TITLE: The Seven Wonders of the World
RATING: UPPING THE RATING!!!!! This is now R – Do Not Read if you are NOT mature enough
PAIRING: Harry/Draco
WARNING: This is SLASH. That means two boys getting it on. Don't like it? Don't read it! And if you do feel compelled to read it, don't come whining to me because THIS IS IT! This is your warning! It's SLASH. So if you're bloody offended it's your own damn fault. So there *sticks out tongue*
SUMMARY: A Harry balancing between misery and all-consuming rage, and an (for now) unsympathetic Draco go looking for a mysterious artefact for Dumbledore, hidden somewhere in one of the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World. But they're not the only ones looking for it.
DISCLAIMER: Anthony is mine. Harry and Draco, regrettably, are not.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry this took so long, guys, but I'm trying here! I'm not too sure about Draco's history here, but I decided it hadn't really been done yet (or I haven't read it yet) where Draco actually has a really normal family. So here we go.
Claud, thank you so much for betaing, you are a gift from beyond and I treasure that immensely (we'll make a poet out of me someday!)
ANN: I don't believe it! You reviewed! You read it! *manic evil laugh* And I've almost made you a slasher too….keep reading. We'll get there!
LILLY EVANS POTTER BLACK LUPIN: Now this is the coolest. When people who's stuff I have actually read, have read my stuff, and review it! Thanks for taking the time to review, and I'm keeping it up! *grins*
CHYNA16: I agree, I'm actually not that fond of original characters, and I do get jealous when there is someone else, but jealousy really works in a story. I'm trying to make the chapters longer, cos I'm also planning to post it at FictionAlley.org (if they'll have me) but the length I'm doing now is acceptable, neh? (Dumb question, you'd like the whole story at once, if you could, wouldn't you?) *grins*
WICKED KIWI: As long as you keep reading, I'll keep writing! *grins* Did you know my incredibly Beta Claud said the same thing about Anthony? She really wants to read more about him!!! I'm glad you like him after all, and who knows, maybe he'll come back, either in this story or a different one!
MYLADYOFSONGS: Yay! I'm glad you've got me bookmarked. I'm glad you agree with Harry losing his virginity to Anthony…and Draco hasn't realised it yet! Here's more for you.
EADON: Wow! You seem so enthusiastic…thanks! I'm glad you decided to continue reading, I know when it says Harry/Anthony it can seem a bit off-putting to some. Hope this chapter is long enough for you – and if you can, review again! It's nice to get feedback.
REVIEW: You people inspire me. It's appreciated. But if you don't…there's not much I can do, eh?
******************************************************************************************
Chapter Seven: The Fallen…
For once, no sparkling morning greeted them, when the air cleared. It was dark, and cold. A nasty wind blew around their heads, and in between the gaps of their flimsy tunics. Shivering, they wandered through the streets, which seemed completely deserted.
"Could've done with a butterbeer right about now, eh?" Draco tried, but Harry merely nodded and fell back into his slump.
His head hanging, he followed Draco, not really caring where they went. The happy feeling from yesterday had completely disappeared. He was back in his own empty shell, completely alone with himself and his guilt and rage. He wanted to scream, to cry, to bash his head into a wall so hard that he couldn't remember who he was.
Almost all of his bruises had healed, but emotionally, Harry was an even bigger wreck. 'Nothing really matters anymore' he thought to himself. It didn't really matter if they found this artefact – maybe they had already overlooked it? Maybe Bellatrix would be here and she would kill him. Maybe he would take his wand and damn everybody including himself to hell.
Snarling, he kicked a pebble and listened to it skip across the cobblestone road. He didn't even notice Draco leading them into something that looked like an old-fashioned tavern, made out of stone, with many people laughing and drinking. The atmosphere was light. Cheerful. Frivolous. And Harry scowled.
Men stopped to watch them as they walked past, some leering appreciatively at Draco who seemed very comfortable with the attention. But as soon as they saw Harry they averted their eyes. There was such a sense of despair hanging around him, they felt such emotion, and such a person should not be tampered with. Or even welcomed.
