Chapter 6
Amends
News of the breakout broke quickly. The morning's version of Daily Prophet had the faces of the Death Eaters freed facing back at him. There was a disturbed tension in the air of the Great Hall, and Harry couldn't help but feel guilty as it continued. His stomach started to bubble, and he started to feel hot. A rage built inside him as Hermione showed the Daily Prophet to him, and the paper blamed Sirius Black. Then, a thought raced through his head. It's my fault. It's Harry's fault that Sirius is being mentioned once again. It's Harry's fault that Sirius is being blamed and roped together with the Dark Lord. It is Harry's fault that the Death Eaters are out of Azkaban.
This was all Harry's fault.
He stood up abruptly. "Harry?" Ron asked.
"Bathroom," Harry lied. He hurried out of the Great Hall and to the nearest empty bathroom. He emptied his stomach in a toilet and leaned against it, anger building inside him. Anger towards himself, as well as Voldemort. He took his time to even his breathing and wash himself to make sure his mouth did not smell or have bits of sick on it.
When he returned to the Great Hall, instead of going back to the Gryffindor Table, he moved to Draco. "Harry, are you okay?" Draco asked, "I saw you walk out."
"I'm fine," Harry said. He looked between the spot between Draco and Goyle expectantly. Draco turned to Goyle. Goyle sat oblivious. "Move, you fat idiot," Draco snapped.
Goyle jumped and shimmied down the bench, making room for Harry. The Gryffindor sat down without a comment and looked around, saying a quick "Hello" to Zabini and Theo, staying quiet to the others.
"Um hello Harry," Daphne said.
Harry ignored her. Instead, he turned to Theo, a sympathetic look gracing his face, "How are you holding up?" he asked.
"Fine... just fine," Theo said slowly. "It's just," he sighed, "I don't know."
Harry nodded. "You know... Ron's worry's about you," he said. Theo perked up. "He is!?"
"Yeah, he is," Harry nodded. "It might help, you know, if you two talk together."
"Does he know that—"
Harry shook his head, "No, but he sees that you're sad and don't know how to approach you."
"Oh, I see," Theo said. He looked uncertain for a moment before looking at Harry, "Then I'll go talk with him," he said.
"I'll come with you," Blaise said, shrugging, "Granger looks lovely today after all."
Harry gave him a surprised, yet stern look. Blaise Zabini laughed and smiled, "I promise not to do anything without your permission, Harry Malfoy!" he said.
Harry did not comment. Instead he remembered why he was there and turned to Draco. "Will it be ready?" he asked in a serious tone.
"What do you mean?" Draco asked.
"In three weeks," Harry continued. "Will it be ready in three weeks?"
"Oh that, yes it will," Draco said. "I'll need your help with it of course—"
"After class," Harry interrupted. "I want to work on it every day after classes."
"Done," Draco said.
"What are you guys talking about?" Theo asked.
"Harry! Will you stop ignoring me," Daphne said, "You're being so rude!"
"Husband stuff," Harry said vaguely, looking at Theo. "Anyway, not that it matters, but Ron and I really gotten into eating pumpkin pasties—especially tarts. And Hermione can be rather straight-forward with us gorging on it." He stood up and stretched, "I'll see you later," he told Draco, kissing him and leaving.
He felt a little better, even Umbridge caused little harm to his mood as he had a goal in mind: Finish the potion and make the Death Eaters pay for his mistakes. Harry's focus turned to working on the potion. He and Draco started to spend more and more time in the Room of Requirement. Due to the potion and different schedules, it was difficult for Harry to schedule the next class of the D.A., not that that was a priority on his mind.
.
Theo decided to talk with Ron the same day that Harry talked with him after classes. He and Blaise made sure to visit the kitchen, and Theo had the house-elves get him two pumpkin pasties. He found Ron with Hermione, Harry and Draco. Harry and Draco walked away together, and the boys swooped in onto the two Gryffindors. "Ron!" Theo smiled.
"Theo! Uh hi," Ron said, looking between him and Zabini. "Long time..."
"Yeah, can we actually talk?" Theo asked, "There's something I want to ask you."
"Umm," Ron glanced at Hermione awkwardly. He looked like he wanted to go, but not leave Hermione by herself.
"Don't worry, we'll be fine by ourselves, right Granger?" Zabini said, smiling at Hermione.
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked. She gave Zabini look and turned to Ron, "Don't worry about it, I forgot I promised Ginny she can borrow one of my hairclips. I'll see you in the common room."
