Familiar

A/N…Ok nothing ever seems to go to plan with me, I decided to split this chapter in two, so the next one will be the Halloween chapter. N as a warning I’m not that impressed with this chapter.


WeasleyWench…Glad you like my oneshots, I’m never sure whether I should post the things. My muse is fleeting as of late but I’ve already started the next chapter so she’s back for a while at least. I know what you mean about forgetting the creature blood but I had to set a lot of stuff up and all that was happening on a day to day basis and the creature changes are more longterm. Everything bar the power and the lack of control when emotional isn’t important yet, so you’ve got time to go back and look at the traits.

Heksy…hey hun loved the magic cookies. Sent you a new one shot to check out, didja get it? Don’t worry about me I’m fine, just having a crisis, don’t know what I’m doing with my life.

Aaliyah…Hey, I posted this on FF.net but I hardly got any interest. I may try again at a later date but for now I’m ok here. I’m dead happy with the number of reviews I got especially since this is my first story. Hagrids dialog was fun, I was searching through my copies of the HP books to make sure I got it as close as possible. The Order meeting should be interesting, I think Harry will have little patience with them and might ask the twins to pull a prank just to get a laugh.

Slytherinslave…I’m elaborating on Harry’s time in the ROR in this chapter. I wanted to do it in the last one but it didn’t seem to flow right so I added it in here. I’m really glad you like this, thanks for reviewing.


Big thankyous to everyone else who reviewed…Redneckmama, Jan, paigeey07, Vladimir Mithrander, jbj1031965, Hotmamma82, Thrnbrooke, PotionsPet, AnimeSideEffects and Ater Phasma.

Here’s the next chapter.

Chapter 34…The Passing of Time (part three)


‘It’s five o bloody clock Pansy, you better have a good reason for getting us up at this time.’ Draco ranted the moment Blaise erected the silencing charms. It was bloody freezing in the common room, none of the fires were lit, it was still dark out (not that you could tell in a windowless dungeon) and Pansy had dragged him out of bed.

‘Quit whining Draco.’ Blaise said rubbing his eyes; he didn’t want a headache this early in the morning.

Pansy sighed when Draco pouted. ‘Draco, do you really think I’d have woken you up if I had any other option?’

Blaise snorted. ‘Yeh I don’t envy Harry having to deal with you on a morning.’

Draco scowled but didn’t dispute the claim. ‘Can we please get to the task at hand? Why the hell did you wake us up?’

‘Because there isn’t any other time we can do this today. You know people start getting up around six…’

‘Bloody early risers.’ Draco muttered.

‘Anyway,’ she said glaring pointedly at Draco. ‘You wanted to meet us first to go over what we were going to say to the others later when we had the meeting. And you also wanted to know this before you meet Harry at Dinner.’

‘Ok I get it. I’m awake, I’m kind of aware, so tell me the bloody plans then I can go and get a shower which will hopefully wake me up enough for the rest of the day.’

Pansy shook her head before turning to Blaise and shaking the boys shoulder to wake him up. ‘Sit up.’ She insisted.

‘Pansy, I can stay comfortable and still listen so shut up and get on with it.’ Blaise mumbled, before placing a cushion over his head.

‘Boys!’ She exclaimed.

When the boys showed no sign of stirring Pansy smirked evilly before taking out her wand. Hesitating for only a moment she cast a quick shield spell around herself before saying another spell.

Both boys shot out of their chairs with loud yelps that couldn’t be heard over the sound of the foghorn still blaring. Both boys clapped hands to their ears and started shooting her evil glares. She just smiled sweetly.

‘Pansy what the fuck!’ They both yelled when they could hear their own voices.

‘You wanted to talk it through, so let’s talk it through.’ It was clear from her voice that she wouldn’t accept any argument. So reluctantly they got to work.


***

The Room of Requirement stretched open and empty before him, the cry he had loosed upon the closing of the door still echoed loudly from its bare walls. The walls were roughly hewn stone, strong and thick. It was exactly what he had asked for, a room that could take his anger.

