Recap: "Damn it!" Harry swore as he conjured up ice again and put it on his newly damaged eye. "Now I'm gonna look like some kind of insomniac!" "Vell Harry, you know how to avoid that in the future. Do not listen to private conversations you ver not invited into, and the same goes for you, Mr. Malfoy."
Chapter Sixteen
Both boys had the grace to look sheepish, though Draco, just barely so and Harry didn't really convey too much expression through the ice bag.
"Vell," Krum continued, "It looks as though you vill be needing to hear the whole story. Jesse, if you vould." Krum gestured them into his classroom and then into his office across the way. Jesse didn't look too bad, her eyes were red and it was obvious she'd been crying, but it could have been over any little breakup. Some more waving, and the two, slightly guilty, boys conjured chairs (with a look from Krum) and sat down in front of his desk. Krum himself stood, and Jesse, apparently on quite familiar terms with him, sat in the armchair behind his desk.
"Now," the defense professor started, "My vithholding information is likely to cause more problems than it vill solve, so ve vill tell you the whole story. How much did you hear through my door?"
"Umm." Harry said, looking at Draco. "A bit. We heard everything after you raised your voice and asked Jesse how you should know where... someone... was."
Krum scowled.
"A most inconvenient place for you to haff come in." He turned to Jesse. They looked hard at each other for a moment, before Krum spoke. The single syllable he uttered was in some other language Harry couldn't understand (Bulgarian or whatever was Krum's native tongue), but Jesse, apparently, could because she responded with a very similar – if not identical – sound and Krum turned to look at his rouge pupils again.
"Jesse has agreed." He took a deep breath. "You know, of course, that I traveled and spent the greater part of last year vith an American family in Texas, correct?"
They nodded.
"Vell, it happens that Jesse vas a member of this family. You see, ven I decided to travel about that particular continent, I put it to the ministry there first, and they told me vat I could do. They said there vas a family that vould be only too glad to host me, and, though I vas a bit suspicious, I agreed. Jesse," He looked fondly at the girl, "Vasn't very pleased ven I showed up. However, ve soon managed to put that aside."
Jesse interrupted.
"Ye may've, but I din't, 'n' I still don't like ye. Ye din't 'ave no cause t' be sneakin' 'round our place. We's doin' jes fine witout ye." She glared at Krum, but it was obvious she was fighting a smile. "'T any rate," she continued, this time addressing Harry and Draco, "'e showed up 'alf way true las' year 'nd we got stuck wi' 'im fer good. Reason th' damn min'stry sent 'im t' us 's 'cause dey know we got t' be grateful" she spat the word, "fer 'em lettin' us be. See, Jer'my aint 'xcatly... normal." She turned slightly to look a Krum, who stared, uncomprehending for a moment, before realizing what she was asking him.
There followed a quick conversation in Bulgarian, or whatever, and all Harry could recognize were a few names, his, Krum's and the other boy... Jeremy. After a few moments, Jesse turned to them. She was grinning like mad.
"I din't know you 'er one 'f 'em."
Harry was confused.
"One what?"
She grinned even wider, if that were possible.
"Jer'my," she said, obviously intending to draw this out as long as possible. "is a..."
She grinned.
(A/N: take a wild guess)
"What?!" Harry and Draco asked at the same time, both almost over come by the need for clarity in this extremely confusing story.
"Vampyre." She said simply.
Harry stared at her for a long moment as everything came together.
"See, our min'stry, 'ike t' muggle part 'f our country, 's more concerned wit' gay stuff at t' moment. Vamps take a... back seat. dey c'n git rid 'f Jer'my 'n' t' entire fam'ly if'n dey want. 'n' we are mostly jes a... distraction at t' best 'f times. So, dey stuck 's wit' Vicky 'ere," Krum scowled again at the nickname, "'n' we aint bin able t' git rid 'f 'im."
Jesse went on to explain that Jeremy was, like Harry, a born vampire. When he hit sixteen, almost two years previous, the two of them had, by trial and error, discovered most of his powers. Unfortunately, Jeremy had been forced to 'borrow' other wizards, and the ministry had discovered their little secret. Krum, though she didn't like to admit it, had helped Jeremy. With Krum on the team, Jeremy and Jesse had learned a lot more than they would have, otherwise.
"Th' problem's 'at we ain't seen hide n'r hair 'f Jer'my since I lef', 'n' 'at's jes not right."
Draco spoke for the first time in about twenty minutes.
"What do you believe happened to him?"
Jesse looked at Krum for a moment.
"Vicky probly doesn' agree, 'n' m'by 'm jes overreactin', but I tink Moldywart's got 'im."
"What!?" Harry said, not entirely sure he heard correctly.
"I think," Jesse repeated, "that Moldywarts, ye know, T. Riddle, Mister V, caught 'im doin' somethin' real intell'gent, 'n' now 'e's stuck in some damn fortress 'r another."
Draco thought for a moment.
