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Frozen Love	By : Emeline Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 9129 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
A/N: I didn�t mean for this chapter to end where
it ends, but it just felt right.

Alexa: argh. You�re right about Alyssa�s word
choice. I�m afraid I let a little too much of me into her. I hope she sounds
twelve in this chapter. And don�t worry about her self-pity: Abby is coming to
the rescue. Thank you for pointing out my mistake.

Thrnbrooke: thank you for reviewing. Draco�s
location will soon be revealed, and as for Ron and Hermione� they�ll be around
next chapter.

Cas: yes, Alyssa seems to be getting on everyone�s
nerves. Ah, but she will get over it. Thank you for reviewing.

Nightshade: thank you very much.

Tell
me lies

Tell
me sweet little lies

Oh,
no, no you can't disguise

Tell
me lies

Tell
me sweet little lies

Alyssa sat on the floor of the guest room, staring
blankly at the carpet. Her words were what her mind concentrated on; all other
things meant nothing. �I don�t understand why he did this to me.�

She looked up to Abby. There were
words in the older girl�s eyes, but her mouth was still.

�What?� Alyssa pressed.

Abby shook her head. �Go on.�

�It�s just�I�m so mad about this,
but I don�t know what to do about it.� She again looked to Abby, who was still
biting back her words. Alyssa sighed. �Say what you want, Abby.�

�Alyssa, I don�t mean to sound
insensitive, but so what?�

The statement reverberated through
Alyssa. Caught in shock, she waited for Abby to elaborate.

With a steadier voice, Abby said,
�Your father lied. So what?�

�So what?� Alyssa repeated. �Abby,
he made my life into a lie.�

The slightest shade of amusement
passed over Abby�s face.

�He did,� Alyssa hotly added.

�No, he didn�t. Back at the Eximo,
you had your identity crisis, but at the end, what did you say?�

Alyssa turned her gaze away.

�You said that you missed your
father. You knew then, and you still wanted to be with him.�

Alyssa jumped up in a passion. �No,
I didn�t! It wasn�t real then!�

�And now it is?�

�Yes!�

Abby�s eyes spoke the truth. �It
was real then. It�s real now. You�re only angry because you have someone to
blame.�

Alyssa was frozen by shock once
again. �I thought you were my friend.�

�I am.�

�You�re on his side!� Alyssa
accused.

Abby smiled a little. �Your father
distrusts every move I make. He�s not much of an ally.�

Alyssa turned away and crossed her
arms. �What are you saying, then?�

�You want to be angry.� She ignored
Alyssa�s scoff and went on. �If you�re angry, you don�t have to feel anything
else. It�s easier.�

Alyssa breathed in and out very
carefully. �You don�t understand,� she said in a low voice.

�I think I do.�

The room was silent. Then Alyssa
spoke. �Maybe�� She formulated her words carefully, extracting them from the
undeniable truth within her. �Maybe it is easier to be angry.� She took a deep
breath, hoping it would give her the courage to continue. �Maybe I don�t want
to feel anything else. And maybe�� These words were the hardest; but they were
in her mouth, and she didn�t like their bitter taste. �If the anger isn�t
important, maybe the hurt will be.�

Having exhausted her strength,
Alyssa sank down onto the floor, resting her head on her knee.

�No one wants to hurt,� Abby said.
�But if you don�t feel it, how do you know it�s real?� She cautiously touched
Alyssa�s back. Alyssa didn�t move. �He was trying to protect you.� The younger
girl almost protested, but Abby didn�t give her a chance. �How would you have
felt, knowing all your life that someone left you? Left you just because you
existed?� Alyssa sharply breathed in. �Exactly,� Abby softly said. �And don�t
you wish you didn�t know?�

It took Alyssa a long time to
answer, but Abby waited patiently. Slowly, Alyssa nodded. In a pained voice,
she said, �I wish I didn�t know.�

�Of course you do.�

Alyssa lifted her head, her face
betraying all the innocence of youth that she carried. �I thought it would be
enough to know why. But I know why, and I still don�t get it. There was
love�they said there was.�

�Sometimes love isn�t enough,� Abby
said.

