A/N: In all the excitement, turns out I've been forgetting the romance ;) Very well, sami1010220, Hierran, HauntedApple and SecretsOfaFanGirl. The romancing shall commence shortly. I just wrote a really naughty Chapter 25. It's got me all hot and bothered o_O
"Wake up, wake up, wake up! WAKE UP!"
Harry groaned and tried to swat at Teddy blindly.
"SNOW, HARRY! THERE'S SNOW!"
"There's snow all the time," Harry grumbled. "I wanna sleep."
"NO! LET'S GO! CHARLIE'S HERE!"
He opened his eyes in confusion. "Huh?"
Teddy was already pulling him out of bed. "Get your wand! Let's go! Charlie's here!"
"Charlie?" he exclaimed. He woke up properly in no time and scrambled out of bed, grabbing his wand off the bedside table before racing Teddy out the door. They jumped down the stairs and skidded into the living room excitedly.
Charlie Weasley was standing by the fireplace and smiling incredulously at the two whirlwinds that blew past. "Whoa, where's the fire?" he chuckled.
"Charlie!" Teddy squealed as he hurtled himself at the stocky redhead. Charlie caught him and threw him in the air much to his glee. "You're here!" He wrapped his arms around the young man. "You're going to teach Harry?"
"I sure am," Charlie grinned.
"Yay!"
Harry showed just a bit more restrained. He actually acknowledged Carlisle and Esme who were sitting on the couch before hopping over to Charlie and beaming up at him expectantly. "I've got my wand," he said.
"Shouldn't you eat something first?"
On cue, his stomach grumbled, causing Teddy to burst into loud giggles.
Over breakfast, Harry learnt that Charlie had some time off from work and he would be more than happy to help out. The whole teaching strategy was going to be a 'dive off into the deep end'. Harry was going to be learning everything in a matter of months instead of years. He was more than happy to work himself to the bone to learn at least an ounce of controlled magic. As he gobbled down breakfast, he found out that Charlie was studying dragons up in Vancouver, which was just a short distance from Washington, so he was able to take some time off of his evenings to come over. Teddy was all for it. Charlie was the cool uncle that almost never visited because he was always away chasing dragons and getting awesome new scars. Charlie was going to teach Harry transfigurations, charms, defense, and even some basic potion making.
"Since you're excused from school today, we'll just start with the basics right now," Charlie told Harry as breakfast was polished off. "How to hold the wand, the right stance, maybe even some homework." Harry wrinkled his nose. Charlie winked in response. "Don't worry. I'm a really hands-on teacher, so you'll be left with a sore arm after each lesson. There won't be too many essays."
"I don't like essays."
"I figured. No one but Hermione and Percy do."
"Percy," Teddy harrumphed while shaking his fists, performing an incredible imitation of George and Ron.
Charlie guffawed and tweaked the boy's ear good-naturedly. "This little devil's only going to get in the way, Harry. I'm warning you."
"No way," Teddy retorted. "I'm going to help Harry. Just you wait."
Alice leaned against the car door, arms crossed on the rolled down window and head tilted at Edward who was buckling himself in. "What?" he murmured without looking at her.
"Be careful," she said quietly.
"Aren't I always?" He shifted the gears, prompting her to move back, and pulled out of the parking spot. He zoomed out of the school parking lot and disappeared down the road in the blink of an eye.
She tsked. It wasn't often that she was worried about him, but that morning was one of those times. She shook her head before turning around to meet the rest of her siblings who were standing by the front doors, looking as concerned as she felt.
The drive to Seattle was a little under four hours, which meant that Edward reached there in three. As he walked down to the West Point lighthouse in Discovery Park, his fingers absently handled the small parchment that had been creased and unfolded so many times that it was nearly falling apart. He looked down at the faint black writing.
West Point, Discovery Park. 12:00 pm this Wednesday. I will be there for 1 hour.
He pulled his attention away from it consciously. The day was misty. He could barely see the water around him. The ground was slushy from melted snow and he was the only person strolling through the park. He couldn't figure out how he had gotten a hold of the note. When he unpacked his luggage the day before, it was sitting atop his clothes. It could have easily gotten lost in the depths of the bag. Or he could have just chosen not to agree to the meeting.
But his mind was so preoccupied with Harry that he would have agreed to anything at that point.
He stood at the vista point and tried to smooth out his troubled thoughts. Now that he was back in Washington, he was more at ease. This was his home and he knew it like the back of his hand. Harry wouldn't be in danger without him sensing it first.
He glanced back at the man who had been leaning against the stone façade of the lighthouse. "You don't want to talk?" he asked.
The man nodded once and pushed off the wall, taking measured steps as he approached. "Do you know who I am?" he asked.
"Mr. Malfoy."
"Right."
