A Single Choice
Chapter Eleven- Periwinkle Gaze
By- IceWind
A/N:
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and everything in its franchise is owned by J.K Rowling and whoever else has rights to the books. I have no claim whatsoever to the characters; the plot is entirely mine though, as is any new characters that I might introduce into the story. Rating is PG-13; though it may turn to R later.
Warnings: Probably slash in later chapters… which for those who do not know what that means, it means boy/boy, yaoi, shounen-ai, or homosexuals if you want to get technical. It's AU (alternate universe) Definitely AU; nobody could mistake it for anything else. I accept constructive criticism, and flames are fine as well just as long as you don't care if I write a reply, most probably sarcastic, unless you actually had a good reason… though that would probably go under the constructive criticism column and I wouldn't do anything but thank you. ^_^
Took a bit longer than I hoped for… And I'm sorry if I seem greedy, but is it just me or am I getting less reviews? *sweatdrop* Could you people please, please review? I thrive on reviews. ^^;
Jalee: *laughs* Do you really think that the sorting hat would be nasty? Personally, I think of it as a neutral... like how I pictured Ollivander.
Frizzy: *evil grin* You haven't found out yet… and you won't until much later on about how Draco was cut off from Harry. *innocent look* Guess you'll just have to stick around to find out XD And you get a glimpse at some information about the new teacher ^_^
Rebuky: hehe, not really important, but it is sorta… (does that make sense?) Because I like describing things, and the descriptions would have included glasses if I had put some in. I like to cover everything.
Coconut-ice agent h/h: *sweatdrop* I can do that because the plot demands it *grins sheepishly* Sure, I guess this chapter is nicer… for Harry at least. ^^;
E: *winks* Think you're going to find out why the link is blocked so soon? Nah… like torturing people. ^^; And about that… I have what house I want Harry to be firmly in my mind. *evil, evil grin* For the plot and all that… that's going to be important. ^^
Xirleb70/fanny chan/fireangle/shakiya/rayvern/Jordan/eavening/smallfry: Thanks for reviewing!
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Maybe a house elf accidentally left one of those cannabis leaves in the drinks?
That may be the reason why Lucius looks so pleased with himself, Harry mused silently, absentmindedly petting Ayrin's fur. As he carefully watched the man approach him. Not that he didn't like a happy Lucius, a happy Lucius generally equates easier lessons… or at least ones that don't involve decapitating something. Though perhaps he was being a tad melodramatic.
Harry gave himself a shrug.
Lucius approached with quick steps, robes flowing smoothly behind him, gray eyes holding something akin to amusement. "Harry, shall we take a walk?" He gestured almost absentmindedly towards the gardens, eyeing the towering flora with a patient smile.
With those words, Harry stood up from the stone steps he was currently sitting on, pondering lightly to himself the reason why Lucius seemed so pleased. It wasn't 'cissa's birthday… his lips twitched slightly. Actually Lucius had forgotten 'cissa's birthday last time and the woman had gotten a bit peeved at Lucius… if you took in the way that a tea kettle magically appeared out of nowhere and chucked itself at the man's head as only a 'bit peeved'.
It had taken Lucius a long time to make that one up to 'cissa, yes it did. The man nearly had to beg to get her to talk to him again, the fact that Malfoys did not beg was probably the only thing that stopped him from doing so. It had been rather amusing… though it was not fun being around Lucius when 'cissa was mad at him, dangerous in fact.
Like him having to go out deep into the woods, while Lucius sadistically set a large creature upon him. For all of his troubles he received a rather nasty gash on the leg and he had more bruises than he could possibly count… which was why he started to advocate Lucius' apology to 'cissa.
Some things were better left untouched.
What does tall alpha want? He is hiding something? The sleek black wolf padded next to Harry smoothly, the large head, holding intelligent eyes, turning towards the boy. Ayrin flicked one ear towards Harry and the other towards Lucius.
