Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter… If I did, Harry would probably be a girl :/
A/N: Thanks for all of your support, again, sorry the chapter is so short, I haven't been able to type much, but I wanted to give you something :) again, Enjoy!
Chapter 2: Freedom
Harry stood, fuming on the doorstep for a few moments before storming away from #4. She called for the Knight Bus, this time carefully, standing on the sidewalk, so as to not be run over by the speeding automobile. Stan opened the door, and he began his normal speech, hand outstretched.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus! Thank you for summoning us, may I help you…?" Stan gave a little start at the beauty he saw standing in front of him, blushing. Shaking himself off, he gave her an uncertain grin, and helped her with stepping into the bus. He almost didn't register the coins dropping into his still hand, and he faintly noticed that she had paid for a hot chocolate. Stammering out a "I'll have your cocoa ready in a moment", he saw her give him a brilliant smile that sent his knees trembling. If she noticed his odd behavior, she didn't comment. Instead, she said,
"To the Leaky Cauldron, please." Sitting down in a seat after paying her fare, she sipped her hot chocolate and waited for a few bustling minutes before, after what seemed like no time at all, stopping at the Cauldron. After thanking the Ernie, who gave her a large grin, she walked into the bar. Before, there would have been a lot of staring and crowds trying to get close to him before he could exit, now, there was just a lot of stares, men raking their eyes up and down her form, and women staring after her jealously. Suppressing a shudder, she walked self-consciously up to Tom, the barkeep, who was staring at her, his ever present rag and dirty cup forgotten, and had a perplexed and angry look on his face. Shyly, she glanced up from underneath her lashes, and softly, said,
"May I get a room, please?" Tom shook himself from his reverie, and looked, really looked at the beauty. She was dressed in clothes that barely stayed on her lithe form, they were so big and baggy. He quickly reached into the countertop, and laid a small key on it. Harry went to pay, but Tom quickly saw what she was doing, and stopped her.
"There's no need for that, sweetie. You can go ahead, stay as long as you like. Your room is number 17." Harry gave him a startled look, before giving Tom a cute grin that made all the men in the room sigh. Oblivious, Harry picked up his trunk and the key, and waved at Tom before walking out the back door. Now, she was grateful for the sidebangs she had apparently grown over that night over her right eye, because they covered her scar rather well. Who knew what would have happened if they knew who she was! That would have risen one too many questions.
Tom stood at the counter, still as a statue. How could a young lady be dressed like that? He had taken one glance at her and decided. He would not let this girl have to pay for anything in the Cauldron, she needed all the luck she could get right now.
Entering the Alley, she took out her school list for the next year, noting briefly that there were less books to purchase. Understanding that she would be having different classes from now on than Ron, or her other friends for that matter, considering her OWL scores were considerably higher than one would expect. She was actually a lot smarter than she let on. She hid it from her friends, if only to keep up appearances, that she was taking all of the NEWT standard core classes, and had studied and tested into Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. Only faintly surprised that she was named Quidditch Captain, she had put her badge into a compartment in her trunk.
Beginning her shopping, she stopped off at Madam Malkins to buy new robes for her new frame. Which, she made a mental note to remember, she would need to find new… undergarments… as well. Whilst being measured for her new robes, another very familiar student walked in. 'Well, it looks as if history is bound to repeat itself, ' she thought.
Draco Malfoy had strutted into the store, just as she had walked in while he was being measured their first year. Sauntering up to the stool next to her, he, none too discreetly, raked his eyes along her figure, finally reaching her eyes after several seconds of her fuming silently in seething rage. Eyes widening, he instantly recognized the flaming green eyes that were usually accompanied by hateful words by his school nemesis.
Draco's POV
When I met her eyes, I was shocked. Those bright emerald orbs belonged to Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived-To-Spite-Him. 'But,' his rational mind told him, 'he's a boy,-a rather handsome one, all the same,- so this beauty just can't be him!' Steeling himself, he asked,
"Why, Miss, are you possibly related to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter?" The raven-haired beauty replied with a bored tone, shocking him.
"Why, Malfoy, I expected more from you, can't even recognize your classmate! We've shared classes together for years now. I suppose you're too much of a git to pull your head out of your arse." Draco blinked. Well, there was no doubt about it, now. This shapely beauty was Potter, and he was just about to saunter up and ask her out. He had the worst luck, didn't he. He finally meets a girl who was so enchanting he could hardly stand it, and she turns out to be Harry-bloody-Potter! He was hoping that he could get over his ridiculous crush, he was straight, he just... was Harry-sexual. As he fumed, he barely even registered that somehow his arch nemesis was suddenly a girl, much less that this was nearly the same exact situation they had found themselves in the summer before first year, nearly 6 years ago. The silence dragged out, and what seemed like years later (but was only about 20 minutes), Harry spoke, but only to gather her robes and thank the seamstress. As she paid and was leaving the store, Draco finally shook out of his daze, and was just about to call out to her as she left the building. Turning, Harry faced him, and in a reckless move, winked and blew him a kiss. Draco's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his platinum blonde hair, as Harry flipped her hair, swaying her hips unintentionally as she left the shop with her purchases. That did it. No matter how much he had admired Potter as a boy, this new Potter was going to be his.
A/N: Again, thank you for your support, feel free to review and tell me what you think! I don't think chapters will be this frequent, I'm really just trying to establish the storyline right now, so I wouldn't expect another chapter until… Sunday, maybe? I'm still not sure… anywho, thanks for reading!
-Sakura
