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Inter Vivos	By : Lomonaaeren Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 42948 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and I am making no money from this writing.

Chapter List
- 22
- 23
- 24
Thank you again for all the reviews! Here�s to getting back
on schedule.

Chapter
Twenty-Three�Maturity

�� Is this
consistent with what you know of Bellatrix�s fear
spells, Severus?�

�� Severus
forced himself to ignore the fact that it was Dumbledore asking the question,
and to pay strict attention to the white face and twisting hands of Seamus
Finnigan. The boy had sat in the middle of his hospital bed since Severus
arrived, refusing to look up. Now and then his fingers trembled; now and then
his mouth opened in a soundless moan.

�� Consistent
with what I know of fear spells in general,� Severus said at last, when he
thought he had studied all of Finnigan�s separate
symptoms�and, more to the point, made Dumbledore wait long enough. �With Bellatrix�s specifically? I could not say. The Dark Lord
took some care to keep his followers� capabilities concealed from his other
followers.�

�� Dumbledore
sighed. �I feared you would say that.� He walked slowly forwards and sat down
next to the bed that contained the Gryffindor boy, looking at him with a
tenderness that made Severus have to look away. He showed no such tenderness when Harry was the victim of the boy�s
crimes.

�� But then, I think he is baffled by strength,
by people who do not need his help to recover every step of the way. Finnigan
is helpless, and so the better charity case.

�� Severus
folded his hands together inside his sleeves, so that the Headmaster should not
see that his knuckles were white with rage.

�� Well,�
said Dumbledore at last, looking up and straight into Severus�s eyes, �I would
like to give him the chance to return to Gryffindor Tower.
He may recuperate better in more familiar surroundings��

�� No,�
Severus said flatly.

�� Dumbledore blinked
as though he had never heard the negative before. �No?�

�� No.� From
the corner of his eye, Severus could see Madam Pomfrey,
who was measuring out healing potions into the tiny vials usually considered
safe doses, roll her eyes at their childishness. He
did not care. If someone was not Harry or Draco, he had discovered in the past
few months, he had very little cause to care for their opinion. �I will not
have him go free and perhaps harm Harry again. He will be healed of the fear
spell before he goes near Gryffindor
Tower.�

�� It is a
long and painful process,� said Dumbledore. �And if you do not know much about Bellatrix�s fear spells specifically��

�� It
requires a potion that I have on hand,� Severus went on, �a good deal of magical
strength�which I have�and the presence of one he was commanded to hurt or betray.
Harry will want to be here.�

�� When he
has so much to endure already,� Dumbledore said, opening his eyes very wide,
�you would ask him to endure this?�

�� Severus
gave him a look of scorn, silently reminding Dumbledore that Harry would have
had to endure much less if not for the Headmaster�s abdication of
responsibility. And still Dumbledore could not face the black crow of his
judgment, because he turned away. Severus concealed a smile and said, �It is
not primarily for Finnigan that I demand it. It is for the cause of sparing
Harry pain in the future. I will not let
him lie awake wondering whether this is the night that his roommate attacks him
again. If you send Finnigan back unhealed, then you must get used to Harry�s
being removed from Gryffindor
Tower to the dungeons.�

�� Very
slowly, Dumbledore�s head bent, as though someone were pushing down on his neck
from behind. �As you will, Severus,� he whispered. �But it will be hard on Mr. Finnigan�s mind and morale as well as Harry�s.�

�� Severus raised
an eyebrow. �You presume much, if you think the Finnigan boy an object of
compassion for me.�

*

�� Harry tried
not to squirm as he stood at Snape�s side and watched Seamus in the bed,
staring straight ahead of him with his hands constantly twisting in his lap. He
looked awful. His face was white like parchment, and his eyes were as blank as
though he hadn�t slept in weeks. Harry remembered what that felt like.

�� Snape was
already holding up a glass vial filled with bright red potion. Harry shuddered.
It smelled like blood as well as looked like it, and he braced himself to watch
as Snape tipped the vial down Seamus�s throat. Seamus
let him. He�d basically been letting anyone do anything they wanted with him
since he came to the hospital wing.

�� Draco squeezed
his hand. Harry looked at him sideways and received Draco�s sharp, tender
smile. It calmed Harry down and made him think entirely inappropriate things
both at the same time, so that in the end he had to turn away and study Seamus
again.

�� Seamus had
swallowed the last of the potion, and for a few moments he sat there, still staring
straight ahead. There were red drops on his lips. It made him look like a
vampire. Harry shuddered again, and then told himself he�d faced a lot worse
things, like Voldemort, and feeling nervous around Seamus was silly.

�� And then Seamus leaped off the bed, screaming, and rushed at him
with his hands out, ready to strangle him.

�� Harry
reacted instinctively, shoving Draco behind him and drawing his wand. The
Shield Charm he cast repelled Seamus with a thud, and Seamus reeled around for
a minute, eyes unfocused, before he came in again. Meanwhile, Snape had snarled
something that didn�t sound like Latin, and a transparent coil wrapped about Seamus�s ankles, forming in moments into a crystalline
chain.

�� Seamus
crashed to the ground. Harry stared at him, panting.

�� Draco
shoved him in the back. �You�re hurting my arm,� he grumbled into Harry�s ear.

