Disclaimer : The hunger Games belong to Susan Collins.
The characters belong to J.K. Rowling
None of this belongs to us. Well, maybe the plot.
For the edit of the fanfiction cover, I used an image from RAMUL, on deviantart. I'll admit I didn't ask for her/his permission, and I'm deeply sorry ... But it was so beautiful *_* . Here's the link : browse.(deviant[]art) ?qh=§ion=&global=1&q=ice+phoenix#/d15o697
Summary : When Draco Malfoy from district 1 and Harry Potter from district 4 are sent to the Hunger Games, little do they know this event is going to change the course of their life forever. Slash. HPDM. AU. (no-magic)
Pairing : Draco and Harry.
Author(s) Notes : This story has been written by Melita and Cécile (you can find me under the name "Coquecigrue" on fanfiction . net)
English is not our first language. Melita is from Denmark, and I'm from France. We don't have a beta-reader, but if you're interested, don't hesitate sending us a message !
I hope you'll enjoy our work. Please, review ? (:
''Boy! Get down here'' Someone yelled from downstairs. Harry sighed and dragged his body out from the bed tiredly. Today was the day. The reaping day. He couldn't shake the dread out from his body, because he knew he had all the odds against him. Harry Potter was written 40 times on small papers. Today he had 40 entries in that bowl. It was just a matter of time, when it would be his turn. Trust his gut feelings that was telling him today would be the day. ''Did you hear me! Come down, NOW!'' his uncle continued yelling. Oh well. He couldn't hide away in his room forever.
Slowly, he made his way down the stairs. The ugly purple face of Vernon welcomed him while he spat "What were you doing, boy ? Now is no time to laze ! You have to feed the horses and the dogs, before going to the reaping ceremony!". Harry nodded, and went to the stable to give grains to the beautiful stallions his family had bought three years ago. He wondered what was going to happen to them if he was reaped today. He was the only one allowing them out of their boxes. Once he was done, he went back to his room to prepare himself for the ceremony. He wore a simple white shirt with grey trousers. The ensemble was old-fashioned, and far too small for Harry, but it held a lot of value for the young man, since it had been his father's clothes, and one of his only belongings.
Every year he imagined what his parents would have been like, on the reaping day. Would they have been worried? He didn't really have an answer because they weren't here. He didn't know why their death always came to his mind each year when he prepared for the Reaping Ceremony. Maybe because they had died fighting against everything The Hunger Games and the Capitol stood for. He still remembered the day like it was yesterday. Absentmindedly he traced the scar on his forehead.
Ten years. For ten years, they had been openly against the government, trying to rally people to their cause. Despite the district's gossips and the daily threats, they had kept their heads high. But it had taken five second to erase them from the surface of the earth. Someone, probably some extremist supporting the capitol, had put a bomb in their house. Five years old Harry was sleeping in the car, and they had not wanted to wake him. They had silently taken their luggages inside the little cottage. And in five seconds, it was over. They were dead, leaving Harry with that scar, alone, and orphan of his two parents.
But that was how things were. If you have anything against the Capitol you keep it to yourself. Or else you'll get the same fate as Lily and James's. Every trace of you will be erased completely. It's like you never existed.
The only proof was Harry's memories and the memories from those who had been friends with Lily and James. Harry looked at his own reflection in the mirror and decided that this would do. As every year he made his way out on the porch and waited for his cousin Dudley. Usually Dudley would sneer at him or try to start a fight but it seemed that,on the Reaping Day, he didn't have it in him. Harry snorted inwardly. His dear cousin was a coward. He wouldn't survive five minutes in the Arena. He didn't know if he should feel bad for him if he got picked as a tribute. He just knew his aunt would have a stroke if her dear Duddie-kins name appeared today. Harry looked at his cousin. He was a copy of his Uncle Vernon and it looked like he gained weight every year. Not exactly a thing that would be in his favor in the Games. He didn't really have any strengths that Harry knew of. They slowly made their way to the ceremony. Not exchanging a single word. Both had a lot on their mind and both dreaded the ceremony.
On their way to the City hall, Harry didn't meet any acquaintances. He wondered briefly if someone would actually miss him, if he went to the Hunger Games. The temperature was hot, and his hands started to feel sweaty. He wiped them on his trousers and tried to keep calm. Finally, they were there. The place was already crowded. Harry spotted Hermione on the stage. She nodded to him with a small smile.
