Title: Embracing Chaos
Author: The One and Only Me!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter because an evil woman named JKR stole him from me and attempted to obliviate me afterwards. She failed at that, but she got the copyright and I got zilch. Still bitter about that. . .
A/N: Lucky number 7! Thanks for sticking with me through this. Keep the reviews coming and I'll keep the chapters coming. It's a win-win situation, n'est-ce pas? I'm sorry about the cliffhanger in chapter 6, but every author needs to do one at least once, and that was my attempt at it. Anyway, betaed by the illustrious WinterPoem13, who is in fact, my shero!! On with the story. . .
Chapter 7
ONE
Severus sat calmly on his couch as he waited for boys to find seats. Of course, being the immature brats that they were, they chose seats on opposite sides of the living room. Draco sat perched on the love seat against the door, legs stretched as if to ward off any company, while Harry sat on the floor near the entrance to the private room, legs folded. Severus sighed. They weren't going to get anywhere unless he forced the two boys past their comfort zone. He pulled out his wand and transfigured the table in front of him into a chair that was big enough for two people to sit on, but small enough so that the two people would have to touch slightly in some places. He glared at the two boys and then pointed at the chair. "Sit. Both of you."
Draco looked as if he was going to protest but when he saw Harry get up with a longsuffering sigh, he merely followed suit and sat down on the sofa next to Harry. Of course, it worked exactly as Severus designed it. The two boys could sit comfortably, but their shoulders, thighs and elbows constantly came into contact with the other no matter what they tried. Severus sat and watched while the two boys spent a few seconds trying to come up with a solution to this problem. It was obvious that they were uncomfortable sitting that close to each other, and after a few minutes of watching the exercise in futility, Severus decided to put the poor boys out of their misery.
"Is there a reason why the two of you can't just sit there without squirming?" he asked, arching a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.
They merely glared in response, Harry going as far as to flip Severus off. Draco, a pureblood through and through, would never do something as common as that, but he was seriously entertaining the thought at the moment. "He makes me uncomfortable. I don't want to sit next to him. He's an annoying and obnoxious half-blooded Gryffindor prat. He is everything I was instructed to stay away from. His very presence upsets me," Draco finished, his voice beginning to get more and more high pitched. Harry transferred his glare from Severus to Draco in response.
Severus shook his head, smiling slightly. "I don't think that's necessarily true, Draco. Perhaps you should tell me the real reason why Mr. Potter makes you uncomfortable, as you put it."
Draco blushed slightly, upset that Severus had called his bluff. "Obviously, you know more than you are letting on. Why can't you just tell me what the problem is and then we can work on fixing it?" he asked.
Harry answered, his response cutting Severus off. "Because, he's a slimy Slytherin just like you, and they always have a hidden agenda. He isn't going to tell us anything unless you answer his question. Isn't that right, Severus?"
Severus seemed surprised that Harry could read him that well, but he quickly recovered. "Very astute, Mr. Potter. My answer is dependent on Draco's, so the faster we get it, the faster we get more information."
Draco nodded and summoned all the courage he had. "I don't want to sit next to him because part of me wants to kiss him and to touch him and to make him comfortable. That part of me doesn't even care if I'm okay, it seems to only care about Potter's needs. And if we're sitting this close, it would be very easy for me to touch him, and to be perfectly candid, I'm afraid I won't be able to stop if I start," he finished pathetically, a solitary tear sliding down his cheek.
Harry blanched at the normally vague and cunning Slytherin's abject honesty. A quick glance at Severus's face showed that he felt the exact opposite. It became apparent that he was just playing them, he obviously knew how Draco would react to such a question, and he probably knew how the rest of the conversation was going to go from there.
Sure enough, he nodded. "That sounds about right. And you, Mr. Potter? How does sitting next to Mr. Malfoy make you feel?"
