Irrevocable Bonds
Chapter Ten
Date: February 24, 2018
Disclaimer: I do not own this fandom nor make any profit from the writing of this fiction.
Harry had no choice but to finish the semester at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, much to their combined dismay. There was another option, but Lucius and Healer Casey were firmly against attempting impregnation at this stage in the youth's recovery. Thus, at the end of the winter holidays, the Saviour of the Wizarding World boarded the scarlet marvel that was the Hogwart Express with a world weary reluctance. Before Draco could follow, his father pulled him aside once more.
"The fallout of the previous semester will put a lot ill intent on Harrison. Please keep a sharp eye out for your step parent. Harrison is already a target for the Dumbledore and his ilk. This will only spread amongst his followers like fiendfyre…." Lucius looked at Harry waiting in the window for Draco to join him on the train.
"Even though he had no part in the events that led up to this, beyond speaking up about his pain to an outside source that actually did something about it."
"Exactly." Lucius gripped Draco's shoulder in a gesture of distant affection in such a public place before stepping away and watching his child get on the train that would lead him into the literal lion's den once more.
The ride back to Hogwarts was a rather dull affair for both Malfoys, insomuch that no one outside of Slytherin sought to bother them in their compartment. The space was filled with the turning of pages and quiet conversation as Draco entertained his two most long lived friends. Harry was reading to pull himself away from the trials that he knew were going to start just as soon as he entered the Great Hall. Draco, Blaise and Daphne were planning how to group the Slytherin house so that Harry would always have a set of eyes on him and several wands to back him up. They were also debating the merit of pulling in the far and few supporters that the Boy-Who-Lived had managed to retain amongst the other houses.
"I believe that our best course of action would be to use them only as a set of eye witnesses. The first time they move in to act on Harry's behalf, they will lose not only their credibility, but they will lose their buffer in the houses themselves. Harry is safe in that he does not have to room in his house due to Draco's presence in ours, but the others have no other recourse." Daphne was playing the safe bet.
"I have to agree with your statement Daphne. It would be better to leave them with at least the flimsy guise of being forced to tell the truth rather than giving the teachers an out to say that they were just telling lies in order to get out of trouble for being involved." Draco was forced to agree with the young lady. Blaise was still playing devil's advocate.
"There is no guarantee that they will be safe then either. The amount of ire directed at Harry, means that the school and populace at large are almost eager to turn not only on Harry, but those that would support him as well. The Slytherins while helpful, will only be able to do so much in comparison to those that reside without the stigma of our house. I'm not saying that we should proactively campaign for it, but I do not believe it should be ruled out either." They all sat back contemplatively. It was then that Harry decided to join the conversation, placing his book on the seat beside him.
"Say nothing to them and do nothing to advocate or discourage anything that they may choose to do. The worst thing we can do in this case is to manipulate them to our benefit. Dumbledore is very adept at manipulation as well as exposing it. He would as soon turn our machinations against us in order to achieve his goals. Our best weapon at this point in time is to leave everything to fate and free will."
Draco, Blaise and Daphne each took a moment to consider Harrison's words before nodding their agreement. Dumbledore was a master manipulator who took great joy in watching others fail due to his own machinations. It would come as no surprise that the would quickly catch on to them, amateurs that they are, and turn the odds to his great favor. There was great wisdom and great experience in Harry's words. It garnered respect and sympathy for what the teen had gone through in the hands of the Headmaster.
"Very well."
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was very unhappy with the circumstances that currently made up his reality. Due to a slight misstep on his part, he had quite literally given Lucius Malfoy the keys to his most prized kingdom, Hogwarts. The students were the building blocks of the future and he was the one molding them into the image he wished to create the Wizarding World into. Everything that he had worked for was on the way to ruin, everything that he had built thus far could be torn down by that malicious, peroxide poisoned, silver tongued snake. Dolores Umbridge had been a calculated risk on his part because Harry had derailed his plans and he had needed the boy to be brought to heel. It had meant turning Hogwarts herself against him and now, he had no recourse to fall back on.
For all his planning, Harry turning to Lucius himself had never been in the realm of possibility. He had fully expected the little twit to return to comfortable, well known behaviors and run full tilt towards himself. He had planned for his pawn to come back, desperate and ready to continue upon the path that Dumbledore had planned. He had not even seen the slightest probability that the downtrodden child would confide in that Death Eater. He had not expected the battered teen to trust the murdering Death Eater with such involved, intimate details. It had been unfathomable that Harry would ever be able to bridge the gap with the man who had attacked him in second year and worked with the murderer of his parents voluntarily. It had been so far outside of reason, that he had no backup, no alternative move to make to save himself or to shunt blame elsewhere. Whatever happens next, he has quite literally set himself up to be his own pawn. Though perhaps there was one way that he could get rid of this mess that he had made. There was still a semester to be had and for that time, Harry would be away from Lucius' line of vision and influence.
