A/N: You know what I hate even more than being sick? Relapsing. But, hey, at least I had enough time to get my nails done!
And thank you everyone who wished me well…it took a while, but I'm feeling much better! And, because ff.net decided to be weird, I finally figured out how yahoo! works, so I now have a yahoo!group in case ff.net acts up again and I want to post the next chapter – info for it is on my author page. Thanks again for everyone's awesome reviews!!!
Chapter 19: Sirius, Remus, Lucius and Bill
Dinner was, as usual, a noisy affair. Ginny sat between Pansy and Neville, chatting animatedly with the two older students as she ate. Harry sat next to Draco and Blaise, looking slightly uncomfortable in his new clothes, and wondering how in the world he was going to hide a few sets of his old clothes from his dorm mates for when he went back to the Dursley's. Wouldn't do to let them see all my new clothes, he thought with a sigh. Uncle Vernon would be after my money before I could blink. A twisted, wry smile flashed across his face as he pictured his uncle's reaction. God I wish I didn't have to live with the Dursley's anymore. He sighed and took a stab at his roast beef. He wasn't really hungry, but knew he should eat. The problem was, however, that nothing seemed particularly appetizing anymore – not since he'd taken the potion. It'll go away in time, he thought positively, ignoring the small, worrying voice in the back of his head. I'm sure it will. A long swig of pumpkin juice quelled his queasy stomach and he attempted another bite of mashed potatoes. They went down much easier than the tender meat – and had far fewer awful memories associated with it.
A loud scraping sound from the Head Table made Harry look up, curious. Snape strode down the aisle, his black robes billowing out around him impressively – as they always did. He has to have some kind of spell to make them do that, Harry thought absently, eyeing the fabric. I mean, that's just not natural…He had to blink a few times at the tall Professor when he came to a stop in front of the knot of Slytherins. Silently the Potions Master handed Harry a note, and then continued on down the aisle and out the Great Hall doors without looking back. The younger wizard stared after him for a moment, before turning the small piece of folded parchment over in his hands. His name was written clearly on it in the Headmaster's distinctive hand. Curious, Harry opened the note, not minding the fact that Draco was very obviously reading over his shoulder. He rather liked the warmth radiating from the larger boy, but tried not to show it. Draco leaned closer, bracing one hand on the edge of the bench on the far side of Harry, almost embracing him. Harry shivered faintly at the closeness and resolutely turned his mind back to the note in his hand.
Harry – it read, come to my office after dinner. And that was it. The dark haired boy frowned, wondering what the Headmaster could want. He hoped that Sirius and Remus had arrived, but the abrupt, shortness of the note had him worried instead. Maybe he needs me to – to take the Potion again, he thought with a distinct chill running down his spine. Draco looked from the note to Harry and back again, a small frown also flashing across his face.
"Do you know what he wants?" the blond murmured quietly in Harry's ear. He shook his head faintly, folding the note back up and slipping it into his pocket. He looked up at the Head Table and noticed Dumbledore watching him carefully. Harry nodded once, faintly, knowing the Headmaster would see it. A small smile crossed Dumbledore's face, not wholly putting Harry's nerves to rest; the Headmaster would see the positive side to everything – even the Apocalypse.
"I haven't the faintest clue," Harry muttered back. "I don't think it's bad news, but with the Headmaster, who knows?" Harry shrugged and looked back down at his plate. The congealed mass of half eaten food made his already roiling stomach pitch all the harder, so he pushed his plate away firmly. Draco sighed and looked at Harry crossly as he moved away slightly. Harry missed the added warmth from Draco's proximity.
"You do need to eat, you know," the blond said dryly, folding his arms across his chest crossly. Harry rolled his eyes.
"Yes, mother," the dark haired boy muttered, looking away. Draco elbowed Harry sharply in the ribs, causing the smaller boy to squeak in a most embarrassing fashion, catching the attention of the rest of his Housemates. Harry could feel heat flood his face, and he elbowed the blond back just as hard. Draco's eyes narrowed, but before his hand came in contact with Harry's ticklish side, Pansy's foot acquainted itself with his shin – hard.
"Ouch! Pansy!" Draco hissed, hunching over slightly, rubbing weakly at the welt forming on his shin. That bloody hurt! His anger dimmed a little when he heard Harry snort with laughter and wink at the blond girl. It's good to see him acting so lively, Draco thought positively, pushing down the strange surge of anger that came over him when Harry had winked at the blond girl.
"Thanks," the dark haired boy said with a grin. Draco glared at Pansy, who raised her eyebrows at him innocently; a small, satisfied smile hovering around the corners of her mouth.
"Not at the dinner table, Draco, really. Save it for later," she said primly, glancing over at Millicent and catching her eye. Harry's grin faded and a mock hurt expression came over his face, not seeing the exchange between the two girls.