�How can that be?�

�It�s just how it is.�

�But there must be an explanation,�
Alyssa argued. �There has to be a reason why it�s not enough. Why it wasn�t
enough for Mr. Malfoy. Why he was able to leave love behind.�

�Sometimes people are afraid to
commit themselves to love.�

�But how can fear be stronger than
love?�

Abby observed her friend, wishing
that her innocence could last forever. �There are no simple answers for your
questions, Alyssa.�

Alyssa was silent a moment, and in
that moment, her gaze became different.
�How do you know all this stuff, Abby? You were kept from the world for
so long.�

A small smile formed on Abby�s
face. �There were times,� she softly said, �a long time ago, when I saw outside
the Eximo. Brief glimpses of life... and of love.� Then, her face hardened.
Alyssa knew that she was not looking at Abby anymore; she was looking at
Ioanna. �And there were times, within the Eximo, when she spoke to me. When she
taught me to look and see.� Her last words were a whisper. Abby�s eyes were
wide, and her mouth was open. �Oh, those times I was always afraid.� She
pressed her hand against her chest.

�Abby, what�s wrong?�

The spell broke, and Abby looked
first at Alyssa, then at her hand. She quickly moved it.

Alyssa searched Abby�s face. �Do
you mean Lysistrata?�

Abby closed her eyes, pressing her
fingers to her temples. She ignored the question. �The point is that love is
not always stronger than fear.� Her eyes opened. They were still vague and
distant. �Or greed�or any of many things.�

It was then that she remembered
Alyssa. She smiled, but it was a tainted smile. �But sometimes, love is.
Sometimes, love can overcome all. Sometimes, people do end up happy.�

Abby thought this would comfort
Alyssa, but Alyssa buried her face in her hands. �Oh, I�m an awful daughter!�
she cried. �I had no right. I�m a liar, and my lie is worse!�

�What lie have you told?�

�It�s what I didn�t tell him.
This!� She held her arms out. Various objects threw themselves down, sharing in
Alyssa�s fit of agony. �This power!� She lowered her arms, quieting. �It�s not
mine. It�s the Eximo�s.�

Abby was troubled. She feared that
Alyssa could not bear all that she had been given. She wished that she could
take up Alyssa�s burden, but in her heart she knew she was not the one who
could do that. Yes, Alyssa now leaned on her, but another was waiting to hold
Alyssa up. �You have to tell him.�

Alyssa shook her head.

�Yes, Alyssa. You will tell him. He
will help you.�

Again Alyssa shook her head. �I
can�t.�

But the final decision had not been
reached yet.

------

�Revive the Veneficus Eximo!�

Lysistrata�s shrill voice rang
through Alyssa�s head as she dreamed. A convulsion of fear awoke her. She sat
up, sweating and breathing hard.

It was early morning. The world, or
what Alyssa knew of it, was still asleep. Though the hour was early, the idea
of renewed sleep was not an inviting.

The house was quiet and still;
Alyssa was conscious of every sound she made as she slipped out of bed, hoping
that her nightmare would be left among the tangled sheets.

She stood at the window, wondering
vaguely what this day would bring. She desperately wished that this day would
be uneventful. The trials she had endured were too much for her; she could not
take much more. She needed her time to heal. Yet as long as she kept her
secret, the wound would not close. Her confession was going to be a part of
that healing process.

She did not know that another stood
awake at this hour, contemplating many of the things she was considering.
Neither did she know that he was thinking of her and what he had done to her
life. She did not even realize that she was the source of much of his guilt.

Ignorant of each other, these two
looked inward, each experiencing a certain measure of misery at the search.
There was a mark on both their souls, and they both suffered in silence. Their
only difference was that his confession had already been spoken�spoken, but not
yet felt. His difficulties arose from its reception. No matter how terrible his
crime was, he could not help but hope for forgiveness. This was his arrogance,
for his crime had already been deemed unforgivable.

The sun rose higher and higher in
the sky, and the world began to wake. Both figures had not the courage to face
themselves while others were there to observe; their introspection was reserved
for private times. Alyssa felt renewed dread as she thought of facing her
father. Today, however, it was she who was at fault.

She heard him stirring, and a
quiver of anxiousness swept through her�and the room. A book shot out from the
bookcase and landed at her feet. Alyssa stared at it in fascination. She must
have stared at it for quite a long time, for the next thing she knew, her
father was knocking at her door.

�Alyssa?�

Guilt pulsed through Alyssa. �Yes?�
she said as she stooped down and picked up the book. She held it close.

