Black Truth

Chapter Thirty-Six: Marked as His, Marked as Mine

Hermione and Ron found Harry almost immediately after he and Draco stepped onto the school grounds. During their enthusiastic greeting, Draco slipped into the throng of students escaping from their last class of the day and Harry found himself guided to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"So what happened Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Draco won."

"What!" Ron sputtered. "How?"

Harry started to explain what had happened, but Hermione interrupted him.

"Harry, what's that on your finger?"

Harry looked down at the ring that sat on the ring finger of his left hand. The gold glinted and the diamonds sparkled in the afternoon light.

"Um… it's a ring?" Harry answered her question awkwardly.

Ron's hand shot out and grabbed Harry's, bringing it closer so that he could look at it more closely.

"This is an engagement ring," Ron said at length. When Harry didn't respond, Ron continued. "This is how Malfoy won, isn't it?"

"Yes," Harry said simply.

Hermione was watching Ron carefully, as if unsure of what the redhead's reaction would be. But she was surprised when Ron smiled cheerfully and leaned back in his seat with an almost wistful expression.

"Gotta give Malfoy credit for that idea, although I still would rather he lost. Did he mention yet when you'll be breaking it off?"

"No."

Ron shrugged. "Oh well. Can't do it that soon anyway. You'll have to keep up appearances for a while. Guess this is where we come in, right 'Mione?"

Hermione was still confused, looking between Ron's carefree expression and Harry's sullen one. "What Ron?"

"With your idea. Listen Harry, Hermione had this idea in order to keep all the other reporters off your back."

……………………………..

Hermione carefully watched Ron and Harry walk down to dinner. Harry was almost ignoring Ron's words, which at the moment focused on the question of what Malfoy had bribed Harry with in order to get him to go along with the appearance of engagement. But Hermione noticed that while Harry hadn't told Ron his idea was wrong, he hadn't enforced it either.

Hermione frowned slightly as they entered the Great Hall. She would have to talk to Harry soon and find out what was really going on.

Draco was surprised to see that Harry left dinner before him that evening. Then again, something had been off with Harry ever since they had gotten back to school from the trial. But the rest of the Golden Trio had looked the same as they normally did, so Harry couldn't have told Granger and Weasley about the engagement yet. Not that Draco blamed him. After all, his own ring lay under four or five concealment spells at the moment.

Pushing the rest of his dessert in Crabbe's direction, Draco stood up from the Slytherin table and followed Harry.

Harry walked down to the lake, completely unaware of the Veriae following him at a distance. He was torn between several emotions which were battling for control anger at Ron assuming that his engagement with Draco wasn't real, worry because maybe Ron was right, fear that Ron was right, self-loathing for being upset at Ron because there was no way Ron could have known Harry's feelings about the engagement. It wasn't as if Harry had told him. But how could he? From his reaction that afternoon, it was obvious that Ron was not ready to understand how his feelings for Draco had changed. Ron hadn't gone through what Harry had, so of course he couldn't understand this shift of emotion.

Harry sighed, shivering against the cold night air. And what would he do next? What could he do next? He knew that if he waited and didn't tell Ron it would just make things worse later. Ron would find out from someone else or in some other way and then he would feel that Harry had not trusted him, or worse betrayed him.

And then what if Ron was right? Draco had seemed serious. Very serious. And before that, when he'd brought up the option of engagement the first time, Draco wouldn't even think of it because he didn't want to have a fake engagement. But… Draco had never actually said they were truly getting married. They hadn't talked about it at all in fact.

"You know, I'm almost positive that it's been proven that standing around outside without warm clothing leads to problems with your health. But I could be wrong," a voice drawled from behind him and Harry looked up to see Draco watching him looking bemused.

"I needed to think about something," Harry muttered turning back to look at the lake.

"Does your mind not work unless it's below freezing? Come to think of it, that would explain a lot."

In spite of himself Harry grinned at Draco's comment as the blond moved to stand beside him.

"So what did they do this time?" Draco asked after a moment.

"What?"

Draco sighed. "It's obvious that something happened either before or during dinner to make you this way, and you were up in the Gryffindor Tower before that. So what did they do?" He explained as if he were speaking to someone who does not think very fast.

"Ron… said something."

"Ah, Weasel. I should have guessed."

"Don't call him that."

"When he's making you upset I'll call him what I want."

"I'm not upset."

"Of course, and that's why you're standing out here attempting to freeze yourself."

"He really didn't say anything… much. He just saw the engagement ring and asked me at what date we were going to break it off."

Draco glared at the snow on the ground as if it were offending him. "How uncouth."

Harry looked down at the snow as well. "We're… not going to break it off though, right?"

Draco was silent for a moment. "I'll explain my answer in two ways. Logic would remind us that even when we leave here, it will not change the fact that I am a Veriae and I am bonded to you. We will have to live together regardless, and would not be able to marry anyone else anyway. Therefore, there is no reason to break it off."

Harry felt hurt by this explanation for a reason he could not fathom. He would have to live with Draco for the rest of his life, he knew that. But just having that as a reason behind engagement and then marriage…

But Draco did not give him time to finish that thought because he continued speaking.

