Sorry, I didn't feel like updating because I've been CONSUMED (haha) with my story "original" story, Serial Lover. Curious? You should be. It's a twisted love story about a serial killer and his "captive." It's on my fictionpress site (Which you can get to by my fanfiction profile page). Check it out if it sounds interesting...or at least the idea sounds interesting. haha anywhooooooo, this picks up in the conversation Harry and Ron were having from the last chapter so if it's confusing go back and read it like it's all one big piece.
Chapter 5
"That's great Ron. And because I'm not dating him, why don't you go date him yourself!"
"Sh Harry! I'm trying to turn this lizard into a crystal statue!" Harry threw his hands up in exasperation and sighed heavily. He had given up with Ron.
After class was over Ron, Hermione and Harry walked back to Gryffindor tower for their free bell. Harry dropped his books into one of the couches and made his way towards the backside of the Fat Lady portrait. "Where are you going?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know. I just can't sit still right now."
"We'll come too!" Ron said as he began to stand up.
"No. I just need to walk alone for a bit. It's fine. I'll be back before the bell is over." Hermione and Ron looked to each other before looking at where Harry had once stood. They were puzzled by their friend's behavior.
"Can we spy on him? Maybe he's going to see Aurian!"
"No Ron. I don't think that's the case."
"Do you think they're dating?" Hermione didn't answer at first. She looked up at the ceiling in thought.
"No."
"Huh? Why not! Aurian basically said it the other day!"
"No, he didn't. He said he was with a boy, and that boy could be anyone. I think Harry would be happy if he was dating someone, not unhappy or irritated like he is right now."
"Bummer. It would have been cool."
"Maybe. Now come on. We've got Charms homework."
Harry stopped once he stood just inches from the Black Lake, not caring that rain was pouring down on him. He remembered his fourth year when he had to save Ron from the merpeople for his second challenge in the Triwizard Tournament. He was anxious. He wanted the day to end and night to come so he and Dumbledore could analyze the memory Aurian had given him earlier.
"Oi! 'Arry! What're yew doin' out here?" Hagrid asked as he tromped up to stand next to Harry.
"Just looking at the lake."
"Somethin' on yer mind?"
"Not really. I just have had a really slow day."
"Ah, one of those days huh?"
"Yup. One of those days."
"Well, if ya need to talk about anythin' I'm still here ya know?"
"Thanks Hagrid, but really I just wish today would end. Nothing interesting has been happening today."
"Alright 'Arry. Well I'll be seeing ya around then." Hagrid trumped away and into the Forbidden Forest most likely to make sure everything was ok. Harry sighed deeply. Ever since Aurian came things seemed different. Harry felt like he and Hagrid were drifting apart, he felt that Ron and Hermione would soon drift apart as well. He felt, like everything was becoming farther and farther away.
"Harry, the bells over," a familiar voice said behind the teen. Harry turned to see Ron and Hermione. He smiled at them lightly. 'What am I thinking. I'm not going to drift apart from these two.' The three made their way back to the castle to be scolded by Professor Flitwick for being late.
Aurian watched the three students walk back into the castle. He understood completely how Harry was feeling, most likely more than anyone in the world. Harry was feeling lonely. 'I'm causing a lot of trouble here Tommy. If you'd have only let me stay…I wouldn't be hurting anyone here, even though he's the one you want dead. At least I wouldn't have known him, so I wouldn't feel so guilty for what I've done to him.'
Harry's last bell finally ended. The feeling of complete joy and bliss overpowered the teen. He smiled a large grin and practically skipped down the halls saying hello to anyone he saw, he even said hello to Draco Malfoy; that earned him a few insults but Harry didn't mind, the day was finally over. Ron and Hermione were flabbergasted at his sudden mood swing.
"Harry? Are you on acid?" Ron asked.
"Nope! The day's finally over! Isn't it wonderful!"
"…Yeah…right." Hermione giggled as she began to skip with Harry. They cupped their hands together and skipped down the large halls. Ron stood with his mouth agape just watching his friends. "They've gone completely mental!" He stomped along with heavy footsteps back to the common room.
"So Harry tell us why you're so happy!" Hermione said as they both fell into a couch together.
"I dunno. I'm just…happy. Haven't you ever been down for awhile and finally something is able to perk you back up?"
"Yes, but what made you so happy?"
"They day finally ended! Night will soon approach!"
"Care to tell us what's going on?" Ron asked as he finally came into the common room. Harry stopped smiling as he looked at Ron's upset face.
"Come over here and I'll tell you. I can't exactly yell it." Other people in the common room looked over at the three suspiciously but said nothing. "Dumbledore and I are going to investigate one of Aurian's memories tonight. Something about Voldemort!"
"And this excites you why?"
"I told you he's dating Aurian!" Ron said as he nudged Hermione gently in the ribs.
"Hush Ron this is important!" Hermione demanded, but not in an angry way whatsoever.
