Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Freedom Bound in Chains	By : TaintedSensibly Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Slash - Male/Male Views: 58477 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 13
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Harry Potter characters. I did not make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 76
- 77
- 78
Curses
Remus woke to the smell of rich earth and the chirping of birds. Leaves whispered and rustled above his head and he shivered hard as he registered the damp cold against his naked skin. With a gasp, he sat up quickly, his head spinning with the sudden change of position. His joints screamed in agony, but he had long ago learned to ignore it.
He was outside. Last night was the full moon! Why was he outside? He’d never escaped the Shrieking Shack once he’d locked himself up inside it before. It had never failed him! Until now.
Heart hammering with terror, he examined his hands for dried blood and ran his tongue desperately over his teeth. The faint taste of metal came to him and he shuddered, heaving and gasping. Blood! Dear Merlin, there was blood! As he turned to wretch pathetically to the side, he saw the corpse of a labrador-sized spider next to him. It was half eaten.
Gasping on a sob, Remus began to weep in utter gratitude. He hadn’t hurt anyone! His heart slowed as did his sobs. Sunlight began to filter through the canopy of tree leaves above him and he realized that he was still shivering.
Sore, aching, and exhausted, Remus managed to get to his cabin without anyone seeing him naked in the woods. The last thing he needed was for people to think he was a pervert and start watching him more closely. He collapsed into bed, but before he passed out he swore he’d figure out why the Shrieking Shack had failed him. He’d figure it out and make sure it never happened again.
…
Coming back to the castle, the boys had almost been caught by Filch and Mrs. Norris. Draco had ducked behind a knight, pulling Harry into his arms. Ms. Norris had peered around the armored legs, eyes glowing in the dim light, but Draco had opened his mouth in a simulation of a hiss, filling his mind with all the ways he could make her die. She’d laid her ears back before bolting down the hallway as startled cats do. Draco and Harry had to muffle their giggles as Filch had hurried after her.
They’d only gotten about five hours of sleep, but it had been well worth it. Neville hadn’t asked where they’d been last night. Draco kept an eye on him, but he was in too good a mood to worry about the other boy’s suspicions, if he even had any. Instead, he watched fondly as Harry dressed for the day.
Harry pulled on a pair of black underwear that looked like tiny, skin-tight black shorts, calf-high black silk socks, and a crisp white button-down. Harry’s slender legs were then encased in black slacks and his shirt was tucked in properly. Then Harry sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on a pair of grey two-inch, high-heeled boots. Last, he deftly tied his red and gold necktie with agile fingers before pulling on a grey, cashmere cardigan that had a low-cut v neckline and his school robes.
“You look lovely,” Draco murmured, smoothing Harry’s hair and causing a faint blush to rise where the rims of Harry’s glasses touched his cheeks.
Their happy contentment shattered as Draco took a bite of his breakfast and the rancid taste of filth filled his mouth, maggots wiggling against his cheeks and tongue. Eyes wide with shock, he spat out his food onto the table. Hermione and the other girls around them all made horrified sounds. Draco stared down at the partially chewed food. Nothing looked wrong with it.
He thought for a moment, mind racing, before he scooped up some eggs. He turned and caught Ron’s wide-eyed stare. “Taste this.”
“Wha - ” Ron didn’t get out the rest of his question before Draco snapped, “Do it.”
Ron narrowed his eyes in a glare, cheeks flaming red. Dean and Seamus egged the redhead on. The girls were squealing, “What’s wrong with you!” “Ew! Don’t!” Draco maintained his hard stare, utterly serious.
Scowling, Ron leaned forward and took the bite from Draco’s fork. He immediately gagged and spat it out. “What the bloody hell?” he demanded, horrified.
Draco’s eyes narrowed. “So it’s not me that was cursed. It’s most likely my plate.”
Everyone looked around suspiciously. They eyed their food. Fred and George shared a glance before taking quick bites. They shrugged and gave Draco the thumbs up. It was fine. The rest followed suit. Only the food on Draco’s plate tasted rancid. Draco scowled and scooped a bite from Harry’s plate. Harry had already pushed it his way in an offer to share. Immediately, he spat it out again as once more the feeling of maggots and the taste of filth overwhelmed him.
“Fuck!” he growled once he’d gagged and spit out the food. He quickly reached for a glass of milk only to spit that out, too.
Harry felt horrible for giving Draco bad food and lifted his fork to test it before Draco could stop him. His eyes watered as he spat it out. It wasn’t just Draco. The food from his plate tasted bad now, too. “Sorry, Draco…” he whispered sadly.
Draco was furious. It was one thing to keep him from eating. It was a whole different story to prevent Harry from eating. “Ron, give Harry your plate.”
