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Harry Potter and the Unusual Alliance	By : RikuRocks Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Slash - Male/Male Views: 5752 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Harry Potter, nor am I making any money from this work of fiction.

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
- 14
Chapter 13: The Mother and the Marauder.
Harry, Draco, Ron, and Hermione all remained quiet, each wondering what precisely Mrs. Weasley was referring to by that question.
Harry did not want to offer any more information then he had the previous evening, and since he was not sure of exactly how much the red-haired woman knew, he decided to say nothing. Draco and Hermione seemed to be thinking among the same lines.
Ron, however, decided to take a different approach. In the most innocent tone he could muster, the blue-eyed teen asked, "What do you mean, Mum?"
"What do I mean?" Mrs. Weasley repeated incredulously. She obviously was not falling for the innocent act. "Disappearing on your own? Thinking you can go on missions without telling anyone?"
"Well it looks like I'm going to be staying behind for most of it," Ron answered in a slightly bitter tone. "So you don't need to worry about that anymore."
"And what about you Harry?" Mrs. Weasley turned to look at said boy. "Do you actually expect us to just let you go off on your own again?"
"There are some things that I have to do," Harry said as levelly as he could manage. Then, with his eyes pleading for the woman to understand, he added, "I'll be alright, Mrs. Weasley�"
"You were captured by Death Eaters!" Mrs. Weasley was obviously straining against the urge to yell.
"And I got away, without a scratch," Harry answered forcefully. "Draco and I make a good team, and we know more about what we need to do then nearly anyone in the Order would."
"You're both too young to make these sorts of decisions," Mrs. Weasley answered in an indignant tone.
"We're seventeen," Draco commented lowly. "We are of age."
"That doesn't change the fact that you are young and inexperienced," Mrs. Weasley challenged, still looking at Harry. "You are still too young. You don't know what you'll be facing out there. Even the members of the Order and the Ministry don't disappear without letting anyone know where they are going and what they are doing."
"We'll know where they're going and what they're doing, Mum," Ron interjected.
"If something happens, we should be able to figure it out quickly and we'll know where to go for help," Hermione added.
"�And as far as not knowing what we are facing," Draco drawled quietly, but Harry could detect a hint of the wan boy's former confidence returning. "Who do you think you are talking to? He's The-Boy-Who-Lived, and I was raised by the enemy's right hand." Harry wondered how the blonde managed to keep his voice so calm throughout the entire statement.
"That doesn't mean you are qualified to take on He-Who-Not-Be-Named and his followers by yourselves," Mrs. Weasley was clearly not going to be deterred easily. "You're just children!"
"No, we're not," responded Harry heatedly.
"I don't care if you're of age," Mrs. Weasley stated sternly. "You don't just grow up overnight."
"My parents did, so did their friends," Harry did not raise his voice, but it held a dangerous, angry quality regardless. "They were barely out of school when they joined the Order."
"But they had completed school, and they had joined the Order!" Mrs. Weasley placed her hands on her hips. "They knew more then you do, and they did not go looking for trouble on their own."
"And whose fault is it that I know so little?" Harry fumed and felt Draco straighten beside him. "Maybe if the Order had decided to fill me in before, I wouldn't be in this position."
"We were protecting you." Harry did not think that Mrs. Weasley's voice could grow any firmer. "I admit that a few poor decisions have been made in the past by your self-appointed guardians. You could have been spared a lot of pain and guilt if-"
Harry was using all of his resolve not to shout when he realized where this statement was going. However, a hoarse but firm voice interrupted in a frighteningly steady tone before he could lose his temper. "I highly recommend you think over what you are dangerously close to saying before you continue, Molly."
Mrs. Weasley's voice caught and she immediately turned surprised eyes toward Lupin, whom she seemed to have forgotten was present. "I didn't mean it like that, of course. It's just that I worry about Harry. He doesn't have anyone else left, and so I feel responsible for him."
