Delicious As Sin

Chapter 7

By PinkSunRise

       

"Crying again pet?" he heard as a finger brushed away his tear. He whirled around to gaze at sympathetic green eyes. He pushed him away and sank down into a nearby chair.

"I see that Draco is having a bad influence on you." He hissed

"If you hurt him I’ll never forgive you." Harry retorted

"Oh, really? He makes you cry and he leaves you in the forest and you want to protect him?"

"He want’s what’s best for me!"

"So do I," Tom said firmly, straddling Harry’s lap. Harry let out a choked sob of distress.

"Tom…"

"Yes…"

"Go away. I’ve had enough of your lies. What spell did you use by the way? Hmm?"

"What makes you think I used a spell?"

"Oh come on! I’m not that naïve."

"You were content enough last night. Happy enough to fall asleep wrapped in my arms, hmm? I never lied to you. Everyone else lies to you, pushes you away, gives you those little sympathetic glances, and whispers when you walk by. I never asked you to do anything, kitten. I never asked you to join me, I never told you to kill, and I certainly never asked you to betray your friends. Why am I such a bad influence on you? I come to you at night and I wrap you up in my arms. I make you feel safe and content and you want me to go away? You would fall apart if I left..." Tom trailed off and Harry shuddered gently and wondered for a brief moment what would happen if Tom did leave.

Tom tangled his fingers in Harry’s hair, taking control of Harry’s mouth yet again. Harry had long since become accustomed to sliding into the submissive role.

"You never did introduce me..." Tom whispered as he stared at the green ball of light that had appeared on Harry’s shoulder. Harry watched as the fairy hovered in front of Tom’s face, similarly to what Draco’s fairy had done. His fairy smiled and kissed Tom’s nose. Tom chuckled and Harry sighed when Sameera sat down on his finger. ‘I thought a fairy would know good from evil,’ he thought.

"You were supposed to protect me!" Harry cried out before his dream abruptly faded.

       

"Potter! Wake up damn it!" Harry heard as his eyes fluttered open. He looked to find himself face to face with an angry Potions teacher.

"Professor?"

"Damn you, Potter. You had everyone worried sick! There are dozens of teachers all over the Forest looking for you, but little do they know, you went to take a little nap. You and Draco have been missing since last night. Your concerned roommate, Weasley, alerted Albus last night."

"Draco…" he whispered.

"Come on, stand up, Potter. We have to get back to the castle."

Harry abruptly came to his senses. Draco was missing despite the little conversation he had with Tom last night.

"That bastard! He knew… I hate him!" Harry yelled as he stood up and tore through the forest, faintly hearing Snape’s cries, telling him to stop. He was vaguely aware of a ball of green life following him.

"You were supposed to protect me!" he yelled to his fairy. He ran blindly knowing that he had to find Draco, before he died. He let out a strangled cry as he saw Draco’s body resting on the forest floor. He looked paler than usual. His lips were almost a light blue color, his hair was smudged with dirt, and there was dried blood caked on his hands.

"Draco…" Harry cried. Harry watched as Draco opened his eyes.

"Hey there, Potter…" he wheezed.

"He promised," Harry whispered.

"He kept it…" Draco murmured.

"What?"

"Can’t you at least perform a goddamn healing spell?" Draco said and Harry leaned forward and tore open Draco’s robes. He rested his wand against Draco’s heart, whispered Consanesco, and watched as Draco’s wounds mended themselves and his color returned. Draco looked at him with visible amazement. Abstergeo, Harry said and most of the dirt and blood disappeared.

"Thanks."

"What’d you mean he kept his promise?"

"I…errr... it’s complicated."

"I want to know."

"I don’t want to heighten your opinion of our dark lord." He snorted

"You won’t."

"When I made my way back to the castle I was…accosted by three deatheaters - one of them happened to be my father," Draco spat, "He said that I was consorting with the enemy and I had to be… punished. So I was ‘punished’. Then he took me back to the dark lord and asked him what was to be done with me. Voldemort told him to leave me in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. He said I had been punished enough already for my insolence. When we were leaving he stepped close to me, he…winked at me and he said… not to worry, I would be found…" Draco trailed off to watch Harry’s expression.

"Harry, he’s still evil!"

"He kept his promise..." Harry whispered almost dreamily.

"Why do you think he did? He wants you to trust him! How do you know he wasn’t the one who put my father up to it!?"

That brought Harry out of his reverie.

"He would never do that," Harry hissed.

"Fine," Draco said and raised his hands in mock defense, "I…. There’s something else… I... that you should know."

"Well?"

"He’s changing, Harry,… physically, it must be a potion."

"What’d you mean he’s changing?"

"He’s getting younger… he has to be up to something."

The heavy silence was beginning to get under Draco’s skin.

"So, where’d you learn that healing spell?"

"Mione taught it to me."

"The mudblood?" Draco said snorting and gulped as Harry held his wand to Draco’s chest.

"I saved you, I can break you again," Harry said dangerously.

"I doubt that would be necessary, Mr. Potter," a low voice growled from behind Harry.

"Professor Snape..."

"As much as I want to wring your neck for running away and putting yourself into danger, I must restrain myself and thank you for finding Draco. But Mr. Potter, it was your stupidity that caused you to find Draco in the first place, don’t think it won’t go unpunished."

