Complementary

Title: Complementary
Author: rotschopf
Type: FPS
Pairing: Lucius Malfoy/ Harry Potter
Disclaimer: nope, still not mine; pity, though...
WARNING: If you haven\'t read Book 5 this story is not for you.
Note: Please review. It\'s my first HP story and I want to know if I do a good job or not. If anyone sees mistakes... please send me an owl and point them out, so that I can correct them.
Review notes:

@Rena: *grins* I know all those things. Give me a chance... Pretty please.... (: Sorry \'bout the \'wand-thing\'...
@chantalmalfoy: soon
@bogan: Here comes your first lengthy chapter. \'Well, at least, I tried...

ks tks to all of you who just have left a kind note or sent me mail. I don\'t know how often I\'ll update the story. Depends on my muse and how much time I spend writing other stuff. (:

But now... On with the story....


~o0o~

Chapter 6: In the eye of the beholder

~o0o~

\"Where\'s Malfoy?\" Harry looked up from his breakfast at Ron\'s remark. \"Bet the git\'s too afraid of the Slytherins\' wrath.\"

Harry smiled. \"Wouldn\'t you be?\"

Ron snorted and didn\'t answer. \"Snape\'s not here, too.\"

\"Find Malfoy and you\'ll find Snape.\" Harry smirked. \"Remember? He accompanied Malfoy to Diagon Alley. And he\'s the Head of Slytherin.\"

Seamus yawned. \"Don\'t know, don\'t care. Anyhow. Who\'s with me in Potions?\"

\"Only Hermione and me. Looks like Snape\'s spoilt the fun for Gryffindor,\" Harry said with mock seriousness.

Hermione ellbowed him. \"That\'s not funny, Harry.\"

\"Potion\'s not funny,\" Harry answered. \"Why are you taking Potions, Seamus?\"

\"Mediwizards have to take it.\"

\"Thanks Merlin, I don\'t have to take it,\" Ron muttered.

Harry laughed. \"I should be mad at you for leaving me alone.\"

Ron grinned sheepishly, before Harry stood up. \"Let\'s go. I don\'t want to give Snape the opportunity to take away points from Gryffindor, yet.\"

\"He\'ll find a way,\" Seamus replied. \"He always does.\"

~o0o~

Potions was so not going to be Harry\'s favourite subject. Yet again. Snape had arrived with the foulest mood Harry had ever seen his Potion\'s professor in. Malfoy had indeed arrived with the greasy Slytherin and had taken a seat far away from his usual Slytherin company. Snape had started a rant about how he couldn\'t understand how any of the students present could have made it into Advanced Potions. He then paired them up with students who he exactly knew wouldn\'t get along. Harry still had been lucky not to be paired with Malfoy. He had to live through this year with Crabbe. Hermione and Seamus were sold off to Goyle and Parkinson. Indeed, no one had been paired with Malfoy; he was working alone. Either Snape didn\'t trust anyone in class to not trying to kill Malfoy or he thought his precious student too good to work with any of the lower class.

Herbology was much more fun. The only Slytherin in the class was Malfoy. Harry began to wonder, then, how many more subjects they were taking together. Malfoy was unusually quiet and peaceful during class. He even managed to impress Professor Sprout - and Hermione - with a few selected comments on Dragonweed. Ron had just snorted and said that it was no wonder that Malfoy would know about the use of the plant. It was indeed used for some Dark Potions and the like.

Lunch passed peacefully. Harry only noticed Malfoy\'s absence yet again.

\"Do you think he\'s eating somewhere private?\" Hermione wondered.

Ron smirked. \"Perhaps he\'s shagging Snape,\" he commented since Snape also wasn\'t there.

\"Ron!\" Harry laughed. \"I so didn\'t need *that* image in my head. Besides, I think Malfoy doesn\'t want to take chances with Slytherin. They most likely will have his head for his father\'s betrayal.\"

Herminoe nodded. \"Maybe.\" She looked up at the familiar sound of owls coming to the Great Hall to deliver mail. \"There\'s your short-eared owl again, Harry.\"

Harry looked up. The owl had indeed returned and also carried a letter. It landed, hooting softly. Harry took the role of parchment and fed the owl some bacon. But it didn\'t leave immidiately. Instead, it nipped at Harry\'s fingers, looking at him expectantly. He grinned when he read the signature on the parchment: \'To the boy with the awfully annoying bird - Harry\'. \"I see. You shan\'t leave me alone \'till I\'ve written my reply? Well, I can\'t right now. I\'ve got class after lunch. But I\'ll send an answer today. If I haven\'t done so by curfew come to the dorms and nag me, \'k?\" The owl obviously was satisfied with the answer and flew away, most likely to take a nap in the owlery. Harry stuffed the role into his robes. Only then he noticed his friends staring at him. \"What?\"

