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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
- 22
- 23
- 24
Chapter 23: The Unusual Alliance.
Snape's voice grew louder as Harry approached the sitting room door.
"You knew, didn't you?" demanded the obsidian-eyed man. "Why would you allow it to continue? Don't you realize what the consequences could be?"
"Severus, calm down," Remus' voice was mild as always, if a little worn out. "I don't know what you're going on about. What am I suppose to have known about and put a stop to?"
"Them!" Snape all but shouted. "What Potter has been doing to Draco! Don't tell me you of all people did not know."
"I knew there was an interest," replied the werewolf calmly. "I did not know that it had been acted upon."
"Well it has," hissed Snape; "Right after Draco lost his mother your precious Potter decided to act upon this interest. We cannot allow this."
"They are of age, Severus," said Remus patiently, although Harry could still detect a tired edge to the werewolf's voice. "Even if they were not, what do you propose to do? Neither of us are their fathers or godfathers. We have no right to-"
"We have more right than any," interrupted Snape furiously. "We are the only ones who have protected them and guided them as a father should have. It's thanks to Lucius that Draco is in this position, and a lot of good Potter or Black did-"
"Now is not the time for that," interrupted Remus. �And please tell me you are not going to discourage Draco from seeking his own happiness just because you cannot let the past go.�
Harry peeked into the room when he did not hear the expected outburst from Snape. The black-haired man appeared too livid and shocked to speak for the moment.
"Yes, they are young; Yes, they are both male; Yes, the timing is awful," admitted Remus sternly. "They have gone through more than most wizards twice their age. Obviously, I am not one to care about gender preferences, and I cannot believe that you feel any differently about Draco because of his.
�...And when would be a better time? After the war�? They might not have that option. What if this is all the time they will have? I don't want to think about that and I refuse to believe it, but I will not risk it either."
Something shifted in those obsidian eyes and Harry honestly did not know what sort of response to expect from the potions master.
"Potter is more vacillate with his emotions than any student I have taught," stated Snape flatly. Remus made no move to argue, but instead looked rather interested in where the other man was going with his observation. "Draco has been through too much already. If this is merely another phase for Potter-"
"It isn't," said Harry, stepping into the room fully. "I wasn't expecting it, and I'm not going to act like I know what we're doing or where we're going, but I do care about Draco�very much."
Remus offered Harry a small, proud smile as Snape studied the boy with a stern expression.
"And what of these new turns of events?" questioned the raven-haired man bitterly. His voice took on a slightly pained note as he continued. "Draco has a piece of the Dark Lord's soul inside of his. You mean to tell me that means nothing to you?
�In addition, even if he does survive this whole ordeal, he will have to suffer through the nightmares left from it as well as the curse he has recently been afflicted with. This is not going to be an easy conquest Potter, nor is it going to earn you any prestige."
Green eyes narrowed as Harry felt an odd sort of anger rise in him. "First of all, Draco will survive, and he is not a conquest. It isn't his fault that he has a bit of Voldemort's soul in him�and it sounds like it's been there the entire time I've known him, so it doesn't change him from the way he was a few hours ago. Which by the way, was when he took that curse so we could retrieve the Horcrux and get that much closer to destroying Voldemort."
Harry took a deep, ragged breath and continued, sounding more frustrated now. "And when will you ever get that I don't want any more prestige? I don't want to be famous! ...And I know I'm moody; I have a short temper, and I have a connection to Voldemort that even I don't understand. So if everything you just said is true, then I think Draco and I are perfect for each other even more than I did before!"
Harry's brows were drawn now, Remus' own had risen to hide behind the graying fringe of his fawn hair, and Snape wore a rather stoic expression.
"Well it's nice to see things haven't changed all that much," a smooth voice drawled out behind Harry.
All eyes turned to Draco, who was standing in the doorway.
The blonde was leaning against the doorframe, looking rather tired. "I'm pleased that you all care about me so much, but I think we have more important things to do than yell at one other right now. Might I suggest you call a truce until we know whether I'm going to live long enough for any of this to matter?"
Green and Black eyes flicked to one another before returning to the wan boy in the doorway.
