The Lion and the Serpent
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
47
Views:
39,570
Reviews:
227
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
2
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
47
Views:
39,570
Reviews:
227
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
2
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
The Others
In the morning, Draco woke up alone in Harry\'s bed. His entire body still ached from the events of last night, and Draco was glad for it. He didn\'t want to forget, or wonder whether it had just been one blissful, surreal dream.
Draco\'s euphoria was short-lived, as he heard Hermione crying quietly in the living room.
“You\'ve been planning this all along, haven\'t you?” she whispered tiredly, when her sobbing finally subsided. “I should have known... should have known months ago.”
“I am sorry,” Harry said regretfully. “I didn\'t expect you to guess.”
“Harry...Perhaps we should wait....”
A long silence ensued, and when Harry finally spoke, his voice was pleading, almost begging:
“How long, Hermione? How long should we wait? Until Luna starts setting people on fire? Until Ginny becomes a cold-blooded killer? Or until Voldemort\'s venom attaches itself to someone, and creates new hortcruxes, all over again?”
Long silence ensued. Finally, Hermione said quietly:
“Fine. We\'ll do it your way. One last time, Harry.”
Quietly, Draco got dressed and made the bed. He entered the dining room, and joined them at the table, uninvited. He looked at them questioningly, but they both ignored him, absorbed in their own thoughts.
“I want no more of this lone ranger nonsense,” Hermione informed Harry firmly. “Even if we are doing this your way, we will still need to gather others.”
Harry sighed deeply. “There are no others.”
“I beg to differ,” Hermione said. “I took the liberty of reviewing your teaching logs over the last several months, as well as talking to others about your habits and activities.”
“I don\'t like where this is going,” Harry said, but Hermione continued speaking anyways:
“There are at least eight or nine others who have spent significant stretches of time with you over the last half a year or so. I have compiled a list of names.”
Quietly, Draco watched the grave scowl on Harry\'s face, as his eyes kept scrolling down Hermione\'s list.
“Absolutely not! These ... scoundrels? You are kidding me. These are the worst, most difficult, most obstinate students in school. All of them, Slytherin students,” Harry almost spat. “I would rather have a herd of tarantulas running around my quarters...”
“That\'s who spent most time near you over the last half a year,” Hermione repeated firmly.
“Only because they had detentions on an almost daily basis!” Harry thundered.
Hermione chuckled. “Kind of ironic, don\'t you think?”
Harry growled at her, his hand crumpling the list she had given him.
“Harry, you are being irrational,” Hermione said patiently. “You are allowing your personal prejudices to interfere with the mission. How are you going to do all of this by yourself? No matter the location, we will need to guard the perimeter, while...”
“Fine,” Harry cut her off sharply. “But ... Hyperion? Anastasia? Calixa? You are out of your mind.”
“Maybe it\'s time she and her little gang knew what is going on,” Hermione suggested. “You know what they call themselves these days? The Unforgiven.”
Harry groaned loudly.
“Just think of them as little Dracos,” Hermione offered.
“Hermione Granger, you will be the death of me,” Harry said despairingly. “Very well. Have them all come over. Minerva too. I think... she\'s still one of us.”
“I know she is,” Hermione said softly. “She watches your quarters in her Animagus form every night. Never takes her eyes off your door.”
Harry grumbled something about cats and mice, but Draco could tell that he was touched.
Half an hour later, a stream of students entered Harry\'s quarters, followed by Minerva McGonnagal herself. The students stood quietly, slightly bewildered, huddled together, holding backpacks and shoulder bags in their hands. Two students brought cats with them, and one held a toad in his hand.
Hermione pointed her wand at Harry\'s table, forcing it to expand, and acquire a round shape. She added additional chairs, and everyone sat down, looking guarded and awkward.
“Perhaps we should break the ice, and introduce ourselves,” Minerva offered. “My name is Minerva McGonnagal, I am seventy-two years old. My special skill is fencing, and I am a registered Animagus.”
The students laughed out loud cautiously, amused by the long-familiar information offered to them.
“My name is Kaige,” a short dark-skinned girl said. “I am seventeen years old, my best skill is stealth.”
After that, the boys spoke, one after another:
“My name is Hyperion. Seventeen. My Animagus form is a wolf.”
“My name is Drachen. I am sixteen. I can do some wandless magic.”
“My name is Acheron. I am seventeen. Potions.”
“My name is Locke. I am seventeen. I know herbs.”
“My name is Layre. I am sixteen. I am good with magical creatures,” a small red-haired boy said, glancing at the toad sitting on his shoulder.