Harry just shrugged again in reply, keeping his own eyes on Lucius' midnight blue robes, lithely weaving through the hedges. Well, he may as well ask the man. Clearing his throat, he spoke, "Did you want to ask me something?" …Or maybe this was another training thing… perhaps he was going to get ambushed here? His hand hovered above his wand, feeling it resonate to him as he glanced around with wary emerald green eyes.
Lucius just gave him a patient smile, the beginnings of a smirk quirking on his lips, as he spoke lightly, "Do you think I will set something upon you when you expect it? Nay, Harry, you should know better than that. I prefer to have you unawares."
Harry cocked a brow at Lucius, a reluctant smile forming on the boy's lips when he heard Lucius begin to chuckle. Yes, he liked the older man much better this way, in good spirits, even laughing… With the impending threat of Voldemort returning, Lucius had been becoming more and more tense. Understandable really, especially one heard rumors (very scant, dug up rather ferociously by Lucius) about the Dark Lord.
He sighed softly, passing a hand through his dark hair, lazily twisting a piece of it around in his hand as he peered through some hedges and towards a large water fountain, gushing pure, unsullied water in graceful arcs through the air.
He mused to himself silently. Really though, Lucius always had a feeling that Voldemort would return, that's why the man was training him. Harry shook his head lightly and his hand dropped down as he moved his way towards the water and splashed some onto his face, feeling the cold liquid brighten him up, making him more aware. The clear droplets splashed around as he shook his head, much like Ayrin did when he was wet.
Bright emerald green eyes peered through the slightly damp hair towards Lucius, who was smiling at him indulgently, deciding privately to himself that a Lucius this cheery was rather frightening really… but welcome. Harry gave a sweet smile back at the man, humming as his hand dipped into the cool water and with a flick of his wrist, splashed some on Ayrin.
He gave a soft laugh when the black wolf gave him an impudent glare, tail held stiffly up. Ayrin chattered inside his mind, complaining how cold and wet the water was. As if water could be any different… well, it could be warm, but when ever was it not wet?
Finally Lucius broke the peaceful silence that drifted over them all, the cheery halcyon feeling still holding over them, if a bit thinner now. "We're having a guest today." He smirked in amusement when he saw Harry whirl around to stare at him, eyes wide.
It was understandable that he was so shocked at such a suggestion. They were in the real Malfoy manor… Harry shook such silly thoughts away from his mind, deciding that such thoughts were stupid, Lucius probably meant the other manor, or a summerhouse. Though why tell him these things were a bit puzzling, Harry couldn't be seen by other people and wasn't much of a sociable person anyway… Deciding to voice his thoughts, he spoke up, "In the other house?"
Shock returned full force to those expressive emerald eyes when he saw Lucius shake his head; a small satisfied smile etched on the man's face. Curiosity flickered within Harry, as well a territorial feeling over the Malfoy Manor. It was his place… well; the place that he was living at and he never had to share it before… Disregarding such silly thoughts, he gave Lucius a wary look as he voiced simply, "Who? How?"
Lucius arched a brow at Harry, his hand stretching out as he lightly patted Ayrin's head, the wolf pressing up against the man's leg, growling in soft contentment. A faint smirk graced his lips, as if he had a secret that he was about to tell -as he evidently was- but held off a bit longer, speaking in a teasing voice, "No confidence that I can get past the wards?"
Harry blinked in vague surprise, before answering with a smile, a light chuckle falling from his lips, light and airy. "Of course I have confidence in you Lucius… does 'cissa know?" Now suspicion flickered into his voice. Reasonable suspicion, he mused to himself, 'cissa would skewer him with a unicorn horn if he didn't inform her first.
The man refrained from rolling his eyes, it was not something a Malfoy would do, and spoke patiently, "Of course, Harry, I am not suicidal, no matter what you may think." A furtive glance around ensured that his beloved wife wasn't in hearing distance and he relaxed minutely, unaware that he had been slightly tense when he spoke before.
