Chapter Eleven – Snakes
The seventh year Gryffindor's made their way up the staircases to the tower snickering at Dean's face as Slinky hissed happily from his shoulder.
"Stop laughing! It's disturbing! I don't know what he's saying!" Dean exclaimed, moving away when Slinky moved around and flicked his tongue against his cheek.
"Aw! It just kissed you!" Seamus exclaimed, before he and Neville started laughing again.
"Not funny." Dean huffed, before getting knocked out of the way by Ron, who stormed past them before coming to a halt and turning around slowly when Slinky hissed angrily at him.
"What. Are you Doing. With that. Th-thing! Around your shoulders?" Ron asked slowly, not taking his eyes off of Slinky.
"He's not a thing, he's a Boa Constrictor... I think... And he's called Slinky!" Dean said, glaring at Ron, then at Slinky when it made an unmistakeable happy hiss and 'kissed' his cheek. "Stop that."
"See! Even you don't like it! It's evil!"
"It isn't evil Ron, it's just a bit randy." Seamus said, doing an admirable job of keeping a straight face, before starting to shake with laughter and having to turn away from the thunderous look on Dean's face.
"Well, whatever it is, it doesn't belong in the Gryffindor Common room! We're Lions! Not Snakes! Take it back to The Slytherin's!"
"No, Harry left him in my possession and I am going to look after him. So stop being so uppity about it."
"Yeah! Well Potter isn't going to be back anytime soon, is he? He'll be shacking up with his Slytherin husband, like the traitor he is!" Ron spat, before turning back around and storming off in the direction of the Gryffindor Tower. Hermione looked a them as though unsure, and then back in the direction Ron had headed, nibbling her lips.
"If you get a chance to see him before I do, tell him congratulations and I don't really mind about his orientation." She hissed before turning around and running after Ron to catch him up.
"Well that was unexpected." Seamus uttered, getting shocked nods of agreement from the others... and Slinky.
"Well it will cheer Harry up at least. Well more than he is already." Neville added, smiling at the Fat Lady as they reached her. "Ah Pants, I don't know the password. Do any of you?"
"Nope, hang on. My dear sweet lady, you are looking absolutely stunning today. Why is that a new dress?" Seamus asked, switching on the old Irish charm.
"Oh you flatterer you, Mr Finnegan."
"Oh! You know my name? Then if you could be so kind to tell me yours!"
"Why you, it's Rose."
"Rose! How beautiful! Why I would say your are as beautiful as the flower you share your name with!"
"Mr Finnegan-"
"Please, call me Seamus."
"Seamus, if only I were a few years younger... and alive."
"Ah, my dear sweet Rose. I've a secret to tell you. Promise not to tell anyone else?"
"Oh? What's that?" Rose asked, leaning forward in her portrait slightly.
"I'm afraid I'm not one for the fairer sex, but I think your beauty could well sway me back." Seamus whispered, adding the last part as an after thought.
"Oooh! Mr Finnegan! You're wasted on these people!" Rose said, fanning herself with her hand.
"Alas, only you seem to be able to see that as the truth. Though my good friend Mr Potter may have realised." Seamus mused quietly as though to himself.
"Oh! You're friends with Harry! Well there's a troubled soul if ever I saw! Missing his other half if you get my meaning, all us portraits watch out for him."
"Do you indeed? Well I have a spot of good news! He got married over the summer to Mr Malfoy."
"Did he? Finally saw the chemistry between those two? Well it took them long enough! Well you shouldn't stay out here talking to me all night, you'll be too exhausted for lessons tomorrow. In you go dears." The portrait swung open, allowing Seamus, followed by a stunned Dean and Neville, into the Common Room.
"How did you do that?" Dean asked once the portrait had closed behind them and they made their way up to their room.
"I remember Harry once telling me that he used to stay and talk to her occasionally and she never asks him for the password anymore. As long as he is alone, he is allowed in here without having to utter it. It's like she said, all the portraits look out for him."
"Well I'll have to remember that for future reference." Neville muttered, making the others snort in amusement.
