(A/N: I know some of you thought the game wasn't exciting enough, but the game wasn't the important part. He caught Draco in midair, that's not exciting? This chapter should explain a little more, I didn't almost kill my drakie for kicks. It's part of the *gasp* PLOT!! Hehe. Love you all, thanks for the reviews!)
Chapter 23
Unlikely Allies
Half way to the castle, Draco Malfoy came to. He moaned, and Ginny flew up beside him. Harry slowed down slightly.
"My arm," he whispered. "The ice is gone. It's gone. Let me go. Why didn't you just let me go?"
"Harry, what's he talking about?"
"He wanted me to drop him."
Ginny looked at Draco, worry shown in the very way she moved. "Draco, why did you do that?" She whispered.
'They hate you, they are just doing this to impress Dumbledore. That's right, they hate you. Nobody could ever love you.'
"Drake, are you okay? Please tell me what's wrong."
'Hate. She hates you. My arm, I want to die. Roll off, fall. "Let me go."
He tried to move, to roll off, but found that Ginny was suddenly sitting on the stretcher with him, holding him still. "Draco Malfoy, if you ever try that again I will never forgive you. How could you do that to yourself, to me?"
They reached the doorway, and Sally was there. Harry dismounted, and they began to walk to the hospital wing.
"I felt you both, it was ssso ssstrong that I- who the hell isss that?"
"It's Draco, Sal," Ginny said as Sally wound up her leg.
"Oh shit, hisss emotionsss, I think I may passssss out. There'sss worry, and fear, and ssso much pain, but over all isss ssself hate. It'sss consssuming him."
Ginny looked over at Draco. "Draco, it'll all be fine, I promise. We'll get your arm all healed up, and then maybe you can go back home for a while."
"NO!" Sally called, and she took a deep breath. "That ssscaresss him. Ssso greatly, it hurtsss."
"C'm here Sal," Harry mumbled. He was letting Ginny deal with Draco, he didn't trust himself to do it. It would be too easy for him to say the wrong things, which at this point could be fatal. Sally made her way over to him, and he comforted her as best as he could.
"Don't worry Drake, you don't have to go there. We'll keep you here."
"Ginny," he choked, "shut up for a minute will you?"
He couldn't make himself think that she hated him, but he could make himself forget she was there. 'Come on, ice. Stop the pain.' It came, and he relaxed into the stretcher.
Ginny saw him relax, and she sighed herself.
"Holy shit." Sally said, looking at Draco from the back of Harry's neck.
"What?" Ginny whispered, knowing somehow that if she spoke to loud, that Draco would lose it again.
"All hisss emotionsss, they're jussst, gone. Completely. It'sss, like he'sss dead. I can't feel him at all."
Ginny looked at Draco, he was breathing, and his face no longer showed the pain.
"But Sal, it doesn't hurt him anymore."
"No, it doesssn't, but it doesssn't do much of anything elssse either. He'sss blocked out all feeling. All of it."
They reached the hospital wing, and Madam Pomfrey came out. "What's wrong?"
"My arm," Draco said quietly.
"It's been in that sling for a few weeks now, but it suddenly hurts him," Ginny explained. Draco cringed again.
"It broke, when you ssspoke Ginny. Hisss block broke."
Madam Pomfrey laid him on a bed, then walked over and touched his shoulder. Draco called out, and she drew back.
"His shoulder has been dislocated. How on earth has he lived with that for a few weeks? Okay Draco, I need you to relax. Take a deep breath. Now I want you to scream as loud as you want, but don't move."
Draco built the block up, pretending Ginny and Harry weren't there. He relaxed, and was only mildly aware of Madam Pomfrey grabbing hold of his shoulder.
"Drake?" came Ginny's tentative voice.
The block broke, and he tensed, but the pain didn't come. He sighed deeply, opening his eyes and really seeing them all clearly.
Ginny looked ready to cry, Harry looked worried, and Madam Pomfrey looked curious and concerned.
"Mr. Malfoy, how did you manage to go for weeks with a dislocated shoulder?"
