SECRET ( Drarry fanfiction)

Chapter 25

Harry was not happy as he arrived at the twins' flat. Narcissa had gently woken him not long before and he'd had to leave the warm comfort of Draco's arms to be here. As it was, he was running late, and he had been highly aware of Snape's smirk when he'd left Grimmauld Place.

It didn't help his mood that he had received some concerned looks from Remus and Narcissa, considering he was leaving with his broom and his original Invisibility Cloak. He'd explained that Ginny didn't know about his new cloak – and he wasn't sure if he wanted her to know about it yet – but he'd refused to explain the actual need for the cloak or the broom.

"What is your problem, Harry?" Ginny asked.

"I'm betting that he just crawled out of bed," Fred said.

"He does appear to have that grumpy morning look to him," George agreed. "Even though it's almost half ten already."

"You'd think that you would recognize that look, Ginny," Fred said innocently.

"Ah, but maybe he wasn't so grumpy on those mornings," George pointed out.

Harry and Ginny were both scowling now. As Ginny berated her brothers, Harry bemoaned the fact that Draco would not be happy with this conversation. He wasn't happy, either, and would much rather be back in bed where he'd left Draco sleeping soundly.

After getting the article sent off, he'd gone back to Grimmauld Place and spent the last day and a half in training. He'd thought it had been gruelling training with Snape. It sure as hell wasn't easier when he had two professors ganging up on him. Draco had been put through his paces as well, and they'd taken some brutal physical punishment while trying to master some stronger shields. The only plus Harry could see in the training was that Remus made sure that Snape healed them afterwards. Harry and Draco were now the dubiously proud owners of jars of Snape's personal bruise salve that worked wonderfully fast. It didn't keep them from collapsing in exhaustion after applying it, though. Harry really hadn't wanted to get out of bed that morning.

Sighing, knowing he needed to clear his head and deal with this, he called a halt to the bickering and teasing by asking about how the twins had managed to convince Mrs. Weasley to let Ginny out of the house finally. His mood lightened considerably as he listened with amusement. From what he could figure out, Fred and George had weaved some grand, elaborate tale about how Ginny was the only one who could help them with some product. They'd managed to confuse their mother, and everyone else, and kept at it until she had agreed.

Ginny pointed out wryly that if they hadn't warned her first, she would never have allowed the twins to sucker her in that way. The fact that Ginny had actually wanted to go had helped convince Mrs. Weasley that it must be all right. Ginny had, of course, been ordered to stay at the twins' flat.

"We're not staying here, though, are we?" Ginny asked.

"Depends on you," Harry said. He glanced at the twins and they grinned wryly as Harry erected a Silencing Charm around him and Ginny.

"I need to talk to you about Riddle and the Chamber of Secrets," he said.

"You don't want to actually go back down there?" Ginny asked, sounding alarmed and her face draining of colour.

"Well, I have to go back at some point, with or without you," Harry admitted. "I was kind of hoping that you would go with me because I need to know more about the Chamber."

"You know as much, if not more, than I do," Ginny protested.

"Maybe," Harry said, shaking his head doubtfully. "Riddle talked to me while I was down there, but you were down there longer than I was. And you actually talked to him all year," he said.