Title: Falls the Shadow

Chapter 9

Rating: M

Warnings: nothing really bad in this chapter… I think

DISCLAIMER: We do not own Harry Potter! Characters (except those created by us) belong to the amazingly talented J.K. Rowling, WB, and the publishing companies.

A/N: HUMONGOUS APOLOGY FOR THE DELAY.

"Draco, darling, you're not going to be going back to Hogwarts this year," Narcissa said, looking up and directly into her son's eyes, who stood in front of her. She watched with a wrenching heart as Draco's features changed but she quickly shifted her gaze over to Harry's, who was looking at her and Draco both in bewilderment and confusion. "You, Harry, will continue attending and finish this year. We're talking about sending you to a university nearby so you can settle down as a clerk or some type of suitable profession that will sustain you for life."

"But, why?" Draco finally said, his eyebrows furrowed and mouth slightly open, his eyes wide and unbelieving.

"Severus and I talked it over and we decided that you should learn how to handle the Malfoy family business, seeing as it is in your hands now, Draco. Now if you will excuse me, I am awfully tired," Narcissa said, standing up on her feet shakily. "Make sure to come and say goodbye to me before you leave, Harry," she said as she passed them by. She let her gaze linger on Draco, who was gazing straight ahead with a confused expression. An apology made its way into her mind but she found no need for it and continued out, hoping Draco would understand that everything was now in his care, on his shoulders. She sighed heavily as she made her way upstairs and only hoped everything would turn out for the best, Zabinson's proposal snaking its way into her mind.

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"I'm really not going back," Draco said angrily outside the stables, pacing back and forth and scaring the horses slightly. Harry looked at him worriedly as he settled the horses back down and made his way towards him. "I talked it over with Severus and he said exactly the same thing. He's going to be staying with the family in order to teach me how to manage the money and how to overview production and all of those things." Draco sighed and sat down, placing his head in his hands. "This is all a complete mess," he said, near tears when he felt an arm place itself around his shoulders.

"Don't worry," Harry said, "it doesn't sound too bad. I mean, you do have to look after your father's company. I think it's the best thing to do in your position," Harry said, forcing a smile onto his face.

"But...," Draco said, "I really wanted to finish this year... and well...," he said, looking slightly uncomfortable for a few seconds.

"We finally got together and now we're going to be torn apart?" asked Harry, raising an eyebrow and trying to be humorous, though he understood the feeling Draco was talking about and felt it pulling at his own gut as well. "The school year's almost over and I'll be back for the summer," Harry said, looking at Draco with his bright green eyes.

Draco looked up and found himself faced with honesty and sincerity in those green eyes. He found himself believing Harry's words, felt himself being comforted, and placed a light kiss onto Harry's lips before standing up. "Come on, let's go back to the manor," Draco said, though with a sorrowful air. He still wasn't too sure that his mother was making the right decisions, but he was going to try and please her. He understood the burden he now carried, the responsibilities he had now and the ones he had to learn how to manage. He needed all the training he was going to get and even more. His father had been an experienced businessman, learning from his own father at the young age of fourteen, and developing an additional factory to the Malfoy Corporation at the age of twenty, nearly doubling their income. Draco had to upkeep the family name and make sure he wouldn't fail. He had to make sure that everything remained the way it was, had to make sure that improvements would be made, and had to make sure that nothing would go wrong.

Harry gently squeezed his hand before letting it go and heading towards the manor. Draco followed a few minutes after, going to his own bedchamber and unable to face Harry at the moment. They were going to be separated and that only added to the anguish he was currently feeling. He gave in to troubled sleep and didn't wake up as a soft pair of lips placed themselves briefly on his forehead before making their exit.

XXXX

Harry rode in the front of the carriage, since no one was accompanying him in the back. He had decided to sit next to the driver, whose name was Hagrid, and was having a pleasant conversation despite his current feelings of despondence and grief.

"Don't look so glum, lad," Hagrid said, reigning in the horses slightly and making them go at a slightly lower pace. "Here, try and see how well you manage," he said, handing the heavy reigns over to Harry.

Harry took them and pulled slightly, immediately receiving a response from the horses. He made another movement and they changed their pace a little. After a few couple of movements and nearly falling off the coach, Hagrid had the reigns back in hand and was wiping his forehead with what looked like a handkerchief.

"I think it'd be best that I hold the reigns," he said. "Now come on, cheer up, we're almost there," Hagrid said and about a half hour later Harry was back at Hogwarts.

XXXX

Harry ignored the looks he was receiving. Everyone knew he lived with the Malfoy's and everyone wondered what exactly had happened. Word had circulated that Lucius Malfoy had died and they only guessed that the fortune and business of the families had now fallen onto Draco, who had to stay at home in order to look after those things. Rumors continued to spread though, one in particular that really irked Harry in particular about the Zabinson and Malfoy engagement that was soon to come.

