A.N Hi Everyone! Sorry that it has been so long, I am in the middle of moving house, which has turned into a little bit of a nightmare due to delays, and hasn't left much much time for reading or writing. Also, I am still struggling to get my Facebook up and running again, again due to the move I have not had much time to really get stuck into this to get it sorted.
Anyway, I hope that you enjoy the new chapter, and hopefully, I will be back with you properly soon!
Chapter Two
Harry rolled his eyes fondly as Ariel staggered passed him with a truly impressive pile of books. Their mum and dad not far behind her with even more books. He snatched over half of them from her pile and dropped them onto the counter next to his own.
"We will be back in a few moments, they have a few new books on potions!" Lily said before she and Severus hurried back from the way they came after dropping their piles of books onto the counter.
"Do you really need all of these, Hogwarts does have a library you know," Harry teased Ariel, chuckling when she pouted up at him.
"Just in case," she shrugged.
"That is how you ended up storing books in my bedroom as well, 'just in case'," He poked her in the side, grinning when she giggled.
"Well, well, well, look who it is," Draco Malfoy sneered as he stopped near them, looking them over.
"Draco!" Ariel beamed, racing over to the blond, she threw herself at him in a hug.
"You're ruining my image here," Draco huffed, but Harry snickered as his friend hugged her back tightly, seemingly not all that bothered about his image.
"And who is this?" Pansy actually meant her sneer as she, Gregory, Vincent, Blaise and Theo walked over.
Harry bristled and stepped forward.
"This is my little sister," He glared and the pug-faced girl gulped a little at the expression on his face. She knew full well what Harry was capable of
Ariel was completely unbothered, simply wrapping her arms tighter around Draco as she glared back at the girl who was clearly jealous.
"Your little sister," Blaise looked at her with interest. "You must be Ariel then, Harry has told us a lot about you,"
"All good I hope," she grinned at Harry.
"Pfft no, more like how much of an annoying little pest you are," Harry sighed, when she pouted and pulled her head back gently to tap her nose. "What do you think?"
"Harry is sure you're going into Ravenclaw," Blaise said kindly to her.
"If she doesn't, I think the two of us will eat our hats," Draco laughed squeezing her before letting go.
"She is super smart," Vincent nodded giving the girl a careful hug of his own, followed by Gregory.
"It's lovely to meet you, my brother is also joining Hogwarts this year," Theo said holding his hand out as Ariel looked at him curiously. "My name is Theo,"
"Oh! You're Theo!" Ariel grinned and took the hand while her brother glared darkly at her.
Harry quickly straightened his features when Theo looked up at him confused.
"Are you getting your Hogwarts things?" Draco asked her, thankfully distracting Theo away from the strange comment.
"Yes, we've got nearly everything that I need now. Oh Draco, look what Harry got me!" She beamed racing around Harry to where he had been guarding her things while she picked the shop apart for books, and came back carefully carrying a basket.
"Harry bought you that huh," the blond smirked at Harry as he knelt down and looked at the little cat in the basket who mewed happily when Ariel poked her fingers in and tickled his chin.
"Yes, he said that I might as well just use Hedwig if I need to send any letters, and that Hilili can keep me company," Ariel nodded excitedly.
"That's kind of him," Theo said softly, looking at Harry, bemusement clear on his face.
"Draco is right, you are terrible for images," Harry sighed exasperatedly.
"What?" Ariel asked confusedly, looking around the group of older teens.
"Your brother has a very careful image built around being the big, bad Slytherin, you're ruining that image," Draco chuckled, beyond amused and enjoying himself at Harry's expense.
"Oh, like Dad?" She asked turning to Harry. "But you're not like that at all, you're really sweet! He made me my favourite pancakes today because we were coming to get my things," she tattled while Harry facepalmed behind her.
"Are you winding Harry up by any chance?" A familiar voice asked.
"Neville!" Ariel beamed racing over to him. "Look what Harry got me!"
"I give in," Harry groaned leaning against the counter, looking toward the ceiling in a bid to keep his eyes from drifting over to a certain blond Slytherin who was standing close by and looking at him contemplatively.
Theo was different from most Slytherins - not that Harry was a traditional Slytherin himself - quiet and thoughtful, he spent most of his time keeping his head down and working hard. He didn't really take part in any of the political drama of their house, it was the main reason that they had not really formed much of a friendship despite being in the same year. He tended to spend a lot of his time with Daphne and Blaise, staying away from the main bulk of Slytherins.
