Charlie watched Draco as the others left the infirmary. There was a strange pensive gleam in Draco's eyes as he stared at the retreating form of his father. When the door finally closed, the young man turned that blue gaze on him; it was filled with anger, with hurt, and somewhere deep down a desperate hope that somehow Charlie could make this all right. Seeing that look Charlie knew he had a small window of opportunity here to set their future to a course they could both be happy with. No more tricks or machinations, no more knee-jerk reactions to grab what he wanted before someone stole it away. He had to speak from the heart or break something fragile and possibly irreparable.
He pulled a chair up to the edge of the bed where Draco was sitting, and sat down in front of the young man. His mother had always told him that the truth was the only sure path in any relationship, and considering her long years of marriage, he had to guess she knew what she was talking about. He searched for words and found to his surprise that he already knew what he wanted to say.
"When I was twelve years old a fortune-teller told me that I would one day marry a Dragon who was about to be devoured by a wolf," Charlie began. Something flickered in Draco's eyes, but he remained silent.
"Of course," Charlie continued with a wry smile. "At the time I took the prophecy quite literally and found the whole idea a bit gross - marrying a fire breathing lizard wouldn't appeal to most people. Eventually I realized that she was probably speaking metaphorically. And then I met you and I knew you were the Dragon. And thanks to your father's intervention you were literally about to be devoured by a werewolf."
Draco paled at that, but still he remained silent, listening closely to Charlie's words. Charlie let his gaze move over the young man's form, noting the tense shoulders, the paleness of his cheeks, the bitter frown on his lips. But mostly he saw the lonely confusion in his eyes.
"I asked myself how could I save you," Charlie told him softly. "My family has no means to overcome the Malfoy or Black Conscriptus. Even if you had not been promised to Sirius, your father would never consider me a suitable match. And then the thought struck me that if you were going to be literally devoured by a werewolf, why not simply turn you literally into a Dragon."
Draco stiffened at that, his features tightening as his anger returned. His fist clenched, and he turned his head away either in shame or fury, Charlie did not know which. Impulsively Charlie reached out and covered one of his hands with his own, and while the fist did not unclench, Draco also did not pull his hand away from his touch. He took some heart in that.
"But the reality is, Draco, that the fortune was never meant to be taken literally. You are not a Dragon, despite that gold around your neck. And as coincidental as the situation with Remus Lupin is, he is not the wolf that threatens to devour you. There is a wolf at your door, Draco, a dark and terrible wolf that will eat you alive. Even your father can see it, and in his own strange way he was trying to save you from it by marrying you to Sirius."
Draco had grown still at these words, and looked back at him, his eyes wary. "You mean the Dark Lord," he whispered, sounding both frightened and accusing all at the same time.
But Charlie shook his head. "No, I don't."
Draco blinked in shock at that, confusion filling his face. That was obviously not the answer he was expecting.
Charlie sighed and squeezed Draco's hand once before releasing it. He stood up and paced slowly at the foot of the bed as he tried to find the words to explain what he meant. "A lot of things could happen in the next few years, Draco," he said softly. "This war may drag on for decades with huge losses on both sides. Voldemort might win and kill or enslave all his enemies. Our side might win and kill or imprison all the Death Eaters. Or maybe both sides will completely destroy the world, and nobody will win. But regardless of the outcome of the war, that wolf will still devour you."
Charlie turned and studied the young man. Draco's eyes were wide, watching his every movement, and Charlie knew that he was listening intently to his words. "Just like the Dragon was not meant to be literal, neither was the wolf. The thing waiting to devour you, Draco, is not a werewolf or a dark lord. It's the wolf inside you. The dark thing that made you think that your own father was trying to kill you."
Draco flinched at his words and something horrible and painful filled those blue eyes, and for a moment all Charlie could see was a boy who desperately wanted affection from a father who was not capable of giving it. He could see clearly that the young man understood - that the wolf that threatened him was the very world he lived in, the coldness, the cruelty, the constant fear that the very people he should be able to trust were the ones most likely to stab him in the back. That wolf inside of Draco would break his soul apart and reshape it into something horrible to earn the love and approval of a man he could never truly please.