Harry grinned darkly. There was nothing more rewarding when you had a bad mood and successfully spread it. Draco meanwhile was getting them a room. Apparently the money still in his pocket from yesterday proved a rare treat for these people, and they accepted the coins greedily. Knowing that Harry would follow him, Draco made his way to the back houses.
The room was small. Nothing fancy, a window, a bed, something that may have been some sort of desk. A table in the middle. It looked very bleak and white, and Draco hoped they'd only have to spend as little time as possible here. It seemed wherever they had arrived, times were not prosperous. Draco made sure to shove the table against the door in case of intruders. Harry gave him a weird look.
"What are you doing, Malfoy?"
"Making sure we don't get buggered in our sleep, Potter." He waited for Harry to blush, but he didn't. Either he didn't understand Draco's meaning, or he was too tired to respond. Draco looked at the bed again. It was big enough for two people, certainly…but if it was big enough for him and Potter…that was the question.
Harry, it seemed, noticed none of this. His embarrassment from several nights ago had disappeared, and he shimmied out of his slightly stained tunic. Slipping under the covers and murmuring a vague goodnight to Draco, the emotionally drained wizard fell asleep.
Draco stared at him, watching Harry's breathing even out. With his ebony hair contrasting with the white sheets, he looked as if he were drowning in the furniture piece. Scanning his face, Draco noticed that the only reminiscence of any injuries was a slight discolouring of the skin under his left eye.
Harry shivered and shifted, and Draco could have sworn he saw shadows pass across his nemesis's face. Suddenly he felt overwhelmed with guilt. Harry had so much shit on his shoulders, and on top of that, Draco was always trying to antagonise him. It was enough to drive anybody mad, wasn't it? Having never lost a family member, Draco couldn't imagine the suffering Harry must go through every day, remembering Sirius, remembering his death.
Draco scoffed at himself. 'Awww, is you conscience bugging you, Draccy? Are you going to turn…nice?' Draco shuddered. No. He was not nice; he didn't think he was capable of being nice or friendly. He just took without asking, assuming the whole world would accommodate him. Pausing, he mused on the fact that that seemed slightly familiar did it not?
Suddenly Anthony's voice seemed to resound in his head.
No one's asking you to be nice, Draco. No one expects you to be. But think on it…you don't dislike everyone, do you? Draco thought about it. No, he didn't dislike everyone. Most people he didn't give a damn about. Some people he actively disliked…like Harry. But there were others whom he would definitely consider friends.
Pansy. He'd known her forever, and although the girl could overreact at times, she always listened to him. Blaise. Great guy, probably his best friend. Millicent. Bit unfortunately sized but always ready to lend a hand. Dead smart, she was. Vince and Greg…maybe not the brightest crayons in the box but they stuck by him and he had good times with them. His friends. He let a small smile play across his lips as remembered things they did together. They were a tight bunch. So no…not completely inhuman then.
He continued to evaluate his life, whilst climbing on the bed, and snuggling under the sheets. His father. Well…that was difficult. If he hadn't known better he'd think his father was a schizophrenic. Draco was certain his dad loved him. Absolutely positive about it. He had taught Draco to fly, his first few spells, how to play Wizard's Chess. Draco loved his father very, very much. But…he didn't understand him. He didn't understand why he was part of Voldemort's inner circle. He didn't understand why his father held the beliefs he did. He agreed that muggles were completely insipid, but that didn't automatically mean he wanted to massacre the whole lot of them, did it? And his father never laid a hand upon him. He'd spoken harshly to Draco, punished him by making him go to his room, or missing flying practice. But he had never hit Draco. He never said: You must join the Death Eaters. He simply tried to push Draco to achieve his best. Draco firmly believed everybody had a dark side, and he knew his father's seemed to come out a little more often than others. But Draco did look up to his father incredibly, loving the respect that he appeared to garner from everybody. Except Potter.
