Disclaimer and Warning: Refer to previous chapters

Chapter 22 – Gaining Understanding

Harry yawned as he picked away at the plate before him. Hermione was reading a new book from the library, while Ron feverishly raced to complete a homework assignment that was due for Charms today.

"Harry," Harry looked up at Hermione, who was still looking at her book though her eyes were not moving back and forth, "Aconite has been watching you a lot lately."

Harry's eyes flickered over to the Slytherin table on the pretense of looking for Draco and found Terra Aconite's smoky eyes. He continued to watch as she rose from the table, jaw clenched, and left the Great Hall. He looked back at the Slytherin table and saw Draco who was still staring at the double-doors, worry etched on his face.

XXX

As Harry walked to his Transfiguration class, a hand latched onto his arm and he was tugged into an unused classroom. He spun angry, ready to fight with wand drawn, and found Draco. Harry blinked in confusion.

"Draco?"

The blond was clearly anxious. "Harry, you must be careful. I heard Aconite talking last night and her family seems to think that the reason the Dark Lord hasn't been making any more attacks is because he's lost his nerve. They think you're the reason he's lost his nerve!"

"They might be right…" It was true. Tom had stopped making raids and attacking high ministry officials. Harry had asked him why, he had yet to answer. Now that he thought of it, Tom might be having second thoughts. Maybe Harry was starting to rub off on him.

"Maybe, but they also don't know that you're his bond mate. I think they want Aconite to kill you!"

Harry shrugged, "As long as you, Ron, or Hermione are around, I don't think she'll be that much of a problem."

Draco growled, "Idiot Gryffindor. If she's determined enough the entire school couldn't protect you!"

Harry didn't think a first year could do much damage. After all, Draco was raised with a dad for a Death Eater and he didn't know anything, or at least didn't have any guts to use what he knew.

"Just be careful." Draco sighed and slipped away.

Harry arrived to Transfiguration late.

XXX

April shifted into May with no sign of outright hostility from Aconite. Draco's warning lost its place as being most important and homework went to the front of his mind. O.W.L.s were coming up and the fifth years were scrambling to prepare. The teachers were having no pity for them either.

Harry was halfway to Gryffindor Tower when he realized he forgot a book for his History of Magic essay. He cursed and doubled back. Passing an empty classroom, he had taken possibly two steps before he sensed a change in the air.

"Stu-"

He spun around and disarmed his attacker. Aconite looked stunned before she dodged around to find her wand. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Accio wand." He muttered and her wand flew past her hands and into his own. He heard a chorus of voices call his name.

"Harry!"

Aconite's eyes widened and she turned to run.

A brusque voice shouted, "Stupefy!"

The red light hit her in the back and she collapsed noiselessly.

Harry finally felt safe to turn his back to her and found Draco, Snape, Hermione, and Ron running towards him.

Hermione hugged him and asked breathlessly if he was alright. Harry nodded with a small smile. "I'm fine."

Snape flicked his eyes over him just to be sure, then knelt down next to Aconite. He sighed, "I'm going to have to report this."

Harry growled, "I hope Dumbledore suspends her."

Snape looked at him again, "I wasn't speaking of Dumbledore."

They shared a serious and quiet understanding. "Don't tell him."

Snape shook his head, "I'm afraid I can't do that, Harry."

Hermione, Ron, and Draco watched the exchange quietly. Trying to figure out what was going on, though Draco thought he did and it sent a cold chill up his back.

"If you do, he'll kill her!" Harry snarled, hands clenched. "She's just a kid! She didn't know what she was doing."

"If he learns about this, and believe me, he will, I'll be begging for my life and you for your freedom, because he will never let you out of his sight after this!"

Harry's eyes glinted. "I think Voldemort and I need to have a talk."

XXX

Voldemort's eyes flashed angrily while looking at Harry's bowed head. He could feel his mate's heart pounding in his chest and the fear rolling through him. He wondered why Harry was afraid, but decided to move onto more important things.

"Harry," Said person tensed at his dangerous tone, "you should have told me about this at Christmas, then I could have prevented something like this from happening."

Harry finally looked up at this and Voldemort couldn't believe the anger in his emerald green eyes.

"And how would you have dealt with it? By killing the Aconites?"

Voldemort rose from his throne and went to stand in front of Harry. He lifted his arms and placed his hands on Harry's shoulders. Harry didn't bat an eye.

"You are the only one who has my loyalty, no one else. Anyone who harms my mate, intentionally or no, are deserving of death."

Harry almost sighed in exasperation. "No, they aren't. People hurt one another. It's part of being alive. You take things as they come to you and deal with them in a way that allows both of you to compromise and if you can't…then you get over it, life goes on."

Harry stepped back, away from Voldemort letting his hands drop away. He turned and started walking away.

"Why are you afraid?" Voldemort whispered.

Harry stopped long enough to say, "Because I'm loyal to everyone." Then he was gone.

