Tenderness in a Poem
CHAPTER EIGHT-LOOKS ARE EVERYTHING…MOSTLY
After Harry's pleasant encounter with Draco, Harry ambled back to his common room. He was slightly antsy when he entered through the portrait and decided to fix himself up for Draco. Harry crept up the stairs to the dorms and through the room without any mishaps until he reached his bed. Opening the lid of his trunk, a loud creak ran through the deadly silent room. Neville Longbottom snorted in his sleep and rolled over, unawake. The two boys on the other side of the room slept on but the curtains that belonged to the bed next to Harry's opened.
A red haired boy's face appeared behind the curtains in the darkness. "Whoz 'er?"
Cursing, Harry crouched silently behind his trunk, waiting. Several minutes passed as Ron swayed on his bed before he closed the curtains and passed out again. Harry then quietly grabbed his pajamas and made a mad dash for the bathroom before he woke anyone else up.
After a hot shower, Harry dried off with a warm towel. He stepped up to the steamed mirror and wiped off the condensation. A soggy green eyes boy stared back at Harry. Merlin, he looked awful. His hair needed a good cut; conjuring a pair of scissors, since he didn't know how to cut his hair magically, Harry began to trim away the knots in his hair. It took the better part of a half an hour but when he was finished, he looked like a new man.
Satisfied, Harry's eyelids began to droop. Not wanting more bags under his eyes, Harry tucked himself under his covers on his empty bed. A warm glow filled Harry's empty stomach before he drifted off to Never-Never Land.
The next morning, Harry awoke slowly. Sunlight was already over the tree tops as it sparkled in Harry's face. Groaning, he reluctantly rolled out of bed. Tired to the marrow, his bones creaked. The last time he had slept so soundly had been nearly four months ago. His body wasn't used to it. Tea was needed, or a shot of Fire-whiskey.
In the bathroom, Harry took special care to fix his hair and wear wrinkle free clothes. Then he brushed his teeth to a white glow. Today was the first day that Draco was going to see him looking like a new man. And damnit, he did look like a new man! It actually felt good. Of course it was great to just go and be as he was, but that wasn't everything. Looks did matter.
Harry left the common room feeling amazing, except for being very tired still. Immediately in the hallways people were turning heads and staring. Gossip circled him as he walked through the halls to breakfast. No one cared if he overheard them, Harry was just glad to know that everyone was sure he wasn't broken. How sweet it was to be heralded again.
As Harry entered the Great Hall, chatter died and heads swung. Everyone was noticing the change. It was abrupt, behind their backs. Some were taken aback, some were curious, and some were aroused. Draco was in the last group, trying hard to fight the beating of his heart. He wasn't going to be a slave to the Gryffindor. Two could play dirty games as well as one could.
Unaware of Draco's thoughts, but aware of the grey staring eyes, Harry sat at the Gryffindor table. He grabbed himself an English muffin and buttered it. The stares were starting to fade away as talk of normalcies replaced it. Why were looks so important to everyone? Who really cared what was on the outside? He looked around the Great Hall at all the students, half of which primped themselves for hours. Shrugging, Harry continued to eat his breakfast in silence.
A cough was heard at Harry's left elbow. Ron and Hermione had appeared beside him.
"Hey," Ron began. "Get a good nights sleep?"
Harry nodded and an awkward silence fell between the once good friends.
"Harry," Hermione tried, "I'm-We are really-"
"Listen mate," Ron tried as Hermione's voice faded away, her lips quivering. "We just wanted to say-"
"Don't," Harry interrupted. "Don't tell me you guys are sorry. I don't want to hear anything you have to say. I want nothing to do with you guys. You threw me out of your lives and I don't want back in."
"But-We only-" Hermione said, disbelief in her eyes.
"No, whatever your excuse is, save it. You were the only ones I had that I could talk to and you abandoned me. So leave me alone."
Tears sprang up in Hermione's eyes as she turned and ran. Ron followed a few moments later, fury written in his eyes, but torn as the girl he loved ran and his ex-best friend sat before him. Harry felt a little saddened at the turn of events, but it was for the better. Weren't friends supposed to be there through thick and thin? Even when the walls were plummeting around you. They were the ones. Now they weren't. They would have to live with it, just as Harry had lived with so far.