"He seems interested in when Aurian and Voldemort where in school here together. Wait…Aurian said he was a muggle before a vampire! I've got to ask Dumbledore how he was able to come to this school in the first place!" Harry stood and ran for the door quickly. He ran down the corridors and finally reached his destination of Dumbledore's office.
"Potter?" Snape asked as he appeared from another hallway.
"Yes professor?"
"Why so hasty?"
"Because Dumbledore and I have something to discuss that is of great importance to both of us." Snape just looked at the boy, his emotions where hidden somewhere in his black eyes. Harry couldn't tell what was going on behind those black pools.
"Leave him alone for once Sevi," Aurian said as he appeared beside Snape. Harry was startled by the sudden appearance. Aurian was dripping wet and his face was flushed.
"Very well. Good day, Potter."
"Aurian…you look-"
"Like crap. I know. This is what happens after I feed. I look more…human." Harry noticed the subtle differences in his usual appearance to the one he was seeing now. Usually Aurian looked like a porcelain doll with red eyes and lips with an extremely pale face, he looked tan now with brownish-pink lips. His eyes were a light brown color. He indeed looked human.
"If I may ask, what did you feed on?"
"First of all, I don't just attack someone. I ask permission. Secondly, I don't kill."
"Ok…" Harry was really curious. He wanted to know if it was a student or something else.
"A centaur. Actually a friend of mine too."
"How long have you known him?"
"Why are you so full of questions?" Harry blinked in astonishment. He was asking a lot of questions.
"Sorry, nevermind."
"Harry, I understand. You're curious about me. I met him when Sevi was at school here. He helped me out a bit."
"…What he help you with?" Aurian laughed fully. He was actually enjoying Harry's questions.
"Well let's just say that because of him, no student here ever was bitten."
"Oh. I should have figured that one out."
"Shouldn't you be in the Great Hall? It's dinner time."
"Oh yeah. I forgot. I was excited about seeing Dumbledore today that I completely forgot about dinner!"
Aurian's face fell. He became wary and a little hesitant. "Are you going to analyze that memory I gave you today?"
"Yeah." Aurian let out a defeated laugh and turned away from Harry.
"Harry, this memory…it's why I seek your forgiveness. You're going to be very angry with me. You may even hate me." Harry stood there puzzled as he watched Aurian turn the corner and vanish behind the walls.
"Ah, Harry. Why don't we go grab a bite to eat before tonight's events yes?" Dumbledore said behind the teen. Harry turned to face his headmaster and nodded in agreement.
The food was delicious as usual but Harry didn't seem to have an appetite to eat all that he put on his plate. He was really just taking a huge helping for show. He wanted his friends to think he was still in a good mood, however, that changed when Aurian told him that what this memory contains is actually why he keeps asking Harry for forgiveness. Harry slowly ate his food as he watched Ron chow down on his rather large helping. Hermione stared at Ron from across the table in disgust. Harry was thankful for Ron's eating habits. Without them, Hermione would be analyzing Harry. Aurian slowly made his way to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Ron. Hermione froze as she wondered what was going on. Harry noticed that Aurian's eyes were red again, but his face was still flushed.
"My, he sure eats a lot. Harry, I want to apologize. I didn't mean to startle you before. I just…I'm scared." Ron stopped eating and looked over at the vampire. Aurian's long eyelashes were cascading down as Aurian looked at the table. Hermione looked a little frustrated, not because she was angry but because she wasn't sure what was going on.
"Why are you scared?" Harry asked.
"Because things are going to chance when you see that memory. I'm not going to be a friend to you anymore."
"Why not!" Harry protested.
"Trust me, you won't want to be my friend anymore." Aurian stood from the table and vanished.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked as he finally swallowed his food.
"Harry, you will tell us what is in the memory after you see it right?" Hermione asked.
"Of course."
Harry's stomach held a bit of apprehension when he neared Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore was standing next to the entrance smiling brightly at Harry. "What's wrong Harry? Ate too much at dinner?"
"No. Aurian told me that after I see this memory, I'm not going to want to be his friend anymore." Dumbledore nodded taking the statement into account.
"Well, shall we?" Dumbledore said the password and the statue moved revealing the staircase that Harry followed Dumbledore up.
In Dumbledore's office Harry felt extremely anxious. He wanted to know what the memory contained but at the same time, he didn't. He liked Aurian; he didn't want that to change. "Harry, if you do not wish to see this memory then you do not have to. I'll not hold it against you."
"No Professor. I'm coming too." Dumbledore smiled as he turned to the pensive and dropped the memory in.
"Well, shall we?" Harry felt himself being pulled into the pensive.
He and Dumbledore found themselves in a large house. It was dark and only lit by oil lamps. Harry looked about the room. There were Death Eaters all sitting around a large dining table. Tom Riddle sat at the top of the table. His skin had paled dramatically. His eyes had purple circles under them. He was still handsome but something was inhuman about him. It was an odd feeling looking at him. Harry tried to take in all the detail around the room before finally forcing himself to return his gaze back to the Dark Lord.