“But!” Ron looked more horrified than he had when he’d eaten the bad food.
“Now!” Draco barked, fist hitting the table with a surprisingly loud bang.
Silence fell around them, the First-years staring wide-eyed at the blond.
Ron sullenly passed Harry his plate. “Here, mate.”
Harry opened his mouth to protest, but the feeling of a hot laser boring into the side of his head made him glance to the side. Furious silver eyes stared at him, waiting for him to disobey. Harry swallowed hard, his heart kicking in his chest, and took Ron’s plate. He ate with his head ducked - ashamed submissive trust.
Hermione gave Draco a worried glance. Her frizzy hair was pulled back in a low, tight ponytail and still a few flyaways had escaped to fall around her face. “What do you think happened?”
Ron forced Fred to share his breakfast plate with him. “It’s probably just a prank.”
“Focused on me and anyone who helps me.” Draco shoved his plate away and braced his elbow on the table, leaning his cheek against it. His other hand rested where his wand pocket was located. “I suspect our friendly Gryffindor bullies.”
“Or the Slytherins,” Dean muttered. He was sitting on the other side of the table and was glaring behind them at the table of green and silver.
“They would have targeted Harry, too,” Seamus disagreed. “Harry’s food was fine until Draco tried to eat off his plate.”
Dean shook his head hard. “You saw what happened to Pucey for attacking Harry. They won’t go after Harry directly again.”
“We don’t know anything for sure,” Hermione interjected firmly. “It’s useless to speculate. We need to investigate and get hard evidence.”
“How’s your leg?” Draco asked suddenly. He studied her face, looking for evidence of pain.
Hermione met his eyes easily. “It’s fine.” She looked down at the cane leaning beside her on the other side of the bench. “I’ll have to use this for a week or two, but I’ll make a full recovery.” She looked up at Ron and Harry across from her. She gave them a small smile. “I could’ve been hurt way worse. Thank you for coming when you did.”
Harry and Ron both blushed. Ron muttering, “It was nothing.”
“Neville and I have a pass to be tardy to classes because of my leg,” she continued. “But McGonagall warned me that no one else is excused, so don’t wait for us.”
Draco nodded. He took Harry’s hand as he stood. “Come on, guys.” He gave Neville a meaningful glance. “Be careful.”
Neville nodded, face pale but set. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to Hermione.
It was Saturday, November 2nd, so their first class of the day was their Potions Practical with the Slytherins. Draco was already in a bad mood, but it darkened further the closer they got to Snape’s classroom. Aggression pumped through his veins. His fingers turned white as he gripped the strap of the school bag that he wore across his chest.
“Here, Draco,” Harry said softly - worry concern.
Draco’s neck felt stiff as he turned it to see his boy. Harry had a red apple offered on his palm. Draco felt his shoulders relax as he looked past the fruit into Harry’s gentle green eyes. A rush of warmth softened his expression. “Thank you.” It tasted delicious and he ate it happily, filled with Harry’s - love.
…
Draco could hardly focus on his potion; he was too busy watching Snape through the curtain of his bangs. He chopped and prepped what Harry told him to, but he mostly left the brewing up to his boy. He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Snape. Every time he looked down to help brew, he’d get a crawling sensation along the back of his neck and an overwhelming sense of paranoia would make him snap his eyes back up to see where Snape was in the room and see what he was doing.
There were all these dangerous ingredients around. Anything could happen and Snape could easily make it look like an accident. The burn scar on his back itched at the thought, making Draco want to lower his head and growl warningly at the man. He didn’t of course. It would give too much away. He settled for watching Snape like a hawk. By the time class was over, they’d produced a mediocre potion and Draco’s neck cracked from tension as he rolled his shoulders.
“Sorry, Draco. I’ll do better next time,” Harry murmured - disappointment self-hate.
Draco cut his eyes toward his boy.
Ron looped his arm over Harry’s shoulders. “Don’t worry about it, mate,” he said cheerfully. “Seamus’s cauldron puffed black smoke! Did you see?” He laughed. “An A from Snape is as good as an O! Especially when he grades Gryffindors.”
Ron’s kind words only made Harry more miserable. Now he felt - guilty - on top of inadequate. He didn’t deserve kindness right now.
Draco pinched the back of Harry’s arm sharp enough to bruise. Harry sucked in a quiet breath at the painful sting but otherwise showed no other reaction. “You need to study with Neville tonight.”
Hermione didn’t see the pinch, but she heard the comment and scowled, unconsciously picking up her pace to try and keep up with the infuriating blond. “Ron’s right. Harry’s potion and Neville’s were the second and third best potions! And I do mean Harry’s potion. He might as well have been working alone with as much help as you offered! So you have no room to complain about the grade!” She tried to come off sharp, but she was breathless by this point and her leg was beginning to hurt.