�Can we talk?�

Alyssa was about to reply when she
glanced down at the book. Quickly, she stuffed it behind the other books. Once
it was hidden, she felt much better. �Sure,� she finally replied and situated
herself in bed.

Her father came in. She could not
help but look up into his eyes. She felt comfortable as she started to read his
face, but a sudden spike of fear in her caused her to look down.

�Did you sleep well?�

Alyssa nodded automatically, even
though this was untrue. She almost found herself saying, �Yes, sir.� Memories
came to her, and she thought of the days when she had been free to read him,
the days when she had teased him and he had teased her. It tore at her heart to
realize how far away those days were.

Harry sat on the edge of her bed.
�Alyssa, we have a lot to talk about.�

Something in his tone struck her,
and she began to giggle uncontrollably. She knew that he was confused by this
outburst, but she could not seem to help it. �I�m sorry,� she choked out. After
a few moments of mirth, she calmed. �Go on.�

�It�s about Abby.�

Alyssa looked up, no longer afraid
to look him in the eye. �What about her?�

�Abby has a lot of information that
would be useful to the Ministry,� Harry said. He spoke slowly, and Alyssa felt
a bit insulted by his manner.

�So?�

�Alyssa, you know she needs to go
there and tell them what she knows.�

Alyssa pushed back her fear and
dove into her father�s eyes. �Do they know she�s here?�

He did not respond, but he didn�t
need to.

�They�re coming to arrest her,
aren�t they? Have they already taken her?�

�No, but they will be coming.�

�Did you�� Alyssa forced herself to
stop. That was something she did not want to know. �I won�t let them lock her
up.�

Harry took a moment to prepare his
defense. �You can�t stop the entire Ministry.�

Alyssa crossed her arms defiantly.
�I can too.�

Harry smiled despite the
seriousness of the situation. A brief moment passed between them, and in that
moment, the days that had vanished were not so far away. �It would be easier if
I just took her in. A show of cooperation would make her look better.�

�You make it sound like she�s being
accused of something.�

Harry was silent.

�What?� Alyssa exclaimed. �How can
they? What did she do?�

�She was a member of a group that
murdered and kidnapped at will,� Harry said. �That doesn�t exactly look good.�

�The word is �was�!� Alyssa said,
pounding her fists on the bed with every word. �Past tense!�

�Alyssa, you can�t fight this.�

�Want to bet?� Alyssa stood up, as
if daring her father to move first.

Seeing the slightest movement,
Alyssa bolted to Abby�s room. The door was open, and she ran in and stood
before Abby, arms splayed, as Harry came into the room.

Harry blinked�had he seen Alyssa
put up a glowing shield?

�You�re not taking her,� Alyssa said.
She knew that she had put up a shield automatically, but she didn�t think her
father had seen.

�What was that?� he asked her.

Anxiety found a place in her again,
and she replied, �What was what?�

�You put up a shield. I saw it. Do
you have your wand?�

�Why would I break the law?�

�Then you used wandless magic.�

�So? You blew up your aunt!� Alyssa
retorted.

Harry and Alyssa smiled
involuntarily. Then, they were both laughing.

Abby stood confused outside this
inside joke, feeling a little intimidated. If he could blow up his own kin,
what would he do to her?

Their laughter faded, and Alyssa
said, �But as long as this shield is up, you can�t get her.�

Harry held up his hands,
acknowledging defeat. �Fine, Alyssa.�

�Um, may I ask what�s going on?�
Abby questioned.

Before an answer could be spoken, a
swell of sound came from outside the house.

�What was that?� Alyssa asked.

�Stay�� Harry began to say. But
Alyssa was already creeping down the stairs. Harry hurried down and placed
himself before her.

Urgent knocking sounded at the
front door. �Harry! Hey, get back! Get back, you filthy, sniveling rats! Don�t
you even think of�� There was a pause, then the woman howled, �I�ll get you for
that!�

�That sounds like Meg,� Alyssa
said.

Harry opened the door to reveal
that photographers and reporters were scattered all over the lawn, shouting
questions and taking pictures. Meg was threatening them with her wand. She
paused long enough to heave two bewildered Ministry agents into the house. It
was obviously their first time working with Meg.

Meg followed closely, slamming the
door shut. �Bloody sons of a�� Noticing Alyssa, she finished, �Boggart.� Meg
was looking some the worse for wear. Her hair was a mess, and it seemed that
she had dressed in the dark. On top of that, her eyes were on fire with anger.