"Oh, I see how it is," he sniffed dramatically, making Ginny roll her eyes and him and giggle faintly, with the rest of the Slytherins joining in soon after. Harry relaxed and joined in with their laughter after a moment. It felt so good to just joke around with people, he realized. It was this type of camaraderie, this relaxed acceptance from his Housemates that he had missed the most.
After dinner Harry made his way to the Headmaster's office – escorted by a curious Draco and a chattering Pansy. Both blondes were tenacious in their refusal to let Harry go alone to the Headmaster's office, and the dark haired boy had simply given in to their demands in the face of their stubbornness. He was quite firm in having them stop at the gargoyle, though, and he left them there, looking rather put out, with a promise to have the Headmaster or someone else escort him to the dungeons. Draco seemed especially worried – he seemed to think that the Gryffindors were up to something, but exactly what it was, he couldn't say. The two blondes stayed until Harry was safely past the gargoyle and the animated sculpture had moved back into place. Only then did they leave.
Harry mounted the circular steps quickly, trying to suppress the nervous feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. He really, really wanted Sirius and Remus to be waiting for him at the top of the steps, but was afraid to hope too much. His more pessimistic side was informing him of all the lovely, horrible things that could be waiting for him instead. Shut up, he told his subconscious fiercely. You have no idea what he wants you here for, so quit making mountains out of molehills. We have to have a clear head for whatever we encounter…and when the hell did I become we? He mentally smacked himself and tried to get his quickly panicking thoughts into some resemblance of order. He reached the top step, wiped his sweaty palms off quickly on his robes, took a deep breath and entered the office with his head held high.
"HARRY!" the shout had the boy almost jumping out of his skin, and before he could react, strong arms picked him up in a bear hug and swung him around in a circle. Harry could barely breathe, trapped in the circle of Sirius's arms – but he didn't care. Sirius was here, was in the office and really, truly, didn't hate him. A small, shaky smile came over Harry's face as Sirius danced around with him, attempting to blink back the sudden rush of tears.
"Black! You imbecile, put him down!" Snape's sharp command made the ex-convict pause for a moment, and then sweep Harry around in another circle. The animagus wore a large grin plastered across his face as he held his godson in his arms.
"Harry, Harry, Harry!" Sirius chanted, making a brief face at the scowling Severus before finally putting him down. Harry staggered a moment, attempting to get his breath back, trying not to sow how shaky his legs were. His godfather looked him over and his cheerful expression faded a bit. He took hold of Harry's shoulders gently and helped him find his feet.
"Harry?" the younger wizard hid a wince at the concern that colored the animagus's voice. He really didn't want his godfather to worry about him – well, any more than usual, that is. Sirius had enough to worry and stress about, the last thing Harry wanted to do was add to that. He quickly looked up into warm, concerned eyes and smiled brightly.
"S'ok, Sirius, really. I'm fine," he said quietly, ignoring the faint snort that came from one corner of the room. The concerned look didn't go away, however, but the older wizard let the topic drop. With another maniacal grin, Sirius pulled Harry close again and dragged him over to the couch where Remus sat, watching the ex-convicts antics fondly. Harry let himself relax slightly, reveling in the feel of Sirius being there, filling the room with his presence.
"Hullo Profes – er, Remus," Harry stuttered, still unused to calling the werewolf by his given name. He shifted slightly and Sirius's arm came around to steady him carefully.
"Hullo there, Harry," Remus said warmly, his eyes moving over the small form. He stood and pulled Harry into a large hug, catching Sirius's eye and frowning briefly. "We came as soon as we could." He let the younger boy go reluctantly, and it was only then that Harry managed to see who else was in the room.
Harry noted with no little relief that the only other person in the room, besides the frowning Potions Professor, was Dumbledore. The Headmaster was seated behind his desk, looking on at the reunion fondly, a small smile on his face. Professor Snape stood near the fireplace, stiff and uneasy as he watched Sirius manhandle Harry's person.
"Really, Black. Take care with your godson, he doesn't need you throwing him about," Snape spat, eyes narrowing as he looked on. Sirius looked as though he were about to snarl back an unpleasant reply when he stopped and snapped his mouth shut. He glanced at Remus once, his lips thinning a bit, before turning back to Harry. This time he looked the boy over carefully, holding him at arms reach so he couldn't squirm away. He didn't like what he saw. He's far too thin, Sirius noted, and I don't like those bags under his eyes. It looks as though he's not been getting enough sleep. Sirius frowned and pushed Harry over to the couch, making him sit down, hovering over him for a moment. The ex-convict looked back over at the Potions Master, trying to quell the childish urge to sit his tongue out at the other man. Remember, he seems to care about Harry. He's being nice to him, he's his Head of House. You mustn't curse him or make his life hell, you promised Remus. You have to save your anger for those…other…bastards. Sirius could barely contain his rage at the Gryffindors – he wanted nothing more than to storm over to the Tower and beat some heads in and then some. When I get my hands on that little Weasley bastard… Taking careful control of his anger, he plopped himself down next to Harry, slinging an arm around his shoulders and stretching his feet out in front of him.
