A/N: Happy Birthday to RandomThought! Oh, and Plot & Co. will appear next chapter. So consider yourself warned.
Thank you Esthara Kariannye, Caitlin, Tom Riddilpley, Allie Potter, claire, LunarBard, Megan, RandomThought (Ron and Neville are having a nice Christmas holiday. Bill is safe from Seamus, this fic), karina305, Lanna ( oh my. you went thorugh a lot of work to get here.), Creamy Mimie, Bookworm, Eternal Haven, Ruka-chan, Silent Stalker, Zoe, Ema Lee, do you really care?!, maidmarian62, Prongs, Goddess Shinigami, Inno, Mystica, an anonymous reviewer, Mialee, chocolate frog, Min_1979, Lelio, Padfoot Lover, Cat, Mel Twinkle, Ecentricity is Me ( *hug*), Tigger26, Sesa-chan, Ruth, Fleur ---@, Paige,Becks, Damien, Wyv, Bel, and Alan (*hugs*),Bella, Di-chan, Silverfox.
Special thanks to Rehanna, who has been faithfully reviewing three of my current WIPs. Love you, dear.
***
Sirius opened the door fully annoyed at being interrupted in the middle of a very nice kiss to find Harry as white as a sheet. Annoyance vanished. "Harry, what are you doing here? What's happened?"
"I just escaped from Malfoy Manor where I was being held hostage by Voldemort."
"What?" Remus asked, guiding Harry to the couch.
"How?" Sirius inquired.
"I fell asleep next to Draco and woke up chained in a cell in Lucius Malfoy's cellar."
"Harry, I'm sorry," Sirius said immediately.
"You guys did warn me. I was an idiot not to see this coming."
"How did you escape?" Remus asked. Harry launched into the full story of his escape.
"I hate him. I never want to see him or speak to him again. And he can keep this ring!" Harry yelled, taking the ring and throwing it across the room.
"Accio ring," Sirius muttered. The ring flew into his hand. "Don't throw it. Burn it. It helps."
"Sirius, may I see that ring?"
"Sure, Remy." Remus took the ring and gasped.
"I should've noticed it sooner," he said.
"What?" Harry asked.
"It's a very old spell...And it's charged."
"What?" asked Harry and Sirius simultaneously.
"Did you ever read this inscription?" Remus asked.
"Inscription?" Harry echoed. He took the ring and read: "L'échange a été fait. Une vie pendant une vie, scellée avec le sang, embouti avec amour." He handed the ring back to Remus. "What does that mean?"
"It says: 'The exchange has been made. A life for a life, sealed with blood, stamped with love.' " Remus said.
"Go on," Sirius said.
"It's a very old, very rare protection spell. You need a ring- this ring, in fact, and you need someone who is willing to give their life for the person they love, who loves them in return."
"How does it work?" Sirius asked.
"The person willing to give their life performs the ritual and gives the ring to the one they love. It's a contract of sorts. Anything that happens to the wearer of the ring is transferred to the one who performed the spell. If they're hurt, the other person feels the pain. If they're killed-"
"The other person dies," Harry finished.
"Right," Remus confirmed. Now that Harry thought about it, his escape had been too convenient. Everything had been too easy. Draco had helped him escape and Draco had saved his life and Draco was going to be dead as soon as Voldemort figured it out...
"Damn. I've got to rescue him," Harry muttered.
"You're going back?" Sirius asked incredulously.
"I have to. I love him," Harry answered.
*
Draco turned right upon exiting the cell and made straight for his room. He opened his robe to reveal a thin gash cross his chest. He healed it quickly and muttered a spell to clean the blood off his robes.
"Why aren't you with everybody else?" a familiar voice asked. Draco turned. He sighed in relief.
"Vincent! What do you mean?" Vincent didn't answer, grabbing Draco's arm. "Hey!" Draco protested as Vincent raised his sleeve.
"Where is it?" Vincent asked.
"Where's what?"
"The mark."
"Mark?"
"His mark," Vincent responded. His eyes lit up. "Oh, you hid it, didn't you? You always hide it. You can't stand looking at it, can you? Like you couldn't stand the thought of betraying your wonderful boyfriend. It was you who was protecting him, wasn't it? Lucius is going to be so disappointed after all the planning he did. He was quite surprised to know that you were gay and that you were dating Potter of all people." Draco was horribly confused. Then it all made sense.
"You bastard! You told him!"
"Of course I told him, but as surprised as he was, it would've been nothing compared to the news that you were also messing around with Finnigan. He isn't even pureblood."
"Get away from me," Draco said, fairly snarling at him. " I thought you were my friend and Greg- what about him?"
"He'll get what's coming to him. His father will not be pleased to find out that he's dating a Mudblood."
This was enough for Draco. He lunged at Vincent. Vincent, having a considerable size advantage, knocked Draco aside, but Draco was furious and managed to land several good punches. A shrill whistle sounded. Vincent smiled. "He's escaped, then? The dark lord is going to have a field day with you..."
***
Applause for OMG, who figured out in Chapter 16 that Crabbe was indeed the spy. How did you do it? Review!