�� Oh,
sorry,� Harry said numbly, and let go. He hadn�t even realized his fingers were
digging into Draco�s arm near the shoulder. He stared at Seamus and then looked
up at Snape, who�d taken several steps forwards. �Was that supposed to happen,
after the potion?� he asked.

�� It was
not,� said Snape, and gave him a dark look that it took Harry a minute to
understand. Snape thought he should have known that because he thought Harry
should trust Snape never to endanger him. Harry lifted his chin and scowled
back, and Snape grunted under his breath and turned away. �But when the fear spell
has been particularly strong and lasted a particularly long time, it may. And
from what the fool has said, I suspect that Bellatrix has been influencing him
through his dreams�another rare but not unknown complicating factor.�

�� Harry
winced. �I had nightmares, too,� he muttered, when Draco stepped around him and
stared disbelievingly into his face. �I know what it�s like.�

�� You had
those nightmares because Voldemort possessed you, and anyway, you still didn�t
charge your roommates and try to curse them.� Draco looped an arm around
Harry�s shoulders and squeezed tight.

�� But I know
what bad dreams are like,� said Harry, a bit annoyed that they were so intent
on stopping him sympathizing with Seamus. He craned his neck so that he could
watch Snape crouching over his former friend. Snape�s chanting was low and
steady, and his wand traced red crosses and lavender circles in the air in
front of him. �I can feel sorry for him if I want.�

�� He�s not
worth it,� Draco said flatly.

�� Yes, he
is.� Harry scowled at Draco this time. He knew Draco was in love with him and
wanted to protect him, but that didn�t mean he could control Harry�s emotions.

�� Why don�t
you spend your time caring about people who actually matter?� Draco asked, with
a hint of a whine in his voice. �Me, for example.�

�� But I do
care about you,� Harry said, keeping his voice low, because Snape�s chanting
was growing louder and Harry didn�t think he would like to be interrupted. �Of course I do.� He reached up and touched
Draco�s cheek, staring into his eyes in puzzlement. �Why would it make you
think I don�t just because I�m worried about Seamus? I said I know what it�s
like to have bad dreams. That�s all. With you�Draco, with you I know what it�s like to compete at Quidditch, and battle Dementors, and practice Occlumency and, um, and kiss.� He
knew his face was bright red, but he couldn�t help it; it was going to be
bright red when he talked about kissing for a while. �We share so much more.�

�� Draco let
his shoulders slump, suddenly, as if he were letting some weight fall off them,
and nodded. Then he moved closer to Harry and turned his head so that his cheek
rested against Harry�s cheek. �I�m sorry,� he said softly. �I just really don�t
think he deserves it.�

�� I know.�
Harry touched Draco�s hair and made a mental promise not to show sympathy for
Seamus too openly in the future, if this was going to be Draco�s reaction�or at
least not to do it around him. He thought Draco�s comfort was more important
than speaking a few kind words about the boy who had burned his things.

�� Snape�s
voice came to him then, speaking sternly. �Mister Finnigan, what do you
remember?�

�� Harry
looked over Draco�s shoulder. Seamus had a hand against his forehead and was
blinking so fast that he looked like he was trying not to go blind. Then he
said, �I�I think I remember attacking Harry. And I remember being so afraid of
what would happen if I didn�t. Like someone was choking me. Like someone was
going to burn all my skin off if I didn�t. And whenever I went to sleep, it got
worse. I think.� He shook his head a little. �It�s confusing.�

�� Do you
feel any impulse to attack Mister Potter now?� Harry wondered if he was the
only one who noticed Snape�s hand tightening on his wand as he asked the
question.

�� No, of course not!� Seamus leaped to his feet, eyes wide,
and turned around until he saw Harry. �Harry, mate,� he said, with his voice
full of the sadness Harry had wanted to hear four years ago, �can you forgive
me?�

�� Of course!� Harry stepped forwards and clasped Seamus�s hand, ignoring Draco�s scowl and the cautious way
Snape�s eyes narrowed. Seamus didn�t have a wand, and Snape had investigated
his magical capabilities and decided that he couldn�t use wandless magic. He�d
been in the hospital wing long enough for them to discover any magical weapon
or poison smeared on his hands. So there was nothing to worry about. �You�ve
been frightened for a long time. It�s hard to keep from doing stupid things
when you�re frightened.�

�� Seamus
beamed at him and shook his hand one more time before letting it go. �Can I go
back to Gryffindor
Tower now?� he asked,
turning to Professor Snape. A moment later, he looked away as if he thought
that he�d be better off asking the question of the wall. Harry hid a chuckle.
There were times he�d felt like that himself when confronting Snape.

�� The
Headmaster will want to see you first,� Snape said stiffly. �After all, you did
attack a fellow student in the school.�

�� Seamus
sighed. �I know.� And then he turned around and trotted out of the hospital
wing towards the Headmaster�s office.

�� Harry
blinked and let out a cautious little breath. �That�s it?� he asked. �I hope
that�s it.�

�� I will be
keeping a close eye on the boy,� Snape said, his eyes as cold and hard as Aunt
Petunia�s eyes used to be when Harry asked for food.

�� Someone
should,� Draco said, and folded his arms. �Since Dumbledore will probably just
pat him on the head and give him a sweet.�

�� Harry
sighed, but didn�t try to argue. He reckoned he would feel the same way if Seamus
had attacked Draco.

