Summary: Holy Horcruxes, Harry! All of your BOOK SEVEN questions answered! Harry, reeling from the events of his sixth year, must now begin the hunt for Voldemort's Horcruxes. To his dismay, everyone in his life is keeping things from him! During his search, Harry uncovers his enemys' darkest secrets, as well as the secrets of his own past. The killing curse leaves no mark, so why does he have one? Why did it take Hagrid twenty-four hours to get Harry to the Dursleys’? His phenomenal adventures continue, and he will not emerge unscathed. Who will survive? Will Harry defeat Voldemort? And whose side are Snape and Draco Malfoy
really on? If you like it, please review it! COMPLETED 6/27/2007!!!
Categories: General Fics Characters: None
Warnings: Character Death, Violence
Challenges: Series: None
Chapters: 34
Completed: Yes
Word count: 116793
Read: 100986
Published: 12/08/06
Updated: 07/20/07
Chapter TwentyTwo - The First Taste by Sunny Christian
Chapter Twenty-Two â“ The First Taste
Harry had been unable to sleep. Passion was surging through him, tightening every nerve in his body. Though he knew that it was somewhere around three oâclock in the morning, he had dressed again and went to the drawing room. He sat there, alone, with an open book on his lap, but he hadnât bothered to turn on the lights. What would be the point? He could hardly see straight, due to the ire. He couldnât believe that she had left with Malfoy and his mother. Their friendship had meant nothing to her.
In his hands, he was turning over a lovely silver quill that Luci had left in her room. It smelled like her, like a sweet shop. Maybe heâd never see her again. How could she go before theyâd had a chance? Heâd wasted so much time, fighting with himself. Now, he very much felt like fighting with her.
He knew he should go to bed, and he was certainly worn out, but the sofa was so cozy, and his eyelids were so heavy, but not as heavy as his legsâŚ
The noise of a door opening. He had dozed off. He looked out to see the light on in Luciâs room, the door standing ajar. A powerful surge of some intense emotion shot through him, half anger, half excitement. He scrambled from his chair, the book and quill forgotten, and stalked down the hallway.
âWelcome back.â
Luci gasped and stopped cold in her tracks, dropping something onto the floor. She turned slowly to face him, and her expression was definitely one of panic, like a caged animal.
He was so angry with her that he felt as if he might detonate on the spot. He clenched his hands to stop them shaking.
âHarryâŚâ she began.
âWhere the bloody hell have you been?â he shouted at her.
She staggered backwards into the desk. She looked terrible, completely exhausted, her eyes puffy and bloodshot.
âI⌠Draco disappeared⌠I had to go after him! Heâs not safe!â
âAnd you couldnât bother telling me?â
âI thought you pretty much never wanted to see me again, so I just⌠leftâŚâ
âThatâs mental, Luci, IâŚâ He broke off. He wasnât going to reassure her. Not this time. He continued, âIf you thought that, why did you come back?â
âBecause I couldnât find him. I need help.â
âNo one here cares about him, so youâll have to go somewhere else for your help.â
Luci made a noise that sounded a bit like she was being strangled, and then nodded slowly.
Harry felt guilt creeping in, but he pushed it away. She had hurt him, and this was the least she deserved.
She said softly, âSo you do hate me.â
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. âYou know thatâs not true.â
Neither of them said anything, but she was staring at him with a strange expression that he couldnât distinguish.
âWhat happened with Malfoy?â
She shook her head. âWell, he hates me, anyway. He was too arrogant to listen, and Narcissa was furious, so they ran off. Iâve been trying desperately to find them and Iâve looked everywhere. I finally decided that I needed to regroup.â
âWhy didnât you go to your good friend, Snape?â he spat at her, trying to ignore the sorrow in her voice and his own impulse to take her into his arms.
âHarry, I told you, Iâm sorry that I didnât tell you everything. What more can I do?â
âThis isnât about you and Malfoy. This is about you leaving here without even considering me. I thought Iâd never see you again,â he said hotly.