Charlie stepped toward him, wanting to offer some comfort even while speaking words he knew would hurt. "Both our fathers were here today," he told him. "You stood before your father and trembled in fear, knowing he would strike you if given the chance. But I knew my father would support me without question. Just as I know that my mother and my brothers and my sister will welcome you into the family."
Draco shook his head violently at that. "No," he denied. "I don't believe you!"
Charlie sat down beside him on the bed. "Oh, I have no doubt that Ron will have a good laugh over this," he flicked the gold around Draco's neck with one finger. "And no doubt you'll be subjected to a good deal of teasing over it, though after your comments to Harry when he was married I suspect you deserve some teasing in turn." Draco's eyes flashed at that, and Charlie couldn't help but smile. "But I also know that if anyone attempts to take advantage of you or tries to hurt you because of this, Ron will be the first in line to defend you. Neither he nor Ginny would stand by and let anyone hurt their brother-in-law."
He could see the wild emotion churning in Draco, the confusion, the disbelief. He could also see sixteen years worth of prejudice warring inside him - the idea that the family he was about to join was somehow beneath him despite the fact that they could give him the very affection he secretly craved. "You don't understand," Draco sighed. "You don't know what I'll face. Why couldn't you have just. . ."
"Courted you?" Charlie asked and saw by the blush that stained the young man's face that he had guessed correctly. "You and I both know it would never have been allowed."
The bitter frown that twisted the young man's features confirmed that he did indeed know the truth. There was no possibility that Lucius Malfoy would ever have accepted a suit from a Weasley.
Draco closed his fist around the piece of Dragon gold that hung around his neck. He looked up at Charlie, raw emotion in his eyes as he asked the one question Charlie knew he most desperately wanted answered. "Did you have to trick me?"
"I was desperate," Charlie confessed. "Without that gold I had no chance of claiming you. And without the Cedo contract your father would kill me the moment you were free of that gold. Is that what you want Draco? Do you want me to die?"
Draco grew still, his fist tightening around the gold. When he did not answer, Charlie understood in that instant that if he were to have any future at all with this young man, he would have to let Draco make the final choice.
"I'll remove the Dragon gold right now, but you have to ask for it," Charlie whispered echoing the words he had used the night before. "You have to ask for it."
Draco turned toward him, eyes wide and glittering, body poised as if waiting for something.
"I'll remove it," Charlie promised him. "You'll be your father's son again. Maybe your father will still have you marry Sirius. Or maybe he'll choose someone else for you, one of your Slytherin classmates perhaps. Or maybe he'll leave you be and let you live your life the way you want. Either way, you'll never see me again."
Charlie raised his hand and gently stroked the smooth skin of Draco's cheek, lightly trailing his fingertips over the young man's soft lips. Draco was trembling. He slowly closed his hand around Draco's fist where it still clutched at the piece of gold. "I'll remove the gold, but you have to ask for it," he repeated and then waited in dread for the answer, his heart pounding hard in his chest.
Draco swallowed nervously, his eyes flickering with a thousand different emotions. "I'm a Malfoy," he said simply. "We never give away our gold." The slow sweet smile that Draco gave him assured Charlie that with time that dark hungry wolf would flee their door.
The sense of relief that had washed over Harry when Hermione told him that Remus and Sirius were free of the demands of the Conscriptus made him laugh in a way he had not done so in a long time. He sat down at Gryffindor table amid the ruins of the Great Hall while around him students and teachers attempted to sort out the mess. He never thought he would feel such gratitude for Draco Malfoy - never mind the fact that based on his temper tantrum his aid was probably unknowingly given.
Hermione waited quietly while he laughed along with the others, her look toward him one of understanding. But she glared rather disapprovingly at Ron and the other Gryffindor boys. Neville, Dean and Seamus were still giggling uncontrollably along with Ron, though Neville at least was trying to straighten out the mess of splattered food and plates on the table.
"Oh, come on, Hermione," Ron finally said when he realized that his girlfriend was not amused. "You have to admit it's funny. A Gryffindor tricking a Slytherin."
