Paybacks and Understandings

Mr. Malfoy,

Are you aware that your son, Draco, is courting Harry Potter? I don't know about you, but I find homosexuality disgusting and wrong. I just thought you should know the kind of company your son keeps.

A Friend

Ron looked at the parchment, fingering the scar running down his face. I hope the Death Eater can make Harry see how selfish and cold Malfoy really is. I hope he sees that the ferret only cares about himself and his Death Eater father. Calling down an owl, he attached the parchment and sent the missive to Malfoy Manor, setting his plan to break up the trio in motion. He walked back down to the Hufflepuff dorm, still fingering the scar, deep in thought. He passed Hermione on his way, and her eyes narrowed on him. She knew that look, and knew that, whatever he had done, it wasn't good. Vowing to keep an eye on the redhead, she continued on to the owlery to send off her own messages.
=======================================================================

The school owl tapped insistently on the French doors leading out to the Malfoy gardens. Lucius, still mourning his lost status, looked up in irritation. A school owl, he thought. Perhaps Draconis has decided to speak to me again. Getting up from the chair that had a permanent arseprint from his non-stop sulking, he opened the doors and let the owl in. It landed on his shoulder, holding out the leg the note was attached to. Lucius gently removed the missive, and the owl flew back out the doors and away. No response required, the elder Malfoy thought. Strange. He unrolled the parchment and read the note, color slowly rising out of his collar as his rage started to build. Harry bloody Potter! The reason for my downfall! How dare that bespectacled freak twist my son into someone perverted! Thank Merlin Avery and Nott escaped Azkaban. I need their help on this. He went to his study where he penned a letter to Avery and Nott, telling them of a 'project' at Hogwarts that he needed help with.


The owls flew into the Great Hall, dropping letters, howlers, reminders, and newspapers to many individuals. The large eagle owl that landed in front of Draco had his eyes widening in alarm. Oh Merlin, he thought, what does he want? Draco's hesitation at taking the letter was noticed, and Harry leaned close to the blond's ear.

"It's only a letter, Draco. It won't bite." The humor in the boy's voice shook the taller boy out of his panic, and he slowly relieved the arrogant bird of its burden. The owl launched itself back into the air and sailed away, many eyes watching its beauty as it left. With shaking hands, Draco broke the seal on the missive and opened it. Scanning the page, his eyes widened in fear before he crumpled the parchment and slammed the Malfoy mask back into place. Observing, the rest of the seventh year Slytherins felt their leader's fear, and knew something was very wrong. Harry reached over and gently pried the balled-up parchment from the blond's hand, smoothing it out and reading it.

Son:

It has come to my attention that you were seen cavorting with my known enemy, Harry Potter. I must entreat you to desist, as this kind of behavior will damage my already precarious position in the wizarding world. I have worked tirelessly to establish a suitable reputation for the Malfoy name, and I will not have this minor dalliance destroy all my hard work. End it. Or I will.

Harry's ebony eyebrows shot into his hairline as he read the nasty words. He glanced over at Draco and saw the tension in his face. Deciding quickly, he grabbed the blond's elbow, helping him to stand. Blaise stood up also, and the three went quickly to the Head Boy's room, leaving confused and concerned Slytherins in their wake. Pansy glanced around the hall, looking at the slight pandemonium the Ice Prince had garnered, and noticed a certain redheaded Weasel smirking into his pumpkin juice. She nudged Hermione and nodded slightly toward the Hufflepuff table. The bushy-haired girl looked, eyebrows raised, at the calculating look on her ex-boyfriend's face. I know he had something to do with this, she thought. I wonder who he sent that letter to. Resolving to talk to Harry about it, she turned back to her breakfast.

Once in the rooms, Harry gently maneuvered himself to a plush armchair, sitting down and pulling the blond into his lap. Blaise sat at the end of the couch closest to the chair and both boys tried to calm Draco down. After several moments of idle chatter, he finally relaxed enough to sag against Harry's chest, gusting out a sigh. Blaise had his hand, stroking the knuckles, and he smiled wanly at the Italian.

