I'm sorry this chapter took so long to get up, but it was giving me some serious trouble. I hope you like it!
Disclaimer: Blah blah, not mine.
Warnings: This story contains slash, time traveling, truancy. If any of those offend you, don't read on.
Please Review!
Pretty Please!
A Few Months Ago
And A Week Later
Harry dressed in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt that actually fit, unlike the clothes his relatives had provided him with, and paused for a moment to enjoy not looking like a vagabond or a cold hearted wizard. He put on a baseball cap and a pair of flip flops. He had to sneak into the Chamber of Secrets and break into Slytherin's suite to find a transfigurable material. He was never going to ask the Dursley's for anything and he couldn't be sure that the Goblins wouldn't immediately report his presence to Dumbledore. He had half hoped to never return here, never take up this mask again, but just being in this time again was enough to make him remember everything here he loved. However, he was not about to forget what he had left behind. While riffling through the long forgotten quarters, he had found a note that brought back everything he missed in an unexpected rush.
Pendry,
My friend, I hope this letter finds you happy and healthy. I am old now. The days seem longer than ever and I know that soon I will not awake for the day. I hope this letter finds you soon upon your return so that I can immediately ensure there is no doubt in your mind as to much we all love and admire you. I have designated you as my heir. Age did little for my sister's son and he is comfortable enough living off his father's wealth. I could not endure these last days peaceable while there was still some doubt in my mind as to whether or not you were secure in your future. Take care, my friend. I wonder which of the stories are true. What waits for me when I can no longer open my eyes? If but there is a possibility, you will have whatever I can offer you from the beyond.
Affectionately,
Salazar
Harry had sat on the floor of Salazar Slytherin's office and cried until his head pounded and his mouth was dry. Then he began to wonder. Why would Salazar make him his heir? Salazar knew Pendry would not want for money in the future. There had to be something else. He had no immediate answers.
And then he had begun to plan. A sharp pang of loneliness had struck him as he wondered where he could go. He was not ready to deal with The Order yet, and nothing could make him return to his relatives willingly, but he did not feel inclined to hide in the Chamber until the new term began and he desperately wanted to see someone, anyone.
Hermione. He could go see Hermione.
That idea brought him to the predicament he now found himself in. He had no doubt Hermione had understood the letter he sent her through the muggle post, there was a chance the Order was watching her house and monitoring her owl post, but Harry doubted they'd think to monitor her muggle post. He had no doubt she would do as he asked, but as Harry began to dress in the muggle clothes he had transfigured, he wondered if he could fool to Order. Despite everything he had learned, stealth and trickery had never been at the forefront of his talents.
Harry gently touched the locket under his shirt and spared a moment to wonder how Lucius was faring before gathering his courage and steeling his conviction to go and see Hermione.
A little before half past nine he apparated a few streets from Hermione's house and walked the rest of the way. As he approached her house, he stopped to stare for a minute. He could hear the music from the end of the driveway. People were loitering around her house drinking from plastic cups. Harry approached the front door and was almost hit by the scent of alcohol. He mentally made note of Mundungus Fletcher and Nymphadora Tonks disillusioned across the street. He entered the house and found Hermione waiting in the front hall. She looked tired, reclining against a wall with a plastic cup in her hand. Her face lit up and she screamed in delight.
Harry stopped and stared at her for a moment in surprise. She hesitated, a moment away from throwing herself at him. He'd never seen her so pale before. But she smiled.
"Hey you."
He chuckled.
"I was worried about you. Are you okay? Where were you?"
He swept her into a tight hug, "Mione."
Her awkwardness faded away and she took his hug as an invitation to cling to him fiercely. She wrapped her arms around his torso and he gently rubbed her back. He worried for a moment that she was crying, but she stepped back and he saw her cheeks were dry although her eyes were a bit watery.
"You okay?"
She raised an eyebrow, "Me? Are you okay?"
He nodded, "Yes."
She let out a short sigh and seemed to lose a lot of the tension in her shoulders.
"The Order's watching my house. Ron's too. They think one of us must have helped you go wherever it is you've been this past month. I'm glad you're back. They were starting to interfere with my summer study plans, interrupting all the time."
He gaped at her for a moment, before grinning, "Forgive me?"