Tonk’s death…Tonk’s death, he could barely think it let alone say it, her death had hit him hard. To think that he would never see her again, hear her voice, guess what she would look like when she walked through the door…it was wrong. A vibrant personality as bright as her hair snuffed out by evil men due to the whims of a mad fool.

He had fallen to his knees after cutting off his shrieking, the cold stone had jarred his bones sending a pain all the way to his head. He’d gouged deep rivets in his thighs with his nails. Though they remained the same size they had always been they shredded his jeans and the skin beneath it. The wound didn’t hurt him, he was locked in emotional pain. A searing heat that spread from his heart to every available inch of his mind taking over and numbing each cell until he was nothing but a ghost in a body that felt foreign.

‘A WEEK! A BLOODY WEEK!’

She’d been dead that long and he was only just beginning to mourn. And that bastard had kept her death secret. He’d waited, waited until a moment when he could use it to get him what he wanted. Anyone else might have over looked the fact that Dumbledore informed him of her death after telling him the details of the war first. But Harry hadn’t.

Surely anyone else would have mentioned her death first before the mundane crap, it was clearly the worst possible thing. But no, not Dumbledore, that old man had sensed the worry in him. He’d talked about what they’d already known making it seem like just another meeting, lowering his guard and saving the tragic news for later when Harry would be less defensive and more open to doing as the bastard wanted.

Joining the Order? What was Dumbledore playing at with that? He hadn’t trusted the man since fifth year not since the revelation of the prophecy. And he was glad he didn’t, every moment he spent with the man made him more and more wary of him. Even while stating his support of Harry, Dumbledore had never wanted Harry to fight legitimately. Instead he’d manipulated him into doing his bidding, fighting his monsters, saving his school and his students.

So why was he suddenly so convinced that they couldn’t fight without him? Why the sudden change? It would be something to think about, to talk about with somebody later but for now more things were on his mind. Krai’s disappearance, Draco’s safety, the DA, everything…and Tonk’s death was still fresh in his mind.

Finally, taking a deep breath after all the grief and the thoughts swirling in his head, he looked at the room not realizing what he was seeing. The stone walls were blackened and pock-marked, hit by some force that shattered them and caused them to fall to the floor to break apart and turn to dust in a heat that shouldn’t be possible. And where had it gone? Back into him, like it had done before or past the walls and into the rest of the school?

He fought his way to his feet, ignoring the pain in his knees and the sudden rush of blood as the wounds in his legs re-opened. He burst through the doors to find nothing a miss. No charred and torn corpses ripped apart by his magic. A power that seemed attuned to his emotions, his anger, his grief, he’d unleashed it twice now and had nearly done so many times past counting. What if he did it again?

What was wrong with him? He’d been growing less and less emotional daily. Not feeling anything as strongly as before, like he distanced himself from the mere thought of it. And now, now it seemed that when he felt something…something that broke through the resistance, it multiplied and spread and opened the door unleashing his magic on the world.

It was strong, a fire in his brain that matched the angry fire in his heart. His magic was fierce, primal, as subconscious and instinctual as his soul, it wanted to be free. To be used. He needed help. Krai had told him to use it if everything else failed, to kill Voldemort and he would, but it was so close to the surface, he didn’t want to kill anyone else.

Was it possible to control it more, to use it? Krai couldn’t have taught him that, he knew that but there had to be someone somewhere who could. He needed someone powerful, but there was no one. No one he could rely on anyway, Dumbledore or Voldemort, what a choice.

He hated to admit it but he was in trouble. Would the power start showing itself in lesser emotions, maybe a split second of jealousy, or in love? Could he hurt Draco? Harry shuddered.

‘There has to be something!’ he yelled, slamming his fists into the wall.

And Harry Potter woke up, feeling a phantom pain in his hands that was a week old.

