HARRY POTTER AND THE PARADOX OF BEING
by Yih

Unbeta'd and all mistakes are mine. Many apologies for the delay. Beta's computer died and well… I was expecting to release LA before this but that's not going to happen.


7: The Seduction (June 1, 2004 to June 6, 2004)

He was uncomfortable. He should have sent Draco to Filch. Filch was much better at maintaining the right sort of atmosphere for detentions. He simply sucked at it. Then again, how was he supposed to be good at giving detentions when he was the sort that had been at the receiving end of them? The only awful punishments he could think of to make Draco do was to make potions, but the problem was that Draco enjoyed making potions so that wouldn't be a punishment for him.

Harry had to think fast what he could do because Draco was due to arrive at any moment. Even forcing Draco to write an essay about some tedious subject didn't seem a fit punishment for what Draco had said to Ron. It was unforgivable what Draco had said, but Harry wanted to make it up to this Ron somehow. This Ron was different from the Ron in the other universe. This Ron was someone he had been great friends with and Ron had proven why when he had pointed out several telling things about Draco, things that Harry had conveniently forgotten about Draco.

Despite the fact that Draco had been his best friend over there, that didn't mean that this Draco was the Draco that he had grown to love like a brother. This Draco wasn't the same and it would do him good to remember that. That meant despite Draco showing extraordinary potential with potions, he needed to remember not to treat Draco any differently.

It was hard, especially hard knowing the type of friendship that he could have with this Draco if only… Draco was like the Draco he had known. Harry was lost in thought when he heard the portrait ushering in the detention-bound Draco. Knowing that he had to be stern, he put on a frown that he remembered he hated seeing on his lover's face and he mimicked the voice that he cringed at hearing, "Sit down, Malfoy."

He saw Draco gulp nervously, that was good. That was very good because he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep up this stern and rigid façade up. How Sev had done it, he only wished he had managed to pick up. He did have a somewhat decent scowling face, Sev had told him. Not that, he thought with wry amusement, that it ever worked that well since Hana had always managed to wrap him around her finger with only a whimper. And Draco certainly was not going to get the upper hand on him.

"You know how I feel about inter-house prejudices," Harry began with all the severity he could imbue into his voice, "and you know I will not tolerate that from my apprentice. What you do reflects upon me and I will not stand for that sort of behavior from you, do you understand me?" Draco nodded stiffly. "For detention, you will be… first apologizing to Ron Weasley and then you will assist him in any of his homework that he has problems in for the next month in medimagic. And even if he doesn't have problems, I expect you to check over his essays and such as you are the best in the class and he is the worse. You are dismissed."

Draco seemed like he wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth he quickly closed it as if knowing that whatever complaints he would have had would only make the situation worse. Harry was glad to see that little bit of sense in him. If Draco had spoken, Harry feared what would have come out of his mouth. He would either have exploded at Draco for being so unlike the Draco he had known or he would have cried out his disappointment in Draco not being like the Draco he knew. Either way, either of what he wanted to say would have been bad.

"You are dismissed, Draco Malfoy, and don't forget to apologize to somewhere to Ron Weasley where it's public enough that it'll get back to me."

With nothing left to do but to try to make a graceful disappearance, Draco left. Harry sighed and leaned back into his chair. Oh good lord, he had done it this time. He had done it this time, if Draco apologized to Ron then he would have done the impossible. Even in the other universe, Ron or Draco would never have apologized to each other. If Draco did this, then Harry might see some of the Draco that he had grown to love as friend and brother.

If not… what would he do then? He'd have to live with this Draco as his apprentice for the next few years and try to knock it into that stubborn skull that having a rigid and narrow mind was not beneficial for anyone. Good Merlin that was going to be a challenge to do. A challenge that he wasn't sure that he was ready to take a handle on, but that didn't seem to matter did it? He still had to, and was going to no matter how difficult it was. Draco would be enlightened.

-

He ought to be grading shoddy potion essays from substandard students that would never in a million years make decent potion makers. That's what he ought to be doing, but of course he wasn't doing that was he? Instead he was staring at the wall, wasting valuable time, thinking about the question that Sebastian had posed to Albus… would having another spy really do much good?

