Disclaimer: I Own The World! So sue me!
Warning: There's not much logic in this fic.
Description: This is a full romance story with a PG-13 rating. If you have read 'The Reluctant Playboy' or heard of it before this, that fic has been re-named 'Curse of the Banshees' (also written by me of course). These two fics are actually the same. CotB is an angst-themed fic with plot and no romance. On the other hand, tRP is romance, skipping straight to the mush/fluff/smut but with plot written in 'synopsis' form in every chapter. Each can be read independently (Honest!), but for best results, I recommend you combine reading both fics.
Method: Read Chapter 1 to 5 from 'Curse of the Banshees' OR read this chapter.
Summary:
This is pretty AU. Starts in GoF at the Third Task. Barty Crouch was never discovered as Mad-Eye and remained under that guise until recently when the Dark Lord's rise to power is almost complete. When Harry was about to portkey out of the cemetery after Voldemort's resurrection, Voldemort couldn't stop him but he managed to cast a very powerful Dark spell on the Triwizard cup. Harry arrived back at Hogwarts and was immediately surrounded by a huge crowd. Someone tried to take the cup out of his hands and that activated the Dark spell. It killed or injured almost a hundred people gathered around that area but left Harry unscathed in the center. Some students, teachers and many spectators died that day. Barty Crouch managed to prove Harry responsible for Cedric's death. The evidence gathered in the investigation all pointed to Harry as the caster of the Dark spell since his wand was brother to Voldemort's. The Death-eaters at the Ministry and biased Ministry workers gave Harry an unfair trial and sentenced him to fourteen years in Azkaban for the mass-murder at Hogwarts. Dumbledore tried to interfere and lighten his sentence but the solid evidence provided by the Death-eaters in disguise had even convinced him of Harry's guilt along with everyone else. Sirius, Ron, Hermione and the Weasleys all believed Harry was a murderer and showed their hatred for him plainly. In the end, no one came to Harry's rescue.
Chapter 1: Prologue
Harry Potter, the-boy-who-finished-off-Voldemort could not believe he was sitting in his little dilapidated bedroom in Number Four, Privet Drive. True, it was the beginning of summer holidays before he would return to Hogwarts for his Sixth Year, but it was still incredible. And the reason for this was that while last year Ron, Hermione and all his other schoolmates went to Fifth Year and sat for their OWLs, Harry Potter stayed in his cell in Azkaban. He had been expecting to stay there for another thirteen years but Voldemort decided to kill him instead of leaving him there to lose his mind. When the Death-eaters came to Azkaban to release the other prisoners, they took Harry back to the shore and put him at Voldemort's feet. Dumbledore and all the other wizards could only watch helplessly as Voldemort revealed to them all how Harry was innocent of the heinous crime he had been accused of. Voldemort revealed Harry's innocence to them as a final insulting blow before Harry's intended demise. Instead, the deeply feared Voldemort met his very abrupt end there at Harry's hand.
Harry was granted a full pardon and a million galleons compensation. Harry Potter once again became the hero of the wizarding world but this time he was a disillusioned man instead of a shy, quiet boy. Being a minor still, he had to stay with a guardian and return to Hogwarts according to Ministry regulations. Feeling deeply betrayed by Sirius and the Weasleys, he turned them down harshly and chose to return to the Dursleys for the summer before returning to Sixth Year, Hogwarts.
Having all his friends and 'family' turn their backs on him, spending over a year in Azkaban guarded by his Worst Fear—dementors, and suffering from horrible nightmares and 'Voldemort--scar visions', Harry suffered such trauma that his hair turned pure white while he was in Azkaban. But now that he was able to feel things beside only the misery and pain he had felt in Azkaban, Harry was going to make the most of it. Gone was the shy boy who wanted nothing but to remain in obscurity and allowed people like Rita Skeeter to put the words in his mouth. Here now was a man, hardened by his experiences, cynical towards the world, capable of holding his own.
However, there was much to do before returning to the wizarding world and Hogwarts. Harry had to build the image that would show them all how he had changed and he needed to transform from a scrawny, malnourished boy into someone who was respected and not taken lightly. His growth had suffered tremendously due to his stay in Azkaban and he had three months to make up for it before he had to return to Hogwarts. And since he was now filthy rich with a million galleons, he began to work on his new image immediately. After having some of the money transferred to a local muggle bank and acquiring a credit card, he set out on his new mission.
