Darker Side of Me

Darker Side of Me –Chapter 12

The scene before Draco unfolded very quickly and to his great surprise. He sat, motionless and aghast as Granger and the Weasleys reacted to Harry’s words. He had expected the Gryffindors to explode in some kind of fit of fury and revulsion at Potter’s admission, but, for the most part, it had happened nothing like that at all.

“Oh, Harry,” Granger had gasped, getting to her feet and immediately running over to hug him. The Weasley girl seemed shocked at first but quickly forsook that expression for one of utter brilliance, beaming at Potter and following Hermione’s suit.

“Uh,” Harry began, rather startled by the reaction he’d gotten. He stared at Draco over Hermione’s shoulders.

“You…what?” Ron asked, staring at nothing as he appeared to be attempting to process the information. Hermione let go of Harry to allow him to speak.

“I love him,” Harry repeated carefully, without trying to patronize his best friend at all. Draco waited for the bomb to fall. His fingers twitched, fearing he might have to go for his wand. Ron was silent for quite a while.

“Are you sure?” he finally asked. Harry simply nodded to him. Ron did not look angry, nor did he look particularly pleased. “But, Malfoy… really?” Draco frowned.

“You are more bothered by him loving me than by the fact that he is in love with a man?” Draco finally spoke, rather insulted at the suggestion.

“Well, yeah,” Ron answered, as though it was logical. Everyone in the room gaped at him. He sensed their confusion and shrugged. “Look, I’m not saying I’m totally comfortable with the idea that my best mate might get hot over a bloke, but honestly if he’s going to pick a bloke, I figured it would be someone….else.”

“What’s wrong with me?” Draco protested, rather insulted that he might not be good enough for Harry.

“Look, you just haven’t been the greatest person to anyone sitting in this room right now,” he explained. Ron seemed still unsure of whether or not to trust Draco.

“He does have a point,” Ginny pointed out. Draco’s face turned stony. “But Harry loves you anyway, so if you can change his mind, there is no reason for us not to give you the benefit of the doubt.” She walked over to Draco and hesitated a moment before wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

Draco was speechless and the expression on his face, along with his inability to move, conveyed his feelings quite clearly to the rest of the room. Ginny let go of him and sat down next to him, as if to prove to him that she was willing to accept him and be friendly. Draco was still unable to move or speak. He was staring at Harry as though expecting him to explain more fully.

“M-…Er, Draco,” Hermione stuttered. She was still clearly uncomfortable around him, but wanted to make the best of things. “I hope you have a safe trip and we’ll do our best to come stay with you both as soon as possible.” She smiled and nodded at him.

“Well, we should get going,” Harry said, getting to his feet. Malfoy was still motionless in shock but forced himself to snap out of it and get to his feet as well.

“Uh, thank you,” he finally said to Hermione. He nodded to her and walked over to Harry. The others all got up and walked over to bid them goodbye.

“Take care, ok?” Ginny told them, hugging them both in turn. Draco rather admired that she had no reservations in her actions and stood by them.

“Yes, be careful and write us, will you?” Hermione added, hugging Harry. She turned to Draco, wavering for a moment before hugging him goodbye as well.

“Safe trip, mate,” Ron told Harry, giving him a friendly hug goodbye. He turned to Draco and took his hand in friendship. “I’m giving you a chance for Harry’s sake,” he told Malfoy. “But if you ever do anything that might even suggest betrayal, I will kill you myself.”

Draco was rather surprised at Weasley’s words, but after all that had happened, he did not take them lightly. He nodded to the red-head and followed Harry out the portrait hole.

They walked down through the halls of the castle in some silence. When they reached the entrance way, however, Harry stopped Draco and pulled him into a brisk kiss. Malfoy reciprocated happily though when they broke away, he gave Potter a confused look.

“My friends accepted,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “I thought they would hate you but they don’t and even Ron is giving you a chance. I’m just glad that I can love you more openly now.”

Draco said nothing, but smiled opening the doors for the Gryffindor. At the edge of the grounds, just outside the entrance Gates, they spotted Professor Snape standing rather disgruntled as he waited for them. They approached quickly and stopped in front of him, without saying a word. Snape gave them both a look of displeasure and sneered.

“Interesting company you choose to keep, Malfoy,” he spat, looking Harry up and down. “No doubt your father’s proud.”

*_*_*

Harry grimaced at Snape’s comment and wanted to snap back at him. He did not appreciate the insinuation and refused to take it for even a moment. Snape claimed he had chosen Dumbledore’s side but comments he made like this one made Harry reconsider. He was about to answer when Draco spoke.

“My father,” he said silkily, with as much disdain as he could put into two words. “Is a coward and judging by the company he himself keeps, I’d say that this is a rather fine improvement.”

Harry gaped at Draco. The blonde was giving Snape a death glare worthy of Voldemort himself. Snape grimaced at them both and huffed, leading them down the path to a secluded area surrounded by trees. Harry had the unnerving feeling that he was leading them to their deaths by the way Snape was walking. Snape stopped next to a tree and turned abruptly, holding out what looked like a moldy old muggle newspaper.

“Both of you are late so I’ll have to reactivate the portkey myself,” he spat, touching the tip of his want to the paper. “Hold onto it, you fools.”

“But, Sir,” Harry said, trying to forget the comment from before. “What about our clothes and trunks?”

