sh_mods (sh_mods) wrote in slash_heaven, @ 2006-06-24 21:00:00 |
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Current mood: | hopeful |
HP/DM, The Spy Who Loved The Boy Who Lived: 8/35, NC-17
Original poster: alisanne
Title: The Spy Who Loved The Boy Who Lived: 8/35
Author: alisanne
Rating: NC-17
Summary: There is a plot to capture Harry Potter, and an unexpected person steps forward to save him. Can Harry really trust Draco over his friends?
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Romance,
Warnings: Alternate Universe, Graphic language, Slash (Yaoi), Violence, Graphic sex (overall)
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Thanks, as always, to my all important beta readers, knightmare_shad and sevfan
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
~
Chapter 8
~
Severus Snape had little time for tenderness, and even less for sappy emotions like love. The way he looked at it, he occasionally had a physical need, and he would employ whatever means necessary to alleviate it, whether that meant paid company, or his own hand. It came from growing up the way he did, he supposed. At least, that was how he had looked at it up until a few days ago. But, as he watched Remus sleep after their last bout of sensuous lovemaking, he had to admit that he was rethinking that attitude.
As Remus shifted, moving closer to Severus and the warmth that he represented, Severus felt an unsettling feeling in his chest. He catalogued his lover’s relaxed visage, noting the ridiculously long eyelashes, the tempting curve of his mouth, even the faint blush on his cheeks.
Before he realized what he was doing, he reached out a long finger and brushed back a lock of hair that had fallen across the werewolf’s face. Remus’ eyes opened, and he smiled sweetly, making Severus’ heart falter for a moment.
“Hey there,” he whispered, a look in his eyes that the Potions master dared not name. “You look like you’re thinking too much.”
Severus snorted. “It’s not as if I can turn off my brain, Remus,” he said in a low voice, fingers playing involuntarily with soft brown hair.
“And no one is asking you to.” Remus sat up, the sheets pooling distractingly around his waist. “I just don’t want you to over think this.”
Remus slid closer to Severus and tucked himself into the curve of the Potions master’s body. Both men sighed.
“What are your plans once we find the spy?” Severus almost bit off his tongue when the question slipped out. Dammit! He had not intended to appear needy or vulnerable. This arrangement was temporary, and he knew it. Remus probably had plans to return to his exotic life abroad....
“I... I hadn’t thought that far ahead, actually,” Remus murmured into his shoulder. “I’ve been considering an offer in Hogsmeade, but I’m not sure if there is anything to keep me in the area, you know?”
“An offer in Hogsmeade?” Do not beg him to stay, he admonished himself. That would be pathetic. Severus closed his eyes and fought for calm.
“Yes. Madam Rosmerta has done well, and she wants to retire. She’s an old friend of the family, and she offered me the inn, if I want it. I... it might be nice to remain close to y... Hogwarts. Play a more active role in the Order.”
“That might be nice.” Nice?! What the hell is wrong with you, Severus, for Merlin’s sake? Nice. An insipid word that only uneducated fools use....
“Would that be all right with you, Severus?” Remus sounded nervous.
Severus nodded before he could stop himself. “I would like that,” he said softly. Before he could embarrass himself any further, the two men heard a boom, and then shouting from the hallway.
Remus’ eyes narrowed and he sniffed deeply. “Harry’s out there,” he said, and throwing the covers off, he scrambled for his sleep pants. “C’mon!”
~
Harry actually made it all the way through the evening meal without blushing. Of course, he only managed that by situating himself so that he could see Draco out of the corner of his eye, but not head on. Every time he saw Draco’s face, his mind went back to the morning, and the shower, and to what Draco had promised to do to him that night. The thoughts were distracting, and he had to seriously concentrate on paying attention to the conversations going on around him.
He even managed to have a civil conversation with Ginny and Lavender, both of whom had taken it upon themselves to flirt with Harry for some unknown reason.
