Chapter Twenty: I Won't Take This Lying Down

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Ah yes.

The kiss.

The single dumbest thing-

No, wait. That's incorrect.

ONE of the dumbest things Potter has done.

Although, admittedly, it did shut me up.

Damn Slytherin Griffendor.

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Harry had hidden himself away down an unused hallway which led to some bedrooms. Ron's room was still inhabited by Slytherin's, though due to this last attack, Harry knew they would be moved somewhere else. Ron and he had spent the night on the floor of Fred and George's bedroom, trying hard not to move because they had been farily sure the Twins had booby-trapped everything with some sort of joke. When Ron woke up as a canary, without having eaten a Canary Cream, they knew they had been wise to stay still.

Since it was during the day and everyone was helping to replace wards and make plans, no one was about the hallway Harry had found himself in and he could think clearly.

Not that he wanted to think.

Thinking was the last thing he wanted to do.

For God's sake.

Why had he kissed Draco Malfoy? Sure. He'd looked pathetic, weak and lying there like no one had ever really told the boy it would be okay, but that hadn't meant Harry should have kissed him! Oh God. He'd cheated on Ginny. He'd kissed a boy.

Why?

He buried his head in his hands and tried not to think he much he had wanted to protect Draco Malfoy when he had looked like that.

Kissing him had not been about passion or love, but about trying to reassure him that someone, even if it was a bespectacled idiot hero, had cared for him.

I could have just HUGGED him, Harry groaned inwardly. Why the kiss?

He wished he could answer that question, but there was no voice in the back of his mind who could help him. He was completely confused and utterly horrified.

Not only because he had just kissed a boy, Draco Malfoy of all boys, but before Draco had punched him, he had kind of liked the feel of lips against his own.

He was getting desperate.

Gods.

Draco Malfoy?

Harry groaned and felt like bashing his head against the wall.

Damn it.

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Draco hadn't moved from the bed, his eyes closed and his mouth firmly shut no matter who came to speak to him. He was fairly sure that they all knew he was faking it, but no one forced him to open his eyes.

Bloody Griffendors. A quick burning hex and he would have screamed blue murder, giving away the fact he was awake, but no, they had to try talking to him.

Finally, they escorted Severus into his room, and closed the door firmly after the man.

"Do stop that, Draco," Severus remarked calmly, stumbling a little the last few steps towards the bed. Draco opened his eyes and slid towards the wall, making room for the weakened man to sit. The black haired man sighed, and rested a hand nonchalantly on the bed, not moving it when Draco covered it with his own.

"We're screwed, aren't we?" Draco asked, suddenly more tired than he had felt before.

"In rather vulgar terms, yes, we appear to be screwed, but with any luck, Potter will come dashing to the rescue after his side-kicks come back with evidence of my own lack of wrong-doings."

"What about my wrong-doings?"

Severus snorted, but groaned as he laid himself down next to the teenager, his bones protesting the move. "You are only guilty of being a coward, Draco."

He felt the boy tense but did not take back his words, and Draco knew they were true. He hadn't killed anyone, but he had tried, and failed, and failed again, until he had been sent to be killed instead. He sighed.

Potter was their only hope now...and he probably ruined it all by punching him. Draco winced, and Severus caught the gesture.

"What have you done now, Draco?"

Draco tensed and scoffed, "why do you think I've done something wrong, Severus?"

"Because you look like you did shortly after you broke your father's broom when you were five. Now, stop deflecting and tell me what you've done that makes you look like you've doomed us both."

"I...may, and only may, have...punched Potter in the face..."

There was no explosion of noise, no sudden yell, or exclamation. It wasn't Severus' style.

The slumped posture and tired expression was more damning than a scream could ever be.

Fuck.

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Harry paced in front of the fireplace, while the order fussed around the house tiredly. The attack had been sudden, but telling. They were letting the order know that even their safe houses weren't safe.

"I think you should go to Grimmauld Place," Molly announced, not looking up from the cushions she was fluffing. "You, Ron, Hermione and Ginny. The four of you. We'll send a Order member with you too, of course, to keep you safe but-"

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry cut her off, but it was gently done. He left the rut he was pacing into the floor and walked over to her. Touching her arm, he gave her a small smile which she wobbly returned. "I know you're just trying to protect us, but we're part of this now. I've always been part of it, and I can't hide away and pray that it'll get better, because it won't. Not without me." It felt egotistical to say that but Molly sniffled, and nodded.

"I forget how fast you've been forced to grow up, love," she murmured and embraced him firmly. "I think...we need to all move back to Grimmauld. It's secret keeper is gone, but we can elect a new one and it will be much stronger. Everyone knows where the Weasley Burrow is. We need somewhere to be safe while we plan."

