Professor McGonagal had a frown on her face as she inspected the necklace with her wand. She turned to Leanne.
"Are you sure Katie didn't have this in her possession when you entered the Three Broomsticks?" Leanne shook her head and glanced at Harry who was still rubbing Lily's back and swaying gently on the spot while Lily whimpered every so often.
"Like I said… she left to go to the bathroom and when she came back she was suddenly in a hurry to deliver a package. I kept asking her what package, where she was going but she wouldn't act normally. Then finally on the road she seemed to realise she didn't have any package and ran back… the moment she saw it on the floor in front of Harry and Malfoy… she reached for it." Leanne said.
"Did she say who she was to deliver it to?"
"Professor Dumbledore…" Professor McGonagal looked at them both.
Malfoy was sitting against the desk behind Harry, not looking up. "Thank you Leanne. You may go."
She watched the two of them attentively. "I went to the bathroom too… on my way out I bumped into Katie. She dropped the package and I picked it up. I rushed after her but she was ahead of me enough to not hear me. The packaging was becoming undone and I reached to readjust it. Then Malfoy knocked it out of my hands and Katie came and grabbed it." Harry said.
Professor McGonagall nodded and looked at Malfoy. "Mr. Malfoy?" She asked.
"I'd seen one of those necklaces before. I came to annoy Potter but caught a glimpse of what it was and knocked it out of his hands." He said fluidly. "The rest was as they said." Malfoy's eyes flickered to his. Harry stared at him as he rubbed Lily's back. Malfoy looked like he was going to be sick. Harry turned to McGonagall and nodded.
"That's all I know." Harry said. McGonagall seemed content with the response.
"Oh Severus, thank goodness."
Harry heard Malfoy give out a sigh of relief and glanced at him. Once more their eyes met. Uncertainty, mistrust, confusion. It's what Harry felt but also what he saw mirrored in Malfoy's expression.
Snape lifted the necklace, turning it and Harry sensed the spells he was doing, scanning for the curse.
"What do you think Severus?" Professor McGonagall asked. Harry saw the tense expression on the potion master's face.
"I think… Miss Bell is lucky to be alive." He said.
"She was cursed wasn't she? I know Katie, she would never carry something like that knowingly." Harry asked, Lily whimpering again, starting to cry as the necklace screeched faintly. "Shh shh…" He whispered against Lily's ear, bouncing her a little more, supporting her on his hip as she was getting heavy.
"She was." McGonagall said, both teachers looking at the necklace in concentration and Harry glanced at Malfoy, glaring at him.
Malfoy opened his mouth. "It was- OUCH!" Harry kicked him on the shin. Both teachers turned to look at them but all they saw was Malfoy with more colour to his face from anger, glaring at Harry who was innocently bouncing Lily.
"Yes? Mr. Malfoy?" McGonagall asked. Snape narrowed his eyes at Malfoy who glanced at Snape and Harry as he rubbed his shin.
"It was… horrible. If Malfoy hadn't knocked the package out of my hands…" He paused for effect. "I need to get Lily to bed. Is it alright for us to go professor?" Harry asked. McGonagall looked at them both with pity and sighed nodding.
Malfoy stormed out and Harry glanced back at Snape who looked at Malfoy as if he wanted to follow. Instead he turned back to McGonagall to discuss the necklace.
Harry grabbed Lily's things and followed Malfoy. The blond was fast but he was easy to follow. His steps were loud in the empty corridors. Most students were in the common rooms getting ready for dinner.
The retching sounds from one of the stalls in Myrtle's bathroom alerted Harry to Malfoy's location. He leaned back against the sink and waited. He soon heard sobbing coming from the stall. He decided that maybe he shouldn't intrude so much on Malfoy's privacy.
"You cursed her, didn't you, Malfoy." Harry said and the sobbing stopped abruptly. It took a few seconds for Malfoy to come out, wand ready, his face twisted with rage. Harry gripped his own wand with one hand and turned his body so Lily was mostly covered by Harry's body.
"Baa! Ba…" Lily whimpered which made hesitation flicker in Malfoy's expression. The blond stared at Harry.
"If you knew that why didn't you tell them then?" He demanded.
"You stopped me from touching it."
"It wasn't meant for you." Malfoy said, holding his head up, as if trying to show pride despite having thrown up from his guilt into the lavatory a few minutes ago.
"No… it was meant for Professor Dumbledore." Harry said. Malfoy didn't say anything at first, his eyes flickering between the ground and his wand as if trying to figure out right there and then what to do. "Is that what Voldemort told you to do?" He asked. Malfoy looked up at him. "You're one of them, aren't you?"
"If I were? Pretty stupid of you to be talking to a Death Eater alone in a forgotten bathroom. Putting that little girl's life on the line in the process." Malfoy said. Harry glared and held Lily tighter.
"Maybe. But you're not a Death Eater." Harry said.
