The Rules of the Game

A/N: Someone had a valid question in a review and I planed on explaining it in my story but it never seems to happen, so: The reason why Harry was worried about his effect of consuming dark magic on Ira, but not on Remus was because for the most part Remus is in human form and doesn’t need dark magic the same way that a completely dark magic creature does, especially if it’s not close to the full moon.
Also sorry again for it being really really really late, my life’s just crazy, but I’m going to try to get things more regular again (but no promises). Anyway enjoy.

-*-Chapter 27-*-

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************ Draco’s POV**************
Infirmary
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Everything was crazy from the moment that I awoke. Severus and Dumbledore had been arguing next to my bed, yelling about who-knows-what, I just wanted a potion to make the soreness in my body fade at least a little bit so that I could go back to sleep.

Eventually they did take notice of me and the old coot left while Severus finally gave me a potion, but then he began explaining what happened.


First of all, who dares to try and kill a Malfoy? We’re Malfoys! You just don’t do that! Not to mention that I don’t like being poisoned, and what was worse was that I couldn’t remember who had done it. I vaguely remembered someone handing me a drink, and that it was a guy, but that’s not nearly enough to go off of. I can’t believe that someone tried to kill me… and yet I completely believe that it was Harry who saved me; which just makes me feel guiltier about not resolved things between us yet.

I had hoped that he would be here, but it seemed that he had done one of his disappearing acts again.

“Draco?” Snape called, pulling me back from my thoughts.

“I’m worried about Harry.” I replied simply and saw understanding and something like regret cross over his face. He took out his wand and cast a quick privacy spell around us, before focusing back on me.

“You never really told me what happened between the two of you.” Snape said softly and I tensed even at the flicker of memory. “You just burst in my room, gave a colorful array of expletives and then cried in my arms for an hour.”

“I thought we weren’t going to mention that again.” I said with a glare but he just smirked playfully at me before turning serious.

“Draco. I’ve waited for you two to work this out but nothing has changed. I had hoped that he would go to you and work things out, that he would learn that relationships aren’t always smooth and you just have to work on them, but it’s past time for something to happen. It’s time you told me all of what happened and we get this resolved.”

I felt no desire to share my feelings, even with Sev, but I did want to fix things with Harry.

“You knew we were in a relationship, and things were pretty good, I mean he’s really…” I managed to shut myself up before saying something truly embarrassing, but I could still feel my cheeks burning. “Um, anyway. We were in our dorms fooling around and despite having done so before Harry had never really given me the chance to… um… make him feel good.” I blushed again but Sev’s stoic face gave me the strength to continue. “So I proceeded to do so and he flipped and knocked me off of him saying not to touch him.”

I felt some anger coming back as I stirred up the memories but I could also look at it more objectively now and I also felt worry and had further questions about the whole situation.

“I demanded to know what was going on and he began apologizing but then…” My words caught in my throat, even thinking what Harry had said made me feel worthless.

“He said he didn’t want me touching him.” I looked away from Sev, ashamed of myself but when the man remained quite I glanced over to see him sitting stiffly, with surprise clearly written on his face.

It took him a moment to pull up his mask but then he just sat there staring at the floor thinking over something and making me impatient to know what it was that he could read from the events that I had evidently missed.

“Draco, I don’t believe that his words had anything to do with you.”

“What?!” I asked bewildered and skeptical. “Sev, we were groping each other on his bed, how do his words not have anything to do with me?”

“Have you talked with Harry about his home life?”

I hated it when he jumped topics like this but he usually had a good reason so I thought about it for a moment.

“Uh… no, he’s barely said anything; I don’t even think I know the names of his relatives.”

“Have you ever heard of child abuse?”

Why couldn’t he explain one thing before bringing up another? “No, I haven’t.” I said impatiently. “But it seems self-explanatory: someone being abusive to a child, but that doesn’t make sense. No one would abuse a child.”

“Muggles would, and have. They don’t very children as we do, they aren’t desperate to have an heir to carry on their line.”

“But…” I grew silent again, slowly connecting the dots despite not wanting to see this truth. “No.” I refused, it was ridiculous.

“Draco…”

“No! Do you know how powerful he is? He can’t be…” There was a flash of memory in my mind, reminding me of a small boy breaking away from a crowd in panic, of the same boy pail and abnormally silent before each winter or summer break. Of the boy staying out of reach of everyone, looking vulnerable curled up in a corner of his bed. Suddenly the things over the last few years were making sense. “How?” I whispered, my voice shaking in disbelief. “How could no one know?” I questioned the man who always had answers for me but he remained silent, we both knew the answer; no one wanted to know, no one wanted to see.

