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theclockworkmonk · 3 years

Text

Halftime

Originally written for Hinny Ficfest 2021

Prompt #10: "Smile, we're on Camera."

Read on AO3

Summary: With Ginny telling Harry that he needs to cut loose, Harry fulfills one of his childhood dreams, but gets far more than he bargained for.

*******

Dear Harry,

I take back any and all cheek that I might have given you while you were Captain, because you clearly had the patience of a saint to not be screaming at us the whole time. I swear, it’s like herding hippogriffs. Peakes messed up his bat hand by being careless in Potions, Dean and Demelza are more interested in flirting with each other all practice than running the bloody drills, and the less I say about our sorry excuse for a new Seeker, the better. When you joined the auror program to help the world and find purpose in life, did you not once consider how it would inconvenience ME? Honestly.

And I don’t know how you put up with sharing classes with Hermione for six years. I’ve lost count of the times she’s almost slapped me upside the head from being in such a hurry to raise her hand. It’s also very annoying that I can’t lie to her about not having any homework to get her to stop nagging me, since she now has the same schedule as me.

I miss you so much. Honestly, has the first Hogsmeade weekend ALWAYS taken this long to arrive? What the hell. I’m counting down the days until I can get you pissed in the Three Broomsticks and I can take advantage of you (insert evil laughter here).

Love,

Ginny

****

Dear Ginny,

I’m afraid I can’t join you in bad mouthing Dean for being distracted by a girl during practice, as that would make me a hypocrite. But it’s irrelevant, because you’ll score so many goals on your own that it won’t even matter who catches the Snitch. Let’s be honest, you’re a better Captain than I ever had a chance of being. At least you’ll probably play in more than one game. As much as I miss you, that makes me glad I didn’t go back to school, even if my hand is cramping from paperwork and Robards thinks I don’t deserve to be here.

I’m honestly surprised that homework lie worked on Hermione up until now. I would have guessed that she memorized every year’s schedule just so she could scold students of all years (don’t tell her I said that).

About Hogsmeade….I was actually thinking that maybe we should steer clear of the pubs and shops. Maybe we can have a picnic on the outskirts of the village. Or maybe I can instead meet you on the school grounds. I know non-students normally aren’t allowed that, but I’ve been told the school’s stern headmistress has a soft spot for me. I just think that if we’re in the Broomsticks or Honeydukes together we won’t even get through the day without cameras starting flashing. I just don’t want to add one more thing to stress you out.

Love,

Harry

****

Dear Harry,

Okay Love, this is getting ridiculous. We’ve been together for months but still haven’t gone on a single proper date. I’ve tried to be understanding, I didn’t even argue when you didn’t want to come to see me off on the platform and we had to get all our snogging in at the house, but surely you realize this can’t go on forever. I’m PROUD that I’m your girlfriend, you git. You keep saying that you don’t want to drag me into your public life, but I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that I don’t care about that. You really don’t think I can handle the occasional Witch Weekly columnist cornering me and asking me if you’re good in the sack? Don’t worry, I’ll give a glowing review.

We can’t keep hiding from the world forever, nor should we have to. So stop being such a noble prat or I absolutely WILL tell Hermione what you said about her scolding.

Love,

Ginny

****

Ginny,

I know that you could handle anything the world throws at you. I know you can handle anything, but you still shouldn’t have to. It’s more about what I can handle. I know we can’t keep this secret forever, but….I don’t know, our relationship is just OURS right now. Once we’re public, it’s like we’re going to be sharing it with a thousand strangers. Half of bloody Britain had an opinion about Hermione my fourth year, and I wasn’t even ACTUALLY dating her.

This is probably like ripping off a bandage and we should just get it over with, but as long as I still have that card to play and make plans on how I’d reveal it at some point in the future, I can fool myself into thinking I’m actually in control of this part of my life. Once the press gets word about us, it’ll be chaos.

Love,

Harry

P.S. - If you tell Hermione what I said, I’ll tell Ron that you said it’s only a matter of time before he gets too fat to be an auror.

****

I clearly have failed to teach you that control is grossly overrated. If you ask me, some chaos is exactly what you need. Sure, your life might have SEEMED crazy at first, but now you know you were just riding on rails the whole time. You’ve had Dumbledore, the school, the Ministry, the Order, all telling you what you can do and where you can go for your own protection, and of course the whole thing was because a bloody prophecy was running your life. Honestly, if I were you, I’d be going crazy.

And what do you take me for, a coward? I told Ron that to his face this summer, your threats mean nothing to me, peasant.

****

Are you calling me boring? I AM going crazy! I’m actually leaving the house and going to the shop when I want to. 10-year-old me would have his mind blown by having more than five square feet to move around, haha.

****

Nice try Harry, but we’ve both learned that using dark humor as a defense mechanism only goes so far. Your tragic backstory actually further proves my point, this truly is the first time your life has been open-ended and you don’t even know what to do with it.

You know what I think? I think you need to be impulsive. Maybe even a little spiteful. Every day, just do something you couldn’t do growing up or at school, either because it was too dangerous or illegal or because the monsters you lived with didn’t let you, or whatever (by the way, I’m totally going to kill them, it doesn’t matter what you say). Even if you don’t think you need or want to do them, do them just because you CAN now. Don’t wait to start until you can do them with me, in fact it may actually be better if you don’t. Even though we love each other, our relationship is still something you’re bound by and responsible for. You need to learn to live for no one but yourself.

Then maybe you’ll stop being such a chivalrous prat and hiding me away. Love you.

*******************

14 November, 1998

“I think you overdid it on the shrinking charm,” said Hermione, “I’m not that taller than you.”

Ginny adjusted the denim jacket that Hermione had lent her as they walked down from the castle in the crisp autumn air. The boys had written to them and asked them to wear muggle clothes when they went down to Hogsmeade, and Ginny needed to borrow something warm that wasn’t a cloak from Hermione, and had adjusted the size with magic.

“ Hmm, ” Ginny hummed thoughtfully, “Maybe, but I didn’t want it to be baggy. I need it riding high enough so my bum is uncovered, I didn’t squeeze myself into these tight jeans for nothing.”

Hermione grimaced and rolled her eyes. “Well you might have made it so small that it doesn’t even make you warm, defeating the purpose.”

Ginny scoffed. “Hermione, we’re girls, we don’t need to rely just on clothes to keep us warm, that’s what boyfriend arms are for, obviously. ”

They approached the gate of the school, and were surprised to find their boyfriends waiting for them right there instead of in the village. Ginny was about to tell off Harry if he was continuing with his nonsense of just spending the day at the school, but her voice died and her jaw dropped when she saw the state of him.

Harry was, somehow, looking even hotter than he did the last time she saw him. He was wearing a black t-shirt with a messed-up smiley face on it and the word “NIRVANA” splashed across his chest (which looked much more toned than the last time Ginny had seen it, but she would have to run her hands over it to be sure). She was able to see it because his hands were on his hips, pushing back the black leather jacket he was wearing. From now on, he would wear nothing but leather, if Ginny had any say, and it hung beautifully on his broad shoulders (which he had now, apparently, Ginny thanked the gods for the auror training regimen).

But the thing that drew Ginny’s eyes the most was his hair. It was even more wild than usual, messier than any bedhead she had seen him with, to the point that it seemed to defy gravity, and was practically begging for a girlfriend’s fingers to be running through it.

“Oh, brother,” she heard Ron grumble. She wasn’t surprised. She wasn’t even attempting to hide how hard she was eye-shagging Harry.

Harry gulped and blushed at the look on his girlfriend’s face, and didn’t even manage to get out a polite greeting before she leapt into his arms and kissed him until he felt dizzy.

“...wow,” he gasped finally as he put her down, needing air.

“Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in muggle clothes that fit you,” said Hermione, after kissing her own boyfriend.

“Yeah, he looks weird in jeans meant for a human instead of a hippopotamus,” laughed Ron.

Harry shifted uncomfortably at the attention. “Yeah, well...that’s sort of the point.”

He turned back to Ginny. “I took your advice. I’ve been doing lots of stuff that I’ve never been allowed to do before. I actually bought a Nintendo, since I was never allowed to touch Dudley’s, or even watch him play.”

“He’s coming to regret that, though,” said Ron smugly, “since I’ve been kicking his arse at it.”

“And I also realized that I can actually buy my own clothes now,” Harry continued. “I started out just wanting to buy some jeans and shirts that fit me, but well….your dad and I finished fixing Sirius’s motorcycle, and in all the photos I’ve found of Sirius with it, he’s wearing a jacket like this. I guess it’s just what you’re supposed to wear when you ride one.”

He looked down and pulled at his t-shirt. “This is a muggle band that I found a tape of once. I managed to play it for a bit on Dudley’s old stereo he kept in his second bedroom, but I got a bit too greedy with the volume and Petunia practically shrieked like a banshee to ‘turn off that noise!’ But now I have all their music and blast it as loud as possible, just because I can, like you said.”

“And in all of this splurging, you couldn’t afford a hair comb?” chuckled Hermione, pointing to Harry’s hair.

“Hey, you shut up!” Ginny told Hermione. “Don’t listen to her, Harry, if you comb this I’ll kill you.”

“Yeah, apparently men do this on purpose now?” said Harry. “I went to get a haircut, and basically told the stylist to just do whatever she thought looked good, and she used this paste that made my hair stick out all over the place even more than it usually does, and stay there.”

He shrugged at Ginny. “You said to be spiteful, and it was fun imagining what Petunia would think if I had this growing up, so I kept it.”

“Well Harry, that is downright petty!” Ginny gasped. “I’m so proud of you!” At that, Harry’s face split into an adorably goofy grin.

“Well let’s get going,” said Hermione. “Why did you two ask us to dress muggle?”

Reluctantly, Harry pulled his eyes away from his girlfriend beaming at him. “Oh yeah, that. Well, I was actually hoping we could go to muggle London. There’s another thing I’ve been meaning to do, but I wanted all of us to go together.

Ginny’s eyes narrowed suspiciously and she looked at Harry with her hands on her hips. “Are you just trying to get me away from the magical world as part of your daft idea to protect me?”

“What? Nooooo,” said Harry guiltily, “It’s not about that!”

Ginny didn’t move a muscle except to raise one eyebrow.

“....okay it’s not only about that. Come on, muggle public is still public, it’s a step in the right direction, work with me here, Gin.”

“I for one don’t mind staying clear of Harry’s admirers, personally,” said Ron, offering his arm to Hermione to Apparate.

“Alright,” grumbled Ginny, “but you’re not off the hook about this!”

She looped her arm through Harry’s, he turned on the spot, and she winced as she felt the squeeze of Apparition.

When they landed, Ginny was immediately aware of all the sounds and smells that came with the truly absurd number of people that lived together in muggle society. That was the thing about muggles that always blew her mind, just how many there were. She heard the shuffling of thousands of footsteps and a cacophony of car horns, and smelled smog. The first thing she saw, however, was just a brick wall. They had Apparated in an alleyway.

“Come on,” said Harry, and took her by the hand. He led her out onto a bustling pavement, and across the street Ginny saw an enormous stadium. Everywhere, there were billboards and banners in red and white, adorned with the emblem of a red rose. Across the entrance to the stadium, where a huge crowd of people, mostly dressed in white, were passing through turnstiles, were giant letters spelling out “WELCOME TO TWICKENHAM.”

“Oh Harry, this is a great idea!” said Hermione cheerfully as they started crossing the street towards the entrance.

“Wait, what’s going on?” asked Ginny, “What made you want to come here?”

Harry sighed as they continued to walk. “Growing up, Dudley always loved a muggle sport called rugby. Actually...no, I don’t think he loved the actual sport, he just loved watching big ugly blokes hit each other really hard. His favorite part of the matches were the brawls that would occasionally break out. That might be why he eventually lost interest in the sport and took up boxing instead, cutting out the middleman, I guess.

They got in line at the entrance to the stadium and Harry handed out tickets that he had bought to the three of them.

“Anyway,” Harry continued, “Petunia and Vernon would take Dudley to all the England games. They really tried to foster his interest in it, I think maybe so that he might actually want to play.”

He paused for a moment and then chuckled. “But that was never going to happen. Dudley can’t run for eight seconds, much less eighty minutes. The sport also kind of has a stigma for being for stuffy upper-class people—”

“Yeah, that tracks,” grumbled Ron. “Your dad said he played this game, right Hermione?” She swatted his arm.

“So that was the other reason the Dursleys liked the game, it fit nicely into the image they obsessively crafted about themselves,” continued Harry, with an edge in his voice. “But of course, that image had no room for me in it. They couldn’t very well be seen with a boy who looked like a street urchin in raggy hand-me-downs, so every England game I got handed off to Mrs. Figg while little Dudders got to shout obscenities at the opposing players and referee to his heart’s content.”

Ginny gave his hand a comforting squeeze, and his furrowed brow relaxed again. He shook himself out of his mood and cleared his throat.

“Anyway, Ginny’s been telling me to indulge myself more, so I thought I’d finally see what all the fuss is about, just because I can now. I wanted it to be a surprise, but in hindsight I really should have asked you both first, I won’t get my feelings hurt if you want to go back to Hogsmeade.”

“Oh, don’t you start that again!” Ginny scolded him.

