Disclaimer: Surely everyone knows that these characters are not mine. They are a creation of JKR's wonderful imagination and I only toy with them for a while. I also would like to mention that Frizzy writes quite enjoyable fan fiction describing Draco as a Veela. (Rowling: Harry Potter books, Frizzy: Magnetic Attraction)
Summary: DM/HP During the summer, before their last year in school starts, Draco Malfoy's Veela heritage is awoken. He's searching his mate and that leads him to the most unsuspected target. A hard and difficult one too.
************ The veela allurement ************
Ch.12 Quarrelmongers
After his defence lessons from which he had been late for fifteen minutes by the way and thus had that new teacher glare at him, Harry was on his way to see McGonagall. His feet felt like led. It wasn't so much the fact that he wondered if he was putting his head through a gallows loop when agreeing to live with Malfoy, he was far too confused about that whole thing to be sure of anything. This feeling came more from his feelings of guilt. He had not told anyone about the vision he had had last night and somehow he was sure that she would take one look at him and somehow she would know.
It wasn't as if he hadn't tried to tell. He really had gone to see the headmaster the first thing in the morning, even though he really didn't like to see the old man now. Still, he knew how important his visions could be, even if they seemingly didn't make any sense to him or even if they did.
When he had approached the corridor where the gargoyle was guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office, he heard a lot of voices. To his horror he realised nearly too late that the voices belong to reporters on their way out and if he wasn't mistaken, he was the main topic of their conversation.
'Damn that article and who ever leaked it out,' he had cursed while he ran back and dashed to the nearest open classroom.
He stayed behind the door, listening the voices come closer and then slowly dying away. He hadn't liked what they had said and on the top of everything, Dumbledore was apparently away. Slowly he redirected his steps to the kitchen. Dobby wouldn't have read any papers or would ask any unnecessary question, except what he would like to have on his bread.
McGonagall didn't eat him alive, nor did she notice anything amiss. Perhaps because she seemed satisfied that the veela questions was now solved for a while. His rooms would be modified during the weekend and Malfoy would move in and as Harry had suspected, McGonagall reserved to herself the delight to inform Snape about this new turn of things.
Slowly Harry walked to the library, hoping to catch Hermione but to his surprise, she wasn't there. People were staring and whispering everywhere and he didn't like it one bit and so he decided to retreat to his rooms to enjoy the short time they were his and only his.
But when he came into his rooms, Hermione was sitting there, reading one of his defence books. She had read it at least twice before already.
"You know Hermione, I think you gave me that book only so that you could read it by yourself," Harry joked, startling his friend.
Hermione scowled at him playfully and then said, "I heard that you agreed to live with Malfoy?"
"How did you find out?" Harry asked, hoping that it wasn't on every notice board already.
"McGonagall told me. She said that as you were going to be my 'neighbours', I should know," Hermione sniffed. "I nearly told her that she should've reconsidered her 'need to inform others' principles a while ago."
Harry laughed. Of course Hermione had done no such thing but it was a nice image.
"Why did you do it, Harry? Ron is… not that you should let us affect your decision if you feel they're right, but he IS going to go berserk."
"I know," Harry said and slumped to sit next to her. "I just… I'm not sure. I have a feeling that there are more important things to deal with this year and if I hadn't said yes, eventually Malfoy would've been pushed on me. I am the head boy. I have responsibilities," Harry said and made a face but that reason seemed to satisfy Hermione.
"I better go get my things for Hagrid's classes. I just hope that Ron won't be mad enough to do something there," Harry said and headed to his bedroom to gather his things. Hermione followed her.
"I surely hope not and you should take points from him if he does. It's incredibly dangerous to start behaving so immaturely around those beasts that you're treating. And I think you were right. With Malfoy I mean. We are far too old to bigger like first years and though he is an annoying, egoistic, spoiled brat, there is a slight possibility that he will grow up. If he don't, my rooms are close by and surely no one can expect you to continue living with him if you're killing each others." Hermione was walking around his bedroom and looking at things. It was the first time she was there and she walked cautiously around as if expecting something horrible to jump at her in any moment.
"Herm, I don't have traps here or anything and I think I'm much more tidier than you are now giving me credit for."
She laughed nervously, "It's not that. Sorry, I didn't want you to think I was judging you, Harry." Then she wandered to his desk and put few books in a pile, and then she made his bed with a wave of her wand. Then she kneeled to pick up a piece of parchment on the floor.
"Honestly Hermione, I'll be just waiting outside until you have cleaned everything you want to," Harry chuckled and left while shaking his head.
Just when he sat down on the couch with his school bag and started to stuff new books into it, Hermione came out from the room frowning. She was reading something.
"What's this Harry? I hope it's not what I think it is," she said and showed the paper to him.
Harry took one look at the paper and then warily looked at Hermione. He couldn't believe that he had just left that paper lying around. There was ink splattered on it and few words here and there, written in a shaky handwriting. It was the paper he had written his vision on.
"I - didn't realise I had left it there. I wrote it last night and don't get angry with me. It was nothing and you know I'm not supposed to tell even you about them until Dumbledore knows," Harry said on his defence.
"Did Voldemort curse anyone?" she asked and her tone of voice clearly said that Harry better co-operate and spill the truth.
Harry squirmed not knowing how to lie but not wanting to say the truth either.
"He did, didn't he? And what's this about Malfoy?" Hermione pointed the paper and was getting agitated.
