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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
- 2
- 3
- 4
Chapter 3: The Unspoken Truce.
Ron paced around the room, and Hermione had been staring at the same page of a very think book for about fifteen minutes. The letter from Harry had arrived the afternoon before and had worked exactly as (unbeknownst to them) Draco had planned. Harry had explained whom he was with; that he was all right, that they would explain, that they needed information, and said they needed to arrive at headquarters when there were as few people there as possible.
Hermione had not told Ron much; just that Harry would be coming with someone, that Ron was to let Harry explain before reacting, and that they could not tell any of the others. She had sent a return message to Harry stating that the following evening, (which was the current evening) would best suite his specifications, as only she, Ron, Lupin, and Mrs. Weasley would be there, with Moody or Mr Weasley checking in from time to time. She knew it was not what he hoped, but it would remain like that for a few days unless something unexpected happened, and it was as empty as the house ever was.
Hermione knew it was risky to write too many details, but Harry had been brilliant to think of enchanting the paper (she assumed the marauders map had given him the idea), and she knew it would drive Harry mad to wait until the following evening to know if everyone was alright. Therefore, she let him know that that just about everyone was still in the same condition and location as they were when he disappeared. The brown-eyed girl knew this would free up a lot of tension on Harry�s part and he would therefore be better suited to deal with Ron�s reaction to his new�Associate? Comrade? Friend? Harry had phrased the letter much more carefully than she would have expected him to be capable of, but it was clear enough that he -surprisingly- held no anger, or even mistrust, against Malfoy.
Before Hermione could dwell on the matter further, the fireplace in the study that she and Ron occupied burst to life and out of the green flames stumbled Harry and Draco, each looking rather worse for wear, particularly the latter.
�Harry!� The ancient tome fell from her lap, completely forgotten, as she stood to greet her friend. Ron was right beside her, but his smile faded as he suddenly realized who was standing beside Harry.
�What did you bring him here for? We should have some of the Order members here to question him or something.� Ron had his wand out and fixed on Draco before anyone realized what he was doing.
Harry hastily stepped in between Ron�s wand and the now fragile looking teen he had brought with him. Draco had steadily started looking worse over the course of the day, and the raven-haired teen could not help but feel responsible for the blonde�s safety. He also could not help but feel slightly impressed that the silver-eyed teen could appear so indifferent to the threat of being hexed; of course, he imagined that Ron was about as threatening as a bunny after facing an angry group of Death Eaters and their master.
�Harry! What are you doing?!� Ron hissed as he lowered his wand, which had been aimed at Harry�s throat instead of Draco�s face due to the bespectacled boy�s reaction.
Before Harry could retort, and he certainly intended to, Hermione grabbed Ron by the shoulder; �Ron, before you jump down Harry�s throat, let�s see if they�re alright, and dare I say, allow them to explain?� The bushy-haired girl did not yell, did not threaten, nor did she use a chiding tone, however, she still managed to make the redhead look thoroughly ashamed.
�Oh, sorry, Harry. It�s just�when Hermione said you were bringing someone who was helping you, I didn�t expect Malfoy.� Ron gave Harry an apologetic look and then offered it to Hermione, who accepted it with a small smile.
Harry grinned at his friends; at least some things always stayed the same. �It�s okay Ron. I didn�t expect it either. Just give me a little while and I�ll explain how it happened, okay?�
Both of his friends nodded, and then Hermione gasped; �Malfoy, you�re bleeding. I should get Mrs. Weasley or Lupin, they might be able to heal you, and you look like you haven�t had a proper meal in months-� She had started walking out of the room as she spoke but stopped when she realized that Harry was giggling. The brunette looked at him questioningly, and with no small amount of annoyance; �I don�t see anything funny about this, Harry, what-�
The raven-haired teen held up his hands defensively, �Calm down Hermione, it�s just that you�re starting to sound like Mrs. Weasley.� He had managed to straighten his face when that comment didn�t seem to help him. �You are right though, Malfoy definitely needs to be looked at�� He studied the emaciated blonde for a moment, noting some more bruises that he had not before, and that most of his weight was kept off his right leg. Draco favoured his injuries so subtly that you really had to watch him to notice.
