The Lion and the Serpent

It was late Sunday afternoon when Draco woke up in Harry\'s bed. Draco\'s body still ached slightly, but he didn\'t mind in the slightest. His collar was off, and nowhere in sight. He felt a small twinge of loss, but the feeling was bittersweet. He wouldn\'t need it anymore - not even as a reminder of where he belonged. The bond ran deep between them, connecting them and linking them irrevocably.



He got up quietly, and ambled into the shower. Turning around in front of the mirror, he stared at his back and buttocks. There were no scars, no marks. He was whole and undamaged. Hermione was a natural healer, Draco thought with admiration, and he vowed to himself to convince her to try again with her apprenticeship.



He heard Harry and Hermione banter in the living room. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and baked bread beckoned him tantalizingly, and he quickly cast a cleaning spell over himself, hopped into his clothes, and stormed out into the dining room.



“Good morning,” Hermione said cheerfully.



Harry mumbled something too, his mouth filled with food, and waved at him. Draco joined them at the table. The food never looked so good – but not just the food. All of his senses were heightened, and he looked around him in wordless wonder, noticing every nuance and detail of his surroundings. The heap of books on the floor, Harry\'s worn out shoulder bag, the faint scratches on the table, Hermione\'s messy, bushy hair – there was a strange, unreal beauty to absolutely everything around him. Everything was permeated in light. It was as if for the last year and a half, Draco had been wandering in the shadows, until finally, by some gracious miracle, he stumbled out into the sunlight. It was as if he was given a second chance at life – real life. Draco looked at Harry timidly, wondering if Harry could see it too.



Harry returned his gaze and gave him a smile that nearly took Draco\'s breath away. Harry\'s face looked somehow younger and fresher now, and the dark glow in his eyes had given way to the brilliant green.



“I can see it too,” Harry told him.



Hermione looked at them quizzically.



“It\'s the bond,” Harry explained. “It\'s grown deeper. I can hear his thoughts all the time.”



“Great,” Hermione muttered, clearly displeased. “Slavery at its finest. No privacy whatsoever.”



She\'s so insufferably annoying, Draco thought deliberately. Talk about ruining the mood!



“True,” Harry said with a twinkle in his eye, “But don\'t say it out loud – you still need her help with your coursework.”



They both laughed and Hermione gave them a token glare before joining them. But even through the mirth, Draco could see that Hermione\'s comment triggered something in Harry, and a faint shadow of regret and sadness crossed his face.



Harry, Draco thought. I don\'t mind it. It\'s kind of scary – but I like being known. Being known by you.



“Thank you,” Harry said quietly.



They were quiet for a minute or so, but then their silence was rudely interrupted, when Minerva McGonnagal stormed into Harry\'s quarters without knocking, and slammed a piece of parchment on the table.



“What, may I ask, is this?” she demanded, her voice seething with fury.



Draco shivered, unnerved. In his entire years at Hogwarts, he had never seen her this angry.



“I thought it was pretty self-explanatory,” Harry said dryly. “Do you new glasses? I can recommend an excellent optician...”



“This appears to be a letter of resignation, Mr. Potter,” she said icily. “Unacceptable.”



“On the contrary, it is necessary,” Harry said calmly. “Minerva. Think about it for a minute. You know what happened. What I did. I am not some noble war hero. I am a slave-owner. I am a rapist. I have the Dark Mark that I will carry for the rest of my life. The best I can do for the school is go away.”



“You are not going anywhere,” she said, and there was a finality in her voice. “You have been given full Professorship, and you will be heading your House. Moreover, in view of magical and legal ... complications in your private life, you will keep your personal behavior exemplary, treat your partner with absolute respect, and be a role model for the students.”



“Flattering,” Harry said with a faint smile, “But the answer is no. I should step aside for new people to take my place. The school needs new teachers... new people. People untainted by the dark.”



Minerva looked at him from above her glasses, at a loss for words.



“There are no such people, Harry,” Hermione spoke up softly. “There\'s just us. And none of us have been ourselves lately...”



“I am a terrible teacher,” Harry muttered. “I hate kids.”



“So did Snape,” Minerva smiled mischievously. “But he stayed here for as long as he was needed. And so will you.”



Harry sighed, and then looked at Draco questioningly.



“What do you think?” he asked.



Draco turned his head, startled. “You are asking.. my opinion?”



Everyone looking at him, Draco shrugged, feeling strangely unnerved.



“You should do whatever makes you happy,” Draco said simply. “If you are not going to be happy teaching, don\'t do it. But if you think you can survive it... It\'d be good for the school. For your House.” Draco winced at the memory of the bullying and pitiless harassment over the last eighteen months, and added: “The Gryffindors need someone like you to help them... regain normalcy. It\'d be good for you too, too, I think.”



“It\'s a conspiracy,” Harry muttered under his breath. “All of you, ganging up on me like that. For shame.”



“Well, maybe now it\'s time to gang up on Granger?” Draco said. “She should go back to her healing apprenticeship. You two need to talk some sense into her.”



Hermione laughed cheerfully, and both Minerva and Harry joined her. Draco watched them, confused.



“Okay, I obviously slept through something important,” he muttered. “Enlighten me.”



“I\'ve accepted a new job offer this morning,” Hermione said. “I\'ll be heading up the Department of Ethics at Hogwarts... as well as one of the Houses.”



“Oh,” Draco said. “Well... I have to admit, this is a way better fit for you.”



“You really think so?” she asked hopefully. Once again, it amazed Draco that she obviously valued his opinion. His legal status aside, he was among friends who genuinely wanted to know what he thought.



“Yes!” Draco said firmly, with absolute seriousness. “With you in charge of the Ethics Department, the forces of darkness don\'t stand a chance. You\'ll nag them to death.”



They all laughed out loud – Harry included. But as Draco watched Harry\'s face, he saw that the shadow of sadness still lingered on it, unnoticed by others. Draco realized that in spite of every word of reassurance from anyone else, Harry still considered himself tainted, unworthy of a second chance.



--- ---------------------------------------------to be continued ...



A/N: Maybe 5 or so chapters left... minimal angst, maximum fluff.



QueenBodaciea: response to your comment:

I always intended Asklepio to be an injury reolcation spell, rather than a healing spell (Asklepius was sentensed by gods to die for bringing others to life - so in effect, he took their injuries upon himself). But YOU reminded me of the image of the snake associated with his name, and I shamelessly stole the idea for the explanation chapter. So thank you very much!