Hermione was Harry's best friend, and the winner of the 72th Edition of the Hunger Games. She was very clever, and if Harry had not been shitting in his pants from fear, he could actually have enjoyed the show. She had understood the Capitol's rules and she gave them a spectacle they would never forget. But when she had came back, she had never been the same. Sometimes, she would gaze intently at an invisible point behind Harry and he knew she was thinking of the Games. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to be in the actual games. It was probably different to watch it, than to be in the situation. He went to register himself and winced as they stung his finger to take some blood, and applied his index on the paper.
As Harry was one of the older ones he made his way to the front. ''Hey Harry.'' Someone said from behind him. He turned his head and smiled slightly. It was Cho Chang. A girl he knew from school and talked to sometimes. ''Hi.'' He said back. It looked like she wanted to say something more but was interrupted when the major cleared his throat in the microphone.
Harry turned his head towards the stage again and tuned out immediately when the mayor began speaking. He could have repeated that speech in his sleep. It was exactly the same every year. He told the history of Panem. How all the districts came to be, and all the things they've been through. Harry didn't understand how people truly believed that this was how things were supposed to be. That this was the only way to maintain the peace. This wasn't peace. This was anything but peace. This was just the Capitols way to show them that they were completely at their mercy. What happened to them depended on their decisions.
After the speech he usually read the list of all the victors from District four. Luckily they had their fair share of victors . The only two that were still alive were Remus Lupin that had won the 49th edition, and Hermione Granger that had won last year. After this the crowd responded with an applause. Harry knew that now they were only minutes away from knowing who would be the two tributes. He tried to breathe calmly and to not show any traces of panic outside. He gets eye contact with Hermione again and she winks at him and sends him the ghost of a smile. He knows it's her way of telling him 'It'll be alright. Don't you worry.'
Gilderoy Lockhart, this year's escort, takes the major's place. He addresses a charming smile to the mob and waves his hand, laughing. He's an attractive man with surprising red hair. He wears a pink costume and Harry can't say if he has a face on his makeup, or makeup on his face. "Welcome Welcome" he starts "I'm Gilderoy Lockhart, your escort.". The answer is an enthusiastic clapping from the girls. Being an escort in the district 4 is an honor, along with the districts 1 and 2. Harry knows their district is very wealthy, and a major part of the population is opulent. The young man meets the sight of a blushing Hermione and rolls his eyes. "Now, the time has come for us to select one courageous young man and woman for the honor of representing district 4 at the 72th annual Hunger Games." he moves in an awkward way and Harry can't help thinking he looks like a broken doll.
The red haired man smiles again and makes his way to the first bowl "As usual, ladies first.". His hand dances in the jar and the tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife. Finally, he seizes a little paper and opens it with a smirk. "Cho Chang" he says with his musical voice, and Harry suddenly hates him. Because he knows the cute, sweet little Cho Chang. He knows she won't have any chances in the Hunger Games. Rage pervades his mind and he swallows his bile down with great difficulty.
He doesn't even dare to turn around and look at Cho. He knows that she's not cut out for this. There's a complete silence as she walks up to the stage. She looks nervously around and you can feel the fear that's rolling off her. Harry starts wishing that it was any girl but her. She's not going to survive. Harry tries to make eye contact with her because she's panicking and her eyes darts wildly across the crowd. She's probably searching her parents out. Waiting for their reaction. Hoping they can do something about this. But they can't. Unless someone volunteers, and nobody does.
''And now to the boys.'' Lockhart continues with a smile plastered on his face. ''Let's see who's the lucky boy going to be.''. Harry closed his eyes and waited for the name. ''Ah, and we have our male tribute. Harry Potter.'' The voice booms and Harry immediately snaps his eyes open. Did he hear that wrong? He must have. ''Harry Potter.'' The voice repeats and Harry's face pales. Hermione and Lupin are looking at him with pity in their eyes. That's the last thing he wants. He don't want their pity. He'll go up on that stage and take one step at a time.
He forces his legs to start moving and with his head held high, he goes up on the stage. He will not give his Uncle and Aunt the satisfaction of seeing him break down. He will not give anyone that satisfaction. Besides, that will only make things worse when he reaches the Arena. No one likes weak tributes. No matter what you do, don't show weakness. Harry's not sure, but he believes he heard snickers in the crowd. He doesn't know for certain who it was but he can bet it's Dudley and his friend, Piers. He ignores them and makes sure his steps looks assured and determined, because he has to win the games. Even if he can't believe his bad luck right now.