"So, kiddo. You gonna tell us what exactly has been going on these last few weeks? Oh, wait!" Sirius yelped when Harry opened his mouth, stopping him before he could begin. The lanky animagus sprung to his feet and bounded over to the pile of bags located in the corner of the room. From one of the smaller packs Sirius withdrew a notebook, a quill and a pot of ink.
"What are you doing, Sirius?" Harry's amused voice asked from behind him. Sirius straightened and spun around dramatically, holding out the supplies with a flourish.
"Why, we have to have a list, of course. Names, people, Houses, dates of the infractions…" Sirius rattled off with a smirk. Snape cleared his throat faintly, and the ex-convict halted on his way back to the couch. The Potions Master took a few steps towards Sirius and held out a thin scroll.
"The names Mr. Potter may – omit, due to misguided optimism," Severus said dryly, ignoring Harry's scandalized expression. Sirius cocked his head to one side and looked Snape in the eye. The Slytherin was regarding him evenly, with barely any trace of a sneer on his face. The animagus slowly reached out and took the scroll from the other man, nodding faintly as he did so. Snape nodded once, sharply, in reply, and then folded his arms into his robes, drawing them around him like a protective shield. Sirius watched him for another moment, before returning to the couch. Well, that was unexpected, Sirius thought privately before the two older Gryffindors set to dragging out all possible information from the young man. Unexpected indeed.
In best Marauder mode he and Remus grilled Harry for every name, every incident, every prank that had been played on him so far that year. They fully intended to pay back each and every single one. Severus left soon after the Sirius and Remus had begun, murmuring something to the Headmaster about a visitor arriving that he needed to meet. Sirius watched the other man go from the corner of his eye – to think that Severus Snape would willingly, willingly, help out with a Marauder project. Amazing.
Unobtrusively, Sirius unrolled the small scroll that Severus had given him as Remus engaged Harry's full attention. In neat, spidery handwriting, the Potions Master had outlined a relatively long list of names, with a list of suspected and confirmed pranks listed in a neat column next to them. Sirius had to shake his head in amazement, Slytherins – they would have information on just about everything. With a small chuckle, Sirius tucked the scroll away in a pocket, and then turned back to his godson, reaching out to tousle the messy hair. Harry ducked away playfully, but with a smile. Sirius felt his heart clench painfully – how could anyone believe that Harry could become the next Dark Lord? That he's evil? Sirius threw an arm around the boy's shoulders – unable to help the sheer physical need he had to reassure himself that Harry was real, was alright, was alive. I'll do my damnedest kiddo. I'll not let them hurt you anymore, he promised fiercely. A quick glance up at Remus showed the werewolf mirroring his own thoughts. They shared a long look over the top of Harry's head, solemn nods promising each other they would never let anyone take Harry away from them again.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Draco walked back to the Slytherin dorms with Pansy, a pensive frown on his face. He didn't like leaving Harry alone in the Headmaster's presence, he feared that the wily old wizard would get the dark haired boy to take another draught of the Vision Potion, or some other such thing that could potentially harm him. Again. Damn it, what can't the old man leave Harry alone – even for a few months? Just long enough to let him get back on his feet? Draco brooded. The blond had noticed Harry's continuing lack of appetite, and the dark circles under the green eyes – symptoms that worried Draco greatly. He needs his sleep, he needs his rest. The last thing Harry needs is some crazy old coot driving him insane. Draco sighed heavily and stuffed his hands in his pockets, unhappy with his inability to change the situation immediately. Pansy paused in her chatter, long enough to give him a long, thoughtful look before returning to her current topic. She, Millicent and Ginny needed to have a very long conversation soon, it seemed.
A pleasant surprise awaited them, however, on one of the plush couches in the Slytherin Common Room. Draco's father was sitting quietly near the fire, the light playing over his face as he stared into it broodingly. Draco broke into a large smile and he quickly made his way to the older man.
"Father!" he exclaimed happily. Lucius looked up sharply at the sound of his son's voice and his hard, icy expression softened by a few degrees. The icy blue eyes flicked over Draco and then to Pansy, before returning to his son.
"Draco," he said, a faint smile creasing lines around his eyes and mouth, betraying his cold mask for what it was. Draco knew his father loved to laugh, but never in public, never where the world could perceive some softer, nicer view of the Malfoy family. No, for the public the Malfoy mask was kept firmly in place, set to breed stories of the family's icy indifference and cold-hearted cruelty – just like they wanted it to.
"I thought you had to go to Paris this weekend?" Draco asked, seating himself next to his father. Pansy excused herself quietly, giving the two Malfoy's some time alone. Both Lucius and Draco spared her a brief smile in farewell.
"No, I decided to put the business trip off. Severus sent me a note, requesting to meet this weekend. Something to do with the," Lucius sneered faintly, "Weasley family." Draco cocked his head to one side.
