Chapter 46: Courting the Dark One

"Are you certain that you don't want to see Ginny?" Luna asked after Sirius had disappeared them their sight.

"Yeah," Harry replied, "like I said, it'll pass."

"What did you see?" The Ravenclaw witch asked while her Lord opened the great doors for her.

"Quite a bit." The Northern Lord replied absently while he looked around him, looking for any sign of a threat or perhaps one of Malfoy's associates. The Mage was not certain of which.

"They are in class." Luna's aloof and dreamy voice stated, causing emerald eyes to look down.

A brow arched, making the Shiv'n smile.

"Draco's friends." She clarified, "They are in class."

"So you've noticed them following you and the others."

"Yes."

"And?"

"I sensed no ill-will from them. Plus, their presence kept Ronald at bay." The blonde explained, "Even Ginny agreed, it was for the best."

"Hm." The half demon murmured as he led his pack-mate further down the corridors toward the dungeons. "And Ron? Aside from stalking Gin', has he done anything else?"

"Nothing worth mentioning."

"Any word from the Twins?" Harry asked, wanting to get the situation of Ron possibly exploiting the raven-haired Gryffindor for the redhead's own gain out of the way.

"No, not that I know of, but Ginny did receive a missive this morning during breakfast."

"I'll ask then." The teen remarked as a comfortable silence felt over the pair.

It was not until they have reached the dark halls of the lower levels of the dungeons that Harry broke the silence.

"One of the images that Kaguumb showed me was of the Headmaster."

"Oh?"

"But there was something odd about it." Harry's brows furrowed together as he tried to understand the double-exposed memory. "Muggles take pictures using a camera and film… kinda like what Colin has… and sometimes a frame on the film gets double-exposed… taking a picture of one thing and then another, and a second picture is superimposed on the first."

"Sounds fascinating…" Luna murmured, "Do you think Colin would create one of those for me?"

Harry just shrugged.

"Are you seeing the Headmaster Double-Exposed?' The aloof witch then asked.

"Yeah… I saw him as he is - an old man, but I also saw a young blonde with a cold and malicious smile… kinda reminds me of a shark."

"A shark can smile?" The Ravenclaw witch blinked owlishly, causing Harry to lightly laugh at his pack-mate.

"It means that there is no emotion in his smile… that whoever this blonde guy is… he's very dangerous."

This caused the young witch to pause.

"More dangerous than the Dark Lord?"

"Tom is nuts. That's dangerous enough, but it's a danger you can see. This guy… he's different kind of dangerous." The Northern Lord stated then asked, "Have you Seen the Headmaster?"

Luna knew that her blood-brother was referring to her Third Eye. She shook her head then looked away as if in shame.

"I cannot explain it, but when I am near him, I feel this revulsion, and I hide myself… it is the only time that I do not fear my Eye of being revealed."

She felt her head being lifted up, making her look up into her Lord's emerald green gems.

"Nothing to be ashamed of, my Shiv'n." The Gryffindor purred, "Somehow you know that the Headmaster is a threat."

"Of what kind, my Lord?"

"Dunno, but if you're subconsciously 'hiding' from him then don't go near him. Stay away from him as much as you can, or at least have one of us nearby, alright?"

"As you wish." The blonde lowered her eyes, showing her willing submission to her Alpha's commands.

The pair stopped in front of the Potions class when the dismissal bell thunderously chimed, and the door to the classroom burst wide open. Immediately students poured out of the dungeon classroom, revealing that the Potions class was of second year Hufflepuff and Gryffindor students. From the shadows, Harry watched the younglings walk by and noticed an odd broach worn by a few of the Gryffindors. Inquisitive Elysian gems turned to the aloof Ravenclaw witch, who just kindly smiled. She knew what had caught the half demon's attention. It was a Celtic Dog Knot.

The knot itself was of a single hound on a slender and rectangular piece of metal, and it was no bigger than the length of Luna's pinky finger. The design itself came from Hermione. When Harry had left for the demon world, she was the most troubled by his departure that she found herself drawing the knot. Ginny saw the drawing and felt that it was fitting to somehow wear the dog knot as a sign of their allegiance to Harry. Neville then transfigured each of their old DA coins into a broach. And not before long, several other students began copying the small Pack, unknowingly showing their true allegiance to Harry Potter rather than to Dumbledor and his Light faction.

