Here's chapter one of A Game for Fools 2 :) I hope everyone enjoys it as much as it's predecessor.
"So will you be coming over then?" Ron's voice rang out through the room. "It is a big day for us Harry. We who actually bothered to finish school." He said. Harry chuckled. He was lying in bed, arm wrapped around Draco's waist, the book lying open on the bed-side table, where Ron's face was seen looking determinedly away from the couple.
"Shut that stupid book Harry…" Draco muttered, still half asleep. Harry ignored him, standing up and stretching.
"Yes Ron, I'll come. I guess I owe you guys that much."
"Too right you do." Ron said, nodding. But he was grinning his head off. It was mid June, and in July, Ron and Hermione, along with everyone else in their year, would be graduating from Hogwarts. There was going to be a big celebration after in Hogsmead, and Ron wanted Harry to come. "So will you be staying for the party or just swinging in to say hi?"
"Well I thought…" Harry didn't really want to meet too many old friends at the party. He'd already had his heart torn two ways 6 months ago, back in December, and he didn't want to go through it again. But he didn't know whether he'd see Ron or Hermione in the flesh for quite a while after this get-together, so he wanted to stay as long as possible. "…Well I thought I'd stay for the party."
"Really? That's great! I'll tell Hermione when she wakes up, she'll be so pleased!" Harry smiled. "Well, I'll be seeing you then. Bye Harry!"
"Bye Ron." The page went blank, signalling Ron had shut the book his end. Harry turned back to Draco, who had one eyebrow raised in question. "What?"
"Staying for the party huh?" Harry sat down at the foot of the bed.
"Yeah… it's probably a bad idea. But hey…" Draco pulled back the covers on the bed and sleepily crawled up to Harry, laying his head in the Incandeche's lap. Harry smiled, stroking Draco's hair.
"Don't worry. Some good will come out of it. You'll see your stupid too-good-to-be-sane friends again."
"Yeah…are you coming?" Draco snorted.
"Why? All the Slytherins hate me, remember? When I left, there wasn't one person in Hogwarts who liked me apart from Snape. And he's a teacher…"
"Aww poor unpopular baby."
"Sod off Potter you're the reason I was unpopular." Harry grinned.
"I know. But I'm much happier now than I was when you had friends." Draco rolled his eyes.
"Well as long as you profited from it…" Harry nodded, grinning. There was a rustling in the kitchen.
"Hmm. Meravi's early." Harry said, frowning. Draco scowled, but hid it from Harry. He still didn't like Meravi, but had learned over the past 6 months that Harry was extremely loyal to his 'Leader', and wouldn't hear a bad word said against him. Even when said leader got 'ever so slightly tipsy' at a party and started blatantly flirting with Harry, Harry had just shrugged him off as nicely as possible and rejoined Draco. Afterwards he had denied all knowledge.
"Mielle?" a voice called.
"That's not Meravi…" Harry sighed, getting up. He started towards the door.
"Wait!" Draco called. Harry turned just as a pair of jeans hit him in the face.
"Ack!" he yelped. Draco chuckled before rolling over on the bed and closing his eyes. Harry muttered something under his breath before pulling the jeans on and going into the kitchen. A purple haired green eyed Incandeche was stood in the kitchen, shaking slightly. Harry would have been worried, if he didn't know that he always shook.
"What is it Chico?" Chico's name came from the Italian word for Psychic- Psichico. And just like his name implied, Chico had a strange sort of Sight that allowed him to see into the future.
"Mielle…Mielle, Mielle, Mielle…" Harry raised a brow.
"Erm…yeah that's me."
"I just came by to say good bye. I Saw that you were leaving us for an indefinite amount of time." Harry rolled his eyes.
"Hardly. I'm going for a few hours."
"No no. Much longer. Much longer, yes. Maybe forever." Harry wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or scared. Chico hadn't made any predictions since the ex-Gryffindor came to Cielo, so he didn't know whether or not they were accurate.
"What did you See exactly?"
"Probably nothing." Both of them turned to see Meravi in the doorway. He looked very apprehensive.
"It is not nothing and you know it." Chico muttered.
"I think you need to leave, Chico." Meravi said. The tone in his voice left no room for argument, and Chico took one last look at Harry before stalking out. Harry turned back to Meravi after watching Chico leave.
"What was that about?" he asked. Meravi shrugged.
"Chico's weird."
"I noticed." Harry said, smiling.
"So…I overheard that you were leaving?"
"Only to go to my friend's graduation."
"I hope Malfoy doesn't intend on going…"
"Nah he'll be staying. Don't worry you don't have to lower the barrier." Meravi nodded.
"Well…I have to go. Sorry, but I can't train you today. Cavallo wants me to have a look at the pregnant horse." Harry nodded.
"Okay. I'll just have to spend the day in Draco… I mean with Draco!" Harry said quickly, flushing. Meravi chuckled, but there was some contempt in it.