"You'll always be using it then Nev!"
"Hey! I'm not that bad!" Neville exclaimed, pushing the door open to their room and taking note that there were only four beds, Ron was kneeling by his trunk, looking for something.
"I see you still have that monster with you Thomas." Ron sneered... or at least attempted to.
"He's not a monster and yep, he's still with me. Careful what you say about him though, I think he can understand everything you say and when I'm asleep, what's to stop him from slipping into your bed and squeezing the very life right out of you!" Dean said with a grin, placing Slinky down on his bed and then opening his trunk to get his pyjamas.
"Y-you'd better not!"
"Well shut up then Ron. You don't know what you're on about and stop trying to force your prejudices onto us!" Seamus snapped, sitting on his bed and glaring at the pale red head.
"Fine. But you'll soon see your mistake on hanging around with Potter soon. He'll drag you all down with him!" Ron spat, before tugging his drapes closed violently.
"Well this should be an interesting year." Neville stated quietly, get snorts of amusement and agreement from the other two as they all closed their drapes and fell to sleep.
IIIIIIIIIIIIII
"Order! I call this meeting of the Order to order!" Dumbledore shouted, banging his hand down on the table to get attention. Everyone quietened down and looked up at Dumbledore.
"Now, first things first, Mr Potter has returned to Hogwarts."
"Is he alright?"
"Does he look okay?"
"What did he have to say?"
"QUIET!" Dumbledore roared, rubbing at his temples to ease the headache that was beginning to form. "Now, I called Mr Potter to my office for several reasons, the first of course was regarding a letter I received from him last night."
"You got a letter? Why didn't you tell us?" Mrs Weasley exclaimed, getting murmurs of agreement from everyone else around the table.
"It was late at night and concerning school issues, I thought it could wait. Now in the letter, Harry told me that he and Mr Malfoy had gotten married over the summer-"
"WHAT!" The practically unanimous yell almost deafened the headmaster.
"It is as I said. Now, when I asked him, he offered to show me the official documents, so unfortunately it is all completely legit."
"Did you talk to him? Ask him why?" Moody asked, narrowing his eyes at the headmaster.
"Yes, I also pointed out that Lucius was Voldemort's Right Hand. His response made me question his sanity, but the main thing was the fact that he said he didn't care."
"Did he tell you where he was over the summer?"
"Not in detail. He just mentioned that he was at a family home."
"What about the young Malfoy?"
"He lived with Harry. The worrying part is that I believe Harry may be working with, or for, the Silent Killers."
"You know who they are?" Moody asked in shock
"Yes, it is as we thought, they are the two demons, Smokey and Ice."
"Ah, then Harry knows where they are!" Shacklebolt exclaimed, making the ones behind Harry roll their eyes in exasperation, like Harry was going to tell them that, even if he wasn't Smokey."
"He does, and he will not disclose the information. He also warned me not to get in their way. He agrees with what they are doing, stating that the Death Eaters deserve it." Dumbledore said, sadly shaking his head.
"Then me and the boy agree with something. Death is the best thing for them." Moody said roughly, false eye spinning wildly.
"Sadly, that is not the view the wizarding world wants of their saviour. Harry needs to be forgiving."
"Forgiving is going to get him and everyone around him killed."
"What about Ron and Hermione? Have they managed to get close to him?"
"I'm afraid not. It would seem that young Mr Weasley exploded at the thought of Harry and Draco married."
"Did he take Malfoy's last name?" Bill asked suddenly, making a few people to look at him funnily.
"Mr Potter did not take my Godsons last name. They both go by Mr Black now, I assume they chose that as neutral territory." Severus drawled darkly, pretending to glare at an imaginary Potter.
"Then he has taken his post as Sirius' son." Remus stated quietly.
"What was the Remus?" Dumbledore asked sharply, ignoring the glare aimed his way from Remus.
"Sirius at some point officially adopted Harry using Harry's blood. Harry is Sirius' son. He has the black hair and the naturally tanned skin of the Blacks. The Potters only had dark brown hair and pale skin. Surely you all noticed that? I would have to take a guess and say that Lily and James were in on it, for as far as I know, Harry has always had black hair and tanned skin."