"I believe I have needed to remind you before, that you are not the only one who cares about Harry," Remus stated evenly. "He has quite a few people behind him. He knows this, and he knows what must be done. He may not handle this situation the way we would, but I have every confidence that he will handle it, because he did not grow up overnight. The person that he is today has been years in the making, and more then just the six or seven that you have been aware of."
"Just because he has survived against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in the past doesn't mean Harry is capable of fighting against him," Mrs. Weasley's tone had cooled considerably now that she was talking to someone she could not justify treating like a child. "He was unprepared; he had no plan, he-"
"He survived," Draco interjected.
"�And escaped," Hermione added.
"�Time after time," Ron finished.
"�And this time I am preparing," Harry said, which brought Mrs. Weasley's attention back to him. "We have a plan; Dumbledore started it and we're finishing it, so my odds are better this time."
"Why can't you just tell us what it is that you and Dumbledore were trying to do?" Mrs. Weasley asked in an arduous tone. "You don't have to be the one to do whatever it is you are doing."
"I promised I wouldn't tell, with a few exemptions, and I intend to keep that promise." Harry's voice was firm, "And I do have to be the one to do this. You don't know everything; there's a lot more to what has to happen than you understand."
"He's right, Molly," Once again Mrs. Weasley started at the soft sound of Lupin's gravely voice. "There is more to this than you know�more than anyone knows, most likely. I do not intend to be rude, but I believe Harry's knowledge has surpassed yours on this matter."
"He's only a boy!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "They're all just children!"
"Unfortunately, children grow up far too quickly in a war," the lycanthrope commented gently. "I believe Harry was trying to express that to you before. It was different for you and Arthur; you had your childhood before Lord Voldemort came into power."
"I cannot believe that you of all people would allow Harry to put himself in this kind of danger!" Mrs. Weasley stared at Lupin sternly.
"It's not for me -for any of us- to allow or disallow," a steely hint to his tone was the only change in Lupin's calm demeanor. "Of course I would prevent Harry from facing any danger if I could, but even if he were my son, I couldn't do that, just as you can't for your children."
"Mum, you don't even know what Harry's planning on doing," Ron interjected. "It's not as dangerous as what half of the Order is undertaking."
"He isn't as well educated or trained as more then half the Order," Mrs. Weasley responded curtly. "He could allow someone better suited for the job to handle it."
"What if there isn't anyone more suited?" Hermione asked shakily, but her eyes held the older woman�s without fail.
"I am certain that there is," Mrs. Weasley's voice was staining against her irritation.
"Well, I'm not," retorted Harry, "Neither was Dumbledore."
"Molly, do you know why James and Lily went into hiding all those years ago?" Lupin inquired wearily.
"Because they had a small child and they knew that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was after them," The red-haired woman answered tersely. Her eyes turned to Harry, "They wanted you to be safe, not in the middle of the fight."
"The story is much longer then that single sentence implies;" Remus continued as if Mrs. Weasley had not tried to alter the point of the statement. "Do you know the full explanation as to why we were in the Department of Mysteries that night?"
Harry noticed that Lupin's voice took on a pained note when he mentioned the Department of Mysteries. Everyone at the table was watching him with some level of curiosity now.
"Do you know where Dumbledore was last summer, or what he was doing immediately before and after Lord Voldemort fell from power before?" Lupin had returned to his usual mildness, but Harry was still listening keenly. The green-eyed teen also wondered if Lupin knew all the answers to the questions he was posing; he suspected so.
"Few people know the answers to any of these questions," the werewolf continued. "I believe that Harry knows more then we think he does, and more then most in the Order do."
"Well he shouldn't," Mrs. Weasley countered vehemently, "And he shouldn't have this kind of responsibility -certainly not while he's so young."
"I don't disagree on either point," Lupin responded sorrowfully, "But as I said, the circumstances are beyond our power to control. All we can do is help wherever and however we can. I don't like it either, but this kind of response is not going to encourage him to come to us for assistance later.�
"You actually plan on assisting him with this foolish idea?" Mrs. Weasley sounded scandalized.
"I intend to do anything and everything in my power to see that he survives and succeeds; yes;" Lupin answered smoothly.