He leaned back into the pillow, suddenly so very exhausted. "I just blocked it."
"How did it happen? It was while you were away I assume, or you would have been here directly."
"He said that he fell off a broom," Ginny said quickly. Draco silently thanked her. He didn't remember what he had told her, and it would have raised questions if he said something different.
"Well, does it hurt anymore, Mr. Malfoy?"
"No ma'am," he said shortly.
"Then you can leave. There's nothing more you need."
Draco stood up, and suddenly realized the awkwardness of the situation. Two people whom two hours ago he had considered his enemies, had just saved his life, and were standing in the hospital wing with him, concerned.
He walked out, and they followed. He turned to face them, and stopped not sure what to say.
"I-" he started, then stopped and looked down. "Thanks," he muttered.
Sally slid forward, in the middle of them all, and started to speak. Draco stared at her, as what she was saying was definitely directed to him. When she stopped, he looked at Harry for a translation.
"She says that you don't get off that easy. She says that you need help, and she's going to give it to you weather you want it or not. She says she's going to need our help, and that we need to find a empty room, now. She says that we will all listen to her, or we will hear about it."
Disobeying the snake that was before him had not crossed Draco's mind. They slipped into a class room that had not been used for many years.
"Sssit."
Harry and Ginny sat down, and Draco followed them. Sally slid in front of him, and looked him in the eye for an amount of time. Draco felt like his insides were being read, and then Sally nodded.
"I thought asss much."
"What?" Harry asked.
"Well Harry, it'sss hard to explain. You, asss I'm sure you have noticed, are not a normal boy." Draco looked lost at Ginny, who began to quietly translate for him. "Thossse messsagesss in Ginny'sss dreamsss, I believe are part of a prophesssy. Sssomething in that prophesssy, or perhapsss another, predictsss you to have a sssignificant other. I've known that for a very long time. Prophesssiesss direct our livesss, but they do not control them. Thisss prophesssy ensuresss you have a ssspoussse, but it did not decide your sssex, nor your sssexuality. Had you been a girl, or gay, Draco would have been that sssignificant other. He'sss not, but you both ssstill a connection at a very deep level. In turn, Draco and I have a connection at a very deep level. Both connectionsss are very week. What I am going to do, would only work with Draco, and the perssson you are meant to be with. Ginny too," she added as an after thought "becaussse I have a ssstrong connection to both her and Harry."
"What, exactly, are you doing?" Draco asked. Ginny felt that both Harry and Draco were taking this all rather well, considering the bit of information that Sally had just dropped.
"Being a Parssselmouth isss not a physssical gift. It isss woven into your mind, it'sss on a mental and emotional ground. My gift of reading emotionsss isss actually the ability to manipulate that emotional ground. I am going to ussse my connection to Harry, hisss to you, and mine to you, to transssfer hisss gift to you. It isss temporary, and if I didn't have Ginny'sss power to draw on, I wouldn't attempt it. Sssee, the connectionsss form a triangle. The gift travelsss through the connection you two have, and through mine, I do the work. It might hurt a little, sssince the connectionsss are ssso week."
"Sal, this isn't going to like, open this connection. No offense, ah, Draco, but I don't really like the idea of having a strong connection to you."
"None taken."
"No, it shouldn't. I should have enough control over it to keep it asss it isss. Ssso faint that you don't know it'sss there."
"Why are you doing this?" Draco asked.
"Becaussse you and I, Missster, need to have a little private chat." She fixed him with a look. It really was amazing that so much expression could go into a snake. "Harry, I need you to concentrate very hard on me and Draco. I need you to think about good thingsss about Draco."
Harry's face went blank and Draco looked at the wall, building the ice up around him. Ginny turned to Draco. "Sally says to stop whatever it is you're doing, because it makes you feel dead to her and she doesn't like it." She looked at Harry. "Drake has lots of good qualities. He's witty, he's quick, he's funny, he's confident, he's got that dark and sexy look." Draco smirked.
Harry cringed. "I think I'll pass on that one, thanks."
Ginny grinned and shrugged. "Suit yourself. If I were you, I'd turn very suddenly gay..."