XXX

Harry was getting used to the numbed feeling inside of him and so he only gave the invitation to Dumbledore's office an ounce of thought. Harry knocked on the Headmaster's door. "Enter," said a wheezy voice. Harry pushed open the door dully. His eyes were immediately drawn to the person sitting in front of the desk. He masked his surprise brilliantly and waited for one of them to talk.

Tom was greatly saddened when Harry tried to hide his churning emotions from him. He hoped that the reason he had come here was good enough for Harry to forgive him.

Dumbledore motioned to the other chair, "Please, sit down, Harry."

Harry's eyes still concealed his emotions. He waved his hand and the chair moved a foot and a half away from Tom and sat down.

The Headmaster cleared his throat, "Tom has just asked of me a very important favor and I have agreed. Professor Riddle will be taking up the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and you, I hope, will except the position of his assistant."

Harry couldn't believe his ears. He looked at Tom and practically flew into his arms.

"Yes, of course I will!" Then a thought occurred to him and be leaned back to take in Tom's entire face. "But what about Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters?"

Tom smiled, "They're gone. Last night I held a meeting. I told them all that they were to disband immediately and if anyone caused trouble of any kind, I threatened to turn them over to the Aurors myself."

Harry blinked disbelievingly, "And how did they take that?"

Tom laughed, "I don't think the shock has quite worn off yet."

Dumbledore allowed the couple a minute or two to revel in each other's love before clapping his hands and rising from his chair.

"Well, I think it's time for me to get down to the feast. Besides your appointment announcements I still have to tell everyone about Professor Trelawney's vacation plans and permanent absence from the school. I trust that you sorted out that disagreement with Miss Aconite?"

Harry nodded, "Draco had a little talk with her explaining that I was the Dark Lord's prey, not hers." Harry's smile grew when he realized that Aconite would never understand all the implications of Draco's words.

"Wonderful! Then let us descend to the Great Hall and join the rest of the school."

Harry held Tom's hand more for Tom's comfort than his own and they left Dumbledore's office, listening lightheartedly to Fawkes' phoenix song.

Epilogue:

Draco kept making faces at Harry when "Professor Riddle" wasn't looking and Harry kept making faces back, though his drew more attention because of his elevated position at the Teachers' Table.

Snape tried desperately to stop his eyes from rolling but didn't succeed.

Hermione sighed with a smile on her face watching Harry's happiness clearly displayed. Ron didn't notice as he was taking a leaf out of Seamus' book and trying to turn his pumpkin juice into wine.

Draco felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked beside him to see Terra Aconite with a sly smile on her lips.

"Uh…hello. How's being a second year treating you?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, fine." Her smile widened. "Draco, I really like you. What makes it even better is that you are a pureblood!" She leaned closer to him and Draco felt himself leaning on Blaise, "I'm going to marry you!"

Draco's eyes widened, " But we…your…I'm four years older than you!"

Terra batted her eyes, "You'll get used to it. And if you don't, I know of a couple of good love potions that'll change your mind."

She then started to cut up her steak, resting her leg gently against his. Draco blinked a couple of times, then smiled.

I know of a few love potions myself, let's see who gets who first.

Still smiling he started on his plate.

XXX

Severus rose from his place at the table and used one of the doors behind it to sneak away. While walking to the dungeons he turned a corner and slammed into something that was knocked to the floor with a soft, "Oof!"

He looked down at his feet to see the new, and very attractive, Divinations teacher looking up at him with big blue eyes.

"Mind helping me up?" She asked with a bright smile.

He took her small hand and helped her stand.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Tortoiseshell." He said, gruffly, not used to apologizing.

She was looking at his palm curiously and said, "Oh, please, call me Laura."

Laura traced the lines on his palm and looked up at his face again with a winsome smile. "You have a nice love line, would you come up to my office Saturday for tea? I would love to do some crystal gazing on you."

From the way she looked at him Severus couldn't help but think crystal gazing wasn't all the gazing she intended to do.

Still slightly dazed from her smile he nodded and she grinned more widely before prancing away.

XXX

Harry yawned again as he and Tom slipped into bed. He curled up on his mate's side and snuggled underneath the covers. Tom drew an arm around him and brought him close.

"I always wanted to teach."

Harry looked up at him, disbelieving. "Somehow, I don't quite see you as being the teacher type, or at least not 'then,' anyway."

Tom smiled, "I always wanted to teach what I knew and show others my beliefs."

Harry looked at him seriously, "Beliefs?"

Tom ruffled Harry's hair, "They have changed. You made them change, Harry."

"Good." Harry yawned a third time and settled back down again.

Tom rubbed his lips against Harry's and smiled when he moaned for more.

"You have changed me."

The End

XXX

I feel so bad! Everyone put me on their alert list and this just happens to be the last chapter! I'm soooo sorry! Well, I hope you liked it in any case...Did it end well enough for you?