After the third time he’d had to refuse an invitation to “study” with one of them, he finally stood up to leave. “I have to get some sleep,” he said. “I’m a bit tired.”
“Why don’t we walk back with you, Harry?” Hermione offered.
Ron scowled. “But, we haven’t had our afters yet,” he whinged.
Hermione frowned at him. “Then you can stay here,” she said. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Plus, I need to do my Transfiguration homework,” Ron added. “I thought you could help me.”
Hermione sighed. “That would be cheating, Ron,” she scolded. “I’m sure you’ll do just fine on your own.”
Taking Harry’s arm, she walked him briskly out of the Great Hall and into the hallway. They were only a few feet into the passageway when a smooth voice drawled behind them, “Hands off my man, Granger.”
Hermione turned to see Draco gliding up to them. She rolled her eyes and relinquished Harry’s arm.
“If you think I’m after Harry, then you haven’t been paying attention,” she replied sharply.
Draco slid in behind his boyfriend and slipped his arms around Harry’s waist. “I’ve just always wanted to say that,” he grinned, pressing a soft kiss to the back of Harry’s neck.
“A bit public for that sort of behavior, isn’t it, Draco?” Hermione asked, her eyes darting around the hallway. She steadfastly ignored how Harry had melted into Draco’s arms.
The two young men sighed and separated, albeit reluctantly. “We really should be getting back to our room,” Harry said.
Hermione nodded. “I just wanted to tell you that I’ve been doing some research on that Bludger incident,” she said in a low voice. “I came across an obscure spell in the Restricted Section that might help. Where’s the Bludger now?”
“Remus has it,” Harry said, forgetting that Hermione had not been told that Lupin had returned to Hogwarts.
“Professor Lupin’s back?” Hermione said with a smile. “Great! He’s very good. Is he back just to tutor you?”
“Both of us,” Harry said and now his eyes were darting around the hallway. “Look, no one knows, okay? Don’t tell anyone, because we don’t want it getting back to Voldemort or the Ministry that he’s here.”
“Understood, Harry,” she said. “And you know I can keep a secret. But maybe we should go to his quarters, and I could tell him about the spell I found? It might help us figure out who’s behind this.”
Draco rolled his eyes. “You can keep a secret?” he scoffed. “The same way you protected the secret location of our quarters from Weasley?”
Hermione flushed. “I couldn’t help that!” she protested. “He had the Map, and he was going to find you anyway.”
“Who gave him the Map, Hermione?” Harry asked softly.
She sighed. “He knew I had it, Harry,” she said. “He saw you give it to me at the end of term last year, remember? What was I going to do? Refuse to let him look at it?”
Draco shrugged. “Whatever.”
Hermione crossed her arms over her chest defensively. “I really am sorry about Ron finding out, Harry, but was that so bad? I mean, he’s okay with it now, and he can maybe help us.”
Draco snorted and Harry shot him a look. “I guess it’s fine, Hermione,” he said. “Just please try to keep this information quiet, okay? And don’t tell Ron about Lupin, all right?”
She nodded. “So are you not going to take me to Lupin’s rooms, then?” she asked. “I think this spell can help.”
Draco turned to Harry. “It’s up to you,” he said.
“I don’t think she deliberately told anyone where we are,” Harry replied. “But this is really important.” He turned towards the witch. “I’m serious that no one can know that he’s in the country, okay?”
Hermione nodded vigorously. “I promise,” she said.
Harry nodded. “Okay, let’s go now,” he said. “I think it’s important that they hear about this spell.”
“I didn’t see Snape at dinner,” Draco said casually.
Harry sent him a warning glance and he shrugged. “I’m just saying,” the blond continued. “Maybe he’s there helping Lupin. Wouldn’t be surprised.”
Hermione frowned. “I never got the impression that Snape was particularly friendly with Professor Lupin,” she said as they walked. “Why would you think that?”