"Draco's right," said Remus looking from Harry to Snape. "We need to work together if we are going to succeed in saving Draco and destroying Voldemort. For once, we are all united in the same goals, so why don't we just focus on what's more important right now?"
Harry felt thoroughly ashamed, and Snape even looked somewhat regretful as he kept his gaze on the fair boy. Both nodded after a moment. Draco released a small, relieved sigh before closing his eyes.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked as he stepped closer to the other boy.
"I'm just tired," assured the blonde. "It's been a long day."
"You need to take some potions," Snape reminded the grey-eyed boy. Draco nodded and turned; Snape followed him to the room he had just recently exited.
Harry watched them walk down the hall, wanting to go with Draco, but suspecting that he and Snape could use a moment alone together. In addition, the bespectacled boy was not looking forward to spending any more time in Snape's presence than necessary.
As the door to the potions lab closed, Harry turned to find that Remus had moved closer to him.
The werewolf was smiling softly. "I'm proud of you, Harry."
Harry returned the smile, knowing his eyes were shining but not caring. It was not the first time Remus had told him that, but it still meant a lot to him. It occurred to Harry then, that Remus was actually the first person to express pride in him.
The green-eyed boy looked away, pretending to glance over some of the books lining the wall.
"What is it, Harry?" asked Remus gently.
"I heard what Snape said before�about Lucius Malfoy and my dad�and Sirius." Harry's voiced trailed off as he continued looking at the books he was not really seeing.
The lycanthrope released a small sigh, "Don't let Snape get to you, Harry, he-"
"He was right," interrupted the raven-haired boy. He hated to admit it, but he really wanted it said�and he felt the scarred man deserved to hear it.
When Harry glanced back at Remus, he could clearly see the conflict in the werewolf's kind eyes. He was surprised that he understood it. Harry knew that those words had to have touched Remus as deeply as it did Harry to hear the kind man refer to him as though he were his son, and the bespectacled boy knew that he must mean even more to Remus than the werewolf did to him.
James and Sirius had been Remus� dearest friends, and Padfoot had been so much more than that�of course Remus would not lightly admit to their shortcomings as father figures, even if it were not entirely their faults that they were not there for Harry.
"They loved you as much as I do," the scarred man finally said, his voice thick with emotion and regret. "I was just�always better at staying out of trouble then they were. I�m glad I could be here for you now, but I wish I could have been there for you all along. I should have-"
"You were," Harry interrupted. "You did everything you could, and more than you had to. Besides, you're there every time I need you to be."
The werewolf sighed. "I don't like letting you do this alone. I understand that we each have our own part to play in this, but if you need anything�" Remus' voice trailed off. "I'm sorry. I know better than anyone how talented you are and I know I've told you that you can come to me enough times already."
Harry smiled at his surrogate-godfather. "I don't mind�it's nice to know, really. I doubt I'll actually have to tell you, but if I need you, I will. Thanks Remus."
"You're welcome, Harry." Remus returned the boy's smile and pushed some of his silvering hair out of his eyes. Then he glanced down and the smile faded, as he appeared to be doing some of the quick thinking of which Harry had always known him capable.
Green eyes followed the werewolf's gaze to the scar on Remus' hand. However, after a few seconds Remus did not seem to be seeing it any longer.
The scarred man abruptly turned warm eyes to Harry once again. "I have an idea�" He turned and crossed the small room to grab his rucksack. Remus spoke calmly as he rummaged through it. "Did you or Draco bring any of the books he placed into that archaic magic section when you were sorting the volumes you took from Malfoy Manor?"
Harry blinked; "Er�Draco packed a bunch of them�" The teenager followed Remus' movements and began rummaging through Draco's bag.
Once he pulled out all of the books the blonde had packed, Harry turned to Remus. "I don't know what I'm looking for�I probably wouldn't know even if you told me."
"May I look through each of those, then?" asked Remus as he finished taking three books and a notebook out of his own sack.
"Yeah, of course," answered Harry, a grin forming on his face. Again, he could see the marauders at work in his minds eye as he watched the only one to remain true to the pack in action.