When he climbs on the scene, he can see on Hermione's face she would give anything to hug him right now. Hermione had lost her parents to illness, three years ago, and he was the only remaining family she had. Harry turns his face to the cameras and smiles. It's the smile of a victor, and even if he doesn't feel very victorious right now, he hopes he's going to give a hard time the other tributes. Just like Lockhart did a few minutes ago, he waves his hand in the air, and then walks to his right side, looking at Cho. She tries to make a good figure, but it's too late. Everybody saw the few tears streaming down her face. She's already classified as weak. She just signed her own death warrant.
Lockhart asks them to shake hands, and they obey. Cho blushes when her fingers brushes Harry's, but she doesn't look at him in the eyes. In comparison, he looks like the very image of a conqueror. His emerald eyes spark like two beautiful diamonds, and his black hair floats around his face, emphasizing the golden brightness of his tanned skin. His chest is broad, and you can guess the delicate lines of his muscles under his sleeves. He was handsome, there was no denying it, and the sponsors were probably going to crawl to get a piece of him.
Harry squeezes her hand gently in reassurance but they don't really say anything to each other. Really, what is there to say? They are each others opponents now. They both know that no matter what they'll say to each other it won't really matter. As soon as they are thrown in the Arena they won't hesitate to kill. Harry just hopes he won't be the one that needs to kill her. It's a terrible thought, but it's the truth. Somebody will kill her. He'll just try not to be the one.
As soon as the Anthem stopped, the peacekeepers come and take both Harry and Cho into custody. Harry follows them into an empty room as they close the door behind them. He's all alone now. He allows himself to slump down on a chair that's nearby and covers his face in his hands. In reality it wouldn't really matter if he died in that stupid Arena. He didn't really have anyone that would care, besides maybe Hermione. So honestly, what did he have to lose? Nothing. He pressed his palms tightly against his eyes to stop the tears from coming. Anyone could come through that door at any moment and he wouldn't allow himself to show weakness. Not even a moment of weakness.
Hermione rushes in the room, running, followed shortly by Remus. "Oh, Harry", she cries against his chest. "We won't let you down, okay? No matter what." she cups his cheeks with her hands and plants a watery kiss on his forehead, next to his scar. Remus puts a hand on his shoulder in a comforting kind of way. "I promised your parents I was going to protect you." he says quietly "I failed miserably.". Then, he pulls him into a bone crushing hug.
Harry had never been very close to Remus. He knew he was a very good friend of his father, but their relationship was only punctuated by polite exchanges. Clumsily, he disentangles himself from their embrace. Harry doesn't really enjoy physical contact. He immediately feels uncomfortable. Suddenly, the door opens again to reveal a deathly pale Petunia. She wears a lavender dress and her fingers are gripping her little purse so tightly her knuckles are white. "Harry ..." she begins, hesitating on what she's going to do. Surprised, Harry watches her curiously. She looks like she's going to cry. "I ... Good luck." is the only thing she says, before leaving a very confused Harry behind her.
Harry stares with a baffled expression after her. Thinking about what just happened. It almost looked like she wished he wasn't the one getting chosen as the male tribute. He gazes bewildered at Hermione but she looked just as confused as he was. Suddenly Hermione throws herself at Harry again, almost sobbing, even though she tries to control herself. ''Oh god, Harry. I-I promise you. It'll be alright.''. Harry claps her rather awkwardly on the shoulder. ''I know, Hermione. Come on.. Let's just.. Let's not talk more about it. We can't really change anything now, can we.''
She smiles sadly at him. ''I know.'' She gives him a quick peck on the cheek and turns to Remus. ''We should get down to the station. The train will leave in exactly an hour.'' Remus nods and gestures for Harry, to follow them. They picked Cho up on the way, and together they made their way down to the station. Remus tried to start conversations but to no avail. They died pretty fast and the tension was really thick. They knew there was absolutely no way out now. They reached the station and Harry almost got blinded by reporters snapping pictures of him. Remus and Hermione did their best to keep them away, and hurriedly they reached the automatic doors of the train.
