Uh, sorry this took so long. Enjoy, review. Ta! Oh, and to Marysia / Amethyst - they aren't. Gimme chance to get a plot devlopment going *grins*. I make ppl gay/straight as it suits the plot :D Except for Sev and his boyfriend who are meant to be!
Disclaimer:JK's and the WB's. Not mine.
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Unexpected
Part 13
In Potions the next day, Harry spent most of it worrying about Draco. Luckily, he was working with Hermione so nothing exploded.
"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked for the tenth time, just stopping him from putting the wrong ingredient in the cauldron. "You're in another world today."
"I'm okay. Just... tired." And he was. He'd spent all last night worrying about Draco, too. How well did he know him, after all? Which was the real Draco - the nasty, cold bully, or the sweet and kind romantic? Sighing, Harry shook his head. Draco was somewhere in between. He had hoped since he started going out with him that the bad side of his was all just a show, but he was realising now that was a foolish hope. With the family life he had, how could it be?
Turning his attention to his cauldron, he watched as Hermione put perfectly ground cardamom into it and stirred it carefully, glancing at the text book. His eyes then roamed the classroom. Crabbe and Goyle had split up, working with Slytherins that weren't as stupid as they were - or as they seemed to be. Neville was looking nervous as he added his cardamom, looking relieved when nothing untoward happened. Ron was working with him, looking similarly nervous. Professor Snape was prowling around the class, and Harry noticed with something between amusement and annoyance that he kept glancing over at Neville. Frowning, Harry kept watching the teacher. He had been much less nasty of late. And if anyone could help him with Draco, it would be him. Could he do it, though? Ask the teacher who had tortured him for the last four years for help? He thought of Draco, frightening and afraid, and resolve hardened within him. He had to do it, for Draco.
Hermione poked Harry to get his attention, and he watched inattentively as Professor Snape made Neville test his potion on himself. Neville's hair turned green, Snape took ten points from Gryffindor and handed the boy an antidote. Crabbe used his, which worked, making him invisible for a few seconds, and Snape awarded Slytherin ten points. He noticed Hermione was muttering as she put her books away.
"-and mine would have worked too - which of course he knew, which was why he didn't. Would he have given Gryffindor ten points? I don't think-"
"I'll meet you in the Great Hall," Harry said, putting his bag on the table, watching as everyone else left the dungeon. Hermione stared at him.
"Why? What are you doing?"
"I need to talk to Professor Snape." Hermione stared at him some more, then nodded slowly, understanding coming to her eyes. "I'll meet you in the Great Hall," he repeated, and resisted the urge to push her out of the classroom. Hermione's nodded and kissed Harry's cheek, startling him. Soon there was only Harry and Snape in the class. Snape raised an eyebrow at him.
"Yes, Potter?"
Harry's mouth was suddenly dry. "Uh. I, uh, need to talk to you about Draco." Harry saw to his surprise that Snape's expression softened slightly.
"Indeed? And what do you wish to talk about?" He remained at his desk, and Harry remained at his, at the back of the class. The distance was too far but not far enough. Harry felt foolish and embaressed, and would have walked out had memories of Draco's mood last night not come to him.
"I want to know if he's okay. I mean, he's gone home this weekend, and... I'm worried about him." Swallowing thickly, Harry wondered what it was exactly that he wanted to say, wanted to ask, when there was a knock at the door. A wave of relief washed over him and Snape swept over to the door and opened it. His relief increased as he saw that Professor Lupin had been the one knocking. Lupin entered the class, looking surprised at Harry's presence.
"Harry! I didn't expect to see you here. Is everything alright?" He glanced at Snape, eyebrow raised, no doubt wondering if he had given him a detention. Snape folded his arms, face unreadable.
"Mr. Potter wishes to know if Draco Malfoy is 'okay'."
"And what would your answer be?" Lupin asked, cocking his head at the other teacher. A smile without humour crossed Snape's face.
"No-one who spends much time in Lucius Malfoy's presence is 'okay', Remus." Lupin looked as if he understood, smiling sadly. Snape looked over at Harry, still looking uncomfortable. "Lucius was also at the school with us."
Harry looked at him, letting that sink in. If they were in the same year, Snape would have shared a dormitory with Lucius Malfoy. Harry considered sharing a room with him for seven years and shuddered. Snape and Lupin shared a look that Harry couldn't read, and then Lupin sighed, leaning back against a desk, squeezing Snape's shoulder.
"I had a few classes with the Slytherins," Lupin started. "Draco at his worst is nothing to Lucius. He had a far bigger gang - the rest of his house was too afraid to refuse him. Which I suppose was what caused the problem with the Death Eaters."
"Sorry?" Harry asked, not quite following.
"No doubt you heard when you started that all dark wizards were in Slytherin?" Harry nodded. "Not true, of course. Peter is a fine example of that." A dark looked passed over Lupin's face, but he continued. "That rumour stared in our year, because most of the Slytherin's in our year joined the Death Eaters."