Harry rubbed his face before he leaned back and focused on her. "I had a vision all right. Lucius Malfoy was the only one there and Voldemort wanted something to be done. Just leave it, please."
"Have you noticed that your room mate happens to have Malfoy as his last name too?" Hermione said a little louder. "And yes, we know that Lucius Malfoy is a death eater and frankly I don't believe that him being there and you having this vision now was a coincidence, Harry. Why haven't you told me already?"
Harry heard the accusation in her voice. He had always told her and Ron the next day and he didn't know what was wrong with him. He only had this strange feeling that something was coming. Something bad was going to happen.
A look of sudden understanding flashed across Hermione's face. "You haven't told anyone yet, haven't you Harry? Not even Dumbledore." She just stood as if stunned for a moment but then she snapped out of it. "You have to tell someone Harry!"
"I tried, I really tried but Dumbledore wasn't there. Then I realised that there was nothing that important to tell."
"Noth – NOTHING," she shrieked and then looked around quickly but there was no one to hear them. "There is something to tell, Harry." She then said much more silently. "And you know it!"
"I shouldn't have seen it in the first place!" Harry blurted out. It was something that had been bothering him since the night. "There was no reason for it to come. Voldemort wasn't angry enough."
"Did you want it to come? Did you make it happen?"
"Of course not. I had a headache yesterday and I just wanted to sleep."
"Did you take anything for the curse? Your writing is all shaky and you know that it…" abruptly she halted and turned to look at the door.
Harry followed her look in time to see something red and then the door was slammed shut.
"Was it Ron?" he asked but already knew the answer.
"Yes…" Hermione looked thoughtful for a while and then turned to him. "I need to go after him but this is far from over Harry. You have to stop hiding things from us. We can trust on each other's. Remember that. Now I need to go after my boyfriend and find out what is really bothering him. It isn't this whole Veela business, but it is something."
After she was gone, Harry looked at the paper in his hands for a long time.
**
"Ron!" Hermione yelled when she finally managed to catch up with him. He was determinately walking away and she grabbed his arm from behind to stop him. "What is wrong with you? That's Harry, your friend, our best friend. Why are you doing this to him? Don't you know that he doesn't need this right now? No one does."
"I can bloody well do what I please Hermione. It's Harry who should wake up." Ron said through gritted teeth and then glared at her, "Room mates?!"
"Stop – just stop, Ron. What is it? What's really bothering you? I know you and it's not just something Harry has done," she said while she rested her hands on Ron's shoulders.
Ron glared at her and then suddenly all the tension fled his face and he seemed to collapse. "He is keeping things from us, Mione. It has already started and I can't stand it."
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked.
"That bloody git is taking Harry away," Ron said silently. "The ferret is a Veela and a little of his charm here and there and our Harry is gone. The ferret is all Harry needs to be happy after a while."
"You can't be serious, Ron!" Hermione exclaimed.
Ron turned furiously at her again. "I damn well am. I knew the git would try something and after all the years, he has finally succeeded. The best payback ever. Harry kneeling at his feet and refusing us, we without Harry. He has his mate and we are somewhere far away."
Ron was absolutely seething now that he had begun to explain, "haven't you wondered why Harry hasn't said anything about how he wants Malfoy or why Harry suddenly doesn't tell us things? Two words," Ron waved his two of his fingers at her. "Veela charms. The bastard is using them on Harry just like he did on me. Malfoy is a Slytherin through and through and goes where it is the easiest as the pathetic ferret that he is."
"That's not true, Ron," Hermione said but sounded a little insecure. "Harry didn't have a chance to tell us about the meeting with the headmaster and it was because of us. We were not exactly talking if you remember? And Harry didn't tell us about his decision to allow Malfoy live near him because he had other things in his mind. I'm sure you heard about that? And he didn't tell us about it because, as you know, Dumbledore must know first."
Ron frowned and looked like he was thinking back. Then he calmed down immediately and looked a little worried. "No, actually I didn't catch that. I just heard him say that something was nothing and that he didn't have to tell to anyone… I thought he wasn't having them anymore or at least not often. How bad was it?"
"His hand was still shaking when he wrote things down and he saw Lucius Malfoy in there and he didn't know why he saw anything in the first place. Now do you realise why none of us needs this? I am really worried, Ron."
Ron stared at her for a while and then a light smile appeared. He was just about to say something when another voice interrupted him.
"Isn't this a sweet little reunion? Got your boyfriend back in line, mudblood?" Draco´s snarling voice came from the shadows and soon the blond stepped to the light too.
"That's five points off for insulting the head girl, if you want more, just ask, Malfoy," Hermione said coldly. She now realised that she should have dragged Ron elsewhere and why was that just when she got things in order, Malfoy came with his impeccable timing for stir up more trouble.
"Oh the blatant bias that just fills the air. Why don't you take points from your boyfriend too? After all, he still has the irritating habit of calling me a rodent."
"Aren't you? Wow. The similarity is just so obvious to me," Ron couldn't help but to retort.
"Look Weasel, you should just charm your mouth away. Nothing of any value ever comes out of it." Draco looked at Ron superiorly along his nose, "nothing in you is of any value."
Ron got in a lovely shade of beetroot, "good for you to open your mouth, death eater scum. Luckily we know that and more importantly, Harry knows. He hates you, you know? You will never be anything else to him no matter what you do and I intend to do everything I can to keep it that way."
Draco actually snarled while his face darkened and he drew his wand. "Please, say something once more, you pathetic beggar."
"No, Ron. Don't!" Hermione was trying to keep Ron back but was failing miserably.