"Uhh if that's okay, then sure," Ron nodded. He turned to Theo and gave him a huge, goofy grin. "Come on!" he smiled. He walked away with Theo, Hermione walking in the opposite direction, leaving Blaise by himself.
Theo and Ron walked along the courtyard, wrapped in their heavy cloaks. Theo held out the two pumpkin pastries to Ron, "I heard that you like these," he began.
"Thanks," Ron said. Now that it was the two of them, Theo couldn't help but feel an uneasy awkwardness between them. It reminded him of their previous meetings.
"So... do you think I'm just another Slimy Slytherin?" Theo asked.
Ron stopped. He glanced at Theo. "I'm... I'm bisexual," he said.
"I know, and I'm a gay slimy Slytherin," Theo said. "I wanted to know, where we stand."
"Where we stand," Ron repeated. They stopped walking and stared at each other. Staring at Ron, Theo couldn't help but notice how cold it was outside. There was snow on the ground, the sun shining and reflecting on the fallen snow. Their cheeks reddened, but Theo didn't know if it was because of their feelings or the weather. Their eyes held something that the other couldn't imagine.
Ron broke the silence between them. "I think... I mean... you're better than... a slimy Slytherin," he said slowly.
Theo smiled. "I hope so," he said. "And you're better too, than a foolhardy Gryffindor."
"Thanks?" Ron said questionably, although the blush on his cheeks deepened. "I uh couldn't stop thinking 'bout you, actually," he confessed. "I mean—I had things during the break... bad things but when I went to bed, yeah, all I can think of..." Ron couldn't finish his thought.
Theo gave a sigh, "I feel the same," he said. "This break was just awful... and all that let me get through it was you."
"Your parents? You said you hated them, yeah?" Ron said. Theo frowned.
"Yeah, I hated them," he admitted. "However, over the break... something happened."
"What happened?" Ron asked. Theo was silent. He looked around and moved to the nearest bench to sit down. The stone was cold against his body. He shivered at the contact, and felt Ron sit next to him.
"I hated my father more than my mother," he began. "But still, when something like this happened, all my hatred just went away." He decided to just let it out. "My father died over the break. Killed by You-Know-Who."
Ron's hand immediately went to hold Theo's. "My dad got hurt really bad doing stuff against You-Know-Who," he said. He squeezed Theo's hand.
"I don't know how to look at it," Theo admitted. "I cried; I was broken. I wanted… I actually wanted to tell him about you, Ron."
"Me?"
"Tell him about you," Theo nodded, "… and my feelings for you. Prove him wrong. He said that I'll never find love being gay. I wanted to show you to him and tell him that he was wrong."
"You... you love me?" Ron asked blankly, staring at Theo with a strange look.
"I think I do," Theo said. "I like being with your, out talks were nice. It's nice not having to constantly try to outwit or out sass someone like it is with the rest of Slytherin. And there is only so many times I can stand listen to Greengrass moan that Harry doesn't like her anymore—even though she still doesn't understand that it's all her fault."
"You like me," Ron repeated.
"Yes, I do," Theo said. "Do I need to say it explicitly for you to understand Weasley?" He said in a small annoyed voice. He rolled his eyes and turned to face him. "Ron Weasley, for some reason I like you. I like you, I like your voice, I like how you feel next to me, and I like how my thoughts about you calmed me down during the worst of times. So yes Ron, I like you—"
Ron smashed his face against Theo's, their lips colliding sloppily. When Ron moved away, Theo shook his head, "I like that I'll have to teach you how to kiss properly," he added before moving a hand to under Ron's chin, "Like this, Weasley," he breathed and kissed Ron, his movements graceful as their lips slid across each other's Theo's tongue darting out to taste Ron's lips. When they separated, Ron was grinning proudly.
"Well let's hear you say it, Ron," Theo said.
"I thought my kissing was good enough!" Ron argued.
"Far from it, I spilled my feelings for you Weasley, now please tell me yours so I can stop thinking about my father," Theo said.
"Fine Nott, I love you," Ron declared. "I love you, and I think I might just wife you."
Theo shook his head, "So bloody confident you'll be on top," he muttered. "Either way, thank you."
"For what?" Ron asked.
"For distracting me," Theo said. "I still don't know how to feel about my father. I'm sad that he's dead, but he was also a Death Eater. I hated him, hated You-Know-Who but yet… I'm happy that now I have you. And when the time comes, I'll make sure to wife you up." He gave a smirking chuckle which caused Ron to gasp.
