Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or anything to do with it. I make no money from this story, unless personal satisfaction is a currency.
Cheers to all the people still reading! I love hearing your reviews :-D
ps. Sorry I'm a day late, it's a three day weekend here in Aus so I took full advantage of it!
Have an Captivating Weekend!
- GG
Chapter Four: Walking in the Dark
Harry jolted back to himself, gasping for breath. He looked around and felt his panic start to mount.
"Oh, Merlin" Harry whispered, his voice shaking. It had happened again.
He was in one of Lucius' private libraries this time, with no recollection again of how he came to be there. The room was dark, save for the sliver of light that signalled the rising sun through an eastern window. The polished silver clock gleamed, and the heavy sound of its ticking seeming like the only substantial thing in the room.
Harry wrapped his hands tightly around his torso, shivering slightly with his bare feet on the cold marble floor.
"Go away," he murmured "leave me alone." He took a shaky step forward, out of the room. His knees felt unsteady beneath him as though they might give out at any second.
Harry glanced both ways down the corridor, trying to orient himself. He felt the vague urge to cry when he didn't recognise the passageway.
The voice was silent, but Harry felt no easier with its lack of response.
Wrapping his arms tighter around himself, Harry paused then called out hesitantly. "…Dobby?"
He almost jumped at the soft pop beside him.
"Mr Potter,-Snapie sir. What are yous doing here? You needs be resting." Dobby said worriedly, large brown eyes staring up at Harry.
Harry managed a wobbly smile. "I'm, err . . . afraid I got lost Dobby. Could you help me find my room? Please?" he asked softly.
Dobby nodded vigorously, and long spindly fingers quickly wrapping tightly around Harry's hand. With another soft pop Harry was suddenly deposited outside his bedroom door, almost loosing his footing in the process.
He stumbled slightly, arm reaching out to stable himself again the side of the hallway. He groaned lightly, but once his ears stopped ringing he managed to smile once more down at Dobby. "Thanks, Dobby." He said, tired but appreciative "probably would have been wandering around all morning without your help."
Dobby beamed "Dobbys is happy to be of assistance, Harry Potter-Snapies, sir!" Harry was dazedly distracted by the sight of his ears bouncing with delight.
Harry quietly turned the handle on his door. "Night, Dobby. . . thanks." Harry whispered, waving slightly before padding quietly back into his room. He heard the quiet familiar pop as Dobby apparated away again.
Harry's shaky legs carried him to the side of his bed, and he cautiously lowered himself to sit.
He wasn't sure how long he sat there; his breaths oddly rattly, staring out the window as pale yellow light spilled into the sky.
"What are you doing?" he asked the silent room. His only reply the warbling of birds in the garden as they welcomed the morning.
Eventually he slipped back beneath the covers and unconsciousness swept over him once more.
He dreamt of his first year.
Of snakes and dark tunnels. His Dad desperately calling his name, running to find him even as Harry's ribs splintered under constricting coils. He remembered his vision slipping to black as the bright flash of a curse shot towards the creature. The writhing snake and inexplicable searing pain a moment after it slumped to the ground dead. His Dad's desperate hands grasping him, feeling as though his head would burst from the sudden pressure in his forehead. The snakes voice in his mind, hissing the words horcrux and soul over and over again as he slipped into nothingness. And finally, he dreamt of the terror he'd drowned as he opened his eyes to the sterile room at St Mungo's hospital (the school term long since finished). Waking to the echo of a familiar hissing voice. Even as his Dad rushed to his bedside, large hands cupping his face, sheer relief in fathomless black eyes.
The next time he truly woke up, it was to the welcome sight of his bedside table and his wand as it buzzed its seven am alarm. His hands were clamming with sweat as he reached to shut it off.
He hated that dream.
…..
"Dad."
The conversation amongst the adults stopped as Severus turned to see his son smiling at him from the open dining room doorway.
Harry walked across the room, still dressed in his pyjamas, contentedly draping himself lazily along the side of his Fathers chair and shoulder. The perfect height for his (relatively) short stature.
"You're back." Harry said, unnecessarily. Happily leaning almost his entire weight against his Dad's left shoulder, still half asleep.
"Indeed." Severus nodded amusedly, staring fondly at the top of his sons ruffled head. "I trust you have not caused Narcissa or the house elves any undue stress in my absence?" he inquired, a humorous tilt to his lips.
Harry rolled his eyes straightening up so that he stood beside his Dads seat. "No," he drawled, in a rather accurate impression of his Father. "just destroyed a few priceless heirlooms. Nothing major." He quipped sarcastically, a cheeky grin hinted at the corner of his mouth.
Narcissa let out a warm laugh. "He has been wonderful, as always, Severus." She chided.
None of the adult noticed Harry's brief flash of guilt as he was reminded his unintentional morning jaunt into Lucius' private study.
"Hmm" Severus hummed, satisfied. He turned back to his son, dark eyes sweeping over the boys pale drawn face with carefully masked concern. "Late night?" he asked casually.
Harry grunted in reply, not meeting his gaze, already reaching for a fresh apple.
Severus' eyes shot over to Lucius, where his friend had been sitting, watching calmly. A brief look of apprehension passing between them at Harry's physical appearance.
