Come the Maëlstrom

Chapter 24

Harry really didn't know what was up with Remus. He'd been acting somewhat skittish since they'd left the courtroom. Sure he and Severus were being taken to their lodgings for the night, but that wouldn't have been the problem. Maybe it was all those photographers that were waiting for them outside the courthouse. Or maybe something stank really badly and only the former Marauder could smell it. He didn't know but it was starting to make him worry. Remus almost always never acted like this. Hell, he'd practically badgered the watch wizard into allowing him into Harry's room for some private words.

At the moment, the werewolf was sitting at the foot of Harry's bed with a thoughtful frown on his face, still not speaking. Harry glanced at him every so often from the head of the bed he lay stretched across, flipping through the latest copy of Witch Weekly that was in the room. He felt a little nauseous at the sight of so many articles and theories speculating what happened to him, as well as what appeared to be a good amount of witches, and the odd wizard or two, claiming to be carrying his child.

After a few more minutes of the tense awkward silence, Harry flipped the magazine shut and shifted, sitting up to face Remus fully. "All right, what is it?"

"What?" Remus looked up at Harry in slight surprise.

"You know what I'm talking about," Harry said after a moment. "You've been sitting there looking as if someone ran over your cat."

Remus simply gave Harry a curious, piercing look. "That's because I don't quite believe what happened today."

"With that Bella woman? That's nothing to –"

"Outside the courtroom, Harry."

"All right, so I got a bit mad. I didn't mean to make their cameras explode. They just wouldn't stop and –"

"Not that Harry," Remus replied. "Though I can't say that I am pleased with you for doing that in the slightest."

"Then what is it?" Harry asked as he ran a hand through his hair a bit lazily.

"The full moon is approaching. Four days left..." Remus began pointedly.

"Yeah, and..." Harry looked at him; just what was Remus getting at.

"You know what happens when the full moon approaches," Remus said quietly as he rubbed at his temple.

"Yeah, and..." Harry repeated once more; sure, their sight became a bit better, their hearing and sense of smell sharpened, they pretty much became a true wolf trapped in a human body. "I'm failing to see how this connects with the courtroom in any manner."

"Do you know how sharp a werewolf's sense of smell can get Harry?"

"No; I just know that it gets sharper as the moon approaches."

Remus didn't say anything for a moment. "In a room crammed full of people, a werewolf could track down just one person."

"All right," Harry said.

"Before when I smelled that scent on you..." Remus shook his head. "I couldn't quite figure it out. I managed to track down who I thought it was in Hogwarts."

Harry's mouth immediately went dry; he suddenly had a very bad feeling about where this was headed. "And?"

"You certainly haven't been in some sort of relationship with Draco Malfoy. He smelled... different, too young. But you have been with a Malfoy... an older Malfoy, haven't you Harry?"

Harry swallowed hard as Remus' eyes bored into his. "Wh-What exactly are you referring to?"

"That won't work Harry," Remus said in a quiet, warning voice. "I caught Lucius' scent today; it's the exact same scent that was all over you... marking you."

"Fuck..." Harry muttered as he broke Remus' gaze and looked down at his hands; he was really going to get it now.

"What happened Harry?" Remus' tone softened a little. "He didn't... he didn't rape you did he?"

"What?! No! He would never do something like that to me!" Harry exclaimed angrily.

And in that precise moment, Harry felt like cursing himself. There was nothing but surprise written all over Remus' face. If there was something he could do to indefinitely spell his mouth shut, he would have gladly done it now. It looked like Remus was preparing to ask him a ton of questions that would undoubtedly be difficult to answer.

"So," Remus began after a moment. "What is it you're not telling me? Or rather what you've not told anyone else?"

"Where do you want me to start?" Harry muttered.

"The beginning sounds like a good place."

"The beginning of all this?" Harry frowned. "Only if you don't get angry. You can ask questions but just don't get angry and don't draw conclusions until I'm done, all right?"

"I think I can manage that," Remus said evenly after a moment.

Harry gave him a nervous look before he took a deep breath. "Well, you know when I disappeared during that battle? I wasn't alone. Lucius was with me."

"But, you said you were pretty much alone until you were found by Ernesto and Valencia," Remus' brow furrowed. "Why did you lie?"

"I didn't lie. It was simply an... omission," Harry looked anxiously at Remus. "And for all the help that Lucius was at the time, I might as well have been alone."

"You and Lucius Malfoy were together for three months?"

"In Spain, yeah," Harry said, shifting his gaze to stare at his hands once more. "We had no choice but to get along; well, to try our best. About a week into it, we didn't have to try so hard to get along. It got easier and easier and... uhm... stuff."

