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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
- 16
- 17
- 18
Chapter 17: The past and the Present.
Harry looked at the photos for a moment longer as he thought over his former professor�s words. The raven-haired boy decided that he was right to think that Remus could offer him some advice on his current dilemma; however, he wanted to ask another question first. Another song was playing on the old Muggle machine, and when Harry noticed the words, he decided that now was as good a time as ever.
"We may never, never meet again, on the bumpy road to love.

Still I'll always, always keep the memory of;

the way you hold your knife�

The way we danced 'till three�

The way you changed my life�

No, no they can�t take that away from me."

"What is it, Harry?" Remus asked kindly, as though he had read the boy�s thoughts.
"Actually�there's something else I was hoping I could talk to you about," said Harry a little awkwardly.
The lycanthrope smiled warmly at the bespectacled boy and gently encouraged him to continue. �Yes?�
"Er�it's sort of -really- personal," the teenager warned.
Remus' kind expression never faltered. "That's quite alright, Harry. When I said I want to help you anyway I can, I meant it."
As Harry tried to think of the least awkward way to open the inevitable conversation, his eyes shifted from the photos that he and Remus were still holding to the plaque that hung over the door to Sirius' room, and then finally to the door itself. He glanced back at Remus and saw that the lycanthrope's smile had faded and he was following the trail of Harry's gaze with his own gentle eyes.
Remus released a soft sigh before looking out the small window and murmuring, "I told Padfoot we should have explained�"
For a short moment, Harry just stared at the werewolf. He had not expected him to admit it so openly, so he decided to be sure that he understood that comment correctly. "So�there was something more than just friendship between you and Sirius? How long�? When did it happen?"
Remus faced the boy after the flow of questions ceased. "Yes, Harry, Sirius and I were�together. I knew that I loved him for a very long time, but I was always too afraid to say anything. It seems that he felt the same way for nearly as long, and after your parents' deaths, Azkaban, and, just�well, everything, there didn't seem to be any reason not to be together."
Harry placed the photos on the small bedside table and turned his full attention on the scarred man. "So you didn't get together until after you both left Hogwarts -I mean, after that night in the Shack? Did the Order know? Why didn't Sirius want to tell me? Did he think that I wouldn't understand, or accept it?"
Remus released another small sigh and Harry suddenly noticed just how worn and wan the man's appearance had become since Sirius' death. He had no time to dwell on this fact, however, as Remus began speaking just then. "What I would like for you to understand, Harry, is that you mean -meant- the world to Sirius�and to me.
�Aside from each other, you were the most important thing on this earth to us. Now, you still are the most important thing in the world to me," Remus added swiftly and Harry nodded his understanding.
The werewolf continued steadily, "If you had decided that you did not like either of us when we finally met again four years ago, it would have devastated both of us�and it was always more important to Sirius that he liked by others, especially those he cared about, than it ever meant to me."
"So you're saying," Harry interrupted, "That Sirius was afraid that I might take it badly? Did he actually think that I would stop loving either of you just because I found out you were together like that?"
Remus shook his head slowly as he answered. "No, Harry. In all honesty, I don't think Sirius knew what to expect, and after losing so much, well...it was enough of a chance to admit his feelings for me. Remember Harry, Sirius didn�t have the opportunity to get to know you the way that I did over the year I taught you at Hogwarts. He was afraid. We both were, but he didn�t know the odds as well as I did."
�Sirius and I had a rather difficult relationship to label for years; we never actually spoke of it until we left Hogwarts after that night in the Shrieking Shack. We didn�t tell anyone; however, I believe there are a few among the Order who figured it out. I did end up mentioning it to Tonks when I explained why�� The lycanthrope made a helpless gesture and Harry recalled his attempts to turn Tonks down back at Hogwarts. �I�m sure you understand. Although, I must admit I left it somewhat vague with her�"
"Am I the first person you've actually talked to about it, then?" asked Harry, feeling slightly honored.
