Harry stayed silent after revealing to his two best friends, Ron and Hermione, that he'd been dating Draco Malfoy and they were a couple. Harry should have guessed Hermione would noticed something and he knew he was caught when she gave him that look and the tone. Harry saw their shock and wondered if they'd get angry for his choice to date Draco, or upset that he'd never told them. Harry worried more the reaction when he told his friends that Draco and him had been together for thirteen months now. Harry really didn't plan on mentioning the sex either.
"What the bloody hell did you just say!?" Ron asked, finding his voice.
"I'm dating Draco," Harry repeated.
"You're dating Malfoy?!" Ron gasped, almost horror-struck.
"His name is Draco, and yes," Harry replied.
"Why would you-How can you even like him in that way?!" Ron demanded.
"Happened after we became friends, we have a lot in common and it just…Happened," Harry said. "He's a good guy."
"Harry, I think you should tell us everything…But first, how long have you been with him? How long have you been seeing one another and not told us?" Hermione asked.
Harry had been dreading that question. "Thirteen months," Harry admitted. "We hit a year December 1st."
"Why didn't you tell us, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"We're your friend closest friends, you said so before! And you just-," Ron was stopped by Hermione covering his mouth with her hand.
"Ronald, be quiet." Hermione instructed. "I'd like to know too, but I have a feeling that yelling is only going to show Harry that we wouldn't take the news well and that may be why he never revealed it until in a situation where it was discovered." Ron settled, still kind of angry though. "Harry, tell us how this came to be."
"Draco and I were friends until the day we started dating last December, not this one past, but before that. It was the first time since I'd been living with Remus that Snape and Draco came to Grimmauld to watch over me for the night while Remus turned werewolf, end of 5th year. Draco and I were talking over dinner about people we'd been with or liked and resumed the conversation after going to my room while Snape was reading in the lounge. Draco ended up telling me that he broke up with Pansy because he wasn't attracted to her, so it became a conversation about sexuality. Draco asked me how I'd have handled figuring out; I said I'd go to a trusted male friend and ask if they'd be willing to kiss me to see how I felt about and during it. It just went from there that we both wanted to know and kissed once. We said we'd talk about it later, but ended sleeping." Harry paused so they could take that much of the story in.
"Go on," Hermione told him.
"It remained an untouched subject until December of 96, but we'd both realized that the kiss between us not only solidified the revelation of being attracted to males only, but that it sparked feelings to start growing between us too. We left Slughorn's party and made out in the hallway and ended up going to Snape's office to talk about it. We decided to give things a try and start seeing one another. And it's stayed that way the past year and a month." Harry informed.
"And, may I ask, if your relationship with Draco…Well, the feelings have increased to beyond what they started as?" Hermione asked.
"You mean do we love one another?" Harry replied as she nodded. "We haven't said the words, but it's there and we both know that's how we feel for the other. It was hinted or kind of unsaid the night of the wedding, right before I came over to you two to leave." He stated.
"What do you mean, kind of unsaid but known?" Ron questioned now.
"When the attack started and Remus told me to go; Draco ran up to me and we kissed. He started to say it with the I, and I just smiled and told him I know. I know you do. I do too, and then I left him to join you." Harry explained. "We still don't say it when we talk. Just leave it with talk later. I think we're both just waiting until we can say it face to face, when all the madness is over."
"Harry," Hermione paused. "This may be private, but the night you and Draco both showed up in Surrey together…What were you really doing? You returned in far too good a mood to have just been hanging out."
Damn, he had hoped she wouldn't ask that. "If you have to ask if it's private, Hermione, I think you already know…"
"So you did?" Hermione pushed and Harry only nodded to her.
"Did what?" Ron inquired.
"They slept together, Ronald," Hermione sighed.
"You…You shagged him?!" Ron yelped in surprise.