She smiled, "I was never angry."
They paused for a moment as the music changed and a loud cheer came from the living room turned dance floor.
"Do you know all these people?"
"Most of them. I don't know who brought the alcohol, though. My parents are probably going to have coronaries when they see this."
"They won't be angry?"
She laughed, "Shocked, I think. I'm half surprised the Order hasn't barged in yet and put a stop to it."
Harry laughed, "Oh, I missed you!"
She squeezed his hand, "I missed you too. Do you have a place to stay until term starts?"
He nodded, "Yes, I'm fine. I just wanted to see you or Ron. I thought I'd have a better chance of not being caught by the Order than if I went to the Burrow. I'm not ready to deal with them."
"Because you're still so angry at the Headmaster?"
Harry tilted his head, "Come again?"
"Harry, you may fool Dumbledore and the Order and maybe even Ron with your calm, polite attitude, but this is me. You haven't forgiven Dumbledore for what happened to Sirius."
Sirius. Harry swallowed thickly. It had been awhile since he'd thought about his godfather and ever longer since there had been anger or guilt associated to the memory.
"We all make our own choices and have to life with them accordingly. Despite everything that happened…. All the poor choices and the mistrust and the fear within the Order…Sirius joined a militaristic organization. He knew the risks. Bellatrix-" he hesitated for a moment, "He was murdered by Bellatrix. She killed him. The circumstances aren't really relevant in assigning blame."
She blinked in surprise, "You…"
"What?" he questioned.
"You're different," she finished hesitantly.
"Yes," he admitted freely, "More so than you can imagine. I will tell you, I will tell you all of it, Hermione. It may be hard for you to accept. I still care about you. I still want us to be friends."
"Hey," she met his eyes squarely, "We will be, Harry. When will you tell me?"
"I'll show you whenever you like."
"Show me? Okay. How about now?"
Harry cupped her face with his hands and pressed his forehead to hers. The world around them peeled away and everything became dark and calm. Hermione kept her eyes focused on Harry's.
"What is this?" she whispered.
"I've brought you into my mind. I want to show you something's," he slipped his hand into hers, "I'm going to move my face away. Don't let go of my hand, okay?"
She squeezed it tightly, "I won't!"
The fierceness of her grip and tone made him pause, "Am I scaring you?"
"I'm nervous. Harry, this is so strange. I don't understand how you can do this, but I'm not afraid of you."
Harry took a step back and smiled at her, "That's my girl. If you are prepared…"
She nodded confidently, "I'm ready."
He grinned, "This, Ms. Hermione Granger, is an introduction to what I spent my summer doing."
A room began to form around them. A young man lay on a cot, his skin abnormally pale and his clothes tattered. Everything was still. Hermione was awe struck.
"It's like we're standing a photograph."
And then everything began to move.
The cloth walls of the tent moved as a wind howled outside. The unconscious young man shivered. Two men entered the tent. One was richly dressed, an impressive sword hanging at his side. The other was dressed in simple browns and carrying a small bag and a simple walking stick. They approached the younger man and both studied him for a moment.
"Who is he?"
"You'd do well to respect me, boy," he sneered, but did not take his eyes off the unconscious boy.
"You are not my King, Vortigen, and if you kill me than you have only your dubiously talented soothsayer to figure out your little problem. Who is he?"
Vortigen scowled, "Ask him yourself. Boy, up!" He reached down and roughly shook the young man.
Green eyes flicked open slowly. He gasped in fear and tried to pull away, but Vortigen tightened his already bruising grip. The man in brown watched the situation impassively.
Vortigen leered at the younger man for a moment, "Well, Magician, ask him your questions!"
The young man looked to the Magician, but did not move aside from that.
"Your name, boy?"
"Harry, sir," he whispered.
Vortigen's face clenched his teeth in anger and Harry cried out as his grip tightened yet again. The Magician shot him a withering glare and Harry went silent immediately. The Magician studied him in the following silence. After a moment, Vortigen spoke.
"What are you doing, Magician?"
"You wouldn't understand," he replied dismissively, "Tell me, did you rape him?"
Hermione gasped.
"He belongs to me!" Vortigen snarled, "I am his King! I have a right to his body. It is a fine body, Magician. He will make a nice reward for you, if you complete my task. You'll have no trouble controlling him."