\"That was again a letter by this mysterious We-Don\'t-Know-Who-You-Are,\" Ron said grumpily. \"I recognised the hand and the black velvet ribbon.\"

\"Well, yes.\" Harry blushed. \"Look, I\'d love to tell you but I can\'t.\"

\"Yes, yes, we know,\" Ron sneered. \"The big secret lover of Harry Potter.\"

Harry shook his head and grinned. \"Believe me, Ron. I\'m stupid, but I don\'t have a death wish. My friend,\" he didn\'t even stop to think about how he got from \'lethal enemy\' to \'friend\', \"is definitely *not* my lover. And I don\'t see that he will ever be my lover.\"

\"So, he\'s a wizard, then?\" Hermione concluded.

Harry sighed. \"Yes, he is a wizard, for Merlin\'s sake. Will you now leave the matter be? Please?\"

\"I just can\'t see why you wouldn\'t tell us,\" Hermione sniffed. \"We\'re your friends.\"

Harry glared at Hermione. \"I already told Ron this and I\'m now repeating it to you. Yes, you are my friends. The same friends that kept a lot more from me the summer before Sirius died than a mere identity of a letter-writer.\"

\"We did it because we were told to do it!\" Hermione snapped back.

\"And I\'m doing it because I was asked to. Can we now please go to DADA?\"

\"Fine.\" Hermione took her bag and left the hall without looking back.

\"Gods...\" Harry shook his head. \"Does anyone know which teacher we get *this* year?\"

Ron shook his head. \"No. But I don\'t care. Besides, Harry, are you going to continue teaching us?\"

Harry shrugged. \"I don\'t know yet. Depends on the teacher.\"

\"Only one way to find out,\" Seamus said and stood up. \"Let\'s go.\"

~o0o~

On their way to the classroom Professor Snape suddenly appeared in front of thWithWith Malfoy.

\"I have a request for you, Mr Potter.\"

Harry quirked an eye-brow. \"Yes, Profes\"
\"

\"Mr Malfoy is not to be left alone until my classes are done. I don\'t trust my own house with this, as you might guess. Don\'t make any mistakes. I\'ll hold you responsible if anything shall happe him him.\" Snape didn\'t wait for Harry\'s reply and walked away.

Harry looked at Malfoy. \"I very much hope you\'re having the same classes as me. I\'d so not skip DADA because of you.\"

\"Come off it, Potter. I have DADA, too. Charms and Transfiguration afterwards.\"

\"Good. And before you even think of it... I\'m not doing this because of you or Snape.\"

Malfoy smirked and nodded. \"Why then?\"

\"None of your business. Let\'s go.\"

Malfoy kept quiet while they resumed their way to DADA. Not one insult or threat. He even didn\'t react to Ron\'s continious rant about his father. Harry wondered how much Malfoy knew or what Snape had told him to do. But he didn\'t have the chance to follow his thoughts about Malfoy any further since he was greeted by a widely grinning Remus.

\"Hello, Harry!\"

\"Remus!\" He hugged the werewolf. \"What are *you* doing here?\"

\"Why, I\'m teaching DADA again.\"

\"So the cracked old fool\'s finally developped some brains?\" Drace sneered. \"That Umbridge thing was awful.\"

\"I can very well remember *you* being on her Inquisition Squad or whatever it was,\" Harry growled. \"And as I recall you weren\'t that fond of Remus in third year, now, were you?\" Harry had come face to face with Malfoy. \"Answer me, damn it!\"

Malfoy smirked. \"People can change. As you might know,\" he added so quietly that only Harry could hear him.

\"What are you saying, Malfoy?\"

\"I haven\'t said anything. And I\'m not saying anything now.\"

He pushed past Harry and walked into the half-filled classroom. \"I\'m so going to have his head for this,\" Ron announced, but Harry kept him back. \"Leave it, Ron. He\'s not worth it.\"

\"You\'re defending this scum?\"

\"No. But remember what Snape said. He will hold me responsible for anything that happens to Malfoy.\"

Ron had to admit that Harry had a point. So, they settled into the classroom, ignoring Malfoy\'s trademark smirk, and looking expectantly at Remus.

