16

16: Imperius and Potions (July 10, 2003 to July 14, 2003)

S.E.B.,

I sincerely believe that it's in your best interest to hold off attempting to go back to your dimension until we figure out why your injuries worsened last time. Until we do, it isn't wise to attempt it as it could very well prove fatal. I certainly don't need to alarm your overprotective friends.

Besides, it seems that your friend, Mr. Draco Malfoy is an extremely persistent young man as he has approached his father about your summer vacation plans. His father, the Minister of Magic, has taken the time to approach me about the possibility of you staying with his son for the entire summer. Somehow, it was brought to his awareness that while you are at Hogwarts that I am your acting guardian. As such, I see no reason not to let you spend the vacation with your friend.

That is unless you have objections. After all, I don't think it'd be a hardship to arrange specific days for you to floo back to Hogwarts for your special classes. I'm sure I can arrange something with Mr. Lucius Malfoy.

-A.D.

That was it. He was set to stay with Draco for the entire summer except when he needed to go back to Hogwarts for his extracurricular classes. Of course, Draco didn't mind since he already knew what Sebastian was up to. Besides, he couldn't be anything but pleased that his best friend was staying the whole 3 months with him. What heavenly bliss!

It didn't hurt either that his parents approved of Sebastian. Not that Draco doubted that they would. What was there not to like about Sebastian? Damn good Seeker, brilliant at Potions, and was dabbling in the Dark Arts... what was there not to like? It really was too bad that Sebastian wasn't interested in him in that way. Really a pity.

His father could really help Sebastian in that field of study. Draco was already planning with Slytherin ease of introducing Sebastian to the immense Malfoy library. He was sure his father wouldn't mind. After all, he didn't doubt his father had let the information slip accidentally when he'd been talking to the Headmaster about Sebastian's arrangements to stay with them over the summer. Everything a Malfoy allowed to happen was deliberate.

Thought Draco didn't see why Sebastian kept the contents of what he was studying a secret. He was in Europe not the bloody Americas! Dark wizards didn't have to hide here! Dark magic was highly respected and revered as well as practiced without the inane secrecy that it had been before the Dark Lord!

It really was no surprise to Draco when Sebastian told him he was going to spend the summer vacation with him. That was why he went to his father about it because he knew that his father could make it happen. A Malfoy never let things up to chance, and he certainly wasn't going to let his best friend even think about trying the stunt that had gotten him almost killed over Christmas. Not on his watch.

And what better way to keep Sebastian here other than to have Severus floo here to tutor his best mate in the Dark Arts? Besides, with all the hidden corridors and rooms in the Malfoy mansion, he was certain that he'd find a way to observe whatever it was that Severus was teaching Sebastian. He really did despise remaining in the shadows about such matters, and if he couldn't get around whatever wards Severus might place around the room he was sure that his father could. Furthermore, the arrangement would keep Sebastian here and that's what he wanted. Look what happened to the prat when Draco went away for the holidays!

"You aren't surprised," Harry remarked with disappointed that he hadn't surprised Draco with the good news. Then again as he thought over it more carefully, it made much more sense. Dumbledore had mentioned Draco's tenacity in asking his father to help him get Harry to stay the summer with him. It'd be so Slytherin of Draco to get his father to put pressure on Dumbledore to let his son's best friend stay at the Malfoy estate. Quite like the Draco that he knew.

It was dawning on Sebastian, Draco thought with a smirk. It really was too easy for him to read the ever so slight facial shifts of Sebastian's expressive face. Sometimes, he really wondered why Sebastian had been sorted into Slytherin. There were times he didn't seem Slytherin at all, even if he did have a driving ambition. It was nothing compared to Hermione, now there was a hidden Slytherin in her. She had everything it took to be a major player in Slytherin if she had not been a muggleborn. No one that had ever been muggleborn had ever been sorted into Slytherin, which was probably why Hermione had been sorted into Ravenclaw. That was the next best fit.

"Why should I be?" Draco retorted with amusement. "I was the one who arranged it."

"Impossibly spoiled," Harry muttered. "Bratty prat."

"Yeah, yeah you complain," Draco drawled, "but I know you love to spend time with me. And think," he winked mischievously, "of all the times when Severus will be sitting next to you during dinner, since there really is no need for you to floo to Hogwarts for Severus to teach the Dark Arts to you when our library has everything you could possibly need."

Harry's jaw dropped. "You know?"

Draco nodded and rolled his eyes at Sebastian's naive astonishment. "I'm a Slytherin; it's what I do. I find out stuff that's secretive. You didn't honestly think you could hide it from me long did you?" Sebastian still had a stunned look of disbelief. "Well, I can see that you did." Draco let out a heavy sigh. "But I found out, and why did you keep it a secret? If you really are serious about it, the Malfoy library is the very best collection of Dark Arts. Everyone knows that."

"No one is suppose to know," Harry murmured. "Who else knows?"

