A/N: Nobody loves me, everybody hates me, might as well go eat worms…insert childish melody here…sorry about that, just looking at the number of reviews this story has received. By my calculation, it's less than 1 review for every 500 words…that can't be right! Ok, now that I'm done complaining, I have some groveling to do. I'm SOOOOO sorry this has taken so long. I'd blame it on finally getting my first job (hey, I'm only 20 so it's not super pathetic, right?), but the truth is I've been too busy reading better fan fics (Marvin, where are you?) to actually write this one. And I'm also sorry this chapter is shorter than the others are. I'll work on it. So please review or I'm giving up forever (or another month, and than won't you be sorry mwahaha wait, you won't, because you didn't review…sniffle, oh look, I'm complaining again.)
Chapter Eighteen
"Marge! Here, let me get that bag for you!" greeted Vernon Dursley when a woman with a trace of bovinity in her step came to the door of Number 16, Privet Drive. "What, no Ripper this time Marge?" Vernon asked, noticing that his sister's favorite and meanest bulldog was conspicuously absent. Of course, the whole visit was conspicuous, Marge calling out of the blue and announcing she'd be coming to stay for some time. Then again, Margery Dursley was not exactly the epitome of social grace. Or any grace for that matter.
"Old boy is staying with the Colonel, along with the other pups," answered Severus Snape, slightly concerned that he sounded so authentic in this guise as a beefy Muggle woman. "Now where's my nephew? Ah, there he is, looking as sturdy as ever I see. Come give your Aunt a squeeze!"
It was hard to believe that Snape had only left Hogwarts last night, after a brief but intense training session on how to be Aunt Marge, which entailed spoiling Dudley Dursley rotten, badmouthing Harry Potter at every turn, enjoying a fine bourbon, and relating hideously boring stories about her beloved bulldogs. After leaving the school, Snape met Moody at Marge's country house. Throwing the Muggle Protection Act out the window, they had to use two stunning spells, heifer that she was, but soon the Polyjuice Potion was ready and Snape had tucked away enough spare hair to last the rest of the summer. God willing, it won't come to that.
"Come get off your feet, Marge" greeted Petunia Dursley, leading Snape by his elbow into the sitting room.
"You lot certainly rushed into this move," Snape observed, trying to sound as ignorant of the truth as he could. "I hope you weren't taken on the deal."
"Oh no," Vernon answered, unable to hide the anxiety in his face as he too tried to sound ignorant of the truth. "House came with the promotion at Grunnings," he muttered, hoping that Marge didn't remember that there was no more room for Vernon to be promoted up. And, of course, Snape didn't notice at all.
"And where is that boy?" Snape sneered, enjoying this part of the ruse. He so often had to hold back his contempt for Potter and, even if that contempt had shrunk to a more reasonable level over the first half of the summer, he still loathed the memories the boy held for him. "I want to keep my eye on that one."
"Er, he's pulling a summer term at his school. St. Brutus's," answered Vernon, pale as a sheet. Dudley kept looking between his parents and his aunt, remembering the last time he had seen Marge and the state she had been in.
"Petunia, I do hope you authorized them to use brute force against the little whelp. Nothing but trouble, that boy is. Total disregard for rules, too naïve for his own good." Snape continued his mutterings, oblivious to the fact that the Dursleys had no idea to what he was referring to. But it was so seldom that Snape could have an audible rant about Harry Potter without being threatened by some member of the boy's fan club, and, despite the fact that he was a foul Muggle woman dressed in a small tent and smelling of dog chow, he was rather enjoying himself.
"I'm sorry to hear about your boyfriend, Weasley," sneered Draco Malfoy, having followed Ginny Weasley out to the owlery. He was supposed to be luring the wretched little muggle-lover in, but he couldn't be too obvious about it. No, he'd have to be subtle, let her think he'd changed his ways to suit her, or some rubbish like that.
"Bugger off Malfoy," Ginny spat, hastily wiping away the tears from her cheeks. It didn't matter that Harry wasn't really dead; he would be soon enough if he continued on with his charade.