He sighed rubbing each in turn, the events he’d seen in his dream had happened a week ago now. Since then his grief for Tonks had settled into a dull ache and he’d found Krai. He’d gone to the Room of Requirement that night seeking a place to release the power he’d felt building up inside him. And he’d done it, hadn’t been able to stop it and the results had scared him.

He’d talked to Krai about it the moment Krai had begun to recover. The snake hadn’t been lucid for the first day and had drifted in and out of consciousness. The combination of poison and the ill effects of the bond had left him weak. Hagrid had cured him of the poison but Harry’s actions, sending him away had nearly done what the poison had not.

Had someone poisoned Krai on purpose or was it accidental?

It was too coincidental for Harry to consider it an accident. Someone had known he and Krai weren’t speaking and they’d done their best to get rid of the snake. Krai was at risk far more than he’d thought. But sending the snake away to safety just wasn’t an option. He had no choice to keep him here and even though it was dangerous he was kind of glad that Krai had to stay with him, he had missed him and he would not allow Krai to get into that state again.

Krai had spent the last two days curled up on Harry’s pillow but he’d finally been able to talk to him last night. The conversation hadn’t made him feel better.

According to Krai Harry was the only Draco alive, though there had been descendents the blood hadn’t manifested in centuries. The level of power he had couldn’t be received naturally, other than bonding with a magical creature like Dumbledore and Voldemort. In other words no one could be as powerful as him.

By bonding with their familiars Dumbledore and Voldemort had doubled their powers, thanks to the magic inherent in the creature species they had bonded to. Through the bond Voldemort had access to Nagini’s power and Dumbledore had access to Fawke’s power.

They were the only ones who could even understand the level of power afforded to him. Separately they weren’t a match for him, but Harry still had a lot to learn to be able to defeat them. It was strange thinking like that, but in some part of his mind he knew he’d have to kill his old mentor as well. It was an instinct, a feeling. Few people seemed to realize how dangerous Dumbledore really was. The ones who did seem to be the people that others wouldn’t trust like a Deatheater turned spy or a werewolf.

In the end he and Krai had thought that the best possible course of action for now was to carry on as they had been doing. Harry would continue with the DA and train with Snape. But they would add to that start searching for an answer that would break Salazar’s bonds. The only thing they could think of was that the book in Salazar’s hand might hold clues to the Draco’s nature. They knew a little, snakes having passed on the legends of the Draco for centuries. But they didn’t know enough, there was no manifestation to remind them and so many things had been forgotten. Salazar’s book was the only thing they could think of that might help them.

Krai had also suggested taking lessons from both Snape and Draco on controlling his emotions. Both were Slytherin’s famous for their masks of control. It was hoped that if he could control his emotions he could control the power more easily.

He didn’t know if it would work but it was the best option they had. He rolled over in bed to look at Krai. The snake was asleep on one of his pillows. To add insult to injury, as if the last few days hadn’t been enough Krai had begun shedding his skin. It was a difficult time for snakes; they lost the skin from all over their bodies including their eyes, making them blind, irritable and vulnerable.

It was bad enough for Krai right now without that. But that was something they couldn’t do anything about. The last two days had made Harry realize that he couldn’t send Krai away to the Manor even if he wanted to. Their connection was too volatile for that.

Harry sighed looking at the clock, time to start another day.


***


History of Magic was boring as usual, he paid no attention to the induction of house elf regulations. Normally he wouldn’t have paid any attention to anything to do with House elves anyway because Hermione would have gone on and on about it after the lesson. Now hearing about the enslavement of house elves just made him sad. He looked over at Hermione, she was still the only one taking notes but she wasn’t writing with the same zeal as usual. Nor did she seem that interested in what Bin’s was saying, even though she was the leader of the campaign if not the only campaigner for House Elf rights.

He shook his head; he was tired of thinking about Hermione and not being able to help her. But they had no new information to go on. And the more he thought about it, the more he felt he was doing the right thing by not pushing the issue surrounding her. If he didn’t focus on her, she was safe.