Harry always had this aura around him, silently telling everyone ‘mess with me and you’ll deeply regret it.’ It still didn’t seem possible that he would allow someone to hurt him, it didn’t fit the personality I knew at all.

“When McGonagall and I picked Potter up at his relatives they were furious at the idea of him learning magic and wanted us ‘freaks’ out of their house. I was about to curse them and just take Potter when he came out, spoke privately with his uncle, and then he was allowed to go. At the time I was annoyed with this, it seemed like he was just like his father, getting anything he wanted with just a word, but since he got into my house I realized that he’s very different than either of the Potters had been. I’ve had suspicions about this for a while; some of the reactions he’s had fit while others don’t. But from what you said, I think that we can assume that he was abused in some way.”

“So we’ll take him away from there, he can come stay with me at the manor.” Sev remained disturbingly silent. “Right?”

“Draco. Unless we get him to admit to it, or we obtain have some evidence, we can’t do anything. I can’t see Harry admitting to anything, and until they are proven unfit the Dursleys are his legal guardians. Also there are strong protections on that house. Unless we have proof that the abuse is extreme, I don’t think Dumbledore will be doing anything to get him out of that house.”

I felt unbelievable anger at this undeniable truth, and was going to lash out at him when I saw the anger in his eyes as well; we were both trapped.

“Then we need proof.” I said decisively, pushing my anger down. I could see Sev had done the same, we wouldn’t let anger cloud our thoughts, we were Slytherins, not some rash Gryffindors.

“Have you seen any marks on him? Bruises? Scars?”

“No, but I also know that he wears a glamour at times. I thought it was just so he wouldn’t look as tired but he could be wearing more complex one that I had assumed.”

“It would have to be powerful because it holds up against touch.” I heard Sev mumble and was surprised at the words.

“When have you touched him?” I asked suspiciously and was shocked and a little angry to see a faint blush on his cheeks.

“Uh… before we figured what was going on with his hunger issue, he jumped me because he was starving. It was before you two go together.”

I was mollified a little by his words but then it made me remember something else.

“And I suppose you’ve touched him to feed him these last few weeks.”

There was silence from the man beside me and I glanced over to see a disconcerting expression on his face. “Right?” I prompted.

“No you have been feeding him.” Sev said confused.

We both stared at each other in silence.

“Shit.” I groaned and heard a grunt of agreement from Sev.

“Have you heard of him feeding from on of the older Slytherins?”

“No. Most of them barely give him the time of day now. He’s been pretty much avoiding everyone.” I said, feeling guilty as it was mainly my fault that the rest of the Slytherins had turned on him.

“Fuck.” Sev growled, surprising me in his use of language. “I thought he was feeding somewhere, I thought… Merlin I’ve screwed up royally.” Sev groused, leaning his head down onto my bed.

“We both screwed up, but now we have a chance to fix it. We have to get evidence that he’s being hurt and get him away from those bloody muggles. What about a truth potion?” I asked. My Godfather raised his head and stared at me incredulously.

“You want to remove all trust Harry has in us?” I blanched at his words, feeling sick to my stomach.

“Hey, I was just almost poisoned to death, I can’t think properly.” I argued. He mumbled something that sounded like ‘that’s for sure’ and I glared at him briefly. “So, what do we do?

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Harry’s POV
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I rushed back up the path towards Hogwarts for the second time this night, try to understand what all had happened today. The one thing I couldn’t comprehend was the reason why I was so hungry once more. I had gorged myself on the man in Knockturn Alley but now… now all I could think about was eating again, I was so hungry, but disappearing for the third time in one night might be pushing it.

“Harry my boy, what are you doing out here?”

Shit, I guess twice was too much to ask for as well.

“I just need to get some air, after what happened to Draco… I’m sorry sir; I just wanted to be alone.” I glanced at the ground in seeming embarrassment as I gathered old and fake memories outside of my shields so that when the old man searched my mind he would find something the collaborated my lie.

When I did glance into his eyes I could feel him searching through them and at last he smiled.

“I understand, we were just worried. I’m happy to inform you that Mr. Malfoy awoke and seems to have had no ill effects from the poison.”

I didn’t have to fake my relief at hearing this, and some part of me relaxed once more.

“I’m glad to hear that, I should probably get in bed then.”

“Yes, yes. I will see you tomorrow at breakfast.” Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled as he watched me walk by, making me nervous for some reason, the bastard was really creepy at times.

I was almost to the dorms when I ran into a professor and wasn’t sure if I should be glad or not about it.

“Mr. Potter, come with me to my office.”

As usual Snape didn’t even wait for a response; he just assumed I would follow. But should I? I was hungry like I hadn’t fed in over a week, could I stand to be near him when he smelled so good.

