Can Love Survive...

Harry looked round the room now trying to see where exactly Malfoy could be. It wasn't a big room persay, but Harry knew from experience that looks were deceiving, and the room was prone to sometimes shift round without warning, placing furniture on opposite sides and doors were there were none before. The only thing that really ever remained constant in the room was the entrance he always used to get into the room. He had a feeling that whatever door one used to get inside, was the one that would stay put, so he didn't want to risk going through the other doors just incase the door back to the corridor he knew would shift round and he'd never find his way back again.

The actual furniture remained the same as well even if they were prone to shifting spots. There was a large four-poster kingsized bed with gold and red curtains with the Gryffindor House Crest surrounding it. On one of the walls a bookshelf stretched from corner to corner, floor to ceiling. It was filled with books of every shape, size and type, from light to dark arts, charms to potions, and Harry had quickly figured out that they were very old and probably should be in the restricted section, he knew Hermione would have had loved this room for that alone. A moving ladder made of black iron lattice was the only way to access the top shelves, and it ran acrost the top shelf just like Mr. Ollivander's had in the wand shop.

A large desk made of cherry oak and stained with a reddish colour stood against another wall. It had several drawers in which Harry had found papers written in an odd language, and the ones he could read were beyond what he could understand, so he tended to leave those alone. The top of the desk was littered with candles from the many times Harry had come here during the nights. It somewhat struck Harry a bit that oddly enough, the candles in the wall holders were always lit when he got there, almost as if someone had allready prepared them for him. The extra candles on the desk though helped for the times Harry had needed a quite place to study away from distractions.

On the floor was a huge persian styled rug made of a material Harry never did place. It had a giant lion weaved into it, and the weaver had done the lion justice at that. Regal and proud, courageous and lofty looking, as if the world was beneath this lion. Sometimes even Harry would swear the lion was alive, and watching him, that's how lifelike the lion appeared. On the walls were several other hangings, depicting scenes from battles fought long ago, yet although he'd never heard of them, they seemed awfully familiar. "The Battle of Perth", "The Capture of Loch Morar", "The Retreat of The Tuatha De Danann", "The Capture of Arinagour"...obviously places and people of wizarding history, but Harry had never really taken the time to investigate further.

What Harry liked best about his hideaway was the feelings he had when he was there. He couldn't quite explain it if he would have been asked, but to sum it up best he could, it would be a feeling of peace and tranquility. Understanding. A place where he could stop thinking, stop feeling, stop hurting. He had long since past the point of caring what the Dursley's did to him over the summers, after as many years he'd learned to just stay put and do as told, which made everyone 'happier' allround.

He knew that coming back to school should have been the highlight of the end of summer hols, and every year till this one it pretty much had been. At school he felt safe somehow, he felt like he was home, but this year he didn't feel that way. This was his last year, and every year except for one (that being his 3rd year), he had had to face every form of Voldemort imaginable, from a childhood to an adulthood Voldemort, and frankly he was more then tired of it. He was tired of being what everyone expected of him, tired of playing crusader and showing emotions he didn't feel. Tired of wondring whether or not it would have been simpler these days to just give in and join Malfoy and the other deatheaters and complete his dark side.

Harry knew he had a dark side, no matter how often he tried to fight it, to suppress it, it was there. It was in his nightmares, sometimes even spilling into his waking hours. It was his dark side that had done what he had to Malfoy, had made him lose control like that. It was his dark side that felt the need to pick out and destroy what he couldn't control, like Malfoy and Voldemort. Even if he tried to pretend it was for the 'right' and 'just' reasons, it was a killing instinct none the less.

He would never tell another soul this, but it had taken every ounce of control over himself not to let Remus and Sirius kill Peter Pettigrew back then, that fact was that he wanted to do it himself, but luckily he had stopped himself just in time. The fact that the sorting hat had wanted even to place him in Slytherin, not just because of his link with Voldemort, but because of his own dark thoughts, was enough to make him wonder over the last 6 years if Slytherin was really where he belonged after all.

He had done so much 'good' that the 'bad' things he'd done always got overlooked. Cedric's death was his fault yet they brushed it off as mere bad luck. Voldemort's returning, again his fault, yet nobody blamed him. Cornelius Fudge not believing him even when he tried to give him names and proof, again brushed off because of his being a parseltounge and prone to 'fits and fainting spells', unbelieved because he shared a bond with Voldemort in a sick way.

