Gilded Soul

Author¡¦s notes: As always I owe much love to my brilliant beta Casey, I wrote the next couple of chapters specifically for her ƒº I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: Obviously I do not own any of the recognized content within this story.

-- Chapter Six: Hare James Potter
The moon shown brightly on the maze as Draco made his way through it, following Harry¡¦s footsteps in the dirt. As he rounded the corner he spotted his slim friend up ahead. This time there was no cloak, and Draco could clearly see him. ¡§Potter,¡¨ he called.

Harry turned to face him and waved, face shining with sweat. He backtracked to where Draco was standing. When they were face to face, Harry¡¦s hand darted out and poked Draco roughly in the chest. ¡§Ow,¡¨ Draco murmured, more out of surprise then injury.

¡§Just wanted to check and see if you were really here,¡¨ Harry mused.

Draco rolled his eyes but struggled to keep a smile from curling his lips. ¡§Is there anything up there?¡¨ Draco started, gesturing towards the path Harry came from.

Harry shrugged. ¡§I hadn¡¦t made it around the corner yet. Come on.¡¨ Grabbing Draco by the wrist, he led him further down the path and around the next corner. Draco tensed, thinking Harry was going to hold his hand, but relaxed instantly at the feel of Harry¡¦s warm touch against his skin. After about three turns and three arguments as to which way to go, the boys came across a large clearing. It was completely surrounded in hedgerows, which provided no visible exit. A magnificent stone altar stood in the center of the dead end.

The boys tentatively approached the imposing structure, marveling at the intricate stone carvings covering the fascia. The base of the altar was a table, the height of a school desk, but no deeper then a hands breadth. As they made their way closer, the mantle opened, revealing a sleek wooden box.

Harry slid in front of the Slytherin as if to protect him, to which Draco promptly moved back to Harry¡¦s right side. ¡§You really shouldn¡¦t make a habit of this ¡§trying to save me¡¨ thing. I feel it might get tiresome,¡¨ he said with a slight edge of humor.

Harry just shrugged, laughing. ¡§It comes with the territory. If you want me, you get my hero-complex too.¡¨

Draco¡¦s gaze alighted on the Gryffindor¡¦s smiling features and his stomach did several flips. He was finding it increasingly difficult to hide his growing feelings for his former rival. ¡§Acceptance is the first step to recovery.¡¨

Harry had already moved onto other subjects, however, and was focused intently on the now-open wooden box. On the inside of the lid was a tarnished silver plaque with a phrase written upon it. Draco leaned over his shoulder to get a better look and read it aloud to himself. ¡§Drink only one to move ahead. Choose correct lest you be dead.¡¨ Draco huffed. ¡§Great.¡¨

Harry pointed to the interior of the box, which contained five clear vials, each with a different liquid inside. ¡§Potions,¡¨ Draco muttered, and Harry nodded in agreement.

Each vial had a black label with a pictogram on the surface, and both boys scanned the images, searching for their meaning. ¡§I think the first one with the skull and crossbones is out right off.¡¨ Draco said, pointing to the first vial which contained a thick, black liquid.

¡§Also the one with the coffin,¡¨ Harry said, pointing to the third one in line, which was a sickly green color.

Draco pointed to the fifth potion containing a glowing yellow mixture. ¡§I think this one with the scythe can be ruled out as well. That still leaves two potions.¡¨

Harry leaned forward squinting slightly. ¡§Is that a tombstone?¡¨

Draco checked the vial Harry pointed to, the forth in the line and deep blue in color and nodded. ¡§I think it would be safe to say that this is indeed a tombstone.¡¨ Pointing at the delicate R.I.P on the label.

¡§So that leaves lettuce!¡¨ Harry exclaimed.

¡§What?¡¨ Draco replied, clearly thinking he had heard wrong.

¡§It just leaves the vial with the picture of lettuce on it. As least, it looks like lettuce,¡¨ Harry muttered, pointing at the second vial, which was filled with a thin purple liquid. He picked it out of the case.

¡§Wait!¡¨ Draco shouted. ¡§You can¡¦t seriously mean to drink this?¡¨

Harry smiled. ¡§Are you worried about me, Malfoy?¡¨

Draco looked flustered. ¡§No, certainly not, but it¡¦s a bit dangerous to drink some random dream potion. What if it kills you?¡¨

Harry ignored him and uncorked the potion, sniffing it. ¡§It smells like carrots.¡¨ Scrunching up his nose he held the vial out to Draco, who batted it away.

¡§Harry! What if something bad happens?¡¨ Draco shouted, grabbing a hold of the other boy¡¦s robes.

Harry¡¦s mouth dropped open in amazement. ¡§You just called me Harry.¡¨

Draco stopped and looked around frantically. ¡§No. I didn¡¦t. You¡¦re mistaken.¡¨

Harry snickered and shook his head lightly. ¡§If something goes wrong, wake up and get Hermione.¡¨ Without waiting for a reply, Harry downed the potion in one swallow.

