A/N: Kas - Happy holidays, happy new year, and Merry Christmas! Someone asked for a new chapter for Christmas! I /had/ been planning on updating the chapter earlier, but since they specifically wanted it as a Christmas present, here we are! And what great timing, too! I was in such a good, happy, fluffy mood, and then I proofed this chapter.
Kit - I would like to wish you all happy holidays and and a happy new year and apologize for my vindicative girlfriend. I hope you finish out the year with a good vibe and start the new one with a wish for better days to come! Happy holidays again, everyone!
"This is why you should have done your work over break," Hermione lectured, Ron and Harry scrambling to get answers down over breakfast.
Draco shook his head in amusement. "Why did you think I didn't want to go exploring and flying all the time?"
"Cause you're boring," Harry glared at his homework, looking disgruntled. "Do you think McGonagall would accept late homework if I was deathly ill?"
"I think you'd have a hard time selling that," Draco said with a snort.
"Dunno. Do you know any spells to give me the Black plague?" At least Harry wasn't struggling as much as Ron seemed to be.
Draco sighed, giving Harry an amused look. "I'm not going to try to give you the Black plague."
"Please? Pretty please?" Draco rolled his eyes, going back to his tea. "Fine, fine. I won't leave my homework until the last minute anymore."
"That's all I ask. For now." Taking pity, Draco helped nudge Harry towards the right answers. "We don't have all day."
"I know, I know." Furiously scribbling down a few more things - and making his font as big as possible - Harry let his scroll roll up with a tap of his wand. "There, done!" Draco laughed quietly, making Harry a cup of tea.
"You're ridiculous." It was nice to be back at Hogwarts. Even if he loved the Manor, the castle would always be home. Besides, the rumors against him and Harry had died down, to where there were only whispers about the Heir and Harry's ability to speak Parseltongue. "Maybe we should visit Myrtle, again. She hardly gets visitors, and maybe we can weedle some information out of her."
"And the truth will out," Hermione said, rather dryly. "You be nice to her. She's always so down. One of the reasons no one ever uses those toilets."
"Trust me, Granger. I know that well enough." That was one of the reasons Myrtle had actually understood him in sixth year... He'd have to try hard to be the girl's friend this time around. She deserved one with all she was put through.
"At least this nasty Heir business is finally gone," Ron shook his head, finishing up his own work. "No more petrified people in the hallways. That's always good." Yeah... Yeah, the diary was gone, after all.
"Indeed," Draco said with a nod. Things were finally starting to look up.
::
Draco blinked. He had just been on his way to the library... Oh no. It happened again. Trying to keep calm, he looked around more closely. It seemed as if he was on the third floor... Yes, yes, there was the statue of the one-eyed witch with a hump. Alright, not too far from where he had been going, but what was he- Had Tom managed to attack someone again? Why- How? Draco looked around, but he was the only one in the hallway. He ran to the end to look to the one adjacent. No one there... He ran to the other end of the hall. No one there, either.
There was nothing around him, no students, no petrified persons, no evil entity or monster. It was just him, in a place he shouldn't be and confused as to how he got here. Did... It hadn't been Tom? It couldn't have been. Tom only used him when he was attacking someone. So then how had Draco ended up near where he'd been trying to go, and had no memory of it, whatsoever?
None of his classes were this way so it couldn't have been sleep walking or anything of the sort- Well, no, he had class around this time when he was in Slytherin. Was he... Was he reverting back to his old self? Was he saying and doing things he used to? No- No, no, no, not- This couldn't be happening. If he was acting like his twelve-year-old self in those moments- If he was around Harry in those moments- No. Draco ran as fast as he could to the Gryffindor common room, slipping and sliding the entire way.
Tumbling through the portrait hole, he would have hit the ground face first if one of the older years hadn't caught him, a glance showing it to be Wood, "Whoa there, Malfoy. You alright?"
"Harry- Where's Harry? Where is he? I need to talk to him." After a second of staring, Wood nodded over towards the fireplace, Harry curled up in their armchair and scribbling on a piece of parchment.
