A/N: THIS IS NOT MY STORY!
Okay…well…I guess it sort of is…this is actually a story that my friend and I are writing together. The only reason that it isn't on her account is because she doesn't have one.
Aaaanyhoo…this is our attempt together on yet another Veela!Draco story! We hope you have fun with it…I don't think it's for serious writing…
Er…so…just…enjoy!
Chapter 1
Harry stood at the entrance of Diagon Alley, feeling slightly annoyed. He had made arrangements to meet Ron and Hermione there, but not one of them had shown up yet. Sure, no one could be expected to get to a certain place at the exact time, but it was a little despicable when you were three hours late.
"Where are they?" Harry muttered angrily. "You wouldn't expect them to be so late…well…okay…Ron, maybe…but Hermione's always so…perfect…"
He decided to wait for a bit longer. After all, maybe his friend's had just gotten the wrong time or something.
However, after another hour, Harry couldn't stand it anymore. It was boiling hot, and he was already sweating so much that he was sure his t-shirt actually was going to shrink down to his size. Harry spotted a small ice cream stand across from him, and headed toward it, thinking that it wouldn't take too long to get ice cream anyway.
He was passing a small alley when he heard a familiar voice coming from it.
"Oh Ron!"
Harry spun around and he was able to see through to the end of the alley, which led to a sort of mid-alley meeting place. Indeed, there were many people there, all sorts of wizarding folk dressed in their variously coloured robes. Leaning against a wooden post labeled, "Arnsworth Lane" was a familiar red-haired boy, looking rather guilty as his mother chastised him. Harry looked around and spotted other members of the Weasley family- hardly a difficult task with their red hair standing out against the crowd. He made his way towards them.
"Oi- Ron!!"
The red-head looked around at the mention of his name, and looked rather relieved when he saw Harry.
"Harry!" he gasped in surprise. "It's you, mate! Look Mum, it's Harry! Harry's here! Er…can I go?" he added hopefully.
"Absolutely not!" screeched Mrs. Weasley. "How do you think I can let you leave when you're brother is still choking?"
"He deserves it, bloody git," Ron muttered.
"Whether or not he deserves it, it doesn't matter!" Mrs. Weasley yelled. "He's your brother!"
"Fine…fine…" Ron grumbled. "I'll go find Fred or George for a cure…"
Harry followed Ron, who wove through the crowd, and through the alley where Harry had just come. They were on Diagon Alley now, and Ron walked quickly along, while talking with Harry very quickly.
"Yeah…Percy was being a right old git so I gave him one of those Ton Tongue toffees, you remember what happened to that massive cousin of yours? He decided to have it just before Flooing over, and his tongue just well...you know what those toffees do- It's amazing he even managed to Floo! Well, I went last, and when I flooed over, Mum was well, you know. We looked around for Percy, and I got in trouble, because well, you know how Percy's only just made up with us after that Ministry incident. Some Hungarian tourists dragged him over here, and Dad would've performed the spell to fix things up, but Fred and George- they're brilliant, they've made cures- nothing else can stop the toffee's effects FULLY, but these pellets, and well, here we are- off to Fred and George's shop for some of them." Ron sniggered, "Well, that's if Fred and George have a batch of pellets in, or if they want to cure Percy. I mean, he WAS a -"
"Well well, who's this? Oh…Ickle Ronniekins!!" A syrupy voice floated over from the right.
Harry and Ron both snapped their heads toward the right, and noticed a certain tall, red-head walking toward them.
"Fred!" Ron said. "We were just looking for you!"
"Were you, now?" Fred said, his eyebrows raised. "Ronnie actually wants to find me! Oh stop, my beating heart!"
Ron raised his eyebrows as well. "You're weird…" he muttered.
Continuing as if Ron had not said anything, Fred declared in an over-dramatic voice, "I mean…I know I'm good-looking and all, but honestly! Getting Ron's approval! That's like…winning a dozen spawn eggs!"
Harry coughed. "Yeah, well, Fred- Ron gave Percy a Ton Tongue Toffee and he'll need a pellet or two now, because his tongue's now-"
"4 foot long." Grinned Ron
"And your Mum's..." Harry made bubbling sounds and flung his arms around and tried his best to mimic a spitting volcano.