“This is an excellent idea, Harry,” said Hermione. “I’m always telling these two they should learn more about muggles.”

Once they were in the stadium, Harry started guiding them towards the section with their seats, but Ron made to go towards one of the many food kiosks.

“Ron, I know there’s no way you didn’t eat lunch before picking us up,” groaned Hermione. “Even you can’t possibly be hungry again already.”

“Hey, you just said I needed to learn more about muggles!” said Ron defensively. “I’m going to get right on that, starting with learning about their selections of beer.”

Hermione crossed her arms. “Oh, really, you got a muggle driver’s license while I’ve been away? How do you plan to prove that you’re over eighteen?”

Ron frowned in confusion. “Why the bloody hell would it matter if I’m over eighteen?”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Harry, Ginny, go find our seats. Ron, go buy the food, I’ll get us some drinks.”

Eventually, they were all seated, in a great spot that Harry knew with satisfaction even the Dursleys had never sprung for, with Harry sitting between Ginny and Hermione, with Ron on Hermione’s other side. Ron was balancing a sample of nearly every concession in the stadium, Ginny was bouncing excitedly on the edge of her seat, and Harry wore a contented smile as the England team marched out onto the field alongside the Netherlands, greeted by the roar of the crowd.

“Brr, it’s a little cold,” said Ginny, exaggerating her shiver a bit and looking sideways.

“Oh, come here,” said Harry, with genuine concern, and wrapped his arm around her.

She sighed as she melted into him. “Much better.”

“You cold too, love?” Ron asked Hermione. “These muggle clothes aren’t as warm as a cloak.”

“No, I cast a warming charm on myself before we left,” Hermione said casually.

“Oh…” said Ron, his face falling. Hermione rolled her eyes, took his hand, and wrapped her boyfriend’s arm around her.

As the anthems started playing, the four of them enthusiastically attempted to sing along, despite the fact that Hermione was the only one of them who knew the words to “God Save the Queen,” and blushed with embarrassment at the offended looks they earned from the fans around them.

Right from kickoff, Ginny was surprised by how much she enjoyed a game where all of the players were stuck on the ground. It was true that there was a great deal of ugly blokes hitting each other, but there was also a good bit of far prettier blokes pulling off long, elaborate passing plays that honestly made Ginny feel jealous and start taking mental notes, and whenever the players started launching kicks into the sky and leaping to catch them, she almost felt like she were at a Quidditch match. With each England score, she cheered as if she had been watching the team all her life.

And she had plenty of chances, because barely a few minutes would go by before England would score again. The roar of the crowd quickly became less and less intense, as many of the muggle fans started clapping politely or even looking outright bored, and looked sideways at Harry and Ginny continuing to leap to their feet every time England ran the ball into the end of the field, like they suspected the young couple were being sarcastic.

“Oh come on, that was thrown forward!” Ron cried out in frustration as England scored their fifth try. “And there’s no way that was a legal tackle!” he pointed to a Dutch player still on the ground, clutching his ribcage.

“How would you know?” Harry laughed. “And whose side are you on anyway, traitor?”

“He can’t help it, this is just like watching the Harpies play the Canons,” teased Ginny. “He has a soft spot for hopeless teams.”

“Oi, shut it!” snapped Ron, “Besides, it’s our year this year, our new Keeper is unbeatable, except from the left side.”

By the time halftime was called, England was up forty-seven to zero, Harry and Ginny were feeling exhausted from cheering, Hermione’s right ear was hurting from Ginny’s shouting, and Ron was about to burst from all the beer he had drunk, so he got up and made like a bat out of hell towards the toilets.

As the fans settled down, the stadium was trying to keep them entertained until the game resumed, playing music and showing shots of the crowd on the jumbotron, with the caption “Dance Cam!” in the corner. Harry and Ginny were having fun judging the performances.

“Hmmm, commendable effort, but lacking creative vision,” said Ginny in a snooty voice.

“You just can’t appreciate the artform,” said Harry. “If they pointed the camera at us, I would wipe the floor with you.”

“Ugh, no, I don’t need to see you attempt to dance,” said Ron, returning holding his stomach and looking green. “I already hurled in the loo, don’t make me do it again.”

“Well that tends to happen when you eat five hot dogs in forty minutes,” said Hermione primly.

“Yeah, well, I’ve been living off of Harry’s cooking for the past two months, I was desperate for something edible.”

“Only you could complain about free food, Ron,” said Harry.

“It’s not free! I’m paying for it more than you!” Ron shot back. “Don’t act like you’re cooking to be nice, you’re just using me as your Weasley guinea pig so you can get good at it to impress my sister!”

Harry blushed, and was about to retort, when Ginny pulled on Harry’s arm from his other side.

“Harry,” she said in a sultry voice that sent a shiver down his spine, “Smile, we’re on camera.”

Harry looked up to the jumbotron, and felt himself blush harder and gulped loudly. He saw Ginny and himself, up on the screen, magnified for thousands of people to see, but that wasn’t the most embarrassing part. While he had been arguing with Ron, the game had apparently changed. Instead of the Dance Cam, the screen was now captioned with “Kiss Cam!”

He turned towards his girlfriend, who had a dangerous glint in her eye, and cleared his throat. “Er...do you think we should—”

He was cut off by Ginny throwing her arms around his neck and sticking her tongue down his throat. She leaned back in her seat, pulling him with her until he was almost lying on top of her. Through the fog of blissful oblivion that turned his brain to mush, Harry was distantly aware of the roar of laughter and wolf whistles as a few thousand of his closest friends reacted to him snogging his girlfriend.

“...Welp. I’m gonna go puke again,” Ron said in a deadpan voice, and got up to leave.

“You know, when you told me to go crazy, I didn’t think you meant shameless, ” Harry told Ginny.

“Oh, ex- cuse me!” laughed Ginny. “Have you already forgotten how our first kiss went?”

“I think this is on a bit bigger scale!” said Harry, gesturing around them to the huge stadium, many hundreds of times larger than the Gryffindor common room.

“Yes, that means that I win,” said Ginny smugly.

Harry laughed and reached an arm around her, pulling her close.

“I didn’t know it was possible to feel this....”

“Happy?” Ginny finished for him hopefully.

“No,” said Harry thoughtfully. “Well, yes, I mean, I am happy, but you make me this happy all the time. I didn’t know it was possible to feel this normal. ”

Ginny smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder. “For the record, Harry, you’re not normal. You’re brilliant, and a hero, that’s never going to go away forever. But I’m glad you got to pretend otherwise today. Now, can we get the game started again? I’m on the edge of my seat to find out who wins.”

Despite being so cheesy, Harry couldn’t help himself. “Well, I’m feeling like I’m the real winner here.”

Ginny threw her head back and groaned.

******************

“I am starving! ” Ron announced as he and Harry stepped through the Burrow’s fireplace. They had just floo’ed over for Sunday dinner, which had quickly become a tradition after they had moved out. For both of them, the Burrow still felt like home.

When they entered the kitchen, they found most of the family already there, and Harry was surprised and confused by the range of reactions he received. Fleur’s face was flushed as if she had been laughing, and upon seeing Harry she collapsed into more giggles. Bill, however, narrowed his eyes at Harry and pressed his mouth into a thin line, which didn’t scare him nearly as much as George grinning at him and rubbing his hands together gleefully. Mrs. Weasley had her back turned to them at the kitchen sink, and Mr. Weasley was hidden behind a newspaper.

Harry and Ron paused for a moment and looked at each other.

“Er...what’s so funny?” asked Harry.

“It’s not funny,” said Bill curtly, looking between his wife and George.

“Did you two enjoy your outing with the girls yesterday?” Mrs. Weasley asked without turning around.

“It was brilliant,” said Ron. “Harry had a stupid grin on his face the whole time.”

“Well I should think so,” sighed Mrs. Weasley, with annoyance in her voice. She turned around and placed a magazine on the kitchen table, sliding it towards Ron and Harry. “You certainly seem to have enjoyed yourself.”

Harry looked at the cover of the magazine, and felt all of his insides turn to ice.

It was the latest issue of Witch Weekly, and on the cover was an identical image to the one that had appeared on the stadium’s screen the previous day, except this one was magically moving: Harry and Ginny in the stands, sharing a searing kiss in front of everyone. The headline read “ WHO IS GINNY WEASLEY? THE INSIDE SCOOP ABOUT THE CHOSEN ONE’S CHOSEN ONE! Read on page 23.”

“This issue actually went out late,” said George over his drink, “I guess that happens when the biggest story of the week happens last-minute.”

Harry couldn’t respond. He felt his throat closing up. The exact thing that he had been terrified would happen had happened.

“Okay, just for the record,” said Ron uneasily, “She was the one snogging him.”

“How dare you, Ronald!” said George dramatically. “What are you implying about our sweet, innocent baby sister? We all know she’s been badly influenced by Harry’s wanton ways. After all, he’s always been such a womanizer.”

“We can see that she instigated it in the picture, Ron,” said Bill shortly, “But one wouldn’t think that Harry would be powerless against being manhandled by a ninety pound girl with no wand if he didn’t concur with the idea. Where’s all those auror reflexes?”

Harry was barely listening to them. He opened the magazine so fast he ripped the cover and flipped to page 23:

Sorry to all of our younger readers, but Harry Potter appears to be off the market! While WITCH WEEKLY reporter Joan Bigby was watching a muggle game called “rug bee” (as research for our Top 10 Hottest Muggle Celebrities, pg 36), imagine her shock when she spotted the Chosen One himself in the crowd. After months of being elusive, with not a single public sighting outside of the Ministry of Magic since the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry, with all eyes on him, shared an intense kiss with a red-headed girl that we have since discovered is Ginny Weasley, current seventh year Hogwarts student, in a public display of affection that very few would expect of the famously mysterious and dignified hero.

However, the muggle footage (that we’ve magically recreated here) clearly shows Ginny initiating the kiss. Did she do it to get some fame for herself? Many people are saying it’s possible.

“WHO is saying it’s possible!?” Harry growled as he white-knuckle gripped the glossy pages. “You just broke the story, who’s talking about it already!?”

“Oh, ‘many people are saying,’” Mrs. Weasley huffed. “That’s what they say when they want to disguise that they’re just making things up.”

Harry continued to read, even though every line horrified him more than the last.

Naturally, the magical community of Britain will be wondering if this girl is good enough for their savior. Well, we regret to inform everyone that Ginny Weasley appears to have a reputation of having many boyfriends and going through them rather quickly.

“But she doesn’t!” Harry cried. “She had just two previous boyfriends and dated them for a year, how is that quickly?”

“Well I mean,” mumbled Ron, “She does have more experience then either of us.”

“But that’s only because we’re both idiots,” said Harry.

“Fair point,” said Ron.

After leaving the muggle event, Miss Bigby Apparated to Hogsmeade, where the Hogswarts student population were spending the day. She had a very enlightening conversation with a Miss Romilda Vane, current sixth year.

“Oh, bloody hell,” Harry groaned.

“I strongly suspect she’s been slipping him love potions,” Miss Vane commented. “Everyone knew that she was fawning over him for years, then out of nowhere he’s snogging her in the Gryffindor Common Room after a Quidditch match. She’s been climbing the ranks by dating boys who will give her clout by association. First there was Michael Corner, a Ravenclaw with the highest marks in his year, then there was Dean Thomas, Harry’s dorm mate and one of Gryffindor’s Quidditch stars.”

WITCH WEEKLY also tried to reach out to Corner and Thomas, who were also present in Hogsmeade, but they both adamantly declined to comment. However, this may have been due to having no bad things to say, but rather a fear of reprisal from the fiery redhead. According to Miss Vane, Ginny Weasley also has a reputation for being violently unstable, with a penchant for the Bat Bogey Hex. As if we weren’t already worried that this girl would break Harry’s heart, she might also hurt him physically….

Harry let the magazine fall from his hands and he collapsed into one of the kitchen chairs.

“It’s over,” he said in disbelief. It wasn’t emotional panicking, it was just a reasonable statement of fact. “There’s no way she doesn’t chuck me after this.”

Harry hopelessly collapsed forward until his forehead loudly made contact with the wooden table.

All the expressions from the Weasleys softened in sympathy, from Bill’s and Mrs. Weasley’s stern looks to Fleur’s and George’s teasing smiles.

“Oh Harry dear, I’m sure she’ll understand,” said Mrs. Weasley softly, coming around the table and placing a hand on his shoulder.

“If I know my daughter at all,” said Mr. Weasley, finally emerging from behind his paper, “then she couldn’t care less what some strangers reading a magazine think of her. She understands that as long as the people who love you know the truth, that’s all that matters.

“Oh, I zink she cares,” chuckled Fleur, “She will love being known as ze diabolical villain zis rag is writing about. She will be proud, it will make ozzers zink twice before messing wiz ‘er. No one will try to steal ‘Arry from her if zey zink she will hex zem.”

“No, I know Ginny is strong,” said Harry despondently, “but everyone has a limit. She has to be wondering if being with me is worth—”

Tap tap tap

Harry’s sulking was interrupted by the noise at the window. He looked up and saw the screech owl that he had gotten Ginny for her birthday.

Harry’s heart sank even further. This was it. The break-up letter.