��And you both could use some cleaning up,� Ron added, as he looked the other two boys over. Their robes were dusty and worn and their wearers could be described the same way.
�Okay, but I�d rather not let Lupin or Mrs. Weasley know that we�re here yet,� Harry said as he fidgeted with the fraying sleeve of his robe. He and Draco were not too dirty thanks to some cleaning spells, but he realized that they looked rather roughed up. However, between their previous endeavours and the fact that they had slept in an abandoned park, he was surprised that they looked as well as they did.
Ron simply nodded, but Hermione looked scandalized. When she responded, her voice came out in a forced calm, �Harry, you can�t plan on not telling anyone you�re here, and don�t even think of disappearing again. We know what you have to do, and we understand if you don�t want to tell everybody, but to leave without saying a word? What if something happens to you; how would we know? Moreover, if you are concerned for Malfoy�s health at all, then we need to have someone look at him right away. He looks dreadful and none of us are healers. Neither is Lupin or Mrs. Weasley, I know, but they know a good deal more than we do, and I understand that we can�t just take him to a hospital, but still-�
Ron put a hand on the bushy-haired girl�s shoulder, and she quieted down right away. After a few seconds, she exhaled forcefully and turned to offer the redhead a look that seemed to say I�m all right.
Harry nodded thankfully at his best friend. �Okay Hermione, I get it, but I don�t want anyone trying to stop me from doing what I�m going to do, and I can�t explain what I�m doing, which makes it hard for them to accept it. I�ll tell you what, I�ll explain everything, and then, we can get Lupin to help Malfoy, all right? He won�t try to mother us like Mrs. Weasley will, no offence mate.�
Ron nodded his understanding and waved away the apology. Harry continued before Hermione could interrupt, �However, we can�t tell him everything. So, follow my lead while we�re talking to him, all right?�
Again, his friends nodded, and both opened their mouths to speak, but were silenced when Draco�s voice was heard for the first time since the two boys had arrived. �You could just decide what you want to tell Lupin before anyone wakes him and inform us of your plans beforehand. Then they could speak freely and act natural around him, and you would have less chance of something slipping.�
The raven-haired teen simply nodded. He was growing used to this side of Malfoy, his voice quiet and subdued instead of insulting and taunting, his face impassive, with the usual sneers and glares gone. Harry was not sure if this was the real Draco that had been hiding behind the cold, bullying Slytherin persona, or if these were qualities that emerged because of the horrific events he had endured, but whichever be the case, he had decided that the other boy�s change was genuine.
Ron wore an odd expression, clearly torn between being impressed and mistrustful at the fact that Draco had come up with this suggestion without even thinking about it, and had suggested it so quietly and unassumingly. Hermione looked thoughtful and shot an evaluating glance at the silver-eyed boy as she nodded, �That is a good idea, Harry.�
�Okay, then let�s get started�� Harry wanted to get this done quickly, before anyone could catch them. Hermione cast an Imperturbable Charm and a locking spell on the room. Not for the first time, Harry was both thankful and impressed that she could assess the situation so quickly and accept an unexpected change with such grace.
�Wait,� Ron interjected, �We�re going to discuss this in front of Malfoy?� He shot an incredulous glace at Harry.
�Yes,� Harry answered, forcing his agitation not to reach his voice. He had already prepared for this question, �He already knew about the Horcruxes, he knows some things that I don�t, and I know things that he doesn�t, so were going to have to discuss it with each other sooner or later. It might as well be while we�re all together.�
Ron seemed to be mulling this over; Hermione however nodded her approval. �I for one would rather hear everything we all know up front than learn bits and pieces at a time.� She picked the forgotten tome off the floor and returned to her seat on the sofa.
�Yeah,� Ron added as he sat beside Hermione, �Plus we can back Harry up if Malfoy tries anything.� He fixed Draco with what Harry guessed he considered an unsettling stare.
Draco rolled his eyes, but ignored the comment. �We also can think up a better plan of action if we pool all the information we have between us.� He sat on the sofa across from the one that Ron and Hermione occupied.