“Rockford. Sixteen. Divination.”
Draco\'s turn came, and he shifted uncomfortably. Finally, he spoke, introducing himself to some others who didn\'t know him yet:
“My name is Draco, and I am nineteen years old, and I am Harry\'s...” Draco hesitated and looked to Harry questioningly.
“Partner,” Harry supplied the word insouciantly. “Draco\'s skills include potions, broomstick, and some special ... sensitivities to Dark Magic.”
Hermione spoke next:
“My name is Hermione Granger, I am nineteen as well, I am an apprentice Magical Healer who is about to fail her apprenticeship due to routine absenteeism. No special talents other than ability to research obscure topics and absorb enormous amounts of useless information.”
The students laughed a little, slightly emboldened by her humble introduction.
And then, one final voice spoke, interrupting the brief outburst of mirth around the table:
“My name is Calixa Cain, I am fifteen years old, and I am wondering what the hell we are all doing here, in Mr. Potter\'s quarters.”
“You are all here, because we have a good reason to believe that you have been affected the least by ... Voldemort\'s essence,” Hermione said.
“I see,” Calixa said spitefully. “Nice. This way Mr. Potter can gather us all up and kill us, before finally joining Voldemort.”
“Miss Cain!” Minerva McGonnagal snapped at her.
“What?” Calixa stared at her unapologetically. “The signs are all there. It\'s the only logical explanation. Like my father always said, if you can\'t beat them, join them.”
For a moment, it looked like Minerva McGonnagal was going to say something extremely unkind, but Harry rose his hand and stopped her.
“That\'s quite all right,” he said with absolute calm in his voice. “Miss Cain is correct. I have no intention of fighting Voldemort.” Harry paused, allowing his words to sink in.
Calixa stared at Harry defiantly.
“It\'s true then,” she said, her voice faltering only a little. “You do intend to join him.”
When Harry answered, his words send a chill down Draco\'s spine. The others looked at Harry, horrified, when he said:
“I do not intend to join Voldemort, Miss Cain. I intend to become him.”
------------------TO BE CONTINUED -----------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Author\'s Note:
I am not entirely pleased with this chapter. It was too dialog-driven for my taste, and I wished I could give more details about the other students. But then part of me just really wanted to write this chapter, and get the major “revelation” out of the way, just so that we could move on with the actual story already. I dunno, maybe I\'ll re-write this chapter at some point.
Draco\'s euphoria was short-lived, as he heard Hermione crying quietly in the living room.
“You\'ve been planning this all along, haven\'t you?” she whispered tiredly, when her sobbing finally subsided. “I should have known... should have known months ago.”
“I am sorry,” Harry said regretfully. “I didn\'t expect you to guess.”
“Harry...Perhaps we should wait....”
A long silence ensued, and when Harry finally spoke, his voice was pleading, almost begging:
“How long, Hermione? How long should we wait? Until Luna starts setting people on fire? Until Ginny becomes a cold-blooded killer? Or until Voldemort\'s venom attaches itself to someone, and creates new hortcruxes, all over again?”
Long silence ensued. Finally, Hermione said quietly:
“Fine. We\'ll do it your way. One last time, Harry.”
Quietly, Draco got dressed and made the bed. He entered the dining room, and joined them at the table, uninvited. He looked at them questioningly, but they both ignored him, absorbed in their own thoughts.
“I want no more of this lone ranger nonsense,” Hermione informed Harry firmly. “Even if we are doing this your way, we will still need to gather others.”
Harry sighed deeply. “There are no others.”
“I beg to differ,” Hermione said. “I took the liberty of reviewing your teaching logs over the last several months, as well as talking to others about your habits and activities.”
“I don\'t like where this is going,” Harry said, but Hermione continued speaking anyways:
“There are at least eight or nine others who have spent significant stretches of time with you over the last half a year or so. I have compiled a list of names.”
Quietly, Draco watched the grave scowl on Harry\'s face, as his eyes kept scrolling down Hermione\'s list.
“Absolutely not! These ... scoundrels? You are kidding me. These are the worst, most difficult, most obstinate students in school. All of them, Slytherin students,” Harry almost spat. “I would rather have a herd of tarantulas running around my quarters...”
“That\'s who spent most time near you over the last half a year,” Hermione repeated firmly.
“Only because they had detentions on an almost daily basis!” Harry thundered.
Hermione chuckled. “Kind of ironic, don\'t you think?”
Harry growled at her, his hand crumpling the list she had given him.