"Yes, you are," Remus answered softly, "And I must say it is nice to be able to talk about it finally. It's painful, but I think that's only because I waited until it was too late for Sirius to be a part of this conversation."
Harry thought over everything the scarred man had said as they sat in a companionable silence for a moment. Eventually, his thoughts turned to the dilemma that had caused him to broach the subject in the first place. "When were you sure that what you felt for Sirius was more then friendship?"
Remus observed the raven-haired boy for a moment, but it was different from the way that Hermione, Draco, or Snape ever had. The way the former professor observed him made Harry feel that the lycanthrope actually understood the true reasoning for the question and the importance of receiving an answer.
"I knew that I felt differently about him than I did anyone else during our fifth year at Hogwarts," Remus said distantly, "But I didn't realize what I was truly feeling until the next year, after the incident at the Whomping Willow, actually."
"When Sirius told Snape how to get past it?" Harry asked in surprise. "That made you fall in love in with him?"
"No," the scarred man said in a mildly amused tone. "The situation just made me realize that what I was already feeling for him was love�because of how it affected me. It would have hurt deeply to have James or Peter betray my trust like that, but it wouldn't have broken my heart the way it did to have Sirius be disloyal to me. I also had plenty of time for introspection, as I barely spoke to anyone for a couple months following the trick."
"Wasn't there an in-between?" asked the bespectacled boy. "Didn't you start to notice him in a way friends normally don't first?"
"Yes, but I hadn't realized what it was until then," Remus answered thoughtfully. "I think I subconsciously didn't allow myself to. After all, I did have enough to be getting on with."
"I think," Harry began nervously, "I think that's what happening to me. I'm realizing that I might have misinterpreted what I what feeling before�or maybe I blamed my reactions on something else."
"Then, I recommend thinking about it, Harry," the werewolf suggested gently. "No one else can tell you what you are truly feeling; you have to figure that out on your own. I do recommend telling this person, if you do realize that there is more there than simple friendship between you."
The raven-haired boy nodded before turning his gaze to the window and muttering, "What if this person doesn't feel the same?"
Remus answered quietly, but with a certainty the boy could not dismiss. "If they truly are your friend, then they won't abandon you over it. They might even be able to help you cope with moving on."
"The timing is dreadful," Harry continued; and he could not help but wonder if he was trying to talk himself out of it. Then, he felt a slight warmth over his hand and looked down to see that Remus had placed one of his pale, scarred hands on Harry's tanned smooth one. The bespectacled boy looked up and saw that the man was looking at him intently.
"Let me tell you something, Harry," said Remus in a kind but purposeful tone. "If you wait for the timing to be perfect, then you will be waiting for the rest of your life. Personally, I would never want that for you�or for Draco."
Harry did not bother to ask how his former professor knew whom he was thinking of. "What if I die when I face Voldemort?" The green-eyed boy asked steadily and he noticed that Remus paled slightly at the words and that his hand closed around Harry's in a comfortingly protective gesture. "Not that I plan to or anything, but I don't want that to be any harder on him than it has to be."
Remus sighed and leaned back on his chair, removing his hand from Harry's and placing both hands in his lap. His gaze settled on his hands, although Harry suspected that the werewolf was not actually seeing them. "You know Harry, I lost Sirius twice, in a sense, and I loved him just as much on both occasions."
The lycanthrope�s eyes moved until they found the photographs on the bedside table near Harry. "When he was sent to Azkaban�I hadn�t told him how I felt and I didn�t know how he felt about me. I spent no small amount of time wondering if it would have made a difference, had I worked up the nerve to tell him. Not knowing if my decisions affected his tore me up almost as much as missing him did."
Remus released another small sigh and gently closed his eyes. "Now, it nearly killed me to lose him all over again. However, at least this time I know that, no matter what he faced in this house, that battle, or behind that veil, he knew how much I love him.�
Warm, moist eyes opened and met Harry�s unabashedly. �I cannot tell you what his love means to me, even for the short time we had together. Simply to know that he loved me; I could die quite comfortably with that knowledge. I wish every moment of every day that he were still here, but if it had to end, then� I certainly prefer it this way to the way it was the last time.�
Harry felt his eyes burning from the tears he was holding back and he swallowed thickly against his tightening throat. Seeing the unshed tears in Remus� eyes as well, Harry could only nod to express that he had heard and understood.