âSo did I. I meant for it to be goodbye.â
Harry blinked, literally feeling his heart ache with misery. âHas it all meant nothing to you?â
âNo! Just the opposite,â she whimpered.
âThe opposite? That doesnât make any sense. Why would you-â
âIâm such a disaster, Harry,â she cut him off. âItâd be better if you never saw me again.â
âHow can you say that?â
âYouâre so angryâŚâ Luci said abjectly.
âWhat do you expect, after all youâve done?â he exploded.
She bit her lip and swallowed. Her voice was trembling when she spoke. âI donât have the right to expect anything. All I have the right to do is try to leave here without ruining anything more in my wake.â
Her eyes anywhere but on his face, Luci hastily went to the desk and picked up a few items before starting towards the door. But he couldnât sustain his fury at her and he couldnât let her walk out, so he seized her arm before she could pass him.
She stopped but still didnât look at him. They stood there silently for what must have been several minutes, his hand on her pale skin, their bodies almost touching, her breathing shallow, as if she was frightened. There was so much energy between them that it was making Harry lightheaded. He was too scared to ask if she felt it too.
At last, he took a deep breath. âWhy did you leave without saying anything to me? I thought we⌠I mean⌠Did you really think that I never wanted to see you again?â
She finally gazed up at him, and then replied, hesitantly, âYes. I thought youâd be happy to get rid of the daughter of a Death Eater.â
He swallowed. When she said it like that, it made him want to throw up.
âNo, I⌠We were friends, werenât we?â
âArenât we?â
He said nothing.
âI donât know how we can be,â Luci continued, shaking her head. âIâve wrecked it all. And there are too many âIâm sorryâs for me to say. I canât expect you to ever forgive me for everything. And I know that youâll never see me the same way, now that you know. But canât you see why I didnât tell you? Donât you wish that youâd never found out?â
Harry didnât know how to respond to this. She was wrong â“ he didnât wish that heâd never found out; he wished that it wasnât true.
âSo I will go find my help elsewhere,â she said, when he didnât respond. âThank you for⌠everything. I canât tell you what y- what itâs meant to meâŚâ
âSo youâre just going to leave me again?â He still had a firm grip on her arm.
âLeave you?â She glanced back up in surprise, her eyes searching his face.
He inhaled, holding her stare. âYes.â
âHarry⌠Iâve hurt you so much and I never meant to and Iâm so unbelievably sorry. All I wanted was to keep Draco safe, and now, so many other things have become important, and Iâve done everything wrong, and Iâm just⌠I shouldnât have left without saying anything. I was just so scared of what you must think of me and I couldnât bare to face you and Iâm just spineless in general and Iâm sorry, I really am. I wish that we could start over.â
She meant it. She had barely made it through the dialogue, and there were tears in her eyes as she gazed remorsefully up at him. Her body was still only inches from his. Harry, forgetting his rage, realized now that he couldnât go any longer without knowing what it felt like to kiss her. He leaned down and touched his lips to hers. He almost expected her to shove him away, but, instead, after a soft noise of surprise and after dropping everything in her hands, he was thrilled to feel her kiss him back. Electricity shot through his body. He became aware of a feeling that heâd never known; it was as if nothing terrible had ever happened to him. He was just here, in this single moment, and there was nothing else.
He began to pull her closer, her body heat seeping into his skin, but she broke their kiss and took a step back, almost tumbling over the items on the floor. She looked up at him. They were both breathing deeply.
âWhat does this mean, Harry?â she asked, carefully.
This simple question seemed to weight the air heavily.
Harry wanted to tell her what it really meant to him. But he couldnât slow his blood after the rush, and his head was buzzing, so instead, he stammered, âIâve just⌠wanted to kiss youâŚâ
Luci raised an eyebrow. âI see.â She had a hand to her chest.
They looked at each other for a moment. This wasnât going right at all.
âOh!â she exclaimed, turning away from him. âThis is so wrong!â Then, looking even more panicked, she gasped, âIâm going to lose my job.â
âIâm of age, Luci,â Harry reminded her, hoping that this would make a difference.