Severus was delayed from inquiring further when the door opened once more to admit Draco. The blonde wandered forward, with grey sleepy eyes half closed and his hand raised to obscure a jaw cracking yawn. The young teenager was already reaching blindly forward for the tea pot, fixing his earl grey with a squeeze of lemon. It wasn't until his was several sips in that his eyes cleared of sleep enough to greet his companions, all of which were watching his entrance.
"Morning Mother, Father, Harry, Sev." He nodded towards them absently.
"Draconis" Lucius murmured with amusement at his sons behaviour.
Draco, hearing the tone, quickly straightened sheepishly. Making an conscious effort to look more alert.
"All packed, Dragon?" Narcissa inquired mildly, delicately plucking a fresh seaberry from the bowl.
"Mmmm" he hummed in confirmation, fingers curling around his cup. "We packed last night. I'll double check mine after breakfast, but I believe it's ready to shrink." He replied, stretching his arms forward slightly.
Severus turned to look at his son. "I trust you have completed the task as well, Harry?" he inquired.
"Mmmm" Harry confirmed, slowly eating his way through the apple. "Everything but my broom and kit, they're still out in the tack shed." He replied.
Draco scowled. "Not like we'll be needing them. I heard from Blaise that Quidditch is banned this year, all because of that stupid Triwizard Cup." He muttered petulantly, still miffed that he himself wasn't old enough to enter.
"Indeed. It was the decision of the headmistress and Board to put this years Quidditch season on hold, though Rolanda will be continuing classes as per usual for the younger grades." Severus confirmed the rumour, much to their horror and disgust.
"Barbaric." Harry grumbled quietly to himself, eyes fixed on the toast he was slicing.
Severus looked over at his son with amusement. "I'm sure you will both survive a year without the sport." He drawled.
Narcissa nodded, the sunlight shining off her white blonde hair. "Besides," she added "there is no reason why you should not be allowed to fly in your spare time. Perhaps you could organise some smaller scale matches between the houses?" she suggested.
Both Harry and Draco perked up slightly at the idea.
"Should organise some two on two games, get all four houses up in the air at once." Harry added contemplatively, warming to the idea.
"I don't think that's what my wife meant by small scale." Lucius murmured idly, busy reading the paper.
The boys went on discussing semantics, but Severus was distracted. His son was unwell. Though breakfast helped slightly, his skin still appeared too pale and clammy. And the dark bags under his eyes troubled him. Even his hands seemed slightly unsteady this morning.
He knew something had changed. As recent as this Summer. It troubled him that Harry had yet to come to him about it.
"Andromeda will arrive at nine o'clock for another scan before you go to Hogwarts, Harry." Severus told his son quietly.
Harry's eyes darted up to his Dad's, green eyes confused and surprised. "I thought she said I was almost back on track?" Harry said, referring to his height and weight. It had taken a few years (so as not to put too much strain on his body), but Harry was finally catching up to his year mates. Thanks in large to Severus' detailed potions regime and Andromeda's advice. He would still likely be the shortest out of the blokes in their year, but at least he'd be taller than some of the girls.
Severus nodded. "You are" Severus reassured his son. "She just wanted to check your bone density again before I start brewing the next round of potions, you've grown a lot over the summer." It wasn't technically a lie. Andromeda did indeed want to recheck his scans before the term started, but the truth was that they intended to cast a form of containment spell. It was by no means a permanent solution, but they hoped to at least slow the integration and growth of the soul fragment any further. They were close to an answer, just needed a little more time to make sure it was viable.
Severus felt the stirrings of guilt, wondering yet again about their decision to keep the full situation from his son. But the truth was that they had no idea how Voldemort's soul would react upon discovering their plans, and the risk was too great to Harry to chance it.
Harry was looking up at his Dad, gazes meeting for a moment. "Sure." He shrugged, complying easily to the request.
The conversation moved on around the breakfast table and soon Harry and Draco were outside, wandering across to the Quidditch tack shed near the pitch.
The room was small (for the Malfoy Manor), made of arching timber beams and polish stone. Harry had always been quite fond of it since it smelt of broom wax and pine. He looked around the room as they walked in. As always, there were gorgeous antique brooms stored carefully along the walls. Of so many different sizes and wood that Harry's fingers ached to take each down and fly them up through the air. Sometimes he swore the feeling was because the brooms themselves longed to once more be in the sky. The shed was also, thankfully, spelled to stay warm and dry no matter the weather outside.
"I think they know about your dreams." Draco said, face forward as he reached up to pull his broom down from the hook.
Harry paused, looking away from the brooms and towards his friends back in slight surprise. His shoulder slumped. "Yeah" he agreed softly, moving forward to collect his own broom. Harry looked down at his carefully oiled broom, fiddling with the tail as he straightened some of the twigs "Probably should have told them." He admitted guiltily.
Draco hoisted his broom over his shoulder as his grey eyes carefully watched his friend. "Sev would know if we should use the charm. To record them." He said suggested to Harry.
Harry straightened up, sending a brief rueful smile at Draco. "Reckon your probably right." He agreed. But in the back of his mind he was dwelling on his other secret, his throat feeling tight and uncomfortable. He knew he needed to tell them, but doubts niggled in the back of his head, and by this point he didn't even know if they were his own or not.
He needed to speak to Madam Pomphrey. Then he'd decide.
Harry followed his friend back towards the Manor, telling himself this was the most logical solution. He'd tell his Dad if or when his own plans fell through.
He hoped that would be enough.
