Author: enchanted nightingale

Beta Reader: pussycatadamah

Timeline: Book 4, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Pairs: Harry/Lucius

Disclaimer: The characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I merely use them in my plot for fun.

Chapter 18

"He is definitely here," Lucius told Severus. "The mark is not darkening just because he is getting stronger but because he is closer as well."

Severus sipped from his tumbler. "You don't need to tell me."

"Ah! Yes, Karkaroff. How is that rat?"

"Terrified."

"As he should be," Lucius muttered.

Severus turned to stare at the flames in the fireplace. The large fire that warmed Lucius' office always fascinated him.

"What do you know about Sirius Black?" Severus asked.

"Harry spoke to me," the blond wizard replied.

"You know there's one more rat then."

Lucius nodded. "Pettigrew."

"Him," the raven haired man confirmed.

"Harry spoke… he gets visions. Not many, just a couple so far. And his scar has been hurting."

Snape winced. "Dumbledore said something like that at the end of that brat's first year. Whenever your toy boy was near the Dark Lord, near Quirrell, his scar would hurt."

"He has been getting pains," Lucius confirmed and the other wizard frowned.

"That's… not good."

"No."

The two men sipped their drinks in silence for a while.

"What are you going to do?" Severus asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Potter."

"I don't follow you."

"The Dark Lord is getting back his power. Will you follow him again? He is going after Potter more than ever now."

Lucius frowned. "You should know the answer to that."

Severus sighed and took another sip of his drink. The blond was being difficult on purpose but Severus had a reason he was asking. He wanted to hear it from Lucius, otherwise he was only guessing and hoping that this man, who was as dangerous as the half mad Dark Lord, was going to help protect Lily's son.

Harry frowned at the letter.

"Keep your head down," he repeated that which he read in one line. "Talk to Dumbledore," was another.

Frankly, the green eyed teen hated having to go to Dumbledore for every little thing. The man had not done anything to help him out of the tournament, unlike Lucius and Bill, and the Gryffindor felt animosity towards his Headmaster. Also, the old wizard probably knew about his pains, Sirius had admitted telling the old man of Harry's summer letter. Yet Albus Dumbledore had not approached Harry with any help. He had to know that Voldemort was getting stronger, especially after the events during the Quidditch World Cup. No, Harry had no intention of telling Dumbledore, not when Lucius and even (though the teen hated admitting that one) Snape were a bigger help than the Headmaster. Two Death eaters were a lot more helpful protecting the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry knew that was ironic but he just accepted this irony as part of his life. Yes, Lucius had shown him his Dark Mark. And the blond had mentioned Snape had a similar tattoo, as well as Durmstrang's High Master. It was one of the reasons Harry was very alert around Karkaroff.

"Harry?"

The green eyed teen blinked. Neville was standing near him, looking a bit lost.

"Hey Neville," Harry greeted the taller teen. He carefully folded the letter again.

"Bad news?" Neville asked.

"Not what I expected to hear," the green eyed teen admitted. "But nothing I cannot handle either. Forget about me, how are you? You are looking a bit down lately."

The other Gryffindor shrugged. "I'm okay, I guess."

"You guess?" Harry said. "Then you are not fine." he paused. He and Neville had never been particularly close before. Something he regretted this year. Perhaps it was time to rectify this even a little bit. "Would you like to talk about it Neville?" Harry asked his dorm mate.

Neville shrugged. He looked around. The Common Room was crowded.

"I think the dorm is empty," Harry offered and Neville shot him a grateful smile.

The dorm was indeed empty and the two teens took advantage of it. They sat in their respective beds.

"So?" Harry prompted.

"I went to the Yule Ball with Ginny Weasley," Neville said.

"I recall," Harry muttered. Bill had later told Harry that his sister had confronted him.

"She has a crush on you," Neville continued.

"No, she's obsessing, which is not healthy. Add to that all the hero worship she has for me…"

"Yes."