"I suppose you find the idea of having Draco Malfoy enslaved and at your brother's mercy amusing?" Hermione huffed.
Ron sobered immediately, his eyes hardening in a way that surprised Harry. "What are you implying about my brother?" he demanded.
His words took Hermione aback. "What?" she asked in confusion, glancing uncertainly over at Harry. Harry was a bit surprised by the intensity of Ron's question himself.
"Are you implying that you think my brother would abuse someone under his protection?" he demanded.
"Isn't that why you were laughing?" Hermione asked in confusion. Harry watched the exchange in silence. Neville had grown still, and both Dean and Seamus were shushing each other when they realized that Ron was no longer laughing.
"No!" Ron protested, looking as outraged as Harry had ever seen him. Ron turned that outrage on him a moment later. "Is that why you were laughing?" he demanded.
Surprised, Harry shook his head. "I was just relieved about Sirius and Remus," he admitted. Truthfully he hadn't thought of Draco's fate one way or another. So much of his attention had been focused on Remus and the threat of death at the hands of the Ministry that he hadn't be able to think of much else. If Ron had seen Remus lying as still as death in the cold, dark Chamber of Secrets last night, he wouldn't have even asked such a question.
Ron turned toward the other three boys. Neville had sobered as quickly as Ron but both Seamus and Dean looked as confused as Hermione and Harry.
"That's not why we were laughing?" Dean asked uncertainly. Harry had the distinct impression that it was their Muggle backgrounds that was causing the problem once again. The two pureblooded Wizards were the only ones who looked upset, both Ron and Neville seeming shocked by the idea.
"Wait a minute!" Hermione interrupted before Ron could say anything more. "You have to admit that considering the way Wizards treat house elves, is it any wonder I would jump to that conclusion?"
Ron turned on her. "Have you ever seen me kick a house elf?" he demanded. "Have you ever seen anyone in my family kick a house elf? Have you ever seen my father curse any of his children or hit his wife? Have you ever seen any of us torture Muggles or get Dark Marks branded on our arms?"
They had all grown silent by then. "I wasn't implying any of that Ron," Hermione said quietly.
"Actually, Hermione, you were," Neville corrected her. When they all turned to stare at him, the shy boy just shrugged. "I don't know anything about Dragon gold, but suggesting that Charlie would abuse a Dragon he handled or any person or creature he was bonded to magically was pretty much on par with everything else Ron listed."
"I thought you liked Charlie?" Ron exclaimed looking genuinely distressed by the thought.
"I do!" Hermione protested. "But he did enslave someone."
"Well, what are you afraid he's going to do with him? Turn him into the Weasley house elf or maybe lock him in a cage for the rest of his life or take away his wand? Did it occur to you that maybe he has a good reason for doing this?"
Hermione flushed and Harry knew it was because those were probably exactly the things she was thinking about. "What possible reason could he have for enslaving him?" she demanded.
Ron stared at her incredulously. "Well, obviously he likes the little snot and wants him for himself."
Harry knew he looked just as shocked as Hermione did by Ron's words, and the two of them exchanged baffled looks.
Ron just looked more disbelieving. "Don't tell me you didn't notice the looks they were exchanging the other night?"
Harry hadn't noticed but obviously Hermione had. "You noticed that?" she demanded of her usually clueless boyfriend.
"How could you miss it? The little ferret blushed the other day in class. What did you expect them to do? Run away and get married in secret?" he scoffed as if the idea were the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard. Harry, Hermione, Dean and Seamus exchanged puzzled glances. Obviously they were all missing something vital here.
"My uncle eloped," Dean offered helpfully.
"So did my cousin," Seamus added.
"He's the Malfoy heir," Ron reminded them. "If his Head of House doesn't agree then there's no marriage - no matter what anyone else may want."
"You mean Lucius could nullify a marriage after the fact?" Hermione exclaimed.
Ron just stared at her as if she were crazy. "If he can use Blood magic to kill any member of his house that displeases him, you think something as simple as a marriage will give him problems?"
Hermione sighed and just rolled her eyes. "Fine," she grumbled. "But I still don't see that enslaving someone is the answer."
