Chapter 37: Conversation with the Dead Part 1

cause those who get to know our hearts the mostthey always seem to be the ones well never hold

The whole house was tense, Draco was pissed at Jessie and Jessie pissed at Draco and Harry pissed at them both. Hermione could not find the right moment to tell Harry, Ginny kept giving her the eye, worrying about her. Theo had a bigger headache than ever. Voldemort was mad at the trio and how hopeless the war was becoming, they didn't need Dumbledore to destroy them, they were doing well enough on that all on their own. Chasity was angry at Jessie, she was glad she was not close to the girl now. And everyone else was walking on eggshells.

"You need to calm down." Luna said in a stern voice to the most evilest man alive.

"No, I am sick of calm. I have been calm. Now all I want to do is plan a raid and go kill something." Voldemort stated as he paced the room. Luna was getting worried, she came back from her fathers and the whole manor was in a state of war.

"You don't mean that." the dream like voice was gone. He was upsetting her, he made progress and now…

Voldemort stopped abruptly and turned on the girl. "And you would know how. I do not know what illusions you have of me little girl but clearly you have no clue. I am not a nice man, and playing one is wearing on me. Soon I am just going to say fuck it and fight this war the way that I had planned."

"You are not that man anymore, and Harry would leave…."

Voldemort laughed, "Harry, right now Harry is nothing. Let me make this clear, we can not win if the three do not get there act together. So what is the point."

"Tom, things will get worst before they get better. But you need to have faith that they are going to get better."

"Luna you need to leave right now." He warned, he was having a hard time keeping his temper and the blond was not making it better right now.

"Please don't do something you'll regret." Luna gave him one more look. And it flared his temper even more.

"Out!" He did not want to yell at Luna, which was the reason he was kicking her out of his room. He didn't want to hurt her, but either way he did. She left with out another word, just a sad look. He began pacing as soon as she left.

The pressure was becoming too much, everything was a confused mess right now and nothing was getting better. He couldn't even wrap his mind around all that was going on. This is why he liked being the leader, the only one in power. There was never any Drama, they did what he said without question. But now, they all basically had free will and nothing got done.

He couldn't stay bottled in the room anymore. He walked down to the old potions lab. Scaring the Death Eaters who had gotten used to the pain free day when he hexed them. "Severus….I need your help."

"Draco what the hell, I told you to stay out of it." Harry said as he burst into the room where the blond was hiding. "Are you drinking again." He said as be banished the bottle in his best friends hands.

Draco turned his head to Harry. "I hurt, it is worst….hearing it." Draco was drunk and crying. His sister did this and she was the only one who could. The only one that could break through Draco's cold exterior and kill him inside.

"Draco she is not worth it. You have an amazing girlfriend, who you have been treating like shit." Harry said as he sat on the floor next to the crying man.

"But I love Jessie…. I cannot not do this…her being here…so close." Draco buried his face into his arms. Harry didn't know what to do. Draco buried Jessie and having here back was like a cruel reminder to the past.

"I know. But this is all her fault, she made choices. Bad ones. And you are happy with Chasity, and she will love you till the end."

Draco calmed a bit, did he really love Chasity or was he just settling. His emotions were so mixed up. He thought back to the first time he really felt something for the girl.

FLASHBACK

Draco was sitting in the hallway, right by Jessie's bedroom door. It was the last place he saw her, the last time he talked to her, the last time he touched her, the last time he kissed her. The memory fresh in his mind replaying over and over again. She was sad, her eyes red and puffy from crying. Severus's death hit her hard. It was his worst memory of her, his biggest mistake too. He should of lead her down the hall to his bedroom and let her spend the night. It is were she felt the safest, said so herself. But he kissed her goodnight and left her to defend herself against the nightmares. He should of known, but he was caught up in his loss too.

"Draco…" A voice whispered into the dark hallway.

He knew the voice, could recognize it easily. Chasity. They went out a couple of time the past month. She was easy to get along with, her laugh addicting and her simpleness relaxing. She came with no issues, more than willing to take things slow. "Yeah down here." he stood and lit the hall way.