"They publicly disowned Ginny, Father. Their paranoia and fanaticism has broken all boundaries of convention and propriety." Lucius nodded in agreement, leaning back into the deep couch, a clouded look coming into his eyes.
"Yes, the news is spreading through society like wild fire. The Daily Prophet ran a scandalous article on it – did you see?" Draco pointed out quietly. Lucius's eyes narrowed with suppressed anger. Draco shifted slightly on the couch to face the other man.
"No, I didn't I'm afraid. How bad was it?" Let me know now, so I can buffer Harry and Ginny the best I can, Draco thought with a mental sigh. Lucius's prolonged silence filled the younger wizard with a sinking feeling. Oh god, it can't be that bad, can it? He certainly hoped not.
"It was – highly inflammatory. That blasted Skeeter woman is a menace. The Weasley's are being portrayed as the victims in this mess – that fat cow of a mother is hamming up the press, bemoaning the terrible scandal of it all and how it was the 'last thing this poor, destitute family needs'" Lucius spat, one hand tightening on his familiar cane. Draco's mouth drew down into a compressed line, as anger rushed through his system.
"Memorized that, did you?" Severus appeared at the end of the couch, startling them both severely. The tall, lanky man smirked at the started father and son, before lowering himself down in the chair closest to Lucius. Both blondes scowled at him briefly, which only served to make the other man smile even more. It was very rare that Severus got the jump on Lucius, and he would lord it over the other man for as long as he could.
"No, I did not, thank you very much. But the atrocious style of writing does tend to stick with you," Lucius snapped, sniffing slightly with distain. Severus sighed and shook his head.
"That woman…" he trailed off, bowing his head slightly and absently studying his hands where they lay in his lap. "No, it goes beyond her. Everything has been pushed so far out of focus it's hard to conceive."
"Anything the Dark Lord does is hard to conceive. What's hard to believe is that one of his plans is actually working this time; Potter can't fight this enemy all on his own. And to think of that…" Lucius said quietly, blue eyes becoming dark. "A Potter in Slytherin. His father must be rolling over in his grave," the last comment was accompanied by a pleased, feral grin. Severus chuckled slightly, a small, vindictive smile creasing his own face before vanishing. Draco was still unsure as to what exactly had happened between Severus and James to make the Potions Master hate his old school mate with such a passion. He knew it wasn't that the elder Potter saved his life once – no, it wasn't that. Well, it wasn't all that – there was something else, something that his godfather refused to talk about, and Lucius refused to comment on. Draco didn't push the issue, though; if it was vital for him to know, then one day he would. If not, well then…he'd have to go wanting for the rest of his life, for Severus would be dead and gone before he gave that particular secret up, Draco knew.
"So, what was so vital that I had to put off an important business meeting in order to meet you?" Lucius broke the small silence that had fallen over them, his small smile taking the sting out of his words. Severus shook his head slightly, as though he were clearing memories from his mind.
"Ginny, er Nobody. I wanted to talk to you about her – situation," Severus said delicately, wincing over Ginny's new last name. Lucius's mouth thinned as he thought the problem over.
"She is penniless – not that that is much of a change for her, I'm sure. But the lack of family name and history – that is a sore blow indeed. At least with her status as a member of the Weasley family she could have secured herself a good marriage with another pureblood family, and at the very least a job. But without the family name…" Lucius pursed his lips slightly, thinking.
"Dumbledore said there was a spell that could be performed that would give Ginny back a family name and heritage," Draco said quietly. Lucius looked at Draco silently for a long moment.
"Yes. The Familius spell; at least, that's the only one that I know of." Lucius paused, and looked away from his son, past his lover and into the fire. "It hasn't been performed in centuries. Perhaps even a millennia. I have no clear memory of just what exactly it entails, nor do I have a clear memory of the many clauses that came with it. What I do remember is that for a person in Ms.Wea…excuse me, Ginny's position, she has to wait out a designated period of time…I believe it is a month or two, before she can be adopted into another family. I would need to look the spell up, however, to be sure." Lucius folded his hands in his lap quietly, still looking into the fire. Draco sighed and his shoulders slumped slightly.
"I had been hoping that she wouldn't have to wait at all," he said sadly. Severus nodded in agreement. Lucius merely shrugged elegantly.
"Such is the nature of magic," he said blandly and finally looked back at his lover. "Anything else?"
"Yes, what of Percy Weasley's new 'division'? Any news? The Headmaster is most curious." Severus leaned forward in his chair, black eyes intent on his lover. Lucius frowned again.
"The people I have talked to have absolutely no idea what this division is about, nor have they ever heard of it. I have a few of the office assistants digging around for me, but no information has come up. Personally, I believe that young Mr. Weasley has switched sides," Lucius said sourly. Draco nibbled on his lower lip.
