Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, however, I am the…er…not so proud owner of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
A/N: Hey everyone. So I had planned on updating this on Saturday with the release of Deathly Hallows, but I got so caught up in reading that I didn't have the time. Personally, I was not impressed at all, but that's my own opinion. For those who haven't read it yet, I'm not going to spoil it for you, so please continue with your reading. Most people I've talked to loved it. Maybe I'm just special. Anyways, please enjoy!
Chapter 25: Maddy's Confession Pt. 2
The next morning, the Common Room was crowded with nearly the entire house. Limping down the stairs, Maddy was startled to see everyone there. They were talking about the events of the night before and gossiping about other couples. Harry was sitting in between Ron and Hermione, who looked as if World War III had just started between them. Harry looked tired and was rubbing his eyes wearily. He looked up as Maddy landed at the foot of the stairs.
"Maddy!" his head jerked upward. "There you are!"
Maddy didn't respond as she slowly moved toward them, her eyes focused on the ground as she did her best to ignore the throbbing pain in her head.
"Mad, are…are you okay?"
Maddy looked up, confused. "I'm fine. What are you talking about?"
Harry stood up and walked toward her. "Did you hit your head or something?" He touched the side of her face tenderly.
Maddy cringed in pain. A sharp twinge spread through the right side of her face as he touched her. She turned to the window and could see a large bruise in her reflection.
"I…" Maddy thought of an excuse quickly. "I hit my head on the bedpost…" She nodded quickly and walked toward the table.
"Jeez Mad, you're just a magnet for trouble, aren't you?" Lavender's voice sounded from somewhere to Maddy's left. It was obvious that Harry's strangely close proximity to the wounded girl had caught her attention. "First the scratches, now a bruise. Don't fly a broom any time soon…" She chuckled, lightly.
"Scratches?" Harry turned around to face her. "What scratches?"
Maddy tugged at the sleeves of her sweater. "I was a little woozy when I came through the portrait hole, that's all…"
"Mad, are you sure?" A tone of accusation was made clear in his voice. His eyes flashed as he tried to meet her gaze.
"Yes, Harry…" Maddy was beginning to feel annoyed. She liked that he was worried, but wasn't up for this so early in the morning.
"If you want to talk about it…"
"No, I'm fine." she replied stubbornly.
"Are you posi-" he continued.
"I'M FINE, HARRY!"
Bursting with an anger that seemed to grow harder and harder to control, Maddy ran to the portrait hole and disappeared into the hallway beyond. Harry turned back to the others, still looking concerned.
In the hallway, Maddy collapsed against the wall. She couldn't tell Harry the truth. Harry had a temper that was even worse than Terry's. She had never come face to face with it, but she knew it was there. If Harry were to catch wind of what had happened, Terry would never see the light of day again.
When the portrait of the Fat Lady began to open again, she hurried down the other hallway. She didn't feel much like talking to anyone. Any student at least…
XXXXX
"HAGRID!!" Maddy pounded on the door of Hagrid's hut. "HAGRID!! I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!"
The door opened slowly and Maddy pushed past the massive form of a man, entering the hut. Hagrid shut the door and turned to look at the trembling girl. She was panting and looked as if she had just run all the way from Gryffindor Tower.
"Maddy, calm down…" Hagrid said. "Sit down and I'll make some tea…"
Maddy nodded and sat down on one of Hagrid's overstuffed chairs. Hagrid placed a teapot on the stove and sat down opposite her.
"Is everythin' all righ'? Are yeh okay?" he asked, peering at her, thoroughly concerned.
Maddy shook her head. "No…" she gasped, still doing her best to catch her breath.
"Do yeh want to talk abou' it?" Hagrid offered, hoping that this was why she'd come to see him. He wasn't sure he'd be able to let her leave without explaining now that she had him all worried.
"Yes…" She looked up sharply. "But you can't tell anyone! Especially Harry."
Hagrid began to look troubled, "All righ'…I promise…"
"Last night…" Maddy began slowly. "Last night I was at the ball with Terry…You know Terry Boot, right?"
Hagrid nodded, "Have 'im in one o' me classes. Good kid…"
Maddy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure. We he…he got really, er, possessive of me. He wouldn't let me talk to or go anywhere near Harry. He seemed jealous…"
"Well…" Hagrid stroked his beard. "Tha's understandable. You n' Harry are pretty close. Yeh could pass off as a couple…"
Maddy smiled weakly. Nobody knew about Harry and her and they liked it like that. They could be close without anyone asking probing questions, or fight without people asking whether they broke up or not. "Well, yeah…but that's not the point. When I told him I had a-" She stopped suddenly. She couldn't tell Hagrid that she and Harry were dating. "When I told him I wasn't interested in dating again, he got angry…"
Hagrid nodded. Maddy breathed a sigh of relief. He had believed her.