"And for the second way…" Draco's hand lifted Harry's chin so that Harry's eyes caught his own. The blond leaned closer to whisper in Harry's ear. "I will remind you that it is I whom you are engaged to. And I would not allow anything to break our engagement."

Draco's mouth found Harry's and Harry was lost in a tide of what made Draco… Draco Malfoy. Arrogant, possessive, self-assured, quick to anger, yet young, needful and Veriae. His arms wrapped around Draco's shoulders, drawing him close. He could feel Draco's hands slide down his cloak to rest at the small of his back, and he could feel the two rings Draco wore through his clothing as though they burned upon his skin. The Malfoy signet ring and the Malfoy engagement ring. The right one that, mirrored on his hand, marked him as Draco's and marked Draco's as his own.

Hermione looked up as Ron fell down into the sofa opposite her in the slowly emptying Gryffindor Common Room.

"I just sent Ginny to the owlery with the letters we wrote," she told him.

"That's good." Ron's voice sounded listless and uncaring. Hermione frowned, noticing his haggard appearance.

"What's wrong?"

"Everything!" Ron shouted, startling the two first-years who were whispering to each other in a corner. He fell back deflated against the sofa's back. "And nothing," he whispered. "I don't know what to do."

Hermione moved to his side and held out her arms to him. As he fell into their security she pulled him close. "What happened?"

"I saw them. Harry and Malfoy."

Hermione waited as Ron paused, not rushing his words.

"I don't think… that they're going to break off the engagement… ever."

"What?"

"I saw them kissing – again - down by the lake. I know they'd have to keep up appearances but that was going too far. Whatever they're feeling, it's real, Hermione."

Hermione rocked him slowly as he trailed off again.

"I don't know what to think! I don't know what to do! He's my best friend, but it… it's Malfoy!"

"But you knew Harry-"

"Yes I knew Harry liked him, Merlin knows I walked in on them kissing before, but that's not liking – what I saw down there." Ron sighed. "I just never thought anything real would come of it."

"Do you trust Harry's judgment?" Hermione whispered.

"I trust Harry. I don't trust Malfoy. If it were anyone else but Malfoy, I'd be happy for him!"

Hermione smiled. "I'm sure there are some people you'd have a problem with, Ron."

Despite himself, Ron grinned. "Yeah, I'd have a problem if it were Voldemort… or Snape… (1) But that still doesn't change the fact that I just don't like this… commitment they're getting into."

Hermione thought for a moment, staring into the fireplace and rocking Ron back and forth slowly. "Well, if you trust Harry to make the right decision about what his heart wants, then I think what you have to do is talk to Malfoy before you talk to Harry. You… we know Harry. We know that he's true to what he feels. We don't know Malfoy the way we know Harry. I think… before you make a decision on how to act about this, if they really aren't breaking off the engagement, you have to talk to Malfoy."

Draco almost ignored Medusa when she informed him that there was someone to see him on the other side of the portrait. He was almost finished with the last of the work he needed to do to catch up in his classes. But he put down his quill and walked over to the portrait-door anyway.

Ronald Weasley was the one who had been waiting.

"Harry's not here right now." Draco moved to close the portrait but Ron stopped him.

"I know. He's with Hermione. I want to talk to you."

Draco's lip curled. "And you assume that I want to talk to you. You are mistaken."

Ron visibly held back whatever retort wanted to come out of his mouth. "I need to talk to you about Harry."

Harry frowned slightly. Something was strange with Draco. He wasn't in danger but still…the bond was acting up.

"I have to go Hermione."

The girl looked startled. "Why?"

Harry smiled sheepishly. "I forgot my Potions book. I'll be right back."

As Harry escaped into the hallway, Hermione looked over at the books he'd brought with him.

"But your Potions book is right there…"

"Talk quickly Weasel, before you try my patience."

"You don't have any patience, Malfoy," Ron quipped before he could stop himself, "But I want to know what your intentions are towards Harry."

An eyebrow rose in a mocking query. "And what gives you the right to discuss that with me?"

"I don't need a right. I'm his friend. And I'm not yours. So while I trust his decisions, I question your motives."

"You're afraid I'll hurt him. Your fears are not unfounded, but I cannot hurt him any more than I can hurt myself."

"I know what being a Veriae entails, Malfoy, and that doesn't make me feel any better about this."

"Are you waiting for a declaration of undying love from me? Because if you are you'll get one. But if I were to say such things, I would say them in Harry presence and Harry's alone."

To Draco's surprise, a smile spread across Ron's face. "But I'll hear it at your wedding anyway, so what difference does it make"

Draco's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you asking?"

"I'm asking if when you kiss Harry, do you feel anything besides your own narcissistic feelings for yourself?"

"Get out of my sight, Weasley," Draco snarled. "Do you think I would kiss him if I didn't?"

And Draco slammed the portrait closed, ignoring Medusa's protests.

(1) I'm not saying these pairings are wrong! In fact, I read both of them!