Fred raised his eyebrows. "Only 4 foot? George and I tested those- even Perce's tongue is conservative- those toffee's should've made his tongue at least 6 foot by now! Well, alright- you can have a pellet- just come on inside."
"He talks too much…" Ron whispered to Harry as they stepped into the shop. Harry hid a smirk as George came out.
"Well!" he exclaimed heartily. "New costumers! Oh wait…it's just these kids…never mind…"
"Kids…?" Ron raised his eyebrows. "Then what are you? Kids plus two years?"
"Don't be silly Ronnie-poo!" George answered, while Ron's ears turned a bright shade of red. "We're out of school! We have our own business! We're rich!"
"And stuck-up…" Ron muttered under his breathe. Looking up, he said in a louder voice, "Forget it…listen, can you just give us the pellet? We still have to shop for our supplies…"
"Pellet? What do you mean 'pellet'?" George questioned.
Harry explained.
"- yeah, and so, your mother gave Ron here a great big tonguelashing, all because Perce was-"
"Being a git as usual." George ran his hand through his hair idly.
"Yeah, alright. You can have a pellet." Fred took something that was lying on top of the counter and gave it to Ron.
"Thanks, you guys." Ron grinned and they hurried out of the shop.
"Oh, and Ronniekins?"
"Yeah?"
"Have fun with your new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher." The twins grinned. "If she's as nice as Umbridge- we've got a few presents for her..."
**
"Here," Ron grumbled, dropping the small pellet into his mum's hand. "There's the cure. Can we go now?"
"Not yet," Mrs. Weasley said sternly. "What if it doesn't work?"
"Ugh…" Ron said irritably.
"You wait right there, Ronald Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley snapped. She then hurried off down the alley.
"I can't take it anymore…" Ron muttered. "C'mon Harry, it's bound to work…let's just leave…"
Harry was reluctant, but he admitted to himself that he really didn't feel up to waiting…again. He followed Ron out of the alley when-
"RONALD WEASLEY! YOUR MEDICINE DIDN'T WORK!"
"Bye, Mum- we're going to get our supplies!" Ron chanted in a sing-song voice- pretending he hadn't heard his mother's bark.
"Ask Fred and George, Mrs. Weasley." suggested Harry weakly- as they hurried away from Mrs. Weasley- who looked to have had a Reddening and an Engorgement Charm cast onto her simultaneously.
Harry and Ron were making their way down Diagon Alley to Flourish and Blotts when a large amount of bushy hair popped into sight and stood in their way.
"Where HAVE you been??" squealed Hermione Granger."I've been waiting here for the last half hour- I thought maybe Harry had gotten himself lost in Knockturn Alley again, and I saw Percy a while ago- he looked rather odd, his tongue was 7 foot long or something- are you sure Fred or George didn't pop something in a lolly wrapper for him? I mean- oh there he is now, and there's your mother, Ron- "
Hermione found herself dragged into Flourish and Blotts. "But I've just been here, Ron. When you two didn't come, I decided to go in and buy my books, and-"
"Hermione. Be quiet for a second. And if my Mum comes in here, tell her you haven't seen us."
"But Ron, you're here right now and-" Ron and Harry ducked quickly in the corner, behind a giant curtained cage of "The Monster Book of Monsters". A second later, a rather red Mrs. Weasley blundered in.
"Oh, hello Hermione- have you seen Harry and Ron?" She looked around, as if expecting to see 2 glowing figures with lights flashing above them: "We're here! We're HERE!"
"Errr...well, I saw them walk past this bookstore a moment ago…so they REALLY aren't in here...and err…I think they were heading to…Fred and George's joke shop?" She ended unconvincingly.
Mrs Weasley narrowed her eyes."Thank you, dear. If you see Ron…tell him his mother is very, very CROSS and wants to see him after he buys his supplies." Her eyes swept around the bookstore while she said, and she stopped at the stall of Monster books, but there was no movement from behind, and the books continued to snarl and rip into one another.
"YOU, are the most pathetic liar, Hermione." Ron stood up from behind the cage (he had been pushed down so his head was nearly on the floor. It was hidden behind the dusty red curtain; Harry had been worried that Ron's hair might have attracted attention.)
Harry got up to and jumped slightly as the Monster books, (who had been tearing into each other with enthusiasm) shuffled around so as to slam themselves against the side of the cage he was leaning on. WHAM!
