Harriet Potter and an Adventure to Remember
Chapter 4
Warnings: Beware of sex and lesbians. They totally get it on in this chapter.
Obligatory Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine, go figure.
A/N: So, once again I present audiences with . . . mostly exposition. Sigh. I'm just not proving to be very good at showing instead of telling. I'll try (promise) to start doing more scenes. Because even I know dialogue is much more fun to read.
Previously: The rest of the day passed in a blur at the Hospital Wing, with appearances by various adults from the Headmaster to the Head's of each student's house. Detentions were handed out, and warnings were made. The story of a Snape being defended by a Potter from Potter's own House was passed from student to student.
Though most of the physical damage was healed on all five students, what was left was carefully noted by all Houses. Snape was talked about as a victim, ambushed while alone. The boys were seen as bullies not only for hurting girls, but for hurting girls younger and smaller than themselves.
Above all else, every House respected Harriet as a hero.
***
A week later, the gossip continued to flow. Every year, in every House, loved the drama.
Except for the people involved. Roger Davis, the only Ravenclaw of the attacking bunch, avoided Harriet in their common room. The other two boys, Hufflepuff third years, were considered to be the bad influence that briefly pulled second year Davis down a dark path.
Harriet disliked the attention, but she ignored it just as she had her more notable Girl-Who-Lived status.
Serena used her Slytherin cunning to its fullest. By the time she left the hospital wing, she was no longer "The Greasy Bat's Kid." She was "That Poor Firstie Everyone's Been So Mean To."
Draca, while not intimately involved with the conflict, didn't participate in the drama solely because she spent a lot of time thinking. She thought about Harriet Potter. And she thought about Serena Snape.
The train ride to Hogwarts had been an unhappy one for her. She'd squabbled with Serena over a stupid spell that neither truly cared about. And so she'd spent that first ride, known as the most memorable of all train rides, not with her best friend, but with simpering Pansy Parkinson and stuck up Blaise Zabini.
And then, Draca found out that Serena had not suffered similarly! Instead, as they floated up to Hogwarts, Serena regaled her with the wonderfully witty conversation she'd enjoyed with the surprisingly not arrogant Harriet Potter.
That first breakfast at Hogwarts, instead of enjoyably experienced with her best friend since birth, was rudely interrupted by Potter.
Draca had been suspicious at first. She'd glared at Potter, shown the girl how truly unwelcome she was. Tried to show that whatever prank she likely had planned, Draca was not going to allow it.
Because while Draca cared deeply for her best friend, she knew Serena and her family were misunderstood by many, even targeted at times. Perhaps because the Snape family was disparaged so often was what caused Draca's initial, and somewhat lasting, distrust of Potter's motives?
Even though Draca saw the humor in Serena's comments, Parkinson didn't. Even though Draca clearly witnessed Serena develop into a sharply featured beauty, Zabini didn't. Even though Draca appreciated Serena's strong intelligence, Crabbe and Golye . . . well, what did they know about brains?
All because the elder Snape was a person harshened by circumstances. A known Death Eater during the war cause the light families to withhold respect from the Snape family, while Severus Snape's traitor status cause most dark families to be suspicious and resentful.
The elder Snape had dealt poorly with the unsolved murder of his wife, Serena's mother. Increasingly hardened every year, he cared little for the mistakes or uncertainties of others. And while Draca knew him to be a man deeply hurting, that didn't mean he was any nicer in public.
So why did Potter see all of these things about Serena that only Draca noticed? Why did she see them after such a small amount of contact?
Draca couldn't help but question if Potter truly saw Serena for the lively, scathingly fun person she was, or if there was an agenda to her friendship. If Potter had heard the stories about her and Serena's parent's Hogwarts years, their rivalry, perhaps she planned on using Serena as a belated revenge?
But in early November, after hearing about Serena's rescue from bullying boys by Potter, Draca decided to stop questioning. Whatever Potter's reasons for seeking Serena's friendship, they were worth it.
Those secret reasons didn't matter when compared to the benefits of Potter being an ally. Because whatever Potter's motives, she had proven to be a defender and a protector. A somewhat Gryffindorish one, by also a worthy one. While Hufflepuffs were known as the loyal House, a cunning, survival driven Slytherin like Draca knew that friends were very important.
