Fic: Going Home: Part Twenty
Title: Going Home: Part Twenty
Author:![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
alisanne
Word count: 880
Rating: PG
Characters/pairings: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Narcissa Malfoy.
Challenge: Written for![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
slythindor100/![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
slythindor100's 25 days of Christmas, Day 20 (traditional): Hogwarts in winter.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Beta(s):sevfan and emynn.
Authors Notes: Part 20 of Going Home (LJ/IJ/DW).
~
Going Home: Part Twenty
~
Both Draco and Harry stood up as Narcissa walked over to them. Once she was seated, Draco asked, “Did you know he was alive?”
Narcissa smiled faintly. “I had my suspicions. Severus always was quite private, however. I decided if he wanted to get in touch, he would, and since he never did, I left well enough alone.”
Draco nodded. “Do you really think you can talk him into helping Father?”
“I am certainly willing to attempt it.” Narcissa exhaled. “Severus can be stubborn, but I, too, can be determined.”
“This should be an interesting meeting,” muttered Harry.
Narcissa hummed. “Indeed it should. Now, where is he?”
Draco and Hermione exchanged a look. “We should probably take you there,” said Draco.
“That isn’t necessary.” Narcissa raised an eyebrow. “In fact, that may be inadvisable. Severus will probably be more receptive to my request if I go alone.”
Hermione cleared he throat. “He swore us to secrecy.”
An impatient look crossed Narcissa’s face. “I understand, but I’m sure he’ll forgive—”
“No, Mother,” Draco interrupted. “He swore us to secrecy. Not a full Unbreakable Vow, but something close. I literally can’t say where he is.”
“Nor can I,” said Hermione.
“Then how do we find him?” asked Harry.
“Draco and I together can recreate the spell we used to find him.” Hermione smiled. “He said he was tempted to Obliviate both of us, but he trusted we would be circumspect with our ability to locate him.”
Narcissa shook her head. “Sounds like Severus. Very well, if you’ll drop me off at his location, I’m sure I can find my way back—”
“Actually, we track him,” said Hermione. “Not his location.”
“Fine. Take me to him, and I’ll—”
“We’re going, too, Mother.” Draco held Narcissa’s gaze. “Hermione has to tell Severus what’s involved in the procedure, and since I assume we’re going to try to combine some of his essence with Harry’s so that neither of them have to lose all their magic, I think Harry should go as well, to see if that’s even feasible. And if Harry goes, I go.”
“We can’t all show up, it will overwhelm him!” Narcissa huffed, looking determined. “I insist you let me talk to him alone first.”
Draco, his expression equally determined, said, “Perhaps we should discuss this privately.”
Pausing, Narcissa inclined her head, and as she and Draco stepped aside to ‘discuss it’ (which to Harry’s eyes appeared to be Malfoy-speak for whispered arguing) Harry and Hermione stared at each other.
“Were you ever going to tell me?” Harry finally asked.
Hermione sighed. “I felt guilty about not telling you, Harry, I really did, but he asked us to keep his secret, so how could we not? Plus, what good would it have done to reveal he was alive so many years after the war?”
Harry huffed. “Fine. But is there anyone else you need to tell me isn’t really dead? Voldemort perhaps—?”
As he’d intended, Hermione laughed. “Now you’re being ridiculous. Of course he’s dead.”
Harry snorted. “There’s no ‘of course’ about it. This calls into question everything I thought I knew about the world.”
“It does not.” Hermione rolled her eyes. “If it hadn’t been for this situation, Snape being alive could have remained a secret until he really died.”
“What’s he doing, anyway?” Harry asked. “Poisoning people in some small town somewhere?”
Hermione giggled. “Honestly, I didn’t even ask. I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.”
“I’m sure he was as charming as he always is.” Harry chuckled. “So I can’t say I blame you.”
They grinned at each other, and for a moment Hermione looked more carefree than she had all day. She quickly sobered, however. “Thanks,” she said, reaching over and clasping his hand.
“What for?” Harry asked.
“For not leaving me alone to think about the whole thing with Ron. For giving me a project to work on to distract me.” Hermione smiled. “For being my friend.”
Harry squeezed her hand. “Anytime.” He winked. “And you’ve found me out,” he deadpanned. “I did this all for you. Only please don’t tell Draco I planned for his father to get cursed into a snake just to distract you, all right?”
Laughing, Hermione said, “It’ll be our secret.”
“What secret’s this?” said Draco, slipping into the seat beside Harry.
“Oh, you know, the usual.” Harry grinned at him. “Everything sorted with your mother?”
Draco smirked. “We’re all going to see Snape together. Ready?”
Harry sighed. “As I ever will be, I guess.”
Narcissa, standing by the door, raised an impatient eyebrow. “Shall we? The sooner we go, the sooner we can get Lucius well.”
They all stood, and followed her outside and to the fireplace at the end of the hallway. Draco and Hermione clasped hands with each other, and then Draco took Harry’s hand, and Hermione took Narcissa’s.
Together they stepped into the Floo, and after a swirl of green flame, they landed…outside.
Harry looked around. “This place looks familiar…Wait, we’re at Hogwarts!” He pointed and they all stared at the castle.
“So we are.” Narcissa hummed. “How interesting. I’d wondered if he and—”
“What was that, Mother?” Draco said, eyebrow raised.
“Nothing.” Narcissa exhaled. “Time to see Severus.”