"With all due respect, Professor, it was partially my fault..."

Snape turned back to Draco and his gaze softened slightly.

"How so, Draco?"

"He told me that he had a vision of me in trouble in the Forest. I scoffed at him and went to take a breath of fresh air outside where I was accosted by three deatheaters."

"Well what do you have to say to that, Mr. Potter?"

"I… I went out to look for Draco because I had a bad feeling, and I must have fallen asleep. I’m sorry, sir," Harry said averting his gaze to the ground. Snape glared at both of them trying to measure the truth of their story.

"Very well, are you two well enough to walk back to the castle?"

"Yes," they said in unison.

As they stood outside Dumbledore’s office, Harry wrung his hands nervously.

"Why did you cover for me?" he hissed at Draco.

"You saved me," Draco said simply and he gave Harry’s hand a gentle squeeze as they entered the office. Harry marveled at Draco’s ability to remain calm in any situation. ‘He was manipulative…’ Harry thought, ‘He was rather charming when he wasn’t being a total ass.’

"Albus, you encourage the boy to go out late at night with his damn invisibility cloak. And may I repeat myself for the hundredth time he’s not invincible contrary to popular belief," Harry heard Snape finish.

"Ahh... Harry, Mr. Malfoy, have a seat," Dumbledore said to them. Harry nervously gazed at Snape.

"Please call me Draco sir, I’m not my father." Draco said cryptically and Dumbledore paused for a moment but nodded.

"Very well, Draco."

"First off, Harry, if you had a vision you should have alerted us. You shouldn’t have gone out of the castle to find Draco by yourself. You put yourself in unneeded danger. The forest is a dangerous place at night, you of all people should know." Dumbledore paused and Harry squirmed under his gaze

"And, Draco, you should not have wandered off castle grounds after curfew. You, also, foolishly risked yours — and Harry’s — life. Although I must congratulate you on finding Draco, Harry. I can’t give you any points, because of the way you went along doing so. Thirty points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin. You will both be sent and owl concerning your detentions. Harry, you are dismissed. I suggest you make a stop at the infirmary and then, continue to your next class."

Harry nodded as he exited the office.

"Draco, I know you’re in a difficult situation. I will do my best…" he heard Dumbledore begin as the doors slid shut behind him. He made a quick stop the infirmary where Madame Pomfey fussed over him. She ended up giving him some calming tea and some medi-chocolate. He had missed half of Transfiguration, and as he entered the classroom, Professor McGonagall motioned for him to take a seat, and he cringed as he heard the whispers start. Hermione and Ron both gave him a quick hug as he sat down. They were learning how to turn shoes into rabbits. Even he agreed it was rather amusing, and it kept his mind occupied. Each person to successfully turn his or her shoe into a rabbit and back was awarded five points. Professor McGonagall gave Neville three points and everyone watched in amusement as he chased his hopping shoe around the classroom.

"We were really worried about you last night, Harry. Everyone was looking for you," Hermione said.

"I had a vision about Draco… and I had to go find him," Harry said.

"Who cares about that slimy git?" Ron asked.

"He was taken by death eaters, Ron," Hermione said.

"I found him," Harry whispered.

"Oh, god, Harry, was he okay?"

"I did a healing spell, and he’s probably in the infirmary now," Harry said.

"At least, tell us where you’re going next time?" Ron said and Harry nodded.

Potions was pure torture. It consisted of the Slytherins taunting the Gryffindors, and, then, the Gryffindors taunting the Slytherins. Harry groaned as his headache came back. They were making a levitation potion, and he couldn’t concentrate. He mentally growled: they had to test it themselves, and he did not want some fatal illness just because he added the wrong ingredient. He chopped his slugs diligently and stirred them in after five minutes. Snape seemed to be in a particularly vindictive mood snatching points left and right. He was even harder on his own Slytherins.

"Well, Mr. Potter, finished so soon? I hope you’re ready to test that disaster you’ve made."

Harry swallowed as he nervously drank the potion. He made a tiny prayer and thanked Merlin as he rose a few inches above the ground. Snape looked appalled that Harry had not made mistakes on the potion. Harry simply smirked.

"Five points from Gryffindor for gloating, Mr. Potter."

Harry gasped as he fell to the floor. ‘The nerve of that greasy bastard! He had done everything correctly unlike Snape’s precious Slytherins,’ he thought.

"I suggest you pick your jaw up off the floor, Mr. Potter, and start cleaning up before I deduct more points."

Harry shut his mouth with an audible click, and sat in his seat seat. He cleaned off his area and watched, amused, as Crabbe inflated to the size of a large beachball. Snape snapped at him and deducted points as he was rushed to the Infirmary.

He groaned yet again during dinner as Ron brought up the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match they had tomorrow.

"Do you really think I’ll be ready, Ron? It’s been a while since I went to Quidditch practice."

"Come on, Harry, you’re the best seeker the school has had well in…forever and we have practice after dinner and tomorrow morning before the game you’ll be fine."

‘I don’t want this…’ thought Harry, ‘I want a break…’ he thought.

"Aren’t you excited, Harry?"

"Of course, Ron…" he said sighing defeated.

Harry watched as a school owl dropped a letter in front of his plate. He picked it up warily and opened it up.

‘Mr. Potter,

Professor McGonagall’

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