"All of us did." Snape said quietly, looking uncomfortable. He looked up at Harry, and the look in his eyes scared him. It was pure anger and hatred - but not at Harry. It was at himself. "Not that we didn't have reason to be afraid. By his fifth year he could use the Unforgivable Curses and was not afraid to do so. And when he asked us to join the Dark Lord... Well, it was an offer we could not refuse. At least, not unless we wished to die." He joyless smile returned. "Perhaps you think that's cowardly? Well, bravery is a Gryffindor trait. But the only one of you offered the same 'choice' made the same as we did." The last was said defensively and bitterly, and Snape looked down at the ground.
Harry stared at his teacher of five years. He'd never thought of him in this way before. He'd always been the 'bad guy', never someone who he could sympathise with. Harry realised with a little guilt that he'd never seen him as a person before - he'd always been someone who he could lay blame on and take his anger out on. However, his mind turned back to Draco, as it always did. "He wouldn't do anything like that to his son, would he?"
Another glance between Lupin and Snape.
"Go on, Severus. He should know."
"I shouldn't be the one to tell him."
"And who else will?" Standing side by side the two teachers looked at one another, and Snape looked away first.
"I believe Lucius would indeed do that. Draco is an extremely intelligent boy and the Dark Lord needs talent like his - or needs or destory it."
Harry stared at him, his fear growing, heart aching.
"Severus knows what he's talking about, Harry," Lupin said softly. "He and Lucius were friends at school. They seemed good friends, yet he would have had no qualms about killing him, and-"
"Remus, be quiet." Snape leaned back against the same desk as Lupin, who placed a comforting hand over his. Harry watched all of this feeling detached. He thought that if all this sank in he might go crazy. He couldn't loose Draco, to death or to the dark side - he _couldn't_.
"What should I do? What can I do?" Harry noticed his voice sounded desperate, but he didn't feel any emotion. Curious.
"Be there for him," Lupin said, with a smile. "And ask him what we discussed about, Harry."
Feeling uneasy, Harry stood, looking at his two teachers. "I want to do more. I want to _kill_ him for hurting Draco."
"Give me time," Snape muttered, and Lupin squeezed his hand. He then glanced at his watch and looked up at Harry. "It's nearly the end of lunch. Get something to eat, and think it over. Come to my office at three, and we'll discuss it then."
Reluctantly, Harry nodded and picked up his bag. He knew that Lupin was right, and that he should eat and think it over. But he didn't want to - he was scared as to what those thoughts would be. But he needed to help Draco and this was the way to do it.
Disclaimer:JK's and the WB's. Not mine.
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Unexpected
Part 13
In Potions the next day, Harry spent most of it worrying about Draco. Luckily, he was working with Hermione so nothing exploded.
"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked for the tenth time, just stopping him from putting the wrong ingredient in the cauldron. "You're in another world today."
"I'm okay. Just... tired." And he was. He'd spent all last night worrying about Draco, too. How well did he know him, after all? Which was the real Draco - the nasty, cold bully, or the sweet and kind romantic? Sighing, Harry shook his head. Draco was somewhere in between. He had hoped since he started going out with him that the bad side of his was all just a show, but he was realising now that was a foolish hope. With the family life he had, how could it be?
Turning his attention to his cauldron, he watched as Hermione put perfectly ground cardamom into it and stirred it carefully, glancing at the text book. His eyes then roamed the classroom. Crabbe and Goyle had split up, working with Slytherins that weren't as stupid as they were - or as they seemed to be. Neville was looking nervous as he added his cardamom, looking relieved when nothing untoward happened. Ron was working with him, looking similarly nervous. Professor Snape was prowling around the class, and Harry noticed with something between amusement and annoyance that he kept glancing over at Neville. Frowning, Harry kept watching the teacher. He had been much less nasty of late. And if anyone could help him with Draco, it would be him. Could he do it, though? Ask the teacher who had tortured him for the last four years for help? He thought of Draco, frightening and afraid, and resolve hardened within him. He had to do it, for Draco.
Hermione poked Harry to get his attention, and he watched inattentively as Professor Snape made Neville test his potion on himself. Neville's hair turned green, Snape took ten points from Gryffindor and handed the boy an antidote. Crabbe used his, which worked, making him invisible for a few seconds, and Snape awarded Slytherin ten points. He noticed Hermione was muttering as she put her books away.
"-and mine would have worked too - which of course he knew, which was why he didn't. Would he have given Gryffindor ten points? I don't think-"
"I'll meet you in the Great Hall," Harry said, putting his bag on the table, watching as everyone else left the dungeon. Hermione stared at him.
"Why? What are you doing?"
"I need to talk to Professor Snape." Hermione stared at him some more, then nodded slowly, understanding coming to her eyes. "I'll meet you in the Great Hall," he repeated, and resisted the urge to push her out of the classroom. Hermione's nodded and kissed Harry's cheek, startling him. Soon there was only Harry and Snape in the class. Snape raised an eyebrow at him.