"What makes you so sure?" Malfoy hissed, pointing his want at him.
"Because I saw your face when Katie touched the cursed necklace. You were horrified."
"I am not as weak as you think me, Potter! I could kill you right now!" Malfoy yelled. Harry tried to control his own racing heart. Why was he bothering with this idiot? He was a Death Eater! He should hand him in. But he couldn't shake the memory of Malfoy's gaunt and terrified expression.
"You trust him, Malfoy?"
"..." Malfoy gripped his wand tighter, shaking. "What will you do then? Tell Dumbledore?"
"Whatever it is he wants you to do, there must be another way." Harry said.
"How can you be so bloody optimistic? Knocking up a girl and ending up with a kid makes you suddenly immune to the Dark Lord? Is that what it is? We know how that ended for your mudblood mother!" Malfoy spat out. "Hiding behind Dumbledore's protection has made you blind to what the Dark Lord is capable of!"
Harry stared at Malfoy, still gripping his own wand, tense and ready should the blond decide to attack. He looked at Malfoy's eyes, no thoughts of upcoming spells reaching Harry. Malfoy just looked pale and afraid and the few images Harry got was of Lucius Malfoy getting arrested and the Dark Lord's rage.
"I know enough. I know your father was getting that prophecy for him. Can't imagine the Dark Lord was too happy when he failed his mission."
"And that's your fault!" Malfoy yelled. Harry felt his heart skip a beat and voiced what was merely a guess.
"And to punish his failure he sends Lucius Malfoy's only son and heir to get himself killed? To kill the one wizard he himself fears?" Harry said and glanced at Lily quickly before turning back to Malfoy. "Did I guess right?" Harry asked.
Malfoy took a deep breath and began to lower his wand. "What do you want, Potter?" He finally asked.
"Tell me what your mission is exactly." Harry said. Malfoy looked back at him defiantly.
"Tell me, Potter. What are you willing to do for that girl?" He asked pointing to Lily.
Harry stared at him. "…anything."
Malfoy smirked, though the laughter didn't reach his eyes. "Exactly." He put his wand away and straightened his shirt, walking up to him. Harry began to lower his wand. Malfoy stopped beside him and looked at Lily who was nibbling on her fist, her bright blue eyes attentively scanning Malfoy's face and looking from one teen to the other. "Exactly." He repeated and left.
Harry watched him go. He felt so conflicted. On the one hand Malfoy had hurt Katie. He was trying to kill Dumbledore. On the other hand… the words the other said to him shook his core. All of this was giving him a headache. He had no idea what to do.
"Aya?" Harry looked down at Lily and wiped a tear from her cheek. She seemed done with her crying and was just looking at Malfoy's retreating form and yawned deeply. Harry found himself yawning too and leaned in, kissing her on the cheek.
"Let's go, Lily."
oOoOoOo
"Hope Katie's alright." Ron said as he lay on his bed. Lily was in her basket, sound asleep. Harry was looking at the marauder's map.
"Leanne said she'll be better, but she needs to stay in St. Mungos for observation for a while." Harry replied, following the steps that Malfoy was doing. Back and forth in the Slytherin common room. Then he began to move, leaving the Slytherin dungeons.
"…What do you reckon Dean sees in Ginny anyway?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged.
"What does she see in him?" After Ron's question at the Three Broomsticks he couldn't stop picturing Lily grown up with some idiot holding hands and that was enough to make him angry. He looked into her basket, watching her chest rise and fall as a look of peace and innocence shone on her face. Lily was never growing up if he could help it.
"Dean? He's brilliant innit."
"You called him a slick git not five hours ago." Harry said, unfolding and folding the map in a particular way to follow Malfoy's steps up one floor, and the next, down one corridor, then a left, up another staircase.
"Well yeah, he was running his hands all over my sister. Something snaps. You've gotta hate him, you know?"
Harry totally understood that. "I guess." He said. Just how high was Malfoy going? He was already on the sixth floor and he looked like he was heading up another floor.
"So what do you think he sees in her then?"
Harry huffed. "I don't know, she's smart, brave, attractive."
"Attractive?" Ron asked. "You think Ginny's attractive?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Are you saying she's ugly? You want me to bring her over so we can all debate your opinion of her looks?" Ron paled at that and shook his head. There was silence for a bit.
"So… would you say Hermione's attractive?" Ron asked. Harry turned to look at him but Ron kept his eyes on the ceiling.
"Of course she is. You'd be blind not to see it." Harry turned his attention back to Malfoy. Where was he again? He'd lost sight of him.
"Since when are you so easy to compliment girls?" Ron asked.
"Since I'm too busy with Lily to care about stupid things like dating?" Harry mumbled and sighed putting the map down. His headache was getting worse. He took off his glasses. "I think I'll be going to sleep now." He folded the map and got comfortable for bed, facing Lily's basket and making sure he could see her at all times.