(exert from the diary of Nathaniel Zabini)
March 17, 1982
We made a breakthrough today. We might have found
a way to defeat Dumbledore. He would never expect it coming.
But it might fail if Malfoy finds out.
Malfoy has been a thorn in our sides ever since we
joined Voldemort. I don't know what vendetta he has against us.
Or maybe it's just me. But...
::Ha.:: My son is apparently hungry. He cries loud
enough to the next house over. He is the reason we do this,
participating in his war. My wife and I just want it over with. We
just do our part to ensure that it is over as soon as possible. I
don't want him to grow up in the middle of a war. For him, we will
do anything to keep him safe.
Dumbledore sat in silence as he watched the remaining students around him, enjoying their dinner. But his mind wasn't really on them. They were on him. Harry.
He couldn't believe that he had been so blind! He should have tried harder to get him back. /But no, now he's in the arms of his enemy./ He nearly growls to himself in frustration, but manages to hold back. Minerva was watching.
She didn't understand. She couldn't understand what Slytherin's power meant to him. It would make him truly alive again. Brimming with power, he would be the strongest. HE didn't even no why he craved it so much. He just knew he had to make it his, then perhaps his answer would come.
His thoughts paused when he noticed that Snape was watching him, as well. He wasn't someone Dumbledore had to worry about. No, he was in his control. His leverage over the potions master kept him in check. Unless he wants his alliances revealed. But on the other hand his spy, the real one, would tell him if Snape were to try something regardless.
He let his thoughts drift again. He would get his power. And in the mean time he wouldn't let anyone get in his way. /No one will stop me./
The evening started of good enough. First they had dinner, but that was where the first complications started. When they got there they were quickly seated. But as soon as the waiter got to them he immediately flirted with Hermione.
Harry and Draco were in a good enough mood to play footsie, though Hermione got kicked more than Harry or Draco. She suspected that Draco was doing it on purpose.
Hermione: Stop it.
Harry: Sorry.
Hermione: Quit it.
Draco: ...
Hermione: Draco!
Draco: It's not me! It was him!
She glared at Draco till he started staring at the fortune cookie in front of him. "Stupid waiter. We've been waiting for an hour while she," he points as Hermione, "has been happily sipping at that danmed soup for the last thirty minutes! How long does I take to drink soup anyway!"
"Hunger brings out your annoying side." Hermione simply said.
Once again he was about to kick but he was quelled by a look from Hermione.
"It's coming now Draco." Harry said smiling at his lovers antics, even if Hermione looked as if she was about to hit back.
Sure enough the waiter was coming with their food. But then the waiter glared at him and nearly splashed his shrimp curry into his lap. Harry's food was done the same. Draco glared at the waiter's back until he had disappeared through the doors. He then tried to bite into one of the shrimp but found it so rubbery he couldn't chew. In good manners, he swallowed the shrimp whole instead of spitting it out. He then worked on one of the other shrimp with his fork and knife, but to no avail.
Harry laughed silently to himself, watching his love fight with the shrimp. And losing by the look of it. He decided to take pity on him and made his way through the double-doors that the waiter had gone through.
Draco and Hermione watched curiously as they came out a while later, Harry smirking and the waiter looking frightened holding two new plates. Harry's food hadn't been much better. He placed the new plate on the table, softly this time, and then took the old ones. His face was as pale as a ghost and his cheeks were flushed red, but he said not a word as he left.
Harry continued to smirk as he ate his food, not noticing the questioning looks that the others were giving him.
When he finally looked up Draco blushed and looked down. He couldn't believe that Harry would actually go back there for him. Though, he liked this side of Harry.
Hermione just smiled while she finished her soup.
It was later at the muggle club was where the evening started to turn dire. They were still enjoying themselves, even after dealing with the waiter. They had dance for hours, well past midnight. Whoever wasn't dancing at the time sat and watched the other two, or all three of them moved together on the floor to the techno music. They stayed towards the edge of the room to keep Hermione from touching anyone skin to skin. They succeeded mostly, though a couple sparks were thrown. But no one took notice in the hypnotic lights.
After a while they sat to take a break. Draco left to get them something to drink, as they were all a bit out of breath.
Then Hermione noticed Harry looked a distracted. She called his name a few times but it didn't work.
Harry was thinking to a few minutes ago. He was sure that he heard a few lingering thoughts of Dumbledore's but he wasn't sure. Though he did know that something was going to happen soon, he just didn't know what it was...
"Harry!" He took notice that Hermione and Draco where both staring at him, trying to get his attention. Draco's hands were on his shoulders, shaking him.
"What is it?" He pulled out of Draco's grasp as asked, trying to clear his head.
"'What is it?'!" Draco practically yelled in face, before jumping up. He started to pace before coming back to him. Harry knew something must have been wrong, Draco was really upset.