"Then…he attacked me…" Maddy's voice began to shake. "He came after me and sl-slammed my head into the w-wall…he ripped my dress and…and…"
Hagrid's eyes widened and he noticed the bruise on Maddy's cheek. Maddy could tell that Hagrid was angry as well. "He didn'!"
Maddy nodded, "He did…and I'm scared. What if he does it again? What am I going to do, Hagrid? I can't fight him…"
"Why didn' yeh tell Harry?"
"Because…" Maddy bit her lip, "They'll kill each other…I know them…"
Hagrid didn't even notice that the water was boiling over the pot on the stove. Tears started to fall from Maddy's swollen eyes and she sniffled loudly.
"I'm scared. He scares me so much…" Maddy looked up at him. "They both do…"
Hagrid leaned forward and hugged Maddy as gently as he could. She sobbed into his shoulder and twisted her fingers in his tangled beard. It made her feel safe, which was saying something, for it had been a long time since she'd last felt safe in Hogwarts.
"I think yeh need ter tell Harry…" Hagrid said, releasing her. "Or talk ter Terry while someone else is with yeh. Get yer point across…"
Maddy nodded, thought she had no intention of doing either. It felt good to tell someone what had happened. Wiping her eyes on her scarf, she looked at the steam pouring from the teapot.
"Thanks Hagrid…" she sniffled softly, wiping the side of her nose. "Oh…and by the way, your water's boiling."
XXXXX
"Harry…" Maddy said softly later that afternoon, approaching the overstuffed couch hesitantly. The Common Room was empty and Harry appeared to be napping on a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. Sitting down on the arm of the couch, she leaned over to shake his shoulder gently. "Harry, wake up…"
The boy woke with a start, sitting straight up. A faint line appeared across his face where the book had ended, and his glasses where bent at an awkward angle.
"What?!" he asked, looking around the room hastily. "What happened?"
"Harry, calm down…" Maddy said softly, though her gaze was stern. "Nothing's wrong…it's just me…"
"Oh…" Harry pushed his glasses up higher on his nose, though they remained crooked and bent. "Mad…what are you…" he paused, his eyes locking onto hers. "What are you doing here? I thought you were mad at me…"
Maddy sighed and slid down onto the couch next to him. He moved his feet to allow her more room, though she hardly needed it and much preferred being closer to him. Slowly, she shook her head.
"I'm not mad at you…" she said quietly, folding her hands in her lap, staring down at them distractedly. "I'm sorry for how I was acting…"
"Me too…" he replied, rubbing the back of his neck absently. "I guess I was kind of a jerk…"
"I deserved it," Maddy said pointedly. "I should have applauded for you, despite who I was sitting with at the Ball…it wasn't right-"
"You should have been the first person I asked to the Ball…" Harry cut her off, finally glancing over at her. "I don't even know what I was thinking…"
"I think I know exactly what you were thinking," Maddy said bitterly, jerking her gaze away.
Harry sighed, his hand resting on her knee. "Okay, I was thinking about Cho, I know. But…" he stopped abruptly, the tension between them growing stronger with every passing silent moment. "This is still weird for me…"
Maddy glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "You mean…us?"
He nodded slowly. "We don't tell anyone about us, so technically, we're nothing more than…"
"Friends…" Maddy finished for him, nodding as well.
"With benefits," he added.
Maddy scoffed. "Benefits we never follow through with…" She couldn't remember the last time she and Harry had kissed. Nor could she remember a time where they had spent time alone that didn't involve arguing of some sort. This was nice, for the most part.
It took Harry less than a second to lean over, cup the side of her face and capture her lips in his. Maddy didn't move for a moment as he kissed her, slowly melting into it, letting the feeling wash over her like a happy memory.
She responded gently, almost leaning into him as her eyes fluttered shut. They broke apart not too long after though still remained close, Maddy's forehead pressed to his.
"I missed that…" she whispered.
"Mmm…" Harry nodded. "Me too…"
Sighing deeply, Maddy finally pulled her forehead from his, leaning back against the couch. It had suddenly struck her how very close the next task in the Tournament was.
Oh yeah, you probably forgot it was Fourth Year already didn't you?
Well, so did she.
"You still haven't figured out that egg," Maddy said matter-of-factly.
Harry stared at her. It hadn't been a question and he took notice of that. Frowning guiltily, he looked down at his hands. "Yeah well…no, but…I-I think I have an idea on what it means."
Maddy glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow dully. "Don't lie to me, Harry…"
Harry mimicked the look, and Maddy understood what he was trying to imply. She looked away hastily, feeling both guilty and embarrassed. Normally, she'd just shrug it off as someone trying to pry into her personal business. But now…
Why the hell did he make her feel like that?!
"What happened last night?" Harry asked absently.
It took Maddy a moment to realize that Harry'd been watching her as she was avoiding him. Her cheeks had turned a bright shade of red and her hands gripped her knees nervously. It was now or never to tell him.
"You were partially right…" Maddy breathed, her voice catching in her rapidly closing throat. "A-About Terry…"
Harry's face grew stony and rigid as his hand covered hers on her knee. He didn't speak, however, letting Maddy explain herself before he jumped to further conclusions.
