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Not Myself by Saerry Snape

Chapter 171 – We're In Trouble

"What in all nine bloody levels of Hell were you two thinking?" shouted Severus as he slammed his office door shut. His eyes were narrowed with rage and he could feel a vein popping out on his forehead.

He was definitely going to have a headache after this…

"They hurt Drake," said Harry wearily. He lifted his head and peered at his father with tired eyes. "We had to do something."

"You should have let me handle it!" shouted Severus. "Not gone off and kidnapped them!"

"We didn't kidnap them," grumbled Niamh. "Kidnapping would require taking them out of the castle. We didn't."

Severus snarled incoherently and howled, "Do you two have any idea what you've done?"

"Proclaimed war against several Dark families?" said Harry.

"Won ourselves more enemies?" asked Niamh.

"Revealed four Death Eater's within the school?" sneered Harry.

Severus cursed.

"Who?"

"Parkinson, Crabbe, Goyle, and Zabini."

"Greengrass?"

"She's half Muggle," muttered Niamh. "Voldemort wouldn't allow her in if she tried."

Severus arched an eyebrow. Even he hadn't known the girl was half Muggle.

"So," he said, "what do you to have to say for yourselves?"

"We're not sorry if that's what you want to hear," spat Harry venomously.

"No, its not what I want to hear."

Niamh groaned and asked, "What do you want to hear, professor?"

"I want to hear my son and the girl I consider a daughter speak in innocent voices, not in curses!"

Harry and Niamh stared at Severus as he strode forward and knelt in front of them.

"I don't want the two of you to turn into another me when this war is over," whispered Severus.

"We won't," hissed Niamh.

"You are well on your way, child. Well on your way…"

Harry coughed and said, "It was revenge, Da."

"I know what it was! Just…promise me. Both of you. Promise me that I shall never have to see that again."

"Promise," whispered Niamh, biting her lip nervously.

"Never again, Da," said Harry. "Never again…"

Severus sighed heavily and breathed, "I'll hold you both to it."

"We know," said the two in unison. They then both yawned and Severus pulled them both to their feet, dragging them towards the passage that led to his quarters. Both were so out of it, they didn't notice they were moving until they were laid onto his bed and tucked in.

"Sir…" began Niamh, only to have her mouth covered by his hand.

"Sleep," said Severus in a voice that evoked no arguments. "Both of you. We'll discuss punishment when you wake up."

"Mmmf," grumbled Harry as he buried his face in a pillow – Niamh's pillow, at that.

"MINE!"

"Mra," growled Harry, hugging the pillow to him. Niamh glared at him before she shifted her position and used his shoulder as a pillow.

Severus looked at them for a long moment then turned and left to leave the two to sleep.

"I'm very disappointed in the both of you," said Dumbledore as he frowned at Harry and Niamh over his half-moon glasses.

"We're not sorry we did it," said Niamh, lifting her chin defiantly.

Harry nodded and added, "But we won't do it again, sir."

"Can I believe that?"

Emerald eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I promised my father, sir. And I don't go back on my word unless I have to."

"And Miss O'Feir?"

"Harry promised for us both, sir. I go where he goes and his promises are mine."

"I see," said Dumbledore. "So, are the Lord and Lady Hex content with their actions?"

"Not content," said Harry. "Far from it, sir. But we're not angry at ourselves for doing it. They deserved what they got."

"How do you know that, Harry?"

"Did you see Draco after we brought him up?"

"No, I'm afraid I…"

"Then you can't understand, sir," interrupted Niamh. "He's our friend, one of us."

"And we don't allow one of our own to get hurt without revenge," snarled Harry.

"Like Miss Moody, you mean?"

Harry and Niamh were silent but Dumbledore could see in their eyes that they were also proud of the beating they'd given Augustine Cade.

"Very well," he said. "Detention with Mister Filch for two weeks every night and no Hogsmeade visits for a month. I think you both feel enough guilt to make it enough."

The two Slytherins just nodded then rose and left, walking silently down the stairs until they reached the corridor outside. There Mika, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Thomas, and Mischa waited for them.

"So," said Mika.

"So," said Harry, eying the werewolf.

"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Ginny. "We could have helped."

"We wanted to do it on our own," replied Niamh.

"Pity," sneered Hermione. "I'd have liked to have taken a piece out of Pansy myself."

Ron stared her while Ginny said, "Good grief, we are a bad influence on you, Mione."

"Are you expelled?" piped Mischa, her dark eyes wide.

Harry smiled gently at her and shook his head.

"No, Mischa," he said. "Just have detention with Filch for two weeks."

"And no Hogsmeade visits for three weeks," added Niamh.

"Ouch," said Ron, wincing.

"Yeah…how's Draco?"

"Fine when we visited him earlier," said Thomas. "He looked right well pleased when he heard you two had cursed and beaten the Hell out of those braggarts."

"He wanted us to drag you both to the hospital wing immediately," said Hermione with a little smile.

"So he can thank us?" asked Niamh.

"Berate you is more likely," said Ginny.

"Probably both," chirped Mischa.

Harry chuckled softly then said, "Let's not keep him waiting then."

"Your both nuts! Crazy! Out of your bleeding minds! Crackers!"

"Is he done yet?" whispered Niamh to Harry.

"GREAT BLOODY FOOLS!"

"Not yet," whispered Harry back.

"Morons," snarled Draco, glaring at the two of them. He then shook his head and said, "But I'm bloody glad you did it!"

"Could've fooled me," said Niamh with a small smile.

Draco shrugged and said, "Professor Snape ordered me to berate the two of you whenever you came in."

"Ah, so there's the culprit," said Harry.

"Yeah. I hear Pansy's got a blossom of a black eye. Who did that?"

"I recall elbowing her when she tried to bite me," said Niamh. "Or did I just punch her?"

"Nice. It was nice of you both but, please, don't do that again."

Harry smiled and said, "We won't. Da made us promise."

"Then let me make you promise again," said Draco. "I don't want either of you to become murderer's because of me."

"Drake…"

"No, Harry, listen. You should know this. You two might not have killed them but what about next time? What if I had died? Then what would you have done?"

"Don't make me answer that," growled Harry, his eyes flashing black momentarily. "You don't want me to answer that question, Drake."

"Yes, I do. What would you have done, Harry?"

There was a small silence before Harry said softly, "I'd have killed them."

Draco nodded, his gray eyes sad.

"See? Don't do it again. You've already done murder once, Harry. I don't want you to have to do it again because of me."

"What about Voldemort?"

"I wouldn't classify Voldemort as a human being if he were the last life form on this planet," snarled Draco. "Now both of you'd better get off before the Wicked Witch of the Hospital Wing comes back."

"She's not that bad, Malfoy," said Niamh, laughing.

"Sure she isn't. And remember what I said!"

"We will," said Harry as he pulled Niamh from the room. "We will…"

Author's Notes

NOW these chapters are what I originally wanted them to be. Angst, tension, and some bloody good beatings on those five arses. Yes, if you missed it, they were cursed and beaten. I should have known that no mere CURSING would be enough for revenge. You don't mess with the friends of the Lord and Lady Hex lightly.