He mentally protested against his feet as they carried him to the window. All of his Gryffindor courage was failing him and he wanted to run in the opposite direction of that letter and never read it.

He numbly opened the window and took the letter from the owl. He opened it with shaking hands and began reading. As he read, he felt his tense stomach muscles finally relax, and eventually he started chuckling and a small smile appeared on his lips.

“Eh-hem.”

Harry looked up and saw all of the Weasleys looking at him very expectantly.

“Well?” said Ron.

Harry shrugged and began reading:

“Okay Harry,

I figure that this letter should reach you right as you’re starting to panic at Sunday dinner and starting to think a bunch of daft things like I’m going to ditch you.

Dean told me about being ambushed by some tart from WITCH WEEKLY in Hogsmeade. I got a copy this morning and it’s honestly the most brilliant thing I’ve ever read. I’ve framed it and put it up in my dorm, I’m going to re-read it whenever I need inspiration.”

“See? What did I tell you,” said Fleur proudly.

“I’m thinking about putting ‘Ginny Weasley, named Gold Digger of the Week by WITCH WEEKLY’ on business cards, but that might be overkill. So nip all of those noble, guilty thoughts I know you’re having in the bud, Potter. My only regret is that I don’t get to snog you like that every day. So you better be prepared to make up for lost time—”

“Feel free to skip this part,” said Bill flatly.

“We get the gist of it,” said Ron.

“The point is, Harry, that it will take a lot more than some tripe in a magazine for lonely witches with nothing better to do with their time for you to get rid of me. You better not try to hide me away again the next time we’re together. You’re going to snog me in public, whether it’s muggle or magical public is up to you.

Love (no matter what),

Ginny

P.S. - If you truly want to make it up to me, you can use your Ministry connections to get me out of Azkaban after what I do to Romilda Vane.

“Wow,” said Ron, “Don’t let her go, mate, that’s not the kind of letter you’d get from most girls right now.”

“I think I’ll have to lend our sister some Weasley Wizard Wheezes prototypes,” said George thoughtfully, “It seems she’s found the perfect test subject in Miss Vane.”

“Oh, don’t you encourage her!” scolded Mrs. Weasley, “I’ll write and tell her it’s best to just ignore this sort of thing and not retaliate. I told you she would be understanding, Harry dear.”

Harry’s head was swimming and his heart was pounding from his realization.

As happy as he had always been with Ginny, there had always been something holding him back from picturing a future with her. He now realized he had been assuming that she would get scared of everything that came with dating him and let him go. But she had taken the worst of it in stride, and that made it obvious: she was with him for keeps. She was the One. He could now see his whole life stretched out in front of him. A life shared with Ginny.

Harry made to leave the kitchen in the direction of the fireplace.

“Wait, Harry, where are you going?” asked Mrs. Weasley.

Harry didn’t see a reason to hide it. “I’m going back to my flat to write the cheesiest, most nauseating love letter in history.”

Ron shooed him away. “Don’t give us any more details, then, I don’t want to lose my appetite.”

#hinny ficfest #harry potter #harry potter fanfiction #harry and ginny #hp fanfic #hp fanfiction #hinny #hinny fanfic #hinny fanfiction #hinny fluff #romione #ron and hermione

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halothenthehorns · 3 years

Text

THE WEIGHING OF THE WANDS

"Dad?" Harry whispered when he just kept sitting there, glaring down at the pages, and Harry finally realized he had been the only one not to say anything.

"Oh I am beyond pissed," he said at once with broiling tones. "I'm going to knock him a good one if I ever get the pleasure of meeting him-" his face twitched though, some old regret finally tampering down the tone, "but I'd be a right hypocrite if I sat here and gave somebody else the piss about doing this."

"Oh come on Prongs," Sirius whined, turning a still fiery look on him which drowned out his attempt at a joke. "That was years ago, we've gotten over it. I've admitted I deserved it."

"Still," James groused, shoving the book towards him without looking at anyone. "I made that mistake once before, judging someone just because they made a stupid bleeding decision. If Harry and Ron never make up for Ron acting like a royal prat, than so be it, but I'm certainly not going to say anything against him because he's said and done something stupid in regards to one of his friends."

"I, I really don't believe you," Remus gasped as he stared right at him, sure at any moment James was going to crack and start yelling and screaming along with the rest of them. "What Sirius did is much worse than this-"

"-Gee thanks Moony-" Sirius muttered under his breath.

James cut across both of them as he nodded, "that's true, and my point. What Ron's doing is wrong, and stupid, but I'm going to sit over here and hope he gets over it and apologizes more than curse him out about it." He clearly was not pleased at his own decision, but he still sat back with his arms crossed and a set look saying he was going to do his damndest to uphold that as long as he could.

Sirius looked from the book to his best mate like he wasn't sure who was giving him a turn more, but finally he decided to leave Prongs be for now.

When Harry woke up on Sunday morning, it took him a moment to remember why he felt so miserable and worried.

Sirius hadn't ever been this mad at Ron before. He'd been angry at Hermione plenty of times, but at least he could wrap his mind around her. This was, petty, and so stupid! Anybody who knew Harry for a few minutes ought to realize he wouldn't have really done something like this, Ron had been his friend for over three years by now and hadn't stuck by his mate! He quickly pushed past the rather confusing feeling that he was technically this steamed over someone he'd never actually met.

Then he remembered his fight with Ron, and sat up with the full intentions of forcing Ron to believe him,

"You shouldn't have to," Remus snarled under his breath.

only to find that Ron's bed was empty.

Lily groaned, wondering how long this was going to last, holding out for hope that the two boys would make up.

Harry dressed and went down as well, but the moment he appeared in front of others they started applauding him again.

James had to really fight down the impulse to make a crude gesture at people who weren't here. Couldn't they take a hint?

The idea of facing the rest of the castle was not appealing, but it was a choice between that or staying up here with his own adoring house, so he made for the portrait and had barely climbed out when he ran into Hermione.

It really was sad that Harry had to watch them all tense in unease, clearly fearing yet another row. Surely at least Hermione would believe him!

She greeted him with a friendly enough tone, holding up a stack of toast for him and offering to go for a walk.

"That's encouraging," Sirius grumbled, his eyes narrowing in thought as he tried to guess if Hermione would have started yelling at him at once like Ron would have, or would try to drag him somewhere private to shout at him for doing this.

Harry agreed, and the two wound up strolling around the lake as Harry explained himself. Hermione took it all in without question.

"Oh thank Merlin," Lily sighed, slumping back into the couch in relief.

Hermione agreed she'd known at once Harry hadn't done it, she'd seen the look on his face last night.

James sighed, wishing he didn't have a first hand account on that face, that it hadn't reappeared on his son now and this was all just a really bad joke.

She did go on to say that Moody had a point, a student couldn't have done this- but Harry interrupted to ask if she'd seen Ron?

"Unbelievably, I'd have rather just let Hermione keep going," Sirius snapped.

Hermione hesitated before admitting she had. Harry demanded if he really thought he'd entered himself? Hermione tried to say that wasn't entirely it, not really.

"What does she mean, not really?" Remus scowled. "Either he does and needs to pull his head out of his arse, or doesn't in which case I'd like to think he'd have come to apologize to you the moment reality came back to him."

Harry didn't answer, he had no more idea than them.

Harry demanded to know what that meant, and Hermione said it was obvious.

"No," all five of them grumbled.

He was jealous.

"Jealous of what?" Harry demanded, his outrage still somehow managing to grow.

Harry demanded to know of what, and Hermione tried to explain that it was always Harry getting the attention,

"It's not my fault," Harry howled in outrage to no one in particular, he knew they all knew it, he just couldn't help it!

she agreed it wasn't his fault when Harry looked to interrupt her,

"Guess I don't need to ask what he was going to say," Sirius muttered.

but with all of his brothers at home, and his best friend being so famous, well he was always overlooked and this was just one time too many.

"I can't garner much pity for him," Lily scathed, "if he wants to take your place and put his name on the chopping block, he could have at it."

Harry bitterly agreed that was great news for him, he'd swap any time! Hermione could go tell him if he wanted people following him around, gawping at his forehead- but Hermione cut him off saying she wasn't telling Ron anything.

"Can't blame her there," James sighed, "I wouldn't want to be the messenger bird for this either."

Harry should tell him, it was the only way for them to get over this. Harry shouted back he wasn't going to follow Ron around trying to force him to grow up!

"And no one blames you," Remus agreed in clipped tones.

Maybe Ron would believe him once he'd broken his neck!

"Oh don't," Lily forced back yet more anger at her son, he was speaking in a temper, but still she had to fight the impulse to smack him for making jokes about this.

Harry muttered a sorry for her, though he hardly looked repentant enough it was clear he may have kept going to Hermione at least.

Hermione told him off for that, saying this wasn't funny! Reminding him he had to do something the moment he got back to the castle.

"Convince Dumbledore to let you drop out of school," Remus rolled his eyes.

"Go ask Moody to teach you every flipping curse he knows and then some," Lily huffed.

"Shove Ron's head through a wall," Sirius sniffed.

"Learn to live under your Invisibility Cloak for the time being," James sighed, crossing his arms in agitation.

Harry couldn't help but give just the tiniest smile at all of them, they'd all spoken at almost the exact same time, and considering what he'd been fixing to say what had flitted across his mind, he kept his mouth shut to let Sirius read.

Harry agreed he'd give Ron a good kick up the-

"Do not blame you," Sirius spat, though it was conjoined with quite a bit of mirth that time as he gave them all smug smirks Harry had said the same thing as him.

Hermione interrupted to say he should write to Sirius.

"Oh," they all muttered. Well at least Hermione's suggestion was doable. They could only imagine his reaction though, and James and Remus couldn't help but exchange a half terrified look as all of what he'd say to this came to their mind. Sirius had come back to the country just because Harry's scar had hurt, what would he do when he heard about this?

Harry needed to write to him first, tell him what was going on. He'd been sending them warnings he was afraid something bad was going to happen, almost like he expected this.

"I highly doubt I saw this coming," Sirius grumbled, his eyes still narrowed as he tried to understand his own future mind. He clearly was being mindful of something, if his cryptic little comment was anything to go by then maybe he had been expecting some trouble and that's why he'd wanted to stay close to Harry, but no one would have seen this coming.

Harry told her she was being insane. He'd come back to the country because Harry's scar had hurt, he'd probably come storming right into the castle when he heard about this!

"I believe that," Lily said sincerely, now watching him out of the corner of her eye.

"I wouldn't do it as myself at least," he rolled his eyes at all of them staring at him. "I'd change into my dog and become his new shadow instead."

"That didn't make me feel much better," Harry muttered, as they all noticed he didn't deny it.

Hermione insisted Sirius should hear this from him, he'd find out anyways.

"Why would he?" Harry demanded uneasily, feeling bad at Sirius' flinch. He felt bad for trying to hide something like this from his Godfather, but he still had a point it would be better for his sanity if he didn't know.

"Harry, this will be a very publicized event," James sighed. "I wouldn't be surprised if it was already front headline news, and even if Sirius isn't bothering to look at any of that, it'll be the talk of wherever he is. He will find out about this, so Hermione's right, better it come from you."

Harry groaned, but nodded his head in agreement, hoping Hermione got that through to him.

Harry asked how, and Hermione pointed out this wasn't going to be kept quiet, in a very serious tone.

"I expect she'd do a rather poor impersonation of me," Sirius said sagely, giving Harry a moment to start laughing at least.

This would be front headline news! Harry finally agreed he'd do it.

Sirius fully relaxed for the first time since he'd heard this happening to Harry. He knew it would have bothered him greatly if Harry never had written to him about this, and though it hurt that it took Hermione convincing him to do so, he hoped that it would be of some comfort to Harry that he really did have someone besides Hermione who believed him and was just trying to watch out for him.

He finished the last of his toast and threw the crust into the lake, where a tentacle could be seen coming up to snatch it away.

"Always more fascinating than feeding ducks," Remus sighed.

They went back to the castle, up to the Owlery, where Harry asked what owl he was supposed to use as he couldn't let Hedwig. Hermione suggested Ron's-

"I can't picture him asking Ron for a bottle of ink, let alone his ruddy owl," Lily sniffed.

but Harry refused the idea at once, so Hermione just reminded he could use a school owl. Harry sat down and tried to write his letter.

"This out to be interesting," James got out after a heavy sigh, for once that jealousy wasn't returning that Harry had to turn to Sirius instead of him about this. At least Harry had someone to talk to.

Harry started by saying he'd been asked to tell what was going on at Hogwarts, well here it is.

"Well that's one way to start," Lily told him with an almost straight face, fascinated her son was pretending to start this letter off in a casual manner.

He went on to explain about the Triwizard Tournament, and how he'd been made the fourth champion. Adding on that the other Hogwarts champion was a Hufflepuff named Cedric Diggory.

"I think at some point you can keep this letter to pertinent information only," Remus rolled his eyes.

He hesitated there, unclear how to put into words this ball of anxiety that seemed to be living in him.

Harry began rubbing absently at his chest, his face going vacant as he clearly all too well remembered that. Sirius scooted just that little bit closer to him, and said, "don't worry pup, we know everything works out fine."