"He also has a more pointed face than the Potters, I had assumed he had gotten it form Lily's side of the family." Tonks said wonderingly. "So Harry's my little cousin?"
"Yep, he is a Black by blood. Taking the last name will finish the process."
"Does that mean he is no longer a Potter?"
"No, he's a bit of both. Though they will eradicate all impure blood, making him a pureblood not a half blood. He kept the Potter name in his, as Draco kept the Malfoy." Remus said, looking at Moody questioningly when he grinned ferally.
"Very clever of them both. They have now become heirs to the three most prominent families in the wizarding world. Very clever. And very Slytherin."
"Harry is the epitome of Gryffindor! How dare you suggest he is even remotely Slytherin!" Molly Weasley exclaimed, glaring at Moody.
"A Parseltongue Gryffindor?"
"That is not his fault, Dumbledore explained that that was the cause of the curse backfiring."
"Potter is a Slytherin. If you cannot accept that, then perhaps you should talk to the Sorting Hat." Snape said with a smirk, making Dumbledore look at him sharply.
"How do you know about that Severus?"
"I have been inside the boys mind Headmaster. There isn't an awful lot about his past that I don't know."
"Surely that is a violation of trust headmaster!"
"It was needed in order to teach Mr Black occlumency." Dumbledore said wearily.
"Why did he need to know Occlumency in the first place?"
"Voldemort and Harry have a link that allows each to view inside the others mind. Harry needed to protect himself."
"Is he safe?"
"Harry is perfectly safe!" Remus exclaimed, glaring at Emmeline Vance.
"Indeed he is Remus. Now Harry told me one more thing about Smokey."
"What was that Headmaster?" Shacklebolt asked, being the one in the ministry ordered to find the rogue demon.
"He told me that he had returned to Tartarus briefly to speak with his grandfather. I do not know what about and we can only hope that it is not to get help from the Demon realm."
"Do we think he will be allowed it if he does ask that?"
"I do indeed. We must pray that he doesn't or the human race will not stand a chance."
IIIIIIIIIIIIII
"I swear the headmaster gets more and more dramatic each and every meeting." Remus said to Severus as they walked the way up to the castle after the meeting that night.
"Indeed. It may be amusing to tell Harry of the Order's reaction to his consequent betrayal to the Slytherin side."
"Pfft, not Slytherin. He's more Slytherin that Salazar himself and it was you that convinced him to show it." Remus said, snorting with amusement.
"How on earth do you know that?"
"I'm Harry's guardian. He has told me so. I wanted to know how you two got close and he told me. I believe he did it to make me see some good in you, sneaky little demon that he is."
"I may have to agree with you there and I do believe him being Draco's spouse will only make him worse. Do you have any idea what his plans are concerning Smokey now that he is in Hogwarts?"
"Nope, your guess is as good as mine. I don't think he intends on stopping however. I would love to find out how he is planning on doing it however."
"I'm betting his cat will help him somehow."
"You mean Draco's cat. Slinky is acting as Harry's familiar remember?"
"Oh yes, how could I forget? Rather genius of them really, the Granger girl would have caught on straight away if Harry had turned up with a cat. She is far too intelligent for her own good."
"Did you just complement a Gryffindor in your own backwards, warped way?" Remus asked in shock, putting his hand to his mouth and getting an amused glare from Severus in return.
"Oh be quiet Wolf. Now I'm going to bed. I shall see you in the morning."
"Night Severus." Remus said softly before turning away and walking to his own quarters on the third floor.
IIIIIIIIIIIIII
Harry yawned and stretched, grinning when he deliberately hit Draco on the head, waking up the blond immediately.
"You did that on purpose." Draco growled, long hair messed up and all over the place, silver and blue eyes flashing dangerously as he glared at Harry, who smiled innocently back.
"Did I hit you? I'm so sorry baby!" Harry gushed, looking at Draco in distress, though not being able to hide the laughter in his eyes.