His mum. Draco smiled. His mum was amazing. She was sweet, and funny, and kind. She hugged Draco when he was feeling down, sent him stuff at school to remind him she missed him, they went on shopping trips together. He'd actually never asked his mum what she thought about the whole Voldemort business. It just never came up.
My parents are good people, Draco thought, and suddenly he missed them like crazy. Softly, he began to crying trying to keep his sobs under control but Harry, who was a light sleeper, woke up anyway. Still caught up in his dark thoughts, it took him a moment to place everything in context.
Draco Malfoy was crying.
Something seemed fundamentally wrong with that, but in his bleary state of mind it took a little longer.
"Malfoy." Draco hurriedly wiped his eyes, and looked defiantly at the smaller boy. Let him say something. He'd be ready.
"Why are you crying?" The tone was neutral, causing Draco to drop his balled fists, and shrug.
"I miss my parents."
This shocked Harry immensely. Draco missed his parents. His mother and his Death Eater father. Draco missed them. Suddenly a little voice snapped at him. What would you know Harry, you haven't got parents, so you don't know what it's like. Pain filled his eyes, and the dark shadows appeared less menacing and more sorrowful. Hesitatingly he patted Draco on the shoulder, in what he hoped was a comforting way.
"We'll be back before you know it." Draco nodded and then seemed to make up his mind about something.
"Potter, I have something to say, and you're going to listen to me."
Harry immediately bristled at what he interpreted as a rude command. Draco shook his head.
"Shit, I meant, please." Harry shrugged and nodded.
"I know you don't like me…" Harry snorted "Potter! You promised to listen." Harry managed to look contrite and waved his hand as a sign to carry on.
"I know you don't like me, and I don't like you. You have certain ideas about my family, especially my father, which, although true, are not the whole picture. I am trying very hard to see things from both sides here. I can understand you don't like him. But he's my father. My father – and he loves me. And I know he does, so you can sit there and look sceptic but it is true, even though you don't understand it. My mum loves me too, Harry. She's a really nice person. She's warm and friendly and sweet."
A strange expression played across Harry's face, but Draco missed it.
"I have friends too. Good friends, friends who stick by me like you have Weasel and the Mu…Granger. I'm not the smartest, but I'm not the dumbest in school. I like Arithmancy. I'm good at Potions but not particularly fond of it. I concede I may be a bit of a snob sometimes…"
Draco swallowed, admitting this was not as easy as he thought it would be.
"…but it's just the way I was brought up. I'm not particularly kind, or nice, Potter. My friends like me because I'm loyal, and they like my sarcasm. I'm a good friend. I like flying – I just can't stand the fact that you're better than I am. I a major overachiever, so I get easily frustrated if somebody beats me at something. I work hard, and my father does NOT buy me my way through school."
Now he sat up straighter, gazing directly at Harry.
"I've never lost a family member, Potter. I can't imagine what it's like. I've never had to live without certain things – they've always been provided for. I've never had to worry whether I was going to live to see tomorrow. My father is not forcing me to join the Death Eaters. I guess…"
Here, he grimaced.
"…that I'm just an average wizard. Well, maybe a little above average, but still. Relatively normal for Wizardry standards. Don't try and change me, Potter, because I am quite satisfied with who I am. I know I'm a bastard to you, but it just adds another sense of stability into my life. I like who I am, I've got ideas for the future, and I'm my own person, Harry. Not my father."
Harry had sat stock-still the entire speech, but now he shifted.
"Why did you tell me all of this, Malfoy?"
Draco looked bemused.
"I don't really know. I used to read you so easily, Potter; knew exactly what you were planning, or thinking, or going to do. Now, I can't anymore, and it bothers me more than I care to admit."
Harry scoffed.
"Are you suggesting we be friends, Malfoy?" Draco looked contemplative then shook his head.
"No. I'm proposing a truce. I don't harass you, and you let me be. And maybe we can grow to tolerate each other?" The last was said with a wry grin, but to his amazement, Harry gave him a small smile back.
"Maybe. Truce it is then." They shook no hands, but it wasn't necessary. Harry went to bed feeling a little lighter, and welcomed the healing sleep again.