It seemed to take a moment for that to sink in, before Harry shook himself and smiled at him, saying, "yeah, I know." He looked for a moment like he wanted to add something more, but when he didn't Sirius just decided to keep going, rather than Harry forcing anything out.

He signed off by telling Sirius to give a hello to Buckbeak.

"The concern's touching," James told Harry with a straight face, "but I'm sure out of everyone, Buckbeak is the most okay."

It was the first time they'd all collectively snorted in amusement since the start of this stupid Goblet mess, and as they knew it wasn't going to go away for a long time, they basked in the moment while they could.

He announced he was done, and Hedwig came down to perch on his shoulder with her leg out.

"Uhoh," Lily muttered, shifting around in unease, this wasn't going to be pretty.

Harry tried to explain to her he couldn't use her, but she shrieked in outrage and flew up to the highest ramparts while scratching Harry's shoulder upon take off. Harry waited until he sent the other owl off and tried to call her back down, but she refused and snapped her beak at him.

"I'm going out on a limb here, and think you really offended her," Remus winced for Harry's outraged face.

"Any owl would act like that," Lily sighed even if she did agree.

Harry lost his temper and shouted back at her that first Ron, now her, this wasn't his fault!

Causing all five of them to wince now, feeling like they'd just received a blow to the gut. It felt like most of the bad situations Harry landed in weren't his fault, and yet he always seemed to get the blame for them anyways.

Harry hadn't really believed that things would calm down once classes resumed, and one lesson showed he was right.

"Why does Harry still have to go to lessons," James demanded, seeing Harry's face get more down trodden the longer this carried on. "The Beauxbatons and Durmstrangs don't."

"Guess it's a nice distraction at least," Lily sighed, "rather than stewing in his room all day."

Either the Gryffindors were still applauding him as he passed by, or there was the rest of the houses. The Hufflepuffs in particular made it clear of their dislike for him, as they still felt they were being denied their houses glory which they rarely received.

"Guess I never really thought about it," Sirius muttered, still wanting to smack any badger kid right then for making his pup feel worse in an already terrible situation.

One Herbology class was all it took to prove this, as normal friends of his, Justin and Ernie, laughed outright when a Bouncing Bulb smacked him in the face.

"Least it was the face," Remus told Harry, casting his mind around for anything to get rid of that look again. "When we had to do them, one managed to get Sirius in the-"

"Okay, he gets it," Sirius yelped in remembered pain, making sure Remus saw his stank eye for bringing that back up before quickly reading on loudly before Harry's laughter could subside.

Ron still wasn't speaking to Harry, though Hermione was constantly going back and forth between the two trying to have normal conversations.

'Poor Hermione always seems to be taking the backlash of every fight' James couldn't help but think, but decided against voicing that one.

They sat on either side of her and responded only to her. Even Professor Sprout seemed on edge with Harry, though as she was Head of Hufflepuff House, Harry didn't have to guess why.

"Wish the teachers would show a bit more decorum," Lily muttered, thinking that she thought that far too often. The adults seemed just as bad as the students at that school some days.

Normally he would have been relieved to head down to Hagrid's

"I swear if Hagrid starts to congratulate you on this, I'll steal his umbrella and give it another crack over his head," Sirius seethed.

for Care of Magical Creatures, but this also meant coming into contact with Slytherins. Malfoy was predictable as ever, a sneer lodging into place on his face the moment he caught sight of Harry.

"Of course, can't bleeding go one moment without hearing his opinion on it," James snarled.

He greeted Harry as the champion he was, telling everyone to get their autograph books and the likes out. Then he offered if anyone wanted to make bets on how long he'd last, Malfoy could only see ten minutes.

Lily started to wring her own hands, trying to pretend she wasn't picturing that child's neck instead for making such a cruel comment about her baby.

His friends laughed along, but thankfully they were thoroughly distracted by Hagrid arriving and explaining today's lesson, which was to take the skrewts out on a walk.

Remus' mouth opened with a little pop of horror, but Sirius decided to get the full pandemonium out before anyone could regain composure.

They were to fix a leash to them and each take one out.

"He, but they, why?" James balked, trying to imagine the idea made him want to hide inside the Forest until Hagrid came to his senses.

"The only thing I can imagine is that Hagrid's trying to keep them all distracted by such a deadly task, they won't have time to be mocking Harry," Lily huffed.

"I can't imagine why it won't work," Harry told her with a raised brow.

Malfoy demanded where they'd attach it to, the stinger, the blasting end, or the sucker?

"I vote all three," Remus rolled his eyes, "see which one gets you first, we can take bets on that instead."

Hagrid demonstrated how they were to go around their middle, then called Harry over to help him with the largest one.

They all couldn't help but tense up again, not finding it a coincidence for one second Hagrid had pulled him aside.

Hagrid's real intention, however, was to talk to Harry away from the rest of the class. He waited until everyone else had set off with their skrewts, then turned to Harry and said, very seriously,

"Hagrid would do an even worse impression of me," Sirius said with absolute chipper, unbelievably pleased he was sitting by Harry so that his friends could only give him the stank eye for his running gag, his smile actually widening when still no one told him off for it, for now.

about how Harry was the school champion. Harry corrected one of the champions.

"I don't blame you for trying to deflect," Lily nodded.

"But now's not the time to make distinctions, when that wasn't his point," Remus rolled his eyes.

Hagrid watched him anxiously as he asked if Harry had any ideas who'd done this to him?

The collective sigh of relief they all felt at finally someone other than Hermione treating this situation properly felt like a massive weight had been lifted off them all.

Harry was relieved that Hagrid believed him, and Hagrid agreed of course he did, so did Dumbledore.

"Did a piss job of showing it," Sirius grumbled.

Harry agreed he wished he did know who'd done it. They watched the students for a few moments where the skrewts, who were now three feet long, were towing them around with ease,

"Lovely," Lily rolled her eyes.

"I really want to see these things in person," Remus agreed without a trace of sarcasm.

Hagrid said at least they were having fun.

"Err, who was he referring to?" James asked, considering what Harry had just described, fun didn't sound like the right word.

"The skrewts I'm sure," Harry responded with a stupid, relieved smile still on his face.

Harry assumed Hagrid meant the skrewts, because the beasts were occasionally releasing a fiery blast from their ends and dragging his classmates off their feet.

Causing maniacal giggles to erupt through the room, remembering Ron would be one of those, wishing Harry could have gotten pictures of Malfoy being the other.

Hagrid turned back to Harry and told him that it felt like everything happened to Harry.

"Yeah, that bout covered it," Sirius agreed with a touch of bitterness drowning out the tone he'd been trying for.

Harry agreed that felt true, and was apparently the reason Ron wasn't talking to him anymore.

"I think it's a little more narrower than that," Lily spat, the absolute hatred of Harry's friend treating him like that burning almost as much as what Snape had been up to.

"The fact that he's pissed he doesn't get all the attention doesn't exactly equal out to Harry's always the one in these life or death situations," James agreed with a crinkled nose.

The next few days were some of Harry's worst at Hogwarts.

"Which is saying something when you consider my second year," Harry snapped.

At least in times before when this had happened, he'd had Ron on his side. He knew he could have ignored everything around him if that were still true, but now he had loneliness pouring in from all sides.

Sirius couldn't stop a pitiful sigh, remembering that feeling all too well, never having wished it on his pup. At least he had Hermione.

The Gryffindors still only believed that Harry had entered himself and congratulated him whenever they could. He at least expected the attitude from the Slytherin's and Hufflepuffs, but had hoped at least the Ravenclaws would find it in themselves to understand. They didn't. Most clearly thought he'd been trying for a bit more glory as well.

Remus kept muttering things under his breath Lily would have told him off for, especially saying that while holding her baby, and instead told him to keep it in his head or she'd take him back.

The opposite was happening to Cedric, who in Harry's opinion, looked much more like the part of champion. Extremely handsome with dark hair and gray eyes, between him and Krum it was a wonder who was getting more attention these days. Harry once spotted the same group of girls begging for Krum's autograph, now asking the same of Cedric.

"He won't look so pretty if I get a chance to meet him," James promised.

Sirius still hadn't replied, Hedwig refused to go near him, Trelawney was now predicting his death with more certainty than ever,

"Oh thank you, at least someone's happy," Lily snapped.

and he did so poorly in his next Charms class, Flitwick assigned him and Neville alone extra homework on the Summoning Charm.

Hermione was trying to comfort him it wasn't that difficult.

"Since I'm thinking she says that about every spell," Sirius rolled his eyes, "I don't think that's too reassuring."

She'd been able to pull off the spell since the beginning of class. Hermione tried to say he just wasn't concentrating enough-

"And that felt more like something a teacher would say to help," James rolled his eyes, "so it's not even good advice."

Harry snapped he had no idea what could be distracting him, as he walked past a group of girls who gave Harry a look like he was a Blast-Ended Skrewt.

"Well there's an original look at least," Remus huffed.

But hey, at least they had double Potions to look forward to!

"Bloody hell kill me now," Sirius groaned, face planting the pages for a moment to collect himself before deciding to just get this over with.

That class had turned into a weakly torture session for Harry, it was the most unpleasant thing he could imagine lately.

"Nah, there are worse things," James said with as much enthusiasm as he could as he cast his mind around, though it was difficult to come up with a worse scenario than that.

"Yeah, all your terrible predictions could come true," Remus quickly jumped in, "so you could be drowning in the lake."

"Or be trampled by a rampaging Hippogriff," James agreed with a wicked smirk.

"Those burns almost came true," Sirius nodded along, "if you'd been walking a skrewt like the rest."

Harry wasn't exactly looking reassured.

Lily had decided this had gone on long enough, so she smarted off, "-or have to deal with a dragon," with a sideways look at Sirius.

His smile disappeared at once and he glared hard at her for a moment before snapping, "now look what you've done, gone and killed all the fun." He turned back to the pages with a humph of protest.

He'd spent the previous one's with Hermione at his elbow muttering 'ignore them' under her breath, and didn't see this one going any better.

"That's not helpful advice either," James groaned, remembering the more vivid reaction Ron had once given of throwing a crocodile heart in Malfoy's face, now that was useful. You'd think the smartest girl in their year would have something wiser to say about this.

They arrived in front of the door to see the students lined up as usual, though oddly most of the Slytherins seemed to be wearing badges. For a moment Harry thought they were S. P. E. W.

"Hermione couldn't pay them to pull that off," Remus raised a brow in surprise.

but upon reading saw they were support Cedric badges, the real Hogwarts Champion.

Lily groaned, fighting back every part of her that wanted to scream that they were all being little shits. If Harry wasn't involved in this, she doubted Malfoy would be supporting Cedric, he was just doing this to be an arse to her son.

Malfoy looked extremely pleased with himself as he told Harry that wasn't all they could do

"I already hate this, and yet it's going to get worse," James said without a shadow of a doubt.

as he tapped the badge and it instead said Potter Stinks.

"Congratulations Prongs," Sirius hissed.

Hermione told them with heavy sarcasm that was so brilliant. Ron was standing up the ways near Dean and Seamus. He wasn't laughing along like most, but he wasn't wearing a badge either.

"Well there's something," James sighed, running his hand through his hair in an effort not to form a fist.

Malfoy offered one to Granger, telling her if she took it not to touch his skin, he didn't want Mudblood on it.

"That's it! A ferrets too good for this one. Someone turn him into a bug and squish him already!" Sirius howled in outrage, unbelievably even more incensed than before now that he'd said that!

"Won't find me stopping you," Harry hissed, thinking back to that built up anger he'd been feeling at Hogwarts for so long and hoping it would snap on him.

Something burst inside Harry's chest as he drew his wand, though Hermione tried to stop him.

"Don't you Harry him," Lily snarled, "you've punched him for saying less."

Malfoy drew his own as he began taunting Potter.

"He shouldn't have had the time," Remus snapped, "you should have shot a curse the moment your wand cleared your pocket."

"Or shot one while your wand was still in your pocket," Sirius agreed, "sneak attacks get the best results."

They stood frozen for a moment before they shot spells at the same time, Harry using 'Furnunculus'

"Tame-" James raised a brow.

"-but acceptable," Sirius shrugged.

"For starters," Remus smirked.

while Malfoy used 'Densaugeo.'

"Don't recognize that one," Lily said in surprise.

"Knowing Malfoy, I doubt it's a nice one," Harry frowned, trying to think back what it had done to him.

The spells hit each other and ricocheted off onto others, Harry's hitting Goyle, and Malfoy's hitting Hermione.

"Shit," they all yelped, sitting up much straighter in their seats to hear what had happened.

Goyle screamed in pain as he felt his nose, where boils were springing up all over. Hermione stumbled back in shock, clutching her mouth.

"What did he do to her?" James growled.

Ron jumped forward, trying to pull her hands away to see the damage,

Harry felt the briefest bit of something, relieved his friend was still in there enough to care about their mutual friend. It was still being drowned with worry about Hermione.

it wasn't a pretty sight.

"Oh no," Lily sighed.

Hermione's buck teeth were growing well past anything average, quickly elongating down past her lip so that she looked like a beaver, and still growing.

"Oh that poor thing," Lily couldn't help but coo.

"Harry definitely sent a better curse," Sirius said with a raised brow, "what exactly was that spell meant to do? Elongate whatever feature it hit?"