"Oh now I know you did it on purpose! Baby? Since when have you ever called me anything but Dray?"
"Ah bugger. Fine, but it was only to wake you up! We have lessons in a bit!" Harry said, sitting up properly in his bed, before getting knocked back down on to his back by Draco, who straddled his hips.
"You know, I can think of a far better way to wake me up than hitting me with your arm." Draco purred, running his hands up Harry's body and making him arch up inot his touch.
"Really?" Harry gasped, looking at Draco with smouldering eyes.
"Yep." Draco whispered into his ear, nipping it sharply before sitting back up. "Ah well, shame I won't be able to tell you, we'll be late for lessons after all. Come on Harry! Up and at them!" Draco said cheerfully, ignoring the glare aimed his way from Harry as he got out of bed and headed for the bathroom.
"I really hate you sometimes Black!" Harry yelled after him, growling when he heard Draco's laugh float through the door and slamming his head back down into the pillow and groaning.
IIIIIIIIIIIIII
When they both had eventually managed to get dressed and recast their glamours after Harry had made the shower water become scolding and so Draco had frozen the taps to get him back, they made their way down to the Great Hall, Harry still grumbling about freezing cold water and cats that deserved to be shot, refusing to hold an amused Draco's hand.
"Slytherin or Gryffindor?" Draco asked once they had reached the doors to the Great Hall.
"Slytherin for breakfast, Gryffs for lunch and alternate for dinner." Harry replied, and Draco, not wanting to piss off the small demon anymore, agreed readily and headed for the Slytherin table. Gasps were heard throughout the school when Harry followed him and sat down next to him.
"Hey you two? Sleep okay?" Pansy asked with a smirk and raised eyebrow, which became even more pronounced when Harry growled lowly and began muttering under his breath again, violently buttering a piece of toast.
"Harry, you're going to have to eat more than that." Draco scolded and immediately backed down when Harry glared at him and is toast became burnt... in his hand, making him yelp and drop it. "Okaaay, eat what you want."
"Damn right, don't make me go hormonal on your ass, you won't like it."
"Just because you are the sub in this relationship, does not mean you actually are a female and thus can excuse mood swings as hormones. You are still a man." Draco pointed out lightly when several surrounding Slytherins looked at them in confusion. Draco yelped suddenly and jumped up from his seat, looking at his bench in confusion. "I swear something just bit me."
"Hmm, maybe it was your conscience telling you to shut up, be quiet and leave me alone." Harry said lightly, making several Slytherins around them to snicker lightly into their plates.
"So you woke up on the wrong side of the bed then Potter?" Blaise asked cheerfully.
"It's Potter-Black, or Harry to you, and I didn't until Draco was mean." Harry said, glaring at said blond who was still frowning at his plate of burnt food.
"What did he do?" Pansy asked, leaning forward eagerly and ignoring the glare Draco sent her before returning to glare at his now burnt cornflakes... how do cornflakes burn anyway?
"He denied me sex!" Harry whined, making Theo, Blaise, Pansy and Millicent burst out laughing and Draco to go bright red.
"Harry!"
"What?" Harry asked, smiling at Draco innocently, believing him to be punished enough now, "Why Draco! Your cornflakes are burnt! How did that happen?"
IIIIIIIIIIIIII
Harry walked back to his rooms he shared with Draco after his lesson of Divination, one of the only lessons he didn't actually share with Draco, on his own. He was meeting the blond there before they headed down to lunch and then heading to their afternoon lesson, double Potions.. He was deep in thought and so was caught by surprise and yelped out in shock when someone grabbed his arm and dragged him into a classroom.
Whipping out his wand, he quickly turned in the grasp and pointed his wand in the persons face.
"Hermione?!" Harry said in shock, staring at the witch in front of him and wondering what she wanted.
"Hey Harry. Have you managed to speak to Dean and the others yet?" She asked, still looking at Harry's wand, which he still had pointing at her face.
"No." Harry said slowly. Lowering his wand and looking at her with a mixture of confusion and suspicion on his face.
"Oh, well I just wanted to tell you congratulations. And to ask you one more thing."
