Another Monday, another chapter! For those of you wondering, officially there are 35 chapters to this story and we are on chapter 25. So the end is getting closer! I like this chapter, so decided to leave it just as it is.

The characters belong to JKR, the betaing to Xikum, the story to me! (just like the other two stories that are still being plagarized on this site even though they've been reported lots of times, ah well)

Mythic Alliance

by Jendra

Harry stood in front of a room at the Three Broomsticks. This time he didn't hesitate to enter. However, he rethought that idea when he realized Lucius Malfoy was the only one in the room. He refused to look like a coward in front of the older man by leaving immediately, no matter how much his instincts were screaming at him to flee. Instead, Harry nodded politely to the dark wizard, greeting him, "Malfoy," then heading to a chair across the table.

"Pot... What are you wearing?" Lucius' greeting was sidetracked as he caught a glimpse of Harry's shirt showing through his casually open robe.

Harry laughed as he looked down at his shirt. "Do you like it?" Who would have thought that letting his theory about Voldemort out to other Gryffindors could have caused *this*. The 'snake-lover animated t-shirts' the twins had come up with were currently all the rage among the upper level boys. There were rumours that with a certain wand movement, the shirts would turn pornographic instead of just having the red-eyed man in the black robe hugging and kissing the large snake. It hadn't been proven yet however, though many had tried.

"It's certainly unusual," was all Lucius would answer. He nodded to another part of Harry's anatomy. "Is that really necessary?"

Harry didn't bother to look down this time. He knew exactly what Lucius was asking about. It didn't mean that he was going to put down the wand he was holding against his thigh, thus concealed by his robe from most casual observers. He continued pointing it straight at the other man. "Now, Mr. Malfoy, constant vigilance is important, don't you agree?"

"I thought you trusted me?"

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Harry asked in surprise. "I trust you to a point; when it comes to your family and friends. But with myself? I'm not naive enough to believe that I fall into either of those categories."

"I am helping you get rid of that monster."

"For your own reasons," Harry countered. "I'd be a lot closer to trusting you if you were doing it because it was 'the right thing to do' and not simply, currently 'the right thing for you.'"

"Gryffindors," Lucius shook his head, his tone the exact same one Severus had used with that word hundreds of times before. "Don't you know that a man's self-interest is the most powerful motive there is? Anyone who claims they are doing something for the greater good, or because it's 'the right thing to do' is lying, either to the world, or to themselves. *Everyone* is motivated by self-interest, and it is the only motive that is guaranteed to never change."

"But, how am I to know if your self-interest will stay the same? You've already switched sides once. What's to stop something from happening that will give you the idea that giving me to Voldemort, and thus solidifying your own place by his side, would be better for you than helping me defeat him?"

"Do you believe that even if my place by his side were, as you say, solidified, it would make him any less dangerous for me to be around? Or any safer for my son? Draco has made his choice; do *you* believe *he* will change his mind?"

"I believe he loves you enough, that if it were really necessary, he might try."

"And you do not believe me to have that same feeling toward him?"

"You've had more time to get over it," Harry argued.

"Family is not something you 'get over'."

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't know, would I?" Harry snapped back.

"And is that my fault?"

"I don't know," Harry answered, his eyes narrowed and intent. "Is it?"

"What would give you that idea?"

"I notice you're not answering the question."

"I would think that was something you'd be asking Severus," Lucius murmured.

"What does Snape have to do with it?" Harry answered. "I know where he was *that* night."

"Did you know he was in love with Lily Evans? That they dated for almost two years? That James was incredibly jealous until he finally managed to steal her away from him? And that's *why* Severus hated him so much?"

"Why are you telling me this?" Harry bit out. "Are you assuming I'd believe you?" The thing was, he did believe the man. He remembered what Severus had said once about Sirius, 'A dog is a good form for him, loyal to his master. I had something James wanted; Sirius tried to kill me so his friend could have it.' He had wondered at the time what Severus could have that his father had wanted so intensely. Now he knew.

"Just wondering why you trust him, but won't extend that same courtesy to myself."

"Maybe because I haven't any *reason* to have that faith to you!" Harry argued back, starting to get a little vehement.

"So what reason would you accept?" Lucius asked.