He turned his thoughts away from contemplating Hermione. He didn’t want to dwell on it, though he didn’t want to admit it there was a chance that they’d never be able to help her. This thing, this spell or whatever it was could easily be permanent. His mind shied away from those thoughts, he couldn’t imagine carrying on like this, without her. They were a trio, they’d been teased about it so many times but it was true, they were a trio and sometimes when he looked at Hermione he felt like he was missing a limb.

It was nearly the end of the lesson, nearly dinner. He had to eat fast so that he could spend as much time as possible with Draco. They couldn’t disappear for too long, it wasn’t nearly long enough but it was all the time they could afford. Ron was helping him out, he’d take some food up to Krai after he’d had his own.


***


Draco was already there when Harry arrived. The blonde was laid out on the couch, he had his eyes closed and hadn’t yet noticed that Harry was in the room. With a predatory look Harry strolled over and straddled the other boy’s hips causing him to start in surprise.

‘Hey stranger.’ Draco smiled, bringing his hands up to rest lightly on Harry’s hips.

‘Hey yourself love.’ Harry purred, leaning down for a kiss. ‘God I’ve missed you.’

Draco laughed silently pleased, he’d missed Harry as well. ‘You only saw me last night.’

‘Hhhmmm I did. But I wanted to see you this morning, asleep in my bed and again in our shower. But you weren’t there…’

Draco sighed. ‘I can’t be there Harry…’

‘I know why but I’m starting not to care.’ He lowered himself onto Draco’s body and rested his head on his mate’s shoulder. ‘They’ll find out one day so why can’t we just tell them?’

‘You know why Harry.’ Draco said stroking his mate’s hair.

‘Yeah I do but I don’t have to like it. We can only be together with a couple of people and I hate it.’

‘It’ll be better soon, remember once we get the Slytherin’s in the DA we can come out to all of them. We’ll have more time together.’

But it still won’t be enough. Harry thought silently.

‘I’ve talked to some of them.’ He finally said. ‘They’ve done as I asked, listened in to your conversations and they’re ready to give it a try.’

‘Seeing me with you will help won’t it?’ Draco said, slightly worried that his presence could cause trouble for his mate.

‘Don’t worry. I’ve seen quite a few shocked and thoughtful looks, especially around you, Blaise and Pansy. They’re willing to give you a shot Draco, the past might not be forgotten but it can be forgiven, just be like this with them.’ Harry replied, his breath tickling Draco’s neck.

Draco smirked. ‘What like this?’ he asked, slipping his hand down to cup Harry’s arse.

Harry growled, sitting up. ‘No! Just be the sweet guy I now know you are…’

Draco smiled at him, before pulling him down for another kiss. They broke away a while later.

‘Are you going to be there for the meeting?’ Draco asked.

‘I’ll be there.’


***


‘Ok everyone settle down.’ Pansy yelled over the din. She and Blaise took their positions in the chairs on either side of Draco, as the Slytherins who were conditioned to respond to those in authority fell silent. They all sat quietly, waiting expectantly for Draco to begin.

Draco was sat in one of the tall wing backed chairs that had been placed before the fire, two smaller chairs for Pansy and Blaise flanked his. The fire behind them glowed dimly, the feeble light casting shadows on their faces, making their features hard and cold. It was very theatrical, the perfect imitation of an audience with an evil leader.

‘The Dark Lord grows stronger, he expects our loyalty.’ Draco began before pausing to look around the room. ‘But are we loyal?’

The assembled Slytherins shuffled nervously, worried that the doubts in their mind were known to the Dark Lord and that they were about to be punished if not eliminated.

‘I charged Pansy and Blaise with seeking out all those loyal to the Dark Lord and those that were not.’ He paused again and Harry who was hidden beneath his invisibility cloak rolled his eyes at how dramatic Draco was being. He knew it was necessary, but still, Slytherins were odd people.

‘And the people in this room aren’t loyal to the Dark Lord!’

