Title: Um, Draco/Harry Slash? No Title Yet
Author: Beatrix Malfoy Delacour
Rating: R
Pairing: Draco/Harry, duh
Author's Note: Okay, some people will probably not like this, but this story takes place during the trio's *eighth* year at Hogwarts. This is because I was trying to get around the problem of how this story would be totally void and pointless after Rowling came out with book seven, so I'm just making Hogwarts an eight year school instead. :)
Prologue (aka silly little poem that probably won't be in the final version of this story):
Where are you?
How did you get there?
Have you waited this long,
Just to waste it on nothing?
I can't feel anything.
Yes you can. Open your heart.
I can't love anything.
Just try.
It had become a tradition by now. Every year, on the thirty first of July, a collection of owls would swoop into the open window of Harry Potter's tiny second floor bedroom window at number four Privet Drive. They would drop off a number of packages and letters: rock hard toffees, homemade mince pies (Mrs. Weasley's scrumptious delicacy), useful and interesting schoolbooks, and not-so-useful magical toys. Because it was Harry's birthday. And Harry was a wizard.
Ever since that fateful day seven summer's ago when his giant friend, Hagrid, had informed him of this, Harry had attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a magical school for learning wizards and witches. He had enormous amounts of fun there: sneaking around the castle late at night under his invisibility cloak, playing the exciting game of Quidditch with his fellow Gryffindor house teammates, and attending his many classes, even if that meant dealing with the Potions Professor, Severus Snape, who always seemed to have it in for Harry.
But every June he had been forced to return to the hellhole that was his Aunt and Uncle's home. And Vernon and Petunia Dursley did not look too kindly on wizarding-folk, Harry least of all, who had been left on their doorstep sixteen years ago.
That was why Harry looked forward to his birthday even more than most wizards and witches did. It was a reminder of the fact that there were people out there who loved him. As soon as the first owl swooped in his window he threw off his thin, inadequate covers and scampered over to the desk under his bedroom window, where the first traces of the morning sunrise were beginning to creep inside.
The first package looked like it had been hastily wrapped; it was covered in brown paper and tied with a thin white string. Harry opened it to find a chocolate cake with 'Happy Birthday, Harry' spelled correctly on it, and a letter. He opened it to read:
Dear Harry,
Happy birthday! What have ye been up to this summer? Sorry I didn't have time ter bake ye a cake meself. Hope ye enjoy this one; it's a favorite among the folks down in Hogsmeade.
See ye on the first,
Hagrid
Harry grinned, secretly glad that Hagrid had bought, and not baked, his cake. He set the cake down carefully on the desk before turning to his other gifts.
A long tube caught his eye. He popped open the end of it and saw a poster rolled up inside. Before he could pull it out, though, a small note fell out. Harry picked it up.
Dear Harry,
Happy birthday! Having a good summer? Well, I suppose not. Anyway, I caught up with Dean Thomas a couple of weeks ago, and stole one of his soccer posters off his bedroom wall. Don't think he even noticed. Well, I enchanted it for you! Spell didn't work perfectly, but enjoy. See you at school!
-Ron
P.S. Hermione didn't, by any chance, ask you about me, did she?
Harry set down the note and pulled the poster from its tube. He unrolled it to find a soccer game, all right. But apparently, Ron had overlooked the fact that soccer wasn't played on broomsticks. Harry chuckled as number thirty-seven, Edward Lindstrom, flew recklessly around the poster, trying unsuccessfully to kick the soccer ball.
His third package was heavy, and wrapped in dark blue wrapping paper that had pure-white, enchanted snowflakes fluttering around it. Hermione, he thought, smiling as he rolled his eyes. Every year she got him either a book, or something else equally as useful in school. This year, he unwrapped the gift to find Magical Me II: The Unreleased Volume, by Gilderoy Lockhart. Harry almost collapsed in a fit of laughter as Lockhart stumbled mindlessly around the book's cover. Stuck inside the first page was a note from Hermione:
Dear Harry,
How are you? Oh, I do hope you're getting along all right with the Dursley's. Just don't make any trouble with them, okay?
Anyway, happy birthday! I know how much you loved Professor Lockhart, and thought this would be the perfect gift for such a big fan of his. See you back at school.
Love always,
Hermione
P.S. Has Ron spoken to you about me by any chance? I was just curious.
Harry thought it odd that Hermione would likewise be asking about Ron. Had something happened between the two of them that Harry was unaware of? He would be sure to ask them as soon as they were all back together again at Hogwarts. But if something had happened between them… Harry shuddered just thinking about it. Hermione and Ron were such opposites; it was scary to think they would ever be involved with each other - that way.
One more small package lay on the table among the ripped string and torn paper from Harry's other gifts. But Harry could not figure it out. Who else would have sent him a gift? He supposed it would contain a letter of some sorts inside that would reveal the identity of the sender, and unwrapped it to find a small, white box. Inside was a single, fresh, red rose.
Harry looked at it for a moment in slight confusion. Who had sent it?
Hermione? She would never think of him as more than a brother.
Ron? Ew.
Who then? Harry thought. Then it came to him: it was probably just another Weasley joke from the twins, Fred and George. Harry delicately picked the rose up with two fingers, marched over to his chest of drawers, and deposited the flower in the dressers' empty bottom drawer. If it was a Weasley invention, he didn't want it suddenly turning into a mouse - though it would be fun to upset the Dursley's with.
Exactly one week before September First arrived, Harry took the famed Knight Bus over to the Weasley's house, The Burrow. He'd had enough of the Dursley's for one summer and was dying to get back to the magical community. He never told any one about the rose: to tell the truth, once Harry was back at school the matter completely slipped his mind.