"What happened to you?! We spent ten minutes trying to get your attention, then you fainted on us!" Hermione looked just as angry, but also worried as well. Draco noticed the dim blue hazed was around her. But his attention quickly went back to Harry.
"What?" Then he noticed that they were no longer in the building, but in a quiet alley. "I don't remember what happened! I thought I heard Dumbledore, then nothing." He ran his fingers through his hair as he laid his head on his knees. "Where are we?"
"Behind the building. We didn't know what else to do when you passed out." After a moment Draco held out a hand to help him up once he looked like could hold his own again.
"We should get back before someone looks back here."
"Yes." Harry nodded.
Draco gave a sharp laugh. "And to think Blaise missed all this fun."
Harry smiled at his boyfriend, amused. "I thought it was fun."
"Yes. Fun. Now let's go home."
Harry just laughed.
Hermione waited till they were finished with the banter before pulling them to find the carriages.
On the ride back Harry slept.
"What do you think happened?" Draco whispered. He glanced down at the boy lying in his lap. He brushed a few strands out of his face, smiling at him.
"I don't know. Maybe Dumbledore is up to something." Hermione glanced at Harry. "He looks peaceful. Perfect."
"Yes."
"It's too bad he can't always be like that."
"I don't think he really wants perfection, Granger." He replied, smirking at Hermione.
She frowned "And why not." She was mildly curious at were this conversation was going.
"Not perfection. That would bore him. That would be rather boring for most everyone, don't you think."
"Maybe." Then she smiled teasingly at him. "But I thought the Malfoy's prided themselves on perfection."
"Well, I am perfect." He replied back smiling.
"Than why is Harry still interested?" Draco's smile slowly fell and he looked instead towards the window. He felt Harry stir in his lap.
"I'm still interested because he's perfect for me. He's not at all boring." Draco heard a voice murmur. To prove his point Harry wrapped his arms around the pale boy, even if the positioning was awkward.
"Harry you're up." Hermione hadn't noticed him move.
"Yeah. I've only been up for a few seconds." He sat up, still keeping his arms around Draco. His love still hadn't said a word. "We're here."
Once the carriage stopped Draco pulled away and walked quickly inside. Harry stared after him before talking.
"You shouldn't have said what you did." He almost glared at his best friend. Now Draco doubted their relationship. Again.
"I didn't know that he would take it seriously." She looked worried. Hermione really didn't know that he would take it that way.
"He hasn't been as comfortable with us since we were reunited. But I thought he was fine again."
She was silent. "I sorry." Hermione could see the pain in his eyes. /he really does love Draco very much.../
"It's ok. You didn't realize. I'll talk to him." Before she could say a word Harry treaded down the stairs to find Draco.
/great! Just great!/ Hermione leaned back into the seat, really wishing that Blaise was here right now. She really felt that she had said the wrong thing this time. She wasn't used to this feeling, like she messed something up. And she had possibly lost Draco's friendship, over a stupid comment.
it could happen here today
Harry raced in the direction that he thought Draco had gone. He couldn't believe that Hermione hadn't thought to what her words could do. She was usually the most sensitive among them.
and I can't wait to see your face
He slowed as he started to get out of breath. He had to figure out which way Draco had gone.
can you hold on while I take hold of myself
He didn't want for Draco to regret what was between them. He loved him and couldn't loose him. He had to know that.
you're the little thing, my saving grace
you're just a little thing, my saving grace
He heard a sound down one of the hallways to his right. It was just a shuffling sound but he had to be sure. He rounded the corner to find Draco leaning against a wall. He was staring straight ahead, so Harry could see silver tears slowly falling. Draco's face was tense, as if he was trying not to cry.
it could happen here today
Harry stood there for a minute, just watching him. For once in a long time he wasn't sure how to handle Draco.
"I do love you, Harry. I just don't know why you love me. You said I was perfect."
Harry was startled out of his thoughts when Draco began. Then once again Draco held out a hand for him and he took it, sitting beside him.
Draco continued. "I'm not. I'm vain, arrogant… full of myself. I rarely think of others. I've even been outright cruel to people. I don't know why you are still with me."
it could happen here today
"I don't know why you ask, Draco. You keep me sane. The others help, but it's mainly you. I have to keep going for you. I find you arrogance and vanity amusing. And you can't say you don't care for others. You are always making sure I take care of myself, you worry over the others when they get hurt." he tugged on Draco till he laid down on his lap, his green eyes meeting pure silver. Draco's silver hair fanned out on his pants, contrasting with the dark colour.
"But you will eventually tire of me."
He reached down and ran his fingers through Draco's hair. Draco leaned slightly into the hand, closing his eyes. "No, Draco. You are my saving grace."