*

�� Nothing.�

�� Draco
watched in concern as Harry shoved yet another book away from him across the
table and then put a hand over his forehead, rubbing it. They�d been in the
library for several hours trying to research guardian spirits, basilisk venom,
and the other things that Draco�s book insisted had a tenuous connection to Horcruxes, so it was possible Harry might have a headache.
But Draco didn�t like the spot his hand was rubbing, right over his scar.

�� Harry? Is
your scar burning again?�

�� Harry shook
his head, his eyes fixed broodingly on the table. �I just wish we�d found something,� he said, and exhaled hard.
�How am I supposed to stop being a Horcrux if we
don�t know how to destroy Horcruxes?�

�� Keep your
voice down,� Draco said instinctively, even though Madam Pince
was at the front of the library and all the students near them had gone to bed
some time ago. �We don�t want anyone to hear��

�� I know, I know.� Harry jumped to his feet and
practically ran around the table, prying impatiently at Draco�s shoulder. �But
I�m tired of being careful and judging everything I say. I want to do something
else. Come with me?� He tilted his head and stared at Draco as if he thought it
would take a lot of begging and pleading. Draco, of course, was ready to come
with him the minute he saw that look.

�� All
right,� he said, and began to put books away. Harry sighed, drew his wand, and
spelled all the books roughly onto the shelves. Draco rolled his eyes as he
heard their spines creaking and watched at least a few pages get bent. �It�ll
be your fault if the books are too tattered to find what we need in them
tomorrow,� he complained in a whisper.

�� I don�t
bloody care right at the moment,� Harry snapped, jigging around the room the
way Pansy had when she�d been hit with a Bladder-Shrinking Curse. �Come on, Draco.� And he whirled and ran out
of the library.

�� Draco ran
after him, concerned. In a mood like this, he wouldn�t put it past Harry to go
dashing into the Forbidden
Forest or something
equally stupid.

�� Instead,
though, Harry led Draco at a punishing pace up two flights of stairs and then
into a dark corridor with heavy alcoves in the walls�used for Potions storage a
long time ago, Draco thought, when they didn�t teach it in the dungeons. And
then he whirled around again and pushed Draco into one of the alcoves. Draco
grunted as his head hit the wall, hard.

�� Harry, wh��

�� He didn�t
get further than that because Harry was kissing him, insistently enough that he
almost choked. Draco gasped and wrapped his arms around Harry�s neck, guiding
him as well as possible. Harry growled as if he hated Draco�s trying to control
him in any way and kissed harder.

�� Draco
leaned back, arranged himself in a slightly steadier position between Harry�s
body and the wall so he wouldn�t fall over, and gave in. He and Harry had
exchanged some kisses in the last few weeks, as they tried to figure out how to
locate and destroy Horcruxes, but they�d still
sneaked off on their own to wank. This
time, Draco thought, as Harry plunged his hand impatiently into Draco�s
trousers, that wasn�t going to happen.

�� Harry
didn�t really know what he was doing; that was obvious from the way he fumbled
around, nails scraping at Draco�s erection in a way that made Draco shove his
hips forwards helplessly. But he was determined to learn, and a moment later
Draco was gasping and clinging to Harry as if he wanted to break his back.
Pleasure welled through him in long separate rushes like the trails of
fireworks, and his eyes were closed hard enough that he could see sparks of
purple and green crossing in front of him.

�� And then he
came, with a squeak and a moan, for the first time in front of someone else.

�� Harry
sounded smug when he said, �Well, that was simple.� Then he tugged at Draco�s
hair; Draco had half-fallen so that his head was resting on Harry�s shoulder.
�Come on, you great git, no going to sleep without returning the favor.�

�� Draco
blinked, licked his lips, stood up, and gently cupped the front of Harry�s
robes in response. Harry blinked back and gasped, his mouth dropping open as if
he thought that Draco�s touch should feel different.

�� Partially
in revenge for Harry�s smugness, Draco kept his touches light and teasing for
five minutes, until Harry was saying his name over and over again under his
breath like the sound of a hammer pounding. He hoped Harry wouldn�t notice how
much his hand was shaking, or realize that Draco needed to go slowly for his
own sake. Finally touching Harry�s flesh made Draco shudder and thrust one
thigh between Harry�s.

�� He�d been
missing this, needing it, for years, he thought, as he sucked on Harry�s neck
and ground against him and stroked him, all at the same time. Or maybe it was
just the natural end of all the feelings he�d had for Harry from the first time
they really became friends�

�� Harry
sounded like a strangled cat when he came. Draco would have laughed, except
that the warmth and wetness on his hand made his mouth feel thick with saliva.
He swallowed, listened to Harry�s panting for a moment, and then said, �Be
careful, or Mrs. Norris is going to mistake that as a mating call.�

�� Harry
shoved him at that, hard, but Draco thought it was worth it. Especially because
his hand shot sideways and smeared Harry�s robes with a white stain, and
because a moment later Harry was kissing him again.

*

�� What is she doing here?�

�� Harry
turned his head at Ron�s startled exclamation, and then shot to his feet. He�d
never seen the woman striding through the doors of the Great Hall, but he knew who
she was as instantly as Ron did. There was only one person she could be, when
she looked so much like Draco.

�� And, for
some reason, Narcissa Malfoy was looking at and walking towards him instead of
her son.

