A /N: this chapter has skipped over a day or two… not sure, it is now the evening of the last day of their solo time. To all you readers and reviewers, thanks so much for the support, and I'm sorry about the delay! I've had finals and a new job to contend with! But it's out now so yay!
Disclaimers- These characters are not mine. I just play with them while JK Rowling isn't looking.
'Parseltongue'
Chapter Thirteen- Caring and counter curses
Ron was standing by the edge of the lake, staring off into the distance and thinking of Harry. It was the last day of their solos, he had been focused the whole time on Harry; trying to find out anything he could. He hadn't sensed anything else since the day he had felt his friend's magic being attacked, and the more he thought about it, the more it felt like there really was a curse on the boy.
He hadn't spoken to Blaise about what he was feeling because he didn't want to confirm it even to himself. He would be able to see Harry tomorrow when they got to the end of the lake and met up at the small muggle town that was there. He was certain that his best mate was fine for the time being, he hadn't felt anymore attacks and he knew that Harry was strong.
"Harry's fine," he heard a voice behind him say.
"I know," he answered without looking over, "I just worry about the boy."
"I know you do, Ron, all of us do."
The red head nodded and finally turned around to face his friend, he gave small smile, saying with his eyes that he was fine. Blaise nodded in understanding, he couldn't wait for the next day when he would be able to see Draco and Pansy, and guarantee to himself and Ron that Harry really was fine.
He worried about the red head, the boy really cared for Harry and had a tendency to forget that he himself needed to be cared for as well. Blaise planned to make sure that the poor boy was well looked after.
In the few short days that Ron and Blaise had spent together, getting to know one and other they had become pretty close. Blaise had started to feel like they had known each other for much longer then just a couple of days.
The dark skinned boy walked up to the red head and put a hand on his shoulder, "He really is fine, Ron. Really."
"I know, Blaise," Ron stared off over his shoulder for a second, and then all of the sudden looked him full in the eye and spoke with conviction, "You and the Slytherins care about him almost as much as Hermione and I do, don't you?"
"Almost probably, why do you ask?" Blaise said staring into his friend's blue eyes.
Ron didn't answer for a long moment but finally, with his eyes once again staring off into the distance, he said, "I just want to make sure he's okay. He has so much pain, Blaise. So much pain, and there's nothing I can do about it…"
Blaise looked at his friend in concern for a while. The poor boy didn't realize how much he helped Harry; he really could be pretty oblivious at times.
"Oh, Ron," he said as he pulled the boy into a hug, "You really don't see how much you help him do you?"
Ron seemed to crumple into the hug, leaning heavily on his friend's shoulder as he replied, "I can't help him that much, can I? I mean he's still so depressed and unhappy all the time. Even on his good days, he's always… off, never like the old Harry. I- I just worry so much, Blaise!" he cried out, suddenly unable to hold it all in any longer.
Ron was crying on Blaise's shoulder, his face buried in the crook of the others neck and his tears soaking the boy's shirt. Blaise simply held onto him as he cried and waited for him to get it all out after keeping it in for so long.
After several minutes Ron finally pulled back, his eyes red rimmed and looking slightly embarrassed.
"Sorry 'bout that, Blaise," he mumbled.
"That's alright, Ron," the other boy replied, "Like I said though, you really did help Harry. It's a lot easier to tell as an outsider I'm sure, but whenever he was around you he seemed… brighter."
Ron just stared at him, "Brighter?" he finally asked.
"Yes, more like his old self, you know. Happier and… brighter."
"I see," Ron said, staring off again for a long time. He finally turned back and pulled the other boy into another hug and placed a quick kiss on his lips, "Thanks, Blaise," he whispered burying his face again in his friend's shoulder, thankful that he was there and knew that Ron just desperately needed comfort at the moment.
Blaise hugged him just as fiercely, not at all fazed by the kiss. Sure, Ron was attractive and he knew the boy thought the same about him, but Ron had Hermione and Blaise, Theo. Who they loved and neither was about to leave them. The kiss was just a thing of thanks and comfort.
ooOoo
At roughly the time his best mate had been doing it Harry was staring off over the lake as well. His mind on rather similar maters.
He was stuck thinking of the curse that was coursing through his system. Now that he knew what it was that caused his mood changes he could almost feel the magic as it attacked his mind and made him feel whatever it liked.
