Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Practicing Liars	By : Lomonaaeren Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 63257 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and I am not making any money from this story.

Chapter List
- 36
- 37
- 38
Thank you again for all the reviews!

Chapter
Thirty-Seven�Cryptic Words and Open Ones

�� Harry found
himself flushing from the knowledge that Dumbledore had probably seen him and
Draco kissing, but he stepped slowly away from Draco, and kept his left hand in
place on the back of Draco�s neck. He wasn�t going to act embarrassed, he
thought. He wasn�t ashamed of Draco, and Dumbledore always seemed to know
everything, so he had probably already known about this.

�� Yes, sir?�
he asked. �Was there something you wanted?� He moved carefully closer to Draco
while Dumbledore stood there as if waiting for something more. He had to look
calm and collected.

�� A sudden
hatred of that exploded in his chest like a firework. Why should he have to do that all the time? What was the point?
Events went on happening around him in spite of that, events he couldn�t
affect. And he was so tired, and he
could never relax. Just when he
thought he could, he had to fasten on another mask.

�� But
betraying the hatred would be against what he was trying to do here, so he just
breathed and stroked Draco�s hair and waited for Dumbledore to say something.

�� Finally,
Dumbledore removed his glasses and began to clean them on his robes. His voice
was soft. �I have something to speak to you about, Harry. Tactics. Or is it
strategy? I can never remember the difference between them.� He paused, and
when Harry and Draco stood there looking at him, he added delicately, �I need
to speak to you alone.�

�� No,� Harry
said at once. �Why? I trust Draco. He can hear everything that gets said
between us.�

�� Draco
leaned against him. Harry thought he would probably lose it, in either laughter
or some kind of confession, if he looked down at the smug expression on Draco�s
face right now, so he kept his eyes on Dumbledore as he stroked Draco�s hair, again,
and waited, again.

�� The
Headmaster stroked his beard. �That is an unexpected problem,� he said. �While
I am sure that you have good reasons for trusting the young Malfoy�� his voice
said that he knew what all those reasons were ��I do not. So I would like him
to leave while I tell you this, and then you can pass the secrets on to him if
you wish to.�

�� If you
know that I�m only going to tell him anyway,� Harry snapped, annoyed beyond
measure by how stupid this was, �then
why try to make him leave?� He eyed Dumbledore with contempt that he didn�t
bother hiding. Yes, he could understand the motives that had made Dumbledore
decide he should be sacrificed. But he would never understand most of his
secrecy, or the little rituals that he seemed to think were necessary before he
would hand over necessary information.

�� Dumbledore
sighed once. Then he said, �I hope you will not regret this.� Before Harry
could retort that he was the one more
likely to regret it, considering how much he seemed to hate Draco, Dumbledore
was continuing. �I have been keeping a close eye on Voldemort�s movements. He
at last believes the rumors he has been hearing, and trusts that neither
Severus nor young Mr. Malfoy are going to come out of the school to confront
him. He has had his Death Eaters searching for Narcissa Malfoy, but has been
unable to locate her. Therefore, he has decided to attack the school, as the
place where all his enemies are gathered.� He stopped and looked at Harry
expectantly.

�� Harry felt
his heartbeat speed up. Draco was here, and Ron and Hermione, and even Snape.
Not to mention a whole bunch of innocent students who wouldn�t be able to
defend themselves against Death Eaters. Harry didn�t think he�d trust to the
luck they had in the Department of Mysteries again.

�� But
Dumbledore was smiling.

�� Is that�is
that what you wanted to happen, sir?�
Harry finally managed to ask. It seemed incredible, but then, as he had learned
after most of the times he fought Voldemort, Dumbledore�s plans often did to
someone who was standing outside them.

�� It is,�
Dumbledore admitted. �Something will happen when he comes here that he does not
expect.� He leaned forwards, and Harry almost forgot Draco was there in the
intensity of the bright gaze he was getting. Almost, but not quite, because
Draco leaned heavily on his shoulder to make sure that he didn�t forget. �I
want to be sure that you remember the words I gave you earlier,� Dumbledore
whispered, �a short time ago.�

�� Harry
frowned. He had barely bothered to remember those words, because he thought
they were useless without knowing what they meant. �Something about light,� he
said. �And fading light? Or something like that.�

�� Dumbledore
sighed, and looked disappointed. That was when Harry learned that Dumbledore�s
disappointment still had the power to cut him, even though it should have lost
that power long ago. He tensed himself against the impulse to flee. Another mask. When will I be able to do as I
like, talk as I like?

