Disclaimers: You know the drill… P.S. I can't believe I still haven't got past this day when I managed to get the whole of the first one in in the first chapter…
Chapter 4: Approaching Guiding Light
Harry fetched Ron before he went to the Infirmary. After all…if anyone was going to pull her out of her deep sleep it was going to be one of those two. They arrived some time after 7:30, with Draco in their wake. The Slytherin had been ordered to keep his eyes on Harry and that was exactly what he planned to do.
Hermione was, oddly enough, the only patient in the Infirmary. Madam Pomfrey allowed the two students to visit their friend almost without questioning them. She didn't even tell them that they wouldn't be allowed in for long. It was very strange…but then, Harry assumed that since the occupation of Hogwarts began, Pomfrey hadn't been visited by anyone except Death Eaters. A Gryffindor student or two was a welcome change.
Harry slipped to Hermione's side quietly, gazing down at her as Ron slipped up to sit behind her.
"Yep…she's as asleep as they come…I've never heard Hermione snore like this ever since Snape convinced her to try some of her potion in class and she's made it wrong and come out with a sleeping brew. She was fast asleep for twelve hours and she snored like this constantly," Ron mumbled to himself as Harry examined her quietly, lifting her eyelids and such to check that she was really asleep. "Do you have to do that?"
Harry blinked and looked up from his motions. "Oh this? No – not at all." He leant back in the uncomfortable wooden chair beside the bed and pondered for a second. "So obviously…we want to try out something first to see if it works. If we can…I don't know – get her to dream about bright pink owls…it's a possibility that we can get her to change the faculty again."
Ron gazed at his friend for a few moments then shook his head. "Bright pink owls…you're crazy. They could turn up anywhere in the building. If we got her to change the infirmary beds into horses though…or imagine that your hair suddenly turned blonde.
"I've got it…and it's quite useful for us too," Harry cried, leaning down to whisper a repeated word into Hermione's ear. After ten minutes nothing had happened, still.
Ron sighed and took over from Harry for the seventh time. Harry eyed the door, waiting for the vision to walk through it at any time. Ron finally leant back and gazed at Harry. "It's not worked…and I really need a drink. Can't we try again tomorrow?"
Harry lifted a hand to cover his eyes, letting out a long sigh. "I guess he's not coming…"
The two of them almost fell over when a Hippogriff call - softened so as not to attract too much attention - turned their heads towards the window. Sirius sat on the Hippogriff's back that he had escaped on, Buck, motioned him to enter the room and then slipped off his back to face the two Gryffindors. Harry and Ron paused to bow to Buck in greeting and then returned to Sirius' side.
Harry wore a grin over his face that was reminiscent of a dragon that'd just found a horde of fresh gems. "It worked. It worked!" He almost started dancing right there, but Ron's hand on his shoulder stilled him.
Sirius raised a sleek black eyebrow and then sunk to one knee. "I heard from McGonagall about the takeover. Remus has been tamed. It was good that I was around. I just wish I knew what caused it…but Dumbledore won't tell me."
Harry couldn't help but softly laugh. "Just like Dumbledore to keep things to himself."
"That's what I thought…even now when we're threatened with Voldemort's eternal rule…."
"We're working on that…we've got a few things to do here…"
The elder eyed the two boys quietly and then nodded. "If we're to launch an assault we'll need to know what times are best and where. Some real intelligence…"
Harry eyed the other for a few moments. "Do I have to do all the thinking? Listen – Voldemort was a student of this school before and he's been easily dragged into his old methods. He doesn't know half as much about this school as you do, Sirius – as he is a Slytherin – and at the same time he eats his meals just as we did during the school year and in a large group. Does that tell you what you need to know?"
"Yes, Harry. I'll see you when the attack begins." Sirius swept back, leapt upon the Hippogriff and disappeared out the infirmary window just as Draco slipped inside.
The two Gryffindor's looked at him for a few moments and then blinked at the exact same time. Draco raised one pale eyebrow and then spoke. "I thought I heard you talking to somebody in here."
"Yeah…we were talking to Hermione. Telling her to get well soon and that we'd visit every day, if you must know."
Draco almost glared, then felt better of it and slunk back out the door. Harry and Ron exchanged a similar look before they followed him. They'd come back tomorrow and see what they could achieve by bending the laws of magic.
The three boys almost made it back to the Slytherin common room unnoticed; however, as Harry, Ron and Draco passed the boy's bathroom, someone reached out to grab Harry's shirt and drag him into the room. Draco and Ron looked over swiftly to see where the dark haired Gryffindor had disappeared to but merely shrugged to each other. Maybe he couldn't hold it? They walked on – abandoning their friend to his unknown predicament.