Harry snarled at Severus's now evident manipulation of the situation. "Right now, I'm upset at you because you upset my mate, but I'm torn because I still want to comfort Malfoy. He's distressed and all I want is to make that go away. I want to hold him, and wipe his tears away and tell him how much he means to me. I want him to touch me and let me know that he feels the same way. And I want to kiss him. I want that the most. That clear enough for you, Snape?"
Severus nodded, seemingly unnerved by the Gryffindor's hostility. "It is as I feared. The soul bond between you is manipulating your feelings for each other." He noticed that they were about to interrupt him, so he raised a hand to silence them. "Evidently, the two of you have very strong feelings for each other. It may not be positive, but you cannot deny that you strongly dislike each other, and the intensity is bordering on hate. Those feelings are recognized by the bond and are deemed inappropriate to say the least, and the bond also realized that those feelings are detrimental to a budding relationship. Because the two of you are so strong, the magic between you is stronger than it would be between the average couple, and it is capable of changing your feelings for each other until they align with your bond's idea of proper emotions. I, for one, see no cure for it. Your bond appears relentless in endeavor. What I recommend is that we all go to bed for now, seeing as it's well after three in the morning, and tomorrow we will discuss this problem as well as Draco's half of the prophecy. As long as you two don't make skin to skin contact, we should be safe for the remainder of the night. If that is agreeable to the both of you, I will be retiring now. Good night, Harry and Draco."
Without waiting for the boys' responses, he walked out of the room and headed to his private bedroom. He would have continued unchecked if a small thought hadn't interrupted him. "I fear I have neglected to give you the password to your rooms, Draco. It is Divine Ocean. Please do not forget it. Your stuff has already been taken there. Hogwarts' house elves are nothing if not effective. Now, I would appreciate it if you both left my rooms. I for one, am exhausted." He gave them his back again, hoping they'd get the hint this time and walked away.
Draco turned to Harry as Severus exited the room. He had no clue where his rooms were, much less how to use the password. He guessed that Severus had done it on purpose, to force them to have a semi-civilized conversation. Well, no need to disappoint dear Uncle Sev, he thought darkly. "I guess it's up to you to actually show me where my rooms are, Potter."
Harry looked at him and sighed. Up until Severus had mentioned it, he hadn't realized how bloody tired and exhausting this day was. So much had changed since his dinner with Severus and Professor Dumbledore, and it was only a few hours ago. It was mind boggling to say the very least. "Fine, Malfoy. Let's go."
They walked out of Severus' rooms together, careful to leave at least a meter of space between them. They passed Harry's room, where Draco stopped to look at the battle on his door. Harry noticed the quizzical look on his face and decided to ask the question they were both thinking. "Who do you think would win a battle like that, Malfoy?"
"Isn't it obvious, Potter? There is no winner. They both lose." He paused and turned to make eye contact with Harry. "Just like we do."
Harry was once again struck by the Slytherin's blatant honesty. He expected some attempt at subterfuge, or at least a sarcastic comment. Anything but this direct and forward answer. The other Malfoy, he knew how to deal with. This one. . . well, it would be interesting to say the least. They continued the walk to Malfoy's room in uncomfortable silence, and both of them were glad when they reached Malfoy's door with the feuding yin and yang symbol. Harry waited until Draco murmured his password and turned to walk back to his rooms. "Goodnight, Malfoy," he said.
Draco smirked impishly at Harry's back. "What, no goodnight kiss?"
Harry whirled to lock eyes with the blond. "Don't tempt me," he whispered sadly, and then continued to walk away, leaving Draco standing there dumbstruck.
TWO
Draco walked into his rooms, still surprised at Harry's last retort. He had no clue that the bond was affecting him as deeply as it was affecting Draco. It was almost as if there was no way around a physical relationship with the scarred Gryffindor. Everywhere he turned, there was some new influence encouraging him to go ahead and do it with Harry. It was had to distinguish his feelings for Harry and the feelings the bond was forcing him to have for Potter, and that in itself was infuriating. If he knew that this Elemental inheritance was going to come with this much baggage, he would have prayed to every deity he had ever heard of to spare him the stress. Honestly, power wasn't as useful or inviting when there were this many stipulations on it.