And now this with Malfoy. Another piece of firewood to add to a burning flame that burned deep within Harry's soul. He could have killed Malfoy, he wanted to kill him, that was what tore him up the worst. He still didn't know what had made him stop right when he did, why the anger seemed to just seep out of him quick as it had started, though he was grateful for whatever it was that had stopped him. This went beyond guilt now, this was just pain, he had almost taken anothers life and would have enjoyed it, perhaps that more then anything else, is what drove him to follow Malfoy when he'd seen his 'dot' move on the map.

Now that he was actually here in the room, he hadn't a clue what he was going to even say to Malfoy when he confronted him. He'd already basically apologized to him, getting a grudging acceptance, so what else could he possibly say to his rival? He glanced round one more time, and realized that Malfoy wasn't even there, which surprized Harry a bit. The room wasn't big enough to really 'hide' anyone, so where could Malfoy be?

A sharp pain from his wrist made him jump, and he glanced down realizing he still had the map in his hand. Looking at it now he realized the 'dot' that was labeled as Draco Lucius Malfoy wasn't in the room anymore a'toll, and even more to his surprize, the map again began to rewrite itself, showing new corridors off from unseen doors. It was down one of these corridors now that the 'dot' was moving, and at a rapid pace too.

Harry walked up to the wall in which the passageway seemed to come from, though no door was in sight. The room had shifted now he noticed, and the wall hanging that had been there moments before he checked the map, that being "The Battle of Perth", was now replaced by the wallhanging "The Retreat of The Tuatha De Danann". The mini Harry in the map had his wand out and a little bubble came acrost with the words "Immorte" and from long experience Harry knew exactly what to do and moments later he was in a long corridor that was lit just enough to be able to see, so off he went.

He came out into another room he'd never seen before, and it was nothing like the room he'd just left. This was a smaller room by far, and the only things within it were an altar on one wall, and a small bookshelf on another. The floor was bare, grey flagon stones that radiated a feeling of coldness, dark stains as well marred the floor, and Harry had a growing suspicion they were blood marks, though he wasn't bout to investigate further. The was a circle of white chalk on the floor as well, as if it had been used in rituals long ago, and in the middle of that circle now was the person he was after....Draco Malfoy.

"M-Malfoy? H-how..did you get here?" Harry asked coming slowly into the moonlight room. The moonlight surprized Harry, for it was the only light within the small room, and even more so that they were apparently now in a turret of one of the castle towers from the shape of the room. Harry knew the room that they'd left behind wasn't anywhere near the top of a tower, so he assumed it had been one of those portal corridors that he'd heard about but never seen.

"Potter. I should have known." Draco said, not sneering, not snide, but in a matter of fact voice.

"How...how did you know about the room...about this place?" Harry said stepping in closer now to Draco, keeping his eyes focused on him.

Draco shrugged. "I just did. One minute I was sleeping in Hospital Wing, the next I was woken up and almost led here. I thought you were behind this." he said, also keeping his eyes on Harry's.

"It wasn't me, I can assure you of that. I didn't even know you were there until I saw you on the map." Harry said, and held the Marauder's Map out to Draco.

Draco eyed the parchment wearily, but took it from Harry. He looked it over and a bit of awe came over his expression. "What is this thing?"

"I told you, it's a map. Normally it shows all of Hogwarts, inside and outside. People are represented as 'dots', and it shows all the hidden passages and passwords as well. My father was one of the ones who originally wrote it."

"So this is how you've been able to get round at nights undetected? Why is it only showing this room though?" Draco asked watching the mini Harry and mini Draco on the map who had moved to stand side by side like Harry and Draco were now doing.

"Yeah, that and something else. What do you mean just this room?" Harry said peering round the edge of the map, and was surprized to see the map had yet again rewritten itself, only indeed showing just the small room they were now in. "Well that's odd..."

"What is?" Draco asked.

"A moment ago it showed the other room, and the secret corridors, but not this room. Now it's only showing this room" Harry said puzzled.

"Maybe it's defunct, after all a Gryffindor did make it." Draco said with a trace of his usual smirking in his voice.

"Sod off Malfoy, it's working perfectly. Maybe it's because you touched it. Give it here Malfoy, it's mine anyway" Harry said grabbing for it back impatiently.

"Didn't need the stupid thing anyway, obviously I got here on my own Potter. Why did you follow me anyway, what business was it of yours? Feeling guilty still?" Draco said this time definitely mocking Harry, and walked over to the bookshelf and leaned against it.

"I'm beginning to regret I did now Malfoy, should have just gone with Remus and Severus." Harry said muttering back not even realizing he had just called them their first names in front of Malfoy.

"Lupin and Snape? What do they have to do with this?" Draco said raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"Nothing, not you're concern." Harry said impatiently. For some reason he was beginning to feel strange in this room, the atmosphere had definitely gotten a bit cooler it seemed, and the room was beginning to feel charged with some type of electricity.