"Over there. Are you two okay? Are you okay?" Draco ignored him, rushing over to Harry, his arms tightly gripping either side of the armchair.
"It happened again." There was a scramble as Harry tried to save his latest sketching from being stabbed with a pen, the boy huffing and looking up at Draco before his eyes widened as he realized.
"But- But it's gone. How could it have happened again?"
"I don't-" Draco shook his head. "I don't think it was him. There wasn't an attack, this time. Nothing. I just blinked, and I was in a completely different hallway." He shook his head some more, finally looking at Harry and hiding his shaking as he lowered his voice. "I think I'm losing time."
The only thing that fully stopped his shaking was when Harry's hand twined with his, pulling him down into the armchair - it was starting to get cramped with the both of them in it. "What do you mean you're losing time. Like... Does this have to do with, you know. Everything?"
Draco gave a broken little laugh. "I gained time, right? The law of equivalent exchange. To gain time, I have to lose some." It was one of the first things he had learned with alchemy, when it had interested him. To gain, something of equal value must be lost. It was why only certain metals could be turned into gold, only those with the same properties rearranged. It was why no other Philosopher's Stones had ever been made. He still wondered what price Flamel had paid. He wondered what price he was paying now...
"L-Lose time? Like- Like you just lose memories, or..."
"I don't know," Draco said with a shake of his head. He went back through his memories only to find... There were gaps. He could hardly remember his first year, the only ones coming to mind of last year. "I think so. I don't know."
"You said it was untested magic, the... The time twister." Harry was keeping his voice as soft as he could, near sitting in Draco's lap to keep their conversation private. "Is this just how it balances itself out?"
Draco let his head fall. "I don't know. There's literally no way to know. The man who made them isn't going to make them for another few years, and the few who used them are in different timelines."
"I don't know what to say," Harry finally admitted, fully shifting into Draco's lap and holding him tightly. "But will it help if I try to keep an eye on you? Maybe if we can figure out how you act during the gaps, we'll know for certain what's going on." Draco nodded, wrapping his arms around Harry's waist and hiding his face in the younger's shoulder. "You know, the dorm's empty right now, and you promised to help me practice my poses." Draco gave another nod against him, holding onto his bag tightly.
It took a little nudging, but the two finally got up the stairs and into the dorm, Draco feeling a bit of tension leave him as he no longer felt anyone watching them, or heard any whispers. "I can try to explain the whole speaking to snakes thing to you, if you want? You're usually pretty caught up on that - mind, I still have no clue how I do it."
Draco smiled softly and nodded, laying out on his bed. "Alright. As long as you can do that and sketch."
"Easy," Harry smirked, crawling up to rest by the headboard with his things. "Now, don't move for about four hours."
"Easy," Draco replied.
"With one leg in the air."
"Harry, I'm not putting my leg in the air." There was a pause before Harry's response was hissing. Not just frustrated noises, but hissing syllables that had clear tone and purpose. "No matter how nicely you ask," Draco said with a roll of his eyes.
"Leave it to a snake to be flattered by snake language. Alright, no leg in the air, but let's see if we can't learn enough to scare Ron at dinner tonight." This... This was much better than thinking on what had happened. On what he might be losing.
::
Turning to ask Harry's opinion on their Defense homework, Draco paused as he realized they were outside Gryffindor tower, Harry in front of him and... Why was Harry shaking- Why did he look ready to start crying? Draco frowned, taking a step closer. "Harry? Harry, what's wrong, what happened?" He couldn't stop his wince as he saw Harry take a step back when he got closer.
"You... You don't really think that. You can't. We... We promised."
"Harry, what's going on? What did we promise?" Draco took a step back from him, as well. He looked around before he felt his stomach drop. "It happened again, didn't it?"
"It wasn't you." He wasn't sure what was worse. The fact Harry sounded so unsure, or the fact the boy was pressed up against the wall and still shaking. "We promised to always be friends, so I know that couldn't be you. Because you wouldn't act like that towards me...ri-right?"
"Harry, what happened? What did I say, what did I do?" Draco shook his head, stepping back until he was against the opposite wall. "I don't- We were just doing our Defense homework."