Faint glimmers of excitement lit up Harry's eyes and he nearly pounced on the man to get the answers he wanted, "Who?" He was dimly aware of Ayrin prancing at their sides, the wolf catching onto the infectious excitement in the air. Again, Harry voiced the latter of his question from before, "How, Lucius? I thought the manor wouldn't permit it!"
Lucius drawled out lightly, calmly detaching the hands clenched to his robes, "It took some persuasion towards the manor for it to allow some slight changes in its wards…" He watched the play of surprise flicker over Harry's face and went on in a vaguely irritated voice, "You know very well that the manor is close to being sentient, if not actually sentient."
Harry finally gave a slight nod, calming himself down with several deep breaths before flashing Lucius a bright smile. He did know that about the manor, always felt it in the back of his head, a soothing presence, occasionally amused if he stumbled onto some mishap or anything of the like. He could have sworn it had helped him a few times as well, diverting an irate Lucius (such as that incident with the house elf, food dye, and Lucius' cane…) from his hiding spot. A fond smile appeared on his face, before it was wiped away and he scowled horribly at Lucius, "You're diverting the subject!"
"Took you long enough to catch on," Lucius muttered softly to himself. He shook his head lightly, laying a hand on top of Harry's wild locks, giving a pat absentmindedly as if he were Ayrin. A look of amusement flickered onto his face when he realized what he was doing and he retracted his hand, smirking at the vaguely annoyed look Harry gave him. He spoke on blithely, "As to how I did the rest of it, after gaining the manor's permission, it was quite simple. A slight jaunt to the library," his eyes narrowed, conveying that he thought that Harry should be in there more often, "and a quick search, I stumbled on an obscure tomb which had some of the spells I needed… granted, I modified them somewhat to what I wanted to do."
Lucius looked pleased with himself, as he should be, almost amused at his own cleverness. That is, until a sweet voice was heard, tinged slightly with sarcastic.
"With my help, but Lucius hardly needed it of course."
Narcissa moved elegantly into the small clearing, sitting carefully away from the fountain on a stone bench, taking pains to make sure that none of the drops of water would fall onto her expensive clothes. She gave a fond smile towards Harry, and a slightly chill one towards Lucius… apparently the man did something she didn't like, again.
Harry stifled a smile towards Lucius' predicament, watching the man grimace slightly out of the corner of his eye. Lucius probably deserved it anyway, he thought idly to himself, watching Lucius and 'cissa banter lightly to each other. Finally, curiosity getting to much for him, he yelped out in the middle of Lucius' tirade, "Who is it??? And how do the new wards work?" Sudden worry crept up in his voice; "Will anyone else be able to get in?"
A faint snort was heard from Lucius, the man giving a slight glare towards the boy as he sniffed out, "As if I would have any flaws in something I planned myself, really Harry, what are you thinking?" He paused then, saying thoughtfully, "Though perhaps you weren't, wouldn't be the first time."
As Harry started to glower at Lucius, he noticed 'cissa gave them both a fond smile, she probably decided to forgive Lucius over whatever the man did last time. Reluctantly he tore his gaze from the man, turning to 'cissa because she probably would tell him more anyway, "Tell me, please?" He gave his puppy-dog look, it not having diminished the slightest over the years.
Inwardly he shuddered at the thought. It probably would have lost some of its potency if he hadn't gotten his eyes fixed. He might have even worn… what were those things called? Those muggle things 'cissa told him about? He started to ignore what the adults were saying, musing over his lack of memory. Harry shifted slightly in irritation, hand reaching up to stroke his chin in contemplation for a moment. Not that the name was very important, being muggle things of course, but he did so hate it when he forgot things.
Oh! Glasses! A smug smile appeared on his face, elated that he got the answer. He almost had to get those… well, if he was a muggle of course. Inwardly he winced at that particular thought, a life without magic… that would be terrible. Why he might be with some muggle family who hated him! With some fat muggles with caretakers… He shook his head slightly at the silliness of the thoughts, looking up briefly from his contemplation to meet two pairs of eyes looking at him with amusement.
Harry flushed.