Harry nodded. "More room too," he told her, and she laughed.

"That too! You and Ron, heaven forbid having to stay in the Twins room. Thankfully we were able to turn Ron back into a person, or I'd have five sons, a daughter and a bird." She laughed, but tears began to spill down her cheeks quickly.

Percy.

Molly already had only five sons.

"I'm sure he's fine," Harry said, awkwardly trying to comfort her. "He's just being a prat."

She giggled, and swiped at her cheeks. "Of course love, of course. Now. I need to put some lunch on, it's already ten in the morning! I won't have to time feed everyone with the way I'm going now," she muttered and embraced him again, before hurrying off to the kitchen.

Harry stared after her and sighed. Molly was loosing so much in the war and yet, she was still going strong. It just proved the backbone of the Weasley family.

Behind him, the fire roared into life and Hermione tumbled through, a little disorientated. She immediately threw herself at Harry. "Oh Harry! It's horrible! You have to come!"

His eyes went wide. "Has something happened to Ron? Hogwarts? McGonnagal?" He went through the list, a feeling of terror building in his stomach.

"No! No!" She hiccuped, looking distraught. "W-we found...information...and...They're...They're...Innocent!"

She made it sound like it a horrible discovery. Hermione hadn't openly disliked Draco while he had been in the house, had even spoken to him civilly at one time or the other, so Harry didn't know why she was so upset.

"J-just go to Hogwarts! I'll tell Mrs. Weasley and meet you there," she told him, pushing him towards the fireplace. "The wards are open to you!" She pushed him in to the fire after throwing floo powder. She said his destination for him and he disappeared in a rush.

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Mr. Weasley bustled into the room, and Draco's eyes slipped closed immediately, out of paranoia. Arthur smiled at the pair on the bed. "Now, now, no need to hide. I won't turn you in. Anyway, nothing will happen until Harry gets back from Hogwarts. Something urgent came up." He sighed, and placed down a trey of soup and some potions on the side table. "Some food and some nutrient potions for you both. You'll need it I think, especially you Severus."

He watched Severus as he took his and saw Draco open his eyes slowly, sitting up to take his as well. Arthur smiled.

"Why are you so damn happy?" Draco grouched, ignoring the warning look Severus sent him.

"Because I heard Hermione telling Harry something about you both being innocent. It's nice to be proven right."

"You thought we were innocent?" Severus scoffed, and handed Draco the first bowl of soup, and then took the second as his own.

"No, but I had rather hoped you were," Arthur remarked, sitting on the end of the bed by their feet. "I've known you for years, Severus. Never a more loyal man than you and Draco, well, Severus spoke of you on occasions, so I knew you had won his regard. No one he trusted could be pure evil."

Draco looked at Severus, and sighed. "You're too much like Dumbledore," Draco spoke to Arthur without thinking first and the three occupants blanched.

"W-well, that's a wonderful compliment," Arthur said, forcing out the words and giving a weak smile. "I suppose I'm taking on a bit of his blind faith, but with any luck, you'll be safe and eating at the dinner table with us within days." He patted Draco's knee, knowing he'd likely get kicked if he tried that with Severus, before casting them both a reassuring smile, and slipping from the room.

"I wonder what it's like," Severus remarked calmly, beginning to eat.

"Hmm?" Draco asked, blowing onto the soup in his spoon, but paused as Severus spoke again.

"Freedom."

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Harry fell out of the Floo into Dumbledore's office, or former office, to hear Ron snicker. "Still got your usual Floo grace, aye mate?" He remarked, tugging Harry to his feet. He looked pale, Harry realised, staring at Ron, and faintly green. It was the look Hermione had shared.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, worried.

"Wait for 'Mione, mate," Ron muttered, rubbing the back of his neck and leading Harry over to take a seat. "She'll make more sense then I will. I can't even believe it myself."

The pair sat in silence, strained and awkward, until Hermione finally stepped through the floo, with a lot more grace than Harry had.

"Oh Harry," she said again, looking equally as distraught as before. "Has Ron told you anything?"

"No! We were waiting on you," Harry pointed out, perhaps a little more bitingly than normal but they kept looking like it was the end of the world, and no one would tell him why!

She cleared her throat and sat down on the chair opposite him. "Harry...Snape's innocent."

Harry winced, but did not explode like Hermione had obviously thought he would. "Bloody bastard," Harry snapped to himself, thinking of how smug Snape would be too be proven right.

"H-harry, mate, why aren't you cursing and screaming?" Ron asked, sharing a concerned look with Hermione.

"Because he told me he was," Harry admitted. "He told me Dumbledore had organized his own death...I just didn't believe it. How are you guys sure?"