All the windows of the Burrow were hanging wide open when Harry arrived. This summer had been one of the warmest in years, and was holding on, as if the heat just didn't want to die.
The unnaturally warm weather had everyone inside the Burrow in high spirits, even Percy, who had been dragged home by his mother to see Ron off to his eighth, and final, year at Hogwarts.
"Mum! I need to stay at work. The Ministry needs me right now; there's been a stream of anti-Muggle activities over the past month, somebody needs to-" Percy had argued, but Molly Weasley cut him off every time.
"I will not hear this, Percivius Weasley," she said sternly. "You are coming home to see Ron and Ginny off to school, and that's the end of it." Percy gave in finally; being called by his real first name always ended his arguments.
Along with Percy, the rest of the Weasley boys had also come home for the week. Charlie had flown in by broomstick (much to his mother's dislike) from Romania, and Bill, who had quit his job at Gringotts in Egypt to become a treasure hunter in South Africa (also to his mother's dislike), had given up a week to come home.
Everyone gathered in the front yard as the Knight Bus pulled up and Harry hopped off. The driver helped Harry unload his trunk, and then the bus was off in the blink of an eye.
"Harry, it's wonderful to see you again!" Mrs. Weasley cried, throwing her arms around him. Harry was glad to know the Weasley's. They felt like his true family; nothing like what living at the Dursley's felt like.
"I hope you haven't had too much trouble with your aunt and uncle, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said worriedly when she finally let go of him.
"Nonsense, Molly," Arthur Weasley enthusiastically chimed in. "I'm sure Harry didn't make any trouble for Mr. and Mrs. Dulsy."
"Dursley," Harry corrected him, but his voice was lost in a sea of words as the Weasley boys welcomed him back.
"Harry!" Ron said, embracing his friend. "I'm so glad your back here, it's been so dull, what, with almost everyone gone."
"I'm glad to be back too," Harry said, smiling.
"I mean," Ron continued, "I even had to call up Seamus and hang out with him for a few days back in July…" Harry chuckled, but there was no time to reply, for Fred and George had swarmed around him.
"Harry ol' boy," Fred said. "Welcome back!"
"Yeah, same here," George said, a little quieter than Fred. "Listen, when you get a chance, we want to show you some of the stuff we've been conjuring up…" But just then, Fred noticed Percy looking at them peculiarly, and he stopped whispering and patted Harry on the back.
"Yeah, and I'm sure you'll have a great time here, Harry," he said loudly. "Mum's been cooking all day for tonight's meal!"
Harry smiled, and saw Percy turn back and storm silently into the house.
At around seven o'clock that evening, Ron and Harry made their way down from Charlie's room, where he had been telling them about his assistance in the suppression of a dragon riot in Ireland the previous spring, and out into the Weasley's backyard, where a huge feast was already arrayed for the family. Practically every kind of food Harry could imagine lay before his eyes, and he was reminded strongly of the feasts up at Hogwarts. This made his stomach leap; he couldn't wait to go back home.
Harry sat between Ron and Bill, who was looking very cool with yet another piercing in his ear. This time it was the feather of, "an enchanted ostrich down in Australia who they had to sedate because she just wouldn't stop dancing the can-can," according to Bill himself.
Halfway through the delicious meal, between conversations of Quidditch and plates of warm apple pie, Ron turned to Harry quite seriously.
"Harry," he said softly. "Have you talked to Hermione at all this summer?"
Harry, whose mouth was full of vanilla toad ice cream, nodded. Ron waited for him to swallow.
"Yes," Harry said. "Well, sort of. She sent me a letter with my birthday present. Why?"
"Just wondering," Ron said, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink, perfectly complementing his flaming red hair. "She didn't say anything about me, did she?" Harry thought for a moment.
"Yeah, she did, actually. She asked if you had said anything about her," Harry replied. "Is this going where I think it's going, Ron?"
Ron didn't answer.
"Ron?"
"Hm?"
"Do you fancy Hermione?" Harry started grinning mischievously when Ron stuttered in answering him.
"Well, no, it's not that- not exactly…" Ron trailed off.
"Just ask her out then, Ron," Harry said, still smirking.
"Well, no," Ron said, turning back to his banana pudding. "I couldn't do that…"
Later that week, they found themselves boarding the train to Hogwarts for the last time.
"Say hey to everyone up at the school for me," said Bill, who stood next to Charlie and Percy with his hands shoved in his low-rise blue jeans.
"Yeah, especially Dumbledore," Charlie said, grinning as usual. "How's that old git doing, anyways?" Ron and Harry laughed, recalling all the adventures that Charlie told them he had gone on during his own years at the school.
"Hey Ron," Fred said. "D'you think you could send us a Hogwarts toilet seat while you're up there?" George started to giggle, but a purposeful glare from Mrs. Weasley stopped him. Harry and Ron tried hopelessly to suppress their own grins.
"Well dears," she said, turning to Harry and Ron and smiling. "Have a wonderful last year up at the school! And don't get into too much trouble, Ron. When I got that letter from Professor McGonagall last year about the kangaroos ransacking the common room and what they did to Mr. Filch, I about died…"
Harry and the Weasley family couldn't help laughing out loud this time. The eleven o'clock bell rang on the clock tower.
"Oh, that's it!" Mrs. Weasley said, hurrying Harry, Ron and Ginny up onto the train steps. "Now do be good, and watch over your sister, Ron."
"Mum, she's a seventh year, I think she'll be fine," Ron groaned.
"Just you watch over her all the same, Ronald Weasley," his mother said, pointing a finger at her red headed son.
"Oh, Merlin's beard, all right," Ron said.