Draco slowed down to meet her pace. He tucked half his bangs behind an ear, the rest still falling softly around his face as he walked. A single eyebrow lifted as he regarded her with a cool look. “That potion didn’t really require two brewers. Snape only pairs us because there aren’t enough stations. I notice you didn’t accept much help from Ron either and yet you got an E.”
She opened her mouth to argue back, but Draco slashed his hand out in a cutting gesture. The look on his face hardened into something more intimidating that made her hesitate.
“I don’t like you thinking Harry isn’t as capable as you are. You’re brilliant, Hermione. Your memory is better than anyone else’s I know, but Harry is brilliant, too. He’s perfectly able to get E’s.”
- doubt happiness - Harry blushed a pretty pink. “Draco, I…”
Draco’s intense eyes settled on Harry. He stopped walking, forcing the others to stop with him. They stood in a main corridor, so other students muttered in annoyance as they had to walk around their group. Draco didn’t care. He only had eyes for Harry.
“You’re perfectly capable of getting E’s and even O’s,” he repeated. “I want you to write down what you could have done better today in Potions and copy the recipe three times before going to bed.”
- gratitude unworthiness - Harry teared up and hugged Draco. “Yes, Draco.”
Draco held him, one hand cradling the back of Harry’s head, as his eyes shifted to Hermione. The girl was watching them with a slightly cocked head, a frown of confusion on her face.
Taking Harry’s hand, Draco resumed walking. They were going to be late at this point, so they might as well keep their pace to Hermione’s. If Ron cared about the slow pace, he didn’t mention it. They had just reached the first floor when Draco suddenly went sprawling.
It felt like wire had hooked his ankle. He fell hard, jamming his wrists as the heel of his hands absorbed most of the impact. His jaw also hit the floor, snapping his teeth painfully closed. It was sheer luck he hadn’t bitten off the tip of his tongue.
“Draco!” Harry cried, crouching beside him.
Neville grabbed Hermione as the girl teetered, almost tripping over Draco’s sprawled form.
“Who the bloody hell did that?” Ron bellowed at the milling students around them.
“Ron,” Hermione murmured warningly.
Several dozen students were near them, all in different Houses and years. Some looked at them curiously, some were laughing, but it wasn’t the kind of laugh that made them seem guilty just immature.
Heart pounding with adrenaline, Draco pushed himself up so that he was kneeling, pain throbbing through his senses. “Rahl?” he demanded.
“Don’t see ‘em,” Ron answered, glowering at the crowd.
Draco climbed to his feet with some help from Harry. His jaw and hands throbbed hotly, but he wasn’t bleeding. “Come on,” he said quietly and walked stiffly out the doors to the greenhouses.
They were all on alert as they walked to lunch after Herbology, but Draco was left alone. They all breathed a sigh of relief only to tense up again when Draco still couldn’t eat. Harry tried to keep things light and the conversation flowing, knowing Draco wouldn’t want attention right now, but it was hard. Draco was the only one sitting at the table not eating.
It made Harry’s stomach clinch. The memory of the Dursleys and cowering on the floor hovered behind his eyes. He ate half of what he normally would and only ate that much because Draco glared at him when he stopped. If anyone was underserving of food, it was Harry not Draco!
“Let’s go study by the lake,” Hermione suggested as lunch came to a close. It would be nice to get out of the castle and away from whoever was cursing Draco. Maybe they could relax.
Harry, Neville, and Ron all agreed solemnly. They had all snuck food into their bag, so once they were settled on the grassy bank of the lake, they pulled out their offerings for the blond.
Draco gave them a closed-mouth smile, eyes soft. “Thank you.” He ate the bread, cheese, and fruit as he worked with Ron on the Transfiguration essays due next period. Neville, Harry, and Hermione worked on Potions, having already finished their essays.
It was a beautiful day. The breeze was cool, but the sun was warm. The smell of fall was in the air, the lake sparkling before them. Soon all the stress from the day disappeared and they lounged, relaxed and happy as they studied, but they hadn’t forgotten.
As they made their way back inside the castle, they surrounded Draco, hoping to protect him from further attacks. It didn’t work. They were just climbing the staircase toward the second floor when Draco’s bag ripped open and all of his notebooks, pens, and textbooks went flying.
Harry, Neville, and Ron scrambled for Draco’s things while the blond stood rooted in place. The stairs were filled with students. They were laughing at him. Some were even annoyed for him being in the way, purposefully kicking or stepping on his things. Cruelty shone in their eyes and rejection. Hermione wrapped her fingers around his wrist and held on tight, her chin tilted up defiantly.
