Author's note: Have a great week everyone!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K Rowling. Thanks
CHAPTER 7: REMEDY
The first thing that Draco heard when he awoke the next morning was a very dramatic yawn coming from Sirius' bed. He rubbed his eyes and sat up slowly, squinting at the midday sun peeking in through the windows.
"What time is it?" Draco mumbled.
"Just after eleven," said Potter, also yawning.
Wormtail suddenly scrambled out of bed and dived for the bathroom, only to be stopped by Sirius, who got there first. He smirked at the kid and then shut the door in his face. Wormtail groaned and sat back down on his bed.
"Just go use the general one downstairs," Remus suggested sweetly.
Draco started. Remus was standing at the door, fully clothed and with a book under his arm. He looked around at Draco and Potter and smiled.
"Hello there," he said, brightly. "It's about time you lot got up."
"Ugh," said Potter, also scrambling out of bed. "You've really got to stop getting up so early, mate."
Remus only shrugged.
"Yeah it's Saturday for Pete's sake," said Sirius, coming out of the bathroom now.
Wormtail ran inside.
The boys took their time getting ready, all of them quite sleepy. Then, Remus led them down the stairs to the completely deserted common room.
"Where is everyone?" Draco wondered.
"Up for a really long time already," said Remus, dismissively.
The boys climbed out of the portrait hole together and began to descend the stone steps. Potter and Sirius almost instantly got out their Quidditch team list and began making some alterations as they walked in the front, while Draco followed just behind them with Remus and Wormtail on either side of him. They reached the Great Hall to find just a couple of students sitting there. Everyone else had already gone off to do their usual Saturday activities. None of the teachers were there either, and no one from Slytherin.
Draco was quiet for most of the morning, until Potter and Sirius shot a question at him as they finished up their juice.
"You coming?" said Potter.
"Where to?" said Draco.
"To interview the Gryffindors, weren't you listening?" said Potter.
"I…" said Draco, but Sirius held up the list.
"We're interviewing the people who signed up to see who we want to come to the tryout," he explained. "Too many people signed up and we don't have the time to have them all tryout so only a few will make the cut."
"Yeah and we want you to be there," said Potter.
"You want to interview me?" said Draco, slowly.
"What?—no of course not! You've already made the cut, don't be stupid. But we want you there to interview with us. You've got that…intimidating thing going on and it'll help us to brush away those really desperate Gryffindors who can't take no for an answer."
"Oh, "said Draco, eating the last bite of waffle and pushing his plate away. "Right."
"So, will you come then?" said Sirius.
Draco looked sideways at Remus and Wormtail.
"Well what are you two up to then?"
"We're gonna go to the library," said Remus, predictably. "I'm tutoring Wormtail in Charms."
Draco looked back at Potter and Sirius.
"Y-yeah I think I'm gonna go with them," he said. "I have to get started on that Muggle Studies essay," he quickly added when he saw their looks of outrage.
The boys glanced at each other and then sighed.
"Fine," said Sirius, getting up. "But you've got no choice but to come to tryouts."
"We're not taking no for an answer and don't go trying to intimidate us, Black," said Potter.
They high-fived each other and then disappeared from the hall before Draco could say a word. Draco sighed.
"Ready?" said Remus, also getting up.
"Yeah, let's go," he replied.
The library was filled with a few more students that day than it was on a regular weekday—most of these students being either fifth or seventh years. Remus led the boys to a table he claimed was always free, and they got their books out and sat down by the candlelight. For the first half-hour, Draco actually concentrated on the essay that he had to write and got a fair bit of it done, while Remus tutored Wormtail in the theories that they'd been studying in Charms that week. Afterwards, Draco grew very tired of all the information that he was supposed to be gathering. He sat back in his chair and rubbed his eyes to keep in focus. Remus turned to him.
"Tired?"
"Yeah," said Draco. He suddenly sat back up and grabbed his quill again. "But I'm f-fine."
"It's okay if you want to take a break you know," said Remus, politely, but Draco quickly shook his head.
He was supposed to have been raised by Dumbledore so he couldn't go showing himself getting tired of a little homework. It didn't look good.
An hour later, Wormtail had not gotten anywhere with the tutoring and Remus sighed tiredly and began to explain it to him all over again. Draco excused himself from the table to go and fetch a book that he needed for the essay research. He did however take extra time looking for the book, given that he was also looking for a person. And he knew perfectly well just where to find him.
Severus Snape was sitting in his little corner with the half-blood prince's book in his lap again and a quill scratching away. Draco hesitated before moving towards him, and then took a deep breath. He had to do this. He knew he had to.
"Hello," he said, standing just over Snape.
Snape slowly turned his head to look at him. He waited.
"I see you're writing in that book again," said Draco.
Snape quickly shut it but still said nothing. Draco silently kicked himself.
"Mind if we talk?"
"It's a free country," said Snape, coolly.
Again, Draco silently kicked himself. It was like he didn't know how to talk to Snape at all anymore! He sat next to him and crossed his legs. Snape waited.
"Look, I wanted to apologise about what happened in Potions yesterday," he began. Snape rolled his eyes. "I…I didn't mean to shine the light in our direction and…well, away from yours. I know that you're really into potions and you seem to really get it and if I made Slughorn focus more on our group rather than on yours—I mean on you, then it was unintentional and I'm s—"
"How did you know to add peppermint?" said Snape.
"Uh what?" said Draco, who was sidetracked.
"How—did—you—know—to—add—peppermint?" Snape repeated more slowly. "It clearly wasn't on the recipe."
"Well how did you know to add it?" Draco retaliated in a pathetic attempt to buy himself more time.
But Snape wasn't stupid.
"I asked you first," he said, waiting.
"I dunno, I read about it in some book. Your turn."
Snape raised his eyebrows at him.
"There is no book that tells you to add peppermint to the recipe."
Draco hesitated.
"Well then Dumbledore must've told me once that it would improve the potion," he mumbled. "Look, that's not the point. The point is that I—"
"—didn't want to take the light from me," said Snape. "Yeah, I heard you."
There was silence. And then, Snape got to his feet. Draco followed.
"Look Black, you seem like a nice kid and I'm sure you are. But you don't have to go apologising to me about this sort of stuff and if this is just your way of kissing up to me—"
"It's not!" said Draco, quickly. "Honestly, I'm just…sorry."
"Don't screw with me," said Snape, lowering his voice. "I know who you associate yourself with. I'm not an idiot. And I know James Potter very well and he's no idiot either."
"This has nothing to do with him," Draco quickly added. "I swear."
"Yeah whatever," said Snape. "The point is—you're in Gryffindor. And I'm in Slytherin. You may be a Black but you're not the right Black. We're not going to be braiding each other's hair anytime soon, so if that's what you're hoping for, you might want to go back to your little pack and ask them."
He turned to leave.
"Evans is wrong, you know," Draco blurted out in an attempt to stop Snape.
It worked. Snape froze instantly, turning to look at him.
"About what?" he said, quietly.
"About the way she treats you," said Draco. "Just because you call someone what they are doesn't mean you should be condemned for life."
Snape's jaw merely dropped at the sound of these words, but Draco did not stick around for the rest of his reaction. He nodded at him once and then left him to his thoughts, silently high-fiving himself that he may have just earned Snape's respect. At the very least, that is.
"Hey, did you find your book?" Remus asked once Draco sat back down at the table.
"Oh right," said Draco, jumping back up and returning to the aisles.