"You also have a problem with house elves," Ron pointed out as if this explained her position completely. Harry cringed - this was not going to be pretty.
Hermione's eyes hardened. "They're living creatures, Ron! They do not deserve to be abused and enslaved."
"They're house elves!" Ron insisted. "It's what they do! I mean look at Dobby for Merlin's sake!"
"Exactly!" Hermione shouted in triumph as if Ron had just made her point for her. "He wanted to be free. The first opportunity he saw for freedom - he took it and ran!"
"And ran straight to Dumbledore and asked to be put to work as a house elf!" Ron finished her statement for her. "It's what house elves do. The only thing they are happy doing."
"He's being paid!" Hermione protested.
"Money he has no use for," Ron reminded her. "House elves don't buy things. He's nothing more than an anomaly with a weird clothing fetish. And don't let the whole freedom thing fool you either. If you honestly don't think he's bonded to Harry, then you haven't been paying attention."
Harry sputtered in shock. "Wait a minute!" he protested. "What do you mean he's bonded to me?"
Ron sighed. "Harry, if you told Dobby to go iron his hands, would he do it?"
Harry frowned and thought about that for a moment. "Yeah, probably," he admitted reluctantly. The elf was oddly eager to please him.
"Then you're bonded," Ron insisted as if it were fait accompli.
"Is that what Charlie is going to do?" Hermione demanded. "Make Draco iron his hands?"
Ron stared at her incredulously. "Has Harry ever ordered Dobby to iron his hands?"
"Of course not!" Hermione scoffed.
"Then why would you think my brother would make Draco do that?"
"Because he's a slave - an animal!" Hermione exclaimed.
Ron just glared at her, and then finally shook his head in denial. "That's it," he stated. "I'm taking Crookshanks away from you. Obvious you must spend all your free time torturing that poor cat in secret."
"I would never!" Hermione shouted in outrage.
"Why not!" Ron interrupted her. "He's just an animal!"
"That would be sick!"
"Exactly!" Ron growled and then turned and stormed toward the doors of the Great Hall, leaving the room.
Distraught, Hermione turned to Harry. "He just doesn't understand!" she cried.
"Maybe we're the ones who don't understand, Hermione," Harry said quietly, and Hermione stared at him in confusion. He was reminded suddenly of the sight of men and women in Bifrost Hall kneeling before him and swearing an oath of fealty to him. With one command he could send them all off to die in a war, and they would go willingly. How was that any different than ordering a crazy house elf to iron his hands? Maybe there was something more going on here - some deeper, ancient magic that made one person or creature so willing to swear a bonding oath to another?
"Come on, Hermione," he said gently. "Let's get to class. As Dumbledore likes to say, these things have a way of working themselves out."
Professor Flitwick, who'd been cleaning up the Great Hall with the prefects, rushed into class several minutes late that day. Harry and the other Gryffindors were still in the process of taking their own seats - the Slytherins on the opposite side of the classroom clustered in a group and whispering furiously amongst themselves. While Flitwick riffled through the scrolls on his desk, the classroom door opened again and Draco Malfoy strode into class. To everyone's surprise, the boy looked as smug and arrogant as he had earlier before his temper-tantrum. And the piece of red Dragon gold around his neck was still prominently displayed as if he were still eager to show it off.
Silence settled over the room when he walked arrogantly toward his usual seat beside Pansy and sat down, seeming for all the world like the same conceited prat he'd always been. The Slytherin students obviously didn't know how to react and just remained unnaturally still. It was then Harry noticed Charlie standing in the classroom doorway. The older Weasley boy was smiling across the room at his brother, and made some vague motion to him with his hand before turning and walking away, letting the classroom door shut behind him.
"Bloody hell," Ron muttered under his breath. Harry had to lean toward him to catch his words. "He's going to marry the arrogant snot."
Harry glanced across the room at Malfoy - judging by the look on the blond boy's face, he was pleased with the outcome of the events. That still didn't explain the temper-tantrum in the Great Hall.
Apparently no one else knew quite what to say, for Flitwick decided to simply ignore the events entirely and start straight in on the day's lectures. They were studying magical house wards this week, and the little professor began his lecture on the theory.