Mrs. Weasley looked torn at this statement; clearly, she had not looked at the situation that way. Lupin waited with a compassionate expression. Hermione was watching nervously and holding one of Ron's hands in her lap with both of her own. Ron's gaze flickered between his mother and former-professor.
Harry's reaction was the same as Ron's until he felt Draco's arm brush against his. He turned his attention to the ashen boy, who made an encouraging gesture.
The bespectacled boy turned back to Mrs. Weasley; "look, I understand that you're concerned about me�all of you.� His gaze flicked toward Lupin for a second.
Then, he settled his attention back to the red-haired woman; "But you can't stop me, no one can. I do have to do this. Please try to understand that. I would love to let someone else do this, but I can't think of anyone who I would want to stick with this even if I could, and Dumbledore obviously didn't trust everyone in the Order to know about it."
"You know that you have had spies in the past," Draco commented gently, "And you have learned that people are not what they appear to be. It's actually very wise of Harry to be mindful of who he trusts with this."
"It's dangerous for anyone to know too much," Harry continued down the train of thought the silver-eyed boy had started. "Even if I do trust someone, what if they trust the wrong person? Or get tricked�or captured? I have to be involved in this, so does Draco."
"If you would just tell us what you need to do, we could probably think of an easier way for you to do it," Mrs. Weasley said stubbornly. "We may even be working on it already and you just don't know about it."
Had his eyes not flickered to the man, Harry would not have noticed the slight shift of his head. As it was he did notice, and he understood Lupin's message immediately; we are not. No one else seemed to notice the brief communication, so the raven-haired boy continued speaking to Mrs. Weasley as if he had not.
"I told you, Dumbledore is the one who came up with the plan," said Harry. "We�ve improved on it a little, but there really isn't much that you can do. I think I have all the help I need now."
"You'll only make it harder on him by forcing him to fight you the whole time," Hermione added meekly.
Ron nodded his agreement before adding, "And make him want to stay away.�
"Alternatively, you could tell him what you're Phoenix lot is doing, you know," reasoned Draco. "You can't very well expect him to trust you with -and likewise include you in- his plans if you don't extend the same courtesy."
"That is a fair point," Lupin conceded softly.
Harry had to fight a grin when he remembered that Remus had already extended that courtesy, and realized that Mrs. Weasley was actually the only person at the table who knew nothing about the task that Harry and Draco were undertaking.
Mrs. Weasley, who was staring at Lupin in appall, seemed to find her voice again. "You and Sirius explained enough of the Order's business before, and you see how much good that did Harry. He never would have-"
Once again, Lupin stopped her from going too far. Harry wondered if the lycanthrope was aware of the fact that he was staving off Harry's temper, or if he was simply reacting off his own emotions on the subject. "Do not insinuate that Harry or Sirius were at any fault in that terrible event," the werewolf stated firmly.
"Or that Remus was!" Harry added, finding himself outraged on his godfather's and surrogate-godfather's behalf. "Maybe if the Order had bothered to explain more, like they wanted to, I would have known better then to fall for Voldemort's trap!" All save for Harry and Lupin started when Harry yelled the Dark Lord's name.
"The only one at fault for that night is Lord Voldemort." Lupin assured clearly, whether for Harry or Mrs. Weasley's benefit -or perhaps both- the boy was not sure.
"Of course I'm not saying that anything that has happened was Harry's fault," Mrs. Weasley said defensively to Lupin, and then added, "Or yours and Sirius'," before Harry could argue further. "Speaking of that conversation, however," the redhead added, looking at the werewolf sternly. Remus met her gaze and listened courteously.
Meanwhile, Harry seethed and squeezed the bench that he was sharing with Draco and Remus. He only calmed marginally when the silver-hired boy beside him gingerly placed a hand on his own. Harry released his grip at the feel of the slender hand comforting him.
"I believe you were the most strongly against Harry joining the fighting at that time," Mrs. Weasley continued. "As I recall, you were the one who put an end to all the children's requests of joining."
