Smoke & Mirrors

Chapter 18 Strategic Retreat

"Time to go, Harry." The voice was gentle, the firm clasp on his arm comforting. Harry allowed himself to be drawn upward. He had one last glimpse of Severus Snape, still with that satisfied smirk on his face and his hand again buried inside his robes. Then he was back in the hut.

Remus, still holding Harry's arm, looked at him with concern. "You look upset, Harry. Are you all right?"

Harry shook his head, refusing to meet Remus's eyes.

"Was it something you saw in that memory?" Remus let go of Harry and started to move back towards the Pensieve.

"No!" Harry cried "I don't want you to see him – them – "

Remus turned back, frowning. "If you won't tell me what's wrong, Harry –"

"It was – was – Snape," Harry said flatly. Somehow he couldn't bring himself to say Severus, not after what he'd just witnessed. "He was – fucking – Draco Malfoy... "

Remus put his arm round Harry's shoulders. "When was this, Harry? Recently?"

"No, no, it was when we were all still at school. It was horrible. He had Draco naked and begging for it, while he was so cold, so calculating – well, I knew he used to be like that, he showed me that side of him at the start, but..."

"He's changed, Harry," Remus's voice was gentle. "I've known Severus a long time, and I can definitely say that he's changed a lot in the past few months. Your relationship with him –"

"But now I feel betrayed, Remus!" Harry broke in angrily. "Oh, I know it happened before we got together, but why is he keeping the memory like that if it doesn't mean a lot to him? Suppose he gets off on reliving it... because I'm not what he really wants?"

He couldn't go on. It was true he and Snape had had their ups and downs, but some of the sex had been glorious – the night they'd picked the moon-herbs... that time in the lake... even when Snape had jealously claimed him after watching his wet dreams in the Pensieve...

But it wasn't one of THOSE memories his lover had chosen to keep in a little bottle for reliving – no, it was one of Draco Bloody Malfoy...

"Stop torturing yourself," Remus said. He pointed his wand at the Pensieve; silvery wisps of memory began to rise from its surface. He directed them into the little crystal bottle until the Pensieve was empty and the swirling mist once more filled the bottle. Remus corked it firmly.

"You should forget you saw this, Harry," he said, stowing his wand away inside his robes. He winced in pain as the wand grazed against his ribs.

"You're hurt!" Harry said. "Let me see."

"It's nothing..." but Remus allowed his robes to fall open, showing Harry the dark bruising across his side.

"It must have been when you hit the tree," Harry said, his fingers gently exploring. "Sorry. Did that hurt? Looks like you've cracked a rib or two, here." He pulled out his own wand and stroked it along the werewolf's ribs. "Episkey! There, how's that?"

Remus collapsed into a chair, looking exhausted. "I could do with a drink," he mumbled.

"Uh – OK – " Harry glanced at the shelf. Hagrid's mead? Not bloody likely... oh, good, there was some of that red wine left. He poured them both a generous gobletful.

******************

Harry stared moodily into his empty goblet, unable to stop the gloomy thoughts flocking through his brain.

...Malfoy's digs about Snape liking them young – fucking young rent-boys, imagining they were his pupils...

Those rent-boys Snape had admitted having at the Silent Witch...

Malfoy claiming that Snape was researching a cure for the Essences potion...

Snape's long absence at Durmstrang – OK, he'd claimed he'd managed to get an invite for Harry too... but was he telling the truth?

...that 'other' doorknob-inspired dream... Malfoy again...

... the memory he'd just seen....

No, he must stop this.

He glanced up at Remus. "Want another drink?"

But Remus was fumbling through his robes, looking stricken.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked. "Are your ribs still hurting?"

"No, it's not that... Harry, I can't find Filius Flitwick's parchment!"

"Shit!" Harry exclaimed. "When did you last have it? When you were in the Forbidden Forest?"

"I... I can't really remember," said Remus. "Things are always hazy just before I transform. And for some reason this time it was worse than usual. I don't even remember that much about the afternoon, though I'm sure I saw something important at the Ministry I was going to tell you about..."