Draco put his hands beneath his head and stared up at the ceiling.
'Well…we've made a beginning of sorts. I have no idea where it's going to lead, but it's a start of some sort anyway.'
Then he froze, because Harry Potter had just turned and curled himself completely around Draco in his sleep. And Draco found that yet again, he didn't seem to mind at all.
***************************************************************************************
The next day Draco woke up and it was cold. There was no warm body curling around his own, and the sheets were thin and dirty. He looked up to see Harry standing by the window, looking outside.
"It's raining." Harry said, and his tone seemed to match the dreary weather.
"Well, it'll go with our moods then, won't it?" Harry gave him a feeble smile, and returned to watching the scenery outside. After a quick deliberation, Draco joined him, and together they took note of the view.
Across from them was the harbour, and a huge statue seemed to have fallen in many pieces on the bay. The ruins of the once immense sculpture seemed to have been lying there for a long time. The two boys stared at the colossal image of the broken man, eager to go exploring.
"I can't wait to examine that!" Draco said, and Harry nodded enthusiastically, but then added.
"I'm not too keen on getting wet though – let's wait till the weather gets better." Draco nodded, and they spent the next few hours sleeping or thinking. Harry in particular looked extremely pensive at times, and more than a few times, Draco was about to ask him what was on his mind.
Slowly dusk fell, and neither boy had yet emerged outside. Then, as if some unspoken signal had been shared, both boys got up from their position in the room and stepped outside. They went through the backdoor, and out onto the darkening street.
It was misty, and the large cobblestones were still slippery from the rain. An eerie glow seemed to emanate from the lit windows of neighbouring houses. Harry shivered in his skimpy tunic, cursing himself for not yet having thought of changing his clothes.
As the boys drew nearer to the statue, they saw a small light appearing and reappearing at different places around the ruin.
Harry wanted to step forward to investigate, but Draco pulled him back. When Harry glared at him he scowled and said,
"Look at that light, Potter. What does it remind you of?"
Harry stared intently at the almost bluish glow coming from the distance. Squinting a bit, he racked his brains where he had seen that light before.
"It looks like light from a wand. Lumos!" He whispered and his own wand emitted the same blue shine as the gleam from between the pieces of broken statue.
Poised to attack, Harry turned to Draco.
"I don't…it doesn't feel like her…but…I may be wrong. I need to know…" And before Draco could do anything about it, Harry Potter ran into the direction of the light.
******************************************************************************************
Draco cursed. He had no choice but to follow Harry, and swearing profoundly about Gryffindors and their moronic act-first-think-later policy, he hurried after Harry's rapidly disappearing figure.
The mist swirled around Draco as he tried to keep his eye on Harry. Thinking angrily about what he would say when he caught up to him, he suddenly found he couldn't see Potter at all anymore. Stopping, he glanced left and right, but the impenetrable mist revealed none of her secrets to Draco.
"Potter?" There was a slight tremor in his voice. Draco was not particularly brave; he had never needed to be, with Crabbe, Goyle and his parents always there to protect him. But now the silent night reminded him he was centuries back, in a country he did not know, with a Death Eater on their heels, and the better fighter of the two had just gone missing.
"Harry?" He tried again, trying to keep the apprehension out of his voice.
Harry Harry Harry Harry Harry
The mist mockingly threw his words back at him, and Draco nervously clutched his wand a little tighter. In front of him, only a few feet from where he was standing, he thought he could see the outline of a large shape.
Slowly walking towards it, he reached out a hand, to find that he had discovered the great marble foot of the colossal structure. Well, he reasoned, at least he was somewhere.
He didn't see the pale hand reaching out of the fog and thus screamed incredibly loudly before realising it was Harry.
"JESUS SHIT POTTER!!!! Fucking don't EVER do that again! Especially on nights like this one!" He glared furiously at the smaller boy, who rolled his eyes and beckoned.
"What?" Draco snatched a piece of Harry's tunic, determined not to lose him again.
"I've found the light." Harry answered.
