Unusual ending - The secret pact - 2

[herumtreiber]

Title: Unusual ending - chapter 17 - 2
Chapter: seventeen
Author:herumtreiber 
Genre: Slash, time travel, romance, adventure
Disclaimer:  I do not own Harry Potter or related characters. Nor do I make any money from the writing of these stories.
Rating: R
Warnings: Sexual content
Epilogue compliant? No way!
Chapter length: 1916 words
Beta: None.
Summary: Old meets new. Harry walks all over Draco's heart, and when he realizes his mistakes he does the unforgivable so Draco takes him back. Time travel. During HBP, disregards Deathly Hallows - that means everyone's alive, except Sirius, but...

Table of contents



The secret pact -1/2

When Hermione arrived at her dormitory, she was relieved to find Crookshanks sleeping soundly on her bed. She sat down and petted the ginger cat, who purred in his sleep.

Hermione yawned and took off her sweater; she held it aloft and looked with distaste at the scorched back where a stray spell had passed too close.

Noticing a shadow creeping by, Hermione took out her wand and pointed it at a frightful figure – its face was ghostly white and it appeared to have carrots instead of hair, contrasting sharply with its ethereal white shroud. The spectre shrank back emitting a shriek that penetrated deeply in Hermione's ears, momentarily vanishing any trace of sleep and exhaustion she might have. Hermione's nerves were taut after the battle, and she readied herself to fight this unfamiliar ghost if need be.

Peering closely at the seeming banshee, Hermione realised that it was only Lavender Brown wearing curlers and her usual face cream and nightgown.

After she recovered her poise, Lavender crossed her arms and glared at Hermione. "Where have you been, Hermione? And why did you threaten me?"

Hermione's exhaustion came back after the latest adrenaline rush. However, she was curious about something. Touching softly Crookshanks' ginger fur, Hermione looked at Lavender and raised an eyebrow. "Never mind that, Lavender. Did Crookshanks go anywhere in the night?"

Lavender huffed, "Not that I know of. Your fat cat has been sleeping on your bed all night." She motioned to her ghostly white face. "During the night I had to reapply my cream and saw the big fat orange lump on your bed."

---

When Harry woke up, he noticed the shadows on the wall and realised it was sunset. He'd slept all day.

He stretched his arms and sat up on the comfy bed, noticing that the Weasleys were absent.

Kreacher was standing up and quailing a bit under Poppy's glare. The old elf muttered, "Bloody nurse is too forceful, Kreacher has chores to do!"

Kreacher snapped his fingers and disappeared, leaving Poppy scowling at the bed.

The nurse went to Harry's bed and motioned towards Draco. "Please wake him up, Harry; the Headmaster wants to see all of you after you have dinner."

Harry stood up and went to Draco's side. He jostled the Slytherin's elbow whilst the blond muttered, "Gerroff me, snake or I'll..."

Draco rubbed his eyes and mumbled grumpily, "What do you want?"

Harry relayed Poppy's message and Draco stretched his arms lazily like a big cat. He went to the bathroom and tried to fix his hair, noting with approval that all traces of gore had been removed.

But when he looked down at his infirmary pyjamas, he realised he had to go back to the dungeons for clothes. Perhaps Harry can lend me his Invisibility Cloak? thought Draco whilst he splashed his face.

Halfway satisfied with his appearance, the Slytherin opened the bathroom door and saw Pansy talking quietly with Harry. She had deposited fresh clothes for him on the bed.

She winked at Harry and called to Draco, "Got clothes for you, Draco."

Draco picked up the robe, a crisp white shirt, wool trousers and his indispensable Slytherin tie. "Where's Blaise?"

Pansy frowned. "He got up an hour ago, we went to dinner – I had to make a detour for your clothes. Blaise is waiting for us in Dumbledore's office."

Draco bent down to kiss his ex-girlfriend. "Thanks, Pansy! You're the best."

Pansy blushed whilst Harry snickered, and then she glared at the Gryffindor.

---

When Harry arrived at Dumbledore's office, just behind Draco, he saw that Ron's parents were there. Mrs. Weasley was sniffling and sitting between Fred and George. She was squeezing tightly Fred's left hand.

Ron sat apart from his family. Hermione was sipping daintily from a cup of tea whilst she made small talk with Ron, occasionally glaring at him.

Mrs. Weasley looked at Draco with gratitude and smiled warmly at the boy. Harry deduced that Fred and George had repeated their story.

Blaise was standing next to Fawkes' perch; the Slytherin was petting the phoenix and whispering in the bird's ear. Pansy was standing next to him, peering at some parchments on the desk.

Blaise is probably trying to bribe the phoenix to take him to Italy to visit his grandmother and Pansy wants some blackmail material, thought Draco, shaking his head in admiration.

McGonagall was standing next to Severus, whispering in the ear of the Potions Master. Severus scowled at Dumbledore and nodded, something that obviously surprised McGonagall, to judge from her raised eyebrow.

Dumbledore sat on his ornate chair; he was wearing a violet robe and purple hat. The cord around his beard was golden, and his eyes glinted when he saw Harry.

The Headmaster nodded to his favourite student and bade him sit down next to Ron.

Harry warily recognised Dumbledore's usual demeanour, and he took his seat next to his redhead friend, who was holding Hermione's hand.

Draco sat next to Harry and looked around noticing that his mother was absent. Probably Mom's gone to the Manor, after all, she has to oversee father's financial affairs now that he's stuck in Azkaban. But not for long, if I have my way, thought Draco smugly.