Harry stared at him. "Think!"

Remus shook his head in frustration. "I just can't remember – I know I picked up a memo or something and thought I must tell Harry this... then it's all a blank until we got here. I couldn't even see the hut until you gave me Filius's note. I do remember that, it was so strange seeing this place materialising in front of my eyes. And I remember you giving me some Wolfsbane..."

Harry winced. "And I forgot the moon-herbs, what with Snape being gone and everything..."

"Yes, well, I remember the moon getting up and shining through the windows – everything's a blur after that... I think I ran outside before I started to transform..."

"Maybe you dropped the parchment then?" Harry said.

"I'll go out and have a look, see if –" Remus began, when he was interrupted by a loud knocking on the door. He stared at Harry. "Who's that?"

"Maybe someone found that parchment, hang on..." Harry grabbed his wand and yanked the door open. But it was only Ron, looking astonished to be greeted with a threatening wand in his face.

"What the hell's up, Harry?" he asked.

"It's my fault, Ron," Remus said. "I've lost one of Professor Flitwick's notes – I'm terribly afraid I may have compromised his Fidelius Charm on this hut."

"You didn't see any parchment lying around outside on your way here, did you?" asked Harry.

Ron shook his head. "Nah – but I wasn't really looking – I'll take a look now, if you like."

"We'll come with you," Harry said. "I expect it's just lying around somewhere close."

But a thorough search of the area round the hut – and as far into the Forbidden Forest as they dared go – failed to find Flitwick's note. Back inside, Remus began apologising again. "I'm so sorry, Harry – I just can't remember much of what happened yesterday. I'll go and see Filius if you like, and see if he can help."

"Tell you what," said Ron. "Fred and George are pretty ace at Charms too, these days. Why don't you beat a strategic retreat to their place? I bet they can keep you safe."

Harry considered. He wasn't sure if he wanted to stay in Hagrid's old cabin anymore or not. He'd been happy here – especially since Snape got back – until last night, of course...

"Yes," he said suddenly, making up his mind. "I'll come. Sure they'll be OK with it?"

"Oh yeah, you've been the dog's bollocks with them ever since you gave them your Triwizard winnings," Ron assured him.

Harry hauled his trunk out from under the bed and began to pack. It didn't take long; he still didn't have too many personal possessions. He wrapped the Pensieve carefully in a woolly sweater Mrs Weasley had given him a couple of Christmases ago before stowing it safely in the trunk. He picked up Snape's small bag of possessions and hefted it in his hand, considering, and added that too. He hesitated over the small crystal bottle, then grimaced and slung that in as well. He glanced at Remus, who was looking at him with a concerned expression, and smiled brightly. "Coming with us, Remus?"

"Um, no, actually I'd better be getting home, thanks, Harry. Tonks'll be worried." Remus pulled Harry to him in a warm hug. "Take care. I'll be in touch very soon."

********************

"Locomotor trunk!" Harry shouted, with an impatient flick of his wand. It was the second time he'd tried the spell since he and Ron had arrived at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes; the trunk still refused to move.

"Oh, it's Fred and George," Ron groaned. "They're bloody paranoid; won't let any spells but theirs work around here."

Ron helped Harry haul his trunk up the narrow stairs to Fred and George's flat. "Bloody – twins," he gasped between tugs.

The door to the flat opened and two smirking faces peered out.

"Oh look, it's our little brother, back again."

"Not so much of the little," Ron said grumpily. "I'm taller than you."

"We weren't referring to your height," George said with a grin. "And Harry too! Well this is a surprise."

The twins eyed Harry's trunk. "And intending to stay by the look of it."

"Sorry," Harry said, a bit uncomfortably. "Ron didn't think you'd mind. Only Remus has gone and lost one of Prof Flitwick's notes about my hiding place..."

"Say no more," Fred said quickly. "We'll be glad to have you here."

"Yeah, anything we can do to help, Harry," said George. "We haven't forgotten you gave us our start-up finance from your Triwizard winnings."

"You'll be safe here," Fred said.