âYes, but Iâm still a Ministry Official and youâre still a Hogwarts student!â she said, continuing to look fretful and avoiding his gaze.
He could say so much, but he didnât know where to start, so he just stood there and watched her.
âWhat about you and Ginny?â
âThere is no âme and Ginny,ââ he replied.
âOh, god, sheâll think IâŚâ She didnât continue, but she kept pacing back and forth.
Finally, she stopped, faced him, and declared, âWe canât do this, Harry.â
âWhy not?â
âBecause⌠itâs⌠inappropriate,â Luci said, slowly, but she sounded unconvinced.
âBut you do feel something for me?â His voice was shaking.
She shook her head. âThis is all my fault⌠If Iâd known this was happeningâŚâ But she stopped.
âWhat?â
âI would have stayed away from you. I should have.â
Harry could see that she was clenching her jaw.
âWhy?â he asked.
She looked trapped. âJust let it go, Harry.â
âNo.â
âPlease. Just⌠You need to go.â She sounded as if she were pleading with him.
âNot until you tell me that you donât feel the same way. Donât you⌠I mean⌠thereâs something here, isnât there?â
She murmured an inaudible reply and stared at the floor.
âLook at me,â demanded Harry. If she didnât feel something, she wouldnât be this distressed. Right?
Luci finally looked up at him, and the color in her eyes had changed. Then she responded in a very hollow voice, âI donât feel the same.â
A wave of humiliation hit Harry powerfully in the stomach.
âBut, Luci, IâŚâ
She shook her head. âI donât.â
âYouâre lying. Again. Why canât you ever be straight with me?â
She wouldnât meet his eyes. She simply said, âJust go.â
He stared at her for an instant, and then said quickly, âFine,â and moved towards the door.
âHarry.â
He kept his hand on the doorknob and didnât turn to face her.
âIâm⌠so sorry. You have no idea.â
âYouâre always sorry,â he replied.
Harry couldnât see her expression, but she made a muffled noise.
âJust⌠stay here tonight, OK?â Then, with a heavy heart, he left the room, slamming the door behind him.
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Harry had pulled the quilt up over his head. He couldnât believe heâd done it. His lips still burned. Part of him was elated; the other mortified. She had rejected him. But she had kissed him back⌠Hadnât she? Was she incapable of telling the truth, or was that the truth, and she really felt nothing for him? He was so confused. Heâd finally made up his mind⌠And now this.
He was running it over in his head, for what had to be the tenth time, the butterflies fluttering in his stomach at the memory. Then, all of a sudden, he heard voices downstairs. They were a mixture of hurried whispers and shrieking voices, one of which was definitely Siriusâs mum. Ron had woken, as well. They exchanged a questioning look and, as Harry hastily threw on his glasses, together, they rushed out of the room.
All three landings were filling with curious voices as everyone emerged from their rooms. Luci had hurried out, as well, and, at the sound of her name on Narcissaâs elevated voice, stopped near Harry and Ron.
âNow she wants my help,â Luci grumbled to them.
They both smirked.
âLuci!â Narcissa repeated in a panic. âHeâs taken Draco! The Dark Lord has taken him!â
Harry heard Luci gasp and felt her grip his wrist. His heart skipped a beat at her touch. He glanced at her, and the little color she had was faded from her face. She quickly let go and hurried past him and Ron down the stairs.
âWeâre going after him,â she stated resolutely, as she took the stairs two at a time.
âWe canât do that,â Narcissa moaned. âHeâll kill us all!â
âWell, we have to try, donât we? We canât just leave him there!â
Harry could tell that Luci was choking back her terror as she spoke.
âItâs too late!â Narcissa shrieked. âHeâll kill my Draco!â
âNo, he wonât,â Bill said from the side of the room. âThe Malfoy boy is bait.â
âBait for whom?â asked Mr. Weasley.
Billâs gaze moved up to where Harry stood motionless on the second landing. All eyes followed.