Remus frowned as he watched him go, but Draco didn't care. He had already accomplished a lot and the day was still young. He walked to one of the shelves he'd previously visited and began moving his finger along some of the book titles until he pulled out one that fit. He examined it for a few moments and was just about to return to the table with it when something caught his eye. A Gryffindor girl who looked to be about his age was standing in the same aisle and flipping through a large book in her hands. Draco moved a little sideways to get a better look at her and was most certainly not disappointed. Shorter though she was, the short black hair actually suited the shape of her face. He couldn't tell the colour of her eyes but she had a friendly-looking face. She also didn't look bad in the Hogwarts uniform, considering how horrible some of the girls in this place actually looked in it. And the girl did not seem to notice Draco watching her. He thought for a moment about going over there to talk to her, but then decided that it was probably not the best idea. He had so much work to do—so much to take care of—that he knew he shouldn't be thinking about stupid things like girls. But then she turned around, still lost in her book, and Draco's mouth dropped just a little. She looked very approachable indeed. He knew that on any given day he probably wouldn't have even looked at her twice, but today was different for some reason. Maybe the tiredness from this week was affecting his taste in girls.
To hell with it, he thought, as his eyes examined her body. He tossed the book under his arm and walked right up to her. The girl looked up and jumped slightly on the spot.
"Oh h-hello," she said, shutting the book in her hands abruptly. "You're Draco, right?"
Draco titled his head just a bit and let out a small but super flirtatious smirk which made the girl in front of him blush just a little.
"You've heard of me," he said.
"Uh well y-yeah when you're the new kid in town and the second Black in history to be sorted into Gryffindor and a legendary pupil of Dumbledore's, you're kind of ridiculously famous," said the girl, who was blushing more fervently now.
Draco crossed his arms and leaned against the shelf next to her, the smirk never fading.
"Ridiculously," he repeated.
"I-I'm Alice," said the girl, pointing to herself. "You're friends with Potter and his lot, aren't you?"
"You sure know a lot about me, Alice."
"Well you're kind of hard to miss."
The moment the words escaped her lips, she looked like she regretted having said anything. She looked away quickly but Draco only chuckled. He intimidated her. He knew he did. And he was quite enjoying how nervous around him she was.
"S-so," she said, "W-what brings you to the library today, Draco?"
"My legs, normally," he said, shrugging.
Alice let out a nervous laugh and then gazed up into his eyes. She was alright-looking. Not a goddess exactly, but definitely okay. She reminded him a lot of Pansy. Maybe it was just the short hair…
"W-well I suppose I should get back to my book," she said, after a moment's silence.
"Yeah," said Draco, unfolding his arms and moving from the shelf. "Don't let me keep you."
Alice smiled at him and then turned away. She stopped and then turned the other way, looking at Draco again before leaving. Draco laughed.
"What are you smiling about?" Remus asked once he finally returned to the table.
"Nothin'," said Draco, simply.
He opened the book he'd gotten and flipped through the pages carelessly, ignoring Remus who was still watching him suspiciously.
At about half past 1, the boys met up with Potter and Sirius outside the Great Hall and went in together for a late lunch. As Draco sat down, his eyes locked with that of Snape's across the hall. They nodded at each other and then returned to their respective groups. Things were looking very good, thought Draco.
Potter and Sirius continued with their conversations about Quidditch as they ate, occasionally scratching off someone's name on their long list. They barely even acknowledged that the other boys were sitting there and eating with them, so Remus gave Wormtail his book again and instructed him to keep reading because apparently he was going to quiz him later that day. Wormtail did so, and Remus himself turned to face Draco.
"What's on your mind?" he asked, politely.
"Not much," said Draco, shrugging.
"Is that right?" said Remus, without looking at him. Draco frowned at him. "I've just noticed you meeting up with Snape quite a fair bit."
"How did you…?"
"You don't think I can see but I can," said Remus, smiling up at Draco. "It's okay. It's not a crime. I'm just wondering how you two know each other."
"We don't," said Draco, quickly. "We just…he helped me once with something for Potions and then I helped him and…"
"I see," said Remus, nodding. "That's fine, Draco, I'm not punishing you. I'm not James or Sirius."
Both of them looked in their direction and neither of the boys even noticed them. Draco nodded at Remus. He then looked up at him again, hesitating.
"Do you…" he began, "Um…I was just wondering if maybe you know why Snape is taking all these strange classes…um…Arithmancy and Muggle Studies and…"
"Aren't you in Muggle Studies?" said Remus, smirking.
Draco smirked back at him.
"Yeah well someone's got to keep James in check."
Remus chuckled at this, but then his face grew serious again.
"Snape has chosen all the same classes that Lily Evans has this year," he said, quietly. Draco fully turned around in his seat so that he was facing him, his own face slightly worried. "You don't know this but he and Lily were best friends when they came to Hogwarts. They were inseparable for those first couple of years."
"What happened?"
"They had a lot of arguments over the years…first he didn't like that she was sorted into Gryffindor, then she didn't like some of the people he associated himself with in his own house…"
"Yeah, but what's it to her?" Draco interrupted.
Remus raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing, except that some of his friends were harassing some of her friends," he said. Draco nodded. "Anyway, things got a lot worse after their big fight last year when he…"
"Called her a mudblood," said Draco, simply.
"Yeah," said Remus, slowly.
"And now because of this she doesn't want to talk to him?" said Draco, his eyes falling on Lily who was sitting on the other end of the table and laughing with a group of girls.
Remus frowned at him.
"I mean, it just seems a bit selfish on her part, don't you think?" Draco added.
"We don't know the full extent of the story," said Remus.
Draco rolled his eyes but luckily, Remus did not see, for his own eyes were now on Lily too.
"I sometimes worry if it was because of me," he added after they'd left the Great Hall and began walking back to the common room, Potter and Sirius ahead of them (still talking about their list).
"What was?" said Draco.
Remus sighed.
"Lily and I became close friends in first year too. She…helped me out a lot…not just in school but other things…personal stuff. Anyway, I always knew that Snape wasn't very fond of me and I told Lily multiple times that it's okay and she doesn't have to help me if it will wreck her friendship with him. But she was very stubborn about it and kept telling me that no one besides her gets to decide whom she associates herself with."
Typical, thought Draco, but he didn't dare saying this out loud.
"And then it also didn't help that everyone at school knew I was best mates with James and Sirius and Peter."
"Why's that?" Draco wondered.
"Well," said Remus, lowering his voice more though it didn't matter because Potter and Sirius were too preoccupied to pay attention to them. "With Snape and James, it's always been this…this huge feud. And Sirius got sucked into it too because he and James…well they…they liked to make fun of Snape. Even though I personally think that he sometimes was asking for it, they oftentimes played practical jokes on him and tried to embarrass him in front of all our classmates."
"That's awful," said Draco.
"I've tried stopping them and sometimes I've been successful," said Remus. "I wouldn't ever tell them this but I really think they're sometimes out of line...even though Snape is no angel either. Anyway, it's always just been one of those things…you just don't like the person right from the day off and then as time passes, it just gets worse and worse."
"Been there," said Draco, his eyes on Potter and Sirius as they walked.
"Yeah?" said Remus.
"Yeah," said Draco. "Yeah, a long time ago…you know, at the orphanage…there were these…um bullies I guess…and they really liked to be the center of attention and everyone at the orphanage just couldn't stand them anymore."
"How many of them were there?" said Remus with concern.
"Three," said Draco, pausing. "Um…there was H-Harley, and Ronny, a-and…Harmony. Um, she was the girl and the other two were the boys. They really were prats."
"Yeah," said Remus, as they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. "You see? Bullies are everywhere. They always will be."
They climbed in through the portrait hole and followed Potter and Sirius to their usual spot by the fireplace. They were still occupied with their list so Draco and Remus collapsed on two of the armchairs by the window instead. Remus tossed a long piece of parchment to Wormtail, who quickly put his book away.
