When Living Ain\'t Easy

Just in time before the library closes for the day -- enjoy!

~ * ~

Chapter 17 : Message for you, Sir!

Morning broke with a resounding crack. Especially since Harry, and later Lucius, forgot to remove his glasses before falling into bed.

When he managed to untangle himself from the sheets, the brunet spent several minutes fumbling amidst bags and assorted detritus in search of his newly broken spectacles. A quick reparo charm later, Harry was torn between delight and dismay at the mass of belongings -- his very own clothes that *fit* -- to be put away. He decided to let that wait til after Draco woke up. Not that the blond would notice or appreciate his procrastination, but Harry wasn\'t ready to tackle the mammoth task.

Grabbing the bag he vaguely recalled holding jeans and t-shirts, he dressed quickly before heading to the kitchen. If ever he needed a strong cup of tea, he had the feeling it would be today.


Bright morning sunshine lit the room much more cheerfully than he really wanted just yet. He made tea and toast, then took his meal to the study to look for the books on enchanting gems.

At the last moment before opening the door, he remembered what had happened the day before, urging him to knock before entering. When no one answered, Harry slowly went inside, relieved to find the room deserted. Almost.

Sitting on the desk was Fawkes, busy preening his crimson and gold feathers. Harry ran the four steps to greet and pet his former mentor\'s familiar.

\"Never thought what might happen to you, Fawkes, now that Dumbledore\'s-\" The bird cut off his apology with a sharp nip to his finger, followed by a soft crooning. At the phoenix\'s song, Harry felt his mood improve dramatically. Fawkes bumped against the Gryffindor\'s bowed head til green eyes looked up. Even for a man not versed in Avian-speak, Harry understood that his grief needed to be put to rest.

A second song began, more lively and wistful than the first, as the bird nudged several scrolls toward him.

\"What\'s this then? You\'re playing post owl?\" Harry hummed along with the phoenix\'s tune as he sorted through the correspondence. \"Luc. Luc. Sev. Three for Draco, each with a different perfume. Potions Mastery -- Sev. Daily Prophet for the last three days. And four for me!\"

Harry left everything but his letters on the desk, all but bouncing his way over to the corner chair. He recognized Hermione\'s precise script on the top parchment and tore through the seal.

Dear Harry,
I do hope you\'re feeling better, and that you understand Mrs. Weasley\'s concerns. It may seem like a drastic request, but I think it makes sense until after You-Know-Who is taken care of.
You probably haven\'t received any news since going home, so I\'ll try to give you a brief summary.
Last year\'s Potions professor decided to take an extended tour of South America. A likely excuse. I\'d bet anything he just doesn\'t want to get dragged into the war.
The new Minister is calling for every able body to take abbreviated courses in magical and muggle first aid, and to sign up for testing with the Auror reserve units. At least he\'s taking this matter more seriously than Fudge did, even though the Prophet calls him an alarmist.
Professor McGonnigal is officially the new Headmistress. She told the Prophet that she hadn\'t decided who would take her place in either the Transfiguration, Head of Gryffindor, or Deputy positions. But I think she\'s got someone in mind for Deputy. It only makes sense really, and could be tremendous help for his role. You know what I\'m talking about.
By the way, I finally understood why you kept telling us to think. Oh Harry! How horrid it must be for him. We should be really nice to him next term, if he\'s still there.
I know this isn\'t much, but it\'s all I have time for -- Fawkes is getting most impatient.
Get your summer work done!
Love from,
Hermione

Harry read the letter a second time, then a third. That first paragraph still made no sense. He grinned thinking about Severus as Deputy Headmaster though. Yes, that would keep him safer from Voldemort\'s wrath. Still, the first lines worried him. Shrugging, he unrolled the next parchment, which turned out to be Ron\'s untidy hand.

\'Lo mate!
Mum\'s gone made. Ginny\'s in tears. Dad\'s working sixteen hour days helping with that first aid stuff. The twins say hi and to check your balance, whatever that means.
Hope you\'re doing ok. Maybe we can get together before your birthday this year, huh? Getting my hair pulled out by Dumbledore\'s bloody bird, gotta go.
Ron

Well, that was Ron all over. Short, blunt, little help. Harry cringed at his uncharitable thoughts. Ron was his best friend, no matter how obtuse or emotionally retarded he could be at times. And Harry was digging himself into a deeper pit. Best to move along.

