Chapter 29
After they returned from Malfoy Manor, Clara flooed over for dinner and she and Stevens were told the news about Tabby and Moody's wedding.
"Oh, Tabby! That's wonderful!" Clara hugged Tabby tightly.
"Brilliant, Mad-Eye." Stevens thumped Moody on the shoulder.
"Thank you, Aloysius." Moody growled.
"I heard that Harry." Stevens glared over at Harry who had thought he'd been successful at turning his laugh into a cough. "Don't make me jinx you."
"Now, you have some news…don't you?" Tabby looked at Clara closely.
"No, no…nothing new with us." Clara stuttered."Oh, come on, Clara, she knows. You can't hide anything from her." Stevens said with a smile, "We're having a baby!"
"What?" Cassius looked dumbstruck.
"Not everyone gets a 15 year old dropped on their doorstep." Stevens winked at Harry. "Some of us actually have to make our offspring."
"Clara, that is wonderful! When?" Remus said, reaching for Clara's hand.
"Late August." Clara said as she hugged Remus.
"Does anyone else have news? Because I just want to warn you I won't remember it." Cassius said dryly. Harry noticed Stevens elbow Draco.
"Actually…Uncle…I'm a Veela." Cassius stared at Draco who managed to keep a straight face, not even his eyebrow twitched, until Stevens started to laugh. "He made me say it!" Draco pointed at Stevens.
Cassius stood up. "Where's my wand?"
"Need your wand to hex me, pretty boy?" Stevens taunted as he stood.
"It's not so much news…" Clara piped up, pulling Stevens back into his chair. "Remus, I ran into Aspasia in the lift yesterday and she says she'd gotten clearance for you to work at your old job. She wanted me to ask you about it, informally."
"Really?"
"Well, in light of the fact you helped defeat Voldemort, the Ministry is rethinking the anti-werewolf legislation."
"It's about time." Remus said bitterly. "And I would like to take the job…but, I can't."
"Why can't you?" Cassius asked, "You liked that job."
"I know – but with Tabby's wedding to plan and then Harry will be home for the summer." Remus trailed off.
"Maybe in the fall then?" Clara said.
"Tell her I'll come by for lunch next week and we can talk about it."
The next day, Harry and Draco explored the attic. Draco saw the portrait of the Malfoys. Harry watched as Draco's eyes fill with tears. He didn't know what to say.
Draco started to speak slowly. "Father wrote me a letter…I read it when I was in hospital. He said he knew there wasn't a way out for him. He said he knew Uncle would fix everything, that Uncle would save me and Mother. Except that Voldemort killed Mother before Father could stop him…I think Father would have stopped him."
"I'm so sorry." Harry said, feeling the words were inaccurate.
"Father wrote that he was going to use the aurora spell on himself, so that Voldemort would think he was dead. But after Mother died…I don't think Father wanted to live. And he must have figured that Uncle would kill him if it looked like he had killed Uncle Lupin."
"Do you really think so?" Harry asked.
"Werewolves mate for life – that means either mate will die without the other. So by killing Uncle Lupin – Father was effectively killing Uncle Malfoy."
"Oh!" Harry's hand flew to his mouth.
"You didn't know that?"
"No." Harry said slowly.
Draco turned his attention back to the portrait. "Father's at peace now, I think he's with Mother. And Uncle did what he had to, I don't blame him."
"Harry! Draco! Where have you been? We've been so worried!" Remus pulled Harry in for a crushing hug before he'd even had a chance to recover from the dizziness of traveling by floo powder.
"We went to Grimmauld Place." Harry answered, Draco had wanted to see the Black house, having heard about it from his father and mother.
"You needed to tell us. Just wait until your Dad gets home, Harry." Remus shook his head. "I can't believe I just said that."
"Is he mad?" Harry asked cautiously.
"He's…upset. You left without telling one of us - we didn't know…. He'll be glad to find out you're all right, both of you."
"Oh…" Harry suddenly felt sick to his stomach. He'd broken Guideline Number One – he'd left Windy Corner without telling one of the guardians. Papa was probably downplaying how angry Dad was.
"Father never cared where I went as long as I was home for dinner. It's my fault, Uncle Lupin, I made Harry go with me without leaving a note. I didn't think it was important."
"Well, it is important. Next time you go anywhere, please tell us or leave a note. Dad will be here any moment." Remus said.
Harry couldn't say anything, he was imagining how angry his Dad was. He walked quickly out of the room, saying he had to go to the bathroom, trying to hide the tears that were welling up in his eyes. Dad was probably so upset he wouldn't want Harry there anymore. Breaking guidelines was serious business. He ran up the stairs and into his room. He pulled his trunk from the closet and started to pack his school books.
"Harry?" Cassius opened the door. Harry saw that his eyes were black with anger. "What are you doing?"
"I'm just…Professor Dumbledore will let me return to school for the rest of the holiday, I'm sure of it." Harry's voice was thick with emotion.
"Why are you returning to school?" Cassius asked walking towards Harry..
"I…I broke guideline number one and you're angry." Harry roughly brushed away the tears that were sliding down his cheeks. He'd have to go back to the Dursley's…damn Draco.