The boys finished gathering his things, Ron having angrily cussed out several people who got in his way or laughed at him. Hermione repaired the tear in Draco’s bag, warning him it would only hold temporarily.
They were putting everything back inside it when a Stinging Hex hit Draco’s hand, clipping Hermione’s. She gasped at the pain and flinched back, dropping Draco’s textbook. Her eyes stung from the sharp sting and she stared wide-eyed at Draco who merely looked annoyed. The blond picked up the book she had dropped and shoved it into his bag, glaring at the students who pushed past them.
“Hurry it up! You’re in the way,” snapped an older Ravenclaw.
Draco grit his teeth, took Harry’s hand, and continued up the stairs with the rest of them following. Harry didn’t duck his head as he normally would. His head was up, his eyes attentive as he watched their surroundings. They were late to Transfiguration. McGonagall assigned Draco, Harry, and Ron detentions, scolding Hermione sharply for not taking their warnings seriously.
“Only you and your brother have tardy passes, Miss Pleasant. Do remind your friends of that next time.”
Hermione tired to protest, but Draco squeezed her hand warningly.
“I don’t understand why you didn’t say anything,” Hermione snapped, frustrated. Her cane hit the floor more loudly than it did normally, a sharp click with every step as they made their way to dinner after class. Ron had asked Dean and Seamus to walk at their slower pace while the rest of their class went on ahead. The more help they had guarding Draco the better at this point.
“What can they do about it? We were looking out for something like that and even we didn’t see who did it,” Draco answered lowly, eyes scanning the kids around them. “There’s no point in telling them.”
As if to prove his point, Draco went sprawling in the Entrance Hall. Harry had grabbed the back of his robes as Draco fell, but he wasn’t strong enough to catch him. Instead, he was pulled down on top of the blond. Draco grunted at Harry’s added weight.
Scrambling off of him, Harry knelt by his side - anger self-hate. “Sorry, Draco,” he said, voice thick. It was his job to take care of Draco and he was failing!
“I’m fine,” Draco bit out. He climbed to his feet for the second time that day. His wrist and knees throbbed. His jaw still ached from the first time. He was getting seriously pissed off.
“What the hell is their problem?” Ron demanded loudly.
“Hush,” Hermione tired to quiet him, but the redhead wouldn’t simmer down.
“Draco’s done nothing wrong!”
“I heard a few people talking,” Dean offered. He shared a glance with Seamus. “Some of the upper Years. They were talking about Draco being behind the troll getting in. Said it was some Malfoy plot to get rid of Muggleborns. That Draco’s only pretending to be a Gryffindor so he’s not suspected.”
“I knew it was Rahl,” Draco growled, eyes glinting. “Only he’d come up with something that stupid.”
“Even if that’s where it started, it’s gone beyond him now,” Seamus cautioned, Irish accent softening his words. “There’s a lot of people who feel that way.”
“That’s bullying!” Hermione protested hotly. “We have to tell the professors!”
“If there’s so many people, it’s hard to tell who’s doing it,” Dean said unsurely. “What are they going to do?”
“There has to be something!” Hermione exclaimed. “We have to try!”
They took their seats at their table. Draco didn’t even bother trying to reach for the food. It didn’t matter though. Ron spat out his food with gagging sounds, followed closely by Dean. Draco scowled furiously, grabbed his bag and stood. Apparently, he wasn’t allowed to sit with them.
“Where are you going?” Hermione asked softly, worried.
Draco noticed the twins and Percy had similar expressions. “I’m going to study. It would be a better use of my time. Come on, Harry.”
Harry immediately stood, - grateful - Draco was taking him along with him.
The others didn’t know what to say and let the pair walk off. As soon as Draco was out of the room, their food became edible again. The message was clear: being friends with Draco came with a cost.
Draco took Harry straight to the kitchens. He was not going to let Harry miss meals, so they would just have to eat by themselves until Draco put a stop to this. He followed the directions he’d memorized from Dora and soon found himself in front of a painting with a bowl of fruit. Tickling the pear, it swung open to a vast room with large islands, tons of counter space, fireplaces, and working elves.
Harry took over, speaking kindly to the two elves who turned to see what they needed. In less than five minutes, they were sat at a small wooden table off to the side by one of the fires with two stools and a large spread of food. It tasted delicious, confirming Draco’s suspicion that it was the plates and/or utensils in the Great Hall that were cursed not the food itself.
Harry ate the food placed in front of him with no hope that they’d be able to actually eat it all. The elves worked quietly, but there was still a nice background hum of conversation and activity. The fire warmed him nicely, too, and he shed his robe and sweater. He looked over at Draco with a smile, feeling relaxed for the first time since the lake.