Dumbledore coughed delicately, and when he was sure he had the attention of all the people in the room, he started. "I have questioned your friends and professors about last night's activities, Harry. And I must say you performed admirably well. One hundred points to Gryffindor for your bravery!"

Harry beamed whilst Draco growled, thinking that the old coot was distracting Harry from questioning him about his actions – like the small matter of immobilising him during the battle. Surely Dumbledork expected Harry and the Gryffindorks to enjoy the points and simply be content. Trouble is, the old coot is probably right, thought Draco disgustedly.

Dumbledore gazed sharply at Draco – as if reading his mind through Legilimency – and continued in a severe tone. "As for you, Mr. Malfoy, I must say I'm disappointed in your actions which indirectly caused this confrontation – not to mention revealing yourself as a spy. Fifty points from Slytherin!"

Pansy and Blaise shot hateful looks at Dumbledore and Severus growled. Draco started to say something – but it was Ron who reacted first.

"Bollocks! You must be out of your mind, Headmaster!" Ron stood up and laid his hands on the desk, his face was as red as a tomato, and he was scowling fiercely at Dumbledore.

"I don't like Malfoy – but if it hadn't been for him, Fred and George would probably be dead! How can you dismiss something like that?" Ron ruffled his red hair and stuck his hand in his robes, probably searching for his wand – until Hermione's hand softly touched his elbow.

"Ron's right, Headmaster," added Hermione. "Malfoy did save the twins, as they just told you. How can you take house points from Slytherin for that?"

Draco crossed his arms and smirked at the old coot. Things are looking up. Never dreamed that Weasley and Granger would stand up for me. I'll have to discontinue my plans to thoroughly hex them, thought Draco smugly.

McGonagall frowned at her old friend. She could understand turning a blind eye to the Marauders' actions – after all, she did the same – but this was going too far.

"Sixty points to Slytherin for cunning that resulted in saving lives," blurted McGonagall, surprising everyone, especially Draco.

At that moment the Floo flared to life and Mad-Eye Moody appeared in the room. The grizzled Auror shook off the ash from his coat and glared at the occupants, growling, "What? I could've been a Death Eater and caught you unawares. Constant Vigilance!"

He limped towards Dumbledore's desk and stopped just two feet from Draco, who tried to make as much space as he could from the paranoid Auror – remembering when his look-alike hexed him.

"Eighty points to Slytherin" – snapped Severus, shooting a venomous glare at his mentor – "for Draco's exquisitely timed actions, befitting our House."

Moody's magical eye whirled and settled on Draco. The Auror said, "Did I miss something?"

Severus waved his hand towards Dumbledore and replied, "Only that Albus here wants to punish Draco for saving the meddlesome Weasleys."

Dumbledore sighed and fingered his beard wearily. "You mistake my meaning, Severus. I just think that Draco could have saved the Weasley twins without revealing his role as a spy."

Albus looked sharply at Severus. "Indeed, you could have done the same, Severus. Now we have no spies amongst the Death Eaters."

"Bollocks!" said Moody, eerily imitating Ron's earlier words. "Malfoy here did a good thing, and it's time that you recognised it, Albus."

Before the old men could get into a fight, Draco drawled, "Now that Voldemort is dead, Headmaster, it is time to fulfil your part of our pact."

Dumbledore's eyes stopped twinkling. "What do you mean, my boy?"

"Remember when I first came to you and offered my services as a spy?" drawled Draco.

Pansy raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Blaise. The black Slytherin nodded, remembering that conversation in the train when Draco told them his plans for the new school year.

Dumbledore nodded resignedly. "Yes, Draco, I remember."

When the professors looked inquiringly at him, Dumbledore explained. "At the beginning of the year, Draco came into my office-"

The Headmaster stopped and swept his gaze around the room. "This is strictly confidential. No word of what transpires here is to be repeated. Am I clear?" Dumbledore looked sternly at the twins until they nodded like the rest of the people.

"-he came to me with a proposal. Draco offered to be a spy within Voldemort's ranks," continued Dumbledore, ignoring the gasps of Mr and Mrs Weasley.

When Dumbledore stopped, Draco lifted an eyebrow and drawled, "And in return?"

Dumbledore fidgeted with his ring and finally replied, "And in return, the Malfoy family would be left alone when Voldemort died."

Dumbledore looked towards the windows. He added in a whisper, "That includes Lucius. Now that Voldemort is gone, I'm bound to push for Lucius' freedom in the Wizengamot."

"Surely your position as Chief Warlock will come in handy now," said Draco whilst he held Harry's hand.

Dumbledore nodded, although now that the Malfoy patriarch was about to be set free, he feared for his carefully constructed plans.

Antares thought that he could win me for his plans, whatever they are. He wasn't aware that they fitted exactly into mine. Family is everything for a Malfoy, and now that father has endured the hardships of Azkaban prison, he won't return to Dark Magic, and mother will be happy that he returns home, thought Draco whilst he smirked.

Turning to look at Harry, his smirk changed slowly into a sweet smile, showing his pearly teeth to perfection. He rubbed his thumb on Harry's palm.

Yes, family is everything for a Malfoy. Harry is part of me now, my love and my life. And for this I thank Merlin and that old man, whoever he is.

But Harry unfortunately could not read Draco's thoughts, and his mind was in turmoil; the insecurity that the Dursleys' harsh treatment had bred into him came to the fore.

What if Draco is just pretending he loves me as part of this pact with Dumbledore? Is that why he endured my insensitive ways, because he wanted his father back? What we have, is it just another of his plans? thought Harry despairingly.

The unfulfilled Vow - 1/2