Both sat in silence for a long moment, and then Remus' usual hoarse voice and mild tone broke the silence. "Unless there is anything else you would like to ask me now, I believe we should start working on some spells." He slowly stood and moved to the bookshelves.
Harry nodded, and fought off the haze that his mind had drifted into whilst he sat in silence. "That sounds good. Remus�?"
"Yes?" Remus asked patiently.
"Thanks," Harry said as he stood.
"You're welcome, Harry," the werewolf answered in a very genuine tone. "I did mean what I said about coming to me for anything."
Harry spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon learning advanced defensive spells and other spells from Remus. The bespectacled boy had never felt so close to any adult before, and in the back of his mind, he decided that this must be what it felt like to have a real parent.
It was not until the teenager�s stomach started launching a protest at the lack of food it had received throughout the day that Remus suggested they stop and head down to the kitchen. The scarred man showed Harry a hidden passage that led from Sirius' old room -the entrance lay hidden behind a mirror- to the hall across from the kitchen door.
When they entered the kitchen, they found Ron and Hermione sitting at the table. Ron was eating a slice of black forest cake while Hermione was poring over an old book.
"Hello, Ron, Hermione," Remus greeted kindly as they entered, causing the teens to look up from the table.
"Hello Lupin," said Hermione absently before turning on the teen behind him. "Harry! Where have you been all day? Your room is locked and Imperturbed. Is Draco alright?"
"Hermione," Ron said the name fondly through a mouthful of cake. Fortunately, he swallowed before continuing; "One question at a time, love; he just came down."
"Thanks mate." Harry and Ron shared a grin before he addressed Hermione. "I've been with Remus. You said he wanted to see me about something and I wanted to ask him a few questions, too. Draco wanted some time alone anyway, so I left him in our- Hang on�you said the room is locked and Imperturbed?"
Hermione nodded and appeared to be scrutinizing Harry. The boy took a hesitant step backwards as he stammered. "Err�I think I'll just go and check on him. He really needs to eat something anyway.�
"I'll send some sandwiches up in a moment," said Remus as the bespectacled boy left the room, calling his thanks over his shoulder as he did so.
Harry quietly walked to his and Draco's room and checked for spells. Sure enough, Hermione had been right. Harry decided to knock. "Draco? It's me�Harry. Will you open up?"
There was no answer other than the sound of the door unlocking. Harry opened the door enough to enter and then closed it behind him. When he turned to face the room, he saw the pale blonde sitting on his bed and reading Snape's potions notes again. The light was filtering though the windows sheer curtains, giving the fair boy a soft luminance.
The next thought to enter Harry's mind was that he looked beautiful.
The green-eyed boy struggled for a moment to find his voice. "Are� Do� H-how are you?"
Grey eyes glanced up from the page and lingered on Harry�s own for a moment before looking away again. "I'm alright I suppose," murmured Draco, who sounded anything but all right. "How are you?"
Harry did not answer right away, as he needed to force his mind to push aside a multitude of thoughts and emotions before one coherent thought surfaced. "I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"
"Because you sound breathless and confused," the blonde answered flatly.
Harry felt blood rushing into his face and hoped that Draco would not look up again for a moment. "I, er, I was just worried. I hadn't meant to leave you alone for so long and then Hermione said the door was locked and spelled, and�" Harry shrugged even though Draco had yet to look up again.
"I'm not going to do anything�foolish, Harry. Slytherin's think things through even when they're upset." The pale boy raised his head just enough to bring up his grey eyes to see Harry through his blonde fringe. "How is Lupin?"