"Harry, mate, are you alright?" Seamus asked him as they made their way to class.

Harry nodded slightly, sitting down with a loud thump and gazing back up with an empty look in his eyes.

"At least we don't have Snape anymore, so cheer up," Seamus said as he looked around their chemistry room. "I'm wondering who they've replaced that old bat with, actually," he continued, peering around at the door curiously and waiting for the professor to enter the room.

A few minutes passed and the professor still had not arrived. Seamus was about to make a wise remark about the tardiness of their professor when an apology was heard and a bustle of pages could be heard. A man appeared around the corner and went in through the door, a book very near his face. He walked in, his coat looking old and worn, patches mending it in random places. He walked to the front of the room, placed his briefcase and book down, and turned to smile at the class, repeating the same apology he had said earlier and explaining his unusual tardiness when he stopped midway. His eyes went wide as he read looked straight at the desk where Seamus was sitting at and then even wider when he looked at the roll call sheet. Apparently something had been confirmed.

Meanwhile, Harry was looking down at his desk, not glancing up at his professor at all and a bit spaced out. After several minutes of unnatural silence he looked up and found himself looking back at about twenty eyes that shifted from him back to their professor, and back to him. Looking towards the front of the room, he realized why it was that they were staring and he stared back in return, his expression shifting into one as similar as their professor's.

It was Harry who found his voice first, recalling the tragic affair that followed the departure of their professor and with anger he had thought had died within him a long time ago, he said the name he blamed for the death of Sirius. "Remus?"

XXXX

"Harry…please wait!" said an anxious voice behind Harry as he stepped out of the classroom. Remus had nodded briefly at him when he had voiced his inquiry out loud, and while Harry wanted to say a thousand and one things to Remus, nothing came out of his mouth. He had continued staring at Sirius' best friend, but with a deep hatred behind his eyes. What was this man doing here? Why had he abandoned Harry, and let him be a charity case? Remus had been alive all of these years, and yet he had not come back and gotten Harry. Not even to explain what had happened and why he had left abruptly. He knew that Remus never did have enough money, but an explanation had been in order. He noticed that Remus was in shock through the whole lesson by noting how the man did not seem as composed as he always was. The last memory of Remus involved a shouting match with Sirius, and then days later, remembering Remus as Sirius' killer. While he wanted answers, he did not want to think more about Sirius.

He closed his eyes briefly and stopped abruptly. As much as he wanted to ignore the situation, and the many questions he had, the ties with Sirius made him stop. He had to face the situation and demand the answers he always wanted. He would talk to Remus, but only to demand answers. He could never forgive Remus for what he did to Sirius, and what he did to him.

Harry turned around and walked back to Remus' class, going past Remus without looking at him and taking a seat in front of Remus' desk. He heard Remus close the door and walk towards his desk, but Harry did not look up.

"Harry…I was not expecting this…but I can say that this is a very pleasant surprise."

"I would not say the same," muttered Harry coldly.

Remus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I know what you must be thinking…"

"No! You do not have a clue on what I am thinking!" Harry yelled, losing his composure and getting up from his seat. "You left Sirius and me! I heard both of you arguing and you left and never came back! Do you have any idea what you did to Sirius? You killed him! You left him to be killed! You did not care about him! You were not there to see how he reacted when you abandoned us…so you can never now what I am thinking."

"You are right. I did kill him."

Harry looked up and stared at Remus, waiting for him to go on.

"I left to help Peter out in a situation he got himself into…it backfired. Peter turned out to be an untrustworthy friend. I was his friend and I decided to go help him, but I had no idea what the repercussions were going to be. If I would have listened to Sirius, I would not have left and all of this would never have happened. I left Sirius, and that killed him…for more reasons than just one."

"You acknowledge what you did to him, but what of me? Everything that I once had was gone in an instant. I was sent to be taken care of with people I never knew. I kept waiting for you to come back and you never did, Remus. What of that? Did you not realize that when you left Sirius you were also leaving me? I admired you, Remus; I always did, but you know what? I now hope I never become the man you are…abandoning the ones that really cared about you." Harry felt the prickle of tears, but he refused to cry in front of the man that had caused the suffering he had when he was younger.

"Harry! I've always cared about you! You must understand me! I would never let harm come to you! Never!"

"Then why did you never look for me?" asked Harry, his voice getting stronger.

