Leave Out All the Rest

Chapter 37: Talking Portraits and Corridors

POV: Al

"Oi! Oi!"

At my ignored protests, I was thrust into the Headmistress' office with great force; making me stumble down the few steps that led down to her desk.

"Shut it, Potter," my man-handler snapped. "Next time don't take it upon yourself to let the castle know how much of a badass you wish you were, and you would've saved yourself the embarrassment of being tossed in here."

"I was not tossed in here!"

At my shout, a wand was pointed at my face. "I said shut it," my abuser repeated, more frustrated than before. "I've had a really bad day, okay? And unless you want to sprout boils on every inch of your scrawny body, I suggest you shut it!"

I frowned even more, but decided to hold off on my shouting. "I'm not scrawny," I mumbled. "And what the hell's got your wand in a knot, Alice? You're meaner than usual."

"I wasn't made Prefect for being a cupcake," Alice Longbottom told me, dropping her menacing wand from my gorgeous face. "And if you must know," she added, her tone suggesting like it was the greatest pain for her to reveal what was bothering her, "Dad caught Lysander and I snogging in an empty classroom. He's put Frankie as my watch-dog. Wherever I go, my brother goes. I haven't had alone time with Lysander in five days now. It's torture. Do you know the amount of stress I've piled inside from not getting my daily romp?"

I grimaced. "Don't want to know what you do in your alone time with Scamander," I told her, shaking my head from the image. Poor Neville, he must have nightmares from walking in on his daughter. "But, anyway, I think I should give you Louis' method of getting rid of pesky younger siblings."

Alice raised an eyebrow in questioning.

"A Sleeping Drought!" I told her happily, hoping I'd let her mind ponder over it so I could rush out without her noticing and I wouldn't have to deal with what was surely coming next. "Slip it into his morning juice and lock him up in a broomstick closet! It's perfect! In fact, I'll go and take one from the Potion's room––"

Grabbing onto a chunk of my school-robes, Alice pulled me back before I could race out the Headmistress' office. "That's a genius idea, Potter," she picked up her wand again and stabbed me with it on the chest. "Now, you wait here and I'll knock my little brother unconscious so I can snog Lysander for a while."

As she viciously tossed me to the side, I murmured, "...I thought Hufflepuffs were supposed to be gentle."

Exiting out the office as I sulkily headed for one of the guest chairs across from the Headmistress' desk, I heard Alice Longbottom laugh like she had completely gone off her rocker.

Crossing my arms as I sat down on the chair, I let out a giant sigh. "Mum's going to kill me." And she really was. "I was the good one; the one who was making her proud, unlike the other two monsters she has for children."

I stomped my feet on the floor beneath me; getting rid of the wet grass and mud that stuck to my shoes.

"She's going to send me my first Howler tomorrow morning," I continue to rant to myself. Another sigh. "Can't a boy enjoy the last week of school without getting a death threat?"

"Is it customary––" And before I could answer my own question, continuing with my mumbling until the Headmistress showed up and I lost all my pride and begged her on my knees not to owl Mum, I spun around in my chair at the sound of a voice entering the office. I fell out the chair after turning one more time as I saw no one. "For students to talk to themselves? Dear boy, you must not have any friends."

Jumping quickly onto my feet, I frowned at the empty office. "I have plenty of friends."

"Yet you talk to yourself? Perhaps you should check into St. Mungo's. I hear they have an excellent ward for the deranged."

"I'm not deranged!" I hissed at whoever was speaking to me. And as I grew annoyed, I stuck my hand into my pocket to pull out my wand––just so I could hex whoever was being a git––but something was wrong. "For fuck sakes," I groaned to myself. "I lost my wand."

"Not shocking."

Pulling out my hands, I turned in another angle to look around the office. "Alright, that's enough. Show yourself. It's not normal for someone to sneak up on poor, defenseless boys."

"Definitely deranged," it snorted. "Look up here, boy."

Turning towards the sound of the voice again, my eyes scanned up three feet higher than my average level. And there, on the wall, were two paintings. One was empty, and the other was holding a man with a hooked nose, pale complexion, and scowling dark eyes. He was shaking his head at me; black hair swaying behind him.

"What the..."

"Honestly. You've been in Hogwarts for years and you're surprised over a talking portrait? Boy, where did they keep you? In the kitchen with the elves?"

I scowled. "Well, I've never been into the Headmistress' office, alright." I rolled my eyes now. "Anyway, who are you?"

"Who are you?" He retaliated, scrunching his nose in distaste.

"I do believe I asked first."

