I know I said I wasn't going to update in the weekends anymore, but you have all been so great with reviewing this last week that I couldn't help myself. So, as a big thank you to everyone, here's the chapter somewhat earlier. You might find it to be a poisoned gift, though...
Chapter 45
It was impossible to truly recognise what time it was when one was brewing in the St Mungo's laboratories since the torches burnt magically all day long and there was no window to indicate the position of any of the celestial bodies. Therefore, Harry relied solely on the growling of his stomach to indicate just when it was time for lunch, though it was not always accurate.
When another loud growl elicited a chuckle from chief Lovegood, Harry grinned sheepishly. "Perhaps it's time for us to get some lunch?" he asked slyly.
"A fine idea," Lovegood said. "Our minds don't work all that well on an empty stomach."
"Do you want to join us, John?" Harry asked politely.
"Nay, Harry," John replied. "Ah wouldn't dream of getting' in the way of yer complicated discussions. Ye'd best get on without me."
"If you say so," Harry said, shaking his head bemusedly. Come to think of it, he had never seen John eat in the upper levels before. He always stayed downstairs, eating what little food he brought. Despite his outgoing nature towards Harry, the man really did seem to appreciate his solitude. Harry could respect that.
As they sat in the courtyard, the two potioneers couldn't help but discuss the project they were currently working on. And even though Harry knew that he had roped Lovegood into doing this with some Slytherin tactics of sorts, he could tell that the older Master was actually enjoying himself. He imagined that it was a rather welcome distraction from the normal office work he normally had to do.
"I think that we should try adding some tears of Mnemosyne," Harry said as he munched on a piece of toast. "I know what you're going to say. It's too expensive. But I honestly couldn't care less."
"Harry, we've been over this –"
"So, St Mungo's won't fund any potions to do with mental illness. I get it. But I could at least pay for the ingredient myself."
"Why are you so insistent on creating this potion?" Lovegood asked. "You never did tell me what sparked your sudden interest. Is it because of someone in the family?"
"Not family," Harry said. "It's to help one of my friends."
"You know, Harry, it's not a good idea to allow your personal feelings to guide your progress," Lovegood said importantly though he looked less so with jam on his cheek.
Harry snorted. "It's how I've made my best creations," he said, "The cure to the dissolving sweats being one of them."
Lovegood sighed. "Severus did warn me that you tend to give your emotions free rein," he said.
Harry rolled his eyes but smiled. "As much as I appreciate you two discussing the subject of me, I assure you that he worries too much."
"A young man like yourself needs to be worried about," Lovegood said, buttering a new piece of toast. "Otherwise, you'll run yourself ragged."
"If it's to help my friends, I'll do anything," Harry said easily. "Besides, I have been taking it easier. Look, I'm eating." As if to demonstrate, he shoved just a few too many apple slices into his mouth and started chewing vigorously in annoyance with himself.
Lovegood chuckled. "So I've noticed," he said. "So, about those tears. If you truly think that they will help your progress, I will order them immediately."
"I'll pay you back, sir," Harry said after he swallowed his apple slices.
"Just this once, I will pay for them," Lovegood said. "So you'd better make them count."
"I promise that I will," Harry said dutifully.
"See to it that you do," Lovegood said, pointing his toast at Harry. "Or I'll have you scrubbing cauldrons to pay me back."
Harry groaned. "I thought I was done with all that when I finished Hogwarts."
"Ah, think again, young friend," Lovegood said happily. "The dishwashers are rather cross with me because of the number of cauldrons you send over there every day."
"I'm sure you can scare them into submission," Harry said casually.
"That depends on the number of cauldrons," Lovegood chuckled. "We're almost past the point where my stern demeanour is not enough to keep them placated."
"Oh dear," Harry said sardonically. "I suppose I'll simply need to stop brewing so much."
"Going home on time would help," Lovegood pointed out.
"I will," Harry said. "As soon as I'm able to help my friend."
"On the condition that no other friend of yours will desperately seek help afterwards," Lovegood said cleverly.
"Exactly!" Harry said, grinning widely. "But don't worry. I really don't have that many friends."
"As long as the ones that you have are good ones," Lovegood said.
"Oh yes," Harry told him. "They are the best."
True to his word, Lovegood had ordered ten tears of Mnemosyne right after lunch. He had impressed in his letter that he – as the head of St Mungo's – had urgent need of the ingredient and that he would not stand for any delays. This assured Harry that he would have access to the ingredient by morning at the latest.
Unfortunately, he had not been able to produce a potion with the desired results just yet. It helped that Lovegood was with him and it was nice trying to figure the problem out but at the same time, Harry was very aware of the trouble Draco was in at that exact moment, so he couldn't bring himself to enjoy this collaboration too much.