"But…from what I vaguely remember of him, Percy always seemed to be too good for words. He was a prefect, a goody goody. Why in the world would he…" the younger wizard trailed off, thinking. Lucius's mouth twisted unpleasantly.
"He is an intellectual, Draco. No doubt his intellect told him that there would be no way for a young child to defeat an older, more experienced, far more evil wizard and thus decided to join the 'winning side'. It would be the most logical, safe bet for him." Lucius's tone was self-mocking. He'd been in Percy's shoes once before – although he'd been far more eager to join the 'winning side' – and for different reasons, no doubt. Winning side, indeed. A bloody madman, with…tastes…that I have no intention of letting him indulge. Give Draco over to him indeed…and besides, his ideal version of the world is impossible to create. The fool knows nothing of breeding…even pureblood lines know that once in a while new blood has to be brought in, otherwise inbreeding occurs. And with that you get results like Great Uncle Tiberius. Lucius twitched slightly at the memory of his deformed, completely insane relative.
The man had been the offspring of a pair of first cousins, who were extensively related to each other through previous generations' intermarrying. Tiberius had been born with twisted, useless legs, a harelip, and numerous other deformities that mangled his appearance beyond all boundaries of normalcy. It didn't help that he was also clearly, and utterly insane – when left alone he would more than happily burn down everything around him, as well as fly into awful, bloody rages at the drop of the hat. Even with all that against him, his family had managed to marry him off to a squib of some rank. Tiberius was the heir of the French side of the Malfoy line – all the rest of his siblings were female. It had been up to him to carry on the family name – and he did, with two sons, a miracle though it was; his poor wife…Lucius swiftly broke off his train of thought – the last thing he wanted to be pondering was his great-uncles' sex life.
"Can you expose the division for the scam that it is?" Severus asked, watching the older blond intently. Lucius shook his head sadly, forcing his thoughts back on track.
"Unfortunately, no. That lack-wit Fudge is convinced that it is a completely legitimate division of the Ministry. Exactly how that man ever came into power…Arthur and Percy have not, so far to my knowledge, been working together; do pass that on. Arthur has been more than normally hostile lately, even his sycophants are noticing the change. I do believe his wife's attitude has finally become ingrained in that spineless worm," Lucius sneered unpleasantly. He'd always been disgusted by Arthur's inability to stand up to his wife; it was simply atrocious how that woman commandeered the redheaded man's life, home and children. A man should take a firm stance in his child's upbringing; the Malfoy line prided itself in taking a large part in their children's upbringing and development – perhaps because of the small number of children born to the line. The Malfoy's had never been a particularly fertile family.
"And the Daily Prophet?" Draco asked. Lucius's expression lightened considerably.
"That is something that I may just be able to do something about. I almost have controlling stock in the paper – I should within the next month or so. And when I do, I can completely reform the entire staff to my liking. Then the paper will only print what I deem it fit to print," Lucius smiled wolfishly. He'd been wanting controlling interest in the paper for ages; he'd bought his first shares in it when he was just barely older than Draco. And now the investment pays off, Lucius thought with no little pleasure. Ah, power; the Slytherin basked in the idea of being able to control such a large flow of information to the wizarding world. Draco's face lit up as well.
"Excellent!" the young man said. "Perhaps then society will finally wake up to reality," Draco snorted. Severus and Lucius shared a small look – society would never truly wake up, they knew that. But with the right guidance, it could be made to come to terms with some obvious truths.
"Perhaps, indeed," Lucius said quietly, gripping his cane tightly and smoothly coming to his feet. Severus stood as well. "If you'll excuse us, Draco. Your godfather and I have some – other – matters to discuss," the older blond said with a smirk. Draco sent his father a flat look, telling him he was far from fooled, but waved the older wizards off with a negligent hand. Draco was content to stay up with one of his textbooks, watching the dorm entrance for a certain, dark haired individual.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*
"And only then will we release the stink bombs," Sirius finished, a grandiose sweep of his arm punctuating his plan of attack. The Headmaster had exited the office soon after Severus, leaving the three to their own devices – Albus wanted to be just as surprised as the rest of the staff when the three began their attack. It wouldn't do to look as though I were in on – anything, Albus had decided as he retired to his bedchamber. The small knot on the couch had barely noticed his departure.
Harry sat quietly between his godfather and Remus, a rapt expression on his face as he listened to Sirius's over plan. He knew the Marauders were good, but hearing the laid out plan, something that was obviously sprung from revengeful, sleep deprived minds – it was a truly stunning creation indeed.
"That, that is amazing. Completely amazing. When do we start?" the green eyes focused on the black haired man in front of him narrowly, a small fire burning in their depths. Sirius's face split into a wide grin. That's my boy, the ex-convict thought with pride.
"As soon as you want," he answered. Harry nodded slowly, and then abruptly cocked his head to one side, as though an idea had just struck him.