"Bye, mum!" Ginny cried as the train began to move. Mrs. Weasley jumped back and stood near Mr. Weasley and the rest of their family. They all waved as the train rounded the bend, and when they were out of sight, Harry, Ron and Ginny made their way back to the compartment where their luggage was. The trio sat down in silence.
"I wonder where Hermione is?" Harry asked. He got up and looked up and down the hall for a moment, then sat back down near the window. He looked at Ron, who's face was beat-red.
"Ron?"
"Yeah?"
"Y'okay?" Harry asked, as a sweat drop dripped down Ron's forehead.
"Yeah, sure," Ron said.
"Was it something I said?" Harry asked.
"N-no," Ron said.
"Ron, that's it. What's going on between Hermione and you?"
"Nothing!" Ron looked quickly out the window. Harry stared at him, waiting.
"Okay fine, something." Ron looked down, avoiding Harry's eyes. "We got together over the summer, way back in the beginning of July. We were just hanging out, she took me to one of those moving-pictures, a Muggle- um…"
"A movie?" Harry offered.
"Yes, that was it," Ron continued. "Well, she, er…"
"Yes, Ron?" Harry questioned.
"She, um, kissed me," Ron said flatly. It took a moment for Harry to reply.
"She kissed you?" Harry said, trying to suppress a smile.
"Er, yeah," Ron said, still looking at the ground.
"And?" Harry said. Something else had to have happened.
"And…?" Ron said.
"What happened?"
"I don't know," Ron replied. "It was when I was dropping her off at her house. Dad let me borrow his Mini Cooper that he enchanted last fall. She just kind of kissed me, and then went inside."
Harry couldn't help it, he laughed.
"Harry! You're not helping, you know," Ron said, glaring at him, frustrated.
"I know, I know," Harry finally said, calming down. "I'm sorry, I really am."
"So what do I do?" Ron asked seriously.
"Well I don't know," Harry said after a moment. "Come to think of it, I've never been on a date myself except for Cho back in fifth year, unless you count the Yule Ball the year before that…"
"Oh heavens, don't remind me of that," Ron sighed.
"'Oh heavens'? You're starting to sound like Hermione too…" Harry chuckled as Ron frowned at him again.
"Harry, c'mon," he pleaded. "I'm being serious."
"Okay, okay," Harry said. "So what's the problem?"
"Well, I haven't exactly talked to her since then," Ron said.
"I heard the guy is supposed to call the girl," Harry offered. "That's how it's done with Muggles."
"Really?" Ron said, looking as though he were ready to cry. "That means I blew it! Because I never called her back…"
"Relax, Ron, I'm sure she'll understand, it's Hermione," said Harry. "We've known her forever."
"You think so?" Ron said hopefully.
"Yeah, don't worry about it," Harry said. As if on cue, the compartment door slid open and Hermione Granger walked inside.
"Hey, you guys," she said, a smile playing across her face that would have spread across Russia, if you'd plotted it on a map.
"Hey, Hermione," Harry said, grinning. He looked pointedly at Ron.
"Yeah, hey, Hermione," Ron said, trying to look at Hermione but utterly failing. Hermione looked at him with raised eyebrows for a moment before lugging her trunk inside. Harry helped her put it on the seat next to Ron and Ginny, and Hermione sat down next to Harry.
"I'm so excited for our last year," she said eagerly.
"Really?" Harry said. "I thought you'd be disappointed, no more teachers next year."
"Oh, I'm not worried about that," Hermione said brightly. "My parents have already arranged for me to attend the Edinburgh University of Magical Relations after Hogwarts." Harry looked at her, disbelievingly.
"Edinburgh?" he questioned.
"Yes, it's a four-year university for wizards," she explained. "I'll be studying International Wizarding Relations there. I'm planning on going into foreign relations with the Ministry after that. I even have an internship set up for next summer." She beamed.
"That's wonderful," said Harry, who had hardly given his wizarding future half a thought. "Isn't that great, Ron?" he said, bringing him into the conversation.
"What?" Ron said. "Oh, yeah! That's awesome, Hermione."
There was an awkward moment of silence before Harry spoke again.
"Ginny," he said.
"Yeah?" she replied, looking up from Magical Governments of South America.
"Let's go find the candy trolley," he said, rising from his seat.
"Actually, I think I'll just stay and read this," she said, looking at him.
"No, Ginny," Harry said, nodding his head towards Ron. "Let's go see if they've got anything new this year."
"Oh!" Ginny said. "Right, I'm coming." She rose and followed Harry out of the compartment. Harry looked back once to see Ron desperately looking after him. Harry shrugged his shoulders and slid the compartment door shut.
"How long do you think they'll last in there?" Ginny giggled.
"Let's give 'em a while," Harry said, chuckling. They headed off to find some of their friends.
The hours passed, and finally the passengers felt the train slowing. Just as it came to a halt outside the dark, murky Hogwarts lake, Harry and Ginny returned to their compartment. Harry was about to unlatch the door when it slid open to reveal a flustered Hermione, ready to go with trunk in hand.
"Hermione?" Harry asked. "You okay?" He looked past her and into the compartment. Ron's face matched the color of his Weasley freckles and hair as he shuffled around, clumsily collecting his luggage.
"Peachy," Hermione replied, an uncertain smile plastered on her face.
"You can leave your trunk here, Hermione," Harry said after a moment of awkward silence.
"Oh," she said, turning redder. "Right." She dropped her trunk loudly near the door before pushing past Harry and Ginny, of whom the later followed her. Harry watched them go and turned back to his friend.
"What in the bloody hell is going on between you two?" Ron's face was a cross between devastation and embarrassment.