�Miss Lyra, I must question your
methods of dealing with the press,� one agent said as he replaced his hat.

�Well, it got the job done, didn�t
it?� Meg responded. To accent her point, she turned her fiery eyes on the poor
man. He shank back.

�Meg, what�s going on?� Alyssa
asked warily.

�Someone got paid enough to spill
the story about the Eximo. Now the reporters are practically frothing at the
mouth. If I had my way, I would have the Ministry so far up their��

�Meg,� Harry interrupted, gesturing
toward Alyssa.

�Right. Sorry.� Meg heaved a great
sigh. �It�s bloody murder out there. Well, down to business, then. Do your
little speech, Will.�

The smaller of the two agents
stepped forward, holding up a parchment. �For reasons of magical security, the
Ministry of Magic officially orders that one Abigail Smith be detained and��

�No,� Alyssa said. �You can�t do
this.�

�Yes, they can.�

Alyssa turned. Abby was standing at
the top of the stairs. As she descended, the officials got out their wands.

�Now, just stop there,� the short
man ordered. Abby obeyed and allowed the officials to wrap spells around her.

Alyssa tried to move, but Harry
held her back. �Don�t,� he said quietly.

�Stop this!� Alyssa commanded. She
knew that she could easily stop all this by using her magic, but even the
greatest passion could not explain that amount of magic.

She was helpless by choice.

�She�s not a criminal,� Alyssa
desperately said. �She�s my friend.�

Meg smiled at this comment, rousing
anger in Alyssa. �She�ll be fine, kiddo. Sorry about this, Harry,� she said as
they left.

Alyssa didn�t know what to do. Her
first instinct was to blame her father for not doing anything. However, she had
also done nothing. The instinct was repressed. �Dad, go to work.�

�I�m not leaving you alone.�

�You�re taking me with you. Let�s
go.�

-------

Abby was drawn through crowd after
crowd. At first, the crowds were made up of reporters. The woman who was
leading her along tersely cursed at any reporter who said a word to her, and
those who took pictures had their equipment destroyed.

The next crowds came within the
Ministry of Magic. They were silent as they stared at Abby. She looked down at
the floor, wishing they did not have such large volumes of knowledge in their
eyes.

At last, they reached a small
room�an interrogation room. Abby could tell it by the very distinct odor of
truth and lies. There were two other people in the room. One Abby recognized;
the other was unfamiliar. The one she recognized had a case next to him. Abby
briefly wondered if the Ministry employed torture in interrogation.

Meg sat Abby down in a chair, and
the unfamiliar man rose from his own seat. �I presume you are Abigail Smith.�

�I am, sir,� Abby said.

The man did not bother to introduce
himself. He looked down at her with utter loathing, and when she looked up at
him, he flinched in disgust. �Do you admit that you are a part of the most
odious organization, the Veneficus Eximo?�

�I was a part of the Eximo, sir.
But�how did you know?� Her voice had picked up the same tone it carried
whenever Lysistrata had been present. She was ashamed to hear that voice again.

The man held up a leather-bound
book. �You left your things behind. Very careless.� He let the book slip from
his hands.

A lump formed in Abby�s throat.
�Please don�t,� she whispered. �I didn�t have time.�

�To get this?�

He held up a picture, a smirk on
his face.

Abby nodded, ignoring the cruelty
on his face. �Please, it�s all I have of them.�

The man glanced at the picture. �Your
parents, I believe.�

Abby watched in pain as he tucked
the photo away. She understood the procedure. He knew that the picture meant
something to her, so it would be used against her. That was why she had
originally hidden it in the spine of that book: to keep it from Lysistrata. It
had been her mistake to give the man any ground.

�Miss Smith, you are guilty of many
crimes, and we can prove your part in all of them. You have no choice but to
cooperate. However, if you refuse, we will do what we must to get you to admit
the truth.� He placed a small potion bottle on the table. �Veritaserum. We will
find out what we want to know.�

He allowed the words to sink in.
When he was sure that Abby was properly intimidated, he opened the door and
slipped away.

�So,� Meg said. �Are you going to
cooperate?�

�Of course.�

�Well, then,� Meg said with a
rather wolfish grin. �Let�s begin.�
- 8
- 9
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Frozen Love