Chapter 31
We used to, right?
Harry

A few days before the match against Ravenclaw, Harry was walking down the stairs with Vlad – Ron and Hermione were elsewhere – when he heard a loud crash.

Vlad and Harry exchanged glances as they stopped talking mid-conversation, and slowly walked over to where the sound came from. The source of the sound was Malfoy. Draco Malfoy, who was breathing heavily, looking like he was about to vomit into the sink.

He splashed his face with water frantically, as if the water was the only thing to save him from whatever danger he was in.

But from Harry's perspective, the only danger in this school was Malfoy himself.

"Malfoy."

Harry said out loud, in a stern voice. Malfoy immediately looked up into the mirror to see Harry and Vlad reflected on it.

The next thing that happened was Malfoy grabbing his wand and shouting - "Cruc-"

But before Malfoy finished that, Vlad performed a non-verbal spell instinctively and pushed Malfoy backward into the sink. Malfoy made an 'oof' sound before trying to curse Vlad or Harry again, but again, Vlad performed a quick non-verbal spell to knock Malfoy's wand out of Malfoy's hands and into Vlad's. Expelliarmus, Harry guessed.

Vlad and Harry slowly approached Malfoy, who was scrambling against the wall to escape.

But there was no door for him to run out of.

"Malfoy, calm down."

"I know what you are, I'm not scared, I'm not-"

"Well you clearly are, or you won't be trembling like you are right now," Harry said, giving Malfoy a cold stare, "I know what you did. We know what you did."

"I'm not afraid of any of you," Malfoy scowled, but his hands, his mouth – his whole body was still trembling. Harry did not like this 'vulnerable' Malfoy. Malfoy was supposed to be the 'big bad,' but right now, Malfoy did not look like the big bad. He looked like a victim. Victim of –

"You-know-who, does he have anything to do with this?" Vlad said in an interrogative way, pointing his wand and Malfoy's wand at Malfoy. Harry felt a chill go down his spine by Vlad's new cold tone. He hoped Malfoy was feeling that chill at a greater extent than he was.

Malfoy opened his mouth and closed it again, his eyes filled with hatred but at the same time, fear.

Yes, be afraid, Harry thought. Tell us what you did, exactly what you did. What you plan.

"Malfoy, if you know what I am, then you know what I can do," Vlad said.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT," Malfoy suddenly shouted, "I don't believe all of – of – you unworthy trash are such 'great beings' – centuries-old, nations-? I don't believe it. I'm not scared of you so if you're planning to scare me into talking-"

"You don't believe? Then why did you threaten Allistor Kirkland before? In the way you did?"

"Why do I have to tell you?"

"Look, I really don't like this kind of- augh!" Vlad shoved Malfoy's wand into Malfoy's chest, making Malfoy say 'oof' again as he grabbed his wand again. "I'm not good at this, okay?!" Vlad shouted, as if confessing a crime, "I'm don't do 'deathly' or 'threatening' or interrogations and all that! I'm bad at it! I don't like these – these – violent situations! I've had enough of it, okay?!"

Harry saw Vlad's eyes get a little bit watery before Vlad wiped his eyes with his sleeves to look at Malfoy with a soft expression. Harry didn't know what to do.

If Vlad wasn't there, Harry probably would be dueling with Malfoy at that moment, as he was the villain, or so Harry thought. Only he seemed to think Malfoy was the 'villain.'

Harry wanted Vlad to go all out and scare Malfoy into talking, but Vlad did not seem to want that. Harry gripped his wand so strongly that he had to loosen up a little to prevent breaking his own wand into two.

"Malfoy, please just tell us. If you take the right side now, we will be able to protect you. No harm will come to you or your family. It's not too late to turn away from… him," Vlad said. Malfoy and Harry both knew 'him' was Voldemort.

"I'm not working for him," Malfoy said, attempting to scowl like a fierce wolf, but only a whimper of a wolf puppy came out.

"You are," Harry said. You're a Death Eater! Harry mentally added.

"Please just tell us where Voldemort is, I'm sure you know – what he is planning – "

"LUPEI, POTTER!"

A new voice – Snape's – boomed and echoed in the eerily grey-lit bathroom, stopping Vlad from finishing his sentence.