“I think they’ve managed to set aside some of their differences,” Draco said, fighting a smirk. “Anyway, I mention it just so that you won’t be taken aback if Snape is there.”
“Okay,” Hermione said, shooting suspicious looks at the blond. Draco looked back with a deliberately innocent face.
They chatted on their way to the dungeons, Hermione asking questions as they walked. “Where are your usual henchmen anyway, Draco?” she asked as they rode the moving stairs down.
“I assume you are talking about Gregory and Vincent?” Draco asked. At her nod, he sighed. “They were kept home,” he said. “I think their parents figured they would be of more use as young Death Eaters than trying more intellectual pursuits.” He grimaced. “Their parents were the ones who were so into raping my likeness, after all.”
Hermione and Harry both shuddered, Harry placing a comforting arm around his boyfriend.
“I think that’s why Pansy is so protective,” Draco continued. “She’s worried that I’ll be vulnerable with them gone. They were assigned to me.”
“Assigned to you? What do you mean?” Harry asked.
“I mean, the summer before we came here our first year, my father contracted with their fathers that they would be my protectors. I, in turn, was to make sure that they passed all their classes and graduated on time. Why do you think I’ve had to work so hard? I’ve been doing homework for three all these years.”
Hermione shook her head. “You probably could have beaten me all those years, but for them,” she said.
Draco smirked. “Probably,” he said. “Although, the fact that I was second only to you AND managed to get them through six years of Hogwarts did manage to placate my father. Yes, he was upset when you beat me, but I had a legitimate explanation, so he didn’t punish me too badly.”
Harry clutched the blond’s shoulders tighter. He couldn’t imagine the pressures that Draco had been under all these years.
As they turned the corner to the hallway where Lupin’s quarters were located, Harry thought he heard something behind him and twisted around to look. That was probably what saved him.
A fireball whizzed by his head, missing him by mere inches. As the three teens looked on, shocked, the ball went careening into the wall, where it crashed and, with a boom, ignited.
Draco threw Harry to the ground while Hermione, wand at the ready, crouched low, looking around. The hallway was silent, except for the flames, and then the sound of running footsteps could be heard.
Rounding the corner, Pansy Parkinson, wand drawn, with Blaise Zabini close behind her, ran smack into Hermione, who was now on her feet, a look of fury on her face.
“What the fuck?” Draco said as he spotted his friends.
“What happened?” Pansy said, slowly lowering her wand as Hermione kept hers steadily pointed at the two Slytherins.
“Don’t you know?” Hermione asked, suspicion etched on her face.
Blaise rolled his eyes. “Is anyone going to put out that fire?” he asked.
“Praefocare,” Hermione said, and with a small sideways flick of her wand the fire died, smothered out of existence. “Now, what are you two doing here?” she asked, swinging back around to face them.
Pansy sighed almost sheepishly. “We were following you,” she said. “No one suspects us of being on your side, so we figured that we were perfect guards for those two.” She nodded towards Harry and Draco, who were now standing up. “You know? When they decided to go and make big, fat targets out of themselves.”
“How do we know that you didn’t make that fireball?” Hermione asked, her wand still pointed at Pansy.
Pansy rolled her eyes. “I suppose you don’t,” she said. “You can test us. Are any of you good at Legilimency?”
“I am decent at it, Miss Parkinson,” a deep voice said.
All five students turned as one to see Severus Snape standing there, a dark scowl on his face. Remus Lupin, clad only in rumpled sleep pants, stood behind him.
All five students’ mouths fell open.
“Well, what are you gawking at?” he snapped. “Get in here and tell us what happened. And why is that portion of the hallway burnt?”
“Umm, Severus?” Remus was practically whispering.
“What, Lupin? I’m a bit busy here.”
“You forgot to put on clothes, Sev,” he said, handing the Potions master a sleep robe.
