Title:Game Without Tears
Disclaimer: I do not own, wish I did, but I don't. I only own my plot line. Full disclaimer, first chapter.
Author: ShaeLynn Teelle
All other information: See first chapter.
Polite constructive criticism welcome. FLAMES WILL BE FED TO THE DRAGON IN MY BED.
Chapter 31: If the Good Die Young
"Do you understand everything that you will have to do, Draconis?"
"Yes, Lady Morgana," Draco replied confidently, his translated instructions plus notes in front of him.
For the prior hour the two had been going over every step that Draco would need to take to make the potion to cure Lycanthropy. They had examined every step, every possibility as the two checked and double-checked ingredients. Draco knew what should happen if he added an ingredient late or early and how much time needed to be adjusted between ingredients for those that were less than the state they wanted them.
Morgana had been true to her word and brought in some of the more difficult to find ingredients that neither believed Snape would have in his stores. Luck was on their side for the potion and optimum conditions for brewing it. The dungeon chamber Albus was allowing for their use had two windows that were angled open to the sky. What scant moonlight there would be was able to filter through to the room and more importantly the potion.
A smattering of moonlight against the potion as it was being made should strengthen it slightly, whereas any larger amount of moonlight would render the potion dangerous to any werewolf that drank it, not that it wouldn't already be dangerous for any but the intended recipient, but with a full dose of moonlight, it could kill any werewolf that drank it almost instantly.
While the two had worked through what they needed to do, Harry had not been idle. He had enlisted the help of Remus, with Tonks nearby politely not touching anything. She'd make humorous comments every now and again to keep the mood from sinking too low, but otherwise simply watched as the two worked. They followed the directions they had found in a separate book on hollowing out magical objects and carefully, adjusted the Basilisk tooth to the thickness the potion required.
When Morgana had first said that a hollowed out Basilisk tooth was needed, Harry had simply assumed that it just had to have enough space to fill with the amount of potion needed, but the potions book Draco had found was more detailed than that. He had begun to appreciate the intricacies of the language used in the ancient text.
Harry had seen the ingredient list in the book and he had seen the translated list. With each three or four word phrase in Mo'ti Task'an, there was an entire line of information on the translated list. Everything was spelled out exactly as it needed to be done. From the exact size of the whole wolfsbane leaf to the very thickness of the walls of the Basilisk fang, the potion instructions were precise.
Once the Basilisk fang was bored out to the exact thickness in all areas, Harry and Remus became aware that Draco and Morgana had finished their potion discussion and were watching them. Morgana took the fang from Harry and inspected it carefully, acknowledging the work they had done.
Then, Tonks pulled Draco over to her so he was forced to sit in the chair between her and Harry. There she began chatting up her cousin and teasing the two of them to no end. While they were occupied Morgana motioned Remus off to one side and began to speak to him about what to expect from the potion.
She had seen only one werewolf actually take the concoction because of the level of difficulty required, but she shared everything she had observed from that time. The potion was neither simple nor painless, and he could not take any Wolfsbane potion while he was taking the other one. Once Remus had heard and understood what he would be facing, he began to quietly ask the spirit about Harry and Draco and their relationship.
He wanted to know her observations as she had seen them interacting more than he had since they had reconciled their differences. What she had to tell him reassured the man that neither would come to harm and that it wasn't just a momentary thing. The two rejoined the other three where Harry was alternately laughing with Tonks or blushing red with Draco.
The evening wore on and near midnight, Remus and Tonks took their leave, allowing the three remaining to discuss what they liked. Morgana took that time to explain more about creating spells to the two young men and Harry began to formulate one that would be able to rid the world of Voldemort forever with both Morgana's and Draco's help.
\/\/\/\/\/
The next night a small group stood out on the grounds of the school. Remus was slightly apart from the others, the small clear bottle in one hand, glowing eerily in the night. The sky was clear and the new moon could only be seen by the circle of black where no stars shone.
Dumbledore stood next to Madam Pomfrey and Tonks, all three concerned for the man. Beside them stood Harry and Draco with Morgana and Narcissa's spirits present. They were waiting for the new moon to reach its pinnacle. Then, Remus would drink the potion and they would know if it was brewed correctly. In the dark Harry had taken hold of Draco's hand securely.
Remus pulled the stopper from the bottle and tipped the contents into his mouth at the exact moment of the black moon's zenith without prompting. He shuddered at the taste and waited, expecting something to occur. When nothing changed he turned back to the group in confusion.
"If you are not in pain, the potion worked. You should not feel any different until the next full moon," Morgana spoke quietly into the night.
After a moment of thought Remus returned to the group. They quietly returned to the school, Morgana and Narcissa leaving on the way. Once inside the school the group made to split and return to their rooms for the night. Dumbledore stopped Draco and Harry before they had gone far.
"Mr. Malfoy, I would like to extend an invitation to you and your companions to join us in two days for a meeting of the Order and our allies. We do not expect any of you to fight with us, but you would be welcome."
"I cannot answer for my friends, sir, but I will be there. We would like to help in the battle, but as the other four do not have wands I do not know if it would even be feasible for them to help," Draco spoke calmly, keeping any hope from his voice.
