DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.
Chapter Seven - Haardein
The pounding of feet thundering by the room he was occupying with Blaise and Severus drew Draco from sleep. Frowning, he rolled over and glared in the direction of the door. A line of light crept under the thin wooden portal, making him wonder what time it was. Sliding from the bed, he tiptoed to his trunk and pulled a small watch from the pocket of his cloak. His eyes widened when he saw how late it was.
"What are you doing, Draco?" Blaise hissed, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He arched a dark brow when Draco startled, fumbling the watch so it thudded loudly against the trunk's lid.
Shooting a warning look at the other wizard, Draco turned and peered at Snape. Their chaperone continued to snore loudly, oblivious to the younger wizards as he rolled over and hauled the blankets up to his hooked nose. "It's a little after eleven o'clock. I thought Harry would have wanted to leave by now."
"Maybe he decided we all deserved a day off?" Blaise suggested in a whisper, slipping over the edge of the bed. Wincing at the nip of cold wood against his toes, he crept to his trunk and tugged a clean pair of pants from the mess.
"I doubt it." Grumbled Draco, shaking his head at the mere thought. Mumbling softly, he slid his feet into his boots and stretched. Nodding toward the door, he led Blaise quietly from the room.
He halted abruptly as he stepped out of the room, hand still resting on the doorknob. Slack-jawed, he stared at the raven-haired wizard seated upon the dirty floor at his feet. Harry's chin was resting on his chest, hands still upon the sword lying across his leather clad lap. Shooting Blaise a look, Draco fell to his knees and extended a hand toward Harry's face. His fingers brushed aside the dark fringe, freezing as they encountered the scar marring his guard's forehead. Leaning closer, he gasped in surprise as emerald eyes flew open a black brow hitched in question.
Face flushing, the blond squeaked and fell backwards, his bottom thudding hard against the floor. "Sorry." Draco muttered, clasping his hands together as he watched Harry rise fluidly.
Smirking, Harry flipped his sword neatly and sheathed it. The hiss of metal echoed loud in the narrow hall, causing both nobles to cringe. "I wasn't sleeping." The raven-haired wizard stated, offering the blond a slender hand.
"Thank you." Draco mumbled sheepishly, interlocking his fingers around Harry's wrist and allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. Blushing, he loosed his grip on his guard's hand and began walking down the hall. Without thinking, he reached back and swiped at the grime clinging to the seat of his trousers. Halting in mid-motion, he shot a look over his shoulder and found Harry's gaze much lower then appropriate.
"No problem." Harry replied distractedly, eyes jerking up and meeting the pale blue orbs watching him in amusement. Reddening, he waved Draco onward.
Putting an extract bit of sway in his hip, Draco sauntered down the stairs and headed in the direction of the kitchen. Pushing the swinging door open, he glanced around and met the welcoming eyes of Remus. "Good morning." He chirped, sitting down in the chair the older wizard gestured to.
"Good morning, Draco, Blaise. How did you sleep?" Remus asked, flicking his wand in the direction of the coffeepot. The bronze kettle rose and floated toward the table, hovering above the cups already sitting on the wood.
"Well, thank you." Blaise replied quickly, reaching for the pot and inhaling deeply as steam rose from the cup before him. Sighing in pleasure, he handed the pot to Draco and glanced over his shoulder as Harry came into the cozy room.
"I'm afraid we'll be staying another night, Remus." Harry said, nodding in thanks as Draco hastily poured another cup of coffee and passed it to him. Wrapping his hands around the mug, he leaned a hip on one of the side counters and drank greedily.
"Why? What happened?" Draco asked, curling a lip at Harry's lack of manners. Shaking his head, he raised his cup smoothly and took a quiet sip, meeting Blaise's laughing eyes over the rim.
Snorting, Harry thumped his empty cup down on the table and wandered over to where Remus was preparing breakfast. "It seems my team is indisposed." He replied shortly, scooping up a kitchen knife and examining the blade carefully before pulling a tomato from Remus' pile. In a matter of seconds the vegetable had been reduced to a pile of thin slices, the knife clean of seeds and juice.
"Indisposed?" Blaise mumbled around a mouthful of toast. He arched a brow and grinned when Draco frowned and shook his head, blond hair swinging freely.