The Magician snorted, "Leave me to speak with him. When I am done, I will do as you ask. You will release him to my custody and we will take our leave."
Vortigen smiled nastily, "We have an accord, Magician," and he stepped from the tent.
"Get up, boy."
Harry stood slowly, avoiding the Magicians gaze.
"Are you injured?"
"I don't know," he replied, "the Soothsayer did something to me so I couldn't escape. I can't wake unless the King commands it."
The Magician scowled, "He is not your King or anyone else's. Never refer to him as such again."
"Yes, sir."
"Don't call me sir. Did he rape you?"
"He tried," Harry admitted honestly, daring to look at the Magician for a moment, "But my magic protected me."
The Magician nodded slowly, "Impressive. So, do you want to come with me?"
"Well, where are you going?"
The Magician raised an eyebrow, "No where specific. Not for a time anyway. I'll treat you a sight better than his lot will and teach you some of my magic, if you like."
"Sure, I'll go with you," Harry agreed, "What's your name?"
"Merlin," he offered his hand.
Harry's mouth opened in surprise. Merlin winked and exited the tent. A moment later his head peeked back in.
"Oh, and seeing as you've traveled in time and all that to get here, you should probably stop telling people your real name. Just a thought. See you in a bit. I've got to go figure out why this bloody castle won't stay up."
The room melted away. Hermione blinked.
"Oh my God. Oh my God! Harry! You-you traveled in TIME? Why? How?"
Harry shrugged, "Who knows. Come here," He moved so they face each other and pressed his forehead to hers again. The blackness peeled away and when Hermione could see clearly she realized they were once again in her house.
"How did you do that? If it was your memory, why wasn't it from your perspective? How did you travel in time? How did you bring me into your mind? This is completely unprecedented? Oh my God, you met Merlin. The actual Merlin," she paused, "He wasn't very friendly, was he?"
Harry chuckled, "I'll explain it and show you more when I can. That will have to do for now."
She shook her head slowly, "Harry, the weirdest things happen to you."
He chuckled, "You don't know the half of it."
She bit her lip, "But it was okay after that? Merlin took care of you? Wait, how long was it for you? It's only been a summer for us, but how long was it for you? You don't look any older than when I last saw you."
He smiled, "Yes, Merlin took care of me. That's all I can say for now."
Hermione looked disappointed and for a moment it seemed like she might confront Harry, but sighed instead, "Okay. Is there anything I can do for you?"
He nodded slowly, "Can you look into something for me?"
"Of course."
"I need to know, very specifically, how Gringotts deals with unclaimed vaults."
She looked a little surprised, but nodded easily, "I can find that out for you."
He grinned, "Wonderful. Well, I'd better be off before The Order catches onto my presence… but it was worth the risk to see you."
A voice with cool amusement spoke from behind Harry as a hand clasped onto his shoulder, "Was it really, Mr. Potter?"
Hermione's eyes widened in surprise, but she calmed as Harry was completely unfazed. His smile never faded and he winked at her.
"I'm not so stupid as you like to pretend you think I am, Professor."
"Mr. Potter…"
Hermione frowned when Professor Snape did not finish his sentence. His dark eyes lost focus and he began to sway from side to side. Hermione's eyes widened.
"Professor?!"
"Hermione, it's okay. I did it."
She did not calm, "Did what? Some kind of confunding?"
"Yes."
"Harry you- you didn't speak. You aren't even holding your wand!"
He nodded, "Yes. I trust you not to tell anyone, Hermione. Not even Ron."
Still awed, she nodded slowly, "Okay."
He placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead.
"Harry…"
Harry drew her to his chest, sliding his arms around her shoulders and holding her in the silence as one song ended and another had yet to begin.
"Are you coming back in school in September?"
Her voice was muffled against his chest, but he was able to understand her anyway. He tightened his grip for a moment and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.
"Yes. I promise."
She nodded slowly, pulling away, "Okay."
He remained there for a moment, smiling, before disappearing soundlessly. Hermione blinked in surprise, but shook her head after a moment. One of these days she was simply going to stop being surprised by her strange friend. Her gaze moved to the Professor. She wondered what she would say to him once the confounding wore off.
"Er, Professor?"