Gilderoy Lockhart was waiting for them in the wagon, smiling brilliantly. "Ah! The tributes! Excellent, excellent. Come and sit with me" he leads them to a gargantuan buffet, filled with French pastries, mouthing, aperitif, fruits and small drinks. Harry had never seen so much food in his life. The Dursleys never shared their meal with him, and he would spend days starving when the weather was too cold and he couldn't go fishing. He settled on a cozy looking armchair and closed his eyes for a few seconds, before having his daydream interrupted by the constant babbling of Lockhart. He was rambling on how luxurious the Capitol was, how he loved the new tables in cherry wood - last year, it was mahogany and this was so old fashioned - and how happy he was to meet them.
"Can you shut up for a minute, please?" asked Harry, overwrought. Lockhart made a face but complied. Hermione send a disapproving glare in his direction, and he merely smiled at her. Cho kept her eyes on the window, not flickering once.
Harry couldn't really decide if he should sit down beside Cho and get her to talk. He could tell by her red eyes that she had been crying a lot. He wondered how her parents had reacted. He knew that the time they had in the room wasn't enough for a person to say goodbye to family and friends. She probably knew it was their final goodbye. For twelve years Harry's been desperately wishing that his parents were still alive. But right now, at this moment, he was glad they weren't. Because he wasn't sure he could have said goodbye. Not a final goodbye.
''Harry, you should eat while you're here.'' Hermione chided. He just rolls his eyes. He knew she would be fussing all over him as long as she could. The problem was, he wasn't hungry at all. One should think he would have wolfed the food down by now, but he just couldn't. He had lost all appetite, and everything else, the moment his name got picked. He just shook his head and closed his eyes again. Indicating that he didn't really want to talk. ''Come dears, there's plenty of food for all of us.'' Came Lockharts voice. Harry looked at him with disgust while he had his mouth stuffed with food.
So much for standing. Obviously wealth didn't equal good manners.
''No thank you.'' Harry replied, more friendly this time. ''Ah boy, you look like you could use a good meal.'' He continued. ''No, thank you.'' Harry said through gritted teeth this time. It seemed that Remus knew Harry had a short temper so he picked up a conversation with Lockhart. ''I'll be in my room.'' Cho suddenly said, while she got to her feet. Without a blink she left the room.
Harry pondered for a minute whether he should follow her or not, then decided he would. He excused himself to his comrades and got out of the lounge. He was not sure of where the tributes rooms were supposed to be, and hesitated a moment before taking the left door. Turns out that his supposition was right. He knocked softly at the door indicating «Female Tribute» . "Cho? Can I come in?" he asks gently. Getting no answer, he pushed the door open, to find Cho curled up in her sheets, sobbing.
"Please, don't cry ..." he begs, not knowing what to do of her distress. Awkwardly, he puts his fingers on her back to stroke her spine. Slowly, she begins to calm down and he sighs in relief. "Don't think I don't know." she whispers. "What?" he croaks. "I have no chance to survive, have I?" she questions, but it's not really a question, she's already resigned herself to that fate. "Don't say that!" he protests weakly "You have as much a chance as any other tribute!". She gets up to look him in his eyes. "Don't you dare lie to me, Harry Potter. I'm not an idiot. I know I'm fucked." Cho doesn't give him the time to answer, and she continues "I'm not strong willed, or brave, I don't have any particular talent. I don't know how to find food, I don't even know how to swim properly!" she screams the end of her speech desperately. Harry doesn't say anything, and she forces a smile on her pretty face. "You. You can win this, Harry. I trust you.".
Harry just stares sadly at her and has a sudden urge to take her into his arms. They both need the comfort, but Harry's just not really comfortable with giving it. ''Cho, you..'' But he doesn't really know what to say. Because she's right. She's already shown a great weakness and maybe if she's lucky, she'll get sponsors based on the fact, that they feel bad for her. But the chances are slim. ''Just don't give up.'' He ends up saying, weakly. She just shook her head fervently and turned away from him again. ''I... I c-can't.. I.. I want to go home.'' She starts sobbing again. Her whole body shakes.
Harry decides that enough was enough. He gently takes her into his arms and rocks with her. He didn't say a word because it wasn't necessary. Words wouldn't make anything better. He stays there, silently rocking her, until she falls asleep. He makes sure she is comfortable before he leaves the room again. Wondering if he should go back to his room, just forget this whole day and go to sleep. He knew he should probably eat. In fact he should eat as often as he could while there was food available. Once they are in the Arena it will be a lot harder to find enough to sustain himself. Harry knew this.