As far as Harry could tell – despite not having a final result just yet – they had made a lot of progress. This made him want to keep going but around eight in the evening, Lovegood had ordered him to go home. It was hard to ignore the chief when he was working on the same project you were so Harry had no choice but to comply.
"Aren't you going home as well, John?" Harry asked the older man.
"Nay," he replied. "Ah still 'ave some things that need completin'."
Harry frowned but said nothing. He just grabbed his things and left. Lately, John was becoming more and more closed off and Harry wondered if this had anything to do with the attention he was getting from Lovegood. Sure, Harry didn't speak with John all that often anymore but it's not like he was talkative whilst brewing anyway.
Deciding to ask John about it in the morning, Harry went home, taking the floo.
When it flared to life at the house in Spinner's End, Harry had not expected to see a half-dressed Maya sitting on the couch with Snape leaning over her in a most provocative manner.
"Dear Merlin!" Harry exclaimed before they had even noticed him. "Don't you have a bedroom in which you can do this stuff?"
"Harry!" Maya replied, hastily covering herself with a shirt that had been carelessly thrown aside. "Er… turn around for a moment, would you?"
Harry did as she asked but couldn't help but notice the smirk on Snape's face as he did. "And what are you so happy about?" Harry complained. "You do realize that your son just walked in on you, don't you?"
Snape snorted. "You're an adult now, Harry," he replied easily. "I'm sure you realised just what is going on in this house while you're away. And even sometimes while you're not."
"You can turn around now, Harry," Maya said. Harry did so carefully to find Maya fully dressed again.
"Weren't you supposed to be at Hogwarts?" Harry accused. "To prepare for the new school year or something?"
"We found ourselves ready much sooner than anticipated," Snape said easily. "And there are too many intrusions going on at Hogwarts. Can you imagine Dumbledore flooing into your chambers at the most inappropriate times?"
Harry frowned. "What, like I just did?"
"In all honesty, I didn't expect you home so soon," Snape pointed out.
"Stop teasing him, Sev," Maya said, lightly slapping Snape on the shoulder. "Can't you see that Harry had a long day? Harry, would you like something to eat? A cup of tea perhaps?"
Harry sank wearily into a chair, not even caring anymore about the awkward situation he walked into. Snape and Maya certainly didn't seem to mind. "Dinner would be fantastic," he said. "I'm starving."
While Maya went to talk to Zippy about dinner, Snape straightened out his robes and sat up a bit straighter. "Have you made any progress today?" he asked.
"I think so," Harry said. "I feel like we're almost ready to use the staff. But we're not there yet. I wanted to use some tears of Mnemosyne."
Snape frowned. "That's a very expensive ingredient."
"So I've been told," Harry said. "But if it's what's needed to help out Draco, I don't see why we shouldn't use it. Besides, Caratacus ordered the first batch using his own money. He said he would only do it once though."
"That man," Snape chuckled. "His curiosity often gets the better of him but this isn't even subtle."
Harry shrugged. "Whatever gets me where I need to be."
"Very Slytherin of you," Snape pointed out.
With a pop, a plate filled to the brim with mac and cheese appeared in front of Harry, the delicious smell causing his stomach to growl.
"Zippy was all too happy to make you your favourite," Maya said as she re-emerged from the kitchen. "Anyway, I think I'll leave you two boys to chat."
"Don't leave on my account," Harry said in between bites.
"It's not like that," Maya said. "But I need to bring my sister her latest batch of potions and see how she's doing."
"How is she doing?" Harry asked, suddenly ashamed that he didn't ask earlier.
"Much better thanks to you," Maya said happily. "Alex is watching her like a hawk, never leaving her bedside to make sure that she doesn't relapse but she seems to be out of the woods."
"That's good to hear," Harry said with a release of breath.
"I just hope the ministry doesn't take too long to catch what remains of the Death Eaters," Maya growled. "If Severus is right, and Rookwood is behind this, it might not take him too long to create a new disease."
"Quite so," Snape said. "And Rookwood is definitely one to learn from his mistakes. He would not make it so easily curable next time."
"Where would we even begin looking, though?" Harry said.
"Not we, Harry," Snape pointed out coldly. "They. You are not running off after another Death Eater."
Harry shrugged uneasily. "That's not what I meant. There's no need to get all protective."
"I know exactly how you think and I beg to differ," Snape replied.
"As I said, it's not like anyone knows where to begin looking for him," Harry said. "For all we know, he fled the continent."
"I don't think he would do that," Snape said. "If he wants to continue his experimentation, he will most likely not want to switch his local or control group. That would not do in the scientific world."