He could feel a slight flush spreading over his face. Remus was watching him closely.

"Merlin Harry do you realised you just lied on the stand?" he finally said.

"How so?" Harry asked. "I wasn't about to volunteer than information. Besides, I doubt she could, or would have known about it. Dumbledore probably had my disappearance kept all hush-hush."

Remus frowned. "An omission once again?"

"She didn't ask, so I didn't tell. I know that the witness stand has anti-fibbing spells on it; Miss MacDougal told me that. But it seriously does depend on how you view certain things."

"Jeez, I think you just found the loophole that the judicial system doesn't even know." Remus muttered. "So you and Lucius have been... together?"

"Yeah," Harry muttered. "Two and a half months in Spain...it was great," he couldn't stop the wistful smile of reminiscence from coming to his face. "Coming back to England has made it all hellish."

"You've been with him twice since you've both come back?"

Harry nodded his head. "The first time I ran into him by accident; I didn't even know he was in the school. The second time was just after we finished brewing the Cruoris potion."

Remus didn't say anything for a long time, simply contemplating Harry, before he finally spoke. "Is this why you decided to come and testify?"

"Partially," Harry said, feeling his face start to burn. "I really don't want him to call in the favour in some other manner... if you get my drift."

Remus raised an eyebrow at that and Harry decided that keeping his eyes glued to his hands was a very good idea. After a few minutes of silence a sigh came from Remus' direction and the bed springing back as he rose from his seat. When Harry hazarded to look up, he found Remus pacing on a small spot of the floor.

"So you two ended up in Spain, formed some sort of truce but ended up in a relationship?" Remus asked before pausing and then speaking once more. "A consensual relationship?"

"Yes," Harry said in a small hesitant voice.

"You certainly don't sound sure." Remus said a bit sharply.

"Well, I'm expecting you to simply lose in a few seconds," Harry replied. "And, to be honest, you're scary when you're really ticked off. Terrifying is more the word."

"I'm doing my best to avoid that," Remus said after taking a deep breath. "What I'm trying to figure out is why; why Lucius Malfoy of all people."

"It not like I pick the person I fall in love with," Harry said as he made his way to the edge of the bed. "But I'm glad it's him; better him than someone else. He doesn't treat me like a celebrity; he doesn't treat me like glass. He just... erm," Harry glanced at Remus. "He treats me like me; nothing else."

Remus halted his steps and swung his gaze back to Harry once again and looked at him for a long moment. "Love? It's only been what, a little over half a year since you've gotten involved with him. And at least half of that time has been spent away from him; how can you claim to love him now?"

"You sound like you have a problem with this..." Harry finally said after a long moment of silence.

"I can't deny that. You're just hitting me with one new thing after another. First you admit you weren't alone when you were in Spain, then you tell me you were with Lucius Malfoy of all people. Next you tell me you've been in a relationship with him, and implied that there was intimacy, and now you're telling me that you love him..." Remus took a deep breath. "I think I've been doing extraordinarily well given the circumstances. Anyone else might have flipped out and started hexing things left right and centre."

"True..." Harry admitted in a small voice.

Remus resumed his pacing and ran a hand through his hair. "I wonder how Dumbledore will take this."

"Dumbledore can keep his big nose out of it," Harry mumbled.

"Pardon?" Remus asked incredulously.

"Never mind," Harry said quickly, knowing that Remus had heard every word. "At least you're not visibly angry."

Remus gave a peculiar sort of wry grimace before his face immediately fell. "But you're happy with him?" he asked finally.

"Very," Harry said, his brows furrowing together; just what was Remus getting at now.

"You're positive?"

"Beyond positive." Harry said firmly.

Remus snorted. "Considering the way he marked you, I'd have to say that it's reciprocated," he didn't say anything for a long moment before he faced Harry squarely. "I can't say that I'm..."

"Pleased?"

"No."

"Happy that we're happy together?"

"Not quite."

"Thrilled?"

"... That'll do. A lot of Lucius' past stands against him. And he does seem to have genuinely changed. But I swear to Merlin, if he does anything to hurt you, I'll rip him apart limb from limb."

Harry blinked in the face of the snarled words. It seemed so very unlike Remus. "Er... all right... I'll make sure to tell him. And you, you're going to be all right with this?"

"It'll take me a good long while to get used to the fact. But so long as you're consenting, happy and he's not forcing you to do anything, I'm not about to interfere. It's your life and, like you said, it's not like you can choose the people you fall in love with."