The lycanthrope returned to the chair he had occupied earlier. The fatigue that Harry had seen wearing on him seemed to have been pushed aside for the time being. "Harry, could you hand me that book on Snape's shelf behind you; the one entitled Monsters: An Investigators Guide?�

"Sure," Harry answered as he turned. When he saw the shelf a few feet behind him and began to search for the named tome, he wondered how Remus had seen it amongst the many titles.
After locating the rather old and worn book, Harry brought it to Remus, who was immersed in another tome and jolting down notes in the notebook he had brought.
"Er�what are you doing?" asked Harry after he glanced over the notes and the open book before Remus. The notes made little sense to him and the tome was written in a language that he could not identify.
"When your father, Sirius, Peter and I could not find a spell that did exactly what we needed for something, I would combine the theories of a few different ones to create the effects needed," Remus explained without pausing in his work.
"My father once mentioned a man -one who wrote a few entries in that book," here the werewolf indicated the tome Harry had brought him. "Who lived far before any of our times, but had been fairly well known in his field. He was a monster hunter who specialized in werewolves and vampires; that was why my father was familiar with his work, he had studied it."
"Because of you?" asked Harry, hoping that was not too imposing or insensitive.
"No, before me," answered the lycanthrope, still not halting in his research, "My father despised werewolves and vampires -something about beasts who could infect humans and even pass as them- it ran in the family. That's why he insulted Greyback�but he had a change of heart after Greyback got his revenge."
"That's terrible," Harry said, appalled at both Greyback and Remus' father.
"It's fine, Harry," Remus said offhandedly. "Anyway, this monster hunter, Thorin LeBerteaux, was the same until his daughter was bitten by a werewolf after she graduated and decided to follow in his footsteps. He had a theory that a werewolf was contaminated down to its very soul. Normally, he simply killed the being, but once his daughter became one, he began to experiment."
"That sounds�awful," Harry interjected. "He experimented on werewolves?"
"Yes, he believed that the infected human's soul was somehow merged with a bit of a foreign soul, which is what he believed took over his daughter every month." Remus sounded a little dismayed, but remained focused. "So he wanted to find a way to separate and vanquish that fragment."
The green-eyed boy swallowed. "What happened?"
"Nothing in the grand scheme of things," answered the scarred man. "Some werewolves were killed, his daughter died during one of her transformations, and he gave up his research in favor of hunting down the species more vigorously. Eventually, his theories were dismissed and forgotten. However, some of his research might be useful to us."
"How so?" asked Harry, "And�Er, he was wrong, right?"
"Yes, he was," answered Remus quietly before he continued in his usual mild tone, which Harry was beginning to suspect was a defense. "The problem we are facing is that we need to destroy a piece of soul without damaging the one it�s attached to. His research was not on splitting complete souls, as with Horcruxes, but on separating a foreign fragment of soul from another, complete soul. Actually, most of his experiments were based on some material he had found on creating Horcruxes."
Harry paled. �So he tried to split those werewolves� souls?�
"He tried to do what we need to do," responded the lycanthrope. "Only we are truly dealing with a fragment of a soul that needs to be separated from a complete one."
Trying to push aside the image of tortured werewolves and wizards who actually hunted other people, Harry decided he needed to focus on what was more important at present. "So, you think you can do this? You can create a spell that will separate Voldemort's soul from Draco's?"
"I think so," answered Remus. "Although, I don't know if I can do it alone. Severus is a poor stand in for Sirius and James, but he will have to do. At least he has a longer attention span."
Harry grinned again at Remus' resigned sigh. "Thank you, Remus."
"None of us are the sort to give up without a fight, Harry," answered the werewolf.
"That's true," said the bespectacled boy. "What can I do?"
"Well, if I were Draco, I think I would be looking for a way to escape right about now," commented Remus. At Harry's puzzled expression, he added, "Snape knows how to sink his claws in when he wants to make a point."
"Oh," Harry turned toward the door that the potions master had accompanied Draco through. "Wish me luck," he said over his shoulder. He heard Remus call 'good luck' as he entered the short hallway.