(-The Cranberries)
"You can't keep this up Tom." Snape leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. His hair was tied back out of his face for once. Snape had left the school and apperated as soon as the meal was over. He stared at the man in front of him, who was currently leaning over yet another book, thinking of yet another plan to stop Dumbledore.
"Don't you think I know that, Severus?" He let his frustration show, closing the book noisily. He got up and paced the room.
"He won't keep waiting for you to make the first move. We have to stop him before he hurt's more people." He stopped for a second, to watch his friend pace across the floor for a few seconds. "You know, you're going where a hole in the floor if you keep this pacing like that. I can already see a hole in the carpet appearing."
Tom stopped. He looked at Severus and smirked. Just to annoy him he started to pace in a semi-circle around him.
"Oh, yes. Very mature for the Dark Lord of Europe." He rolled his eyes upwards.
Tom stopped. "Just Europe?! I thought I was the worst think to hit the world since Grindelwald." He frowned.
"Glad you can laugh about it. Yours wasn't the only reputation that was dragged through the mud by this. Some have even died, like Sirius."
"Don't you think I know this?" This time Tom's voice was biting instead of playful. "I am trying the best that I can. I know have to do this." His face was serious again, almost impassive.
Severus pushed himself of the wall and sat on the desk, leaning over the book as well. "You don't have to worry about showing that you're worried. I can always tell, no matter how hard you try to hide it."
Tom looked up. "Now are YOU reading my mind?" The smile almost came back.
"I don't have to. I know you entirely too well."
/he is beautiful, if you take the time to notice/ he thought as he felt a few strands of Severus' hair that had came loose from the tie with his fingers. Soft. Much softer than Weasly's. Tom looked up at Severus. The dark colour rarely gave much away, but he could see the affection there. "Tell me why we never got together." He twirled the hairs between his fingers.
"We would annoy the heck out of each other before one day was over and we're too much alike. That and you still love your dead girlfriend." He deadpanned.
"You know the only reason that I don't take offence to that comment is because you're my best friend."
"Yes, I know." Severus leaned back again, his hair pulling out of Tom's fingers. "They're back."
"You're right." He sighed. "By the way, have you come up with anything for Granger?" Tom leaned back in the chair, placing his hands behind his head, pulling his own dark hair away from his face as he did.
"Matter of fact, I have. But it needs to be tested."
"Use Lucius." He closed his eyes as he spoke. "He's been acting suspicious lately. Have you noticed?"
"Lately? Are you blind?" Severus' eyebrow rose. "He's been acting suspicious for years, Tom. This is nothing new."
His eyes opened, genuinely looking surprised, but he waited a moment before speaking. But his voice was almost as cold as most thought it to be. "More reason to use him."
"And if Granger kills him? She would not like that, no matter how much she dislikes him. And would you want to risk him dead, if his suspicious actions were to be nothing."
"I don't know if can take the chance that he is working for Dumbledore, Severus."
"I'll do it." Severus nodded before leaving Tom to his thoughts.
"So this is him."
Harry looked him from where his love had fallen asleep in his lap. He was still sitting in the corridor of the castle. He saw Nagini staring impassively at them, her hold her arms around herself. "Hello Nagini."
"That's all you have to say to me?" /please say something, Harry! I don't know what I'm doing here.../
"What else am I supposed to say!?" He was closed to shouting in frustration, but Draco was still sleeping. Nagi didn't deserve it, anyway. She hadn't known that they were related.
"I don't know." She said quietly, then stood there for a minute, just watching them.
"I suppose now you know?"
"Yes. Father told me. I should call you brother, rather than lover now, shouldn't I?"
"Unless you want me to shun my only love, and live out the rest of my life miserable." She cracked a smile at that.
"No, we can't have that, now can we." /I almost wish we could.../
"No." Harry continued to stroke Draco's hair, even as he spoke. He really hated to wake him, but they couldn't sleep in the middle of the hallway.
"So, what do we do about this? Do we go through the awkward stage where we don't know how to act around each other, or do we just forget."
/will you be able to forget?/ "I've already forgotten, not to be cruel," he added when he saw the hurt look on her face before she managed to hide it.
"You're never intentionally cruel, are you?" Nagini sighed to herself, sounding bitter. "Well, I don't know what you want, but I would rather just forget that this ever happened!" Sometime while talking Nagini had broken down and fell on her knees in front of Harry, her red hair falling in front of her face. She had loved Harry so much, no matter how she wanted to deny it. She also wanted to forget desperately, angry that this affected her so much.
"I do love you, Nagi. But I won't allow myself to hurt Draco. So it would be best to forget." He wanted very badly to go to her, his sister, but that would mean leaving Draco, alone.
Her face hardened, as the tear stopped flowing. /...I am stronger than this...but I don't want to.../ She pulled herself off the floor. "I understand, Harry." She left as quickly as she had come, as to not allow herself to turn back.
Draco had been watching the whole time, not knowing what to think about what he saw.