Harry took a seat on the same couch as Draco. �Well, now we know what all the Horcruxes are. Nagini is one, and so is the sword of Gryffindor; right?� He turned to Draco, who offered a curt, yet gracious nod.
Hermione looked surprised, �But how did he get at Gryffindor�s sword? It�s been kept in the headmaster�s office at Hogwarts his entire life! Dumbledore was trusting, but he wouldn�t have left Voldemort alone in his office.� She was obviously searching her brain for any previously read information on the subject.
�Who said he had been alone?� Draco drawled quietly, but it still pulled Hermione from her mental pursuits and turned her attention to him. �The�preparations, could have been made prior to entering the castle, and for a wizard as powerful as V-Voldemort, the final spells would have only required a swish of his wand along with a few seconds of heavy focus.� His inability to say the dark lord�s name without hesitation caused Ron to look puzzled and Hermione to look at him appraisingly once more.
Harry released a small gasp and said, �The memory,� as if this explained everything. All eyes turned to him. Ron and Draco each quirked an eyebrow -the blonde gracefully, the redhead goofily- and Hermione tilted her head questioningly.
The bespectacled boy realized that none of them knew what he what he was talking about; �In one of the memories that Dumbledore showed me in his Pensive, Voldemort-� Ron and Draco flinched at the name, and Hermione rolled her eyes at their reaction, �Was trying to get a job teaching at Hogwarts. Dumbledore turned him down of course, but at one point, I thought for sure that Voldemort cast something. He flicked his wand, but nothing seemed to happen and Dumbledore didn�t react to anything, so I thought maybe it was just my imagination, or nerves, something like that, you know?� Harry could not believe that the possibility had not occurred to him before.
The others nodded their understanding and then Ron asked, �What about Nagini? Isn�t that the snake that bit my dad?�
Harry nodded, �Dumbledore suspected that she was one. When Malfoy listed off the Horcruxes, he named every one that Dumbledore suggested, except that Dumbledore had assumed Voldemort gave up on the sword.�
�How did you find out about the Horcruxes, Malfoy?� There seemed to be no mistrust in Hermione�s tone, she asked it as if it were merely academic curiosity.
��And why did you suddenly decide to tell Harry about them?� Ron added, only he sounded suspicious and mistrustful.
The silver-eyed teen sighed, then glanced from Harry to Hermione, and finally settled on staring at his hands as he answered. �I overheard my aunt Bellatrix and Snape discussing Horcruxes. They don�t get on well and as a result, their conversations tend to grow loud. Now, there-� Draco�s voice caught. He swallowed and took a deep breath before continuing, his voice constricted, �At that time, there were only two reasons why those two ever spoke to each other: my m-mother or V-Voldemort. Therefore, I did a little research to find out what a Horcrux is.�
Harry noticed that Draco kept watching him from the side of his eyes, but it was not until he was nearly done speaking that the raven-haired boy surmised the blonde was watching to see if Harry didn�t want him to continue.
With no signs that he was giving away too much, the pale Slytherin continued his explanation, �The most powerful magical numbers are three and seven, and V-Voldemort seems to have a tendency to take things at face value. Seven would appear stronger than three would, so I deducted that there were six Horcruxes, since one part of his soul would have to remain in his body. Afterwards, all the information I could gather pointed to six artefacts; the Gaunt family ring, the sword of Gryffindor, the cup of Hufflepuff, the locket of Slytherin, Nagini, and a diary that I�ve mentioned previously. Potter seems to know more about that one.�
The silver-eyed teen leaned back into the sofa; it seemed that the mere act of speaking was wearing him out. He was still holding onto his left forearm, and Harry could tell that for the first time since they met him, he seemed very small to the others. Hermione looked concerned and Ron seemed confused. Harry could not blame them; he had swayed between those same emotions since he had met up with Draco in that dungeon.
The blonde raised his head and fixed an indifferent stare on Ron, �As for your question, Weasley, it was a matter of necessity. I knew I could not find and destroy all of the Horcruxes on my own, and frankly, I could not think of anyone else whose assistance in the matter I would trust. In addition, Potter was obviously in need of assistance as well, so why shouldn�t we help each other? We have the same goal, after all.�
�And what is that goal?� Hermione asked with her eyes set on the ashen blonde.
