Crossing the Line by: GiddyGirl15
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter…yada, yada, yada…don't sue!
Warning: Harry/Draco slash. And R rating. Dear lord, I hope I actually will get to write some action in this one!
Author's Note: Hiiii! Well, here's my next installment. Thank you to everybody who reviewed last time…it really didmake me happy ! Anyway, I'm planning to go out of town for the last week of July, so the next installment may be a little late…just a heads up. So, without further ado, I give you chapter 5!
Chapter 5: Surprise!
"Harry, get up! Get up you useless lug! We are going to miss breakfast if you don't get your lazy arse out of bed right now!" Ron smacked Harry in the head with a pillow. Harry groaned in frustration and retreated beneath the covers completely. Ron sighed. "Dumbledore asked us to meet him for breakfast, don't you remember? It's got something to do with the Order and we need to go now!" He ripped the covers off Harry's boxer-clad body and hit him repeatedly in the head with the pillow.
"OUCH! Get off, Ron! I'm up, I'm up! Sheesh." Harry sat up and grabbed his glasses off the bedside table. He made his way over to his trunk and pulled out his robes, grumbling about the exorbitant brightness of the sun. He was especially exhausted this morning because his sleep had been troubled with dreams of Draco. Dreams where Draco was just beyond Harry's reach, and Lucius had him by the throat. Harry's dream-self watched helplessly as Draco was murdered by his father. Over, and over, and over again. The worst part about it was the feeling he would get at watching Draco's lifeless body fall limp to the ground. He couldn't quite identify it, but he knew it was not a feeling one normally has about his arch nemesis. And then there was that last dream. The one that had been so rudely interrupted by a certain loudmouth Weasley. Draco had been crying, tears streaming down his face, muffled sobs escaping his pink lips. And he, Harry, had reached up and wiped away a tear from Draco's perfect skin. He had cupped his chin and leaned in – then Ron had woken him up.
Still half asleep, Harry stumbled into the bathroom to brush his teeth. He splashed some cold water on his face and ran his fingers through his hair. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, Harry tried to contemplate what his puzzling dreams meant. He couldn't help but notice the involuntary leap of his heart every time the mere thought of Draco entered his mind. He couldn't help but notice the way Draco's pearly white hair fell about his face with such a dignified grace. He couldn't help but notice how easy it was to get lost in his stormy gray-blue eyes…but what does this mean? He asked himself for what seemed the hundredth time. Well, I guess it means that I don't hate him anymore, but that's not such a bad thing is it? But does it mean that…that…I might feel…something more? No. The thought was just too absurd. He couldn't possibly have…feelings…for Draco Malfoy that didn't have something to do with vicious manslaughter! No. Enemies didn't just suddenly fall in love. Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Oh no, no. I am NOT…in love. No. It's just a…a thing…a purely platonic thing…yeah…umm…oh this is ridiculous! I'm not even gay! Nope. Definitely not. So then what the hell is this feeling? He brushed his teeth quickly and headed out to meet Ron, putting his confusing thoughts about Draco out of his mind for the time-being.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed immediately toward the staff table to hear what Dumbledore had to say. He bid them a good morning and conjured up a couple of chairs for them to sit on. "I expect you all know why you are here," he said. "As you may recall, outside of Hogwarts, the Order of the Phoenix is currently working very hard on recruiting members of the wizard community to the Light side. Although convincing some people is proving tricky, others are jumping at the chance to stop Voldemort's reign of terror. Now, it has come to my attention that –"
"Sorry I'm late, Professor. I –" Draco stopped in mid-sentence as he noticed his company. "What's this then? I was under the impression that we were to be discussing certain private matters, sir," Draco glared around at the trio. He had received an owl from Dumbledore the previous night stating that he wished Draco to join him for breakfast to discuss his current situation. He groaned inwardly as he realized that Dumbledore had invented some new way to make his life even more of a living hell by introducing it to the sodding Golden Trio yet again.