"You just- You suddenly stood up and looked weird. Like you weren't really here. I followed you out here and then you started calling me Potter and-" Harry swallowed, looking smaller than ever. "You brought up the Dursleys, asking things like if they'd kicked me out yet. You asked where my- Where my 'pet mudblood' was-" That seemed to be the most Harry could get out, silent as he stared at Draco as if begging for an answer.
Draco shook his head again. "That wasn't me- Harry, that wasn't me. I turned around to ask a question about our homework and we were out here, please, believe me." Draco was pretty sure he didn't even breath until Harry took a step forward, and then another. He didn't stop until he was in front of Draco, hugging him tightly and hiding against his neck.
"That's how you used to act, isn't it? Back... Back then."
"Malfoy," Draco choked out, trembling as he hugged Harry back just as tightly. "I don't- I don't want to be him, anymore."
"You're not- You're not, Draco, you're not like that. Whatever this is, we'll figure it out, okay? You're not like that- I know that wasn't you. Maybe, I mean, maybe it was, but not anymore. Now you're my best friend and the most important person in my life."
"I'm scared," Draco said, closing his eyes tightly and clutching at Harry's robes. How could he not be? Everything with Riddle, and now this? Now he was reverting back to how he used to be? If he did that around the wrong people...
"We'll figure it out. This didn't happen last year, remember? It didn't happen, so maybe this is temporary. Left over from where that journal tried to use you."
"I don't know. I don't know anything."
"Then we'll figure it out. Me and you? We're able to go up against Fred and George and probably win. We can do anything."
Draco wasn't so sure about that.
::
"If I have to see one more of those cupids," Ron muttered darkly, looking as if he wanted to stab Lockhart with his new wand. Draco was glad to see he had gotten the new one over Christmas. Draco gave him a nod.
"Agreed. I'm just glad we haven't gotten any." As if to remind him that the universe hated Harry Potter, the boy was jerked to a halt by one of the dwarves. Harry bumped into Draco, and Draco fell to the ground with the force of it, his things falling out of his bag.
"Oi, you. Got a message for a Harry Potter to be read out loud." Swearing, Harry glared at the dwarf as he tried to help Draco with his things.
Draco grumbled to himself, picking up his things. "I've got a message..." His fingers brushed against something that felt like leather and the blood rushed out of his face. "Harry."
Looking over, Harry suddenly went pale, "We got rid of it. You threw it out the tower."
"There haven't been any attacks since before the holidays." Wasn't that the point? The diary was made to open the Chamber. "I haven't written in it at all. There haven't been any attacks, Harry."
"So maybe it only works when you write in it? That's the only way he can control you?"
"But he's done it when I haven't written in it. Remember Finch-Fletchley?"
"It's been a while, though... And like you said, no attacks-"
"Oi, are you going to listen to this bloody poem or not? I got places to be mate!"
"No, he's not," Draco said tersely, dragging Harry up and tugging him away. They managed to get away, Ron and Hermione providing a nice distraction.
"I don't get it, how did the book end up in your bag? It was gone!"
"I don't know!" Draco shook his head. "I need to ask him."
"But- What if he takes you over again?"
"You can stop him, Harry. I know you can."
"Fine, but later. During dinner when no one's around, okay? If it's been fine this long, it'll be fine for a few more hours."
"Okay... Okay, right." Just a few hours... Right. He could handle that, maybe spend the time thinking up questions to ask Tom.
::
"Okay. The moment I look off, be ready. He's a sixth year Slytherin." Waiting until Harry nodded, wand tight in his hand, Draco looked down to the diary. Maybe he should have taught Harry the incarcerous spell... Draco nodded and opened up the diary, writing down carefully. 'Tom.'
'Draco. I wasn't sure you would ever write to me again. Finally starting to see things my way?'
'Here I thought you were seeing things my way, the way you've been possessing me.'