"What are you doing dinner is going to start soon." She laughed. Not realizing the private moment she walked in on.

Draco smiled, "Nothing just clearing my head."

"I never been down here." she said as she looked around her.

"It hasn't been used in awhile, my room when I was a kid is down here."

"Can I see it."

"Not tonight, we better get going." He said as he lead her in the other direction. "So are you nervous." It was the first time she was meeting his parents.

"More than is showing, I think Ginny and Pansy were telling me horror stories about your father."

"More than likely, but you might want your wand in your hands at all times ready to throw up a shield." He joked with her.

"Thanks jerk, you are not making this any better." She playfully pushed him.

"Hey now, no need for violence just warning you."

End of flashback

And she was great. His father questioned and drilled her but she passed it will flying colors. She was polite and charming, saying all the right things at all the right times. Perfect. So why was he frustrated with perfect. Jessie was rude and cocky, specially with his father. But then again Lucius never seen to care and joined in with her banter. Jessie and Chasity were polar opposites, attitudes, looks, and how they viewed life.

"I need to think…" Draco said as he stood to get up, walking out the door. Leaving Harry to his own thoughts. And Harry decided that he needed to confront his sister.

"I think you should talk to Voldemort at least about your problem." Rodolphus said to Jessie. They were sitting in his room, by the fire. It was not that he didn't mind her being here, it was she was hiding from everyone; except him. Part of him felt smug but he knew that with her condition that it was not healthy for her at all.

"I am getting better, I don't need… I just don't want to tell him alright." She was sitting by the fire place, sprawled out and staring into the flames. "I will be fine."

She was lying to herself, "well if you don't get better I will go to him."

"Rodo, please I don't want to talk about this right now." She looked tired, emotionally at least.

"Come here." He said as he sat on the floor with her. She moved in front of him and he began to message her back. She was tense everywhere, when it came to taking care of herself she was horrible at it.

"That feels good." She moaned.

"Yes I am very talented with my hands." He said in a low voice.

Jessie was about to reply to the obvious flirtation but she never got a chance, someone started to bang on the door. "Do we ever get peace together." She huffed. He felt smug that she wanted to spend time alone with him, he gave her his best devilish smile, "Dear I will arrange time. It is probably my brother. I will send him away."

He stood up and walked toward the door. Opening it just a bit, well it was not his brother. "Harry what can I do for you."

"You nothing." He pushed the door open further and stalked right up to his sister, "we need to talk."

Jessie looked at Rodolphus, "Wrong brother." turning her head to an upset Harry she dismissed him. " I am do tired to do this now, I will talk to you tomorrow."

Only that didn't work, "We are talking now, so get your ass up and come with me."

"Well when you ask so nicely." She stood, turning back into the Jessie that built up walls and let no one in. Much to Rodolphus displeasure. It took him a long time to get her to calm down and let him in tonight. She needed a stress free night, with no worries.

"Harry I think you should listen to your sister, she will come find you right away in the morning." He tried grabbing Harry's arm just to get his hand shoved away.

"Do you have any idea what you are putting Draco through?" Harry asked.

Jessie sputtered, "What I am putting him through, what about what he is doing to me."

"Well it is nothing short of what you deserve." Harry said.

"So I deserve an overprotective ass, monitoring all my movements?" Jessie said, knowing that they were talking about two different things.

Once Harry realized it he amended, "He is just worried for you."

"Like I told him, I don't need him, and he has got his blonde bimbo to worry about."

"Don't talk about Chasity like that, she was there for her when you should have been." Harry said in a stern voice.

Rodolphus could not believe they were doing this right now.

Jessie looked away, "I really don't care, this conversation is over."

"You don't realize how you affected him do you. He drank all the time, he locked himself in dark rooms, changed his bedroom. Millions of other things and all of them were self destructive. We was out of control on missions, taking risks that nearly got him killed."

"And the pretty blond floozy saved him yes I have heard the story."