Harry ran a hand through his hair in mild exasperation and continued eating, grumbling something inaudible under his breath.
"I'll be off now," Maya said, breaking the sudden silence. She kissed Snape goodbye and planted a kiss on Harry's cheek next. "Take care of yourselves," she said before making her exit.
"She's really growing on you, isn't she?" Harry asked after a while.
"That should not matter to you," Snape said dryly.
"You're parading her in front of me first thing when I get home," Harry said cheekily. "Besides, I think it matters plenty if she might become my new mum."
Snape cuffed Harry lightly to the back of his head, causing him to spit out some bits of pasta. "Hey!"
"For now, I'll ask you to not stick your nose where it doesn't belong," Snape said in a light-hearted tone of voice. "And I'll try not to be as careless in the rooms we share."
"Yeah, you can't very well put a sock on the fireplace," Harry chuckled.
"That would be most ineffective," Snape countered.
When Harry finished two-thirds of his overly filled plate, he pushed it to the side where it disappeared with a pop. "I wouldn't mind, you know," he said after a while. "If she were to become… more permanent."
"It is far too soon to discuss such matters," Snape replied. "But I'm pleased to have received your blessing nonetheless."
"Do you want to play a game of chess?" Harry asked. "It's been a while."
Snape smirked. "I would love to," he replied. "But you do realize that you cannot possibly best me."
"I've gotten better!" Harry exclaimed in a very poor attempt to defend himself. "I might surprise you, yet."
"We shall see."
Harry did not surprise Snape in the least and he had lost five consecutive games of chess. When he lost the last one in merely ten moves, he got up and called it a night. Even if the hecticness of the dissolving sweats was mostly over, Harry still needed to get up early every day to begin working on his invention and his other potions. Sometimes, he even arrived before Lovegood did.
That's why he needed his sleep – as he now realized – and was not at all pleased when he was awoken by some loud, unidentified noises that seemed to be coming from downstairs.
"Tempus," he whispered to find out that it was barely four in the morning. Too early for Snape to be up. Suddenly, Harry was on full alert like he often had been during the days that Voldemort was still after him. He grabbed his wand and opened his door as quietly as possible. He thought he heard hushed voices talking to each other. If these were some muggle burglars thinking they might have hit the jackpot, they were going to be in for one heck of a surprise.
Harry crept down the stairs, carefully placing his feet near the edge of each step to try and not make them creek. As he came nearer to the sitting room – where the voices were coming from – he could also hear the sound of someone sobbing and was that the clipping of shears?
Harry could feel some sweat drops run down his back and wondered when he had become so anxious to confront unidentified assailants. Or perhaps he had never been comfortable with the concept and he simply forgot.
He took a deep breath, leaned against the wall and peered from behind it to try and catch a glimpse of the intruders. What he saw nearly made him drop his wand. While unexpected, he experienced a feeling of déjà vu as he saw Draco Malfoy sit on the couch, in the exact same spot he had been in when Harry had found him talking to Snape last Christmas morning.
Snape was there this time as well, carefully measuring some bandages and cutting them when he thought them long enough to be up to the task. Harry couldn't see much of Draco from, where he was standing but he did see some dried blood polluting the blonde's otherwise immaculate hair. Deciding on a different approach from the one he had taken at Christmas, Harry stepped into the sitting room, his wand now lowered to make himself known.
"Draco," he said, causing two heads to swivel and look at him. Draco's cheek was cut raggedly in three aligning lines as if he had been scratched. "What happened?"
Harry moved swiftly across the room to take a seat next to Draco, only to take in the rest of his injuries. His right arm had been cut severely with what clearly had to have been a knife. From the location where it was cut, Harry could clearly see that Draco had used the arm to defend himself. He appeared to have a nasty head injury as well and there were more scratches in his neck. Worst of all was the look of despair and devastation that was present in Draco's eyes, leaving no room for other emotions.
"Harry, you should be in bed," Snape chided.
"I woke up," Harry said, putting a hand on top of Draco's uninjured one since the boy hadn't responded yet. "Was it your mother?" he asked.
This elicited a sob from the Slytherin but he did not draw back his hand. "Yes," he admitted hoarsely. "She didn't recognise who I was anymore. She thought I was an intruder. I tried telling her. I – I tried reasoning with her but –"
"She could not be reasoned with," Snape said evenly. "It is not your fault, Draco. This is the natural progression of her condition."
"I never expected her to become violent," Draco said in a small voice. "She never was before."
"I know she never wanted to hurt you, Draco," Harry said. "If she had realised who you were to her, she wouldn't have done what she did."
