Pairings: HP/DM SS/RL NL/BZ RW/HG PP?
Rating: R, drama, angst and sap. Post Hogwarts
Warnings: R, bad language. All flames will be made fun of! THIS IS SLASH! How many times will I have to say that for you homophobic guys understand that you shouldn't be reading these kind of fics I don't know… But you have been warned so I again tell you… All flames will be made fun of!
AN: This is not the first Harry Potter fic I've written, but the first I've ever published.
Disclaimer: I asked Dumbledore to magically give me the rights over Harry potter and crew, so now he has been arrested for plagiarism and fraud! Now I own nothing but the story T.T
Getting you back.
By Black Komagoro
Hello Draco,
Once again I'm writing to tell you about the past, I know you remember second year, it was even scarier than first, at least for me.
I saw you in Flourish and Blotts, I was mad but for the first time it was not because of you, at least not at first. There was that self-centred useless man, Lockhart as many others saw in me the opportunity to get more attention. I didn't even want his books I still wonder what went trough Dumbledore's mind when he hired him.
Anyway, I saw you there also looking for your books, your father used the chance to once again try to humiliate Mr. Weasley. Once again not a very good start but what was done, was done.
Then we met a school, there you were with your brand new Nimbus 2001 supposedly faster than mine, you bough your way into the team while others won it in just competition. You hexed Ron and I hated you even more, and then came the duel. I must admit you were good and I have to say thanks actually, if you hadn't sent that snake hex I wouldn't have known I could speak parsel.
I bet you never knew this, but Ron and I know how Slytherin's common room looks like. We suspected you of being the heir of Slytherin imagine our surprise when you not only were not but didn't even know who could be. Though you were right, it wasn't me and for that I'm thankful.
Back in second year I noticed for the first time how much you wanted to please your father, when I think about it I actually feel guilty, maybe if I hadn't rejected your hand you wouldn't be in this predicament right now.
I'm sorry Draco, for not noticing you back then, for not being straight forward later…
I just hope you'll forgive me one day.
Sincerely yours,
Harry J. Potter.
This time it took longer for the curse to shut his mind down and the three living with him noticed.
"Harry… I'm… sorry"
He raised his eyes and looked at the half opened door and into the eyes of his friend.
"Blaise…"
Finally the curse managed to take over and Draco fell unconscious, the three ran to help Draco out of his chair and get him on the couch as they knew would be something usual from now on. Blaise couldn't help shedding some tears, Draco finally had recognised him and he felt his friend another step closer to the man he used to know.
"It's working… It's really working!"
Pansy was excited and her eyes were also wet, she was smiling and looking at her friends with eyes full of hope.
"Yes Pans, it is working… Draco will be back, you'll see"
Neville took the letter form the floor and put it into the finely carved wood box on the table with the first one, they wouldn't read them as that was something private between Draco and Harry. Blaise had just covered Draco with a warm blanket when another owl reached them, Neville didn't recognised it but guessed who it could be from.
"It must be from Harry"
He took the letter from the small bird and gave it a few owl treats before letting him go again. He opened the letter but it was not from whom he thought.
"Hey, look at this"
The other two approached Neville and read the letter over his shoulders.
Neville,
Hello, I'm Charlie, one of Ron's older brothers I'm writing to know how is Malfoy doing. You may ask why it would concern me as I never met him, but even though I never did I feel like I know him. As you know Harry lived with me after he left at the end of the battle, during that time I learned a lot about him and one of the things I knew the most about was Draco Malfoy.
Harry loves him more than his own life, Malfoy had become a part so important of his life that I knew he wouldn't be able to love anyone else like that ever again, not even me. Yes, I fell in love with him, and so I want to meet the person who holds Harry's heart hostage. I don't intent any harm on him, Harry would never forgive me if I did and I'm not that kind of person.
I want to help; I want to at least try to do something to make him happy, to ensure that he will have a chance to be happy. Please let me go and meet him, I know that in his state he won't recognise me, most probably will see me as him, so there won't be any problem.
