Chapter 12 Revelations Part II

Previously on Revelations Part I

"Then he was there the next night, and the next.

"I love him." She allowed her head to fall into tiny hands, tears striking the tabletop in rapid succession. In the quiet Harry placed a hand on her hair and stroked lightly. Trying to grasp everything he learned.

And now on part II.

"That's not all is it?" There had to be more to the story, if Malfoy had hurt her he would break his scrawny neck.

"Harry, Ron," She looked at both of them, "He loves me. He understands me in a way I never thought possible. I killed his father and he accepts it, he accepts me and all of the drama that I carry with me.

Ron opened his mouth for the second time during her story. "I don't like it, I don't understand it, but I will accept it, if it makes you happy. If he ever hurts you I'll bury his body where no one will ever find it, but that isn't the whole story. That doesn't explain why you are hotter than any human could hope to be and live, or the new magic that allows you to barley be able to complete your class work but lets you do spells even Dumbledore would have trouble completing." His blue eyes stared into hers, not even the shadow that covered their table broke his gaze.

"Please My, tell me what's going on?"

The shadow spoke. "Now is not the time or the place Mr. Weasley." It was Snape.

He swept though the streets of London a tracking spell on the infamous trio. He would not let her friends ruin her. Now was not the time for questions, not yet. Not until there she actually had answers.

He ignored the puzzled glances at his sweeping black robe or the lack of a heavy coat. The globe in the palm of his hand flashed as he strode past a rundown coffee shop. There, obvious through the glass was Weasley and Potter, expressions of pain and disbelief obvious as they listened to the story of the girl in front of them.

She had told them about Mr. Malfoy, but not yet about the Phoenix, she wouldn't have had time. He entered the shop ignoring the strange ring as he opened the door and walked to the secluded table. The interrogation session ended now.

"Now is neither the time nor place for this conversation Mr. Weasley." For a moment her delighted in the sick look of fear that flashed across faces too old for their years. At least they had not been so scarred that the sight of a teacher with an upset expression could still inspire fear.

"Professor Snape, I am sorry sir, it was my fault that we are here, I was craving caffeine and only muggle coffee could satisfy me." Snape looked down at the cup in front of the red eared Weasley; he had hot chocolate. Maybe he had grown up enough not to ruin everything.

"You are a terrible liar Mr. Weasley, now however is not the time for it." He turned to the pale girl sitting silently watching him, almost looking into his soul. "What portal did you use?"

Her voice was quiet, "The same one as always Professor. The district is a block higher."

"Then let us return. You, I believe have a study group of first year students crying about an essay I assigned. You will want to help them I'm sure." She nodded slightly before standing. Together they left the shop, Snape in the lead, heading back to the portal to Hogwarts. Behind him My was pale her fingers entwined in Ron's as Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

The trip to the alley was much less happy than the one the night before. As My opened the portal the phantom feeling of familiar lips on her neck made her heart ache, this was not how it was supposed to feel, even as it hurt however, the feeling gave her strength.

"Miss Granger, go to your study group. Potter, Weasley go back to Gryffindor." Snape glared at them as they hugged My and watched her walk away.

"Professor?" Ron's quiet voice filled the hallway.

"No Mr. Weasley, if you want to know what's wrong with her you must ask her, not try to weasel it out of someone that isn't even involved in the sordid affair." He ignored the 'shit' that Potter muttered, making a mental note to deduct house points for foul language, being off grounds and for making him be nice to Granger. "Although of course, there is another party intimately involved in this issue. Ask him if you think you can act like adults and not spill any blood." With that he turned and stalked down the hallway, his muttering just below the audible level.

The disgust he felt at being involved with so many gryffindors made him ill and short-tempered. How could he temper is hatred for the players involved in this farce of a drama with the very real debt her owned to the principle player. The only answer was he couldn't, he would never be able to repay her.

Harry and Ron watched the man sweep away before turning to each other.

"Malfoy." Ron's eyes were dark, nostrils tinged with white. Harry tried to keep an open mind, but Malfoy- and Hermione? Together? The thought made his gorge rise and his skin crawl. The idea of them together darted throughout his thoughts each pass making him more and more furious, how could seven years disappear in a summer? How dare he think that his dark Malfoy blood was good enough for Harry Potter's sister?

"Ron, this ends tonight. No more secrets, no more omissions. We are getting some answers, and if I have to beat it out of a Slytherin well then all the better."

"Lets find the ferret." Ron began to walk, his fingers pressing harshly into his palm, the slight pain the only thing keeping the red haze from completely taking over. Together they walked down the halls, younger students ducking away from the sad eyed heroes of a war that didn't have to happen.

Draco heard a resounding knock on the portrait that guarded the entrance to the Slytherin Common room. He was alone in the room, pointed glares at the younger students and muttered curses at his own friends had the common room cleared. His family name may be less than dirt in Diagon Alley, but in Slytherin? In Slytherin he was still king.