Incidentally he found himself in a fitness center not far form Privet Drive called Holistic Exizt. After signing up for a membership, he was introduced Ashley Hudson, a young woman in her mid-twenties who worked there and who would be Harry's personal fitness trainer. She had waist length braided dirty-blonde hair and she seemed a very cheerful and energetic person making Harry feel at ease with her.
Unfortunately, the ease he felt in her presence evaporated once she began to ask the standard questions every trainer asked their charge before planning a fitness program. Harry felt himself closing up despite Ashley's warm and friendly demeanor. She wanted to know what happened to his hair. She wanted to know his eating habits for the past year or so. She wanted to know what sports or physical activities he had been doing lately. Harry tried to think up acceptable answers to her questions but ended up remaining silent. He realized that she needed truthful answers to be able to help him but he couldn't very well explain it to her.
Ashley seemed to sense that something was seriously wrong and decided to let Harry tell her what he wanted instead of asking questions. He looked so lost and uncertain at that moment. Harry took a deep breath. He needed this. He needed her help and he sensed she genuinely wanted to help him. So he decided to tell her everything. She was still a muggle so he couldn't tell her about the magical world but he could give her all the information she needed to help him. So he began his story falteringly, telling her a little about his life, explaining Voldemort as an underworld don and Azkaban as a top secret prison of the Intelligence and the dementors as a torturing device. He felt a little guilty lying to her and he felt a little uncertain whether she was buying his story. He was sure keeping his eyes lowered and wringing his hands weren't helping. He ended the story with his release just yesterday and the compensation money that the government had paid him just today.
When he raised his head uncertainly to look at her, he was shocked to find her in tears. He had explained everything as unemotionally as he could but it had still left her shaken. She wiped away the tears and smiled at him, telling him how sorry she was. It took her a moment to compose herself then she tried to sound cheerful. She decided to re-do the three month package. They could start with physical fitness twice a day for an hour and increase the duration once he got used to it. Since he needed a proper diet to maximize the effects, she suggested he have all his meals at the center. His membership should be changed to Premium so that he could access all the facilities. He would have swimming training as well as other sports.
Ashley took him to change his membership then led him out of the center. She told him she knew a great place where he could get a haircut and some clothes and Harry agreed to go with her. Ashley took him to an expensive three-storey boutique which had a hair-styling salon linked to it. The place was practically empty with only two women browsing together. Ashley dragged him in and called one of the salesgirls. Apparently she knew the girls who worked there very well. Harry continued to look around him. The place was tastefully furnished with soft light and lots of mirrors. Once the two ladies had left the boutique, all the other salesgirls crowded around them. Harry began to feel nervous surrounded by so many females at once. Ashley explained that Harry was a close friend and had come for a makeover which sent the other girls into squeals of delight. Harry felt a little frightened by their reaction and was wishing he hadn't come. Ashley further embarrassed him by explaining that she would be giving him a physical makeover at the gym while it was up to the girls to get him the right clothes and hair. They would need a few sets of clothes right now but the rest of the wardrobe would be bought later on.
Before he knew it, Harry was being handed a set of clothes and pushed towards the changing rooms. He was briskly ordered to try on a few more sets as the girls judged what suited him best before being whisked over to the hair-styling salon and having his hair fixed. The girls debated the best hairstyle over his head without paying him much attention. Harry was feeling completely manipulated and tried to get a word in but every time he opened his mouth he would get a remark like "Trust me darlin', men know nothing about style. Just let us handle it." Ashley had given some sort of explanation for his unusual hair-color and the two professional hairstylists discussed the best cut to go with it. The haircut and styling took over an hour to finish. They had suggested Harry get his hair dyed or have a few streaks added but Harry refused. His hair was now shoulder-length with shorter strands framing his face. The styling mousse and hair spray made it more manageable, giving it a stylishly messy look. He had been bombarded throughout the hour with tips on how to style his hair everyday from the stylists. The girls hurried him back to the changing rooms insisting he needed to try on more clothes to match with his hairstyle. After another exhausting half-hour, Harry finally paid for his purchases and stepped out, Ashley following him while promising the girls to bring him back soon. Harry gave her a harassed look which only made her burst into laughter.