"He's fine�" Harry answered uncertainly until he realized that the other boy's upbringing probably did not allow him to be so up front as to ask what Remus wanted to tell Harry. Especially after spending the day alone with thoughts of his parents, his former limitations were probably near the forefront of his mind.
"He wanted to let me know that he brought back Gryffindor's sword yesterday�and your old school trunk. Then he answered some questions for me and taught me some really useful spells."
"That's great; now we only have three more to go," Draco commented tamely. "He brought back my trunk?" Harry nodded at the query. "I'll have to thank him for that; there's a book in there I want to check."
The blonde was still speaking as though his mind were only partially focused on the conversation until he looked up fully to meet Harry's gaze. "Do you know how knowledgeable Lupin is of potions ingredients, or at least their effects on werewolves?"
The bespectacled boy just stared at the fair boy for a moment. Clearly, the blonde was throwing his focus into their task of stopping Voldemort instead of dwelling on his parents' fates. However, Harry was not sure what he should do about it, or if he should even try to do something.
For now, he decided to humor the grey-eyed boy. During this moment of thought, Draco had cast his eyes away once more.
"Remus told me once in third year that he wasn't much of a potions brewer, but he was talking about the wolfsbane potion�although I didn't know it at the time." Harry walked across the room and sat at the end of Draco's bed, facing the blonde. "He certainly seems to know about potions though, at least, that one anyway. It wouldn't surprise me if he's read everything ever written on werewolves. He hates his transformations and can't stand the idea of hurting -especially biting- anyone."
"That's understandable," commented Draco softly, then he raised his eyes to meet Harry's once again. "Do you think he'd mind if I ran a theory past him?"
"Not at all," answered Harry simply. "Is this about one of Snape's potions?"
"Yes," the blonde turned the book of notes so that Harry could read the page. The bespectacled boy noticed that Draco had added several remarks of his own, but could not make much sense of any of it. However, he did notice that it was the same page Draco showed him at Malfoy Manor. "This is that potion we looked at before�"
"The one that forces werewolves to transform even if the moon isn't full?" asked Harry just to be certain. After all, he was not much of a potions brewer either.
"That's the one," said Draco with a brisk nod. "Now, the moon still has to be out, and the transformation would not last as long, but the potion should still be effective. However, some of the ingredients, or the amounts of them in some cases, don't make sense. They aren�t needed for the apparently intended results. I think Severus was trying to do something else in secret."
"You mean, he made the potion do what Voldemort wanted it to," Harry asked slowly as he thought over Draco's words, "But he made it do something else as well?"
The grey-eyed boy nodded more slowly this time, his mind clearly starting to focus on their discussion more. "I just can't figure out what he was trying to accomplish. I'm hoping it might mean something to Lupin. It almost�" Draco trailed off, as he seemed to re-read the notes that were upside-down to him.
"It almost what?" asked Harry, his gaze was set on the blonde.
"It almost looks toxic," Draco said quietly. "I don't know if the intention is to weaken them while they're a wolf, or to let them retain least some sense of self."
Harry was still looking at the fair Slytherin instead of the notes. "In the case of Greyback and his sort, I don't think allowing them to retain a sense of self would prevent attacks�probably the opposite. He would use it to attack the people he wants to."
"Which could be the whole point," Draco commented thoughtfully. "Since that�s the sort of beast that would be taking this, V-Vol�" The silver-eyed boy made a sound somewhere between a choke and a sigh as he turned his face away.
Harry reached out and placed his hand on one of Draco's thin shoulders. "You don't have to be alright, you know."
"Yes, I do," Draco murmured, his face still turned away and lowered almost shamefully. "There is too much that we need to do for me to break down now. We need to find the other Horcruxes�quickly. Something is going to happen-"
"You said that you had a bad feeling last night, before the meeting," Harry recalled aloud.
"So did you," responded the blonde.
"Yeah, but I-" Harry stopped speaking when his hand fell to his lap and hit the slip of paper in his pocket. "Oh, Draco, I need you to read something�" He took out the note Remus had given him and handed it to Draco.