Snape flushed and then, taking the robe, quickly pulled it on and tied the belt. Turning on his heel, he walked back into Remus’ quarters.
“Well? Come on in! And put away your wand, Miss Granger.”
Draco snickered. “Yeah, you should talk,” he murmured, making Harry cough in an attempt to hide his laughter. A stern look from Remus quelled his amusement instantly.
Taking Harry’s hand in his, Draco led the way into Remus’ quarters, followed by Hermione, Pansy, and then Blaise.
Remus, arms crossed, nodded at them as they all filed in through the door. With one last look up and down the hallway, he walked in after them and shut the door, warding it. When all was quiet, an area in the far corner of the hallway shimmered, and a figure, Invisibility Cloak clutched in its fingers, walked quietly away.
~
Once everyone was settled, Severus started his interrogation. “What were you doing in the Slytherin dungeon hallway, Miss Granger?” he asked softly.
“I was coming to see you and Professor Lupin, sir,” she replied, her cheeks still flushed from how much she had seen of her Potions professor a few minutes before. She glanced at Pansy and Blaise, hesitating.
“You may safely speak in front of them,” Severus said. “I have examined their thoughts with Legilimency, and they are not the spies, nor are they Death Eaters in training.”
Nodding, Hermione continued. “Harry told me about the Bludger, so I went to the Restricted Section to look up spells that might help figure out who sent it.”
“That was smart thinking, Miss Granger,” Remus said approvingly. “What did you find?”
“There’s an old spell that can reveal the magical signature of the person who cast the last spell on an object,” she continued. “It’s similar to a magical fingerprint. The only problem is obtaining access to the records at the Ministry once we identify that signature. And the spell takes a full day of preparation.”
“Albus might be able to get the Ministry information,” Severus said. “He is a member of the Wizengamot, after all, and everyone who owns a wand has their magical signature on file there.”
“Good work! We knew that it was a Dark magic spell, but that was the extent of what we could find out,” Remus said. “This might prove to be quite useful, Miss Granger, thank you. Where did you find the spell?”
As Hermione told Remus about the book in the Restricted Section that referenced the spell, Severus huffed and turned towards the Slytherins. “And what were you two doing loitering about here?”
Blaise shrugged. “We live down here, Professor,” he said with a grin.
Pansy hit him and he sent her a look. “We needed to find you, sir,” she said. “We both got letters from home today which you need to see, and we were following Draco because he needs all the help he can get.”
“Letters?” Severus’ eyebrows rose. “Very well. Let’s see.”
Pansy reached into her robes and pulled out a parchment. “We haven’t replied yet, sir, but a response is expected.”
Unrolling the parchment, the Potions master read it and then silently handed it to Remus.
“You have been targeted, Draco,” Severus said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “That was a directive for all loyal Death Eater children to do their utmost to maim or capture you and return you to your “concerned” family. Apparently Narcissa misses you. Although, it appears that if it’s just your body that is returned, no one will be too upset.”
“They do prefer you alive, Draco. And we’re to use whatever means necessary to return you,” Pansy said, meeting Draco’s eyes sympathetically.
The blond ran a shaky hand through his hair.
Harry put an arm over Draco’s shoulders and hugged him close. “So, we just have to keep Draco on Hogwarts grounds, right?” he said. “They can’t get to him, or me, if we stay within the wards, and since we’re always together, we’ll be safe.”
“You mean the way that we’ve safely had to dodge fireballs and Bludgers all day, Harry?” Draco asked sarcastically. “If they want to get to us, they will. We need to find who it is that has targeted us and incapacitate them.”
Remus nodded. “And I fear that you both have separate people after you, Harry. A fireball is not intended to capture, it is intended to kill. So that might have been aimed at Draco, not you. Just like the Bludger.”
“So the incidents have been aimed at Draco?” Harry said. “And there is still someone out there trying to capture me?” He sighed.
