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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
- 20
- 21
- 22
Chapter 21: Spinner's End.
With a very faint pop, Harry found himself on the overgrown, rubbish-laden bank of a dingy river. Remus released his arm and quickly took in their surroundings. Harry adjusted his hold on Draco and checked to be sure that the blonde's condition had not changed during the brief trip.
"This way Harry," said the werewolf as he turned to a line of old railings that separated the dirty river from a narrow cobbled street.
Harry turned as well, and saw a rundown Muggle town with dilapidated brick houses, cobblestone streets, and several broken or flickering streetlamps.
"Snape lives here?" asked the bespectacled boy.
"He grew up here," answered Remus softly. Harry noticed his breathing was slightly labored and he was holding his left arm close to his body.
"Do you know which street is Spinner's End?" questioned Harry.
"Yes; follow me," answered Remus before slipping through a gap in the rusty old railings. He turned to Harry once on the other side. "Why don't you pass Draco through first?"
"Okay." Harry moved sideways, and he and Remus managed to pass the unconscious boy through the narrow opening without incident.
Then, Harry managed to maneuver himself through the gap. He turned to Remus immediately. "Here, I'll carry him. No offence, but you don't look so well."
The scarred man gave a half-hearted chuckle. "No offence taken; I was actually planning on handing him back�not that he's terribly heavy."
"I know," commented Harry as he took the blonde from Remus. "When this is over, I'm siccing Mrs. Weasley on him."
"That should do it," said Remus as he turned and began to lead Harry through a labyrinth of brick and cobblestone.
The town was dingy; many of the houses had broken or boarded windows. A haze seemed to drift through the streets in the half-light, and an old mill chimney towered over the other buildings.
Finally, they reached a street labeled Spinner's End. Remus inconspicuously slipped his wand out of his jeans pocket and tucked it up his sleeve before they turned onto the street. They walked silently down the quiet street until they reached the last house.
"Stand back, just in case," Remus said quietly as he approached the door and knocked.

Harry held onto Draco a little tighter as he heard the sounds of a bolt sliding out of place. Then, the door opened just a crack, and Harry saw a sliver of a familiar sallow face and one dark glistening eye.
Snape opened the door a few more inches and scowled at the werewolf. "Lupin, what are you doing here?" He snapped before Remus could speak. "I would think-" Black eyes darted to the street and the potions master�s expression and tone immediately changed. "Draco!"
In the blink of an eye, the door was thrown open and Snape was pushing Harry and the unconscious boy in his arms inside. "Get him in there, Potter."
As he entered a tiny sitting room, Harry glanced over his shoulder to see that Remus had followed Snape in, and was closing the door behind them after a quick glance at the street.
"Put him on the sofa," commanded Snape as he approached the threadbare piece of furniture as well.
Harry gently laid Draco down and was no sooner pushed out of the way by Snape, who began to look over the pallid Slytherin immediately. "What happened?" he barked without looking away from the pale boy.
"Draco decided to prove he's more like you than we thought," commented Remus flatly.
"What is that supposed to mean?" hissed Snape as he took Draco's pulse.
"He touched an object Lord Voldemort imbued with an aeternus noctis curse�so neither of us would," answered Remus as he dropped all three rucksacks to the floor and moved to Draco's side as well.
"He did what?" said Snape, looking at the werewolf for the first time since he opened the door.
"I already gave him a dose of soþian, and cast all the appropriate spells that could be cast," said Remus calmly. "I can handle the counter curse, but not the potion."
Snape made a gesture that may have been a curt nod; however, he stood and turned too quickly for it to be properly distinguished. In a few steps, he had crossed the room. Harry noticed for the first time that the walls were completely covered in books. The raven-haired man approached one of the bookshelves, but instead of pulling out a book, he pulled a section of the shelves open like a door, to reveal a hall beyond.
After Snape disappeared down the hall, Harry kneeled on the ground beside the unconscious boy.
"He'll be alright, Harry," murmured Remus. "Snape is the best person to take it from here."
Harry nodded vaguely and then noticed that the werewolf's breathing was still unsteady, his face still pallid, and he was still favoring his left arm. "What about you?"
"We'll take care of Draco first," the lycanthrope responded resolutely. "I'll be fine, Harry."
Snape barged back into the room carrying a few vials of various colored liquids. "Move Potter," he said as he approached the sofa. Harry stepped out of the way just in time to avoid being stepped on.