"She did more than that."

FLASHBACK

Harry watched as Draco slammed another drink, bringing his total to seven. It was just them in the entertainment room until the girls walked in. Chasity just happened to be with them. "Hey Draco" she said brightly as she walked over to her boyfriend, not noticing the state of drunk he was.

"Chasity….chasy, did I ever tell you of my first love…."He was drunk and babbling.

"Yes Hun, Jessie right." Chasity looked hurt, but she got him talking and slowly took away his drink.

Harry watched with amusement, she was clever. By the end of his story he was crying, sobbing really. But she just looked at him with love and kissed his forehead. "It will be alright, she did what she had too. She was hurting too everything will work out you will see."

End of Flashback

"That is when I started to like her, and she went through a fight with him. He would slip up and start to drink and not all the time he was sad. She had to deal with his anger, rage, indifference. But she took it all in stride. One day she came up to me and said that you must have been really something for him Draco Malfoy to hold on to so much. Soon she became the only thing to calm him. She knows everything about you and how he loves you. Because if you haven't noticed he still does."

"Yeah he really loves me, have you heard some of our arguments Harry. The things he calls me, the things he says. I am sorry but I am not gonna sit there and take it anymore. I left and I am sorry but I am not going to wallow in it."

"Why did you leave?" He was curious.

"I was in pain."

"We all were."

She didn't want to listen to him anymore, so she left. But not before she heard, "This is what you do best, run away from your issues."

The silence was in the room after she left. "I know that this is most likely not my place, but just like Draco, Jessie is going through pain. More pain than you can imagine."

"What do you know?" Harry eyed him with suspicion.

"Nothing that I can tell you." Rodolphus said as he sighed and rubbed his face.

Harry studied the dark man for a bit, he looked distressed and worried. "That bad?"

"I promised I would not tell you. So I am afraid that I cannot answer question with an honest answer."

"I will take that as a yes." His turned to run his hand through his hair. "Just watch out for her. I will talk to you later."

Harry on board. All the important people trusted him with her. Now all he had to do was make sure she got better so he did not let them down.

"Now why are you disturbing me at this late hour." Severus portrait said.

Voldemort started pacing again, a nervous habit he was not fond of. "I think I made a mistake."

"Elaborate." Severus drawled.

"Harry, the whole situation. It is not working anymore." Voldemort said.

"And why do you think that."

"everything is going down hill and not working out the way it should, they way is was supposed to. Everything we had planned, all the goals I set are becoming out of reach."

"And what am I supposed to say."

Voldemort did not like this answer, he had a problem and no one care. So he did the only thing he could think of he cricioed him.

"I assure you my lord that your curses do not affect me. And as for your problem, you did not make a mistake. Harry will win this war and you know it. And you know you know it and you feel guilty even thinking that you made a mistake hence the reason you are here talking to me when you should be taking those three and training them into the ground. They are young and foolish and they are letting their emotion rule this war. And that is why you are going to lose this war. Not because you sided with an unruly boy."

"I preferred you alive."

"So do I my lord."

Hermione wonder aimlessly through the manor, unsure of what to do and how to handle telling Harry that he was going to be a father. She didn't even know how she felt, she never really thought of children with the war going on, and when she was a child she played doctor or school, never house. Children never really ever enter her mind. But now she had a tiny life inside of her. One part her and one part Harry, the man she loved; and that brought tears of happiness to her.

Not paying attention to where she was going she ran straight into an irritated Dark Lord and landed on the floor. "Watch were you are going you silly girl." He ground out as he held out a hand to help lift her up off the floor.

"Sorry, a lot on my mind…. Where am I." She said as she looked around, not really knowing this part of the manor.

Voldemort raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"Am I by the potions lab?" still confused.

"Hermione what is wrong with you, yes you are by the potions lab. Why are you just wandering around aimlessly?"

"I got a lot on my mind." He gave her a calculating look; she was pale, thin and looked as if she had not slept in days, "You look as if you need a good nights rest."