"Mione let go of me!" Ron snapped at her.
"Cardiossus!" The spell was yelled right after Ron had opened his mouth and while he was still yanking Hermione off. It hit Ron straight on his chest and he yelled in pain and clutched his wand tightly while he sunk on his knees. There was huge scorch mark on his chest and tiny wakes of smoke drifted upwards.
"Lower your wand, Malfoy," Hermione said steadfastly while she pointed her own wand at him. "You both stop this now or the next thing going will be your prefect badge."
"Animonus feriola," Ron lunged towards Malfoy and fired his spell at him.
"NO HUMAN TRANSFIGURATION, RON! That could go seriously wrong. EXPELLIARMUS!" Hermione's disarming spell missed and hit the wall right next to Ron's spell, leaving two blackened areas on it.
Ron and Malfoy were now rolling from wall to wall and delivering insults as well as punches whenever they could. Days of frustration just pouring out of them both.
"I wish all you pitiful excuses of wizards would be dead! That's all of your family…"
"Inbred donkey! You will never be anything but pond scum."
"THAT'S ENOUGHT!! BOTH OF YOU!" Very familiar voice yelled near by. Harry was standing with Ginny behind Hermione. He had obviously heard some of the conversation but hadn't even bothered to take his wand out.
Ginny was looking at her brother with mixed emotions and finally settled to uncaring.
"Whatever this was for, I'm sure it didn't require fighting and wasn't solved with it. You should know better, Ron," Harry silently said, leaving Draco without any attention.
"ME!" Ron yelped. "He started it." He pointed at the somewhat dishevelled looking blond next to him.
"As if I would need to defend myself against your accusations, Weasley," Draco said while straightening his robes.
"Don't you think at all, Ron? Mum would have a fit if she would know that you are spending your time fighting in your N.E.W.T year," Ginny reproached him too.
"Why are you all telling me this? Didn't you hear when I said that Malfoy started it?" Ron was desperately trying to make them see the facts. "Mione, you were here, say something to them."
Hermione on the other hand was shaking of restrained fury. "That's fifty points off from both of you," she spat out. "Because of using a dangerous spells and hurting other student severely, starting a fight and throwing insults left and right and DUELING AND…" she swallowed and cleared her throat. "If I hear any insults, plain or hidden ones, ever coming from either of you, that'll automatically be ten points off."
Ron stood there gaping for a moment, then he realised that he was standing next to Malfoy and jumped away. Then he finally put his wand away and looked around a little lost. After that he just seemed not to think at all and just glared everyone around and stomped off to cool a bit.
Ginny hadn't moved her eyes from Malfoy and glared at him disgusted not that her brother was gone. Then she walked to Hermione, "I was looking for you. We need to talk."
Few Ravenclaw second years strolled into the hall and Hermione looked questioningly at Harry who just nodded briefly that it was all right for her to leave. That left only Harry and Draco standing there and Harry turned to walk away too. Draco rushed after him.
"Thank you for siding with me, Harry," Draco said happily when the Ravenclaws were out of the hearing range.
Harry stopped still and turned to him. Draco was surprised to see the anger on his mate's face.
"I didn't side with you, Malfoy, nor do I ever plan to do that in the future. I care about Ron and now I know why he was miffed with me earlier. Tomorrow, when he has cooled off a bit, I will apologize to him for something I actually did just a moment ago, because that is what he wants. An apology. But I couldn't ask it for something I didn't even do and that wouldn't have been enough for him. I agree that Ron was way off back there but so were you. I only reproached him because I care about him. Not you. Don't ever think that. We are neighbours because of fate, nothing more, nothing less. You just showed me that nothing will ever change you and I can't dislike you for that but I can do it for all the things you have done and apparently will do. I don't trust you the tiniest bit but I have to tolerate you. Don't get any illusions of friendship between us, all right? And stop bullying my friends." And without waiting an answer, Harry turned and strode away, leaving Draco looking like someone had blown the air out of him.
Slowly Draco walked around and eventually he realised that he was back in his rooms. Pacing back and forth in front of his desk and thinking what he had done wrong? Why Harry was suddenly mad at him, had Harry just played with him? Had he believed in illusions once more? Harry had no right, no basis to treat him like this. He had been mostly truthful and had tried to fulfil his mate's every wish, he had come to the halfway and Harry had done nothing.
Suddenly burning hot anger flushed him but as fast it came, it went away. His Veela side was screaming at him not to hurt his mate, not to anger his mate, not to be angry with his mate. On the other hand he was still seething and he hadn't done anything to deserve what he got from Harry.
After some careful thinking Draco then came to the conclusion that it was all Weasel's fault and that mudblood head-girl. They had planned this whole scene to make Harry angry with him. He cursed them to yesterday in his mind, until he just used their names as curses repeating them again and again and his anger at them grew. Those two had deliberately started the whole thing. Then a thought came to him, reminding him that Harry wouldn't like if he called his friends names but what did he care what Harry thought of?
After that he got the flashback of his life and a zap to his spine. He shouldn't be mad at his mate. He was supposed to love and care for his mate, not try to hate him.
'What possessed you to charge at Weasley in the first place?' a small voice was nagging at him behind his head, but he wasn't a Hufflepuff that would just take insults in a stride. No matter if he had heard the insults while overhearing things.
'Well, you aren't a Ravenclaw either for then you would have stayed away from the boy too,' the voice continued and Draco had to agree that it was right. Ravenclaws stayed in the refuge of their books while he didn't hide his head.