He turned to survey his rooms for the summer. It appeared to be comfortable, and the blue and white color scheme seemed to calm him. He walked through his siting room and found that the doors led to a study, a bathroom with a giant bath, and a bedroom. The sight of the giant bed in the center of the room reminded him how drained he was after the activities of the previous day, and so, he gratefully walked into the room, noting the walk-in closet and stained glass windows with images of the horizon and mermaids on them. He allowed himself a minute of the most undignified and un-Malfoyish behavior ever and flopped on the bed, sighing happily. The midnight blue coverlet was made of silk and the pale blue sheets underneath were made from fine cotton. They were almost exactly like the sheets he had at home.
Too tired to even contemplate changing his clothes and putting on pajamas, he merely banished his clothes until all he had on was his underpants, and scrambled under the sheets. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he blissfully fell into oblivion. What he didn't notice that Harry's name was the last thing on his lips before he faded from consciousness.
THREE
Harry couldn't believe Draco's audacity. After all that Severus had told them about the bond that was growing between them, he still went and made a joke about kissing. Didn't he realize what could happen once they started touching each other? Didn't he realize that once they started, it would be near impossible for Harry to stop until they completed their bond? Did Draco want Harry to rape him? No, it was best for Harry to keep his distance, even though he wanted to give in and give Draco the kiss he asked for.
He stopped to stare at his door and realized that Draco was right. There was no way for either the serpent or the lion to come out of that battle alive. Just like there was no way either Draco or Harry would live very long if they didn't stop fighting with each other. That didn't mean that he was ready to jump into bed with the slimy Slytherin, or that Draco was any less of a git. It meant that Harry was willing to make an effort to get to know the other boy so that when the time came for them to actually have sex, they would have more of a relationship. Harry wasn't stupid, so he didn't expect it to be easy, but he hoped it was worth the effort.
He didn't even bother checking out his rooms for the summer as all he cared about was the bed that was bound to be lurking in his room. Sure enough, there was a beautiful four poster with a red silk coverlet on it just waiting for him. He pulled Arwen out of his pocket and placed her on a table, and then kicked off his shoes, pulled down his jeans, and pulled his shirt over his head before flopping into the bed. It was heaven, and he was sure of it. As per routine, he wished his parents a good night, before turning onto his side and falling asleep. His last thought was that Draco's pale skin would look magnificent against the backdrop of his red sheets.
FOUR
The next morning found Harry, Draco and Severus eating breakfast in the potion Master's sitting room. Although there was a bit of tension in the room, it wasn't as palpable as it had been before, and Severus, for one, was extremely grateful for that change in circumstances. Whatever conclusions the two boys came to last night, it had obviously affected them deeply and it seemed as if they were both making an effort to lessen hostilities.
Once the two boys were finished with their meals and a house elf cleared away the residue from their full English breakfasts, Severus summoned the sheet of parchment that bore Harry's half of the prophecy and looked expectantly at Draco. "May we have your half of the prophecy today, this time without the theatrics?" he asked snidely.
Draco nodded, seemingly nonplused. He retrieved Celeste from his pocket and reread the prophecy out loud for Severus' benefit. Once it was written down next to its counterpart, he quickly shut the book and placed it on the table. He locked eyes with Severus for a few seconds before leaning back in his chair. "I know you have to have at least a few conclusions from Potter's prophecy. Would you care to share them with us?" he asked, the polite question barely shielding a command.
Severus, who wasn't a novice at dealing with Malfoys as his best friend was Draco's father, wasn't fooled by the boy in front of him, nor was he inclined to fight with him. Letting Draco Malfoy think he had his way in this instance helped both of their causes, so he didn't see the harm in answering him right away. "First, I must tell you that I have absolutely no doubt that this prophecy is about you, Draco. After reading Harry's half last night, it became evident that it was speaking about him. There is no question in either of our minds. As it is impossible for an Elemental to have multiple mates, the other person has to be you. It is best that you come to terms with it now so that we can move on from here."