“It just confirms that both of you have been targeted, Potter,” Severus said. “You are both in danger, and either one of you might be hurt in the crossfire. It’s nothing we didn’t know before, and every person in this school is still a suspect, present company excluded.”
“Well, this complicates matters,” Hermione said. “All we need now is for some well-meaning member of the public to go after Draco because they think he’s a Death Eater.”
Draco groaned. “That would be my luck,” he said.
“Let’s not borrow trouble,” Remus said. “For now, we need to keep you two protected. And you need to train hard in preparation to defend yourselves if necessary.”
Severus nodded. “And we need to let the Headmaster know about the attacks immediately. He may need to adjust the wards.”
“You might want to dress a bit more warmly before we go, sir,” Draco said, smirking.
Severus scowled at him and stalked into the bedroom.
Harry rolled his eyes. It was going to be a long night.
~
Professor Dumbledore was waiting for them when they all, with the exception of Lupin, trooped up to his office. Lupin had evidently Fire-called ahead to prepare him.
After the obligatory offer of tea and lemon drops, he listened to Hermione’s magical signature idea and praised her for her hard work. He promised to investigate at the Ministry as soon as they had time to do the spell on the Bludger. He then took the letters from Blaise and Pansy and he perused them carefully.
“Well, that’s appears to be quite clear, doesn’t it?” he finally declared. “Have you decided on what you are going to do?” he asked the two Slytherins.
Pansy nodded. “I won’t turn Draco over to them, sir,” she said firmly. “I won’t be responsible for his death.”
“Nor will I,” Blaise said firmly.
“That’s very loyal of you, both of you,” Dumbledore said.
Draco rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. “Here it comes.”
“Of course, I... we might need some assurances about how we can be kept safe once they realize that we’re on your side in this. Those of us who’ve decided to switch, that is.” Pansy was matter-of-fact when she said this, her eyes unwavering from the Headmaster’s.
Dumbledore smiled gently at the young witch. “Yes, my dear, I had imagined that you and several of your house-mates might need such protections. Of course, the Order has discussed what provisions might be made.”
Blaise, who had been sitting stiffly next to Pansy, relaxed visibly. “Thanks, sir,” he said softly. “There are several others who would like to ask for asylum, but they weren’t sure how it would be received.”
“I will need names,” Dumbledore said, the twinkle in his eyes subdued, but still there. “And, Mr. Zabini?”
When Blaise looked up at him, he smiled gently. “You’ve made the right choice. We are glad to have you on our side.”
As Dumbledore reassured the two nervous Slytherins, Harry sighed softly. He and Draco were sitting on a small couch conjured for them by Dumbledore when they’d entered his office.
“Did you have anything to do with their decision?” he asked Draco.
The blond shrugged. “We’ve been discussing it,” he admitted. “But they came to their own conclusions.”
Harry grasped Draco’s hand tightly. “Thank you,” he whispered.
Draco smiled. “You can thank me later,” he whispered back.
Harry glanced up and saw Pansy looking at him, a smile on her face. When she caught his eye, she winked at him.
“Did you tell them about us?” he asked.
Draco nodded. “Figured they would find out eventually,” he said. “That okay?”
Harry smiled and squeezed Draco’s hand. “Yes,” he murmured.
“Well, it appears that we have some new helpers in the cause, Severus,” Dumbledore said. “Perhaps you could both assist Miss Granger in her research, Pansy and Blaise.”
The two Slytherins nodded eagerly, relieved that they had been accepted into the fold.
As Severus and Dumbledore discussed the Slytherins’ possible roles in the upcoming conflict, Hermione turned to Harry and Draco. “Classes start up again tomorrow,” she said. “We need a plan to protect you two. Maybe we should assign guard duty.”
Draco shrugged. “Fortunately, we’re in all the same classes,” he said. “I think we’ll manage to protect each other.”
Hermione sighed. She couldn’t help but think that things would get worse before this was all over.
~TBC in Chapter 9