The blonde looked puzzled, but unfolded the note without question, "Do I need to read aloud?"
"No, you just have to read it and then destroy it," answered Harry. "It's from the Order's Secret-Keeper, so you can see the house. Remus said it might be affecting you in other ways too."
"It�? What are you�?" Grey eyes scanned the brief missive, and then Draco's body suddenly lurched as though it were catching itself from a fall.
"Are you okay?" Harry grabbed Draco's shoulders and tuned him so they were facing each other. "What just happened?"
"There was this strange feeling, like being too far under water�I've felt it since we came here," Draco explained slowly. "It's gone now, but� Never mind." He tapped his wand to the slip of paper and it began to burn down slowly.
"But what�?" asked Harry forcefully.
"It's nothing. I don't-" The blonde stopped speaking when a gentle knock sounded at the door followed by Remus' voice.
"Harry, Draco, I brought you something to eat; would you like me to leave it here?"
"No Remus," Harry answered as Draco raised his wand to unlock the door. "Actually, we want to ask you about something."
Remus entered the room quietly, holding a plate of sandwiches in one hand and three bottles of soda pop in the other with a bag of crisps balanced under an arm. He wore an expression of mild interest as he looked at the boys. "What can I do for you?"
"Well, I think you've already done enough for me for one day," Harry said with an appreciative smile. He indicated the book in the blonde�s lap; "Draco has something he'd like your opinion on though."
"My opinion seems to be of value today," Remus answered lightly as he set the items he was carrying down beside Harry and then seated himself on the bed across from the teens. "Eat while I'm looking, please," he said impassively as he accepted the book that Draco was holding out toward him.
"We found this in Snape's workspace in my father's private study," Draco said as the werewolf looked over the page it was opened to.
"Actually, a hidden office behind the study," Harry added as he forced half a sandwich into one of Draco's pale hands. "You're too thin already and it's only been a few days since you were near death�eat."
Draco rolled his eyes but took a bite of the sandwich, chewed, and swallowed before giving Harry a look that clearly said happy now. Then he returned his attention to Remus. "Anyway, it's a bunch of notes on potions he was working on for V-Vold-demort-" The silver-eyed boy released a frustrated sigh, "I was just getting better at saying that name, too."
"Don't worry about it, Draco," Harry commented gently as he placed a hand over one of the blonde�s slender ones. Harry could have sworn he saw Remus smirk through the corner of his eye, however, when he turned to look at the lycanthrope, his scarred face was as passive as always.
Remus retuned his attention to the book in his hands and then his eyes widened. �No��
"Unfortunately, yes," responded Draco. "The transformation should only last as long as the potion is in the werewolf's system; probably only around five hours."
Remus shook his head slowly as he continued to look over the notes. "Less than that," he commented as he glanced up at the two boys. "Werewolves have very fast metabolisms."
"Is that why you've always been so�" Draco trailed off and took in Remus slight form. "I always assumed it was due to monetary problems; it never occurred to me that it could be due to your�"
When the pale Slytherin trailed off uncertainly, Harry looked at him and offered, "Furry little problem...?"
Draco turned to Harry and raised a single thin eyebrow in an expression of both questioning and amusement.
The werewolf chuckled quietly. "That is the same expression Sirius had the first time he heard James use that term," he explained when Harry looked at him quizzically. He turned to Draco and commented mildly, "To answer your question, I blame both those facts as well as genes for my build.�
"Now, if I may return to the original topic of this discussion," Remus said gently, "I'm a little confused about some of these ingredients, particularly the doses used."
"That is what I wanted to ask you about," said Draco interestedly. "They aren't needed in those doses -and some at all- for this potion to work. Snape knows that, I'm sure of it. I was wondering if those doses have any unusual effect on werewolves that you might know about."
"This mixture of ingredients," Remus moved the book so the teens could see its pages and pointed to the section Draco had been trying to make sense of earlier, "Is certainly toxic to werewolves in these doses. For a werewolf my size, one dose would probably be fatal, for a larger one like Greyback, it may be survivable, although I doubt even he would be able to survive it twice."
