Thursday passed in a haze of tiredness. Ron seemed very sleepy too, though Harry could not see why he should be. Harry's third detention with Zero passed in the same way as the previous two, except that after two hours the words I must not tell lies did not fade from the back of Harry's hand, but remained scratched there, eventually oozing droplets of blood. The pause in the pointed quill's scratching made Professor Umbridge look up and Zero grip his book distractedly.
"Ah," said Umbridge softly, moving around her desk to examine his hand herself. "Good, that ought to serve as a reminder to you, oughtn't it? You may both leave for tonight."
"Do I still have to come back tomorrow?" asked Harry picking up his schoolbag with his left hand rather that his right.
"Oh yes," said Professor Umbridge, smiling widely, "Yes, I think we can etch the message a little deeper with another evening's work." Harry had never before considered the possibility that there might be another teacher in the world he hated more than Snape, but as he excused himself, he had to admit he had found a rather strong contender for that role. "Mr Kiryuu," her sickly high voice snapped him back to the present just as he was walking through the door. He had almost forgotten about waiting for Zero. "Come here please," Zero stood, closed the book he was reading, and walked up to her table. He placed the book at the edge of the table to return it to her, and she beckoned with her hand for him to lean down. Warily, he did so. She whispered something into his ear that made him frown. Then, she made a shooing motion with her hand and with a nod, he exited behind Harry.
"What did she want this time?" Harry asked once the large wooden door was shut. Zero glanced over at him, eyes flickering to his hand and back. Without thinking, Harry moved his hand behind him; out of his vision. He felt guilty for doing it immediately after. But Zero didn't seem to care either way.
"She told me to take care of your.." another glance, "wound." Harry's first thought was that Umbridge was making him be unnecessarily nice when all either wanted to do by then was to probably just fall into bed. But then, when his mind was properly able to catch up with the intentions behind it, he almost hissed in annoyance at what Umbridge was trying to start up.
"Ugh, leave it," he waved him off and turned to start walking back to the common room, "she's evil. She's an evil, twisted, mad old- Ron?" They both came to a halt at the top of the stairs and Harry had almost walked into Ron, who was lurking behind a statue of Lachlan the Lanky, clutching his broomstick. Ron gave a great leap of surprise when he saw Harry and Zero and attempted to hid his new Cleansweep Eleven behind his back. "What are you doing?" Zero stayed silent and just watched the curious exchange going on. The boy looked like he was hiding from the boogie monster.
"Er- nothing. What are you doing?" Harry frowned at him, not amused by his retaliation.
"Come on, you can tell me! What are you hiding here for?" Harry urged. He noticed Ron's eyes glance at Zero behind him and then back at Harry, who gave him a look that said using Zero as an excuse wasn't going to cut it to let him loose.
"I'm – I'm hiding from Fred and George, if you must know," said Ron. "They just went past with a bunch of first-years, I bet they're testing stuff on them again. I mean, they can't do it in the common room now, can they, not with Hermoine there." Ron was speaking in a very fast, feverish way. Harry frowned.
"But what have you got your broom for then? You haven't been flying, have you?" he asked.
"I – well – well, okay, I'll tell you, just don't laugh alright?" Ron said defensively, turning redder by the second. "I – I thought I'd try out for Gryffindor Keeper now that I've got a hold of a decent broom. There. Go on, Laugh."
"I'm not laughing," said Harry. Ron blinked. "It's a brilliant idea! It'd be really cool if you got on the team! I've never seen you play Keeper, are you good?"
"I'm not bad," said Ron, who looked immensely relieved at Harry's reaction. "Charlie, Fred and
George always made me Keeper for them whenever they were training during the holidays."
"So you've been practicing tonight?" Harry asked.
"Every evening since Tuesday. I've been trying to bewitch Quaffles to fly at me, but it doesn't seem very useful." Ron looked anxious. "Fred and George are going to laugh themselves stupid when I turn up."
"I wish I was going to be there," said Harry bitterly. He motioned for Ron to join him and Zero back to the common room. Zero remained quiet and hung back, letting the boys speak as his eyes wandered.
"Yeah, so – Harry, what's wrong with your hand?"
Harry, who had just absentmindedly scratched his nose with his right hand, immediately tried to hide it. "It's just a cut – nothing, it's –" But Ron had grabbed Harry's arm and was pulling Harry's hand up to his eye level. There was a pause, during which he stared at the words carved into his skin, before releasing Harry; looking sick.