The reaction was instantaneous; several of the Slytherin’s drew their wands and tried to fire off curses at their three leaders. And all of those curses hit an invisible shield and instead of bouncing back like normal, just dissipated instead. The three intended targets hadn’t even moved, they hadn’t reached for their wands or done anything else to defend themselves.

Draco smirked, his eyes flicking to the corner where Harry was hiding.

He turned back to the other Slytherins they were all awed at the powerful shield and consequently even more worried than they had been before.

‘I was expecting that, as you can see.’ Draco said waving a hand expansively. Harry had to bite his lip to keep himself from laughing.

‘I have no loyalty to the Dark Lord.’

His admission was met with stunned silence and Harry silently applauded his mate. The sudden admission had shocked the Slytherins who weren’t expecting such a thing to be said by the son of the Dark Lords right hand. They’d been tense, prepared to run or fight, instead they’d heard that another doubted their leader as well and a Malfoy to boot.

None of them relaxed, which they had expected. Slytherins didn’t trust easily, not even their own. This was a smart thing to do when you were in a house where almost every student had Deatheaters for parents. Even if they were loyal to the dark, the wrong thing said could still mean death.

Draco was looking around the room now, catching everyone’s eye and waiting until each one looked away. They didn’t believe a word he’d said.

‘Professor Snape.’ Draco called, making all of the Slytherins start with fear and look towards the door where their potions master had hidden in the shadows. Snape stepped forward holding two vials of a clear liquid that everybody in the room recognized.

‘Veritaserum.’ Draco said simply.

The identification wasn’t necessary; Harry guessed that it was just to worry the Slytherin’s even more. The implications of the potion hadn’t been lost on anybody.

Harry didn’t really agree with their methods but he understood that the best way to get the Slytherins on their side was to intimidate them with power. And having four of the most powerful Slytherins on his side would convince a lot of them that their best option was to join Harry and not just sit around waiting for the Dark Lord and his followers to come calling.

Intimidation tactics, he might not like them but they worked.

‘Before the end of this meeting we will all be sure of our loyalties, those who do not share mine will be obliviated.’ Draco’s voice was calm and even throughout. The insinuation that everyone would be taking the veritaserum wasn’t lost on them.

A Slytherin sixth year stood and looked from Draco to Snape, before focusing back on Draco. ‘You say you are no longer loyal to the Dark Lord, why not? And how do we know this isn’t some trick to get rid of those of us who would betray him?’

Daphne Greengrass and Dahlia Moon moved to stand next to the boy.

‘He’s right.’ Daphne said. ‘We’ve known you for years Draco, long enough to hear you spouting his doctrines even when the rest of the world thought him dead. You are loyal to him. No one could act that well.’ Dahlia just nodded in agreement.

Draco was silent, contemplating how to phrase his answer. ‘I am not loyal to the Dark Lord, but I was. Before this Summer all my actions, everything I believed parroted the beliefs of my Father. You know the man Daphne, does he strike you as one forgiving of disobedience?’ She shook her head.

‘My only moments of free thought were when business called them away and I was left with my Godfather. Last year my Father wasn’t around, for a few short months I was free of him and able to think about the things that were hiding at the back of my mind. But then he got out of Azkaban. My Mother paid for his release and some stupid story about being at the Ministry doing some work and getting caught in the crossfire and framed was told to the papers. If they’d only checked his arm they’d have seen…but money is what counts and Fudge is as bent as they come.’

He shook his head trying to clear it, no matter how much he forced it away the emotion shone through, the fear was obvious and Harry found himself wanting to go over and comfort his mate.

‘I was told my role within the Dark Lord’s ranks…a whore, I am to be his whore. And that is one thing I will not be, not for the Dark Lord and not for anyone. I’d kill myself first but I’m not going to do that. Oh no, I’m going to fight and I’m going to watch Harry Potter kill him and I’m going to laugh.’

He looked up at them then, all of their eyes were on him. He knew the three of them had been careful in their choice, he didn’t think anyone could be fooling them but in Slytherin you never knew.