Most of the remaining anger drained from Harry at the memory. Sirius and Remus had sat him down and spoken to him much as he imagined his parents would have. They had worked as a solid unit; Sirius had propelled the conversation and kept it light, while Remus had made sure the conversation stayed on track and made certain that everyone kept their tempers in check.
"I had hoped to keep him -all of them- from dangers that they weren't prepared to face," Lupin answered softly. "I had actually hoped that they would never have to fight in this war, but I was foolish.
�Harry, and the others," he added with a nod to acknowledge them, "Have proven that they will be involved in this war. As much as I would like to prevent this, I know when I am beaten. I do not want to lose him because I refused to compromise."
"They could have been killed that night at the Ministry," said Mrs. Weasley throatily.
"We weren't," Ron responded stonily.
Mrs. Weasley gave him a stern look, "But if the Order hadn't arrived when they did�" She did not seem able to voice her concerns on the matter.
"If I may," Lupin interposed gently, "The reason we arrived when we did was that Harry thought to ask to for assistance. If he had been too weary of our reactions, he may not have alerted Snape, and we would not have arrived until much later."
Harry heard Draco whispering softly beside him; so softly that he would not have known what the ashen boy was saying if the words were not forever imprinted into his memory. "He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden�" There was an odd, distressing quality to the faint voice.
Harry moved his hand over to give the pale boy's hand a small squeeze in way of response, although he was not entirely sure why he felt the need to do so. His thoughts were interrupted when he realized that he had forgotten to ask Remus an important question earlier.
The green-eyed boy missed most of Mrs. Weasley's response until her words suddenly broke through his thoughts.
"�To follow in the footsteps of four boys that never learned how to keep out of danger, just because they had some grand stories and a cool name! Harry's gotten into enough trouble in the past without idolizing a group that became nothing more then a dead man, a convict, a werewolf, and a Death Eater shortly after graduating!"
"What?" The raven-haired teen hardly recognized his own voice. Draco tightened his grip the hand that Harry still held over his pale one.
Lupin remained silent for a moment before replying. "Perhaps we should continue this conversation in private." The lycanthrope�s tone left little room for argument. Then he glanced at the teens and said politely, "Harry, Draco, Hermione, Ron, why don't you head upstairs? I'm sure you are tired. I'll clean up in here."
"Yes, Ron -kids-, go on to your rooms." Mrs. Weasley�s voice was tight.
Harry was about to protest when he took in Hermione's affronted and Ron's appalled expressions. Then, Draco tugged at the bespectacled boy's hand before he could say anything. Harry decided to comply with his friends, and they all stood and left the kitchen silently.
Once outside, Ron turned to Harry, "You know she didn't mean it like that, mate. She's just worried about you. Sometimes-"
As Harry's mind finally caught up to what was being said, he waved a hand to cut off his friend's explanation. "I know she didn't mean it to be cruel, but you have to admit, that was harsh. Not just to me, but to Remus too."
"Am I correct in assuming that the four she was referring to were the marauders?" Draco quietly asked Hermione while Ron and Harry exchanged disgruntled looks.
"Yes. I'm guessing you've figured out which was who as well?" Hermione�s eyes shifted between Harry and Ron as she responded.
"She's trying to keep you safe," said the redhead. "She doesn't know what's going on."
"All the more reason to control your tongue, if you ask me," Draco murmured.
Ron narrowed his eyes at Draco, who was standing beside Harry, although he remained a couple steps behind the raven-haired teen. "Well no one did ask you, so bugger off," the blue-eyed teen snarled.
"Ron-" Hermione began as she moved closer to the redhead, but whatever argument she was going to make was drowned out by Harry's reaction.
"That's exactly it," he hissed as he pointed at his best friend. "You, just like your mother back there, need to realize that there is more to what's happening and what needs to happen than what you understand. I have to do this. I don't necessarily like that I have to, but I do. And I do know what I'm doing, and I trust who I do for reasons that you might not understand, but you can at least try to!"