"You have forty minutes," Remus told him, sweetly.
"Thanks, Moony," said Wormtail with a nervous smile.
He retreated to a table somewhere in the corner and buried his head in his hands to concentrate.
"Does he always struggle with homework so much?" Draco wondered as he watched him for a bit.
"Not always," said Remus. "He's just like a little brother to all of us so we try to take care of him as best as we can…he's prone to being put in bad situations."
"Just try not to underestimate him," Draco blurted out.
Remus frowned at him.
"Who, Wormtail? Please!"
"I'm serious," said Draco, and he looked round at Remus to show it.
Remus' grin faded.
"H-has he said something to you?" he wondered.
"No, it's nothing like that," said Draco, who turned back to Wormtail in his little corner. "Just be careful. It's the quiet ones you've got to watch out for. That's just human nature."
After a few moments, he turned back to Remus, who nodded his understanding.
Feeling like he was swimming around the dangerous waters now, Draco excused himself from the common room, claiming that he had to go get another book from the library. The truth was, he was hoping to maybe bump into Snape again. Now that he knew the story of how Snape and Lily had become virtually enemies, he thought he might have better luck at talking to Snape and trying to get him to see that he, Draco, truly understands him. But aisle after aisle and shelf after shelf, Severus Snape was nowhere to be found, so unless he was in the Restricted Section (which was actually quite possible), it was safe to say that he was not in the library at the moment.
Draco had almost given up and was ready to leave when he suddenly spotted someone who was only slightly more interesting to him than Snape. Regulus Black was standing, for once, by himself in one of the aisles. He was flipping through a book and his little posse of protectors in sixth year were nowhere to be found. Well bloody hell, the time has come at last, thought Draco. He immediately walked up to him, and Regulus immediately jumped at the sight of him. He put the book back and meant to walk away when Draco called, "Wait!" Regulus paused, slowly turning on the spot to face him.
"I was j-just looking for…"
"I don't care what you were looking for," said Draco, dismissively. "You're Regulus."
"Y-yeah," said Regulus. "Yeah, look I should be getting back before they—"
"Hold on!" said Draco, turning him towards him again. "Don't walk away from your older cousin like that."
Regulus looked up at him nervously, his fingers fidgeting with his sleeve.
"I'm assuming Bellatrix told you that I 'passed the test'?" Draco went on.
Regulus eyed him for a moment and then turned to leave again.
"I really should be getting back before they start wondering where I am," he said.
"Wait!" Draco hissed desperately.
Regulus sighed and turned to face him again.
"Look," said Draco. "I know it's weird and all. I'm this strange kid who happens to be related to you and who you've never heard of…and I also get sorted into Gryffindor like your brother…that makes us the only two outcasts in the family." He paused but Regulus said nothing, so he continued. "But I'd really like to get to know both of you."
Regulus looked around nervously. Draco followed his gaze.
"I-is something wrong?" he wondered.
Regulus looked at him again.
"I shouldn't be talking to you," he said in a low voice.
"Why not?" Draco demanded, in an even lower voice.
Regulus said nothing but only continued to stare at him. And then, as though he had been shot by something electric from behind, he quickly jumped on the spot and hurried out of the library. Draco stared after him. Well, if Snape had been a bit easier to turn around, this one was going to be quite a piece of work…
Draco returned to the common room with his book only to find that the boys were getting ready to go out.
"Where to?" Draco asked, tossing his book to the couch and following them.
"Just by the lake," said Potter, casually. "It's really nice out and we've been stuck inside all day."
"Yeah, interviewing all those people is not easy, I'll tell you that," said Sirius, who looked about exhausted.
"Well, you two always excel at everything you put your minds to, so I'm sure it'll all be okay," said Remus.
"We know," said Potter and Sirius together.
Draco shook his head. They really were gits—the biggest he'd ever met. And he could totally and completely understand why Snape was so annoyed with them. Well, Sirius was loads better than Potter, but Draco could understand the affiliation with not talking to Sirius. If he was friends with Potter, then that automatically meant that he was not friends with Snape. That's just the way that it worked. Draco understood that. But for some strange reason he could not grasp just yet, it bothered him a great deal.
The boys stopped in the shade of a large tree on the edge of the lake, and threw themselves down on the grass. The light from the afternoon sun was dazzling on the smooth surface of the lake, on the bank of which a group of giggling second or third-year girls were sitting with shoes and socks off, cooling their feet in the water.
After a little while, Remus pulled out a book again and began reading. At the sight of it, both Sirius and Potter groaned.
"Do you ever do anything other than read?" Potter said.
"Do you ever do anything other than talk about Quidditch?" Draco pointed out.
Potter stared at him, confused, while Remus let out a small laugh.
"He's got a point, James."
Potter said nothing. Draco rested his head on the trunk of the tree and let his eyes close. The sun, which was a blazing red now as it slowly began to set, felt very nice against the cool wind. It really was a shame that they'd spent the entire day indoors. Perhaps they'd find more time to get out tomorrow.
"So what's the latest on Ellen what's-her-face?" Potter asked after a long moment's silence.
"Who?" said Sirius, casually.
Draco opened his eyes.
"The girl you've been snogging all week," said Potter with a huge smirk on his face.
"Oh, her," said Sirius, lying back down on the grass. "She's good."
"You two, uh, going out?" Potter asked, keeping the tone casual but not being able to fully hide the interest.
"Nah," said Sirius. "It's all good fun but you know me. I don't date."
"How come?" said Draco.
"Too much work," said Sirius.
"What, remembering the name of a girl you snog?" said Potter.
"No," said Sirius, simply, "Trying to give up all the other girls I'd like to snog."
The boys all laughed, even Draco, who found that he was quite enjoying himself. Who knew that Sirius Black could be such a laugh?
"Of course, Lily Evans has always been mighty fine," said Sirius, even more casually.
Potter's smirk faded instantly.
"I might end up asking her out sometime," Sirius added.
"I'd like to see you try," Potter hissed, even more darkly.
Remus and Wormtail were bawling with laughter now, but Draco was suddenly uninterested. Couldn't any of the Marauders—or however they liked to call themselves—see Lily Evans for who she really was? A completely unreasonable, stubborn, spoiled little selfish brat who was so unwilling to forgive one man for one little mistake!
"I do have a thing for redheads," Sirius continued.
"What—since when?" said Remus, who finally shut his book and turned around on the grass to face him.
"Since I suggested that I might try to get with his dear cousin Bellatrix," said Potter.
Now it was Sirius' turn to stop laughing.
"If you—"
"Alright, alright," Remus interrupted, still laughing. "Let's not get our wands all tied up in knots."
The boys fell silent but every once in a while, either Potter or Sirius hissed something at each other and Remus kept having to interfere to keep them in check. Meanwhile, Draco's eyes fell upon a group of girls who had just left the castle and were now walking along the shoreline—one of them was Alice.
"Say Remus," Draco whispered, tapping him on the shoulder. Remus turned around. "What do you know about that Alice girl over there? The short one."
"Alice?" said Remus, turning back around to look at her. "That's Alice Liddell. She's in seventh year."
"Really?" said Draco, his eyes still on her as she walked with her girlfriends.
"Yeah and she's also friends with Lily and Mary MacDonald and all of their group," Remus added. "I've talked to Alice a couple of times but I think James and Sirius know her better than I do."
"How come?" Draco wondered.
"Well because Alice Liddell and Frank Longbottom have sort of been a thing since any of us could remember…and they're friends with Frank so they've hung out with her a lot."
"She's seeing Frank?" Draco hissed, his eyes moving from Remus to Alice and back.
