyes were sparkling behind his glasses, which frustrated Harry beyond belief at this particular moment. He looked over Harry's shoulder at Hermione. "Professor Granger, if you would be so kind as to allow Professor Weasley to accompany you back to your rooms."

She let out a huff of air and brushed past the two men into the hallway. Ron immediately put his arm around her shoulders and after a moment of smugness and frustration, she gave up she leaned into him. They disappeared through the entrance. Harry and Dumbledore followed shortly after.

"Harry, I know this must seem quite confusing to you. But I placed you as co-head of Slytherin for a reason. Do you remember?"

Harry thought back to the evening after the first staff meeting in the Headmaster's office. He remembered Dumbledore saying, "that child needs the both of you." He hadn't given it much thought. Harry supposed he didn't even remember who Dumbledore had been talking about.

Harry hadn't been paying much attention to the walk; he was focusing on his memory of that first night at Hogwarts and the child in question. Dumbledore must have led them on a shortcut because before he knew it, they were standing at the entrance to the Headmaster's office.

A baby Fawkes chirped at Harry from his stand. Harry moved to scratch the small phoenix under the new beak. "Nice to see you too, Fawkes." It was the first thing he said since speaking with Hermione earlier. His throat felt dry. The Headmaster must have known because as he turned around, a cup of tea was floating in the air by his head. That man...

"Please sit down, Harry," he said as he motioned to a large puffy purple chair. Harry scuffed his feet along the floor and finally sat facing Dumbledore.

Harry made a motion as if he was going to speak, but Dumbledore held up his hand. "Before you say anything, Harry, I must let you know that Morgan will be dealt with accordingly. Butter toffee?" He held out a dish to Harry, who politely declined. "She is a very confused and hurt child. I had hoped you and Professor Malfoy could have worked this all out by now. It seems, though that more time is needed."

Harry had absolutely no idea what the Headmaster was on about. What did he and Draco need to work out and what did it have to do with Morgan Wolfe? "I don't understand, Headmaster. What needs to be worked out?"

Dumbledore tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling. "Sometimes, Harry, the answer is so close we can't see it. But for now, I think it best for you to be off to your rooms to think some things over. You might look to your...Professor Malfoy for some help."

Harry set his teacup down on the Headmaster's desk a little rougher than he probably should have, spilling tea on the wood. He turned and swept from the room without another word. As the door closed behind him, he clenched his teeth together. He should know by now, that Dumbledore generally speaks in riddles, never giving him the entire answer, but leading him in the right direction. Oh, the frustration that man causes. Harry rubbed his eyes and set off toward the dungeons.

As he walked, he tried to figure out what the Headmaster had been talking about and searched for Draco through their link. He found Draco in the hospital wing and decided to seek him out. After three flights of stairs which moved every time Harry stepped foot on them, he made it to the landing he was looking for. He followed the corridor and heard voices carrying through the air. He slowed, trying not to make any sound as he approached the open door.

Morgan was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest on a bed half-way through the wing. Draco sat at the end of her bed, hunched over. Severus stood on the opposite side of the bed, arms folded, looking back and forth at the two of them.

Draco looked at the child in front of him and spoke softly. "I don't understand, Morgan. Harry had nothing to do with what happened."

"I don't care what you say. It's his fault my mum is dead. It's yours, too." She dropped her face to her knees.

"One minute, you silly girl... you know that neither of these men had anything to do with your mother's death. It was her choice to make. Not theirs." Severus' tone was harsh.

"What do you know, any way? I can't trust you. You just waltz into my life announcing that you're my Godfather and, and, and..."

Godfather?

Draco looked at the girl harshly. "Morgan Imani, do not speak to him that way."

Morgan Imani?

The two blonds stared at each other intensely. In the dimly lit room, Harry noticed their profiles were extremely similar.

"Speaking to this child is no use, Draco. I suggest leaving her in my care until this gets settled."

Draco ran his hands through his hair, leaving it a bit ruffled. "Would you give us a minute, Severus?" The Potions Minister turned abruptly and stormed to the back of the infirmary to stare out the window.