Falling back on habit, all the students pulled out their scrolls and began taking notes. Harry, for his part, was relieved to have something normal to do after the chaotic events of the last few days. His relief, however, was short lived, when a few moments later the door opened and a red-clad Auror stepped inside.
"Excuse me, Professor," the Auror interrupted.
Flitwick, standing atop his desk where he liked to lecture, paused and stared across the room at the Auror. "Yes?" he asked in confusion.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," the man apologized. "I'm afraid I need to ask your students if any of them have seen Remus Lupin recently."
Harry felt his heart drop into his stomach. They were looking for Remus. That could only mean one thing - Lucius Malfoy had gotten the Euthanasia Order. His gaze moved swiftly across the room to meet Draco's - surprisingly the boy was frowning instead of smirking as Harry had expected. Almost imperceptibly the Slytherin shook his head, though what he was trying to convey to Harry he did not know.
Pansy Parkinson held up a copy of the Daily Prophet that she had folded beneath her books. There on the front page was the photo of Harry, Remus, Severus and Alrik standing in the Great Hall. "Everyone saw him two days ago," she informed the Auror sarcastically.
The man glared at her. "Has anyone seen him since?"
There were murmurs around the room as the students all glanced at one another, but everyone shook their heads.
"And you, Mr. Potter?" the Auror asked, turning his gaze on Harry. "Have you seen him today?"
"No," Harry answered honestly. He had not seen Remus since last night. "You're wasting your time here."
"So I've been informed," the Auror agreed, and then gave Harry a somewhat apologetic smile as if to indicate this was nothing personal. "I'm just doing my job." He turned toward Professor Flitwick and nodded his head. "Sorry for the interruption." And then he was gone.
Harry felt his heart settling somewhat, but his thoughts were still on the Chamber of Secrets and the helpless man lying asleep there. The Chamber had remained hidden for a thousand years - he and Voldemort were the only ones who could open it. The chances that anyone would find Remus were nil. He had to stay calm - everyone was safe. But he hated the thought that even now, people like Cornelius Fudge and Lucius Malfoy were moving against him. Would he ever be allowed a normal life, where he and his loved ones would be left alone?
By lunchtime there were a thousand different rumors floating around the school about Draco Malfoy and Charlie Weasley, none of which Draco had commented directly on - though Harry suspected he had started some himself. During the midday meal, Draco sat as he always did at Slytherin table looking as if he owned the world - and under the watchful eyes of the teachers no one approached him to question his behavior. Harry noticed a handful of Slytherin students eyeing the Malfoy heir oddly, their expressions more unfriendly than normal, but no one said anything to him. It was obvious to Harry that they were all confused as to why Draco was not taking pains to either hide the Dragon gold around his neck, or deny the position it put him in. The way he was blatantly flaunting it had left everyone mystified.
Last class of the day was double potions with Slytherin, and all of them made their way down into the dungeons. As far as Harry could tell, the Aurors had left the castle, no doubt to search elsewhere for Remus. He wondered where else they might look - he'd never asked where Remus lived. He supposed the man had a house somewhere, but he knew nothing about it. He wondered too what sort of job Remus might have if any - he must have some means of income.
Sitting in their usual seats in Potions class, they were all quiet when Severus entered the room. With a wave of his wand, the instructions for that day's potion appeared on the board. They were to pair up - Gryffindor with Slytherin, and to Harry's surprise, Ron volunteered to work with Draco.
Harry moved to the table behind Ron and Draco, pairing up with Pansy Parkinson. Students murmured amongst themselves, discussing the potion and dividing up the work - thanks to Severus' threats at the beginning of the year, there had been surprisingly few accidents this last term in class. As Harry got out his cauldron he listened carefully to the conversation Ron and Draco were having - indeed more than one group of students were watching their interaction.
"Welcome to the family, Malfoy," Ron said placidly.
Draco froze and turned to stare at Ron, disbelief written all over his face. He said nothing - just stared as if Ron had suddenly turned into something bizarre and unidentifiable. Indeed Harry felt rather strange himself - he hadn't expect Ron to act so mature, but perhaps there was some Wizarding custom concerning the addition of an in-law to a family that he didn't know about.