Draco felt as if things were just slightly tilted. He could see Harry, feel the peaceful feelings softly whispering through the bond, see his boy’s sweet smile, but it felt at a distance. Behind glass. Loudest in his ears was the slow, hard beats of his heart. His knees and skinned palms began to burn, the echo of everyone’s laughter began to rise in his ears, distorted and wavering as if he were standing on a stage with a whole stadium filled with people laughing, laughing, laughing while he slowly bled.
Harry froze - anxiety worry - spiking through his system. Draco stared right through him. His face was utterly expressionless. Like he were a doll. No, worse, as if he were dead. Was he breathing? “Draco!” - terror - Harry reached for his arm.
Draco blinked. The strange sensation fell away. He blinked again and actually focused on his boy’s frightened face. “What?”
Harry sat there, heart pounding in fear. “You… Are you okay?” he asked in an unsteady whisper.
Draco gave him an easy smile. “Got a few bruises, but I’m fine. You can heal me when we take a shower later, okay?” He saw that Harry’s hand was almost touching his arm, hesitating. He smiled again and caught Harry’s fingers in his own, linking them and letting them rest together on the table. “Don’t worry, Harry. I’ll make sure these attacks stop soon,” he promised.
Harry stared intently at Draco’s face. He took in the soft expression, the light in Draco’s grey eyes, the gentle smile. He was Draco again. “You… You looked… bad,” he said in frustration. He didn’t have the words to describe the utterly dead expression on Draco’s face. “Like you couldn’t see me…”
Draco frowned. His first impulse was to blow Harry off and that made him pause. He would never blow Harry off! Had he felt weird a minute ago? He couldn’t remember, but Harry’s alarm still jangled inside him. “Okay,” he said slowly. “I feel fine now, though.”
Harry gave an unsure nod. Slowly his anxiety bled away and his heart rate returned to normal, but he was still worried. Something had happened to Draco and it had been utterly terrifying.
…
That night at detention McGonagall had Ron, Draco, and Harry write an essay regarding the importance of punctuality. She gave them an essay frame for them to use, briefly discussing with them the parts of an essay and the purpose of each. It was good practice even if the topic was shit and the detention unjust.
Draco was exhausted by the time they made it back to the Tower. He pulled Harry into a shower stall and sat on a low seat while Harry knelt and sucked at his knees and palms, the warmth of sunshine and wholeness filling Draco with light. Harry had then stood and bent forward to lick and suck at Draco’s bruising jaw, the colors bleaching away under his touch. They washed quickly, Draco nearly falling asleep in the shower.
Sitting against the headboard, Harry stared down at the blond - worried. Draco was sound asleep almost as soon as his head touched the pillow. He looked fine, even peaceful, his mouth slightly parted as he breathed in and out, his damp hair fanned out along the pillow, his long pale lashes resting on his cheeks, but the feeling of something wrong nagged at him.
“It’s been a long day,” Neville’s voice said softly. Harry hadn’t shut the curtains around their bed yet, the lamps still burning. “It makes sense he’s tired.”
“You’re right. Good night, Neville,” he offered with a forced smile, accepting the boy’s softly whispered, “Night,” in return.
He blew out his lamp and pulled the curtains closed. He slid down, curling around Draco and resting his hand on the blond’s chest, feeling for each breath and heartbeat. It had been stressful, he wouldn’t deny that, but when they had bad days, Draco became alert and watchful not sleepy like this.
Harry stayed awake for an hour or more, just watching over the blond, but Draco never moved or shifted, practically dead to the world. When sleep came, Harry rested fitfully, waking up several times in the night just to check that Draco was still there.
…
Lucius waited for Narcissa to fall deeply asleep before creeping out of bed and entering his study. He unspelled the warded drawer on the right and lifted the diary free. Quill in hand, he wrote his warning: Things are happening at Hogwarts. I will be taking steps to safeguard my children soon.
They had received the owl earlier that day informing them of the troll incident at school. It came with Dumbledore’s reassurances that it had been handled swiftly and that the children were safe, but Lucius was still displeased. Too many times his son and ward had been put in danger already that year, he didn’t like the trend he was seeing.
There was a longer pause than normal before Tom’s beautiful script bloomed across the page. I see. You feel I’d be an added liability should my older incarnation successfully complete a ritual of rebirth.
Lucius held his breath, but he wrote nothing. He felt poised over a precipice. It was unexpected and alarming. Why had he written at all? He should destroy the diary immediately and weaken the Dark Lord’s path back from the dead… Except it would be useless as long as Harry existed, anchoring the Dark Lord’s soul to earth.
