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Well, Ain't That Strange?	By : SpeedyTomato Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male Views: 56080 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 12
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and make no money off this story

Chapter List
- 24
- 25
- 26
Just a reminder of what's on my profile; reviews complaining or whinging about the lack 'o sex in stories will get deleted. If you want a smut-filled romp, you need to find another story to read.

Beta'd by the most amazing Tenchi, who I can't thank enough for all the hard work she does for me!

And thanks to Lynn who works with me when it comes to flow, continuity and other issues.

Chapter 24

“All right, Lucius, just to prepare you,” Sirius sighed, shaking his head. At the moment, they were up in their room. Lucius had just finished eating and was preparing to leave to tend to the bits on his end. He and Harry were getting ready to go downstairs and eat. Sirius had already been down to check on what was going on and it was a madhouse. “First, we have a shiteload of people in and out as Albus has everyone scrambling to tend to all kinds of things he's come up with for protection, guarding places and other areas. Be wary of who might be coming and going. Moody sent over what looks like a standard Muggle tag for your collar. Remus and I both checked it and it's nothing but something that does what he explained yesterday.”
“We can add that before I go,” Lucius nodded. If they had checked it, he wasn't going to have an issue with it. He was also happy with the heads up about the other area so he could keep watch for those he wanted to avoid.
“Remus also said Minerva set up the monitoring charm to cover this whole block, so you might want to go a bit further than normal to get away. Unless you think it might be a good idea to be seen tarrying about. Up to you there,” Sirius warned him.
“That might be a good idea,” Lucius admitted thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. “Let me see what the Dark Lord says. It should turn up the heat more. Narcissa is well aware of where this house is, so it wouldn't be odd. The same with Bella. I'll suggest that and let you know if he decides that's a good idea. That way you can prepare as it would cause chaos.”
“It would turn the heat up nicely, something we need,” Sirius grinned. “We need plenty of people under a ton of stress to get them to move in the right direction and set me off.” Pressing on, he sighed, “Harry's birthday is the day after tomorrow, so you need to prepare for that. Not only are we going to have the normal brood around for that, but I will bet my wand that there'll be plenty of others as well with all that's going on. The younger ones are all going to come with their brooms and have a game, so Remus and I are already preparing to shoo everyone out to the backyard for this. That should make it a ton easier to handle.”
“I'll prepare accordingly,” Lucius nodded, making a mental note to ensure that he grabbed the gifts from everyone the following day. “I think that's a day I need to be here all day so nothing looks off.”
“Probably, as we're going to have a ton around. No sense putting yourself at risk with that many coming and going,” Sirius conceded. “This is going to end up delicate to begin with, what with all that's going on. You need to protect yourself the best you can. If we're busy, cozy up to Remus or Arthur. They won't say a word and will understand what you're doing. Remus is probably the better option as he's around all the time. That wouldn't look odd. Planting yourself on his lap while we do whatever might be for the best.”
Stopping and looking at Harry, who was glancing at him, he then looked back at Lucius and said, “We thought, maybe, that it might be good idea for some of those from your end to turn up in the park and do something big while the party is going on. That will escalate everything in a way nothing else could. You would just have to get them out of here as fast as you can is all because of the amount of people that will be here.”
“Another good suggestion I'll make,” Lucius nodded, pleased with that one as it would do plenty they wanted and make more chaos, which would only aid in what Sirius needed to do. “Let me see what's said when I get there. I'll pass it along when I know.” Smirking, he said, “I'm sure we can pull out some big names for this that would send most scrambling. That would do what we want quite nicely.”
“Let us know, so we can prepare,” Sirius grinned, seeing the look on Lucius' face. Sobering up, he added, “We both need to keep in mind that the further we push Albus, the more desperate he's going to get. He's not pulled anything yet, but I'm going to bet that the more stress we put on him, the more panicked he's going to get, then he's going to try. I want you or I plastered to Harry at all times from here on out. Remus is good, but he can't stop some of this the way we can.”
“Point well taken and I'll manage,” Lucius assured him. “I'll make sure to pass on that my time may become more limited from here on out. I'm sure that the Dark Lord will understand why. If it's something I have to know, the elves can pass notes between us.”
Sirius sighed, shaking his head, then said, “I'm planning on not going out unless I have to, I've got most of what I have to do attended to until the next batch of paperwork comes in. When that happens, I'll make damned sure you're here for when I have to go out.”
“We'll deal accordingly.” Lucius agreed. With a groan, he began putting on his shoes, knowing it was bound to be a busy day with plenty to attend to.

