Jail Bird Choir

CHAPTER 18

Harry lay on the edge of the bed shaking, fighting down the urge to be sick. He was sure he’d woken up in a horror film, the dark dry patches of blood splattered and pooled all over the sheets. The mess was awful, the bed sheets stuck to him and his hands were bruised and his nails carrying scrapings of flesh. Harry couldn’t remember anything. He’d had a dream, a dream of darkness and voices he couldn’t put faces to. It hadn’t been disturbing as such more confusing. Now faced with the mess though he had to wonder what exactly had gone on. To make matters worse Snape was gone too with no signs of him every being there. Harry screwed his eyes together tightly wondering if Snape had even come to bed the night before. When he closed his eyes however all he could see was the darkness and the voices of his dream, his memories strangely lost. His stomach churned dangerously and Harry knew he needed to get to the bathroom. Rising to his feet Harry staggered to the door and reached for the handle.

The door was locked.

Harry tried the handle again, but the door refused to move. Looking up and down to see if he’d missed a catch Harry bumped his shoulder against the door as he began twisting the handle fruitlessly. They’d locked him in! Thumping the door with his fists Harry began shouting for Severus. There were no sounds outside the door and so Harry tried again, this time shouting for both Severus and Draco. Surely someone was in the house, they wouldn’t have just locked him up and left. Hysterical now to be let out Harry began slapping his hands against the door screaming.

A second later the door swung open and Harry practically fell out onto the carpet, landing in front of a familiar pair of bare feet.

“It’s not nice being locked up like a criminal is it?” Harry heaved dangerously as Draco’s sarcastic barb was spat down at him.

“You bastard.” Harry growled out from between his teeth as he slowly crawled to his knees and leant heavily against the doorframe for support. Draco snorted in amusement as he turned from Harry and began back down the stairs.

“As much as I would love the opportunity to lock you up and throw away the key Potter, this time it was not my doing. Severus locked the door last night.” Draco threw over his shoulder barely hiding his smirk and he disappeared into the kitchen. Harry glared at Draco reading the smirk in the wizard’s blue eyes. “And if you throw up on my carpet Potter I’ll rub your nose in it and make you clean it up.” Desperately wanting to go and shout at Draco to explain himself, Harry knew better. Scrambling to his feet Harry took the steps two at a time up to the bathroom, making it just in time to the porcelain before his stomach divulged it’s meager contents.

Harry took his time washing himself and cleaning his skin of the dried flakes of blood before padding silently down into the kitchen a towel wrapped around his waist. Draco was sitting at the kitchen table, a potion book in one hand and a piece of toast topped with scrambled eggs on the other. The blonde didn’t even glance up over his reading material as he gestured with his head towards the stove.

“Make your own.” Draco bit into his toast as he flicked the page with his thumb. Harry didn’t move and instead stared at Draco blankly.

“Where is he?” Harry snapped wanting to know where Snape had gone. Draco looked up briefly from his book to meet Harry’s gaze before sighing flippantly and going back to his reading.

“Gone to see Father, he left early.” Draco took another bite of his toast one eye suspiciously flicking up to gauge Harry’s reaction.

“Did he come to bed last night?” Harry inquired wondering why he hadn’t remembered Severus coming to bed. Draco smiled wickedly behind his book as he casually glanced up and nodded.

“Yes…” Draco paused allowing Harry a brief smile before continuing. “Mine.” Draco finished watching as the relived smile on Harry’s face fell away and was replaced by a darkening glare.

“What!” Harry snapped sharply as Draco casually licked his fingers having finished his toast and eggs.

“Yes he came to bed, quite desperate for my touch after so long away from me.” Draco got up to place his dirty dishes in the sink but Harry stepped in front of him, and ripped the pottery plate from his grip and tossed it angrily to the floor.

“You dare to flaunt that in my face?” Harry’s voice was trembling, the boy’s inner war bubbling to the surface with little resistance. Draco swallowed the rising fear as he watched Harry’s eyes turn from emerald green, to amber and then to crimson red.

“Why should you be surprised Potter? It’s commonplace among the purebloods to take comfort in one’s own kin especially after such a traumatic event as rape. Are you jealous that he loves me more than you?” Consciously Draco stepped back away from Harry, as he noted the boy begin to shake violently, his head rolling from side to side his face frozen in a silent expression of agonizing pain. Reaching for his wand Draco aimed it squarely at Harry’s chest as he watched Harry fight with something, his eyes closing and a choked whimper coming from his lips. “Harry?” Draco dared to speak but regretted it. As quickly as Harry’s fight began it ended and when Harry’s eyes opened again Draco knew he was in trouble. Harry’s eyes were thin and narrowed, the crimson irises changing and swirling with the colour of molten lava. A twisted, evil smirk lifted the corner of Harry’s mouth as the boy tilted his head to the side his gaze not leaving that of Draco. “Harry?” Draco backed up into the living room his hand now shaking around his wand that was still aimed at his school rival.

“Harry Potter is dead but it seems Malfoy’s spawn lives on.” Harry’s voice was a deep, silky hiss and Draco hastily dropped to his knees instantly. Draco shook physically as he listened to the soft footfalls of Harry circling him. “You are a coward wizard. You should have been put to death the moment you took your first breath.” Draco had thought himself safe, knowing Harry had left his wand up in the bedroom but it seemed he was not. With a flick of Harry’s hand Draco was in agony, his body writhing as the curse wrapped it’s cruel fingers around his body robbing him of any other sense but pain. Draco screamed, and screamed as the curse continued, urged on by Harry’s fingertips that danced flippantly in the air.

“I have plans for you all, plans I will see to their conclusion with no one here to stop me anymore…” The curse on Draco ended and the boy collapsed in a shaking heap on the floor his fists still clenched at his sides and his teeth chattering. “But first let us see who has deserted me…” Draco despite the swimming vision distantly watched as Harry flicked his hand upwards, the words hissing from his lips.

“MORSMORDE!” Harry’s hand dropped down to his own arm and Draco watched in horror as the boy used his nail and carved into his forearm the same mark he and both his fathers carried. The mark burnt and sizzled into the pale flesh a dark cloud issuing around it for a moment before being sucked into the tattoo that was now bleeding the same black vile that dripped out of Harry’s nose. “Let them come….” Draco passed out as a strange cloud of red powder engulfed him, thrown from Harry’s open palm directly into his contorted face.

TBC>>>>>>>>