"I'll tell you when I figure it out." Harry informed him. "But I'll tell you what *won't* make me trust you, trying to get me to distrust those whom I care about."

Lucius sat back, admitting, although only to himself, that he might have chosen the wrong way of going about getting underneath Harry's skin. He'd certainly managed to do so, but not in the way that he wanted. He was considering a way to redirect the tone of the conversation more to his favour, when the door suddenly opened.

"I'm telling you, Moony, I smell Harry in there," the boy heard a familiar voice say.

Sirius Black stepped through the doorway, ready to greet his godson, when his eyes caught the blonde man in the chair across from the door. "Malfoy!" he growled, going for his wand. However, it was a bit hard to get to when he suddenly had an armful of teenager.

"Sirius! What are you doing here?" Harry asked as he hugged his godfather as hard as he could. He freed a hand to reach over and grasp Remus' arm. "Professor Lupin, it's good to see you again." Lucius was the only one to notice that the boy had just conveniently grabbed Lupin's wand arm while keeping Black from reaching his own wand. He was... protecting him? After what he had just said?

"Harry! Are you okay? Why are you in here with him? Has he done something to you?" Sirius' questions were panicked, but he was still being held tightly. There was nothing wrong with Harry's strength; that was for sure.

"I'm fine, and we're working on something that I'm not going to talk about with the door open," Harry argued.

"You think we're leaving you in here with him? He's a Slytherin! Even worse, he's a Malfoy!"

"And is there a reason you are announcing that to the whole inn?" Severus Snape's well-known drawl interrupted.

"Snape! I should have known you had something to do with this!" Sirius growled. "You two are probably trying to kidnap Harry to give to your dark master! Well it'll happen over my dead body!"

"I quite like that idea," Severus said, looking him over with a feral gleam in his eye.

Harry was the one to growl now. "You're not helping, Severus!"

That was quite enough for an enraged Animagus. One teenager's strength, no matter how well honed by quidditch, was not enough to hold Sirius any longer. He broke free of Harry's restraining arms and lunged for the Potion Master.

"Stupify!" came, not from either of the two ex-Death Eaters, or the blonde boy hiding behind his Head of House, but rather from the black-haired boy who had just been pushed aside.

"Um... Harry?" Remus Lupin asked quietly. "Did you just hex your godfather?"

"Of course I did; he was attacking Professor Snape," Harry answered testily.

"Why didn't you hex Professor Snape?"

"Because he wasn't attacking Sirius," Harry answered in a 'that was obvious' tone of voice.

"Are you going to leave him like that?" Remus asked.

"Of course not. As soon as he calms down, I'll let him go."

"Actually, I quite prefer him like this," Severus smirked.

"Of course you do," Harry rolled his eyes.

Harry took the stunning charm off of his godfather, but it didn't seem as if the wizard's temper had cooled much at all. He did, however, refrain from physically attacking the other man.

"What's going on, Harry?" Sirius practically roared. "Why are you in a room with Malicious Malfoy and Slimy, Snivelling Snape?"

"You would think that in the past 15 years, you would have come up with some new insults," Snape sneered. "Instead, you are still using the same tired old ones you were using when you were eleven."

"You're *really* not helping, Severus," Harry groaned.

"And why are you calling him by his name? What has he been doing to you?" Sirius practically shouted.

"Because Harry's an honorary Slytherin, and as such has the right to call his Head of House by his name," Draco explained with a smirk.

"You're not helping either," Harry glared. "And if the two of you don't stop it, I'm going to be pulling off some scales, not to mention some feathers."

"As if you could," Draco sneered. "It wouldn't be my tail that would be pulled, I can promise you that. You know I can fly wings around you in form."

"Harry?" Sirius' voice was almost awed. "You managed it? You've become an Animagus?" He moved forward and gathered the boy into a hug. "Your father would be so proud. *I* am so proud."

If Severus felt jealousy at the way Harry seemed to melt into Sirius' hug when he heard those words, he hid it well.

Harry pulled away slowly and turned to look at the elder Malfoy. "You want to know what you can do to get me to trust you?" he asked intently. "I want Sirius freed. Preferably with Pettigrew caught and consigned to the Kiss, but either way, I want Sirius cleared of all charges, and with his life back."