"What?"
"Do you need any spies in the order? I'm sure as Smokey you will need someone covering for you." Hermione stated lightly, flinching when Harry's wand was once again pointing at her.
"What do you mean? Why did you call me Smokey?"
"Harry, I'm not stupid, nor am I blind. I know you are Smokey and Draco is Ice. I know that you are both somehow demons and I assume that you are not in fact married, but mated."
"How?"
"Harry, I've known you for so long now, I know hat last year we fell apart but I missed you so much! When I asked you if you were gay, I wanted you to say yes! I wanted to see that we could still be friends and that you still trusted me, but you didn't and don't." Hermione said, looking down at her hands, sniffing softly.
Harry lowered his wand and looked at his former best friend in confusion. Hermione had never really turned on him, only Ron, maybe he should give her a chance. "Everyone deserves a second chance 'Mione. Perhaps I should give you the benefit of the doubt. Just don't throw away my trust again. I won't give it back so easily." Harry warned coldly, making Hermione nod fervently before running up to him and hugging him tightly, tears wetting his shoulder.
"I've missed you so much! I never really know why we fell apart last year! What did I do wrong?"
"It wasn't what you did, it was what you didn't do. You never stood by me when everyone began questioning who else would need to die before I killed Voldemort. Ron even asked me the same when the Burrow was targeted. Thank god no one was there at the time or I think Ron would have killed me himself."
"What! Why would he do that?"
"Would you like to come to mine and Draco's rooms with me? We can talk there." Harry asked softly, remembering that he was supposed to be meeting the blond there and knowing that he would be starting to worry.
"Okay, do think Draco will mind?"
"I might be the sub but I don't take any nonsense from him. He knows that I would kick his ass in a fight." Harry said with a smirk, opening the door for his friend, smiling widely at the thought of getting her back. He hadn't realised just how much he had missed the brunette.
"Really? I had always thought that subs were completely submissive to the point of slaves to their bondeds in magical creatures." Hermione said, a frown marring her face. "He doesn't bully you does he Harry?"
"No! Demons are different. They are naturally aggressive anyway and with me being the next in line to the throne of Tartarus, I am naturally more aggressive than most. Draco is only the Dom in terms of size and um... reproduction." Harry added quickly, making Hermione look at him in fascination.
"Really? So you're actually the dominant in the relationship?" Hermione asked, eager to learn new information.
"Lets continue this in the privacy of my rooms. We won't have to worry about eavedroppers there. We're nearly there anyway." Harry said, turning a corner and leading Hermione to the Mrs Black lookalike.
"Crumbilicious." Harry said, the portrait nodded and swung open, allowing them to enter and immediately almost getting bowled down by an anxious Draco.
"Where have you been? I was so worried1 What si she doing here?" Draco asked once he had stepped back and noticed Hermione standing behind Harry.
"Let us in and I will tell you." Harry said , rolling his eyes at Hermione, who muffled a giggle behind her hand.
"Fine fine. Are you alright though?" Draco asked, looking at Harry in concern and making Hermione realise that they really were in love.
"Yes yes. Jeeze you fuss more than Molly Weasley." Hemrione giggled again and sat down in the offered chair, opposite where Harry and Draco sat.
"So..."
"So what?"
"What's Granger doing here?"
"Hermione came to offer me her congratulations on our marriage and to tell me that she knows I'm Smokey."
"I told you she was too damn smart for her own good!" Draco mumbled, making Harry smiled at him and then turn to Hermione with a raised eyebrow.
"So then, what else do you wish to know about Demons?"
"You said you were different to other magical creatures in terms of the submissive and the dominant. How so?" Hermione asked, looking eagerly at the two and making Draco groan and roll his eyes.
"I'm going down to lunch. You can discuss everything you wish without needing me here and now that I know you are safe I can relax. See you later and remember, don't be late for Potions or Uncle Sev will gut you and use your innards for his next experiment." Draco warned, making Hermione wrinkle her nose in disgust and Harry to wince.