"Ah, yes," Dumbledore answered and began to search his pockets. "I spoke with Mr. Ollivander and he sent over wands that he believes might be compatible with your companions." Then, Dumbledore removed four slim boxes from an inside pocket. "If any of them do not work for anyone, please inform me immediately in the morning."
Draco nodded and took the four boxes, his hope beginning to show through. "Thank you, sir. The others will greatly appreciate these."
"Yes, in the morning I will send someone to inform you if anything changes and any problems you may have with the wands should be told to them. The meeting I have asked you to attend shall be in two days at midday."
With that the Headmaster nodded to the two and turned into the hallway that lead to his office. For a moment neither of the men moved. Then, Draco was suddenly pulling Harry towards the stairs to the Slytherins' suite, his excitement barely hidden. Harry began to laugh at his lover's enthusiasm, but hurried along with him, wanting to see the other Slytherin's reactions.
Draco stopped at the portrait and waited for Harry to say the password. He was almost startled when Harry said it clearly and loudly enough for Draco to easily hear it. The Gryffindor grinned and simply pulled the other young man into the suite.
When they entered the room a sudden movement caught their eyes near the couches. The two watched in amusement to see Daphne quickly straightening her top and Gregory's hair was more of a mess than Harry's was. Both couples were blushing, but no one teased each other.
"Where's Pans and Vin?" Draco asked after not too long.
"Umm…" Daphne began, the blush returning to her face as she pointed to the only closed bedroom door.
"Okay. Then, they'll find out later."
"Find out what, Dragon?" Gregory asked quietly.
Draco triumphantly pulled out the four slim boxes and placed them on the low table in front of the other couple. "Dumbledore had these sent over. He asked if we would like to assist in the final battle and hopes that most of these will work for one of you. Try them," he urged at their hesitation. "Ollivander sent them. He said they were the likeliest to match your old wands."
Gregory was the first one to reach out to the boxes. His hand paused a few inches and shifted a bit as though deciding on which box before he finally picked up the one on the far right. Holding his breath, he opened the box and picked up the wand. At first nothing happened and Gregory let out his breath in a slight sigh. Just as he was about to return the wand to the box it shot off dark blue sparks.
Daphne laughed at the look on her bonded's face. She reached out and pulled the second box to the left towards her. With less hesitancy than Gregory, Daphne pulled the thin wand from its home. When nothing happened at first she experimentally flicked it towards her partner, sending a small shower of light amber sparks towards his face.
The brightly colored sparkles didn't touch him, but the expression on his face was worth it as the other three were reduced to laughter. The noise was enough to rouse the other couple from their room. Pansy and Vincent stood near the couches, slightly confused, until Pansy saw the wands in Daphne's and Gregory's hands.
"Wands," she breathed quietly, her eyes wide.
"Yes. There's two for you to try as well," Draco answered excitedly, the amusement not completely gone from his face.
Pansy didn't waste any time. She went around to the other side of the table and knelt on the ground, not bothering with the couch. Her hand was shaking slightly as she reached towards one of the boxes. Then, she paused and pulled the other one towards her.
As Pansy stared at the box Vincent calmly pulled the other one towards himself where he now sat on the couch near his bonded. They both pulled the wands out at the same time. Pansy's emitted dark purple sparks almost immediately. Vincent closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment before his, too, emitted nearly white purple sparks, though his came out in a straight line almost like a blade.
"How did you get these, Dragon?" Pansy asked in disbelief her wand clutched tightly to her.
"Dumbledore gave them to me. He asked if we would join the meeting for the final battle and if we were going to help in the fight."
"So he just gave you wands?" Vincent asked sarcastically.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Draco's eyebrow was up and he looked down his nose slightly at his friend, causing Pansy to giggle. "He spoke with Ollivander at some point and he sent those four wands to Dumbledore. He thought they would be the likeliest matches based upon your old wands."
"I wonder what the wood is," Pansy murmured, mostly to herself.
"Can I see the box? I might be able to tell you."
They all turned their heads to Harry when he spoke. Pansy handed the box to him in surprise. He turned it so he could see one of the short sides and looked closely for a few moments.
"Ashe wood with unicorn horn."
"My old wand was Ashe wood," Vincent said suddenly, looking down to his wand as though seeing the medium brown wood for the first time.
Harry picked up Vincent's wand box and again looked closely at the side, "This one is beech nut with… dragon claws."
"That was my old wand wood!" Pansy gasped in surprise.
"What about the cores?"
"The core's the same type, just the wood is different," Pansy said quietly. Vincent nodded in agreement.
Daphne suddenly clapped her hands in excitement, "Check ours next, please, Harry."
Just as Harry was reaching for the other two boxes, Draco stopped him. "Wait a minute. Harry, how can you tell that? There's nothing written on those boxes anywhere."
"I know. I spent some time speaking with Ollivander last summer. My wand is the brother wand to Voldemort's. I was trying to get a second wand, one that I could actually fight against him with. Ollivander told me he didn't have a wand created that could be compatible enough for me to accomplish what I needed to do.