"I told her she had a nice arse," he said bluntly, staring off at nothing in particular. "A nice arse! Leave it to me to be the last one to know Hermione's not like other girls in the dating world."
Harry rolled his eyes.
A quarter of an hour later, Harry, Ron and Hermione found themselves on a horse and carriage ride up to the castle. Sharing a carriage with them was Keety Rhea, a fifth year from Ravenclaw.
"Well, frankly, I find Potions and Transfiguration to be the most educational classes here," Keety was saying as the carriage came to a halt near the front steps of the castle. "Although Professor Snape is far from my favorite teacher…" She was the first to get off the carriage, dark brown hair bobbing as she wrapped her cloak tightly around her - the weather was despicable.
"Join the club," Hermione replied, grinning at Harry.
"We should start one!" said Ron, his eyes lighting up at the thought as he stepped down from the carriage. "The 'I Hate Snape and his Greasy Hair Club,' that'd really show him…"
Keety waved goodbye and went over to join her other Ravenclaw friends. Meanwhile Ginny and her two new friends, Nikohl Cutler of Hufflepuff and fellow Gryffindor Ashley Kosenski, had caught up with the trio. Together they walked inside to a final, bittersweet year at Hogwarts.
It was hard to believe it, but this year the Hogwarts house elves seemed to have beaten even last years feast, which had included (but was certainly not limited to) chocolate soufflé, flaming cornbread rolls, roast lemon chicken, cherry dumplings, and the ever popular chocolate cheesecake. This year's tables were filled with these and more.
However, while the tables may have been filled, and stomachs were in the process, the conversation between Ron and Hermione was next to empty. Sure, it existed, but only as a series of, "Pass the rolls" and "Are you finished with the gravy?"
When the stomachs of the student body had been stuffed to their limits, and eyes were growing weary, Hermione and Ron stood. Words were not necessary; as prefects it was their duty to lead the house to the dormitory. Harry got up after them and went to find Ginny and her friends.
"Harry? Harry Potter?" came a high, female voice from behind him as he searched the crowd for Ron's younger sister. Harry swung around to look for the speaker, who turned out to be what looked like a young first year girl, with light brown hair and green eyes.
"Hey, yes, that's me," Harry said, eyes still surveying the crowd.
"Harry Potter!" the girl squeaked with excitement. After taking a moment to calm down, she spoke again.
"I hoped I'd get a chance to meet you," she said, grinning. "I'm a first year, the name's Raquel Aurboda." She extended a hand.
"It's nice to meet you, Raquel," Harry responded. "What house are you in?"
"I'm in Gryffindor!" she said, evidently stunned at the fact that the great Harry Potter would bother to ask her a question.
"Wow, well that's great," Harry said. "Listen, I've got to go find my friends, but maybe I'll see you around?"
"Okay!" Raquel replied, before being swept into the sea of students making their way towards the door. Harry finally found Ginny and company, and they followed the rest of their house up the many flights of stairs and hallways to the Gryffindor Tower. Once there, Hermione stepped up to the portrait to recite the password.
"Bubble rye," she said, and the students watched as the portrait swung back to reveal the Gryffindor common room entrance. The students flooded into the dormitory. Harry found Ron and they both walked past the groups of apprehensive first years who were waiting for McGonagall's talk, and up to their dorm. Once there, Ron flopped down on his bed.
"We're back," he said, sighing. But this time it wasn't so exciting and enjoyable. It was the last time they would spend their first night of the year there.
"Yes," Harry agreed, looking out the window at the grounds. "I'm home."
The next morning, at breakfast, their schedules were delivered to them via owl post.
"Magical Pastry-Making?" Ron said with raised eyebrows as he scanned his Monday morning classes. Harry shrugged.
"What've you got?" Ron asked.
"Mysteries of Ancient Wizardry first hour followed by Advanced Charms," Harry said.
"Yeah, I've got Charms too," Ron said cheerfully.
"Second hour? Me too!" said Hermione, looking over Ron's shoulder. She sat down next to him and began filling her plate with food.
"Oh, um, hey, Hermione," Ron stuttered. Harry rolled his eyes and Ron glared at him.
"What do the rest of your schedules look like for today?" Hermione asked between sips of orange juice. She leaned over to look at Harry's and Ron's schedules - a little too close for Ron's comfort, though.
"Um, I'll be right back," Ron said, standing up abruptly and knocking the butter tray to the ground. "Men's room." He sped off down the hall.
"What's his problem?" Hermione said, popping a grape into her mouth.
"You couldn't guess?" Harry said, grinning. Hermione looked confused slightly, but turned back to the boys' schedules.
"Looks like we've all got Advance Potions II together for third hour," she said.
"Oh great, right after lunch? I'd better not eat or I'll lose my stomach…"
"Then I've got Magical Creatures of he Seas with Ron, and you've got… Medicinal Herbology?" Hermione cracked a smile. "That's a total blow off class, Harry, Neville's in it."
"Shut up, I need something easy," Harry replied, snatching back his schedule. "Anyway, at least I'll know someone in it. I don't know anyone in my Mysteries of Ancient Wizarding class."
Hermione still looked like she was ready to laugh at Harry's choice of classes.
"Hey, It's not funny! Look here, Ron's taking Magical Pastry-Making…"
The near-empty hall rang with laughter.
Okay, so here's what I need you guys to do. Let me know what you think about this story so far! E-mail me at Emeril12@aol.com with any or all the following things:
-What you think of the story so far
-Are there any grammar or spelling mistakes?
-Do you have any ideas for what could happen later on in the story? (the basic idea is that Draco and Harry end up getting together, after a whole lot of struggling and a heck of a lot of miscommunication between the two)
-Link to your stories, if you'd like me to read them too :)
Thanks so much guys!