Narcissa spoke mildly, her light blue eyes dancing with hidden mirth, her voice distinct as she spoke, "Back from your contemplation, Harry?" At his sheepish smile and nod, she decided to repeat her words from before, since he didn't appear to hear them. "As I was saying… The wards around the house were changed slightly to allow this person in without any fuss form the manor… providing that the manor doesn't take an instant dislike to him, of course. We can't do anything about that."
She shared a brief, pensive glance with Lucius before continuing on, "Anyway, the man will be staying with us, he's not leaving the manor at all." At the boy's shocked look, she gave a small grin, "Security reasons you know, Harry, we don't want any loose strings, no matter how trustworthy I think he is." Narcissa heard Lucius' soft snort and gave him an annoyed glance, "Of course, Lucius doesn't think that the man is trustworthy at all."
Inquisitiveness appeared in Harry's eyes. 'cissa and Lucius were disagreeing about this… interesting. He voiced his faint confusion over the matter, forehead slightly wrinkled in thought as his hands dug into Ayrin's soft fur, "Why not? If you don't trust him, why let him in at all?"
Narcissa didn't have any qualms with rolling her eyes as Lucius did, "Because the person coming over is a muggle." She continued on frankly, ignoring Harry's flabbergasted look for now, "Really, I don't like them any more than the next pure-blood wizard, but this is getting a trifle ridiculous, it isn't as if we're expecting the man to teach Harry magic!" Her last words were shot towards Lucius who merely looked bored, evidently hearing this all before.
Harry tried to work his mouth, but couldn't, eyes impossibly wide as he thought over this new revelation. A muggle of all things? An honest to goodness muggle! On the Malfoy Manor grounds! The mere concept boggled the mind, no matter Lucius was so adverse to it. His green gaze darted to the man, asking tentatively, "'cissa wanted him here to teach me what then?"
The tall woman gave him an amused smile, her elegant hands reaching out and lightly ruffling his hair, ignoring the way the boy ducked out from under her. "It wasn't me who wanted the muggle here, and never let Lucius make you think that. He was the one that wanted the muggle to teach you, no matter how adverse he is to the mere idea."
A sudden stillness fell onto Harry and he turned incomprehensible eyes to the smirking Lucius, finally stammering out, "Lucius?" He tilted his head then, ignorant of the fact that Ayrin -bored with them because they were ignoring him- had done so as well. It was apparently an amusing sight to Narcissa who had to choke back laughter.
Lucius gave a tight, superior smile, "I may happen to dislike muggles, but at least this way we could constrain him, perhaps perform a memory charm if need be and have no one missing him. Besides, I heard that he was one of the best, if a bit of a recluse."
Suspicion entered Harry's eyes as he asked lightly, "Why is he a recluse if he's so good?" He gave Lucius an uncertain smile, "Sounds a bit suspicious to me." And he still did not know what teacher they got for him, what subject… it was driving him mad! Especially since the man was a muggle of all things! An event like this doesn't happen everyday.
A satisfied grin appeared on Lucius' face, making Harry momentarily confused before the man cleared that up with his succinct words, "Very good, Harry. You're thinking." At those words, Harry beamed, but Lucius continued on, "The man involved is a bit… shady, if you will. He prefers to stay underground. It took months of intensive scrutiny to actually dig him up… be better be as good as muggles claim." Lucius gave a slight sneer at the thought before adding on casually, "he's reputed to have killed several people, the reason why he's in hiding, quaint isn't it?"
A faint look of horror appeared on Harry's face.
Spotting this, Lucius gave a smirk, "Don't tell me that you're shy of killing, I'll have you know that you've killed several real creatures these past two weeks." Suddenly he frowned and glanced down at his arm, the one that contained the dark mark and he muttered to himself, "Much different from humans…"
Narcissa broke in, laying a hand on Lucius' arm gently, giving him a faint smile before she spoke to Harry, "When we spoke to him, he seemed to be as honorable as his profession allows him to be. Don't worry, the manor won't let him escape the grounds as soon as he steps on." She added in in an absent sort of tone, "and he'll be stopped if he tries to kill us. A stupid muggle who would try that, but I don't think that'll happen, he doesn't seem as stupid as most muggles."