Listening to the suggestions from Lucius, Tom nodded slowly as he finished. “We'll do this. It's a damned good idea. You can tell Sirius I said that as well. It's time to turn the heat up plenty high. That can only help all of you.” Leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs, petting Nagini, who was draped over his shoulders, he asked, “How much longer until that house is ready? Can it be pushed any faster than you are now?”
“We're looking at the start of term.” Lucius told him. Sighing, he shook his head then added, “I'm not sure how fast I can push this, honestly. The wards are the problem. That is something we can't take chances with, especially with what's coming. If those are in place, I might be able to get us in there with just shutting down areas that aren't complete. The elves can still work on them, of course, but some places aren't fit for habitation and are dangerous. Let me see what I can manage with the warding. As you know, the problem comes with the time it takes to settle the layers. That's what they're working on now. It has to be done with care.”
“True,” Tom sighed, mind on the problem. “What we can do is just turn up the heat and go from there. If worse comes to worst, I have somewhere we can house the three of you until you can safely reside there with the warding in place. I do realize that won't make Sirius and Harry the most comfortable, but we can do that if we have to.”
“I'll pass that along. Let me get with the head wardmaster to see what they can manage.” Lucius sighed, thinking over the problem. Brow furrowed, he said, tone distracted, “If it comes down to it, we can reside in the Manor until its ready. Sirius and Harry might go for that. I can get one of the wings up and ready so they're not bothered. No one, anywhere, would think to look for them there. The warding on that is good enough that any tracking spells won't pick them up, no matter what the Ministry pulls out.”
“That may be the better option, Lucius,” Tom nodded. “Get with Narcissa and see what she says on the matter. They may not like it, as the history with everyone isn't the best, but it will work. Bella is living there and the Ministry is none the wiser about it. We all know they are actively looking for her, pulling out everything they can think of and it's doing them no good.”
“I'll pop over there when I get done here and see what we can do on that topic. We'll go from there after I talk to Harry and Sirius. I have a feeling that Sirius wants out as fast as we can manage it. Not that I blame him there. Nothing has been tried up to this point, but we're sure it's coming.”
“As am I,” Tom sighed, shaking his head. “Tend to what's on your end and keep me apprised so I can deal accordingly. Assure Sirius that if I have to, I'll go over and layer everything I can think of on the manor to keep him and Harry safe. That or I'll provide the place. One of the two, whichever he's most comfortable with. Just have him decide so we know what we're doing and can prepare.”
“I'll get with the two of them when I can,” Lucius nodded. Sliding to the next subject, he explained what Sirius wanted when it came to him being around more. When he finished, he added, “I do see his point and it's wise, for the reasons we've just discussed. So, plan for me not to be around as much as I am now. This is bothersome, I do get that, but I think it’s unavoidable.”
“No issue taken,” Tom told him with a shake of his head. “Something else we'll plan for. If I need you, we'll go with the elves, as you suggested. Worry more about tending to that end than this part. If it's big enough, I'll give you plenty of notice so the three of you can plan accordingly.”
Happy there weren’t issues, Lucius relaxed then asked, “What are we planning for then? So I have an idea and can work around the concerns we have accordingly. From what I was told before I left, not to mention what I saw, Grimmauld Place looks like it's under siege with all the people coming and going. We've got them scrambling, something that only helps us.”
“While I had some bits in mind I wanted to try, we're going to go with what you just suggested. So, I think we'll hammer out the best way to go about this. Since you're the one on the inside, you've got the information I need so we can get this planned out the best way we can manage. As we only have two days to get something workable in place, it'll have to be fast.” Leaning forward, hands clasped on his desk, he let Lucius walk him through what he was aware of when it came to the goings on at the house so they knew the best time to launch was they needed. The more information he had, the better chance they had of pulling this off with minimal glitches and all out war taking place. That he wanted.