"My father," Draco answered. "And why not?" he queried. "It's not like the Dark Arts have to be hidden anymore, not since the Dark Lord came into power. It's only those Light Wizards that prohibited them since they aren't strong enough to use them. There's nothing wrong with Dark magic, it's just harder to master it."

"Draco, don't tell anyone else okay?"

Draco glanced into his best friend's earnest eyes and nodded. For some reason Sebastian didn't want anyone to know and it was enough that he knew. "All right, I won't tell anyone else."

"Simply because I am the one that floos and not you," Severus began with his usual severe tone as he stepped out of the Malfoy's fireplace, "does not mean that you are not late when you do not meet me on time!" Harry simply grinned, Severus was simply Severus. "Do you understand me, Sebastian?"

"Yes, Severus," Harry responded dutifully, but his eyes were laughing.

"Cheeky imp," Severus muttered, yet even Harry wasn't blind enough not to see that the insult was done in a vaguely affectionate manner. He hadn't wanted to believe it at first, but Draco had pointed out so many times before he'd believed that the way Severus treated him was different. That in his own snarky, snide way that was how Severus flirted with him. Severus teasing him? Perhaps, what else could you call Severus' playful name calling? Insults maybe, but they didn't have the bite of a true Snapish slight.

Harry simply grinned. "I've already gotten all the ingredients out," he pointed out. "But I found that one of them were missing." He didn't even bother to say that was why he was late, it was unnecessary when it came to Severus. No doubt, Severus being as sharp as he was would pick up on that. Despite not spending as much time with Severus as he was use to because of Poppy's medimagic lessons he still spent a great deal of his time with the Potions Master. More than half the week, it was definitely as much quality time as he spent with Draco considering that he lived in the same room as Draco.

While Severus was technically suppose to be teaching him the Dark Arts and while they did have lessons on it, more often than not they found themselves discussing the way certain dark spells were used to speed up potions and add potency which led to experimentation. Which invariably meant they got sidetracked, but who cared? Harry had told Severus several times that his understanding of the Dark Arts was growing immensely due to these detours. Since his grasp on Potions was so strong, relating it to a subject manner that he understood best helped him seize hold of the Dark Arts principles as well.

"Clear the Potions to the side," Severus instructed sternly. "We won't start on that until later. I still have much more to teach you, and despite the fact that mixing dark magic with potions is undoubtedly helping you- we still need to make more progress with the Unforgivables. I think your understanding of the Cruciatus Curse is far beyond many that are your age," Severus remarked dryly, still remembering with discomfort the powerful Cruciatus Sebastian had placed him under during the last lesson.

While it didn't have quite the bite of the Dark Lord's, it was still immeasurably powerful compared to what he would have expected from a person of that age. It was at least as strong as his own Cruciatus! And the thing was he didn't want to think of how it'd increase once Sebastian hit his majority. "I am certain that you will be fully able to perform the Imperius Curse; however, this isn't as easy since you need more than the desire behind it- but a strength of will to push your commands across," Severus continued. "Some individuals are very hard to place under the curse since they have such a strong will, and it's especially hard to get anyone to do what they do not want to do."

"It only makes sense," Harry commented with curiosity showing up in his keen green eyes. "From what I've read of the Imperius Curse, everyone has a natural resistance to being forced to do something they do not want to do which is why the Unforgivable is hard to master over a strong willed wizard. On the contrary, it is quite easy to bend a wizard to your will if it is something that they want to do."

"Correct," Severus replied with stiff approval. "I see you've been doing your recommended reading, but reading on theories on the Unforgivables will only take you so far no matter how lucky you were with casting the Cruciatus the first time around." His expressive grew grimmer as he gestured for Sebastian to approach him. "The best way for you to understand the Imperius is to be placed under it, and I know," he said in a rather perceptive tone, "that you've been put under it before. I will try not to make you do anything unforgivable."

Harry's lips quirked up at Severus' pun. "I trust you that you will not," he murmured softly. Having said that, Harry smiled at him in a give it to him manner. "You might as well just hit me with it."

"Are you sure you're ready?" Severus inquired, his voice a bit kinder and more forgiving.

Harry nodded and tried not to let a too amused expression cross his face. While he hadn't exactly thrown off an Imperius Curse anytime recently, he didn't doubt that he could still do it. It simply wasn't something anyone forgot. But he did think it'd be harder to throw off Severus' Imperius Curse, since he knew what a strong will that Severus had. "As ready as I'll ever be," Harry responded. "Just do it."

Severus mentally rolled his eyes at Sebastian's impatience. Impertinent brat, he thought as he pointed his wand at the young man and cried out forcefully, "Imperio!" As he expected it would, it hit the boy hard enough to cause a dazed look to appear on the brilliant green eyes, distorting the magnificence with the confusion. Hmmm... interesting situation, he considered internally, that he had Sebastian at his beck and call. That he could have him to anything. He shook his head forcefully and reminded himself harshly that Sebastian was a student and that no matter how great the attraction that a mentor relationship was the only sort he could have.