You can show this letter to Parkinson and Zabini, I don't mind as they are Malfoy's closest friends, they have all the right to know and of course to decide.
Thank you,
Charlie Weasley.
PS: Let me know if there's something you need from Rumania, I can find potions ingredients here that are difficult to find there. And please, do not tell Harry about this, I don't want him to worry more than he already is.
They stood there for a moment, astonished about what they just read.
"If Draco finds out Weasley's as good as dead"
Neville and Blaise nodded at her words, Draco was really possessive and when it came to Harry it was even worst. If her suspicions were right Harry and Charlie had done a lot more than just share a house.
"I can't be angry with him, Harry I mean… Neither with Weasley, but still, if Draco finds out this will become another war for sure…"
Neville nodded at his boyfriend's words but he was thinking about the answer, he finally nodded to himself and raised his head.
"I think we should let him come, he knows the Harry after war better that anyone else… I think he can be of a lot of help"
"But he's Draco's rival!"
"Not really Pans, even he said he didn't have a chance… He actually wants to see him happy and he knows that only Draco can do that"
Pansy nodded, they were right, besides, they could always do with an extra pair of hands.
-.-.-
Back in London, in a place you can only enter if you have magic in your blood and know the sequence in the bricks of the wall behind a small pub only magic can show you, there is a shop which used to be small at the start. The place is full with kids and their parents, the employees are busy helping them but there's no sign of the owners. However, that didn't mean they were not there, they had gone to the back of the store were a well known wizard had just arrived via floo network.
"Erm… Hi?"
He was cornered and he knew it, he also knew he deserved it but that didn't mean he was prepared.
"Hello, Mr. Potter… Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes… Welcome you… To its headquarters"
"Ha ha, very funny… Come on guys, just do what you have to do"
It was clear to them, by his expression, that Harry not only knew why he was there but that he felt guilty, because he was accepting his 'punishment' without complains.
"Harry…"
"No Fred, I kind of deserve this… I didn't want this to happen, I know we talked about it and agreed that… Well, it doesn't matter anymore… Just please believe that I never intended for him to suffer"
They looked at each other and each grabbed Harry by one arm and sat him on the large couch, Fred sat at one side and George at the other.
"We know, at first we really were mad and that's why we called"
"But now, well we're still not happy about it but we talked to Charlie and he explained"
Harry looked down and sighed.
"I'm sorry though, he deserves better… Your brother is a very good man, if there's someone who really deserves to be happy is him"
"He will, there's a lot of people in this world… I'm sure the right one is there"
"Just waiting for him"
"And when he or she appears they'll fall in love"
"Just like those cheap romance stories mom likes to read"
Harry laughed, he was not surprised to know that a she was also an option, Charlie had once told him he was bisexual.
"Man, you're mean… Good"
They laughed together but if Harry though he had escaped his torture he was way too wrong, the twins did use him as a guinea pig for several of their products, when they finished Harry looked like a hybrid of a lizard, a turtle and a very ugly painting, or something like that because he was purple with yellow spots and his skin had a close similitude to the one of a turtle, plus he had a lizard tail.
"And people buy these things?!"
They nodded happily seeing that their products worked as predicted, Harry had to stay there till all the effects passed, though when he left he still had a bit of purplish tone to his skin. He told the twins about helping Ron getting a job as a coach for the Cannons which gained him the antidote to some of the products he had been forced to test. Even when the twins didn't show it they were proud of their little brother, knowing he would succeed. Harry left and went back to the burrow were he wouldn't give explanations about his skin fading colour, he just said 'twins' and there were no more questions. He went up to his temporary room and started writing some letters, one for Kingsley Shacklebolt, current minister and by far the best the wizarding world had ever had; another for the current manager of the Chudley Cannons, Ragmar Dorkins, and finally one to the current Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, Oliver Wood who had taken the post after Ludovic Bagman had been sacked for his gambling and fraud for paying with leprechaun gold.