�� Harry
lifted his head high, swallowed, and stepped out from behind the Gryffindor
table. He didn�t know exactly what was about to happen next, but he knew it
must be important, or she wouldn�t be here.

�� Narcissa
came to a stop in front of him and stood staring at him for a moment. Harry
looked back and tried to appear cool and collected and calm, when he knew he
was none of those things. Narcissa wore a set of white robes that rustled and
swished around her like the sound of falling snow, and looked as if they were
made of silk. A single blue gem shone at her throat, hanging off a silver
necklace that Aunt Petunia would have killed someone to own. Harry had not the
slightest idea what she wanted, and so not the slightest idea what he should do
next.

�� He could
see Snape starting to his feet, and Dumbledore standing, and Draco walking
quickly around the Slytherin table. But none of them got there before Narcissa
abruptly knelt at his feet. Harry was glad he had the Gryffindor table behind
him, so he wouldn�t fall down in shock.

�� Mr.
Potter,� Narcissa said, her voice calm and clear and as cool as Harry wanted to
be, �I have given up my allegiance to my husband, and
any allegiance that I might once have had to the Dark Lord. In token of this, I
bring you something which you need, and which my husband would be very much
alarmed if he knew you had.� And she drew something gold and glittering out of
an inner robe pocket�Harry was glad she took it from that and not her
breasts�and held it out to him.

�� Harry
winced and tried to back away. It was just a golden locket on a chain, but he
could feel heat beating out from it, and there was a dark shimmer of power
around it that reminded him instantly of the diary. A moment later, his scar
started burning. He licked his lips, the taste of oil and blood in his mouth.

��

�In return,� Narcissa said, gazing
serenely into his eyes as if she did this every day of the month, �I request
your personal protection, and your promise that I will come to no harm under
that protection, either from my �kind� or yours.� Her lips moved in a small
smile. Harry had no idea what she found funny about the situation. Probably the expression on his face. He knew his jaw had
dropped open.

�I�all right, yes,� Harry said,
because he knew the locket was a Horcrux, and because
he would never refuse Draco�s mother,
of all people, his protection. Narcissa�s smile deepened.

�Harry!�

Harry turned around, startled.
Dumbledore had said his name from right beside him, and Harry hadn�t known he
could get to the front of the Hall from the head table that quickly. Not
quickly enough to prevent Harry from giving his protection to Narcissa, of
course. Harry straightened his spine defiantly. If it was something Dumbledore
didn�t want him to do, that almost obliged
him to do it, didn�t it?

�You have no idea what is involved
in the issue of personal protection,� Dumbledore said tightly, looking at
Narcissa, who had stood up and was dangling the locket from her fingers, �or
what ritual she has invoked.�

�Invoked? It would take more than
words to invoke the ritual you are thinking of, Headmaster.� Narcissa brushed
slowly at her robes with one hand, as if she were removing dust�Harry was sure
it was entirely imaginary dust, with the way she looked�and raised an eyebrow
at Dumbledore. �I have only asked Mr. Potter for a promise, a promise he has
given me. And why should I not appeal to him? He is the real leader of the
war.�

And
she did it in public, too, Harry thought, glancing around the Great Hall.
It was the middle of dinner, and every single student in the school was staring
in fascination. She wanted to make sure
no one could lie about it or deny it later, I�ll bet. Which Dumbledore might do.

It felt�strange�having that kind of
insight. Harry knew he wouldn�t even have thought about Narcissa�s motives for
doing this in public a year ago, or he would have thought she was trying to
embarrass him. He smiled a little. Snape
and Draco are rubbing off on me.

�� Mother,
are you all right?�

�� Draco was
beside them now, and his hands were twitching at his sides, as if he wanted to
hug his mother but didn�t quite dare. Harry put a hand on his shoulder, and
Draco relaxed with a slight sigh. Narcissa�s hand landed on Draco�s other
shoulder. Then she looked into his eyes for a long moment before she spoke, as
if that answer depended on him.

�� Or as if she�s deciding what he wants to
hear, Harry thought, and frowned a little. He didn�t even know if his
perceptions were right yet, and he almost wished he could stop having them
until he knew.

�� I am
well,� Narcissa said lowly. �Something happened that I must tell you about in
more detail when we are alone.� She glanced sideways at Dumbledore. �And after the Headmaster has accepted my plea for sanctuary.
I have appealed to Mr. Potter, but the school is still his.�

�� Dumbledore
clamped his lips together, his nostrils flaring. �I could make you leave,� he
said, his voice as soft as Narcissa�s had been. �No one, knowing who your
husband is and what he has done, would blame me.�

�� You�d make
her leave?� Harry asked, outraged, and stepped around Draco so he could
confront Dumbledore. �With the Dark Lord and Lucius hunting
her? If you make her leave, I�ll leave too.�

�� There was a
slight choking noise from behind him, but Harry couldn�t tell who had made it. Maybe Snape, who was hovering there too, now. He didn�t
care, though. He also didn�t care about the efforts he�d been making to get
along with Dumbledore and the few cautious talks they�d had about Horcruxes. This was more important, and not something Harry
could be calm about. He glared at the Headmaster as hard as he could and
finally saw him turn away.

�� If you
want it to happen, Harry, of course it must,� Dumbledore said in a defeated
voice.