"How do you know who I am?"
Draco suppressed the chill that ran down his spine, telling himself that it was the cold that caused it, not the sight of this… creature. "I've seen you," he answered, "at the hospital with Potter."
"Hmm."
"And… if I could find you, then it's not long before they find him."
Edward grimaced and looked away. He had feared as much.
"Thankfully they don't know your name," Draco continued. "What will you do then?"
"I'll do what I can to protect Harry," Edward murmured without hesitating.
Draco rested his elbows on the damp wooden slats of the barricade and closed his eyes while sighing loudly. "Alright, look… You dying won't do Potter any good. So try not to do that."
Edward stared at him incredulously. "Pardon?"
"Don't go around threatening random folks. That's what I'm saying."
They were silent for a while after that. Edward was just realizing that his impulsiveness had made him a target. So, by proxy, Harry was also in trouble. He gritted his teeth while mentally berating himself. He had let his temper speak for him instead of his sensibility. Three days ago, it had seemed like the right thing to do. Hindsight is twenty-twenty.
"What happened with you and him?" he asked quietly. "How did he lose his memory?"
Draco looked down at his damp shoes, already feeling unease well up inside him. "I'm… a Death Eater," he began. "Do you know that?"
"Yes."
"We used to go to the same school, Potter and I. Same year, different houses. We hated each other's guts. When the war started, we were on different sides. He won. I had to go into hiding with my family and everyone associated with the Dark Lord." He took a breath. "And… it wasn't something I wanted. It seemed like it was something I was born into."
As Draco spoke, Edward could hear his thoughts as well. Those thoughts told him so much more than what was said aloud. Draco blamed his parents for everything, at least superficially. As he talked about how he had gone to Harry for help, Edward also heard thoughts of fear and despair that had been plaguing Draco for years. He has no allies, no family, no trust. He's been running and hiding for so long that he had forgotten how to stand still. It wasn't often that this happened, but at that moment Edward knew that he was encroaching into an intensely private mind and wished he could switch his gift off at will.
"I never asked him why he agreed to help me," Draco confessed. "I doubt he would have told him. I doubt he even knew why." He shrugged weakly. "He's saved me before. From a fire…"
Edward kept quiet. His heart was heavy for Draco. He didn't know how a man could endure this much guilt.
Draco swallowed down his apprehension. "It was Rabastan Lestrange. He's the one who hurt Harry."
"Hmm."
He flicked his eyes at Edward and frowned. "Did you already know that?"
Edward had heard it earlier in Draco's thoughts. "No," he said. "How did Harry save you?"
Draco shook his head, as though still in disbelief of the incident that occurred over two years ago. "He used wandless magic," he said. "I was hurt, paralyzed. He used his magic to push the pain away, dissipated the poison. He told me to run. It's the last thing he said to me."
"So you ran."
"I didn't know what else… I-I thought he was dead. He was-"
Edward pressed a hand to Draco's arm to make him stop. "No, I didn't mean it like that," he apologized. "It's okay that you ran. He told you to run and you ran. There's nothing wrong with that."
"He wouldn't have run. He would have fought."
Edward knew that all too well. "Not everyone can be like him," he said. "He's… different."
"I know."
That's what the two of them had in common – their understanding of Harry.
"I'm glad you wanted to meet me," Edward told Draco. "I should have believed Harry when he told me that you were innocent. It's just that everyone-"
"He what?"
Edward blinked at Draco's confused expression. "Pardon me?"
"He told you what?"
"That you didn't do anything. He's… been telling everyone that," Edward faltered.
"Oh." Draco looked ill.
Edward realized that he didn't know. "He told the Aurors that they are searching for the wrong man," he explained slowly. "He says you're looking out for him. He won't blame you for anything. You need to know that."
Draco nodded mechanically.
"I can read minds…"
He looked up in shock.
Edward responded with a faint smile. "I can hear his thoughts. I can hear yours as well. I just want you to know that when I say I'm speaking for Harry, I really am speaking for him. I think he's much more forgiving now that he was before. He doesn't have any memories, so he doesn't quite understand how to hold grudges just yet." He tilted his head up when he felt warmth against his skin. The clouds were breaking. "Hmm… I have to go now," he murmured. He glanced down at Draco again. "If you ever want to speak with Harry, let me know. I think he'd like to see you again." He bowed his head and walked away from the lighthouse.
He had learned so much more about Harry from this one meeting that he had during their time over in England. He had been exactly the same before – stubborn and selfless. It was hardly a surprise. He fought for what he felt was right, even if it meant getting hurt.
He looked back over his shoulder. Draco was sitting on his haunches against the barrier with his face in his hands.
He hoped Malfoy could stop being so sad now.
He took a slow breath and looked forward again. Time to go back home.