Harry finally gave a short nod, hands curling in Ayrin's fur, mouth slightly dry as he asked, "And what'll I be learning?" He dreaded this answer, slightly anyway, who knows what one of them will say. Then again… he did like Severus a lot, a really good teacher, but he was the one to stumble upon the man, not Lucius and Narcissa.
"Fighting."
Bright eyes blinked several times at Lucius, Harry finally asking, "Aren't I already learning that?" A sinking feeling made itself known within him, and he squirmed slightly under both adults' scrutiny.
Narcissa explained in a patient voice, "You know how to fight magically… but what about physically? We want to prepare you for everything Harry." Her mouth suddenly down turned a bit into a faint frown; a bit of sadness in her face before it disappeared as if it was never there in the first place.
Harry shied away then, emerald eyes wide. Fighting? Physically? As in hand to hand? He had never had to do anything like that ever! He cast a frantic look towards Ayrin, the black wolf cocking his head to the side and giving him a puzzled look. Harry scowled at the confused animal, knowing very well that the wolf would want him to learn how to fight physically.
Yes!
…Really, he should remember that Ayrin could read his mind like an open-book. Harry tossed a faint scowl towards the wolf, glancing around furtively before deciding to himself that he probably couldn't run away… Deciding to wait and see what happens before making any decisions, he sighed softly, asking lightly, "When is he coming over?"
Lucius replied, just as lightly, "In about ten minutes." He smirked a bit when a horrified look appeared in Harry's eyes before continuing on, "I hope you get ready quickly, Harry, I do know that the man hates for anyone to be late." The man turned slightly, gray eyes fixed on his wife as a slight smile crossed his face, "Come, love, we'll greet the man while Harry gets ready." He cast an eye towards the boy's slightly dirtied clothes, "I'm not sure if I prefer him to stay in those robes or not."
"He'll probably become dirty later on anyway," Narcissa's voice was light, slightly amused. Her pale blue eyes flickered onto Harry before she spoke again, "But you should wash up. Before and after the lessons. I will not tolerate dirty people inside my household without a good reason."
Life has once again gotten interesting, Harry thought silently to himself, squirming a little bit in impatience before Lucius quietly flicked a hand at him, a clear dismissal. With that, he started to run back towards the manor, wondering furiously what was going to happen next.
~
Draco was brooding. There was no other way to put it, Tyr decided, the ivory wolf tilting his head slightly to the side. He whined lowly before sidling up to his bonded, curiosity flickering in his pale eyes as he stared adoringly at Draco.
The boy had been down the last two weeks. The lupine nudged his bonded's hand with his cold, slightly wet nose, ignoring the looks the other people were giving them. He didn't care about them, they weren't pack, and thus, they were unimportant. He wagged his tail several times in hopes that Draco would start paying attention to him and break out of the mood that he was currently in… to no avail.
Tyr whined lowly in his throat, casting worried looks at the boy. His boy, his bonded, part of his pack. Usually he was hyper active, but lately the brooding that his human had placed him into was worrying him… and worry usually never was an emotion he felt. Soft ears flattened against his smooth cranium, tail tucking lower when he saw no response.
He honored his bonded's request for not snooping in his head for the time being… this time. But Tyr dearly wished to know what was going on through Draco's head… perhaps it had something to do with his brother's bonded? Or the new location they were in? He didn't care about the new location, as long as he was with Draco, he was happy.
But Draco felt differently.
People here were different; Tyr mused to himself, uncharacteristically serious. The white wolf, seeing as he wasn't getting anywhere with his brooding companion who was currently alternating between studying and staring out the window, lowered his haunches to the floor, his head resting on Draco's leg. Much different, he decided.
For they seemed a bit like packs, only a lot broader, and not as loyal.
