Bad Faith Island
A Harry Potter Pirate Story
by VG Jekyll


50. Romancing the Stone


"What's so important about The Santa Narcissa?" Draco can't help but ask, and then adds offhandedly. "My mother's name was Narcissa."

"Rumor said it couldn't sink. And this might prove it true! Think about it! An unsinkable ship... the things one could do with that."

"Kinda like the Black Pearl?"

Harry pulls a face to show what he thinks of that. "The Black Pearl is a ghost ship and only bad luck."

Harry turns back to face the stone wall and starts to nudge it. He tries to find a spot where the stone gives way or feels different from the rest, but is unsuccessful. Draco pushes him aside and starts to prod at the rock instead.

Harry lets him, hoping the thief has better luck and he is just about to ask the ghost which protruding stone they have to use and how, when Draco appears to have found it. The wall shakes for a moment and then appears to simply fall away.

With the opening of the way, the hole is suddenly filled with an ember light. Both man peer into the hole and try to find the light source, but it actually appears to come from the walls.

"Could be glowing moss, maybe," suggests Harry. "I've seen it before. Tastes terrible, gives you the runs." He glances back to Draco, who has a terrible smug look on his face. Something which probably has to do with him being able to open the secret door while Harry couldn't.

"Well, I knew I didn't keep you around only for your pretty face," Harry tells him nonchalantly. He quickly lent over to kiss the annoyed look of the blond's face. It works and Harry uses the distraction to take a step into the newly opened hole in the wall.

"Watch out you lunatic!" Draco yells at him, and swiftly pulls him back by his waistband. "For just once in your life! Stop rushing into things and first check if it's safe! I seriously wonder how you have been able to stay alive this long!"

Harry merely stared amused at him. "Aw, so you do care."

He leans forward in order to peer down and see what's behind the created archway. There appears to be a narrow staircase, going downwards and with seemingly no end to it. Parts of the stairways have fallen away.

He ever so carefully leans with his weight on the first step and hears it creak.

"Sounds like it's made of wood," Draco tells him and pulls Harry back by the waistband again. He hasn't let go of Harry yet and doesn't plan to. "It will be a miracle if it can still hold your weight."

"So what now then?" Harry asks him. They stare contemplating down the wooden stairs when they hear the ghost make a sound to get their attention.

"What is it Regulus?"

"Well, I was just thinking. Maybe I could... well... if you wanted to that is..."

"Spit it out."

"Would you like me to retrieve the stone?"

This makes the two turn around to face him. Harry stares incredulous at the ghost. "You could actually do that?"

Regulus grins broadly now and he appears to be missing a few teeth. Draco absent-minded wonders if that had happened when the man had died.

"I could. It's not that difficult."

"What's the catch?" Draco asks suspicious.

Regulus has an insulted look on his face. "Why-I would never!"

Draco simply glares at him and the ghost then shrugs and admits. "I'd like to possess one of your crew members and get off this island."

Draco looks outraged. "You can't just-"

"Deal," Harry interrupts him and Draco looks incredulous at him.

"What! You can't just offer up some poor sob!"

Harry shrugs. "I can and I will." He motions towards Regulus. "There are of course a few exceptions over who you can possess." he negotiated, thinking people wouldn't be pleased if someone from his immediate circle of friends were to be possessed by the ghost.

"I'll take that." Regulus says eagerly. "So, the Philosopher's Stone? Wait for me!" The ghost disappeared not into the tunnel, but through the wall.

"I can't believe you! How immoral can you be!" Draco rants to Harry who does not look contrite at all.

"I'm a pirate."

"Yeah sure," Draco says. "That is your answer to everything!"

"Why are you so upset about this?"

"I don't know!" Draco yells at him and then turns his back to the pirate. It's true. He has no idea why Harry's careless attitude irks him so much. It's just that it seems like Harry does not really care about anything at all.

He just goes through the motions and picks people up along the way, but drops them just as easily behind him.

And this, Draco starts to realize, is what he is worried about. He has come to care about that man-dare he ever claim 'love'?-but has no idea if it's reciprocated. What if he was merely a toy to Harry, there to be used and disregarded when he find something new and shiny.

After all, Draco was merely a slave in his eyes.

They wait in silence for a while, but then decide to go up and wait with the others in the clearing instead. Draco still refuses to talk to Harry, so the pirate takes it upon himself to tell the others what has happened.

He then checks up on his godfather, who is still being cradled by Remus. Sirius is not all there with his mind and appears delusional. The skin of his stump is red and feel shot to the touch, making him suspect infection.

"We need to get him back to the ship!" he tells Remus who nods. "Otherwise I fear he will die."

"Or you could just ask Fawkes to heal him?"

They jump and turn to face Regulus who has appeared besides Harry. He nonchalantly drops something into the pirate captain's lap.

"There ya go. One Philosopher's Stone for the gentleman. Don't forget about our deal, though."

Harry slowly picks up the thing from his lap. It has a burlap bound around it and when he peels it away, it reveals ad ark blue stone that almost looks black. It's rather unremarkable.

"This is the Philosophers Stone?" He asks the ghost. Regulus, however, appears to be more interested in Sirius and Remus. He stares confused at Remus his bare legs.

"Why is that man pants-less?" the ghost asks.

Remus meanwhile has another question running around his head. He glances from Sirius in his arms to the ghost and back, connecting a few dots. He sighs and resolves not to worry too much about that connection.

After all, it probably is not be of much importance anyway.


To Be Continued