Whoho! I finally got time for this chap! YES! I took a long summer break and went to Florida to visit four of my biggest fans! Had a great time!
Thanx for all the reviews! I truly love you all!
Beta Reader: Princesspepper (Give her a pat on the back for being a good, helpful person)
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Chapter Sixteen: The Hardest To Do
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"I can't say how bad I feel for you, Draco. I'm truly sorry."
Draco shook his head and looked at the brown haired girl. "It's not your fault I have a maniac for a father. Don't beat yourself up over that," he said, looking down at the note in his hands. The note his mother had written. He could tell by the way the letters were placed on the paper that his mother had been in a hurry when she had written it. She usually took her time to write notes, using small and fine letters. He let his fingers trail over the text. 'Mother…'
Harry sighed and glanced at his blond lover. How quickly things had changed; he had been so happy earlier that morning. Happy about activating the last symbol, and because he had remembered what it meant. Draco was with child. Harry's child, to be exact. Then… when Skata had came with the note… everything had gone downhill. He didn't like the sad look on the blonde's face. He could tell that Draco was worried about his mother, and it was starting to affect him as well.
Draco finally sighed and folded the note. He stuffed the small piece of paper into his pants pocket and stood up. "We can't do anything about it now. I must talk to Snape at breakfast," he said, and then smiled down at Harry. "I don't think he'd like to hear about last night."
Harry snapped upright beside Draco and frowned. How could Draco change moods, just like that? 'He's faking it; I can see that in his mind. I'll play along for now… until we can talk about this, just the two of us,' he thought. "You wouldn't dare to tell him about it! That would be cruel!" he muttered.
Ron nodded. "Yeah, poor old Snape. He'll get a heart attack before turning into dust from the horror. Come to think of it, it would be fun to see his reaction, but then again I would be forced to hear…"
"Ron Weasley! You're babbling again! And I think Harry meant it would be cruel to him, not Professor Snape. Why don't we go to the Headmaster? He might…"
"No!" Draco interrupted the girl. "The old goat doesn't have to know a thing about this. Whenever I've spoken to him about my problems, my father has found out. I don't need him to find out about me and Harry," he told her. "I didn't talk to him when this whole thing started, and I'm not going to start now. I have enough problems as it is."
Harry frowned. "You've actually spoken with him? When?"
The blond looked at him before walking through the door. "When I feel like talking about it, I'll tell you." 'Later, Harry… later,' he quietly sent to his lover.
The golden trio exchanged looks before following the blond. If Draco had freely spoken to Dumbledore about his problems, he must have been truly desperate. The blond hated the old man deeply, and avoided him as much as he could. So what had been so horribly wrong that forced him into talking to the headmaster?
Harry clenched one fist. 'Whatever it was, I hope it doesn't have to do with HIM.'
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The black haired man growled in frustration as he looked down the hall. He had been waiting for almost one hour now. Leaning against the wall next to the doors leading to the Great Hall, he sighed. What was taking the young Malfoy so long?
"But I still think…"
"Hermione, please… drop it."
Snape knew those voices. One belonged to the brown haired Mudblood girl, and the other to young Draco. Looking up from where his gaze had fallen on the floor, he spotted the small group heading his way. Pushing himself off the wall he walked over to them. "And where have you been? Breakfast started over half an hour ago," he informed them, his eyes glued to the small blond.
Harry pushed his glasses up on his nose. "We have been talking about stuff. Sorry Professor," he apologized. He looked at the pale man and frowned. He didn't like the way he was looking at his lover… but there was something more in that gaze. Something he couldn't explain. "Is there something wrong, Professor?" It couldn't hurt to ask, now, could it?
Snape snapped his eyes to the scared wonder boy. Potter knew something was wrong. Did the boy have a sixth sense or something? "I need to speak with Mr. Malfoy, here. Now," he simply said. He didn't need to tell the black-haired teen any more.
Draco tilted his head. Snape was acting weird… weirder then usual. "If it's about the curse, you don't have to worry about it. It is done," he said, and then let his gaze drop, his cheeks turning red.
Snape looked at him with questioning eyes. They grew larger after second and he blushed harder then any of them had ever seen during their years at the school. He coughed and looked at the blond again. "You mean…" he began.
Harry nodded. "Last night."
Snape sighed and closed his eyes. 'Narcissa… things just turned worse…' he thought. Looking up, he took Harry's arm in one hand, Draco's in the other, and dragged them with him, heading for the dungeons. "Weasley, Granger, go the Great Hall. You are late," he snapped.
Ron blinked. What just happened? "Where are you taking them?" he asked.