Draco hissed as Snape dabbed some disinfectant onto his wounds. "I know that," he replied. "Rationally, I know that. But I –" He drew back his hand and buried his face into it. "It gets harder to believe that. And I know she can't help it but sometimes I find myself hating her for it. I'm such a horrible person."
"You're human," Harry pointed out. "It's only natural to have that kind of response when someone hurts you."
"Harry," Draco croaked. "I don't know how much longer I can take this."
"Perhaps it is time for you to take her to St Mungo's," Snape said as he mended Draco's cuts to the best of his abilities.
Draco laughed bitterly. "And make a mockery of what is left of the Malfoy name?" he said. "My aunt went insane. My father thought he could become the next Dark Lord and now I would put my mother in the loony bin? I would never be able to show my face again. Nor could she."
"Draco," Harry said softly. "This is killing you."
Draco breathed a shuddering sigh and looked at Snape with tear-filled eyes. "Please," he said. "Please help me."
"Draco," Snape sighed, now wrapping the bandages firmly around Draco's arm, "I don't know if –"
But Harry had heard enough. He hadn't fully realised the urgency of the situation before and was now practically kicking himself for coming home early when he could have spent more time trying to figure out how to help Narcissa. How could he have done this to his friend?
Harry got up from his seat; transfigured his pyjamas into clothes with a flick of his wand; walked over to the fireplace; ignored the stern voice of his father calling him back; tossed in the floo powder and called out 'St Mungo's'. Snape might not think that he could figure this out but he had been working on the solution with Caratacus Lovegood by his side. They were so close, he could feel it!
At what now was four-thirty in the morning, there weren't very many people about. There were only two people in the waiting room and they seemed to be falling asleep where they sat. The lights were still on but they shone very dimly. The receptionist was minding her own business, filling out a crossword puzzle. She glanced at Harry when he walked in but didn't even address him, knowing very well by now that the boy worked here.
Occasionally, a nurse would walk the corridors and enter a few rooms to administer medicine where it needed to be dispensed but this all happened in perfect silence, nothing but the sound of footsteps giving away that anyone was even still working at this hour.
And soon, Harry's own footsteps filled the ward as well as he hurried towards the elevator. Once inside, he mashed the button to go down, knowing full well that it didn't help in the slightest to keep pressing it, but it made him feel slightly better all the same.
Once downstairs, he didn't even wait for the elevator doors to fully open to dash out and hurry towards the lab. Draco was still firmly on his mind and he wondered if he would be able to help out his friend before he descended into madness himself.
He had already set a few steps into the lab before realizing that the torches were already burning. A cauldron was on the fire and a concoction that Harry did not immediately recognise was bubbling steadily. The shutting of a cabinet door caught Harry's attention next and he locked eyes with John who had a furious glint in his eyes that quickly vanished when he spotted Harry.
"John," Harry said carefully. "What are you doing here already?"
"Ah 'aven't left yet," John replied easily. "I didnae ken tha' it was so late already."
Harry frowned as he glanced at the potion again. "What are you making?" he asked. "That doesn't look like any healing potion I've ever seen."
John cleared his throat and took a few steps towards the cauldron and inadvertently Harry before replying. "Ah became a wee bit jealous when ah saw ye inventin' yer own brews," he said. "Ah wanted to try me hand at me own creation."
"And what exactly are you trying to brew?" Harry asked, taking a cautious step back.
John smiled kindly. "Why dinnae ye come and smell it," he said. "Ye'll find out with tha' keen nose of yers."
"No thank you," Harry said. "In fact, I think I forgot something. I'll be right back." Harry turned around and was about to bolt when he suddenly couldn't move anymore. He was able to shift his eyes just barely to notice how a greenish smoke seemed to envelop his body, causing it to freeze where he stood.
John sighed as he walked to face Harry. "You are much too clever for your own good, do you know that?" he said. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. I respect you and your talents very much, Harry Potter. But for some reason, you decided to get in my way."
He walked over to the bubbling cauldron, covered his nose and scooped up a fair portion with a ladle which he then brought over to shove underneath Harry's nose.
"It might be a tad earlier than I had envisioned but you're here now," he said. Harry wished desperately that he could respond. That he could do something. But not only was he paralyzed, but the potion that he was made to smell was also making him drowsy.
"Don't fight it," John said soothingly. "It will all be over soon."
Whatever it was, it was too strong, and soon, Harry felt his eyes droop shut, and his senses turn to black, no longer realising why he thought it so important to stay awake in the first place.
A poisoned gift indeed... I will not be updating tomorrow, just to be clear. But you can expect the next chapter on Monday. Please do leave a review because I would love to know how you feel about all of this.
Two more chapters to come.