It was going to be a long semester, Harrison could already feel it in his bones. Dumbledore had written him a personal missive, delivered via Professor McGonagall, apologizing for his neglectful behavior toward Harry over the years and last semester most especially. The letter had attempted at flattery, but the Headmaster had sincerely and grievously underestimated how much Lucius had instructed Harrison in the art of suspicion and subtlety. By the same hand, the old man had also underestimated how eagerly the teen would take to his husband's teachings and warnings. Harrison and Draco both understood that the man was all flowery words with a dangerous undercurrent of feeling like one on the dagger's tip. They both forwarded a copy of the letter to Lucius just in case Harry's mail was being monitored in order to prevent more charges from appearing.
In the meantime, Hogwarts was back in full swing. Classes were filled with the scratching of quills on parchment, Snape's bellows from the dungeons and of course, the sounds of laughter and chatter from hundreds of children gathered in a single place. All in all, it was the same story with the same set of circumstances. Except...it wasn't. Hermione and Ronald had begun hanging around the Boy-Who-Lived as though they had not betrayed his trust the previous year, compounded by the fact that they would not even speak to him during the first of the summer when he had written to them multiple times. They were acting as if they were not two of the principle individuals that were initiating the so-called pranks of the previous semester.
The other Slytherins were running interference as much as they could, but they did not share all of their classes with the Gryffindors. Meaning that Hermione, Ron and even some of the other lions had ample time to simper to him in an attempt to regain his favor. Harry was in luck that he had Neville to help buffer him and sometimes Luna as well. He was currently with Neville at the moment as they hid out in the library for their study period (it is an OWL year after all).
"So...when are you going to ask Luna out?" Harry whispered neutrally from behind his History of Magic book. Neville started before looking pensively at the dark haired teen.
"I have already discussed the possibility with Grandmother. As Heir Longbottom there are certain paths which must be considered." Harry put down his book.
"Such as…." At Neville's confused look, Harry elaborated on his lack of understanding.
"I am still learning about Pureblood etiquette and some parts have been skipped in the meantime as they have no urgent relativity to me." Neville nodded in understanding before explaining, quietly as Madam Pince gave them both a stern look.
"For Heirs, there are certain expectations and rules when it comes to dating, though courting is the appropriate term. For more casual circumstances, an Heir only need to publicly announce their intent and insure that all future meetings occur in public places or with a chaperone that has completed their Hogwarts education. For more serious intent, an Heir must approach their intended's guardian for permission to court. Then they must write a letter of Claim declaring their intent to their person of choice. From there, they will have limited contact and then only with a chaperone. There will also be a period of gift giving.
After a year, or more depending upon age and agreement between guardians, the courting pair may decide to enter into an engagement period or to break off the agreement. Rarely, but it does happen, they can choose to extend the courting period. Thus, they may move on toward marriage or they wait an appropriate 'mourning' period and then try again with another." Harry sat back a moment to digest the information before reengaging Heir Longbottom.
"Then Heir Longbottom, have you come to a decision?"
"Grandmother is set to have lunch with Lord Lovegood this weekend. I do not foresee any objections to my intent with his daughter, but I still feel nervous. She still has the option to deny me herself even if I do get her father's permission to write a letter of Claim."
"I wish you the best then, Neville. I can see that you do care for her and even if nothing else, you two make a great set of friends." Harry gave the other teen an encouraging smile before setting himself back to his homework. The library was completely silent once more.
Neville appeared in their dorm after a weekend away with his grandmother with a very long face. It seemed that the Lady Malfoy was the only to noticed his less than jovial appearance. The gender queer teen pulled the Longbottom Heir aside, negligently throwing up a privacy bubble as added precaution before speaking.
"Neville…" Harry prompted him to speak after several tense moments of silence. The other teen looked backed with tears filling his brown eyes and sniffle of withheld hurt.
"Oh, Neville." The former Potter placed a supportive hand on Longbottom's arm unknown to them that a certain couple was observing their every move even though they were unable to break through the barrier of Harry's magic.
"Luna is contracted to someone else, someone older. She approached her father barely a month ago about approaching him on her behalf and both sides accepted the match." Neville let a few tears spill over and Harry passed him a handkerchief.
"There is nothing I can say that will make this better. I will say that I do not hold it against you to grieve for the dream you lost and as a friend I hope you find another to hope for. If you need to talk more, I am happy to listen. For now, I think you should retire as the entire common room has taken their focus to us."
Harry had noticed when the entirety of the house had taken to giving furtive glances their way. Lady Malfoy disabled the privacy bubble and proceeded to leave the Gryffindor Common Room to retire in the dungeons with Heir Malfoy. No matter the changes that had occurred over the break, he trusted no one in the Tower with his safety during his most vulnerable state of being. He also made a mental note to inform Slytherin House and his husband of the uncomfortable stares and attention that had crawled along his skin as he left the warmth of the tower.
A/N: Finally a long weekend from work! Hope you enjoy the new chapter!
Cheers!
Nama