�� You might
just tell us,� Draco said irritably.
�It doesn�t sound like you would have told Harry even if I wasn�t here, because
you want to use riddles and the like. That�s what you really want, isn�t it?�
he added, voice sharp with something that might have been scorn and might have
just been more anger. �An excuse to act like there�s not a war happening and
you�re still the jolly old grandfather who sets riddles and tasks. Sometimes I
think you treat this whole thing like a game.�

�� Harry
gripped Draco�s shoulder as Dumbledore�s eyes grew cold, and then stepped
between them when Dumbledore went on staring in a way he didn�t like. �Listen,�
he said. �As far as I can tell, Draco�s right. I might be on the brink of
forgiving you for�some things, but not others. It�d help if you could just tell
the bloody truth for once and then be done with it.� He finished that with a
sharper bite off the words than he�d intended to give, but Dumbledore�s whole
ridiculous routine was driving him just as mad as it sounded like it was
driving Draco.

�� The
Headmaster stood watching them for some time. Then he nodded, and sighed, and
smiled, and he looked as he always had when Harry still believed in him
implicitly.

�� All
right,� he said. �I cannot risk the truth yet, but I trust that you will
remember what I have said, and make your own preparations for the moment when
Voldemort attacks. I give you permission to tell Professor Snape,� he added. �I
myself will inform Professor McGonagall and the other teachers. What we choose
to tell the students must wait on our mutual decision.� And he turned and
walked back off down the corridor as if that was all he�d come to say.

�� Harry let
out a breath that was more like a grunt than he wanted it to be, and buried his
nose in Draco�s shoulder. Draco caressed him, fingers sliding through his hair
and down his neck until Harry wanted to give up and stand there forever.

�� It�s
over,� Draco whispered to him. �That�s the end of it for right now, and we can
go back to Professor Snape�s quarters. Would you like that?�

�� A sharp
shiver ran through Harry, and he reluctantly pulled himself away from Draco.
�No,� he said, thinking about the confrontation he�d had with Snape before he
went running out and slammed into Ron and Hermione. His weariness and wariness
came surging back up as he thought about it. There were just so many of these damn emotions, and he
didn�t have the time to sort them out, let alone deal with them all. �I
don�t�Draco, I can�t face him right now.�

�� Draco
looked at him with a frown, but he seemed to decide that it wasn�t worthwhile
to question Harry, which Harry was grateful for. He nodded instead and smoothed
his hands gently up Harry�s sides. �Do you want to go to Umbridge�s old room,
then? I would say to Gryffindor Tower, but they wouldn�t let me in,� he added.

�� Harry
smiled, grateful that Draco wanted to stay with him. �But maybe that would be
the best idea,� he said. �Draco, I need to be alone. I need to think about
things and rest, and I can�t�I can�t do that if someone�s with me.�

�� Draco shook
his head. �I won�t talk to you if you don�t want me to, but I�m not going to
leave you alone. What you need is support,
Harry,� he added, overriding the protest that Harry tried to make. �Someone who
doesn�t make you do something for them at every turn. And I can offer that. I
know you might think I can�t, since I talk so much.�

�� That�s not
it at all.� Harry touched his forehead, even though his scar didn�t hurt,
trying to find some way to make Draco realize the truth. �I�I�ve never had
someone with me when I sorted through things like this. I don�t know how.�

�� Then I
think you should learn,� Draco said. Harry gave him a glare of frustration.
Draco rolled his eyes. �I�d leave you alone if I thought that was truly what
you needed,� he said. �But I don�t think it is, and so I�m coming with you.�

�� Harry tried
a harder glare. �What if I don�t want you
there?�

�� I told
you,� Draco said calmly, though his face was a bit pale. �I wouldn�t come if
you didn�t need it. But what you need is more important to me than what you
want.� He suddenly smiled and stepped towards Harry. �Besides,� he added, �this
is good training for all the comforting I�ll
expect to get in the future, when you take to pampering me.�

�� Harry shook
his head helplessly and held out his hand. Part of him did feel warm to have Draco coming with him; he just wasn�t sure
how it would work. �Come on, then.�

*

�� In the end,
they went to a small room that Draco knew of in the dungeons, rather than back
to the old classroom they�d used so often. Harry curled up in one corner of the
room as Draco conjured a fire in the fireplace and then cushions from fallen
bits of rock that had come out of the wall. Draco was sure that Harry could at
least have done the fire, but he looked as though he simply wanted to curl up
and rest, and Draco wanted to give him that.