"He means hungover." Sirius called as he swept into the kitchen. Winking at Harry's grunt of displeasure, he flopped into a chair and peered into the empty cup his godson had set down. Shrugging his shoulders, he claimed the pot from its place on the table and filled the mug.
Frowning, Draco looked at Harry's back and chewed his bottom lip. "What will we be doing then?" He asked softly, circling the rim of his cup with one carefully trimmed fingernail.
"What would you like to do?" Harry returned, spinning slowly on the balls of his feet and looking at the blond. His fingers smoothed over the blade of the knife he still held, eyes dropping to half-mast.
"Anything but ride in a carriage." Blaise spat out, his words causing Harry's gaze to shift quickly to him.
Draco slammed his elbow into his friends side, trying to make the movement as smooth as possible. Smiling sweetly at Harry, the blond nodded in agreement. "I'd rather do something more physical." He murmured, hands folded in his lap demurely.
"There are several good shops in town." Remus remarked, piling eggs and bacon on a plate and handing it to Sirius.
Blaise and Draco both looked as if they'd been told Christmas was coming early. Clapping his hands together, the blond shot to his feet and spun around. "We're going shopping!" He crowed, giving a squeal of glee before flying out of the kitchen, Blaise hot on his heels.
The door squeaked on its hinges as it swung back and forth, breaking the silence of the outer pub and the kitchen. "Thanks a lot, Moony." Harry muttered, stabbing the tip of the knife through the wood of the counter. Sighing unhappily, he rubbed his forehead and left the kitchen, intent upon leashing the two nobles before they raced off on their own.
XxXxX
Harry adjusted his sword on his hip, narrowing his emerald orbs on the wizards eyeing his small party from across the muddy road. Slopping along in the muck next to the boardwalk, he curled a lip and shot a careful look at Draco. The blond was practically skipping along ahead of him, his hands resting at the small of his back.
Pansy had been invited but had turned the offer down, slamming the door in the faces of Draco and Blaise while grumbling about beauty sleep. This had been perfectly fine with the wizards in question, both choosing to take the refusal in stride and enjoy themselves on their outing.
"Slow down, Draco." Harry called in warning, swearing softly as the other wizard laughed over his shoulder. Groaning as a pair of carriage horses splattered mud all over his dark clothes, he gritted his teeth and lengthened his stride. Reaching for the noble wizard, he found himself with his chest pressed to the blond's back as Draco came to a sudden stop before a small shop.
Placing his hands on the window to either side of the other wizard, he lowered his head and spoke softly into the other wizard's ear. "I don't want to have to warn you again. This town isn't as safe as it appears and I would be very happy if you would listen to me for once."
"Fine." Draco mumbled absently, eyes narrowed as he searched the shops interior. Hooking his arm through Blaise's, he waited for Harry to withdraw before taking the few steps to the store's door.
Odds and ends were spread out over all the shelves. Some were new and some were old, but all of them were in fairly good condition. Harry watched as Draco swept towards the glass counter and placed his hands on the top, pale eyes widening over the jewelry displayed there. Shaking his head over the smaller wizard's coo of delight, he wandered deeper into the store.
Halting before a wall displaying several used swords, he allowed his gaze to travel over the blades before his eyes narrowed. Reaching up, he pulled a plain sword from the rack and ran a hand along the simple hilt. The sword was a Hogwarts issued blade. Gritting his teeth in anger, he carried the weapon to the counter and tossed it at the shop keeper.
"Where did you get this sword?" He demanded, settling his hands on the counter and leaning forward in a threatening manner. His narrowed emerald eyes sparked and burned as he watched the older wizard fumble the blade.
"I can't really say. So many things flowing in and out all the time." The bald wizard croaked, shrinking backwards as Harry's hands slowly balled into fists upon the glass. "I do remember an older man coming in about the same time this blade was sold to me. Had a rough look to him, like he'd been living in the forest or something."
Harry took a deep breath and nodded at the explanation, his hand already seeking the small money pouch tucked into his shirt. He counted out a small sum and slapped it on the glass counter, smiling crookedly as the entire thing rattled. "I'll take it."
Opening up his mouth to argue about the price, the shop keeper froze and bobbed his head in agreement when the raven-haired wizard settled his hand on the sword he already wore. "Fair price." He mumbled, wrapping the sword and shoving it into Harry's waiting hands.