They parted ways after Ashley told him to come to the fitness center two days later. She needed to research growth spurts and the correct diet on his behalf. He smiled to himself as he walked past rows of shops. The morning had done him a whole world of good. He had felt like a guinea pig back at the boutique as Sally complained about her boyfriend's taste in clothes and Joanne sighed in sympathy while filing her nails and Kelly ordered him to straighten his collar and turn around but he had enjoyed it all the same. People still stared at him as he walked the streets but his clothes and hairstyle made him seem more like a normally weird teenager.
'''''
Harry was sitting on a bench in the park, watching some children play. They were so carefree, laughing and screaming with delight or chasing each other, giggling all the while. Harry spent every evening just sitting there and enjoying the atmosphere. It had been two weeks since his release from Azkaban. He was getting on very well with his fitness program though he hadn't noticed any drastic changes yet. He had all his meals there with Ashley scolding him every time he said he was full before he had finished everything on his super-sized plate and the tall glass of protein shake or whatever it was. He was proud to say he had learnt how to swim rather well in a short time.
Harry had visited the local bookstore and bought a few books that interested him. He spent his days swimming, working out, reading or just roaming around town. The Dursleys were back to ignoring him and he them. It didn't bother him but he wondered about the lost look his aunt sometimes gave him. He didn't think it was possible for her to feel guilty, she was probably trying to come up with a believable story about his hair-color to tell her friends. The nightmares were back in full swing but he was so used to them that he would just lay back on the bed and go back to sleep after waking up screaming. Harry tried to keep busy and ignore the sadness and hurt that he sometimes felt whenever he saw a group of friends doing something together.
Harry was jolted out of his thoughts by a sudden burst of laughter not far from him. Most of the kids had returned home since it was getting dark but there was a group of teenage girls wandering together and laughing at something. As they got closer to the bench where he was sitting one of them looked straight at him. Her smile faltered and she gazed curiously at him. Harry saw her and turned his head the other way wondering whether to go swim or just stay for a while longer before he had his dinner.
The girl who had been staring at him stopped her friends not far from where Harry was sitting and asked them who he was in a whisper. She had wavy brown hair tied in a ponytail and wore a 'Casper the Friendly Ghost' T-shirt with jeans and sneakers.
"That boy? He's Harry Potter, Dudley's cousin. You remember Dudley, the big bully I showed you the other day? All of us used to go to the same school." Sandra, the blonde bookworm answered, pushing her glasses up.
"Let's go over and talk to him" the first one whispered back before turning towards Harry.
"NO Vicky! Are you crazy? He's dangerous. He goes to St. Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys." Sandra rasped in one breath and the other girls nodded fearfully.
Oblivious to the whispering girls, Harry got up and headed for Exizt for a swim before dinner. He'd do a couple of laps back-stroke, then listen to Ashley scold him over dinner for not practicing his freestyle.
"Oh look, he's gone" the other girls sighed with relief at Vicky's statement.
"Why is his hair white?" she asked sitting on the bench Harry had just vacated as her friends joined her.
"No one knows. My mom tried to ask Mrs. Dursley –that's his aunt– the other day and she got all upset and wouldn't answer" Janet replied.
"He's only here during the summer and last year he didn't come back at all." Sandra continued.
"Hmmm...interesting" Vicky said absentmindedly. She definitely had to talk to this Harry Potter the next time she saw him.
'''''
Harry was flipping through a non-fiction book at the bookstore when a voice close to him made him jump.
"What are you looking at?" Harry recognized the girl who'd been at the park the other day. She was looking at the book he was holding.
"Here" he said offering the book to her.
She didn't take the book but just kept looking at him.
"My name is Vicky Denver. What's yours?" she asked instead.
Harry placed the book back on the shelf and moved two rows away, browsing through the fiction section now. He had been caught by surprise at her question. He didn't know what to say. Every time he looked at someone around his own age he'd remember his friends at Hogwarts. He knew this Vicky and all the other youths in Surrey weren't the friends who had abandoned him but still he felt an irrational anger at them. He could speak to Ashley or Elaine but he would freeze whenever around his own age-group.
"You won't tell me your name? Too bad. I already know. It's Harry Potter isn't it?" the annoying girl had followed him and just stood there leaning against the bookshelf.
"What, nothing to say? Ignoring me won't help, you know. I'll just keep pestering you until you stop ignoring me" she continued.