"Is that really the point now?" She snapped at him.

Sirius gave a halfhearted shrug, he felt bad for Hermione of course, but he was far more concerned Malfoy would keep going while Harry was distracted.

Snape arrived then, pointing at Malfoy and demanded he explain.

"And still this situation is going to somehow get worse," James seethed.

Malfoy exclaimed that Potter had attacked him, while Harry corrected they'd attacked at the same time!

Remus was probably the only one who thought that Harry had technically drawn first, not that he'd admit that to his dying breath, Malfoy more than deserved it.

Then they each showed the injuries caused. Snape took a look at Goyle and sent him off to the Hospital Wing, but when Ron dragged Hermione forward and showed what Malfoy had done to her, her teeth now reached her collar amidst the giggling going on behind Snape's back,

"I know for a fact they don't have to bother hiding," Remus snapped.

Snape said he saw no difference.

The others mouths flopped open in horror, apparently too outraged to start yelling at him on top of everything else. It was likely to wear off in moments, but James recovered first. Taking all of his built up frustration and anger that he was trying his hardest not to use on Ron, he had no problems directing them at this wastrel. He began calling Snape every single thing he could think of for what he'd just done to that girl, still a child in respect to when this had happened. At least when he treated Harry like garbage he understood the reason, but with the other kids like Neville and Hermione, he didn't bleeding understand why he seemed to go out of his way to do this to them. Lily or anyone else couldn't blame this on him and Snivellus' war, to take it out on these random kids. Remus had been victimized all his life and he'd never done a bleeding thing like this! He pegged a lot of it down to how he must have developed into a Death Eater, how those loons must have turned an already screwed up, twisted little man into someone whose sole purpose was to make a bunch of kids cry on a regular basis. The only explanation he could come up with was because he was an arse!

The yelling was forced to die down as it so often did because the baby in the room began crying right along with them, and no one wanted to hear that noise. Remus was having problems keeping him simmered down though, mostly because he was so on edge himself, and it was happening so frequently. It truly was sad they couldn't seem to go one chapter anymore without finding something to upset their charge, but no one wanted to put him up either, like they hoped if they just kept going they'd find a reason to keep him near.

Hermione began crying as she tore back up the stairs out of sight.

Lily was nearly crying herself, though in frustration. How her oldest friend who'd always been so kind to her could actually reduce a child to tears like that! It used to be unthinkable, now she was regretting every moment she couldn't curse Snape into oblivion.

Harry and Ron began shouting in unison what they thought of Snape for that, causing such a racket that it echoed around them and exact words couldn't be picked out,

"Wish you could have done worse," Sirius growled.

but Snape got the gist of it. He took away fifty points from Gryffindor and gave each of them a detention.

Remus made such a noise, it sounded like he was being strangled, he just couldn't put into words how wrong this was and that no one ever stopped him from doing it!

Harry's ears were ringing with injustice as they stormed to a table, wishing he could curse Snape into a thousand slimy pieces.

"Don't know what's stopping you," James snarled, "Dumbledore shouldn't even stand for that!"

Ron at first slammed his stuff down next to Harry, but after a moment of collecting himself he moved again to sit by Dean and Seamus.

"Oh for the love of Merlin!" Lily practically shrieked. "I am going to crack his head open next! How long is that little twat going to hold this against you? If Hermione believes you and he clearly still cares enough about her to stand up for her, why wouldn't her word be good enough for him even if yours wasn't?"

Harry said nothing, no one actually had an answer for her.

Harry spent the lesson picturing all the horrific things he could do to Snape

"Least you found something pleasant to do in there," Remus snapped.

like using the Cruciatus Curse on him, leaving him a twitching mess on the ground.

That gave at least four of them a little twitch, some of their anger ebbing away to be replaced with shock at such a thing. Here was Lily's proof. Harry, and most likely the rest of his classmates, clearly weren't old enough to have learned those spells yet if they just threw them around like this. Even if Harry didn't mean it, though the ugly look on his face showed he wasn't quite repentant yet, that still wasn't just some casual toss around.

Snape kept focus on the lesson, as he instructed their antidotes were to be complete, and he couldn't wait to test them, his black eyes lingering on Harry. Harry held no doubts that Snape meant to poison him.

"He, is, not," Lily got out through grounded teeth. "I don't give a damn about the stupid magic keeping us in here, I will dig my way out and murder him if he puts a damned drop of it anywhere near you."

Harry's mind instead nursed the idea of dragging his cauldron up front and slamming it down on Snape's greasy head.

"Points for originality on that one," Sirius said grimly.

Then there was a knock at the door, and Colin Creevey came in.

"Is he stalking you in the middle of your classes now?" Remus asked rhetorically, knowing that wasn't the case, but it was fun to pick at anyways rather than dealing with things they couldn't.

He went up to Snape's desk and told that Harry was needed upstairs, the usual smile on his face slipping away as he watched Snape's expression.

"What's he getting blamed for now," James snapped of no one. Honestly though he was pleased, they all were, getting him out of that room for any reason.

Snape said Potter was to be here for the rest of his class, he could go when it was over.

Colin persisted though, saying Bagman had asked for him.

"What's Bagman want?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Not quite sure off the top of my head," Sirius frowned.

All of the champions were needed for some kind of photo shoot.

Harry went startling red and buried his face in his hands, thinking he'd now rather be poisoned by Snape than have Colin say that!

"Photographs for the champions, of course," Remus sighed.

"This is what Hermione meant earlier," Lily groaned, "they're going to plaster you across the papers like a show."

Harry would have given anything in the world for Colin not to have said that, his eyes glancing to Ron who was watching the ceiling.

"I'd love to shove him in front of a camera, if there was ever a time he actually didn't want it," Sirius snapped.

"Or shove the camera into him," Remus agreed.

Snape agreed Harry could leave so long as he came back, but Colin still said that the Champions were to take all of their stuff with them, they wouldn't be back-

"He might not be doing the best job," James groaned, "but give the kid points for being persistent."

"Not many students would have said all that to Snape, they'd have scampered back out and gotten Bagman to tell himself," Lily agreed.

Snape finally conceded for Harry to get out. Harry got one more flash of all the Potter Stinks badges as he left.

James was grinding his teeth together to stop himself from still yelling about those stupid things, wishing he could jam one of those down someone's throat with or without magic.

Colin began speaking to Harry the moment they'd left, going on about how amazing this was.

"Not the word I'd use," Remus said tightly.

Harry bitterly agreed as he asked Colin why they'd want photos? Colin guessed it had something to do with the Daily Prophet, and Harry couldn't even fake enthusiasm for more publicity.

"You can just hear the pure sincerity in that," Sirius groused.

Colin told him good luck when they seemed to reach the right spot before going off.

"Wait, why was he even the one to go get Harry?" Lily asked. "Shouldn't he have been in class?"

James only had to pause a moment as he cast his mind around before saying, "I picture it like this. Bagman was saying how someone needed to go collect Harry for this, but no one on hand knew which class he was in. Colin was on the way to his own class and over heard this, offered to go get him, and was allowed to be late for his class in order to fetch him, less of a scene if another student does it, at least I would hope," he finished with some mumbling at the end.

Harry entered to find an unused classroom, with Bagman already inside talking to a woman.

Harry felt a wave of hatred wash through him as he first remembered catching sight of this person. Though he frowned, not understanding why, and didn't say anything aloud so not attracting anyone's attention to it for now. For some reason though, he thought they wouldn't have long to wait to join him.

Krum was hovering by himself in a corner.

"You know, for some star Quidditch player, has he actually ever been seen doing anything about it?" Remus asked, pleased beyond words to have finally found something fun to think about this chapter.

"Nope," Lily agreed, though her like for the guy went up because of it.

Cedric and Fleur were standing about, Fleur obviously tossing her hair around as they spoke.

"Flirting is one way to get a good mood," Lily rolled her eyes.

A shorter man with a camera was eyeing her but hovering near the other woman.

"Can't honestly blame him," Sirius snickered.

Bagman caught sight of Harry first and pulled him in the rest of the room, explaining it was time for the wand weighing ceremony

"The what?" Harry interrupted with some nerves, clutching his wand a little tighter to him.

"Not sure," Lily said honestly. "We've only heard about the big things to do with this, but Bagman makes it sound like another sort of tradition so," she finished with a shrug, at least at ease with this part that she hadn't heard about rather than the abundance of things she had.

Harry asked what that was, and Bagman explained a professional was going to come and check to make sure their wands were fully functional.

"Ah, that makes sense I guess," Remus nodded, "though honestly people should get their wands checked every few years anyways, just to be safe."

The expert was off speaking with Dumbledore, but he and the other heads would be along shortly, then they'd have a photo opp. Then he introduced Rita Skeeter.

Yep, Harry was right, the moment that name registered they were all back to insanely agitated as they began muttering death threats at this stupid woman for having a go at Arthur like that.

She was doing a small piece on this tournament for the Prophet.

"Small indeed," Sirius sniffed without a trace of belief.

She corrected it wouldn't be that small, with her eyes on Harry.

"Least she admits it," Lily curled up her lip.

Harry described her as having elaborate curled hair and a heavy jaw with jeweled spectacles and two inch brightly colored nails matching her outfit. She asked Bagman if it would be alright if she had a quick private word with Harry?

"What's she asking him for," James snapped, "ask Harry, he's the one who should answer!"

Bagman agreed he didn't have a problem if Harry didn't.

"Asking after the fact doesn't cut it," Remus snapped.

Harry's reply was to say err,

"I didn't want to be rude," Harry grumbled, a sense telling him he wouldn't care about that long.

but Rita took that as a yes and dragged him out of the room into the nearest cupboard, referring to it as cozy.

"Really?" Sirius scowled. "She couldn't have just led you to another classroom, that's just weird."

Harry watched her with unease as she closed the door and dug out some parchment and a bright green quill, but no ink. She asked if Harry minded she use a Quick-Quotes Quill?

"What's that?" Harry asked, his unease rising with every word she said.

"Not sure," Lily's frown deepened despite her words.

Harry asked what that was, and Rita explained it was a hands free Quill. She sucked on the end for a moment and balanced it on the paper, then began a testing sentence by stating her name and job title. The quill reacted at once, scribbling across the paper

"That's pretty useful," Remus said with honest interest. "Though I do wonder how that thing works without ink."

"Wish I had one of those," Sirius agreed, "would have made my homework more bearable if I hadn't had to write it all."

"Honestly, it sounds like a Self-Writing Quill," James shrugged, "but that still requires ink. Maybe this is the next version of it."

but upon the paper it wrote out that the attractive Rita Skeeter, and her savage quill who often punctured inflated reputations- she cut it off there

Lily did a double take on reading that though, saying slowly, "well, not exactly like a Self-Writing one then."

"Maybe it's magicked to take in the details of what the speakers seeing, and thinking, as well as what's being said," Remus thought out. "It's why you'd need to suck on it, to personalize it, though I still don't understand what exactly it's writing with."

"Did you actually hear what it was saying though," Sirius was still frowning at this little thing. "Attractive? Punctured inflated reputations? I'm not liking this thing if this is how it's going to be writing about Harry."

When no one answered him, most likely in agreement judging by their suddenly wary faces, he decided to keep reading.

tearing that piece away and placing down a fresh sheet before turning to Harry and asked what made him enter the Tournament?

"This could be good for him," James groaned while he ran his hand through his hair, already completely frustrated that this wasn't going to go the way he was hoping but still trying. "Get his side of the story out there."

"We've already had previous writings of hers to show what an arse she is," Lily sniffed, "I wouldn't hold your breath dear."

Harry was distracted from answering as he read upside down about the Quill's description of his ugly scar not quite deterring from his charming face- Skeeter instructed he not watch the quill and repeated her question.

Harry returned he hadn't put his name in. Rita was unbelieving as she told him he wouldn't get in trouble for telling.

Remus made a noise like someone had trodden on Hickory, though none of them sounded a bit better as they were already sick of saying that on Harry's behalf, they couldn't imagine how frustrated he must have been by now.

Harry insisted he hadn't answered, and she instead changed to ask how he felt about the coming tasks?

"I hate her already," Sirius' scowl kept growing the more he got out. "Please tell me you get up, and leave!"

Harry just muttered something inarticulate.

Harry agreed he was a bit nervous as Rita pressed that a lot of Champions had died, had he thought about that?

"Frequently," Lily hissed.

Harry tried to say the tournament was supposed to be safer this year, his eyes still watching the progress of the Quill. Rita then reminded he'd faced death before,

"How would she know about any of that?" Harry demanded.

"I don't think she's referring to any of your times at school," James muttered, making Harry flinch and back down.

and ask if that affected him? Harry could only get out an err before she kept going, throwing questions out about why he'd been tempted to join the Tournament- but Harry cut her off in the beginnings of irritation he hadn't entered!

"Beginnings?" Remus huffed.

She instead switched to asking about his parents.

Said two parents gave an automatic flinch that they were so used to by now they barely felt the sting of it anymore. Barely.

Wondering how they would feel about this, angry, worried, proud?

"Actually, in reverse order, but not too far off," James rolled his eyes at least giving Harry a small smirk for a moment.