"I want to get Draco and Blaise, and any of the other Slytherins, in on this as well. I know some of them are itching to get back at my – er, at Gryffindor House in any way they can." Harry still stumbled sometimes when naming Gryffindor as a separate house from his own; the ingrained identification with the prideful house was hard to break. Sirius pursed his lips slightly and thought swiftly.
"Yes, that would be do-able. Then we could hit more than one year level – it would help in disguising just who did what prank," Sirius rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "We wouldn't want the suspense to be short lived, now do we?" the rakish grin he sent to the other two on the couch had them smiling back. Harry yawned and covered his mouth hurriedly, a small voice in the back of his head – sounding suspiciously like Draco – admonishing him for not covering his mouth fast enough.
"'Scuse me. Sorry," Harry muttered. Sirius snickered and nudged Harry's shoulder with his own.
"Those stuffy Slytherin manners seem to be rubbing off on you right quick," the older man teased. Harry blushed hotly and Remus chuckled at him, patting his forearm gently while shooting Sirius a glare.
"There's nothing wrong with being polite, Harry. In fact your godfather here could do with some lessons too," the smaller man said teasingly. Harry spared the werewolf a small smile while Sirius stuck his tongue out at him.
"Do not!" the ex-convict protested. Remus snorted abruptly and began to laugh, covering his mouth with his hand to hide his mirth. Sirius harrumphed loudly and folded his arms crossly, sticking his bottom lip out outrageously. Remus only began to laugh harder, and Harry soon joined in.
"You just sounded exactly like you did when you were ten," Remus finally said with one last snort. Sirius puffed himself out indignantly, but finally began to chuckle as well. Harry leaned against his godfather, relishing the fact that the older man was there, was sitting next to him, an arm looped around his shoulders. Having this one small moment was like coming home – it certainly felt more like home than any other place he'd ever been. He sighed, closing his eyes contentedly, feeling a soft drowsiness come over him, listening to the two men banter back and forth – not paying attention to their words, but rather to the soothing qualities of their voices. He felt safe with his godfather and Remus there, safe and loved.
Remus trailed off quietly as Harry's eyes slid closed. He hadn't missed the signs of wear and tear on the younger wizard – the werewolf fully intended on having a long conversation with the Headmaster as to why exactly Harry looked the way he did. And, if all else fails, I'll ask Severus, the werewolf decided. He wasn't fooled at all by the lanky Potions Master – Severus cared for the boy, it was obvious to anyone who truly cared to look. The next thing to expect is Severus getting out his own old supplies and joining in on our little – venture. Not that it would be particularly bad, in Remus's opinion, to have the full backing of the resident Potions Master. It would certainly make getting the potions we need a whole hell of a lot easier. Remus snorted softly at his thoughts and turned his gaze to Sirius. The ex-convict was watching over Harry worriedly, a small, pained expression on his face. He's brooding again, Remus thought with a mental sigh. Oh Lord. Sirius was, by his nature, a happy, rather psychotic individual who preferred taking direct and swift action immediately. But when he brooded…Remus decided it was time to step in.
"Siri? We need to get him to his dorms. He can't sleep here," the werewolf said softly, reaching out to touch the other man's arm. Sirius's head snapped up and he nodded silently after a moment. Gently the black haired man shook the younger boy awake.
"Harry, Harry wake up. You need to head back to the dorms, and neither Remus nor I remember how to get there," Sirius whispered. Harry muttered incoherently and turned further into Sirius's loose hold, unwilling to wake up. "C'mon, Harry. Or one of us will carry you, and trust me, Murphy's law being what it is, someone will see us," the small stab to Harry's boyish pride had the younger man waking up, cracking open one eye fractionally.
"That was evil," the boy muttered and Remus snickered. The werewolf stood slowly and grabbed Harry's arm gently, tugging insistently. "I'm up, I'm up," he muttered, pulling away from Sirius reluctantly and fixing the placement of his glasses. With a put upon sigh, Harry stood, swaying slightly with exhaustion.
"This is silly. I shouldn't feel this tired," he said with a frown. Remus looked over Harry's head to Sirius, who was also looking faintly worried.
"Well, a few good hours of sleep will have you fixed up in no time, eh? Now, lets get you off to bed," Remus said with a false cheer. He would definitely be having a conversation with Dumbledore in the morning. Harry nodded once and made for the door. Sirius sprang to his feet, changing into Padfoot before Harry got more than a few feet away. All together they tromped down to the dungeons, Harry chattering quietly to Remus, while Padfoot kept a close eye and nose out for any and all hints of danger.
*_*_*_*_*_*
Sunday morning breakfast was always loud and late in Hogwarts. The older students, most usually having stayed up to all hours of the morning, regularly came down late to the Great Hall. Ginny, Pansy and Millicent had decided to come down earlier, in order to grab the best from the breakfast dishes and also in order to watch the other Houses as they shuffled in an out of the Hall. Pansy had decided it was up to her to teach the newest female Slytherin the ins and outs of their House's eyes and ears program. Ginny had been a more than willing to learn.