'Not a that much of a Slytherin either for there was no cunningness in putting yourself in the open like that and not even covering your back. Nor was it any use to you,' the voice was still piping and Draco nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the last assessment. He was an epitome of Slytherin and whatever insane thoughts some little voice might have about that were just that, insane.
'…but Gryffindor… ah yes, the foolish bravery and recklessness. Now there's your place.'
Draco had stopped to stand stock-still. Where had that last thought come from? Surely there was nothing truthful in it. He shook his head to dispel it.
On the other side of the castle, Harry was just returning from his lessons with Hagrid. He was in a lousy mood, even more than before. Ron had been absent during the classes and Harry had worried the whole two hours for him. Then Hagrid had asked him to remain behind and have some tea.
Ron had apparently dropped by at Hagrid's earlier, asking an advice. Hagrid, in his own way, asked Harry if he was sure what he was doing as to him, Ron had looked rather sad. It just didn't do to do that sort of thing to friends.
Harry had asked if Hagrid knew about Malfoy and the half-giant had half laughed and said that the whole world knew about it. But then Hagrid had offered him a piece of advice and that was not to let something like that come between him and his friends. Harry had already known that. And after that he had left but not before he promised Hagrid that he would sort things out with Ron. Tomorrow.
**
The next morning, Hedwig woke him up by a very persistent knocking of the window. Groggily Harry got up and opened the window to his glaring owl.
"Sorry, Hedwig," *yawn* "I can't keep it open all night and where have you been by the way. I've been worrie…" Harry halted when he got a good look of what she was carrying to him.
A red envelope and the handwriting looked familiar.
Hedwig was shaking her leg in front of him impatiently but before Harry took the letter, he closed the window and his bedroom door. He just hoped that Sirius hadn't sent anything too vocal because no one was supposed to know about his godfather or that they were sending letters and what was Remus thinking about letting Sirius write howlers?
Carefully Harry released Hedwig from her burden and immediately the envelope started to shake a bit. Knowing that it would explode soon and then the sound would be even louder, Harry sighed and opened it.
"HARRY! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN THINKING? Not one single letter during the whole summer. Moony and ME have been worried sick and just guess how many times we were going to just dump this thing here and come to check on you? THREE!" Sirius voice bellowed.
"And what is this? You say you had hardly ANY visions - ANY? Exactly how many is that? How was your summer? AND WHAT IS THIS VEELA THING I AM READING FROM EVERY BLOODY NEWSPAPER AROUND? MALFOY?! It's only couple of weeks into term and there you already are. In trouble. Me and Moony are coming straight there and you better behave!"
Someone mumbled something in the background.
"I DON'T YELL AT HIM, MOONY!"
There was more muttering.
"FINE! We are not coming the beeline way as we have to visit few places on the way but be sure that I will come there soon and you have some explaining to do! Last year will NOT happen again if it's up to me," Sirius said determinately. Then Remus interrupted him once more.
"Oh, yeah. Moony says hi to Ron and Hermione and says he's proud that you made the head boy as am I and - he says he will keep me in order so you don't have to - worry. And how can you say that by the way? I am not doing anything reckless. Totally bored here…" Sirius had turned to speak to Remus while the letter was still recording.
"Bye Harry, see you soon!" Remus voice laughed at the end and then the letter shredded itself.
Harry had to smile when it was all over. That was the most unusual howler he had ever gotten but what else could he expect from Sirius anyway.
Harry checked his clock that said, 'too late for breakfast' and sighed. It was Dobby again or perhaps they had something in the Gryffindor common room. Deciding to go there, he dressed up and gave Hedwig a handful of owl treats. She stayed happily munching them when he left.
The common room was deserted as nearly everyone had classes. Only few sixth or seventh years didn't. Even Ron was having astronomy, something about morning stars and fading moon and Hermione was listening to Mr. Binns.
But Harry noticed what he came there for, a basket full of cookies right under the notice board. He took some checking them over, quite sure that they were harmless but old habits died hard though Fred and George had been away for nearly two years.
Harry checked the board while he was there. Ginny was selling few of he old spell books which wasn't that surprising as she had passed her owl's with flying colours. Ron had not yet come up with a Quidditch practise timetable though there was a small scribbled note about the already had try-outs.
"Why can't those elves bring something healthy in here for a change. Apples or something," someone sighed behind him and Harry turned around, half eaten cookie in his hand.
McGonagall came to stand next to him and seemed to 'tut' at the old notes on the board and snapped the try-outs paper off. Then she put on a new announcement and Harry peeked to read it.
It was for sixth and seventh years only. They were going to have a field trip to the Ministry of Magic next month and everyone was supposed to come.
Harry looked at McGonagall and frowned, "Why are we going there?"
"The minister made this request to the headmaster who then decided that it might be fun. You'll get to spend half of the day in Hogsmeade. Not everyone has visited the ministry, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said and looked at him meaningfully. Then she continued, "it's also easier for Professor Greystone as he can leave the promised introduction to the aurors themselves. Ministry is also arranging their apparition courses few times this autumn and any students who wish to sign up, can."
"Apparition courses?" Harry asked interested.
"Well of course. We don't teach that art here and as it is required to get a license for that, the ministry handles the teaching too. How else do you expect that people know how to do it?"
Harry just kept on looking at the paper. He hadn't actually though about that.
**
A/N. The most keen eyed of you have noticed that I am a little late with this update. And no, I don't find it funny and I really owe you all a huge apology. I'm really, truly, so sorry.