"What?" Ron frowned, looking at Draco when the Slytherin continued staring at him in frozen silence. Still Draco did not respond.
Finally Ron just sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Fine," he snarled. "Welcome to the family, you pointy-faced little ferret. Is that better?"
"Much," Draco sneered back at him. Then he nodded his head in satisfaction. "Thank you, you flea-bitten ignorant weasel."
Ron just grumbled under his breath and went back to working on his potion.
Harry blinked in surprise - so did Pansy. There were more murmurs of confusion around the room as word spread amongst the students about their exchange. Harry hadn't expected Ron to accept Draco so readily - they hated each other. And the Slytherin students were beside themselves with confusion - not knowing at all what to make of this. It would seem to confirm the rumor that Draco had indeed accepted a marriage proposal from Charlie Weasley - but none of them could understand why.
The gossiping whispers were only allowed to continue for a moment longer before Severus snarled at all of them and silenced the room. Class continued in silence after that - everyone focused on their potion under the watchful eye of the Potion Master.
It wasn't until class was over and they were all packing up their belongings that Pansy finally started pestering Draco with questions. Harry listened in serendipitously.
"I don't understand, Draco," Pansy was whinging. "What's this nonsense about the Dragon gold all about?"
Draco, knowing he had rather a large audience listening in on their conversation, flipped back his hair arrogantly. "Oh, come off it Pansy, I told you my father was trying to make me marry someone I wasn't interested in," Draco exclaimed as if that explained everything. "Now I don't have to."
The other Slytherin students were all staring at him now. "You're saying that that-" Pansy pointed to the gold around his neck, "-was your idea? Some plot to get out of an unwanted marriage?"
"Obviously!" Draco huffed. "Of course it was my idea. The magic doesn't work if it's not consensual. Don't you know anything about Dragon gold?"
More than one Slytherin looked confused. It was Blaise who shook his head in denial. "Then what was that temper-tantrum all about this morning?" he demanded. "If it was your idea, why were you so angry?"
"Oh, that?" Draco waved his hand dismissively as if it were the most unimportant thing. "That was nothing more than minor lover's spat. It all worked out in the end. He proposed and my father accepted. I've got everyone right where I want them." He gathered up his satchel and headed toward the door.
"But a Weasley?" Pansy shrieked as if not believing he would condescend to marry into that family.
"A Dragon tamer!" Draco corrected in a snotty tone. He lifted the chain around his neck and shook the piece of gold as if to remind everyone that it was there. The red metal gleamed in the torchlight, burning like molten lava. More than one eye was drawn to it greedily. "A rich Dragon tamer, with lots of Dragon gold. Get with the program!" He stormed from the room as if disgusted by their inability to grasp the obvious. The Slytherin students chased after him.
Hermione, who'd been listening in on the conversation, glanced over at Ron. "Charlie's rich?" she asked quietly.
Ron just shrugged. "He makes a decent living," he replied. "But I wouldn't exactly call him rich - at least not by Malfoy's standards."
Hermione just smirked and shook her head. "Trust him to turn the story around. Slytherins," she sighed, and at the grin Ron threw her, Harry knew that their fight from that morning was long forgotten.
Shoving the last of his things into his own satchel, he waved Ron and Hermione on, intending to walk back down to his quarters with Severus. As the last student left the room he watched as the man gathered a stack of scrolls together from his desk. "I saw the Aurors searching the castle," he told the man.
Severus nodded, his dark gaze sweeping briefly over Harry's body. His expression was unreadable. "They didn't find anything."
"But does that mean they have the Euthanasia Order already?"
But Severus shook his head. "Only an arrest order for an inquiry."
"And Draco's situation with Charlie - that means Sirius no longer has to marry him, right?" Harry pressed. "Doesn't that mean that Remus-"
"Harry," Severus interrupted him with a frown, holding one elegant hand up for silence. Harry grew still and nervous. There was a strange, tense energy coming from Severus and he didn't know to how to react to it. Was the man worried, angry, upset? He wished he could read the man better - after living with him these last few months he still knew so little about reading his moods.