"He brought me into the back of his shop and explained that he could try to make me one, but there was no guarantee it would work. Ollivander left me alone in the back of his shop for almost an hour. He said that everything was clearly marked and to decide what I wanted to use."
"But isn't it supposed to be the wand that decides the wizard?" Pansy asked in confusion.
Harry nodded, "That's why he said there was no guarantee it would work. I had no idea what I was supposed to do so I just wandered around the back room. After a while it was as though I no longer controlled myself. I had placed two small pieces of wood separate from the others and moved two bottles and a box to one side as well.
"When Ollivander came back and saw what I all moved he got very excited. He asked me to come back every chance I got. I don't think he'd expected me to actually do anything while he was gone. I tried to go back at least once a week and he would have me hold the wood and containers I had moved for a half hour every time. Then, he asked me to return some boxes to their shelves, but none of the boxes had markings on them that I knew of.
"I found out at the end of summer that he was testing me. I guess I actually put the boxes of wands where they were supposed to go. Ollivander asked if I'd like to start an apprenticeship with him next summer. He said it's very rare for a person to be able to find a wand by its feel."
"You can feel the magic in wands?" Vincent breathed out in awe.
"Sort-of. Ollivander told me he used marks that can't be seen unless you know what you're looking for. He showed me what they were after I agreed to apprentice to him. I used that to tell what yours were."
Draco began laughing at that, "How very Slytherin of you, Harry. Did you ever get your second wand?"
"Yeah." Harry pulled up one pant leg to reveal knee-high dragon-hide boots. From the outside of the right one he pulled a long bronze and ebony colored wand. Carefully, he handed the wand to Draco.
Draco took it in slight awe and, after obtaining Harry's permission, waved it once slowly. Absolutely nothing happened, but Draco could feel the power the wand had drawn from him coiled inside the core. Then, he noticed a slight glow from the end he held. Curiously, he looked at the wand and saw a small red stone embedded in the hilt. He looked up at Harry.
"It's a piece of red tourmaline, called rubellite. I don't know why Ollivander added it, but my shields are stronger than ever with that wand as it is."
"Harry, you're a constant surprise," Daphne said lightly with a smile.
The others laughed in agreement and the rare sound filled the room, hiding the soft phoenix song that resembled a musical laughter in itself.
\/\/\/\/\/
When Harry awoke late the next morning he found Draco already awake and sitting at the desk in one corner with only his sleep pants on. Harry was content to watch him as his lover sat and wrote, the only sounds were the scratching of the quill and their quiet breathing.
After ten minutes Draco put the quill down and folded the parchment, sealed it, and added it to another that was already written and sealed. Then, he turned around and met Harry's gaze. With a smirk he sauntered over to his lover's side and teasingly ran one hand down Harry's arm from shoulder to wrist.
The Gryffindor held his breath for a moment, "So what were you writing, Draco?"
"Just some letters. To others that wanted to help against Voldemort. Can you take them up to the Owlry when you leave, Harry?"
"Yes, Draco, I'll take them up and send them out when I get up," Harry paused. "Come here," and he pulled his lover over until he was lying on top of him.
Draco smiled at Harry before capturing his lips in a deep kiss, the letters and the final battle forgotten for both of them for a time.
\/\/\/\/\/
Early afternoon found Harry gone to the Owlry and then to spend the rest of the afternoon with Hermione. Shortly after he had left with the two letters, Remus entered the suite. The five were at the table just finishing when he entered. The Slytherins nodded to him and motioned him over as they remained at the table.
"The Headmaster wanted to know how the wands worked for you all."
"Well," Pansy began. "We can use the wands, but there's not very much we can do here to actually know how well they would work for the battle."
"Professor Dumbledore had thought of that this morning. He asked a number of Order members to meet in the Room of Requirement after lunch was over. They are likely there already. If you would like to practice spells or dueling there, I am to escort any who would like to go."
Draco sighed, "Are we still so distrusted by the Order?"
"Not by everyone. The Weasleys have accepted you. As have Tonks, Hermione, and myself. The Headmaster believes you and you already know that Harry believes in you. Certain other powerful members of the Order do not. Professor Dumbledore have allowed some of them to be there if you wish to practice, but there are others, myself, Tonks, and several of the older Weasleys, that will be present as well."
"Our guards," Gregory spoke quietly, resignation in his voice.
"Unfortunately," Remus acknowledged.
"It's been too long without wand practice for us, Professor." Daphne's voice broke through the silence that had fallen at Remus' admission, though it was obvious to them all that Remus truly regretted the need. "Give us a few moments to change, please."
The five went to their respective rooms and returned within five minutes. Each of them had open robes on over casual Muggle clothing that was mostly hidden. Remus looked at them closely for a moment, noting the odd way some of their robes fell, but he said nothing. He trusted them and while he did not know of what abilities they may possess, he had no doubt they would surprise the Order members waiting for them.
"Lead the way, Professor Lupin," Pansy said and they followed quietly in line behind the man down the corridors.
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