"Other way around, but yes." Harry admitted. "Bloody amazing too,"
"Don't need to know!" Ron shouted at him. "Bloody hell, mate…"
"Harry," Hermione looked at him softly. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"In the beginning, it was because I knew you two didn't like the idea of us even being friends…So we waited, in hoped you'd warm up to him being a good person. The other half of that was when Draco got betrayed by the Slytherins, we didn't want Crabbe, Goyle, or Nott to go to Voldemort with the information. Draco's parents died, going against Voldemort's orders to bring him aboard as a death eater. They died protecting their son from that life…So naturally, we didn't want the news of us dating to reach the dark lord." Harry said. "But we were going to tell you, or I was. At the end of sixth year, I swear I was. I told Draco I was going to as well. I was going to tell you on the train…But then everything happened. Dumbledore was killed by Snape, the move, the attack, the wedding and we immediately left from that." He continued. "Then I was going to tell you in all this, until Ron left…Beyond that, I feared you'd both be so upset at my choice you'd both leave."
"So I was right, you didn't say anything in fear of our reactions to the news?" Hermione said gently.
Harry nodded. "I am sorry it's gone so long without you knowing, I never wanted to keep it from you."
"Oh, Harry…" Hermione hugged him tightly. "It's your life, no matter what. We may not always like your decisions, but we will respect them. You want to be with Draco, love him…We accept and support it."
"Yeah…Though I don't think I quite believe it until I see it, mate. Sorry, it's one of those things you can't believe until you see it because it sounds out there. But…I promise that I'm still your best mate and as long as he makes you happy; I'm okay with it. If he ever hurts you, though…" Ron began.
"You'll hold him down and I'll hex his balls off." Hermione remarked.
"I'll pass the warning to him," Harry chuckled. He felt the light touch of his boyfriend coming to him. "There he is now. Hi, babe,"
'Were you thinking about me just now?' Draco asked.
'Always,' Harry replied. 'Sorry, you might have felt me talking about you a lot; I've just told Ron and Hermione about us.'
'You have? How…Did they take it?' Draco inquired.
'Shock, and Ron yelling…But after I explained things; they've calmed and accepted it. Though, Ron says he won't actually believe it until he sees it. They also know we had sex. Hermione put everything together. They promise not to interfere unless you hurt me, and in such case; here's their warning. If he hurts you, Ron will hold him down and I will hex his balls off. From Hermione, of course,' Harry told him.
'Message received.' Draco replied. 'Gotta go, in class and Sev is looking my way. I think he knows I'm talking to you; he taught me how to use this link.'
'Go. I'll talk to you later. But update, we've got a lead on two more horcruxes. I'll tell you more tonight.' Harry said.
The connection blocked as Harry opened his eyes again. "Hopefully I didn't just get him into trouble."
"Why would you have?" Ron asked.
"Draco told me that Severus is the one who taught him how to use the link, so Snape probably knows what it looks like as a master Occlumens himself." Harry reported.
"Would Snape realize he's talking to you?" Hermione questioned.
"He might. Severus knew Draco and I were dating, so did Dumbledore and Remus, and Tonks." Harry confirmed. "Oh, and Blaise, but he figured it out like Hermione did."
"You don't think Snape would go to Voldemort that you're talking to Draco, do you?" Hermione looked nervous.
"No…I don't think so." Harry replied. "Anyway, we should get to figuring out the places or people Voldemort would have hidden the cup."
"Right," Hermione said as Ron nodded.
. . .
Two months had gone by; it was March 15th, 1998. Ron, Hermione, and Harry still hadn't a clue about the Hufflepuff cup's whereabouts. They had traveled to every place that might have been somewhere Voldemort would consider meaningful and nothing to show for it.
"I give up," Ron sighed. "Nothing, again."
"I'm starting to believe it's at the school." Hermione informed. "We should go there, Harry. We've been on own since August 1997. It's March 1998 now. Seven months…"
"I don't want to have to unless it's a last resort." Harry remarked.
"Let's set up camp and figure out the next plan." Ron offered.
A twig snapped as the group looked quickly to find people approaching them. Snatchers. "Run!" Hermione yelled.