"The situation I got in with Peter did not let me. Peter was involved with very bad people, Harry. I never knew this until afterward. I was caught in the middle, and took the blame for what Peter did. I could not communicate with anyone for some time, and afterwards I lived in the fear that they would come back and demand things from me…I could not let them be near you or Sirius. At that time, I had not learned of Sirius' death. Afterwards, I did try and contact both of you but what I found when I returned to Sirius' old house is something I would never forget. A neighbor told me that Sirius had died and that you were taken away. No one knew where you were. I even tried contacting the gentleman that processed the case but I could not find him. I tried, Harry. I really did try. After I could not find you, I thought that you were better off somewhere; after all, Sirius had money. Yet, no one knew what had become of you, and you just told me that you were a charity case... You must imagine my surprise seeing you in my class, and in this school."

"Sirius' money was gone to pay debts, and I was left with nothing."

"Pay off his debts?" asked Remus furrowing his eyebrows. "I never knew he had debts to begin with."

"Then maybe you lost touch with Sirius long before your argument. I would not doubt it," said Harry in a tight voice. "The Malfoy's took me in after Bellatrix Lestrange said that she could not take care of me."

"Lestrange? You're in the care of the Malfoy's?" asked Remus disbelievingly. "Was that in the will…Sirius hated the lot of them!"

"Well there was no choice, was there? I had no one come for me," said Harry, his eyes flashing. "It appears I will not get the explanations from you. Good day, Mr. Lupin."

"I have told you what happened, Harry! You do not believe me?"

Harry look back from his place near the door. "You are asking me to believe you? Well, in time I might believe the words you just said, but I will not forgive you. Will you excuse me, I have lessons to do."

The door was closed, and Remus slumped in his chair. He was glad that he had found Harry, but Harry did not seem glad to see him. He would have to convince Harry how much he cared for him, and that he was his family.

XXXX

Harry's head swam with the information that Remus had told him. What Remus said had sounded believable, but was it really? He was not sure if he would be as comfortable as he was with Remus before he left again. He had never thought Remus would ever do anything horrible, and the past years he lived with the thought that he could indeed do it. He wished Draco would be there with him so he could explain to someone everything he was thinking. There was no one else that knew the details of his past.

He decided to write a letter to Draco, and explain what he had found out. As he sat down to write, another thought went into his head. Would Draco want to hear his troubles? Draco was going through a difficult time, and overloading him with his own problems would be selfish. Although, he really needed to tell someone what he felt, and he desperately needed advice. He resolved to write that he had met someone from his past, and that it had troubled him. He did not elaborate more than that, and instead focused on writing a letter that he knew Draco would enjoy.

XXXX

Harry kept his distance from Remus, and always left immediately after his chemistry lesson. The weeks passed, and Remus had tried to talk to him in numerous occasions. Harry waited for every letter from Draco patiently, and after each read desired to see him more than ever. Draco complained that Snape was getting impatient with him, and was making him do nonsense things. He talked about missing Hogwarts, and how his mother had grown distant. He had been to London to make some necessary arrangements, but all of his trips were for business.

He had still not given any details about Remus to Draco, and he thought it best to leave it as it is. The pressure was mounting on him, and although he was receiving less odd looks from his schoolmates, Remus was always there, and Franz was always bothering him. He knew that keeping his feelings, his emotions, to himself would affect him in the long run, and he just hoped that no one witnessed his fall. All it would take to cause this was something crucial, and he exactly knew what that was. Everything pointed back to Draco.

"Harry, a word?"

Harry stopped in mid-stride, and looked to his side. Franz stood there, leaning lazily on the wall. He straightened himself and walked slowly to Harry.

"What is it this time, Franz?"

"I have noticed that you do not seem well…"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Well? I do not look well to you?"

"No, and I know this must involve Draco. Draco and his sudden disappearance from Hogwarts. You know, Harry, if you need to talk I am here for you…"

"Please Franz, leave this silliness for someone else. I know you better than that, and from what I understand, you do not care for anyone…you only care for yourself. You only want information so you can spread vile rumors in this school. Now, please excuse me. I have other more important things to attend to," said Harry, getting ready to leave.

Franz placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped Harry. "I know more than you give me credit, Harry Potter…and I am no fool. I will not be talked in such a manner. Pray you will not regret the information I am withholding from you."

Harry felt a cold chill ran through him. He ripped Franz's hand from his shoulder, and walked quickly out of sight, leaving a smirking Franz behind.

XXXX

"Harry….Harry…."

Harry woke up suddenly and felt he could not breathe. He looked frantically around him, and saw the concerned faces of Seamus and Neville.

"Breathe, Harry. We have someone coming. Everything will be fine."

He tried to calm himself, but just could not. Did he dream anything? He could not remember dreaming…what was happening? Was he sick?

"Harry, does something hurt?"

He looked up and saw Remus approaching him. "What is the matter? Can you hear me?"

Harry looked wildly at him, and tried to move away but Remus held him in place. "No, no Harry. Stay still."