Harry's temper was rising now as he wanted to snap how he was supposed to know how his parents felt? Then his eyes caught a bit of what the Quill was saying, about how he was starting to tear up about his parents, and he snapped that wasn't true!

"Most likely you had that expression," Remus told the slowly growing murderous look with a straight face, "in which case I do wonder why Rita hasn't tried to run from that cupboard yet."

She hadn't a chance to respond when the door was opened by Dumbledore.

"That's, probably not the first time he's found something like that," Sirius muttered to no one's amusement. Did his mind really have to go there?!

Rita greeted him pleasantly, stuffing her things out of sight as she asked if he'd liked her piece on the International Confederation of Wizards Conference? Dumbledore happily agreed it was as enchantingly nasty as ever, he'd loved the part in particular where he'd been referred to as an obsolete dingbat.

"I think for once I don't want to argue with her," Lily muttered with a touch of poison, still too strung up about Rita having cornered her son into all of that.

Skeeter didn't look remotely abashed, saying she'd just been trying to put down how out of date some found him- but Dumbledore cut her off saying they could discuss this later, for now Harry was needed out of this cupboard.

"Actually I'd prefer to keep him there," Sirius rolled his eyes, "sans Rita of course, but he'd probably be better off than dealing with that school."

"Who knew a cupboard would ever be good for me again," Harry snickered, though he was the only one who did at that unpleasant reminder.

Harry went back into the first room to see everyone present now including Ollivander.

"Not surprised he's the expert," Remus shrugged.

He introduced himself, then called Fleur up first. He inspected her wand, had it shoot a few sparks, than told of the length, inflexible nature, type of wood, and was shocked to find a veela hair.

"Now that's an interesting choice," Lily said in surprise.

"Wonder if it ever has any weird side effects," Remus agreed.

Fleur agreed it had been her own grandmothers.

"So she is part veela," Sirius' interest grew ten fold. "Can't say I'm not intrigued to meet this one."

"She's not even half your age yet," Remus reminded, "move along."

Sirius stuck his tongue out at him.

Harry mentally filed that away to tell Ron

"Oh yeah, I can't because he's being an arse," Harry grumbled to himself.

then he remembered Ron wasn't speaking to him.

Ollivander declared her wand sound, and sent her back before calling up Cedric, giving him the same once over and retelling the story of how the unicorn in this particular wand had been over seventeen hands, and nearly gored him when he'd plucked the tail.

"What a lovely steed," James snickered.

Then he noticed the high polished wood, and Cedric agreed he'd done so just last night.

Harry looked surprised at the very idea, it had never occurred to him, but then he looked around and saw the others rolling their eyes at such a practice. Cedric seemed even more vain than Krum lately.

Harry noticed his own wand was covered in his fingers smudges. He tried to gather some of the material from his pants and rub at them,

"Oh don't freak out about that pup," Sirius rolled his eyes. "I've only heard of people doing that who are in show business type things where their wand is regularly scrutinized. Most people don't bother with it."

"Cedric probably only did because he may have had foreknowledge of this happening," Lily agreed.

"Actually, he said he did it regularly," Remus corrected.

"Well then cheers to him," James rolled his eyes, "but it's still worthless."

but then his wand shot sparks in protest, and Fleur gave him a condescending look, so he desisted.

Though that at least gave them all a giggle.

Ollivander soon declared that wand done as well, before calling Krum forward. He shuffled up, scowled as he passed over his wand, and shoved his hands deep in his pockets as it was examined.

"He's just so pleasant the more I hear," Lily rolled her eyes.

Ollivander seemed intrigued by the Gregorovitch design.

Harry jerked like someone had just electrocuted him, though no one had any idea of why. When Harry looked at them for some kind of explanation though, Sirius answered, "he's another wand maker like Ollivander, but lives pretty far off. Most likely in the vicinity of the Durmstrang students, I've only ever heard of him by name."

"He's got some odd rumors spread around him," Remus shrugged, "but we've no idea about him really."

"Odd rumors like what?" Harry pressed eagerly, wondering if this was where his odd feeling was coming from.

"Oh just some tosh about how he based his designs off the Elder Wand," Lily tried to wave it all off, "same bout of nonsense as Ollivander supposedly using Merlin-"

"What's the Elder Wand?!" Harry half shouted as a gong was going off in his head telling him to persist this!

The others looked honestly concerned now as James placed a restraining hand on Harry's shoulder, gently instructing, "just an old kid's myth, relax Harry. We'll show it to you later if you'd really like."

Harry deflated like a punctured balloon, whatever trail his mind had been trying to lead him down instantly diverted by being distracted by his dad. He nodded with genuine disappointment, but didn't push the matter for now, though honestly the others wanted him to slightly, what on earth could Harry get up to that would lead him questioning all of this?

He gave it the same run through as the others, and declared it more than passable. Finally it was Harry's turn.

"Wish you hadn't gone last," Sirius told him while trying to catch his eye, as Harry was still rubbing furiously at his temple for whatever had been bothering him before, "I feel like that just puts more attention on you."

Harry didn't acknowledge him.

Harry got uneasily to his feet as he handed over his wand, remembering the first time he'd gotten it like it was yesterday.

That distracted Harry, as he came back to this story with another shudder, though at least they all understood this one. Even they weren't entirely sure what to make of that scrap of information, having no idea where to begin to understand what it meant to their boy.

How Ollivander had gone through many wands before handing Harry the one he had now, and after a bit of whittling on Harry's part, Ollivander had finally explained how it's core shared a relation to Voldemort's. Harry had never mentioned this to anyone.

"Can't honestly blame you," James shivered, it still gave him a chill to think about it.

He didn't want people to know, as he didn't care what his wand was related to, feeling it as unfortunate as Petunia being his mother's sister.

"Can't deny I love that resemblance," Lily rolled her eyes.

Harry did hope Ollivander wouldn't share that story now.

"Well he shouldn't," Remus scowled at once at the idea. "That goofy story about Cedric's wand was harmless, but that's personal information about Harry."

"Never seems to stop anyone else," Harry reminded bitterly.

He was sure the Quick-Quotes Quill might explode.

"Least that could be interesting," Sirius huffed.

Ollivander didn't though, putting Harry's wand through like the rest and declaring himself done. Dumbledore said they were all free to go back to class, though it may just be faster to go to dinner-

"Yeah, I vote for that one," James grumbled, still smarting over that stupid potions class on top of everything else going on.

but then the man with the camera reminded for the pictures. Rita agreed, plus they needed some of everyone individually.

"Can I not!" Harry protested, wanting to take his shirt and cover his whole head up just to stop this from happening.

"If only love," Lily agreed grimly.

The process took ages as everyone tried to find a good position. Madam Maxime threw everyone into shadows, so eventually they had her sitting down and everyone standing around her. Krum kept skulking to the back

"Where I'm sure Harry was trying to join him," James scowled.

while the photographer tried to keep Fleur in the center

"Can't blame him for that one though," Sirius grinned.

and Rita kept jumping forward to put Harry there instead. Finally everyone was satisfied and free to go.

Harry was pure scarlet in the face by the end of all that, wishing he could just live off of polyjuice potion and be anyone else beside himself...wait-

The others hadn't even been laughing at his expense, they'd been too busy feeling sorry for the poor boy for all of this, which is why Sirius hadn't hesitated to see a dawning look on Harry's face be wiped away when he continued.

Harry went down to dinner, but Hermione never showed up, so Harry thought she was probably still getting her teeth shrunk. He went back to his dormitory and ran across Ron.

"Pleasant," Sirius growled, thinking he'd rather take another shot at Rita than this twit!

He simply stated that he had an owl waiting upstairs and when their detentions were, before walking out of sight. Harry considered going after him, unsure whether to talk to him or hit him

"The second," four of them muttered under their breath.

both seemed quite appealing -

"I'll take that," Remus agreed.

but decided Sirius' response was more important so went to read that. Sirius began by saying he didn't want to write everything down in case this was read by anyone else,

"Are you going to make that face at me every time I say that," Sirius demanded without looking up.

"We're just so proud of you showing off your head," Lily told him pleasantly, "we don't get to see it too much."

Sirius lifted one hand, and one finger in particular, away from the book in her direction before continuing.

and instead said he wanted a face-to-face on midnight of the 22nd of November in the Gryffindor common room, asking if Harry could make sure he was alone then?

"And just how do you plan on doing that?" James asked in surprise.

"Wouldn't be impossible for him to sneak in there again as Padfoot," Remus pointed out, though his face too looked more concerned than eager for the idea. "Though why the common room, if you were going to sneak back in, you could have chosen any more vacant place in the castle."

"Would you all relax," Sirius groaned, still trying not to look up at them all. "I got away with this for over a year, would you bleeding give me some credit."

"All on your own," Harry reminded, vestiges of fear still lingering as he tried to get through to Sirius what a terrible idea this was. "The more people who you try to make contact with though, the more likely-"

"You're not going to do anything to get me caught," Sirius cut him off, finally looking up to glare at his pup. "Now relax, the lot of you, this has been depressing enough without you all harping on me."

They all gave in, for now.

Going on to say that this whole thing made him uneasy, someone having tried to hurt Harry right under Dumbledore and Moody's nose.

"Not going to argue with any of that though," James sighed.

"The fact that there's something wrong with both of their noses though doesn't feel encouraging right now," Remus agreed.

He instructed for Harry to be on the watch and still pass along anything usual he saw, and told to give him an answer about that date as soon as possible.

"Chapter's done," Sirius sighed as he passed the book to Harry.

#Harry Potter #fanfiction #Reading the books #GoF #Marauders #James Potter #Remus Lupin #Lily Potter #siruis black

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thereadingcycle · 5 years

Note

Hi!!!! Can you write a Drarry ficlet where Draco grows out his hair and Harry looses his ever loving mind over it (and eventually snogs him senseless against a wall ;) )

Okay, so I know it’s not exactly what you asked for, but this is what happened when I read your prompt. Maybe there will be a sequel where they snog against a wall?

Harry’s legs bounced anxiously as he sat in an abandoned hallway. It had been years since he’d been back at Hogwarts. It had been years since the war had ended in this very school, years since he and his classmates had come back to finish their education, and years since they had graduated, all going their separate ways but still keeping in touch. Ron and Hermione were engaged and both working for the Ministry. Ginny was training to try out for the Holyhead Harpies. Luna had taken over as editor-in-chief of The Quibbler. Neville had become the Herbology professor at Hogwarts during the last school year after Professor Sprout retired.

After graduating from Hogwarts, Harry started to train to become an auror, but he only made it through the first year before he decided he couldn’t take it anymore. It was Hermione who had reminded him of how great he was at teaching Dumbledore’s Army, and it was she who suggested that he study education when he went to University. She and Neville were the reasons that Harry was here now.

Harry met up with Neville at the Three Broomsticks at the beginning of June to celebrate the end of Neville’s first school year as a professor and Harry’s graduation from University. That’s when Neville told him about the job openings for the next school year. Both the positions for Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and Potions professor would be open.

So here Harry sat, waiting to meet with Headmistress McGonagall. He didn’t know why he was so nervous; he knew the interview was a formality. McGonagall had practically told him at his graduation that if he ever wanted to come back to Hogwarts, all he had to do was ask. Maybe it was the being back part and the memories of everything that had happened here that made his hands shake.

He was saved from falling into the pit of memories that he had worked so hard to shut out when he heard the echoing sound of footsteps getting closer. He was not expecting the sight that greeted him when he looked up.

Draco Malfoy was sauntering down the hall toward him looking perfectly at home, as he always had in these vast halls. He was dressed like he was ready for a runway with his boots, tight-fitting pants, and cloak that reached his knees. His outfit was primarily green and Harry wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be ironic or just because it looked really good on him. And then there was his hair…

Malfoy had allowed his silver-blond hair to grow past his shoulders. He didn’t try to tie it back or tame it, he just let it flow behind him. Harry was sure that he had never seen anything so beautiful in his life.

Draco, of course, noticed him staring and a familiar smirk settled on his face as he came to a stop directly in front of Harry.

“Potter,” he greeted, though without the usual malice that Harry had once been used to.

Harry’s chest grew tight and his lungs began to burn before he realized that he had forgotten to breathe after he had seen Draco. He let out a choked sound and bent his head to cough and hide his embarrassment. Draco laughed, and Harry was surprised at how warm the sound was.

“Surprised to see me?” he asked, sinking down onto the wooden chair next to Harry’s.

“Yes,” Harry admitted once he finally got his blush under control.

He hadn’t seen Draco since the last time they were both in the castle, graduation. When they had come back to finish their last year, things were obviously different between them. They no longer got into fights or glared at each other from across the Great Hall. They were civil, but they had never managed to become friends. So, after graduation, Harry never heard from or about Draco again. He had assumed that he would go on to work for the Ministry like Ron and Hermione, but here he sat, with his long, beautiful hair, and his stormy eyes that seemed to be looking right into Harry’s soul.

Harry tucked his hands between his legs to hide the fact that he was nervous, and cleared his throat to buy him some time to think of something to say, but he couldn’t concentrate with Draco sitting that close and looking at him like that. He looked up at the ceiling. He just needed to think of something, anything to say to ease the tension he felt in the air.

