Chapter 25

Disclaimer: Harry Potter etc still belongs to JK Rowling, plot still belongs to me.

Author's Note: Hmm, I actually have some idea what's going to happen in this chapter (try not to die of shock). Anyway, here it goes.

A/N2: Thank you for your continuing attention, everyone. I am thinking of lifting the hiatus on writing new material! Yay :D

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After he left the library, Harry went directly to the Room of Requirement and waited impatiently for Draco. He had no idea what he was going to say to him, but he was now sure that Draco was the enemy. He had turned against their side; he had been passing on what Harry had told him to someone close to him. That had to be his mother Narcissa. Harry couldn't believe it. After all that had been said… He had really thought he could trust Draco, he had thought Draco cared about him… It made him furious to think of how Draco had betrayed him. Of course, he had no proof that it was Draco who was the person in Dumbledore's crystal ball, but it was an educated guess that had brought him to this conclusion.

About ten minutes after Harry's arrival, Draco turned up. He came in looking a little confused.

"Harry, what is it?" He asked as soon as he entered. "Is something wrong?"

"You could say that," Harry replied, surprised at how angry his voice actually sounded. "Have you spoken to your mother lately?" He saw the blond frown in confusion.

"No. Why?"

"Don't lie to me, Draco!" Harry yelled. He saw Draco flinch, andfelt the chill of cold fury run through his body.

"Harry," Draco said in a quieter voice, "what the hell are you talking about?"

"You've been telling her everything, haven't you?"

"I haven't been telling anyone anything you've said to me!" Draco snapped. "Credit me with a little intelligence, will you?"

"Oh, I do," Harry shot back. "Unfortunately, one thing I don't credit you with right now is a shred of freaking integrity!"

"Harry, you've lost me. What are you talking about?"

"Someone who is supposed to be an ally is not. Someone has turned. Someone is telling somebody close to them information that could be damaging to the Order." Harry felt anger continuing to rise in him.

"I haven't been telling anyone anything! What makes you so sure I'm at fault here?"

"Well who else?"

"Name me one reason," Draco said angrily, "why I would try to hurt you like that!"

Harry laughed. It was a horrible sound. "It's not like you haven't tried it before!"

Draco looked like he'd been slapped in the face. "We talked about that! I was under the impression we sorted it out! I mean, I love you-"

The red mist took over Harry. Before he knew it, he was pointing his wand at Draco, who had backed against the wall, looking petrified. "Don't say that!" He suddenly realised that he was shaking with rage. "Don't you dare say that!"

Draco said nothing. Harry raised his wand. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't curse you into oblivion right now," he said quietly, his voice shaking with suppressed fury.

"Well," Draco said, sounding on the verge of tears, "if you really want to hurt me I'd recommend that you just tell me you hate me, and never speak to me again. That would hurt me more than anything. So just do that if you want to hurt me. But first just hear me out."

Harry nodded slowly, never taking his eyes off Draco.

"You know you said that… that He Who Must Not Be Named is getting weaker because of you and me, so… how can it be a bad thing, us being together? If I was passing on everything you tell me, then wouldn't he be getting stronger? Please believe me Harry, I'd never try to hurt you like that. Please."

Slowly, Harry lowered his wand. He couldn't help believing Draco. He was right. How could their relationship be a good thing if Draco was lying to him?

"You're right," he said out loud, looking away from Draco as he felt shame creep up on him and grab him by the throat. "I'm sorry." He turned away. There was silence for a few seconds, then he suddenly tensed as he heard Draco move behind him. Then he felt Draco hug him from behind. He relaxed slightly and turned back round. The two of them stood there hugging each other tightly. Harry suddenly felt his shoulder getting damp, and realised that Draco was crying.

"I'm sorry," the blond whispered. "We're never going to be able to get away from my past, are we?"

"It's OK," Harry said soothingly. "You've changed. I'm sorry I doubted you, I shouldn't have."

Draco sniffed. "I can understand why you did though. It's just the kind of thing someone like me would do, isn't it?"

"No," Harry said firmly. "You're not like that, not any more. I trust you. I'm so sorry."

Draco continued to cry, and Harry held him until he ran out of tears.

At about the moment when Draco stopped crying, they both jumped as there was a small flash of light, and a piece of parchment appeared in the middle of the room. Harry broke away from Draco, picked it up and quickly read over its contents.

'Harry, I hope you have not done anything rash due to what my orb showed to me earlier. There is no one who has turned against us, no mystery informant. The orb has misled me. It was showing not the present but the past. It showed simply what occurred earlier in the year, when Kreacher turned on us and passed on information that led to the happenings in the Department of Mysteries. Please do not, therefore, do anything foolish. Dumbledore.'

Harry finished with the note and handed it to Draco, who read it quickly and smiled. "Well, that clears that up."

Harry gave him a look. "I believed you already, you know."

"I know. You wouldn't have let me cry on your shoulder otherwise." Draco wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his robes. "Sorry about that."

"It's OK. I don't mind. Am I forgiven then?"

Draco nodded. "Of course you are. I know you must be a bit uptight right now, what with Sirius and everything…"

Harry smiled. "Thanks. We should go now, it's getting late."

They left the room, and walked together for part of the journey back to the dormitories. As they walked, they passed Lupin's office. As they passed the door, they heard voices. They could not help listening.

"I'm sorry. I know it must be a bit of a shock." Lupin's voice floated out to them, sounding apologetic.

"It's OK. I suppose I've been denying it, but I think I feel the same about the whole thing…" Harry's eyebrows shot up – that was Sirius's voice!

He forced himself to stop listening, and he and Draco carried on along the corridor.

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Author's Note: I'm truly sorry about the shameless mush factor in this chapter. It was just the way it worked out. As for the ending, I hope I have intrigued you, oh reader. Also, someone commented on my hideously OOC Dumbledore in the last chapter. In retrospect, that reviewer is totally correct, and I'm very sorry.