Harry moved a bit in the doorway to get a better view of the two on the hospital bed. He was trying to figure out everything going on, none of it making any sense whatsoever. Draco moved closer to the child. She scooted further away from him.

"Just leave me alone!" she shouted and began sobbing inconsolably.

Morgan's shoulders jerked with the sobs. Draco reached his had toward her, placing his palm on her head. She swatted his hand away and he put it back. She stopped trying to get away from him and let him smooth down her hair. He carefully moved closer to her again, tentatively resting his arm around her shoulders. Without notice, she leaped from her position at the head of her bed and wrapped her arms around his neck. Draco placed one hand on her back and the other cradled her head against his shoulder. He rocked back and forth on the hospital bed.

"Shhh, shhh. It's okay, love. We'll figure it out. I promise..."

Harry had unconsciously moved fully into the doorway to watch the unfolding scene. The confusion was obvious in his face. He wasn't quite sure whether to step into the room or turn and leave. This moment of intimacy...between adult and child, between Draco and Morgan...between...

A dark shadow moved in front of him snapping him from his thoughts. Strong hands were wrapping around his shoulders, forcing him back into the hallway. He let out a chirp of protestation and caught Draco's eyes from the across the infirmary before being fully pushed into the corridor.

"Mr. Potter, I do not believe you were invited. You need to return to your rooms and Draco will speak with you shortly." Snape was much stronger than he looked as he easily pushed Harry backwards through the dimly lit hall.

"I am not a student any more, Snape...I want to know what the hell is going on here! Stop ...pushing..me..Severus...stop!" Harry was beyond annoyance. There was no reason for him, in his mind, to not know what was going on.

Severus pushed Harry up against a wall, holding his shoulders back. Harry hadn't seen this side of Snape in years. The cool, controlled outer appearance was nearly going to give way to the churning ball of fervent man that was Snape. Harry had seen this man release himself one too many times during the war; he was not about to let himself be target of that fire. Harry let out a stifled huff and relaxed against the wall.

"Thank you, Potter. Now, listen to me. Draco will tell you in his own time what the cause of all of this is. Until that time, you need to back off and let. him. be."

In the past, Harry was quite able to tell when Severus Snape was blowing steam. This was not one of those times. His dark glare was deep and threatening.

"How am I supposed to let this go? Draco and I have gone through too much for me to just walk away..." he said injuredly.

Snape removed his hands from Harry's shoulders, allowing the ex-auror some space. He kept his eyes locked with Harry's, however. "I am not asking you to do any such thing. All I am asking..."

Harry cut him off before he could finish. "What did she mean, 'her Godfather'? And why is Draco calling her 'love'?" His eyes were pleading with Severus, and his tone was distressing.

Severus let out a hard breath. "Harry, he will tell you when he is ready. It is not my place to tell you anything. I have no wish to keep you in the dark about any of this. It is not worth my time. I did, however, make an oath to Mr. Malfoy and I fully intend to keep that oath. Now go to your rooms and continue with your life until Mr. Malfoy is ready to discuss this further with you. Now, GO."

Utterly defeated and more confused than he started, Harry walked down the corridor with fallen shoulders. He was persistent in trying to speak with Draco through their link, but Draco had shut him out completely. It felt as though Hagrid was sitting on his chest. His heart struggled to beat and his lungs would only allow so much air in. He couldn't understand why on earth Draco would want to keep anything from him. They had shared so much, shown each other so many parts of their lives.

The walls of the castle seemed colder to Harry. The paintings were dark and unmoving. Harry trudged down the staircases, which seemed to relate to his heaviness by staying still. He wondered how in a place so filled with life, he could feel so utterly alone.

As Harry reached his rooms once again, physical exhaustion swept over him. His thoughts were wild but his body was barely able to move. Not a trace of Morgan's magic was in his rooms, but he felt something odd as he sat facing the fireplace: something was definitely missing. He scanned the bookshelves, his desk, the coffee table, the mantle...

The physical exhaustion temporarily forgotten, Harry leapt to his feet. Voldemort's skull was most definitely not in its spot on the mantle.