The three darted off in different directions to evade the group of Snatchers. Spells were thrown left and right, and it went on a good fifteen minutes before Ron and Hermione met up, then Harry was coming too. As soon as they were together; they could apparate away safely. Harry was about to get caught, though, so Hermione shot her wand out with a silent spell and it hit Harry in the face that began to disfigure it and then she mumbled a glamour to hide the scar.
"What are you doing?" Ron whispered.
"The only thing I can to protect him. Don't say a word," Hermione warned before muttering one more spell to delete the last two spells from her wand's memory.
"Got ya." Two snatchers grabbed their arms and two more lifted Harry up.
"Take them to the base," The lead snatcher said after wands were grabbed and then bags by extras.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione had finally been caught and being taken to some base. If Harry had to guess, it was wherever Voldemort was; he needed to be ready.
. . .
The journey didn't take very long to get there with apparition, but soon they were walking up to some mansion. Bellatrix came out to the gate as Harry was pressed to the metal as she inspected him. "Bring them in," Bellatrix said to whoever was next to her.
Harry needed to get them out of this. He knew where they were too, Draco talked about it on dates. This was Malfoy Manor. Once he got inside, he needed to be ready to nab the first wand he could, or maybe he'd just finally reveal how much power he had. It depending on the situation. The gates soon opened and the snatchers led the prisoners inside. Harry took in the room, Draco once described it as a sitting room. Harry saw a couple death eaters there, Bellatrix obviously, then Theodore, Vincent, and Gregory.
Ron and Hermione were held back as Harry got pushed to his knees, arms behind his back. "Is it him, boys? Is it Potter?"
The three boys came closer, studying Harry. "It might be." Theodore lied and Harry realized he did. They knew it was him.
"We need to be sure! If we call the dark lord and it's not him; he'll kill us all." Bellatrix stressed. "Come closer, darlings…Take a good look."
Harry stared at them who kept up neutral faces. "I can't be sure," Theodore stated.
"No scar, not his face…" Gregory added.
"If it's him, why is he like this?" Vincent asked.
"Great question. What happened to his face?" Bellatrix asked the snatchers.
"Found him in the forest with these two," One informed. "Probably picked up something in the forest."
"Hm," Bellatrix thought. "Or a stinging jinx. Give me her wand, we'll see what her last spell was." She walked over and saw the sword. "Where'd you get that?!"
Bellatrix went on questioning about the sword, which was explained that they found it and taking it as a spoil of the job. While Bellatrix lashed out with curses and making them leave, the three teenage boys continued to stare at Harry intently.
"Take the boys to the dungeon. I'll keep the girl for a little…Chat." Bellatrix smirked.
Pettigrew shoved the boys down into the cellar and through the cell door, pushing them in and then grinning before he walked away. Harry grabbed the bars and shook them, only to get zapped and he pulled back.
"Bloody enchanted bars…" Harry hissed.
"We have to get back up there," Ron said quickly.
"Harry? Ron?" Came a female voice.
The two looked behind them to see Luna Lovegood, then an older man recognized as Ollivander, the wand maker.
"We need to get out of here," Harry said.
"We've tried everything," Ollivander said.
Upstairs, Bellatrix had Hermione on the floor and was over her. "What else did you and your friends take from my vault!?"
"Nothing. We didn't take anything. Please?" Hermione cried.
"I don't believe it…" Bellatrix whispered before going to Hermione's arm and beginning to carve into her arm, causing Hermione to scream out loudly.
A scream above got Harry and Ron to look up. "Hermione…" They whispered.
Harry pulled a shard of glass from his sock and looked into it to see a blue eye staring back at him. "We need help. Please? We're in the dungeon of Malfoy Manor."
Pettigrew returned and unlocked the cell. "You, Goblin…Come." He ordered.
The others stayed back as a Gringotts goblin walked forward and left the cell. The door was relocked and the two walked up the stairs. There was a crack of apparition and Harry saw Dobby there.
