Author: ICountCrows
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, setting, or much of the basis for the plot of this story. That is all property of J. K. Rowling, Scholastic Press, and Arthur A. Levine Books.
Summary: A POV story in which Harry and the gang return to Hogwarts for their fifth year. Harry is extremely vigilant this year because he feels responsible for Cedric Diggory's death, and Draco has gone through a transformation as well...
Chapter: Sette - The Last Breath and Secret Meetings
Chapter Warnings: Crude Language and Sexual References, References to Same-Sex Sexual Relations
Harry
We went straight from dinner that night to Professor Lupin's office.
"Hello there," our eccentric old teacher greeted without looking up from the papers on his desk. "I wasn't expecting you so soon. Just let me finish this letter..." In a few quick motions that resembled i dotting and t crossing, he was finished. He folded the parchment neatly, addressed it, and tied it to the leg of an owl that I hadn't even noticed was waiting for him. The bird took flight and he turned to the three of us in the doorway.
"Well, come in and take a seat!" he invited.
We entered the small, cluttered office and placed our behinds in the seats Lupin hastily conjured for us.
"So," he began, "I suppose you'd like to meet my dog." His eyes twinkled and he whistled.
From an adjoining room came the black dog, which transformed immediately into one of my greatest friends as soon as he saw us.
We all grinned at each other.
"All right, Harry?" Sirius, formerly known as Snuffles, smiled.
"All right," I replied, feeling much better than all right. Actually, I was feeling much better than I had since my fourth year. Sirius was the closest thing I had to a father, and I always felt safer when he was around. He seemed to know everything. I resisted the urge to hug him and managed to stay planted in my seat with a grin plastered on my face. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad after all...
My godfather hoisted himself up onto Lupin's desk and sat contentedly as he greeted Hermione and Ron.
We engaged in small talk for a while. How was your summer, how is your family, oh, gee, I'm sorry, Harry, etc. Sirius was just talking about the rush he got whenever the freezing spell was performed on him when Dumbledore knocked on the door.
"Ah, Mr. Potter, I thought I might find you here." His eyes shined in their normal fashion as he entered. "Sirius, Remus, I trust you two have made yourselves comfortable?" He surveyed the shamelessly muddled room.
Lupin chuckled as his eyes swept over the mess as well. "We have some organizing to do, but I've been too busy with our...ah...other business to do much about it yet." He shrugged and glanced at the man sitting on his desk. "But it's getting there, and yes, I do think we're comfortable."
I was just in the middle of wondering what Lupin meant by "other business" when Dumbledore spoke again.
"Have you informed Harry of our project, yet?"
The three older wizards exchanged knowing looks and I felt Ron and Hermione give me startled expressions as well. I just watched it all, confused and feeling left in the dark.
"Not yet, Albus," Lupin answered calmly. "I thought I'd leave that up to you."
Dumbledore's tired eyes turned to me and I knew something huge was coming. All the other people in the room turned to watch us as well, but I was too concerned with the future of our conversation to notice.
"Harry, the six of us, right now, are taking part in a massive Reformation," the headmaster said bluntly.
The information hit me like a brick wall and took a moment to sink in. Only Dumbledore could say something of such magnitude with so little consideration.
"A Reformation?" I asked, bewildered, still processing. "You mean, like a Revolution?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Of some sort," he replied. "You are aware that the Ministry have refused to acknowledge Voldemort's return. They have ignored my warnings and all the signs that went with them; they have paid no heed to my advice, and now, it is evident to me that in their naivite they will allow themselves to be overthrown by dark magic once again." His voice was tired, like his eyes, and he looked wary and old, but no less strong. "Our school is the center of a movement that could save the wizarding world, but the Ministry refuse to acknowledge us. We are currently working with our own resources - our teachers and their contacts - to build a resistance to dark magic that has come to be called The Last Breath."
Dumbledore's voice until now had been somewhat muted in my head. My thoughts had been out of focus and diluted by the enormity of the subject. But now, I heard him loud and clear.