Maddy's voice continued to shake, though it wasn't quite as breathy as before. "H-He knows about us, Harry…"
"He…what?" Harry looked as though someone had just hit him with a Stunning spell.
"He knows…" she repeated. "When he…he dragged me away from the Ball, he tried to…well, actually, he did kiss me…but I…I wouldn't go through with it…"
"And…" Harry asked, fearing that his assumptions had been correct. His hands had curled into fists, even though one was still holding Maddy's.
"He got mad…" she said simply, making sure he couldn't see her face. The bruise still shone brightly, as though she had only just gotten it.
"And…" Harry repeated, urging for her to continue.
Maddy swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, fearing Harry's reaction. He was already gripping her hand rather tightly. "He didn't take that very well…" she said, avoiding the actual actions of her ex-boyfriend. "He…He didn't take it well at all in fact…"
Harry's hand cupped the side of her face a second time, however, it was not to kiss her. It was to view the large bruise and several small cuts along her face and neck.
"Fell through the portrait hole, huh?" He said softly, though she could tell he was about to blow a fuse. "Not even Ron would fall for that one…"
Maddy nodding, suddenly realizing how terrible her excuse had really been. Hesitantly, she used her free hand to move up the sleeve of the arm captured by Harry. She turned it slightly to show off the long bloody marks.
Harry was fuming and she could tell, though he chose to keep his mouth shut. Maddy frowned down at them, though her eyes were locked with a strange look of curiosity.
"'He gets jealous' they told me…" she muttered, slowly shaking her head. "Why the hell hadn't anyone said something beforehand?"
Harry's hand left hers, sliding up her arm as though tracing the marks. It finally made its way around her shoulders as he pulled her close to him. Maddy rest her head against his chest as he slowly rubbed her back. Her hands gripped the front of his shirt, suddenly overcome by the urge to cry, though she refused to do so. Not because of Terry. Not again.
"You're not going to go after him are you?" Maddy asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Harry didn't answer. She repeated the question, this time a bit louder, emphasizing the fact that she wanted an answer from him.
"I'm not sure…" he answered honestly. "I want to, but I don't think it would be smart…"
Maddy shook her head, feeling a bit relieved. "No it wouldn't. You should just leave it alone. I'll be fine. Really. All scars fade…"
Harry scoffed and Maddy peered up at him, the lightning bolt scar on his forehead smirking defiantly down at her. She kissed him gently once more, it only lasting for 2 seconds at most.
"Please, Harry…" she whispered, pressing her face to his chest once more. "Just let it go. Focus on the next task….I don't need another reason to worry about you…"
A/N: Alrighty, there we are. Another chapter gone. I've been deciding on whether or not I'm going to follow through with the 7th year ending like in Deathly Hallows, and not have a sequel, or if I'm just going to go with my original 7th year plan, which could sort of…not really…follow DH as well. Or you know what, maybe I'll just use both. I dunno. Have like a "SURPRISE: Alternate ending!" or something. Tell me what you guys think…I don't want to reveal plot-lines or anything in regards to 7th year but…I'll give you a little bit of an idea:
Idea #1: Following D.H. : This would be following the Deathly Hallows plotline, obviously, however, with the events that I more than plan to have happen in 6th year, Maddy would not be with Harry most of the time…making an interesting turn in the story. She will meet up with Harry on a few occasions, surprising him with news more than once. News that may involve the fair-haired people she'll be staying with…
Fair haired…evil people.
For, what an asset Maddy would be to both the Order and the Dark Lord…To know all of Harry's secrets…and then to know the Dark Lord's…
But will she end up like her Father, and how long can she possibly ignore those constant feelings for the man they hunt?
Idea #2: My Personal Idea: Due to the events of 6th year, Maddy follows Harry's plan, and does not intend on returning to Hogwarts, however, as seen above, she is not accompanying Harry. Instead, the girl finds herself at another school…but only for a matter of months before the elite from that school are invited to Hogwarts. (May still follow some of D.H. plotlines, just to stay accurate.)
With her, Maddy brings others who are about as keen to be heroes in this Wizarding War as Harry is, and when Harry meets them, face-to-face, he has a few problems with their more-than-reckless ways. Especially the young man who has taken a strange interest in Miss Black.
Together, the two groups (Harry's and Maddy's) go on a search for the lost Horcruxes, only to meet up indefinitely when their ringleaders seem to go missing.
Can the two of them put their opposing thoughts and emotions aside to work together a final time? Or will something in them snap, giving the Dark Lord the greatest shot at their weaknesses?
Both stories will probably be rated M…therefore even if I choose the first one, I will end up posting it as a separate story. Unless of course, you guys don't say anything…No, I don't want to risk getting in trouble. Nevermind. Anyways…the second one was hard to explain, but you guys tell me what you think. Maybe I'll just do both. Lol.
Please review! Thanks!