"Oh Harry." Cassius swept Harry up in his arms. "I was angry – because I was worried about you." Harry took in a deep sobbing breath. "Even though Voldemort is gone, there are other dark wizards out there. Until you're of age, you need to tell one of us where you're going." He sat down on Harry's bed and rocked back and forth, rubbing Harry's back. "Harry…" Harry sniffled. "Harry, you're my fosterling…my son, that means I worry about you – I love you. Even if I get angry at you – I still love you. And I'd never send you away."
"But…I broke - " Harry straightened up, wiping the tears from his eyes.
"Moody told me once, when I was in training – no one's perfect so if you break a rule – don't fret, just try better next time."
"I love you, Dad." He tightened his arms around his Dad until he felt the muscles of them strain with the effort.
"I love you too, Harry." Cassius kissed the top of his head, "Now unpack and come down for tea."
"All right."
"Oh, and you're grounded."
"What?"
"I've always wanted to say that." Cassius smiled. "No leaving Windy Corner for the rest of the holiday."
Harry smiled. It wasn't a punishment, Harry loved Windy Corner, and he knew his dad knew that.
"Did you get grounded as well?" Harry asked as he sat down next to Draco in the sitting room in front of the telly after tea. He'd gotten grounded by his Dad when he and Draco had gone to Grimmauld Place without telling The Guardians.
"Yes, and he cut off my allowance for a month." Draco said, sulkily.
"He did?" Harry was surprised that Draco had gotten more of a punishment.
"Says it was my fault and I should have known better."
"That sucks." Harry was surprised to notice that he felt sorry for Draco.
"It's all right…I guess I don't mind so much – it's just different having people care where you are." Draco shrugged. "I told him I could have protected you if something had happened – "
"You could have protected me?" Harry asked with astonishment. "I can handle myself."
"Of course, you can, it's just I know…the same spells you do." Draco finished lamely.
"What spells do you know?" Harry asked curiously.
"We've been in the same classes, I don't know anything you don't."
"Your eyebrow twitched." Harry said.
"Damn." Draco massaged his brow. "Ok, ask me again."
"You know dark magic?"
"No."
"Still does a bit." Harry said with a smile. Draco growled and rubbed his eyebrow again.
"All right, boys, I need opinions on invitations." Remus walked into the room. "And, Harry, would Hedwig be able to help Orlie deliver them?"
"Sure, Papa."
"You can use my owl as well, Uncle Lupin." Draco said politely.
"Thank you, Draco. But if you wouldn't mind, could you share him with Harry at school while Hedwig is here?"
"Of course." Draco said.
"Now, you have two choices." Remus handed them the two invitations.
"Dad?" Harry poked his head into his parents' bedroom. Remus was taking a bath and Cassius was lying in his pajamas on top of the bed reading a report from work. "What dark spells does Draco know?" Harry asked as he climbed up on to the bed and sat cross-legged next to Cassius.
"What are you talking about?" Cassius put the report down on his stomach.
"Draco said he could protect me because he knows dark spells but he wouldn't tell me what. Well, he denied that he knew any but I could tell he was lying."
"Oh…yes, he probably knows quite a few."
"Really?"
"Yes, really, and no, you will not be learning any of them."
"That's not fair." The words were out of Harry's mouth before he really had thought about them.
"Draco's father and grandfather taught him those spells so he could live up to the Malfoy name, so he could be a Death Eater when he came of age." Cassius said sharply. "You will not be learning any dark magic. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Dad." Harry swallowed hard as Cassius' eyes flashed black. Cassius reached out and pulled Harry into a tight hug.
"If you become an auror, you will learn defense against all the dark spells, so then you will be just as prepared as Draco, just in a different way. All right?"
"All right." Harry put his head on Cassius' shoulder. "Do…do you know all the spells Draco does?"
"No…I didn't live at home after I was twelve so I missed out on the full Malfoy experience." Cassius said, with a tinge of sarcasm.
"Your brother was…he was really a Death Eater."
"Yes, he was." Cassius sighed. "I didn't want to believe he was…I thought he'd been under Imperious…but he wasn't…he loved the dark arts. So did Father."
"I'm glad you don't." Harry said. "I love you."
"I love you, too, Harry. Why aren't you watching the movie with Draco and Tabby?"
"I wanted to talk to you." Harry tried to sound indifferent.
"Oh." Cassius rubbed Harry's arm. "I know it's been hard for us to have time together with Draco here…how about we do something tomorrow, just the two of us?
"Yeah, I'd like that." Harry looked over at the report that was still lying on his Dad's stomach. "I think I do want to be an auror."
"Do you? It's a dangerous business."
"But you do it."
"Yes…"
"If you died, Papa would die too."
"That's not proven." Cassius said hastily.
"But, even though it's dangerous, Papa still lets you be an auror."
Cassius laughed. "I started auror training before I met Papa…but yes, he still lets me be an auror."
"So…he'd let me be an auror too?"
"You'll have to ask him. If he says it's ok, then you're set."
"Really?"
"I think you'll be a great auror, you've already shown you have the talent for it."
"And what are my two favorite people in the world doing?" Remus asked as he walked into the bedroom, tying his robe over his pajamas.
"We're talking about Harry becoming an auror." Cassius said.
"Could I, Papa?"
"I don't have control over that." Remus laughed. "You have to get a certain number of NEWTS – of course you did fine on your OWLs, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem - and then you have to pass the interview and the entrance exam."
"But you think it'd be fine if Harry was an auror?" Cassius asked.
"I…it is dangerous…but if you want to be an auror, I think that'd be wonderful." Remus said with a smile.