This isn't everything I have written and I hope to make the next update soon. I love your reviews :) thank you.
Summary: DM/HP During the summer, before their last year in school starts, Draco Malfoy's Veela heritage is awoken. He's searching his mate and that leads him to the most unsuspected target. A hard and difficult one too.
************ The veela allurement ************
Ch.12 Quarrelmongers
After his defence lessons from which he had been late for fifteen minutes by the way and thus had that new teacher glare at him, Harry was on his way to see McGonagall. His feet felt like led. It wasn't so much the fact that he wondered if he was putting his head through a gallows loop when agreeing to live with Malfoy, he was far too confused about that whole thing to be sure of anything. This feeling came more from his feelings of guilt. He had not told anyone about the vision he had had last night and somehow he was sure that she would take one look at him and somehow she would know.
It wasn't as if he hadn't tried to tell. He really had gone to see the headmaster the first thing in the morning, even though he really didn't like to see the old man now. Still, he knew how important his visions could be, even if they seemingly didn't make any sense to him or even if they did.
When he had approached the corridor where the gargoyle was guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office, he heard a lot of voices. To his horror he realised nearly too late that the voices belong to reporters on their way out and if he wasn't mistaken, he was the main topic of their conversation.
'Damn that article and who ever leaked it out,' he had cursed while he ran back and dashed to the nearest open classroom.
He stayed behind the door, listening the voices come closer and then slowly dying away. He hadn't liked what they had said and on the top of everything, Dumbledore was apparently away. Slowly he redirected his steps to the kitchen. Dobby wouldn't have read any papers or would ask any unnecessary question, except what he would like to have on his bread.
McGonagall didn't eat him alive, nor did she notice anything amiss. Perhaps because she seemed satisfied that the veela questions was now solved for a while. His rooms would be modified during the weekend and Malfoy would move in and as Harry had suspected, McGonagall reserved to herself the delight to inform Snape about this new turn of things.
Slowly Harry walked to the library, hoping to catch Hermione but to his surprise, she wasn't there. People were staring and whispering everywhere and he didn't like it one bit and so he decided to retreat to his rooms to enjoy the short time they were his and only his.
But when he came into his rooms, Hermione was sitting there, reading one of his defence books. She had read it at least twice before already.
"You know Hermione, I think you gave me that book only so that you could read it by yourself," Harry joked, startling his friend.
Hermione scowled at him playfully and then said, "I heard that you agreed to live with Malfoy?"
"How did you find out?" Harry asked, hoping that it wasn't on every notice board already.
"McGonagall told me. She said that as you were going to be my 'neighbours', I should know," Hermione sniffed. "I nearly told her that she should've reconsidered her 'need to inform others' principles a while ago."
Harry laughed. Of course Hermione had done no such thing but it was a nice image.
"Why did you do it, Harry? Ron is… not that you should let us affect your decision if you feel they're right, but he IS going to go berserk."
"I know," Harry said and slumped to sit next to her. "I just… I'm not sure. I have a feeling that there are more important things to deal with this year and if I hadn't said yes, eventually Malfoy would've been pushed on me. I am the head boy. I have responsibilities," Harry said and made a face but that reason seemed to satisfy Hermione.
"I better go get my things for Hagrid's classes. I just hope that Ron won't be mad enough to do something there," Harry said and headed to his bedroom to gather his things. Hermione followed her.
"I surely hope not and you should take points from him if he does. It's incredibly dangerous to start behaving so immaturely around those beasts that you're treating. And I think you were right. With Malfoy I mean. We are far too old to bigger like first years and though he is an annoying, egoistic, spoiled brat, there is a slight possibility that he will grow up. If he don't, my rooms are close by and surely no one can expect you to continue living with him if you're killing each others." Hermione was walking around his bedroom and looking at things. It was the first time she was there and she walked cautiously around as if expecting something horrible to jump at her in any moment.
"Herm, I don't have traps here or anything and I think I'm much more tidier than you are now giving me credit for."
She laughed nervously, "It's not that. Sorry, I didn't want you to think I was judging you, Harry." Then she wandered to his desk and put few books in a pile, and then she made his bed with a wave of her wand. Then she kneeled to pick up a piece of parchment on the floor.
"Honestly Hermione, I'll be just waiting outside until you have cleaned everything you want to," Harry chuckled and left while shaking his head.
Just when he sat down on the couch with his school bag and started to stuff new books into it, Hermione came out from the room frowning. She was reading something.
"What's this Harry? I hope it's not what I think it is," she said and showed the paper to him.
Harry took one look at the paper and then warily looked at Hermione. He couldn't believe that he had just left that paper lying around. There was ink splattered on it and few words here and there, written in a shaky handwriting. It was the paper he had written his vision on.
"I - didn't realise I had left it there. I wrote it last night and don't get angry with me. It was nothing and you know I'm not supposed to tell even you about them until Dumbledore knows," Harry said on his defence.
"Did Voldemort curse anyone?" she asked and her tone of voice clearly said that Harry better co-operate and spill the truth.
Harry squirmed not knowing how to lie but not wanting to say the truth either.
"He did, didn't he? And what's this about Malfoy?" Hermione pointed the paper and was getting agitated.
Harry rubbed his face before he leaned back and focused on her. "I had a vision all right. Lucius Malfoy was the only one there and Voldemort wanted something to be done. Just leave it, please."