"Thanks Professor Lupin!" Harry said, feeling immensely relieved.

"I really don't know why you keep insisting on calling me that. Remus is fine you know." Remus grumbled.

"All right then... um... Remus. It sounds a bit odd calling you that."

"Give it some time," Remus sighed. "I really should get going. I'll bet the watch wizard outside is about to have a fit since I've been in here so long."

"And Professor Snape is right across the hall. Anyone trying to get to me would have to get through the watch wizard and probably Professor Snape and then me with my wand. I'm perfectly fine," Harry said.

Remus nodded his head. "Then I'll leave you to get some rest. You did get all your essays done, right?"

"Yes," Harry said. "All I have left to do are the optional N.E.W.Ts; I'll probably do those after I get adjusted to my new wand."

"All right then," Remus smiled suddenly and ruffled Harry's hair. "Try to not wear out the watch wizard, all right?"

"All right," Harry said with a grin.

He couldn't stop grinning as Remus walked to the door and slipped out with a small wave of farewell. Once the door closed shut, he flopped back onto the bed, grinning goofily at the ceiling. He hadn't given much thought to anyone else finding out. But he felt immensely grateful that it was Remus who had found out and hadn't criticised him for it.

"That really wasn't so bad..." he murmured.

This had to be the most nerve wracking morning of his life. Lucius knew what the verdict would be. But still, he didn't want to take any chances until the judges handed it down. Up until that moment, anything could still happen. He was standing in the front foyer, in his best robe, waiting for Valerian to show up.

The silence in the foyer seemed oppressive, as if someone was watching him with taciturn disapproval. He had half a mind to go and have a conversation with Bastion when the sound of someone Flooing in made him look over; that and the general cacophony of someone nearly missing a Floo landing.

"Jeez you're Floo fireplace is dangerous! I swear it looked like I was perfectly fine and then bam! I'm lurching to the side in an attempt to stay steady and not fall flat on my face."

"And good morning to you as well, Miss Tonks," Lucius said with a sardonic smile curving at the corners of his mouth.

She grinned at him, dusting the Floo powder from her robes. "Morning Lucius. Hope you don't mind that I couldn't make it yesterday. Valerian got me though. Said he wanted to go and speak to Harry so I'm taking you to the courthouse today."

"Not a problem," Lucius said simply as he gestured back to the fireplace.

"Give a witch a moment! I could have cracked my head against your floor."

"Proving once again that you're not exactly the inept Auror." Lucius quipped.

"Ah, just be quiet." Tonks chuckled as she shook her head slightly. "So, got everything you need with you? Not forgetting anything?"

"And just what could I possibly be forgetting? Clothes?" he asked dryly.

Tonks looked at him before screwing up her face and sticking her tongue out at him. Lucius gestured to the fireplace once more, this time including a slight bow. He could hear her mutter something about irony and sticking it somewhere as she motioned for him to enter the fireplace first. She squeezed in beside him, grabbed his arm and flung down the Floo powder.

When they arrived in the main hallway of the courthouse, a veritable chaotic press of bodies greeted him. There were camera flashes going off in all directions and reporters with quills and parchment in hand, already doing their best to get their questions answered.

"Daily Prophet! Did you know Harry Potter would be attending your trial?"

"Wizard's Liason! What's your connection to the Boy-Who-Lived?"

"Oracular! What do you think your final verdict will be?"

"Bombastic Monthly! Is it true that you've funded certain activist groups? That you continue to fund them? For what reason?"

"Witch Weekly! Are you really sleeping with Severus Snape? What's the true nature of your involvement with him? Was he your illicit lover?"

Lucius did his best to ignore the questions as they were flung at him. But they seemed to rile him up almost immediately. Tonks seemed ready to jab a few people in the eye with her wand, as she did her best to get them a clear path to the courtroom door. Once they managed to get in and force the door closed once more – with the help of watch wizards – he made his way up to the front while Tonks took a seat in the front row. As he sat down beside Valerian, he could hear Tonks' voice.

"Harry!" she whispered. "Great to see you here."

"Hi Tonks!" Harry murmured back. "It's been awhile hasn't it? Did you manage to wade through the reporters all right?"

"Yeah, suppose so. I think I was about ready to hex a few of them. I know they need a quote or something, but really, they can be so obnoxious about it."

"Hey, better than Rita Skeeter, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Being disgraced like that certainly wasn't something she planned, was it?"

"Nope. Thank Hermione for that; she got sick of that bug's malicious–"

"Lucius," Valerian hissed as he leaned over. "You got here just in time. The judges are coming out now."