"Not right now she's not," Remus clarified. "They've had an on and off relationship since about fourth year, I reckon. I don't believe they are seeing each other at the moment."
"On and off?" Draco repeated.
"Yeah, it's just one of those things, you know? They fight and break up. Then they kiss and it's all 'we're back together now!'"
"I see," said Draco, whose eyes followed Alice's trail. They then grew wide right before Remus' face.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"What?—no, nothing. Everything's fine. Come on, it's nearly dinnertime."
Draco jumped to his feet with them and they slowly and lazily made their way back to the castle, while Draco tried to hide the inner battle that had erupted inside of him.
Neville Longbottom's forsaken mother! He had bumped into her in the library without even knowing it! He had flirted with her, thinking it could amount to something more and that maybe he'd get some fun out of it. Neville Longbottom's mother! THE SAME ALICE that was a part of ALICE AND FRANK LONGBOTTOM….those same two aurors that were captured and tortured with the Cruciatus curse by Crouch Junior and dear Aunty Bellatrix. THEY WERE THE EXACT SAME PEOPLE!
"Everything alright?" Sirius asked, noticing Draco's silence the whole way back to the castle.
"Yeah, fine," Draco mumbled, his eyes still on the ground as he tried to understand how he could have missed it.
How could he have been so stupid?!
"You're not still worrying about that Muggle Studies essay of yours, are you?" Sirius wondered. "Don't let that kind of rubbish get to you. It's only schoolwork."
"I…don't want to let Dumbledore down," Draco muttered.
"Yeah but still," said Sirius as they reached the front doors finally. "It's only school."
They were some of the first to arrive in the Great Hall which was almost completely empty, though it wasn't for long. Soon, the entire hall was filled with people and the buzz of their conversations as their plates and goblets clinked. The enchanted ceiling was full of bright stars and the candles floated just above. All the teachers were at the staff table, eating, and Draco noticed that even the Slytherins over at their table were up and alive, whereas they usually looked gloomy and sulky.
Suddenly, Potter turned around in his seat (after a particularly long conversation with some Gryffindor seventh-year) and nudged Draco on the elbow.
"How you doing?" he asked.
Draco stared at him, confused.
"Is that a trick question?"
"No," said Potter, grinning. "I'm just wondering—how are you doing? I mean, really."
"Really, I'm doing fine," said Draco.
"Is there, uh, anything bothering you?"
"No," said Draco, slowly, now starting to wonder what Potter knew.
"Get all your homework done? That essay for Muggle Studies?"
"Yeah, everything's done," Draco mumbled. "Are you okay?"
"Me? Fine! Perfect. Never been better."
Draco waited.
"Well," Potter said, after a few minutes. "I guess I was just thinking a lot about that conversation we'd overheard between you and Bellatrix last night…"
"You mean the conversation you eavesdropped on," Draco corrected, his eyes on his plate.
"Yeah, that's the one," said Potter, dismissively. "Anyway, you never did answer her question about your opinion on blood purity."
"And now you're asking me to answer it," Draco clarified.
Potter shrugged sheepishly but his grin was wide now.
"Wanna know what you think," he mumbled after waiting for Draco's response which never came.
Draco shrugged.
"I've never really thought about it before," he lied.
"Oh come on," said Potter. "You don't expect me to believe that, do you? It's me, Draco. You can tell me."
"And why exactly can't I expect you to believe that?" Draco wondered.
He wasn't sure where Potter was going with this but he was almost certain the boy knew something. At least Sirius and the others were too preoccupied with their own conversations to hear a word of this one. Draco really didn't fancy having to explain to more than one person.
"Well because you were raised in a muggle orphanage," Potter explained, "But also raised part-time by Albus bloody Dumbledore! I mean—that's no ordinary childhood, if you ask me."
"No," said Draco, slowly. "I suppose it's not."
"And then you were sorted into Gryffindor just like him, which means he probably had a very large influence on you," Potter continued. "But you're also the second Black to be sorted into Gryffindor which was never expected by anyone."
"Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor," said Draco. "Why's that not a big deal?"
"It is," Potter informed him. "But I've known him since day 1. He's always been rebellious and getting sorted into Gryffindor was his way of telling his demented family to go to hell. You, on the other hand…"
"So what are you really asking me here?" Draco asked, finally putting his knife and fork down and turning his body fully so that he was facing Potter entirely.
"I want to know where you truly stand on the whole blood purity thing."
"Well where do you?"
"W-what do you mean?"
"I mean, you're a pureblood, obviously…sorted into Gryffindor because of bravery or courage or whatever…but you love to make a big show of yourself, obviously…you love adoration, which is not a bad thing but it's also not a good thing…and you spend your free time chasing after your fellow housemates for Quidditch things or oogling your eyes at the redhead muggle-born who obviously doesn't want anything to do with you—"
"How do you know she doesn't?" Potter demanded, the grin finally fading.
"See?" exclaimed Draco. "That's the only thing you care about!"
"Hey, that's not true!"
"I mean, I think it's just a little unfair for you to go attacking me for my beliefs, when you—"
"Hey, calm down, man! I wasn't attacking you for anything—it was a simple question. No need to get all nasty here!"
"Is everything alright?" Remus intervened, and both Draco and Potter finally realised that the other Marauders were watching them intently, and Sirius had his eyebrows raised.
"Wuzgoinon, mate?" he asked with his mouth full of mashed potatoes.
Draco looked from him to Remus to Wormtail and then to Potter, who was still glaring at him.
"Nothing," Draco, said, throwing down his napkin and getting up, "Everything is perfect."
"Why are you angry—hey, where you going?" Sirius said.
"Lesson with Dumbledore," Draco muttered.
"That's not for another hour," Sirius reminded him.
"Well then I've got to go and prepare for my lesson with Dumbledore," Draco shot back at him, and when none of the others said anything, he left the hall.
It took several flights of stairs and multiple winding corridors for his temper to finally cool. He stopped by his dormitory and tossed his tie into his trunk because it was getting all tight around neck. He spent the next half hour or so pacing around the dormitory, until he finally started to hear students downstairs. Making sure that his trunk was securely locked under his bed—given that Potter was so nosey he'd probably go looking through it while Draco was gone—he left the dormitory and hurried down the stairs before any of the boys could see him. He left the common room and Gryffindor Tower altogether and spent the next little while trying to kill time by wandering around various corridors and passing by random ghosts.
Finally, after what felt like several lifetimes later, it was time to make his way to Dumbledore's office. Suddenly, Draco was not feeling nervous about this meeting at all. If anything, he was looking forward to it. He was feeling very pumped and energetic and ready to get down to serious business at last—none of this stupid teenage drama anymore…but real life issues from now on.
"Come in," said the voice from within after Draco's three knocks.
Draco pushed open the large oak door and his eyes instantly found Dumbledore, who was sitting behind his desk in the slightly dimmed office. His fiery red bird was sitting perched up on the window sill, and it turned its head upon Draco's entrance. All the portraits of the previous headmasters and headmistresses were eyeing him with fascination.
"Draco," said Dumbledore, who put down his silver goblet and smiled brightly at him. "You're right on time."
"Alright," said Draco, closing the door behind him and putting his hands in his pockets. He looked at Dumbledore, sighing. "Let's do this."
"Is everything alright, Draco?"
"It's fine."
"You look like you have something on your mind."
"Of course I have a lot on my mind—I have nearly 17 years' worth on my mind."
"I see…well would you please feel more comfortable sitting down instead of pacing my office again?"
Draco stopped.
"No," he said, waving his hands in the air. "I don't want to sit! I feel agitated, okay? And when I'm agitated, I pace."