Both Harry and Draco gagged, and shuddered. Ginny giggled, this would be enough dirt to tease them both for all eternity.
Sally turned to Draco, and Ginny started translating again. "I need you to do the sssame. Think about me, and good thingsss about Harry." Draco too looked lost.
"Harry's qualities. He's charming, he's modest, he's friendly, he's brave, he's got a killer body-"
"That'll do," Draco cut in as Harry's cheeks turned red. "You're embarrassing him. I don't mind if you rattle on about me, but apparently he does." Draco gave a very slight smile, the first real one Ginny had ever seen on him.
"When I'm done, Ginny. Harry may have a hard time dealing with it, ssso help him. I believe you were to sssee the headmassster, Harry?"
Harry nodded, and closed his eyes to concentrate. Draco did the same. Ginny swallowed a giggle as both furrowed their brows in the exact same way.
Ginny could relate to Draco, which was what had made her pay the boy attention in the first place. She recognized his personality as a mask, just as the one she had worn the year before. Upon seeing that, she stopped and began to analyzed the way he, and those around him acted. As observant as she was, she picked up from the subtle body language that Draco was very unhappy. She wanted to see past that mask to find out how unhappy. 'He was more unhappy then I thought. That's an understatement. He was suicidal. I hope Sally pulls this off.'
Harry groaned in the back of his throat. Forcing himself to think on how fast Draco could come back with a comment. He felt like his heart was being ripped out. He jerked as it, an it he had never been aware of, left him completely.
Draco jerked as an alien presence was thrown into him. He shuddered at the feeling, not unpleasant, just alien.
"It's gone." Harry gasped. "Sal, Sal! Sally! I can't do it! It was just like breathing, I can't do it!" Draco watched as Harry's face turned frightened. He had never seen the Boy Who Lived scared before. 'He is human.'
Ginny moved to calm Harry. Sally began to speak. "It'sss alright Harry, it'll come back. Asss sssoon asss I'm done."
Harry was shaking his head. "I can't hear her. It's not a voice. Sally's voice is gone." Draco realized with a start that he had understood it.
"Harry! She said it will come back as soon as she puts it back. Now, you need to see Dumbledore. Sal, you don't need me? Good. I'll go with you. We should find out if anybody else was hurt at the game."
Ginny lead the distressed Harry out by the hand. When the door shut, Sally turned to Draco. He felt a desire to build the ice.
"If you try," Sally hissed, "I will break it. I realized that Rossse wasss able to break it becaussse you knew she cared about you. Well, I care about you enough to put the perssson I love mossst in the world through that," she said gesturing to the door. "Ssso, I will break it too. Now, let'sss have a little chat."
"What do you want from me?" Draco asked, but what escaped him was a hiss. It surprised him.
"I want you to be happy. Asss every perssson should be. Trussst me, I'm not going to tell anybody. I know who Harry'sss sssoul mate isss, and I've managed to keep the fact that I even know away from him. Though it doesss help that he'sss a little dense. But Rossse isn't, and she doesssn't know either. Now, why don't you ssstart by telling me how your shoulder really got dissslocated."
Draco looked down, ashamed. "I'm sure you didn't do anything to be ashamed about," Sally said quietly.
"He found out."
"Who found what?"
"Father, about the dance. Don't tell her, she'll go all noble and think it's her fault. I danced with a Weasley, he was so furious. He hates the Weasleys so much. I think it's because their father is his idea of the lowest possible thing to be, but he's happy. I think it makes father jealous. He hit me the moment I walked in the door. He usually let's me speak. He- he curses me, painful ones that don't leave marks. He only hits me where it won't be seen." Draco found himself telling things he had always kept to himself to a person, it wasn't possible to see her as an animal, that he had only really known for a few minutes. But it felt so good... "He went to a meeting. One of those meetings with the followers." He spit the word out like poison. "Something must have happened that upset him. He came back, to take it out on me. He threw me against the wall, I hit my shoulder. I sneaked back to school the next morning. He probably wants to kill me right now, but thinks it'll be suspicious if I get called home again."