Ron looked surprised and angry, but Hermione gripped his arm and started speaking before he could. "Harry has a point, Ron. Remember what you said to your mother a moment ago; you're going to make him want to stay away from you too if you keep acting like this."
"We don't have to like or trust each other, Weasley," Draco added carefully. "We just have to trust Harry."
"I trust Draco, Ron," said Harry in a much calmer tone than before. "Can't you just trust me enough to know I wouldn't accept him lightly?"
"We both saw how obsessed Harry became with Draco during school last term," Hermione said to Ron. She ignored the way three pairs of eyes flicked to her; blue were contemplative, green were embarrassed, grey were surprised.
Obviously staving off a grin, the bushy-haired girl continued, "And we both know how stubborn Harry is when it comes to altering his impressions about people. For him to see Draco so differently is enough for me to give Draco a chance�and to be perfectly honest, I can appreciate what Harry sees in him. He's not what we thought he was."
Harry's eyes shifted from Hermione to Ron, and then settled on Draco for a second before returning to Hermione. She was definitely entertaining some ideas that she was not sharing with the group yet. He made a mental note to address that sooner rather then later.
"You�re right," Ron turned his attention back to Harry, who quickly met his friend's eyes. "I'm sorry, Harry. It's just that-"
"I understand," said Harry, whose focus returned to the kitchen door now that this problem had been handled, at least for the time being.
"I'll try to give Malfoy a fair chance from now on," Ron said, obviously pleased that Harry did not expect him to talk about his feelings the way their other dear friend would. "I'm also sorry about my mum, she really does mean well."
"I know that, too." Harry answered, looking back at his friends. "I do wonder what they're saying in there, though."
A mischievous grin broke out on Ron's freckled face. "Now that, I can help you with�" He reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a couple lengths of flesh-colored string with a split on one end.
"Ah, perfect," said Harry as Ron handed him one of the Extendable Ears.
Both boys snuck one end of the contraptions under the kitchen door, and then crept down the hall to where they had been standing. Ron gave Hermione the second earpiece of his, while Harry handed his to Draco. The blonde seemed to catch on easily enough, and soon they all fell still and silent as the voices of Mrs. Weasley and Lupin came through the strings.
"�You've never had any children. You don't know what it�s like to worry over them constantly. They don't know what they're getting into! They can't possibly�" Mrs. Weasley sounded chiding at first but soon sounded more frustrated than anything else. "I know they're technically adults now, but it's difficult to see them that way."
"I may not have any children of my own, Molly, but I do understand." Lupin's voice was soft and somewhat distant. "I was there when Harry was born, you know. I heard his first words, saw his first steps, rocked him to sleep on a few occasions, and even changed several diapers. I wish we could have known each other over the years before I taught him at Hogwarts, but that simply was not an option. I do feel that I've come to know him since then, and I certainly have continued to care about him."
Mrs. Weasley made a sound that might have been a heavy sigh or a weak laugh. "It must have been quite the surprise when you woke up on the Hogwarts Express and saw him for the first time again. I can't imagine what it would feel like to be unable to see any of the children for that long."
"I was determined to protect him, given the circumstances," Lupin sounded weary as he obviously thought of the circumstances of that year. "I knew he couldn't remember me, but I will admit I was a little worried that he might mistrust me."
"I'm sure he did�remember you, I mean." Mrs. Weasley seemed irked at her own thoughtless choice of words. "Obviously not on a level that he was aware of, but after raising seven children I can tell you, they retain more then they are given credit for. I believe Ron's fear of spiders stemmed from an incident when he was only nine months old."
Lupin sighed wearily. "They've grown up, Molly. I don't like the idea of letting Harry do this either, but if he's determined to, then I'd rather he be as prepared and protected as I can make him."
"But what is he doing?" Mrs. Weasley sounded frustrated, "Do you know?"
"Yes, but�" There was a pause where Harry could imagine Mrs. Weasley looking as intimidating as she could while Remus calmly gave a look that translated to; you need to hear this. �It is his decision to keep it quiet for now, and I can understand why. Of course, if I felt it was in his best interest to alert the Order, I would do so without a moment's hesitation."
