Disclaimer: Not mine.
Snape's Talk
It had been two days, and neither the teachers nor Lupin were able to discern how the fire had started in Hagrid's house. But Dumbledore was positive that he felt a shimmer of recent magic used near the back entrance of the small home. Val herself hadn't woken from the deep healing sleep she was immersed in, and Madam Pomfrey refused to let anyone wake her. She insisted that if Val was to heal properly her body must be allowed the rest it needed.
Harry sat at the foot of Val's bed day in and day out; not making any noise for fear that Pomfrey would toss him out. His thoughts often wandered to where Draco had disappeared to. Malfoy had not been back to the Hospital Wing and every time Harry would look at his map, he could see the name Draco Malfoy in the Owlry, even late at night sometimes. He had seen the haunted look on Draco's face after they rescued Val. Harry knew that he and Ron had been wrong about Draco. It did not matter to him that Val wasn't his blood. She was still his sister, and probably the most important person in the world to the young man.
Harry was lost in thoughts about Val, Draco, Lucius, Helena and Sirius when he felt something nudge his knee. He looked at Val thinking she had moved in her sleep, but was surprised to see her eyes open. A broad smile spread across his face. "You're awake."
"Am I?" She asked in a croaking voice.
"Let me get Madam Pomfrey." Harry said, but Val shook her head.
"No. I just need a drink of water." Val said her voice raspy.
"Okay." Harry said reaching out and pouring her a cup from a pitcher on her bedside table. He then helped her to sit up as he gave her a small sip of the cool liquid.
"That's better." She said after the drink and her voice did sound more normal. She looked around the Hospital Wing in confusion. "Why am I in the Hospital Wing?"
"You don't know?" Harry asked in surprise.
She seemed to concentrate for a moment. "Hagrid found me in the forest. He took me to his house. I fell asleep on his bed." She paused then shaking her head, as if it was full of cobwebs. "Something woke me up. Someone talking. It sounded like a spell. There was smoke everywhere. I couldn't breath. I tried to get out, but my legs wouldn't move, so I fell on the floor. That's all I remember." Val said a deep frown crossing her forehead.
"So you didn't start that fire." Harry said and she could see the anger crossing his face.
"No, why would I want to burn down Hagrid's house? Oh, no. Hagrid. Is he okay? Was he hurt?" She asked looking at the empty beds surrounding her in her panic.
"Hagrid is fine. He was in the castle looking for Dumbledore." Harry assured her.
She sighed in relief. "And no one else was hurt?"
"No. Just you." Harry smiled weakly.
"But, I feel just fine." Val said in confusion, picking up her arms seeing that they worked just fine.
"That's because you've been asleep for three days, while Madam Pomfrey healed you." Harry said shaking his head.
"Three days." Val said amazed. "But.."
"You received some severe burns and a broken hip. Plus your lungs were damaged by the smoke." Harry explained. Val's eyes became wide.
"I don't remember any of it." She whispered. "I barely remember my time in the woods and Hagrid's house."
At that Harry decided to ask the question that he had been turning over and over in his head for three days. "Why did you run away, Val?"
She looked down at her hands as if in shame. "I wasn't meaning to run away, Harry. I just needed to get away from the school. I only meant to go along the very edge of the Forbidden Forest. I thought maybe I would catch a glimpse of a Unicorn. I've never seen one in the flesh before. But then my thoughts became muddled. It wasn't long before I realized I had gone too far into the forest. I meant to come back, but I ran into something that scared me. I'm not sure what it was. Maybe some kind of gigantic spider. Once I was away from it I realized I had no idea where I was, or which way to go."
"Why didn't you use your wand to signal for help?" Harry asked imagining how very frightened she must have been. He remembered Aragog's children and how they had nearly eaten he and Ron.
"In my desperate attempt to flee the creature I lost my wand. I was so confused as to where I was going. Before long all of the strange sounds frightened me so badly that I just found a hollowed out tree stump next to a creek bed and hid. I had water when I was brave enough to come out of hiding, and I think I ate grass. I'm not sure. It's all mixed up in my mind. That's where Hagrid found me." And then her eyes became wide. "And, Harry, there was a giant with him. I heard them talking. The giant told Hagrid that he had heard crying coming from the log."
Harry silently said a word of thanks to Gwarp, and swore to visit the giant the first chance he had.
