Ch 2: Curiouser and Curiouser
The witches and wizards at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry had gone from impersonating the walking dead to impersonating goldfish. Students and teachers alike gawked at the Boy-Who-Lived-Twice in awe of his transformation- in both body and persona. Harry in turn ignored the mass of gaping students and faculty, and merrily picked his way through a plate of eggs. Draco Malfoy was the first to break the hold on his mind. Draco shoved a group of first years out of his way and marched across the great hall. "OI, Potter! What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Draco stopped next to Harry. "That's my seat, my plate and my eggs."
Harry responded by spooning another forkful of eggs into his mouth. Draco's sneer was somewhere between disdain and disgust. "Go sit with your little Mudblood and Weaslet, and stop contaminating my table." Draco crossed his arm, deepened his sneer and started tapping his foot, waiting for a response. Harry calmly finished his eggs, dabbed any remaining yellow globs from his lips and set his fork down. With a very Malfoyish smirk, Harry turned to face Draco. "Cool it, Draco." Harry rose from the bench. "You need to learn to relax." Draco scoffed at Harry's tone. His sneered deepened to something very near a snarl. "L- listen here Potter!" Draco stammered, on the verge of pure rage.
Harry stepped into his personal space, effectively cutting the blonde off. "What are you afraid of Draco? That through some strange form of osmosis I'm going to seep niceness into your-" he pronounced the words slowly, tantalizingly "Precious. Bench." Draco steeled his features, squared his jaw and drew his shoulders back. He was a Malfoy and he would not be treated this way! Words filled his mouth like bile, pushing against his teeth to be freed and spewed upon the arrogant Gryffindor; but they weren't able to pass his lips. Harry pushed into the remaining inches of Draco's personal space. With lips to his ear he hoarsely whispered "Afraid you'll become Just. Like. Me?" He licked his lips and, by proximity, the shell of Draco's ear. "I'm not contagious you know. Niceness, compassion, lawful behavior… it's not a disease, Draco. It can't be caught. But that's what you fear most. Isn't it?"
Draco's soft blush was the only answer he needed. Harry chuckled darkly and stepped past the rigid boy. A few swift steps carried him to Neville's long forgotten seat and another plate of eggs. Around the two boys the students began to file back in to finish their breakfast; soon after the- still shocked- faculty called for the start of classes. The student body split into streams of chattering students and trickled to their classes. Harry made his way to the headmaster's office. He reached the gargoyle with little resistance and began reciting past passwords. After a few dozen failed attempts and a couple swear words for good measure, Harry was forced to knock upon the gargoyle's head. A few seconds later the gargoyle was stepping aside and the spiral staircase was, well… spiraling, into view. Harry climbed the corkscrew steps and rapped his knuckles against the door of Dumbledore's office. "Come in Harry." Came Dumbledore's slightly muffled response. Harry slipped into the room and quietly closed the door behind him before crossing the room to settle into his usual chair. "You've returned…What can I do for you m'boy?" Dumbledore's gaze was piercing. In lieu of a response Harry plucked a sneak-o-scope from Albus's desk and began tossing it from hand to hand. "Harry-" Dumbledore began. "My room." Harry stated. He plucked another trinket from the desk and began a simple juggle. "I'd like to discuss my future housing plans."
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"Remember, they're a wee bit skittish. Don't go movin' too fast or yer likely tah make 'em nervous."
Skittish was the understatement of the year. Draco watched, from a secure location, as a 5ft tall stag beetle skittered from one end of it's enclosure to the other at the not-too-sudden movement of a 7th year Hufflepuff. "The mans a moron." Blaise mumbled from somewhere to the left of Draco. On his right Pansy prattled away, unaware her audience wasn't paying attention. Not for the first time Draco silently lamented the expulsion of his goons. "At least they were quite" he huffed silently to himself. He did appreciate the intelligence in his newest set of groupies, but silence was what he craved. He wanted to sort out his thoughts, but a certain miss talkative was living up to her name. Doing his best to block out the incessant chatter, Draco receded into his mind.