"100 points from Gryffindor! Bullying a fellow student- ungracious, filthy-! Detention, both of you, Ten o'clock Saturday morning, my office."

"What – we were not - ! And that's the last Quidditch math of the-" Harry said angrily, but Vlad stopped him.

"There's no point. Let's go, Harry," Vlad whispered, leaving Snape and Malfoy in the bathroom as Vlad grabbed Harry's sleeves and dragged him out of the bathroom.

The two Gryffindors walked silently to the Gryffindor Tower, the silence swallowed them whole until they arrived at the tower and reunited with Ron and Hermione along with Ginny who was with them to tell what just happened.

"Vlad, you were supposed to stop Harry from chasing Malfoy," Hermione said.

"Malfoy needed help," Vlad said in a raspy voice, barely audible. "He needs help."

"He's a Death Eater, Vlad," Harry said.

"Even if he is, you shouldn't threaten him-"

"Leave it, Hermione," Ron said, glancing at Vlad, who seemed down. Vlad was usually the up factor – the cheerful guy, as not as mischievous as Fred and George, but still quite mischievous, that was Vlad. But he right now, the usual smile was gone from Vlad's face. Hermione followed Ron's gaze to Vlad, and immediately softly said, "Sorry."

"Nah, it's fine," Vlad said, turning his wand around and around between his fingers, "…I just don't feel good about it, y'know."

…

"And Harry, I- I…" Vlad sighed, and looked at Harry, "Give up Snape's book, Harry."

"You mean his 'Prince book?' – Vlad, don't tell me you're siding with Hermione-"

"I'm not siding with anyone!" Vlad almost screamed, "I saw the look in your eyes when you saw Malfoy just now, Harry. It was scary. With a dangerous spell from Snape's potion book like 'sectumsempra' in your head, and with you submerged in this, this anger- I feel like you are not you, Harry."

You're consumed by anger.

Harry could almost hear the words Vlad had swallowed.

"What exactly was sectumsempra?" Ginny asked carefully.

"…It slashes at whatever your wand points to, as if a sword was summoned," Harry said hesitantly.

"Harry, if Snape had noted this spell – or made this spell – then it makes him, well," Hermione breathed in, then out. "Dangerous."

"He had always been, though," Ginny said. "…Though this is a whole new level of danger. Not just evil detention-giver."

"…So, can you please give up the book, Harry?" Vlad pleaded, and Harry looked into his red eyes before turning away.

"I'm not giving up this book, Vlad, I'm sorry," Harry said, looking at the floor. He knew it was Snape's. Nose pointed high, calling himself a Prince, and nothing dangerous spells. But without his book, he never would've won the Felix Felicis and use it to get Slughorn's memory, nor would he have known how to save Ron from poisoning.

He didn't thank Snape for it – for all he knew, Sirius might've gotten the identity of the Prince wrong. He only saw Snape with the book, after all. Maybe the originator of the spells was someone else. Maybe Snape only found the book like Harry did. Maybe Snape's skill for potions comes from the Prince like Harry.

"…I won't force you to," Vlad said, "But." Vlad looked into the fireplace. "I feel like we laughed more in Third Year."

At that, everyone fell silent. No-one stopped Vlad from going up to his dorm to sleep after wishing a good night to everyone quietly.

Silence took place before Ginny broke it.

"I'm going to sleep too. Um – Harry, don't feel too bad about the Quidditch match," Ginny said, "I'm sure we'll be able to kick ass anyway – no offense, I mean, but yeah."

Harry managed to smile a little, and Ginny went up to bed, Hermione following her short after.

When Ron and Harry went up to bed, Vlad was already asleep, his quill on his bedside table along with a bottle of ink. Negru (Vlad's bat, just in case anyone forgot) was not in the dorm.

Did he send a letter?

Harry wondered as he changed into his pajamas and slopped onto his bed, thinking about what Vlad said.

I feel like we laughed more in Third Year.

…They did.

-0-0-0-

Canon Hetalia : Happy Happy doo-doo + some feels material like Davie and Prussia and HRE

The fandom, including my humble self : Ok, so lets, like, inflate these feels we got. Make it double, no, triple - times a 100! *does exactly that*

-PotterheadNo.04