Draco looked at her blankly for a moment before answering, �Don�t you know?� He turned to Harry, his face was still blank, but his eyes looked confused to the raven-haired boy, and the pallid teen seemed to be searching for something again.
Finally, after staring at each other for a few seconds, the bespectacled teen caught on. Draco was trying to ask him if the other two knew that he had to defeat Voldemort and that the Horcruxes had to be destroyed in order to do so. More importantly, the pale Slytherin was asking without giving the others any way of knowing what he was communicating.
�They know,� Harry informed the other boy before turning to his friends again. Both were watching him and Draco, Ron with a suspicious glare, and Hermione with a pensive stare. �I asked Malfoy the same thing, after he rescued me-�
�Rescued you?!� Ron practically shouted, as Hermione looked both worried and shocked. Harry mentally cursed himself for the slip. It would be even harder to talk them into letting him go without them after he explained what had happened.
�He makes it sound much more dramatic than it actually was,� Draco drawled out as if he had not been terrified the entire time. Harry was about to say just that when he realized that the pale boy was giving him an easy out.
�Yeah, I suppose you�re right,� Harry kept his eyes on the ashen boy as he tried to figure out how to explain the risk Draco took in helping him, without mentioning the peril he had gotten himself into. He was always better at lying to teachers than his friends. Friends who were appearing more suspicious the longer he delayed in explaining�
Draco rolled his eyes and then turned to Ron and Hermione. �I hexed a few Death Eaters who were charging at Potter, and then he Apparated us both to�was that a park?� He shifted his gaze back to Harry. It was a severe downplay of the danger they were both in, but it would work for now.
Harry, coming out of the shock that had hit him with the realization that Draco was helping him out of yet another jam and doing so without technically lying, smiled lightly and offered the pallid boy a quick nod before turning back to his friends. �So, I guess you could say we helped each other out. Anyway, I already asked him about his reasons, and quite frankly, he gave the same answers that I would if anyone ever bothered to ask me.� Ron appeared ready to interrupt, so Harry pressed on with a slightly more commanding tone, �And I believe him.�
�All right then,� Hermione said before Harry and Ron could form a full-blown argument. �Is the diary the one from our second year?� Harry nodded, still looking annoyed at Ron, who was watching Draco with every sign of mistrust he could muster. Draco looked from Hermione to Harry, and although he seemed curious, he wisely remained silent. �Any luck on the real locket?� The brown-eyed girl asked, seeming to address the entire room.
�No,� Harry answered in defeat. He did not have much of a chance to look into it since the return home. He had stayed at his relatives� house for a short while and had been captured a few days after leaving. Draco�s voice beside him brought his attention back to the conversation.
�Real locket�? Was there a decoy in the cave when you arrived?� The silver-eyed teen asked; eyes fixed on Harry again.
�You told him about the cave already, then?� Ron asked, trying not to sound bitter, and failing at it.
�No,� said Harry defensively. �He told me about the cave being empty when he went there for the Horcrux�by himself. Then, I told him it was already gone when Dumbledore and I got there. Obviously, I didn�t mention the fake, or he wouldn�t be asking about it now, would he?�
Harry balled his hands into fists at his sides. He knew he was agitated at more than just Ron and did not want his friend to take the blunt of his anger just because he was being daft, but he was not sure how long he could keep his temper in check if his best friend kept pushing the matter.
Again, Hermione intervened, trying to delay the inevitable row, �Are you going to answer Malfoy�s question Harry? I thought we were going to put our heads together to figure out where the other Horcruxes might be.�
The green-eyed boy turned to Draco, who appeared calm, but his eyes suggested that he was ready to recoil at any moment. Harry remembered that the blonde was not accustomed to his mood swings and that he had plenty reason to be fearful of Harry, especially after what happened in the bathroom at Hogwarts during their last term at Hogwarts. He tried to soften his expression and tone as he spoke, �There was a locket at the bottom of that stone basin in the middle of the lake when we got there, but afterwards, when I finally opened it, there was a note to Voldemort from the person who took the real Horcrux.�
Draco�s eyes widened slightly. �Someone else took the Horcrux and left a note to V-Voldemort? What did it say?� He looked at Harry attentively, any previous concerns for the bespectacled boy�s short temper forgotten in light of this new intimation.