"That's what I was wondering about," the grey-eyed boy stated with nod, clearly thinking fast. "So they would transform, but they would die around the time they were due to turn back, correct?"
"I would think so," Remus said as he once again studied the notes.
"Well, I guess that's good in the long run," Draco said in a hesitant tone, "But a werewolf that can transform at any time and keep to an agenda can do a lot of damage in even a few hours." He turned his gaze to Lupin and spoke in a surprisingly genuine tone, "No offence, it�s only that the ones that are on V-Voldemort's side-"
"I understand, Draco; there�s no need to apologize," Remus said mildly. "I know better than most what a monster like Greyback is capable of, even without the aid of a potion like this one."
"I think you were right before, Draco," Harry said as he turned to the blonde. "I think we do need to find the other Horcruxes quickly." After the Slytherin nodded, the bespectacled boy turned back to Remus. "Are you going to be busy the next couple of days?"
"Well, I was planning on going somewhere tomorrow or the following day, but I can postpone that," Remus answered straight away. "What do you need?"
"I want you to take me and Draco to Godric's Hollow�to my parents' old house. We'll start there and then move onto the other places we need to check on our own. Hermione and Ron can continue going through the information we gathered from Malfoy Manor, and all of you can contact us through the cards if you need to tell us anything."
"That's a good idea," commented Draco. "When do we leave?"
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Remus asked gently, "Both of you?"
"I'm as ready as I'm going to be," Harry answered with a nod. "I know you'll be there if I need you, and you've already taught me a lot."
"I think I'm pretty well prepared to deal with any dark magic we might come across," added Draco. "I'm not going to do any good staying here."
"I understand," Remus said, sounding worried but resigned. "I'll continue looking into the possibilities as well. Please keep me informed�and be careful."
"We will," answered Harry sincerely. "Actually, can we keep the other Horcruxes we have with the sword in your room? I don't think it's a wise idea to carry them around with us."
"Of course that's fine," Remus looked weary as he met Harry's gaze. "When do you want to go?"
Harry looked to Draco, "Tomorrow�?" The blonde nodded, and then Harry returned his gaze to Remus, "Tomorrow, then."
Remus appeared to hesitate for a moment before speaking in a gentle tone. "Draco, I want you to know that the Order is going to try to prevent Voldemort from terrorizing you, but there is very little we can do while�"
"While my father is in Azkaban and I'm running off with Harry?" Draco interjected questioningly and Remus nodded regretfully. "I didn't expect even as much as you've done. I know that there isn't� Thank you for trying�for everything."
"You don't need to thank me or anyone," Remus answered firmly. "I only wish there was more that we could do."
"You're doing the most you can now," said Harry forcefully. "You're doing important work for the Order, you're preventing many creatures from joining Voldemort, and you're helping us stop him for good."
The lycanthrope wore a small smile, "You've matured well, Harry."
"I've had a few good teachers," the bespectacled boy answered with a smile of his own.
Draco cleared his throat and looked at Harry, "Not that those aren't lovely sentiments, but you're going to make the man the cry if you keep that up, and I for one am not up to dealing with an emotional werewolf."
Remus chuckled lightly and discreetly wiped under an eye. Harry's grin faded as he turned to Draco again "Are you sure you're up for tomorrow, because we can-"
"No Harry, I need to do this," the fair Slytherin interrupted. "What would you do if it were your mother?"
"Yell, throw a few things, and then go after Voldemort," Harry deadpanned. "I understand, I just�"
"Thank you for the concern, but I'll be fine," Draco said quietly. He turned to Remus, "Any objections you would like to get out of the way now?"
"No, I understand perfectly, Draco," answered Remus. Then the werewolf stood slowly, "If there isn't anything else you wanted to ask me tonight, there are a few things I really should finish before leaving."
"Like I said, you've done enough for me today," Harry answered, then looked to the blonde beside him. "What about you?"