And after thinking about what she knew, and what had happened, Draca decided to truly become Potter's ally and friend.
***
Sprawled stomach down on the floor of their secret room, a green pillow under one hip and a tasseled red pillow supporting her chest, Harriet plowed through her Charms text.
Serena lie curled in a separate corner, wrapped around a mammoth sized History book.
They'd been studying for only an hour when Serena's remarked, without glancing up, "Draca wants to be your friend now."
Harriet let the absurd statement linger unanswered for several moments before saying, "Oh goody."
"Sarcasm doesn't suit you."
"Doesn't it?" Harriet questioned, propping her head in her hand and glancing at Serena.
"All right, it may, you terrible wretch," Serena answered. "But still, this changes things."
"Such as?"
Serena flopped her book closed and sat up. "Well, you can start staying in the Slytherin dorm with us on weekends. I didn't invite you before because I didn't want to make Draca uncomfortable."
"Jealous, you mean. Her possessiveness is hardly subtle," Harriet said, carefully marking her page and also sitting up. She dragged her pillows with her as she scooted closer to Serena.
"Yes, she is oddly protective, ever since we were children. It's odd though," Serena mused, "because after those pillow biting, mudblood wannabes cornered me last week, I expected her to be on high alert, overly attentive."
Snorting, Harriet presented Serena with A Look. A Look that said, "have you always been this silly/stupid/oblivious?"
"I take it you know why she hasn't?" Serena questioned.
Harriet pasted on her snottiest expression. "Wasn't that what we first started this conversation about? Draca wants to be my friend."
"Your point?"
"I am now fully trustworthy, and as a trustworthy person, Draca is no longer the only person watching your back. She can relax, because I am awesome."
"Let's not get too carried away here," Serena cautioned. "Friends, yes. Awesome? Ehhh. . . . "
"Bitch," Harriet said calmly. "And don't you have other roommates to consider? It's not just you and Draca in the Slytherin dorms."
"Pansy can kiss my shiny white butt, and Millicent isn't so bad. She won't care if you stay in the room now and then."
Harriet contemplated the offer. "You want me to drag my blankets and pillow down from the Ravenclaw dorms, risking detection from uppity Prefects and your father, all to sleep on the dungeon floor?"
"Nooo." Serena drew the word out, elongating it. She'd obviously thought a lot about her offer and all of the separate elements, and was hesitating only so that she perfectly phrased her next suggestion. "At first, I thought the three of us—"
"Three?"
"You, me, and Draca."
"Of course. Draca. . . ."
"Yes, Draca," Serena continued. "I thought the three of us could do the sleep over kind of thing where we all camped on the floor. Between Draca and myself, there'd be enough blankets for the three of us."
"But?"
"Well, Draca is a Malfoy. And apparently Malfoys don't sleep on the floor."
"Surprise, surprise," Harriet muttered.
"Which is total bullshit, you understand," Serena confided, rolling her eyes at Draca's pompousness. "I've stayed at Malfoy Manor plenty of times, and every now and then we'd camp out on the floor just because we could. She'd whine and moan, but she still slept on the floor."
"Sounds like a great time."
"Hush," Serena commanded, reaching out and lightly shoving the Ravenclaw girl's shoulder. Sitting firmly, the light push barely caused Harriet to lean backwards. "So, I decided you could simply stay with me. Then you won't need your blankets or anything."
"In your bed, you mean?" Harriet's expression is carefully neutral.
"Yes. I figure we're both small, and should fit just fine. Or don't you want to? Scared of the Slytherins eating you while you're sleeping and defenseless?"
Harriet flashed a sassy grin. "Not at all. I fully believe that any predator would attack you. You know, considering you're proven to be weak and vulnerable to attack."
"What?" Serena gasped. "I'll show you vulnerable!"
Fifteen minutes later, Draca burst into the room, alarmed by the screams. Staring at the two tussling, shrieking preteens, she contemplated leaving. She thought about dousing them with cold water. But she finally decided to join them instead.