�� Harry lay
down on one of the cushions, then grumbled and got up when he realized it
wasn�t big enough to hold him. Draco fetched a second and braced it under his
feet. Harry blinked at him, and Draco shook his head. �Shhh,� he said. Actually
saying that he didn�t want Harry to stir might sound condescending, so he
didn�t say it. He arranged the second cushion under Harry�s back, and then took
Harry�s head into his lap and stroked his hair the way that Harry was fond of
doing to him.

�� Harry
caught his breath and shut his eyes. Draco traced the outline of his scar, and
Harry shuddered, but didn�t move away. Draco decided that meant it was a
success, and did it again.

�� That went
on until Harry stopped flinching each time he was touched, but he did shake his
head and mutter, �This is weird.�

�� Yes?�
Draco forbade himself to feel hurt about that. Harry hadn�t acted hurt when
Draco had sometimes wanted to be alone after his father died, or when he talked
to his mother about private things. He kept his voice calmly interested. �Why�s
that?�

�� I mean�I
just don�t have people around me when
I�m feeling like this,� Harry muttered, and rubbed the corner of his mouth with
the inside of his arm. He didn�t move to get up, which was good, because Draco
didn�t want to restrain him. What he had hoped would happen was happening, and
Harry was talking freely since someone was with him. �I just got over my
mourning for Sirius and my mourning for Cedric on my own. And I kept the secret
that Snape was my father to myself. So this is weird.�

�� Draco shut
his eyes for a few minutes, and quietly considered what he should say. That
experience was alien to anything he�d done or felt. Sometimes his parents were
angry with him when he got upset, if it was a childish tantrum about almost
nothing, but they never ignored him. He would be scolded and sometimes
threatened with the loss of cherished privileges if he didn�t calm down and
think about his emotions. Being left alone was also not something that happened
to Draco, even if he got upset when his parents weren�t home. There were always
house-elves, and, at school, people who watched him to see if they could gain
some sort of advantage.

�� He had been
irritated by that plenty of times. But it was better than indifference.

�� You�re not
the one who�s weird,� he said finally. �It�s your family who is, and anyone
else who mistreated you.� That let Harry pretend that there was someone else
other than the Muggles, which stilled the ripple of discomfort Draco had
clearly felt traveling through his muscles.

�� Harry lay
back with his head in Draco�s lap once more, and said, �But that�s why I wanted
to be by myself.�

�� Would you
have wanted help?� Draco asked, digging his fingers into Harry�s neck and being
rewarded with a soft groan. Draco had to concentrate hard so that he wouldn�t
get too distracted by that. �If someone had been available to give it to you?�

�� Well, yeah,� Harry said, opening one eye and
looking at Draco as if he was the strange one. �I�d like that.�

�� Then
you�re not weird,� Draco said. �You were just prevented, that�s all. And now,
no matter what else happens, you have two people who will give you what you
need. Companionship in your grief. Someone to tell your secrets to, when you
want to. People you can rely on.�

�� Harry
rolled his head against Draco�s leg, the line of his throat oddly tight, at
least when viewed from above. �You�re talking about Snape,� he said. �Not Ron
and Hermione, or you would have said three people, you and then.�

�� Yes,�
Draco said. �Do you really distrust him that much?� That was as close as he�d
come to asking about the conversation that Harry had sent him into the bathroom
to wait out, no matter how curious he was.

�� I don�t
know,� Harry said at last, voice as slow as honey. �That�s strange, too, and
it�s stranger than all the rest, because I can�t really remember my parents. I
got used to having people around who cared some of the time, like Ron and
Hermione. I never thought I�d have a dad.�

�� Draco
smiled. �You�re not the only one who doesn�t have a choice in that,� he said.
�Professor Snape isn�t going to let you go so easily.�

�� Do you
think�� Harry asked, and stopped abruptly.