"So dramatic!" said one of the portraits on the walls.
Draco ignored it.
"Why don't we start at the beginning?" Dumbledore said, ignoring it too.
Draco stopped pacing again and looked at Dumbledore expectedly.
"You really mean that?" he said. "You're going to let me tell you things about the future?"
"Uh," said Dumbledore, "Well, what I meant is…tell me about this week and everything that's happened and your opinions on—"
"Got it," said Draco, and he threw himself into the chair across from Dumbledore and buried his face in his hands. "Where to start, let's see…I was sorted into Gryffindor. I'm running around the castle with my greatest school nemesis' father and his lot, who by the way love being the center of attention… I—"
"Does that bother you?" Dumbledore interrupted.
Draco sat up.
"Does what bother me?"
"That they love being the center of attention?"
"I…well I dunno…it did at first but not so much now," Draco mumbled. "But that's not the point. The point is, every day I have to remind myself that they are not just my former classmates' parents and my parents' school rivals. They are my new classmates and I have to treat them that way."
"And thus forget all the backstory you know," said Dumbledore, nodding. "That does sound like quite a load."
I'd like to see you try it, Draco thought.
"Anyway," he said, resuming his pacing around the circular office. "I think I earned most of their trust, though that Potter bloke is a bit harder than the rest."
"And why is that?" said Dumbledore, politely.
"Because he's the alpha of their little pack," Draco explained, dismissively. "It doesn't matter though, I've got him under control."
"Uh Draco, exactly what do you mean by that?"
Draco sighed.
"Look, before I came here tonight we…me and Potter…sort of got into a bit of an argument. He's been looking at me all funny this whole week and then he up and asked what my views on blood purity are."
"And because you were born and raised in a Slytherin family…" said Dumbledore.
"I had to lie to him of course," said Draco. "But I might've…you know, gotten a bit defensive… a-and verbally attacked him."
"Ah," said Dumbledore. "Well, I suppose he'll forgive you once you apologise to him."
"Apologise?" said Draco, stopping the pacing. "No. No, I am not apologising to him, are you kidding me?"
"If you want to play the part well, you will," Dumbledore mumbled. Draco opened his mouth to say something but again, Dumbledore interrupted. "But more on that later. Please, continue."
Draco hesitated, but resumed his pacing nonetheless.
"And then I stormed out and now I'm going to have to explain it all later to him and to Sirius and Remus."
Dumbledore smiled and Draco stopped pacing again.
"What?" said Draco, irritably. "What is so funny?!"
"Not funny, but amusing," said Dumbledore. "You're trying so hard to hate these boys but the look on your face now clearly shows how very fond of them you've grown over this past week—don't shake your head, I know what I see. And it doesn't make you a bad person to want to be their friend, Draco. It just means that you are starting to understand people who are different from you."
Draco did not remember taking a seat at Dumbledore's desk again but a few minutes later, there he was, sitting and wondering as the impact of these words seeped into his brain. Dumbledore smiled again.
"Please continue," he said.
Draco nodded.
He did not speak right away, but tilted his head to look at the window where the starry sky was blinking at him. He could tell Dumbledore about the map and the cloak and all the practical jokes…that was true. But did he really want to?
"W-well I suppose I've told you the highlights," he mumbled after a few moments. "I'm just trying to be their friend and keep up with schoolwork and remember all the right answers to all questions about my past and try to convince the boys to tell me about Remus."
"About his condition," Dumbledore clarified. "The boys are prepared to tell you about it?"
"No," said Draco, quickly. "They are really trying hard to keep it from me and I think it's because Remus asked them to."
"But you want them to tell you."
"It'd make things easier, yes," said Draco. "Look, I already know about it. I've seen his grown-up version and how Snape had to always cover his classes in our third year when he was too—well, whatever he was—to teach. It's really hard to face him every single day and see how he struggles to keep this secret from me but has no idea that I already know and I have to pretend that I know nothing."
"I see," said Dumbledore. "Moving on then—as I understand it, James Potter is Quidditch Captain for the Gryffindors this year. Has he, uh, expressed any interest…?"
"Yeah," Draco muttered. "Yeah, for sure. But I'm not going to play."
"And why not?"
"Well because I think I have more important things on my agenda, don't you?"
Dumbledore smiled again.
"It doesn't mean you can't have a bit of fun in this timeline too," he said.
There was a long pause.
"Why won't you let me tell you anything?" Draco demanded for about the hundredth time since he'd arrived in 1976.
But Dumbledore's patience did not falter at the question.
"It is not the best idea for me to know everything that happened by your timeline."
"I won't tell you everything," Draco interfered. "But just the important stuff! Come on, professor, I really want to! You've no idea how tempting it is!"
"Believe me, I do," said Dumbledore. "And I trust you completely, but now it is time for you to trust me when I tell you that it is still not time for me to know everything."
"But—"
"One day soon, Draco. I promise. Now, let us move on. Is it safe to assume that you've neglected your former house completely?"
"No," said Draco at once. "Absolutely not."
He could never. Slytherin had been his home for so long. He couldn't just forget it completely.
"Do explain," said Dumbledore, who sat up in his chair and crossed his hands on the desk, fully alert.
"I've reached out to some Slytherins," he began. "Severus Snape was one of my teachers at Hogwarts too. Actually, he was my favourite teacher."
"Because he was your head of house too," Dumbledore added.
Draco nodded.
"He was also a friend of the family's and I saw him a lot around the house when I was a kid," he continued. "Anyway, I met him this week…his t-teenage form."
"And?"
"And…he's completely different from what I remember…uh, from what he will become."
"In what ways?"
"Snape the adult is far more detached, isolated and depressed than teenage Snape." Draco paused. "But it looks like the two are soon to merge, at the rate of how things are going."
"And how do you mean?" said Dumbledore, patiently.
"Well there's this girl called Lily Evans who is in Gryffindor and apparently she and Snape came to Hogwarts together but separated because of their different houses and they had lots of fights and one day he accidentally called her a mudblood and now she still won't talk to him even though Remus Lupin told me that this happened last year and she should get over herself now and why am I telling you all this? Can you honestly say to me that all this nonsensical teenage drama actually interests you?"
Dumbledore's smile widened.
"You are telling this to me for you," he said, simply. "Oh and please do address me properly. I am still your headmaster, after all. Please, go on."
Draco hesitated, but did as he was told.
"Anyway, I've tried sort of…finding out what I could…you know, I feel bad for the guy. He's really…he feels terrible about it and she just won't talk to him, the stubborn little—uh, sorry." Dumbledore's raised eyebrows faltered and Draco cleared his throat before continuing. "Anyway, it's still a work of progress but I'm not giving up."
"That's good to hear," said Dumbledore, nodding. "Though try and make sure you do not meddle too much."
"Oh I plan to meddle plenty," said Draco. "There's no question of it."
"Alright," said Dumbledore. "It is your choice. Uh, I do wonder…how Snape reacted when you started defending him? As I understand it, he and your new friends from Gryffindor haven't really gotten along these last couple of years."
"Y-yeah," said Draco. "Yeah well that does present a challenge…but they don't have to know everything that I do. The day they start planning their little adventures in the library will be the day I'll really have to worry, but until then, no problem. As for Snape…well, he does seem a bit confused because I'm just this strange kid who is suddenly seeing things his way, and from what I've gathered, not many people here do. But like I said…it's a work in progress."
"Very well," said Dumbledore. "As you probably know, I am of course delighted that you have made friends, one of them being a relative…but what I really want to know is whether you have had any interactions with the other Black."