�� Harry
clenched his hands behind his back. Dumbledore was just trying to make him feel
guilty, and this time, it wouldn�t work. He turned away and smiled at Narcissa.
�I think you and Draco should go and talk privately in his rooms,� he said.
�Professor Snape�s rooms, I mean.� Dumbledore made a tsking
sound, but Harry didn�t know why. If the Slytherins didn�t know Draco was
staying in Snape�s rooms by now, they were blind. �You probably have a lot to
say to him.�

�� Narcissa
extended the locket again. �Don�t you want to take this, Mr. Potter?�

�� Harry
flinched, but forced himself to accept the locket. He knew that Dumbledore was
going to drag him to his office to yell at him, and he might as well take the Horcrux with him so that Dumbledore could secure it with
the ring, or rather the stone on the ring. �Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy,� he said, and
faced Dumbledore. Draco was lingering, but Harry gave him a tiny shove in the
direction of his mother, and he went. �All right,� he said to Dumbledore, �I�m
ready.�

�� The
Headmaster nodded and started out of the room, but paused when he noticed Snape
walking along with them. �I thought you might wish to superintend Mrs. Malfoy�s
arrival in your rooms, my dear boy,� he said, with a scraping undertone of
irritation that made Harry hide a laugh in his sleeve.

�� Draco
knows best what his mother will require,� Snape said calmly. �I intend to
supervise Mr. Potter, instead.�

�� Dumbledore
looked for a moment as if he were going to snap and forbid Snape to come, but
Snape stared at him with an arrogant smile curving the corner of his lips, and
Harry knew Dumbledore was deciding he would probably fail if he tried to say
that. So he turned away with an injured air and said, �Very well, Severus. As you will.�

�� Snape was
no more affected by the attempt to guilt him than Harry had been, and kept on
walking. Harry couldn�t help smiling a little at him, despite the fact that he
still didn�t really trust him, and Snape nodded back.

*

�� There is
no easy way to say this, Draco.�

�� It wasn�t
easy to watch you walk into the Great Hall and wonder why you�d come here,
either.� Draco would ordinarily have tried to be a bit more subtle with his
mother, but he was badly shaken. He recognized the white robes as the most
expensive she owned, and when he got close enough, he�d been able to see the
priceless sapphire that she never wore except on the most fashionable
occasions. He knew something was
badly wrong, but not what, yet, and he wished his mother would stop putting off
telling him.

�� Narcissa
gave him a faint smile and sat up straight. Until that moment, she�d huddled on
the couch in Draco�s main room, sipping at a bit of wine Draco had got
her�Draco and Professor Snape understood each other well�and staring into the
glass. Draco approved. She should look tall and proud, not crushed, no matter
what happened to her.

�� Lucius tried
to kill me,� Narcissa said, her voice sharp and gentle at the same time, the
way Draco sometimes spoke to Harry. �It is Halloween tonight, and that is a
guarantee of certain kinds of power. He would have used me as a blood and
sexual sacrifice in order to restore himself to the favor of the Dark Lord.�

�� Draco
swallowed. He wanted to say several things, but all of them would have sounded
stupid. He looked once more at the sapphire at his mother�s throat, and then
down at her fingers. Rings shone there that he hadn�t seen more than once or
twice, on a few precious occasions when his mother showed him the jewels that
would become his inheritance. �You brought enough to be comfortable?� he asked,
because he could say it in an even tone.

�� More than comfortable.� Narcissa�s smile widened. �And
since I will be staying in Hogwarts for the time being, under Mr. Potter�s
personal protection, I need not even pay for my maintenance.� She sounded
cheerful about it.

�� Draco
swallowed again, and then said, �I didn�t know Father had lost the Dark Lord�s
favor.�

�� It is not
easy to hold onto such a thing,� Narcissa said idly, �any more than it is to
cling to a sharp knife which cuts one�s fingers and renders one�s grip slippery
with blood. The Dark Lord has been displeased since Lucius lost you to Potter.
And then Lucius failed a mission.�

�� Draco felt
a momentary tightness in his throat. He had been the cause of his mother almost
being murdered�

�� But no. That was the way Harry would think. Draco himself
was not at home to any unnecessary guilt. This was Lucius�s fault from
beginning to end. He drew himself up and said, �Was he going to make you into a
slave to the Dark Lord? What was the sacrifice for?�

�� It had
something to do with the locket that the Dark Lord had entrusted to Lucius,�
said Narcissa. �A shadow would sometimes appear above the locket, a spirit or a
ghost. I saw Lucius talking to it on occasion. Apparently the sacrifice was
needed to allow the spirit to become stronger.�

�� Draco
shuddered. The thought of his mother dying to power a Horcrux
was�not pleasant.

�� Will
Father find out you�ve taken the locket?� he asked
sharply.

�� Narcissa
flicked her fingers. �Eventually. But the idea of the
sacrifice was his own, and I doubt he will wish to
reveal to his Lord that his wife escaped it. I have left a copy of the locket
in the original�s place. That will enable Lucius to avoid detection for a
time�assuming the Dark Lord does not ask him for the locket tomorrow.� She took
in enough air to release her breath in a heavy sigh. �Discovering that one�s
husband wishes to kill one is�disconcerting,� she murmured.