"P-pensieve memories," Hermione stammered, pointing at the pensive bowl. "They planned it. Made Snape swear to finish the deed if Draco hesitated. Draco didn't know Dumbledore was already dying though. Dumbledore wanted Severus to kill him, and he did it, for Draco so he wouldn't have to."

Harry wanted to look in the pensieve, but at the same time, desperately didn't want to. To see Dumbledore, planning his own death, was too much. Perhaps that's why they looked so pale.

"Will the order believe us on our word, or do we need to bring them all here?" Harry asked, sounding tired.

Hermione hesitated. "Some will, but I think we should bring a few, like Moody and Professor McGongall here...the others will follow them, I think."

"Doesn't McGonagall know already?" Harry asked, assuming she had stayed with them in the room.

"No," Ron answered. "She...didn't want to stay in this room for long, so she left us after making us swear not to break anything."

"She was really upset," Hermione added.

Harry wondered if there had been anything between McGonagall and Dumbledore, but didn't think long on it. "Can we move the Pensieve?" He asked.

"Probably, but not by floo. If we fell when we got somewhere, it would break," Hermione pointed out.

"Don't let me carry it then!" Harry joked but no one laughed. He sighed. "Let's go find McGonagall so we can move this thing. I want this matter cleared up."

Hermione got to her feet. "You're a real hero, Harry. You couldn't even let the supposed 'bad guys' suffer."

"There was no proof, other than what I saw," Harry said lightly, but his posture was stiff. "Apparently, I saw wrong."

"He was a selfish bastard. The quicker you realise that, the better for all concerned."

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The door slammed open, startling both Severus and Draco, though neither let their surprise show. Harry stood in the doorway, flanked by Remus and Moody, who were scowling but did not protest as Harry spoke.

"We know you were innocent in Dumbledore's death, but that doesn't mean we trust you...and for fucks sake, Draco open your eyes."

Draco had had his eyes closed, out of paranoia but now they snapped open, glaring at Potter with a look that could have killed. He would have snapped something back, but he heeded the silencing glance Severus sent his way.

"You are no longer prisoners," Remus said tensely. "You are under our protection, so you may no leave the house, or travel unescorted."

"So, we're still prisoners, but with a nicer name?" Draco sneered, slipping from the bed after Severus stood.

"Be grateful, whelp, that you're no in Azkaban right now," Moody snarled, his artificial eye piercing Draco like a knife. "If it were my decision, you would be there right now, guilty or no-"

"It's not your decision," Harry cut in, "so there is no reason to speak as if it is." Moody glared at him, but Harry tried to ignore that look, refocusing on Draco and Severus. "Come downstairs. Molly needs to check you two over, and give you some more potions. Apparently, she thinks you're both undernourished at the moment."

"Draco always appears malnourished," Severus sneered, straightening his Weasley-hand-me-down clothes.

Draco gave him an insulted look, even as he straightened his own clothes. "I am not undernourished, I'm lithe." He scoffed, and followed after Potter, his steps a little wobbly though he glared at Remus who had appeared ready to offer him assistance.

The stairs seemed abnormally high and he grabbed the wall as he started his decent. Severus had taken the steps first, Moody scowling and following him quickly, in case he had tried to run. Remus and Harry walked behind Draco, and soon Harry had had enough of the wobbly, cautious steps that the Malfoy boy was taking.

He moved down and before Draco could protest, Harry had swung his arm around his shoulder and was guiding him down the stairs. "I'm fine," Draco snapped, trying to push him away, but Harry wouldn't move.

"I want to get down the stairs sometime this week, and you're likely to fall and injury yourself," Harry retorted.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Remus asked, from behind them, as Draco purposely attempted to step on Harry's toes to make him remove his arm.

"Yeah, fine, Remus. Why don't you go down and let them know we may be a while?" Harry suggested, wincing as Draco's foot connected with his toes.

"Are you sure?" Remus was suspicious of leaving them alone, but Harry's warm look seemed to reassure him and he slipped passed them, following Moody and Severus who was fast disappearing down the next stair case.

"Can't wait to get me alone, Potter?" Draco sneered, but his voice sounded weak.

"Oh yes," Harry said dryly. "I'm going to to throw you down and ravish you now." Draco's cheeks pinked but Harry barely noticed, snickering to himself. "Come off it, Ma-Draco. I'm just trying to help."

"I don't need your help."

"You didn't need me to stop you going to Azkaban either?"

"You knew I was innocent," Draco snapped. "It was only Severus you doubted."

"I knew nothing. Seeing and knowing are completely different," Harry pointed out, as they reached the bottom of the first stairs. They moved quickly down the hallway, but Draco's head swam as they reached the second stairs. "Are you alright?" Harry asked, as Draco seemed to wobble.