Harry decided he'd come back another day. He took the two books he'd found earlier and went to pay at the counter. To his annoyance, the girl followed him. She just stood beside him as he paid for the books and took the plastic bag containing the books. Harry walked out of the bookstore quickly. As he turned his head back slightly to make sure she wasn't following him, Vicky grabbed his plastic bag from the other side and retreated a few steps.
"Give it back" Harry's voice was leveled though he felt his impatience grow.
"No" she replied impishly.
"What do you want?" his anger was beginning to show.
"I just wanna be friends" she replied spreading her hands.
Harry took the opportunity to try and grab his books but she was too quick and retreated just in time.
"Vicky? What on earth are you doing? Didn't you hear what I said about him? Why are you speaking to that dangerous freak..." Sandra said before she remembered that Harry could hear her too. She was looking at him fearfully.
Harry recognized the blonde girl who had been in his Fourth Grade Math class. His emerald eyes turned icy at her remark and he gave the girl a death-glare before snatching his plastic bag from a surprised Vicky and walking away.
"Now look what you did. I had almost made friends with him and you ruined it" Vicky scolded her friend angrily.
"Why would you want to be friends with him? He's a dangerous criminal" Sandra asked.
"Oh, that's all just bullshit. He's not a criminal" Vicky replied with conviction as the other girls joined them.
"How do you know? Why does he go to that school for criminals then?" one of the girls asked.
"Look, you guys went to school with him, right? Did he commit any crimes in school? Then? When did he have time to commit crimes? You said he went to that 'school' straight after finishing elementary. If he didn't commit any crimes while in school, then how can he be a criminal? Surely that 'school' his aunt claims to have sent him to doesn't take in 'future criminals' even if that is what the snobby woman claimed him to be." The other girls looked blank for a moment before they finally understood what she was saying.
"I saw his aunt at Janet's house the other day. She seems a completely over-dramatic gossip to me. I don't believe anything she says. I wanna talk to this Harry Potter" she declared before stomping off.
Harry was in the empty playground, legs dangling just above the ground from where he was sitting on the wooden thingamajiggy that was the bridge to the spaceship-thingy. He was recalling his own childhood when he heard several people approaching. He looked up to see the Vicky from the bookstore and her friends. Vicky nudged her blonde friend, the one with the careless remark at the bookstore and she came forward looking at him almost cautiously.
"I...I'm-I'm sorry about what I said the other day. I didn't mean it. Honest" she said almost childishly.
Harry stared at her causing her to gulp noisily then nodded.
"It's okay" he replied before turning his gaze back the other way. He hoped they'd all go away now but his wish wasn't granted.
"Sooo, how 'bout we be friends?" the ever-annoying Vicky suggested.
"No, thanks" Harry replied looking at her and her friends before getting down and walking off in the other direction.
"Whoa, what do you have against us anyway?" Vicky had raced and blocked his way.
He ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly wondering what on earth did the she-devil want from him.
"Look, I don't want to be friends okay? So why don't you leave me alone?" he suggested coldly.
"Why don't you want to be friends? Everyone wants to have friends? Why do you want to be alone?" Vicky studied him as if he was an enigma she needed to solve.
"I'm not like everyone else. Just back off. I don't need friends" he spat viciously before side-stepping her and striding away.
"What a temper!" Vicky observed before turning to her friends.
"Oh, well. We'll catch him when he's in a better mood" she told them.
By the looks on their faces, Vicky knew they needed another round of convincing about the benefits of befriending the mysterious Mr. Potter. She flounced back to them and got started on her lecture all the while planning her next attack on him.
'''''
Harry was sitting in front of the bakery, sipping his chocolate shake when Vicky and two of her friends sat down on three of the empty chairs at his table.
"Hi, Harry! Whew, what a hot day! Is it always this hot in the summer here?" she asked one of her friends as she dumped her shopping bags on the table.
"Yeah, but you have to admit, the shopping is great. Hi Harry!" the other girl replied turning to smile at him.
"Here are your drinks, ladies. Hi Harry" Sandra placed the tray she was carrying on the table before taking the last empty chair.
Harry just stared at them, quite bewildered by their behavior. He put his unfinished milk-shake on the table and began to leave.
"Harry, you can't go! That's not very gentlemanly of you, leaving us ladies to pay for the drinks. No, don't take out your stupid wallet. We're not going to ask you to pay if you don't even have the courtesy to stay until we've finished. Honestly, what is the world coming to?" a girl whom Harry didn't even know retorted angrily pretending to be all offended as the girl beside her nodded righteously.