Dear Harry,
I\'m so sorry this has to happen, but Mum\'s terrified. Remember that article in the paper that came out the week before term ended? The one about us dating... Mum said the letters started pouring in that morning. And not just letters, but Howlers and threats too! Dad traced about half of them and did something to make them stop, but the other half is getting worse.
We\'ve been together for so short a time, but maybe Mum\'s right. Harry, we\'ve got to publically break up, nice and friendly, so no more Howlers are sent. Or worse. Maybe we can try later? I really like you, but these people... they\'re crazy and serious and ready to do terrible things to Mum and Dad and all of us.
Guess I\'m just not strong enough to weather this storm. I\'m so scared for Mum, Harry. When Ron and I go back to school in September, she\'ll be all alone, and you know how friendly she is. She\'d be a sitting target!
Please don\'t be mad, Harry. We can try again after... everything else... if we\'re both still interested.
Ginny

By the time he was through reading his ex-girlfriend\'s letter, Harry\'s glasses were heavily smudged and he had to dig into his pocket for a handkerchief. He\'d hoped for more time, more hugs and quiet walks and talking in front of the fire. Like everything else in his life, the choice was not his to make. He almost forgot the last letter, which didn\'t bode well as he read the signature at the bottom. Molly Weasley.

Harry dear,
We were so thrilled to hear that you and Ginny were dating at last. But really, dear, now is not the best time for romantic entanglements, is it? You\'d hardly have time together, what with NEWTs and your special studies and all.
We think it might be safest for Ginny, and of course you too, if you young people waited til after Ginny finished school before you got serious.
As one of our family, we only want you to be safe and happy. Give it some thought, love. We look forward to seeing you in Augst sometime. Ron\'s quite anxious to visit with you.
Love,
Molly

Before he finished the final lines of the message, loose strands of magic began leaking from his fingertips. Harry spared a thought for the three sleeping Slytherins and quickly decided to go out back before someone else got hurt. He really didn\'t want to harm Molly -- she had always treated him like one of her own kids -- but her letter felt like a betrayal.

A thick red film coated his vision, and Harry knew he woudn\'t be able to restrain the impending magical outburst. With what focus he could manage, he projected every urgent tingle, ripple and swell of his percolating power into one mighty *push*.

~ * ~

Severus was having such a pleasant dream. One of the rare night visits that did not involve pain or regret. At least not his own.

//He was an active participant in a Neville Longbottom Re-education session. Shackled to the wall was his most burdensome student, with every teacher on Hogwarts staff literally force feeding him pages of their textbooks. Every so often the boy would belch out a stream of knowledge. Severus\' turn was next, and he gladly took his place...\\\\

A silent explosion of colors and emotions jerked the sleeping wizard from his fantasy detention. Wand at the ready, he ran from the room in without bothering to grab slippers or robe, in search of the one person nearby who could possibly produce such huge amounts of raw power.

He barely noticed Lucius following on his heels, or the bedraggled younger Malfoy staggering out after them. His search led to the back yard, where Harry stood in the center of a rainbow-colored vortex, his eyes glazed and lips stretched in a tight, thin line.

In a ghostly voice, Harry ordered, \"Back up,\" just as a tall wal of golden light formed at the edge of the porch. Severus saw no spell cast but recognized the powerful barrier charm at once. They were trapped, he realized, until the Boy Who Lived managed to expell the magic that was visibly bubbling beneath the surface of his skin.

Helpless to intercede, the trio of Slytherins watched in rapt awe as leafy green tendrils sprung up from the ground around Harry, tiny shoots by the thousands in intricate grids. Along the back and sides of the property, thick hedges developed in the blink of an eye, obscurring all signs of the world outside. Several types of fruit-bearing trees ran the length of the yard, mostly situated at the corners and across the porch to provide shade.

Harry floated several feet into the air, narrowly missing the foundations of a brand new bubbling fountain. Trellised archways covered the fountain and led in all directions, with openings for benches every twenty feet. The covered path continued around the perimeter before attaching to the porch. A burst of color and fragrance hit the Slytherins as dozens of varieties of climbing roses grew across the arches, partially obscurring the Gryffindor from their sight.

