Twist of Fate

Chapter 14

Grimmauld Place

Harry could feel Sirius' eyes following him as they all welcomed Mr. Weasley back from the St. Mungo's. Snape, who had just confronted Harry and Sirius about the Occlumency lessons, had already stalked out of the room. Sirius had reluctantly put his wand away as the Potions master had left. The entire Weasley family was glowing with happiness and Harry felt uncomfortable intruding on their family homecoming. Harry slipped out of the room and went up to the bedroom he was sharing with Ron. He lay on the bed staring up at the ceiling and idly felt the galleon coin in his pocket. Draco had only been able to contact him twice in the week since Christmas.

Sound of the door opening startled him and he turned to see Sirius framed in the doorway. Harry quickly scrambled to sit up. Sirius came into the room and closed the door.

"I know by the way you haven't been able to look me in the eye that you are still seeing the Malfoy boy." Sirius said as he sat down on Ron's bed facing him. Harry lifted his chin defiantly but did not confirm or deny it. Why Sirius thought it was any of his business was beyond him.

"You are more like your father every day. Once he had decided on something, nothing could change his mind." Sirius hung his head down and looking at his knees. "But I can't remember any time he got himself in such a dangerous situation."

"It isn't dangerous. It isn't even a situation! I told you that last summer. It is just Draco and me." Harry protested.

"Just you and Draco, eh?" Sirius looked over at Harry. "Well, in a few days you are going to start Occlumency lessons with Severus Snape. Do you know what that means?"

Harry looked at him confused, "That I have to spend more lessons with Snape yelling at me?"

"It means, lover boy," Sirius growled, "That Severus Snape is going to be using leglimens to go through every thought in your head. How long do you think it is going to take him to find out about Malfoy?"

Every drop of blood drained out of his head, Harry felt light-headed and nauseous all at the same time. "Oh, Merlin."

"There. That is what you needed. A slap of reality in the face." Sirius growled, "What do you think Snivellius is going to do when he finds out you have been shagging his godson?"

Harry looked over at Sirius. "You have to get me out of those lessons."

"And just how do you suppose I can do that? Stuck like I am in this hell hole?"

"You don't understand. If Snape finds out Draco tricked him he is going to be furious at him."

"What do you mean tricked him?"

In for a knut, in for a galleon, Harry sighed. "Snape knows about us. He figured it out last year. We faked a fight and a break up a few months ago so that he would leave Draco alone about it."

Sirius stared over at him, "Snape knows and you are still alive?"

Harry shrugged, "I don't know how he guessed. It isn't like he caught us together-"

"Like I did?" Sirius snapped out. Harry nodded miserably.

"Anyway, he guessed and was making my life hell so Draco told him that he was going to break up with me and we had a fist fight and made sure that it would look like we hated each other again. I still think he is going to fail me in Potions. He uses any excuse he can to take points away from me."

"And it didn't sink into either of your thick heads that maybe Snape and I know what we are talking about? This thing with you seeing Arthur being attacked by the snake. Your connection with Voldemort. If you think Snape is a problem, what do you suppose is going to happen when he figures out that he can see inside your head? He will take the knowledge and use you and Malfoy. He will use it to destroy you, Harry."