He was almost to the end of the hall when I realized I didn’t really have a choice, he would just come get me and be furious then if I didn’t go now.

I hurried after him, catching up to his swift strides just as he was saying the password to his office. I stayed as far back from him as would be polite, and as he took his seat behind the desk I stayed leaning beside the closed door.

“You’re hungry.” He stated, interpreting my actions correctly. “Do you need to feed?”

I stared at him incredulously, not even bothering to completely hide my emotions. He was offering to feed me know?! Where was he a few days ago, where was he a week ago? Why wouldn’t he help me then, or is it just because I saved Draco?

“Harry. You must know that I wouldn’t have denied you if I had known that you had no one else. I thought you still had an arrangement with Draco, or at least you had one of the older Slytherins to turn to. I’m sorry.”

I remained silent and hid my emotions once more. Could I believe his words, and even if I did should I forgive him for his actions. Despite everything I was hungry and that part of me was more than happy to agree as long as it got feed.

Damn this bloody thing; it made me dependent on other people, it made me weak.

“I would like to feed.” I agreed reluctantly, and Snape just nodded and began folding up a sleeve of his robe.

“When was the last time you feed?” He asked as I drew nearer, that dark chocolate sent drawing filling my mind.

“Earlier today.” I said softly, now only three feet away.

“What?” He asked in surprise, pulling his arm back and surprising me out of my stupor. “Then why do you need to feed?”

“I… uh… I was fine earlier, but about an hour ago I was hungry again.”

“Well what did you do between then?” Snape asked sounding impatient, but what could I tell him? ‘Oh, just tortured and killed some people, not much.’ I’m sure that would go over well. “Harry, if we’re going to figure anything out about what you are you need to tell me some things.” I remained silent. “Look, you don’t have to tell me specifics. You clearly react oddly with dark magic, so on that basis what were you doing?”

“Just practicing a few dark spells.” Yeah, practicing, right.

“Did you feel progressively hungrier as you were working the dark magic?”

“Yeah actually, how…”

“Harry, it would make since that if you consume dark magic you can only release so much of it before you body craves it once more. I think from now on you’ll need to limit yourself to few dark spells if any.” Having solved the mystery he held his wrist out to me once more, but I was still thinking about what he’d said.

No more dark magic? But all the good torture spells we under that, how unfair!

Resolving to solve that problem later and giving in to the calling hunger I took my professors arm and bent over so that I could lick at his wrist.

When my fingers had touched his skin I could feel his regret and how mournful he felt about how he had treated me, breaking down my resolve to be angry with him further, but for now I blocked that out and turned to feeding.

It had been so long since I fed from him it was almost shocking how good he tasted and how much he filled me up. Something inside of me was pleased at pulling moans from the usually stoic professor but I was too focused to pay it much mind. I didn’t break his skin despite the hunger begging me to, doing it this way was enough, and after what had happened with the stranger earlier I was a little hesitant to do so.

“Severus?”

The sound of Albus’ voice sent the two of us jerking apart, and my heart racing. I glanced around but couldn’t see him anywhere making me more nervous.

“Relax; firecall. Stay here.” Snape explained before going into an adjoining room and out of sight, but leaving the door open.

“What is it Albus?” Snape asked sounding extremely annoyed; I wondered what he was doing to hide the boner he most likely had?

“Oh good, you’re awake. I’m afraid there’s an emergency, I need you to go to Knockturn Alley, Mundungus has been killed.”

“Killed? Was it death eaters?”

“We’re not sure, evidently the body was mutilated until it was barely recognizable. He was supposed to be getting information, but was seen taking a prostitute up to a room he rented for an hour, when the owner came to kick them out he came across the body.” I couldn’t help the pleased smirk on my face, they were talking about me; I could hardly believe I had unintentionally taken out one of Dumbles people.

“What do you want me to do then?”

“Right now we’re even questioning if the thing had been human.” Hey! “I want you to check the scene out and see what you can figure out. I’m sorry to be asking this while your godson’s in the hospital wing but there’s no one else with the necessary knowledge.”

“Of course. Where is the place?”

I ignored the rest of their conversation, worrying for a moment if Snape would be able to tell that I had been there, but then again I had never been that hungry and attacked someone like that before so it wasn’t likely.

Snape returned with a paper, most likely with the direction, and seemed to be thinking over something.

“Professor?” I asked drawing his attention away from his thoughts.

“Nothing. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that what you heard goes no farther?”

“Of course not. Good luck on your investigation.” I told him, fighting off a smirk and left for the Slytherin dorms.


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A/N: Look ma, no cliffie! Please review.