-Beatrix
Author: Beatrix Malfoy Delacour
Rating: R
Pairing: Draco/Harry, duh
Author's Note: Okay, some people will probably not like this, but this story takes place during the trio's *eighth* year at Hogwarts. This is because I was trying to get around the problem of how this story would be totally void and pointless after Rowling came out with book seven, so I'm just making Hogwarts an eight year school instead. :)
Prologue (aka silly little poem that probably won't be in the final version of this story):
Where are you?
How did you get there?
Have you waited this long,
Just to waste it on nothing?
I can't feel anything.
Yes you can. Open your heart.
I can't love anything.
Just try.
It had become a tradition by now. Every year, on the thirty first of July, a collection of owls would swoop into the open window of Harry Potter's tiny second floor bedroom window at number four Privet Drive. They would drop off a number of packages and letters: rock hard toffees, homemade mince pies (Mrs. Weasley's scrumptious delicacy), useful and interesting schoolbooks, and not-so-useful magical toys. Because it was Harry's birthday. And Harry was a wizard.
Ever since that fateful day seven summer's ago when his giant friend, Hagrid, had informed him of this, Harry had attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a magical school for learning wizards and witches. He had enormous amounts of fun there: sneaking around the castle late at night under his invisibility cloak, playing the exciting game of Quidditch with his fellow Gryffindor house teammates, and attending his many classes, even if that meant dealing with the Potions Professor, Severus Snape, who always seemed to have it in for Harry.
But every June he had been forced to return to the hellhole that was his Aunt and Uncle's home. And Vernon and Petunia Dursley did not look too kindly on wizarding-folk, Harry least of all, who had been left on their doorstep sixteen years ago.
That was why Harry looked forward to his birthday even more than most wizards and witches did. It was a reminder of the fact that there were people out there who loved him. As soon as the first owl swooped in his window he threw off his thin, inadequate covers and scampered over to the desk under his bedroom window, where the first traces of the morning sunrise were beginning to creep inside.
The first package looked like it had been hastily wrapped; it was covered in brown paper and tied with a thin white string. Harry opened it to find a chocolate cake with 'Happy Birthday, Harry' spelled correctly on it, and a letter. He opened it to read:
Dear Harry,
Happy birthday! What have ye been up to this summer? Sorry I didn't have time ter bake ye a cake meself. Hope ye enjoy this one; it's a favorite among the folks down in Hogsmeade.
See ye on the first,
Hagrid
Harry grinned, secretly glad that Hagrid had bought, and not baked, his cake. He set the cake down carefully on the desk before turning to his other gifts.
A long tube caught his eye. He popped open the end of it and saw a poster rolled up inside. Before he could pull it out, though, a small note fell out. Harry picked it up.
Dear Harry,
Happy birthday! Having a good summer? Well, I suppose not. Anyway, I caught up with Dean Thomas a couple of weeks ago, and stole one of his soccer posters off his bedroom wall. Don't think he even noticed. Well, I enchanted it for you! Spell didn't work perfectly, but enjoy. See you at school!
-Ron
P.S. Hermione didn't, by any chance, ask you about me, did she?
Harry set down the note and pulled the poster from its tube. He unrolled it to find a soccer game, all right. But apparently, Ron had overlooked the fact that soccer wasn't played on broomsticks. Harry chuckled as number thirty-seven, Edward Lindstrom, flew recklessly around the poster, trying unsuccessfully to kick the soccer ball.
His third package was heavy, and wrapped in dark blue wrapping paper that had pure-white, enchanted snowflakes fluttering around it. Hermione, he thought, smiling as he rolled his eyes. Every year she got him either a book, or something else equally as useful in school. This year, he unwrapped the gift to find Magical Me II: The Unreleased Volume, by Gilderoy Lockhart. Harry almost collapsed in a fit of laughter as Lockhart stumbled mindlessly around the book's cover. Stuck inside the first page was a note from Hermione:
Dear Harry,
How are you? Oh, I do hope you're getting along all right with the Dursley's. Just don't make any trouble with them, okay?
Anyway, happy birthday! I know how much you loved Professor Lockhart, and thought this would be the perfect gift for such a big fan of his. See you back at school.
Love always,
Hermione
P.S. Has Ron spoken to you about me by any chance? I was just curious.
Harry thought it odd that Hermione would likewise be asking about Ron. Had something happened between the two of them that Harry was unaware of? He would be sure to ask them as soon as they were all back together again at Hogwarts. But if something had happened between them… Harry shuddered just thinking about it. Hermione and Ron were such opposites; it was scary to think they would ever be involved with each other - that way.
One more small package lay on the table among the ripped string and torn paper from Harry's other gifts. But Harry could not figure it out. Who else would have sent him a gift? He supposed it would contain a letter of some sorts inside that would reveal the identity of the sender, and unwrapped it to find a small, white box. Inside was a single, fresh, red rose.
Harry looked at it for a moment in slight confusion. Who had sent it?
Hermione? She would never think of him as more than a brother.
Ron? Ew.
Who then? Harry thought. Then it came to him: it was probably just another Weasley joke from the twins, Fred and George. Harry delicately picked the rose up with two fingers, marched over to his chest of drawers, and deposited the flower in the dressers' empty bottom drawer. If it was a Weasley invention, he didn't want it suddenly turning into a mouse - though it would be fun to upset the Dursley's with.
Exactly one week before September First arrived, Harry took the famed Knight Bus over to the Weasley's house, The Burrow. He'd had enough of the Dursley's for one summer and was dying to get back to the magical community. He never told any one about the rose: to tell the truth, once Harry was back at school the matter completely slipped his mind.