"Duly noted. Blech." Harry added, kissing Draco softly on the mouth before Draco smiled, straightened up and left the room.
"So?"
"Are you hungry? I can call up a house elf to bring us dinner, unless you don't approve."
"I've come to the realisation that house elves like the slavery they are forced into and have decided to leave them alone, so order away."
"Anything in particular? Dobby!"
"No."
"Okay, hey Dobby, can me and Hermione get whatever they are eating in the Great Hall please? Thanks." Harry said when Dobby nodded and disappeared with a crack.
When Dobby return a couple of minutes later with a tray loaded with food and a pitcher of pumpkin juice, Harry turned to face Hermione. "Right then, like I said to you earlier, I am a bit different than the sub of another magical species, though if I get insecure, I can be a bit clingy of Draco and if he is really angry at me for a good reason, then I will act even more submissive. He can be damn scary when he wants to be. But mostly we are equals in the relationship and in politics I would be the Dom. He will listen to what I will say when I come to ruling Tartarus, but before that we are pretty much equals."
"Pretty much? When aren't you?"
"Like I said, when he's mad at me for a good reason-"
"Like when Dumbledore captured you?"
"Yeah he yelled at me quite a lot then, sadly I didn't react well as we hadn't bonded and so I thought he was rejecting me. I was more 'subby' as Flees put it, before we bonded as I was insecure and unsure as to whether Draco would accept me."
"Ah. I had wondered how you would have ruled a realm as a Submissive."
"Just because I give birth to children in the relationship, does no make me the weak one. Surely you should realise that Hermione?" Harry said with a smirk.
Hermione smiled back before looking around the room with interest. "Where is Flees? I kinda want to talk to him as well! I've never come across an Anthrofeline before."
"He's probably asleep on mine and Draco's bed. You'll have to wait to speak to him though, we've got to leave to get to Potions now or we'll be late." Harry said, standing up and holding out a hand to Hermione to help her up.
"I missed you Harry."
"I missed you too. What's going on between you and Ron?"
"We went out during the end of sixth year as you know and then split up at the beginning of the summer. I just didn't like him in that way, but I think he still likes me that way as he gets jealous when I talk to other men. Why didn't you reply to any of my letters?"
"I didn't receive any after I had moved to my new house, and I did reply to the ones i did get. Did you not get my responses?"
"I got the one you sent for your birthday, but before that, then no. And my letters were all returned when I tried to send you more after your birthday."
"Hmm. I wonder why you never received them. Remus received his, so I had assumed that you had gotten them, I wondered why each of your letters pretty much started the same way with only a couple of changes, though you never told me you and Ron had split up!"
"Ah, that happened just after your birthday when Ron was moaning about you again. I realised that he was just too childish and needed to grow up. His jealousy was just going to get him into trouble in the end."
"What on earth could he have been jealous about?"
"Everything, and he was boasting at the fact that he was in the Order and you weren't/ I didn't like to point out that you probably wouldn't have wanted to be, especially as I had just worked out that you were probably Smokey."
"How did you work it out?"
"I only knew for certain once we returned to school, but the fact that Ollivander told us Smokey was going to Hogwarts, then you said that you weren't and glared at Ollivander. It played on my mind, then when you got captured and Neville, Draco and Flees came to rescue you, that made me realise that the Order were possibly searching for the same person. I'm amazed Remus never guessed."
"Ah, um... Remus already knows. He was the one that kept giving completely wrong hints to the Order, with the help of a few others."
"Is Snape one of those others?"
"You're a little scary sometimes 'Mione. But yeah, Severus is one of those people. I'm not telling you who the rest are. You can work that one out for yourself." Harry said with a grin as they finally left his quarters.
"Fine, but I will I hope you know!"
IIIIIIIIIIIIII
"I'm glad you could both join us, Miss Granger, Mr Black. Ten points from Gryffindor each." Snape said once they finally got to Potions. Harry frowned sulkily at Snape, getting a smirk from him in return and sat down in his saved seat next to Draco as Hermione went and sat next to Ron... Harry still had no idea how Ron had managed to get into Potions... "Now that everyone is here, this year is your final year, you will be doing your NEWT exams at the end of it and I expect every single one of you to at least get an Acceptable on them! Your grades reflect on my teaching, so you had all damn well better work hard at getting good marks or I will make your life a living hell.