Lucius was in deep thought, he had to find a way to get the information to his 'stooge'. But he was being watched by everyone.
(later that day)
Snape had informed Hermione that the potion was ready to be tested. The others were sitting against the walls on the floor watching what would happen. Draco, and Hermione still weren't talking, but Harry convinced him to come along. They, with the exception of Draco, where talking about what had happened yesterday, while Snape found Lucius, to be the "guinea pig" of their little experiment.
"... but why did you hear him just them? I thought that his connection to you was severed." Blaise asked, as being the only one who had been absent at the time.
"Don't know. It just happened. Everything was normal, but then I heard him again."
Hermione thought before replying. "He's probably up to something, Harry."
"'He's probably up to something, Harry.'" Draco muttered, sneering. "No duh, and you're supposed to be the smart one. Of course he's up to something!"
"Well, I'm sorry for trying to help!" She knew that she had messed up but she was angry as well.
"You should be. Your helping has done enough!" His silver eyes flashed as he turned away, still at Harry's side.
"I take it I've missed something." Blaise asked, puzzled at their behaviour. This was unlike them. He hadn't seen them argue in over a year. Even before they became friends they were never directly spiteful to one another.
"A certain someone said a certain something that she shouldn't have." He spat at her.
"Oh now you're being even more immature than usual! You know, I real-" She was cut off when she found she couldn't speak her voice was gone. Harry was holding out his wand. It didn't really hurt her any, but it stung a little that Harry would do that to her and not Draco.
"Hermione, Draco, quiet. Please." He really didn't know how else to handle the situation, but he had to end it before they were at each others throats. Hermione glared at the both of them. Draco just leered at her, happy that Harry seemed to be taking his side. Blaise watched the whole thing, bemused.
"It was a stupid argument they had-"
"Stupid!" Draco exclaimed.
"Draco, be quiet before I silence you, as well." Draco rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything more.
"Hermione accidentally questioned my love for Draco. Now they won't speak to each other."
Blaise just sat there for a minute before replying. "I can understand, but could you please take the spell off of my girlfriend now."
Harry grinned before obliging him. Hermione glowered, but didn't say anything.
In that moment the door opened and Snape entered, with Lucius in tow.
"I hope that you were all behaving yourselves." He said as Lucius found his own seat, trying to not look like he was sulking. He was not succeeding.
"Of course not. It just wouldn't be us." Harry said bluntly. "Just another event in this odd amusement park."
"You are a very unusual person, Potter." Snape replied under a raised eyebrow.
"Potter? I would think that you would know better." Harry was almost smiling again.
"Whatever, as there is nothing else to call you, now is there? Potter." The last word was pointed.
"Well, you could just call him the-idiot-boy-who-would-not-die." Lucius injected, attempting for all the world to look bored.
/he should be calling himself the idiot.../ Harry thought. "Well, Snape can call me Harry and you can call me master, for all I care." Harry rolled his eyes and leaned into Draco, who was trying to not laugh out loud. Then he decided to hell with it and let out a full laugh, much to his father horrification.
"Aw.. Draco. Even if he's my master, at least I'm not his concubine." He said evilly, his silver eyes glittering. /I've got him now.../
"But dear father, I would love to be his concubine! As long as he gets to be mine from time to time I don't have any problems with it." He replied, completely unabashed. His father paled considerably.
Hermione found herself smiling at his joke, before she remembered what he had said to her earlier. Then again Draco was probably being completely serious about being Harry's concubine.
Snape just sat there in silence, shocked. He hadn't thought that the boy would feel so easy around him. "Really? You don't have a problem with me calling you 'Harry'?"
He simply smiled back. "Of course! It's better then calling me brat anyway."
Snape couldn't help it, he felt himself smiling back. "Than I would be obliged if you would call me Severus."
"And I would be obliged if you would kindly suck m-" Lucius was abruptly quieted, when a silencing spell was sent his way. It came from his son.
"Really, father! And people wonder where I got my mouth from." Draco said, indignation written all over his face.
"But I like your mouth, Draco! Especially what you can do with it." Harry exclaimed. He was enjoying watching Lucius trying to scream in horror, but was heard by none.
"We really are an odd group, aren't we?" Blaise had finally found his voice again out of nowhere.
"Yes, but we're a merry little odd group." Harry beamed.
/you're an insane little odd group/ Lucius thought to himself, having given up trying to talk.
"Are we going to get started, or are we going to continue chattering around aimlessly." Snape asked, trying to not laugh himself.
"Sure, Severus." /Severus/ Harry enjoyed saying to name. It was something that had never passed through his lips before.
Severus nodded to him, satisfied. "Granger, are we to get started?"
"Coming." She stripped off her jacket that she had been wearing in the castle. There was no need for any gloves, there.
Chapter 13
Chapter 15