The bespectacled boy slowed as he heard Snape's voice drifting through the closed door of the potions lab. It still had his usual dry edge to it, but sounded much gentler while he was speaking to Draco.
"�not simply because I dislike Potter, it is for several of the reasons that I dislike Potter. I am concerned for you. You have enough to cope with without the heartache that he will undoubtedly cause you-"
Harry pressed closer when he realized Draco must have interrupted Snape. He could barely hear the blonde's soft voice through the door.
"�and is it so unreasonable to think that someone might actually want me? That he might actually care for me?"
Harry stepped back and felt an odd tightening in his chest. He guessed that the cold, calm sorrow in the other boy's voice must have affected Snape as well, for there was a moment of complete silence before he heard the potion master's voice again.
"I did not mean to imply that, Draco. This doubt is not because of you, it is because of Potter and his callous arrogance."
Again, Draco's voice cut in, "Harry is not callous or arrogant�I thought so too at first, but now that I've come to know him� He�s not who we thought he was. Just as we aren�t what he assumed we were."
Harry smiled to himself. He had to hand it to Draco; the boy knew how to drive in a point just as well as Snape did. However, the blonde's voice still had a wary note that he did not like.
The raven-haired boy had just decided that he should knock and had raised a hand to do so when he heard Snape's voice one again.
"He watched you disintegrate for all of last year and did nothing�no, I'm wrong, he did do something. As I recall, he very nearly murdered you in a bathroom after he knew for certain that you were in need of help."
Harry froze. He could not deny the truth of that statement. He had felt bad on the mentioned occasion, but not nearly as bad as he should have. Before he could think on it any more, Draco's voice drifted to him.
"He's not a saint, Severus. He had no reason to want to help me then�he barely knew me, the real me, I mean. ...And in case you have forgotten, we both fought in that bathroom. I�m not proud of it and I doubt he is either.
�In addition, I think he believed I was going to cast the Cruciatus curse on him -I know, it's ridiculous, but never mind that. By his reaction, I doubt he knew the power he was putting into the spell that he used on me."
"He obviously knew it was to be used against an opponent," Snape's voice cut in. "He did not think and he did not care. He never has. I see no reason to believe he has changed."
Harry set his jaw and knocked. Draco -whom Harry noticed looked rather worn and defeated- quickly opened the door. The bespectacled boy decided he was always going to listen to Remus from now on.
"Is everything okay?" asked Draco quietly, and Harry guessed that the anger he felt at Snape must have shown.
"As okay as it was when you came in here," answered Harry before looking at Snape. "Remus has an idea. I think he's going to need to see what you have on Horcruxes."
Snape gave Harry a contemptuous glance before turning to Draco. "I'll be in the sitting room if you require anything."
The grey-eyed boy nodded silently, and Harry glared at the man as he swept out of the room.
The two boys turned to one another. "Are you okay?" asked Harry.
Draco nodded. "How much did you hear?"
Harry grinned, "From the part where he explained that it's not simply that he doesn't like me�although I think I missed the beginning of your response to that."
Grey eyes fell away; "Ah, then I think you have the gist of it. I knew he would not take to this well from the beginning anyway, so�" A pale hand gestured vaguely to finish the point.
Harry nodded his understanding. He would feel terrible if Remus had been unable to look past Draco's family and past disputes. "I'm sorry, Draco. I really am."
"Don't be," Draco looked at Harry again; "It isn't your fault. You're a Gryffindor and you are your parents' son; he wouldn't like you no matter what you did or didn�t do in the past."
Harry forced his gaze to remain on the other boy. "He did make a-"
"That doesn't matter," Draco interrupted quietly but firmly. "In the past, we both have treated each other in ways that we are not proud of, but we cannot do anything about that�and anyway, I thought we had already settled all that."
Green eyes met grey and Harry could not help but smile. "We did; neither of us really meant any of it and we didn't know what the other was going through. You're right, it doesn't matter."
"Good," Draco looked slightly relieved. "So what is this idea of Lupin's?"
"I'm not sure," Harry admitted, "But it has to do with some crazy werewolf hunter's research on severing the wolf's soul from the human's or something. Anyway, Remus thinks he can use that, plus what he and Snape have learned on Horcruxes to create a spell that will separate the bit of�well, you know."