He could tell, he may be a bit absentminded, but he wasn't stupid. He noticed things like this because his bonded noticed it… and he may need the knowledge later if one of the opposing packs try to attack his bonded. If they do, then he wages war against them all, one does not rebel against the pack, they act with their decision. It was important to know who was in whose pack.
Tyr woofed out softly, giving a happy growl (which scared a few people sitting nearby) as Draco's fingers scratched behind his ear. He gave a soft whine in disappointment when those fingers left his head, but mentally shrugged. Wouldn't do to get Draco even more upset. Those thoughts in mind -which were rapidly disappearing as well- he turned his attention back to his thoughts.
The different packs. There seemed to be four… but then there were loners drifting around the sides. But the strange part was that those loners seemed to hold more power than the entirety of the pack. It was strange… really strange. Then again, he was used to strange things from the moment he met his bonded. He could get used to it.
Pale blue eyes flickered around the large common room, Tyr idly studying one human before moving on. This was the main den for the Slytherin pack, no matter what his bonded may say, they were all packs. He amused himself with a new favorite pastime, curling up his muzzle slightly so that glints of light shone off of it. Then he gave the softest of snarls towards a nearby human… who had immediately squeaked in fright and scampered farther off.
Fun, the humans here were fun. They seemed afraid… he had wanted to chase a couple before, but his bonded wouldn't let him. Tyr dropped completely onto the floor, curling his forelegs under him. He loved his bonded, really he did, but he couldn't help but miss his brother… and his brother's bonded. Harry was lots of fun to play with, part of the pack! But he wasn't here right now… he hasn't seen him in so long.
The worst part was that he couldn't talk to his brother.
He hadn't been able to contact Ayrin in so long… two weeks in human time, something like that, he didn't really care for the concept. All Tyr knew was that he wanted to talk to Ayrin and Harry, but he couldn't for some reason. Every time he tried, he hit a large mental wall… oh! Maybe that's why his bonded is unhappy1 They were cut off from the rest of the pack!
Tyr's thoughts -as scary as that might sound to Draco- were abruptly cut off when the painting thing opened and a man strode in with slightly greasy hair and coolly intelligent obsidian eyes. Severus! The white wolf bounded up to his paws and whined a greeting to the man, his tail wagging as he ignored Draco's slightly annoyed glare.
Thinking was hard; he'll do it after he ate… unless he fell asleep.
~
Severus grumbled softly to himself as he stared at the gargoyle in front of Dumbledore's office, wondering idly to himself what the old man wanted with him. Not that he didn't like Dumbledore… just the man was so manipulative that he could say a couple of words and Severus would be telling him all of his secrets. He was just thankful that Dumbledore was on the side of the light, who knew what havoc the old man could bring if he was on the side of the dark.
"Chocolate frogs," he muttered under his breath, idly watching the way the gargoyle sprung out of his way and stairs appeared. As he walked up them, he wondered what Dumbledore could possibly want with him right now… just a few minutes ago he had settled in his rooms after talking to some of the new Slytherins and the summons came.
Being the dutiful (he refused to grimace) teacher/spy that he was, he obeyed the summons immediately. He eyed the top of the stairs pensively, every time he spoke with Dumbledore, more came out of his mouth that he was originally going to tell the man. That would not do, that cannot do. He had obligations and duties, yes, but he also had a sense of timing and he knew perfectly well that he shouldn't mention Harry to the Headmaster.
Actually, he was surprised he managed to keep the black-haired boy a secret this long.
But if Dumbledore knew about Harry… Severus repressed a shudder. He'd use the boy just like Lucius was doing now, but instead he would feed the boy tales of honor and glory for the light. The boy would become reckless, like a bloody Gryffindor, and the possibility of dying would be great. It was feeling he had, a feeling he would stick by for as long as he was able.