âMe?â Harry exclaimed. âWhy would I care if he had Malfoy?â
Then he stopped, looking down at Luci, who had tears in her eyes. Voldemort knew. Of course, he did. He and Harry were connected. Damn if he hadnât tried harder to learn Occlumency.
The room was silent. Harry took a deep breath. âWeâd better be off then,â he sighed.
âBut Harry,â he heard Hermione call from the landing below. âWhat about⌠you know?â
Harry considered this. âItâll have to wait.â
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Luci had insisted that they leave Grimmauld Place immediately, but Mrs. Weasley had forbid it. She had said that they needed a distress signal, and Hermione had suggested her own clever Galleon method. The members of the Order had agreed to this, and Hermione was upstairs, charming the coin. Her only condition was that she and Ron would accompany Harry and Luci to the Ministry of Magic. Narcissa had pointed them to this location, claiming that she knew it was a holding quarter for captives of the Death Eaters. Harry found this fishy, but Luci was unrelenting, babbling that they needed to get there as quickly as possible. He figured that they wouldnât find anything at the Ministry and would have to search elsewhere, but he wasnât really in a hurry to find Malfoy anyway.
Harry had dressed alongside Ron, snatching the two-way mirrors before he returned downstairs. If they were going to the Ministry of Magic, he had to find out about that veil.
Back in the kitchen, he found Luci, fully dressed and whispering with Charlie, who was still in his nightclothes. He didnât catch anything that they were saying, but they looked pretty cozy.
Harry made an obnoxious noise.
The pair of them glanced contritely up at him. Then, without another word, Charlie scooted from the room.
âYou know this isnât going to be easy?â Harry said to Luci, deciding that this was not the time to confront her about Charlie.
She was looking at him, but she didnât reply. She had put two fingers to her lips and a distance had appeared in her eyes.
âLuci?â
She seemed to snap out of it. âSorry - what?â
âYou donât have to come with us.â
The idea of the four of them leaving unaided grated on Harry. If he were going by himself, it would be different, but this would put the three people he cared about most in grave danger, and the thought made Harry feel like he was plunging into concavity.
âThatâs crazy. Of course, Iâm coming with you. Iâve gotta get Draco out of there. Iâm the only one who cares what happens to him.â
âYouâre right, I donât care about Malfoy.â
Luci looked at him pleadingly. âDo you care about me?â
âYou know I do.â
âOK then,â she said tartly.
âYouâre⌠important to me.â
âHarry, please donât do this right now.â
âNo, listen to me,â he commanded.
She nodded grudgingly.
âIt doesnât matter whether or not you feel the same. Voldemort knows how I feel and that means that you could possibly be killed.â
Suddenly, he realized that heâd broken up with Ginny for absolutely no reason. Voldemort would have known his feelings, despite whether or not they were dating, just as he knew Harryâs feelings now.
âI donât care, Harry. Heâs my brother and I have to go after him.â
Once again, heâd laid his heart on the table and Luci had totally disregarded it. It was fantastically depressing, and his stomach ached. He thought maybe she had just been hiding her feelings, but now he considered that she really might not feel anything for him. Malfoy had always been first with her. Harry had never had a chance.
âFine,â he spat coldly.
âI should tell youâŚâ began Luci.
âWhat?â
Her chest rose as she inhaled deeply, but she didnât say anything.
âWhat?â he asked again.
âWeâre ready,â said Ron, as he, Hermione, and Ginny entered the kitchen. âMum has the Galleon, and the Order will come if we need them.â
âAnd the D.A.?â asked Harry, wishing heâd been able to continue his conversation with Luci, even though all they did was talk, around and around in circles.
âWeâll get the message,â Ginny replied, looking warmly at Harry.
Before anyone could say another word, she marched over to him and threw her arms around him. He had a sudden panic that she was going to kiss him, but she just murmured in his ear, âPlease be careful, Harry.â
At a loss for words, he just nodded. Then, to his further shock, she turned to Luci and said, âGood luck finding your brother.â
Luciâs mouth fell open, but then she recovered and stammered, âTh-thank you, Ginny.â
âAll right,â sighed Harry, âletâs go rescue someone we donât even like.â
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