"Do I even want to know?" Harry asked. A brow arched when the blonde witch then adjusted her robes to reveal that she too wore a similar broach.

"We follow the Cwn Annwn." Luna simply said then began to follow the second year students, "Good Luck."

The young Mage shook his head as he quietly slipped into his Intended's classroom, still shrouded in shadows and his demonic features unhidden by the concealment spell. Silently he approached his Dark One's desk and watched as Severus went about the classroom, gathering papers. They must have had a test. The teen thought before placing a simple wooden box on his Mate's desk and took a step back.

Severus paused for a moment, tilting his head to the side when he heard something being placed on his desk. He had sensed another presence in his classroom when his students had left and swiftly recognized the presence belonging to his favorite pain in the arsch, Harry. Immediately his thoughts turned toward the raven-haired teen, making him wonder where the Gryffindor wizard had disappeared to for the past five days. The Potions Master had inquired about the youth's location, but the young man's friends were rather cryptic… Answering his people's call. Severus frowned when Ms. Granger had told him, first fearing that the Headmaster might have just handed Harry to the proverbial wolves, but the dark wizard quickly dismissed that thought.

The Slytherin knew that his ancient Master had other plans for the teen when the youth defeat the Dark Lord. And Severus had no doubt the Gryffindor raven-haired would defeat his other Master, it was just a matter of when.

answering his people's call… The phrase made the Potions Master wonder of whom Harry would call 'his people'. The raven-haired Professor knew it was not the Wizarding World since the teen was never truly part of the magical world. The Headmaster made sure of that.

The older wizard shook his head and returned to his desk. Thin brows furrowed together when he saw a wooden box on his desk. Slowly he approached his desk, placing the gathered papers to one corner. Looking down at the box, obsidian-black orbs took in the beautiful and yet simple carving on box' lid. The carving was of a stylized image of a dog attacking a vicious looking dragon. Long and elegant fingers gently caressed the carving as Severus felt an aura of love and protective desire.

The Slytherin quickly withdrew his hand while looking thoroughly confused. His black gems looked about him, trying to find the hiding teen.

"I know you're still here, Brat." The Potions Master drawled; however, he received no answer, save for a sensation that his Brat was amused. The dark wizard rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "Fine. Be that way."

Slowly he opened the wooden box, and his eyes grew wide at the sight of the box' contents. Inside Severus found a dozen throwing daggers. The daggers were the length of a woman's hand from tip to butt. The handles were wrapped with dark silk-linen wrappings. The blades themselves were slender and could easily be hidden in the Potions Master's palm. While the Slytherin was surprised that Harry would give him a set of throwing daggers, the dark wizard was mesmerized by the blades themselves.

He had never seen metal with such colors before. Gently he picked up one of the daggers, surprised at the light feel of it. As Severus turned the blade this way out and that, at first glance, he thought the blades were black as slate, but the light from the magical torches drew out an array of green hues. The Slytherin then flipped the blade in his hand, resting it on its side on the edge of his finger. The dagger rested in perfect balance before with another flick of his wrist, the dark wizard caught the dagger in mid-air. In a blink of an eye, Severus threw the blade.

THUK.

Emerald green orbs slowly blinked as Harry felt a slight sting against his cheek. His lips twitched into a smirk.

"Alright, Brat, where did you get them?" The older wizard asked while he, with practiced ease and care, hid the throwing daggers away on his person.

"You like them?" The young Gryffindor asked as he stepped out of the shadows - his demonic features hidden once more - and with the throwing dagger in his hand.

The Potions Professor paused with a dagger in hand, looking at the blade in realization that his indeed like the weapons. He just sniffed at the question, ignoring the knowing and bemused smirk on the younger wizard's face.

"And if I did, what will you do about it?" The Slytherin challenged.

Harry's smirk turned dark while his orbs darkened with desire.

Severus let out at sharp gasp when he felt his body was slammed against the wall behind him while he also felt a wall of muscles being pressed against his front. It took a few seconds for the dark wizard to realize that his assailant was his Brat. Before he could give the teen a piece of his mind, the Potions Master quickly discovered that he could not say a word as his mouth was being attacked by the younger wizard.