"You may want to be a bit nicer to me, now that your boy hero is dead. I know you Weasley lot are strapped for money at the moment, and maybe your meal ticket just up and died on you. There are other wealthy wizards at Hogwarts, you know. Ones with a bit more…stamina."
"How dare you?" Ginny gasped, raising her hand to slap Draco but being stopped as Draco grabbed her wrist and pinned her against the wall, swooping done to leave a bruising kiss on her mouth, her first kiss if anyone ever asked.
"Well, I'll leave you with that," Draco said as he broke away, still holding her wrist to prevent her from slapping him, or falling over. "Just think about it, Ginny. It'd be a shame to lose a pure blood witch to the memory of someone like that." With that, Draco headed back towards the castle, failing to notice, as he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, that his Potions master was standing in the shadows.
"Ginny?" Harry asked, having also followed the girl out there. The shy redhead gasped as she turned around to face Snape, still thinking about that kiss.
"Harry? Is that you?" she asked, hoping against hope that it wasn't, that this was all some kind of misunderstanding and that it was Severus Snape, not Harry Potter, that had just witnessed her kissing Draco Malfoy.
"Yes, it's me. Are you alright Ginny?" Harry asked, trying hard to mask his fury at having walked in on that scene.
"No I'm not bloody alright if it's all the same to you!" she shouted, her voice echoing off the walls and perches and ruffling more than a few feathers. "First off, look at yourself! You're going to get yourself killed any day now, and if that wasn't enough, did you see what just happened?"
"I was hoping that I hadn't."
"Malfoy kissed me! That evil little bastard! I don't know what he's playing at, but now, on top of worrying myself sick over you, I have to deal with Malfoy trying to get in my knickers!" Then, realizing what she had said, her face turned the color of her hair as she looked away from Harry, searching for a diversion.
Harry, meanwhile, was blushing as well, but again the reminder that he was Severus Snape's double put restraint on such display of emotion. "Ginny, I wouldn't go into this if I didn't think there was a good chance of making it out alive, and you know that Dumbledore and Sirius wouldn't agree to it either. As for Malfoy, I have no idea what he's up to but you better stay away from him. I shouldn't have to remind you of the kind of person he is, but I have a feeling that somewhere inside you is a voice saying he deserves the chance to prove himself. You're trusting like that, and I won't fault you for it. But please, Ginny, don't let him in your knickers!" Ginny finally giggled at that bit, but let Harry go on, reveling in the fact that this might be the longest conversation she had ever had with him. Pity he looked like a slimy ex-Death Eater. "I'm going to do my best to keep him occupied with other matters, but try to stay close to Ron and the twins, will you? I know they wouldn't let Draco near you."
"You really don't trust him, do you?" asked Ginny, hoping there might be something to this surge of protectiveness other than a hate for all things Malfoy.
"He's a Death Eater, Gin. Unless he convinces me other wise, I don't believe in second chances," answered Harry, sounding grimmer than he ever had before. He had come to comfort Ginny, but at that moment he decided that it was best to leave her be. Saying a quick goodbye, Harry turned back towards the castle, meaning to run into Malfoy and get him started on some innocent potion making to keep him far away from Ginny Weasley. But before he made it into the castle, Harry ran into someone else.
"Ow! Gods, watch where you're going, you prat!" bellowed the thin air right before Harry, or rather above Harry as he had fallen to the ground.
"Sirius?" Harry asked, having forgotten that his godfather was supposed to be reinforcing the security charms around the castle.
"Severus," Sirius mimicked, a little surprised that the Potions master had actually used his first name, rather than spitting out "Black" like a vomit-flavored Bott's bean.
"Actually, it's Harry," Harry whispered, wishing that Sirius hadn't been wearing his Invisibility Cloak at that moment, as he would have witnessed an amusing array of facial expressions at that statement. Harry hadn't had the chance to see his godfather since the transformation.
"Harry?" Sirius groaned, "Oh, I think I'm going to be sick."
"Well don't get anything on my cloak," Harry laughed. "Come on inside, I suppose I'll head to Remus's office now and deal with Malfoy later. You could probably use a break, eh?"
"What do you mean, deal with Malfoy?"