While it probably would help to have another person verify information, there wasn't really much a secondary spy could do. Severus highly doubted that even as strong as Sebastian was, that Voldemort would entrust much to a newly initiated Death Eater that he didn't entrust in an old member of the regime. If anything, it would put another person into that much more danger for little gain. If it were him, he would tell Sebastian to tell Albus to fuck off.

Of course, part of him was feeling rather protective of Sebastian because face it… Severus wanted him as something more than as a friend. For him to feel such romantic-like emotions was unlike him. He wasn't the type that fell for anyone hard, but there was something about Sebastian that made him yearn for a deep relationship that went beyond anything he had ever experienced before. It was strange; it was like they were meant to be. But it was silly and the stuff of dreams, not reality.

Severus sighed and dipped his quill into the scarlet red ink that he used to grade his students' papers. He really ought to get back to this. He really shouldn't think anymore about Sebastian Biggerstaff, even if he would like nothing more to do than to muse about the vibrant younger man. The only thing better than thinking about Sebastian was actually to have a conversation with him, and it proved to be quite stimulating as well as thought provoking. Bloody hell, he really did need to focus on the work that he needed to get done and not how much he like to see Sebastian naked and shuddering at the point of release…

His fingers clenched into a fist around his quill and he attacked a poor Ravenclaw's essay with unnecessary vehemence. He didn't recall one word that he read other than that the essay hadn't been that bad, but if he had been in a better mood he probably would have given it better than a P. It probably deserved an A, but oh well he wasn't in a good mood and if he wasn't then others could pay. After all, wasn't he renowned for being an unfair git? Why change?

-

There was something off about Draco, but what Harry didn't quite know. It wasn't unusual for Draco to stare at him, for he knew that the other Draco had found him attractive so why not this Draco? What was disturbing was that Harry didn't think it was only in admiration of his beauty that Draco was staring at him, he was certain that there was a purpose behind it but what? And why did it need such earnest staring?

Harry knew that there had to be a reason, but he didn't think it was a spell because you needed to be chanting even if it was underneath your breath and Draco wasn't moving his lips. So what was it? Harry blinked when he caught Draco's eyes and felt a pull, as subtle as it was and for a moment he wanted to move closer to Draco but why did he want to? This wasn't Imperius, but he felt the compulsion along those lines but it wasn't something he didn't want.

But still, his body screamed no. He pulled his eyes away and the feeling of being drawn to Draco faded. It was weird, and he was sure that it wasn't a spell but what else could it be if it wasn't a spell? There was nothing else that he knew that could do that and not be some kind of spell. However, evidence was against him in making that conclusion. Draco wasn't chanting and his lips weren't moving. The only thing that somewhat resembled spell-casting was that Draco wasn't blinking.

What was it then?

-

He had Sebastian's attention, Draco knew that. All the traces of his veela inheritance, most of which was what composed his blond beauty, he had used to enthrall Sebastian. Unfortunately, it hadn't worked as well as he had hoped it would work. Sebastian had been able to break away from the thrall before he had been enthralled. Draco was certain that he had done it right because he had tested it on some of his fellow Slytherins, ones that he were certain weren't attracted to him because they were of the straight orientation and they had fallen for it.

It figured that Sebastian would have a strong will that could resist. After all, Draco could feel how Sebastian was and he was much stronger than even his father, Lucius. There weren't many wizards that Draco knew that were stronger than Lucius. It probably hadn't helped that his veela blood was more diluted than his father's or that Sebastian was such a strong wizard in trying to enthrall him. But damn it how was he supposed to seduce Sebastian if he couldn't enthrall him?

He didn't think that Sebastian was the type to fall in for the typical Malfoy charms, especially when Draco was a student and it was decidedly improper. While Sebastian didn't seem as straitlaced as Professor McGonagall, he didn't seem like someone that would deliberately break the boundaries between teacher and student. The only way he was going to seduce Sebastian was to overwhelm him with his veela thrall… but it didn't look like that was going to work.