"He knows how to motivate us doesn't he?" Harry muttered, making Draco snort with amusement. He heard a hissing by his feet and picked up Slinky, who carried on hissing to him and make him try to hold in his laughter, but sadly couldn't and erupted into giggles, clutching at his stomach.
"What, Mr Black, is so hilarious?" Snape asked, walking over to their table and towering over him. Harry controlled his giggles, and looked up at him, chuckling every so often.
"Something Slinky said." Harry said, motioning to a smug looking snake around his shoulders.
"And what was that?"
"I really don't think you want to know, this snake has a dirty mind." Harry said, leering over at Dean, who blushed darkly and looked down at his hands, not even wanting to know what the damned snake had said.
"Indeed. Well do you think you can keep your conversations to yourself and outside of my classroom please? You are disturbing the rest of the class."
"Yes sir, sorry." Harry said, looking down and turning to face the front of the classroom.
"As I was saying, today we will be making-"
"What did Anguis say?"
"His name is Slinky Draco. Remember whose familiar he is." Harry added with a grin, which grew when Draco narrowed his eyes at him and then growled lowly in defeat.
"Fine. What did Slinky say?"
"He was just telling me about last night.. Very eventful. Ah shit, I didn't hear what potion we're supposed to be making. Did you?"
"Nope." Draco said, looking around him to see that everyone was preparing their ingredients. Slinky hissed at Harry, who looked around and then hissed back.
"Slinky says they're making something called Andorran Antidote. Whatever the hell that means."
"It means we're making an antidote for Veritaserum. Though if used on it's own it makes the user a compulsive liar until it is treated with Veritaserum. They balance each other out see."
"Ah. Fair enough. Okay then, what ingredients do we need, oh great Potions Master?" Harry asked, rolling his eyes when Draco puffed out his chest and grinned back.
"I'll go get them, you just set up the cauldron." Draco said, standing up from his stool.
"Ay Cap'in." Harry said, saluting Draco and standing form his stool to go collect a cauldron, Draco rolled his eyes and swatted him over the head as he passed.
"So why are we making this? We haven't even made Veritaserum yet." Harry asked once Draco had returned with the ingredients they would need and they started to prepare them, adding some occasionally when they were needed.
"I have no idea. I suppose we will be learning this one first then move onto Veritaserum, which I notoriously difficult."
"How difficult?"
"Well difficult in the way that I doubt I will get it right, and I don't think Sev did in his first lesson on it."
"So very then?"
"Yep."
"Is that all we needed to do?"
"Yeah."
"Is it supposed to be that colour?"
"Yeah."
"Then how come everyone else has something different?"
"Er... Oh shit. I think Slinky may have lied to us."
"Why would he do that?"
"How am I supposed to know?"
"Ah crap, here comes Sev." Harry muttered, sitting down on his stool and tracing the names and phrases scrawled on the desk, waiting for the inevitable yelling.
"What, may I ask, is this?"
"Um..." Harry answered intelligently, glaring at Draco when he whimpered and moved back slightly.
"Does this look like Draught of Living Death?"
"Er... Yes?" Harry said, knowing full well that the Draught was a thin white liquid, not the bright pink potion they had.
"So Draught of Living Death is now bright pink is it Mr Black?"
"Yes?"
"No! It has not, to the best of my knowledge, ever changed colour to bright pink! IN fact the only potion that is this colour is Andorran Antidote!"
"Ah, well here you go, here's some Andorran Antidote!" Harry said cheerfully, nudging his potion towards Snape slightly.
"And you Mr Malfoy-Black! Why did you not tell your Husband that you were making the wrong Potion?"
"Erm..."
"The goddamned snake told us that we were making Andorran Antidote!" Harry suddenly blurted out, glaring at a snickering Slinky, who had moved away from Harry during the potion making and was now sitting on Dean's desk.