"As if!" he shouted.
"Just eat your treat," Theo said, "it's cold, but I think I can last a little longer." Ron nodded and pulled out his wand, "Watch this," he said. He gave his wand a small wave and a small fireball shot out of it, dancing between the two of them to warm them up.
"See, you're already a good wife making sure his husband is nice and warm," Theo said.
Ron blinked at him, "That was a joke," he said.
"… Yes Ron, it was," Theo said. "Please tell me you know what a joke is."
"I do!" Ron said defensively, "just didn't take Slytherins to be jokey."
"Well how else do you expect Harry and Draco to be married at this point?" Theo said, waving his hand, "It certainly isn't because they're all so serious and argue all the time." He shook his head, and took a bite of his own treat, "Anyway, how is your dad doing?"
"Good, he's coming back any day now from the hospital," Ron said, "You won't believe who I saw one day when I visited!"
"Who?"
"Lockhart! Remember that bloke!" Ron said. Theo's eyes went wide. "Yeah, yeah!" Ron said, and he started into a very enthusiastic tale of how he, Hermione and Ginny wandered around St. Mungo's, and ran into their old professor.
.
And so, January started to melt into February, when Harry Potter was contacted by his father. It was a Sunday, the poison was ready, and as Harry woke up, there was a rolled up note waiting for him.
Harry,
You will arrive at Yaxley's home precisely at four in the afternoon. Do not mess up, or else you will have fatal consequences.
Harry found that he was not afraid. Instead, he rolled up the note, got dressed, and as the others were only groggily falling out of their beds, Harry made his way to Dumbledore. He ran down to the second floor, where he made his way to the corridor that had a statue of a gargoyle at the end of the corridor. Harry knew, from previous years, that the gargoyle guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office. However, as he slowed down the closer he got to the gargoyle, Harry realized that he did not know the current password.
"Open up, it's important!" he said to the gargoyle, "Please!" The gargoyle did not move, and Harry started to think of candy names. "Acid Pops. … Fizzing Whizbee. … Sherbet Lemon. … Just open up!"
"I am very curious about what is so important, Mr. Potter, that you are trying to get into Headmaster Dumbledore's office."
Harry turned to see, much to his disgust, Professor Umbridge standing in front of him. She was dressed in her pink cardigan, a large bow in her hair and in her arms was a stack of papers. She gave Harry a fake toad-like smile.
Harry found that his mind was still for a moment from shock, and lied, "I need to talk about something important with him."
"Oh, do you... and what is so important, Mr. Potter, that it cannot wait for after breakfast, where the rest of your fellow students are?" Professor Umbridge asked.
"An important manner that is between Dumbledore and I, Professor," Harry said quickly, "and why aren't you downstairs eating breakfast either?"
"You do not get to question me, Potter!" Umbridge said angrily. "I am High Inquisitor of this school and I have every right to do whatever it is I please. Now as for you, you better get away from that gargoyle and return to the Great Hall where you belong before I add more detentions upon your sentence!"
Harry opened his mouth to retort, however the gargoyle behind him leapt to the side and footsteps sounded behind him. "Ahh, Harry, and Professor Umbridge," Dumbledore said. "I was not expecting such an early commotion outside my office."
"Sir, I need to talk to you, it is important," Harry said quickly, turning away from Umbridge. Dumbledore studied him for a moment before nodding.
"Very well," he said, "we will talk briefly in my office, but, I am sorry Harry, but I hope you can make it quick. I find that the house-elves put extra effort into their cooking on Sunday mornings, and I would like to have my daily eggs with oatmeal."
"Erm, yes, sir," Harry said. He stepped forward only for Umbridge to say, "As High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, I request to sit in this meeting. If the matters involve the school, it is my duty to address it."
"Thank you for being so committed to your duties, Delores, however the matters that Harry and I need to speak of are personal, however I am more than willing to speak to you on several focuses where the school might improve on," Dumbledore said. "Harry..." Harry nodded and walked past Dumbledore and up the spiraling staircase.
Dumbledore was a moment behind him, and as Harry opened the door into Dumbledore's office, the gargoyle in front of the staircase jumped back to its original position. Harry waited until Dumbledore was fully in his office, and the door was close. "He sent a letter to me, Voldemort," he said. "You told me to keep you updated on when I'm going on these missions."
He handed Dumbledore the small piece of paper. Dumbledore read it and gave it back to Harry. "Yaxley… Yaxley," he muttered. He looked at Harry with a hesitant gaze. "I must admit that I did not expect the weeks to fly so quickly," he said.