"Insufferable child," he commented. "What house are you in?"

Fixing my robes straight, smoothing out wrinkles, I flashed him the Slytherin crest at the corner. "Fifth Year," I added.

"It seems like the honorable House of Salazar Slytherin has lost its exclusiveness," he said, commenting more to himself as he continued to frown at me. "But what was there really to expect. Death Eaters would have unhinged offspring."

My frown deepened as I felt incredibly insulted. "I'm no Death Eater offspring," I said carefully and angrily.

The man in the painting started to zero in his eyes at me; looking thoroughly and inspecting. It was like he was taking in all of me, studying every feature that I felt suddenly uncomfortable. (Could I sue the school because one of its portraits sexually harassed me?)

"Who are you?" He repeated, voice low and guarded.

I scoffed at him. "Who are you?"

The man narrowed his black eyes at me; expression more irritated. "I'm Severus Snape," he said in a drawling voice. "Potions Master and Headmaster of Hogwarts."

"––Until he died, of course." Cranking my neck to the side, shock filled me up as the second portrait was invaded and blue eyes were staring at me. "Pity that was, but he is good company for an old man now."

I took a step back from them; all the stories I heard, all the pictures I was shown, and all the facts I had read in History of Magic came digging their way into my brain.

Clearly seeing the fact that I was overwhelmed, the old man with the blue eyes raised a white eyebrow at me calmly. "What is it, dear boy?"

"You're...You're Albus Dumbledore," I squeaked out; then turning to the other painting. "And you're Severus Snape!" I took a wobbly step back, snorting to myself. "I'm so glad Longbottom dragged me in here."

"Deranged, is he?"

"I expect so," Snape replied to Dumbledore.

I shook my head, marching back up to them. "I'm Al," I told them excitedly; like a damn little kid at Honeydukes. "Albus Severus Potter!"

Looking at my excitement, the realization crossing both their painted-features, neither of my namesakes had a chance to reply anything to me as the door to the office opened and in walked in Minerva McGonagall.

I scrambled back to my chair like I couldn't live without it.

"Mister Potter," she called, making her way to her desk. "You do know the reason why you were summoned here, correct?"

I snorted. "I wasn't summoned," I mumbled. "Alice Longbottom man-handled me all the way over here. I demand you revoke her Prefect rights."

The old woman ignored me, her eyes frowning at me with the lack of patience. "I'm disgusted with your behavior, Mister Potter," she continued. "I expected that after all these years, you would've learned from the mistakes your brother and cousins have done to land them in here. As such, I am not delighted to know that you're in here for attacking another student. And I assure you your parents won't be either."

I lowered my head; my mind working fast so I could come up with a good acting method to get me out of here. "I didn't really attack him, Professor," I muttered, trying to wing it. "I just...punched him."

"Your fellow Slytherin," she hissed. "And what reason did you have to attack this student?"

I shrugged, now my quick thinking of getting out of this mess replaced by what happened earlier. I'd been trying to ignore it, trying to pick a fight with Alice, lie to the Headmistress a little, but it was coming back now.

"He pushed my friend," I replied after a few seconds.

"And this friend is?"

"Nia Harper," I said with a scowl on my face.

She didn't reply immediately, but I could feel her throwing daggers at me for encouraging violence between students. "I will be writing to your parents," she assured. "Thirty points will be taken from Slytherin and you will have two nights worth of detention with––"

"Excuse me, Headmistress," the voice of Severus Snape interrupted. "But with a mother like Ginny Weasley, don't you think that the owl to her is punishment enough? Certainly the girl will be more torturous with this boy than two nights cleaning silverware with Filch will."

Professor McGonagall threw the portrait a warning stare. Clearly she didn't want advice on how to do her job, but I think Snape was on to something. I'd be lucky to get off with Filch, but Mum would be sure to beat me senseless.

"You've witnessed the Weasley fury," Snape added.

And after a thick moment of silence, glares being tossed between McGonagall and Snape, the Headmistress sighed. "You're dismissed, Potter. But those thirty points will be deducted."

Letting out a giant breath of relief, I turned away from the old woman and sent an enormous grin at the portrait of Snape. (Dumbledore was suddenly asleep in his portrait; his head hanging from the edge of his chair.) "I'll come back and visit," I told the ex Potions Master.

His expression was blank, but his eyes sparkled with something hazy as he looked into my inherited green ones. "Don't make it a habit, Potter."

Chuckling at that, I turned hastily from the Headmistress' office and bolted straight out of there before Professor McGonagall could take back my punishment if she rethought about the fact that I may have viciously broken some git's nose like we were common muggles.