The girl's loud exclamation had caused the people at the neighboring table to stare at Harry disapprovingly. Harry gritted his teeth at the looks he was getting before Vicky pulled him down back into his chair.
"Sit down and finish your drink. All this anger is bad for your blood-pressure" she told him handing his drink back. He sat fuming as the girls chatted gaily, ignoring his deadly scowl.
'''''
"Hi, Mrs. Dursley. Can we come in?" Vicky was standing at the front door of Number Four with her friends.
"Oh...of course" Mrs. Dursley smiled before ushering the young ladies into the living room. Finally the neighborhood girls were beginning to notice her Dudley's fine qualities. Oh, how bittersweet it was to watch your son grow up.
"Would you girls like some tea? I just made a pot for myself" Mrs. Dursley asked before rushing away at their polite nods.
She quickly prepared the tray of tea and biscuits to occupy the girls while she called her Dudders. After taking the tray to the girls and nodding at their polite thank-yous, she rushed up the stairs to get Dudley.
"Dudley, Duddykinns. There are some nice young ladies here to see you" she knocked excitedly at his bedroom door.
Dudley opened the door looking confused but his confusion changed to delight as he heard what his mother had to say. Harry had been reading a science-fiction novel in his room when he heard his aunt speaking. He had a suspicion that it was that loony bunch of girls who followed him everywhere. He stepped out of his room and stood on the landing to listen.
"Here they are, Dudley. Now why don't you introduce me to your friends" Mrs. Dursley prompted looking expectantly at her son.
"Uhhh....Mrs. Dursley, we aren't here to see Dudley. Although he's a very nice guy and we're all glad to meet him" Vicky said and the other girls nodded vigorously.
"Actually.....we're here to see Harry......you know......your nephew?"
Harry who'd heard the whole exchange with glee still felt irritated with the girls. The nerve of them to come here, honestly! He stalked down to the living room and crossing his arms, glared at the girls.
"What are you doing here?" his question was directed to all but his gaze was focused on the impish ring-leader.
"Why Harry, is that any way to speak to your friends? We just came to see you! We hadn't seen you since Tuesday when you bought us drinks at the bakery. You had stalked off before we could thank you properly" Vicky said in a feigned hurt voice. She was a good actress, he'd give her that.
"I am not your friend and I'll thank you to leave now" he replied bluntly.
"But we just got here. We haven't even finished our tea" Vicky whined, sitting down again and grabbing her cup of tea.
Mrs. Dursley who had been gaping open-mouthed for some time, pursed her lips and fixed her nephew with a grim look. How dare he? How dare he have such pretty girls as friends when her own Dudley didn't have a single female friend. He had no right to steal her Dudley's glory.
"Vernon will be home soon. He won't be pleased to find the dinner late because of guests. And the neighbours would no doubt prefer their daughters home before dark" she sniffed snobbily, staring at Harry with dislike before huffing off to the kitchen.
Dudley smiled goofily at the girls and glowered at his cousin before lumbering back upstairs. It just wasn't fair. What did the girls see in that freak cousin of his?
Harry turned back to the girls and sighed tiredly, crossing his arms.
"Well, have you finished your blasted tea?" he asked Vicky causing the girls to giggle.
"Not yet. Won't you sit down?" Vicky inquired unperturbed.
"No, I won't bloody sit down. Why are you doing this to me?" he asked feeling aggravated.
"We just want to get to know the mysterious Mr. Potter a little better" Vicky's answer made the girls giggle some more.
"Look, my uncle will be home soon. Just finish your tea and go" he ignored the giggles.
"Oh but we want to meet the hospitable Mr. Dursley. Surely he wouldn't mind if we stayed for dinner" Vicky twisted a tissue in mock agitation.
Harry gaped at her for a moment before burying his head in his hands and groaning.
"What do you want from me?" he asked in frustration.
Vicky seemed to give his question some serious consideration before replying.
"Promise to spend the weekend with us?" she set her condition.
Once again Harry was speechless before refusing vehemently. He tried to get the girls to leave him alone but they had set the condition and they wouldn't budge. After a lot of fruitless cajoling, Harry finally gave in to their demands.
And that is how Harry found himself becoming the reluctant friend to a group of hyper-active giggly girls with a she-devil for a leader.