Perhaps you should think about it from another angle. I could be an advantage, Lucius. I must admit I am not happy with the reports you bring of my future self’s actions. I had not taken Herpo’s warnings seriously. I merely thought he lacked mental fortitude, but your testimony has made me reconsider. If you help me, Lucius, I can help you destroy this failed incarnation of myself and together we can rise in power and make our dreams a reality. We can change the world, Lucius. Make it what it once was again. Now that we know what to protect against, we can insure my sanity does not wane. Harry is safe from me. After all, why would I destroy my own Horcrux? And if I am no longer a threat to Harry, Draco should no longer be a threat to me. We can make it work, Lucius. Together, nothing would be impossible.
Lucius slammed the diary shut, breathing hard. With a shove, he pushed away from his desk and paced to the other side of the room. Tom was very persuasive and a large part of Lucius liked what the brilliant teen had to say.
Lucius deliberately turned his back and left the room, leaving the diary to sit alone in the dark. He had a lot to think on.
…
Draco was tripped in the halls several times a day. His school bag continued to rip open, spilling his things everywhere. While he was going to the bathroom in between classes, the toilet had exploded up at him, splashing him with filthy water. He’d missed his next class because of that to go get cleaned up, but fortunately it was History of Magic and Binns didn’t really care or notice.
Draco was frustrated beyond belief! Dean and Seamus were right. It was more than just Rahl and his group. A lot of the time, they were never around when something happened to Draco. Their vicious rumors had done their job and now a good portion of Gryffindor and upper-Years from other Houses were targeting Draco because he was supposedly some traitorous snake. If Draco retaliated or attacked Rahl, it would only justify their abuse and make them attack him more.
The First-year boys and Hermione did their best to shield Draco, and Draco and Harry did their best to make Draco less of a target - using side passages, avoiding crowds as much as possible, eating in the kitchens - but they couldn’t prevent all of the attacks. It made Harry feel so useless. It was his job to take care of Draco! Draco was important and always working on important things. Harry’s job was to support him, and he was failing miserably!
…
Harry opened his eyes. It was almost pitch black inside the curtains of their bed. Low-level anxiety that never left him and a sense that something wasn’t right made him immediately reach out for Draco, but this time his fears were justified. Draco wasn’t next to him.
Heart thundering in his throat, Harry shakily pulled the curtain open and turned the knob on the bedside lamp. A flame jumped to life, casting light over the bed. Draco was sitting on the far edge, his back to Harry. Harry’s heart plummeted as the blond remained perfectly still, unaffected by his - fear - and the light.
“Draco?” he whispered.
He crawled slowly over, craning his head to get a look at Draco’s face. As if in slow motion, Draco’s profile came into view, the curve his cheek and jaw. Already something didn’t look right, but it was as if Harry wasn’t registering what he was seeing right away. He continued forward, stomach clenched and hands trembling, seeing now that Draco’s mouth was hanging open. His lips stretched tight in the shape of an oval; it looked like he was screaming. Draco’s eyes were open and unblinking, the pupils small.
“Draco!” Harry rasped, - terrified. He flung himself at the blond, hands on his shoulders, shaking him lightly, but he was so stiff. He hardly moved under his hands. Red appeared at Draco’s nose, horrifically bright against Draco’s white skin. It rolled slowly down over his lip.
Magic swirled out from Harry, hitting Draco with more force than normal, fueled by his - desperate terror. Draco’s back arched, his whole body going rigid as if he was being electrocuted. Harry cried out, stopping his magic, afraid he was somehow hurting Draco more, but Draco merely fell limp on the bed, eyes blinking as he moaned softly.
“Harry, wha time’s it?” he slurred.
Heart hammering in his chest, tears soaking his cheeks, Harry gently stroked Draco’s hair from his face. His hand shook. “Draco…” He swallowed past a painful lump in his throat. “Draco, are you okay?”
Draco captured his trembling hand and sat up. His nose had stopped bleeding, but red was still smeared across his upper lip. “What’s the matter?” he asked, eyes growing more alert as he frowned at Harry.
Through his tears, Harry dutifully described what had happened.
Draco pulled him against his side and stroked his hair soothingly, rocking Harry softly. “Shhh, it’s okay. You woke me up. You did so good, Harry.”
Slowly Harry’s shaking stopped. Draco kissed his head, his temple, his cheek. He pulled Harry back up the bed and they laid down next to each other. Draco peppered his face with kisses, licking the salt from his tears off his skin. Harry melted under his gentle care, but his - anxiety - didn’t fade completely.
“I’m fine,” Draco murmured reassuringly. “I’ll go see Pomfrey before the game, promise. Rest, Harry. Whatever happened, I’m fine now. I’m sure it’s just another stupid curse. I’m sorry it scared you.”
Harry let Draco’s voice wash around him as his eyes fluttered closed in exhaustion.