�� Do I think
what?� This was less hard than Draco had thought it would be, which was good,
because everything else so far had been incredibly hard. He waved his wand to
conjure a wooden wall behind him, and then floated one of the cushions up
behind him so that he could lean his head against it as it covered the wall.

�� Do you
think that Snape really wants me for me,�
Harry asked, �the way you do? Or would any son do? Would he have welcomed
anyone he found out he�d sired the way he sired me?�

�� Draco
hesitated. On the one hand, he wanted to say what would make Harry happy. On
the other hand, saying that would probably cause Harry to disbelieve it, and
the last thing Draco wanted to do was damage his mood.

�� So he went
with the truth, which he seemed to do a lot around Harry, as the best choice.

�� I think
that he would have been frantic to acknowledge any son,� he said carefully.
�But your relationship with him was�difficult.�

�� Harry
snorted, which made his head bounce on Draco�s lap, which was another
distraction that Draco just had to put aside for now. �That�s one way of
putting it.�

�� Quiet, I�m
trying to choose the right words,� Draco said with dignity. �What I�m trying to
say is that I think he�ll value your relationship more in the end, because he
has to work harder for it. Professor Snape isn�t averse to hard work, you
know.�

�� Certainly
not to making other people do it,� Harry muttered.

�� I think
it�ll make your connection more valuable,� Draco said doggedly. He was going to
get the words out no matter how many interruptions Harry made. He was probably
interrupting because he was so nervous, come to that. �So, in the end, he�ll
care for you more than he would care for some random child that he found out
about in some random manner.�

�� Harry shut
his eyes, and a sharp line cut across the scar on his forehead. �I wish I could
be sure of that.�

�� Yes, well,
nothing�s ever sure,� Draco said, and then winced, because that sounded a bit
insensitive. My father would laugh and
laugh to see how tenderly I�m considering Harry�s feelings. Draco had never
thought he would need to do this, because he had never imagined having a lover
so different from him that his every feeling needed to be carefully considered
and gone over. �Can you live with that?�

�� Harry lay
there in silence. The loudest sound was the crackling of the fire, and Draco�s
breathing. Draco grimaced in embarrassment and tried to stop sounding like he�d
swallowed smoke.

�� Finally,
Harry murmured, �Yes, I think I can.� He reached up with one hand and clasped
Draco�s arm. �As long as you�re here.�

�� Draco sat
still, his body humming in happiness, not daring to move.

�� His
happiness only grew stronger when he realized that Harry had drifted off to
sleep.

*

�� Severus
lifted his glass and considered the contents by the light of the fire. It was
brandy, which he had once loathed drinking and then come to consider a special
treat. He was not sure when his opinion had shifted, but Albus must have had
something to do with it.

�� Albus.

�� Severus
half-shut his eyes and sipped.

�� Draco had
told him what Dumbledore had said, but he hadn�t been able to recount the
conversation word for word. When Severus had asked for permission to Legilimize
him and look at the memories that way, Draco had hesitated for so long that it
wasn�t a surprise when he finally shook his head.

�� You could
do it, sir, for all of me,� he said quietly. �But there are things in there
that you could see, and�� He swallowed. �Harry wouldn�t like it.�

�� It should
not surprise Severus that Harry shared things with Draco he would not share
with his father. He had seen how the matter stood for himself when Draco
comforted Harry during his ordeal by potion. But to be confronted with it like
this was a harsher blow than he had expected.

�� At least he sent Draco away when we had a
private conversation of our own, Severus thought, and took another swallow.
At least there is that.

�� He would
have to wait for more.

�� Someone
knocked on his door. Severus stared at it. It was late enough at night that no
student should have dared to disturb him. Alarms would have let him know if
something had happened in the dungeons or the Slytherin common room that would
require his intervention, and he had no detentions to supervise.

�� Then
Harry�s voice shouted, �Snape! Something�s wrong with Draco! Open the bloody
door!�

�� Severus was
on his feet and moving across the room so swiftly that he nearly forgot to
notice Harry�s language.

�� He opened
the door, and Harry promptly staggered across the threshold, carrying Draco in
his arms. Severus shook his head as he shut the door again. He would have
thought that Harry couldn�t do that, since he was so thin, but worry gave him
strength.