"Is he in danger? Does he know what he�s doing? What about the others�?" Mrs. Weasley took a deep breath as if to stop herself before she went spare.
"He's in no more danger then he already was. I don't think it�s possible for him not to be in danger as long as Voldemort is out there." Lupin sounded as despondent as Harry had ever heard him.
Remus� voice continued after a brief pause, sounding tired, but mild as always. "He does know what he�s doing. He also knows to utilize the skills of those around him, which is what I had feared he would not. I am quite impressed with the lot of them, actually. I just wish we could do more to keep them safe while they do this."
"If he knew well enough to trust you with this, then you've done well." Mrs. Weasley sounded defeated. "I suppose it's the same as with our kids; Arthur and I just have to raise them as best we can, and then hope it was good enough when they go off on their own. At least they aren't truly alone�and neither is Harry.
�I'm sorry for what I said before, Remus. I see now that he's as good as your son, too. I know you mean well with him, and it isn't my place to take care of everyone� It's just hard when I can't seem to take care of any of them."
"We all feel that way, Molly," Lupin answered hoarsely, "But we are better prepared this time."
"I don't know how any of us survived the last time." There was the scrape of a chair and then Mrs. Weasley sounded like her old self again. "Oh, Alastor will be dropping in later; I should keep something warmed up for him. Would you like anything, Remus? You hardly ate at dinner."
"No thank you, Molly." Harry could practically hear a grin in Remus' voice when he continued speaking. "I have to tie up some loose strings now, anyway. I hadn't noticed them before."
"What�?" Mrs. Weasley's voice faded as Harry dropped the Extendable Ear.
Harry saw Ron's eyes widen as he felt Draco tug the string from his ear. Ron quickly gathered the Extendable Ears, and had just crammed them into his pocket when Remus appeared at the end of the hall.
"Er, Sorry�" Harry said once Remus had stopped a few feet in front of him.
The werewolf did not appear to be at all irritated. Instead he wore that slightly amused, fond look again. "It's alright, Harry. I should have put an Imperturbable Charm on the door." His face took on a slightly concerned expression, "How much did you hear?"
"Just the end, really," Harry said, still feeling slightly guilty. "From �you've never had any children� until you mentioned tying up some loose strings. We figured you meant the Extendable Ears."
Remus nodded; "I have long suspected that some Extendable Ears survived Molly's purge...not that Fred and George weren�t perfectly capable of producing more.�
Harry nodded in return. "I kind of figured you suspected�back when you and Sirius told me about the Order." He suddenly registered what Mrs. Weasley said before Remus left the kitchen; "Moody's coming here?"
"Yes; he insisted when Arthur mentioned your return." Remus took in Harry and Draco's obvious nervousness and offered a reassuring smile. "I told him to speak with me before he approached you�I hope you don't mind."
Harry shook his head; he was actually pleased that someone else would be around when he and Draco had to talk to the eccentric ex-Auror.
"He won't be speaking to you until the morning, if he can stay for that long�which I doubt," the werewolf added. "�Unless of course, you want to see him tonight?"
"No," said Harry as Draco shook his head behind him. "There are some more things I want to ask you about before I have to explain to anyone else that I can't explain."
"Well, a few members of the Order -I suppose you could call us department heads- are meeting tomorrow evening," said Remus. "McGonagall, Mad-Eye, Kingsley, Arthur, and I are supposed to be the only ones present. I think it is safe to assume that they will all want to speak to you. Will you be alright with that?"
Harry turned his head and shared a smile with Draco; they had definitely been right about Remus. Harry knew that the werewolf would have no qualms about preventing the Order from seeing them if that is what Harry needed him to do.
The bespectacled boy turned back to Remus, "I think it would be best to explain it to all of them at once. At least I don't have to deal with the whole Order this way." Harry looked to Draco once more. "Do you want to come with me, or would you rather avoid them?"
Draco looked tense, but his voice was adamant, "I'm with you."
"Good," Harry smiled before returning his attention to Remus. "So, can we just wait to talk to Moody until then?"