Harry's eyes grew wide as he looked up at the dark haired Slytherin furiously, finally lifting his hands to push Snape's away. "What the hell are you doing? Trying to give me a heart attack?"
"No…listen," Snape began, looking as though he was about to go into some kind of rant.
Harry was furious. "Listen to me damn you…" he snarled. "I don't want to be part any of your sick little games. I don't want you to touch me – I don't want Voldemort to touch me – I don't want Draco to touch me. All I want to do is wake up and you won't bloody help me do that, will you?!"
Snape lifted his hand and slapped the Gryffindor roughly across the face. Finally, when he managed to speak to the boy who was holding a hand to his face as he glared back at his potions professor.
"Listen to me before I go all uncontrollable again, you stupid little do-gooder," Snape growled, his black eyes trained on the other and dancing with fury. "If you're going to stop this thing then do it quickly. If I dance in a damned tutu in front of the whole school again I will not be able to retain my pride. Lucius is getting irritating too, now…" Snape paused, as though what Harry had said had finally sunk in. "Voldemort…?"
Harry nodded slowly, still not removing his eyes from the other. When Snape half turned and made a retching noise, the Gryffindor couldn't help but laugh. "You're like a little school girl, no wonder Hermione chose to make you wear a tutu…"
"Hermione will feel the wrath that only she deserves when she wakes up…you mark my words…" Snape snarled and then he paused, his eyes moved unwarily across the other's body and Harry quickly took a step towards the door.
"I think this little tete-a-tete is over…don't you…?" Harry murmured, swiftly; escape was definitely the best option.
"Oh, but Potter, you only just arrived…" Snape drawled, dragging his voice out as he tried to encircle Harry and block his exit. It didn't work, however, Harry did end up pressing himself hard against the bathroom door, eyes wide.
"Listen…you're going to regret this…"
Snape half laughed, though he sneered at the same time so Harry accepted the humor as void. "That's what you always say, Potter, but I don't feel like I'm going to regret it…"
"But…Draco…"
"If I get you before him…then it'll call him out so I can end his miserable existance…" Snape murmured, closing the distance between himself and Harry and letting his strangely cool lips move down over the boy's cheek. After a few moments he allowed his sharp teeth to tighten on the unbroken flesh, trapping it as Snape sucked softly on the substance.
Harry whimpered, closing his eyes. He couldn't easily push Snape back, so he couldn't get out the door…there was only one option.
The professor let a cry of delighted shock as he felt Harry's hands on his face guiding him into a firm and vicious kiss. It lasted a long time, Harry's lips and teeth and tongue dominating the elder's fine features until Snape found he could barely breath. Harry however was perfectly controlled, his heart and breathing in pace as he used his lesser power in Snape's distraction to turn the Slytherin against the wall, push him there for a few moments to continue the breathless kiss. Then – in as fluid a motion as could possess him, Harry had pulled open the bathroom's door, span about it and charged as fast as he could to the Slytherin common room. He didn't stop rubbing his face and tongue and teeth until he got there, in a vague attempt to get the taste of the snake-like man from his mouth.
Draco raised an eyebrow as Harry uneasily slunk over to the sofa, closed his eyes and leaned back. His eyes fixed on the dark mark on the Gryffindor's jawbone. Apparently Ron had noticed to because he said: "Who was it this time?"
Harry's green eyes flickered open to regard his friend, and then his slightly jealous looking enemy. "Well it wasn't Draco…"
"Snape…"
Harry made a game show noise to show that Ron was correct, but upon seeing the puzzled look on his friend's face he sighed and nodded. "Yes, Snape. I got out with most of my pride still intact…"
Draco purred, moving and slipping over the Gryffindor amorously. "Oh my poor baby…I'll give you some of mine if you want some back…" Draco cooed softly, not pinning Harry as such but making sure that his weight on the Gryffindor could hold him temporarily.
Harry shivered, flicking his eyes up to Draco but hardly in any kind of state to fight him off. "Look…this has been a long day…" Harry sighed, flickering his eyes towards the stairs. Could he beat Draco up there and lock the door? His eyes returned to the Slyhterin slowly, just in time to see him before those steel lips settled on his own. Harry whimpered and pushed the other back. His lips still were tender from the kiss he had to place upon Severus earlier, and Draco wasn't one not to notice the fact.
"You kissed him…a lot…" The pale boy murmured, leaning closer so that his furious gaze could settle into Harry's. "And he hit you and bit you…as far as I see it there's something willing going on between the pair of you. You're just taking advantage of the situation to hide that you're a couple."