"What should I do?" Harry asked, even though he had his own plans. "How should I talk to him?"
"Be cautious, vigilant," Dumbledore said. "This meeting is set to put you in the Death Eater's good graces, however, and it pains me to ask something so dangerous of you, I wish that you would try to gather information, evidence that we can use to help us survive these trying times. Even if it is something we can use to prove to the disbelieving public that Lord Voldemort is back."
Harry nodded and a thought occurred to him, "Sir, why can't I tell them?" he asked. "I saw him many times."
"I see that you are avoiding the Daily Prophet," Dumbledore said. "Sadly, the horrible slanderous streak against you and I is still on-going. Those who know the truth are being silenced, and the rest would rather live in a safe delusion, rather than face the harsh reality we now live."
Harry nodded. He stood up and said, "I'll try to get as much information as I can. I'm going to go tell Draco now. He'll be both worried and angry if I go without telling him."
"Yes, of course," Dumbledore nodded. "Which reminds me, I never did give you a congratulations over your nuptials, though I wish that it was under better circumstances."
"I know," Harry agreed. "Draco and I agreed when we are older, we're doing it again, a proper wedding, where it's more than just Death Eaters."
"A lovely idea," Dumbledore smiled, he chuckled, "and I will expect an invitation of course, if you still remember your old headmaster at that time. It is good to have plans like that Harry, for the world's horrors are never eternal. We will get through this, you will see."
"Thank you sir," Harry said. He turned to leave, only for Dumbledore to stopped him one last time, "Harry, just so you do not get into another screaming match with the gargoyle, the password is Chocolate Frogs. I've had a sudden craving for them ever since the term started."
"Okay," Harry nodded, and he left.
Umbridge, thankfully, wasn't waiting for him as he left the spiraling staircase. He went to the Great Hall, as he was hungry, and it was still breakfast time. As he sat down, Ron asked him what he and Hermione wanted to do.
"Well, maybe we should prepare for the next D.A. meeting," Hermione suggested.
"That sounds good," Harry said, needing a distraction until the time for his meeting, "but uhh I can't in the afternoon... Dumbledore asked me to do something," his voice got low, "and I don't know when I'll be back from it."
"What!" Ron yelled.
"Shush!" Harry said.
"Harry," Hermione whispered, "When did this started?"
"Today—look, I'll tell you guys tonight, I promise," Harry said. "I'll be alright, it'll only be a couple hours at most."
"Okay then," Hermione said, although she still looked worried.
When Harry was finished, he stood up, "I'm going to say hi to Draco," he said, "I'll meet you guys in a second." Now a common sight in the Great Hall, Harry strolled from the Gryffindor Table to the Slytherin Table and sat down next to Draco. As he kissed Draco good morning, he slipped the note into his hand. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Draco read it as Harry talked with Blaise and Theo. The two stood up and excused themselves.
"Today," Draco said as they went into the Room of Requirement. "Are you ready?"
"I am," Harry nodded. They went to the cauldron in the middle and looked inside. The Strangler was complete. It looked clear, like distilled water, and there was no smell wafting from it. The two smiled at each other and took their time making sure to carefully fill vial after vial of the poison. When they were done, they had around thirty vials full stored in a cabinet. Harry took one and slipped it into his pocket.
"Good luck," Draco said and he pulled Harry into a deep, long kiss, his hand snaking up Harry's shirt, grabbing and teasing his chest. Harry moaned, but pushed away. "Not now," he panted. "I promised Ron and Hermione that I'll spend time with them."
"Alright then boy, this time it's allowed," Draco said. "However next time your Master wants your body he'll get it, understood?"
"Yes Sir," Harry moaned as Draco twisted his nipple. Draco smirked and let go, patting his chest. "Then go poison Yaxley, boy," he said. "The old man deserves it."
The morning lasted too quickly for Harry's liking. Like Hermione said, they spent it preparing for the next D.A. meeting, as well as talking with other Gryffindors in the common room. At a quarter to four, Harry excused himself and left the common room, turning a corner and entered the nearest closet. He did not bother turning on the lights, instead he stared at the red eyes. "Bring me to Yaxley's home," he demanded and walked into the darkness, the vial of the Strangler clutched firmly in his pocketed hand.
A/N: Next time we're going to have a lovely afternoon tea. Please make sure to bring the proper treats. Please leave a review, and tell me your thoughts.