"Dobby!" Harry beamed. "You can apparate in here?"
"Well, yes…Elf magic differs from wizards and witches." Dobby replied.
"You can get us out?" Ron asked.
"Yes," Dobby nodded.
"Take Luna and Mr. Ollivander first." Harry asked.
"To Shell Cottage, trust me." Ron informed.
"Meet me at the top of the stairs in ten seconds." Dobby told Harry and Ron.
"Whenever you're ready, sir," Luna told Dobby.
"Sir? I like her," Dobby held Luna's and Ollivander's hands before apparating out.
Moments later, Ron and Harry hid against the wall on either side of the door when Pettigrew returned and opened the door, not seeing anyone there. Ron used a chair to smack Pettigrew and he lost balance whereas Harry tried to get the wand and it ended up rolling away. Peter grabbed Harry by the neck and started to choke him.
"I spared you, Pettigrew." Harry told him. "I saved you four years ago from Sirius and Remus killing you for betrayal…I spared your life. You owe me for that."
Peter let go of Harry and backed up. "Just this once…" Peter told him. "We're even." No sooner than he said the words, the silver hand that Harry saw Voldemort give Peter in fourth-year reacted and went to Peter's neck, choking him. Harry and Ron backed away as Peter dropped to the ground, dead.
"I guess Voldemort doesn't do in life debts." Ron said.
"No and to be honest, I didn't think it would actually get Pettigrew to let go of me." Harry admitted.
"Let's go." Ron got Harry's sleeve and they rushed up the stairs to find Dobby waiting.
"We have to get Hermione first, Dobby," Harry told the elf. "Hide for now."
Dobby vanished from sight as Harry and Ron got low to the stairs to see Bellatrix interrogating the goblin and Hermione just laid on the floor, unmoving, but crying.
"Who was in my vault!?" Bellatrix demanded from the goblin. "Who took the sword?"
That got Harry's attention; it had been in Bellatrix's vault? "The last time I was there, the sword was too." The goblin informed. "There's no safer place than Gringotts, no one could have broken into your vault to take anything."
"LIAR!" Bellatrix sliced the goblin's cheek. "Consider yourself lucky, goblin." She moved away as the goblin checked his cheek and saw blood. "The same can't be said for this one. Pity," Bellatrix raised her wand to Hermione.
"Like hell!" Ron grabbed Pettigrew's wand that he'd nabbed before and shot the disarming charm at Bellatrix to get her wand flying over to Harry. Right away, the duel broke out between Harry and Ron with Theodore, Gregory, and Vincent.
"Enough!" Bellatrix called as everything stopped. "That's enough. Drop your wands." She ordered, holding Hermione up with a small dagger to her throat. Harry and Ron tossed their wands down as Theodore grabbed them and backed up. "There's Harry Potter, all bright, shiny and new again…Call him." None of the boys responded. Harry saw it, they didn't want to be part of this madness anymore. Just like on the Astronomy tower, they didn't have a choice. "Severus, call him here." Bellatrix ordered.
Severus stepped forward, raising his sleeve to reveal the dark mark on his left arm. Severus put a hand over it as the snake began to move. "We have Potter, my lord," Severus said.
"Bloody traitor," Ron spat.
"I'm where I've always been, Mr. Weasley. The winning side." Severus remarked. "Where the power level is the only thing that matters." He added, looking right at Harry, who caught the look. Severus was hinting at something. Was it for him to unleash a higher power?
Voldemort appeared in a black cloud, wand ready. "Harry Potter…At last. Today, I will kill you."
"Are you such a coward, Tom, that you don't want a proper duel?" Harry offered. "You told me last time we fought that the next time would be our last battle. Not really a battle if you just kill me. Don't you want to display your power, send the message?" He taunted.
"You are right. Give Potter a wand." Voldemort commanded.
"This is the one he came with," Gregory tossed it to Harry, who caught it easily.
"Let's finish this, Riddle," Harry stood across from Voldemort.