�� Draco stood
up, walked over to her, and put his arms around her shoulders at last. �I�m
sorry,� he whispered into her ear. �I�m sorry you lost him.�

�� Lucius
condemned himself.�

�� His
mother�s voice was light and dry, but Draco saw the way her hand pinched her
wineglass. He turned his head, kissing her lightly behind the ear.

*

�� Harry,
Severus saw, was readier for his confrontation with the Headmaster than Severus
could have dreamed.

�� The moment
they came into the office, Harry stepped up to Dumbledore�s desk. He took his
place halfway between the chairs in front of it, as if showing that he wouldn�t
sit in either one of them. Then he folded his arms, leaned one elbow on the
nearest chair arm, and smiled at Dumbledore without any humor. His body was
angled, Severus realized after a moment�s intense study, between Severus
himself and the desk, as if he would use it to block any flying curses
Dumbledore took a fancy to unleash.

�� Still an idiot, trying to defend himself and
others that way, Severus thought in irritation, and had to ignore how his
chest warmed at the thought of the boy considering him worthy to defend. He should use curses. What else have I been
teaching him for?

�� You must
understand, Harry,� Dumbledore said, his voice low and stern, �what it means
that you have offered Mrs. Malfoy your protection.�

�� I
understand what it means,� Harry said. �That I won�t let her
be hurt, or killed, or bothered by anyone in the Order of the Phoenix or any of the Death Eaters.�
He paused for a moment, as though he thought he might have forgotten something,
and then added, �And to make sure that happens, I have to remain in the same
place as she is. So you can forget about driving her out or �encouraging� her
to leave or creating some distraction that would make her feel she had to go
after it. I�ll just leave in search of her, and then I�ll probably get killed,
and I don�t think you want that. Unless you think I have to die anyway to get
rid of the Horcrux in me.�

�� Dumbledore
caught a harsh breath. Severus stepped up quickly, so that he could see the
full expression on Harry�s face. He wasn�t surprised to see that Harry was
grinding his teeth, or that his eyes glittered with a sharp expression far too
close to hatred. Severus put a hand on Harry�s shoulder, much as Narcissa had
put one on Draco�s. Harry made an abrupt little movement, as if he intended to
throw off the touch, then relaxed with a tiny tetchy twitch of his head and let
it remain.

�� I�have
considered that course of action sometimes necessary, dear boy,� Dumbledore
whispered at last. �No one hopes more sincerely than I that it need not come to
pass.�

�� Harry
snorted. �I think Draco hopes more sincerely than you. Since you�re still
willing to sacrifice me if you have to, and him not at
all.�

�� Severus
squeezed down, both to remind Harry that there was someone else in the room who
would not like to see him die merely to remove the Horcrux,
and because there was an underlying wild despair in Harry�s voice. He suggested a thought not new to him. Let
him brood on the subject long enough, and he may
convince himself he needs to die for
the greater good.

�� You need
to understand something, Headmaster,� Harry went on forcefully. �I�ll do
whatever it takes to get rid of Voldemort. But you need to stop spinning around
me and trying to manipulate me so I�ll do it your way. I think you care more about making me do it like that
than you care about Voldemort dying.� Severus jerked a little himself at that
statement; he had not thought it possible, but perhaps it was, considering the
way Dumbledore�s face paled at the accusation. �So stop opposing me on minor
things, like having Mrs. Malfoy stay here. I�ll work better on the Horcruxes if she�s safe, because that way Draco won�t worry
about her and I won�t be worrying about Draco. Just stop thinking that because you distrust
her means I have to. All right?�

�� Dumbledore
lowered his eyes and waited long moments before he nodded. Severus watched him
sardonically. He doubted the Headmaster was really convinced; even now he was
perhaps trying to think of new arguments to persuade Harry. But he was also
fair-minded enough, when he allowed himself to be, to entertain such words, and
so the chance that he might convince himself against his will was greater.

�� All right.� Harry relaxed suddenly and dropped the locket
he held on the Headmaster�s desk. �Put that with the stone on the ring; it�s
another of them.�

�� Dumbledore
made a small exclamation and picked up the golden thing, holding it in front of
his eyes. �I see,� he murmured, after some moments� detailed examination of it.
�Yes, I see. I believe that I might know how to destroy this one.�

�� Harry�s
eyes narrowed in what looked like confusion, but he turned around and left the
office with a sharp snap of his robes. Severus trailed behind him in silent
amusement. Harry had almost certainly picked up that gesture from him, whether
he wished it to happen or not.

�� Sir? What are you still doing here?�

�� Severus
blinked for a moment, then smirked. Harry sounded
puzzled. Severus would enjoy the opportunity to turn his puzzlement back on
him. �I believe there is only one way down from the Headmaster�s office, and so
I am obliged to take the same moving staircase as you,� he said. He was on the
step above the boy, being rotated down in the same ridiculous manner that Albus
had always used to send visitors away.

�� I know
that,� Harry snapped, though from the way he blushed, Severus didn�t think he
had until he was reminded. �I mean, why are you still with me? You didn�t have
to come, you know, and you didn�t have to stay as silent as you did.� He leaned
one shoulder on the wall of the staircase, letting it scrape along, and surveyed
Severus skeptically.