Draco looked a bit taken aback, "But werewolves don't have separate souls�do they?"
"I asked the same thing," Harry said with a grimace. "No, they don't."
"That must have been awful," commented Draco, eyes horrified. He blinked the thought away before continuing. "Anyway, he's going to create a spell himself? That is difficult� Although, it does seem as though he's done that sort of thing before with those marauders� Let's just hope this works as well."
"It will," Harry said forcefully. "Remus is very rarely mistaken."
"Well, I would still like him to have a test subject," said Draco, now leaning back against the doorframe. "When you do you want to go after Nagini?"
"As soon as you're up for it," answered Harry. "I don't want you to push yourself anymore though. You've taken a lot of damage in the past couple weeks�or longer, really."
"I should be alright tomorrow; after I've gotten some sleep," said the pale Slytherin.
"Speaking of that," Harry's tone and expression turned concerned as he remembered what he had been discussing with Remus and Snape before they turned to thoughts of human Horcruxes. "Did Snape tell you�about the curse?"
Confusion flashed across Draco's pale features briefly, and then he looked decidedly more somber. "Oh, you mean the aeternus noctis curse. Yes."
"If you need more time�" Harry stroked the other boy's cheek. "Do you have any idea what's going to happen tonight? They told me about the nightmares-"
Draco placed one of his hands over Harry's, which silenced the bespectacled boy. "I can handle nightmares. Considering that Lupin and Severus acted so quickly, they probably won't be that much worse than ones I had after I 'failed' that mission for...Him."
Harry caressed the cheek lightly and then thought about that statement. "Hey�you didn't seem to have a nightmare last night. The night before you did, but I assumed it was because of-"
Draco nodded slightly to show that he understood and then he, too, seemed pensive. "You're right�they've improved since I left the holding house with you, but last night�I was fine."
The green-eyed boy smirked; "Maybe you finally felt safe."
"I did," Draco answered quietly as he ran his fingers down Harry's hand and rubbed his forearm gently. Then, he released a small chuckle that sounded only half-amused. "There is no way Severus will allow us to sleep in the same room tonight."
Harry took a step forward; "If you want me to be with you, I will."
Grey eyes just studied Harry for a moment, and then the sound of a throat clearing politely behind them caused Draco to start and Harry to turn.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," said Remus, "But I thought it was better I than Snape. He has already accused you of molestation enough for one evening."
Harry nodded, and then paused. "Actually, he never got that far before."
"Not while you were present," corrected Remus, "But I doubt he will now."
Harry and Draco exchanged a glance. The blonde looked impressed, "I don't even want to know how you managed that."
"I've been told I have a way with words," responded Remus mildly.
Draco nodded slowly. "Harry told me you had an idea for the Horcrux�for me. Thank you."
Remus simply gazed at the blonde for a moment, "There's no need to thank me, Draco. I would like to think that anyone would try to do the same�"
"But each of us knows that isn't true," finished the fair Slytherin.
Remus nodded sadly. "Excuse me," he said before walking past the two teenagers and locating a potions text in the lab.
The former professor stopped and turned to look at the boys again before leaving the hall. "Is there anything either of you need?"
"Er�" Harry scratched his neck and began apologetically; "I don't mean to make you fight more of my battles for me�"
Remus smiled, "I wish I could fight more of them for you. What can I do, Harry?"
"It's about the sleeping arrangements tonight," said the raven-haired boy. "Not that, you know, we�er� It's just-"
The werewolf's kind eyed flicked to Draco before settling on Harry again with a slightly sad look to them. "Solitude isn't good for nightmares; I'll make sure Snape understands that."
"Thanks Remus," said Harry.
The scarred man merely smiled and nodded before entering the sitting room and closing the door behind him.
"If more werewolves were like him, the species would be a lot better off," commented Draco. "Most of the humans I know aren't that kind."
For once, the green-eyed boy found himself checking his temper. He did not want to snap at Draco when he knew the blonde did not deserve it. Instead, he calmly replied; "Remus is human, Draco."