�� Harry laid
Draco down on the couch where he�d slept that night Harry was recovering from
the potion and whirled around. �Can you do anything for him?� he demanded.

�� Severus
moved forwards, studying Draco�s face from several different angles. �I must
learn what is wrong, first,� he murmured. �What happened to him?�

�� We met up
for a discussion about what Voldemort was going to do next,� Harry said. His breathing
was so fast that Severus determined to keep an eye on him to make sure he
didn�t hyperventilate. He was pacing in circles around the couch, never taking
his eyes from Draco. �Ron and Hermione and Draco and me. Draco was talking
about whether Voldemort would use any of the Death Eaters he knew when he
stopped, and coughed, and then just fell on the floor.�

�� How long
after dinner was this?� Severus murmured, and cast several quick spells. None
of the most common poisons appeared on the first scan. That did not reassure
him. It only meant that it was likely to be a less common poison.

�� Just now,�
Harry said, giving him a savage look, as if to ask whether Severus thought he
would delay in bringing Draco to him. �So about three hours.�

�� Severus
nodded and cast another spell. Potions that restricted breathing were not in
Draco�s blood, though given the slowness of his breath, he had thought that
likely. He frowned and studied the pasty, pale color of his face more closely.
There were shadows of grey in the curve of Draco�s cheekbones and under his
eyes. Severus sucked in a breath.

�� What is
it?� Harry asked.

�� The Dark
Lord must have sent one of his student Death Eaters to take revenge for Draco�s
betrayal,� Severus murmured, and then stood up and moved in the direction of
his lab. �The poison is called Acromantula�s Bite. Hard to obtain, but not
impossible. It will disable him slowly, and then kill him after a period of
months.�

�� So we have
time,� Harry said, focusing on the most hopeful thing in that sentence, to
Severus�s surprise. He would have thought the boy liable to panic when his
lover was in danger. �Do you have the antidote?�

�� No,�
Severus said. �I must brew it.� He hesitated, but necessity compelled him to
speak on. Draco would still live if Severus made the potion across several
hours instead of in one, but he would probably lose at least his voice. �And I
will need help.�

�� Harry�s
eyes turned bright and piercing. Then he lowered his head and nodded. �All
right, sir. Hermione wasn�t far behind me. I�ll go find her.�

�� Severus
stared at him, which was long enough for Harry to get halfway across the room.
�Hold! What makes you think that I did not mean for you to help?�

�� Harry
stared back at him. �Because I�m pants at Potions,� he said. �I know that. And I�d rather have Draco
safe than save him myself just because it would make me feel better to be a�a
bloody hero or something.�

�� Severus had
never wished so much that he had not discouraged Harry in Potions. Lowering his
voice, he said, �You are not �pants� at it, or you could not have obtained a
mark high enough to persuade Slughorn to let you into his class. For this, you
will need to help with the brewing only. I think Miss Granger would do worse
than you would, for she is easily distracted from the topic at hand when she is
nervous. If you can follow instructions and will listen to me, then that is all I will require.�

�� Harry shut
his eyes and shivered. Then he opened his eyes and said, as calmly as if they
did this every day, �All right. What do I need to do?�

*

�� polka dot:
Yes. Though at this time, Harry feels like he�s done most of the trying.

�� k lave
demo: Dumbledore, believe it or not, is wiser than that.

�� Harry is
still trying to find it hard to deal with his emotional revelations. As he says
to Draco, he�s used to working through his problems alone. He does have help
from his friends, but a lot of what he�s endured, he was either separated from
them for it or he was separated soon after (because he went home for the
summer), and he doesn�t have companionship then.

�� MewMew2:
Probably for longer than they thought, yes.

�� KadyRae:
Thanks!

�� Yes, I generally
update every three days, and try to stick fairly close to that schedule.

�� anciie: I
didn�t mean to!

�� Dumbledore
knows a lot he hasn�t shared, so it�s been hard for them to see the big
picture.

�� Thrnbrooke:
Well, now you know.

�� Mr. Galion:
To prove who evil? Draco or Ron?

�� EmRuasCat:
Thanks so much! While I do read a lot of Snape-as-Harry�s-father stories, they�re
kind of my guilty pleasure for the reason you stated.

�� Sneakyfox:
Really? I thought Snape was doing quite well in this last little part of the
story.
- 36
- 37
- 38
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Practicing Liars