"Doesss he hit you often, Draco?"
Draco felt tears well up in his eyes. He hadn't cried since the day that Lucias had killed his pet cat when he was three. "What did I do? I try so hard, but he's never happy. Mother hides in the shadows, she pretends that I don't exist. What did I do that upsets him so?"
"Nothing Draco, and even if you did, it doesssn't mean he hasss the right to hit you. Nobody has the right to make you hate yourssself."
"I hate his followers. I hate the dark lord. I don't want to be part of that. He seeks greatness by bowing at another's feet. How is that greatness? He can read my mind, he know that I hate it, that's why he hits me."
"You only think he knowsss what you are thinking, and that isss hisss power asss a father over you. If you have never disssplayed that you hate it, then he doesssn't know. But Draco, lisssten to me. It'sss good that you hate it. Don't let them beat you into it. If you are going to hate anything, hate the followersss and everything they ssstand for."
"Why? Why does he hate me? What makes him do it?"
"He is the ssscum of the earth, Draco. He needsss to beat down a child, becaussse he knowsss deep down that any child isss better then him. It makesss him feel powerful."
"I hate him," Draco whispered. "I hate having to listen to him. I hate having to do everything he tells me. I hate knowing what he is, and that's what people think I am. I hate having to act like that's what I am. He has eyes everywhere. I can't escape him, no matter where I go. I have nobody to turn to, only the elves cared about me."
"You have me to turn to, and Ginny. Harry too, and you know it, don't look ssso sssurprisssed. All he doesss isss love, Draco. He'sss probably already forgiven you."
"I know that! You don't think I realize how great and wonderful he is? I notice it everyday, and know that I could never be like him. Loved by everybody, not hated. I don't think even the dark lord really hates him. Nobody can. I think the dark lord is afraid of him, personally. Everything he does is good, benefits somebody else. I could never do that, not and be a Malfoy."
"Ssso don't be a Malfoy. Ussse it asss a cover, and help. Make Malfoy the name you ussse, going undercover to help the defeat thossse that you hate."
"You, you mean turn spy?"
"It wouldn't be easssy," Sally said quietly. "You would be living a double life, and it would have to look to everybody that you are one of them. You would have to live like what you hate, and only Harry, Ginny, and I would know that isssn't you. But, it isss where that little block trick would come in handy."
"Dragon Ice."
"Sssorry?"
"I call it Dragon Ice. Stupid really, but one of the elves called me it. Started saying how I burned inside, and was freezing outside. A dragon in ice. Draco, it means Dragon."
"Ssso you ussse that to fool everybody. The quessstion would be if you could handle it. It would be hard, and you would need a ssstrong will. But..." she faded off.
"But, I would be making up for everything my father did, even if nobody knows it."
"You would."
Harry shook his head as they made their way up to the headmaster's office. "I can't describe it Rose. It's like they say you never miss something until it's gone. I can't even tell what's gone, but it feels like a part of me is missing. Being away from Sal helps, so I don't hear her and not understand, but it's still gone."
"I wonder if you hadn't learned how to control it so well if you would notice so much. Like, if you were only able to use it in front of a snake, then you wouldn't notice. But since you can use it whenever you like, it hits you pretty hard."
"Might be." He took a deep breath, and shifted his sword on his back. "Well, that wasn't really a class A game. Wouldn't surprise me if none of them like me now."
"Oh I don't know, the game wasn't much of a challenge, but I think catching Draco out of mid air was a nice touch."
"What happened? Those stands are magically enhanced. They don't just collapse."
They reached the statue that stood in front of Dumbledore's office. It jumped to the side, and they started up.
Dumbledore motioned for them to come in, and they sat in front of his desk. He looked sober, and the twinkle wasn't present in his eyes.
"The team captains or representatives are speaking with their teams though a magical kind of letter. They should decide soon."
"Was anybody else hurt?"
"We are unable to locate one student, Miss. Elizabeth Tincy. There is currently a search through the castle for her. The odd thing is, she wasn't anywhere near the stand that collapsed."