Severus was the only one with wand in hand, and his attention was so focused on the display of power that he almost botched his aim with a mobilicorpus spell as Harry\'s agitation drained out and the young man dropped in a dead faint.

Less than ten minutes had passed.

~ * ~

It didn\'t take a genius to determine what had set off the Boy Who Lived -- his letters lay exactly as he\'d left them on the study floor.

While the two older men discussed how to handle and explain their rather extensive garden -- not to mention how to deal with Harry when he woke up -- Draco detoured into the kitchen. No matter what crisis had led to the most recent theatrics, morning required large quantities of tea and a healthy serving of food. He only hoped that a certain house elf would answer the call so far from Hogwarts.

The elf in question had feared his father, as any sane creature should, but had always held a soft spot for Draco. Even after being released from his servitude to the Malfoy family, Dobby would happily oblige the blond heir whenever he was able. And since the summer months were so slow for the school\'s elf brigade, Dobby popped in only seconds after he was summoned. With much babbly, bobbing and bouncing, the tiny being disappeared once his orders were received, returning a few minutes later with a wide variety of breakfast treats.

Draco thanked the giddy elf and levitated the over-burdened platters toward the study. His father\'s voice carried out into the hall, filling him in on what little he\'d missed.

\"Severus, there is nothing we cannot handle ourselves. Dumbledore wished total secrecy for all of us this summer. If we start calling Pomphrey or McGonnigal, all of his instructions will be shot to hell. Besides, I don\'t think the situation is as desperate as you make it out to be. Yes, he has a ridiculous amount of raw power. Yes, he has trouble maintaining his emotions at a steady level. And yes, this latest fiasco is just the sort of half-arsed nonsense to set him off. I think you are forgetting something -- young Mr. Potter has more control over his natural magic than you or I. Look at this morning\'s incident, if you will. He took every negative emotion that screamed to be set free, and channeled it all into a lovely garden. Our best Herbologists couldn\'t possible do as well without taking years of conscientious effort.\"

Smirk firmly in place, Draco and his bounty joined the party just in time to witness glassy green eyes peak open. \"Welcome back, Potter.\"

Lucius immediately looked toward his son, gaping at the mounds of food trailing behind like a leashed dog. Severus\' attention was wholey on the Gryffindor. Except for dark circles under his eyes, Harry\'s outburst appeared to have done no lasting harm. Conjuring a low table, the Potions Master summoned pillows from the parlor for everyone to sit on.

\"I suggest we eat here, since Draco was so kind as to bring sustainence.\" He smirked in Harry\'s direction. \"Or we could take it outside to enjoy the wonderful scenery Harry has seen fit to provide for us.\"

It was apparent that the young hero\'s body wanted to blush, but thanks to his earlier activities, his blood pressure and sugar levels had fallen below the point of allowing more than a pale pink flush to color his cheeks.

\"No one got hurt, sir. I couldn\'t keep it all in, but I could at least direct it to something positive.\"

A broad smile broke out on Lucius\' face, only somewhat dimmed by the calculating gleem in his eyes. \"No harm done, Harry. You did well to channel so much power. And the garden is a brilliant addition. This place needed a bit of color.\"

As mentally fatigued as he was, Harry saw through the raving endorsement. \"Thanks Lucius, but I know when I\'ve screwed up. Hopefully my punishment can wait til after breakfast thought.\" Slithering down to sit at the conjured table, Harry filled plate and cup before letting himself look to his professor for approval.

\"Yes Potter, you may eat.\" Inwardly cursing the foul Muggles who had used starvation as a means of control, Severus joined his student and fixed his own plate. Before taking a bite, he leaned aside to whisper in Harry\'s ear, \"Every person, male or female, human or house elf, experiences emotions. The fact that you thought to shield us, *after* the burst had begun, indicates your level of personal discipline. Your martyr complexe, on the other hand, must be dealt with post haste.\"

Both grateful and repentant, Harry opted for not continuing the conversation as his stomach took the time to inform him of its demands to be filled. He could think and eat at the same time, and after expending so much energy, he badly needed the calories.

He also needed to decide how to cope with yet another person\'s games of power. A heavy mental sigh pushed his train of thought back to a certain blond aristocrat. Harry was not as oblivious as his best friend -- he knew when someone was flirting with him. And now that he was \'single\' again, he just might indulge a bit. But only fooling around... his heart wouldn\'t stand another direct hit so soon.