Harry's eyes were wide with shock at being told such things and he lifted his hand to slap Draco roughly across the face. "That is not true…and if you weren't acting like such a jealous whore you might be able to figure that out." He pushed Draco roughly off him and stalked for the stairs.
"I'm the whore? That's fresh, slut! At least I'm not getting into it with me, Snape and Voldemort all at once!"
Harry froze halfway up the stairs, turning his eyes back to gaze at Draco. How did he know…? Ron, and most of the rest of the room who had been paying attention all raised their eyes to Harry who was forced to glare back down at them, barely capable of keeping tears of anger from his eyes. Some of the students who had been talking at the time of the yell asked their friends what Draco had said, and this time Harry could see the incredulous looks on their faces. He turned away, bringing a hand to cover his eyes and still remaining completely wordless.
It was Ron who spoke first. "Why didn't you tell me…? I thought I was your friend…"
Harry span back on Ron with a snarl of anger, unable to hide the tears that had begun to stream down his face. "You don't understand! You could never understand! I couldn't tell you Ron. "Oh, by the way, my worst enemy who killed my parents and made my life hell wants to get in my pants and I have no way of stopping him." Harry spat over the edge of the stairs, then turned and charged up them, slamming the door behind him and locking it.
A few moments later he came charging back out, ignorant of everyone in the room and disappeared out of the common room door without a word to any of the other students. They didn't need a word, after him trotted a horse with a knight on it's back, a man holding a brick, a man with a stupid hat and a staff, a queen, a king and then more. However, after the first three had come out onto the stairs and started descending the stairs, the common room had become an uproar and everyone had charged for the door after Harry.
Harry found his way out onto the grounds somehow, sinking down beside the lake and gazing into the dark water quietly from his place behind a small bush. This meant that no one could see him from the school. The Gryffindor pulled his knees up to his chest and placed his head upon them, letting the tears come for as long as they could. It just seemed perfect. He was absolutely alone, being chased around by crazy, over-sexed Slytherins and worst of all…he wasn't absolutely sure he could do anything about it.
The Gryffindor was barely aware of anything going on about him, the presence of the large black dog was barely noticed, the almost silent padding of it's paw going unnoticed. Finally he opened his eyes as the creature licked his face. Harry half laughed and then petted the dog's head. "Hello Snuffles…"
The dog yawned and sat down, within a few moments it had changed completely into Sirius. "Can't stay long…I just, saw you alone and I couldn't help myself but come over."
Harry lowered his eyes and groaned loudly. "Not you too…look…Slytherins, fine – I can keep hating them after this is over…but not my own Godfather…"
"What're you talking about…?" Sirius murmured, lifting one eyebrow and continuing to observe the child curiously.
"Draco, Snape and Voldemort are all flirting their attentions towards me…" Harry explained distantly, slowly raising his eyes to Sirius.
"And you think I'm going to…? I'm quite happy, thank you."
"You're happy…what do you mean…?" Harry asked, fixing his eyes on the other man's.
Sirius laughed softly and his eyes flickered brightly for a few distant moments before a little more of the deadness returned as he spoke. "I'm with Remus, of course."
"I would never have guessed!" Harry exclaimed, looking positively delighted with the idea. "Wow…what a completely perfect couple!"
Sirius couldn't help but chuckle again and finally he stood up. "Allright…well I'd better go…someone was coming out onto the grounds. It looked like Voldemort…" Sirius changed back into his dog form and charged away into the black night like a silent cloud.
Harry took a few moments to remain happy for the two Marauders, and finally he pulled himself to his feet and started walking back towards his doom. Voldemort found him half way and he gazed swiftly at the man who stood several protective meters from him. "I just needed some time to myself."
To Harry's surprise, Voldemort nodded his assent and then turned to head back to the castle. The Gryffindor slipped after him quickly, but just as they reached the castle, Voldemort diverted his path and motioned for Harry to come after him. With a quick shake of his head, Harry followed the other man. They kept walking, unstopping until they reached the Astrology tower.
Voldemort sank down onto one of the pillows once they got inside, gazing through the telescope for a few moments before motioning for Harry to come over to see something. Tentatively the younger approached the Dark Lord and sank down onto a close pillow, curious as to why the green sparks hadn't pushed him away.
The elder leant over as though to readjust the telescope, but instead of doing that he took Harry's shoulders and roughly pushed him onto his back, leaning closer and seeming almost as though he were breathing in the other's scent.
Harry let a gagging noise fall from his throat and he tried to push the other back. "How…?" he murmured weakly.
"The spell's awful. It stops me approaching you but you can approach me…" Voldemort whispered, darkly before flicking his tongue over the other's cheek. Harry whined and tried to pull back. Not now…after he'd managed to avoid it all this time.