Snape kneeled just as Harry had been, and he gently tipped Draco's head back and supported his neck with one hand as he slowly poured the potions in with the other. "I don't have any draught of quies sopor in stock, but I started it. These should suffice in the meantime. What happened to you, Lupin?"
"Angustus curse�and I was bitten by a snake," answered Remus flatly, as he cast a non-verbal spell over Draco.
Snape's eyes widened for a brief moment when he heard the name of the curse, and then he quickly asked, "What kind of snake?"
"I'm not really an expert on snakes. Judging by the bite, I would guess a viperid of some sort, although I've never heard of any quite that large before." Remus answered thoughtfully, his attention still appeared to remain focused on Draco as well.
Again, Snape spoke without looking away from Draco. "Potter, go through the door I just entered in. Then, enter the second door on your left. Find the pyramid-shaped bottle with the dark teal potion and the small bottle with the lavender elixir and bring them here."
Harry followed the directions without question. The room he was directed to seemed to be Snape's private potion storeroom. It took Harry several minutes to locate both potions, and then he rushed back into the sitting room with what he hoped were the correct ones. The bespectacled boy stood beside Snape, who was perched at the edge of the sofa and was wiping off Draco's wan face with a damp cloth. Remus was looking worse for wear as he sat in the armchair across from the sofa.
Snape spared the briefest glance at the bottles Harry held out for inspection. "The teal is correct, the other is not. That is puce, Potter. The potion you want is two shelves above where you found that one."
Snape took the bluish-green potion out of Harry's hand and thrust it in Remus' direction without looking at him; "Lupin, take thirty milliliters of this."
Remus took the potion from Snape as Harry returned to the potions storeroom. This time he was certain he found the correct potion and Snape merely jerked his head toward the werewolf after glancing at the bottle in Harry's hand.
"Ten milliliters should do;" the obsidian-eyed man commented dryly. As Remus poured a very small amount of the potion into a glass he conjured, Snape drawled, "Do you think you are competent enough to put those back where you found them, Potter?"
Remus offered Harry a look that seemed to say more than Harry could read, but he understood the overall meaning. The scarred man did not like the way Snape was speaking to Harry, but he knew that the other man was affected by Draco's condition more than he would let on. However, he also wanted to be sure that Snape�s words and attitude in general were not upsetting Harry.
The bespectacled boy offered a gentle smile to let the werewolf know he was all right, and that he understood. Remus returned the smile and then leaned back in the chair.
Harry returned the bottles to their original places (or at least somewhere in the general vicinity) and then returned to the sitting room once more. He waved off Remus' offer to take his seat and sat down on the floor beside where Draco's head rested on the sofa. Snape was still sitting on the sofa beside the blonde�s legs.
The bespectacled boy brushed the white-blonde locks away from Draco's pale face and looked at him for a moment before turning to Snape. "Will he be fine once you finish that potion?"
"For the most part," Snape answered bitterly. Harry noticed that Remus looked upset as well.
"What do you mean?" Harry turned to Remus. "What am I missing here?"
The werewolf sighed and leaned forward, with his elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasped loosely as they hung in the space in-between. The bespectacled boy recognized a long explanation coming.
"Harry, the aeternus noctis curse is not widely known or used for good reason. While it is rarely fatal if the victim is in relatively sound health, there are certain side effects that cannot be completely subsided. That is why I was so adamant that I take the curse. I did not want either of you to have to�but that's a moot point now. Considering that I was able to act as soon as he took the curse, and how quickly we got him to Snape, I think the effects should be considerably mild. We were lucky."
Harry was feeling both concerned and relieved. He suspected that very few wizards could have countered the curse as Remus and Snape were, and he believed that the lycanthrope was right�they were lucky.
"But what are the effects?� asked the green-eyed boy once he felt he had understood what Remus had explained already. �I've never heard of the aeternus noctis curse. What's happening to Draco?"
"The aeternus noctis curse, when it was more widely known, was sometimes referred to as the curse of eternal nightmares," answered Remus apologetically. "Like the drought of living dead, the concern isn't normally that the victim will die, but that they will never awaken. There are a few other aspects, but I have already countered them.