The next morning found Harry in a much better mood. Maybe it was because he fell asleep with a full stomach, which wasn't something that happened very often, or because the bed was so comfortable. Maybe it was because Hermione was not her usual lecturing self, or because he had actually seen a real smile on Cho's lips. Anyway, he felt relaxed an ready to learn how to survive in the arena. He went to breakfast with a hundred of questions, but forgot half of them when he was met by the sight of food. He took a seat in one of the chairs at the table and smiled at Hermione and Cho, who were the only one up "How are you on this fine morning ?" he asked pleasantly, while helping himself with hot chocolate and a generous amount of toast, jam, bacon, and scrambled eggs.
Cho just nods in response and smiles slightly. Hermione immediately brightens up when she sees that Harry is in a better mood, and is eating again. ''Fine thank you, do you feel better now?'' She asks. Harry just nods because he has his mouth full of food. ''Well that's good.'' Hermione smiles. ''Remus will be here in a minute. He'll probably discuss our plan with you guys, and how you'll get sponsors.''
Harry has finally wolfed down enough food and feels pleasantly full. He leans back in his chair, waiting for Remus. Cho continues to eat silently and they don't really exchange any words. Finally Remus appears and he greets them both as he sits down. ''So. We'll need to come up with a plan. Hermione and I will help you as best as we can. So I was thinking we could talk about your strengths and weaknesses. Then we can take it from there.''.
"I don't have any strengths." blurted Cho, before she got up and ran away.
Again. Harry rolls his eyes, irritated by the girl's behavior. Remus and Hermione seemed to think along the same lines, and decides to turn toward Harry who shrugs. He didn't have time to worry about Cho right now. "I dunno. I'm good at swimming, I s'ppose.". His best friend scolds "Don't be stupid, Harry. He's very resistant." she says to Remus "And he knows how to find food. Surviving is a second nature to him.". Harry grabs an apple, listening to her. "His weaknesses ... He doesn't think before he acts." "Hey!" the boy protests, but she ignores him "And he never learnt to defend himself with specific weapons. But he's good with a knife.". Remus nods, carefully writing on a piece of paper what he was learning. He looks deeply at Harry and notes "He's good looking. The Capitol is going to love him.".
Harry frowns. What did his appearance have to do with anything? Besides.. He wasn't even that good looking. Why would they mention that. Remus looks at Hermione and she agrees. ''It seems like you have a great advantage, Harry. Seeing as how you're very resistant. That will help you greatly in the Arena.'' He says. Hermione continues ''And we won't waste time learning you how to use other weapons. There isn't enough time for that. We'll just improve the skills you already have.'' She reaches for his hand and squeezes gently. ''And you are one handsome boy, Harry. You'll have all the ladies at your feet.'' Hermione grins.
Harry blushes and looks away "I'm not handsome." he mumbles. He was going to add something when his gaze fell on the landscape behind the train's window. "Oh my goodness." he swore, in awe. In front of him was the sight of the most beautiful city he'd ever seen. "Is that the capitol ?" he questioned, not quite sure what to say. "Yes, Harry", Hermione answers brightly. "It's wonderful, isn't it ? It looks so ... ethereal and fake, compared to our district. You'll see it once you're there, but I couldn't help thinking it was only superficial paint, you know, covering rotten foundations. People are very frivolous, there, they barely know anything about real life. I hated them" she spats the last words. Harry went to sit by the one of the windows to admire it more closely.
''Yeah, maybe it does look fake, but look! It's so... Beautiful.'' He says, still in awe. The whole city was really grand. Harry didn't know if he wanted to laugh or cry at the oddly dressed people. It all seemed more like an art project than a real city. Everything was so artificial and fake looking.
As the train finally reaches the station Harry saw that people outside were standing and waving wildly at him. Looking all excited and curious to see who these strangers were and how they looked like. Harry backed away from the window. He had to force himself to calm down again. He felt sick. They enjoyed this. They truly were excited about the games. They didn't care that it was kids that had to kill each other to survive, while the Capitol and the districts could follow every move from home. It was purely entertainment for them. Nothing else. No one mattered here. What mattered was to create the best entertainment possible.