"I thought you said she was just giving you lines?"
Harry hesitated, but since Ron had been honest with him, the least he could do was tell Ron the truth about the hours he spent in Umbridge's office.
"The old hag!" Ron whispered revoltingly. Then, he stopped as he saw Zero shift his stance from the corner of his eye. Eyes widening, he practically yanked Harry to his side and pointed accusingly at Zero. "And you! You'd better not had tried something funny you hear me?"
Harry pulled his arm away from Ron's tight grip and pulled his friend back. "Ron! Stop it, Zero didn't do anything!" He looked to Zero, wanting him to say something, to at least defend himself.
But he didn't. Zero merely observed Ron's outburst with a blank face, waiting for him to stop shouting before speaking. "Don't worry, I did not touch Harry. And I don't plan to concede to that woman's plans like an obedient little puppet either."
Ron pursed his lips and whirled onto Harry again, as if ignoring Zero altogether. "She's sick! Go to McGonagall Harry, say something!"
"No," said Harry at once. "I will not give her the satisfaction of knowing she's got to me." He glanced once in Zero's direction just in time to see a glimpse of approval and impress in Zero's eyes. His lips twitched with a small smile at the thought of both their stubbornness.
"Got to you?" Ron repeated incredulously. "You can't just let her get away with this! Tell Dumbledore then!"
"No," Harry said flatly. "He's got enough on his mind." Though that wasn't the true reason - he was hesitant on going to Dumbledore for help when the man had not spoken to him once since June.
"Well, I reckon you should-" Ron started up again before he was interrupted by the Fat Lady who burst out, "Are you going to give me the password or will I have to stay awake all night waiting for you to finish your conversation?"
Friday dawned sullen and sodden as the rest of the week. Harry's mind had a mountain of pressing problems building up in him, such as the mountainous pile of homework he had yet to do and the prospect of yet another detention with Umbridge.
Two things sustained Harry throughout that day. One was the thought that it was almost the weekend; the other was that, as dreadful as his final detention with Umbridge was sure to be, he at least had a distant view of the Quidditch pitch from her window and might - with luck - be able to see something of Ron's tryout.
At five o'clock that evening, he knocked on Professor Umbridge's office door for what he sincerely hoped would be the final time and was told to enter. The black parchment lay ready for him on the lace-covered table, the pointed black quill beside it. Zero was already there too, sitting sullenly in his chair and staring at his book; most likely not even reading any of it.
Umbridge turned from sipping at her tea cup as he entered the room. "You know what to do, Mr Potter," she said, smiling sweetly at him.
Harry picked up the quill and his eyes flickered once over Zero's bored form before glancing through the window. Shifting an inch to the right, making it seem like he was simply shifting closer to the table, he managed a distant view of the Gryffindor Quidditch team down the pitch. However, from this distance, it was impossible to tell which one was Ron.
I must not tell lies, Harry wrote. The bruising on the back of his hand was cut into once more and began to tear afresh.
I must not tell lies. The cut was digging deeper; stinging and smarting.
I must not tell lies. Blood began to well up and trickle down his wrist. Inconspicuously flexing his hand and holding in a wince, Harry's eyes glanced from watching the goalposts to Zero worriedly. As if sensing his gaze, Zero's own eyes flickered to meet his and to Harry, he seemed rather deceptively under control. He dropped his eyes back to the parchment shining with blood.
I must not tell lies.
I must not tell lies.
Harry alternated between looking up onto the pitch whenever he thought he could risk it, keeping an ear out for the scratching of Umbridge's quill and watching for the tension in Zero's form. The third keeper to try out was pretty good, the fourth was terrible and the fifth fumbled with an easy save. As the sky began to darken, he doubted he would even be able to see the sixth and seventh person at all.
I must not tell lies.
I must not tell lies.
The parchment was now dotted with the drops of blood that had fallen from the back of his hand, which was searing with pain and trembling minisculely. When he looked up next, it was night and the Quidditch pitch was no longer visible.
"Let's see if you've gotten the message yet, shall we?" said Umbridge half an hour later. She moved towards him, stretching out her fingers. Then, as she took hold of him to examine the words cut into his skin, pain seared across the scar on his forehead. At the same time, he felt a peculiar sensation around his midriff.
Wrenching his arm out of her grip and leaping to his feet, Harry stared at her. To the side, Zero's eyes flickered up to flit warily between the two as she looked back at Harry, a smile stretching her wide mouth.
