The Contract

Chapter 66

"What's the matter with you? You look like you've got Fiendfyre-ants in your pants," Draco said, watching Harry torn between amusement and irritation. He hadn't seen Harry quite so animated before, and the irritation came from not knowing about it, not so much Harry's reactions.

"I'm just impatient," Harry admitted, fingers tapping against the book.

"About the outcome? You best get used to waiting, its ages away," Vincent pointed out the obvious.

"You'll probably find out tomorrow morning, it's not too long," Draco reassured him.

"Actually, if he keeps his dorm window open, he might get the owl at three or four o'clock in the morning." Daphne confided, they'd all learned how long it took for owls to reach certain places.

"Oh, no they don't!" Harry cursed, grasping his pen he was quick to write a reply, book on his knee. Staring down at the book, feet tapping impatiently as he waited.

"Why are you writing about marital privileges? Are you creating a new contract?" Vincent glanced up at Harry curiously. "Not many people bother with two Betrothals...but I suppose you are the heir of two houses...it makes sense."

"What? What is going on?" Daphne craned to see what was going on.

Draco however, just snatched up the book, only for the writing to disappear.

Harry smirked, "Nobody can read it but me,"

"Vincent did," Draco pouted, "I'm a Black just as much as you are...in fact more so..."

"Yes, yes, you're of Black blood, doesn't mean you can read a book I've personally made only be able to read by me." Harry pointed out, "You have to keep this all to yourself,"

"Yes, you know we will, we're hardly blubbering Gryffindors you know." Daphne waved off his concern. She might be acting dismissive but they did all know better. Well, most of them, she thought glancing at Pansy who was still pissed that one of her friends - she didn't know which one and it would stay that way - had betrayed her to her father, Corvus, Harry and the Dark Lord.

"This is a two-way journal, my guardian has the other one," Harry confessed, knowing better than to use names without securing the room.

"Oh, of course, that's how you kept in touch!" Draco almost wanted to smack his forehead in exasperation. "I had wondered..." because here had never really been any mail coming for Harry while they attended Hogwarts. They'd been so close; he'd known something was a foot.

"We thought that maybe it was something like that," Vincent nodded.

"Yeah," Draco replied, whispering low enough that even Harry had trouble hearing him. "Oh, so you're getting updates as they go ahead, but its Rodolphus' trial this morning...what does his wife have to do with it?"

"They've called her in as Witness," Harry said wryly, "I was just letting my guardian know that it's illegal."

"Are you trying to tell me that you know the laws better than Lord Corvus Lestrange?" Pansy sneered derisively, there was no way, he was just a thirteen-year-old boy for Merlin's sake, Corvus was ancient, he had to know the laws better than him. He was smart, she wasn't denying that, but come off it! It's like saying Harry who was new to the magical world was suddenly better than even her father.

"Pansy!" snapped Daphne, "Honestly! It's like you've learned nothing from this mornings humiliation!" it was done to reign the perpetrator in, to make them think twice about doing it again. In general, to make them think twice full stop.

"Everything alright in here?" the Slytherin prefect popped his head in, giving them all a once over.

"Do me a favour...have this carriage silenced for me," Harry asked politely, he would do it himself, but he wasn't able to use magic while not at Hogwarts. He pushed his luck using it at home...and in Egypt that day...but he wasn't risking it now here of all places. There were far more important things happening at the moment. Corvus had said that the Prefects would always help the lower Slytherins, and him, and Head boy if one of their own become one.