“They have already been transported to Headquarters,” he snapped in reply. “Professor Dumbledore made sure of it, now touch the damn newspaper, Potter!”

Harry and Draco both grabbed onto the paper. Harry suddenly felt a familiar tugging sensation behind his navel as they were propelled magically off through the air and towards Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

When the portkey reached its destination, Harry was reminded of why he hated that mode of transportation as he was thrown awkwardly to the ground and fell to his knees. Draco and Snape had both managed to stay standing. Malfoy held out a hand to help him to his feet while Snape smirked at his fall.

He led them both through the old doors of Number Twelve and into the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. Draco looked about himself, trying to figure out where he was or understand his surroundings. Harry eyed him carefully as they stepped into the house.

“Harry!” a familiar and friendly voice greeted him. Remus Lupin stood in the doorway to welcome him in. Lupin’s face was tired and grey. Harry understood the feeling and could sympathize with his ex-professor. Lupin had taken Sirius’ death almost as hard as he himself had. “Welcome, welcome! Oh and Mr. Malfoy! Nice to see you again, I hope you find it comfortable here. I daresay this kind of house is similar to the kind you’ve lived in. Well, excepting the fact that this one is rather ancient now.”

Lupin ushered them in, through the hallway and out of the entrance. He gestured for them to go into the kitchen for some breakfast while he talked urgently and secretively with Professor Snape, who did not seem at all pleased to see him.

“This is the werewolf’s house??” Draco whispered dramatically to Harry, looking bak over his shoulder at Lupin. Potter frowned at him.

“He does have a name,” Harry snapped. “Remus is very important to me and I would appreciate it if you gave him the proper respect. Furthermore, this is not his house.”

“Sorry,” he answered, slightly put out. He cast his eyes away from Harry momentarily, wishing he could hold his tongue better. “But whose house is this then?”

“Si-… This is my house, now,” Harry answered, almost having forgotten that Sirius had left it to him. Draco seemed rather shocked.

“I didn’t know you owned a house,” he admitted.

“It was left to me,” Harry explained. “by my godfather. It’s been in his family for ages but he was killed and left everything to me.”

“Who was your godfather?” Draco seemed rather confused.

“Sirius Black.” Harry looked away, his eyes roving over every wall and corner of the house, feeling Sirius all around him. “This house is the legacy of the Black family… alone with a few other things.”

“Your godfather was Sirius Black?” Draco asked. He thought on the name for a moment. “The murderer that escaped from Azkaban?”

“He was not a murderer!” Harry snapped, still touchy about the subject. “He was framed.”

“I’m sorry,” Draco repeated. He seemed very uncomfortable making Harry angry. “I didn’t know. That name seems familiar though… Black I mean. Where do I know it?”

“You're kidding, right? Your mother was a Black." Harry stared at Draco.

"My...mother," Draco mumbled, thinking momentarily of her. He never had any kind of great relationship with her. He also wasn't surprised he didn't know they were related. Despite his father's best efforts, he knew little of his own lineage. Only the basics and only that the future of the Malfoy family depended on him. "She was a Black. What else do you know?"

"The Blacks were a pure-blood family and damn proud of it,” Harry answered, remembering what Sirius had told him. “The lot of them were in Slytherin and many of their children were Death-Eaters. Some still are.”

“What? Who?” the blonde demanded, cocking an eyebrow.

“Here, I’ll show you.” Harry lead him into the living room and over to the wall. There hung a massive and very intricate tapestry of the Black family tree. There were names and dates upon it for each of the family members. Some family members names seemed to be honored in colour or special font. Some seemed to be cast aside. Draco observed the lower branches where the younger Blacks were listed. His fingers stopped on several names though two were particularly familiar.

“Regulus Black,” he muttered. “I don’t know him, but I’m sure I’ve heard that name.”

“Perhaps during Voldemort’s rant about traitors and loyalty,” Harry suggested wisely. “He was a Death-Eater for some time and pride of the Black family, until he rejected Voldemort and fled. He was killed soon after.”

“You know a lot about this family, but they aren’t even your own,” Draco remarked, looking at Harry. "I know nothing and am supposedly cousins with them."

“He was my family,” Harry whispered sadly. “He was all the family I had left. He was my father’s best friend.”

“But I thought you said he was a Slytherin.” Draco did not understand.

“No, Sirius was outcast in his family because he was a Gryffindor,” Harry was getting mildly impatient, though he did enjoy talking about his godfather. It reminded him of Sirius a lot and reassured him. Draco nodded and turned his attention back to the tapestry. His finger fell on a different name, next to that of his mother's.

“Bellatrix Lestrange,” he mumbled. “I know her…”

“Yes,” Harry suddenly said through gritted teeth. The expression on his face was angry and hateful. “She is a Death-Eater to this day. And your aunt, I believe.”

“Yes... I suppose...Do you hate her because she is a Death-Eater?” Draco asked, noticing Harry’s sudden boiling anger.

“No, I hate her because she killed Sirius.” He spoke with pure conviction and loathing. “And one day, I’m going to repay her the favor.”

A/N: I was reminded of something rather important and I'm quite glad of it! Thank you! I fixed the chapter for it, it wasn't particularly important to the plot but was a rather heinous oversight. I apologize profusely and thanks again!