All I Ever Wanted

DISCLAIMER: Warning! I make no claim to any property of J.K. Rowling's, and am in no way profiting by this. I do offer her my sincerest thanks for allowing us this garden of the mind in which we play. Further Warning! This story...and likely any I ever write…are dominated by gay themes and characters. That's how it is, if this in any way makes you uncomfortable...do not read further.


All I Ever Wanted.... chap. 47 'Strange Bedfellows'


One look at Draco told Harry that Blaise was deadly serious. Every face in the room was fixed on Harry, waiting for a reaction. There was nothing to be done for it, but to dive in and find out what he was dealing with here.

"Then I guess we have something to talk about. Someone conjure me a seat and let me hear what's going on." Harry took his seat after Draco hastily Transfigured one for him, then he addressed the assembled Slytherins.

"I think I can say this safely. Everyone here has proven themselves to Draco, and that's the same as proving yourself to me. I can honestly tell you that if there is a way I can help, I'll do it. It still freaks me out a little, since I never imagined saying that out loud in a room full of Slytherins." Harry smiled to show his words were in jest, hoping to lighten the mood a little.

Blaise was holding Pansy's hand while he sat next to her, and she looked a little peaked and wan. Something had rattled all their nerves over the last few days. Pansy coughed and spoke up.

"It's our parents. Pot...I mean, Harry. My father, and Vince and Greg's fathers...they're all gone. None of us know where they went, but we think we know why. We think you know why, too. Draco won't share anything about what you've been up to, and we don't expect him to, but we did ask him to arrange this meeting." Crabbe and Goyle nodded morosely, showing agreement with Pansy.

Blaise took it up from there. "You and Draco, it ought to be impossible, but you did it anyway. Makes a person think, 'What else is possible?' We've thought about this a lot. No one in this room tonight wants to be marked or serve the Dark Lord. If it were up to us, he'd be a lone crackpot ex-Slytherin in dire need of an attitude adjustment.

Some of us remember our fifth year pretty clearly, and even though we could never prove it, we know Dumbledore was building an army of students. Draco has been our friend since we got here. I don't want to go throwing around words like trust, so let's just say I believe in Draco. And he believes in you. I know he wouldn't pick a side with no hope of victory, and if he believes, then I believe. We're not heroes, but does your side have room for a few more? We'll take Veritaserum, swear Oaths of Binding, whatever. As long as you don't burn a brand into our souls and torture us for amusement, well, we're pretty much yours."

Draco remained silent. He was letting Harry take the lead on this. Inside, he feared that any pressure on his part would smack of loyalty to his house instead of Harry. Draco settled for pleading with his eyes. ‘I believe them. They need you. Please help them, Harry.' Draco's eyes speared that message through Harry in a single glance. It was heard and accepted.

Harry thought his answer out carefully, as this was a dangerous game. Too much information and they became liabilities, too little and they wouldn't join. There was a balance to be kept, but he thought he could keep it safely.

"Alright. There's a few things I can tell you before we go any further than this, but you understand that there's a lot I can't say until this is formalized." Every one save Draco nodded somberly. "Good. First, there are a lot of people on this side. I can't name names, but there are more of us than you'd think, we're well organized, and we have more than a few tricks up our sleeves. Second, we have ways to hide or protect people, if that's what they really want, but we always need more help. Maybe just support in the background, or right in the thick of it. I can't promise safety, and I can't even promise victory, but I can promise that, with us, no one will be tortured, and no one will be forced to kill unless they volunteer to fight. Now, what I want to know is, what is it that you want specifically? Why come to us now?"

Pansy was going to speak, but seemed to have trouble getting the words out, so Blaise spoke up again. "I didn't think you'd get it right off. You aren't in Slytherin, so you wouldn't understand. We know what our parents would want from us, and if we weren't in school right now, we'd be marked and serving the Dark Lord already. We put this off as long as we could, but with our parents gone and school almost over...Potter, we know what's coming, and maybe we'll get killed for choosing the wrong side in this, but with the Dark Lord, even if we win, we win a life of slavery. At least this way, we have a chance, and even if it isn't much, it's better than nothing. We don't 'want' anything. We're joining up with the side that will leave us a world we can live in and still keep our sanity. Not looking to go out in a blaze of glory here, but if there's a way to tip the balance in your favor and come out with our skin intact, we'll take it! So...can you help us?"

Harry weighed what he heard and, against everything he'd ever expected, he knew what his answer had to be.

"It can be done. There are people I'll have to talk to, and it may be a few days before this is resolved. All I can give you right now is my word that I'll start making arrangements on your behalf as fast as I can. All of you have been good friends to Draco, and any friend of his, is a friend of mine." Harry held is hand out to Blaise, and the hand that met his was strong and confident. The sigh of relief that the assembled Slytherins collectively released was the only sound in the room for a minute.

Draco finally made his presence known, now that Harry had rendered his own judgment. "I told you it would be fine, Pans. Harry will make sure you're covered. I'm not saying things won't get ugly, but when the dust settles...I know who'll still be standing...and he won't be wearing black!" His voice echoed the disdainful overconfidence of his youth, likely to reassure his house mates that his own confidence was complete.