All the windows of the Burrow were hanging wide open when Harry arrived. This summer had been one of the warmest in years, and was holding on, as if the heat just didn't want to die.
The unnaturally warm weather had everyone inside the Burrow in high spirits, even Percy, who had been dragged home by his mother to see Ron off to his eighth, and final, year at Hogwarts.
"Mum! I need to stay at work. The Ministry needs me right now; there's been a stream of anti-Muggle activities over the past month, somebody needs to-" Percy had argued, but Molly Weasley cut him off every time.
"I will not hear this, Percivius Weasley," she said sternly. "You are coming home to see Ron and Ginny off to school, and that's the end of it." Percy gave in finally; being called by his real first name always ended his arguments.
Along with Percy, the rest of the Weasley boys had also come home for the week. Charlie had flown in by broomstick (much to his mother's dislike) from Romania, and Bill, who had quit his job at Gringotts in Egypt to become a treasure hunter in South Africa (also to his mother's dislike), had given up a week to come home.
Everyone gathered in the front yard as the Knight Bus pulled up and Harry hopped off. The driver helped Harry unload his trunk, and then the bus was off in the blink of an eye.
"Harry, it's wonderful to see you again!" Mrs. Weasley cried, throwing her arms around him. Harry was glad to know the Weasley's. They felt like his true family; nothing like what living at the Dursley's felt like.
"I hope you haven't had too much trouble with your aunt and uncle, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said worriedly when she finally let go of him.
"Nonsense, Molly," Arthur Weasley enthusiastically chimed in. "I'm sure Harry didn't make any trouble for Mr. and Mrs. Dulsy."
"Dursley," Harry corrected him, but his voice was lost in a sea of words as the Weasley boys welcomed him back.
"Harry!" Ron said, embracing his friend. "I'm so glad your back here, it's been so dull, what, with almost everyone gone."
"I'm glad to be back too," Harry said, smiling.
"I mean," Ron continued, "I even had to call up Seamus and hang out with him for a few days back in July…" Harry chuckled, but there was no time to reply, for Fred and George had swarmed around him.
"Harry ol' boy," Fred said. "Welcome back!"
"Yeah, same here," George said, a little quieter than Fred. "Listen, when you get a chance, we want to show you some of the stuff we've been conjuring up…" But just then, Fred noticed Percy looking at them peculiarly, and he stopped whispering and patted Harry on the back.
"Yeah, and I'm sure you'll have a great time here, Harry," he said loudly. "Mum's been cooking all day for tonight's meal!"
Harry smiled, and saw Percy turn back and storm silently into the house.
At around seven o'clock that evening, Ron and Harry made their way down from Charlie's room, where he had been telling them about his assistance in the suppression of a dragon riot in Ireland the previous spring, and out into the Weasley's backyard, where a huge feast was already arrayed for the family. Practically every kind of food Harry could imagine lay before his eyes, and he was reminded strongly of the feasts up at Hogwarts. This made his stomach leap; he couldn't wait to go back home.
Harry sat between Ron and Bill, who was looking very cool with yet another piercing in his ear. This time it was the feather of, "an enchanted ostrich down in Australia who they had to sedate because she just wouldn't stop dancing the can-can," according to Bill himself.
Halfway through the delicious meal, between conversations of Quidditch and plates of warm apple pie, Ron turned to Harry quite seriously.
"Harry," he said softly. "Have you talked to Hermione at all this summer?"
Harry, whose mouth was full of vanilla toad ice cream, nodded. Ron waited for him to swallow.
"Yes," Harry said. "Well, sort of. She sent me a letter with my birthday present. Why?"
"Just wondering," Ron said, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink, perfectly complementing his flaming red hair. "She didn't say anything about me, did she?" Harry thought for a moment.
"Yeah, she did, actually. She asked if you had said anything about her," Harry replied. "Is this going where I think it's going, Ron?"
Ron didn't answer.
"Ron?"
"Hm?"
"Do you fancy Hermione?" Harry started grinning mischievously when Ron stuttered in answering him.
"Well, no, it's not that- not exactly…" Ron trailed off.
"Just ask her out then, Ron," Harry said, still smirking.
"Well, no," Ron said, turning back to his banana pudding. "I couldn't do that…"
Later that week, they found themselves boarding the train to Hogwarts for the last time.
"Say hey to everyone up at the school for me," said Bill, who stood next to Charlie and Percy with his hands shoved in his low-rise blue jeans.
"Yeah, especially Dumbledore," Charlie said, grinning as usual. "How's that old git doing, anyways?" Ron and Harry laughed, recalling all the adventures that Charlie told them he had gone on during his own years at the school.
"Hey Ron," Fred said. "D'you think you could send us a Hogwarts toilet seat while you're up there?" George started to giggle, but a purposeful glare from Mrs. Weasley stopped him. Harry and Ron tried hopelessly to suppress their own grins.
"Well dears," she said, turning to Harry and Ron and smiling. "Have a wonderful last year up at the school! And don't get into too much trouble, Ron. When I got that letter from Professor McGonagall last year about the kangaroos ransacking the common room and what they did to Mr. Filch, I about died…"
Harry and the Weasley family couldn't help laughing out loud this time. The eleven o'clock bell rang on the clock tower.
"Oh, that's it!" Mrs. Weasley said, hurrying Harry, Ron and Ginny up onto the train steps. "Now do be good, and watch over your sister, Ron."
"Mum, she's a seventh year, I think she'll be fine," Ron groaned.
"Just you watch over her all the same, Ronald Weasley," his mother said, pointing a finger at her red headed son.
"Oh, Merlin's beard, all right," Ron said.