He finished his letters and sent them right away with Hedwig, he knew he would have to wait for their responses, but at least was sure that two out of three would be answered in a positive way. Once he was finished he took a shower and went down to eat something, Hermione had to go back to Hogwarts the next day in the morning and he actually wanted to be with his two friends for a while.
"How is Remus doing? I noticed there was full moon last night"
Hermione smiled kind of sadly, more because of the fact that she couldn't tell Harry a thing more than the full moon thing.
"He's fine, Snape has improved the wolfbane and even though he still is affected I can see is not as much as it used to be. He's staying in the Shrieking Shack for the moment…"
Harry nodded with a sad expression on his face.
"I'm going to follow my dad's steps then… I'll learn how to become an animagus, you guys should do too, that way he won't feel so lonely during those nights"
That actually made the other two smile, it was not a bad idea, not at all.
"Though, given the fact that my patronus is a fox terrier, I'll look more like an appetizer than a friend"
Ron laughed and soon was followed by Harry and Hermione.
"And what about me? How much can an otter do out of the water?"
"It'll be company though, he shouldn't be alone during those nights…"
The other two nodded again, but Hermione's thoughts had gone to Hogwarts, she suspected that Snape probably had thought of the same thing. The problem was on how to approach the subject, she just couldn't go and ask him out of the blue.
"Hermione… How's the potion going? How long do you think I have?"
She stayed silent for a moment, thinking about the list of steps Snape had given her and Remus, it was long and she knew there were at least another three.
"Two months more or less, less if what you're doing works as it should… You have already sent two letters haven't you?"
Harry nodded, he would start the third letter later that night and would send it next morning.
"What did you said, if you don't mind telling us?"
Harry smiled and turned to look at Ron.
"Well, basically about the time we met for the first time and the train, and about some things that happened during the year, the same for the second year… I'm trying not to mention his father too much, but it's quite difficult, Lucius Malfoy was a strong presence in Draco's life"
He sighed and looked at the already dark sky.
"I'll know the results after the third letter, Neville will tell me if things have been going as expected"
"Don't worry Harry, everything will be alright, you'll see"
He smiled at those words and let his body fall backwards, they had extended a big thick blanket over the grass and had sat over it. Hermione and Ron followed him, they stayed there for a while, looking at the stars and thinking about what was to come.
-.-.-
Hermione came back to the school and started working in the potion, she was alone in the lab and the door was just a bit open which let her hear whatever was talked inside the office, and what she was hearing was important.
"Don't take me for a fool Severus, I know Harry Potter was here and not just one time… I demand to know what is going on, why would he want to visit you of all people?"
Dumbledore had finally appeared and as she had expected he was asking way too many questions, but she wouldn't intervene it was better if the man didn't know she was there.
"With all due respect headmaster, whatever things I discuss with people that is not a student or another teacher is none of your business"
Remus was there too and that was what would put and end to Dumbledore's inquiries.
"Albus, the war is over, whatever Harry needs to talk with Severus is personal and concern none other then themselves"
"And you?"
"I'm the last of his father's best friends alive, he trust me implicitly and I will not jeopardise that trust… Albus, he just want some peace and quiet, if he decided to stay away for so long and just come back now it's because he needed it. This is his life and his choice, please respect that"
Dumbledore looked both men and nodded, he wouldn't stop though, he still could go to Harry.
"I'm concerned Remus"
"I know, and that's why I'm telling you that everything's ok… He's alright and has actually been living perfectly well all this time"
Dumbledore looked sad and she noticed, as Harry had said he was not a bad man, but he always wanted to know everything. It seemed as if he needed to be in control of everything, especially if it had to do with Harry Potter.
"Please Remus, next time you see him tell him I would like to talk to him"
"I will, but you'll have to respect his choice if he decides he doesn't want to talk to you yet"
The old man nodded and then turned around and left, Snape raised the silencing and locking spells and finally sighed.
"I'll never forgive him if he tries to use him as an icon for his ideals"
"Me neither Severus, Harry has suffered enough as it is… Though, I didn't know you cared so much"
Snape scowled and turned around.