"Have you noticed that your room mate happens to have Malfoy as his last name too?" Hermione said a little louder. "And yes, we know that Lucius Malfoy is a death eater and frankly I don't believe that him being there and you having this vision now was a coincidence, Harry. Why haven't you told me already?"
Harry heard the accusation in her voice. He had always told her and Ron the next day and he didn't know what was wrong with him. He only had this strange feeling that something was coming. Something bad was going to happen.
A look of sudden understanding flashed across Hermione's face. "You haven't told anyone yet, haven't you Harry? Not even Dumbledore." She just stood as if stunned for a moment but then she snapped out of it. "You have to tell someone Harry!"
"I tried, I really tried but Dumbledore wasn't there. Then I realised that there was nothing that important to tell."
"Noth – NOTHING," she shrieked and then looked around quickly but there was no one to hear them. "There is something to tell, Harry." She then said much more silently. "And you know it!"
"I shouldn't have seen it in the first place!" Harry blurted out. It was something that had been bothering him since the night. "There was no reason for it to come. Voldemort wasn't angry enough."
"Did you want it to come? Did you make it happen?"
"Of course not. I had a headache yesterday and I just wanted to sleep."
"Did you take anything for the curse? Your writing is all shaky and you know that it…" abruptly she halted and turned to look at the door.
Harry followed her look in time to see something red and then the door was slammed shut.
"Was it Ron?" he asked but already knew the answer.
"Yes…" Hermione looked thoughtful for a while and then turned to him. "I need to go after him but this is far from over Harry. You have to stop hiding things from us. We can trust on each other's. Remember that. Now I need to go after my boyfriend and find out what is really bothering him. It isn't this whole Veela business, but it is something."
After she was gone, Harry looked at the paper in his hands for a long time.
**
"Ron!" Hermione yelled when she finally managed to catch up with him. He was determinately walking away and she grabbed his arm from behind to stop him. "What is wrong with you? That's Harry, your friend, our best friend. Why are you doing this to him? Don't you know that he doesn't need this right now? No one does."
"I can bloody well do what I please Hermione. It's Harry who should wake up." Ron said through gritted teeth and then glared at her, "Room mates?!"
"Stop – just stop, Ron. What is it? What's really bothering you? I know you and it's not just something Harry has done," she said while she rested her hands on Ron's shoulders.
Ron glared at her and then suddenly all the tension fled his face and he seemed to collapse. "He is keeping things from us, Mione. It has already started and I can't stand it."
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked.
"That bloody git is taking Harry away," Ron said silently. "The ferret is a Veela and a little of his charm here and there and our Harry is gone. The ferret is all Harry needs to be happy after a while."
"You can't be serious, Ron!" Hermione exclaimed.
Ron turned furiously at her again. "I damn well am. I knew the git would try something and after all the years, he has finally succeeded. The best payback ever. Harry kneeling at his feet and refusing us, we without Harry. He has his mate and we are somewhere far away."
Ron was absolutely seething now that he had begun to explain, "haven't you wondered why Harry hasn't said anything about how he wants Malfoy or why Harry suddenly doesn't tell us things? Two words," Ron waved his two of his fingers at her. "Veela charms. The bastard is using them on Harry just like he did on me. Malfoy is a Slytherin through and through and goes where it is the easiest as the pathetic ferret that he is."
"That's not true, Ron," Hermione said but sounded a little insecure. "Harry didn't have a chance to tell us about the meeting with the headmaster and it was because of us. We were not exactly talking if you remember? And Harry didn't tell us about his decision to allow Malfoy live near him because he had other things in his mind. I'm sure you heard about that? And he didn't tell us about it because, as you know, Dumbledore must know first."
Ron frowned and looked like he was thinking back. Then he calmed down immediately and looked a little worried. "No, actually I didn't catch that. I just heard him say that something was nothing and that he didn't have to tell to anyone… I thought he wasn't having them anymore or at least not often. How bad was it?"
"His hand was still shaking when he wrote things down and he saw Lucius Malfoy in there and he didn't know why he saw anything in the first place. Now do you realise why none of us needs this? I am really worried, Ron."
Ron stared at her for a while and then a light smile appeared. He was just about to say something when another voice interrupted him.
"Isn't this a sweet little reunion? Got your boyfriend back in line, mudblood?" Draco´s snarling voice came from the shadows and soon the blond stepped to the light too.
"That's five points off for insulting the head girl, if you want more, just ask, Malfoy," Hermione said coldly. She now realised that she should have dragged Ron elsewhere and why was that just when she got things in order, Malfoy came with his impeccable timing for stir up more trouble.
"Oh the blatant bias that just fills the air. Why don't you take points from your boyfriend too? After all, he still has the irritating habit of calling me a rodent."
"Aren't you? Wow. The similarity is just so obvious to me," Ron couldn't help but to retort.
"Look Weasel, you should just charm your mouth away. Nothing of any value ever comes out of it." Draco looked at Ron superiorly along his nose, "nothing in you is of any value."
Ron got in a lovely shade of beetroot, "good for you to open your mouth, death eater scum. Luckily we know that and more importantly, Harry knows. He hates you, you know? You will never be anything else to him no matter what you do and I intend to do everything I can to keep it that way."
Draco actually snarled while his face darkened and he drew his wand. "Please, say something once more, you pathetic beggar."
"No, Ron. Don't!" Hermione was trying to keep Ron back but was failing miserably.
"Mione let go of me!" Ron snapped at her.