"Bye, mum!" Ginny cried as the train began to move. Mrs. Weasley jumped back and stood near Mr. Weasley and the rest of their family. They all waved as the train rounded the bend, and when they were out of sight, Harry, Ron and Ginny made their way back to the compartment where their luggage was. The trio sat down in silence.
"I wonder where Hermione is?" Harry asked. He got up and looked up and down the hall for a moment, then sat back down near the window. He looked at Ron, who's face was beat-red.
"Ron?"
"Yeah?"
"Y'okay?" Harry asked, as a sweat drop dripped down Ron's forehead.
"Yeah, sure," Ron said.
"Was it something I said?" Harry asked.
"N-no," Ron said.
"Ron, that's it. What's going on between Hermione and you?"
"Nothing!" Ron looked quickly out the window. Harry stared at him, waiting.
"Okay fine, something." Ron looked down, avoiding Harry's eyes. "We got together over the summer, way back in the beginning of July. We were just hanging out, she took me to one of those moving-pictures, a Muggle- um…"
"A movie?" Harry offered.
"Yes, that was it," Ron continued. "Well, she, er…"
"Yes, Ron?" Harry questioned.
"She, um, kissed me," Ron said flatly. It took a moment for Harry to reply.
"She kissed you?" Harry said, trying to suppress a smile.
"Er, yeah," Ron said, still looking at the ground.
"And?" Harry said. Something else had to have happened.
"And…?" Ron said.
"What happened?"
"I don't know," Ron replied. "It was when I was dropping her off at her house. Dad let me borrow his Mini Cooper that he enchanted last fall. She just kind of kissed me, and then went inside."
Harry couldn't help it, he laughed.
"Harry! You're not helping, you know," Ron said, glaring at him, frustrated.
"I know, I know," Harry finally said, calming down. "I'm sorry, I really am."
"So what do I do?" Ron asked seriously.
"Well I don't know," Harry said after a moment. "Come to think of it, I've never been on a date myself except for Cho back in fifth year, unless you count the Yule Ball the year before that…"
"Oh heavens, don't remind me of that," Ron sighed.
"'Oh heavens'? You're starting to sound like Hermione too…" Harry chuckled as Ron frowned at him again.
"Harry, c'mon," he pleaded. "I'm being serious."
"Okay, okay," Harry said. "So what's the problem?"
"Well, I haven't exactly talked to her since then," Ron said.
"I heard the guy is supposed to call the girl," Harry offered. "That's how it's done with Muggles."
"Really?" Ron said, looking as though he were ready to cry. "That means I blew it! Because I never called her back…"
"Relax, Ron, I'm sure she'll understand, it's Hermione," said Harry. "We've known her forever."
"You think so?" Ron said hopefully.
"Yeah, don't worry about it," Harry said. As if on cue, the compartment door slid open and Hermione Granger walked inside.
"Hey, you guys," she said, a smile playing across her face that would have spread across Russia, if you'd plotted it on a map.
"Hey, Hermione," Harry said, grinning. He looked pointedly at Ron.
"Yeah, hey, Hermione," Ron said, trying to look at Hermione but utterly failing. Hermione looked at him with raised eyebrows for a moment before lugging her trunk inside. Harry helped her put it on the seat next to Ron and Ginny, and Hermione sat down next to Harry.
"I'm so excited for our last year," she said eagerly.
"Really?" Harry said. "I thought you'd be disappointed, no more teachers next year."
"Oh, I'm not worried about that," Hermione said brightly. "My parents have already arranged for me to attend the Edinburgh University of Magical Relations after Hogwarts." Harry looked at her, disbelievingly.
"Edinburgh?" he questioned.
"Yes, it's a four-year university for wizards," she explained. "I'll be studying International Wizarding Relations there. I'm planning on going into foreign relations with the Ministry after that. I even have an internship set up for next summer." She beamed.
"That's wonderful," said Harry, who had hardly given his wizarding future half a thought. "Isn't that great, Ron?" he said, bringing him into the conversation.
"What?" Ron said. "Oh, yeah! That's awesome, Hermione."
There was an awkward moment of silence before Harry spoke again.
"Ginny," he said.
"Yeah?" she replied, looking up from Magical Governments of South America.
"Let's go find the candy trolley," he said, rising from his seat.
"Actually, I think I'll just stay and read this," she said, looking at him.
"No, Ginny," Harry said, nodding his head towards Ron. "Let's go see if they've got anything new this year."
"Oh!" Ginny said. "Right, I'm coming." She rose and followed Harry out of the compartment. Harry looked back once to see Ron desperately looking after him. Harry shrugged his shoulders and slid the compartment door shut.
"How long do you think they'll last in there?" Ginny giggled.
"Let's give 'em a while," Harry said, chuckling. They headed off to find some of their friends.
The hours passed, and finally the passengers felt the train slowing. Just as it came to a halt outside the dark, murky Hogwarts lake, Harry and Ginny returned to their compartment. Harry was about to unlatch the door when it slid open to reveal a flustered Hermione, ready to go with trunk in hand.
"Hermione?" Harry asked. "You okay?" He looked past her and into the compartment. Ron's face matched the color of his Weasley freckles and hair as he shuffled around, clumsily collecting his luggage.
"Peachy," Hermione replied, an uncertain smile plastered on her face.
"You can leave your trunk here, Hermione," Harry said after a moment of awkward silence.
"Oh," she said, turning redder. "Right." She dropped her trunk loudly near the door before pushing past Harry and Ginny, of whom the later followed her. Harry watched them go and turned back to his friend.
"What in the bloody hell is going on between you two?" Ron's face was a cross between devastation and embarrassment.
"I told her she had a nice arse," he said bluntly, staring off at nothing in particular. "A nice arse! Leave it to me to be the last one to know Hermione's not like other girls in the dating world."
