Blood Ties.

The next morning brought with it concerns that Harry struggled with as he showered and dressed, grateful that he hadn't been greeted with the Slytherin welcoming commitee of the day before. He lingered a few moments longer in his room to stare out of the magical window over the replicated image of Hogwart's grounds.

'I really need to be more careful with Malfoy. Fuck, Malfoy. I can't believe I forced him into that awful situation.'

He winced and closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he surpressed the desire to cast off his sham and all of his plans, not wanting to go further with the idea now that he knew the cost. If it were just his own life, his own pain, on the line, then he wouldn't have any hesitations.

'Can I really use him this way, knowing what sacrifices he would be making, all unknowing?'

The real trouble was that it wasn't all black and white, Light and Dark, the way he'd once believed. Yes, Draco would be raped repeatedly if Harry continued this way, but Draco would also rise in the eyes of the Dark Lord, and by consequence, so would Draco's parents. What sort of world was it when rape meant that you were doing something right?

Harry felt the urge to scream, or cry, tighten his chest and he shoved it aside, turning from the fake window to stride toward the door out of the dorm room. He had to keep doing what he was doing, because as bad as being raped by Voldemort must be for Draco, the alternative was far worse. Not only for him, but for the entire world.

~~:~~

"Quidditch try-outs are being held this weekend, are you going for Seeker?"

Draco's question brought Harry back from his deep contemplation of the roots he was supposed to be mashing for their potion and he shrugged, surprised that the boy was even speaking to him. Ever since they'd eaten breakfast together in the Great Hall, Draco had been subtly avoiding speaking directly to him. Harry couldn't exactly blame him.

"Probably not. You're a good Seeker and we both know you'd get it anyway. Besides, I'll need all my time to study this year."

Draco snorted and shook his head, carefully measuring out a triplet of shimmering green drops from the bottle in his hand and letting them fall into the smoking cauldron, turning the brew from blue to yellow.

"We both know you're better than me, Potter. And even if you weren't, you'd get the position on your blood alone. Being the heir of Slytherin and the Dark Lord's relative has a lot of power in certain circles."

Harry's stomach turned at the idea and he attacked the roots with an eagerness that had Snape sneering in his direction. Apparently, even if they were secretly friends, Snape wasn't planning on showing that in front of others.

"You ever remember me using my supposed 'hero' status to get favors, Malfoy? What makes you think I'd use my new infamy to do so?"

Draco glanced at him and exhaled in exasperation, reaching over to take the mortar and pestle from him, muttering.

"It says mash, not pulverize, Potter. I'll do this, you start taking the other ingredients back to the cupboard, and try not to drop them."

Harry felt a tiny grin touch his lips, imagining he heard a note of fondness and respect in Draco's voice, but then he could just be fooling himself. He picked up the ingredients they'd used and carried them to the cupboard, growling when he felt a shoulder slam into his, a bottle of Flobberworm slime slipping through his fingers to shatter on the floor.

"Clumsy, aren't you?"

Ron's voice came out husky and sneering, and Harry rolled his eyes, flicking his wand to repair the bottle and replace the slime within it without so much as a word. He returned to putting the other things away, pointedly ignoring Ron until the red-head bumped into him again, even harder this time.

"I realize that you are used to having to fit into a small space with a lot of other people, Weasley, having been to your house a number of times. But, there is plenty of room for both of us in here without you having to rub against me like a cat in heat."

Harry spoke with a smirk, not bothering to keep his voice down and chuckled at the blush that burst forth on Ron's face, hearing several other titters behind him. Ron's eyes blazed and his hands balled into fists, but the haughty expression on Harry's face seemed to give him second thoughts and he simply turned to stalk back over to a shocked-looking Hermione.

Harry placed the final jar into the cupboard and smoothly made his way back to Draco, pleased by his own ability to hide his reactions and emotions.

"Sure you haven't had a personality transplant, Potter? I almost don't recognize you."

There was a funny catch in Draco's voice and Harry looked over at him, schooling his face to show only bland indifference.

"Finding out your whole life was a lie, and that you've been nothing more than a weapon for a doddering old man to weild like a sword, makes you grow up, Malfoy. I have no more time for people who expect me to live up to what they believe I should be, instead of what I wish to be."

~~:~~

Harry woke at precisely three in the morning and rose quickly, slipping on his robes and ducking beneath his Invisibility Cloak in silence. With the Maurader's Map to guide him, he made his way to the Astronomy Tower, narrowly avoiding Mrs. Norris along the way.

Once there he slid off the cloak and conjured a chair, sitting and waiting for Snape to arrive, passing the time by staring up at the stars and trying to find all the constellations.

"I never knew you were such an accomplished actor, Mr. Potter."

Snape's drawling voice brought Harry back from his absent-minded contemplation of Orion, and he glanced to the darkly-clothed professor with a sigh.

"I understand now how hard..."

He paused and shook his head, standing and flicking the chair away as he began pacing.

"No, scratch that. I've not yet had to play my part for the Dark Lord, and Dumbledore is gone. I have a tiny inkling of how hard it has been for you to play spy, but I certainly don't understand it one whit. That performance today in Potions was torture."

Snape snorted and moved over to sit on one of the window sills, gradually allowing his defenses to drop until Harry could see the weary, troubled man that lay beneath the mask.

"I realize it is difficult for you to play this role, Harry. I wish it was not necessary, but if we are going to protect Draco, get you into the Dark Lord's good graces and keep him from killing all those you care about, this is the way the game must be played."

Harry flinched and dropped to sit against the wall, shuddering and closing his eyes as he whispered.

"Do you know how Voldemort is showing his gratitude to Draco, Severus? He's raping him. Everytime Draco brings Voldemort a new piece of information about me, Draco will...he'll..."

He stopped, unable to continue, the horror of the situation settling upon him with a very physical weight, threatening to crush him.

"I am aware of the manner in which the Dark Lord bestows his dubious rewards, Harry. As hard as it is on Draco, you must remember that if the boy doesn't make up for the mistakes of his father, and his own inability to kill Dumbledore as he was ordered, he and his entire family will be killed. Or worse."

Harry glanced up, studying Snape after his confession, then rose to his feet and walked across to wrap the older man in a hug. A year previous he would have balked at the very idea of such a thing, but now it felt natural. Their relationship had grown over the summer to that of father and son, and he now loved Snape almost as much, if not equally as much, as he had loved Sirius.

"I'm sorry you have had to endure that, Severus. I know that the plan is essential, and far too much rides upon it to allow emotions like guilt and compassion to turn my head. I only wish that Draco could be a part of the plan, so that he at least would have some hope to hold onto."

Snape tensed briefly and then returned the hug, it was clearly taking him a bit more time to become used to showing affection, but Harry knew his feelings weren't false or any less intense than his own.

"It may come to the point where he has to, Harry. However, at the moment it is best he not know. Now...Let's get started. You have to become much more adept at shielding your mind before you get anywhere near Voldemort, or else we will all end up dead."