Snape stopped and glared at the red-haired teen. "Go to the Great Hall, Weasley, or face detention," he growled, leaving the stunned teens by the door.
Ron blinked and looked at Hermione. "You know what that was all about?" he asked.
The girl shook her head. "I have no idea, but the look on Snape's face… it was…" she trailed off.
The red-haired teen frowned at her before looking in the direction the three had gone. "… Harry…"
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Harry gasped as he was flung inside the Potions classroom, Draco right behind him. "Darn it, Snape! What's wrong with you?"
Draco rubbed his sore arm as he looked at the man that had protected him for years. "Is there a reason for you to drag us down here?" he asked.
Snape looked at the blond and nodded. "Sit down, Draco. You too, Potter, for what I have to tell you will be hard on both of you."
The two sat down on the benches and looked at the Potions master. Harry took Draco's hands in his and smiled lightly at him. 'You okay?' he asked mentally.
Draco nodded. 'Yes, I'm fine.'
"Have you two finished talking mentally?" Snape asked.
Harry turned his gaze to the Professor and nodded. "Sorry, Professor Snape."
The black-haired man sighed. "What I'm going to tell you is important, so I want your full attention, okay?" he said, waiting for the boys to nod. "This is not easy. Not for me or you, but it must be said."
The boys nodded and watched as their Potions Professor sat down before them.
Snape took a deep breath and looked up in order to face the two. "I have spoken with your mother, Draco," he began after a few minutes.
Draco gasped. Snape had talked to his mother? "Is she alright? She is not in danger, is she?" he asked. He was worried. Really worried. He could feel Harry grasp his hand a little tighter, and he tried to seek comfort in that little gesture, yet couldn't.
"She is alright at the moment, but she has been forced to flee from the Malfoy manor. She told me that the Dark Lord is coming for you, and he has ordered your father to kill your mother. She's frightened to death, so she fled. She's hiding in my cottage at the moment, and she's safe. She and I have decided that we need to put our plan into action sooner than we wanted to. Since it's not that long before the year ends, we must act now."
"What happens at the end of the year?" Harry asked.
Snape looked at him and sighed. "Lucius is expecting Draco home for the Christmas holidays. He will be there to activate the curse."
Draco could almost feel his heart stop. His father and the Dark Lord… so soon? Why hadn't…? "I – I…"
"The Lord doesn't know about you and Harry, yet he knows that Narcissa is going to betray him. Narcissa and I have decided that Hogwarts is too dangerous now, and therefore you must come with me, Draco. We must leave Hogwarts and hide you and your mother until the He is dead," Snape said, and then took one of Draco's pale hands in his.
Draco looked at the Professor with his silvery eyes. "You mean that… what about Harry? What will happen to him?"
The Professor sighed and looked at other boy beside the blond. "He must stay here, under the watchful eye of Dumbledore. Narcissa wanted him to come with us, but he just can't."
"And why is that!"
Harry almost jumped of his seat when the blond shot up from his seat and snapped at the black-haired man. "Take it easy, Dra—"
"No!" Draco interrupted. "Just tell me why I have to leave him behind! Why must he stay while I hide? It's me He's after!" Draco growled, his fist shaking.
"That is why you must leave. He will know something is wrong when you don't return to the manor at Christmas. He will come here looking for you. If we bring Potter with us, we risk the chance that He will find the hiding place."
Now Harry felt a little confused. "How would he find the hideout if I came there?"
Dark eyes landed on the boy. "You and the Dark Lord share the same power. You can sometimes feel when He is around and the same goes for Him. He can feel where you are at all times. I don't want to risk Him finding Draco because you two want to be together," he said, and then looked at Draco. "I'm sorry but that's how things are."
Draco nodded. "I understand, uncle Snape. It is just…"
"Hard, I know," Snape finished for him. He turned his back to the two and walked towards the door. "I'll go and talk to the Headmaster. Pack only the necessary and get ready to leave as soon as possible. I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall," the black-haired man said, leaving the two alone.
The blond sighed and stood. "I'd better get ready. Come with me?" he asked, avoiding looking at Harry. It hurt too much. He felt glad that he would meet his mother and all, but it hurt to know he had to leave his lover behind.
Harry stopped Draco by grabbing his arm. Turning the blond to face him he lifted the blonde's chin and looked into the silver orbs that were filled with tears. "We'll get through this. As soon as the Dark Lord is dead, we can be together again and then I'm sure it will be forever," he said, wiping away one stray tear from under Draco's eye.
The blond nodded and hugged the dark-haired teen hard. "You're right… you're right…" he mumbled into Harry's robes as he let the tears flow.
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