“Your hair,” he blurted at last, regretting it immediately, but realizing he couldn’t take it back, he continued, “it’s long.” He found it amazing how he’d only been in the presence of Draco Malfoy for two minutes and he already felt dumbstruck.

“Yes,” Draco said, a look of a amusement in his eyes. “Nice observation, Potter.” And then he smiled- actually smiled. It was something Harry had never seen before, but he knew immediately that he would do anything to make it happen again. Draco’s hand went to his hair, his fingers automatically finding a piece to twist around. That’s when Harry realized that Draco was nervous too.

“It looks great,” he said, feeling suddenly braver. He swore he saw a hint of rose starting to form on Draco’s cheeks, but then he was changing the subject and the glow faded.

“So I guess we’re here for the same thing then. What, not going on to become Minister?”

“I thought you’d want that job, actually.”

“Yeah,” Draco scoffed. “Like they’d ever let me after…” His voice faded away as his hand drifted subconsciously up to his arm, covering up the mark that they both knew was hidden under his sleeve.

“I don’t want people to depend on me anymore,” Harry said, startling himself. He’d never admitted that to anyone before, but now that he had, he knew it was the truth. “I don’t know what I’m doing. I never did. I thought people would’ve realized that by now. They need someone else to be their hero. I think Hermione would be great for the job one day.”

“She would,” Draco agreed, almost immediately. “And for the record, Potter, I always knew you didn’t have a clue what you were doing.” Harry met his eyes and saw that his words weren’t patronizing or accusatory; they were joking. Draco was actually joking with him. Harry couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face.

“And why are you here, smartarse?” He asked, playfully rolling his eyes at Draco. Now Draco was the one who turned his gaze to the ceiling. Harry watched as his eyes slid down and all around the walls like he was trying to memorize every crevice and design.

“Hogwarts was the only safe place I ever knew,” he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. “I thought maybe if I came back, if I was better this time than the first time I was here, if I helped people instead of hurting them, maybe I could find who I really am and actually earn my place back in this world.” His eyes drifted down to his hands where they rested, trembling in his lap.

Harry looked at this boy. The boy who he had spent most of his life hating. The boy who had bullied him and many others. The boy who was raised in an abusive home, forced to see things a certain way. The boy who was brought to the dark side by his parents, and who too much was expected of. The boy who had saved his life at Malfoy Manor and the boy who had chosen the right side in the end. The boy who wasn’t evil. Harry looked at the pain on his face as he relived memories that were probably similar to the ones Harry had, and he realized that they actually had a lot in common.

Harry reached out his hand, letting it hover over Draco’s to show how it was shaking too before awkwardly dropping it back on his own lap. Draco looked up then, shock in his eyes at the vulnerability that he had never seen Harry show before.

“This place brings back memories, doesn’t it?” Harry asked, a smile playing at his lips. He saw the corner of Draco’s mouth turn up, and suddenly he had the overwhelming urge to tell him what he was thinking, even if he didn’t believe him. “You don’t have to earn your place back, Draco. You will always have a place here. At Hogwarts, and in the wizarding world.” He heard Draco’s sharp intake of breath and played the words through his mind again, trying to figure out what he had said.

“You called me Draco,” the other boy whispered, almost like he was reading Harry’s mind. Harry hadn’t realized that he had never called him Draco out loud before, he had said it in his mind so many times.

“Nice observation, Draco.” Harry smirked, sensing the almost electric feeling in the air. “Or shall I call you Professor Malfoy now?” Draco rolled his eyes and gave Harry’s shoulder a shove, the electric tension fading away. Harry wasn’t sure what that was, only that it was different than anything he had felt with anyone before, and something told him it wasn’t going away for good.

“Sod off, I don’t even know if I’ll get the job.”

“I hope you do.” Harry said. And he meant it. This new Draco was a completely different person than the one he had gone to school with. Harry wouldn’t mind having plenty of time to get to know the new Draco over the course of a school year.

McGonagall cleared her throat, standing in the doorway of her office, a few feet away from them. Harry’s cheeks burned red as he wondered how long she had been standing there, but then he caught the mischievous glint in her eye, and something told him that this had been her plan the whole time.

“I’m ready to meet with you now, Potter.” She said, trying to hide her smile. “I’ll be with you soon, Mr. Malfoy.” And then she disappeared back into her office, leaving the door open for Harry to follow behind her.

Harry stood, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants and turning to face Draco.

“It really was good to see you again,” he said, earnestly. “Maybe I’ll see you around?” And then he held out his hand for Draco to shake.

Draco stared at it for a moment, and Harry began to feel a lingering feeling of déjà vu, but it wasn’t that exactly. It was more like they were coming full circle. Then Draco took his hand, and Harry felt a warmth travel up his arm.

“Yeah. See ya, Harry.”

And with that, Harry went into McGonagall’s office, already feeling like he was back home.

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vainenpoika · 5 years

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attempted fic the first

I don't own anything belonging to J.K.Rowling and associates thereof. I also have no idea what I'm doing, and may yet regret making this available to the public.

in which the longbottoms and potters Go Way Back (read: fealty oath going back literal centuries), and so madam augusta is Immensely Narked Off when dumbledore dares to place harry with someone else and won't even arrange for playdates. clearly the only acceptable response is to raise neville on stories of potter/longbottom comradelyness and send him off to hogwarts with strict orders to invite harry over at the earliest opportunity. so when they meet on the train, neville recognizes him straight away but respects his decision to not use his last name for now - maybe he wants to make an especially dramatic entrance, that's almost traditional for pureblood heirs anyway. heavens know malfoy will be trying something similar, though plainly his discretion is not nearly up to the same standards. really, barging in like that and insulting everyone, has the boy no tact? what has his mother been teaching him? neville hardcore channels his grandmother to gratifying effect. malfoy makes himself scarce. having thus boosted his confidence, neville is actually almost expecting gryffindor, only to find himself in hufflepuff after all (the sorting hat approved of his loyalty). harry remembers what malfoy said about hufflepuff and duffers, but he also remembers neville making a right fool of him on the train, and asks the hat to put him with the badgers; the hat sees a kid following a friend and allows it. hermione was already sorted gryffindor, we'll see how that goes for her. ron weasley winds up in ravenclaw, shocking most everyone but especially his brothers. malfoy stays in slytherin. i'm sure there are other people we care about, they remain canonical until further notice.

wait, what? i thought you just didn't like formalities, i never would have thought - this is an actual problem. well. you may wish to sit down for this. comfortable? right. well, i have good and bad news for you. good news: congratulations, you're a lord! that means you get respect, extra priveliges, and even a certain amount of governmental power. bad news: i regret to inform you that you are a lord. that means you have responsibilities, and you havent been taught how to handle them. worse news: you are the last of your line, which means that i have no idea who, if anyone, has been acting as your regent. this is worrisome, especially considering it should have been their job to keep you informed and prepared. chances are that you do have one, owing to the fact that the economy has yet to outright collapse, but that they don't even close to have your interests at heart. with me so far? i think so? good, because i really don't know how i could have made it simpler. now, our families have been friends for a rather long time, meaning that i am honor-bound to aid you in times of need. this qualifies, though i don't expect you to take my word for it. why wouldn’t i? you've known me for one whole week, i could be out to steal your fortune for all you know, i would be remiss in my duty if i allowed you to trust me on one week's acquaintance so just let me do the honorable will you? and find yourself outside sources as well, i shan't have you learning all of this from one probably biased source! this is really important to you, huh. ... yes. on which note, lesson one: honor is important, not just for you personally but for your house. minor infractions might be forgiven but never forgotten; major infractions and you end up like the malfoys. huh? lord malfoy broke his oath to the king of france once a couple of centuries back, and his children had to sell everything and move to england before anyone would trust them with literally anything. they still bear the shame of it even now, and it's only in the past couple of generations that they started regaining some of the honor they might have had. you do not want to do that to your descendants. um. yeah. how do i not do that? simple version: do not break your given word. if you anticipate any difficulty keeping a promise, then do not make the promise. your family's oaths and alliances are something you should definitely look into, and soon, but there's also a decade's worth of general knowledge that you're missing, and some of that is urgent. family magic and honor are tied to each other, but i have no idea how sensitive to that kind of thing you may be, so if you happen to get a really bad feeling about a particular course of action, i'd look into it very closely before making a move. oookay? is that something that's likely to happen? it varies from person to person. don't worry about it unless it happens, just don't discount it out of hand if it does. okay, i guess. so wait, if you have to help me out, does that mean i should be doing stuff for you too? if i go to war, you would have to go with me, i think, and you can't try to cause me serious harm outside of extenuating circumstances, but that's not likely to come up very soon. again, this is the kind of thing you shouldn't just take on faith, so do your own research when you get the chance. alright? ... yeah. this is kind of a lot to take in, though. fair. i can't think of anything that really can't wait, so we could pick this up again tomorrow? um, okay. and, er, thanks. yeah. want to work on the herbology essay?

it's actually ron who ends up crying in a bathroom on halloween, and neville is the one who notices. harry's still the one to insist on going after him, though. when they get to the bathroom, they find ron behind a makeshift barricade that's holding up pretty well, actually, looks like he managed to magically reinforce it, but his wand is in splinters on the floor. harry jumps on the troll's back, then neville uses a chunk of stone to break its skull. ron is fucking traumatized, but also rather grateful. when the professors show up, ron is like, 'i was just taking a leak, prof', to which mcgonagall replies that this is a girl's loo, weasley, try again. (it's myrtle's loo, to be precise. this may become relevant. don't ask me how the troll got there tho) when it's all settled, the hufflepuff duo get a shitton of points and a lecture; ravenclaw in general gets an antibullying seminar and a lot more supervision, which will come in handy when luna shows up next year. ron gets a new wand, paid for out of the bullies' pocket money, and some new friends. in gryffindor, alone among jocks, hermione granger feels rather melancholy. not to worry, though, pretty soon she'll be playing chess and studying with ron in the library. it will be a longstanding joke in their year that the hat accidentally put hermione in ron's place and was too embarrassed to correct itself when he showed up.

so. what now? i figured we might start by answering any questions you've come up with? um, ok. i have a list, actually. good thought. right. so, ah, you mentioned a regent? yes, that is one of my own more urgent questions. whoever they are, they certainly haven't been doing their duty by you. so how would i find out who it is? hm. do you know who your solicitor is? ... i have a solicitor? okay, i should have expected that response. the answer is probably, unless your regent is actively sabotaging your house. i'd suggest writing to gringotts and seeing who they have on file. if anyone knows what's going on with your estate, the solicitor should. if not, get a new one and have them find out soonest. right. ok, write to gringotts, then write to solicitor if available, and if they can't help then find someone who will. got it. ... are you actually taking notes on this? well, yes? i mean, you're taking the time to teach me what i should have already known, the least i can do is pay attention and learn quickly, right? that... you bring honor to your house. okay, i haven't gotten that far in my reading. what precisely does that mean, and how should i be responding?

malfoy eventually works up the nerve to apologize to harry for getting off on the wrong foot (as they've both been avoiding further antagonism) and offer an invitation to his house for the holidays, to which harry looks shifty until neville steps up and says he's already got a prior engagement, thanks, but perhaps malfoy would be up for attending the longbottom's annual yule ball? and malfoy is a bit embarrassed because yeah he should've guessed the longbottoms would've claimed first dibs on the potter, but that's a bit overshadowed by being the first malfoy invited to longbottom manor in a longass time. like, pre-immigration-to-the-isles ass time. he accepts with alacrity and runs off to write his mother. (harry asks if neville really meant it and is nearly smothered in the hug that follows. the latest longbottom is quickly coming to the conclusion that the potter needs all the hugs he can get)

wait, so when you said that 'our houses are friends', did you actually mean something more along the lines of 'your house pays fealty to mine'? because that is what i am seeing here. are you just now looking that up?! peace! i thought it was the usual mutual aid alliance. i started with the more recent records, but they just say that of course our houses always act together, what more do you expect from longbottoms and potters? i've only just now gotten far enough back to figure out how we got that way, is all. fair. yes, your ancestors did swear to mine. standard oath for that period, protection for service and mutual good faith. it doesn't really come up in daily life, just when one or the other of us gets into some sort of trouble. i'll get you a look at our family chronicles over holiday, if you like? cool. but, er, it says something about renewal of oaths? not until i'm confident you know exactly what you're doing. you've enough people trying to take advantage of you, i'll not add to that list. bit difficult to take appropriate revenge on myself, you see. well. i wouldn't want to make trouble, i suppose. so remind me what devil's snare has to do with purple sponge mold again? they're symbiotic, see; the snare needs the dark to survive, while the mold grows faster when watered with blood...