As they ate, Pansy outlined how on the weekends there was at least always one knot of Slytherin students in the Great Hall the entire day – the schedule was intricate and highly detailed – to all intents and purposes the clusters that drifted in and out of the Hall seemed perfectly natural and accidental. I never knew they put so much planning into this, Ginny thought with respect as she watched the people around them chatter on without a clue.
"And there," Pansy was saying softly as she buttered her toast. She gestured slightly with her knife towards the Ravenclaw table, "there, did you see the fourth year Ravenclaw slip that note to the sixth year Hufflepuff as they passed each other? We've had our eye on them for a week now. We haven't been able to get our hands on the note itself, but we're pretty sure they're passing along information to their parents. It's just what information they're passing along is what we want to know, that way we can be prepared in fighting it." Pansy explained quietly. Ginny nodded quickly, trying not to let her eyes linger on the Ravenclaw table for too long. She toyed with the stem of her goblet, running her fingers through the gathered condensation. She glanced up at the windows, hoping to see an owl flying towards her with a letter from Bill.
She'd sent a letter off to her eldest brother days ago, hoping that it would get to him before her Mum – before Molly's did. So far she hadn't received a note back from the radically dressed curse-breaker, and Ginny had decided to take that as a positive sign. At least I didn't get a Howler from him too, she thought, sighing slightly. Pansy glanced at her briefly and lapsed into silence, letting the redhead get lost in her own thoughts.
A little while later, Harry and Draco found their way to the table. Harry looked rested for once, a fact that Ginny took substantial pleasure in. As did Draco, she noticed after a moment. She was about to lean past Millicent to hiss a question at Harry when a stir near the Great Hall entrance caught her attention.
Bill Weasley stood framed in the doorway, his hair disheveled and a wild light in his eye. He wasn't staring at Ginny, as a small part of her feared he would – but rather at her brothers. Her brothers who weren't paying attention to their eldest sibling's stare. Her former brothers who were looking towards the Slytherin side of the room with glee in their eyes. Her former brothers who never saw the tall, thin form of an irate Bill Weasley bearing down on them, intent to raise holy hell.
Bill strode down the long aisle of the Great Hall, his dragonhide boots squeaking softly in the dead silence that had come over the room. Ron finally looked up just as his brother drew even with him, and managed to catch the full impact of the flat of his brother's hand to the back of his head.
"Ow! Bill! What was that for?" Ron whined, one hand rising to rub at the sore spot at the back of his head. Hermione glared up at Bill, as did the other Gryffindor's near them.
"What did you do? What did you do? Are you absolutely, positively out of your bloody fu-freaking mind?" Bill stuttered, glancing up at the Head Table briefly. Dumbledore had yet to rise from his seat, and Minerva had her arms crossed firmly across her chest, a small, satisfied look in her eyes. Bill turned back to an astonished Ron, ready to continue. "You – you – you worthless excuse of a wizard! Ginny is our sister and you turned your back on her? You agreed with Mum on some totally bizarre, impossible rumor? A rumor that you would have scoffed at not four months ago!" Bill raged, towering over Ron and the rest of the Gryffindor table, his face going a deep shade of purple as he vented his sleep deprived anger out on his brothers.
"I can't believe we're even related. Hello, does the BLOODY TRI-WIZARD TOURNAMENT mean anything to you? You know, the one where Harry – bloody – Potter – your – best – bloody – friend saved your sorry, miserable excuse for a hide?" Bill snarled, spittle flying from his lips. "You – you – you weak minded, miserable worm." Ron paled to a deathly white; an anguished expression flashing across his face before anger began to seep into him. Bill then turned to the twins, who were sitting across the table from him.
"And you," Bill began, shifting in his stance to face them clearly. "I don't know where to begin with you. First of all – congratulations on becoming first rate bloody pillocks as well as being hypocritical assholes to boot. How, tell me exactly how you can sit there, happy as clams, using the money that Harry, Harry, the boy you now hate, gave you to further your joke business?" There were gasps from around the room. Fred and George both colored hotly, while looking down in shame.
"Oh, that's right, look down. Be contrite. Nothing you can do will ever, ever be able to make up for what you've done to Harry, and most especially Ginny. How could you? She's your sister! Blood sticks with blood – no matter what!!! How many times, how many bloody times have you sworn, sworn to be there for her? How many times have you told her you'd accept her as she is? How many bloody times?" Bill roared. He paused, waiting for them to answer. None came and a grim, unpleasant look came over Bill's face.
"So. You can't even answer that without choking, eh? Good God above – Mum's completely off her rocker, you know that? And she's also wrong about one more very important thing," Bill leaned over Ron, staring the now angry boy dead in the eye. "Ginny isn't the one that has disgraced the Weasley name. It's you, all of you – Mum, Dad, Percy, the twins. You've all had a hand in ruining whatever pride and dignity we once had. I'm disgusted to call myself related to such a pile of rubbish. You hypocrites, you weak minded fools, you oath-breakers," Bill spat vehemently. From around the room murmurs sprang up, and people began to whisper behind cupped hand to their neighbors. Harry propped his chin in his hand and stared over at Bill with wonder in his eyes.
