Palanmenel - thanks, sorry this took so long, real life's been hectic!
'Mes - you'll see what Dumbledore wants soon! Thanks for the review!
Chelle - Different is good! Predictable is boring! Thanks for the review, and as to what the twins look like, well you'll have to wait for a while for that!
Poisonus plants - Thanks! More coming up!
Saimhe - Thanks, and you'll find out what Severus is up to!
Chapter 6
After tea that night Harry and Draco found themselves heading to Dumbledore's office with their father. Neither had any idea as to what was going on.
Upon reaching the office, Severus said the password and the three entered. Dumbledore greeted them and then the four of them sat down; Dumbledore behind his desk, Severus in front of it and Draco and Harry a little to one side.
"Now then," Dumbledore started. "Severus, you know why you're here and I beg you once again to reconsider. Do not put the boys through this, I beg of you."
"Put us through what?" Draco asked for both himself and Harry.
"Quiet, Draco," Severus scolded him. "You were saying, Headmaster?"
"Severus, you can not, I repeat, can not, put Harry and Draco through this."
"I assure you, they can handle it."
"Can handle what?" Draco once again spoke up.
"Draco!" Severus' voice held a clear note of warning and Harry put a hand on his brothers arm to calm him down. Severus and Dumbledore were still glaring at one another, Draco was confused and Harry was confused and uncomfortable with the situation. What was his father going to put him and his twin through?
Turning his attention back to what was happening in the room he found his father and Professor Dumbledore still arguing.
"Do Draco and Harry even know what you plan on putting them through?" Severus was asked.
"No, not yet," the Potions Master answered calmly.
"Then I suggest you tell them!" Dumbledore rarely lost his temper but he was coming close to this night.
Severus looked across to his sons. "Harry, Draco," he began, "I have to go away for the first four or so days of the summer holiday," he told them, "and you can not come with me. For this reason I have arranged for you to stay with Tom."
Draco's mouth dropped open and Harry's eyes went wide. "As in Voldemort?" Draco just had to ask.
"Yes," Severus told them.
"You have got to be joking!" Harry choked out, eyes still wide behind his glasses.
"No," Severus was still calm, but Harry and Draco shared panicked looks.
"Father, you can't!" Draco protested. "You can't do this to us!"
"You see Severus," Dumbledore injected back into the conversation. "The lads clearly do not like this idea and I have already offered to look after them myself whilst you are away. I am sure that they will find plenty to do, both here and at my house."
Both Harry and Draco nodded eagerly. "Please Father! Can we stay with Professor Dumbledore, please?"
Severus gave them both a stern look and they backed down. "We're not going to get into an argument over this are we?" Severus asked them lightly, although there was a hint of steel in his tone.
"No Father," Harry and Draco answered together, subdued.
"Good," Severus told them, and offered them a rare smile. At that moment Harry just wanted to bury his head in his father's chest and cling to him, knowing that Draco wouldn't be far behind.
Severus stood and smoothed two sets of hair. "Well, that's settled then, you will stay with Tom for the first four days of the holidays and we'll hear no more about it."
"Yes Father," came the dutiful chorus back. Dumbledore looked like he was ready to explode and Severus ushered both Harry and Draco out of the office in front of him.
"Father?" Draco asked once they were near the entrance hall. "May we go for a quick walk outside?"
"Please, Father," Harry added. "I could use some fresh air after that."
Severus agreed and escorted the twins outside. Dusk had yet to fall and the last of the daylight was filtering through the gaps in the trees in the forbidden forest. Not many students were out as it was close to curfew and they met no one as they walked quickly down to the lake.
Dusk had fallen by the time they got back to their quarters and Harry and Draco went and retrieved green jumpers to put on, for it was chilly in the dungeons, although Draco was slightly used to it, being in Slytherin House.
Re-emerging from their room, Draco went into the dining room to find their father and Harry curled up in a chair, reading a Charms book. He had decided that the next time he was at Diagon Alley he was going to buy some extra books, which he didn't need for his lessons, with his own money, to read in his spare time.
A little while later Draco re-entered the room and curled up near Harry with his own book, one on Defence Against the Dark Arts, a subject that his father said he needed to improve him. Not long after that Severus entered the room and took a vacant chair and was looking through an old picture album, which he was sure Harry and Draco would love to get their hands on, but for now, he let them read.
