Blood Ties.

"Oi! Hold up!"

Harry suppressed the urge to groan as he paused on his way to his DADA class, turning to face Ron with an expression of mild contempt firmly fixed upon his face.

"Listen, Harry...'Mione and I have been talking and we think you might be under some spell. Like, the Imperius or sommat. We both know you'd never say those things to us without some sort of reason, you know? Not to mention snogging Malfoy."

Harry's chest ached with the desire to spill the truth, the earnest look on his best friends face seeming to rip at his insides. Instead he sneered and shook his head with a sniff.

"Really, Weasley? So, my lust for Draco must be the result of some Dark magic, because...why? Because he's another bloke, or because if I was going to start lusting after men you had assumed it would be you?"

Ron's face scrunched up and his eyes narrowed, then he seemed to force himself to relax, muttering under his breath before almost shouting.

"I don't care if you have a thing for blokes, Harry! You think I could when Percy's...the way he is? I just never expected you to be going after Malfoy of all people. But, that's not the point, is it? You're not yourself and we're worried about you, alright?"

Harry felt another searing tear rip into his guts and he swallowed before sighing and shaking his head.

"Don't you think someone would have already checked that, Weasley? I have little faith in the Headmistress, but she's no fool. She had me thoroughly checked by Professor Snape and Madame Pomfrey after I renounced Gryffindor. You can rest assured, there's no spells or any other sort of magic going on here. You and your pet Mudblood will simply have to accept that you never knew me, not really. You saw what I wanted you to see, because it benefited me at the time. Deal with it."

His voice came out scathing and by the end of his speech Ron looked as if he'd been stabbed, and when Harry stepped toward him he took a step back and flinched.

"Now, leave me the fuck alone, you filthy blood traitor."

Harry swiveled and stalked away, stomach clenched tight and tremors running through him under his skin. He thought he was going to be sick, but as he approached his classroom a feeling of icy calm descended over him. He was doing what must be done, even if he might be losing all he'd ever cherished in the process. Including himself.

~~:~~

"Harry, I want you to imagine erecting massive stone walls around the memories you wish to keep from me. These walls must be impenetrable, impervious to all forms of strength, both brute and insidious. You must erect them to stand without reinforcement, for you can not concentrate upon them once they are standing. There should be a single word with which they can be accessed, for once they have been lifted, even you will not be able to break them down. Do you have the word?"

Harry was sitting in the middle of the room at the top of the highest tower in Hogwarts, his eyes were closed and Severus' voice whispered in his ears with an eerie cadence. It made him both sleepy and alert, lulled him and entreated to listen and obey. His chest rose and fell with a steady rhythm, heart beating slow and loud in his ears.

"Yes."

Draco was in the room, and Harry longed with a distant part of himself to open his eyes and look at the other boy, desiring to see his silver eyes, but his eyelids were too heavy to lift.

"Good. Draco, lean close. Harry, you will whisper the word to Draco clearly, so he will be the only person capable of freeing those secrets you hold dear."

Harry's lips twitched into a vague smile. It was good that Draco would be his secret-keeper, Draco was nothing like Pettigrew and could be trusted.

"Severus, are you sure? I...I..."

Snape's voice was gentle but firm as he scolded Draco.

"It has to be you, Draco. If something goes wrong, you will be there to free him and allow him to fight. I won't be. Besides, Harry and I both trust you and your Occlumens is as powerful as my own."

Soft, hesitant footsteps approached Harry's still form and then he felt the familiar brush of Draco's breath against his skin, that scent of lime and cedar surrounding him as he sighed happily.

"Draco."

Harry whispered his secret word, and smiled a bit as he felt the velvet cheek of his lover teasing across his lips.

"Yes. It's me, Harry. What's the word?"

Draco's voice shook as he breathed his words into Harry's ear, and Harry smiled wider, somehow finding the strength to turn his head and let his lips tickle Draco's ear as he whispered it once more.

"Draco. The word is Draco, for it holds more power for me than any other word in this life or the next."

~~:~~

He was once more seated upon his throne, the room empty but for that achingly familiar form, draped in black and masked. Draco was kneeling at his side, looking up from behind the mask as his long, white fingers raked through the silver-blond hair.

"You say that you and my nephew are lovers?"

Voldemort's voice slithered chillingly amused through his lips, making Harry struggle instantly to be free of the mind that trapped him.

"Yes, My Lord. We share secrets in bed, as lovers often do. He longs to come and meet you again, without the desire to kill or fight you. He has sworn to me that he will leave all weapons behind, including his wand."

The hissing laughter was cold enough to form icicles in thin air, and Voldemort's talons caressed the back of Draco's neck as he studied him.

"Tell me, Draco. Do you sense deception in his desire to join me?"

Draco paused thoughtfully and then sighed, reaching up to slip off the mask and look up at Voldemort directly, distress showing clear upon his features.

"I am not certain, My Lord. His behavior seems to suggest he has changed greatly, or was never what everyone wished him to be, and he speaks longingly of you. However, it could be a ruse, My Lord."

Harry smiled grimly at the surge of pleasure that rose around him, knowing Voldemort had snatched at the bait. Truly, the creature was far too easily convinced of his own self-worth.

"Ah, very good, Draco. I was afraid you might have been entirely convinced, but I see you are too clever for that. Yes, I will see Potter. Tell him that he must give over his wand to you and allow you to place him in chains, tell him that there will be Death-Eaters at the meeting and at the first sign of trouble, I will kill him. If he still desires to come, then inform me and tomorrow night we will finally come face to face since the night of my rebirth."

Harry woke with a smile on his face. He still felt sick, knowing that Draco was likely being 'rewarded' for his good behavior, but at least they were finally taking the first steps toward their final goal. He slid from his bed and went into the bathroom to shower, wanting to be clean when Draco returned, knowing the man had had plenty of Voldemort's filth for the night.