Disclaimer: The characters and settings, including any sentences taken directly or partly from the books or movies, of Harry Potter are the property of J. K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, Bloomsbury Publishing, AOL Time Link and Warner Brothers. I do not make money from publishing my story.
After what happened at Hogsmeade Harry had escorted Leanne to Hogwarts. He had brought her to the hospital wing to be checked over by Madame Pomfrey. He had met briefly with Ron and Hermione, but he required other company to settle his mind after today's events. So Harry was now on his way to meet Severus in his chambers, when he rounded a corner and was met with the sound of heated whispers.
Severus had always had a specific voice, but lately Harry had become more accustomed to more than just the sound of his sneers and insults. Therefore, without having to come too close, Harry was able to identify one of the voices as his mentor's.
The other was as easily identified, when Harry sneaked a view into the hallway where the noise was coming from, as the sight that greeted him was a head of white blonde hair that could only belong to one person currently in Hogwarts; Draco Malfoy.
"You are endangering yourself and the other students, Draco", Severus said harshly, convinced that sugar coating it was not going to help.
"I don't need you advice! Nor your help!", Draco sneered, "better go save your precious Potter!" Malfoy pulled his arm from Severus' grasp before continuing. "That is what everyone else seems to be doing; saving precious Harry Potter!"
The young Malfoy stormed away in the opposite direction of where Harry was hiding, but before Severus could follow him, Harry revealed himself. He walked up to Severus and placed a comforting hand on the man's arm.
"Let me try", Harry said, "earning an indignant look from the Potions Master, "well at least it won't hurt my feelings if he rejects me!" He continued flashing Severus a comforting smile before walking off in pursuit of Malfoy.
If he knew anything about the blonde then he could guess that in his emotional state, he would rather not be seen by his fellow Slytherins. After all, to show emotion was to show weakness. Therefore, it didn't come as a surprise to Harry that he found Malfoy in one of the abandoned Potions classrooms.
It was clear that he had properly gaged the blonde's emotional state as he was throwing around jars and pots, chairs and tables, making a right mess of the usually neat and clean. Tears were streaming down the young man's face and he was shouting sounds of rage.
Harry would have liked to aggravate him more by saying something like about spoiled brats throwing temper tantrums. However, he decided against it. He was here to help Severus, not enjoy his own sense of satisfaction.
"Severus, is right you know, as always", Harry said, lingering in the doorway, keeping the blonde from running away.
"You have no right!", Draco screamed, before calming himself and wiping the tears from his face, "You have no right, Potter! You know nothing!"
"True, I have no right to meddle in your affairs", Harry said still on an even tone, "However, I do know that Severus is putting a lot at risk, trying to keep you out of trouble!"
"You don't –"
"I know that because he is doing the same for me. Severus cares for you deeply, Malfoy!"
"No one can help me", Malfoy said, his whole body shaking and new tears forming on his pale face, "and unless I do it soon… he'll kill me."
"Severus won't let that happen, believe me", Harry said confidently, he closed the door softly and tried to not as a threat. He waved his wand and cast a locking and privacy charm on the door before seating himself against the door as comfortably as he could. "If there is anything that Severus is good at, besides Potions, it is keeping brats like us from being killed."
"And what is keeping me from killing you right here!", Draco said drawing his wand and aiming it at Harry, "I've done it before!"
"Killing Katie was not your goal. Nor is killing me!", Harry said, trying to stay relaxed while keeping his wand ready to defend himself. It was likely that Severus had stayed around somewhere close, but that would be no good if the blonde managed to kill him before Severus could interfere. "She was an innocent bystander that got hurt in the crossfire between you and your intended target."
"She wasn't meant to die!", Draco said, regret clearly present in his voice, "She was only supposed deliver the necklace!"
"To deliver it to who?", Harry asked, he could make a guess, but he would rather hear it from the source.
"-", for a moment Draco looked ready to speak, but he quickly stopped himself.
"You know, the Dark Lord promised me no harm would come to Hogwarts' students. If I find that you are breaking his promise because of your hatred for muggleborns or any other reason, I will inform him!" Harry had no intention of running off to the Dark Lord to discuss the young Malfoy, after all he promised Severus he would try to help, not to get him killed, but his threat might just push the young blonde to reveal his motives.
"It's Dumbledore, all right!", Draco exclaimed in desperation, "No need to go running of to your new Master!" He sneered.
"Just so you know, he is not my Master!", Harry said defensively, "But since your aim is not to harm the students, I am sure Severus will be glad to help you."
"What?!", Draco said surprised and he stood up at once, aiming his wand at the dark haired youth, "No speech about how great Dumbledore is? You aren't going to run off and tell on me?"
"Hardly, Draco, you know what Dumbledore has done to me and you might have heard I have become neutral. Why would I tell Dumbledore? It is none of my business! Well, as long as you keep Severus in the loop that is."
"Why?"
"Well, as I said Severus cares-"
"No. Why do you care about Severus?"
"Because he is the one constant in my life. Wherever I go, Severus goes and he protects me at every turn. Isn't that what every damsel in distress wishes for?" Harry said smiling and trying to clear some of the tension form the air. Slowly he stood up and removed the charms from the door.