"Just go back to whatever rock you crawled out from Potter. I'd rather be alone anyway." Draco said but noticed Harry wasn't listening. "Go away Potter, just leave." Draco said now in a tight voice.

"You know Malfoy, I'm really getting tired of you telling me what I should and shouldn't do. Maybe you should be the one to leave this time. Maybe it's my turn to be alone." Harry said angrily and walked over to Draco, making a move towards him to turn him to face him.

He didn't get the chance however, for Draco somehow had sensed him coming, and put his arm up to block him. Harry was quicker and with the speed of a well trained seeker, grabbed Draco's arm instead. As soon as they touched however, the same blinding flash of pain took hold of them, white hot like they were on fire, and neither of them could even move to scream in pain.

As quickly as the searing pain started though, it ended, but Harry found he couldn't release Draco's arm even though he had wanted to. It was as if some invisible force was holding his hand, keeping him from letting go, but that wasn't what scared him the most. It was what he felt, and saw, that made his heart stop nearly in his chest, and turn cold as ice. Looking up for a moment to Malfoy, he could see all too clearly that Malfoy was experiencing the exact same thing.

It was as if time was standing still for them both as they watched and felt all this. A red snake was coiling round Harry's body, and a scent of blood, coppery and sweet, began to fill the room as it moved from his waist up to his shoulder. As it started to coil round his arm, he knew then it was blood, for it was leaving a red trail as it slithered to his wrist. The snake stopped there, as if searching for something, and began to sway it's body, emitting a strange tune that barely reached the ears of Harry and Draco.

Neither of them recognized it, yet oddly enough it did sound familiar, but they were both in too much shock to wonder where or when they'd heard it. The snake turned it's diamond shaped head, which was black and not red like it's body, and flicked it's tongue out to Harry's wrist. It took all of 1 second for Harry to realize that the wrist it was on, was the same one in which his scar was. He looked at the snake as it began to prod and poke at Harry's wrist, then gasped when a few moments later the snake slithered into an opening it had made over the scar. Oddly enough this wasn't painful, it tingled, but no more then that.

Draco was the one to next be surprized as a few moments later, the snake's head reemerged, but not from Harry's scarred wrist, but his own. Like Harry, all he had felt was a slight tingling sensation, no pain a'toll. He watched now as the snake began to slither up his own arm to his shoulders, then moved down to wrap itself round his own waist, realizing that a part of it was still attached round Harry's waist and body.

The snake then raised itself to peer into Draco's eyes, then Harry's eyes, and nodded at him as if satisfied it had found what it was seeking. "Yesss...I wasss riiighttt....youuu are the onesss..." it said through it's forked tongue.

Harry of course being a parseltounge understood it, and replied "The ones for what? What do you want?" he said back in parseltongue.

"To finisssh what youuu began allll thossse yearsss ago Harrrry Pottter...." it said.

"I dont understand...what did I begin years ago?" he asked back puzzled.

"Nooot youuu alone...bothh of youuu...."

"You're a snake, not a sphinx, do you mind just telling me rather then giving me riddles?" Harry said back a bit annoyed. If it was one thing he really wasn't in the mood for right now it was puzzles.

The snake seemed to give him a hiss that resembled a chuckle. "Verrry welll Harrry Pottter....I ssshall tell youuu....youu and Draco Malfoyyy made a pacttt yearsss ago....he maaade youuu forget....I wasss sent to reeemind youuu...."

"A pact made years ago that he made me forget? It's not possible, you're imagining things snake." Harry said really annoyed now. He didn't even know Draco Malfoy till he was 11, and he'd certainly remembered anything like a pact made after that.

"Loook closssly at hisss wrisst Harrry Pottter....youuu will sssee I do nottt lie...." the snake said pointing its head towards Draco's wrist.

Harry looked, then stared, the snake was pointing to a mark that Harry knew all too well, it was a replica of the scar on his own wrist. He looked up at Draco, who was more then confused at the exchange between Harry and the snake, not because Harry was speaking to it, Draco knew he was a parseltongue from back in 2nd year, but just on the over all events.

"Malfoy, I have to know something. Where....where did you get that scar on your wrist?" Harry asked in human tongue now.

"I dont know what scar you're talking bout Potter." Draco said trying to keep his voice steady.

"Come off it Malfoy, the scar that conviently has half a snake coming out of it! The same scar that I....." he stopped however unsure.

"That you what Potter?" Draco said looking Harry deep in his eyes.