"Thank you." The younger wizard hissed, sliding the narrow blade through his belt to rest against his favourite sword. Nudging Draco and Blaise from the shop, Harry pointed them in the direction of The Wolves Run.
"That was very rude." Draco declared, attempting to halt and turn around so he could lecture the dark haired wizard. Mouth still moving, he found himself picked up and slung over Harry's shoulder without warning. Hissing in anger, he tried to kick his feet only to have them pressed closer to his guard's chest.
Holding his squirming burden in place, Harry continued to push a shocked Blaise down the street. "This isn't a game anymore. The sword I just bought is a standard first year Hogwarts blade. Each student receives a sword exactly the same as his classmates, upon graduation he or she can choose to use another blade. Generally if they choose that path, their issued blade gets melted down and recast so it doesn't fall into the hands of anyone bad."
"So?" Draco growled, his eyes focused on the play of muscles running the length of Harry's back. Clamping his teeth together as he was bounced up and down, the blond crossed his arms and glared at his guard's butt.
"This blade shouldn't be here." Harry murmured, using his free hand to adjust the swords he wore. The rumble of fast paced hooves had him depositing Draco next to Blaise and pushing the pair behind him. All three tensed as the horses thundered by, their riders draped in long black cloaks. A small dagger appeared in the raven-haired wizard's hand, hidden by the cloak he wore. The final few blocks to The Wolves Run were nerve racking with Harry constantly fiddling with his sword while assuring himself no one got to close to his charges.
XxXxX
The Wolves Run was crawling with Red Lions by the time the three returned. Shoveling food into their mouths and tossing back glasses of pumpkin juice without a care, they all glanced up and froze as Harry ushered the nobles into the dark room.
"What's wrong?" Ron asked, his fork clanging against his plate as his eyes darted from the dagger Harry held openly to the pale faces of Draco and Blaise.
Sheathing the weapon, the raven-haired wizard stalked to the bar and grabbed a bottle of Fire Whiskey. Uncapping it quickly, he took a mouthful before thumping the bottle down and dragging the second sword from his belt. "Hogwarts issue." He spat, tossing the blade onto the table his team was seated around. Everyone in the room stilled, all eyes locked on the sword hilt.
"Fake. Or maybe a replica?" Hermione suggested, fingers tearing at the paper concealing the length of metal. Dean and Seamus slid from their places and leaned over the witch's shoulder, eyes searching for the small engraving hidden on the bottom of the guard.
Lifting the weapon from the Hermione's careful hands, Dean held it under the light and narrowed one of his eyes. "Six hundred twenty nine." He murmured, offering the blade back to the bushy haired witch.
"I was five hundred forty four." Seamus whispered, hand sliding over the hilt of the sword he now wore. Gritting his teeth, he exchanged a worried look with Dean before looking over at Harry. "What do you want to do?"
Leaning back against the bar, Harry rubbed his bottom lip and stared at the sword. Sighing, he slid his wand from it's sheathe and rolled it gently back and forth on the spotless wood of the bar. "Send it to Dumbledore. He'll be able to identify its carrier and any possible reasons that individual may have been parted from it."
"We'll go to the General Store down the road and hire several owls." Fred volunteered, exchanging a nod with his twin. Both were already rising when Harry held up a hand to halt them.
"Do it carefully and quietly." Harry warned before flicking his fingers in dismissal. As the door slammed closed behind the twins, the raven-haired wizard looked over the Red Lions. "Nobody leaves the pub. I want four of you down here at all times. Dean and Seamus, you two are on kitchen duty. No one leaves or enters through that back door."
"What's going on?" Draco hissed, sinking down to sit on one of the stairs leading into the upper half of the building. He glanced at Blaise who shrugged his shoulders and began to nibble on a fingernail. Rolling his eyes, he rose and approached Harry. "What's going on?"
Harry's eyes slid open, fingers curling around the bottle of Fire Whiskey he still held. "With each sword comes a number. That number represents the place we've taken within Hogwarts. I was student five hundred forty. The number on the blade I just purchased places that student as, at the very most, a third year. Not fully trained or capable of accepting a mission."
"You think that sword's owner was killed, don't you?" Draco whispered, leaning closer to Harry. He jumped slightly as solemn emerald eyes met his own.