"I'm not so sure," he finally said, "I don't know why the Dark Lord would want him, unless he knew Harry was a vampire and needed Jeremy for his experiments." Jesse, though she was trying to act brave and uncaring, paled at this. "But even so," Draco continued hurriedly, "I don't see why he'd go to the trouble of kidnapping Jeremy from another continent when it would probably be so much easier to simply abduct a local."
Draco really was doing his best to try to comfort the girl.
Unfortunately, Malfoy's aren't exactly... well practiced... in the arts of comforting others.
Oh well.
"What I still don't understand," Harry said after a moment, "is why you don't have a last name."
Jesse blushed, distracted, for the moment, from melancholy thoughts about the fate of her friend.
"Well, S'pose I've got one, I's jes ne'r told. See, m' ma 'married' into a tribe 'f indians out there, but I's already born. I ne'r knew m' pa, 'e lef' ma soon's 'e found out 'bout me. When we lef' the tribe, I's six, we'n 'er sis, not blood s'ter y'understand, 'n' Jer'my, who ain't really th' son 'f m' aunt, she jes found 'im 'bandoned at few weeks old, 'n' we bought 'couple a farm houses cheap 'n' moved in.
"s' there y've got it, m' fam'ly his'try."
Harry blinked for a few moments, trying to straighten it all out through her, erm, thick accent.
"Make sure I've got this right." He finally said, "Jeremy is the adopted son of your mother's adopted sister, and your father ran out on you before you were born?"
"'S purty much it."
Harry nodded.
"Vell, then," Krum interjected after a moment or two of complete silence. "The three of you should be going to yours beds, the time is late."
They all nodded dutifully and Jesse led the way from the room. Once in the hall, however, Harry motioned Draco to go ahead and he pulled Jesse aside.
"Hey, um, if you ever need anyone to talk to, a fried maybe, you're welcome to come visit Malfoy and I."
Jesse grinned.
"Huh. Dint know you Englishmen's 'at quick o'er here."
Harry, catching the, um, meaning of her statement, blushed.
"Hold up, that's not what I meant. I only... I just..."
Jesse grinned some more.
"I know Harry. I's jes playin' wit' ya. T'anks, though."
She grinned once more before spinning about and heading off down the corridor.
Harry scowled.
"Girls."
At the same time Harry was having a meaningful brood as he slowly walked towards his room, Draco was pacing up and down in front of the hearth, trying in vain to come up with words to explain Malfoy family life to Harry. The reason for this abrupt decision was sitting on his bed.
It was a letter, delivered during lunch, from his mother.
Dearest Draco,I fear I am the bearer of most dreadful news; your father has disappeared. I understand, dear, if you are not saddened by this news, he did disown you after all, but you need to keep your eyes open. I've no idea where he is at the moment, but if he approaches Hogwarts, I fear for your safety. It just may be time to alert that old fool of a headmaster, apparently your father has rubbed off on me, to the possibility that Lucius may be in the neighborhood. Please be careful.
You have my love,
Narcissa
And so, Draco, realizing that this was another of those "deadly secrets" the two of them had sworn off, was going to explain his home life to Harry.
Speak of the devil, the portrait swung open.
"Hey Draco," Harry said, stepping in, "What was it you wanted to tell me?"
Draco gulped.
"Um. Harry, I..." He was scrambling for words. Eventually, when Harry sat down, Draco decided the simplest thing would be for Harry to read the letter himself.
"Accio letter."
Harry took it, when Draco offered it. After he finished reading, he looked up.
"What's this mean?"
Draco sighed.
"It means that my father is involved in some sort of underhanded deatheater scheme and mother, though she doesn't say it outright, knows that he wants me for it. After the way I was... thrown out... last summer, My father is as likely to kill me as look at me." Seeing Harry's puzzled look, Draco elaborated. "As a shapeshifter, each shape has, in the mind, a color attached. Other shifters can see this pattern and the truly adept readers can puzzle out a personality and some parts of the future from the pattern of colors and the number of shapes. According to Lucius, my "aura" was such that I was going to betray our side and commit the worst sin possible, bond with someone who strongly opposed the dark lord. Add to that the fact that, according to my mother, who is not a shapeshifter but has developed the sight from the years in contact with my father, I'm to have six shapes, which is an abnormally high number indicative of very powerful magic. I think Lucius was jealous as well.
"At any rate, when he disowned me he didn't bother with wands, he marched me, on foot, all the way down the drive from the manor and to the gates whereupon he threw me, again by hand, I'm amazed at his strength, over the gates. The top bars, black and filed to a point in hopes of deterring intruders, caught my stomach as I went over."
Harry nodded in understanding and was about to reply, when professor Snape's head appeared in the fire.
"Boys!" the Snape-head barked.
The two of them spun on the spot.
"Yes, sir?" they said in unison. If Snape was at all taken aback by this he didn't show it.
"I want you two in my office five minutes ago, I have decided that Mr. Malfoy will get to perform the spell tonight and I want more time than usual."
The two boys just stared.
"Move!" the head yelled once more before disappearing.