"Yes, it hurts, doesn't it?"
Harry did not answer. His heart was thumping hard and fast as he stared at her. Was she talking about his hand or did she know what he had just felt in his forehead?
"Well, I think I've made my point, Mr Potter. You may go."
He caught up his schoolbag and hastened to leave as quickly as he could. He paused, however, just before grabbing the handle of the door and glanced back at Zero who still sat in his seat.
Umbridge caught his gaze and followed it to Zero curiously. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion as to why Harry would be worried about the creature in the first place. In her mind, it should've been Zero that would gaze hungrily as Harry left the room. "Anything wrong, Mr Potter?" she asked sweetly.
Harry thought her expression looked like she was about to ask him if he'd like to stay longer so he quickly excused himself and left. Stay calm, he told himself as he sprinted up the stairs, thinking about what had happened earlier. Stay calm, it doesn't necessarily mean what you think it means...
"Mimbulus mimbletonia!" he gasped at the Fat Lady and she swung forwards promptly.
A roar of sound greeted him and Ron came running straight towards him immediately, beaming all over his face and slopping Butterbeer down his front from the goblet he was clutching.
"Harry, I did it! I'm in, I'm Keeper!"
"What? Oh- brilliant!" said Harry, trying to smile naturally while his heart raced and his hand throbbed and bled sluggishly.
"Have a Butterbeer," Ron pressed a bottle into his hand. "I can't believe it..."
Harry's ears unconsciously tuned out as he spotted Hermione dozing in an armchair by the fire. Just as he was thinking of a way to excuse himself, Katie Bell came up to them and pulled Ron away; mentioning something about Oliver's old robes.
Then, Angelina came striding up to idea. She apologized for being short with him earlier and gave him her own thoughts and opinions on Ron's tryouts and Harry nodded absentmindedly until she strolled back to Alicia Spinnet. Finally, Harry moved over to sit next to Hermione who awoke with a jerk as he set down his bag.
"Oh, Harry, it's you... good about Ron, isn't it?" she said blearily. "I'm just so- so- so tired," she yawned, speaking about the hats she had been busy making and concealed around for the house elves to 'accidently' pick up.
"Great," said Harry distractedly; if he did not tell somebody soon, he would burst. "Listen, Hermione, I was just up in Umbridge's office and she touched my arm."
Hermione listened closely as he reiterated the experience. When he was finished, she said slowly, "You're worried You-Know-Who's controlling her like he did Quirrell?"
"Well," he said, dropping his voice and glancing around. "it's a possibility, isn't it?"
"I suppose so," Hermione said slowly, sounding unconvinced. "But I don't think he can possess her the same way he did Quirrell. I mean, he's properly alive now, isn't he? He's got his own body and he wouldn't need to share someone else's. He could have her under the Imperius Curse thought..."
Harry zoned out watching Fred, George and Lee Jordan juggling empty Butterbeer bottles for a moment before snapping back to attention.
"But last year your scar hurt when nobody touched you, and didn't Dumbledore say it had to do with what You-Know-Who was feeling at the time? I mean, maybe it hasn't got anything to do with Umbridge at all. Maye it's just a coincidence it happened at that time while you were with her?"
"She's evil," Harry said flatly. "Twisted."
"She's horrible, yes, but... Harry, I think you ought to tell Dumbledore about this."
This was the second time he had been advised to go to Dumbledore and his answer was just the same as before. "I'm not bothering him with this. Like you said, it's not a big deal. It's been hurting on and off all summer anyway - it was just a bit worse tonight, that's all -"
Hermione argued, saying that Dumbledore would want to hear about it. Fed up, Harry said "I think I'll write and tell Sirius about it; see what he thinks -"
"Harry, you can't just put something like that in a letter!" said Hermione, looking alarmed. "Don't you remember, Moody told us to be careful what we put in writing! We can't guarantee owls aren't being intercepted anymore!"
"Alright, alright, I won't tell him then!" he answered irritably, getting to his feet. "I'm going to bed. Tell Ron for me, will you?"
Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but Harry's attention was side-tracked when he heard someone calling out his name. Turning, his brows went up as he saw Zero striding up to them. Before he could say anything, he felt Zero grab his wrist in a firm grip and tugged him, unexpectedly gently, away.
"Come."
Speechless and being dragged away, Harry could only glance once to Hermione in equal confusion before Zero had ushered him out the entrance of the common room once more. There, Zero stopped and raised Harry's hand closer to his face.