"Am I crazy, Harry?" Val asked knowing her words sounded ridiculous.
"No, Val. You are not crazy. That giant was Gwarp. He's Hagrid's little brother." Harry chuckled when he saw how Val's mouth gaped at the words 'little brother'. "But not very many people know about Gwarp." He warned knowing she would keep the information to herself.
Harry had one more question. "Why did you not want to be in the school, Val?"
Again she lowered her face. "I had to get away, Harry. I was overwhelmed by all the information. I couldn't be around people. I couldn't be around him…" Her words faded as tears threatened to spring to her eyes again.
"By him, you mean Draco." Harry said understanding.
"It hurts so much, Harry. I had so much time to think while I was hidden in the forest. I can accept that I am not Lucius' daughter. I can accept that my mother had an affair. The heart leads us down strange paths at times. I can almost accept the fact that my true father is dead. It hurts, but I cannot change it. But the one person I have always counted on in my life, the one person who always loved me unconditionally is now a stranger to me. It hurts more than I can withstand." She said her voice breaking.
"Val. Draco may not be your brother in blood, but he still loves you." Harry said sighing. He hadn't wanted to have to tell her about the way Draco had saved her. He wanted to hate Draco. But it was impossible after the things he had seen.
"How can you say that, Harry?" She said as if he had stuck her.
"Because Draco and I saved you from that fire, together." He answered her.
A look of confusion spread across her face, so he continued. "We were having an argument on the Pitch, when we saw Hagrid's house on fire. Draco saw his owl, Pem, flying around the house trying to get in. He realized at once that you had to be in there for the owl to act so crazy. I have never seen Draco act more bravely. He dove into the burning house. I followed him. He was the one that found you. After we got you out he flew you into that window." Harry said motioning to the window beside the bed.
"Draco did all that?" She asked shaking her head as if to deny it.
"Yes, and there is more." Harry said, realizing that if he was going to tell her that much he might as well tell it all. "Back before he became so angry at you, all the beatings he received. He got them, because he turned in those Death Eaters that were caught. He traded information about them to Snape, so Snape would be nicer to you." Harry admitted the secret he had been keeping from her.
"So their children beat him for ratting them out." She said catching on to what Harry was saying. "But he never told anyone who was doing it."
"He told me the night that I found him in the Room of Requirement. He made me promise not to tell you. He was afraid they'd hurt you, to get him back if he told the adults." Harry said.
Val seemed to have a far off look in her eyes. Harry wasn't sure what to make of it. "Why isn't he here with me then, Harry? When we were younger, he would never leave me if I was hurt or sick." He could tell she was grasping at straws. Everything she thought she had figured out over the past two weeks was unraveling before her eyes.
"Val, just about the only thing he could say after we brought you here was that it was his fault. He blames himself for you nearly being burned to death. Val, you didn't see his eyes. You didn't hear his voice." Harry explained.
Val made a strangled sound in her throat as if she was trying hard not to sob. She felt as if her heart was trying to burst inside her chest. "Where is he, Harry?"
"He spends almost all his time in the Owlry. I haven't been up there, though." Harry said taking her trembling hand in his own. "In a couple of days when Madam Pomfrey lets you go, I'll take you there, and you can talk to him."
Val shook her head, as the tears started sliding down her cheeks. "I can't talk to him, Harry."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked in confusion.
"Things aren't the same between us now, Harry. We'll never be like we were before. There's too much pain and anger between us now." She said as the first of the sobs was torn from her throat.
"No, Val." Harry said pulling her into his arms holding her tight as she cried on his shoulder. "You can't mean those words. I know you too well." He whispered into her hair.
But as the days went by Harry could not convince Val that she should talk to Draco. She was not belligerent about the situation, she just did not respond when Harry mentioned it.
School started back again with Ron and Hermione returning smiling happily. Their smiles faded though as Harry and Val told them what had happened to her. But they glossed over the worst parts of if, as she still didn't feel up to talking about it.
No one had seen Draco as the second day of classes started. When Harry entered Advanced Potions to see Professor Snape scowling at Draco's empty seat he saw trouble brewing ahead.
"Your assignment is on the board. See that it is finished by the end of class. I have some business to attend to." Snape growled. "Potter, may I see you outside of the classroom?"
"Yes, Sir." Harry said frowning. He hadn't done anything yet. What could he be in trouble for this time?