"If that's how you would prefer to handle this, then certainly," Remus answered kindly.
"Is this going to get you into any trouble?" asked Harry.
"Don't worry, Harry. I'll be fine." Remus smiled comfortingly; "Now, what is it that you would like me to help you with? You mentioned an alteration earlier."
Lupin and the four teens returned to Hermione's room, where Harry explained what they wanted to do with the chocolate frog cards.
Draco pulled Harry aside while Lupin read over his original notes and began making adjustments. "Why don't you ask Hermione and Ron to start looking through the books they stole from the manor for information on Horcruxes? Then we can have an excuse to pull Lupin away and ask him about the spell Snape mentioned."
"Good thinking," Harry whispered. "I also wanted to make a card for Snape like the one we're making Remus, but I can't do that in front of Ron and Hermione yet, and they�d get suspicious if I asked for another one without saying who it's for."
"You want to give Snape�? That's a good idea, Harry;" Draco said thoughtfully, and then he offered Harry a small smile, "Thank you."
Harry smiled before turning to Ron and Hermione. "Since I don't know what's going to happen at that Order meeting tomorrow, why don't we split up and start looking through those books for anything useful?"
"Split up? Why can't we all do it in the same room?" Ron asked with a skeptical expression.
"Because you and Harry don't get anything done when left alone," Hermione answered matter-of-factly. "You can work with me in here, and Draco can work with Harry in their room. Then, once we have a system going, you can be trusted together." Once again, she had that I-know-something-you-don't look, and Harry was really starting to worry about what his friend was thinking.
Ron seemed to notice this as well, because he looked questioningly between Harry and Hermione before responding with a questioning tone. "Alright� We'll start with the books we have in here. Maybe Malfoy can figure out more about that potion."
Lupin raised his eyes from the page in front of him to glance at Harry; "Potion�?"
"We'll bring the card stuff with us and I'll explain while we work on it," said Harry.
Lupin responded with only a polite nod as he gathered his notes and took the cards that Ron handed him. Harry got the overall feeling that Remus knew there was more to their departure then the reason Harry offered.
Ron threw a suspicious glance in Harry and Draco's direction, and then fixed a questioning gaze on Hermione as the others exited.
Harry, Draco, and Remus headed toward the room that Harry and Draco shared. They seemed to have unanimously decided to remain silent until they were in the room.
Draco cast a silencing charm on the door as he closed it behind them, and then he and Harry settled on Harry's bed as usual. Draco gestured to the bed across from them when Harry failed to, and Remus did not sit of his volition.
With a courteous nod, Remus sat and then looked at Harry before counting out a few of the cards in his hand. "Shall I presume I am going to use the unaltered enchantment for four of the cards, and the altered version for an additional two?"
Harry blinked; "How do you do that?"
"Well, I assume you will want one for each of you, as well as Ron and Hermione;" Remus said practically before adding in amore questioning tone, "And one of the altered ones each for Severus and I."
"Yeah, actually that's exactly what we were thinking," Harry said with a grin.
The grin faltered when he noticed the torn expression on Draco's face. However, Lupin was the first to voice his concern. "What is it, Draco?"
"Do you� What do you think about what Snape did?" The blonde avoided the werewolf's eyes.
Lupin sighed wearily. "From what both of you have told me, I know that there is more to his actions than we realized after the fact. I would like to learn more about the events prior to those actions before I take an opinion, which is why I want to ask Hagrid about what he heard that night you mentioned."
"Do you think there's any way that what he did could be considered forgivable?" Harry asked curiously. He was beginning to find Remus' views on forgiveness and understanding to be quite justified.
Lupin seemed to contemplate the question as he answered; "I don't know for certain. If I had been in the position that it seems Severus was in, I would have looked for an alternative, as I'm certain he did. Depending on what alternatives were available, his choices may or may not be forgivable."