�The potion Snape is brewing should allow Draco to awaken, but I'm afraid he's going to suffer from nightmares from now on. Hopefully -since we acted so quickly and since both Snape and I are particularly powerful in this area- the nightmares won't be too severe." Remus stated the last part without any boasting or pride, if anything he sounded remorseful.
"I think I'm still missing something," Harry responded. "Why are you both so upset if the worse case scenario is that Draco will have nightmares? I'm not happy about that, but it doesn't fit your reactions."
Snape glanced at the bespectacled boy with a mild expression of surprise before returning his attention to Draco. "These are not normal nightmares we are discussing, Potter. Those with weak hearts or constitutions have died in their sleep after taking the curse. Others have gone insane, due to either the nightmares themselves or the severe sleep deprivation they suffer because of them.
��No one should take it so soon after the ordeal Draco has suffered recently. I doubt Lupin would have fared well either, but perhaps werewolves are more resilient to its effects than humans."
"In either case, it would have been better than either of you having to live with the side-effects," said Remus quietly.
"That it would have," responded Snape acrimoniously. Obsidian eyes turned to Lupin, "What were you doing? How was Draco even put in this position? You said the Dark Lord cast the curse on an object."
Remus met Snape's cold gaze easily. There seemed to be a silent battle between the two men, and then Harry remembered that Snape was accomplished in Occlumency and Legilimency.
It seemed that Remus was as well, for after a moment, Snape's hard gaze seemed to slacken while Remus' serene one remained unaffected. He continued to hold Snape's gaze however, as he answered, "You'll have to ask Harry what information he wants to share with you. I'm just the guard wolf, remember?"
Snape's lip twitched in the slightest snarl before he turned to Harry. The bespectacled boy felt a twinge of fear�he had never been good at Occlumency. However, between Remus' presence and his new alliance with Draco, Harry suspected that Snape would not try to use Legilimency on him.
He was right, it seemed, for Snape did not attempt to intrude on his memories but simply glared at the boy. "Well, Potter? I trust even your short attention span could retain the questions I just posed to your�mentor." The raven-haired man nearly choked on the last word.
"I don't think insults are necessary in this situation," commented Remus, who was beginning to sound tired. "You are both working for the same goal now. Can't you just set aside this pointless animosity? ...At least for Draco�s sake; He needs both of you.�
Both dark-haired males looked down at the unconscious blonde. Then, for the first time, they seemed to notice the each other's position by the boy.
Harry was leaning his side against the front of the sofa, with his head right over Draco's and his left arm cradling the blonde's head.
Snape was sitting beside Draco's knees with his right hand resting further along the sofa. Harry had assumed this was for balance, but now that he was truly looking, he saw that Snape's long fingers were resting over Draco's slender hand.
The green-eyed boy released a defeated sigh. He had always known that Draco respected and liked Snape, and during the past week, he had come to realize that the blonde actually loved the man. Now it seemed as though Snape actually felt some amount of caring for the wan boy as well. Harry could no sooner expect Draco to mistrust Snape than anyone could expect him himself to mistrust Remus.
"We were looking for one of the Horcruxes," Harry stated blandly. "To get it, someone had to do this," he gestured at Draco's unconscious form. "If Remus had done it, Draco and I wouldn't have been able to do the rest that was needed, and I had to do the last bit. Draco was right, this was the only way�but neither of us would have let him, so he just did it."
Snape's gaze trailed over Draco slowly, and then he nodded once. "Did you procure the Horcrux?"
"Yes, but it stays with Remus. He's going to hide all of them until we get them all. Then, we're going to destroy them." Harry glanced down to Draco as well. The raven-haired boy furrowed his brows; "Except for Nagini�I'm not sure how that one works. Do we treat her like all the others?"
"Well�no, I would think not," answered Remus thoughtfully. "A living being could not have the same defensive spells and curses placed upon it. Lord Voldemort would either have expected her to defend herself, or set up external defenses in the location he keeps her."
"You will also have to kill her," commented Snape bluntly. "Or the fragment of the Dark Lord's soul that rests within her might be able to cling to her own soul."
"Actually, that would simplify the matter," Remus said in a pensive tone. "Her soul will most likely take the fragment with it when she dies. That will seem less suspicious to Lord Voldemort, if he can sense the condition of his Horcruxes.�
"How many have you located?" asked Snape as his dark eyes turned to the bespectacled boy. "Two have already been destroyed, and possibly a third. Now you have at least one, but that still leaves two�and we still don't know if Regulus was successful in destroying the one he found."