It was something that Harry had lamented often since last year when he suddenly noticed that the other Slytherin was incredibly good looking. He was shorter than Harry's own 6,2 frame at around 5,8 and slender to match. He had golden blonde hair and honey brown eyes, that framed his pale angular face.
"Hey, Nev," Harry grinned as his best friend reached his side, reaching out to sling an arm around his shoulders in a sideways hug.
"Nice cat," His friend chuckled.
"Oh shut up," Harry rolled his eyes.
"Your image?" Ariel smirked at him.
"Just remember you're going to be left alone with me with no mum and dad to protect you," Harry warned her, as he shook his finger in her direction.
"Draco will protect me, won't you Draco!" Ariel turned to him, no question in her voice.
"Of course Fair Maiden, as ever I shall be your Knight in Shining Armour," Draco bowed to her.
"Brave Sir Knight," She giggled, placing Hilili's carrier on the floor to curtsey toward Draco. "There," she said imperiously before she poked her tongue out at her brother.
She squeaked and started laughing when Harry pounced on her and started tickling her sides, while dodging Draco's attempts to snatch her away. Slinging her up easily over his shoulder as she giggled madly.
"How is your Brave Sir Knight now?"
"Have you been teasing your brother again?" Severus asked as he and Lily drifted over, holding another six books between them.
Harry eyed the books meaningfully, "And you wonder where she gets it from," Harry shook his head, as he hugged Ariel to himself as she calmed down from his tickle attack before loosening his grip on her, and simply resting his arm on her head, she let out a little huff of mock annoyance, but leant into him happily.
"They're on sale!" Lily defended.
"You're lucky we have magic otherwise there would literally be no room for humans," Harry snorted.
"That pile is your books?" Theo asked Ariel surprised.
"Just a bit of light reading," she shrugged.
"That's light reading?" Theo blinked. "I would be very interested in seeing your version of heavy reading."
Ariel grinned up at Theo and Harry opened his mouth to say something, only for Draco to swiftly cut him off.
"So, do you have everything that you need?" Draco asked Ariel.
Ariel's eyes went wide at some unspoken hint and she quickly answered Draco.
"Yes nearly, just my wand to buy now," She nodded, throwing Draco an exasperated expression that was far beyond her age.
"Good, good, and all ready for Hogwarts?" Neville asked amused at having caught the exchange and the put out look on Harry's face.
"I think so, I am fairly sure what House I am going to be going into, and I spent this year going over Harry's notebooks from his First Year," Ariel said thoughtfully.
"Definitely Ravenclaw," Neville chuckled.
"There is no doubt about that, I am sure that you will do very well in Ravenclaw. I beg your pardon but I really should get going, it was lovely meeting you. Potter-Snape," Theo nodded to Ariel, and then to Harry before walking away.
Harry's eyes fixed on Theo's form as he left the shop.
"When did Parkison leave?" Draco asked absently, as he glanced around.
"He called me Potter-Snape, again," Harry whined.
"There there," Ariel patted his arm.
"I don't know what you were going to say to him, but dear Merlin whatever it was, no. Just no." Draco advised seriously.
"You're all cruel beyond belief," Harry pouted at them.
"You develop foot-in-mouth syndrome whenever you're around him," Ariel said sympathetically.
"And how exactly would you know?" Harry asked, quirking his eyebrow at her.
"Draco tells me things," she shrugged.
"Traitor," Harry huffed.
"Which one of us?" Draco smirked.
"The two of you!" Harry sniffed before turning to Neville. "At least you're really my friend,"
"Hey you just like that I am as bad as you when it comes to speaking to the person I like, and you know what they say about misery and company" Neville snorted.
"Was he drooling over Master Nott, again?" Lily asked curiously as she and Severus made their way back over to them, the books now bought and shrunk down into one bag.
"You as well?" Harry groaned.
"It is adorable," Lily grinned.
"We're just glad that you aren't sha…" Severus' eyes quickly trained on his daughter, and he cleared his throat, "sleeping your way around the school," Severus said, the unstated 'still' making Harry blush.
"Alright! Come on! We had better get over to Ollivander's!" Lily finally took pity on her son, and she started shooing her children to collect their things as she picked up a few of Ariel and Harry's belongings.
Harry and Severus splitting the rest of the items, while Ariel picked up Hilili, topic forgotten as she cooed at her new familiar.
"Hang on, where did the name for the cat come from?" Neville asked curiously.
"It's my OT3," she explained, sharing a conspiring glance with Draco.
"O...T...3?" Neville asked bemused.
"You don't want to know, believe me," Harry muttered. "I still can't believe that you called the poor thing that,"
"It is a perfectly good name, and a perfectly good OT3," Draco sighed dreamily.