The raven-haired teen did not even have to take out the note and read it, he had already done so enough times that he knew it word for word. �To the Dark Lord, I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. R.A.B�
Draco appeared pensive, �It was signed R.A.B?�
Harry released a frustrated sigh; �Yes, but we haven�t been able to figure out who R.A.B is.� He then noticed the thoughtful expression on the blonde�s face, �Do those initials mean anything to you?�
�You mentioned someone named Sirius earlier,� The pale Slytherin stated tentatively, �Was that Sirius Black, by any chance?�
�Yeah, he was my godfather, why?� Harry tried to ignore the odd mixture of emotions that this conversation was stirring within him. He was beginning to wonder if he had done something to make the powers-that-be angry with him. Over the past day and a half he had somehow ended up discussing every sacred and sensitive subject he could think of with his long time rival, and to add to the madness, the afore mentioned boy understood and sympathized with everything that Harry felt and said.
Draco offered the green-eyed teen a brief look of condolence before continuing in that same tentative voice, �He had a brother, Regulus Black, who was a Death Eater. Do you know what his middle name was?� Harry was about to simply answer the question with a negative when the meaning behind the question suddenly hit him. Regulus Black�R.A.B He wondered how it had never occurred to him.
�It all fits,� Harry said as he turned his attention to Ron and Hermione. Ron appeared to be fitting the pieces together still, while Hermione looked deep in thought, no doubt already a step ahead of Harry. �Everything we know about Sirius� brother fits. His sudden change of heart could have been because he was ordered to kill two of his brother�s best friends and his godson.� He hoped it was true; it would make Sirius proud, and it would be one less betrayal attached to the whole mess.
�Harry,� Hermione said as her eyes suddenly came back into focus, �When we were fixing this place up, there was an old heavy locket that no one could open, what happened to it?�
The bushy-haired girl watched Harry expectantly. As far as he knew, everything that had belonged in the ancient and noble House of Black had been tossed or stolen by Mundugus�or Kreacher.
�Kreacher�� Harry said, almost to himself, before he could say anything else, the retched elf appeared with a loud crack.
Kreacher bowed low and looked up at Harry with bloodshot eyes that seemed to be wishing a thousand terrible things upon the boy, even as he croaked out the words, �Master has called Kreacher?�
The bespectacled teen just stared at the horrible creature for a moment; he had not actually meant to call him, but as long as he was there� �Yeah, do you know what happened to the locket that we found while we were cleaning out this house?�
The elf showed the signs of a fresh wave of disgust at the reminder of them throwing out his former mistresses things. �There were two lockets in my mistresses house when the blood traitors, along with the half-breed and the Mudblood, decided to throw away all of her precious treasures. One her ungrateful traitorous son threw out personally, the other Kreacher hid away.�
At the less than complimentary description of Sirius and his friends, Harry squeezed his hands into fists and glared at the elf. Meanwhile, Draco seemed mildly surprised, Hermione looked nervously at Harry, and Ron just shook his head as his shoulders shook with a barely suppressed chuckle.
Harry had not even realized that he was about to stand until he noticed the barely-there feeling of something cold holding his arm. He turned his head and saw that Draco was responsible for the gentle restraint, and that the blonde was looking at him with a cross between concern and bewilderment reflected in his eyes.
After taking a deep breath, Harry turned back to Kreacher, now calmed enough not to scream at the house elf. �I don�t want you to ever talk about Sirius like that again�or Lupin or Hermione.�
Kreacher bowed as low as he could and grimly stated, �Yes, master, Kreacher will follow his orders, even if he despises his master and would much rather be the servant of the mistresses great-nephew.�
Draco arched an eyebrow and turned his eyes to Harry, clearly thinking that the elf was insane. Harry huffed and rolled his eyes, wondering why he had to be stuck with this house elf. Dobby might be a nutter as well, but at least he had a pleasant personality.