"Well, I'm glad you and God seem to have come to terms, but I don't plan on dying yet…" Draco snarled. Harry merely looked at him and grinned.
"You're even better under pressure, Malfoy. Keep being scared and I may actually grow fond of you."
"I'm not scared." Draco returned hotly, blushing at Harry's incredulous stare.
"Well, I'm not!" Harry shrugged and moved forward, completely ignoring Draco, who pouted.
"I'm NOT!!"
"We heard you the first time, Malfoy." Draco pricked up his ears.
"We?"
Harry stepped into a little cave, made by the fallen pieces of marble, some years before. A figure stood in the corner, the cloak being lit up by Harry's wand.
"Yes," Harry answered, "we."
*******************************************************************************************
"Hello Mr. Malfoy. May I add that you certainly took your time following Mr. Potter here." The voice sounded extremely familiar to Draco.
"It's misty. I'd like to see you try."
"You both saw my signal, did you not, Mr. Malfoy?" Draco scowled.
"You could've been Bel…" Harry's foot came down hard upon his own and his muffled a cry of pain.
"Bel who, Mr. Malfoy?" Draco bit his lip and glanced at Harry who was glaring at him furiously.
"A…uhm, belligerent, hostile person." Harry muffled a snort, and they both turned to the figure, who took off their hood.
"Professor McGonagall!" Draco gasped. Harry didn't seem surprised, but it would be logical that he would recognise his Head of House's voice, thought Draco.
"What are you doing here?" Draco asked, amazed. Harry added,
"Never mind that, I'd like to know how you knew where we were…" Something about his tone alerted Draco that it wasn't just the temperature that was below zero here.
"Don't address me with that tone, Mr. Potter, you know exactly that Professor Dumbledore would not have sent the both of you off into the past without keeping track of you somehow."
"How?" Harry's voice cut through the building tension like a razorblade.
"I do not know 'how', Mr. Potter, I just know he did." Harry made as if to speak again, but this time it was Draco who stopped him by jabbing his elbow between the other's ribs.
"Why are you here, Professor?" Draco repeated curiously.
"To alert you that this is not the correct place, and of course, you have already excluded the Pyramids and the Lighthouse. At Hogwarts, we too, had come to that conclusion, and we thought we should tell you that – but Harry already informed me you have already visited those two places."
Thinking back to Bellatrix, and Anthony, Draco scowled.
"You could have told us that a little bit earlier, don't you think, Professor?"
Minerva McGonagall frowned at him. She was never for sending Lucius Malfoy's son on this venture with Harry, certainly not in the unstable state Harry was in. But it seemed the boys had come to some kind of…cease-fire. She saw the way that Harry automatically responded to Draco's presence, calming down, and becoming more rational. Likewise, Draco followed Harry's lead, allowing the boy to make decisions, but stepping in when it seemed he was becoming irrational. Maybe Albus had known what he was doing when he sent them off together. Like always. Minerva sighed. If only he wasn't right all the time. Then working with Albus Dumbledore would be a great deal less un-nerving.
"Well, Mr. Malfoy, I'm telling you now, so you can stop searching here and carry on. Professor Dumbledore says to tell you to follow your intuition when it comes to finding whatever it is he wants. And Harry,"
Here she turned to Harry who was still glaring at the mist, and tapping his foot restlessly.
"He said to follow your heart. In everything." Harry turned to her and tried to say something, but choked on the reply.
"Turn it for a full three minutes this time, gentlemen. Good luck." She made as if to leave herself, but Harry stepped forward.
"Could…could you tell Ron and Hermione I miss them?"
Minerva McGonagall's eyes softened and she nodded her head, whilst squeezing Harry's shoulder encouragingly. Then she was gone.
"Did you see how she did that?" Draco looked all around him, but Harry shrugged and seemed lost in his own gloomy world again. Draco sighed and walked up to Harry, pulling the hourglass from under his tunic.
"I'll turn. You count." Harry nodded absentmindedly and Draco felt the familiar pull when he stopped turning.
"This is getting really old…" And then the mist swallowed them up.