A Pale Shadow

AN: First I want to start by saying I am sorry for the length of wait but I had a some RL troubles going on. I hope that this is worth the wait. Second I would like to thank that three readers that took time to review this fic, Thank you Pinktarg, Jessica, And Hel Bee. Now on with the story.

The twins had arrived two weeks after Ginny had contacted them that Harry was awake and immediatly started to work on weapons of mass confusion. It was good to have them back, even if they didn\'t laugh as much as they did before, Fred and George could still be counted on lifting the spirits of those around them. Unless of course you happened to be the poor soul on who they were testing their latest prank. Harry had come to respect the power of the prank toys made by the twins as a box containing some of Fred and George\'s finest firecrackers saved his life. Every since that day the twins made it their personal mission to make weapons based on their toys. Harry\'s favorite was the exploding snap that released a highly concentrated itch powder when stepped on. A good portion of the battle saw little casualties as the order was able to subdue Death eaters caught in the twins\' traps.

Harry was also glad to count among their ranks a greater showing of those slytherins that had not joined Tom was there. He couldn\'t help feel that the last battle would have went even faster than it had if they had joined before. Not that he blamed them to much, they were after all going against their families wishes by not doing what was expected of them. He nodded to Blaise and Pansy as he passed them and almost stopped as he saw hope in their eyes and he couldn\'t help wondering when that feeling had last lived in them. Pansy spoke up, trying to sound like she used to when they had gone to school together, \"Shouldn\'t you be sleeping Potter? I mean it would look bad if the head of the army is snoring in his saddle wouldn\'t it?\"

\"Well I tried that but it seems that right when i was falling asleep a strange thudding sound started up. It had a good rhythm to it but then I swear this female that sounds just like you, \"Harry poked the tip of her nose teasingly, \"started to call out what sounded like praises to higher power at the top of her lungs.\" Harry looked to Blaise, \"I know now why she keeps you around and it\'s just not your looks.\"

Pansy slapped his arm, \"I think you had better leave now Mr. Potter if you want to be able to walk that is.\"

Harry laughed as he walked away from two people he once thought wanted him dead and then sighed, it had been over a month. Fudge had acted the way that Harry thought he would and sent a letter that told him that they could not release Severus Snape as he was already dead. Harry had almost lost it before Draco was able to point out that they would have known before now, their sorce inside the dreaded wizard prison would have told them. His thoughts were racing in a circle, mixing up the plans that they had come up for attacking and entering the prison, to what he would find once they had taken it under control. Which was the real reason Harry was out walking around the halls of Hogwarts, a peice of old parchment in his hand.

He pulled the hood of the cloak up so that his face was hidden as he continued to walked down the halls with but a whisper of cloth swishing to mark his passage. He listened to the others, listened to the few fears that were being whispered and the fearlessness of others who felt in control of their destinies for once in a long time. He was proud of his troops whose laughter and teasing lifted his weary soul as he walked amongst them. Stepping out of the way of a couple who were sharing a few moments before the breaking of the dawn, to be together for the last time and a ghost of a smile touched his delicate features as he lost himself to his memories
.


Slow steps became in sink with Harry’s own and he smiles as he hears his potion professor speak, “I see that you believe just because you have to face the dark lord tomorrow that you are free to break school rules, Potter.”

Harry turns his head just enough to glance at the man’s profile and notices that behind the scowl was a laugh, “I was just finishing my own rounds to keep up the troops spirits, Professor and besides Sir, aren’t you supposed to be at your family’s manor about now?”

“Why you insolent brat, I should take you over my knee and teach you to mind your own business.” If any others had been around it would have sounded like a threat that the evil git meant to carry through but Harry knew that the man was just trying to bait him.

He stopped and faced the potion master with a smug grin, “We both know that isn’t any type of punishment as I like it when you spank me.”

“Well at least I do know a better use of your mouth besides you spouting cheek.” Severus walked towards the stairs that lead down to the dungeons and paused to see if Harry would follow. Harry walked over and laced his fingers with Severus’s as they headed down to his privet rooms.



Harry noticed that he stopped at that stairway half expecting to see Severus staring at him waiting to see if he would follow. The smile that had played on his lips died, he feared for what he would find and was sick with worry that they would be to late. Harry braced himself against the wall to his left, as an epiphany came to him, at least with Voldemort and his cronies Harry knew what to expect, this was not so with Fudge. Not that it matter, he would not abandon the man, Harry had made a promise to himself that he would stand by Severus no matter what state he was in. He hoped that he would have the strength that called for.