Heartbeat jumping, Harry pulled away. "Wh-what're you doing?" Thinking that Zero had been about to bite him, Harry watched as the other boy merely sighed and yanked the side of his own tie, pulling it smoothly off. Utterly confused, Harry flinched slightly when his right hand was picked up once more before he blinked blankly.
Smooth silk running across his sensitive, inflamed skin, Zero had proceeded to wrap his bright Gryffindor striped-tie around his hand as a makeshift bandage.
Having been silent and baffled, Harry stared at his newly-bandaged hand blankly for a moment before awkwardly saying, "um… thanks." He heard Zero huff a response before repeating his earlier words, "come." Without further ado, Zero turned and walked off down the hallway.
Harry gaped at him and glanced twice back at the portrait of the fat lady – who was giving him a vaguely disapproving look – before sprinting off after Zero.
"Uh.. Zero? Where are we going?" He asked once he'd caught up. "It's already past curfew…" Harry trailed off when he heard Zero snort and shoot him a 'really?' look which made Harry flush in response.
They walked for quite some time... and Harry vaguely had a thought that was it just him or was it getting colder? Were they going down the castle?
His questions were later answered when they seemingly arrived to stand before a wall. A familiar wall. Harry's eyes widened as his head whipped up to look at Zero. "Wh- Zero! What're we doing here?" he asked, before hurriedly dropping to a whisper. "How do you even know about this place?"
Zero glanced down towards Harry calmly, raising a brow at him but not responding. Instead, he stared straight at the wall and spoke, "sanguine purificationis."
Helplessly standing with his mouth agape, Harry could only watch as the wall rumbled before sliding aside to reveal a room he'd never expected to see again; the Slytherin Common Room. He stumbled along listlessly behind Zero who strode into the snake's nest without falter.
Inside, almost all heads turned to stare in surprise, then immediate suspicion at them. Paying none of them any heed after sweeping his gaze across the dimly-lit room, Zero called out, "Shiruba! Anta ga koko ni iru shitte iru (I know you're here). Dete koi (get out here)."
His demands were met with dark scowls among the Slytherins who detested his lack of manners. Some students, Malfoy included, rose from their seats and stalked towards the intruding pair. For once, Malfoy's face wasn't smirking down at Harry. Instead, it was twisted in a dark expression of disgust.
"What do you think you're doing in here, Potter?" he spat Harry's name with more venom than ever before. Harry blinked in surprise but assumed that if the situation was reversed, he too would be rightly angered – and alarmed – to see his enemy in his common room; their safe haven.
Opening his mouth – as if he even knew what he was going to say – Harry didn't manage to get anything out before he was pulled to stand slightly behind Zero who stared down those approaching challengingly.
"What do you think you're looking at, you filth—"
"Zero!" A lighter voice called out happily, an obvious contrast to the atmosphere in the room. Both Harry and Zero's eyes jumped towards the source of the voice which turned out to be Silver, standing by another doorway. By her side was Kaname, looking as prim and proper as usual; standing out even among the crowd of wizarding pure-bloods.
Seemingly oblivious to the acidic glares being shot her way, Silver weaved through the masses easily until she was before Zero, glancing interestedly at Harry with a welcoming smile and a small wave, which Harry returned awkwardly.
"What's up?"
Eyes looking past Silver's shoulder coldly, Zero simply grasped Harry's wrist and pulled it up towards her silently, presenting the wrapped hand while Harry stared, bewildered.
"Oh, what happened?" Silver's brow immediately furrowed as he gently took Harry's hand, as the other boy flushed slightly in embarrassment, mumbling incoherently. The two were oblivious to a new arrival in their circle.
"Good evening, Kiryuu-kun," Kaname's smooth voice greeted as he came up behind Silver, a polite smile in place. When Zero merely grunted in response, Kaname's eyes flickered to his left, where Silver had unwrapped Harry's hand and was studying the odd wound – blood crusting and skin an angry red. "Nani ga okotta (what happened)?" mahogany eyes watched Zero's own soft lilac carefully.
The silver-haired hunter glared, "ano on'nada (it was that woman)," he spat out, turning away and scowling at the dark green walls. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, "ittai naniga kangaeteru (what the hell is he thinking), ano kocho wa (that blasted headmaster)."