�� I support
you,� Severus said softly. �Including in your dealings with
Dumbledore. I thought the Headmaster might not know that, and I
determined to let him remain in ignorance no longer.�

�� Harry made
a faint exasperated noise. �But you didn�t have
to,� he said. �It�s a lot to do for someone who doesn�t even trust you.�

�� I know
that,� said Severus, as they reached the bottom of the staircase and ceased
their movement. �But I chose to.�

�� Harry
stared at him in silence, eyes as large as Lily�s had once looked over the one
Charms exam she had ever failed. Severus swallowed painfully, but resisted the
temptation to say something. Lily was dead, and the eyes he looked at belonged
to her son. He would not allow himself the luxury of forgetting that, though he
sometimes thought Harry would like him to.

�� Then Harry
turned and left him without a word. Severus offered a small, ironic bow in the
direction of his back and retired to his private rooms, there to make
provisions for the arrival of Narcissa Malfoy.

�� He was not
surprised she had come to them, though he did not yet know the story of her
parting from Lucius. Narcissa might love her son, she might love her husband,
but those affections shone strong and clear next to her love for the winning
side.

*

�� Things, Harry thought, are going really well.

�� And they
were, despite the fact that he had holes in his memory still and his dueling
lessons with Snape were still tense and his heart ached whenever Sirius came
for a visit and Harry had to look at the wounds he had caused. There were so
many other things that were going well that Harry could sometimes forget about
those disappointments when he concentrated.

�� Mrs. Malfoy
was settling in. She hadn�t told Harry what had made her leave Malfoy Manor,
but from the way Draco sometimes muttered about his father, Harry didn�t think
it was because she was secretly serving Voldemort and wanted to spy on them. He
didn�t need to know the exact reason. Not if Draco trusted his mother (which he
did) and didn�t want to talk about that reason to Harry. Harry�s trust in Draco
was so deep he didn�t have words to put around it.

�� Harry had
beat Draco to the Snitch in the Slytherin-Gryffindor match in early November,
but unlike last year, that didn�t cause Draco to scream at him. He went into a
fit of the sulks instead, disappeared for a few hours, and then came back with
flushed cheeks and a mouthful of insults against Gryffindors. Harry suspected
he�d been with his mother and Professor Snape. Aside from having to hold Ron
back from pounding Draco to a pulp, he was content.

�� Dumbledore
had talked with him several more times about Horcruxes,
and seemed to believe he was on the way to destroying the locket. Harry had
wondered why he was so anxious to handle the locket first, instead of the stone
in the ring, but kept his peace. He didn�t think Dumbledore was up to sinister
things, just stupid ones. Harry had survived Dumbledore�s stupidity before.

�� Seamus had
apologized again and was now, though somewhat shy around Harry, better friends
with him than he�d been for years. He didn�t flinch away when Harry entered a
room; he sometimes talked to him about Quidditch, and even flung his arms
around Harry and danced him madly about the room after the match with Slytherin.
Harry was happy there.

�� He could
basically kiss and wank Draco whenever he wanted.
Draco melted into it with an eagerness that made him feel smug. The Dursleys used to tell Harry was a useless little freak who
would never be good at anything, but he was good at at
least three things: Quidditch, Defense Against the
Dark Arts, and bringing his boyfriend off.

�� And then
Harry walked into the Gryffindor common room one night to a chorus of muffled
yelps and bumps, and found himself staring at Ron and Hermione staring at him
from behind the couch. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong. Then he saw
that Hermione had a lot of bare skin around her neck, and that Ron�s face was
the same shade as his hair, and he shut his mouth and grinned.

�� Shut it,
you,� Ron muttered, even though Harry already had. �We�re not�I mean, we were going to tell you we were dating,
it just never came up��

�� Right,
right,� Harry said kindly, nodding. �Other things came up instead, right?�

�� Ron beamed
at him. Hermione, with a better understanding of nuance and innuendo, covered
her eyes.

�� Harry
grinned at them all the way up the stairs, walking backwards on purpose so that
he could. He didn�t really feel any compulsion to tell them about Draco. They�d
find that out later, at a time when it wouldn�t be a stress to Draco or him,
and in the meantime he�d enjoy their embarrassment.

�� Times like these, he thought, as he fell
into bed and grinned at the ceiling in turn, it doesn�t seem to matter that I�m a Horcrux.
I�m alive, and that�s what matters.

*

�� Draco
looked around hesitantly, and swallowed. He was on the Quidditch pitch in the
middle of a chill December morning, and he needed to make sure, once again,
that there was no one with him�no one in sight, no one able to spy on him and
make him feel he had done wrong by coming here.

�� Once again,
there was no sign of any footprints in the snow but his own.

�� At last,
Draco relaxed and bent down to draw the silver bracelets he had spent all
weekend working on out of his robe pockets. They shimmered and clinked at him,
and Draco smiled. They looked cheap compared to three-quarters of the ornaments
that his mother had brought with her into exile, but he was fonder of them than
any of those. These didn�t have any jewels.

�� They didn�t
need them.

�� Draco
tilted his head back and spent a moment examining the sky above him. Yes, there
were no branches in the way and it was a calm and utterly clear morning, the
clouds traveling on a lazy wind. He shivered and renewed the Warming Charm on
himself with an absent gesture of his wand.

�� I have to stop putting this off.

�� He clasped
the silver bracelets onto his ankles with a series of loud ringing sounds. Two
to each foot ought to be enough, he thought. More than that and he risked
looking like a coward, which he would not do even when the only audience was
himself; less than that and he was a fool.