Yes, he was part of the light, honor-bound now to Dumbledore. But that didn't mean that he always jumped when the bloody man commanded him to. He respected Dumbledore, respected and acknowledged his decisions, but sometimes… Sometimes he could have sworn that Dumbledore had been in Slytherin when he had been in Hogwarts. Where else would a person so cunning and manipulative end up?
Dark and light… really there wasn't that much different between the two, no matter how many people may protest and argue about it. They were powers; they were different sides to a spectrum, yet one couldn't be without the other, always. Severus sighed and shook his head, all the really matters, he mused, was how you use that power.
"Severus! Welcome! Lemon drop?"
Severus blinked and was startled out of his deep thoughts, staring into the twinkling blue eyes of the headmaster with a faint flicker of trepidation passing through him. He eyed the yellow, round piece of candy being offered with an expression of distaste, really, when will Dumbledore ever learn? But he shook his head, replying politely, "No thanks, Headmaster."
"Albus, you know well enough to call me by my name, my boy." The old man with a long grayish beard smiled slightly at the younger man in front of him, gesturing to a chair, "Have a seat."
"Of course… Albus." Severus lowered himself gingerly into the chair, eyes catching hold of a flash of red and gold. His head turned slightly to meet the steady gaze of the phoenix, Faux, and he inclined his head slightly to the creature in turn before returning his attention back to the old man. "What did you need to see me about?" He felt his familiar cold mask settle down upon him, and he sneered slightly, "Please don't tell me that one of the brats has gotten themselves bashed by the whomping willow again, and needs one of my pain numbing potions."
Suddenly a dark, gleeful smile flickered briefly on his face, "Actually, I wouldn't mind if that happened." He was joking really, slightly anyway, Albus would know that. Severus eyed the Headmaster suspiciously, wondering to himself what the man wanted this time. He got his answer soon enough.
Albus gave one of his famous, fatherly smiles towards Severus, voice cheerful as he spoke, "No, none need any potions after that… incident, but how are your Slytherins, Severus? None of them giving you any trouble I hope?" His light gaze sharpened slightly as he spoke, but other than that, no other changes came over him.
A cautious expression flickered through Severus' eyes, but he managed a tight smile for Albus, replying just as lightly, if not cheerfully, "Of course not, none of them dare to do so."
The headmaster leaned back in his chair, shifting to get comfortable before continuing to talk, "Are you sure?" At Severus' nod, he went on, "Not even young Draco Malfoy? I see that you've taken quite a bit of interest in the boy, Severus. Not that it's a bad thing of course, just a trifle strange. Who knows what Lucius may think."
Severus' heart beat slightly faster, but he maintained his outer appearance perfectly. He had lots of practice from when he had been a Death Eater. About Draco though… he had noticed a change in the boy's behavior and had become a bit worried. Silently he cursed himself for having such thoughts, but one had to get a bit fond of a student after teaching them for years. Well, a student that was eager to learn anyway. …A student that was actually capable doing something, which crossed off about all of the students currently attending Hogwarts.
Draco though… he was quieter than usual, a bit more nasty when those god-awful Gryffindors provoked him. The boy had the temper to match his father's when enraged; the only difference was that he had a nice, large wolf to try to rip out his enemy's throats as well. Quite handy Tyr had been in breaking up scores of fights. But who knows what kind of tales those Gryffindors were making about the wolf and his owner. Severus' lips curled slightly and he glared hard over Dumbledore's shoulder. Stupid, stupid Gryffindors, always hated them…
"-everus!"
Jerking back into his thoughts, he blinked as he stared at the faintly amused eyes of the headmaster. "Erm…" He stammered a bit before quickly pulling back his composure. Getting protective about Draco or Harry tended to make him a bit… crazed. He cleared his throat, "Right, about Draco…" What to say, he mused to himself silently. Deciding upon his word selection, he went on, "I see no trouble coming from him, Albus. Besides, Lucius wouldn't care if I'm currying his son's favor, would he?"