Remus glanced at Harry before shifting his gaze to the window. "If I truly had no other options and I was forced to choose between Dumbledore's life and my own, I would have chosen his, no question. His life was far more important and valuable then mine. However, if I had to choose between Dumbledore's life and yours, I would choose to save you. I wouldn't have to think about it, and it would have nothing to do with you being the Boy-Who-Lived or The Chosen One."
Harry was truly touched by that statement; he swallowed before answering weakly. "Snape isn't like you."
"You're right, but he does care about Draco," the lycanthrope answered. "His ways of showing it are just different. Severus has to be more guarded around those he's associated with; he can't openly defend Draco's welfare over that of his faction's as I can."
"Assuming he wants to," said Harry quietly.
"Naturally," Lupin answered softly.
Harry thought that over, and realized that Remus had not mentioned allegiances in the war as a form of motive. "So, you're saying what Snape did might not be related to which side of the war he's concerned about, as much as the people he cares about."
"Yes, Harry," Remus turned to meet said boy's eyes once again. "When James, Sirius, Peter, and I first joined the order, our reasons were far more personal than political. We wanted to protect the people and ideals that we cared about; my personal reasons still outweigh any political agenda."
Something Remus had said a moment before dawned on Harry. "You've argued for my wellbeing over the welfare of the Order before?"
"Why do you think Mad-Eye and the others contacted me before you when you are the one they wish to confront?" answered Lupin.
The werewolf�s eyes turned sad as he explained, "I was content to speak my peace and then allow Dumbledore and later Sirius as well, to make the final decisions when it came to your best interest before. Dumbledore knew better then any of us how to keep you best protected from Lord Voldemort, and Sirius always had your happiness in mind. Most of what's left of the Order either sees you as a child or a savoir; they don't see you."
"�And a child or a savoir they would think to control," Draco added, and Remus nodded his weary agreement. The blonde turned to Harry, "We'll have to keep that in mind when we're speaking with them tomorrow evening."
"It's going to be tough to make them accept this," Harry said thoughtfully. "�But then, what can they do if they don't?"
"They can make things difficult for us," Draco responded as soon as the question passed Harry's lips. "They can get in our way, try to watch us, or even attempt to stop or contain us."
"They aren't like the Death Eaters," Harry argued quickly.
The blonde was just as quick in his retort. "If they were, we wouldn't be having this conversation because they would have imprisoned, tortured, or murdered us as soon as they heard we were acting against their wishes."
"We are in a war, Harry," said Lupin softly. "I don't like it either, but some people's views of right and wrong slip when they�re thinking for the good of the masses�and many tend to forget that individuals mean just as much."
"How worried should we be?" asked Harry.
"They are not going to ambush you tomorrow, nor will they hold you by force," Lupin answered gently, "But as Draco said, they could make this more difficult then it need be�or worse, place you in more harm by drawing attention to you. You and Draco did well in disappearing when you escaped those Death Eater's." Remus' voice took on a steely note again, "Not that you should have been in that position to begin with."
"I'm sorry. I know it was a foolish idea to go off on my own like that," Harry began, and silenced when he noticed Remus shake his head.
"No, Harry; that is not how I meant that statement�although I'll admit I am glad to hear you say that." When Remus continued that steely note reappeared in his voice, "I meant that the Order should have handled the situation better. The others agreed when I said it would be necessary to continue to guard you at your Aunt and Uncle's house, but they continued to have only one person on watch at a time. Obviously, that was not good enough. It also took longer then it should have to notice your disappearance, and to find out what happened to you."
"So you did know something of Harry's excerpts before our arrival here," said Draco.
"I was notified once an entire day passed without any sign of Harry being in his relatives' house," Lupin answered. "I arrived there right away, despite being told that someone was already looking into it. It wasn't difficult to discern that he had left on his own." The werewolf switched his focus to Harry. "You Apparated from the park where you first saw Padfoot, didn't you?"
Harry nodded, "That really was foolish."
"As I said before, I understand;" Remus responded gently. "Now, let's focus on the things we can change. Aside from these cards, what can I do to help you?"
Harry grinned again, "A few things, actually�"
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Harry Potter and the Unusual Alliance