Severus shoved his scrolls in a bag and then motioned Harry to precede him out the classroom door. Harry could see that he was trying to find the proper words to say to him, and he walked silently along side the man as they made their way through the dungeon corridors toward their rooms. When they were finally safely behind their own door, and both of them had set aside their bags, Severus motioned to Harry to sit on the couch in front of the fireplace. With a wave of his wand, Severus lit the fire, warming the winter-chilled room.
"Just because the issue with Black is cleared up, does not mean things are alright with Lupin," Severus told him. "The man has gone feral - nothing will fix that except perhaps Slytherin's potion. We cannot risk waking him until we have the potion finished. He has to stay where he is."
Harry sighed and stared down at his feet in disappointment. He'd rather hoped this meant he could wake Remus and tell him that everything was going to be okay - that the news alone would cure Remus. A part of him had hoped he would not have to tell Sirius what had happened until after everything had been fixed and set back to normal. But now it seemed that was not to be. He wondered what he would do if he were Sirius? How would he feel if he knew that the man he loved was locked in a death-like sleep in the Chamber of Secrets? He found himself starting down at his wedding ring, twisting the golden band around on his finger. "Does Charlie love Draco?" he asked curiously.
"What does that matter?" Severus scoffed.
Harry looked up, staring across at the man. Severus was seated in his usual armchair, long legs stretched out before him in a casual manner, despite the tense energy that seemed coiled inside him. Severs was watching him rather intently with those glittering black eyes, and he found the scrutiny disturbing. "They're getting married," Harry pointed out.
One dark eyebrow raised in amusement. "So?" he asked. "What does that have to do with love?"
Against his bidding, Harry found himself flushing in embarrassment. "Well, I've been told it works best that way - not that I'd know."
"You Gryffindors are too romantic," Severus mused, eyes flashing.
"And you Slytherin are too. . ." Harry sputtered for words, irritated by Severus' teasing and not certain at all how to take it. It almost looked like the man was trying to wind him up.
"Too?" Severus prompted, seeming interested in what ever insult Harry might have for him.
"Cold!" Harry snapped, leaping to his feet. He couldn't help but think he was being mocked somehow.
"Cold," Severus practically purred the word out and Harry stiffened. Far from looking angered by his insult, Severus looked almost pleased by the word. The man leaned forward suddenly, pinning him with that dark gaze. "'They say the sea is cold, but the sea contains the hottest blood of all,'" Severus quoted softly, his words sending shivers through Harry's entire body. Harry felt his mouth go dry, and when the man slowly stood up, he stayed frozen to his spot not at all certain how to deal with this strange mood.
"I've been meaning to ask you something, Harry," Severus said as he walked slowly forward and stopped in front of him. For some reason Harry's heart was pounding in his chest. "Do you want to learn the art of the sword?"
"What?" Harry asked as he stared up at the man in confusion. Why was he standing so close to him? He smelled nice, like some exotic spice mixed with warm earth. A slow flush of heat moved through Harry's body.
"The sword, Mr. Potter," Severus repeated, a faint smile twisting his lips. How strange that the man smiled so often in his presence now - four months ago he would have sworn he did not know how to smile.
"You'll teach me?" Harry asked, wishing his heart would stop racing. Severus merely inclined his head in answer. "Okay," Harry breathed.
Something flashed through Severus' dark eyes and he stepped away then, moving across the room. "Good," he said over his shoulder. "Meet me in the Room of Requirement in one hour. We'll begin then." And with a swirl of robes he disappeared into his office, shutting the door behind him.
Alone again, Harry's heartbeat returned to normal. He raised one hand to his face, noticing how hot his skin was. Good lord, he thought to himself. What on earth had that been all about? For a moment there it had actually felt as if . . .as if. . . no, he shook his head. There was no way on God's green earth that Severus Snape had been flirting with him. It just didn't happen.
And then he thought about what he'd just agreed to. The sword? The man was going to teach him how to use a sword? Harry gulped in nervous excitement. Oh, Merlin! What had he gotten himself into now?