Today would have been a horribly bad day; today he could feel the urge to cut. He was fighting; he was giving it all he had. He looked over at Draco sitting by the fire and packing up the stuff that they wouldn't need to use for the rest of the day or before they left tomorrow. That way they would have to do less tomorrow when they had to leave after lunch.
He watched the blonde and the urge to open his skin lessened, just looking at the boy he felt like he could resist for as long as it took for them to find a cure.
Draco looked up as he approached and smiled, "Hey Harry, just finishing up, we shouldn't have much to do tomorrow, roll up the sleeping bags, pack the tent and out it all in the canoe… then we're good to go!"
Harry smiled at him, just as happy. He had loved spending time with Draco on the island, but he was starting to miss Ron and Hermione, and everyone else as well actually. He missed the whole lot of them.
He jerked back to reality when Draco called him, not for the first time he was sure.
"Sorry, what was that, Draco?" he asked subconsciously raising a hand to rub his scar. A habit he'd retained from the war which he still did when he was nervous.
"I asked if you wanted stew for dinner now or tuna casserole and the stew for lunch tomorrow," Draco said.
"Oh, um casserole I guess."
"Alright," he grabbed it from the food bag and chucked it near the pots, "Now what was that?" he pointed to Harry's forehead.
"What was what?"
"You. Rubbing your scar. What's that all about? It doesn't still bother you does it?" Draco asked sounding more and more concerned with each question.
"Oh," Harry said, barely restraining himself from doing it again, "Just a habit. I've done it since I started at Hogwarts and my scar used to hurt when Voldemort was near me."
"So, why do you still do it?"
"By the end of the war it was just always hurting and I would rub it whenever I was worried, got stuck in the habit I guess," Harry answered shrugging.
"I see," Draco said slowly, "What are you so worried about right now?"
"What do you think I'm worried about, Draco?"
"Curse," the blonde answered simply.
Harry just nodded.
Silence reigned as they made their dinner and ate it until Draco thought of a part of Harry's long ago told story of the night of the Dementor attack that did not make sense to him.
"Harry?" he asked quietly.
"Mmm?"
"You remember when you told me the story of the Dementor attack?" he waited for the boy to nod, "How was it that Dudley and Hali knew that you weren't in your house anymore?"
"That's not a random comment at all, how is it that this came to your mind all of the sudden?" Harry asked.
"I don't know, just did. So, how was it that they knew?"
"Dudley apparently heard me leave and wanted to know what I was up too, I'm pretty sure he was worried about me even then, but he refuses to admit it. So he followed me out and saw me going towards Hali's house and trailed behind, hiding in the dark. Hali apparently saw me out her bedroom window, and well, she knew the only reason I would come find her in the middle of the night. And it was obviously bad enough that I would forget that she wasn't talking to me at the time, she was also worried for me."
Draco just nodded, "I see, that's good of them. Could have turned out rather bad for them, but it didn't so I'm happy it happened like that. It got you talking to Hali again and got Dudley to get over himself."
Harry nodded again and drifted back into thought before Draco could even finish his sentence. The sun was setting as Harry and Draco thought back on the week they had spent together in the wilderness, and to how much their relationship had changed in that time. Harry was also thinking of whether or not he wanted to tell Remus and Sirius of the curse he was under. He didn't like when people worried about him.
He wanted Sirius to stay happy, he didn't want the man worried about him, and he'd been through so much, Remus too of course. He didn't want them to know, they'd tell the other seventh years, he didn't want Ron and Hermione to know either. They would worry about him and Ron would tell his family and they would worry about him. Then Dumbledore would know and then the whole school would know. Finally it would leak out into the public and Harry would be the centre of everyone's attention all over again. That was the last possible thing he wanted right now. Not just right now actually. Ever, he never wanted that attention again, he was sick of it.
Draco meanwhile was observing Harry. There was a little wrinkle between his eyes, like he was worrying about something. The blonde observed him for several more minutes before saying anything.
"Harry?" he waited until the boy looked up before continuing, "What are you so worried about?"
"I'm not worried about anything, Dray," Harry whispered.
Draco frowned, "Don't be ridiculous, Harry, I can tell by the look on your face. Just tell me what you were thinking about, maybe I can give you some help?"