"Elizabeth, as in the one who runs around hanging one me?" Ginny nodded.
"How is Mr. Malfoy?"
"He's having a little talk with Sal."
Dumbledore looked surprised. "How is he doing that?"
"Sally transferred my gift to him. Something about a prophesy, me being a girl, a connection triangle, and the gift of being parselmouth existing on a emotional ground. All I know is that I'm really glad that I'm not gay, and I can't wait until she's done. I feel like I forgot how to breathe."
Dumbledore looked at him curiously, and then closed his eyes in thought. Suddenly, and piece of paper appeared on his desk. "It seems one team has come to a decision. The Chudley Cannons say they still want you." Three more papers appeared in a row, and as Dumbledore picked them up, another followed. As he was reading them, four more papers appeared with no sound at all.
"Well," Dumbledore said with a smile, the twinkle returned to his eyes. "It seems every team is willing to take you. I trust you have made a decision?"
"Caerphilly Catapults," Harry said instantly.
Dumbledore chuckled. "I trust that you will have quiet an adventure with that group. Their Beater, Tony Suring, is here, would you like to meet him?"
Harry nodded. A moment later, a door to the left opened and a young man of no older then nineteen came smiling though. Both Ginny and Harry stood, as Tony walked foreword and shook their hands, wearing a mischievous grin that reminded Harry of the twins.
"So glad you picked us, Harry. We really needed a new Seeker. With Sue leaving and all. Though I will miss her. The team will be coming in a week to meet you."
"The whole team?"
"Yep, we do everything together. We have too, it's what makes us such a good team. We would have all been here today, but Dumbledore didn't want too many people. You'll like everybody, we're like best friends. I, personally, am really glad you're coming, because now I'm not the baby of the team." He grinned.
Harry smiled, feeling that for once something had worked out.
Tony had to leave, and Dumbledore turned to them. "Well, I have to go see to our missing student," he said with a frown. "She must have been found by now."
Harry's eyes widened it shock. "Harry, what's wrong?" Ginny asked.
"Missing," he croaked. "Wh- what if she's not just lost in the school. W-what if she's missing."
The search for Elizabeth became suddenly more frantic. Harry, however, knew exactly what to do. He ran straight for the Gryffindor tower.
A party was going on in the common room. His arrival didn't go on noticed.
"Captain! Great save!" Fred called.
"Should have let him fall, Captain!"
"Lemme go," Harry mumbled, trying to get past them.
"Oh don't leave," one of the older students called. "This party is being held in your honor. Kick snake ass!"
They were all patting him on the back, and Harry attempted to talk, but couldn't get a word out.
"Everybody, listen up! The Captain wants to make a speech!"
The room went suddenly silent, and their eyes widened as Harry gave every one of them his death glare.
"A student has gone missing. She has not been found yet, and I have reason to believe that Voldemort kidnapped her. Now, I would like to go see if she is still on the grounds, that is if it's all right with all of you that I leave the party."
Nobody spoke a word while he had that glare in his eyes. The sword glowed red on his back, and a path was suddenly cleared for him to the stairway.
Upon entering his dorm, he opened the trunk and fell to his knees in front of it. Taking out one of his most prized possessions, he tapped it with his wand.
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good."
The school spread out in front of him, and Harry searched frantically for one name. He couldn't find it, and deep inside him he had known he wouldn't.
He walked very slowly down the stair way to the common room. Every pair of eyes were on him, and Ginny walked to him.
"Is she...?" she didn't need to finish the question. Harry nodded, and gasps were sounded through out the room.
The part of his mind that was rational noted that almost the whole house was present. He spoke, and people on the other side of the room had no trouble hearing. "Voldemort," almost all flinched, "has crossed the line." With that, he walked out of the room, the sword on his back glowing a ruby red.
The staff sat around him, their search having turned up negative. Suddenly, a movement out the window caught Dumbledore's attention. He jumped from his seat, and the staff followed.