Draco¡¦s heart nearly stopped as he waited to see if the effects of the potion would hurt the insufferable Gryffindor.

Harry just kept looking down at his hands, which were slowly being incased in a fine coat of soft black fur.

Draco gasped as he watched Harry¡¦s skin make a slow transition from smooth and tanned, to black and furred. ¡§Werewolf,¡¨ Draco whispered terrified.

Harry looked himself over, holding his ears, which were beginning to elongate. ¡§I don¡¦t think so. Not wolf, anyhow.¡¨

The transformation started to speed up, making Draco feel a little nauseous trying to watch it carefully. After a moment or two, Draco was staring down at a small fluffy black bunny, with tiny round glasses and a small white lightening bolt shape between its long black ears.

--

Harry looked up at the snickering form of Draco Malfoy and shook his newly furred body in irritation. Turning away from him, he scanned the small clearing and immediately found what he was looking for.

In one of the hedges, to the left of the altar, was a hole just large enough to slide his small body inside. He hopped twice and stopped, hearing Draco guffaw behind him. I can¡¦t believe I¡¦m hopping. I should have made Draco drink the potion. He continued his bouncy journey over to the hole in the hedge, which he slipped through easily.

On the opposite side of the hedge, another clearing, this one slightly smaller, lead to a new maze entrance. Harry looked around and spotted a small stone depression in the ground. Hopping into the depression, the stone slowly rose, elevating Harry several feet into the air.

The hedge he had just come through broke open and revealed a frantic looking Draco, who immediately burst into a run and scooped Harry from the platform and into his arms. ¡§Don¡¦t scare me like that. You can¡¦t just go¡K hopping away in bunny form. Something could eat you!¡¨

--

Draco woke up with an uneasy feeling that he couldn¡¦t shake off. He reached across to his nightstand and documented the entire dream, including Harry¡¦s transformation into bunny form. After replacing his journal he went to his trunk and fished out his robes and a change of clothing. After dressing, he flicked his wand over the bedspread, smoothing it down save for one tiny lump.

The lump in Draco¡¦s bedspread mimicked the one in his throat, as he suddenly realized what was hiding under the blanket. He yanked back the covers in one fluid motion and groaned as his hunch was confirmed. There, lying in a tiny heap, was Harry the bunny.

Draco ran over and picked him up, holding and turning him to make sure he wasn¡¦t harmed in any way. ¡§I don¡¦t suppose you can understand me?¡¨

The bunny just scrunched his nose cutely, eliciting a smirk from Draco. ¡§Okay, blink twice if you can understand me.¡¨

The bunny just stared adorably at Draco, unblinking.

Draco huffed and tucked the bunny under his robes and left the Slytherin common room, heading toward the seventh floor.

--

It was still early for anyone to be moving about the castle, so Draco had to wait longer then he would have liked for someone to exit through the portrait hole for the Gryffindor common room. Patience was not something Draco had a firm handle on, so he continued to stroke the furry animal in his lap distractedly until a small blonde head popped out from behind the portrait.

Seeing Draco sitting on the floor made the young girl freeze in place. She was obviously just a first year student and was extremely nervous at seeing a sixth year Slytherin loitering outside the Gryffindor common room.

¡§I need to see Hermione Granger, do you know who that is?¡¨ Draco drawled. The young girl nodded slowly and Draco motioned for her to go back inside. ¡§Go on, go and get her, then.¡¨

The girl rushed back through the portrait hole in such a hurry she tripped, narrowly catching herself, before disappearing behind the fat lady.

Draco continued to pet the soft bunny in the depths of his robes and smiled as the bunny nuzzled his hand. A moment later the young girl emerged again from the behind the portrait followed by Hermione. A glare from Draco sent the blonde girl skittering downstairs toward the Great Hall.

Hermione waited until the girl was out of earshot before speaking. ¡§What brings you up to the Gryffindor tower, Draco?¡¨

Draco answered by pulling the small bunny from the depths of his robes and holding him up for Hermione to see.

¡§You got me a rabbit?¡¨ Hermione asked, confusion etched into her features.

¡§Look closer,¡¨ Draco replied, annoyed. He watched as the confusion ebb away to be replaced by fear.

¡§Oh no. That¡¦s not¡K¡¨ Hermione gasped. Draco nodded, handing over Harry for her inspection.

¡§Harry how did you do this to yourself?¡¨ she admonished the poor little bunny.

¡§He drank a potion, in the dream maze.¡¨ At Hermione¡¦s glare he held up his hands in defense. ¡§I told him not to. Pleaded even, but you know Harry.¡¨

Hermione sighed and looked into the bunny¡¦s green eyes. ¡§Harry, I hope I can fix this.¡¨