Title: Dealing With the Devil [5/?]
Author: Grevola
Rating: PG 13
Notes: Don't own HP or GW. Part of the Sorting Hat Arc. Follows "Anything You Can Do". Hiiro realizes he's in need of a sneaky individual with flexible morals. Too bad nothing goes according to plan.
-_-_-_-
Duo couldn't believe he'd gotten caught. He'd avoided most of the common mistakes that amateur thieves, or at least people who watch too many movies make. Instead of waiting until the dead of night and breaking in, he'd cased the library for a couple of weeks to determine when the busiest days were. That had driven Hiiro nuts, as the teasing, and in some cases outright hostility, continued unabated. Even some of the teachers seemed to be getting into it. Hagrid was everything short of physically harassing the Japanese student, and Duo heard Profesor McGonagall was ignoring the Japanese student completely.
Once Duo determined the best day to strike, he'd waited until someone assigned a really nasty essay project to the fifth years. Right on cue Professor Lupin had given the O.W.L. students a nasty assignment that involved looking up historical approaches to dealing with certain creatures or attacks. As soon as he'd heard about it, he'd warned the fifth year Slyltherins, who had promptly checked out every relevant book before anyone else could get their foot in the Library. When he'd arrived in the library after his last class that day he'd been pleased to see so many fifth year students panicking and badgering Madame Pince for help. They had her pinned down by her desk, and the books they needed were from the history section, clear across the library from where he was headed.
On top of all this, he'd gotten a good description of the book from Hiiro, and on one particularly fortunate afternoon he'd located it by sight on the shelf. Some of the books in the restricted section would send up howls or alarms if they were opened without the proper precautions. Which was why Duo wasn't going to open the book, he was just going to slip it into the hidden pocket in his bag, and then walk out. Getting the book looked like it was just going to be a matter of stepping over the velvet rope in front of the restricted section, grabbing it, and then hopping into the mass of students milling around the library before he escaped. That was, of course, until about two seconds after he'd grabbed the book, when he heard the clink of the velvet rope being opened to let people through.
"Thank you for letting me check out this book Professor, I understand it's in a very delicate condition." He vaguely recognized the voice as belonging to the stuck up Ravenclaw Wufei Chang. Apparently the jerk had decided today would be a great day to suck up to some professor, and now they were in the restricted section.
"It's no trouble at all Wufei. It's quite natural to be curious about your magical heritage, and I have heard from all your teachers that you are a very meticulous student when it comes to the care of books," that could only be Professor Lupin. "Frankly, I'm quite interested to hear what you find out about guardian ancestors, I'm afraid I haven't the background to read this particular work."
Just my luck, Duo thought, Lupin somehow doesn't get mobbed by his fanclub, and now he's headed over here. I really hope they don't come down this aisle.
The two sets of footsteps wandered down the aisle next to where Duo was crouching and trying to be still. He could just barely make out movement and Professor Lupin's shabby brown robes on the other side of the bookcase. He hoped that, because he was being still and dressed darkly, and because they definitely weren't looking for some one, that they wouldn't notice him and just get the book and leave. He managed to hold still while they selected the book, Chang gushed at Lupin some more- didn't Meiran say that Chinese guys crush on their teachers or something? he thought- and finally Lupin sent the other student on his way, "You'd better go get that checked out, it looks like there's quite a line forming to speak with Madam Pince."
"Oh, of course," Wufei said, "They must have all started looking in the Defence section, like you suggested."
Finally there was the sound of footsteps wandering away, and no further movement on the other side of the bookcase. Feeling safer, Duo slowly straightened up out of his half crouch, when he heard Professor Lupin speak from right on the other side of the shelf, "You might as well come over here," he said, "I know you've been lurking, Mr. Maxwell."
Reluctantly, Duo slunk out of his hiding place and glared at Professor Lupin, daring him to find an evening when he didn't already have some detention. Lupin's eyebrow raised when he saw what book was in Duo's hand. "I think it might be time for you to come by my office and have another little chat," the professor said.
Duo winced and followed Professor Lupin from the library. He was surprised when the professor stopped briefly to let Madam Pince know he was taking the book with him. Then they were wandering down the hall toward Professor Lupin's office by the Defence Against the Dark Arts room. Quite suddenly Hiiro rounded a corner, nearly knocking into the teacher. He didn't look surprised even as his eyes quickly passed over Duo's slouch, Lupin's exasperated expression, and the book in the professor's hand.
Hiiro had actually been on his way to find Duo and warn him that, according to his readings, that evening would be a spectacularly bad choice for trying to steal the book. Hiiro had been scrying to try and find an auspicious time ever since he'd gotten Duo to agree to helping him. He'd thought his friend was waiting for him to give the go ahead, but when he caught sight of the teacher with Duo he realized that he had misjudged. Not only had Duo been operating on his own time table, he'd been willing to dare trying to steal the book during one of the busiest hours in the day. If Duo hadn't looked so convincingly frustrated, Hiiro would have guessed he got himself caught on purpose just to get out of the agreement. Even so, it wouldn't be right to let Duo take all the punishment when Hiiro had effectively blackmailed him into breaking the rules.