As they watched Harry Potter carve another name onto the stone, every member of the staff felt the same. Violated, betrayed, and above all, terrified. Dumbledore turned to face them all. "We have a problem. Everything from here out will be a fight, and if you are not ready to fight for these students then I ask you leave. However, it seems most of the battle will not be ours."
Sally felt the sudden pull, and the sick sensation that came along with it. This was the last thing she needed right now. She was relying completely on Ginny's energy at the moment.
"Draco," he must have heard the problem in her voice, because he sat up straight quickly. "I have very little time, Harry needsss me. I need to undo the ssswitch. I may never be able to do thisss again Draco, ssso you will have to remember everything we talked about. Promissse me Draco, that you will remember," her voice was straining, she was fighting him.
"Yes, I promise, go quickly." Draco looked worried, an expression his face was not made for. "Sal?" She turned to look at him. "If he has a chance, send Harry down here, will you?"
She nodded, her heart swelling with pride.
Harry stood at the stones, the red lightning bolt pulsing with his heart beat. The sword in it's sheath, floated out and down in front of him. It glowed it's ruby red, and Harry only stared at it.
"I don't feel like practicing," he told it.
'Practice is not what you need. Release the anger, Harry Potter. Place it where it will be useful later.'
At that moment, Harry felt the sensation he identified as his gift returning flood through him. With it came an awareness of Sally, making her way toward him. The anger shifted, compacting it's self in the back of his mind. He wondered how much of it had been him and how much had been Sally.
Harry sat down by the fire, nobody spoke. He held the sword in front of him, staring at the large stone in the back of the hilt that was amber swirled with ruby. His gaze traveled down to the beginning of the silver blade, just bellow the hilt. Godric Gryffindor was engraved into the blade, and Harry Potter just bellow it. The sheathe flashed his name alone, but the sword held both names.
'Held both. Holds both. Does it hold us, or do we hold it?' Suddenly aware of his surroundings, he noticed everybody was still watching him. Every Hermione and Ron across from him looked on with apprehension. "Draco wantsss to talk," Sally hissed. Harry nodded, nothing would shock him anymore today.
"You should not travel alone," he said to nobody and everybody at the same time. "You should not leave the common room or dorms past sundown. You should not allow yourself to be distracted. The stands were a distraction, Elizabeth was nowhere near there. If something strange happens, look is the opposite direction. Be aware. Heed these warnings and pass them on. Do not exclude people just because you do not get along. Allies will come in unlikely places from here out."
He stood, and walked to his dorm, Sally never leaving his neck. He made his way back to the class room where he had been only an hour before. He walked into the dorm to see Draco sitting against the wall, his knees pulled up to his chest.
When Harry entered, Draco stood. Draco fixed him with a indifferent look. "I just wanted you to realize," he said quietly, "that this changes nothing."
It was not what Harry was expecting, but in a way, it was. "If that is what you want," he paused, "Malfoy."
"It is unimportant if I want it or not. Everybody must think that I will follow my father, or this will never work. Even Dumbledore must believe I have not changed."
Harry's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying exactly?"
Draco continued like he had not heard the question. He stared at the wall. "I will not go to anybody but you. Ginny may know, only her. Still, I will not go to her. All the problems I will bring I will put square on your shoulders, nobody else's. It will be some years before I am useful, and everything must appear the same. Father has eyes all over this school. It wouldn't surprise me if he knew already, but I'd be dead if he did."
"You do know what this means?" Harry said slowly.
"It means that until I'm old enough to do anything for you, nothing will change."
He walked out of the room, and Sally sighed. It was a heartfelt sigh, filled with pride and regret.
(A/N: Sorry this took longer then I thought. I lost one of my notebooks over the week, one with one of my original stories, a half a year of work. I was really upset and couldn't bring myself to work on this while that was gone. Then I sorta brightened up and realized that the notebook was only paper and ink, the story is in my head. All I have to do I write it back down. Well, I know you think I'm jumping around ideas, but right now I am trying to set myself up for the next seven stories after this one! I go all the way up to when Harry becomes a grandfather, so at least you all know he doesn't die before then. ;oP love you all. ~Lily)