"No, thank you." The blonde paused and then turned to Lupin. "Actually, would it be alright if I got my trunk?"
"I'll get it," Harry said as he stood. "I want to drop the other Horcruxes off in Remus room, anyway." Both Draco and Remus looked suspicious of the bespectacled boy, but neither said anything about it.
Harry followed the lycanthrope out of the room and they walked to the werewolf's room in a comfortable silence. Once inside Harry pulled the locket and the brooch from his pocket. "Where�?"
"You can put them anywhere you want," answered Remus as though Harry had managed to complete the sentence. "The sword is wrapped in a cloak under the bed, if you would like to keep them together."
"That sounds good," said Harry.
"Here," Remus emptied a pencil case from his desk and handed it to the raven-haired boy.
"Thanks," Harry took the case and placed the Horcruxes inside before kneeling next to the bed and looking under it. Sure enough, there was a worn old traveling cloak wrapped tightly around something. Harry un-tucked the fabric at one end and recognized the hilt of the sword he had grown familiar with at the end of his second year at Hogwarts. He re-wrapped the cloak and placed the pencil case beside it before standing.
Harry heard Remus' voice again as he moved towards Draco trunk; "Would you like a hand with that?"
"No thanks, I've got it." Harry pulled out his wand, "Locomotor Trunk!"
Remus turned to the bespectacled boy as the trunk rose off the floor. "Now, is there any reason why you wanted Draco to stay in your room?"
"Er�no, I just�" Harry released a small sigh. "After talking with you, some of my thoughts are making a little more sense, but they�" The green-eyed boy gestured feebly.
"They all started coming together at once when you saw Draco and you needed a moment to gain your bearings?" Lupin offered.
"Exactly," Harry said with a relieved grin. "Did that happen to you?"
Remus nodded, "There was a day in seventh year where Sirius actually forced me bodily to the hospital wing because he thought I must have been suffering either from some werewolf ailment or the results of an unknown hex. I was fine until just after lunch; we were talking when he said some joke, turned to me, and smiled�I think I actually forgot how to speak."
"Yeah, I think that's what happened to me awhile ago," said Harry. "Remus�? Do you think it's�strange? That I'm feeling like this about Draco?"
"Not at all," Remus answered calmly. "You were always drawn to him in a sense, and now that you're both older and you're seeing each other in a different light, well, something was bound to change."
"You don't have a problem with it, do you?" Harry asked, and then quickly added, "Obviously not with that, but his family is-"
"Not much worse than Sirius' family was," interjected Remus evenly. "As far as I have always been concerned, the fact that Sirius could be raised amongst his family's beliefs, but make his own decisions and ideals showed great strength of character. The same could be said about Draco, now that he's following his own path."
Harry's grin broadened into a smile, "You're right. I should have known you would see it that way. Thanks again Remus."
"You are entirely welcome Harry," said the werewolf, "Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning."
Harry said goodnight as he walked out of the room, directing Draco's trunk in front of him with his wand. In the hall before his and Draco's room, he saw Ron and Hermione whispering somewhat heatedly to each other.
"I did not say that he deserves any of it," Ron hissed as Harry approached behind him. "I said that they got what they asked for; meaning Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy! What kind of end could they have expected, getting involved with that lot? Malfoy just got a bad hand when he was born into that family. That's why this is happening to him."
"Alright, alright, I misunderstood. That's not the point anyway� Do you see what I mean now? H-" Hermione whispered back before noticing Harry's arrival. "Harry! What are you doing? We thought you were with Draco."
"I was," answered Harry with a curious glance at his bushy-haired friend. "After we talked to Remus for a bit, I walked back to his room to get Draco's trunk. Remus brought it back from Hogwarts. Here, let me see if Draco is�er, all right, and then you can come in. I need to tell you something."
Harry walked the rest of the way to his room, guided the trunk through the door, and then entered, closing the door behind him.