Once more looking at the pair beside him, Kaname watched Silver stroke Harry's hand comfortingly as she thought aloud, "didn't think bringing a first aid kit would need to come in handy for someone other than Zero, but it's a good thing I brought it after all. Hold on Harry, I'll just dash to my room and grab—"
"May I?"
All three froze at Kaname's question, three pairs of eyes glancing at the pureblood's outstretched hand. Harry looked up at Kaname's face and realized that the question had been aimed at him. Feeling an uneasiness rise inside him, he looked nervously to Zero.
Feeling eyes on him, Zero turned to see Harry looking up at him with a mildly panicked look on his face. Not knowing what the hell that was supposed to mean, he merely turned his glare back onto Kaname silently.
Lost, Harry gazed meekly at Kaname but blinked when Kaname's eyes sharpened minutely at his actions – although maybe Harry was just being paranoid. Feeling cornered and heart pounding, Harry hesitantly lifted his right hand towards the vampire.
When it was close enough, Kaname slipped his own hand under Harry's and fluidly brought it closer to him for inspection. His face showed no reaction as he studied the odd injury. The silence stretched on and Harry worried if Kaname could feel his heartbeat because of how loud the pounding in his ears was. Why was he even freaking out this much? Kaname wasn't even doing anything.
"You should practice more caution around the Professor, Harry," Kaname's silky voice suddenly cut through the deafening silence. "You should know by now that she is purposely taunting you. Given enough reason, the Ministry may even grant her more power here than the Headmaster himself."
Deep burgundy eyes pinned Harry in place with their intensity, despite a lack of any strong emotion within them. "As I'm sure the sharp young lady friend of yours would have already warned you."
Despite being slightly irritated with the underlying comment about his brashness, Harry nodded jerkily before hoping to slip his hand out of the other's grasp. However, smooth fingers closed around his hand lightly yet firmly.
"Allow me," Kaname's voice washed over him before Harry's hand was raised towards the pureblood's lips. In that moment, Harry swore his heart stopped, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the tall leader's gaze. Distantly, he heard a menacing growl by his side before his finely honed self-preservation instincts kicked in and Harry yanked his hand away. Or tried to, at least.
His heart was going to explode at how high-strung he felt when Kaname's lips parted, brushing his sensitive skin. Panicking, Harry's eyes darted around helplessly before noticing the source of the rumbling growl – Zero. Said boy had a dark expression on his face, eyes drilling into the pureblood still holding Harry's hand captive.
Feeling somewhat betrayed that Zero hadn't made a move to stop Kaname, that was when Harry realized that nothing had yet to happen. Not only that, but the constant throbbing pain in his hand that had become increasingly familiar was no longer present. Whipping his head around, Harry stared at the sight of Kaname's lips gently touching the back of his hand, a soft lilac circle of light spreading across his skin.
After what seemed like a century, Kaname pulled back and released Harry's hand, which Harry immediately cradled instinctively with his other. He stood there, face unflatteringly frozen in shock and jaw hanging, as Kaname smiled amiably like always and said, "do take care, Harry." Then, the pureblood turned and disappeared to where he came once more.
Harry sucked in a breath and gripped his newly-healed hand at the sound of his name from the vampire's lips but was promptly snapped out of his daze by a gentle hand on his shoulder. Silver's eyes shone with displeasure even as she smiled at him and said, "lucky for you Kaname-senpai healed you right up, huh? You probably won't even have a scar now."
True enough, when he took a look, his hand was smooth and unblemished; as if everything had simply been in his imagination. Glancing over at Zero, Harry thought he looked like he was as close to baring his fangs as a human could – before he realized that Zero did have fangs, not that he'd seen them before though. "Z-zero?"
Lilac eyes turned to him before softening from their harsh glare. Zero roughly grabbed Harry by the arm and began dragging him out, "let's go," he spat out. Harry turned to see Silver waving at him with an amused smile but Harry noticed the tightness in her motions and how strained her smile was before she too turned briskly and disappeared through the same doorway Kaname had left through.
Hello hello long time no see! I decided to finish up this chapter to put up because it was already half-finished so why not... but I'm still trying to figure out where I was going with this so hopefully don't expect another update so soon! xD I will still be focusing on VtAoA for now though :(
Anyway hopefully the ending wasnt too dragged out - i think I wrote too much nonsense hence the large chapter - and can you spot where I stopped the chapter and where I started off again? hahaha i think now I might alter what I originally had planned for this story... that is if I continue it :P
That's it for now so please review and hope to see you soon ;) xx
