The Secret's In The Telling by Sakuri

chapter 32

With difficulty, she fought down the rising tumult of questions. Before she could even begin to worry about whatever it was the Headmaster was implying, she had to first make sure she could even see Draco again after this. "If you still doubt my intentions, I have information I can give you. You'll want to hear it."

One silvery brow was raised. "Is that so? Continue, my dear."

"You have a traitor among your people, Headmaster. The wolf, Lupin, was at the meeting tonight, proposing to join the –"

Dumbledore sat forward sharply, his eyes deadly serious. "Remus Lupin was still alive when you saw him?"

Taken aback, she nodded hesitantly. "He was just before I fled. I think he was even among those to throw curses at me, though of course they went wide..." She narrowed her eyes, seeing his relief quite clearly. "You knew he was there. He's another spy, like Severus, isn't he?"

Slowly, the Headmaster sat back, once again tapping his fingertips together thoughtfully. "I must confess that Professor Lupin is in fact there with my approval." A rather sly look was beginning to creep into those blue eyes, which were twinkling annoyingly, she thought. "However, it does present a problem that you're now aware of this very confidential project."

"Obliviate me if you must, but please –"

Dumbledore spoke on as if he hadn't heard a word she'd just said. "Yes, a rather large problem indeed. I'm afraid, my dear, that I simply can't allow you to leave the castle after this. For fear of word spreading, you see." He gazed at her pointedly, willing her to take the offer for what it was.

The Slytherin in her recognised it immediately. "Y-you'll allow me to stay?"

He sighed. "Well, it would seem I have no choice, wouldn't it?" He smiled for a brief second, before his persona became serious again. "I am afraid I'll have to take you up on that offer of Veritaserum, though."

She nodded, refusing to show how pathetically grateful she felt in that moment. "Of course. Immediately?"

"Well, I shall escort you down to the Hospital Wing and you can get cleaned up there while Poppy prepares a small drop of truth serum. Better to get it all over and done with, hmm?" He stood and came around the desk to join her, holding out an arm to guide her toward the door. "You may speak with Mr Malfoy at length in the morning," he told her, then chuckled. "If, that is, you can pry him away from Mr Potter long enough."

She gave him a rather concerned look. "Yes, Severus informed me of their... acquaintance. How odd, knowing the history."

"Really? You think so? I always believed it inevitable..."

xxx

"Finally finished fucking each other then?"

Startled, Harry whirled around, his bundle of discarded clothes still in hand, and squinted into the darkness, quickly locating the speaker. Ron was lying on his side facing Harry, who had previously assumed everyone already asleep. His expression was pure spite.

When he registered the words, Harry almost choked. "What?" he hissed, trying not to wake the others in his indignation.

"Well, you must have been doing something to keep you out this late, and the two of you are pretty much all over each other nowadays."

That, Harry knew, was a lie. He and Draco conducted their newfound friendship much as they'd conducted their rivalry: sarcastic barbs flung back and forth, bickering that had barely lost its edge and certainly no public displays of affection. In fact, his peers might have thought nothing had changed at all, except for the fact that the Gryffindor now willingly subjected himself to this torment, for whatever unfathomable reason.