Harry rolled his eyes.
A quarter of an hour later, Harry, Ron and Hermione found themselves on a horse and carriage ride up to the castle. Sharing a carriage with them was Keety Rhea, a fifth year from Ravenclaw.
"Well, frankly, I find Potions and Transfiguration to be the most educational classes here," Keety was saying as the carriage came to a halt near the front steps of the castle. "Although Professor Snape is far from my favorite teacher…" She was the first to get off the carriage, dark brown hair bobbing as she wrapped her cloak tightly around her - the weather was despicable.
"Join the club," Hermione replied, grinning at Harry.
"We should start one!" said Ron, his eyes lighting up at the thought as he stepped down from the carriage. "The 'I Hate Snape and his Greasy Hair Club,' that'd really show him…"
Keety waved goodbye and went over to join her other Ravenclaw friends. Meanwhile Ginny and her two new friends, Nikohl Cutler of Hufflepuff and fellow Gryffindor Ashley Kosenski, had caught up with the trio. Together they walked inside to a final, bittersweet year at Hogwarts.
It was hard to believe it, but this year the Hogwarts house elves seemed to have beaten even last years feast, which had included (but was certainly not limited to) chocolate soufflé, flaming cornbread rolls, roast lemon chicken, cherry dumplings, and the ever popular chocolate cheesecake. This year's tables were filled with these and more.
However, while the tables may have been filled, and stomachs were in the process, the conversation between Ron and Hermione was next to empty. Sure, it existed, but only as a series of, "Pass the rolls" and "Are you finished with the gravy?"
When the stomachs of the student body had been stuffed to their limits, and eyes were growing weary, Hermione and Ron stood. Words were not necessary; as prefects it was their duty to lead the house to the dormitory. Harry got up after them and went to find Ginny and her friends.
"Harry? Harry Potter?" came a high, female voice from behind him as he searched the crowd for Ron's younger sister. Harry swung around to look for the speaker, who turned out to be what looked like a young first year girl, with light brown hair and green eyes.
"Hey, yes, that's me," Harry said, eyes still surveying the crowd.
"Harry Potter!" the girl squeaked with excitement. After taking a moment to calm down, she spoke again.
"I hoped I'd get a chance to meet you," she said, grinning. "I'm a first year, the name's Raquel Aurboda." She extended a hand.
"It's nice to meet you, Raquel," Harry responded. "What house are you in?"
"I'm in Gryffindor!" she said, evidently stunned at the fact that the great Harry Potter would bother to ask her a question.
"Wow, well that's great," Harry said. "Listen, I've got to go find my friends, but maybe I'll see you around?"
"Okay!" Raquel replied, before being swept into the sea of students making their way towards the door. Harry finally found Ginny and company, and they followed the rest of their house up the many flights of stairs and hallways to the Gryffindor Tower. Once there, Hermione stepped up to the portrait to recite the password.
"Bubble rye," she said, and the students watched as the portrait swung back to reveal the Gryffindor common room entrance. The students flooded into the dormitory. Harry found Ron and they both walked past the groups of apprehensive first years who were waiting for McGonagall's talk, and up to their dorm. Once there, Ron flopped down on his bed.
"We're back," he said, sighing. But this time it wasn't so exciting and enjoyable. It was the last time they would spend their first night of the year there.
"Yes," Harry agreed, looking out the window at the grounds. "I'm home."
The next morning, at breakfast, their schedules were delivered to them via owl post.
"Magical Pastry-Making?" Ron said with raised eyebrows as he scanned his Monday morning classes. Harry shrugged.
"What've you got?" Ron asked.
"Mysteries of Ancient Wizardry first hour followed by Advanced Charms," Harry said.
"Yeah, I've got Charms too," Ron said cheerfully.
"Second hour? Me too!" said Hermione, looking over Ron's shoulder. She sat down next to him and began filling her plate with food.
"Oh, um, hey, Hermione," Ron stuttered. Harry rolled his eyes and Ron glared at him.
"What do the rest of your schedules look like for today?" Hermione asked between sips of orange juice. She leaned over to look at Harry's and Ron's schedules - a little too close for Ron's comfort, though.
"Um, I'll be right back," Ron said, standing up abruptly and knocking the butter tray to the ground. "Men's room." He sped off down the hall.
"What's his problem?" Hermione said, popping a grape into her mouth.
"You couldn't guess?" Harry said, grinning. Hermione looked confused slightly, but turned back to the boys' schedules.
"Looks like we've all got Advance Potions II together for third hour," she said.
"Oh great, right after lunch? I'd better not eat or I'll lose my stomach…"
"Then I've got Magical Creatures of he Seas with Ron, and you've got… Medicinal Herbology?" Hermione cracked a smile. "That's a total blow off class, Harry, Neville's in it."
"Shut up, I need something easy," Harry replied, snatching back his schedule. "Anyway, at least I'll know someone in it. I don't know anyone in my Mysteries of Ancient Wizarding class."
Hermione still looked like she was ready to laugh at Harry's choice of classes.
"Hey, It's not funny! Look here, Ron's taking Magical Pastry-Making…"
The near-empty hall rang with laughter.
Okay, so here's what I need you guys to do. Let me know what you think about this story so far! E-mail me at Emeril12@aol.com with any or all the following things:
-What you think of the story so far
-Are there any grammar or spelling mistakes?
-Do you have any ideas for what could happen later on in the story? (the basic idea is that Draco and Harry end up getting together, after a whole lot of struggling and a heck of a lot of miscommunication between the two)
-Link to your stories, if you'd like me to read them too :)
Thanks so much guys!
-Beatrix