…
They were in the Gryffindor locker room. The team was pulling on their uniforms: red and gold half-robes, black riding pants and matching knee-high, black boots. They were charmed with protective and cushioning spells to offers some protection against injury. Harry wore the number seven on his back; Draco wore the number fourteen since he was reserve Seeker.
Draco held Harry’s face in his hands, his grin nearly as bright as his eyes. “Do your best out there, Harry.”
Harry leaned into Draco’s touch, his mind was still on last night. The image of Draco’s mouth shaped in a soundless scream, the color red rolling down from his nose, eyes wide and empty…
“Harry.”
Harry blinked green eyes behind round, black glasses and stared into Draco’s commanding gaze.
“You’re about to play your first match. Lucius and Narcissa, Andy and Ted… They’re all out there. I want you to show them how strong you’ve become. That means you gotta focus. Pomfrey said I’m fine. It was probably just stress. You gotta trust me.”
“Yes, Draco. Sorry,” Harry murmured and brought his whole attention back to the moment. “I’ll catch the snitch for you,” he promised.
“Be careful. Remember you’re playing Slytherin,” Draco advised. “They play dirty.”
Harry nodded.
“Alright, team! Huddle up!” Oliver called, breaking the moment between the two First-year boys.
Harry felt a small pang of loss as Draco released his face and took a step back, but the slow, sweet smile that Draco sent his way in response made Harry’s heart melt and his fears shrink.
Oliver was clearly excited and nervous as hell; this was the first game as Captain. He gave a long speech about winning and then they were running out of the tunnel and into the bright November day. It was cold, and Harry smiled in thanks when Fred and George cast warming charms on him. He looked through the stands, searching for his family, but it was Draco who found them first and pointed them out. Harry gave a wave, cheeks red with embarrassment.
Ted and Andromeda waved back happily; Lucius and Narcissa regally bowed their heads. Other parents and a few fans from Hogsmeade also filled the spectating stands along with most of the school’s teachers. Remus wasn’t there; he was likely babysitting Dee. The rest of the stands were filled with what seemed like the entire school. Draco and the two other reserve players moved to sit on the bench, clapping and cheering.
The whistle blew and Harry shot up into the sky, higher than the other players. The Slytherin Seeker copied him. Harry kept him in sight, but he turned most of his attention toward the pitch, searching for a glint of gold in the sunlight.
Within ten minutes, Angelina scored the first goal, causing the crowds to cheer madly. Slytherin scored, Gryffindor again… Harry saw the Snitch! He angled his broom - a brand-new Nimbus 2000, a gift from Narcissa and Lucius that had arrived that morning - toward the ground and shot forward. Higgs was several feet behind him.
The cold wind rushed past his face, whipping his hair about, but before Harry could get too close, a Slytherin player blocked his path, nearly making Harry crash into him. Harry barely had time to veer away and lost sight of the snitch in the process.
Madam Hooch called foul and awarded a penalty, which Alicia scored much to the crowd’s delight.
Harry zoomed back up to a higher perch and scanned the arena again for the snitch.
Draco basked in the - excitement determination - that beat like a second heart through the bond. Harry was having fun. He had to admit the game was fun to watch, even though the point system still made no sense to him. He rubbed his hands together and blew into them, his nose red from the cold.
The game was about forty minutes in. Suddenly - surprise fear - spiked through the bond and Draco whipped his eyes up to see the boy barely holding on to a broom that was jerking one way and then the other. Jinx, line of sight, the knowledge rose through his adrenaline-soaked mind.
“Grab the banner!” he barked at the reserved player next to him. He grabbed one end himself, took his broom in hand, and practically growled when the other boy was being slow about it. He looked like he wanted to ask questions, but Draco ordered in a cold, dangerous voice. “Move it.”
Following Draco’s lead and confused as hell, they rocketed up toward the spectator’s box. Draco’s eyes immediately zoomed in on Snape as if pulled by a magnetic force. The man had his eyes on the pitch, his mouth moving. Draco flew as close as he was allowed and barked at the other boy to pull the banner tight. Snape’s line of sight was broken by the bright red material with Gryffindor written in huge gold letters. He gave Draco a furious look, eyes dark as pitch.
Draco glared back, baring his teeth. He turned his head to see Harry’s broom had stabilized, the jinx had been broken.
A wild cheer went up as Harry spat out the snitch into his hand. Draco whipped his head around and gave Snape a triumphant grin, victory making him feel high. He gave a whoop and released the banner, letting it flutter toward the ground, as he flew over to his boy.
* Good job, Harry! Good boy! *
- pride shock - flooded the bond and Draco kissed Harry’s cheek.