It was approaching nine o'clock when Harry looked up from his charms book for the first time, he was very interested in the passage he had just read on 'Cheering Charms' when he noticed that his dad was looking through something. Getting up quietly, so as not to disturb either his father or Draco, he crossed to where his father was sitting and perched on the edge of the chair.
Severus looked up from the page he was on, which contained a very nice and rather cute, even in Severus' opinion, picture of Harry and Draco together when they were about five months old, he pulled Harry down onto his lap, much to his son's surprise. Harry settled his head on his father's shoulder and glanced across at Draco, who was still deeply submerged in his Defence Against the Dark Arts book, which was the standard book, which they used in class with Quirrell.
It was only five minutes however, until Draco did look up and found his Father and brother curled up together on a chair. He walked over and looked down at what they were studying. He smiled when he realised it was a photo album, but he couldn't figure out which lad was him, he and Harry really were identical. However, in this picture they both had hats on and he couldn't see the eyes clearly, so he didn't know what they looked like without the charms on. He sighed in frustration, which caused both Harry and Severus to look at him, whilst Severus pulled him onto his lap as well.
"What do we look like without the charms on?" He asked and Severus just laughed.
"You'll find out soon," he told them both mysteriously and flipped to the pictures of him and Lily when they still attended Hogwarts.
When half nine came he sent them both to bed. Leaning back on his pillows Harry turned to look at his twin. "What is dad thinking? Sending us to stay with Voldemort? Uh, I mean Tom," Harry asked.
"I'm not sure, dad must really trust him," Draco answered, slipping under the covers.
"I don't like this idea, I don't like it at all," Harry told Draco.
"Neither do I, but it's not like we can change anything," Draco said softly.
A little while later Harry and Draco were just dozing off when Severus entered the room and placed a kiss on both foreheads. "Everything will be alright, I promise," he said to the silent room. He left and shut the door.
In the darkness two sets of eyes opened and across the room, gazes locked.
Please, please, please review! Oh yeah, and what's everyone's opinion on the Order of the Phoenix?
'Mes - you'll see what Dumbledore wants soon! Thanks for the review!
Chelle - Different is good! Predictable is boring! Thanks for the review, and as to what the twins look like, well you'll have to wait for a while for that!
Poisonus plants - Thanks! More coming up!
Saimhe - Thanks, and you'll find out what Severus is up to!
Chapter 6
After tea that night Harry and Draco found themselves heading to Dumbledore's office with their father. Neither had any idea as to what was going on.
Upon reaching the office, Severus said the password and the three entered. Dumbledore greeted them and then the four of them sat down; Dumbledore behind his desk, Severus in front of it and Draco and Harry a little to one side.
"Now then," Dumbledore started. "Severus, you know why you're here and I beg you once again to reconsider. Do not put the boys through this, I beg of you."
"Put us through what?" Draco asked for both himself and Harry.
"Quiet, Draco," Severus scolded him. "You were saying, Headmaster?"
"Severus, you can not, I repeat, can not, put Harry and Draco through this."
"I assure you, they can handle it."
"Can handle what?" Draco once again spoke up.
"Draco!" Severus' voice held a clear note of warning and Harry put a hand on his brothers arm to calm him down. Severus and Dumbledore were still glaring at one another, Draco was confused and Harry was confused and uncomfortable with the situation. What was his father going to put him and his twin through?
Turning his attention back to what was happening in the room he found his father and Professor Dumbledore still arguing.
"Do Draco and Harry even know what you plan on putting them through?" Severus was asked.
"No, not yet," the Potions Master answered calmly.
"Then I suggest you tell them!" Dumbledore rarely lost his temper but he was coming close to this night.
Severus looked across to his sons. "Harry, Draco," he began, "I have to go away for the first four or so days of the summer holiday," he told them, "and you can not come with me. For this reason I have arranged for you to stay with Tom."
Draco's mouth dropped open and Harry's eyes went wide. "As in Voldemort?" Draco just had to ask.
"Yes," Severus told them.
"You have got to be joking!" Harry choked out, eyes still wide behind his glasses.