"I'm guessing that bothers you," Harry told Neville.

The other teen sighed. "She used me to get to the Ball. She wanted to dance with you. She told me that much."

Harry bit back all the curses that wanted to spew from his mouth. Neville seemed to understand his anger though.

"I know it's not your fault!" Neville hurried to tell Harry. "I just… I thought she liked me at least enough to dance with me. All she wanted was to use me."

"You deserve better Neville."

"I know," the shy teen replied.

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault," Neville told Harry. "Never apologize for something another does. Gran says it shows weakness in character," he lectured.

The green eyed wizard smiled. "I'll keep that in mind. Say, what about I treat you to some hot chocolate? I know just the place?"

Neville blinked. "We can't go to Hogsmeade!"

"I was thinking of visiting the kitchens," Harry told him. "Come on. There's nothing a good cup of chocolate won't cure."

"Just, before we go. Harry do you like Ginny?"

"No, Neville. I don't like Ginny, or any other girl."

"Oh. So you and Bill…"

"Can I tell you a secret Neville?"

The Longbottom heir shrugged. "I guess. I have no one to tell."

Harry considered his fellow Gryffindor. Neville reminded him of how he used to be during primary school, only no Dudley was holding Neville back, just the teen's own insecurities.

"Now you have me," Harry told him. "Come on, we can talk when in the kitchens. Bill is a firm believer of holding conversations when munching or drinking."

The fourth Champion tugged on Neville's arm and made the taller teen follow after him.

Bill was reading Harry's letter.

"Fleur Delacour, hm?" the Curse breaker muttered. It had merit. And if what Harry was writing to him, he also had a future with the beautiful blonde witch.

So he wrote back, telling Harry to go ahead with it and that he would be meeting the teen and Fleur during the next Hogsmeade weekend.

Harry was getting back from the kitchen.

He and Neville were under his invisibility cloak. It was a week since their first heart to heart and Harry found he quite liked Neville. The teen was painfully shy but once you got to know him, Neville was smart, fun, witty and humorous. He was a bit snobbish, like most purebloods tended to be, but he was too polite for it to show or be unbearable. He was the complete opposite of Ron and Harry liked that. He was also for all intents and purposes an orphan, just like Harry was. They had bonded over all their similarities and then they found out they were having fun together. They were fast becoming friends.

Hermione approved and liked having Neville around, especially since the teen did not act like Ron or used her for homework. Lucius also preferred Neville for Harry's friend over the 'Weasley brat' as he had taken to calling Ron. But Harry preferred Neville just because he was himself. He had not told the Longbottom heir about Lucius yet. But he was thinking of telling him even when he was not considering telling Hermione. Somehow, Harry felt more comfortable around Neville than around Hermione. So far he had told Neville about the Cloak and the Map. Said Map was currently open for both of them to move around without being caught.

"That's odd," Neville said. "Why is Mr. Crouch in the castle so late at night?"

Harry frowned as well. "You don't sound like you like the man."

"Remember what I told you about my parents?"

The raven haired wizard nodded.

"His son was one of the four arrested for this," Neville muttered.

Harry blinked. He stared at the map again. "Something is just not right. You know, I recall Percy saying that Crouch was too tired to go to the Ministry."

"But why isn't he too tired to walk around Hogwarts at night?"

"A very good point Neville."

"Should we tell someone? An adult?"

"In the morning," Harry told his friend.

The next day, much to Neville's surprise, Harry led them to Snape's office and knocked on the door.

"Why Him?" the Longbottom heir asked.

Just then the door opened and Severus Snape stood towering and glowering at them.

"Potter? Longbottom? Why are you plaguing me so early in the morning?"

"We thought there's something you should know," Harry spoke up. He stared into Snape's eyes.

"Very well. Get in. and be quick about it," the Head of Slytherin told the two Gryffindor's as he ushered them inside.

End of chapter.