"Well you all can leave now then. I think we have everything arranged." Everyone mumbled what sounded like, "Yes my Lord." They all apparated away and Tom Riddle was alone at the top of the table. He rested his chin in the palm of his hand as he sighed. Aurian stepped into the room. Harry noticed something different about him this time. His hair was longer. It was still layered and choppy but the length reached down to gently brush against his shoulders. His left ear was also pierced many times. He handed Tom what looked to be a needle and sat in the man's lap. Harry was amazed. This was the man who killed his parents. This man was no longer the school version of Tom Riddle; this was Lord Voldemort. A fear Harry had never experienced before when looking at him crept up his spine. He actually shivered. Dumbledore seemed to catch onto Harry's feelings because he placed a reassuring hand on the teen's shoulder.
"Where do you want this one?" Voldemort asked smiling warmly. Despite the softened expression in his eyes there was still a great amount of evil radiating off of him. Aurian looked to be in thought for a moment.
"I want my tongue pierced this time." Voldemort's eyes flashed with surprise.
"That sounds like it'll hurt."
"I don't mind. I like pain. If I didn't I wouldn't be with you."
"Can we not bring that up again. It saddens me."
"I'm back with you aren't I?"
"Yes, but for how long until you leave me again and go after another school boy?"
"I didn't go after Sevi! He just needed someone and at the time I felt like you didn't care about me anymore. So I left…to make things easier for you."
"Aurian, despite how old you may be, you are extremely foolish. I care about you and I forever will. No matter what happens between us, I'll always care for you."
"I know…I don't know what I was thinking then. But, I at least brought you a liaison between you and Hogwarts. Sevi'll spy on Dumbledore for you so we know what's going on in The Order."
"I understand. Snape has become valuable to me but the circumstances in which you found him still don't make me exactly happy."
"Why? Cause I left you and found him?"
"Stop talking and open your mouth." Anger flashed in the Dark Lord's eyes. Harry worried that he would try to kill Aurian but it didn't happen. Aurian opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out. Voldemort placed the needle above the tongue before quickly forcing it into the flesh. Aurian let out a yelp and blood started to trickle from the wound. The needle was completely through the tongue. Voldemort then magically turned the needle into a piercing with a black ball at the top. "All finished." Aurian hopped off the man and went to a dusty mirror. He stuck his tongue out and admired the new piercing.
"I like it."
"I hope that won't have any affect on us."
"I'm sure you'll enjoy it more." Voldemort seemed to blush slightly at the thought of being sexually intimate with the vampire. Harry was stunned. He had never seen Voldemort act anything but cruel. It was astonishing to see him like this. Even in the last memory he was still slightly cruel. "May I ask a favor of you?"
"Anything."
"Sevi is still hurting from when he was back at school. People were always picking on him and playing dirty tricks on him. Especially James Potter."
"James Potter? What would you want me to do?"
"I want you to punish him for what he did to Sevi. He's a smart man. Smarter than James I'll bet. James just got all the credit cause he was a good-looking jokester. Sevi hates him still. Especially cause James stole his girl."
"James didn't steal her, Severus didn't have a chance with Lilly."
"How do you know?"
"I'm smarter than you give me credit for."
"Still…"
"What do you want me to do then? This sounds like a personal matter to me."
"Tommy, just do something to him!" Voldemort smiled an extremely evil smile. It made him almost look like the devil himself. The memory began to fade and Harry and Dumbledore found themselves back in Dumbledore's office.
"He's the reason they're dead! He's the reason isn't he?" Harry felt tears streaming down his face. He wanted to kill Aurian! He wanted to rip the vampire's fangs out and chop his body to pieces! Then after that he'd take those pieces and burn them in a fire and laugh! Dumbledore sat down at his desk and waited for Harry's rage to extinguish itself. "I'll kill him! I'll rip his limbs off, I swear it!"
"Harry, please think logically. Aurian is a vampire and you are a mere mortal. He won't just allow himself to die because you are angry with him. He'd most likely kill you before you even had a chance."
"Are you seriously going to allow that thing to remain here? And so close to Snape! What if they're still in league with Voldemort?" Harry was shouting. Rage was poisoning his mind. All he could see was Aurian pleading with him before he ruthlessly slashed at the vampire's body, enjoying the blood as it splashed onto his face. He would seek revenge. He would kill him. He'd at least give it a try anyway…
"Yes I am going to allow Aurian to stay here. He has pledged his allegiance to me and so far has kept it. You see, there is a memory that I have that allows me to know why I can trust him. Would you like to see it?"
"Yes." Dumbledore took a memory from a jar and placed it into the pensive.
"Come along now." Harry once again felt himself being pulled down into the pensive. It felt like it took longer this time for the memory to come into focus but Harry figured that was because he was extremely anxious to see what Dumbledore knew that he didn't.
Reading this over, I just noticed how poorly this is written. There is too much dialogue without little pieces of description of what each character is doing or their reaction to something. I'm going to make sure next chapter is re-written if it's this poorly written. So now we have a least favorite chapter for me. Gosh dernit!