"You know what, you out of all people notice that there is something wrong, the girls noticed something was wrong, hell Fred noticed something was wrong. But Harry…."

"Has his own issues that he needs to be concerned about, not some womanly sap. Do not put more on to him than necessary. He has enough going on he does not need your problems too." The comment hurt, but she held her own.

"I am going to go talk to Severus while I am here." she said as she side stepped the man in front of her, clearly dismissing him. Voldemort threw up his hands. The children, well not exactly children anymore got more bold as the days went by. Dismissing the Dark Lord as if he was a common man on the street. But like always he pushed the issue aside and started on his way to find Remus and Lucius.

"I though I heard your screeching outside my door, now what are you doing in my lab." Severus said.

"You know technically you cannot own something once you are dead."

"There is my know it all, so why are you here?" He said as he peered down.

"Can't I come and visit my favorite teacher?" She said acting insulted.

"No one comes just to visit, they all come with their issues expecting me to solve all the worlds problems. Do you people think that just because I am dead I know everything. If I wasn't dead I would start up my own counseling service and get rich off it, but as you kindly pointed out I technically can't own anything. So out with, what is it you want to confess to the all knowing."

"Ego much."

"Silly little bookworm if you are just going to waste my time then get out, I was enjoying my peace, it is the only time I get it."

"I am going to have a baby." She blurted out.

"What?" That was not what he was excepting to hear.

"I am with child, pregnant." She said like she would if she were talking to a two year old.

"What…what does Harry think."

"That is the problem I haven't told him."

"Why not?"

Thinking about what the Dark Lord just said, "He has a lot on his plate right now. Draco and Jessie are always going at it. The war is not picking up or coming to a close. Fenrir is rogue and giving Tom a bad name. He is worried for his sister, misses her too. He is under all the pressure. The last mission they went on accomplished nothing. He barely eat, he is sleeping two hours a night. Then everything else in the manor is falling apart. Chasity comes crying to me every time she is mad or sad about Draco or Jessie. Jessie is distancing herself so I am trying to help her with out her realizing. Pansy and Ginny are getting bored. The twin are even down. Theo and Blaise have been busting their asses and ….."

"STOP. You stop right now. Calm down take a step back and stop worrying over everyone and everything. All you need to do is worry for yourself and that child in your stomach. It is not healthy for you or the baby, it would not be healthy even if you were not with child. Focus on you, and tell Harry as soon as possible. You need to take it easy."

"Harry is that you." Hermione asked from her private study.

"Yeah."He groaned out. Hermione's spirit fell right away. She was planning on telling him today but that was obviously not going to happen.

"What is the matter Hun." She asked as she stepped through the French doors to their sitting room.

"Me and Jessie had a fight." He sat back in his chair and looked up toward the ceiling. Hermione made a face of confusion.

"About what."

"How she has been treating Draco."

"What? WHY. He has not been the kindest to her either. She is going through the same thing he is. Leave her alone."

"Why are you taking her side."

"because you are taking his."

"THat is a tad unreasonable."

"Harry James Potter do not tell me I am being unreasonable." she said in a high pitched voice that made him cringe.

"Well you are also being over emotional to" He told her annoyed at the situation. He did not need a fight with Hermione right now.

"What are you doing?" He said as he watched her march across the room throwing things into a bag. "When you are done with this one sided relationship come get me, I will be in your sisters bedroom."

"You are leaving."

"Yes"

"What the hell Hermione, I don't need this right now. The past week has been hell, all I want to do is go to bed with you and relax."

"I…I ….I. That is all it is with you lately, I need this, I want that. I don't need this right now. Well Guess what Harry, either do I. like I said when you are ready to be a decent boyfriend I will be rooming with Jessie."

"Hermione, wait….come back I am sorry."

She turned around sharply, "Sorry for what?" silence is what met her. "I thought so."