Albus gave Severus a searching look before giving a tiny nod and a broad smile, "Probably not. Moving on then…" he waved a hand around airily, "I also thank you for taking part in protecting the philosopher's stone, Severus. Clever little riddle you placed there…"
Severus smiled grimly. The philosopher's stone… something he must protect at all costs. Who knew what could happen with Voldemort, as he surely was, after it? Especially after he had heard about the break in at Gringott's… it would have been disastrous if Hagrid didn't take the stone out when he did. He gave a quick nod at the Headmaster's words, voice dry as he spoke, "Sometimes one needs more than just brute magical power."
"Of course."
The black-haired man raised his brow up slightly, "Is that all, Albus?"
Albus seemed about to say something… but then his mouth closed with nearly an audible snap. Severus looked at him curiously, but refrained from asking, sometimes it was better not to ask when it concerned the Headmaster.
Finally the old man spoke, a faint smile on his face, "You're not telling me something, aren't you, Severus?"
Severus' eyes flew open wide and before he started yelling at Albus to tell him how in the world the old man had known, he shut his mouth, lips compressing into a thin line as he continued to just stare at the other man, not willing to give anything away. Perhaps the safety of Harry and Draco depended on it, but there was also the fact that he could not betray the boys and Lucius… if Lucius ever found out…
Albus shook his head slowly, his smile lingering on his face before he said in a gentle voice, "You don't have to tell me, not yet. I trust you, Severus, in that you're making the best decisions. Just be careful, who know what the Malfoys can do."
This time, Severus' eyes stayed cold, giving a curt nod. If Albus knew more than that, the man would have told him, he mused to himself, keeping a steady gaze at the Headmaster. All Albus seemed to know that the Malfoys were included in this little plot of his… and still, that is too much. Finally he got his mouth to work, asking in what he hoped was a smooth voice, "You can't tell anyone, Albus." Inwardly he grimaced, the wording seemed a bit more desperate than he had wanted it to be.
"Of course."
Severus stood up, a faint frown tugging on his lips as he muttered quietly, "Thank you." If he stayed here longer he'll probably tell Albus everything… because of this, Severus looked longingly towards the door before looking back at the old man; "The meeting is done now, isn't it?"
Albus gave him a searching look, before nodding slowly, waving his arm in the air lightly, "Of course, have a nice day, Severus."
With those words, Severus left the room quickly, Albus' gaze lingering on his back, light periwinkle gaze contemplative.
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Is it just me, or are the chapters just getting longer and longer? *sweatdrop* Consequently, the duration of time between each chapter seems to become longer as well. --; Truthfully, this chapter was going to be much longer than it is right now (shite lol) but I've decided to split it up into two pieces… in which this is the first half. But since it's long enough, it'll count for one chapter instead of a half.
Sorry this chapter took so long, but between the length and the planning, I have too much damn schoolwork. Seriously, I do. You all should have seen how crazy I've been these past couple of weeks, and with finals approaching… *grimaces* Never fear though! I will continue writing this fic no matter what! ^^;
Hey, has anyone noticed that Lucius is nicer in this chapter? *beams* I felt like I was making him too far off from what I wanted him to act. Yes, he's an ass, but he's a protective ass that happens to love his family, which includes Harry. *humphs*
Some of you may be wondering about the wards and why they were changed. Put bluntly, they were going to restrict some of what I was going to do later on (pre-planning! Whee!) and it'll be part of the plot. I'm not just going to plop it in there suddenly. The reason why Lucius didn't just change the wards for Harry was that Harry was going to stay at the manor for a hell of a long time and he needed to know of the boy's magical power… which has something to do with the wards *smirks* I'm not saying anything more.
Oh and the next chapter may take even longer than this one did *twitch* I need to plan everything out, combined with my school work and the fact that I want to start up Torn Asunder again… Yes, that's right, I'm going to start working on my other HP fic again, soon enough anyway. So when I get that up, everyone should go review it, okay? *winks* But don't forget to review this one!
Oh, and due to the resounding votes for Harry and no glasses, he won't have any. ^.~
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My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Single Choice or fanfic or Harry Potter or something similar to that, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please?