There was always Plan B, but Draco really didn't want to rely on that because to try to enhance his veela thrall with an enhancing potion would mean having to dip into Severus's private stores. Even if he managed to get the ingredient without Severus knowing about it, eventually Severus would find out about it because Severus kept close tabs on all of his most important supplies. Considering the private store was his personal store, he definitely was going to find out sooner rather than later. It was possible Severus would find out in enough time to stop him.

Draco found it curious how well Severus, his godfather, seemed to get along with Sebastian. He wondered if he might have some competition from Severus for Sebastian's affections. Then again, he really couldn't imagine Severus being with anyone in a romantic way. His godfather and Sebastian? That was just a disturbing thought. It didn't seem right at all--- now him and Sebastian that would be perfection.

Then there was Plan C, and even though Draco didn't think it would work. He could try to go about it the traditional way and use his Malfoy charms, but the probably of that working didn't seem too good. As Draco had already considered earlier, Sebastian wasn't the type to delve into the forbidden type relationship of student and teacher. Actually there wasn't any Professor Draco could think of that would be so inclined, and he knew that his father wanted it to happen soon. However, if worse came to worse and he couldn't get his veela thrall to work or Plan B, well using his charms as Malfoy would have to do after he graduated. When he was no longer a student, what would prevent their torrid future liaison? The answer was nothing.

-

"It's been a week," Voldemort said with a hissing and rasping voice, "and still I have yet to see this Professor of the Defense against the Dark Arts. Are you simply incompetent or have you decided that you should be taking your dear sweet time?"

Lucius had his head bowed down submissively, knowing better than to raise it when his Lord was obviously not in a good mood. Of course, Voldemort hadn't been in a good mood since he had gotten into his snake-like body. It was at times like these Lucius wondered why he even bothered to serve the wretched excuse for a wizard. True, Lucius did agree vehemently with Voldemort's beliefs but there was only so much he could stand of having to bow down to a half-blood even if Voldemort was the heir to Slytherin.

"Professor Biggerstaff is a delicate case," Lucius murmured softly, "as we do not know where his true allegiances lie. He could be a pawn of Dumbledore's for all that we know, my Lord. I believe that we should proceed carefully. Let Draco do his job and he will do it to the best of his ability. That you can rest assure of. I have taught him how to enthrall the Professor and we'll see if he can do that. But you cannot overestimate his veela thrall as his blood is more diluted than mine as his powers are.

"Unlike a full veela, he cannot get a person to be so overcome with the desire for him that they will forget themselves and do whatever he asks. All he can do is try to persuade and well, even at that I don't know…"

"YOU DON'T KNOW?" Voldemort interrupted him mid-explanation with such an exclamation of force that Lucius felt it ring in his head as well as through his eardrums. "That is not good enough, Lucius. That is by far not good enough. I expect more from you, and you will deliver it Lucius or else you will be punished in a way that you will find singularly unpleasant. You are dismissed Lucius. I don't want to see you again until you're going to bring Sebastian Biggerstaff to me. Do you understand me?"

"I understand you perfectly, my Lord," Lucius said in a tone he thought would be submissive enough for him to escape without feeling an unforgivable coursing through his veins. Of course, he could have always misjudged and it seemed that he had…

"It is good that you understand and this is a taste of what awaits you should you fail Lucius… crucio!"

-

"I hate him," Narcissa growled as she reached into the cabinet to withdraw a vial of powerful pain relieving for her beloved husband. "I don't understand why you grovel in front of his feet like you do. You should stop before he injures you permanently. You're lucky he only held you under that curse for only a shade over a minute. Any longer and who knows? You could end up like the Longbottoms."

"Cissy," he whispered softly, reaching out to clasp her hand to keep her from nervously trying to attend to him, "you worry too much." She snorted as if she believed one word that he was saying. "And even if you didn't worry as much as you do, you know there is no way that you can get out of the Dark Lord's Death Eaters unless you want certain death for everyone that you love and I don't want that. He wasn't that bad before. You know I believe his principles, even if his tactics leave much to be desired. I don't think extermination is necessary but seclusion is and he used to be more reasonable before Harry Potter."