"No," Harry corrected lazily. "There aren't six. There are eight." It appeared that Snape was going to question this, so the bespectacled boy hastened to add, "Draco figured that out. I'm only telling you this because of him, so don't argue with me until I'm finished."
Harry could have sworn he saw the corner of Remus' mouth turn up slightly in his peripheral vision, but his attention remained on Snape, who was watching him closely. "There's the sword of Gryffindor, the cup of Hufflepuff, the brooch of Ravenclaw, the locket of Slytherin, the Gaunt family ring, Tom Riddle's diary, Nagini, and we don't know what the last object is."
Snape watched Harry for a moment, and then turned his attention to Remus, who nodded once in a confirming gesture. Oddly enough to Harry, that seemed to be all the confirmation Snape required.
The dark-eyed man glanced down at Draco, as he appeared to drift into thought. "How certain are you that it is an object?"
Harry blinked and lifted his head from Draco, who he had just returned his attention to, and turned to Snape. �What?�
Snape returned his attention to Harry as well. "It is unheard of to use a living being as a Horcrux, and yet, the Dark Lord did�at least once that we are aware of. What makes you believe the last Horcrux is an object? Do you have a reason, or is this simply a blind assumption?"
"I�er�It never occurred to us that the last one might be another animal," Harry admitted.
"Are there any other animals that Lord Voldemort is known to have contact with?" asked Remus pensively.
"Aside from your sire, no," responded Snape dismissively.
Harry's brows furrowed again, in anger this time. "Remus is not an animal! If you-"
"It is all right, Harry," the werewolf interrupted mildly. "He's been like this since he found out about it, and it isn't anything I'm not used to anyway. However," Remus spoke the last word a little more forcefully, which silenced the argument Harry had been about to make on the werewolf's reply.
"However, that is something for us to take into consideration," the lycanthrope finished with a look of fear and disgust. "There are many who consider werewolves as beast instead of beings, and Voldemort wouldn't concern himself with which category the Ministry currently has us listed under."
"He is the first of is kind to be permitted to wear Death Eater robes," commented Snape. Both men seemed to think on that fact for some time.
"I don't think its Greyback," replied Remus after a moment. "He wouldn�t stand for it, and he would have to be aware. He might have allowed Voldemort to use a cub -kid- sorry, but I even find that unlikely. Greyback despises normal people."
Snape nodded. "You do have a point. It wouldn't be worth the trouble for the Dark Lord�not when he has so many servants who would willingly assist him."
Remus froze; his eyes met Snape's cold ones. "No�Even Voldemort wouldn't use a human�"
"You know as well as I do that he would," retorted the obsidian-eyed man. "He would feel no remorse for doing so. He might even enjoy the idea of being the first to accomplish such a feat."
"That's disgusting," Harry commented; "But he would do something that demented."
Again, the room fell into silence for a moment as each of its occupants sat immersed in their own thoughts.
"�But the person would have to know about the Horcruxes then," said Remus finally; "Or at least that one. Who would Voldemort trust with that knowledge?"
"The person could have been under a curse," commented Snape tersely. "Several Death Eaters would consider it an honor to do something that ensured their Lord�s survival�and he could easily Obliviate them afterwards. Alternatively, they may have been too young to remember. There are a few who would happily sacrifice their children to the cause."
"Assuming they were given much of a choice," added Remus. The werewolf shuddered and closed his eyes for a few seconds; "I cannot imagine having to make such a decision."
"I'm lost again," said Harry.
Snape rolled his eyes. "The Dark Lord may have forced one of his followers to choose between allowing their child to be used, or the death of their child�and possibly the rest of their family. Although I'm sure that you, with your perfect grasp of right and wrong, know exactly how one should handle such a situation so that no one is harmed, the rest of us would find that to be a difficult position."
"That's enough of that," commented Remus firmly. "You said that some would willingly sacrifice their children�who- who would do that?" His voice had dropped to the barest whisper by the end. His eyes looked horrified at the very thought.
"Bellatrix Lestrange," Harry answered before Snape could speak. "She would, what about her husband? Do they have any children?"
"I believe Bellatrix wears the trousers in that relationship, and no. Not that I'm aware of anyway," answered Snape curtly.
"Would Draco know?" Remus questioned.