Like Draco, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were suffering similar confusion as to this new addition to the meeting. They looked around at Dumbledore, eagerly awaiting an explanation. Dumbledore just smiled at the foursome, the usual twinkle in his eye that meant he had something up his sleeve. "Surprise! I present to you, the Hogwarts Order of the Phoenix." He grinned broadly, gesturing at the four students. "Now, I realize that this previous year, you, Harry, held a secret invitational organization to teach students Defense Against the Dark Arts since you considered the current teacher a…well, you did not think that she was teaching you proper defense. This new organization is going to be much like that in it will aid students in defending themselves against Voldemort, but it will be very different in its setup. First off, the class will be open to anyone and everyone. Second, the meetings will not only consist of learning to protect oneself from Dark magic, but also learning to identify and, if the need arises, use it. Lastly, this group will be led by not one teacher, but four," he gestured importantly at the foursome. "You four are going to be responsible for recruiting students and conducting combat classes to train them. You will equip them with weapons and knowledge; prepare them for the impending war. We will make our own little Order inside Hogwarts walls for students who feel the need to assist us in the battle against Voldemort. I have chosen you four to initiate this because your combined strengths may be just enough to lead us to success in our attempt to destroy Voldemort. Hermione, your brains are legendary; you are the brightest witch of your age. Along with that, you are brave, unafraid to stand up for what you believe in. It's a good combination. Ron, your greatest strength resides in your loyalty. You would go to any lengths to ensure the safety of your friends and family, even at the cost of your own life. That is a highly valued attribute in times of war. Draco, you are cunning and fierce. Your knowledge of the Dark Arts and your fast thinking would be a great asset to the Light side. And Harry. Harry, you are the epitome of a hero. You are brave and loyal, and you have the right impulses to get you and others out of trouble. The only things you lack are covered by your accomplices. Together, you four will be a strong force of good, perhaps even stronger than some in the Order, and you will help lead us to victory against Voldemort." He looked around expectantly. Draco had his eyebrows raised in disbelief, mouth slightly agape. Hermione looked focussed and driven, ready for anything. Ron looked frantically around at his friends, hoping to share a look of horrified disgust. Harry looked anxious. He stared at Dumbledore uncertainly, hoping against hope that he was joking. There was no way they could possibly pull it off, what with homework, the newly started Quidditch season, and the fact that it meant he and Draco would have to work together. There was just too much that could go wrong. "Well," said Dumbledore quietly, taking their reactions in stride. "I trust you will take this opportunity to formulate some strategic planning. And I do expect you all to behave yourselves mind. We can't afford mistakes," he looked slightly drained. "The war is closer than you can even imagine, and I am counting on you four to be the teachers to those seeking to help. Good luck," he dismissed the four bewildered students and grabbed a piece of toast from the beautifully adorned breakfast table. Dear Merlin, I hope this works.
"Of all the crazy schemes!" Ron exclaimed as he sunk into the armchair in the Gryffindor common room later that night. "Honestly, a Hogwarts Order? You've got to be kidding! How are we ever gonna pull this off!"
"Well, we'll have to try, won't we?" Hermione said tiredly. "It's clear that Dumbledore is worried. I mean, the fact that he's now attempting to enlist a bunch of student wizards and witches to aid him and the Order in the fight against Voldemort says a lot. It says that Dumbledore doesn't think the adult Order will be able to handle it alone, so he's enrolled a sort of back-up army of students. We're going to be like a second line of defense," she looked very anxious and distraught. "The fact that he's willing to sacrifice students' lives means that things are worse than we initially thought. I don't know if we'll make it out of this," she wiped away a tear with a frustrated hand. "What are we going to do?"
"Well it's obvious isn't it?" Harry said, turning to his companions. "We're going to have to fight. We're going to have to battle like there's no tomorrow. And we're going to have to train for that battle. Harder and faster than ever before," (Cue the inspirational music.) "We've been idle for so long, but now we have a chance to actually make a difference and fight for what we believe in. I think Dumbledore is right: we're the last piece of the puzzle. It may mean losing a few friends, but I think if we can pull this off, we'll actually have a chance of winning this war. We'll talk to everyone…anyone who'll listen. We'll be prepared; which is something Voldemort will never suspect. We'll be ready for anything that him and his filthy, slimy, devil-worshipping Death Eaters throw at us. If we put our minds to it, we can win." Never before had Harry felt so sure about anything in his entire life. Somehow he knew, right then, that they actually had a chance.
"Harry, mate, you're talking crazy," said Ron. "This is huge! It's not just some after- school club. Dumbledore has put an enormous responsibility on us…we are in charge of peoples' lives!"
"What I don't get is why he's putting us in charge and not the teachers! I mean, sure we do well in school and all that, but that doesn't mean we're qualified to become battle instructors!" Hermione looked thoroughly confused.