"Well, your mother's not after us anymore- how big d'you reckon Percy's tongue is now?" Harry smiled.
"I'd say around 15 feet now. The toffee's work faster if they aren't removed early."
"That was a spot of genius on the twins' part, eh?"
"Yeah, I reckon so! Hey- how about charging a Knut for a ride down Percy's tongue?
"Wicked! The kids'd love that. Though they might get stuck halfway down- those taste buds probably act like suction pads."
"And the kid'd all get git germs." Ron sniggered.
"Really, you two- stop joking around- you need to buy your books!" Hermione cried in exasperation. She shook a piece of parchment in their faces.
"Ok, go buy your books. I'll wait here and read this in the meantime."
"Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charms? Hermione- why on earth would you-" Ron started.
"C'mon." Harry grinned. He took out his Supplies list and headed up the stairs.
***
Dinner that night at the Burrow was not a pleasant affair. Mrs Weasley would cast a reproachful look at the twins and Ron every so often, and Ron was also receiving a constant glower from Percy, whose tongue was 20 foot long before the twins gave him a pellet, and still sore, even hours afterwards.
Harry cheerfully commenced on his fourth slice of boysenberry cheesecake. After members of the Order had confronted his uncle Vernon a little under two months ago- there had been a definite improvement in Harry's treatment. Harry still had household tasks piled on him, but his food rations were now half of Dudley's. Not only that- but during the day he was allowed to complete the "damn rubbish that madhouse sets for the holidays"- Harry no longer had to complete his homework by night for fear of being found out.
Yes, his quality of life had improved dramatically. Vernon had even grudgingly driven Harry to London a few days earlier- so that Harry would be able to spend the last day of his holidays with the Weasleys.
Ron, Harry and Hermione were now in their sixth year at Hogwarts, which meant that in a year and a bit, they would be undergoing their NEWTs. Hermione had pointed his out to them earlier in the afternoon-while simultaneously pulling at her hair and maintaining a stricken expression.
But now was no time to worry about NEWTs. Harry reached for a bottle of Butterbeer, musing how tight Dudley's trousers felt on him.
**
The twins and Ron's parents saw Harry, Ron and Ginny off to Hogwarts the next day. They had arrived unusually early and when Mr. and Mrs. Weasley went off to put everyone's trunks onto the Hogwarts Express, Harry and Ron were left alone with the twins.
"Any idea who the Quidditch Captain is for this year?" asked Fred conversationally.
"Well," Harry counted on his fingers, "Last year was your NEWTs year, so we'd need a current seventh year to be Captain, or something. Those new beaters…Kirke and Sloper, we might replace, considering…"
"Their terrible attempt last year?"
"Yeah. Ok then, all three chasers are gone, though Ginny said she'd try out for Chaser last year after I got my position back…hm…two beaters gone, well, Ron's Keeper, I'm Seeker…"
The twins nodded." So who d'ya reckon'll be captain?" Fred asked again smugly, over the gradually bigger crowd. The Hogwarts Express was steadily being filled with all manners of trunks, caged pets and students.
"Well…it'll obviously have to be Ron or me because- Hang on!" Harry groaned. "It'll have to be Ron or me."
"Mate, you'll be Quidditch Captain for sure!" Ron said gleefully. "I mean, you've been on the team the longest- you would've memorized Oliver and Angelina's pep talks by now, right? We'll still need 4 more players though, or two, depending on whether Kirke and Sloper can handle it."
"But…I can't…I don't know how to be Quidditch captain!" Harry pleaded, as if his particularly unhappy appearance would lift the chance of responsibility from his shoulders.
"Too bad." George sniggered, "Well, if you need any help at all, just send us an owl and we'll send a Skiving Snackbox or two your way. Special price for unwilling Quidditch captains." With that, he and Fred pushed Ron and Harry onto the train, just as the clock struck eleven.
***
"So…" Ron said, as the train started moving. "D'you reckon Hermione's here?"
Harry snorted. "What…do you think she missed the train?" he asked sarcastically. "There's no way she'd do that…and miss even a second of school!"
"Yeah…I suppose…" Ron muttered.
They went from cabin to cabin, occasionally waving to friends (and in Harry's case, just waving to any "fans"), but they didn't see Hermione. Finally, they just settled down in an empty cabin.
