In Your Eyes

Chapter 9

The next few weeks of school flew by, Harry had organized the Quidditch team and much to his resentment homework was piling up like there was no tomorrow. There had been hardly any time during the day to talk with Ron any further, while the red-head had seemed perfectly alright with Harry's creature inheritance even informing his friend that it wasn't all that uncommon for wizards to have some creature blood, but that wasn't all there was to the story. Not even close. He sighed, the only high point to the last few weeks were the nights when Draco was out by the pond, he wasn't always there but more often then not he was, it was addicting how open the Malfoy's soul was especially when ever the boy thought about 'Harry Potter'. There was such a mix of adoration and hate mixed with unequivocal love that never wavered even with the growing confusion over Eri.

"Mr. Potter," Hissed a voice dripping with venom, He looked up to see Snape glaring at him with an expression of loathing, "Have you been paying any attention at all?" Harry responded before he could help himself,

"Not at all, Sir." he registered what he had said after the appalled gasps from his classmates. Even Malfoy was looking at him in surprise, their 'truce' had extended to a few civil words early in the morning when He and Der entered the great hall and a lack of animosity in the halls but that was the only extent of it. Snape's face twisted at the blatant disrespect,

"Detention, tonight 8 o'clock." Harry's face fell, he had promised Draco to meet him early tonight! The blond had expressed the desire to talk to Eri about something... important. His soul had lamented about his 'task' and there was no way that Harry intended the young Malfoy being pushed into killing by desperation, he wouldn't allow it.

"But Sir," he tried to protest but Snape merely glared at him. Harry slumped and cursed himself for the rest of the day. He approached the Defense classroom cautiously, he was a little early in the very slight hope that Snape would let him go early.

"Eager for punishment Potter?" Hissed Snape when he entered; Harry didn't offer a response. The tall man glared at him,

"Very well, since your potion skills are the talk of the school lately I've decided that you will brew the antidotes to the dark potion's we were disusing in class today, you may not use any helpful text." Harry frowned looking very annoyed, this could take hours! Even if he hadn't glanced at the chapter they were supposed to be reading he still needed to work the potion's backwards. He already knew the antidotes too two of the three potions but it was clear that if he brewed them to quickly Snape would be suspicious. He pondered the small conundrum, it was true that his potion's skills had become rather notorius over the last few weeks but he had neither confirmed nor denied them... Brewing these potions quickly would confirm them to Snape, who was most likely; at the least suspicious of a certain book. He concluded that at this point, Draco was more important. So he gathered the necessary ingredients and set three cauldrons to boil. Snape watched in a stunned horror as Potter correctly brewed the three potions, and watching him impatiently watch the last one boil.

"And why Mister Potter have your skills improved so rapidly? One summer with muggles does not equate to master level skills." he hissed angrily, the boy must have cheated somehow.

"Practice Sir." Harry replied honestly, "May I go now Sir?" he asked itching to leave he was already late enough! Severus scowled,

"Yes. But beware Potter I will get to the bottom of this." He said murderously, Harry paused at the door,

"Your brother might be a good place to start." He said before whisking out of the room. Snape sat stunned for a moment, Lance? What did he have to do with this and how did Potter even know him?

----

Harry dropped the glamor as soon as he was outside taking off to get to the lake faster, hoping that Draco hadn't left or was angry with him. He landed by their usual spot and looked around his heart sank there was no trace of the blond anywhere,

"Eri." said a familiar sneering voice behind him and his heart soared. He turned to look at Draco with a guilty grin,

"Sorry I was...Held up." he said apologetically, Draco tried to glare at him but gave up and smiled instead.

"I believe you." he said casually sinking onto the grass, and looking up at him. Eri sat beside him as always,

[Why is it so easy to trust you?] Draco's soul whispered softly and Eri grinned.

"What did you want to talk about?" he asked watching the blond from the corner of his eye, Draco stiffened.

"You know about the return of the Dark Lord, of course, and how he want's Harry Potter dead?" he asked, Eri nodded touched by how loudly Draco's soul protested any harm to 'Harry Potter', "My Father is a follower of The Dark Lord and because of his recent shame I have been charged with an impossible task..." he continued shakily. It was still amazing to Eri how the boy who had never shown anything but cold indifference and anger towards everyone in his school years broke down into a frightened seventeen year old boy when he was alone. How could someone be so strong to handle all of this alone for so long? He turned to look at the blond only to see him rolling up his left sleeve,

"They forced you to take the mark?" Eri whispered, sadly seeing the fleeting broken look in his friend's eyes.

"Yes. That's not all though." Draco hesitated now, he trusted Eri completely for whatever reason but this secret could mean his life, "I have been ordered to dispose of Dumbledore and get death eaters into Hogwarts. The part that scares me that I think I figured out to get the Death Eaters into the castle...and I don't want to." he said looking completely lost. On one hand he could do this mission and keep his family alive and safe for a while longer but it would mean the death of one of the light's greatest fighters and the loss of one of the few places he felt safe, it was hardly a fair trade off. Eri fumed, this was insane! How could anyone let that happen to Draco? He was a kid! Much like himself, there was no need for either of them to suffer these responsibilities.

"How?" he asked after a long momment causing Draco to look at him in surprise,

"That's all?" He demanded looking almost hysterically happy, "No ridiculing me for being to weak to say no. Nothing about how I have to deny this task, no rejection?" he said twisting around to stare at him looking into those tantalizing green eyes for any hint of pity.

"Draco Malfoy, you are anything but weak." He said placing a hand on the side of his face to keep the blond from looking away, "Self-preservation is not weakness, besides you lived through your father abandoning you, your house ridiculing you for his weakness and you still persevere, that my dear Draco is anything but weakness." he said giving him a soft kiss. Draco melted against him,

"Thank you." he whispered snuggling against his chest then giving him a sneaky glance, flicked a finger across a few of the white feathers. AS Eri's breath hitched he tried to glare at the blond but it was half hearted,

"You are terrifingly good at changing the subject." he muttered but caught the others hand as he tried to repeat the movement, "Don't start anything you aren't ready to finish." he whispered sensually. Draco blushed and contented himself with lying against the solid chest, only a hint of guilt bothering him. Was he truly this fickle?

A/N: OMG I AM SO SORRY! "OTL

I took forever to update and it's a short boring chapter. T.T I promise I'll try and update faster! I really want to get further in, get some plots revealed and such. >.> Life has been majorly kicking my ass and I sorry!! =C

Also if you asked me for the family tree and I didn't give you the link I'm going to put it in both profiles so take a look there. =D (if I missed you I am sorry and I hope you forgive me.)

PS: I disagree that name changes equal not good things, one of my favorite stories has Harry as 'Harry' only for a chapter or two. XD But to each their own! XD C:

PPS: I FREAKING LOVE ALL OF YOU! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 SERIOUSLY YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY YOUR REVIEWS MAKE ME! =D