“For Merlin’s sake Pottie breath will you.” Harry focused on the words and then relaxed before looking over to the blond standing next to him.

“Well well if it isn’t the great amazing bouncing ferret.” Harry teased back; even now the two couldn’t fully stop the name calling. Ron said before he had been lost to them, that it was simply because it reminded them all of simpler times. “What do you want?”

Draco snorted as if insulted by what Harry had just said, “Me a Malfoy want anything from you Potter? Need I remind you Pottie that not all of us care if you are the boy who lived besides I could buy you several times if I wanted to.”

Harry coughed to cover up his laughed and then moved over closer to Draco and fluttered his eyelashes, “I will have you know that I am not as cheap as you think I am and demand only the best and while we speak of best, you still owe me a silk shirt.”

Draco rolled his eyes, “Well you drop the silk shirt Harry, I told you it was Ron’s fault that it got ruined and not mine. If you want it replaced talk to him.”

With a look that Draco had named Harry’s virginal sacrifice look, Harry answered, “What everyone knows that you’re his sugar daddy.”

“You have no tact Harry.” Draco said as he shook his hair.

Harry noticed how disheveled Draco really looked up close. Dark circles were under his eyes, “Has Ron been having fits or are the old nightmares back?”

Everyone had nightmares of some sort, at least everyone that had fought in the last battle. Draco was no exception but his luck ran in threes, first his mother, then his father and finally Ron had all been taken from him in one way or another. Draco spoke finally, shaking Harry from his thoughts, “Both actually, he knows something is happening but doesn’t and I think he is scared. Which in turns means that I lose sleep and the dreams come back when I do.”

Harry felt his heart break for his friends’ suffering and as it did more fuel was added to the fire that burned in his soul even as he made a kind gesture, “Draco you don’t have to go tomorrow, I will make sure that those involved in your father’s death as well as what happened to Ron will still be alive for you to deal with.”

“No, if Ron was just wounded he would tell me to go.” Draco rubbed his hands over his face, “Besides I am the only other person that Severus will listen too and you just might need me. Harry you must remember that Severus is a very dangerous man and if he feels cornered he will act before thinking.”

“I am fully aware of what that man is capable of.” Harry gripped Draco’s shoulder giving a comforting squeeze, “When Severus and I first got together he had been called away to a meeting. I am not sure what happened as I didn’t go to sleep that night but I made the mistake of going to him before he had enough time to gather his wits about him. I have been hit by a few expellerimus in my time but never with the force that I was hit with that night.”

Harry and Draco began to move again needing to do something as Harry continued, “When I woke up again, he was sitting on the edge of the bed and I am still not sure how I lived through that one. He was more enraged at that time than he had been the time I made the mistake of looking into his pensive.”

“You did what?” Draco looked at Harry as if he had grown another head, “You should have been dead then, when did this happen?”

Harry chuckled at Draco’s surprise, “Remember in fifth year when you thought I was in remedial potions?”

A real laugh fell from Draco’s lips, “I wondered what had happened that year between the two of you. I mean he was always a bastard to you but he even surpassed himself that year.”

“Well now you know.” Harry paused in his steps, “Well I can tell you this I was smart enough when I realized that he pissed to leave without him having to tell me. That was the worst month of my life and that is saying something considering my life.”

Draco nodded, “Well it was no picnic for us in his house either, and I was ready to pour a potion in his drink just to calm him down. I think that Dumbledore had something to do with Sev’s sudden shift in attitude.”

Harry just nodded, “Not all too certain on that one, all I know is one day he walks up to me and tells me to meet him at eight. I wasn’t about to argue with him if it meant getting a chance to talk to him. Instead he laid down rules by which I would have to follow or there would be no more contact between us. Since he explained this all while reacquainting himself to my body I was in no position to say no.”

Draco grinned at the memory and then bumped Harry into the wall, “We will get him back, he will not be dead and we will get to live our happily every after.”

“Yes we will Draco; I think that the two of us are owed at least that.” Harry said and then moved to head back to the stairs that would lead him down in the dungeons, “Even if our knights are just a little battered.”

“I didn’t need a knight on a white horse Harry; I could have bought myself one of those.” A look of pride washed over his fair face, “but I could never buy him.”

“No you could never buy him and that is why you love him.” Harry whispered as Draco disappeared out of sight. For some odd reason Harry found that he felt a little better for the talk that he just had.