\"Hello. Well, welcome to another round of Defence Against The Dark Arts lessons with me. For all of you who don\'t know... I am a werewolf.\" Indeed, someone gasped. \"I\'m not dangerous to anyone. When the full moon rises and I transform I will be as far away from Hogwarts as possible. If you are okay with this,\" Remus looked at Harry, \"Harry will teach you for the time I\'m away. I got it on good authority that he is more than capable of doing it after leading Dumbledore\'s Army.\"

\"I knew it,\" Malfoy muttered under his breath. Harry gave him a pointed look and nodded. \"I\'ll do it, Remus.\"

\"Great. Now, let\'s begin right away. The Patronus Charm.\"

~o0o~

Harry sat again on the windowsill of the dorms. This was getting too dangerous. His friends would start asking questions everytime Lucius sends him a letter. He was almost sure that Malfoy knew about Harry\'s and Lucius\' correspondence. He took the role of parchment. He snickerd when he again read the signature on it. He tore off the black velvet ribbon and unroled the letter.


xxx


My dear Harry,

tell me again why I shan\'t kill that bloody bird. It wouldn\'t leave me alone until I\'d written an answer to you. I have to admit she still managed to amuse me. Guess that\'s why she is still alive. I could use some entertainment since your letter left me with some serious thinking.

I wish you hadn\'t had to vision all this. Yes, Harry, I believe you. How could I not? I know you are connected to Voldemort through your scar. I have seen him sending you the dream images last term. I\'m not asking you to re-tell me what you\'ve witnessed. It\'s bad enough that you really do know what happened.

That you still decided to write me in this situation is beyond me. It again shows what kind a person you are, Harry. I know, it sounds completely strange and out of place, coming from me, but just because Malfoys were bred to refuse feelings like kindness doesn\'t mean we don\'t see it for what it is. It\'s a gift and indeed a weakness that can very well be exploited. Especially by someone like me or my like. You shouldn\'t trust me, Harry. But still you do - enough to show me kindness.

I appreciate your discretion. I also puzzles me. Why, Harry? You now would have the one chance of destroying Lucius Malfoy once and for all. Still, you keep our communication a secret. Either you are very brave or very foolish to do this.

Your are right in one thing, Harry. I will never ever join sides with Dumbledore. He may be indeed a powerful wizard. But our attitudes and ambitions differ too much to ever get along. But tell me about those \'Red Robes\'. As you might already know I have never read anything muggle-written, especially no prose. I think my guess is correct, however, if I say that \'Red Robes\' mean \'neutrality\'. If they do I might consider it. Even though red is not my colour.

I cannot answer your question about Bellatrix. I don\'t know if I will ever be able to. Let\'s just say it was a personal matter.

As for my wand... I still have a wand. Not my first one, though. That was taken by the Ministry and destroyed. It\'s one of my spare wands I keep at the Manor. I can do a lot of things without wand. But some things still require it.

Draco told me in his last letter that the last September weekend is a Hogsmeade weekend. I\'d very much like to meet you there, Harry. I know you don\'t have any reason to trust me. Right you are, Harry. Don\'t trust me. But still, I\'d like to see you. I can\'t see Draco because he\'s not allowed to leave Hogwarts. But I need to talk to someone. This enforced solitude drives me mad. Please think about it.

I very much hope to hear from you again, Harry.

Yours sincerely,
Lucius

xxx

Harry re-read the letter. And again. What had happened to that Lucius Malfoy he despised so much? Who was this person who wrote him that letter, and what the fuck had he done to Lucius Malfoy? He was confused, but more intrigued than ever before. If Lucius had wanted to have his attention and interest he surely had suceeded now. Eagerly he took a piece of parchment and began to write.

xxx

Dear Lucius,

oh, I just told the owl to come back later. So, she stopped nagging.

Trust lies in the eye of the beholder. I don\'t know why, but I do trust you. Perhaps it\'s something like \'the enemy of your enemy is your ally\' or something. I don\'t know. But I\'m a Gryffindor. At least, that\'s what my friends keep telling me.

This will be my last letter before we meet since my friends get suspicious. Yes, you read right. I do want to meet you. I do want to know what happend to you. I will answer anything else when we meet.

I suggest we meet in this cave jusove ove Hogsmeade. My godfather had used it as a hideout in my fourth year. I will be there at noon.

Hope to see you well and alive.

Yours,
Harry

P.S.: Red Robes indeed stand for neutrality. I will tell you everything about them when I see you. I have to go. Ron wants to play Wizard\'s Chess and I don\'t want to piss him off even more.

xxx

Harry tied the parchment to the leg of the impatient owl and let it fly into the night. When had he begun to trust Lucius? When did Lucius change from enemy to friend? Perhaps even those terms indeed lie in the eye of the beholder...


~o0o~

tbc...