Disclaim Her: My leg hurts...
Chaper 16: Barmy Old Codger
About an hour after dinner, Professor McGonagall came to the common room and told me to go the the Headmaster's office. It seemed that Snape had spilled the beans already. When I got to his office, he asked me to sit down.
"Harry."
I supressed a groan. He was going to lecture me, there was no doubt about it.
"I have to say, I am disappointed in your behavior as of late. Granted, things have been...complicated, recently, to say the least, but there are some things I cannot allow you to do."
I cocked an eyebrow. "What prompted this, Headmaster? Surely there is some reason you picked today to give me this lecture? Or did you just decide at random to lecture me today?"
He sighed, and closed his eyes wearily. "Professor Snape has given me some disturbing news. Please explain yourself."
For some reason I felt like frustrating him. "What exactly am I supposed to explain, sir?"
"You know very well what I am talking about, Harry."
"Actually, I am at a complete loss. Please elaborate. I'mdying to know what I did wrong."
"I am in no mood for this. If you will not cooperate-"
"Snape told you that he walked in on me and Malfoy, right?" I didn't feel like dealing with whatever 'consequences' there would be for not cooperating.
He nodded.
"Then I don't see anything to add."
"You were about to have sex in a classroom that was going to be used in twenty-five minutes. That is intolerable."
"Don't worry, we were finished long before that class got there."
He looked more than a little disturbed. "Harry, I am afraid that your...relationship will have to end."
I sat up, rigid. "And why should I do that?" I didn't give him time to answer. "Does this have something to do with his father? Because I already know that he is a Death Eater."
"Harry, my boy, you have to understand the risks-"
"I completely understand the risks. And I do not believe that your duties as headmaster extend to limiting relationships between consenting adults, even if they are your students."
"You are hardly an adult, Harry."
"I am sixteen years old. Legally, I am old enough to make my own decisions, at least in regards to who I sleep with. I am afraid that you have no control over what I choose to do with my time, Headmaster."
"You are my student. I have a responsibility to-"
"No. Your only responsibility(i) is that I get an education. And, frankly, I have to say that you haven't been doing a very good job of that."
"Surely you don't-"
"And, while I appreciate what you are trying to do...well, no, that's a lie, I don't appreciate it at all, actually, but I tolerate it. I've pretty much let you screw with my life however you wanted to up until now, but I'm getting kind of tired of it, and so I'll have to ask you politely to leave me the fuck alone, okay?"
"Harry, I must ask you not to use that kind of language while you are in my office."
"Give me a detention if you don't like hearing it. Sir. And you still haven't told me why Malfoy and I have to stop."
"Well, if Voldemort found out that the two of you are dating, then-"
"We are not dating," I interjected angrily. He continued as if he had not heard me.
"-then he would only have something else to hurt you with. Do you want to be responsible for Mr. Malfoy's death?"
I glared at him, and it was a moment before I spoke. "You're a real bastard, you know that? Using that to get to me, when you know how I was torturing myself about Sirius over the summer, how I was convinced that it was all my fault..." I shook my head slowly. "I'm not surprised, really. Now, if you don't mind, I think I'll go. Unless you have something else to burden me with?"
Dumbledore just shook his head, and Igot up to leavebefore he had a chance to change his mind.
It was just too easy to make him feel guilty. I couldn't leave him thinking that he had hurt me, or some such nonsense. I stopped when I got to the door, and looked over my shoulder.
"By the way," I added. "Hermione figured it out. I'm a Daemon. Sound familiar? You know, bloodthirsty monster?"
He paled, and I laughed as I climbed down the stairs. I might had just given away the only secret of any real worth that I had, but somehow I just couldn't bring myself to feel bad about it.