'I haven't possessed you in months, Draco. Not since you stopped writing. I could only do that when we shared beliefs, when we wanted the same people punished.' Draco frowned at that. He waved Harry over, pointing at the words. Harry frowned himself, looking just as confused as more words appeared. 'Isn't that why the cat was punished? That caretaker hurt you two earlier that day. Flint, and his harm of Harry, that Hufflepuff and the dirty lies he told.'
Draco shook his head as he wrote. 'I didn't want any of that and you know it.' Upset at the instances, but never... He had never wanted any of them like this.
'Didn't you? We both know you have it within you. That bloodlust, the desire to hurt those who have hurt you.'
'I don't have bloodlust, and I don't try to hurt people. That's the difference between us.'
'Yet you served a Dark Lord and tried to destroy the world? How noble of you.'
Draco's free hand balled into a fist. 'How dare you! That is not what happened! You are twisting my words!'
'No, you're just not owning up to who you really are! You traveled through time to run from who you are, and you don't even realize it.' The words were rough and shaky, as angry as Draco's own.
'That's a lie! I acknowledged what happened, and set forward to fix my mistakes! I am not running away!' How could he, when everything he did haunted him? He still had nightmares, some nights.
'Then prove it! Why don't you use this diary? Why won't you let me help you solve all your problems! How many would be fixed if you had power like this in your hands? How many people could you avenge, could you get to first before they got to you!'
'That's not what any of this is about! You lied to me, and told me Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets!' The edges of Draco's vision began to blur with angry tears.
'Because if I had told you then you would have thrown me away before I could help you- Can't you see that's all I'm trying to do? Draco, I just want to help you so you don't end up making the same mistakes I once made. That's why this diary is here. That's why I'M here. To help others not repeat my past.'
Draco's shoulders shook before he looked up at Harry. "I think he's telling the truth." From where he was seated on the bed, Harry shook his head hesitantly before shaking it a bit more firmly.
"He's trying to help by controlling some monster that hurts students- Hurts kids. Draco, last time someone died from this thing. That's... I thought that's what you came back to prevent."
"I came back to stop a lot. I- I don't know, anymore." 'You're trying to kill students. I can't stand for that.' There was a long time before there was more writing, the smooth elegant style now cramped and small, as if... Scared.
'You must understand, the both of you - no doubt Harry is behind you reading every word, I can tell. I had friends like him. It was different. It was so different. Do you really know? The time I grew up in was dangerous even in the Wizarding World. There was darkness rising, dark wizards who wanted nothing more than to watch everything burn. I learned how to protect myself and those I was close to, it was war. What else was there? It... I'm memories pressed between pages. It's not easy to know that war is finally over.'
'A twelve year old says unkind words and so you try to kill him?!' Harry was right. Riddle wasn't- He wasn't right in the head. This wasn't okay. This wasn't even Riddle, this was some piece of magic that a sixth year had made- One that was over fifty years old, at that!
'You won't trust me again, I can see that. I know what's coming, though. You've told me what happens. To the world, to you, to Harry Potter.' Beside him, Draco felt Harry stiffen. 'Keep this diary. You might have use of it one day in the future.'
'Oh, I'm sure I will.'
"He's...letting this go like that?" Harry was skeptic, shaking his head as he leaned back. "No one lets things go like this. Not people like them. He's going to try and use you again."
"I know. That's why we're going to burn the book." Draco held Harry's hand. "Come on, the fireplace should be lit downstairs." As it was still dinner, the common room was empty when the two made their way down the stairs, the diary held loosely in Draco's free hand.
"Should have done this at the start," Harry said quietly, keeping a wary eye on the book.
"I'm sorry I didn't listen sooner." Draco smiled softly and held the diary out. "I'll let you do it."
"With pleasure," Harry took the diary, a shudder wracking through him before he paused as he stared down at the diary with wide eyes. "Did... Does this thing ever feel almost alive, when you hold it?"
"...Sometimes. Not all the time." Draco squeezed Harry's hand. "Let's end this." Squeezing back, Harry offered a smile before tossing the book into the fire, as far back as he could get it.
"Let's hope that's enough."
"It's a book. It'll burn. Want to sketch?"
"Definitely. How long can you stand on one leg?"
"I have a better idea."