Harry nodded slowly, "Alright, Draco, if you're sure you want to know," he glanced at Draco quickly to see him nod, "I was trying to decide if I wanted to tell Sirius and Remus about the curse at all, or if we could wait until we got back to the castle for them to know. What do you think I should do?"
"I think it doesn't really matter if you tell them right away or not, I would like to encourage you to tell them as soon as possible, but it is, of course, your decision. They will know as soon as we return to the castle and tell the Headmaster or whoever."
Harry nodded absently, "I just don't want anyone to worry about me, they've already had to do that too much," he paused and looked back over the lake, "especially Sirius."
Draco didn't know what to say to that, so he remained silent. Harry didn't seem to notice.
ooOoo
Albus Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, fingers steepled in front of him and his unfocussed eyes fixed on the opposite wall. His office looked much the same as always. The silver instruments on their spindly legged tables were sitting near the door, puffing out fine grey smoke and making small trilling noises. The former Headmasters and Mistresses were asleep in their frames (as it was well past midnight) and Fawkes was sleeping with his head tucked under his wing on his perch behind Dumbledore's desk.
The thoughts forming under the mass of silver hair were not the most relaxing ones ever. He was focused completely on the situation surrounding Harry. Severus had come to him in a panic (as panicked as the man would ever let himself be seen) with the information that the young Weasley girl had brought him.
Albus had been mulling it over ever since then. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted as the aforementioned Potions Master burst in to his office a look of controlled glee on his face.
"Ah, Severus, you have found something of use then?" Dumbledore asked quietly.
"Yes, Headmaster, I have discovered that there is more to removing the curse then the simple incan-"
"Simple, Severus? I'll have you know that that incantation is one of the trickiest bits of transfiguration I have ever come across, now don't you dare say that it will be easy on the volun-" Minerva McGonagall said as she swept into the room as well.
"Minerva that is not what I meant at all. I meant that although the incantation itself is difficult it was only going to get harder as there is also a potion the volunteer will have to administer. I did not mean to diminish the importance of your subject in the least," Severus said silkily.
McGonagall stared at him for a moment before nodding, "Alright, Severus, my mistake. If this potion is going to make the process that much more difficult then why is it that you look positively glowing with happiness?"
Severus quickly morphed his features into the familiar scowl before answering, "I did not look glowing! I am merely happy as I have spent the last several days looking for instructions on how to make the potion as most of the copies have been destroyed long ago. I have finally managed to find a copy and have started to make certain preparations."
"Preparations?" Albus asked quietly.
"Yes, Headmaster, the potion takes ten days to brew; I figured Ha-Potter would prefer to have the curse removed as quickly as possible. If I start the preparations today I can begin brewing tomorrow and the potion will be ready four days after the seventh years return. This will give me plenty of time to tell the boy of the situation."
"One small problem, Severus," Minerva said quietly.
"What is that Minerva?"
"We don't know, as of yet, who the boy's soul mate is."
"I have no doubt that his soul mate is at Hogwarts." The Potions Master said, effectively ending the conversation.
Minerva frowned but Dumbledore jumped in before she could say anything, "Marvellous idea, my boy!" By the twinkle in his eye, Severus knew Albus had heard him almost call Harry by his first name, but thankfully it didn't look like McGonagall had noticed anything.
Or so he thought until he saw her beginning to frown, but rather then mention that she said, "And what if we cannot find a willing curse breaker by then? It is a difficult thing to ask of anyone, there is a chance that all three participants will die. I would offer to do it myself but I'm sure several people," she glared at the Headmaster and briefly at Severus, "would tell me it would be a ridiculous thing to do at my age."
"It would be though, Minerva, this will take a deal of physical and mental strength, and though none of us are doubting your mental strength," Severus said quickly as Minerva sent him another glare, she eventually sighed and nodded, still frowning slightly.
"Besides, even if we cannot find someone suitable in time you would not have to say the incantation or nor administer the potion, Severus paused to take a breath, "as I will step up if that is the case."
ooOoo
Ginny was sitting with her head on her desk in the middle of an incredibly boring speech on goblin wars.