"Well the teachers can't just go around teaching kids how to fight. They've got their own things to worry about…I'm sure Dumbledore has them doing all sorts of things to try and protect Hogwarts and come up with ways to keep the students safe," said Harry logically.
"So now it's up to us. You, me, Hermione, and…Malfoy. Why the hell is he having Malfoy help us train the students anyway? I mean, I get that he's not so hot within the Death Eater circle and all that right now, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's completely reformed!" Ron exclaimed suddenly, voicing one of his biggest concerns. "Where's the proof that he's not just playing us! He's a Malfoy and I'll be damned if I ever trust that worthless piece of shit!"
"Calm down, Ron. I'm sure that Dumbledore has perfectly legitimate proof that Malfoy's on our side," said Hermione reassuringly, though she looked doubtful.
"Wait!" Harry exclaimed. "I actually have proof!" With that, he sprinted up to the boys' dormitories, leaving behind a very bewildered Ron and Hermione.
Back upstairs in the boys' dormitories, Harry frantically searched through his book bag. "Aha!" He found what he was looking for and returned to his friends in the common room.
"Found it!" Harry said triumphantly as he entered the common room once more.
"Er…found what?" Ron asked, eyeing the little dark green book in Harry's hand.
"Dra – Malfoy's journal!" Harry held up the book importantly.
"Oh Harry, you didn't!" Hermione said, exasperated. "I can't believe you stole Malfoy's private property! This is beyond low, Harry."
"I didn't steal!" Harry said defensively. "Two days ago I ran into him in the hallway and both our books spilled and I accidentally picked this up!" Hermione looked at him disapprovingly. "What? Anyway, that's not the point. There's this one passage – "
"Harry James Potter! You actually read it!" Hermione looked absolutely appalled.
"What! I was curious okay!" He continued, looking away from Hermione's livid expression. "The point is that I think he really is on our side and we can trust him! Here, listen to this:" Harry flipped to a marked page in the middle of the journal. It was slightly difficult to read due to the multitude of tear drops blurring the ink, but he was able to make it out. It read:
Dear Journal,
I'm scared. I hate to admit it and I hate that it's true, but I am. I am absolutely bloody terrified. Daddy's gone, Mum's dead, and You-Know-Who and all his psycho sadistic goons are after me. I've had to resort to running to sodding Dumbledore for fucking protection! I'm living in a bloody stinky cave and eating fucking disgusting rats and I haven't showered in three fucking days and I'm fucking sick and tired of hiding. And I WOULD go to You-Know-Who I would! But I just know deep down that they're fighting a losing battle. And the fact that I'd be risking my life just to send a bunch of half-crazed lunatics off on a Muggle killing spree, well, it just doesn't appeal to me. Sometimes I hate that I was born a Malfoy.
Draco
There was an awkward silence as Harry finished the passage. He had discovered this entry the previous night upon searching through the book for something interesting. It was this, more than anything else that led him to believe in Draco's transformation. He looked up at Hermione and Ron to see identical stricken, half-disbelieving expressions.
"It sounds like Dumbledore hid him in the cave just beyond Hogsmeade," said Ron, still slightly stunned by the book's revelations.
"Yeah, sounds like it," Hermione's voice was hollow. She looked as though she was about to cry again. "I never thought I'd feel sorry for Draco Malfoy,"
The trio was silent once more, each contemplating the horrors of what Draco went through. The animosity toward their onetime arch nemesis gradually faded and grew to a feeling of pity and remorse. Even Ron, with his and Draco's not so admirable history, found it in himself to feel sorry for him.
"Well," said Harry quietly, breaking the silence. "Now that we've established Malfoy's honesty, I think I'm going to get some sleep." With that, he trudged up to his four-poster bed and collapsed into it. Without even changing into his pajamas, he nodded off into Draco-filled dreams and uneasy sleep.
Back in the common room, Hermione let the tears she'd been holding back fall freely. Ron moved over to the couch where she was sitting and pulled her into a warm embrace. He knew exactly what was going through her head; he felt it too. Murmuring sweet nothings in her ear he slowly stilled her tears. "Everything will be alright, 'Mione, just wait," he said reassuringly, although he had no idea if that were true.
A/N: All done! This one was depressing man! I think I'm gonna need some therapy! Thanks for reading everybody and I swear I am going to find a way to make Draco happy one way or another in the next chapter…even if it means intoxicating him with laughing gas: runs off to find laughing gas : See you in a little more than a week! Bye!