He felt that someone had entered the room, and saw an elderly lady walk towards his bed. He felt his mouth open automatically, and he was told to swallow the liquid she was offering. He took it, and in a couple of minutes that seemed only like seconds to him, he dropped into a deep sleep.

XXXX

He could feel the sunlight on his face, but he was too drowsy to open his eyes. He heard someone call his name, and his mind connected with Draco's face. How he missed Draco… He heard the voice again and slowly opened his eyes.

"Harry, I am glad you are awake," said the anxious voice of his professor.

"Remus, what are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you. You were ill last night. Do you remember?"

Harry scrunched up his nose in thought, but all that came to mind was waking up in the middle of the night. "I do not really remember what happened."

"It seems that maybe you had a nightmare, and could not control yourself when you woke up. We do not know what may have caused this, but…"

"Is that all?" asked Harry coldly, turning away from Remus.

"Harry…please understand. I was worried about you. It pains me to see you suffer so much, and you may never know just how much this affects me. I would not be surprised if this episode had been connected with my sudden appearance and you may have some other problems…"

"Are the professors now trying to figure out the problems of their pupils to pass the time?"

"No, Harry. Your grades have suffered, and what happened during Christmas at the Malfoy Manor…"

"Remus, please do not bring up the occurrences at Malfoy Manor. I assure you nothing is wrong with me. This episode was just some sudden event with no precursor."

Remus looked painfully at him, but nevertheless nodded. "I will not bring it up, Harry. Now, please rest. I will have Seamus bring you your work later, and make sure you eat something."

The rest of the week passed by, and he was surprised to find a letter from Draco, asking him of his sudden 'sickness'. Professor Dumbledore might have told the Malfoy's, and Harry did not know why he had. Surely, something so mundane did not have to be reported? Draco was now demanding to know how he was, and was worrying enough to come and visit him. He wanted to know if he had been treated, who had treated him, what medicine had they given him…

Harry wrote back to reassure him, but he himself could not phantom the reason of his present state of mind. Last night he had another episode, except no one had found out for it was mild. He was not planning on telling anyone, for it was just something silly. Was it not?

Franz had not bothered him anymore, and he slowly became more civilized when speaking with Remus, but they were still not in friendly terms. The end of the year rapidly came to a close, and all Harry could think of was going back home and seeing Draco again. Draco's last letters had talked to him about all the things that they were going to do once they were together again. Draco seemed to be as anxious and he was, but his letters did reflect that something was wrong. Harry suspected it was tiredness due to Snape's constant nagging.

The feast finally being over, and after he said his goodbyes to his friends, Harry went inside the carriage that waited for him. He could not stop smiling, and on the drive back he could not fall asleep due to his excitement. He was finally going to see his Draco. After many months, it was finally going to happen.

He eventually saw the grand white manor loom before him, and he could not help but remember how once he had been scared to see it. Now, all he could think of was to go inside and see the person he missed.

Dobby greeted him at the door, and he immediately asked for Draco. Dobby told him he was in the drawing room, and Harry walked quickly to it. He could feel his heart beating wildly, and his smile said everything.

He knocked, and went inside the drawing room but to his disappointment only finding Lady Malfoy and Lady Zabinson.

"Harry, dearest. I am so glad you are home. How was your trip?"

"Excellent, Lady Malfoy. How are both of you ladies?"

"I am fine. Thank you for asking, Harry," said Narcissa with a slight smile.

"Fine," said Lady Zabinson in a polite manner, but Harry could sense her force politeness.

"I was informed that Draco was here, where is he?"

"Oh! Draco is out in the garden, he just left. He is with Miss Zabinson. I am sure Draco wrote to you to tell you the great news?"

"What…news?"

"Oh, that boy! I told him to write to tell you! Draco and Miss Zabinson are now engaged. They have been for one month. Lady Zabinson and her two children are now living here with us, for the purpose of Draco and Miss Zabinson to get to know each other better. Is this not grand, Harry?"

Harry felt the color drain from his face, he nodded tightly, and excused himself hurriedly. Draco was engaged? Had been for a month? Hadn't Draco talked to him in those letters about things they were to do together? Was this all a lie? What was happening?

He felt his chest constrict, as the reality of the situation hit him full force. He choked back a sob, and felt a feeling that he had not felt since Sirius' death.

A/N: Sorry for the HUGE delay!! Hopefully it will not happen again…Anyways, we hope you enjoy this chapter, and please tells us what you think!

Alright, just added. We are going to be putting this story on hold for a while because of our declining interest in the story. It seems to be dragging on and well, if we're going to continue writing we need something that will inspire us and so we're going to try and write a story with a plot we came up with some time ago. We hope to get back to this story… eventually… but for now we're taking a rather LONG, EXTENDED VACATION from this story. : )