"I would really like to get some sleep…it's been a long…mph…" Voldemort's lips sealed Harry's in a firm kiss, refusing to retreat at all even as the other struggled to get away desperately. He tried to bite his way free of the kiss but it only made the Slytherin moan softly and move back, flicking his warm tongue further down, in a descending motion over the other's body.
Harry opened his mouth to say something again but Voldemort simply shook his head, gazing into the other's eyes, conveying the idea that should he speak it should make things much worse.
The Gryffindor succumbed unhappily as the other man moved further down, even as cool, long fingers lifted to remove his robes. The younger shivered, surprised at the coldness of the room that had seemed so warm when he entered it.
The odd warmth of the tongue was comforting as it descended slowly. Harry's eyes were firmly closed, his head turned to one side but he didn't attempt to stop the other. He was becoming tired of fighting and he knew it would hurt more if he attempted to fight back. He was beginning to accept his fate, although staying acutely aware that his life would never be the same.
The other continued to descend, unstopping even as his lips found the other's hipbone. His strong hands had returned to grip the boy's wrists once more, afraid that Harry would find the effort to fight back.
Voldemort's tongue traced the curve of the other's hips before turning to move inward, he brought his hands together, holding them both in one as the free one now began to undo the other's pants. Harry couldn't help but whimper softly, terribly afraid. Years of fighting various things like trolls and dementors hadn't prepared him for this.
He barely registered the sound of the door opening, his eyes tightening in the pain he could feel in his heart as Voldemort's lips descended over his abdomen slowly. When the lips broke away it took a few moments for Harry to register the other people in the room. Voldemort's voice stirred him to open his eyes.
"Would you mind not interfering?"
Ron and Draco looked both pained and shocked, holding their positions at the door with looks on their faces that just said 'What're you doing?'
Harry shifted, turning his eyes away once more. He slipped to his feet swiftly and headed for the door. Draco beat him to it, charging off once he'd conveyed his hurt to the Gryffindor. Ron's face permitted nothing but shock to pass over it…and perhaps a little disgust. Harry didn't stay to see what his friend was going to do.
Draco slipped out of the door, tears marking ther paths without fail on his frail features, redenning the other's colourless features In the same way that rain makes petals more beautiful.
The barely dressed Harry followed him – barely reaching him before Draco entered the main school building. When Harry's hands caught Draco's, stopped and turned him – Harry could finally see the tears on the other's pale face. He paused, almost as though he had forgotten what he was going to say and in that moment Draco pulled free, let out a loud sob and began running again.
The Gryffindor sank down to his knees on the soft grass and then collapsed forwards, pulling his hands over his head – complete with torn out handsfuls of grass and earth.
Neither Ron nor Draco came to find him.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Remus Lupin sat in the centre of the rug by the fire, scratching at his ear with his one clawed hand and whimpering softly in a way to make sure it was audible to all those that were gathered about the heat on various beanbags and odd chairs.
Sirius slipped up beside the werewolf, leaning over to lick his nose gently. //Don't worry, Remmy…we'll get you back to normal before the spell wears off…//
The werewolf nodded, groaned happily and then used his paws to push Sirius down onto the rug, rolling him onto his back and pinning him with his heavy front paws. His mouth fell open, tongue lolling slightly while his teeth flashed in a canine smile.
As Remus began to lick at Sirius madly just to annoy him (as Remus knew that Sirius hated to have his fur licked the wrong way), McGonagall and Dumbledore eyed each other.
"Well at least they're enjoying it…" Dumbledore murmured softly.
McGonagall eyed him for a few moments. "You sound almost like you planned it."
"Oh Minerva…my spells might be strong; but I've never been able to cast something like this…"
Hagrid slipped in moments later, carrying a large barrel of cookies that he placed on the tiny table to one side of Dumbledore's beanbag. "I bought these at the shop. I'm not in the mood for baking…"
Remus slipped to his feet – crossing the space between himself and the cookie plate, going to pick the edge of the plate up with his teeth but earning a smack on his nose from Sirius' paw.
//You'd be really annoyed if you came out of this with twenty more pounds to boot…//
Remus snarled softly and then lifted his jaws again, taking a single bourbon biscuit from the pile and trotting back to the carpet. When Sirius came over with his custard cream, Remus stood up and turned around before laying down again, keeping his back towards the other. Sirius couldn't stand this for long and ended up batting at Remus' head with his forepaws once he'd eaten his cookie.
"I wish I knew what they were saying to each other…" Hagrid mused, before reaching for one of the cookies and putting it into his mouth whole.
"No you don't," McGonagall said, staring at the two on the carpet.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and went back to his book; an extended version of Sleeping Beauty, written by a mage who lived in the seventh century.