History of Magic class, of course, but like everyone else in the room, Ginny's mind was very far from goblin wars. She was presently thinking back to the information she had shared with Professor Snape several days earlier, and the information she had found just moments before her class started.
She had been reading during the break between transfiguration and History of Magic, and had discovered an interesting potions related fact about the counter curse, she had yet to tell Snape of it.
The information she had found in one of the texts said that a potion was required along next to the incantation. She had read the short passage next to the potion's instructions so many times that it was rather firmly ingrained in her mind;
The Soul's Release potion is a complicated one. The ingredients must be harvested at precise times and surveyed constantly during the last few days of its making.
To administer the potion is almost as difficult as it is to make it; the curse victim will have already been put to sleep, as will their soul mate. Therefore the potion must be administered very carefully so as to guarantee they do not choke.
It is an option to have a second person there to say the incantation while the first administers the potion.
The second she had finished reading that Ginny had stood to make her way to the dungeons, but before she had even left the room the bell had gone signalling the beginning of History of Magic class.
Once again her thoughts were interrupted by a ringing bell, this time ending History of Magic. Ginny stood, thinking of nothing but getting to the dungeons and telling professor Snape of this new development. But she was stopped, this time by the voice of her friend, Angelina, "Hey, Gin! You're not gonna ditch us for another lunch hour are you?"
Ginny paused trying desperately to think of a plausible excuse, "I-"
"Ms. Weasley!"
She spun around to see professor Snape walking around the corner, "Yes, sir?"
"The Headmaster would like to see you in his office."
"Uh- what about, Sir?"
"Well, why don't you go ask him and find out for yourself?" he sneered but his eyes were frantic, Ginny knew what this was about.
"Harry," she whispered.
"What was that?" Snape snapped, obviously trying to hurry along.
"I said yes, sir," Ginny answered quickly, then turned around to face her friends, "Sorry, guys, I'll see you during Charms after lunch I guess."
"Alright Gin," Angelina said, "See you later."
"Bye Ange, bye Amanda," she said as she tried to restrain herself from turning and running straight to the Headmaster's office.
Ginny watched her professor as they hurried silently down the corridors; it looked as if he too was forcing himself not to run.
Neither of them spoke a word until Snape said the password at the Gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office. They ascended the spiral staircase in silence and knocked on the door at the top.
"Enter."
They walked in, Ginny taking a seat in front of the desk as Severus walked around to stand next to the Headmaster's chair.
"Ginevra," Dumbledore inclined his head slightly.
"Sir?"
"Ah yes, you would like to know why I called here. Lemon drop?"
Ginny shook her head as Severus sighed, "Headmaster, I do not think now is the best time to be offering sweets."
"Right you are, my boy, right you are. Ginevra, you are the one that did the research on the counter curse are you not?"
She nodded silently.
"Yes of course, have you found anything else you believe to be of importance since then?" Albus asked quietly.
"Yes actually, sir, I found something else right before my History of Magic class, I wanted to go find professor Snape but I had to go to class so I was going to go find him right after the class was done, but he found me instead."
"Well then," Severus cut in quickly, "what did you find?"
"Give the girl a moment, Severus," Albus said quietly.
"I found a passage that mentioned a potion that was required for the counter curse as well," Ginny said.
"Yes yes, I found that as well, anything else?" Snape demanded.
The redhead looked slightly surprised but continued quickly, "Yes, sir, I read that there is the possibility to have more then one curse breaker for the counter curse, one to administer the potion and one to perform the incantation," this statement alone was greeted with silence, but what the girl said next made Severus almost faint in surprise.
"I assume that you would be the one to administer the potion, sir," she inclined her head towards Severus who nodded slightly; "I would like to be the one to perform the incantation."
End Chapter Thirteen
A/N: okay so I noticed a little tidbit about this chapter, every one of the sections separated by an 'ooOoo' ends really intensely, made me very happy; P, hope you guys all liked the chapter!
So to reviewer Red kitty, you never told me what the title of Jewel Queen's story was, so if you do know, please tell me!
DerangedxandxSarcastic
p.s. to all readers and reviewers, how would you like me to write the next couple of days? Do you think I should just skim over the rest of the trip in one or two chapters? should I write a chapter for each day? if you think I should write a chapter for each day, then i could use some ideas, so if you have any, please share!
Please vote for your choice in a review or PM.