He stood and walked to the portrait sidestepping the sharp edges and uncomfortable furniture. Who knocked at Slytherin? The ones who knew where the entrance was would have also known the password. He opened the door and glared at the intruder. His glare intensified as he recognized the dunder twins. He schooled his expression to blankness and trained his eye on the wands carefully stored up billowy sleeves.

He shouldn't have been surpassed that they were here, ready to tear him a new one, but he was. He was too worried about My to be prepared to face two enraged morons intent on protecting their friends honor.

"Potter. Weasley."

Potter stepped forward, eyes snapping with the need for a fight.

"What the hell is going on with Hermione Malfoy?"

Drake could feel his eyebrows draw together. Wasn't My going to tell them everything? What had she told them? How much did they know and what could he tell them?

"Didn't My tell you herself?" he couldn't help it, he wanted to be a smart ass, wanted them to see that their shadow trusted him more than she did them. His feelings towards one of his former rivals may have changed drastically; he still despised the male portion of the trio. they were so closed-minded, so self righteous, so ignorant and indignant. They made him sick. The adulation and the arrogance that followed Potter around like a wet blanket. How the world saw him as a hero, when others always fought his battles. For the simple boyhood hurt of a spurned offer of friendship. He despised Weasley for his stupidity, for his temper, for always holding My and even Potter back. Even just for a deep seated familial grudge that he didn't even want to analyze.

Yet despite all of their very obvious shortcomings, My needed them. Not in the same way that she needed him, but she needed them nonetheless. It was her need that made him answer them, for her he would do anything.

"Professor Snape stopped the conversation before she could tell us everything." Weasley's nasal voice broke through his thoughts. Draco found himself looking into blue eyes. "I know about you too, more than she told us, I can see it just by looking into your eyes, that isn't the issue. Make no mistake, when she is safe it will be. I'd sooner she marry a flobberworm than date you, but right now I just want to know--

"We want to know everything."

Drake felt himself break eyes contact first, amazed by the depths of understanding and love. Ronald Weasley was no longer the shallow prick he once was.

"Alright." The words were out of his mouth before he could think them through. "I'll tell you, but not here, and you can't beat me after I tell you."

Potter nodded sharply, "Not here, neutral ground."

Weasley elbowed him in the side and muttered something obscure about Snape and Potter spoke again. "And no bloodshed."

The three boys walked silently through the dark halls, in the back of their minds the curfew bells rang, and the sounds of other students echoed around them.

Finally they made it to the only remotely neutral zone, the only place all three felt comfortable.

The Quidditch Pitch.

Draco didn't waste anytime, he didn't want to spend any more time with these morons than he had to. "A long time ago a wizard experimented with forces he could control and decided to play with the idea of imbuing muggles with magic."

Ron spoke, voice sharp. "Lucien Malovious."

Draco ignored him, his own worry over my blocked out the cold wind buffeting the the group on all sides.

"During the course of his experiments he stole the essence of a phoenix and merged it with the soul of a muggle woman that he was obsessed with. Unfortunatly for him, the merge was incomplete and the nature of the phoenix took over. The girl burned to a pile of ash and the essence was released, now gifted with the sentience of the girl. He was shamed and eventually died in hiding, while the phoenix traveled the world collecting memories and more sentience and power. It became stronger and stronger, becoming one of our greatest myths and bedtime bogies. Then it stopped taking control of others and disappeared. I don't know how or why, but it was trapped in the crystalline matrix of the"

"Crystal Cave." It was Potter. "It has her doesn't it." Drake looked away, his own pain too evident to share with others.

"For nearly seven months."

"How long does she have?"

"Another couple of months historically. Forever. She is the strongest witch I know. For all we know she could master the Phoenix and carry it for as long as she wishes."

Harry turned away from the group and began to pace. Ron watched as his friend paced, watched as shoulder shook at the thought of loosing another family member in another couple of months.

"What are the signs?"

Drake sighed. This would be easier if they tried to fight, if they didn't act so broken. "Excessive body heat, beyond anything a mortal could survive. Control over fire, irrational temper and feelings," he watched Ron wince at each point. "As it gets closer

to the end, speaking in the royal we, eyes filled with fire, crying flame--" He swallowed and closed his eyes, tears trailing down his face as he saw My burst into flames in his minds view. "Then it's over.

She's gone."

"How do we keep her here?" Potter was back from his pity walk.

"We can't." Drake held up a hand. "But hopefully we can bring her back.

"She needs an anchor, something to come back to. Something powerful enough to force the Phoenix magic to rebuild her body."

"What is the anchor?" He sighed; it was too much to even hope they wouldn't ask that question.

"We aren't sure. Love maybe." He dropped his head to a pale hand, voice muffled. "Mine yours, Dumbledore, McGonagall's, Snape even.

"Hell the whole school would fade a little with out her in it. We just have to find a way to harness that power and force the Phoenix to take notice."

The boys become men looked at each other and a bond formed. It transcended their very real dislike for each other. It focused on a thin girl with fire-kissed hair that they would die, would kill to save.

TBC

A/N:

Thanks for everyone that's still reading this, thanks for all the kind comments.

Thanks to everyone and it shouldn't be very much longer until Power of Dance is finished

Mystykitty