"He's a person; but as far as the Ministry is concerned, he isn't human," the grey-eyed boy stated softly. "I don't agree with that�not anymore. I wonder if his presence will affect Severus at all in that regard�"
"They went to school together, served in the Order together during the first war, researched for Dumbledore afterwards, taught in school together for a year, and have severed in the Order together again until recently," said Harry wryly. "I think that's a lost cause."
Suddenly, they heard Snape's voice through the closed door. "You what?!"
The two boys shared a glance before quietly moving closer to the closed door. Harry placed his hand over Draco's as they each leaned against the door.
Remus' calm voice was much gentler than Snape's had been. "I think that Draco and Harry should stay together tonight. Having someone he cares for close by will help Draco cope with the nightmares. I�ve suffered from nightmares for most of my life and I can tell you that there is great difference in waking up alone to waking up to someone who cares. It�s not as though they would do anything inappropriate here, and need I remind you again that they are of age?"
"I do not intend to encourage this�relationship," Snape's voice drawled. "There are potions that can help-"
"I do not deny the boy's skill in the area, but you truly want Draco to be dependent on potions?" questioned Remus. "I don�t have to tell you that isn�t easy-"
"It is better than being dependent on Potter," Snape cut in. "Do you really think Black did-"
"This is not about whether you approve of Harry or Sirius," Remus cut in with that steely note he rarely seemed to use. After a pause, he continued mildly. "This is for Draco. It will help�especially on his first night of dealing with the curse. One of us can stay near as well; however, I think Harry will make the most difference. I don't know about you, but I am not prepared to offer the extent of comfort that Harry is."
Draco's eyebrows rose in amusement and Harry placed his free hand over his mouth when that statement was met by dead silence.
"I do not want Draco to be taken advantage of," stated Snape after several moments passed.
"Neither do I," replied the werewolf, "Nor does Harry. I also think that Draco deserves more credit than to act as though that would be an easy feat."
Another silence followed, this time it stretched out long enough that the teenagers realized the conversation had ended.
Draco leaned forward, his left cheek brushing against Harry's before he spoke into his ear, his voice barely a whisper. "Remind me never to argue with Lupin."
Harry smiled as he slipped an arm around the blonde's thin waist. "I doubt I'll have to," he whispered back. "So does this mean he won the argument?"
"Mm-hmm," the grey-eyed boy replied softly. "Severus would never admit Lupin was right. He probability gave some sort of gesture to show his acceptance of the idea."
"We should start getting ready for bed then," said Harry, absently stroking the other boy's emaciated back. "It's been a long day and it sounds like tonight isn't going to be much easier."
Draco took a deep breath. "You're right. It's not as bad as it could have been though."
Harry nodded as Draco stepped back, and then the bespectacled boy opened the door and both teens entered the sitting room.
Remus was seated on the sofa and Snape was in the chair, both were looking over some ancient looking texts and taking notes silently. Remus looked up as the boys entered and Snape looked over shortly after. The sallow skinned man closed the book he had been reading as he stood.
"I believe you should rest now, Draco." Snape cast a glare in Remus' direction before his gaze softened as he turned back to the young Slytherin. "You and Potter may share the guestroom. I shall be in my room if you require my assistance and the werewolf will be in here."
Ignoring Harry's glare at the way he referred to Remus, Snape squeezed one of Draco's shoulders as he swept out of the room.
"Ignore him, Harry," said Remus. "It's not important."
"It is," Harry stated, "But I'll leave it until we finish this."
Remus nodded and wore a small smile; "Fair enough."
Harry and Draco retrieved their rucksacks and bid Remus goodnight before heading back into the hidden hall. The blonde led Harry to a door at the end, which led to a stairwell. After descending the stairs, they reached a small landing with three doors.
Draco pointed to the right, "Severus' room;� the middle door, �Restroom;� and the final door, �Guest room.�
They entered a small, dark room and with silent agreement, cast an Imperturbable Charm on the door and tiny window. Then they each changed into their nightclothes and climbed into the small bed together, settling in for a rough night.
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Harry Potter and the Unusual Alliance