"We've got plenty of spells to deter unwanted visitors," added George. "They don't work against Ron, for some reason, but you'll be safe from anyone else..."

When the scuffle between Ron and his brothers was over, they all settled round the table for a council of war. Harry looked round at the three redheads and felt his spirits begin to lift. Ron was still his best mate, and it was impossible to be gloomy for long when the twins were around.

"So what's been going on?" Ron asked. "Wasn't the git there when you got home, then?"

Harry explained what had happened: arriving back to find Dobby Stunned and Snape gone; how he'd found Quercus's dray apparently trashed; his encounter with the centaurs; his fuck-up with the moon-herbs –

"Bloody lucky you did forget them, mate!" Ron exclaimed at this point.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. He shuddered. "I hate to think what would've happened if Remus hadn't turned up like that. But the really interesting thing is what Ronan told me. He said the reason the centaurs were up in arms – well, even more than usual – was because they'd spotted Quercus spying on them. You know he's a squirrel animagus –"

Fred and George nodded. "Yeah, Ron told us."

"– but the really important thing is, they saw him with another animagus wizard – a crow!"

Ron gaped at him. "You mean... Corvid Simonides? But I thought you'd said Quercus was on the run from that gang –"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, that's what he told me. Looks like he was lying, doesn't it?"

"Unless it's just this Corvid bloke who's still on his side," Fred sounded doubtful.

"And what about old Snape? Did he go off with them willingly, or did they grab him?" speculated George. "Oh, by the way, did our Humungeous Horn work for him, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. He didn't want to talk about Snape. He especially didn't want to tell anyone else about the Pensieve memory he'd seen.

But the mention of the woolly rhino horn had jogged Fred's memory. "Hey, mustn't forget we've got to knock up a new batch of Coitus Imperio for Vix's Vices."

Harry scowled at the mention of the potion which had figured so largely in that bygone encounter between Snape and Draco Malfoy, then looked thoughtful.

"Vix's Vices?" he said slowly. "Vix... I'm sure I've heard that name before... what is it exactly?"

George shrugged. "Bent brothel, mate," he said. "Good customers, but a bit..."

"... dodgy, if you know what we mean," finished Fred. He opened a drawer and rummaged around for a moment, then handed a small card to Harry.

Vix's Vices. Purveyors of discreet same-sex services to the discerning wizard for over a decade.

"You may have seen the name on some of our packaging," Fred said, with a smirk at Ron.

"No, it wasn't that..." Harry snapped his fingers. "Kreacher! In the kitchen – do you remember, Ron? When you ordered him to tell you about Diggory... Vix! I'm sure that's what he said –"

Ron slowly shook his head. "Nah, don't think it was, Harry," he said.

But Harry was sure he was right. "And I'll tell you something else!" he said excitedly. "That night Snape got my photo back from Quercus – he said he'd visited a brothel in Knockturn Alley – I bet it was the same one!" He saw the brothers exchanging glances. "No, it wasn't like that, he was just..."

Then he stopped. He couldn't be sure of anything any more.

"Well, I guess it's worth investigating," Fred said brightly.

"Yeah, someone should get in there, take a look around," agreed George.

"I'll go," Harry said.

"Now Harry, you haven't thought this through," George said.

"Yeah, you're the last person who should go," agreed Fred.

"Polyjuice potion?" Harry suggested.

"Out of stock," chorused the twins.

"Tell you what, though," George added slowly. "We could tell 'em we've developed a new variant of our lust potion we're keen to test out... one that turns straight guys into raging bum-bandits..."

"... or confirmed cock-magnets, even..." joined in Fred, with a wink.

"... yeah, so they can expand their customer base and all that," added George.

"Of course we couldn't test it on ourselves –" Fred said solemnly.

"– too risky –"

"– and we know Harry can't go –"

"– wouldn't be a true test anyway –"

"So that just leaves..."

The twins turned in unison to look at Ron, identical evil grins spreading across their faces.

"WHAT?" Ron shouted. "ABSOLUTELY NOT!! NO – FUCKING – WAY!!!"

TBC >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>