The Lion and the Serpent

With two quick spells, Harry released Draco and Calixa from their restraints.



“Any injuries?” he asked both of them curtly.



They both shook their heads, still staring at Harry in shock. The black glow in Harry\'s gaze disspiated slowly, leaving his eyes dark-green, almost human, Draco thought.



“Interesting display of Dark Magic, Professor,” Calixa said nonchalantly, rubbing her reddened wrists. “To re-channel the Killing Curse... That\'s unprecedented.”



“Thank you,” Harry said.



“That wasn\'t a compliment,” she muttered.



Harry snorted. “Miss Cain, I must say, you never cease to amaze me. To offer up your life for the sake of another like that. My, you should have been sorted into Gryffindor.”



“No need to insult me, Sir,” she glared at him. “I told the Sorting Hat if it dared to do something like that, I\'d shred it into pieces.”



For a moment, Harry looked genuinely stunned. “You threatened the Sorting Hat?” he asked, his lips quivering into a smirk. “That\'s just too funny.”



Calixa glared at him again. “When you are done laughing, I want points. For Slytherin. Three hundred and thirty five points total.” Harry raised an eyebrow, but Calixa was undeterred. “Those are the points that you\'ve deducted from us this academic year. I want them all back.”



“Done,” Harry said with a smile. “Although it\'s almost demeaning to put a price-tag on such a noble act of self-sacrifice.”



She gave him a sour look. “Oh please,” she said. “I am not a complete idiot. I knew my anklet would set every ward at Hogwarts off the moment I left the school grounds. And of course it had a tracking charm cast on it. I knew it couldn\'t be that long before they\'d send the hounds after us. And then I saw that shimmer....” she shrugged. “I just needed to occupy his attention long enough.”



Harry bowed his head to her. “Impressive,” he said. His hands searched through his pockets, and he pulled out a smooth, oblique stone. “Hold on to me, both of you. The port-key will take us back.”



Calixa\'s laugh was brief and spiteful. “Um.. Sir? You can stop the Killing Curse, but you can\'t Apparate into a restricted area?”



Harry sighed. “I\'m a Dark Wizard, Miss Cain, not a miracle worker. Now, either take my hand, or walk back. It\'s a fifty mile walk, shouldn\'t take you more than two days. I\'ll even point you in the right direction.”



The argument over, Draco and Calixa took a hold of Harry\'s hand, and he activated the port-key. A moment later, they stood in front of Harry\'s quarters.



“Good night, Miss Cain,” Harry said. “Go pay a visit to Poppy before you do anything else. See you in class tomorrow.”



She walked away quickly, without saying a word, but her fingers lingered briefly on Draco\'s elbow before she took off.



Harry opened the door, and they stepped inside. Hermione sat at the table, looking at them with terror.



“Hermione, how...” Harry started saying, but then stopped himself. “Minerva again?”



“She tells me everything,” Hermione said. “What on earth happened to you? Draco! You are dripping with...” she sniffed the air. “Oh, dear God!”



Hermione sprung to her feet and burst into action, casting cleansing spells, and using her wand to scan Draco\'s body for injuries. Harry, for his part, grabbed the collar from the table, and locked it around Draco\'s neck. Draco smiled dreamily and kissed Harry\'s hand. Harry patted his head and walked over to the fireplace, to place a fire-call to Minerva, thanking her, and giving her the identity of the two uppear-year Gryffindor students, who had to be apprehended at once, and who had a Phoenix Rod in their possession.



When Harry finally sat at the table across from Hermione, Draco sank to his knees next to him, and placed his head in Harry\'s lap. Harry\'s fingers ran through is hair absently, as he spoke to Hermione:



“Your apprenticeship can\'t be going all that well, with you taking off to Floo in here at every sign of trouble.”



“I hate my apprenticeship,” Hermione said bluntly. “I hate being in London. I am not going back.”



Harry murmured his assent, his thumb trailing along Draco\'s collar.



“Arthur tried to burn Draco alive today,” Harry muttered.



“Arthur? Not Arthur Weasley?” Hermione whispered in horror. “Harry – that\'s.. they are practically family.. you saved his life once!”



“I know,” Harry said. “I\'ll be honest, I didn\'t see it coming. Not in a million years. It\'s getting worse out there, isn\'t it?”



Hermione was silent for a while, pondering his question. When she spoke, her words sent a chill down Draco\'s back:



“It\'s horrible. Do you ever watch the newscasts, Harry? No, I didn\'t think so. If you think things are bad at Hogwarts, well.. you have no idea how good you have it here. This.. poison... of Voldemort\'s essence is absolutely everywhere. People don\'t even notice it anymore. It\'s both in the wizarding and the muggle worlds. In the muggle world, there are school shootings, robberies, rapes, murders, wars – like never before. In our world, well.. you\'ve seen for yourself. The world is about to collapse. I\'m not exaggerating when I say that there\'s no-one left out there.”



Draco listened to Hermione\'s trembling voice silently. How does she manages then, he wondered idly, how does she manage to remain herself? Does she just wake up every morning, resolving to do good, and be kind, and never wavers from that decision?



“I just remembered something,” Hermione said weakly. Harry\'s hand continued to travel along Draco\'s hair, as they listened to her shaken, terrified voice:



Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand...



Harry\'s hand clenched around Draco\'s hair suddenly, and Draco gasped quietly.



“I know this one,” Harry interrupted, picking up apparently where Hermione had left off:



Somewhere in sands of the desert

A shape with lion body and the head of a man,

A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun

Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it

Reel shadows of indignant desert birds.



And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,

Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?



“That\'s just it, Harry,” Hermione murmured. “It\'s Voldemort\'s darkness seeking to incarnate itself... attach itself to living flesh. That\'s what it is doing, even as we speak. To everyone.”



“But what about us?” Draco asked, his head still pressed against Harry\'s thigh. “Hermione is unaffected... and I am not evil either.. well, at least no more so than I always used to be. How is that possible?”



Hermione chuckled sadly. “Draco, you sweet fool. You were never evil. Just angry and spiteful and bigoted.”



“Thanks, mudblood,” Draco muttered, eliciting a chuckle from both of them.



“It\'s the Mark,” Harry said. “It draws the darkness to itself. Focuses it. Makes me immunie against the Unforgivables. And ...people who are always near me, are still affected by Voldemort, just less. That\'s why Hogwarts isn\'t as bad as the rest of the world. And you two... spend the most time with me.”



Hermione stood up and wandered off into the corner. Draco saw that she had brought a backpack and a travel bag with her. She rummaged through the backpack, pulling out a set of sleepwear.



“I\'ll arrange for a room for you,” Harry said. “Someplace close.”



“I am staying right here,” she informed them.



“And sleeping where?” Harry asked with amusement.



“Draco\'s bed,” she said bluntly, picking up her backpack.



“Hermione...” Harry intoned despairingly. “You are being irrational...”



“Oh please,” she scoffed. “The sexual tension between you two is wound so tight, I could hang my bras on it. Should I cast a Revelio on Draco\'s bed to see how long it\'s been since he slept there?”



“No,” Draco and Harry said together.



She laughed quietly, bemused. Harry sighed resignedly, and helped her lift the heavier bag, carrying it to Draco\'s bedroom for her. Draco remained kneeling quietly by the chair. When the door closed behind Hermone, Harry stood above Draco, regarding him thoughtfully.



“I can transfigure the dining table into a couch,” Harry offered. “Or a bed...”



Draco smiled impishly. “Stop bragging about your Transfiguration abilities and take me to bed already.”