"Do you want to explain the mini panic attack?" Harry began. "I didn't think the letter was all that bad. A little nasty, maybe, but relatively tame, all things considered." Draco heaved another sigh, getting up from Harry's lap. He grabbed the raven's hand and pulled him from the chair and toward the bedroom door. Blaise followed closely behind, holding Harry's other hand. They entered the bedroom, and sat side by side on the edge of the bed. Draco started to shake, and Blaise and Harry both scooted closer to the blond, bracketing him in their warmth as they wrapped him in an embrace.

"My father hates you, Harry. He only hates homosexuality more. The idea that his son is gay, and cavorting with the great Harry Potter, will send him into a rage. The letter was my only warning that, if I don't act the proper Malfoy, deny my preference, dump you, and marry a proper witch to provide the proper heir, he will take matters into his own hands. He will kill you, Harry. He feels he owes you for all the times you kicked his ass." Draco's tremors increased as he thought of all the nasty things that his father could and would do to Harry, the fear evident in his silver eyes. "There are still Death Eaters out there that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces."

"I'll be fine, Draco. I have the two of you to protect me, and much of Slytherin as well. Lucius won't get near me. Trust me." Only slightly reassured, the blond nodded, and, looking at the time, jumped up quickly from the bed.

"We're going to be late for Transfiguration. We have to go." The boys grabbed their books and fled from the rooms, running all the way to the fourth floor. Unfortunately, they were late and were docked ten points each. No detentions, however; but the Slytherins in the class glared at them for the loss of house points. Shrugging and smiling sheepishly, they found an empty desk in the back and sat down quickly.


"Harry, where are you heading?" Hermione asked the raven as she jogged to catch up with him. He sighed; he knew what she wanted, and he supposed it was overdue.

"I'm going to the library. Why?"

"We still need to talk about things." Nodding, Harry changed direction. Hermione silently followed as they left the castle and headed for Harry's favorite spot by the lake. Once there, the emerald-eyed boy put up a silencing bubble and wards to keep eavesdroppers away.

"So, talk." His words were short and clipped, indicating his impatience and reluctance.

"Harry, what happened to you? Why are you so so vicious to your best friend? Why..." before she could continue, Harry held up a hand, silencing her.

"Ron's not my best friend. The war changed me. I'm not quite as naive and...pliable as I used to be. Ron attempted to attack, and did attack, two people that are very important to me. He couldn't get over his prejudice enough to see that I'm happy. He deserved it." This last statement was said with a sulky tone, Harry almost pouting as a soft twinge of guilt stabbed at him.

"He didn't deserve the disfiguring scar that now resides on his face, Harry," the ex-Gryffindor said scathingly. Harry winced at her tone and ducked his head, mumbling something.

"I'm sorry Harry, I don't speak mumble." He raised his head and glared back at her.

"I said, it's not permanent. The scar will fade in a couple of weeks. It's just a modified timed glamour charm I learned while researching spells to kill Voldemort. It's sensory as well as visual. For all intents and purposes, it's real until it fades. I would never really hurt someone like that. I may have changed, Hermione, but I still have my scruples." The bushy-haired girl had the good grace to blush, and she adequately demonstrated her skills in speaking mumble when she apologized. "Look, Ron needs to realize that people change. That everyone grows up, with the exception of him. And that I don't need a babysitter anymore. I am quite capable of handling my own life." Harry's irritation was shining through, and Hermione finally understood what was creating the rift between her two best friends.

"You're right, Harry. We both need to remember that. I'll have a talk with him. Can I tell him that you'll still be his friend?"

"Only if he can back off and treat me like an adult. I like Ron; I miss his friendship. But I will not have him trying to attack my intendeds."