~
Continued in Going Home: Part Twenty-One (LJ/IJ/DW).
Author:
alisanneWord count: 880
Rating: PG
Characters/pairings: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Narcissa Malfoy.
Challenge: Written for
slythindor100/slythindor100's 25 days of Christmas, Day 20 (traditional): Hogwarts in winter.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Beta(s):
sevfan and emynn.Authors Notes: Part 20 of Going Home (LJ/IJ/DW).
~
Going Home: Part Twenty
~
Both Draco and Harry stood up as Narcissa walked over to them. Once she was seated, Draco asked, “Did you know he was alive?”
Narcissa smiled faintly. “I had my suspicions. Severus always was quite private, however. I decided if he wanted to get in touch, he would, and since he never did, I left well enough alone.”
Draco nodded. “Do you really think you can talk him into helping Father?”
“I am certainly willing to attempt it.” Narcissa exhaled. “Severus can be stubborn, but I, too, can be determined.”
“This should be an interesting meeting,” muttered Harry.
Narcissa hummed. “Indeed it should. Now, where is he?”
Draco and Hermione exchanged a look. “We should probably take you there,” said Draco.
“That isn’t necessary.” Narcissa raised an eyebrow. “In fact, that may be inadvisable. Severus will probably be more receptive to my request if I go alone.”
Hermione cleared he throat. “He swore us to secrecy.”
An impatient look crossed Narcissa’s face. “I understand, but I’m sure he’ll forgive—”
“No, Mother,” Draco interrupted. “He swore us to secrecy. Not a full Unbreakable Vow, but something close. I literally can’t say where he is.”
“Nor can I,” said Hermione.
“Then how do we find him?” asked Harry.
“Draco and I together can recreate the spell we used to find him.” Hermione smiled. “He said he was tempted to Obliviate both of us, but he trusted we would be circumspect with our ability to locate him.”
Narcissa shook her head. “Sounds like Severus. Very well, if you’ll drop me off at his location, I’m sure I can find my way back—”
“Actually, we track him,” said Hermione. “Not his location.”
“Fine. Take me to him, and I’ll—”
“We’re going, too, Mother.” Draco held Narcissa’s gaze. “Hermione has to tell Severus what’s involved in the procedure, and since I assume we’re going to try to combine some of his essence with Harry’s so that neither of them have to lose all their magic, I think Harry should go as well, to see if that’s even feasible. And if Harry goes, I go.”
“We can’t all show up, it will overwhelm him!” Narcissa huffed, looking determined. “I insist you let me talk to him alone first.”
Draco, his expression equally determined, said, “Perhaps we should discuss this privately.”
Pausing, Narcissa inclined her head, and as she and Draco stepped aside to ‘discuss it’ (which to Harry’s eyes appeared to be Malfoy-speak for whispered arguing) Harry and Hermione stared at each other.
“Were you ever going to tell me?” Harry finally asked.
Hermione sighed. “I felt guilty about not telling you, Harry, I really did, but he asked us to keep his secret, so how could we not? Plus, what good would it have done to reveal he was alive so many years after the war?”
Harry huffed. “Fine. But is there anyone else you need to tell me isn’t really dead? Voldemort perhaps—?”
As he’d intended, Hermione laughed. “Now you’re being ridiculous. Of course he’s dead.”
Harry snorted. “There’s no ‘of course’ about it. This calls into question everything I thought I knew about the world.”
“It does not.” Hermione rolled her eyes. “If it hadn’t been for this situation, Snape being alive could have remained a secret until he really died.”
“What’s he doing, anyway?” Harry asked. “Poisoning people in some small town somewhere?”
Hermione giggled. “Honestly, I didn’t even ask. I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.”
“I’m sure he was as charming as he always is.” Harry chuckled. “So I can’t say I blame you.”
They grinned at each other, and for a moment Hermione looked more carefree than she had all day. She quickly sobered, however. “Thanks,” she said, reaching over and clasping his hand.
“What for?” Harry asked.
“For not leaving me alone to think about the whole thing with Ron. For giving me a project to work on to distract me.” Hermione smiled. “For being my friend.”
Harry squeezed her hand. “Anytime.” He winked. “And you’ve found me out,” he deadpanned. “I did this all for you. Only please don’t tell Draco I planned for his father to get cursed into a snake just to distract you, all right?”
Laughing, Hermione said, “It’ll be our secret.”
“What secret’s this?” said Draco, slipping into the seat beside Harry.
“Oh, you know, the usual.” Harry grinned at him. “Everything sorted with your mother?”
Draco smirked. “We’re all going to see Snape together. Ready?”
Harry sighed. “As I ever will be, I guess.”
Narcissa, standing by the door, raised an impatient eyebrow. “Shall we? The sooner we go, the sooner we can get Lucius well.”
They all stood, and followed her outside and to the fireplace at the end of the hallway. Draco and Hermione clasped hands with each other, and then Draco took Harry’s hand, and Hermione took Narcissa’s.
Together they stepped into the Floo, and after a swirl of green flame, they landed…outside.
Harry looked around. “This place looks familiar…Wait, we’re at Hogwarts!” He pointed and they all stared at the castle.
“So we are.” Narcissa hummed. “How interesting. I’d wondered if he and—”
“What was that, Mother?” Draco said, eyebrow raised.
“Nothing.” Narcissa exhaled. “Time to see Severus.”
~
Continued in Going Home: Part Twenty-One (LJ/IJ/DW).