"I don't care so much for him Remus, but it's just not right… Even Potter himself knows better, it was clear in that letter he sent you the other day. He knows that the moment he shows his face to the public eye he'll never be free"
"And even though he knows, he'll do it anyway…"
Snape sat down and crossed his arms over his chest.
"He's showing his Slytherin side… Using whatever method he finds to get what he wants, he'll sacrifice his freedom for a friend… That's disgusting"
Remus turned so fast his neck bones made a very nasty sound.
"What?!"
"Don't get all upset wolf, I meant mixing Gryffindor and Slytherin in such a way… That's just not correct"
Remus looked at him with wide eyes before he exploded in laugh, Hermione couldn't stop her own giggle and just hoped they had not heard her. Thankfully Remus' laugh was so hard her giggles weren't heard.
"Only you Severus…"
"That's the way I am Lupin, I guessed that by now you would have got used to it"
Hermione couldn't see but she knew it was time for her to get away from the door and leave those two alone, she checked the clock and continued with the other steps of the potion. Remus had stepped behind Snape's chair and was embracing him.
"Maybe I don't want to get used to it… That wouldn't be as fun as it is now"
Snape let himself rest backwards and closed his blinded eyes, letting the wolf take care of him for a while before they had to start working again.
-.-.-
Pansy opened the door and found herself looking at a very handsome man, and decided that the Weasley brothers had deteriorated with each generation. As she saw it, Ron would never look as good as the man in front of her right now.
"Good morning, Miss Parkinson isn't it?"
He extended his hand and Pansy quickly accepted it.
"Yes, Pansy Parkinson, you must be Charlie Weasley…"
He nodded and she let go of his hand, then opened the door and let him inside.
"Thank you for letting me help… I'm partially to blame for all this mess"
"Yes you are, but we all made mistakes…"
She closed the door and turned to look at him with a small smile.
"But talking about who's to blame is not going to help any, so please forget that and focus in what you came here for… To help Draco"
"Of course… I assume you'll fill me into what I can and can't do around him, aren't you?"
She nodded, and guided him towards the room they always used to talk about those things. She called one of the house elves and told him to put Charlie's things into one of the guest's rooms, once that was dealt with they sat and waited for the other two.
"I know you're here to help Harry not Draco, so please do not pretend otherwise"
He might have been handsome but priority was Draco.
"I'm sorry… You must hate me, I took him away with me…"
"I don't hate you Weasley, you didn't do it on purpose, you knew even less than Potter knew…"
He really felt uncomfortable, he was in Malfoy Manor with two of Draco's best friends and the boyfriend of one of them. He knew he didn't belong there, but he wouldn't back out now.
"Still, I'm here because I want to see him happy and bringing Malfoy back will do that… Besides, I want to know the person that even 'dead' was able to hold Harry's heart so strongly… He will sacrifice his happiness over Malfoy's well being, I want to know the man who's worth so much"
Pansy frowned, yes Harry was a good man and a very unselfish one, but for her Draco was as brave and good and wonderful as Harry, maybe even more.
"Draco's a wonderful person Weasley, and until the moment Potter told us what had happened I thought he didn't deserve Draco's love. The man you'll soon meet was ready to give his life for Potter's, and to an extent he did… He was misunderstood, no one really knew him; he's kind and caring. He always checked that the younger students in our house were tutored so they wouldn't be left behind, because in our families, failure was not accepted… He was the one who taught them to defend themselves against the rest of the school, and he was the one who risked everything to convince most of the Slytherins to fight for the right side…"
"Then please explain to me all those times he spat those hateful words against muggle born, all those times he insulted my family just because we didn't have enough money and supported muggle-born wizards. Or those times he taunted Harry and said those horrible words about his mother, reminding him about their deaths…"
She clenched her fists, they didn't understand, life for those who had the bad luck to be sons and daughters of Death Eaters was incredibly hard.