Harry looked back at Draco just as deeply then said in an odd voice, "The same scar that I've had on my own wrist since I was a kid. That until I started here at Hogwarts or rather until I met you...I had forgotten bout. That scar Malfoy."

Draco didn't respond, only kept his gaze level with Harry's. The snake brought it's head level with Draco's eye's blocking off Harry for a moment and stared deep into Draco's soul. Draco couldn't even blink, he seemed hypnotized by the red eyes of the snake, red eyes that reminded Draco of Voldemort, though these eyes didn't hold malice and hate, but truth and understanding.

He swore then that he was hearing things, for he could hear a silky voice say, "Close your eyes Draco Lucius Malfoy...close them and remember now...remember a time long ago...when you were younger and carefree...remember a bond made...and promises broken...remember...". Draco did indeed close his eyes to the sound, and his mind began to clear, and thoughts he didn't know he had began to flood back to him.

The snake seemed satisfied with this, and turned to Harry, and stared into his eyes now. Like it had done with Draco, it told Harry to close his eyes, and using its serpents magic that had so long ago been bestowed upon him by its master, it sent Harry's thoughts back into the past, to remember what he was then.

When both boys were under its spell, it uncoiled from their bodies, and curled up inside the chalk circle on the floor watching...and waiting. A misty figure appeared then next to it, and if a snake could smile, this one would have. It didn't turn round to acknowledge the misty stranger, but nodded it's head towards the two boys.

"It's done then? They will remember?" the stranger said.

In the same voice it had used on the boys it replied, "It is done. I have renewed the bond by mixing once again their own bloods. Are you both sure this was wise? Gryffindor approves?"

"We started this all those years ago, we will finish it. Our faithful servant Arvin did his job well in making sure the Dursley woman and the Malfoy woman would be at his shop at the same time on the same day. All we needed was for the boys to meet and become friends first, the rest my dear Shihari, was all too easy." the man said a slight grin forming on his lips.

"You both are old fools Salazar, you do know that. They could have died if left too much longer without knowing." the snake said in reproach.

"Since when do you have so little faith in your master? We would not have allowed it. It wasn't time before, now it is." the man said in a tone that meant the servant should not have questioned.

"Take caution Slytherin, these two are strong, stronger then any I have seen. The boy has already turned his face away from what he should have been, and you allow it to be."

"He is worth more alive then dead Shihari. I do not abide by my heir, I do not approve of the methods he uses to control his servants, which is why I allowed it for this one. Their blood is strong because the other is Godric's own, that's all."

"Your heir is not worthy to carry the Slytherin name. But now I am beginning to understand why you and Gryffindor did what you did. Do you really think they will do it?"

"They are the only ones who can Shihari. We just gave them the help they would need to do it is all."

"Careful Salazar, one might think you were going soft in your old age." the snake chuckled.

Salazar sighed then. "Soft? No. Careful, cautious yes. That man is dragging down everything I worked for Shihari, everything Godric, Rowena, Helga and myself worked for. I was young once, like these boys, I wasn't always what they know me as...a destroyer. I see alot of myself in the veela boy, and if I can spare him from becoming what I did, I will."

"We should go. They will awaken soon." Shihari said softly, and wrapper itself round it's masters body, happy and content again.

"You have done well my friend. I have allready informed Godric that it is done. The Tuatha will leave the boys alone. That old fool Dumbledore doesn't realize when not to meddle sometimes." Salazar said frowning.

"His heart is in the right place. Perhaps the De Danann can help the dark one and the wolf, for they too will be needed soon yes?"

"It is irony that what started 1000 years ago by a Gryffindor and a Slytherin should be continued for the first time since then by the same houses from two different sets of people. Perhaps if Godric and I hadn't been as foolish when we were younger, we could both rest peacefully within our graves." Salazar said with a touch of sadness.

"Friendship Salazar is not foolish, nor are the both of you. Gryffindors and Slytherins once were friends, even lovers...so it shall be again. Come master, our time runs short now. Let us go." Shihari said softly.

Salazar only nodded, and gave one last look towards the two boys before master and servant became only misty forms, then vanished completely. The boys would now remember what they had done, though until the time was right, they wouldn't know who or why had caused it to happen. Soon though, soon enough, Salazar and Godric would both get what they wanted, and they would be able to rest once again peacefully and undisturbed where they could forget what evils had happened long ago, and be what they once were in a time before the world had done them wrong.

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Whew...sorry for the delay, had to work a long shift tonight. Do have off tomorrow all day though so I hope for atleast 1 or 2 chaps by nightfall, so do check back! :)

2002-03-15 2:48:54 AM