For Merlin's sake, he was old enough to be Sebastian's father! But that didn't stop him from admiring the young man's sleek form on more than one occasion. Even before the incident where Sebastian had cum in his bed chambers, he'd already been feasting his eyes on the boy. It was after that, that it became worse. His attraction was only growing, and the closer they got the more he realized it wasn't only a physical attraction. Too bad he wasn't the type that took pleasure in forcing someone or this situation would have gotten far out of hand.

That also made remember that he needed to get Sebastian to do something that he was against. What to make the boy do? What to force him to do? Hmm... so many endless possibilities. "Bow down to me and kiss my feet," Severus muttered, thinking that was something that Sebastian would likely not enjoy doing being a Slytheirn. He knew that Slytherins did not like bowing down to anyone. It certainly seemed that he'd made the correct choice as he saw Sebastian wavering, trying to fight the curse. "Bow down!"

No, Harry thought strongly and fiercely. I will not. No. I will not do that. I will not listen to you. I will not bow down or kiss your feet. I will not. And while it was difficult to break and throw the curse off of him, it was no harder than it'd been the first time. This time the buckling sensation and lost of control hadn't been quite as powerful as the last probably because his mind had actively started fighting the Unforgivable as soon as it'd been cast on him. "I won't!"

The strength of his willpower to throw off the Imperius Curse threw Severus backwards into the wall, stunning the Potions Master even more than Sebastian's example weeks ago of the Cruciatus. Where in the world had Albus found this young man? There was more than potential in Sebastian, there was a wizard that was possibly as powerful as Voldemort himself! Whichever side Sebastian chose to stand with would have the upper hand, and it seemed the Headmaster was playing his cards very well in keeping Sebastian's devotion. Wily old coot.

"Oh sweet Merlin!" Harry cried out in alarm. "Are you all right, Severus?" He quickly rushed over to Severus with concerned etched onto his forehead. "I didn't mean to hurt you. The last time I did that..."

"You've done that before?" Severus queried hoarsely, disbelief etched into his voice. "When?"

"Long time ago," Harry muttered. "First time was a deranged Defense Professor." Severus quirked up his eyebrow with his curiosity, but didn't press the young man for anymore information unless he wanted to divulge it. "Well," Harry remarked blithely, "why don't we start on the potions projects were we were working on last time?"

Severus didn't push Sebastian, knowing that it nearly always meant the young man would just close himself off from him. He well remembered past sessions when he'd tried to talk to Sebastian more about Dumbledore and his involvement, just trying to find out because he was concern but Sebastian had been very defensive and had closed himself off from him. It hurt a bit to realize that despite Sebastian relying quite a bit on him, that there were still some boundaries they had not crossed yet.

Thus, it'd been a godsend to be teaching Sebastian at the Malfoy estate rather than Hogwarts. While he was absolutely certain that the lessons weren't entirely private as they seemed, he knew that Lucius would not be going around spilling this sort of knowledge to anyone. If anything he could count on Lucius to keep his mouth shut until it proved beneficial to him. If there was a fence rider in this intricate game of politics, it was the enigmatic Lucius Malfoy.

"You said that you've already gotten all the ingredients prepared?" Severus queried.

Harry nodded. "Yes, it's in the other room. All of it is ready, and I even began putting the experiment we were working on last time on the ready to go simmer setting so it'd just right when we were done."

"How many hours do you have today to work?"

"As long as you want," Harry responded.

Severus glanced at Sebastian with perceptive dark eyes. "I would think that Draco would want to occupy more of your time than he does," Severus commented dryly, quite remembering several instances through the school year where Draco would burst into their potion sessions to drag Sebastian off somewhere. "Especially when I've heard from Lucius that he planned this entire affair."

"He said that he had lessons with his mother and his father," Harry told him. "Learning the family blood magic, especially since he's the only Malfoy in the generation to pass it on to. But he actually has told me that the Black family curses are quite a bit more obscure."

"No doubt about that," Severus remarked caustically. "The ancient and most noble House of Black is one of the darkest of dark wizarding families in Great Britain. I'm sure young Draco will be a force to be dealt with in the future, and I'm surprise that he's told you that much."

Harry shrugged. "I'm his best friend."

"Best friend or not," Severus retorted sharply, "one does not go about discussing family magical secrets with those outside of the family. You must have made a deep impression on Narcissa and Lucius, especially Narcissa since I suspect you've seen her quite a bit more than our esteemed Minister."

The tension in the air was crackling, and Harry thanked his god awful luck when the sound of sweet chimes was heard in the room. Again Severus raised his eyebrow in query and curiosity, which only made Harry grin. "The ready to go simmer alert," he remarked. "I thought bells were more agreeable to the ears than the clang of cymbals."

"Indeed," Severus commented with dry sarcasm. "Quite charming."