"My blood hasn't...fully restored yet..." He forced out, taking the first step down.

"Doy ou need me to go get a blood restorative potion?"

"No, it'll do no good...the spells Severus cast...will work...just need...time," his speaking got worse, as the world swam before his eyes. He left heavily on the firm and comforting presence of Potter at his side and prayed the steps would end soon.

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Draco felt too frail, too small, under his hands, Harry thought, as he escorted the other boy down the stairs. He was leaning on him and his eyes were unfocused, causing Harry to tighten his hold protectively.

There would be more scars marring the blond's chest, Harry realised, from that damn spell.

"Harry?" A voice asked, sounding wobbly, and he glanced up, from where he had been focused on his and Draco's feet, so they didn't tumble down the steps. "What on earth are you doing?" Ginny demanded, standing at the base of the stairs.

"He's dizzy," Harry said, cheeks reddening at how they must look. Harry's arm was fixed firmly around Draco's shoulder, and Draco's arm had come around Harry's waist, clinging to him so he didn't fall. "I'm helping him down the stairs."

Ginny's face looked dark, and she glared at Draco with intense dislike but the boy was not paying attention, too intent on not making a fool of himself by falling down the stairs.

The last stair seemed to come as a blessing, and after a moment, he pushed Potter away. His face was pale from the strain, and wobbled still as he pushed passed Ginny to the kitchen where the noises were.

"There you are!" Molly said, frowning heavily at him. Severus was seated, nursing a cup of tea and being subjected to multiple scowls. He was the first one to realise Draco was unwell, and got to his feet. Wands were pointed at him, from his fast movement.

"Sit down before you fall down!" He snapped at Draco, grabbing his arm and forcing him into the seat he'd just vacated. Draco went without protests.

"Spell hasn't finished yet," Draco said, and rested his head in one hand in a rare display of weakness. Severus kept his hand on Draco's shoulder, frowning at him.

"Spell?" Molly asked, fussing over Draco and fixing him a cup of tea, the cure to all ails.

"To replenish the blood loss," Severus remarked, tilting Draco's face up and checking his eyes, then his pulse. "He's still reactive, so it is obviously working but it will take a while longer to finish."

Harry and Ginny, now both scowling, slipped into the room.

"What about a potion to help?" Molly asked, pressing the tea into Draco's hand.

"No," Severus denied. "It would do no good. By the time the potion reacts, the spell would be finished and the potion would be of no use."

"Can we do nothing to help?" She worried.

"Not make him move any more than necessary and wait." Severus settled in the chair beside Draco, regaining his own tea and sipping as if they were all old friends, and not a former murderer and people who wanted to kill him less than twenty four hours ago.

"Well, you get out of cleaning then," Molly said lightly, not looking at Draco.

"Cleaning?" He forced himself to ask, trying to maintain his cool tone.

"We're leaving in the morning, to a safer house."

Draco nodded, too tired to care what that meant for him.

"Will you and Severus be alright to share a room again tonight?" Arthur spoke up. "Ron and Harry can take the room Severus has been sleeping in, so they don't need to share the Twins room."

Fred and George looked disappointed, but Harry and Ron looked relieved.

"It's fine," Draco said, waving a hand dismissively. He had no problem sharing with Severus, having done it for months and a few times before that even. "Would hate Potter and Weasley to be without a bed." It was said with a slight sneer but lacked it's usual malice.

Harry shot him a worried look, but it was lost as the room began to speak about what needed to be done before moving.

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"Has a new secret keeper been selected?" Harry asked Molly as he helped her clean up after lunch. Draco was settled in the lounge room, not well enough to take on the stairs again yet.

"Yes, you'll get a new message in the morning," Molly explained, a little sadly.

"I thought the house would be locked to no new people, without...the secret keeper," he remarked.

"No," Molly said, shaking her head. "The wards were demolished when we...lost the secret keeper. The new secret keeper will renew those wards but no one who read the previous letter will be able to enter until reading the new one."

"Confusing," Harry said, and Molly laughed, patting his hand.

"It's alright dear, you don't need to understand it."

Story of his life, it seemed, he thought to himself a little bitterly. Don't understand it, just do it.

He glanced over his shoulder, to where Draco Malfoy would be sprawled across a lounge in the living room.

Well, that idea did explain some of his actions.

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Author's Note:

A longer chapter this time!

Severus and Draco conversation is next chapter, I wanted it in this one, but it was getting too long and I didn't want to rush the conversation.

Slash is fast creeping up now but I don't think the boys realise it yet.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed/added to alerts/favourited the story last chapter. I love reading every one, no matter how long or short.

Reviews are very much appreciated,

-Liaa