"Weasley, you don't understand because you had a loving family, and believe me you being poor was actually a blessing more than a curse. For rich and old families tradition is the base, and for those who followed Voldemort's ideals it was even worse… You may not have had money, but you had loving parents, who would never lay a hand on you for not following the path they prepared for you. Draco said and did what he did because that was expected of him, because there were spies among us, certain students who really believed in 'the cause'"
She summoned two glasses and a bottle of firewhiskey, pouring some for the both of them and then continued.
"He felt the Cruciatus curse first hand from his own father, I did horrible things under the Imperius. If it was not that they would beat us, or other much more horrible things, so as you can see there was no option for us. We couldn't leave or ask for help, for they always had a very strong tracking spell on us, and for those whose parents didn't thought like that, well Voldemort always knew how to 'convince' people to do as he wanted"
What… A horrible life…
"Why did you decide to go against your families at the end? If we had lost the war you would have been doomed then"
"Yes, but there's the difference between your people and mine, we had nothing to lose… If Voldemort had won the war things would have been bad for us anyway. Still under the iron fist of our families who would be under Voldemort's, so if we were going down, at least we would have gone fighting… Besides, most of our house trusted Draco completely, he said Potter wouldn't be defeated, he trusted him and believed in him with all his heart"
She looked at him in the eye, so serious it scared Charlie.
"The confidence Potter didn't have in himself Draco had it for him, we had doubts he was just a kid like the rest of us, so how was he going to defeat a dark wizard with more than fifty years of experience using magic and controlling dark spells? Draco said Voldemort lacked way too many things, a man who doesn't understand the human spirit would never be able to win against one who could. Potter didn't believe in himself, but he believed in the human spirit and in implicit kindness, and Draco believed in him… Then there was professor Snape, the man had risked his life for years, had to endure tasks that would have destroyed many and he still had that thing Potter held so important to him"
She drank a bit of her drink and continued, she really wanted the man in front of her to understand and to see the beautiful man that Draco was.
"With mine, Blaise's and Crabbe's help Draco produced a detailed plan of action and managed to know who were ready to deflect their families. He performed secret meetings and we finally formed our own rebellion. Blaise talked with Potter, I couldn't… Draco wouldn't have been welcomed, Crabbe even less, Blaise did an excellent job and more than three quarters of the Slytherins were then part of the light… Do you know why Draco did all this? What moved him deep inside?"
Charlie guessed, but he preferred to hear it and be sure, so he stayed silent waiting for her to continue.
"Draco loved him, he had seen a part of Harry no other had, not even his friends… I don't really know what he saw and I don't want to either, that's between those two. He loved him so much he wouldn't even think twice his decision of helping them… I Remember once, on the astronomy tower one night, it was just him and me, we were about to leave and he just turned and looked at me… I'm sure Pansy, in here, that he won't lose, he'll free us all, you'll see…"
She had put her hand over her heart when she said that last words, Pansy put the glass on the small table and looked down.
"Since a long time I had been observing Potter, I didn't know him as much as Draco or his friends but I could see something. How he looked at him, Potter since sixth year and on always observed Draco, and thus I always observed him… I know the good in him and I know the fierce spirit he has, Draco knew, he never said anything but it was not necessary. He thought he had not a chance and told me to try… Draco was brilliant but when it came to himself he never noticed anything, I couldn't tell him because that's something you want to hear form the person itself. Potter never got the nerve to do it… I confessed, he tried to reject me but I wouldn't let him, instead I told him to talk to Draco… He never did and this is the result"
"I'm sorry Parkinson-"
"Pansy, just call me Pansy…"
"Then I'm Charlie… And I'm really sorry, for more things than you think… If we had spent less time accusing each other and more trying to unite the houses maybe things would have been different… I'm sorry for your loss too, I'm sorry your friends died at the hand of their friends…"
She raised her hand to stop him.
"Don't, it's not your fault so don't apologise… It was a war, and there was not much we could do. I don't want more people to end as Goyle for blaming themselves"
Charlie stayed silent, he was learning a lot of things he should have known years ago.