"Regulus," said Draco, nodding. "Yeah well…some. Not a lot. We've talked here and there. Made eye contact. The kid knows I exist but he seems dead terrified to approach me…and even more intent on finding out everything he can about me. Did I tell you I got my Black Family Interrogation this week? Yeah. And you'll never guess who was in charge of it."
"Bellatrix Black," said Dumbledore, simply.
Draco started.
"Okay that's brilliant," he said, his eyes wide. "How on earth did you know that?"
"You don't think I know what goes on in my school?" said Dumbledore, his eyebrows raised. "I may be old and I may love sitting up here in my office, surrounded by piles of dust-gathering books all day long, but I do know a thing or two about what goes on in the castle."
"Oh," said Draco in a small voice.
"And how did the interrogation go?" asked Dumbledore.
"There are no words to describe it," said Draco, truthfully.
"What kinds of questions did Bellatrix ask you?"
"The kinds that were completely expected," said Draco. Dumbledore waited. "She wanted to know my entire cover story basically. She wanted to know exactly how I came into the wizarding world and how many times you supposedly visited me at the orphanage and why I've only come to Hogwarts now and not at eleven."
"And what did you tell her when she asked you about coming to Hogwarts?"
"I told her to ask you if she really wanted to know," said Draco, simply.
Dumbledore smiled faintly.
"You're welcome," Draco added. "Anyway, the questions got a bit weird after that. She wanted to know what the Sorting Hat told me and what I gathered from it."
"She was trying to determine whether you'd been rightfully sorted," Dumbledore clarified.
"Yeah," Draco agreed. "But I think that some of my responses might have…steered her in the right direction. I dunno but it's safe to say that she thinks the Sorting Hat just got confused and that I truly belong in Slytherin, just like the rest of her family."
"I don't think that's true," said Dumbledore, quietly, "That you belong in Slytherin just like all the Blacks, I mean. Look at Sirius, for example."
"I know," said Draco, quickly. "Believe me, I know. But it's safe for her to assume so. It's better that they like me than hate me."
"Very true," said Dumbledore, nodding. "It'll also give you an in with Regulus."
At this, Draco frowned.
"How do you mean?"
"Think about it," said Dumbledore, simply. And then, he stood up from the desk and walked over to the window. Draco watched him. "If you are accepted by the family, naturally you will be invited back to their home on holidays. It will provide you with plenty of opportunities to connect with Regulus."
"And why do you want me to connect with him so much?" Draco asked, suspiciously.
Dumbledore turned to face him.
"I worry about him," he said. "Truth be told, I worry about many of the Slytherins. They come from families who have a history with the Dark Lord. We are in the middle of a national war now, Draco, and every day that I sit in my Great Hall, I look out upon the Slytherins and wonder which of them is next. It is very clear that the Black boy has succumbed to the pressures that his family sets upon him. Unlike his brother who has taken the road much less travelled, Regulus has decided to take the easy path. I worry that if someone does not steer him back, he won't ever find his way himself."
"He won't," Draco said after a few moments.
Dumbledore looked at him.
"He goes on to become the youngest Death Eater that the Dark Lord ever recruited. I've always been mortified to hear the story and Aunt Bellatrix told me that the whole family sees him as some sort of hero—"
"Stop," said Dumbledore, at once. "I do not wish to know these facts, Draco. I have already told you that."
"Sorry," Draco mumbled.
There was silence.
"Go on," said Dumbledore, turning back to the window.
"Go on with what? I've told you everything," said Draco. "I answered all of Bellatrix's questions as best as I could and she seemed to like me in the end. It's safe to assume that I've become an official member of the family. I've just got to keep my act and make them believe that I've been misplaced and I'll be good to go. Well, do that and make sure that Sirius doesn't suspect me to be just another typical Black."
"He won't," said Dumbledore, reassuringly. "Sirius Black is far cleverer than that."
Draco nodded.
There was another short silence and Dumbledore moved away from the window and went to stand near one of the hundreds of bookcases in his circular office.
"It must've been strange for you to be interrogated by someone who you've known your whole life, and who thinks you've only met them just now."
"I haven't known her my whole life," Draco corrected. Dumbledore frowned at him. "Well, if you let me tell you things, you'd know that Bellatrix spent a lot of time in Azkaban and only got out when I was in my fifth year—"
"Is there, uh, anything else you wish to tell me about this week?" Dumbledore asked, looking somewhat disturbed.
Draco thought. Nothing besides the panic attack from Thursday came to mind. And he wasn't about to tell Dumbledore that. To tell Dumbledore would mean having to show him what was left of the mark under his sleeve, which would then mean having to explain everything that Draco had to do to get to that point on the Astronomy Tower with "future" Dumbledore on that horrific June night. And Draco had been plenty satisfied with just explaining to this Dumbledore that that was the point they'd gotten to. How they'd gotten there was not necessary to explain just yet.
"Nope," he answered.
Dumbledore frowned at him from behind his half-moon spectacles and Draco put on the most innocent-like face he could muster and stared right back at him.
"Very well then," said Dumbledore. "Now that we have discussed all the important things, it is time for us to get on with the lesson."
"Wait, we're actually going to learn something?"
"Yes, I think we are going to learn a lot this year," said Dumbledore, moving back to his desk and taking a seat. "And the lesson that I have planned for today is one you'll be quite interested in, I am sure. But first, I want to tell you that I think you are doing a marvelous job. You give yourself far too little credit, Draco. What you have been through is definitely traumatic but you have mustered up your courage to overcome it and put on a face despite everything you know that has happened. You should be proud of that."
"Yeah, I'm ecstatic," Draco muttered.
Dumbledore ignored him.
"Today's lesson will be the first of a series of similar lessons," he began. "I want to teach you how to perform the Patronus Charm, if ever you find yourself in the need to perform it. Today, I will be explaining the basics of this charm to you. Are you familiar with it at all?"
"No," said Draco.
"No, sir, Draco," said Dumbledore. "If you are going to play the part of a student in my school, you'd better do a better job at convincing me."
"No, sir," Draco repeated, in a sort of grumble.
Dumbledore however seemed satisfied.
"The Patronus Charm is the most famous and one of the most powerful defensive charms known to wizardkind…at least for now," he gave Draco a small smile before continuing. "However, it is an immensely complicated and very difficult spell that evokes a partially-tangible positive energy force that can be used to protect you from a variety of opponents, dementors and lethifolds alike."
"What are lethifolds?" Draco interrupted, having never heard the term before.
"They are highly dangerous carnivorous creatures who are known to be very aggressive and of a violent nature in general." Draco nodded. "As I was saying, the Patronus Charm can shield you from such monstrous creatures, but only if it is cast powerfully enough. How to cast it powerfully, you ask? Well, the first step is to repeat the incantation Expecto Patronum."
"Expecto Patronum," Draco repeated, quietly.
"Very good," said Dumbledore. "But saying the incantation alone is not enough. It is only part of the incredibly complex process. The vast majority of witches and wizards are unable to produce any form of Patronus."
"What does the Patronus look like?" Draco wondered.
"Well, each one is unique to the wizard who conjures it," Dumbledore explained. "An incorporeal Patronus is one which does not resemble any living creature and has few distinguishing features—it looks much like a burst of vapour or smoke without any clearly defined form. A full-bodied or fully-fledged Patronus—that which takes the form of an animal—is of course more powerfully effective, but shield forms can also protect you from a wide range of opponents."
"An animal," Draco repeated. "As in an animal animal?"
"As in an animal," said Dumbledore, smiling. "And for every witch or wizard, that animal will be different and will reflect their individual and unique personality."
"So the animal will be the same every time you produce it," Draco said.
"I believe so," said Dumbledore.