"He's insane," she whispered ferociously. "Harry Potter is gone and he hasn't gotten any better."

"He says he feels Harry Potter's presence still even though he sent him Merlin knows where," Lucius murmured. "And you don't like those filthy mudbloods anymore than I do. You know how they pollute our society and with every new one of them they risk our exposure to those bloody muggles. We cannot allow them and you know that the only way to get that is to support the Dark Lord."

"Yes, but that doesn't make me hate him any less," she uttered vehemently.

Lucius chuckled darkly and pulled his wife into his arms, kissing her lightly on the lips. "And how do you feel about Albus Dumbledore then?"

"I hate his mudblood loving soul even more," she hissed. "He's the reason that my sister is in Azkaban and the reason that my cousin is dead."

"Don't you think that the Dark Lord is the lesser of the two evils?" Lucius posed the question wryly, amused at his lioness of a wife. Narcissa was quite fierce when she wanted to be and was quite the tempestuous lady. She had also been dead fond of her older sister, worshipping the ground that Bellatrix had walked on though she hadn't agreed with either of them for joining a half blood wizard that exemplified their ideals and was willing to put them into being. She thought it was hypocritical for purebloods to follow one that wasn't one of their own. "Just admit it."

"I'll admit it," she reluctantly allowed. "But that doesn't mean that I wouldn't prefer another way," she stated fiercely. "I wish there was another way. What I really wish was that there was someone else, someone better that isn't him."


Author's Note: The same drill. Review and you'll get more ;). I hope the wait won't ever be this long ever again. At the most, it should only take you two week to get an update. One week for me to write this bloody thing and one week for my beta to beta the ruddy thing. But we've had problems, (it only took me 3 days to write this) but she had comp problems, so I went ahead and posted it. Hope that it's okay and my muse has sort of been exhausted recently so any feedback would be awesome. Thanks.

Questions: (1) The new veela theory… the thrall? Any opinions on how I might use this? (2) Severus's conclusion about Sebastian spying? (3) Lucius/Narcissa scene and Lucius's feelings about Voldemort?

Thanks to Wing (there will be more Ron/Draco antagonism later), Alicorn, Chrysan (More Snarry will be coming, must get thru the ruddy stuff first), Asha Dreamweaver, TigerBlak, Cory3, Xiaou Nem (You've got Draco down pretty well, but Draco really does means the thing he says... tradition or not), Ox King, Colibi (last one was actually a bit longer), Draconisdagger2000, The angelic vampire (write more will you....?), silversfall1 (nothing is ever certain with me), Tracy Mintzmyer (yes, all of a sudden there was a huge drought in my writing), Al, Cassa-Andra (The many different plotlines makes it difficult to keep straight what I'm doing at what point and I always wonder if everyone likes all the different stuff that going on or not), keebler-elmo, Mayhem El-Diablo (Snarry has already started, the tension's there, but there's the dilemma of Sev for Harry to work out), aryth, Resggal, KNW, Robbly (I love the answers), Mynona (reviews always help me write the next chapter, so it works both ways), gina87, NadiaLT, Shuki - aka Quickjewel, darkess-knight (there will be no Her/Draco in this 'verse), Xyverz (Yes the dilemma of the marks, and I'm glad you realize there's a Slytherin mark on his back and NOT a DE mark, many have forgotten the distinction), deliolith (Severus is emotional b/c he read the letter from himself that tells him that he knows he can trust Sebastian b/c his own FUTURE self did and that's what makes the difference, he feels he can let some barriers down, I guess), Dius Corvus (AU Draco has more pressure from Voldemort than this one, I suppose), Winnie2, Alyce of the Togas, athenakitty, Lindiel Eryn, Menecarkawan, Irin (and my exhausted muse thanks you soooo much for the review. I actually really considered your input before settling on what to do for this chapter. Thanks.), TJ, kathy stggvk (snarry will happen, eventually), C.M. Aeris Queen of Insanity.