“Harry, you are being irrational,” Hermione said patiently. “You are allowing your personal prejudices to interfere with the mission. How are you going to do all of this by yourself? No matter the location, we will need to guard the perimeter, while...”
“Fine,” Harry cut her off sharply. “But ... Hyperion? Anastasia? Calixa? You are out of your mind.”
“Maybe it\'s time she and her little gang knew what is going on,” Hermione suggested. “You know what they call themselves these days? The Unforgiven.”
Harry groaned loudly.
“Just think of them as little Dracos,” Hermione offered.
“Hermione Granger, you will be the death of me,” Harry said despairingly. “Very well. Have them all come over. Minerva too. I think... she\'s still one of us.”
“I know she is,” Hermione said softly. “She watches your quarters in her Animagus form every night. Never takes her eyes off your door.”
Harry grumbled something about cats and mice, but Draco could tell that he was touched.
Half an hour later, a stream of students entered Harry\'s quarters, followed by Minerva McGonnagal herself. The students stood quietly, slightly bewildered, huddled together, holding backpacks and shoulder bags in their hands. Two students brought cats with them, and one held a toad in his hand.
Hermione pointed her wand at Harry\'s table, forcing it to expand, and acquire a round shape. She added additional chairs, and everyone sat down, looking guarded and awkward.
“Perhaps we should break the ice, and introduce ourselves,” Minerva offered. “My name is Minerva McGonnagal, I am seventy-two years old. My special skill is fencing, and I am a registered Animagus.”
The students laughed out loud cautiously, amused by the long-familiar information offered to them.
“My name is Kaige,” a short dark-skinned girl said. “I am seventeen years old, my best skill is stealth.”
After that, the boys spoke, one after another:
“My name is Hyperion. Seventeen. My Animagus form is a wolf.”
“My name is Drachen. I am sixteen. I can do some wandless magic.”
“My name is Acheron. I am seventeen. Potions.”
“My name is Locke. I am seventeen. I know herbs.”
“My name is Layre. I am sixteen. I am good with magical creatures,” a small red-haired boy said, glancing at the toad sitting on his shoulder.
“Rockford. Sixteen. Divination.”
Draco\'s turn came, and he shifted uncomfortably. Finally, he spoke, introducing himself to some others who didn\'t know him yet:
“My name is Draco, and I am nineteen years old, and I am Harry\'s...” Draco hesitated and looked to Harry questioningly.
“Partner,” Harry supplied the word insouciantly. “Draco\'s skills include potions, broomstick, and some special ... sensitivities to Dark Magic.”
Hermione spoke next:
“My name is Hermione Granger, I am nineteen as well, I am an apprentice Magical Healer who is about to fail her apprenticeship due to routine absenteeism. No special talents other than ability to research obscure topics and absorb enormous amounts of useless information.”
The students laughed a little, slightly emboldened by her humble introduction.
And then, one final voice spoke, interrupting the brief outburst of mirth around the table:
“My name is Calixa Cain, I am fifteen years old, and I am wondering what the hell we are all doing here, in Mr. Potter\'s quarters.”
“You are all here, because we have a good reason to believe that you have been affected the least by ... Voldemort\'s essence,” Hermione said.
“I see,” Calixa said spitefully. “Nice. This way Mr. Potter can gather us all up and kill us, before finally joining Voldemort.”
“Miss Cain!” Minerva McGonnagal snapped at her.
“What?” Calixa stared at her unapologetically. “The signs are all there. It\'s the only logical explanation. Like my father always said, if you can\'t beat them, join them.”
For a moment, it looked like Minerva McGonnagal was going to say something extremely unkind, but Harry rose his hand and stopped her.
“That\'s quite all right,” he said with absolute calm in his voice. “Miss Cain is correct. I have no intention of fighting Voldemort.” Harry paused, allowing his words to sink in.
Calixa stared at Harry defiantly.
“It\'s true then,” she said, her voice faltering only a little. “You do intend to join him.”
When Harry answered, his words send a chill down Draco\'s spine. The others looked at Harry, horrified, when he said:
“I do not intend to join Voldemort, Miss Cain. I intend to become him.”
------------------TO BE CONTINUED -----------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Author\'s Note:
I am not entirely pleased with this chapter. It was too dialog-driven for my taste, and I wished I could give more details about the other students. But then part of me just really wanted to write this chapter, and get the major “revelation” out of the way, just so that we could move on with the actual story already. I dunno, maybe I\'ll re-write this chapter at some point.