"Yes." Snape paused for a moment, and then his voice sounded tighter than usual when he continued. "Family meant very much to Narcissa�she would have known if Bellatrix had a child, and she would have made sure that Draco knew of his cousin as well."
Snape blinked a few timed and his voice had returned to its usual drawl when he spoke next. "Actually, Draco would have met, or at least known of, all of the Death Eaters' children. The Dark Lord's followers like to make sure they are familiar with each other...and their status. I'm sure you noticed the group dynamics while you worked at Hogwarts."
The lycanthrope nodded. "We should ask Draco when he's up to it."
"Yes," Snape stood slowly and looked down at the ashen boy again. "I should check the quies sopor." He turned and left the room.
Harry and Remus sat in silence for a while after. The lycanthrope seemed worn, but steady and calm, which Harry found reassuring. The bespectacled boy kept most of his attention on the unconscious blonde.
"What does quies sopor do?" asked Harry as he stroked Draco's pale cheek.
"Quies means quiet, sopor�well basically, it's a deep sleep." Remus watched Harry as he answered. "Draco is essentially trapped in an enchanted nightmare right now; only the charmed sleep is too strong for us to wake him.
�The potion is designed to place him into a deeper, quiet sleep. Once his mind realizes that he is in a dream, he can fight his way out�fortunately, we were able to offer some assistance with the other potions and counter spells we've administered."
"Is that why people who aren't in good health die of it?" questioned Harry after a pause. "They can't fight their way out?"
"That, and the spell puts a tremendous strain on the nervous system, which weakens the entire body," answered Remus. "I'm sorry, Harry, I-"
"You don't have any reason to be sorry," Harry interrupted. "Neither of us could have handled that on our own�and neither of you can speak Parseltongue. This is the only way we could have gotten the Horcrux." He turned to Remus for a moment, "Thanks�for everything."
The werewolf smiled kindly, "You're welcome Harry, but you never have to thank me for being there for you. I always will be."
Harry returned the smile and nodded. "I know�and for that, I can't thank you enough." Remus appeared quite touched by the statement, but Snape returned to the room then, which seemed the end the discussion.
"Move Potter," Snape stated as he approached the sofa with a dreadful looking potion in hand. Harry thought that the man's tone lacked a good deal of its usual loathing.
Again, Harry complied with the demand immediately, and Snape was soon kneeling beside Draco in Harry's place. He tilted Draco head back once again, so gently, Harry noted, it was as though he were handling a fine porcelain doll that he was afraid of breaking. Then, just as he had with the previous potions, he supported the pallid boy's neck with his left hand as he administered the vile concoction into the pale, partially opened mouth with his right.
Harry started when he felt Remus' hand on his shoulder. The bespectacled boy was so focused on Draco and Snape that he had not realized the werewolf had come to stand beside him. Remus was watching the two on the sofa as well, with a mixture of hope and concern on his scarred face.
Harry returned his attention to the sofa as well, and felt his heart jolt when Draco's eyes closed more tightly as his mouth set into a grimace.
"What's happening," Harry whispered so that only Remus could hear. He did not want to disturb Draco or distract Snape from assisting him.
"He's fighting;" the former professor answered just as quietly. "It may take a moment for him to awaken fully, and then he'll most likely need some time to regain his bearings."
Harry nodded and felt Remus' hand rub his shoulder gently.
Draco made odd choking sounds and small pitiful mews as tears squeezed out from behind his tightly closed eyelids. The pained grimace on his face became more pronounced, and his body began lurching and arching from time to time. Snape kept the emaciated boy relatively still by holding his shoulders.
"Draco," Snape said in the same, almost soothing tone that he had used with the boy back at Malfoy Manor. "Come on, Draco�You can do this. I'm here; listen to my voice. Come on, Draco�You're almost there�"
Abruptly, Draco lurched forward into a sitting position, colliding with Snape and biting back a scream. Snape adjusted and tightened his hold around the boy's shuddering shoulders as Draco pressed his face into the man's shoulder and gripped the sides of his shirt.
Harry was not sure when he had taken hold of the hand that Remus kept on his shoulder, but he realized that he was squeezing it so tightly it had to hurt. However, Remus only squeezed back, although much more gently, and held Harry's other shoulder with his free hand. Both were staring at the scene before them. The younger wore a look of fear, the elder an expression of concern.
