True Friends

By: Craw/Brad

Disclaimer for old times sake: If you are reading the disclaimer, then most likely you have read all of them and all of my author's notes. By this point in time you know that I am a teenager from south Florida that has a huge crush on Alan Rickman… I think it is needless to say that I don't own HP.

Author's Notes: As of now, I don't think I will be doing a sequel. I plan on focusing on Anaranjada for a while and then beginning a Weiss Kurez fic, whose plot I have been playing around with for a while. I need to make sure that the people of that fandom don't think I'm dead…

AN2: I am now moved! :Happy Dance: Still have all of my stuff in boxes though…

Chapter Fifteen

Nothing of any remark happened in the following days. We didn't have any classes with Starfire until Thursday, so that was when I next saw Blaise. The other Slytherin had been avoiding me, but now there was no where for him to hide.

"Zambini," I called when I sighted him in COMC. "We need to talk."

Vince came up on one side of the smaller boy and Greg on the other. Together the three of us lead him into a corner of the pin. "Why have you been avoiding us?" Vince asked.

"How can you want to talk to me?" Blaise asked. "I hurt you so much." The last was directed at me.

"It wasn't you," I stated flatly.

"It was my body," Blaise countered.

"You had no control over said body at the time," I rebutted.

"That isn't the point! It was still me."

"Get over it," I snapped. "I'm fine and you will stop behaving as if you cast an unforgivable on me."

That was that, no one would dare argue with a direct order from me. Well, ok, now that I'm not the Malfoy heir, they might start, but I still had them trained well.

X

Friday night we had to watch Starfire's play. They did Macbeth. Pansy was a mediocre Lady Macbeth, but Weasley should never have gotten lead. That night at dinner, Dumbledore announced that the next day's torture, I mean contest, would be broom races in the morning. He also informed us that the dance would be tomorrow night, beginning at six.

Later, when everyone had retreated to their common rooms, I sat with Harry in a rather fluffy armchair. "I think I'll skip the races tomorrow," he stated from out of the blue.

"Why?" I questioned. I mean really, the boy who lived loved to fly. Why would he turn down the chance?

"Well, if you think about it," he answered. "Broom races are really just a chance for people with good brooms to show off. It doesn't take any skill."

"What do you propose we do instead?" I asked, wrapping my arms around his waist and placing my chin on his shoulder.

"Well," he began. "First we could have a bit of a lie in and then sneak down to Hogsmeade?" Raven turned uncertain eyes toward me.

Tilting my head to the side slightly, I leaned in to steal a quick taste of his lips. "Anything you want, babe." That statement was met with a glowing smile and soft lips.

X

The next morning I awoke to hands playing with my hair and a mouth doing wonderful things to my neck. I opened a single eye to see a head full of ebony hair. With a smirk, I quickly flipped so that I was kneeling over Raven. "Morning," I mumbled before leaning down to capture his lips. Leaning back, still straddling Harry's waist, I smiled down at his flushed face. "What time is it?" I asked.

Giggling, Raven shook his head and pulled my face back down to meet his. I guess we don't really have to get up yet.

X

By the time we had finally gotten up and showered, it was already eleven and I felt that it was long past time to get something to eat. "I'm hungry," I complained.

"We can stop by the kitchens before we leave," Raven said with a slight smile.

"But I'm hungry now!" I whined louder.

"That's just too bad now isn't it?" he asked with a smirk.

"I'm too hungry to climb all of those stairs," I replied matter of factly. "You wouldn't want me to fall and hurt myself now would you?"

"So, what?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "You want me to carry you?"

"Yes," I answer with a smile.

"What makes you think that I can even lift you?" he asked with a glance at my larger frame.

"These big, strong arms of yours," I answered, running my finger down his bicep. "I know you can."

With a sigh, Raven said in a very put upon voice, "Fine." With a smile I threw my arms around his neck and let him grab and lift my legs. "You are not as light as you look you know."

"I'm lighter," I said smugly.

"Keep telling yourself that, babe."

X

After a quick trip to the kitchen, after which Harry wouldn't carry me anymore, the boy who lived lead me to the third floor. He walked up to the statue of a one eyed witch. Following a whispered password, the hump moved to allow us entry.

We seemed to walk forever and I had to ask, "Are we there yet?"

"We've only been walking for five minutes Drake," Raven replied with a sidelong glance at me.

"Carry me?" I asked after another eternity of walking.

"No," he said with a smirk.

"But why not?"

"I've already carried you today," he answered. "If anyone should be carried, it's me."

"But you're the big, strong lion!" I protested. "I'm just a little delicate snake."

"Uh huh," was Raven's only response.

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"What about now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"No."

Thankfully a light began to appear ahead of us. I think if I had asked the golden boy again, he might have hit me. A trap door led us to the storeroom beneath Honeydukes. After sneaking into the main shop, we grabbed a few select items and, giggling, paid for them before leaving.

"So, what do you want to do?" I asked my dark Adonis.

"Let's take a walk," he suggested. "We could go up by the Shrieking Shack."

"Let's not," I replied. "It took me two days to get that mud out of my hair."

"So, what do you want to do?" he asked me with a raised brow.

"Shopping, what else?" I exclaimed with a smile.

"Shopping?" Harry deadpanned.

"We could check out the new gift shop on Lenoxx."

"Ok, but you own me one," Harry sighed.

We walked hand in hand down to a side road, Lenoxx. Three shops down there was a sign that proclaimed, "Unique Gifts" in purple hanging over a dark doorway. Harry held the door open for me while I entered. It was all I could do to take a deep breath and stop in my tracks.

