Gold Tinted Spectacles (Hecatemus Book #1)

Chapter 26 - Discussions

"We didn't tell anyone," Neville said a little nervously as the soulmates joined their three friends.

Typical Longbottom reaction to reassure his companions in the most direct way possible, if Harry hadn't been feeling quite so mentally battered he might have smiled.

"Thank you," he replied quietly, "I don't think I could deal with anyone else knowing."

A rather conflicted look passed across Hermione's features and Harry knew what she was thinking and couldn't blame her.

"Harry," she said rather hesitantly, "I think you should at least tell one of the staff. This could be important; it affected you badly."

Harry did not want to tell anyone, he would rather have dealt with this situation with only himself and Draco involved, but it was difficult not to see Hermione's point. The urge to shout her down and tell her to mind her own business reared suddenly into his mind, but Draco's calming presence prevented Harry from saying anything he would regret. He looked at his lover and took a deep breath before nodding.

"Dumbledore," he said after a moment, "we'll tell Dumbledore."

Hermione appeared incredibly relieved.

"But no one else," Harry went on with a pleading note in his voice, "please, not until we have it figured out."

The other three Gryffindors all looked at each other and then as one nodded firmly. For that Harry managed a small smile of gratitude.

"I found the reference," Hermione spoke again after a moment and handed Draco the book she was holding. "It's not much, but it proves that there may be a logical explanation for," she almost said Sirius, but visibly changed her mind and replaced it with, "what happened."

Harry did not bother to read over his lover's shoulder as Draco's eyes wandered down the page to where his friend indicated.

"We should get this to Hilde," Draco said after a few moments, "she may have more information."

The last thing Harry wanted was another person in on the whole incident, but his soulmate's tone was very firm and he did not have the strength to argue. It would probably be for the best even if the idea of each new person knowing did horrify Harry. He was not thinking straight and he knew it, so he acquiesced with a slight nod.

"We'll figure it out, Harry," Ron said with his usual optimism, "don't you worry."

Several cutting replies came to his mind, but he squashed them and instead gave his friend a bland smile. This was not their fault and he would not take it out on them, but he couldn't help hoping that he and Draco could get away soon.

* * *

Harry sat down in the offered chair and Draco perched on the arm of the comfortable piece of furniture never letting contact with his soulmate drop. The real world was still vaguely dim in Harry's perspective as his mind worked on the evening's events and processed everything else rather automatically.

"Something has happened, has it not, Harry?" Dumbledore's calm tones broke through his contemplations and he looked up into the headmaster's unusually serious, blue eyes.

Harry nodded silently and tried to come up with the right way to begin. Draco remained beside him, a quiet, constant source of strength, but did not move to speak in his place, knowing that he needed to be the one to do this.

"Sirius isn't as gone as we thought," Harry said eventually, his voice quiet, almost to the point of a whisper. "We saw him earlier."

Dumbledore's features remained calm, but there was a momentary flash of concern and confusion in the normally twinkling eyes. Harry did not have the mental energy to empathise.