Lucius looked up to see the side door opening and saw the figures of the six judges coming out. Everybody in the galleries rose, a hushed silence falling over the courtroom as the judges walked up to their bench and settled themselves in their seats as comfortably as possible. After waiting through a few second of this, everybody sat down. Lucius wasn't quite too sure if he was holding his breath or not as he sat back down in his seat.

"Don't worry, you're fine," Valerian murmured under his breath. "You can breathe you know."

A soft gust of breath left Lucius as he glanced over at Valerian; the man had a semi-pleased smirk on his face. He shifted his gaze back to the table in front of him, focusing on his folded hands. It was certainly better than looking up at the judges and simply increasing this feeling of anxiety inside him.

"Now," one of the judges began; Lucius fixed his gaze at some point just below the surface of the bench. "If neither the defence nor prosecution have any more witnesses to call..."

"None your Eminences," Bella stated in a very sour tone.

"None as well your Honours," Valerian said as he rose.

"Very well then. As this is a closed trial, we too it upon ourselves to deliberate last night; less chance of any undue influences," the judge paused before speaking once more. "This trial has been landmark in many points and certainly was drawn out much longer than anyone anticipated..."

Lucius stifled the urge to roll his eyes and leaned in towards Valerian slightly. "Are they going to keep this pace up?"

"Probably," Valerian nodded his head imperceptibly. "Just try to look engaged. Or appropriately humble, whichever suits your mood more at the moment."

The urge to snort in disgust was overpowering, but Lucius managed to suppress it. The judge droned on and on. It was starting to numb Lucius' mind and he felt his eyelids growing heavy. A vague thought of whether this judge was a distant relative of Binns was pushed from his memory as Valerian nudged him abruptly in the side.

".. and it is the decision of this panel that Lucius Malfoy shall not serve time in Azkaban."

There was a split second of silence before the entire courtroom erupted into a general sound of outrage. Lucius closed his eyes in relief. Even in all the noise, he could feel a pair of eyes resting on him, and he could have sworn they felt immensely pleased. He would not turn around to even glance at Harry. He knew he was be possessed by an irrational urge again; this time, he'd probably want to walk right up to the Gryffindor and kiss him in front of everyone there.

The judge waved his gavel about imperiously and then called over the watch wizard. A few moments later the thunderous sound of the gavel being pounded down repeatedly and furiously. The babble took a good while to die down. The judge was glaring down his nose at everyone, as if that alone could get them to shut up. Once silence had come back to the courtroom, he spoke once more.

"Upon the condition that his activities be monitored for the space of 9 months; should you prove to engage in any suspicious activity Mr. Malfoy, you will find yourself back in this courtroom in less favourable circumstances, have I made myself clear?"

"Perfectly, your Honour," Lucius replied as he rose and bowed slightly.

"Good, Miss Nymphadora Tonks has been assigned to monitor you and you will listen to and do as she instructs," Lucius easily heard Tonks disgruntled mutters about a mother who must have been barmy. "Now in regards to your wand, come next Monday you will be able to buy one without fear or reprisal. All your tainted assets have been stripped away and all manner of questionable goods removed from your home."

Lucius simply arched an eyebrow slightly at that; what wasn't sold off to Borgin & Bourkes fell into the definite category of grey; not exactly good but not exactly bad either.

"if you can make it through the nine month period, you shall be perfectly free; think of it as a probationary measure."

The judge gave a rather evil, sardonic smirk before he banged down on his gavel imperiously and rose, the other judges rising along with him and filing out from the courtroom. Lucius turned to look at Valerian who looked just as surprised as he did.

"Probationary period?" Lucius spat out.

"That I wasn't anticipating," Valerian murmured as he rose with a furrow in his brow. "We'll discuss it back at your manor. That is untainted, isn't it?"

"It is." Lucius said simply.

"Good, then let's get going."

"Hey, I'm coming with you!" Tonks piped up. "Gotta set up some ground rules, all right Lucius? Shouldn't take too much of your time."

Lucius turned to look at Tonks and nodded his head slowly. Both Tonks and Valerian fell into conversation and he followed after them, but he found his gaze straying to the spot beside where Tonks had been sitting. Where Harry had been sitting and currently wasn't.

"Lucius! Come on!" Valerian said impatiently. "I' haven't got all day you know!"

He flicked an annoyed look at his barrister; the man always got testy when the outcome wasn't exactly what he wanted it to be. He made his way over and walked towards the doors between Tonks and Valerian through the crowd, looking back at that empty spot every so often.