Sure, it wasn't something that Mum or Dad taught me––though, Uncle Ron tried when he was taking up Muggle Boxing one ridiculous summer––but that bloody prat had it coming. I mean, where the hell did he get off pushing one of my friends?

And, sure, this particular friend wasn't really a friend, since she hated me and all, but I had the blood of a hero in my veins. I needed to defend that honor; the girl's virtue of sorts.

Except, she didn't need my help did she?

Shaking my head at the random and pointless thoughts in my head, I turned the corner of a corridor to head to the Slytherin Common Room when I crashed into someone.

"Oi," I hissed, wincing at the stinging going off on my nose as I found that a head had collided with it.

"Watch it next time, you dunce."

Dropping the hand I was using to cup my nose, I blinked and adjusted my vision at the person before me. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?" I smiled slightly at the glowing eyes of my girlfriend.

Evanna shrugged slightly, though I didn't miss the worried look on her face. She was a Ravenclaw after all; they were all about academics. "I heard you were sent to the Headmistress' office after your Charms class with the Gryffindors," she started eyeing me carefully; not returning my smile. "For a fight, rumor has it."

"It's just rumors. You shouldn't––"

"Why'd you hit that boy, Al?" Evanna interrupted me, not looking amused at all.

I dropped my smile and shrugged. "Can we not talk about it? You're only going to get upset, and honestly, I don't want to hear it." I breathed out and marched up to her, trying to shake off my annoyance as I placed my hands on her waist. "Let's just let it go. It was nothing––"

"It is something if you punched a Slytherin in the face," she snapped at me, clearly not getting my message of forgive-and-forget. "Now, tell me why." (Well, Ravenclaws sure were bratty.)

"We were having a competition between Slytherins and Gryffindors during Charms," I began, frowning at her for making me tell her something pointless. "At the end of the class, Nia overruled us Slytherins by fifty points; making Gryffindor win. Some stupid git was a sour loser about it, and when we were walking out of the class he pushed Nia into a wall."

Evanna threw me a frown of her own.

"What was I supposed to do?" I told her with frustration, not getting why she was upset. "Nia is still weak from the attack at the platform! She was hexed by some maniac and her body is still suffering the effects. Obviously I needed to protect her! That fucker had that punch coming to him."

One Hippogriff. Two Hippogriffs. Three Hippogriffs. Four Hippogriffs. Five Hippogriffs. Six Hippogriffs. Seven Hippogriffs.

Right before I could get a panic attack at the silence my girlfriend was partaking in, Evanna let out a puff of air. She looked straight into my eyes; the color of them masked with something nonexistent. "...I know about you and Harper, Al."

I gulped, my hands dropping from her waist. "It was Rose, wasn't it?" I scoffed, rolling my eyes. I was going to kill her. "Just because she's all bloody sappy with Malfoy she thinks she can let something like that slip?" I was going to kill Malfoy too. They swore they were going to take it to the grave! "I didn't mean to kiss Nia, I swear. I mean...okay, maybe I did, but I can't––"

"You snogged her?" The Ravenclaw witch breathed, eyes wide.

My eyes widened too. "...Isn't that what you meant?"

She shook her head, taking a step away from me. "I meant that I knew you had feelings for her." She stared at me with a mix of hurt and disappointment. "And she has them for you. It's been obvious for years. That's why I didn't want you to be friends with her, because I assumed if you two stopped talking those feelings would die..."

Something pulled on my chest.

"I always saw you two, staring at each other like no one else was in the room. Even after you and I got together; she was all you saw."

I kept my lips shut. How the hell could I deny that? Nia Harper was the first thing I noticed in a crowded room.

"That's why I hate––hated––her," Evanna continued. "I was so threatened by her, because I didn't want her to take what was mine. But...honestly, you were hers all along. You love her just as much as she loves you."

I swallowed, feeling quite uneasy as I could see her eyes glisten with tears. I didn't want it to be like that this, honest. I didn't want to hurt her. I knew that I was a complete git from the very start, though; seeing as I decided to go along with wooing the Ravenclaw because I didn't want to like Nia Harper anymore.

"...I did genuinely like you," I whispered, feeling like a right bastard.

She nodded once, not letting a single tear fall. "I know you did. You tried, Al...but..."

"But?" I mumbled, reaching for her hands and giving them a squeeze. I wanted her to know that I was sincere throughout most of our relationship. I did care for her. She was absolutely amazing through it all.