He’d been playing with their emotions, making them vulnerable, open, so that Severus could sneak into their minds and route out the truth. Silently he motioned for Pansy and Blaise to make their statements.

‘I’m not particularly bright or gifted.’ Pansy began. ‘I don’t have any special skills, not unless the Dark Lord wants fashion advice and my parents aren’t important enough to ensure me a strong place in the hierarchy. I don’t want it anyway though, I’ve seen them both come home from raids, battered, smelling of smoke and covered in blood. I don’t want that. Hell I don’t think I’ve got it in me to allow myself to get that dirty.’ A few people tittered.

‘And that’s what will happen in a battle. And if I, the vain self that I am disappear…apparate out, to get cleaned up…or just because I’m scared, he’ll kill me just because I’m not as crazy as the rest of them.’ She fell silent and all eyes turned to Blaise when he cleared his throat.

‘Now me I’m different.’ Blaise said. ‘Voldemort plans to make my Father Minister of Magic when they take it over. That role always belonged to Lucius but his slip up at the Ministry cost him. So my Father’s been assured a strong position…the son of the Minister of Magic, it has a nice ring to it doesn’t it?’ He shook his head not wanting or expecting anyone to answer.

‘I’ve made some friends. Yes me a Slytherin, I’ve let my guard down to trust somebody other than myself. These two…’ he said smiling at Pansy and Draco. ‘Other’s as well. Not in Slytherin. My friend, he doesn’t want followers, he doesn’t expect me to fight and that’s why I’ll fight for him and follow him onto that battlefield and face down that snake faced bastard and everything I once thought I wanted.’

Everyone was silent, they knew who he meant of course but they couldn’t believe it. Draco looked over to Severus.

‘There are two I’m unsure of.’ The man stated simply. The two he meant, a fifth year and another sixth year were brought out and given veritaserum. Neither one was obliviated and sent away.

Draco smiled satisfied, they knew their Slytherins well. They were satisfied with the trio’s answers but hesitant about their welcome on the other side. It was time.

‘My decision to switch over wasn’t done in a moment. It took me a long time.’ Draco shot a look to the corner where he still thought Harry was standing and almost jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

‘Talking to somebody and becoming more than friends, gave me the courage to finally do it.’ He tilted his head back to look at the space where he thought Harry’s head was and smiled when he heard the gasps as Harry threw the hood back from his face. This time the Slytherins were too shocked to throw curses, they just stared instead. Harry was beautiful in the flickering light from the fire, his eyes aglow and a deep and imposing visage but with a soft smile hinting at gentleness and understanding. Perfect.

‘Harry Potter.’ Draco breathed. The awe in his tone wasn’t lost on the assembled Slytherins, they’d never even heard Draco use that tone with the Dark Lord.

Harry smiled and leant over the back of the chair to give Draco a quick kiss. After a moment Draco turned back to the shocked Slytherins. Hhhmmm seems to be the theme of the meeting.

‘So who will you side with the Dark Lord or Harry Potter?’ Draco asked, his tone triumphant.




A/N…well there ya have it, what did ya think.


RECOMMENDATION…


While you were scheming

By clothsofheaven24

http://www.hpfandom.net/eff/viewstory.php?sid=17244


Blaise wants a boyfriends, he’s tired of all the meaningless relationships and sets his sights on Seamus. But getting Seamus might not be as easy as he thought. Being the only two left without a boyfriend Harry and Seamus have a pact that they cant date unless the other has somebody too. So Blaise enlists Draco’s help. Together they hatch a plan, for Draco to get Harry Potter into bed and for Blaise to get Seamus as his boyfriend. And once those things are done they’ll break up another of the Gryffindor couples, canceling out the pact and allowing Draco to break up with Harry.

That’s the plan, or it would be if a certain Slytherin didn’t forget the cardinal rule…Don’t fall for the guy whose heart you intend to break!


.