"Cardiossus!" The spell was yelled right after Ron had opened his mouth and while he was still yanking Hermione off. It hit Ron straight on his chest and he yelled in pain and clutched his wand tightly while he sunk on his knees. There was huge scorch mark on his chest and tiny wakes of smoke drifted upwards.
"Lower your wand, Malfoy," Hermione said steadfastly while she pointed her own wand at him. "You both stop this now or the next thing going will be your prefect badge."
"Animonus feriola," Ron lunged towards Malfoy and fired his spell at him.
"NO HUMAN TRANSFIGURATION, RON! That could go seriously wrong. EXPELLIARMUS!" Hermione's disarming spell missed and hit the wall right next to Ron's spell, leaving two blackened areas on it.
Ron and Malfoy were now rolling from wall to wall and delivering insults as well as punches whenever they could. Days of frustration just pouring out of them both.
"I wish all you pitiful excuses of wizards would be dead! That's all of your family…"
"Inbred donkey! You will never be anything but pond scum."
"THAT'S ENOUGHT!! BOTH OF YOU!" Very familiar voice yelled near by. Harry was standing with Ginny behind Hermione. He had obviously heard some of the conversation but hadn't even bothered to take his wand out.
Ginny was looking at her brother with mixed emotions and finally settled to uncaring.
"Whatever this was for, I'm sure it didn't require fighting and wasn't solved with it. You should know better, Ron," Harry silently said, leaving Draco without any attention.
"ME!" Ron yelped. "He started it." He pointed at the somewhat dishevelled looking blond next to him.
"As if I would need to defend myself against your accusations, Weasley," Draco said while straightening his robes.
"Don't you think at all, Ron? Mum would have a fit if she would know that you are spending your time fighting in your N.E.W.T year," Ginny reproached him too.
"Why are you all telling me this? Didn't you hear when I said that Malfoy started it?" Ron was desperately trying to make them see the facts. "Mione, you were here, say something to them."
Hermione on the other hand was shaking of restrained fury. "That's fifty points off from both of you," she spat out. "Because of using a dangerous spells and hurting other student severely, starting a fight and throwing insults left and right and DUELING AND…" she swallowed and cleared her throat. "If I hear any insults, plain or hidden ones, ever coming from either of you, that'll automatically be ten points off."
Ron stood there gaping for a moment, then he realised that he was standing next to Malfoy and jumped away. Then he finally put his wand away and looked around a little lost. After that he just seemed not to think at all and just glared everyone around and stomped off to cool a bit.
Ginny hadn't moved her eyes from Malfoy and glared at him disgusted not that her brother was gone. Then she walked to Hermione, "I was looking for you. We need to talk."
Few Ravenclaw second years strolled into the hall and Hermione looked questioningly at Harry who just nodded briefly that it was all right for her to leave. That left only Harry and Draco standing there and Harry turned to walk away too. Draco rushed after him.
"Thank you for siding with me, Harry," Draco said happily when the Ravenclaws were out of the hearing range.
Harry stopped still and turned to him. Draco was surprised to see the anger on his mate's face.
"I didn't side with you, Malfoy, nor do I ever plan to do that in the future. I care about Ron and now I know why he was miffed with me earlier. Tomorrow, when he has cooled off a bit, I will apologize to him for something I actually did just a moment ago, because that is what he wants. An apology. But I couldn't ask it for something I didn't even do and that wouldn't have been enough for him. I agree that Ron was way off back there but so were you. I only reproached him because I care about him. Not you. Don't ever think that. We are neighbours because of fate, nothing more, nothing less. You just showed me that nothing will ever change you and I can't dislike you for that but I can do it for all the things you have done and apparently will do. I don't trust you the tiniest bit but I have to tolerate you. Don't get any illusions of friendship between us, all right? And stop bullying my friends." And without waiting an answer, Harry turned and strode away, leaving Draco looking like someone had blown the air out of him.
Slowly Draco walked around and eventually he realised that he was back in his rooms. Pacing back and forth in front of his desk and thinking what he had done wrong? Why Harry was suddenly mad at him, had Harry just played with him? Had he believed in illusions once more? Harry had no right, no basis to treat him like this. He had been mostly truthful and had tried to fulfil his mate's every wish, he had come to the halfway and Harry had done nothing.
Suddenly burning hot anger flushed him but as fast it came, it went away. His Veela side was screaming at him not to hurt his mate, not to anger his mate, not to be angry with his mate. On the other hand he was still seething and he hadn't done anything to deserve what he got from Harry.
After some careful thinking Draco then came to the conclusion that it was all Weasel's fault and that mudblood head-girl. They had planned this whole scene to make Harry angry with him. He cursed them to yesterday in his mind, until he just used their names as curses repeating them again and again and his anger at them grew. Those two had deliberately started the whole thing. Then a thought came to him, reminding him that Harry wouldn't like if he called his friends names but what did he care what Harry thought of?
After that he got the flashback of his life and a zap to his spine. He shouldn't be mad at his mate. He was supposed to love and care for his mate, not try to hate him.
'What possessed you to charge at Weasley in the first place?' a small voice was nagging at him behind his head, but he wasn't a Hufflepuff that would just take insults in a stride. No matter if he had heard the insults while overhearing things.
'Well, you aren't a Ravenclaw either for then you would have stayed away from the boy too,' the voice continued and Draco had to agree that it was right. Ravenclaws stayed in the refuge of their books while he didn't hide his head.