Draco was sobering, his life was one mass of confusion and he did not need alcohol to give him a headache when all he had to do was sort through his thoughts. Giving up on the night he walked back to his room, not prepared for what he walked in on. Chasity glazing into the fire as tears rolled down her cheeks. Tears, he was a sucker for tears, could not stand seeing her cry. "Baby what is wrong." He surprised her with his voice.

"It's nothing Um… I am going to go to bed." She got up quickly but she grabbed her gently and pulled her into his arms.

"It's alright." He rubbed circles on her backs and lead her to the door, "Lets take a walk, there is something we need to talk about."

Jessie was spreading files around her when she a bed appeared beside her bed. Now being in the magical world this should not of surprised her but it did. The papers in her hand where thrown about, and then she jumped even more when the pops of the house elf sounded in her room. The little creatures paid her no mind as they started dressing the bed up in sheets. "Excuse me?" she said irritated. As she picked up the mess around her.

"What are you doing?"

"Sorry Little Miss but Tipsy was told to prepare bed." One of the elf said.

"Yes I see that but why?"

One cue (because that how it always works) Hermione entered teary faced and sniffling with a bag on her shoulder. "What happened?"

"Harry." Hermione went on to tell her what had happened.

"My brother is an idiot. So I take it from the magical appearing bed you are staying here?"

"If you don't mind." Hermione gave Jessie a pout face, So Jessie hit her with a pillow. "Just like when we were at school, roomie."

Hermione was all smiles now as she got off Jessie's bed and moved to hers, pulling out a book and settling down. This is why they made good roommates, they could stand the quiet so they could work, unlike Ginny or Pansy.

Harry was confused, Harry did not like being confused, specially when he was confused about Hermione. He thought that he had Hermione all figured out, but apparently not. Because never in a million years did he think that she would leave the room, and now she was bunking with his sister. They were more than likely talking all kinds of curse directed in his direction.

Sick of the room that did not have his girlfriend in it he walked out, needing to get out. "OI Harry wait up."

"Ron"

"Yeah, what are you doing up it is late."

"Could say the same for you too."

There was an awkward silence, the two really haven't talked, let alone been alone together.

"Me and Hermione got into a fight." Harry confessed, but it was more the need to fill the silence.

"Yeah, why is that."

"Seriously, I have no clue, she went right mad and went to my sisters room, where she is moving until I have no clue."

"Good luck mate, if she is anything like she was back in school when she got mad you better be prepared to go through hell and back."

Harry groaned, "This really is not looking in my favor, I think that I am going to talk to Severus."

"Yeah he would probably know, but I am heading to bed, I am sure he will glare at me that will me to my death bed."

"Yeah that would be a good idea."

Harry walked into the sitting room were one of his portraits where. "Severus." he called out and waited for the picture to come to life.

"Harry, what can I do for you." Harry went on to explain his side of the story, unknowing to him that Severus so was not on his side. "So now she went off on a crazy trip storming through the room, saying she was going to stay with Jess."

"Well I believe that she is right, and that you are becoming an arrogant, self-centered idiot." and with that he left the portrait.

"This is not my night."

The house settled down for the night and the morning came early for everyone. It was a rare moment when everyone was at the table for breakfast. Most of everyone was sulking. Hermione was clearly ignoring Harry as was Jessie. Harry was getting worried, the two had teamed up and that did not mean good news for him. His sisters wrath would be bad, specialy after their fight. Hell Hermione was a force all her own.

Luna kept giving Voldemort worried glances that he kept advoiding, he didn't need her pity. Ron was sitting by Harry and started a conversation about brooms to help get Harry's mind off the two on the other side of the table. Rodolphus was talking with his brother about the next train session. Jessie was telling the girls Hermione's new problems adding two more glares, three when they peeled Luna's eyes away from Tom. Blaise patted Harry on the back, "I feel sorry for you man." And Theo well he was one thought away to AKing himself.

"Hey everyone, I got news to tell you." Chasity said as she walked into the room smile brightly Draco walked in behind her and wrapped his arms around her, "We're engaged."

Welcome to my soap opera.

Well tell me what you thought of my chapter, not going to give anything away for the coming chapter.

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