"He was cursed by the Imperius, and was unable to stop himself from killing his best friend. He has tried to commit suicide already three times… So no more guilt, that never helps, if you feel sorry then do something about it and fix what is broken"
He nodded, finally drank a bit and left the glass over the table.
"I will Pansy, and if you let me, I know a very good magical psychiatrist who can work with Goyle…"
"That would be nice, Gregory could do with some common sense"
They turned abruptly to look at the door, there was Blaise and Neville, with some sandwiches and juice.
"Hello Weasley, I'm Blaise Zabini…"
"Hello, and you can call me Charlie if you want… Hello Neville"
Neville smiled and extended his hand grabbing Charlie's and shaking it a few times.
"Hello Charlie, I'm glad to see you well, I heard Ron beat the shit out of you…"
Charlie blushed a little while laughing embarrassed.
"Yeah well, I kind of deserved it…"
"Heard you ended in St. Mungo's"
"You heard well Zabini, now that I remember during one of those fights Malfoy had with Harry and Ron, didn't Ron actually punched him?"
Blaise couldn't stop his laugh.
"Yeah, that guy really has a heavy hand, Draco even admitted that"
"He regretted it though, saying those things, he knew it had been way more than he should have said…"
"Appearances, your life was tough…"
"Yeah, but that's all in the past now"
They stayed silent, just eating and drinking, finally Blaise raised his head and looked at Charlie.
"By the way, you can also call me by my first name… We are going to live together for a while, better to make it the most pleasant we can"
"I agree then, Blaise"
They smiled and continued, soon he would meet Draco and he better be prepared, during their meal Pansy, Neville and Blaise told him what he could and could not do in Draco's presence. Finally they stood up and went to the other room, knowing he shouldn't answer if Draco called him Harry.
"Just remember, this is not the Draco Malfoy everyone used to know"
Charlie nodded again and finally entered the room, Draco turned his head slowly and frowned, but his frown was soon replaced by a faint smile.
"Harry"
Charlie cringed but didn't answer, Draco frowned again and this time it stayed longer, just not for the right reason.
"Harry? Come here"
He voice was pleading and his opaque eyes looked at him sadly, Charlie had to turn his back but the other three made him turn back again.
"Just try to understand…"
Draco lowered his face and his expression turned completely sad, once again Harry wouldn't talk to him.
"Please"
But Charlie resisted just right, though it was killing him inside. Neville put a hand over his shoulder and squeezed it slightly. When Draco turned to look at the flames Charlie finally got the courage to talk, lowly and looking at the three in front of him instead of Draco.
"This is not fair…"
"No, it is not and that's why we are working so hard to revert it… You want Potter to be happy, well we want Draco to be happy too"
"Then you can count with me for whatever you need, just don't tell Harry I don't think he'll take my presence here very well"
Neville frowned at that, he knew Harry better than people gave him credit for.
"You might be surprised Charlie, I doubt he would get angry, he knows he needs all the help he can get… I understand your fears, you are in love with him and he knows it but I don't think he'll get mad… He knows you, doesn't he?"
"Yes he does… Thank you Neville"
He smiled at him and then turned to look at Draco again after a minute or so he turned towards the door and left, Pansy left right after him. It was better if he didn't stayed alone, not only because Malfoy Manor was huge but also because the man was way to affected for all he had seen and learnt.
"Charlie…"
She noticed that the man was crying, he let himself fall supporting his side on the wall and onto the firsts steps of the stairs. Charlie was covering his mouth with his hands and his eyes were wide opened, everything he had heard and seen finally reaching him completely.
TBC
People! How come no one told me about the HUGE mistake I made?! T.T When I put the disclaimer I put the one that I'm using for Awakenings, so the last chapters of this fic had been saying Awakenings instead of Getting You Back. Please let me know about these things, it's so embarrassing! (Red as a tomato)
So, I hope you liked this chapter too and as always thanks for your reviews and for choosing my fic for your favourites and alert lists. I'm taking longer because I'm writing Awakening at the same time, thus the mistake :p So please don't think I've abandoned this story! See you soon!