The two of them left the hogshead, walking down the path as Hari looked in at the windows of the stores. She suddenly stopped at the pet store, #) I need to get some protein tonics for Duck, I'm almost out. (#
"Can't you just make them?" Fred asked as she dragged him into the shop, "Aren't they really easy potions?"
#) But they're so boring to make. (# Hari complained, grabbing a box of them off the shelf, as well as some owl treats.
She walked to the counter, putting them down and paying for them as Fred trailed behind her, then left the shop.
Hari was happy that nothing terrible had happened today, she was so exhausted and stressed that she felt she was dangling off the end of a cliff wth one strand left on her rope.
She sighed contently, glad to be spending a relaxing day with Fred, free from chaos.
The continued to walk down the road, looking in at the windows at all the cool stuff behind the glass.
They entered honeydukes and Hari grabbed a bag, starting to fill it. Once they had filled up a massive bag of candy each, they left the store.
Fred glanced over at shop, staring at the window, and got a snowball to the back of the head.
"Hey!" he threw one back at her, missing.
#) You missed, (# Hari laughed, wind whipping her hair around her face. His next throw hit her, but she could only stand there, and laugh.
They continued on their way.
"What were you working on earlier?" Fred after they got on the carriage.
#) Wolfsbane. (# She said without thinking.
He looked at her in shock, "what? That's not even in the seventh-year curriculum! You learn that if you become an apprentice!"
#) I umm, what did I say? (#
"You said you were making wolfsbane!"
#) I- umm.... I was just- (# He gave her a look and she paused, then nodded. #) Yeah, I was making wolfsbane. (#
"But your potions marks are only pretty good at best? Aren't they? You told us that you barely passed last year? How are you making such an advanced potion?"
#) Beginner's luck? (# Hari tried to lie, it sounded so fake that she cringed.
"We need to talk, you've been being really weird, and this is just one thing. "
#) What? I'm not being weird. (# Hari said, and immediately saw it was the wrong response as his expression darkened. Hari took a deep breath, #) What did I do? (# she asked nervously.
"I've seen you disappearing into the dungeons, you just randomly go missing." He paused, "There are nights that Hermione doesn't see you enter or leave your dorm, or finds it empty in the middle of the night. I know because she asked if you were with me and then accused me of being inappropriate as if I would ever make you uncomfortable!"
#) Fred, I- (#
"I've seen you hugging professor Snape, bloody hugging the professor that everyone knows you hate. I've seen a very familiar-looking fox on Malfoy's lap. I don't know how you changed your fur to blond but I know it was you. Malfoy? Really!?"
She flinched as he yelled, "Fred-" she blinked, fighting to see to see through her tears.
"Just how stupid and blind do you think I am!?" He jumped off the now stopped carriage, walking away.
#) Fred! (# she chased after him, grabbing his arm. #) Fred, please, I can explain...(#
"Explain then, now's your chance."
She nodded, and wiped her eyes, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the dungeons.
"Why are we going towards the dungeons?"
#) I'll explain, I promise, just please come. (#
He nodded, following her to a door. She took her wand out of its sheath and touched it to the door, using her free hand to write in the air, altering the wards to let him in. She opened the door and he followed her into the small room that she spent so much time in with Draco. She waved her wand at her side, sending a patronus running out of the room.
She shut the door, turning to face him. #) I'm not sure how to say this. (#
He looked down at her, "just say it."
#) Well, I'm- (# she paused, #) I might as well just show you. (#
She reached to her other wrist and tapped the code onto her bracelet, feeling the cold shiver as her appearance changed into Cassandra.
She looked up to see him staring at her in shock. She watched as surprise, followed by confusion flitted across his face, the gears turning in his mind.
After a minute he finally asked, "how? What? Does Malfoy know?"
Hari nodded, #) He does, yes. (#
Fred just looked at her, "Why though, why would you do this?"
Hari looked down, playing with her fingerless gloves. #) Remember in my second year, when a nice man dropped me off at your door in the summer, saying he had rescued me from the Dursleys. (#
Fred nodded, that had been a bit of a stressful summer for everyone.
#) Well , ummm... (# Hari fidgeted, #) That nice man was really Severus. (#
"Snape?"
Hari nodded, #) I, well as you know I wasn't treated very... well... at the Dursleys, (# That was a bit of an understatement, but only Draco and Severus really knew the full extent. She preferred to not tell anyone, people already pitied her enough, and she hated it. She looked down again, #) and well I managed to write letters, asking to be rescued from the Dursleys... and... but... Dobby stole them, cause he was trying to stop me from going back to Hogwarts. (#
"What does this have to do with Snape and Malfoy?"
#) Dobby used to work for the Malfoys, and Draco found the letters, showed them to Severus, and the two of them came to rescue me. (# she rubbed her nose.
"So you've-"
#) been close friends with him ever since, yeah. (#
"And you trust him?"
Hari nodded, wiping her eyes again, #) With my life. (#
"Why don't you just show your friendship?" Fred asked, Hari thought that was an incredibly stupid question.