The whole of the Gryffindor team was only a second behind him, crashing into them and forming a massive crush in the air. Oliver was crying, he was so happy. The twins thought it was hysterical that Harry had accidentally caught the snitch in his mouth. They were laughing historically as they slapped Harry’s back.
They had won 170-60. Flint threw a fit, calling foul, but Madam Hooch judged the incident fair play - Draco had never entered the pitch after all and whatever had happened to Harry’s broom had righted itself in less than a minute.
Everyone attributed the weird moment with Harry’s broom to him losing control of the powerful instrument; he was only a First-year after all. Harry and Draco knew better, but they were too excited about the win to worry about it right then.
…
Severus eyed the people sitting nearest him in the stands suspiciously. Whoever had been jinxing the broom had stopped when Draco had flown up to block his view, so they had to be close. For a moment, he’d felt heart stopping fury, terrified that without his counter-jinx Harry would be flung from the broom and gravely injured, but Draco’s obnoxious move had miraculously still saved the boy.
Severus caught Dumbledore’s eye and gave him a subtle gesture before standing in a swirl of black robes. Face perfectly blank, Severus turned and practically flew from the stands.
…
“The boys will be celebrating with their friends. Let’s not disturb them,” Lucius said softly, but it was clear he wasn’t happy. Narcissa was practically clawing into his arm, but even she had to admit this wasn’t the time.
So rarely did they see Draco and Harry so carefree and overjoyed as they were, caught in the middle of their cheering team. Besides, Draco had successfully put a stop to whatever had effected Harry’s broom. Maybe it wasn’t anything ominous; perhaps it had been a tasteless prank or some Slytherin sabotage. The boys had things in hand. For now.
“Why don’t we speak to the Headmaster before we leave,” he suggested.
Narcissa nodded, worry evident in her eyes. Andromeda and Ted agreed immediately. Andromeda looked dangerous, reminding Lucius she was a black, and even Ted looked determined. Lucius gave them a sharp, approving smile before he led them through the crowd to the Headmaster’s side.
“Headmaster Dumbledore,” he said with mock gentleness. “May we have a word?”
…
Severus paced across the Headmaster’s office, waiting for Dumbledore to appear. He knew the Headmaster had to bid farewell to the guests who had come to watch the match, but he was anxious and worried. It took nearly an hour before Dumbledore finally arrived.
“Things are getting too dangerous,” Severus said lowly once the Headmaster sat tiredly in the seat behind his desk. “Something is affecting Draco. I suspect a mind spell from the symptoms the boys described to Pomfrey this morning. He needs to be seen by a Mind-Healer.”
Dumbledore stared across at Severus unhappily. “I’m still working on getting Nicholas to agree to destroy the stone, but he still isn’t ready yet. It wasn’t safe even in Gringotts. There is no other place for it. We certainly cannot allow Voldemort to gain possession of it or the Dark Lord will be resurrected in less than a year. The boys aren’t ready to face that battle yet.” He sat back and took his glasses off, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. “As for young Draco, we cannot seek a Master Healer. Not just yet. Not until the issue regarding the stone is resolved. The boys’ guardians are already threatening to remove the boys completely. We have to think of the bigger picture.”
Severus practically snarled. “That may not be the worst idea! The children are in danger, Headmaster! All of them! Draco has been attacked! Harry was attacked just now on the pitch! The traitor grows bold!”
“There is no evidence to suggest that Harry was attacked by our traitor, Severus. Perhaps it was a prank. Draco is unfortunately being targeted by the students and that has spilled over onto Harry. We need to devise a plan to turn popular opinion back into Draco’s favor.”
“Draco has been injured!” Severus protested furiously. “He needs treatment!”
Dumbledore closed his eyes for a moment before opening them. “Poppy assures me the boys are perfectly healthy. We only have your suspicions that he’s been attacked.”
Severus was too angry to be polite or humor the old man’s willfully blind outlook. “There are many mind-spells that do not show up on a healing scan. That’s why the excuse of the Imperius was so successful in getting people out of trouble during the war. It is undetectable.”
“Then a Mind Healer’s treatment would likewise be uncertain,” Dumbledore pointed out. “If your suspicions are correct, then we are too late to help young Draco. We must protect the stone until I can settle things with Nicholas. That takes precedence before all else. Likewise, the boys need to be here, Severus. If they isolate themselves, they will have fewer allies in the war to come. The future depends on them succeeding here.”
Severus refused to accept this was the only way. He gave the Headmaster a disappointed look before slamming the door behind him.
Dumbledore seemed to wilt, a tired sigh rising from his lips. Fawkes flew over to his desk and began to sing, but even the phoenix’s song couldn’t sooth him completely.
Chapter end.
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Freedom Bound in Chains