"Huh," Ron muttered. "I wonder where Hermione is!"
"And Ginny…" Harry suddenly said. "I thought she was with us…?"
"That's strange…" Ron said. "She's a Gryffindor prefect," he added. "Mum was head-over-heels happy with her…"
"WAIT A MINUTE!" Ron suddenly yelped, scaring the bee-jeesus out of Harry. "THEY'RE AT THE PREFECTS' MEETING! AND I'M SUPPOSED TO BE THERE!"
He jumped up and went to the door. Wrenching it open, he tried to run out, only to run into-
"Malfoy…" Ron glowered. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at the prefects' meeting?"
"Meeting's over," Malfoy drawled. "And you missed it."
Ron turned a defiant shade of pink. "Hermione'll tell me what happened anyway. Now bugger off, Malfoy."
"You so sure about that? I dare say Granger and the other girls at this place will be keeping an eye out for me…in light of the circumstances…" Malfoy's eyes darted to Harry for a split second.
"He said, bugger off Malfoy."
"Gladly." Malfoy's lip curled in distaste and his eyes flashed before he swept away.
"What d'you reckon that was about? What Malfoy said about the girls keeping an eye out for him and all?"
"Haha, he wishes. It seems our friend Malfoy's gotten even cockier over the break. But enough about him- where do you think Hermione is?"
And as if she had planned it all along, Hermione Granger stumbled into their compartment.
"Harry…RON! We just got told of the most amazing piece of news at the Prefects Meeting!"
"Er…what?" Ron asked blankly. Hermione turned to him.
"YOU!" she shrieked, causing Ron to jump a foot in the air. "You weren't at the Prefects' meeting! Where were you?"
"Er…I forgot…" he muttered sheepishly.
"How on earth could you forget?" Hermione said incredulously. "We're prefects! You can't do things like that!"
"Hermione," Harry interrupted. "Just…forget it…okay? Tell us what happened."
"Erm…alright…" Hermione said. "So listen…we found out that-"
"Oh! Hermione…Ron…Harry…hi!" Neville Longbottom had just walked in upon the trio, carrying a heavy trunk and a squirming Trevor. "Can I join you?"
"Of course you can!" Hermione said, sitting down on a cushion. "Anyhow…I was just about to tell Harry and Ron about the Prefects' meeting that-" she stopped to glare at Ron, "-Ron here forgot about…"
Ron sunk low on his side of the compartment. "Stop rubbing it in, 'Mione." he muttered, "Besides, I knew I could count on you to attend- and to fill me in." He gave her the most charming grin he could muster up.
"Well.." Hermione turned a delicate shade of red, "Yes, Ron, but I must impress on you how serious your missing the meeting was! I mean, it'll take all six prefects from our house to quell the rumours...yes there certainly will be rumours." She gave the boys an appraising look.
"Well, hurry up! What happened? What's the big news that I missed?" Ron barked eagerly.
"Err…well…could you step outside with me for a moment?" Hermione asked sheepishly.
Ron looked rather confused when he left the compartment. Harry and Neville gave each other an uncertain look, but before they could manage to talk- snatches of the hurried conversation floated from the direction of the opened compartment door.
"He can't be...well, I just thought Parkinson was slightly backwards…no…no…do we HAVE to? Stupid…poncy…git…hmm…does he swing that way...ouch! Ok OK Hermione!" Ron slipped back into the compartment, with Hermione, who was resembling Professor McGonagall, her mouth was a thin line and her features stern.
"Harry…Neville…you mustn't tell ANYONE what we tell you today- everyone will find out sooner or later, and we'd rather stop not have to squash any more rumours than there already are…" with this she gave Harry a significant look. "Well, you remember Fleur Delacour from back in Fourth year...you know the boys would all just stare at her and-"
"Yeah, "interrupted Harry, "Fleur's part-veela. She had a veela-hair in her wand- she told us at the Wand-weighing ceremony."
The colour of Ron's face resembled that of freshly mixed cement. "Harry…" he croaked. "She's not the only one. Malfoy's…Malfoy's part veela too."
**
A/N: Haha…okay…so that's the end of the first chapter…
To people who have read Sapphrine's fics before: Could you tell who was who?
To everybody else: Was it good?
To EVERYONE: REVIEW!