"So how do you know which is your animal?"
"Ah, all in good time," said Dumbledore. "Now, I have told you what the Patronus Charm is and how and when it is used. I have told you the incantation required to produce it, but this is all still only half of the equation. You see, the most important and most crucial other half of the equation is the memory you choose to think of when casting the spell. One must muster the happiest memory they can think of and begin drawing circles with their wand so as to somewhat increase the power of their spell."
"A memory?" said Draco. "Will memories from other lifetimes count?"
Dumbledore smiled at him tersely before continuing.
"The happier the memory, the better the charm will work. You must say the incantation Expecto Patronum whilst immersing yourself in this memory completely and thinking of nothing else."
"Okay, what's so hard about that?" Draco said, pulling his wand out and preparing to perform the spell.
Dumbledore raised his hand and indicated for Draco to lower his wand. He did so.
"It might sound easy to just think of the happiest moment in your life and say a simple spell, but to do this in the face of danger—when a dementor is only seconds away from distributing the fatal kiss to you…it is very difficult to grasp onto a single happy memory when all happiness has been sucked from you."
Draco mouthed "oh" and put his wand away again.
"We are not going to be practicing the charm today," Dumbledore said. "We are only going to be focusing on the theoretical part of it for this lesson. Perhaps the next lesson we will begin training."
"Professor," said Draco, suddenly. "If the Patronus takes the animal form that best resembles your personality…that's personal, isn't it? So like…what, it's just there for everyone to see?"
"It is possible to disguise the form of one's Patronus, Draco," said Dumbledore. He paused. "Are you worried your new friends will unveil your true personality?"
"Yes," said Draco almost automatically.
Dumbledore frowned at him, but said no more on the matter. They proceeded with the lesson for the rest of the hour and at around half past nine, Draco was ready to go back. Dumbledore ripped a sheet from a notebook on which he had scribbled a Headmaster's Note and handed it to Draco. He then stood from his desk and went around it to shake hands with him.
"It was a good first lesson," he said. "And I shall see you back here next Saturday at 8."
"Yes sir," said Draco, starting to head for the door.
"Do try to make things right with James Potter," Dumbledore advised him. "You can't blame your friends for things they don't know they will do in the future."
For some reason, Draco's mind suddenly wandered from Potter to Wormtail as Dumbledore said these words. He nodded. Dumbledore stopped at the center of the office and waved Draco off. Just before Draco reached the large oak door however, he stopped and spun on the spot.
"I almost forgot to tell you," he said, looking round at Dumbledore. "I told Bellatrix that I was brought up at Gallard's Home for Boys. It's a random name I came up with for a muggle orphanage. She said she'd check to make sure I was telling the truth."
Dumbledore sighed heavily.
"I know you have a lot on your agenda, believe me, I do, but could you please try to first run things by me before you complicated matters even more?"
"I'd like to see you being interrogated by Bellatrix Black and not completely wetting yourself," Draco muttered.
He turned to leave.
"Technically, I have," Dumbledore mumbled back.
Draco turned to look at him with a frown but Dumbledore only smirked at him.
"Next time, do try to come up with less lies that I have to cover up for you."
"You shouldn't have made me a Black in the eyes of the wizarding world," said Draco, shrugging. "You'll make sure it's cleared?"
"I'll take care of it," said Dumbledore, reassuringly. "But I do mean it, Draco. Run your lies by me before you tell them to others. It'll make things a whole lot easier."
"Goodnight then," said Draco.
He left.
Walking back to Gryffindor Tower, Draco found himself thinking a lot about the Patronus Charm and wondering what sort of form his would take. He wasn't exactly keen on extra lessons and trying to catch up so that it looked like he really had been raised by a legendary and prodigal wizard in history. But he was definitely relieved that Dumbledore was prepared to teach him the most fascinating of all things. It looked like these lessons weren't going to be a complete waste of his time after all. If anything, they were exactly the type of remedy that he needed at the moment—the type of distraction from all the chaos that would keep his sanity intact.
Just as Draco turned the corner and reached the Entrance Hall, he stopped dead. Professor Slughorn was walking towards him from the Slytherin dungeons, a grim look on his face.
"Draco Black!" he said, frowning.
"Professor," said Draco.
"You shouldn't be wandering the corridors at this time of night, Mr. Black, I trust you know that," said Slughorn once he finally reached Draco.
"I was with Professor Dumbledore, sir," said Draco, holding out the letter that Dumbledore had written for him.
"Oh," said Slughorn, taking it and examining it. "Oh very well then. I wasn't of course prepared to turn you in. After all, we scholars have to stand up for each other, am I right?"
"Yes sir," said Draco.
Slughorn smiled down at him.
"I so look forward to having you at my next club meeting."
"I look forward to it too, professor."
"Goodnight then! Get to your common room quickly!"
"Will do. Goodbye, sir."
Slughorn waited in the Entrance Hall and watched Draco disappear up the marble staircase before he descended down another corridor. The Fat Lady looked definitely displeased with Draco bothering her with the password, and she grumbled as she swung back and let him in. He crawled through the portrait hole and found a relatively quiet common room with only a few people here and there. Potter was the only one of the Marauders to be sitting by the fireplace. He glanced up at Draco, who was trying to decide what to do. Then, he turned to go up to the dormitory.
"Wait!" Potter called after him.
Draco stopped.
"Can we talk?"
Draco turned to look at him. He waved at everyone sitting in the common room and raised his eyebrows at Potter, wondering what he was prepared to do about it. Potter pursed his lips and then stood up on the coffee table and whistled loudly. Everyone turned to look at him.
"Could you all please call it a night? I'd like the space down here to have an important chat with someone."
Draco couldn't believe his ears. Had Potter actually just demanded something of his fellow housemates? Who did he think he was?!
"Yeah sure."
"No problem, mate!"
"Whatever you like, James."
Draco couldn't believe his eyes. Were their fellow housemates actually getting up from their spots and politely bidding Potter farewell as they retreated up or down the marble staircases to their dormitories?! Had they completely lost their minds?!
"Wow," Draco said, once everyone had cleared out and it was just them two standing there together. "You say jump, they say how high."
Potter said nothing but jumped off the coffee table and took a seat on the couch by the fireplace.
"Where is everyone else?" Draco asked.
"Remus and Wormtail went up to the dormitory a while ago and Sirius is out."
"Out where?"
"Who knows?" said Potter, shrugging.
He looked up at him and motioned for him to sit down. Draco moved to the couch across from him and waited. For a long time, neither of them said anything. They just avoided each other's eyes and hoped for the other to say something. Then, Draco cleared his throat unexpectedly, and Potter looked up.
"I am sorry for losing it back there," Draco mumbled.
And it hurt every part of his being to be actually saying these words. But nonetheless, he did so, as convincingly as he possibly could too. However Potter only nodded.
"I just don't like many interrogations," Draco continued. "I don't think it's really very fair that everyone gets to ask me questions but I don't get to ask them."
"You can ask them," Potter muttered.
"Yes but it doesn't mean I'll get the right answers," Draco pointed out. "People lie all the time."
Potter nodded. There was something different about him tonight. He looked very troubled about something—disgusted, even.
"Something on your mind?" Draco attempted.
Potter sighed heavily and looked into the fireplace, his face incredibly serious.