When they stood outside the classroom, Snape pinned Harry down with a knowing stare. "Where is Malfoy?" He hissed.
"I'm sorry, Sir." Harry said in surprise.
"Malfoy. Draco has very rarely been seen in the Slytherin common room in days. I know about your map. Where does it say he spends his time?" Harry blanched. A teacher. Nonetheless Professor Snape was asking him to rat out where Draco had been hiding. Normally he would have been jumping for joy at the thought of getting Malfoy in trouble, but he felt uneasy about it now.
"I'm not sure." Harry stuttered.
"Listen, Potter. It's about time Malfoy, stopped mourning the loss of his sister, who is very much alive, and time he rejoins us among the living in this school. If I have to I will order you to retrieve your map and show me where he is, but I have a feeling you already know." Snape spat out the threat. But then in a softer tone. "Listen, boy. I'm not going to hurt him. My God with that damn Vow I made, it would be impossible for me to do that. I just want to talk some sense into him."
"No offence, Professor, but are you sure you are the one to have this little talk with him?" Harry asked swallowing hard.
"Well the one person whom he needs to talk to the most refuses to do so. So in that case I'm all he's got." Snape came back.
Harry didn't realize that Snape knew about Val's unwillingness to speak to Draco. But then he understood that teachers would talk and Dumbledore always seemed to know everything. "He spends most of his time in the Owlry." Harry finally admitted.
"Thank you, Potter. You may return to class." Snape said striding past him and away from the classroom. But as he went Harry heard something. "Oh and, Potter. Ten points from Gryffindor, for your knack of second guessing your Professors." Harry shook his head and reentered the class.
As Severus Snape entered the Owlry he could see Draco Malfoy sitting in a corner staring out the window. His cloths were filthy and his hair untidy. Snape scowled knowing that Draco Malfoy normally took great pride in his appearance. "Mr. Malfoy."
Draco's head snapped around towards Snape and Severus could see that his eyes were red rimmed, and there was dirt streaked with tears on his face. "Professor Snape." He said stumbling to stand.
"Mr. Malfoy, what exactly are you doing here?" Snape asked quietly.
"Just thinking, Sir. I'm sorry were you looking for me?" Draco asked respectfully, which in itself was very unlike him.
"Well, Mr. Malfoy, I was just wondering why it is, that you are late for my class?" Severus asked in that same quiet tone.
"I'm sorry, Sir. I did not realize I was late. How late am I? I will make it up." Draco said and Severus could see that he had no idea what time or even what day it was.
"You are precisely one day and thirty five minutes late for my first class of the term." Snape answered coldly.
It took Draco a moment to realize what was being said. "Classes started yesterday?" He said swallowing hard.
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, they did." Severus answered, but his words were not callous after hearing the confusion in his voice. "Draco. You need to pull yourself together."
Draco's face still held that blank look and he remained silent. "You are stronger than this. Your guilt is ruling you."
Draco turned around staring out the window again. "It's all I have left, Sir." He said quietly.
Severus crossed to where Draco stood, and laid one hand on his shoulder. He was shocked to see that the young man did not pull away this time. "She doesn't blame you."
Draco started shaking his head. "She wouldn't. But I do." He answered.
"Don't you think that your time would be better spent looking for the person responsible for this instead of this self-inflicted exile you have placed upon yourself?" Severus asked.
Draco didn't say anything at first, but then he turned to Snape. "What do you mean 'the person responsible'?"
Severus knew he had him. "Oh, I forgot. You weren't around when Val woke. It seems that someone set that fire, and then used a leg-locking curse on her, so she could not leave Hagrid's hut."
Draco's eyes doubled in size. "Someone tried to murder her."
"That's what it seems to me." Severus answered seeing the flame ignite inside Draco's eyes. He secretly smiled inside himself, knowing that giving the young man a purpose would keep him from wallowing in self-recrimination.
"Sir, I'm afraid I will miss the rest of your class. I need to get cleaned up. Let me know when you want me to make up the two days I missed." Draco said striding past Snape purposefully.
"Draco." Snape said as he reached the door to the Owlry. Draco stopped and faced him. "Just because she's not your sister, it doesn't mean she doesn't care for you as much as she ever did." Draco stared back at him, but did not answer as he turned and left the Owlry.