Harry and Draco, both sporting equal looks of dread, hurriedly complied with the orders of their bad-tempered potions master.
In little more than five minutes, they were opening the door to Snape's office.
"About time." The greasy-haired git said.
"Malfoy, stand here. Potter stand here." They complied.
"Remove your outer robes and spread them beneath you." When the robes were spread, Snape muttered some thing and shot blue lights at both robes.
"Remove any hard objects from your person, wristwatch off Potter, you don't want to fall on them and I don't want blood on the floor." The watch came off.
"Now, Mr. Malfoy, you will perform Legilimens on Potter. Any questions?"
Harry clenched his fists. Draco shook his head.
"Begin."
Draco looked Harry straight in the eye, raised his wand, and cast the spell.
"LEGILIMENS!"
Harry was newly turned eleven and watching a pale boy in Madam Malkin's... Earlier that same day the giant of a man was pounding on the door to the hut on the rock as Harry shivered underneath his single sheet... Piers Polkiss was holding his arms as Dudley pummeled him...
Harry found himself breathing hard on one knee. Across from him, Draco was still standing.
"Again!"
"LEGILIMENS!"
He was looking at a photo of Sirius at his mum and dad's wedding... He was looking at Sirius in the shrieking shack with Ron, broken leg and all, on the bed behind him... He was looking at Sirius as he fell through the veil...
"No!"
Harry was on both knees this time, apparently Snape's spell turned the robes into cushions.
"Again!"
"LEGILIMENS!"
He was soaring through the air as he dodged the Hungarian horntail... Ginny was pale as death on the floor of the chamber of secrets as a basilisk reared up behind him... Voldemort/Quirrell was laughing at him...
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!"
A blond woman was sobbing into pillows... A house-elf was bearing a tray of sweets... Pansy Parkinson was kissing him and he was pushing her away... Crabbe and Goyle were guffawing stupidly...
With a cry Harry found himself flat on his back.
"Longer than usual, Potter, but you appear to have fended off Mr. Malfoy."
Harry forced himself up and saw Draco doing the same across from him.
"Again. This time Potter, you cast the spell."
Shakily, Harry got to his feet and raised his wand.
"Legilimens."
Hermione was slapping him... A scruffy-looking malnourished boy with untidy black hair and broken glasses was talking to him as he was fitted for robes... a horrible shadow had silver unicorn blood dripping from it's long, wicked fangs...
"STOP IT!"
Ron was yelling something about presents as Harry caught sight of the small mound at the foot of his bed... Aragog's eyes were glittering as his many children closed in on them...
"LEAVE OFF!"
He was soaring with his own wings... Lucius Malfoy's eyes were shining with disappointment...
"GET OUT!"
The woman to his left mocked "I want to know where Sirius is!"...
"FUCK OFF!"
Cold gray eyes, "You are a disappointment to your name"...
"BLOODY HELL!!"
Cruciatus curse. Pain beyond pain. The image kept shifting between Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy. He was dying.
"FINITE INCANTATUM!!"
White. White roof. Why would a dungeon have a white roof?
"Well," came a well-known voice from behind him, "We shan't be trying that again any time soon."
During the slow journey back to their rooms, Harry and Draco took turns explaining the memories the other had seen.
"You know that the first transformation is triggered by extreme emotion?"
Harry nodded.
"Well, in my case, it was that image you saw of my mother sobbing into her pillows one night last summer after my father went to Azkaban. Unbelievable as it may sound, Malfoys can fall in love, and my mother loves my father. I was furious and quite sure I hated you. I was almost to the point of marching out after you myself save that I didn't know the way.
"You see, After my father... punished me, my mother would always come to my room and comfort me. She would have to leave the instant we knew my father was approaching, but she kept me from depression. I knew that somebody loved me and wouldn't hurt me."
Harry smiled sadly. He would have responded, but his scar chose that moment to flare in pain.
At his hiss, Draco looked back from where he was opening their door.
"What's the matter?"
Harry rubbed his forehead.
"Damn scar. It always hurts after an Occlumancy session."
Draco nodded and they headed in.
A/N:
My apologies for the delay in the chapter, It's been sitting around on my hard drive for a bit. To tell you the truth, I forgot it was there.
Actually, I got partway through the next chapter before realizing that the things I was describing couldn't happen yet because the scene they play off wasn't posted yet and, whoops, wasn't even typed.
Don't expect anything else this month, I'll probably write some more but I'm taking part in NaNoWriMo and, as a result, won't have time for any fanfiction period throughout the month of November. I'm planning to write a few more chapters this month and post them regularly throughout the month of November.
Please&ThankYou
-Leif
PS: There will be slash in the next chapter (non-graphic non-meaningful Drunken sex to be precise) And, as I have never written this sort of thing before, you'd all better wish me luck (though I'll probly find some way to cop out). I am NOT jumping along in their relationship, if anything it'll just wreak havoc.
However, It is the building block that I "forgot" when I started on the next chapter.
Whoops.
Wish me Luck!