Draco wasn't as surprised as Harry and Severus expected him to be. "I began to make my peace with my predicament last night. I am working on accepting the bond between us because I have realized that it is foolish to try to fight it. This prophecy is a direct correlation to it, and therefore, I must accept it as well. It is foolhardy and a complete waste of time and energy to attempt to disagree with it, and if this prophecy can be trusted, it's dangerous as well. It is in my best interests to work with Potter so that we can save ourselves, and then the world."
Severus was both surprised and proud of his godson's maturity in this situation. "Well done, Draco. I am very proud of your maturity in light of the situation that you were thrown into. And you, Harry? Do you have anything to say?"
Harry, who had been lost in his own thoughts the entire time, was pulled back to their conversation at the sound of his name. "I've been thinking, Severus. What if the two prophecies are connected?" he began, talking rapidly and animatedly. "What if Voldemort is the evil that we have to save the earth from? I mean, at the rate he's going, most of the pure magical creatures will go extinct, and he's killing witches and wizards left and right. He's destroying forests in search of supporters of the Light, and he's upsetting the balance of nature with all the Dark magic he's using. He is the threat to Gaia, and that's what we are called to fight. It makes perfect sense now. I originally thought I had o fight two evils, all before I turned 21, but if they're the same people, then it makes everything so much simpler. Look at the other prophecy, the one that says- "
Severus cut Harry off as soon as it became evident that he was about to disclose valuable, and highly secretive information. "I believe, Mr. Potter, that it would be prudent to ask Mr. Malfoy to swear his allegiance to the Light, and to swear an Unbreakable Vow that nothing said in this room would be discussed further before you divulge information that even members of the Order do not even know."
Harry had the decency to look sheepish and to blush slightly, before turning to Draco. "So how about it, Malfoy? You wanna skip the whole kissing Old Snakeface's robe thing and switch over to the side of the Light?"
Draco studied Harry for a few moments, and then nodded. "If what you say is true, and the Dark Lord is truly the threat we have to save the world from, then I guess I can't be a Death Eater after all. The organization will have to cope without me."
Harry smiled brightly, and the force of it stuck Draco in the stomach. Why hadn't he realized that Harry was so alarmingly beautiful when he smiled? Even with the unfamiliar red eyes, the smile made his whole face light up, and it made Draco want to smile in response. "As for the Unbreakable Vow, I take it Severus will be our bonder?" Draco prompted.
"Of course, Draco. If you will please kneel, grasping hands tightly." He waited until they complied with his instructions and then looked pointedly at Harry, reminding him that he had to initiate the bond.
"Do you, Draco Malfoy, understand that if you break any of the conditions of this bond, your magic, and as a result, your life, will be forfeit?"
" I do understand."
"Then let us begin. Do you, Draco Malfoy, swear to keep all information discussed in this room a secret?"
"I do swear."
Severus flicked his wand and a red rope of fire appeared over their joined hands, sealing them together.
"Do you swear to help our cause instead of hindering it?"
"I do swear."
A second rope joined the first.
"Do you swear to fight the Dark Lord Voldemort beside me, protecting me as I protect you?"
The final rope joined the other two, forming a complex knot that quickly faded away. Severus nodded at the two, and they rose in response, once again seating themselves in their original seat. "Now that the matter of the bonds has been resolved," Severus began, "Mr. Potter, you may continue."
"What was I saying? Oh yeah, the other prophecy says that I will have power that the Dark Lord knows not, and that's how I will defeat him. At first, I thought that the extra power would be the Elemental inheritance, but I realized that it couldn't be. By the first of September, the whole world is going to know that I'm a Fire Starter. Voldemort will find out in no time, and that rules it out as the power he doesn't know about. But what if it's Draco? No one knows we're you know, soul mates, yet and if we keep it a secret, no one will know. That way, when Voldemort's expecting to see only me on the battlefield, he'll get a hell of a surprise when he sees Malfoy next to me. Together, we might be able to get rid of him once and for all."