Draco's mind had been reeling all morning. Harry Potter had finally returned from his leave of absence after the war and was he acting strange. Once Harry had settled down at the Gryffindor table and breakfast was back in full swing, Draco couldn't take his eyes off the boy. Harry in turn ignored everyone around him; he even refused to talk to Hermione, who tearfully sat just to the left of the teen. Every time Harry opened his mouth to capture another morsel of food, Draco's ear would tingle. The memory of Harry's lips on his ear, the teasing flick of that tongue; it was driving him crazy and he just couldn't understand why. "He never made me feel like this before… why now?" Draco mumbled to himself.
He was suddenly pulled from his thoughts as a large book pinged off of his head. "Draco dear" Pansy called in a sing songy voice. She leaned against the blonde and set her book in his lap. "You're blushing. What are you thinking about?" Draco balked at the mere idea. Him, blushing? Never! "Malfoys don't blush!" Draco's indignant response sent Pansy into a bout of giggles. "Fine, you weren't blushing. You're manly and handsome and blushing is for girls" she choked out between the pearls of laughter. Blaise chuckled at his girlfriend's sarcasm and nudged Draco's shoulder. "What were you thinking about?" The worlds none of your business began to form at the tip of his tongue just as a high pitched whistled rang, signaling the end of class and the beginning of lunch. Draco couldn't gather his tings fast enough. He hurried back to the castle and away from his friends. No point in giving them time to ask him again.
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Harry walked into the great hall for the second time that morning and much like before a hush settled on its occupants, though not for long. Harry shuffled on over to the Gryffindor tables just long enough to whisper something to his friends before sliding further down the line of tables to Slytherin. He glanced up and down the table once before nodding and taking a seat at the far end of the bench. He grinned at the boys sitting in front of, diagonally, and to the left of him and began piling food onto his plate. He hadn't even taken his first bite when: "What in Merlin's name are you doing!?" Draco was on his feet and at the other end of the table faster than you could say pureblood. Harry grinned at the furious boy, his lip ring quirking up in just the way Draco was starting to like.
No, don't think about that!
"It's called eating Draco… or it would be if you'd let me" Harry's snarky reply brought Draco back to his senses. "I know what it's called! I mean, what the fuck are you doing at my table? Again! Go eat with your Griffies!" Ire made the words sound like the whining of a petulant child. Harry couldn't stop the chuckle that rushed past his lips. Draco just looked so cute when he pouted. The laughter was the last straw; Draco exploded. "Get the hell away from MY table!" Harry laughed again. "But I like it here. It's so comfy and the people are so nice. I think I'll stay." Draco was seeing red. The blonde's hands shot out so fast Harry didn't even have time to flinch. In the blink of an eye Draco's hands were clenched in the front of Harry's robes, lifting him off of the bench. A sharp tug brought Harry's face inches from Draco's.
Noses touching,
Breathe mingling,
Eye contact.
"You wanna run that by me again Potter" His name was sludge, sewage, filth to be washed from his mouth. That damned lip ring quirked again, its twin tugging at the corner of his mouth as Harry grinned mischievously. He exaggerated his words. Elongated his mouth and over used his tongue. "I like it right where I am." A vain in Draco's neck bulged.
A crowed had gathered. Everyone jostling to get a better look at the two would be brawlers. The battle of words would be no more than that though. Professor Snape's voice boomed over the rowdy crowd. "Enough!" The students acted as the red sea to Snape's Moses. They parted down the middle to allow the older man through. With a mixture of disgust and disappointment Snape dished out swift punishment. "Potter, Malfoy! 40 Points from Gryffindor and Slytherin for fighting and Detention tonight for causing a disturbance and minor chaos. Be at my office by 8. And Potter, get back to your own house table!" Severus delivered this final order with a pointed look at Harry before turning on his heel and stalking to the head table.
Harry grinned wickedly at Draco as the taller blonde released his robes. "See you later." With that Harry turned and sauntered back to his waiting friends and a plate of food.
T.B.C