"Ok, Harry. I'm sure I can talk some sense into him. I should be able to catch him before he goes...wherever he goes. I'll see you later." She waved as Harry took down the privacy bubble and wards, and he grinned at her.


"You want to do what?" Nott asked incredulously. He had been invited to Malfoy Manor for a 'secret project' and was floored when he discovered that the 'project' was to take out Harry Potter. "Abso-bloody-lutely not," he ground out. "My son is friends with Potter, and I will not risk his life for that. Besides, the war is over. Voldemort is dead. Potter has done his duty and freed us all. I am not risking my freedom for this. Good day, Lucius." The man stormed out of the room, and Malfoy heard the floo in the other room activate. Damn, he thought, I thought he'd go for it. Avery didn't even respond, and I can't get hold of any other Death Eaters. Guess I'll have to do this myself. But how to do it; that's the question. He sat behind his desk, ruminating. Narcissa floated into the room, took one look at the scheming look on her husband's face, tsked to her self, and floated back out. Maybe he'll end up dead this time, she thought to herself. It would be such a relief.


"Ron!" Hermione shouted. She saw the redhead in front of her, walking to the Hufflepuff dorms, and jogged to catch up. He turned slowly, and she noticed that the scar was a little paler, a little more faint. Harry really knows his stuff, she thought with a touch of admiration. "Do you have a moment? I'd really like to talk to you."

"Where's your pet snake?" the boy sneered back. The sadness in the blue eyes was overwhelming, but his voice held nothing but scorn and derision. Hermione nodded once, then slapped him across the face. "Ow! What'd you do that for?"

"Grow up, Ronald!" she snarled. "It's this attitude that lost you the best friend you've ever had. Now, we need to talk but we can't do it here. Let's go to the Room of Requirement." She turned and stalked away, anger visible in the lines of her body, and Ron hung his head and meekly followed after the girl. They got to the seventh floor corridor, and Hermione paced back and forth until a door appeared in the wall. Entering, Ron found a comfortable library setting. They sat across from each other, Ron looking at the table.

"Mione, what happened between us? I thought you and I would get married, have our own family. But you took Harry's side over me. Do you love him?" The look of sadness in those blue eyes broke Hermione's heart, but she knew she had to be a little tough.

"Ron, I will always love you, but we're just too different for a lasting romantic relationship. Your refusal to realize that people change and grow is childish. Harry is happy, probably for the first time in his life. Who are you-no, who are we to deny him that?"

"I just think he's making a mistake. He's different now. Ever since he's taken up with those slimy snakes, he's meaner. Look what he did to me?" Ron's hand gestured toward his face, and the fading scar. Ever since Harry had given it to him, he'd refused to look in the mirror, and had never noticed the fading. Hermione smiled, then smirked. Ron's eyes widened at the look. She's laughing at me. His rage began to grow.

"Ron, the scar is fading. It isn't permanent. Harry would never hurt you like that, even though you would deserve it for raising your wand to his boyfriends. It should be completely gone by the end of next week." Blue eyes widened at the implications.

"So he did this for a joke?" Hermione rolled her eyes, exasperated.

"No, it wasn't a joke. He did it to teach you a lesson. You need to stop judging people based on their pasts or their appearances, or their associations. Was it fun to have everyone judge you because of that scar?" Ron reddened in embarrassment; he had heard the snickering and catcalls. He had heard the pity and derision. He thought for many long minutes; Hermione just watched the wheels slowly turn, before comprehension dawned in the blue eyes.

"Okay. Maybe Harry has a point, and I should try not to jump to conclusions. But Mione, they're Slytherins. Nothing good can ever come from dating Slytherins." Hermione scowled at the stubborn boy, knowing it would take some time for him to realize that Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini were serious in their pursuit of Harry, and that nothing would get in their way. Huffing, she stood and stalked toward the door.

"You're hopeless, Ronald Weasley," she mumbled furiously, tears threatening to spill. I only hope that he sees the light before it's too late.