They chatted nervously, albeit less so than before, and spoke of lighter topics. Pansy must have already been warned about Draco's opinion regarding the Leaving Ball, since contrary to her nature, she made no witty comments involving the word 'queen'. 'Just as well', thought Harry, since he had no desire to carry Draco's friends to the hospital ward. Besides, they had places to be tonight that couldn't be put off.

After a surprisingly enjoyable time in the company of five Slytherin students, Harry wished their friends, and soon to be comrades, a good night, then sat down to talk to Draco about the days developments.

"So, love...do you want the good news or the bad news first?" Harry was smiling, since being near Draco almost always made him do that, but his voice hinted at seriousness and near-exhaustion.

"I'll take the good news! Nothing you say could be all that bad. You just helped the handful of people from Slytherin House that matter the most to me... Harry, you're my hero!"

Harry blushed at the sincerity of Draco's words, but got back to the point. "Well, Remus Lupin is back in town, and he'd love to meet us for dinner some night...soon."

Draco hid it well, but Harry could detect his sudden tension. Draco fiddled with his cuff before answering with a half hearted quip. "I thought there was good news...now I'm worried. You're sure he said 'meet', right? I'd hate think tragedy was about to strike because you thought you heard an 'M'."

Harry was crestfallen. "He's really a wonderful person, Draco. If you just meet him once, I know you'll like him. Please. It's really important to me. He's the last of my parent's friends who still lives. I...I know the whole werewolf thing makes him a little spooky, but he takes Wolfsbane Potion for the full moon, and the rest of the time he's fine. Please tell me you'll try to get along with him...please?"

Draco cracked under the barrage from Harry. It was more than he could take, especially after Harry had put his friends at ease. "Alright, alright. I'll have dinner with him and see how it goes. As long as he doesn't pee on the rug, hump my leg or chew on the furniture I'm sure we'll get on just fine."

"Draco! He doesn't do anything like that and you know it. Besides, if Snape can make his potions, you can be nice during dinner."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, Harry. Old habits die hard. Some people smoke, or chew their nails. How gauche. When I'm tense, I snark. It's less common, but it's what I do." Draco was smirking, but at least he had the grace to look a little embarrassed. "I'll be fine. He was never mean to anyone, but I'm just edgy about the whole homicidal animal once a month thing."

Harry relaxed and took his boyfriend's hand. "Once you two get to talking, you'll be fine. I know you will, but there are some other things you need to know about. I've got to drop by Gryffindor tower. There's an Order meeting tonight. I'm meeting with Ron and 'Mione for a bit to let them know. The news just came in. The Aurors are going to be pulling out of Hogsmeade. I was with Remus when McGonagall got back from the Ministry, and she was severely pissed. I think they're being put on the search for the missing Death Eater families. That and the search for Dumbledore. I'll be back as soon as I can. Alright, love?"

"No Aurors! Are they fucking crazed? No wonder my father always hated the Ministry, it's staffed by mental defectives!"

"We're still working out some plans to compensate for them. Just don't tell anyone else, even from the Order, until the meeting. No one else knows yet except Remus and myself. McGonagall only got the word from Scrimgeour a couple hours ago. If it's any comfort, you can look at the new exercises I got today, then help me practice them tomorrow. It'll keep you occupied 'til I get back, and I think they'll make you feel a bit better. They're all about 'power theft', or something along those lines."

"Wait, you mean they finally worked out practical exercises for power leeching from other wizards? That was in theoretical section in the last chapter! Bloody hell! Who needs the Ministry? If you take this far enough, the Black Prat will be firing blanks. Give me those!" Draco greedily snatched the papers from Harry's hands, scanning the pages and mumbling to himself. The word brilliant came to the surface a few times, but eventually he settled down with a sigh.

"Thought that might cheer you up." Harry leaned in and kissed Draco on top his head. "You need to relax a bit. We've got plenty to do tonight before we get any sleep. Save your energy."

"Hah! Save it for you, you mean? Don't worry. I'll be fine, just get back as soon as you can."

Mutual tensions resolved, Harry and Draco slid into proper 'snogging mode' and couldn't quite bring themselves to part. Then the distinctive pop of an Apparating house-elf snapped them back to reality.

"For Masters Harry and Draco, sirs. A message from Professor Snape. Only for you, sirs!" The little creature held out a single scrap of parchment.

Harry reached out and accepted it, then thanked the elf before it left. When he opened the slip of parchment, words slowly appeared on the blank page. More of Severus' spy craft. Harry read it aloud for Draco's benefit. The words disappeared within seconds of having been read.

"I have been summoned. Inform the Headmistress. I've little time. There is no way to gauge when I will be able to return. Do what you must. Severus Snape."

Draco sat in shock a moment. "It's been a long while since he's been summoned. This can't be good. Harry, do you think this is it?"

"I don't know. I really don't. I'm glad there's an Order meeting tonight. Fuck! Could our lives possibly get just a little more complicated? Gotta go, love. I'll be back fast as I can."

Harry paused for a final long kiss, then parted from the lips that threatened to keep him from his responsibilities, and hurried out of the suite and up to Gryffindor. This was not the first time he'd ever wondered when life would let up just a little, and to his constant irritation, he knew it likely wouldn't be the last.