"I do." Harry replied softly, offering the blond a hesitant smile. He jumped slightly when a smooth hand settled upon his own and squeezed lightly.
Blushing, Draco dropped Harry's hand and rubbed the nape of his neck. "I'm going to go and tell Pansy what's going on." He squeaked, spinning around and walking quickly toward the stairs. The dark-haired wizard's soft chuckle followed him all the way to Pansy's room.
XxXxX
Harry flopped into a kitchen chair and dropped his head into his hands. After sweeping the entire building and assuring himself his team had followed his instructions to the letter, he decided it was best to get the opinion of Sirius and Remus. Mumbling his thanks as a cup of tea was slid under his nose, he sat back and ran fingers through his dark hair.
"And you're sure they were Death Eater riders?" Remus asked for the third time, he shot a look at Sirius before raising his cup to his mouth and taking a long sip.
"They could've been. Black cloaks. Dark horses. Their auras seemed shadowed but that could have been my anger over the sword conflicting with my magic." Harry responded, looking up as Fred and George prowled into the room.
"It's done." George muttered, leaning back against the far wall as Fred claimed the last seat at the table.
"Excellent, good job." Replied Harry, his empty hand moving to rest on the hilt of his sword. Sighing, he stroked the hilt and stared into thin air. The room was silent for several minutes as the group contemplated everything that had occurred over the last few days.
"The actions of that griffin pack are really suspicious. They shouldn't have been that aggressive." Remus mumbled, acknowledging the nods of the younger wizards. "Apparently game in White Forest is becoming sparse. Hunters and trappers passing through are leaving with almost nothing. That would explain the shape they were in."
Harry's brow drew down as he tapped his chin, one hand still resting on the silver hilt of his sword. "They were relocating." He whispered, eyes widening as he settled his hands on the table and leaned forward suddenly. "When was the last time you heard about Fenrir Greyback?"
Sucking on his upper lip, Remus glanced at Sirius in question. "A few months maybe. He and his pack have been pretty quiet."
"No attacks or sightings." Sirius affirmed, hands wrapped around the mug of tea he was nursing.
"In theory, if the pack became large enough, White Forest would no longer be able to provide enough prey to feed all predators residing in the area." Harry began, stopping when everyone in the room gasped and widened their eyes in understanding.
"Any other clan or pack would be hunted and chased from the area, leaving Greyback's clan with full control of the forest." Remus finished, he drained his cup and placed it gently on the table. "I suppose the proper authorities should be informed. They'll want a sweep of the forest to confirm our beliefs as well as locate the main den."
"Not going!" Fred and George blurted, both flushing as Harry turned and stared at them with an arched eyebrow.
"I'll go." Harry said, reclaiming his cup and sucking back the last dredges of liquid sitting in the bottom. He stood and palmed the hilt of his sword, raising his other hand and waving away the murmurs of protest from his godfather. "I can fly over tonight on BlackHeart. They'll never even know I was there."
"Um, Harry. You're a wonderful leader-"
"The absolute best!" Fred threw in.
"But I really think you should rethink this." George finished, shooting a threatening look at his brother.
"We all know the damage Greyback can cause if his pack gets large enough. The sooner it's confirmed, the sooner a team can go in and eliminate several dozen murdering dogs." Harry said, a ring of finality in his voice. Nodding to the group, he pushed through the kitchen door and vanished.
"Just like James." Sirius said, pretending he didn't notice the looks tossed in his direction. Standing, he followed the path his godson had taken. If he was going out tonight with Harry, he'd need to take a nice long nap.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review. From now on this story will be updated on Saturday, bar overtime or partying with friends.
Mercury Black – It's always fun to write drunken scenes, lol
NinjaoftheDarkness – A fangirl, eh? Lol
ookami-metsuki – Why, thank you, the compliment is much appreciated.
PleiadesWolfe – I'm glad you've enjoyed my stories and I shall continue to write. I actually don't think I can stop at this point, kinda scary really.
Iredesent - lol, I was a bit unsure about actually stepping so far from Hogwarts and beginning something further from everything we know and love. It's been a shaky walk for me trying to keep everyone as close to canon as possible instead of blowing the whole fic out of the water.
Peaceful Angel – lol, Neville is indeed a funny drunk, one of my favs to write too.