"Yes, Potter?"
Harry's mouth was suddenly dry. "Uh. I, uh, need to talk to you about Draco." Harry saw to his surprise that Snape's expression softened slightly.
"Indeed? And what do you wish to talk about?" He remained at his desk, and Harry remained at his, at the back of the class. The distance was too far but not far enough. Harry felt foolish and embaressed, and would have walked out had memories of Draco's mood last night not come to him.
"I want to know if he's okay. I mean, he's gone home this weekend, and... I'm worried about him." Swallowing thickly, Harry wondered what it was exactly that he wanted to say, wanted to ask, when there was a knock at the door. A wave of relief washed over him and Snape swept over to the door and opened it. His relief increased as he saw that Professor Lupin had been the one knocking. Lupin entered the class, looking surprised at Harry's presence.
"Harry! I didn't expect to see you here. Is everything alright?" He glanced at Snape, eyebrow raised, no doubt wondering if he had given him a detention. Snape folded his arms, face unreadable.
"Mr. Potter wishes to know if Draco Malfoy is 'okay'."
"And what would your answer be?" Lupin asked, cocking his head at the other teacher. A smile without humour crossed Snape's face.
"No-one who spends much time in Lucius Malfoy's presence is 'okay', Remus." Lupin looked as if he understood, smiling sadly. Snape looked over at Harry, still looking uncomfortable. "Lucius was also at the school with us."
Harry looked at him, letting that sink in. If they were in the same year, Snape would have shared a dormitory with Lucius Malfoy. Harry considered sharing a room with him for seven years and shuddered. Snape and Lupin shared a look that Harry couldn't read, and then Lupin sighed, leaning back against a desk, squeezing Snape's shoulder.
"I had a few classes with the Slytherins," Lupin started. "Draco at his worst is nothing to Lucius. He had a far bigger gang - the rest of his house was too afraid to refuse him. Which I suppose was what caused the problem with the Death Eaters."
"Sorry?" Harry asked, not quite following.
"No doubt you heard when you started that all dark wizards were in Slytherin?" Harry nodded. "Not true, of course. Peter is a fine example of that." A dark looked passed over Lupin's face, but he continued. "That rumour stared in our year, because most of the Slytherin's in our year joined the Death Eaters."
"All of us did." Snape said quietly, looking uncomfortable. He looked up at Harry, and the look in his eyes scared him. It was pure anger and hatred - but not at Harry. It was at himself. "Not that we didn't have reason to be afraid. By his fifth year he could use the Unforgivable Curses and was not afraid to do so. And when he asked us to join the Dark Lord... Well, it was an offer we could not refuse. At least, not unless we wished to die." He joyless smile returned. "Perhaps you think that's cowardly? Well, bravery is a Gryffindor trait. But the only one of you offered the same 'choice' made the same as we did." The last was said defensively and bitterly, and Snape looked down at the ground.
Harry stared at his teacher of five years. He'd never thought of him in this way before. He'd always been the 'bad guy', never someone who he could sympathise with. Harry realised with a little guilt that he'd never seen him as a person before - he'd always been someone who he could lay blame on and take his anger out on. However, his mind turned back to Draco, as it always did. "He wouldn't do anything like that to his son, would he?"
Another glance between Lupin and Snape.
"Go on, Severus. He should know."
"I shouldn't be the one to tell him."
"And who else will?" Standing side by side the two teachers looked at one another, and Snape looked away first.
"I believe Lucius would indeed do that. Draco is an extremely intelligent boy and the Dark Lord needs talent like his - or needs or destory it."
Harry stared at him, his fear growing, heart aching.
"Severus knows what he's talking about, Harry," Lupin said softly. "He and Lucius were friends at school. They seemed good friends, yet he would have had no qualms about killing him, and-"
"Remus, be quiet." Snape leaned back against the same desk as Lupin, who placed a comforting hand over his. Harry watched all of this feeling detached. He thought that if all this sank in he might go crazy. He couldn't loose Draco, to death or to the dark side - he _couldn't_.
"What should I do? What can I do?" Harry noticed his voice sounded desperate, but he didn't feel any emotion. Curious.
"Be there for him," Lupin said, with a smile. "And ask him what we discussed about, Harry."
Feeling uneasy, Harry stood, looking at his two teachers. "I want to do more. I want to _kill_ him for hurting Draco."
"Give me time," Snape muttered, and Lupin squeezed his hand. He then glanced at his watch and looked up at Harry. "It's nearly the end of lunch. Get something to eat, and think it over. Come to my office at three, and we'll discuss it then."
Reluctantly, Harry nodded and picked up his bag. He knew that Lupin was right, and that he should eat and think it over. But he didn't want to - he was scared as to what those thoughts would be. But he needed to help Draco and this was the way to do it.