"Young love. How kinky." He smirked, glancing at Harry's bare chest. "I see you've still got the locket." Harry smiled, raising a hand to hold it.
"Yup."
"Who did you put in it?" Harry blinked.
"I… uh…Don't you have a pregnant horse to see?"
"Ah…right. Bye bambino."
"Bye."
Meravi walked back outside, feeling a bit put off. Harry had just shaken him off, and didn't even bother to feign sadness about having to leave. Chico was waiting for him on Harry's balcony.
"You are going to allow this?" Chico asked.
"It's Harry's choice."
"As leader you could stop him. You know that if he goes, Dumbledore will meddle."
"It's Harry's choice." Meravi repeated.
"But if he goes, there is a strong chance that he will never return! He…" Meravi held up his hand to silence Chico.
"I know all about this little dream you're concocting. It won't happen."
"It's not a dream! It's a vision! If Harry leaves, there is a strong chance he will be forced to stay. You know that it's not just me! There have been physical signs too!" Meravi sighed.
"You call a few more animals coming into Cielo a sign?"
"More than ten new animals have entered Cielo this month… almost four times the usual amount. You know that the only way for a human to enter is if they are an animagus…"
"That's enough! It…it's not my business where Harry goes. And so what if we have a few more animals? That means nothing." Meravi said, looking away. It seemed like he was trying to convince himself more than Chico.
"I thought you cared about him!"
"I do! And if what you Saw comes true, I will do everything in my power to help. But as for now…it's Harry's choice. He'll hate me if I stop him."
Harry spent most of that day with Cavallo. Draco was out riding all day, and Harry was helping tend to the pregnant mare. Meravi said she would be giving birth any day now.
"Stupid Meravi…How come he knows so much?" Harry asked, almost angrily.
"Because he's our Leader, and he has to." Cavallo answered, shrugging.
"But…"
""Mielle, don't be an arse mate. Meravi's super coz he is. Personally, I think you should have mated with him."
"Yeah. So does everyone else in this place." Harry muttered.
"You've got his heart Mielle, and Meravi doesn't give it out often…or at all really, until you came along. Don't get me wrong, I like Draco, but…"
"I think I'm going." Harry said abruptly. He stood up and called to Draco, who started riding in. Cavallo sighed.
"I'm sorry… you know I'm joking…"
"Whatever."
"You've been really snappy for quite a while now Mielle…what's wrong?"
"I dunno…I just feel…different. Like something's not right." Cavallo frowned. "Anyway- stop acting like a shrink! You're my fun friend! Not my bloody shrink! Leave that to Fuoco." Cavallo laughed.
"Right then. Lets talk about something else. Like how sexy your mate is." Harry rolled his eyes.
"Oh I know I am." Draco said, joining the conversation. Harry snorted. "What?"
"Nothing."
"You don't think I'm sexy?" Draco asked, pouting. Harry kissed the pout off his face, earning a broad grin from Cavallo. Cavallo loved seeing Harry and Draco pawing over each other. It made him 'feel like there was love out there for everyone' as he put it. In one of his rare serious moods, he'd talk about how he wished he'd found a mate. Now it was too late. There were no females in Cielo – the last one having died after giving birth to two sons – and Meravi refused to let other creatures in. Harry found this ridiculous. In a few hundred years, there would be no Incandeche left.
"Come on Draco. We're going home early."
"Hmm any particular reason?" Draco purred, wrapping his arms low around Harry's hips. Harry's answer was never heard as something fell on him from above. Harry yelped, looking up to see Chico sat on him.
"You can't go!" he said, staring down at Harry with jade fire in his eyes.
"Not this again…" Harry pushed Chico off of him and stood up. "You need flying lessons…" Chico ignored this, dusting himself off.
"You won't come back if you go!" he warned. Draco's eyes narrowed as he looked from Chico to Harry. It finally clicked who Chico was.
"What?"
"Draco, I don't know what he's on about. I'll be back in a few hours tops." Harry said. "Not only would I miss you heaps, but I have to start up the campaign to bring other magical creatures into Cielo." Draco opened his mouth to answer but Chico cut in. he seemed desperate for someone to believe him and heed his warnings.
"Something will prevent you from coming back Mielle! Meravi knows but he says it is your choice. But it will not be if you go!" Harry sighed, rolling his eyes.
"No one can keep me somewhere I don't want to be, Chico. Now please, just leave me alone." Chico's shoulders slouched in defeat. He looked desolately at Harry, before taking off without a backward glance. Harry sighed.
"Harry, maybe you shouldn't go…"
"Not you too. Just shut up." He snapped at Draco. Draco flinched slightly. "I'm… I'm sorry…it's just…I haven't been to Hogsmead since Christmas last year and…"
"Don't worry. These psychics are all fake anyway." Draco said, shrugging. Cavallo didn't want to point out that every single prediction Chico had ever made had come true.
Questions? Comments?
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