The games always got worse each year, because people started to get bored pretty fast. Harry dreaded what they would come up with this year. He knew it would be bad no matter what.
A group of peacekeepers was waiting for them in front of the doors. They barely looked at them as they settled for secluding the tributes from the crowd. Harry doesn't stop smiling, and he feels Hermione's hand on his shoulder. She's here for him, he knows that, and that thought appeases him greatly. She wont let him die in the arena, he can see it on her face already. Cho doesn't smile. Her gaze is stuck on the floor. Harry wants to shake her from her apathy. When his eyes lands on the Capitol Inhabitants, once again, he wonders if he's in a circus. He once saw a clown, when he was eight years old. The smiling buffoon had tried to take him in his arms, but Harry had panicked, and ran way. He can't get rid of the feeling that he's going to enter the marquee, in which the lions and the snakes are not trained not to bite. He quivers.
''Time for the make-over.'' Hermione whispers beside him. Harry stares, bewildered, at her. Make-over? They needed to look pretty while getting killed? The things people would do for pure entertainment quality is sickening, Harry thought to himself. ''It'll just take a couple of hours.'' She continues. ''Cross fingers for me, maybe I'll win this beauty contest.'' Harry says sarcastically.
She doesn't have time to reply before he stands in front of three people. Two men and a horrible looking woman that seem uptight and stern. Of course she does that, or else her perfectly painted face would crack. God, those people's fashion sense was disturbing. Her whole face was dyed in a radiating blue color and Harry didn't even have the words to describe her hair. She takes a step towards them and introduces herself as Alecto Carrow. It seemed like one of the men was her brother, Amycus Carrow. The last one was introduced as Avery. He was quite a handsome man if you ignored his shocking red hair and golden tattoos that seemed to follow his facial lines. The woman grabs Cho by the arm and takes her away, murmuring something about a too innocent look. Harry stares at the two men, fidgeting slightly.
Suddenly feeling self conscious. He doesn't want them to change him. Make him look like someone he wasn't. Transform him into someone who isn't Harry. ''Dear god, that hair!'' Avery exclaimed. He walks over to Harry and starts to run his fingers through his hair. It seemed like he inspected every hair straw closely, sighing every few minutes. ''Well, we should definitely start with this bird's nest.'' He says, while he nodded to himself.
They made him sit in front of a huge mirror and he had to blink a few times before getting used to the projectors. He tried to protest when Avery took his chisel and chopped a long strand of hair, but couldn't find it in him. Half an hour later, he sighed in relief, when they finally showed him the results. He kind of liked it. His hair still looked wild, and unstructured, but in a stylized kind of way. After that, and a ton of hair spray, they obliged him to get naked and to lay on an "operating table", as they called it. "We should depilate him." stated Amycus, while his gaze lingered a little too much for Harry's taste to the level of his groin.
Finally, the information made its way to his brain and he shouted "What ? I don't want to be depilated! I'm a man, remember?". They ignored him while Alecto nodded and smiled - if you could call that a smile - "The camera will do him wonders. Have you seen those muscles ?" she took a long white band that she applied to his chest. "What is this?" he asked, anxious. "Nothing to worry about, dear" she answered, while applying other bands. "What is this?" he repeated in a more squeaking voice this time. Avery was the one to rejoin when he snatched the first band. Harry screamed and swore in pain "WHERE IS MY PUBIC HAIR?" he asked urgently "GIVE IT BACK TO ME. I LOOK LIKE A FUCKING GIRL!".
Avery came into view and smiled down at Harry. ''No, don't worry. You look quite... Edible.'' He said, and Harry didn't like the look in his eyes. He felt unnerved. Especially when his eyes trailed down Harry's body. He hurriedly sat up and tries to cover himself the best he could. Avery reached his hand out to Harry and beckoned him to follow along. Harry ignores the hand and just walks a step behind him instead. ''Let's take care of your skin.'' He says lightly. Harry would have done anything to just disconnect his mind from his body, at this very moment. He hated the scrutinizing looks and all the things they felt the need to do. ''Ah, let me take care of that.'' Alecto came up beside Harry and winked.