"Ginny – Bill is awesome," Harry said quietly to the shocked redhead. All Ginny could do was nod faintly, her eyes never leaving the form of her eldest brother. Bill stood abruptly and straightened his clothing meticulously.
"I, William Edmund Weasley do hereby sunder every and all ties with the Weasley family. I do hereby forfeit all associations, histories and obligations with them. I also do hereby give up the surname of Weasley for a yet to be chosen new family name. So witnessed, so decreed," Bill's voice rang out over the completely silent Great Hall. Ron's face twisted in panic – he reached up and grabbed a hold of Bill's coat, fisting his hands in it.
"Bill, no! Take it back! Undo it – say jinx, say you crossed your fingers!" Ron pleaded, his anger vanishing. Bill forcefully removed Ron's hands from his clothing and smoothly took a step back. He contemplated his distraught brother for a long moment.
"No. It's no less than you deserve. And I refuse to associate with oath-breakers…bad for business," Bill spat viciously. Tears filled Ron's and the twins' eyes as they stared at their once-brother. "No, it's no less than what you deserve after all," the older wizard finished quietly, his normally calm demeanor sliding back into place. He spun on his heel sharply and marched away from Gryffindor table, heading for the still shocked teachers who watched him approach silently.
End Chapter 19
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Redrum, bthatcher2002, xikum, carshaa, Jamie Lynn Potter, Moonfairy2000, NayNymic, IceTastesNice, Kristine Thorne, SephyGirl, RaynieceMalfoy, Minerva-Severus-Dumbledor, annon, The Shadow Bandit, Lady Cinnibar, Leelu, Kris, Jaded*Secrets, Kira, thistle5, azntgr01, tracey, venenatus.venustas, Caela, Ysabell, Phoenix Tears, insanechildfanfic, care, Heather, Shaelynn, Stormy1x2, Belle, Ren, desertwren, Lu, Dragonphly, Relle, Anonymous, Jarik, Dreamer, S. Wing, Coriel, Prongs, Rhiannon, Tenshi-Chikyuu, shakiya, Kirsu, Fiera, Harmoni, Eirian, tamz, Ice, Tanya Dinocrisis01, Pip, In-the-Shadows, AeTeRa, Prongs, Lukaret, Fatalonie-The Grinning God, Magic Light Dragon, Nox, chlorine, A, Pauline, Dillon, JoFarries, tristhe, kellyerielf, : THANK YOU ALL FOR THE AWESOME REVIEWS!!!!!!
Athenakitty: Bill will be very loud, and very nice to his sister. Harry's going to have some choice words to say to the wizarding world! Thank you for another amazing review!
Kathi C: Ah. Well. One will try. If there was an authors note telling ya'll where the group is, then I've figured it out. If not, I'm either a) still fever induced and hating most everything technological or b) completely stumped. And yes, you're right =)
Lady FoxFire: Yes, but that wont be for a while yet =)
Usagi Serenity Yui Cosmos: Yes =) Er, this probably won't be femslash, though. And unless I get beaucoup emails hollering for it, it will stay that way.
Angel-liam: Dot/dog, you got the point anyways. Yes I meant to say dot, but perhaps blur would have been a better word choice. And yes, it's a dog.
SparkySparkles: The Charlie-muse in my head is firmly ensconced in Romania and won't leave. I keep trying to include him into the story, but every passage I write with him in it turns out stilted. So, I'll keep trying – he will appear at one point, dammit, even if I have to drag the darn muse out by her hair and make her write! =)
Isilme: Draco would know about Sirius via his father, who knew who Wormtail was, or at least that's the logic I'm using =)
Arianrhod: some good suggestions! Thank you!
Renee Fay: I'm not much of a shopper, myself =) Well, no, I amend that. I can book shop for hours at a time, and can loose an entire afternoon in a shop that holds nice sharp pointy objects =) But as for clothes – more than an hour in a department store gives me hives, or an allergy attack from the perfume!
Megs, Vixenchick: The fifth book does not exist in my reality, dammit. He lives. ::maniacal grin:: He lives.
Mae: I have no idea really how long the story's going to be. It does have an end, which is plotted out. The chapters just keep multiplying, though =) The story will end at the end of 5th year. There are sequels planned.
AnImE-FrEaK: She's not going to be adopted by Harry, nor the Malfoys. But that's all I'm going to say =) She will be adopted though =)
DcSolstice: I'm not sure how many chapters total the fic will be…they keep multiplying on me. =)
Anonymous: I try to update as often as I can. The lull has been caused by me getting incredibly sick…and then relapsing =/
Shakiya: you'll have to wait and see =) Thanks for reviewing!