"True", Draco said flashing Harry a small smiled, "Though should we start organizing a wedding then? You know, as most damsels end up marrying their prince?"
"Touché!" Harr was prepared to walk out the door when Draco stopped him.
"Wait, Potter!", Draco said taking a few steps towards Harry, "Thank you". Harry acknowledged it by nodding after which he walked out the room.
"He's all yours, Severus", Harry said, walking away towards the Gryffindor tower. Severus wouldn't be returning to his chambers in a while now anyway, so he might as well get an early nights rest.
The next few days everyone was on their toes and classes had been cancelled for the next few days. Katie's funeral had been held in private for close friends and family only, there had also been a ceremony held at Hogwarts.
The rumour mills were working overtime, around the circumstances of Katie's death, but none of them spoke of the truth; Draco Malfoy trying to kill Headmaster Dumbledore. Harry supposed that was a good thing for now, seeing as he knew, which makes him something akin to an accomplice.
Soon enough though, normal life at Hogwarts had resumed for everyone, except Harry who was plagued by Dumbledore's requests to talk to him.
"Mr Potter", he heard professor McGonagall say and he looked up from his breakfast to meet her eyes, "This is for you." She handed him a note, before walking away, presumably towards her office.
"Are you having McGonagall deliver your love notes now, because that is- how many again- the third note this week she brought you?!", Seamus said from down the table.
"Maybe Minerva just likes me", Harry said, with a seductive undertone, which shut Seamus up right away, but had Hermione give him a disproving look. Ron though appreciated the joke and patted Harry on the back, seeing as he was incapable of voicing his enjoyment due to the amount of food in his mouth.
"It's one from the Headmaster again", Harry whispered to Ron and Hermione, while pocketing the note. "He wants to see me after breakfast." Harry was in no hurry to finish his food, but eventually he could no longer stretch breakfast anymore and was making his way up the stairs towards the Headmaster's office.
The locket was thumping against his chest, mimicking the beating of his heart, but not quite managing to sync up as he walked up the stairs. The thing was ugly and unnecessarily bulky; therefore despite the precious gems that adorned it, it remained an unwearable piece of jewellery. Nonetheless, some part of Harry had become accustomed to the soothing weight on his chest.
After Dumbledore had called him into the Headmaster's office again the soothing effect had only increased answering his own anxiety for being there.
The Headmaster had used Katie Bell's sad death to educate him on the danger the Dark Lord poses, drawing on the likeness between the necklace Katie had been given and the locking that Harry was wearing around his neck this very moment, despite the very clear differences.
He had been doing this the subtle way all week. At Katie Bell's remembrance ceremony he had given a speech about trust and Dark magic being unable to break the bond that Hogwarts and its student had developed.
Subtly, but not subtle enough, Dumbledore had attempted to convince Harry to do away with the horcrux embedded in the piece of jewellery, in which way Harry hadn't been told yet.
"The death of Ms. Bell is a tragic loss, Harry", the Dumbledore said, his eyes skilfully reflecting the sadness of the statement, "surely, you do not mean to endanger more students by keeping that locket with you?"
"This locket, Headmaster", Harry started sternly," is the one thing, the only thing keeping Severus and I safe within these walls. Foremost from the Dark Lord, sir, but respectfully also from you."
"Once again, I must admit I am truly sorry for what happened between us, but I cannot stress enough that the safety of the other residents in this castle cannot be endangered."
Harry had seen this coming and was prepared for Dumbledore's subtle movements to grab his wand. "I am afraid, Headmaster, that there is nothing you can do about it", Harry said definitively, while standing up, "If that was all, Headmaster, I'll take my leave." However, the clicking sound of the door being locked indicated that it wasn't going to be that easy.
As if in anticipation of a fight, the locket began softly burning, empowering Harry silently. Harry too was preparing himself to show Dumbledore once and for all, what he was capable of, therefore steadily directing his magic to his hands, readying it for use.
"It doesn't have to be this way, my boy", was the last thing Albus Dumbledore said before all hell broke loose.
"Not your boy anymore, Dumbledore", Harry shouted, releasing a bout of magic at the door intent on burning it down and quickly grabbing his wand afterwards. In a few seconds however, instead of swallowing the door in flames, the magic dissipated into the air.
Unable to detect whether it was due to Hogwarts' wards or Dumbledore himself, Harry turned to face the Headmaster again. "We have been through this, Headmaster", Harry said, the annoyance shining through in his voice.
"You are not leaving me with much of a choice here, Harry", Dumbledore said, while he too was now standing up from behind his desk.
The portraits had all edged closer to their frames, trying to see as much of the action as possible. Fawkes, who had probably sensed the magic tension in the air, opened both his eyes and took on a more active stance.
Suddenly, a bright white light entered through the window, shaped as some kind of cat. It said only two words; suspicion confirmed. Before it disappeared, leaving the two men alone.
"I am afraid we will have to continue this another time, Harry", Dumbledore said, approaching the fireplace and grabbing a handful of Floo powder, before disappearing in a flash of green light. The clicking of the lock behind Harry signalled he was now free to go.