Draco was sitting crossed legged on the floor, with a few books lying open on the ground in front of him. He had a piece of parchment and a quill in his lap, along with another book that he was using as a writing desk, and was quickly taking notes as his eyes browsed the pages before him.
"Now what are you doing?" asked Harry as he crossed the room and kneeled to the ground beside the blonde.
"Research;" Draco answered quietly without taking his eyes off the page he was reading. "You weren't planning on going without looking up a few things first, were you?"
"Of course," Harry said with a small grin. "Remember�? You and Hermione worry about the fine details, Ron and I barge into things headfirst. That's how we work."
"It's a good thing I finally came around then," Draco murmured without missing a beat or slowing his note taking. "Granger was probably due to go mental soon. At least now it's even; Weasley has her and you have me�"
Draco was so immersed in his research that he did not notice the odd choking sound that Harry quickly disguised as a chuckle. "Yeah, I guess Ron and I are lucky. Speaking of them, do you mind if they come in so I can tell them the new plan?"
"No, go ahead." Draco finished a sentence and then started closing each of the books. "Thank you for asking," he added so quietly that the raven-haired boy almost did not catch it.
"Draco," Harry said forcefully as the grey-eyed boy put away the books he had been reading. At the sound of his name, Draco stopped and turned toward Harry, but his head was still turned away slightly and his eyes were downcast. "Honestly; are you going to be alright?"
Draco took a deep breath before answering; "Yes."
Harry stepped forward to close most of the distance between them. He curled his hand into a loose fist and gently lifted the fair boy's chin. Moist grey eyes rose to meet concerned green, and then shared breaths quickened and warmed the few inched between one tanned and one pale face.
Then Draco closed his eyes just as Harry closed the remaining distance between them in a gentle, tentative kiss.
The green-eyed boy opened his hand to caress Draco's fine jaw line, and slid his other hand around the pale boy's slim back. Harry moved slowly, so that the ashen boy would have plenty of time to stop him if he wanted to. Nevertheless, before he realized it, he was holding Draco's gracefully slender form against him without having encountered any form of protest.
Harry felt one slender hand fisting his shirt as the other slid up his chest and rested just above his collarbone.
The kiss never gained momentum, never became desperate or greedy like the kisses often portrayed in the soap operas Harry's aunt used to watch, but somehow, the slow tender kiss managed to reveal just as much passion and need.
Their lips separated, and Harry moved his hand from Draco's face to wrap his arm around the blonde's slim shoulders without ever breaking contact. He tightened both arms around Draco as the blonde tucked his head into the crook of Harry's neck. Draco released Harry's shirt and slid his hand up the tanned boy�s torso to curve around Harry's neck in a contented embrace.
They each stood still for a moment as their thoughts and their heart rates calmed down.
Harry felt moisture on his neck and realized the other boy was silently crying, "Draco�?"

He felt the named boy's head shake against him, as if to tell him not to worry about it.
Before Harry could say anything further, there was a soft knock at the door followed by Ron's voice, but the bespectacled boy could not focus on anything besides the boy in his arms enough to tell what Ron was saying.
Draco inhaled deeply and then Harry felt his warm breath dance across his throat as he released it. "You have to explain what�s happening to them�about the Horcruxes, I mean."
"What about this?" asked Harry as he gave the svelte form in his arms a squeeze to demonstrate what he meant.
"Promise we'll talk later�?" Draco asked faintly.
"Definitely," Harry answered; "We need to, but�"
"Right now, it's just too much," Draco finished for him as he slowly pulled away.
Harry remembered Remus' warning. "There's always going to be too much."
"I meant to explain," the blonde replied softly. He raised his head to look at Harry questioningly.
The green-eyed boy did not hesitate to answer; "I'm glad I did that."
"So am I," answered Draco as he slowly stepped away.
Harry smiled and was pleased to see a small smile touch Draco's lips as well. Then, the raven-haired boy turned to door. He would explain the easy part to Ron and Hermione now�
The rest would have to wait until after.
- 16
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- 18
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Harry Potter and the Unusual Alliance