Harry felt grateful and regretted his misjudged impression of this woman. He would even let his whole District see him naked, if that meant he could get rid of Avery ever touching him again. ''Let's start with a good scrubbing, dear, hm?'' She said while she ushered him into a room that made his eyes hurt. The whole room was covered in different shades of yellow. Some were just too bright and the whole combination was horrible and disturbing. ''If you'll just step up on this stand, then I'll begin.'' She snapped her fingers and suddenly a whole shelf appeared with what seemed to be enough beauty products to last you for a lifetime. ''Hm, salt scrub or sugar scrub?'' She murmured to herself and then smiled brightly at Harry. ''Salt scrub! It wont dissolve as quickly.'' Harry just rolled his eyes and looked away while she started exfoliating his skin.
He wasn't comfortable with other people's touch. Especially not strangers. She seemed to sense his distress and tried to calm him down with light conversation topics. He was grateful for that. Afterwards she took him over to a chair and laid a hot towel over his face. ''Not that you need it, dear, but I'll use a facial cleanser on you now.'' He just nodded, feeling stupid with the damp towel covering his face.
Harry felt like a doll in the hands of three children. He could hear Avery and Amycus giggle in a corner and wondered what was making them laugh. After a while, he began to be more relaxed and to appreciate the expert hands of Alecto who was giving him a massage. They gave him a tonic for his skin and a moisturizer. Then, they made him stand up (which he did reluctantly, since he was so comfy) and they cleaned his hair with two shampoos and a conditioner smelling of roses.
When he was finally ready, the sight that met him took his breath away. It was the first time in his life that he actually felt edible. He smiled charmingly to his reflection. "Yes, Harry, you are good-looking" sniggered Hermione, who had just arrived. He looked at her and it was her turn to look shocked " Oh . my . god. My best friend is a sex bomb. Where did you hide all that muscle Harry ?". He stuck his tongue out at her, rather childishly, and she rolled her eyes. "Forget that I just said that.". He smiled at her and took her in his arms to give her a bear hug "You know I love you, Hermione" he told her. She had tears in her eyes she could barely hide, while she answered "I love you too, idiot. Now, let's go to your room. Cho is ready. We were only waiting for you.".
Harry followed Hermione back to their new room and stopped in his tracks. Cho was a beautiful girl, there was no denying it, but this was absurd. She looked so fragile. Like she would shatter into a million pieces anytime soon. It seemed like they had come up with a plan for Cho and how to get her some sponsors. She would be this Hunger Game's Damsel in distress. She would rely on her need for others to rescue her. Harry wanted to laugh because all of this was so stupid. They made her look like a fair maiden.
''Hi.'' She said shyly. Harry smiled back, ''Hey Cho.'' She kept starring intently at him. ''I told you so, you are a sex bomb.'' Hermione snickered. Cho just blushed harder and looked away. ''Er... Right. So, what now?'' Harry asked instead, feeling slightly uncomfortable discussing his looks. ''Now, you meet Luna.'' Remus said. Harry turned his head and looked at him. He forgot that he was even there with them. ''You look so much like your father.'' Remus said with a wistful smile. Harry just nodded awkwardly, not really liking when people talked about his parents.
Suddenly someone opened the door, ''Oh, there you are.'' A young woman with a soft dreamy voice said. Harry was usually wary around other people and this was no exception. This woman seemed even more strange than the others he had met. She looked back and forth between Harry and Cho with large luminous silvery grey eyes. She looked surprised, but it seemed like the look didn't fade away. Her hair was nothing like all the others he had met. Even though she seemed like the strangest of them all, her hair was just a normal dirty blonde color, that reached her waist. But that was the only thing that looked 'normal' about her. It seemed like she had used every single color that existed, on her dress. It was a confusing mix of bright colors.
Was this seriously the woman that was going to dress them up? It seemed like this really was a circus. They would look like clowns on their last ride at the opening ceremony. Harry knew their last ride was important. This was their chance to make a good impression on possible sponsors. ''Oh, by the way. I'm Luna Lovegood.'' She replied in that same voice. She turned her head away and stared off into space. ''I know exactly what you will wear.'' She had a subtle smile on her face and seemed to be a million miles away, rather than in the room. Harry stared at the others, looking for their reaction to this woman. Remus smiled warmly at her, while Cho and Hermione stared at her like she was mental.