"Harry, you are The Last Breath." He stopped, sensitive to the impact he knew this was having on me, and gave me time to digest before going on. "We have been using every resource we could find. Hagrid and Madame Maxine have informed the Giants, who are with us; Professor McGonagall has been in close contact with the AA, the Animagi Association; I have spoken to Mad Eye Moody who has been meeting with the Aurors." He paused. "I have sent Severus Snape back into the hands of Voldemort for espionage, Merlin help us all if he is caught."
The heaviness of his last statement hung in the air and made it hard to breathe.
"The letter I just finished writing was to the WWWWF, and I can almost assure you of their help as well," Lupin added.
"WWWWF?" Ron and Harry said at the same time.
"The World-Wide Wizarding Werewolves Federation," Hermione answered dazedly. "But why would you write to them, Professor? They were banned years ago."
Lupin smiled. "The Ministry made our organization illegal, yes. So that's exactly what it continued to be: illegal. There are still plenty of werewolves out there, and most of them are very angry with the Ministry, who managed to turn us into something similar to outlaws as soon as they dissolved the Federation."
I was staring off into space, not really hearing anything anyone said.
"Harry," Sirius said, tearing me from my dream state. "We're telling you this so you'll know that there is hope, but also so you realize how serious this is." He jumped down from Lupin's desk and crouched in front of me. "You are the Last Breath, Harry, and you have to know it. You have to see how important you are."
Draco
I lay hopelessly on my bed, staring at the dimly lit walls, attempting not to think. I wanted to go to sleep; that would be one way to escape from myself.
I rolled to my side and looked at the Dungeon's enchanted window. We were underground, so we didn't have any real windows, but before every school year I managed to enchant part of the wall to resemble what it would look like if we were a few floors up. The sun was very low, almost gone, but its light was still visible. It was too early for sleep, and the squibs were making too much noise losing to each other at exploding snap for me to even attempt it anyway.
I sighed in frustration. I wished my brain would turn off. I couldn't stop thinking about what a two-faced monster I was. I had already abused my "friendship" with Harry doing dirty work for my father, in turn, doing dirty work for the Dark Lord. And I was actually expecting The Golden Boy to help me later on? Why should he? I had never offered him anything but lies and deceit, and I would probably never have anything useful to offer him in the future, either. I expected Harry Potter to help me, Draco MalfoyDeath Eater for Merlin's sake, just because I didn't want the Dark Lord to kill me?
My own selfishness astounded me.
I rolled off the bed and walked to the mirror, assessing my appearance. I magically gelled my hair and switched the color of my shirt from white to black (which both better reflected my mood and accented my hair), then tightened my fading jeans. I needed to go out.
I stuffed my wand in the front of my black dragonhide belt and grabbed some coins from the stash under my bed.
"Where are you going, Draco?"
I stiffened. Wouldn't the squibs ever leave me alone? I sighed and turned to them slowly, trying to control the overwhelming urge to hex them both into last week. With great effort, I managed to steady my voice. "Where do you think, you useless pile of dragon dung? To find Servito."
The squibs glanced at each other and I waited, almost interested, because they looked like they might actually reply.
"Draco," Goyle began hesitantly. I found it highly amusing how frightened he was to speak his mind in front of me. "Why don't you just have Pansy suck you off instead? You know she'd do it."
I suppressed the urge to vomit at the thought of Pansy Parkinson with her nasty, too-puffy lips around my dick. I managed to chuckle instead. I pinched the bridge of my nose and squinted my eyes shut, wondering how I could make this any clearer to Numbnuts and The Brainless Wonder. "Because," I said, speaking very slowly to ensure that they had the ability to understand. "Pansy is an ugly whore, and I am GAY!" I let the silence stand for itself and watched their expressionless faces stare at me. My sexuality was a point I tried not to bring up with them often. Testosterone took up way too much space in their brains for them to understand why it mattered whether or not my pleasure came from a male. "Got it?"
They nodded in a silent lie and I turned, heading out the door with conviction. I needed to clear my head.
I needed a blowjob.
********** * **********
Pretty heavy stuff, huh? For Harry anyway. How'd you like the little Draco outburst at the end? Were you expecting that? The next chapter will be number eight...
- What is Harry going to have to do to be a part of The Last Breath?
- Will Draco ever join it and go against his father once and for all?
- And most importantly, will I ever stop teasing you and get to the NC-17 part of this story?