Seated on the floor in one of the parlors in the very back of the house, well away from the noise and traffic at the front, Harry had Lucius, as Hobbes, of course, in his lap, brushing him out. It had been a day that was driving him mental due to all that was going on and he just wanted to relax a while, away from everything. If they needed him, Sirius promised to let him know.
Sighing softly as he brushed, he smiled. This helped calm him down for some reason. It was probably a combination of it was Lucius, the bond there and the purring. Whatever it was, he didn't care, he liked it.
Smiling down at 'Hobbes' who was purring so loudly it was vibrating both of them, he observed, “I think this feels plenty good for both of us.”
Hearing a loud meow, Harry dropped the brush then cuddled the cat close. This felt even better. Burying his face in Hobbes' soft fur, he gave a contented sigh. Petting Lucius with one hand, staying like that, he felt more relaxed. The stress he was dealing with seemed to abate slightly. With that, he felt a tad tired. Softly, he asked, “If I lay down, will you keep watch over me? And let me know if something comes up? I want to take a nap, I think.”
“I will,” Lucius told Harry telepathically. “Just get some rest. Never fear, no one will try anything foolish with me around.”
Nodding, Harry stood, holding Lucius close then made his way over to the settee at the far end of the room. After summoning an elf and getting a blanket, he lay down and shut his eyes with a sigh, holding Hobbes close as he did.
Laying there with Harry, staying curled up to him, Lucius continued to purr as Harry drifted off. While he did, he made damned sure to pay attention to what was going on around them lest someone get stupid.

Coming into the parlor where he was told Harry was, Albus sighed when he saw him asleep. Though he wanted to wake the young wizard, he didn't. He didn't have much time to spare, so getting Harry awake wasn't something he needed. Though his groggy condition could only help matters.
Thinking it over, twiddling his thumbs, he eyed the cat by Harry, seeing the animal glaring at him and starting to growl, he shook his head. No, now wasn't the time. There were many bits he had to figure out before he tackled working on Harry. The mess going on now was part of that. With everyone so on edge, it wasn't the best time to work on this end. He needed to calm slightly before he attempted anything with Harry. That and figure out a way to go about what he needed. As of yet, he didn't have that. So, it would do him no good to try.
Smiling at the cat that appeared as though he was glaring at him, Albus shook his head. He would think over what he needed to get done then come up with a plan for this. Sirius was the issue in the whole mess. Wherever Harry was, Sirius had to be. Though the papers for the homeschooling were going through, that didn't mean he couldn't come up with some way to get Sirius into the castle. Once there, he could deal accordingly. He was sure the two could stay apart long enough for Harry to attend classes. If they could manage that, he could press on with what he needed. How was the issue as this was now a mess with what he originally planned not feasible. What he needed was time, something he didn't have a lot of, honestly. He would manage, though. Somehow.
Turning, he left the room with a sigh then headed out to deal with all the troublesome bits that were popping up all over. This he didn't need on top of the spanner that was now in the works. It couldn't be helped, though, so he would deal accordingly.

Eyes narrowed as the old man left, Lucius' tail was lashing. That heralded nothing good, as he well knew. Sending Sirius a message as to what had happened, he laid his head down, but didn't shut his eyes. He was sure Albus left the house, of course, but he didn't like this one bit. Whatever that was about, he was certain it had to do with plans dealing with Harry. And nothing nice either. That meant that he and Sirius needed to not only figure out what they were so they could counter them, but he had to see what he could manage when it came to speeding things up. Yes, they needed out, fast. In some way.