"Sir," he said quickly to Professor Lupin, "Duo was getting that book for me."
The teacher glanced from the expression on one boy's face, and then the other, "Alright, you'd better come along as well."
A few minutes later both boys were settled in hard chairs while he had set himself down behind his desk, the confiscated book on the table in front of him. "So you, Hiiro, half bullied Duo into getting this book for you. While you Duo spent a week and a half planning how to steal the book form the library. And incidentally managed to cause a panic among most of the fifth year class."
"Yes sir," the boys chorused.
"I think I can guess why Duo decided this would be a fun game. But Hiiro, why didn't you simply asked a teacher to let you borrow the book?"
Hiiro took a long time to reply, but finally he said "I didn't think I would be allowed."
Lupin closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, looking like he was fighting off a headache. Combined with his typical exhausted pallor, he looked more defeated than angry. "I see. Duo, would you please wait in the hall? I think I need to speak with Hiiro privately for a moment."
Duo gave his friend a questioning look, but headed into the hall anyway. Once the door had closed softly behind him, Hiiro noticed how large and quiet the office suddenly seemed. The distance between his chair and the desk seemed to stretch, and he fought down the urge to shift in his seat.
Professor Lupin took a deep breath, and then folded his hands over the book, "I believe I owe you an apology."
The foreign student frowned, and again consciously forced himself to sit still. He had never had a punishment begin like that before.
When it was clear that Hiiro had nothing to say, Lupin continued, "Hiiro, I don't want you to think that I or the other teachers are unaware of the bullying you've been exposed to these past few weeks. And I'm afraid it is my fault both that you have been subjected to the fear and bigotry of your peers, and that so little has been done to stop it. As I'm sure you've found, not all of the faculty are entirely comfortable with their students' sexualities, real or perceived. Many of the teachers, and I include myself in this, are also unreasonably protective of Harry. I think perhaps some teachers have been taking out their inability to protect Harry from Sirius black on you."
"You are concerned that the school cannot provide adequate safety?"
"No, no!" Lupin hurried to assure the boy, "But Harry is- Well, that's neither here nor there, really. We're discussing your prompting Mr. Maxwell to break school rules. Now, I won't ask if you're aware of what kind of spells are in this book, but do you know why it was in the restricted section?"
"It describes advanced, and restricted transformation magic," Hiiro answered.
"And dangerous. These spells can cause permanent harm or disfigurement."
"I was not planing to try any of them. I wanted to see how they were preformed. English transfiguration ritual is very different from the Japanese tradition."
Lupin nodded, "And was Duo planning to try anything in the book?"
Hiiro shrugged, "I did not tell him what the book contained."
"I see," Lupin nodded, then he raised his voice, "Mr. Maxwell, you can come back inside please."
Duo slunk into the room, glaring darkly at both the teacher and his friend, "So, what's it going to be? Cleaning Filch's chamber pot for a week?"
"I think instead of a traditional detention it is time I began your private lessons. It is clear that neither of you are being kept sufficiently occupied by your class work. Now," he tapped a blank piece of parchment with his wand, "It seems you both have an hour free on Tuesday evenings."
"Extra lessons!" Duo jumped up, spilling the contents of his book bag across the floor, "Next I'll have extra work for Muggle Studdies, and I'm not even in that class!"
Hiiro agreed, between the twice weekly detentions with Snape, and now the extra lessons with Lupin, it didn't seem like they would ever get another free minute. But the Japanese boy didn't say anything, as he'd found that complaints about having too much work usually resulted in getting even more chores assigned to you. Lupin for his part just waved off their moaning and handed them each a slip to give their heads of house, explaining their new weekly commitment.
As Duo bent to collect his spilled belongings, the professor cornered Hiiro by the door. "I did want to ask a small favor of you," he said in a voice not meant to reach Duo's ears.
"Yes?"
"If you would mind keeping an eye on Harry when you can? He is rather impulsive, and I am worried he might go looking for trouble. And since you clearly don't wish him dead, I thought maybe..."
Hiiro managed to resist rolling his eyes, "I will."
"Excellent," he patted Hiiro on the shoulder, "I knew I could count on you."
By then Duo had finished gathering his things from where they had spilled as far as under the Teacher's desk. The two boys slipped out into the hall, making their way to the stairs in silence. When they reached the point where they would normally part ways and head to their own common rooms, Duo tugged on Hiiro's sleeve, and lead him to a quiet alcove two floors below Lupin's office.
"What is it?" Hiiro asked, still disappointed by the outcome of the entire evening. It had been such a near miss.
"Just thought you'd like this," the braided boy said, and he pulled the battered orange tome from his book bag and handed it to a stunned Hiiro. "Great idea distracting Lupin like that," he grinned.
"I- but he'll know you took it."
Duo just shook his head, "Not unless he tries to open the fake one on his desk. It's just a quick illusion charm, and as soon as he opens it up he'll find my potions book. But as long as he doesn't try..."
Hiiro stared at his friend in surprise, "Duo, you're a genius! But what are you going to do about not having your potions book in class?"
"Oh, that's easy," Duo said with a shrug and a smile, "I'm just gonna borrow yours."