The Gryffindor pressed his body deeper against his Intended, trying to blend their two bodies together. He had slammed his mouth against Severus' while plunging his tongue into the Slytherin's cavern and feeling his Match's own appendage battling against the half demon's tongue. The raven-haired teen began to purr when he felt the older wizard's hands rake through the young man's thick locks.

Severus moaned in delight when his body shuddered from a deep vibration coming from the teen. The Potions Master tilted his head up as he gasped for air. He let loose another moan when he felt a series of butterfly nibs along his exposed neck.

"Missed… you…" Harry whispered between each nib.

"How…?" Severus' voice was breathy and yet deep with lust, "Gone… only… five days…"

Obsidian orbs rolled back when he felt Harry roll his hips into the Slytherin's. A deep and throaty groan escaped pass Severus' lips.

The dark wizard knew that his young lover was passionate nor did his Brat fear in pouring every once of that passion into each of their encounters; however, the Potions Master never had experienced this type of hunger before. It was as if Harry was a man dying of thirst, and Severus was the life-saving oasis.

The Slytherin could feel a tension building within himself, threatening to consume him. He held onto his Brat as the Gryffindor continued to assault his slender neck with nibs and kisses and as the teen continued to roll his hips into the dark wizard's. The older raven-haired man was unaware that he had subconsciously wrapped his strong and lean legs around Harry's waist. He was equally unaware of the teen's strong grip on his hips as Severus matched the teen's movement with his own, creating more tension within him until…

"AerE!" Severus gasped as his body shook from his release.

He gave another gasp when he felt a sharp pain on his neck and Harry's own tense frame shuddering.

Then reality suddenly came crashing around the pair. Severus gave the Gryffindor a slight shove before his fist came flying around, connecting with the teen's lips. Harry felt his head snap to the side and his lips pulsate while giving his Intended a dark look. He could not help the shot of lust rushing through him as he watched his Dark One right himself as if nothing had happened. A feral grin graced the half demon's lips, causing him to wince in pain. The Mageling brushed his thumb against his tender lip then looked down to see his own blood.

His Inner Beast purred in delight. His Match drew blood. The Shadow Hound licked his blood from his thumb clean before licking his lips, causing his nin-nus to look away with a healthy rouge kissing his cheeks.

"Well, Brat," Severus began, completely unaware of the affectionate tone in his voice as he said the pet name, "you didn't answer my question… where did you get the kunai?"

And just like that the dark desire disappeared from Harry's emerald green gems while the younger wizard blinked owlishly in confusion. The Slytherin mentally pushed aside the thought of how 'cute' the Gryffindor looked when confused.

"Koon-nye?"

"Kunai - the throwing daggers." The Potions Master asked as he continued to straighten himself up, "Where did you get them?"

"Uhm…" Harry stuttered while instantly fighting a blush.

The dark wizard suddenly felt proud at the sight of his stuttering and blushing Brat. You're not only one who could make people squirm.

" 'Uhm' is not an answer." Severus drawled out, smirking at the deeper shade of red tattooed on Harry's cheeks.

"I made them…" The teen half mumbled and half whispered, causing it to be the Slytherin's turn to blink owlishly.

"Excuse me?" He replied, "You made them?"

The Gryffindor nodded, not trusting his own voice.

"How? When? Why?" Shock colored the Potions Master's voice as he looked at the young man, who had two madmen out to control him and an entire community expecting him to protect them.

Finally having the blush under control, the half demon just shrugged. The raven-haired youth did not know how he could explain that it took him three weeks to work the draconic scales; no never mind the fact that the scales were of demonic origin. However, he knew that he could not not answer his Match because his Dark One would seek out the truth, in one fashion or another.

"I…" The half dog-demon began, "I won the materials, and it took me a while to make the koon-nye. As to why… it's proof."

"Proof? Proof of what?"

"Proof that I am worthy of your attention." The teen replied.

"Worthy of my attention?" The older wizard repeated in disbelief his brows furrowed together, "Are you trying to… C-court me?"

Obsidian orbs grew wide in surprise.

Harry did not answer but stepped closer to his Mate. He immediately closed the gap between them, giving his Intended a deep kiss.

Severus did not resist the kiss; rather, he equally shared in the kiss, giving as equally taking.

Slowly the pair parked, breathing in the other's breath.

"Yes." The Gryffindor wizard whispered, "Yes, I am."

Translations:

AerE (Parseltongue) - Harry

nin-nus (youma-lingua) - human