"And on that note, we'll see you on the train in two days time," Harry nudged Ariel into moving before she and Draco could start one of their conversations and completely traumatise him yet again.
"Bye Drake! See you in two days!" Ariel called over her shoulder as her brother herded her to the door. "Bye Nev! Bye Vince! Bye Greg!"
Lily and Severus trailed behind their two children wearing amused looks, or at least as amused as Severus would allow himself to look while in public.
"Hurry Harry! I can't wait to see what wand I have!" Ariel grabbed his arm the moment they were in the Alley, her excitement taking over as Ollivander's came into sight.
"We did a good job with the two of them, huh?" Lily smiled softly as she slipped her arm through Severus' reaching down to twine their hands together, the two of them taking a slower pace than their two children.
"I think we did, he will look after her," Severus nodded.
"I feel sorry for anyone who crosses her, he's like a dragon if someone so much looks at her wrong," Lily laughed lightly.
"I wonder where he gets that from," Severus said, smirking at her.
"You," She shrugged before hurrying in front of him to catch with Harry and Ariel while he spluttered behind her.
Harry dropped back onto his bed after a long day of packing and answering Ariel's never ending questions about Hogwarts. Tucking his hands behind his head, he stared up at the ceiling, a little sigh escaping him.
His last year of Hogwarts started tomorrow, he and his family would have to be up early in the morning to get ready and get to Kings Cross for the train. It was an odd feeling knowing that this was his last year, it seemed so long ago and yet not very long at all that he had been in Ariel's shoes facing his first journey on the Hogwarts Express.
It was going to be a busy year, he had to finish his applications to the Department of Mysteries with his request for employment under the research project that he had started two years before and wanted to see completed. He also knew that he was going to have to work his arse off to complete his NEWTs to the highest level if he wished to see that plan come into fruition.
Then there was also getting ready to take over the Potter Lordship. The one Sirius had kept for him until he had come of age. Sirius had taught him as he grew up about how to be a Lord and what would be expected of him and what it all entailed. They had taken it slowly but surely over the years so as not to overwhelm him. His mum and dad had been of great help as well, the two of them sitting either side of him and helping him as he tried to wrap his head around what being a Lord meant and all that he needed to know. He was confident now that he would cope with the responsibility, this year would be the test as Sirius and he did the change over of the Lordship.
But, despite all of that, there was one thing that lingered on his mind. One person he should say.
Theo Nott.
Since being old enough to enjoy sexuality, he had not been interested in a relationship. He had enjoyed being young, and free to explore his sexuality, figuring out what he liked, and figuring out how things worked when it came to being with another person. He had always been quite clear with each person he took into his bed, or that took him to theirs, that he was not at all interested in a relationship and that they would just be having fun.
It had worked for him, and he had enjoyed himself. But then last year, he had suddenly looked up and realised that Theo had grown up. It would have been easy if it had merely been Theo's physical appearance that interested him, he would have tried to tempt the other into his bed and gotten it out of his system.
But it wasn't as simple as that.
Theo was a kind and gentle person. Most would think he was not really suited for Slytherin, but they would find themselves mistaken once they were exposed to his sharp and quick mind. His tongue was quick and fierce when needed and the way that he connected dots faster than most, had Harry yearning to be at his side always. He was fiercely intelligent, and he worked hard to get what he earned, never resting on the fact that he was an Heir Lord to get ahead in life.
Harry was in fact, quite madly in love with him.
And he only had one year to convince Theo to take a chance on him, when it seemed fairly clear that Theo thought Harry was in fact only interested in his body for a quick fumble.
Groaning he thumped his head back into his pillows, grunting in pain when his head connected with something hard. Confused, he rolled over and reached beneath his pillow, searching for the offending object. Only to pull out a book. He frowned when he vaguely recognised it from the pile Ariel had bought the other day.
While it was not unusual for her to leave her books lying everywhere - including his room - it was unusual for her to leave new books lying around. He was fairly sure she sat in bed cooing at her new books for at least a week like the little Ravenclaw she was.
Flicking through the book his eyes widened as he realised what it was. "Sneaky little Madame," he muttered before lunging out of bed clutching his new book to his chest.
He threw open his door and raced along the hallway to his parent's bedroom, throwing open the door without knocking in his excitement.
"Harry what is it?!" Severus asked, the two of them lowering their books and staring at him in bemusement.
"I'm going to ask Theo Nott to court me!" Harry announced, his mind spinning with excitement and plans.
There was a silence as the two of them stared at him, Lily's jaw open in shock, and then from down the hall came a bellow.
"You're welcome!"