"It is alright, Draco," Snape was addressing his favorite pupil softly. "You are in my home; Potter and Lupin are here as well. You are safe."
After a moment of gasping and shuddering, Draco slowly sat back. Snape held his shoulders firmly as the boy looked up with a startling pale face and wide fixed eyes.

Snape met and held Draco's terrified gaze and began speaking again. "Draco, can you hear me? Can you see where you are? You're all right Draco. You're in my home."
Grey eyes blinked slowly, as though the blonde were forcing himself to do so. Then Draco�s eyes began to clear, and he finally appeared to be meeting Snape's gaze.
"Severus?" He asked quietly before leaning forward and hugging the man.
Snape sighed and closed his eyes for a moment as he placed a hand on the boy's back.

After a brief moment, Draco pulled back and looked at Snape again. "Is Harry here? What about Lupin�? He was hurt-"
"We're here, Draco," Remus said in a relieved tone. "We're fine."
Draco turned at his waist to look at Harry and Remus. The wan boy still looked shaken, but seemed relieved to see each of them.
When Draco's eyes met Harry's, the green-eyed boy suddenly found himself closing the space between them to kneel before the blonde. He raised his hands to hold Draco's pale face. "Don't ever do anything like that again."
Draco voice wavered slightly as he answered, "As if you wouldn't have the same thing."

Harry chuckled as he leaned up on his knees to embrace the fair boy. The blonde leaned forward to return the embrace and remained still for a moment, although Harry could still feel him trembling.
Then Snape cleared his throat, startling the two boys apart. The obsidian-eyed man studied them both as he drawled, "If you don't mind, Potter, I would like to check Draco for any other lingering effects. Draco, do you think you could handle walking to the laboratory?"
"Yes," the grey-eyed boy answered as he shakily attempted to stand.
Harry helped the pale boy as he stood himself. He kept his hands on Draco's waist for a moment, until the blonde offered a weak smile and murmured, "I'll be fine." Harry returned the gesture as he lowered his hands.
Snape placed a hand to Draco's back to guide him, and the two left the room through the same hidden door that Harry and Snape had been using.
The raven-haired boy turned and sat on the sofa after the door closed behind them, and looked around the room for the first time. The house, he guessed, was close to Remus' in size. However, Remus' home was open and comfortable with a warm and cozy atmosphere. This house was dark and unnerving, and it possessed a cold, claustrophobic feel.
Despite this, Harry found himself feeling lighter and almost content. It seemed that Draco and Remus were all right, and they had procured another Horcrux.
He looked over at Remus, who was also looking relieved and who had returned to the armchair across from Harry.
Harry grinned at the werewolf, "I was worried for a moment there."
Remus chuckled, "I noticed." He healed the rather dark bruises on his left hand and then tucked his wand into his pocket again.
Harry winced sympathetically. "Sorry about that."
The lycanthrope waved away the apology. "I completely understand. No harm done."
Suddenly, Harry's mood dropped as his thoughts returned to another recent discovery. "Remus�was Snape right before? If the last Horcrux is a person�are they going to have to die?"
Remus sighed and his own expression dimmed. "At this point in time, I would have to say yes. I don't like the idea, but everything I've read suggests it and if Snape reached the same conclusion�" The scarred man held out his hands in a gesture to show that he could not think of any other options.
"There are no experts on Horcruxes left," the werewolf continued after a pause. "From what I understand, I'm afraid that Snape and I may be only wizards around that know as much as we do. Although I suppose that�s good for the Wizarding world as a whole."
"Yeah, hopefully there won't be anymore need for that knowledge once we finish this." Harry looked at Remus for a moment. He realized that the lycanthrope and Snape were far more knowledgeable and powerful than they let on�and certainly more than most. "I'm glad I have both of you on my side."
"So am I," answered Remus sincerely. Then, for a moment, they fell into a companionable silence.
"He really cares about Draco," Harry commented abruptly, staring at the hidden door Snape had led the young Slytherin through several minutes before.
"That he does," Remus replied.
"You might have been right," Harry continued after he saw that there would be no argument. "About his actions and decisions being forgivable� I didn't believe that he really did it for Draco and his parents before, but�he really might have."
Remus looked at the raven-haired boy thoughtfully. He seemed to understand the unvoiced question. "We may never know for certain. Right now, I think you should just trust your feelings. They're usually sound�as long as you keep your temper." He added the last part with a grin, which Harry returned.