On the walls were displays of fairy, dragon and even a few elf figurines. There were incense and oil burners, candles and jewelry. Walking in farther, I noticed a small book shelf and a doorway that led to what could only be called a weaponry. There were swords, daggers, and battle axes. There was even some small metal rings fused together sitting on a sign that read, "Brass knuckles".

"Wow," Harry said from behind me. "I whish this had been here last Christmas."

"It appears that we have a bit of shopping to do," I replied.

X

A half hour later we left the shop loaded down with new purchases. I had bought a pair of silver hilted daggers, a book on sensual messages, and a new clock. The velvet clock was a slightly lighter blue than the robes that I planned to wear that night and had silver vines along the hem. Raven carried a few new defense books and four forms of incense, all in the same scent, clove. He had sticks, cones, oils and powder, along with that containers need to burn them and a hand full of tea candles.

"Do you want to grab a late lunch or head back now?" I asked Raven as we walked up the main street.

"Let's stop and eat. By the time we get back lunch will be long over and we will need to start getting ready," Harry replied.

"Sounds good."

X

It was about two thirty when we returned to our rooms and began to prepare. Dinner would be directly preceding the ball at five. While Raven took the first shower, I began to read my newest book. It was interesting to say the least.

As I finished the first chapter, my boyfriend came out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist. "Raven, come here for a moment," I said, getting up from where I lay on the bed. "Ok, lay down here on your stomach."

With a suspicious look in my direction, Raven did as I asked. With his bare back exposed to me, I set to work. Kneeling over his hips, I began to knead his back. With in minutes I had him moaning under me and with a final nip to the back of his neck, I leaned back.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked as I got up and headed toward the bathroom.

"I'm going to take my shower," I replied with a smirk. "Was there something you wanted?"

"Get your ass back here!" he exclaimed as he chased me into the bathroom.

X

As the time for dinner drew closer, we began to get dressed. After the clothing came the hair. Raven decided to spike his hair up with royal blue styling gel and then spelled it to stay that way. I, on the other hand, left my hair down, but did allow Harry to put a few strips of purple in.

Slipping on our boots, we made our way to the Slytherin common room, where Sev waited to give the entire team a talk. It seemed that we were late, as the rest of the team was already congregated. Sev sat in his usual place by the fire, and as odd as it may have seemed to some, the chair opposite his was empty. Apparently you can train the other houses.

As I sat down and pulled the boy who lived into my lap, my godfather began his speech. "Tonight is the last night that most of you will spend with us in these hallowed halls. I hope that you take from this a measure of decorum and a bit of self control. Merlin knows you lot need it. If any of you dunder heads dare whisper a word against my house's accommodations, know that your life will become hell until you graduate."

Severus's statement was met with dead silence. Slowly one brave first year, a Gryffindor no doubt, began to clap. She was soon joined by a few more first years, then older students. Within a minute, most of the people in the room were applauding our potions master. With a glare around the room, he snarled, "Get out of my sight before I start to give out detentions."

The room cleared quickly and soon it was just Sev, Raven and I. "Wow," Harry commented.

"Apparently they liked your speech," I added.

"Let's see how they feel after their first potion lesson now that I am no longer their head," Sev replied.

"They already know you're a snaky bastard," Raven said. "I hardly think they had a chance to forget that fact just because you were nicer to them."

"I should take points for that," my godfather replied.

"But you like him too much now," came Remus's voice from the entrance. "Besides, you don't have time."

"Of course I have time," Sev argued. "And I don't like that brat."

"No, you don't," Remus answered. "You only have fifteen minutes to get showered and ready for the dance."

"I am dressed."

"No, you're not."

"This is all I have," Sev pointed out.

"No, it's not," Remus replied with a smirk. "There is a robe laid out on your bed. Now go."

"Fine, you annoying beast!" Sev huffed as he rose and started out of the room.

"I will get him into real clothes yet," Remus said triumphantly.

X

Upon arriving in the great hall, we found that all of the house tables had been removed and in their place sat dozens of smaller, four person, round tables. Shrugging, Raven and I made our way over to a table already holding Blaise and Longbottom.

"Good evening," Blaise smirked as we seated ourselves. "I was hoping it would be you two fine gentlemen that joined us. Quite a bit more enjoyable than some… less mannered couples."

"Crabbe and Goyle are sitting with Finch-Fletchley and Granger," I answered his unasked question.

Before anyone else could say anything, the headmaster stood and all fell silent. "Everyone looks simply lovely tonight. I hope you had as much fun dressing up as I did." Dumbledore was wearing banana yellow dress robes with fuchsia trim. "This month has passed all too quickly, but I hope that we all remember the friendships forged. We should all take pride in our house, yet keep the spirit of cooperation alive. Now let's eat." With a smile and a clap, food appeared and we all took the headmaster's advice.

After we ate, everyone was asked to leave the hall for a moment and when we returned, there was a single long table against one wall and a large dance floor. I pulled Raven with me and we were one of the first couples on the floor when the music started. The ball started with a slow dance, which was followed by a faster one.

After a time I stopped paying attention to anyone else in the room. Tonight it was just Harry and I. Tomorrow the war might finally break, Voldemort might attack any day. For tonight though, I could forget that and simply enjoy my boyfriend's embrace. Enjoy the music. They say that life is a dance, if so; I have found my ideal partner.

END

Tis done. I can't say that I didn't enjoy writing this, but I am happy it is finally over. Mad love and thanks to Truthfulchaos. Review and let me know that you care.

Brad