"Long story, I'll tell you inside," Harry grumbled, his mind still replaying that ferret kissing Ginny.
"Go on ahead, I'll be along in a moment. Have a few more charms and then I'll be done with the West Wing."
"Sirius, you do know that we're in front of the East Wing right now, don't you?"
"Shaddup," Sirius growled, before returning to his work. As Harry made his way towards Lupin's room, he couldn't help but think that that had gone better than he had expected, what with Sirius hating Snape with a passion. Lupin, having heard Harry coming down the corridor, already had tea waiting when he let Harry inside. "Sirius is coming too," Harry announced, using his powers to pour his godfather a cup too.
"You've certainly improved," beamed Lupin, though he was more than a little concerned in the change in Harry's behavior. It was wonderful to see the boy much more self-confident than he had been in his third year, but this progress was too much, too fast. People close to this level of power, men like Dumbledore and even Voldemort, had years to develop it, work on it and appreciate it. If you don't have respect for your abilities, you'll find yourself lost without them. "Harry, how are you doing?"
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, tearing his attention away from the midair acrobatics he had been putting his biscuits through.
"All of this change, this pressure, I was just wondering how you are feeling," Remus clarified, hoping he wasn't sounding too paternal. Although Harry always missed his parents, Remus knew that the boy did not appreciate being mothered.
"I suppose I'm doing as well as could be expected. I should be worried about not being very worried, shouldn't I? I know that I've been through nerve-wracking things before, but you would think that wouldn't make a difference. I didn't expect I'd get used to it. Maybe it's these new abilities. I don't feel so outnumbered now, even though I am. If any of that makes sense. Buggered if I know," Harry mumbled, hoping that Sirius would get here soon and he'd be off the hook. His godfather rarely asked him such questions.
"It makes sense, Harry," Lupin answered, before being interrupted by a rather soggy Sirius Black.
"Blasted rain," Sirius grumbled, taking the tea Lupin offered him and starting in surprise when he was suddenly dry at the flick of Harry's finger. "I wish you'd warn me before you did that," Sirius complained. "What if you'd twitched the wrong finger and I'd end up a hinkypunk?"
"I don't think it works like that," laughed Remus.
"Shut up, Moony," Sirius growled, mentally cheering himself for sitting beside Harry on the sofa. Despite the full knowledge that Severus Snape was no where near Hogwarts, the sight of him still made him a tad uneasy. "So Harry, what were you saying about Malfoy?"
"I caught him kissing Ginny," Harry scowled.
"You mean Ginny and-" Sirius began, before being interrupted by Lupin.
"I hardly think that could have been a mutual kiss, Padfoot."
"She says it wasn't," Harry continued. "Malfoy must be up to something, but that's the least of our worries. I don't think he's a threat to anyone here, except maybe me. He's already asked me if he could help with the cause. Extra credit for Voldemort. Snape told me to have him brew some simple potions, but I think Dumbledore may try to win Malfoy over to our side, if it is possible, which I highly doubt."
"Change is always possible, Harry," whispered Remus. "Don't write Draco Malfoy off because he was bred in the wrong environment. Professor Snape's a good example of what a man can become given the chance."
"Yes, but let's hope Malfoy doesn't turn into a greasy twit like that man," snorted Sirius. "No offense Harry," he added, not wanting to project whatever long-hauled animosity he had for Snape onto his godson. Even if he did look like him.
"None taken," laughed Harry. "Do you think Voldemort would think it suspicious if I got a hair cut, a tan, some soap?"
"He'd think the world has ended," laughed Sirius, his eyes brightening for once. Harry had been worried about the stress his godfather was under. Facing death from both sides of the war. Harry could hardly imagine how he held on. He was just about to inquire about it when he felt a sharp burn on his forearm. It felt so strange, having that feeling of absolute hate scorching his arm rather than his forehead. Looking to the spot that he had avoided since becoming the former Death Eater, out of resentment for what the mark stood for and his wish not to wonder if Severus Snape had done anything at all to cause or prevent the death of his parents, he saw that the brand had burnt black.
"It's time," he whispered, hoping that he wasn't really as scared as he sounded.