Luv ya!
J. Silver
Thank you Esthara Kariannye, Caitlin, Tom Riddilpley, Allie Potter, claire, LunarBard, Megan, RandomThought (Ron and Neville are having a nice Christmas holiday. Bill is safe from Seamus, this fic), karina305, Lanna ( oh my. you went thorugh a lot of work to get here.), Creamy Mimie, Bookworm, Eternal Haven, Ruka-chan, Silent Stalker, Zoe, Ema Lee, do you really care?!, maidmarian62, Prongs, Goddess Shinigami, Inno, Mystica, an anonymous reviewer, Mialee, chocolate frog, Min_1979, Lelio, Padfoot Lover, Cat, Mel Twinkle, Ecentricity is Me ( *hug*), Tigger26, Sesa-chan, Ruth, Fleur ---@, Paige,Becks, Damien, Wyv, Bel, and Alan (*hugs*),Bella, Di-chan, Silverfox.
Special thanks to Rehanna, who has been faithfully reviewing three of my current WIPs. Love you, dear.
***
Sirius opened the door fully annoyed at being interrupted in the middle of a very nice kiss to find Harry as white as a sheet. Annoyance vanished. "Harry, what are you doing here? What's happened?"
"I just escaped from Malfoy Manor where I was being held hostage by Voldemort."
"What?" Remus asked, guiding Harry to the couch.
"How?" Sirius inquired.
"I fell asleep next to Draco and woke up chained in a cell in Lucius Malfoy's cellar."
"Harry, I'm sorry," Sirius said immediately.
"You guys did warn me. I was an idiot not to see this coming."
"How did you escape?" Remus asked. Harry launched into the full story of his escape.
"I hate him. I never want to see him or speak to him again. And he can keep this ring!" Harry yelled, taking the ring and throwing it across the room.
"Accio ring," Sirius muttered. The ring flew into his hand. "Don't throw it. Burn it. It helps."
"Sirius, may I see that ring?"
"Sure, Remy." Remus took the ring and gasped.
"I should've noticed it sooner," he said.
"What?" Harry asked.
"It's a very old spell...And it's charged."
"What?" asked Harry and Sirius simultaneously.
"Did you ever read this inscription?" Remus asked.
"Inscription?" Harry echoed. He took the ring and read: "L'échange a été fait. Une vie pendant une vie, scellée avec le sang, embouti avec amour." He handed the ring back to Remus. "What does that mean?"
"It says: 'The exchange has been made. A life for a life, sealed with blood, stamped with love.' " Remus said.
"Go on," Sirius said.
"It's a very old, very rare protection spell. You need a ring- this ring, in fact, and you need someone who is willing to give their life for the person they love, who loves them in return."
"How does it work?" Sirius asked.
"The person willing to give their life performs the ritual and gives the ring to the one they love. It's a contract of sorts. Anything that happens to the wearer of the ring is transferred to the one who performed the spell. If they're hurt, the other person feels the pain. If they're killed-"
"The other person dies," Harry finished.
"Right," Remus confirmed. Now that Harry thought about it, his escape had been too convenient. Everything had been too easy. Draco had helped him escape and Draco had saved his life and Draco was going to be dead as soon as Voldemort figured it out...
"Damn. I've got to rescue him," Harry muttered.
"You're going back?" Sirius asked incredulously.
"I have to. I love him," Harry answered.
*
Draco turned right upon exiting the cell and made straight for his room. He opened his robe to reveal a thin gash cross his chest. He healed it quickly and muttered a spell to clean the blood off his robes.
"Why aren't you with everybody else?" a familiar voice asked. Draco turned. He sighed in relief.
"Vincent! What do you mean?" Vincent didn't answer, grabbing Draco's arm. "Hey!" Draco protested as Vincent raised his sleeve.
"Where is it?" Vincent asked.
"Where's what?"
"The mark."
"Mark?"
"His mark," Vincent responded. His eyes lit up. "Oh, you hid it, didn't you? You always hide it. You can't stand looking at it, can you? Like you couldn't stand the thought of betraying your wonderful boyfriend. It was you who was protecting him, wasn't it? Lucius is going to be so disappointed after all the planning he did. He was quite surprised to know that you were gay and that you were dating Potter of all people." Draco was horribly confused. Then it all made sense.
"You bastard! You told him!"
"Of course I told him, but as surprised as he was, it would've been nothing compared to the news that you were also messing around with Finnigan. He isn't even pureblood."
"Get away from me," Draco said, fairly snarling at him. " I thought you were my friend and Greg- what about him?"
"He'll get what's coming to him. His father will not be pleased to find out that he's dating a Mudblood."
This was enough for Draco. He lunged at Vincent. Vincent, having a considerable size advantage, knocked Draco aside, but Draco was furious and managed to land several good punches. A shrill whistle sounded. Vincent smiled. "He's escaped, then? The dark lord is going to have a field day with you..."
***
Applause for OMG, who figured out in Chapter 16 that Crabbe was indeed the spy. How did you do it? Review!
Luv ya!
J. Silver