�� My mother did not raise a fool or a coward.

�� His father
might have, but Draco no longer considered his father family.

�� Then, of
course, with the anklets securely in place, he spent long moments licking his
lips and shifting from foot to foot. At last he tucked his wand away in his
boot, spread his arms, and whispered, �Up.�

�� Most
wizards flew on brooms or winged horses, or flying carpets before those were
outlawed. There were spells that would allow a wizard�s body to take to the
air, but they were dangerous and needed a lot of power. It was easier to stick
to outside sources of flight.

�� Unless, Draco thought, as the anklets
sent tingles of sharp magic through his body, you carry the outside sources on you.

�� He jolted
into the air, his feet attempting to lead the way. Draco yelped, picturing himself turning upside down with his cloak flapping over his
head; this was not the way he was
destined to set a new traveling trend. He hastily cast several balancing
spells, centering them around his wrists and chest.
He�d have to make several modifications to the anklets, he could see that now.

�� And then
the tingles calmed, and Draco found himself drifting several feet above the
surface of the snow. When he moved his left foot, he drifted left. When he
moved his right foot, he drifted right. And when he tried to walk straight
ahead, his feet would let him do that, too.

�� Draco
laughed and spun around, holding his arms up. The motion made him skitter
higher in the air, like a falling leaf in reverse, and when he caught his
breath and started paying attention again, he was several dozen feet above the
ground. He shivered uncomfortably as a small breeze worked its way past the
Warming Charm. I�ll have to study the
spells they place on Quidditch gear and see how I can modify them to cover skin
more precisely.

�� I knew you
could do it.�

�� Startled,
Draco jerked around and then flailed for a moment, though he knew the anklets
wouldn�t let him fall. And then he scowled and folded his arms when he realized
Harry was hovering beside him on a broom, his eyes brilliant. Just being looked
at that way was enough to make Draco blush harder than he would from a kiss.
But he maintained his scowl. �How did you know I was coming out here?�

�� You betray
a lot to someone who�s used to looking at you.� Harry sounded amused, but not
as if he were laughing at Draco. Draco didn�t know
what the difference was, but he knew that it existed, which calmed him down
enough to listen. �The nervousness, the long silences, the way you talked about
Quidditch suddenly all the time even when you weren�t at practices�I didn�t
know exactly what you planned, but I knew it was something.� He looked at Draco�s
anklets. �And it looks like it works pretty well.�

�� He fell
silent then, and Draco had to look away, because he�d never thought that
someone would regard him with that much respect. Not after he�d failed to
please his father.

�� I know
Snape�s worried about your being left behind, in my shadow,� Harry whispered.
�How could he think that? How could anyone
think that? You�re too driven. You would make it if I tried to keep you back. You have all sorts of gifts I never will.�

�� He sounded
a little bewildered. Draco swallowed. Not
many people would make a statement like that without sounding jealous.
Certainly the Weasel couldn�t.

�� And then
smugness crowded in. I made the right
choice as to who to fall in love with.

�� He turned
back to Harry, whose thoughts seemed to have drifted off. Draco cleared his
throat, and at once Harry�s gaze snapped back to him. �All these accolades
will, no doubt, be mine one day,� Draco said, trying
to sound authoritative. �But there�s one I�d like right now.� He looked pointedly
at Harry�s mouth.

�� Harry
smiled and leaned forwards, reaching out to curve one arm around Draco�s
shoulders as Draco strode closer to meet him.

�� This kiss
was gentler than the others they�d shared, and just as awkward, and it brought
a stinging fiery blush to Draco�s cheeks again, because Harry kissed the same
way he had looked at Draco.

�� But it was
also the kind of kiss Draco thought he could stand to have other people see,
someday.

*

�� Thrnbrooke: Thank you!

�� qwerty: Snape does not know anything about it for a while
yet. ;)

�� Dezra: Thank you! Harry will push Draco in the same way.

�� SP777:
Harry�s impulses are hard to control! So I decided to go with having him be the
one to confess his love first, just like he took the lead in more, er, intimate relations in this chapter.

�� I am still
working on the sequel to �Mongoose.� The plot is fully fleshed out now, and it
will probably be posted in April.

�� MewMew2:
Thanks! Draco thought he was the more comfortable with Harry, so he�s taken by
surprise when Harry seizes the initiative.

�� InuyoukaiMei: Thanks! But at least Harry is participating
in the love issues now.

�� DTDY:
Thought you might like that!

�� Sneakyfox: Thank you! I hope you also like the, um,
relevant section of this chapter.

�� in_wonderland: Thank you! I hope that you�ll continue to be
happy with this part of the story, which gets more
detailed in future chapters.

�� NobbyPotter: As Seamus explains it, Bellatrix was reaching
out and influencing him through his dreams, but his dreams got worse when she
escaped Azkaban.

�� Ayla Rouge: Thank you so much! I�m glad you like the story.
At the moment, no one else really knows about Harry and Draco�s relationship,
so the reactions will wait a bit. I hope what happened to Seamus answers your
questions.

�� FallenAngel1129:
Harry and Draco are in sixth year, so they�re sixteen.

�� Queensassycat: Thank you! The characters will, I hope, go
on changing until the end of the story, up to the point where I have to leave
them behind.
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Inter Vivos