'Not a that much of a Slytherin either for there was no cunningness in putting yourself in the open like that and not even covering your back. Nor was it any use to you,' the voice was still piping and Draco nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the last assessment. He was an epitome of Slytherin and whatever insane thoughts some little voice might have about that were just that, insane.
'…but Gryffindor… ah yes, the foolish bravery and recklessness. Now there's your place.'
Draco had stopped to stand stock-still. Where had that last thought come from? Surely there was nothing truthful in it. He shook his head to dispel it.
On the other side of the castle, Harry was just returning from his lessons with Hagrid. He was in a lousy mood, even more than before. Ron had been absent during the classes and Harry had worried the whole two hours for him. Then Hagrid had asked him to remain behind and have some tea.
Ron had apparently dropped by at Hagrid's earlier, asking an advice. Hagrid, in his own way, asked Harry if he was sure what he was doing as to him, Ron had looked rather sad. It just didn't do to do that sort of thing to friends.
Harry had asked if Hagrid knew about Malfoy and the half-giant had half laughed and said that the whole world knew about it. But then Hagrid had offered him a piece of advice and that was not to let something like that come between him and his friends. Harry had already known that. And after that he had left but not before he promised Hagrid that he would sort things out with Ron. Tomorrow.
**
The next morning, Hedwig woke him up by a very persistent knocking of the window. Groggily Harry got up and opened the window to his glaring owl.
"Sorry, Hedwig," *yawn* "I can't keep it open all night and where have you been by the way. I've been worrie…" Harry halted when he got a good look of what she was carrying to him.
A red envelope and the handwriting looked familiar.
Hedwig was shaking her leg in front of him impatiently but before Harry took the letter, he closed the window and his bedroom door. He just hoped that Sirius hadn't sent anything too vocal because no one was supposed to know about his godfather or that they were sending letters and what was Remus thinking about letting Sirius write howlers?
Carefully Harry released Hedwig from her burden and immediately the envelope started to shake a bit. Knowing that it would explode soon and then the sound would be even louder, Harry sighed and opened it.
"HARRY! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN THINKING? Not one single letter during the whole summer. Moony and ME have been worried sick and just guess how many times we were going to just dump this thing here and come to check on you? THREE!" Sirius voice bellowed.
"And what is this? You say you had hardly ANY visions - ANY? Exactly how many is that? How was your summer? AND WHAT IS THIS VEELA THING I AM READING FROM EVERY BLOODY NEWSPAPER AROUND? MALFOY?! It's only couple of weeks into term and there you already are. In trouble. Me and Moony are coming straight there and you better behave!"
Someone mumbled something in the background.
"I DON'T YELL AT HIM, MOONY!"
There was more muttering.
"FINE! We are not coming the beeline way as we have to visit few places on the way but be sure that I will come there soon and you have some explaining to do! Last year will NOT happen again if it's up to me," Sirius said determinately. Then Remus interrupted him once more.
"Oh, yeah. Moony says hi to Ron and Hermione and says he's proud that you made the head boy as am I and - he says he will keep me in order so you don't have to - worry. And how can you say that by the way? I am not doing anything reckless. Totally bored here…" Sirius had turned to speak to Remus while the letter was still recording.
"Bye Harry, see you soon!" Remus voice laughed at the end and then the letter shredded itself.
Harry had to smile when it was all over. That was the most unusual howler he had ever gotten but what else could he expect from Sirius anyway.
Harry checked his clock that said, 'too late for breakfast' and sighed. It was Dobby again or perhaps they had something in the Gryffindor common room. Deciding to go there, he dressed up and gave Hedwig a handful of owl treats. She stayed happily munching them when he left.
The common room was deserted as nearly everyone had classes. Only few sixth or seventh years didn't. Even Ron was having astronomy, something about morning stars and fading moon and Hermione was listening to Mr. Binns.
But Harry noticed what he came there for, a basket full of cookies right under the notice board. He took some checking them over, quite sure that they were harmless but old habits died hard though Fred and George had been away for nearly two years.
Harry checked the board while he was there. Ginny was selling few of he old spell books which wasn't that surprising as she had passed her owl's with flying colours. Ron had not yet come up with a Quidditch practise timetable though there was a small scribbled note about the already had try-outs.
"Why can't those elves bring something healthy in here for a change. Apples or something," someone sighed behind him and Harry turned around, half eaten cookie in his hand.
McGonagall came to stand next to him and seemed to 'tut' at the old notes on the board and snapped the try-outs paper off. Then she put on a new announcement and Harry peeked to read it.
It was for sixth and seventh years only. They were going to have a field trip to the Ministry of Magic next month and everyone was supposed to come.
Harry looked at McGonagall and frowned, "Why are we going there?"
"The minister made this request to the headmaster who then decided that it might be fun. You'll get to spend half of the day in Hogsmeade. Not everyone has visited the ministry, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said and looked at him meaningfully. Then she continued, "it's also easier for Professor Greystone as he can leave the promised introduction to the aurors themselves. Ministry is also arranging their apparition courses few times this autumn and any students who wish to sign up, can."
"Apparition courses?" Harry asked interested.
"Well of course. We don't teach that art here and as it is required to get a license for that, the ministry handles the teaching too. How else do you expect that people know how to do it?"
Harry just kept on looking at the paper. He hadn't actually though about that.
**
A/N. The most keen eyed of you have noticed that I am a little late with this update. And no, I don't find it funny and I really owe you all a huge apology. I'm really, truly, so sorry.
This isn't everything I have written and I hope to make the next update soon. I love your reviews :) thank you.