Listening to what Lucius had to say on not only what he observed with Albus, but the suggestions, Sirius sighed and rubbed a hand over his goatee. They were finally holed up in their room for the night after having a house full of people for most of the day. Groaning, he looked at Harry, who was glancing at him. Finally shaking his head, he said, tone weary, “If you can get a wing of the manor done and we don't have to deal with batty Bella, I say we go that route. It won't be the most comfortable thing in the whole world, but we'll manage. Just keep Bella away from me. Since we were kids she and I mixed about as well as oil and water. It'll be worse now.” Looking at Harry, he asked, “That fine with you?”
“If it comes down to it, I'll manage,” Harry told him. “It won't be something easy or pleasant, but it's better than getting drawn into whatever that old man is cooking up for me.”
“I'll send a message to Narcissa about getting one of the old wings ready,” Lucius told them. “The one I'm thinking of is far off the main part of the house. It even has its own exit to the back gardens. If we use that one, you can stay in it and it'll be self-sustaining. You won't need to go into the other part of the house unless you want.”
“That'll be the way to go here,” Sirius nodded. “We're not sure what this could invoke when it comes to Harry and me being around Cissy. There's also the troublesome relationship with Harry and Draco. I get it's something everyone's agreed to work with, but we don't need that added in right off the bat here. That's enough to cause major issues, for all of us.” Softening his voice, he added, “And we don't want you in the middle of that one. It wouldn't end pretty no matter how it plays out.”
“Not something I pondered, actually,” Lucius sighed, shaking his head. “We'll manage. That wing is big enough that you won't go mental, you have my word on it. I do believe this is the best option, Sirius. We can push like hell to set everyone off and we can then get out, even if that house isn't done. What we don't need is Albus pulling something out. You know him, he's not above serious manipulation or emotional blackmail to get what he wants. As much as you've thrown him off, he's going to try something. I'm going to be with Harry as he's the one that hasn't had the experience with him we have.”
Having stayed quiet, more than content to let the two hash this out as they knew better what to do than he did, Harry finally chimed in. Voice quiet, he said, “I agree with Lucius, Sirius. It won't be nice, but it's not going to be forever either. We can handle it. Look how long we managed on Privet Drive. That was far worse. The mere idea that he was standing there, probably plotting, while I was sleeping is enough to give me the shivers.”
Looking at Harry, Sirius gave a slow nod. “We'll go with it. See how high you lot can turn that heat up then we'll go for it. I'll get with Remus and Arthur to let them know what we're planning, at least minimally. Tom needs the communication whatever thing done before we do this. And we need to set more than Snape off. So, we're going to have to see who's around to push there. Let's see what we can manage. Get Cissy on what she needs to do.”
“I'll send an elf and have her start,” Lucius assured him. “It should be done in a matter of days. It's going to take longer than that to get this to where we need it anyway. I'll also get with the Dark Lord tomorrow about something for communication. Once we have that, we'll be set.”
“We will,” Sirius said. Groaning, he flopped back on the bed and said, “All right, let's see what we can manage as fast as we can. Your end is going to need to pull out plenty to send everyone into a panic.” Shaking his head, he tried to work out all they would have to do, but couldn't. He was too tired for that. Sighing, he finally said, “I vote we all take a nice hot bath together, with plenty of bubbles, and relax. No sense worrying over this when we don't have everything in place yet. That should help all three of us.”
“Good suggestion,” Lucius nodded, pleased with it. Calling an elf, he set them to filling the tub for them. Standing, he said, “I say we forgo the bubbles and I'll use a wonderful spell I know to make the water bubble, like it would in a hot tub. It feels magnificent and works well to soothe when you’ve had a trying day.”
“That sounds great,” Sirius grinned, standing with a groan. “You're teaching it to us as well. I can think of plenty of times when we would like that one.”
Standing himself, Harry said, “I've never been in a hot tub, so I don't know what it's like, but this sounds great.”
“You'll adore it, you have my word,” Lucius told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “It's most relaxing. You need the water a tad warmer than what you usually have it, but you'll adjust. Trust me, it's soothing and you'll quickly find you love it.”
“It'll be great,” Sirius assured him, guiding him to the bathroom.
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Well, Ain't That Strange?