�I don�t want to hear about how much you love Malfoy, with his fine bones and graceful way of moving,� Harry ignored Draco�s surprised expression, Ron�s entertained expression, and Hermione�s irritated expression. �Now, where is the locket that you took?�
The raven-haired teen could have sworn that the hideous creature smirked at him just then. Before he could be certain, the expression changed and the elf was bowing again. �Kreacher brought it with him when he mistook the mistress�s ungrateful son�s order to leave. Kreacher was given a temporary home at what he presumed was his new mistresses estate. Kreacher will go and retrieve the locket, if that is what master wishes.� The elf straightened and set his bloodshot eyes on Harry once more.
Hermione and Ron�s eyes were wide, Draco looked confused, and Harry was livid. �You mean it�s at Malfoy Manor?!� He shouted through clenched teeth. He had just started to think that this was not going to be as hard as he originally thought, and now one of the few Horcruxes that might actually be nearby was practically in the den of the enemy.
Hermione made a futile attempt to curb her temperamental friend�s anger at the elf; �Now Harry, he didn�t know-�
Harry, however, would have none of it. He turned to Hermione and retorted before she could finish. �Yes, he did. He knew exactly what he was doing. Just like he knew what he did with Sirius.� He did not yell, but his tone certainly was harsh, which was enough to stop Hermione from continuing. Ron shifted, clearly intending to reprimand Harry for speaking to Hermione that way, but the brown-eyed girl stopped him with a gesture.
�I�m sorry, but please don�t start with the SPEW speeches now,� Harry added, which seemed to calm their redheaded friend.
A quiet voice said, �Excuse me,� and drew the trio�s attention to the fourth person in the room, whom they had temporarily forgotten. Draco set his gaze on Harry, looking weary. �What about his offer?� He indicated Kreacher with the slightest wave of a pale hand, �You could send him to retrieve it for you, just make sure to give him very clear orders. It seems to be the safest option.�
�I hate to admit it, but he does have a point, mate.� Ron said dimly, obviously not pleased at the idea of agreeing with Malfoy. Hermione nodded her agreement, also not looking terribly pleased with the notion, although Harry suspected it had more to do with the idea of using a house elf then with the fact that it was Draco�s suggestion.
Harry had to admit that the blonde was right about it seeming to be the safest option. Even with none of the Malfoy�s there, he would not consider Malfoy Manor safe, or even neutral, territory. He or Draco would probably be killed on sight if the Death Eaters had finally realized that they couldn�t capture them, and he did not want to think of what might happen if they were caught. He would not even consider sending Ron and Hermione.
The bespectacled boy sighed as he retracted from his thoughts and returned his attention to Kreacher; �Alright, I want you to get the locket and bring it to me. You aren�t allowed to go anywhere other then where the locket is and you cannot communicate with anyone in any way -other than the four of us in this room. Also, don�t come to us if anyone else is around�but stay in this house once you�re done. Oh, and don�t talk about us or what we�re doing, not even to yourself.�
Kreacher, who seemed to be looking for any way around Harry�s order, bowed again. �Master has once again, thought of everything, and Kreacher must obey him.� The insufferable elf dropped his voice, though clearly not enough to avoid being heard, �Even if he befriends filth and allows the pure-blooded great-nephew of Kreacher�s poor beloved mistress to suffer and bleed to death on one of his family�s heirloom sofas.�
Harry inhaled sharply when he faced Draco, who had turned to lean the side of his head against the back of the couch and did not appear able to hold himself up any longer. Harry did not think it was possible for the already pale boy to lose any more colour, but the pallid teen seemed to be trying to prove him wrong.
�Err�all right Kreacher; you�ve got your orders.� Hermione offered Kreacher a kind smile and opened her mouth to speak, but Kreacher disappeared with a loud crack before she could say anything.
Harry looked at Hermione and Ron, face full of concern, �I think you had better go get Lupin now.� They each nodded and left the room hurriedly.
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Harry Potter and the Unusual Alliance