"No," Severus was still calm, but Harry and Draco shared panicked looks.
"Father, you can't!" Draco protested. "You can't do this to us!"
"You see Severus," Dumbledore injected back into the conversation. "The lads clearly do not like this idea and I have already offered to look after them myself whilst you are away. I am sure that they will find plenty to do, both here and at my house."
Both Harry and Draco nodded eagerly. "Please Father! Can we stay with Professor Dumbledore, please?"
Severus gave them both a stern look and they backed down. "We're not going to get into an argument over this are we?" Severus asked them lightly, although there was a hint of steel in his tone.
"No Father," Harry and Draco answered together, subdued.
"Good," Severus told them, and offered them a rare smile. At that moment Harry just wanted to bury his head in his father's chest and cling to him, knowing that Draco wouldn't be far behind.
Severus stood and smoothed two sets of hair. "Well, that's settled then, you will stay with Tom for the first four days of the holidays and we'll hear no more about it."
"Yes Father," came the dutiful chorus back. Dumbledore looked like he was ready to explode and Severus ushered both Harry and Draco out of the office in front of him.
"Father?" Draco asked once they were near the entrance hall. "May we go for a quick walk outside?"
"Please, Father," Harry added. "I could use some fresh air after that."
Severus agreed and escorted the twins outside. Dusk had yet to fall and the last of the daylight was filtering through the gaps in the trees in the forbidden forest. Not many students were out as it was close to curfew and they met no one as they walked quickly down to the lake.
Dusk had fallen by the time they got back to their quarters and Harry and Draco went and retrieved green jumpers to put on, for it was chilly in the dungeons, although Draco was slightly used to it, being in Slytherin House.
Re-emerging from their room, Draco went into the dining room to find their father and Harry curled up in a chair, reading a Charms book. He had decided that the next time he was at Diagon Alley he was going to buy some extra books, which he didn't need for his lessons, with his own money, to read in his spare time.
A little while later Draco re-entered the room and curled up near Harry with his own book, one on Defence Against the Dark Arts, a subject that his father said he needed to improve him. Not long after that Severus entered the room and took a vacant chair and was looking through an old picture album, which he was sure Harry and Draco would love to get their hands on, but for now, he let them read.
It was approaching nine o'clock when Harry looked up from his charms book for the first time, he was very interested in the passage he had just read on 'Cheering Charms' when he noticed that his dad was looking through something. Getting up quietly, so as not to disturb either his father or Draco, he crossed to where his father was sitting and perched on the edge of the chair.
Severus looked up from the page he was on, which contained a very nice and rather cute, even in Severus' opinion, picture of Harry and Draco together when they were about five months old, he pulled Harry down onto his lap, much to his son's surprise. Harry settled his head on his father's shoulder and glanced across at Draco, who was still deeply submerged in his Defence Against the Dark Arts book, which was the standard book, which they used in class with Quirrell.
It was only five minutes however, until Draco did look up and found his Father and brother curled up together on a chair. He walked over and looked down at what they were studying. He smiled when he realised it was a photo album, but he couldn't figure out which lad was him, he and Harry really were identical. However, in this picture they both had hats on and he couldn't see the eyes clearly, so he didn't know what they looked like without the charms on. He sighed in frustration, which caused both Harry and Severus to look at him, whilst Severus pulled him onto his lap as well.
"What do we look like without the charms on?" He asked and Severus just laughed.
"You'll find out soon," he told them both mysteriously and flipped to the pictures of him and Lily when they still attended Hogwarts.
When half nine came he sent them both to bed. Leaning back on his pillows Harry turned to look at his twin. "What is dad thinking? Sending us to stay with Voldemort? Uh, I mean Tom," Harry asked.
"I'm not sure, dad must really trust him," Draco answered, slipping under the covers.
"I don't like this idea, I don't like it at all," Harry told Draco.
"Neither do I, but it's not like we can change anything," Draco said softly.
A little while later Harry and Draco were just dozing off when Severus entered the room and placed a kiss on both foreheads. "Everything will be alright, I promise," he said to the silent room. He left and shut the door.
In the darkness two sets of eyes opened and across the room, gazes locked.
Please, please, please review! Oh yeah, and what's everyone's opinion on the Order of the Phoenix?