"Er ... Nice to meet you ..." mumbled Harry a bit warily. "I'm Har—" "I know who you are." she cut in "And we have some fitting to do. Come with me, Harry Potter.". He followed her, glancing at Hermione, who just shrugged helplessly. Cho was taken by Luna's assistant and Harry was soon enough alone in the presence of this strange stylist. She was humming a song, dancing on her feet, while she led him to a little room full of sketches and crumpled papers. She asked him to sit down, while she left the compartment to come back five minutes later, with the proper ensemble. Cautious, he entered the fitting room and was surprised to discover he only had to wear very tight trousers of which the material seemed to imitate fish scales.
Harry was chary, but he exited the room to show the results to Luna. She grinned and started to apply a weird glittering lotion on his body, and stuck ten little purple spines on his shoulders and arms. Finally, she put a strangely elegant aileron on his back and handed him a very fluid transparent cape that looked like water. It was hung to his neck by thin golden chains. The final touch was a braided red coral crown she put religiously on his head.
''There. You're all finished.'' Luna replied, looking at him in wonder. She took him by the hand, and lead him over to a big wall mirror. ''You'll blow them all away, Harry Potter.'' She continued. Harry gaped at his own reflection. Well, he knew that he wasn't exactly bad looking. He was probably average looking. But that boy, staring back at him, was anything but average. Was that really him, Harry wondered? He never complimented himself, so he didn't have the right words to describe how he looked. ''You look gorgeous, Harry.'' Luna said in that dreamy voice. Harry stared at her, afraid for a second, that she had read his thought. He just shrugged awkwardly, not really knowing what to say.
The creation Luna had made was truly magnificent, and it resembled his district perfectly. This whole creation made him look like a merman king. ''You'll be unforgettable at the opening ceremony, Harry Potter. And that will win you great favor with the crowd. They'll love you.'' She continued, and seemed perfectly fine with the fact that she was practically talking to herself. ''It's supposed to reflect the flavor and industry of the district.'' She explained. Well Harry had figured that much out. He decided he should probably at least say something. ''And you did a great job with it.'' He said with a little smile. This was the first words he had exchanged with her. She just squeezed his shoulder and took him by the hand again. Leading him out the doors. ''The opening ceremony will begin in a moment. You'll line up after district. As you're from District 4, you'll be the fourth to go in.'' Harry suddenly started getting nervous. He felt like he was being thrown into an exhibition cage. He felt nauseous and sick.
Cho joined him a few minutes later, looking at least twice as nervous as he was. Knowing he wasn't the only one apprehending what was going to happen, he felt himself relax, and took a moment to admire the young woman. She was truly beautiful. Her long straight hair had been carefully combed, and a little braid was streaming along her black tresses, with a white shining sea pearl at the end. She wore a long dress, in the same material as his trousers. You could guess the elegant shadows of two dolphins' embrace, and the admirable lining of the robe, which emphasized Cho's graceful silhouette. She wore the same red coral crown as Harry. This girl looked like a fairytale princess, and tonight, she was his Queen. He smiled at her and complimented her appearance, "You're gorgeous.". She grinned back "Why, thank you sir. And you're handsome too.".
It was their first moment of complicity, and Harry regretted that he never took any interest in this shy lady before. One of the employee asked them to climb on the carriage. They complied, and Harry admired the horses before him. They were black, and their mane was braided. The young man was still anxious, but far less than before. He took Cho's hand and they looked proudly straight ahead.
''Are we going to be alright?'' She asked. ''Yes.'' Harry lied. He didn't really know why she chose this moment to ask such a question, when they both knew none of them were going to be alright. He squeezed her hand and she squeezed back, not really lessening the grip on his opening music began and the door slid open. Something suddenly caught Harry's attention. Two people from district one were being dragged away by two white horses that were glittering with jewels. Of course the horses were adorned with bijoux, since District 1 were known for making luxury items. As soon as they stepped through the doors, the crowd immediately began to roar and applause. But the luxury and the horses was not what caught Harry's attention. No, it was the blond boy that was standing beside a dark-haired girl on the carriage.
Harry didn't know why he kept his eyes lingering on him, but something was drawing him to that stranger. Harry shook his head to clear it as soon as the boy was out of his sight. ''Are you alright?'' Cho asked beside him. He smiled confidently at her and replied, ''Yeah. Let's do this.'' The problem was, he felt anything but confident. He sighed one last time and plastered a charming smile on his face, head held high, and started waving at the crowd. This was probably the most fake smile he had ever plastered on his face. He was nothing but a prey in front of this crowd. A toy. Their entertainment had just begun.