so hufflepuff house in general is more-or-less rule-abiding, but they are still teenagers and dumbledore's little speech about the third floor and death is a fucking challenge. they held a whole house meeting about it and set up their own rules, 'nobody below third year' and 'this shouldn't need saying but Share Your Findings!', and 'anyone who disobeys will be turned in to the professors, yes, bartely, that means prefects too'. because they know the younger years will unionize if they aren't included in some way, they're mapping it out on one of the walls, having bribed the weasley twins to come up with ink the professors couldn't see. by the end of the year and quirrel's little game, hufflepuff house has it pretty much figured out - the whole thing is a trap, designed to match an intruder's skill level and let them in, with just enough trouble to dispel suspicion, but not out. luckily for hufflepuff, it's designed for a single intruder, not a group. only the potions challenge seems to have taken that into account, such that if you aren't prepared only one person can get past at all. but they have most of the permutations mapped, and when harry's little squad realizes what's up, it's a hufflepuff prefect they go to. they end up making extra barriers around the area, spirit wards as well as physical - turns out ron is Real Good at Walls these days - rather than going in after, but we still get a nice dramatic scene - maybe harry helped cast one of the wards and he uses that link? maybe it's in a dream the next night? - and quirrel is still thoroughly gone.

everyone passes their exams, more or less, and then it's time to negotiate living arrangements. harry, being now old enough to have some say in the matter, uses that fealty oath to be like 'actually neville is the boss of me, headmaster, not you, and neville's gran is the boss of him, so i'll be staying with her for the holidays kthxbai', at which point dumbledore is forced to disclose the whole blood ward business rather ahead of schedule, to which madam augusta is Even More Narked, but that's when neville steps up and asks if the wards are bound to the house or to the family, because if it's the house then he's going with harry and if it's the family then they're all coming with him, so there. nobody is quite sure how to explain to the Young Longbottom that the dursleys are grown adults with no obligation to listen to him, not least because technically he will someday outrank everybody present and has no obligation to listen to any of them, but dumbledore admits that it is the house actually, so he gets to go negotiate the dursleys into letting yet another preteen cohabitate with them. in the background somewhere, ron and hermione have made arrangements to spend a week or two at each others' houses. it'll be fun. harry promises to write malfoy over the summer, having graduated to awkward-but-vaguely-friendly acquaintances. we'll see how that goes.

ron has a Supremely Awkward summer at home with his gryffindor family, and finds himself ducking into percy's room more than once for a bit of peace and quiet (percy tolerates this in exchange for a good word in penelope's ear) and avoiding the twins wherever possible. he has a great time at hermione's though, picks up a few words of french, and arthur at least enjoys hermione's return visit. they quietly agree that most future summer visits should be at her house.

#harry potter #neville longbottom #wizarding lords #phonefic #help i don't know what i'm doing #fuck jk rowling

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twoidiotwriters1 · 4 years

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Written In The Stars XXXV (Harry Potter xF!Oc)

A/N: I am so sorry for forcing you to read this. The twins had an excuse but truly it is me saying I have no idea how to be funny.

Words: 2,168

Warnings: None!

Series’ Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Chapter Seventeen: Valentine's Day.

Hermione had a dreadful time as a half-feline.

People thought she'd been attacked and tried to take a look, Mel was having a hard time controlling her temper, but she managed to not scream at anyone, which was an utter success.

She was currently waiting for Erick at the far corner of the library, he'd sent her a note saying it was time she returned the favor and help him with his own search, she didn't know what he'd meant, but she wasn't too worried about it.

Harry and Ron were in the Hospital Wing, giving Hermione her homework for the day, so she wasn't expecting to see them in a while.

"Good afternoon, Miss," Erick sat down, going straight to business, "I've a list with all my doubts- I also have some petitions but don't worry, nothing about stealing human hair or making someone fall unconscious-"

"You'll never let me forget it, won't you?"

"Not ever," He pulled out a fancy notebook and opened it on its first page. "First thing on my list- What things do muggles teach to their kind?"

"You mean at school?" He nodded, "They teach them to write and read, then math-"

"Math?" Erick frowned, "subtractions and all that?"

"Yes, Erick. They need numbers too," She rolled her eyes, "What else... oh! They also have their own History lessons, science class- we don't have science here, but I guess we don't exactly need it since magic has its own rules..."

"Science?" The boy wrote it all down, "You have books on that?"

"Some, from when I was in muggle school- they're pretty basic, but they should do. I'll send a letter to my mom asking for a pair"

"Alright," He nodded, still writing, "You know about farmers?"

Mel laughed.

"A thing or two," She said, "what do you want to know?"

"How do they grow things?- And their animals?"

"They do that on its own, you don't need magic for that- wizards don't use magic for that either, I know it because the Weasleys had chickens and all"

"Oh," a faint pink color tinted his cheeks, "I didn't know that."

"You don't have a farm then," She tilted her head, "why do you live around so many?"

"The house belonged to my ancestors for centuries- we've lived there for ages," He shrugged, "my parents don't exactly love it but they never leave the house unless absolutely have to- the neighbors probably think we're mental"

"Anything else you want to know?"

"Yes," He turned the page of his notebook, "I... I need to know who's Rapunzel"

"What?" She raised a brow.

"Anne," Erick explained, "when I talked to her she told me I was like Rapunzel- that I was always locked down in my castle... is it some sort of muggle royalty?"

Mel tried to contain her laughter.

"N-No," She said with a strained voice, "Rapunzel... She's... She's a princess from a story"

Erick's eyes widened, his face turning completely red.

"Oh"

Mel snorted, hiding her face so the laughter would come out muffled.

"I-I think she didn't mean to insult you- maybe just teasing," She bit her lip, "Rapunzel's a fairytale. I could lend you that one too?"

"That would be nice. Thank you," He cleared his throat, "that's all I have."

"Alright," Mel smiled, "so... you've only talked to Anne that one time?"

"I didn't get a chance after that," The boy frowned, "my parents didn't know but they suspected something was off when she started to take the long path to her farm, the one closest to our home- They didn't allow me to leave the house after that."

"No wonder why you're so pale- Your family," Mel sighed, "are they like... the Malfoys?"

"They certainly want to be," Erick raised a brow, "but not really, some relatives have married half-bloods and muggle-borns- distant relatives though. My grandfather, my mum's dad- he's good with me. Never said anything dreadful- I think he doesn't care about blood. My parents are the problem... I don't know why are they so obsessed about it, I really don't. Guess I'm just that unlucky..."

"You're not," She reached for his hand and patted softly on it, retreating before he'd react. "You'll grow up one day and you'll be able to do whatever you want"

"That won't come fast enough," He scoffed, leaning back on his chair.

"Tell you what," Mel grabbed her bag and took out parchment, quill, and ink. "I'll write the letter while we're here so I send it today, what d'you say?"

"I say I would walk you to the owlery- although someone might see us"

Mel smiled.

"That's the fun part."

"A diary?" Mel asked for the third time.

"Did you hit your head?" Ron frowned, "Yes a diary- We found it in Myrtle's bathroom"

"And you just picked it up," She raised her eyebrows, "bit thick from both of you- that thing could be haunted"

"That's what I told him!" Ron argued, "But he insisted-"

"I think it might be important," Harry handed it to her. Mel held it away from her body, "oh, don't be dramatic..."

"I'm being careful, there's a difference," She huffed, "have you told Hermione?"

"No, we found it after we visited her"

"Well now, and what're you going to do?"

"Dunno, wait for Hermione?"

"You could give it to Dumbledore," She offered, "it's a bit strange... I don't like it. It feels..."

She frowned, Mel didn't know why she felt that way about an empty diary, but she hated it.

"Come on now, and what we'd say? 'Excuse me, Professor, we found this on a toilet, thought you might appreciate it-' Ouch!"

Mel had hit Ron on the head with the book.

"Stop talking to me like that," She snapped, "why are you so moody?"

"Hermione can't help with our homework," Harry explained.

"Get it together," Mel demanded, "I'll help you if you promised to behave."

Ron's interest peaked.

"Would you?"

"I like to think that I'm clever enough to help others, you know?"

"You've got a lot to do," Ron dragged her to the nearest armchair and let all his works fall on her lap, "I've no idea of what've been doing in Potions and Transfiguration."

"The moment their acne clears up, they'll be ready for repotting again," Sprout was telling Filch as they walked into their herbology class, "And after that, it won't be long until we're cutting them up and stewing them. You'll have Mrs. Norris back in no time."

It was February and the attacks had miraculously stopped, things were going back to normal, even for Mel and her friends. Less people thought that Harry was the heir, and they were finally leaving him alone, now she could focus on her to-do list.

One morning she walked in with Hermione and Ron to the Great Hall -apparently, Harry was too tired from Quidditch practice and Ron didn't want to wake him up- and got attacked with a mixed set of emotions.

Everything was sickeningly pink.

Mel liked pink a fair good amount, but this was just excessive: Roses on the walls and confetti shaped like little hearts coming from the ceiling, she felt inside a doll's house.

"Gross!" Ron hissed as soon as they walked in, reluctant to step further, "Who did this?!"

"Locktwat," Mel pointed to the teachers' table, where their professor sat, proudly wearing the pinkiest set of robes she'd ever seen.

"I should've known," He groaned, dragging his feet towards their table.

After half an hour, Harry finally arrived.

"What's going on?"

Ron pointed to the teachers' table this time, Mel had her eyes fixed on her plate.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart finally spoke up, getting her attention. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all - and it doesn't end here!"

Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors to the entrance hall marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. Not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them all wearing golden wings and carrying harps.

"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" beamed Lockhart. "They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"

"Ugh..." Mel groaned, pushing her plate away, "I think I lost my appetite"

"Just eat quick," Ron said to Harry, "I can't stand this for another hour"

"I think it's nice he's trying to cheer us up," Hermione shrugged.

Mel glared at her, she was certain Hermione was one of those bloody forty-six letters.

After the first half of the day, a dwarf appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of her, he didn't seem in the mood to get a no for an answer.

"I've got a musical poem to deliver-"

"Oh no," Mel backtracked.

"Sweet as butter mellow," The dwarf started to sing -more like yell- and people stopped to listen, "Mel Dumbledore, your temper turns every boy yellow..."

She was dead, she had to be, this felt very much like hell and she was paying all her crimes.

"It sure hurts to fall on such bounder, but how pleasant it is to have our requital!"

She didn't have much experience with valentine's, but that didn't sound romantic at all.

"The twins," She growled- and sure enough, Fred and George were laughing at the end of the corridor.

"YOU!" She bolted over to them.

"Oh, come on, we went easy on you!" George snorted.

"The poem was lovely!" Fred added, "We did it in like, ten minutes or so. I'm sorry is not the best-"

"Be thankful I'm trying to control my temper now, otherwise you'd be running away with your heads turned into owls' nest!"

"Why are you so mad? We just declared our undying affection," George replied, Fred's chortles kept him from talking.

"Affection my-!"

"Mel, we'll be late if you don't hurry!" Hermione urged her, grabbing her arm and taking her away from the twins.

"They'll regret it," She growled, "those idiots- I'm going to win-"

"You won't amuse them," Hermione said severely, "don't let them get into your head!"

Ron and Harry's teasing definitely broke the deal for her, she was sure that by the end of the year the twins would end up regretting their decision.

On their way to charms, Mel got a bit of consolation.

'His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,

His hair is as dark as a blackboard.

I wish he was mine, he's really divine, The hero who conquered the Dark Lord'

"Oh, don't you love irony?" She smiled at Hermione.

Harry got up and started to pick up his things, Mel helped him with a little smile on her face.

"All right, divine boy?" She smirked.

"Shut up."

"Off you go, off you go, the bell rang five minutes ago, off to class, now," Percy said. "And you, Malfoy-"

Harry looked up and turned pale. Malfoy was holding Riddle's diary.

"Give that back," He said.

"Wonder what Potter's written in this?" asked Malfoy.

"Hand it over, Malfoy," said Percy.

"When I've had a look," he replied.

"As a school prefect-"

"Expelliarmus!" Harry pointed to Malfoy and the diary flew up in the air.

Ron caught it with a triumphant smile.

Mel had to admit that looked extremely cool.

"Harry!" said Percy loudly. "No magic in the corridors. I'll have to report this, you know!"

Malfoy was fuming, he pushed some kids to walk past and snapped at Ginny.

"I don't think Potter liked your valentine much!" She ran into class with her face hidden behind her hands.

During their charms class Harry poked her arm to get her attention, she turned to see him hold the diary above the rest of his things.

"What is it?" She examined the book. "Is it ruined?"

"No," He frowned, turning the pages, "it's completely blank- the ink vanished!"

"Really?" She leaned forward, "How weird! D'you think that Hermione's right?"

"Looks like it," He admitted. "I'll give it a look tonight"

She nodded, then Harry perked up again and searched further on his bag.

"Look!" He took out a chocolate's frog in perfect state.

"Nice," She grinned, "finally a good thing happens to you, huh?"

He broke the chocolate in half.

"To us," He corrected innocently, "happy valentine's, Mel"

"Oh," She mumbled, grabbing a half, "I don't have anything for you..."

"S'not like I planned ahead, it's half a chocolate frog," He laughed, "you don't owe me anything"

"Still, it was nice..."

"Shut up you two," Ron groaned from Harry's side, "the last thing I want is to deal with your mawkish interactions"

"Shut up!" They replied.

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

@tiphareth2018 @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @celestialhayi @mikariell95 @tomshollandz @omiwashere @steve-thotgers @kylosleftbuttcheek @reverse-hxlland @thesuitelifeofafangirl

#twoidiots writing #Harry Potter #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter xoc #harry potter x y/n #harry potter x reader #ron weasley #hermione granger #fred weasley #george weasley #WITT fic

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