#) First of, would you have trusted me, if you had known that one of my best friends was Draco Malfoy? (#
Fred seemed to understand, "No, I would have immediately hated you."
Hari nodded, #) Exactly, and secondly, remember last year when he was my hostage in the tournament? (#
"So that wasn't a mistake then..." Fred thought out loud, "yes I remember."
#) He.. (# she sniffled again, #) He got so much retribution for that.. so much pain. He got so hurt, he's suffering for simply helping me. (# she covered her face, blinking away sudden tears, a crack breaking in her mental wall as those around her started to feel like they were closing in on her again. #) I keep getting people hurt. I keep hurting people... it's all my fault. (# She dropped to her knees, overwhelmed #) it's all my fault.... it's all my fault. (#
[Draco's POV]
Draco received Hari's patronus, jogging over from the Slytherin common room and opening the door to the safe little room they shared, just as Hari, transformed into Cassandra, dropped to her knees, hands over her face, sobbing, as one of the Weasleys stood over her.
He jumped between the two of them, wand already in his hand and blasting the Weasley, one of the twins, away from her.
"What the hell did you do!?" he said, keeping his wand pointed at the twin as he turned to Hari. "Hey," he said softly, "I'm here, you're alright."
"Malfoy," the voice came from behind him.
"What!?" Draco growled out, wrapping his free arm around Hari.
"I didn't hurt her, at least I didn't mean to, I didn't do anything." the twin, whom Draco was guessing was Fred, said sadly.
Draco ignored him, turning back to Hari and gently moving her hands away from her face. She looked up at him. "What's wrong?" he asked gently.
She just reached out a shaky hand, tracing the scars from his claws on his chin and neck.
"She was talking about how it was her fault that you had gotten retribution for being her hostage, and then just broke down."
Draco didn't register the fact that Weasley knew who she was, simply gently wrapping his arms around her, "I'm still here, I'm alright. It's not your fault."
Hari blinked, seeming too somewhat calm down, nodding, leaning forwards into him. She shifted in his arms, and her platinum hair turned back to brown.
Draco remembered that Weasley was there, "he's still here." he whispered quickly.
#) it's alright, (# she said tiredly, standing up,#) Fred knows. (#
"He knows?" Draco frowned, standing as well, and putting an arm around her shoulders."Why?"
#) He figured some stuff out and I wanted, no, I needed to stop lying. (#
"But this is about your safety, the more people that know, the less safe you are."
"Are you implying that I would betray Hari?" Weasley said coldly.
Draco frowned "Maybe."
His hand reached discreetly towards his wand holster, but was stopped by Hari's.
She moved forwards, standing so they made a triangle.
#) Fred, I'm really sorry for lying to you, it was for safety, and Draco I'm sorry for not telling you what was going on in my message, but could you like, not attack each other, I already have enough of a headache. (#
Weasley held out his right hand "Fred Weasley, prank master and resident genius," Draco saw Hari roll her eyes at that, "pleased to formally make your acquaintance." Weasley continued, "Agree to be at least civil for Hari's sake?"
Draco frowned, but shook the offered hand.
"Now that that's settled, Hari, have you shown Malfoy your hand yet?"
Hari looked at Weasley, wide eyed.
"Her hand?" Draco looked at her hand in confusion, but all he could see were fingerless green gloves. Fingerless green gloves that he were pretty sure had formally belonged to him.... and had had fingers attached to them.
#) It's nothing, I'm fine. (#
"Have you had a detention with Umbridge?" Weasley asked of Draco
He shook his head. "Me? Detention? Last and only detention I ever had was in first year."
#)It's fine. (# Hari frowned at Weasley, #) It's just lines. (#
Draco grabbed her left hand, her dominant hand, and pulled the glove off. Across the back of it, written in scars, were the words: I must not speak against my betters.
He felt like trowing up, "This is what you call lines? Shit Hari, report her!"
#) To who, Dumbledore? (# She said sarcastically but clearly frustrated.
"Maybe he wo-" Weasley started
"Dumbledore?" Draco scoffed, interrupting. "He hates you and probably thinks it's perfect to turn you into his perfect easily manipulatable little golden girl. Hell no, I was thinking Severus."
#) I don't want to bother him. (#
"You don't want to bother him!?" the two boys said in unison, then looked at each-other in surprise.
#) I- (# She frowned, #) Just leave it. (# she left, muttering annoyedly about having two people on her case now.
Draco stopped Weasley as he went to follow her, "Keep her safe."
Weasley nodded, "I will," then he turned to follow the small girl they both cared so much about. Draco wished he could follow her too, but he never could. He stood in the middle of the room, staring at the open doorway, jealousy rearing its ever-present head as he watched the retreating form of the boy who had taken his place.
OMG what a chapter! That's longer than usual hehe. Anyone else realize the repeat of Snape and Lily? Mwa ha ha ha ha! I regret nothing. 😈
~Also Fred apologizes for making Hari cry, he didn't mean too.