"You asked me before what my views are on blood purity," he began, his voice so low that Draco actually had to lean forwards to hear him better. "You know that I was brought up in a pureblood household. My parents were always gracious about others of our kind. They were never prejudiced about those of different blood." He paused. "But when I was about 8, there was an accident. My father was coming home from work and a group of muggle-borns and half-bloods suddenly targeted him out of nowhere. They dueled and it…didn't…end…well. One of them were critically injured and had to spend about a month at St. Mungo's. My father was brought before the high wizard court for the incident but he eventually got off because it all really was a misunderstanding. The point of the story though is that we were never prejudiced and we were still targeted because we're pureblood. So you see, it's not just the muggle-borns that feel the discrimination. It's us too." He paused again and looked at Draco now. "I've always felt it, whenever I've walked this school's halls. People sometimes look at me as though they just expect me to come out and call someone a mud…well… that word." Draco nodded. "I hate being reduced to that level. I hate being thought of a monster…as someone who could even think about hurting another person with something as abusive as prejudice. I know I could never, and I know my parents could never. I just wish that this stereotype against old pureblooded families did not exist anymore. You know, you try to ignore it but…"
"It's still there," Draco mumbled.
"Yeah," said Potter, his eyes on the fireplace again. "Every day."
"So that's why you wanted to know where I stand on the whole issue," Draco said, comprehension dawning on him. "You wanted to know whether I expected it from you too."
Potter nodded.
"I didn't," Draco added quickly. "I still don't. I promise you, I've never even thought about it."
Potter looked at him.
"You haven't?"
"Not once," said Draco. "Honestly. I just…never knew that it was like this for you."
"Yeah well," said Potter, leaning back on the couch. "I'm very good at hiding it. I try not to show that it bothers me and it doesn't that much anymore…but when they think I don't see them whispering and wondering whether I'm a pureblood supremacist deep down, I do see them and I do hear them and I worry because I don't know how else to show that I'm not! I'm really, really not!"
"I had no idea," Draco repeated.
"As for Evans," said Potter, sighing. "It's nothing like that. It has nothing to do with my beliefs. I'm not just trying to get with her to prove to people that I have nothing against muggle-borns and that they shouldn't worry. I actually really like her. I think…I think I always have."
"Why?" Draco croaked.
Potter shrugged.
"I dunno," he said. "She's different, you know? She's…she's got a way of seeing the best in people—in all people."
Except for Snape, Draco thought.
"Even that Snape character she used to follow around," Potter added, as though having read Draco's mind just now. Draco frowned at him. "You know, when we were in first and second and even third year, those two were in—se—pa—ra—ble. They really were. And I think I started fancying her very early on. At first, we were always just teasing her—me and Sirius, you know. Just goofing off. But old Snivelly was someone I absolutely detested from the moment I met him, and trust me, the feeling is mutual. I'm pretty sure he hates my guts just for being in the same house as his precious Lily."
"Anyway," Potter added when he saw that Draco was growing slightly impatient, "Our fights worsened as we grew older, but even so, Lily always somehow managed to find a way to defend him. I've always thought that was very strange and yet courageous of her. She isn't afraid of standing up to people. She isn't afraid of showing her true heart to others. She seems totally and completely fearless."
"Nobody is fearless," Draco reminded him, and Potter nodded.
"No, you're right. Of course not, but she seems like it…and I dunno…it's just little things like that that I admire about her…her intelligence…her cleverness…the way she is always just willing to help people…it's no wonder she's a prefect; she was born for the job." He sighed. "She is like the perfect princess that I just can't have because she's already seen my ugly side."
"Is there no pretty side to show her?" Draco said, quietly.
"Believe me, I try," Potter said. He buried his face in his hands. "She's also been really close with Remus all these years, and part of me has always felt slightly jealous of what they have. They just…they just get each other, you know? They're always in agreement about everything and she's just so nice to him!"
"I think it's more brotherly sisterly," Draco invented.
Potter considered this, but then shook his head.
"I've always thought it might be something more."
"It's not," Draco said, quickly. "Trust me, I can sense these things easily. You've nothing to worry about there."
Potter gave him a small smile and then buried his face in his hands again.
"It hurts," he mumbled. "More than you know. It…it just sucks."
Draco's mouth fell open slightly and he remained sitting there, unsure of what to say. He'd never seen this side of James Potter before. He'd never thought that James Potter even had this side to him! And yet here he was, sitting right before him, looking more vulnerable than Snape had all week. An odd part of Draco wanted to go over there and comfort him, but he stopped himself quickly because Snape's face came to mind. Well this was bloody perfect. Both boys looked to be desperately in love with this girl and it didn't look like either of them were going to step down anytime soon.
Draco sighed. He'd thought that Potter only fancied Lily because of her appearance. The thought of his feelings being much deeper had never even occurred to him! So then how did Snape fit into all of this? Was he simply just obsessed with Lily? Did he fancy her or knowing everything about her? Remus had told him that he'd made his NEWT schedule out to be exactly like Lily's. He'd also mentioned at dinner sometime this week that Snape was slightly obsessed with knowing everything about Lily's life—who she associated herself with and why. That did seem a bit extreme. But was it love? This right here, what he was seeing before him—a desperate boy unmasking himself because he has grown completely helpless—was real love. He could tell. But he wasn't sure anymore whether what Snape was experiencing was real love…
…or healthy, for that matter.
"Look," said Potter, finally collecting himself. "I…I'd prefer you didn't tell this to the others, alright? I haven't exactly shared this much with any of them before." He had his armour back on now. He sat up on the couch and wiped his face on his sleeve thoroughly. "Promise me."
"Don't worry," Draco assured him. "I can keep a secret."
Or a hundred, he wanted to add.
"Thanks, Draco. And I'm sorry again for all the interrogations. You can't blame a poor bloke for being curious."
"No," laughed Draco. "No, I don't blame you for being curious. I'd be curious too. I have to be the only sixth year in the history of this school to receive his sorting with a sea of munchkins."
"And the second Black to be sorted into Gryffindor House."
"And the only wizard in history to be practically raised by the legendary Albus Dumbledore."
They both grinned now, their laughter only subsiding by the sound of the portrait swinging shut. Sirius had just climbed in through the hole and he made his way over to the couch and collapsed on it, putting his feet up on the table and his hands behind his head. The grin on his face was the broadest of broad.
"And where have you been this evening?" Potter asked, smirking.
All signs of vulnerability that he might have shown a few moments ago were gone now, but Draco was feeling rather pleased with their conversation. Tonight, for the first time ever, he had seen a new side to James Potter—one that he highly doubted existed in Harry Potter. They really were two completely different human beings. Who knew?
"Come on, Sirius, tell us where you've been!" he added.
Sirius sighed happily.
"I've been off in heaven," he said.
"Still haven't gotten enough of Ellen what's-her-face then?" Draco said, smirking.
"Ellen?" said Sirius, frowning. "No, I saw her go off to Ravenclaw Tower right after dinner." He smiled again, his eyes on the ceiling now. "No. No, tonight I was with another goddess…no, an angel. Didi…uh something. Ah she was…exquisite, boys. Just…exquisite."
Both boys laughed. Hard. And Sirius' grin never faded, though he looked curious now.
"What?" he kept saying as they continued laughing. "What's so funny? Come on guys, what is it?"
They gathered themselves and wiped the tears from their eyes before Potter cleared his throat.
"Sirius, you're a—"
"—male whore," laughed Draco.
Thanks for reading and do let us know what you think of Draco's relationship with Dumbledore so far!
Special thanks to:
Enticement; your kind words made us smile and we hope you enjoy this chapter as well!
Sarah; really happy to be able to create those images for you! Hope you continue to enjoy
NatIcole and Watter213; Reg and Sirius are so complex a matter that Sirius himself refuses to discuss the situation even with his closest friends
Ssamusseamus; Mulciber is quite an extraordinary creature
Lama; would never dream of giving up on a story before it's finished! Though, reviews will speed up the updates as they do give motivation ;)