Severus looked intrigued by Harry's proposition. "It is an interesting concept, these prophecies being related. It would explain why there are two given about you, and both refer to some unknown element, which we can assume is Draco. For now, we will accept your proposition and begin training as a unit. If all goes well, your magic, and therefore your powers, will complement the others, making you stronger together than apart. That is directly mentioned in the prophecies of the Elementals, so let us focus on that and we will progress from there."
Harry and Draco nodded their agreement. "When do we begin training?" Draco asked.
"After lunch, I suppose. That gives you a few hours to talk to each other and to begin to work out some of your differences. I am well aware that it will be long and tiresome labor, but you two will never mate, much less join magics, unless you can get rid of your petty dislike for each other. I expect you two to go do that now. I demand some form of progress by lunch today. If I do not see any, I will be locking the both of you in the same room tonight, the bond be damned." With that, he rose from the table and walked in the direction of his potions lab, his robes billowing behind him.
Harry merely stared at the spot where Severus was sitting for a few minutes before he could bring himself to look at Draco. His blue eyes were wide and incredulous, surprise causing them to turn a clear aquamarine color. The normally pale face was flushed, but he appeared to be angry, rather than embarrassed. The darkening of his eyes cinched it, and Harry was hasty to speak to him before the situation could be potentially disastrous. "Look, Malfoy, we might as well make the best of this. We both know the bond won't permit us to spend a night together in the same room without doing stuff, so we might as well talk a little bit so we can convince Snape that we're at least trying to bury the hatchet. I'm willing to start over, since we don't really have a choice. What about you?"
Draco looked at Harry as if he was a new species of bug and he was wondering what sort of potions he could be used in. He held his stare until Harry began to squirm under it, before sighing loudly and holding out his hand. "Hello. I am Draconis Lucius Malfoy. I am the Water Bearer, heir to the Malfoy Estate and the Prince of Slytherin," he said pretentiously, just wanting to see how Harry would react.
Harry stared at him, eyes wide. They then narrowed slightly before he raised his hand and joined it with Draco's. "And I am Harold Jamison Potter. I am the Fire Starter, heir to the Potter and Black Estates, the Boy Who Lived, and the Gryffindor Sweetheart." He laughed a little when Draco's eyes snapped up to his in response to the last epithet. He knew a little about pureblood rituals, and knew that Draco was greeting him in the customary way pureblooded children were introduced to each other, which was why he took no offense to it. That didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun with it at the same time.
"Very well, Harold Jamison Potter. It is an honor to meet you. In respect of joining my house to yours in the purpose of friendship, I grant you permission to refer to me from hereon as Draco."
"Thank you, Draco. Likewise, it is a privilege to make your acquaintance. In respect of joining my blood to yours in the purpose of comradeship, I grant you permission to refer to me from hereon as Harry."
Once the formalities were over, they released hands, and nodded to each other. "Wanna come with me to my rooms? We could talk a little there," Harry offered.
Draco nodded. "That's fine." He followed Harry out of the room and closed the door softly behind him.
FIVE
Under the pretense of preparing ingredients, Severus stood by the door to his potions lab, which gave him and ideal view of all that went on in his sitting room. Therefore, he was able to watch as the two boys completed the meeting ritual and walked out the door.
As he walked back to his brewing station, he couldn't help the slight smile that was tugging at his lips. "There may be hope for us after all," he murmured as he deftly chopped his ingredients. If they didn't kill each other before dinner today, then Albus owed him ten galleons. He could already imagine the things he was going to purchase with the money. He hoped the calming charms that he had interwoven with the fireproof wards in Harry's room were enough to hinder the aggression that the boys harbored.
'Only time will tell,' he thought. 'Only time will tell.'