They fell into another comfortable silence, which Remus broke after a few minutes. "What do you have planned from here?"
Harry turned to look at Remus. "Er�I hadn't really thought about it. I suppose we'll ask Snape if he has any idea where Nagini is, and then check that out. If not, we'll try the old Riddle house. We still have to figure out what -or who- the last Horcrux might be and then figure out where it is."
Remus nodded with a slightly distant look before turning his eyes to Harry, "And are you going to allow me to accompany you when we leave here?"
Harry just stared at the werewolf for a moment. He had not thought that was an option before. "Didn't you say you had to do something for the Order in the next few days?"
"I said I had planned on doing it in the next few days," Remus answered calmly. "I also told you that I consider helping you to be more important than anything I could do for the Order�and I mean that for both personal reasons and to stop Voldemort."
Harry was tempted to accept on the spot, but he thought it would only be fair to include Draco in the decision.
His hesitation must have been evident to Remus, because the lycanthrope spoke again before Harry could put together a response. "Why don't you answer that after you have a clearer idea of what you plan to do from here?"
Harry smiled and nodded. "Thanks Remus."
The lycanthrope smiled and nodded in return.
A moment later, Snape and Draco returned to the room. The blonde sat on the sofa beside Harry and Snape took a seat on Draco's other side.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked quietly as he inconspicuously placed his hand over Draco's pale one.
Draco weaved his slender fingers through Harry's before answering softly. "I'm alright. Thank you for telling Snape about the Horcrux."
The grey-eyed boy raised his voice just enough for the others to hear. Harry noted that it sounded strained. "Snape said you were trying to deduct what the last Horcrux might be. Were any conclusions reached?"
"Actually, there is something we would like to ask you," answered Snape, who was watching the fair Slytherin cautiously.
Draco looked slightly confused, and then Remus explained further. "We've considered a rather frightening possibility. Do you think it�s possible that any of the Death Eaters� children could have been used for this purpose?"
Grey eyes widened. "You think that V-He might have used a human being?"
"You have to admit, he would," said Harry.
"Some of his followers may have either allowed him to, or simply were given no other choice," added Snape.
"I was thinking your aunt would do something that insane," Harry mentioned as gently as he could. He guessed he had not succeeded, if Snape's glare was any indication.
Draco appeared deep in terrified thought as Harry watched him with an apologetic expression.
"None of us are aware that your aunt has ever had any children," said Remus in a much more mild tone than Harry had achieved. "Do you know if your aunt and uncle have any children? Do you think they would allow this?"
Draco looked horrified and disgusted by the idea. "No they don't�but they would do something like that, and they aren't the only ones."
The fair Slytherin was pensive for a moment, and then his gaze danced between Snape and Remus. "The spell we're using to check Horcruxes won't work on a living being. Do either of you know of any that would?"
"Yes," Remus answered almost immediately. "I can show both of you how to use it."
Draco set his frightened gaze on Remus, "Then cast it."
"On what?" asked the werewolf as he drew his wand.
"On me;" The blonde�s voice began to shake. "Don't any of you see? I'm the prime candidate here."
Harry was too shocked to speak. He had never even considered that a possibility. The bespectacled boy just shook his head as his eyes remained fixed on Draco's frightened face.
"No!" Snape paled, even as he argued; "Narcissa never would have allowed it!"
"She might not have had much choice," Draco murmured brokenly, "Or father might have done it without her knowledge."
Snape turned to Remus, his eyes almost pleading, "Cast it."
Remus nodded slowly, stood, and aimed his wand at Draco. He moved it in a graceful, complicated pattern as he murmured an odd incantation under his breath. Suddenly, the blonde flinched as his body took on a strange dark purple glow. It faded after only a few seconds. Draco watched his trembling hands as the last of the magical residue dissipated.
"What does that mean?" asked Harry as he turned to Remus.
The werewolf was pale and wore an expression of horror and distress. His hoarse voice cracked as he whispered, "I'm sorry."

Note from the author: I wrote this story (up to the 26^th chapter, plus many notes, several key scenes and the epilogue) after the sixth book came out, and well before I had heard any speculation on the seventh book. Obviously, it will not be Deathly Hallows compliant at all. Although I think some plot points will be either easier or more difficult to guess because of the last book. Thank you for reading. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.
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Harry Potter and the Unusual Alliance