"The snake?"
"Yes!"
"And why did you do what a snake told you, and not what I told you? Me, being the teacher, not the snake."
"We weren't listening."
"You weren't listening?"
"No."
"Detention tonight. For both of you. You can make what you were supposed to then. Right, everyone can pack away. For homework I want a twenty inch essay on the differences between Andorran Antidote and Draught of Living Death." Everyone quickly began to bottle their potions and pack away everything else, talking amongst themselves and chuckling every so often.
IIIIIIIIIIIIII
Harry and Draco made their way down to the dungeons after dinner that night, followed loyally by Flees in his cat form obviously, for their detention.
"I've never been given a detention by Snape! Wait until I get my hands on that damned snake!" Draco hissed, making Harry and Flees roll their eyes again.
"Oh hush up Dray. Come on, we're here anyway, and I have something to ask him in any case."
"Really?"
"Really." Harry responded, knocking on the door and then entering it when he heard Snape call them in.
"Now, you tow can just make the potion."
"Actually Sev, can we ask a favour."
"And what would that be?"
"Can we use your floo system to get somewhere? The Silent Killer's have been a bit too silent, if you catch my meaning."
"Indeed. Fine, but make sure you are back by eleven, that is what time this detention will be finishing."
"Thank you Sev. Come on Dray, we need to hurry." Harry said, dragging Draco to the fireplace in Severus' office and throwing a handful of floo powder in and stepping in himself. "OLLIVANDERS!" Harry yelled before disappearing in a roar of flames.
"Why couldn't he have smoked there?" Severus asked once he had gone?"
"No idea. Shall we Flees?" Flees turned back into a human and nodded, rolling his eyes at the stupidity of his familiar.
IIIIIIIIIIIIII
"How did you two get here before me?" Harry asked, stepping out of the grate and looking at Draco and Flees as they grinned at him.
"I believe they travelled here using the demon teleportation thing you use." Ollivander said, stepping up from the back rooms and embracing Harry in a hug.
"Hey Olli! I only saw you a couple of days ago, don't say you miss me already!" Harry said, ignoring what was said about travelling.
"No, I just thought you could do with a hug. So then, who are you going to tonight?"
"I have found out the address of one Rabastan Lestrange."
"Have you indeed?"
"I have."
"Well be careful, he is one of the best out there and will not be easy to get rid of."
"I will. Come on you two. And stop snickering!" Harry snapped, before disappearing in a cloud of smoke, making everyone in the room cough and wave it away.
"Still hasn't quite got the hang of that, has he?" Ollivander asked.
"Nope, but he will, eventually." Flees added, before disappearing in his own wall of fire, closely followed by Draco, who disappeared with a splash of icy cold water.
"Well at least it's nearly frozen."
IIIIIIIIIIIIII
Harry, Draco and Flees silently crept along the hall to Rabastan's room, checking the others in case he was expecting them and was hiding. When they came to the Master Bedroom and slowly, quietly opened the door, wincing slightly at the quiet squeak it made.
Walking over to the bed, Harry leaned over the sleeping body of Rabastan Lestrange and lowered his hand to touch the blanket covering him. Suddenly Rabastan's eyes shot open and he looked at Harry with wondering eyes.
"Harry?"
"Okay, this is just getting plain creepy." Harry exclaimed, looking at a shocked Draco was busy freezing different pieces of furniture in the room and then at a nonchalant Flees, who was juggling a ball of ice and fire.
"Well don't look at me! I didn't tell him your name!" Flees exclaimed, dropping the ball of fire and then quickly stamping it out n panic as it began to burn his feet. Harry sighed and then looked back at an amused Death Eater.
"Okay, how did you find out?"
Mwahahahahahaha! I'm so cruel! Bwahahaha! You'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out how Rabastan knows that Smokey is Harry! Heh, I'm so cruel.
On other news, I was reading through my plans for this story (yes I finally began to make some after forgetting a pivotal part to the plot. Heh.) and realized that I really only have about four or five chapters to go before the epilogue. How sad! It's nearly over! But it has been fun to write!