She let out some air, her pretty face looking conflicted. "But there's no point of being together, is there?"

I raised an eyebrow. "So you're breaking up with me?"

"It's only fair," she laughed lightly. "After all, I'm letting you go to be with...her. It's only courteous to tell the population of Hogwarts that I broke your heart."

I was about to snort at that, but I let it go. "You can say I begged on my knees for you to stay." Hell, she could tell everyone that I was clingy and that she left me for another boy.

She smiled sadly.

"...I'm sorry I hurt you," I added before an awkward silence could pierce the air. "I never wanted it to be like this."

She pulled her hands away from mine. "It's alright," she assured me softly. "Besides, I'm going to France this summer. There's this muggle boy that my Grandmother tutors; I'm sure I'll forget all about you then."

It was my turn to smile sadly. "I'll always be your friend," I told her right on time as she turned on her heels to leave me and this rubbish situation.

"I'd like that," she grinned. "Oh, but before I leave, I forgot something."

"Yeah?"

"This––" SMACK!

Letting out a giant groan, I wobbled backwards and away from her; clutching on to my nose once more. "You punched me!"

Grinning more wildly, the Ravenclaw waved her fingers at me animatedly. "See you around, Potter."

"Fuck," I hissed in pain, jumping on my feet like if that was going to relieve the pain shooting across my face as my now ex-girlfriend stalked away laughing.

This was not bloody okay! Sure, I felt like a royal git, but girls aren't supposed to go around punching boys on the face! Especially not mine! I was being a good boy! For Merlin's sake. Boys run around this castle snogging girls left and right, ditching one for another, throwing them away like yesterday's Chocolate Frog, playing with their feelings, and I'm the one who gets attacked?

These bloody girls were off their rockers!

"Potter?" Stopping my jumping and cursing, I groaned a little as I heard footsteps sound off the corridor. (This was not my day, was it? When would silence come?)

Squinting through my pain, I was met with a gorgeous pair of blue eyes. I was somehow sedated instantly.

"You alright?" Nia asked me, walking slowly and carefully towards me; the clear after-effects of being hexed days ago.

I winced a little, for me and her. "Not really," I sighed. "But, why are you here? Is no one going to class today?"

She narrowed her eyes at me, but ignored me. "Well, I felt quite bad when Longbottom dragged you away kicking and screaming. I knew your mother was going to be contacted, and I didn't want you to wet yourself with all the fear you have of her; so I figured the least I could do was...erm...thank you."

A smirk appeared at the corner of my mouth at the difficulty that caused her. "It's alright, Harper. I am a bit of a rebel sometimes. It's hard to control the animal inside of me; don't thank me for that."

"Right," she scoffed; another person not finding anything I say amusing. "Well, I'll go now." But right before she could even turn and leave, she raised a blonde brow at me and stared for a moment. "What happened to your face?"

"Evanna punched me," I replied casually, though I was certain my face was now bruised and that's why she had asked.

Wincing a little as she shifted on her legs, a pain that wasn't really going to go away until a few weeks, according to Madam Pomfrey––long weeks before I could see her marching with grace around the castle with those well-toned legs––Nia forgot all about it and walked towards me. "Why the hell did she punch you?"

I tried to stifle my laughter and hide my smile. She cared about me. All this rubbish about hating me was all an act. "She broke up with me."

"Why?" She asked loudly; completely thrown off by my reply.

"Oh, well, Rose told her you and I snogged."

Her blue eyes bulged out of her pretty sockets. "I...but..What? I...Potter, I swear I didn't know!" She looked completely disoriented, almost like she'd gotten hexed again. "I'm going to kill her, I swear! I...She said she wouldn't say anything! Now look what's happened!"

"Harper, relax!" I grabbed her shoulders, shaking her so she'd snap out of her rambling. "It doesn't matter anyway."

"But Nott broke up with you," she retaliated, trying to wiggle herself away from me. "I'm so sorry, Al." And by the way her expression grew somber and those illuminating eyes lost some glow, I really knew she meant it.

I smiled at her, placing a hand on the side of her face. "Don't be, Nia. Evanna and I broke up for an important reason."

"...Yeah, because I snogged you," she mumbled guiltily.

"No," I chuckled, shaking my head a little. "It's because...Well, do you remember what you told me at the Burrow?"

Her rosy cheeks flushed, turner redder than usual as she tried to mask her expression. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"...Always have to do everything the hard way," I clucked my tongue. "I suppose I need to remind you."

Giving her a quick wink, her eyebrows knitting in confusion, I didn't give her enough time to come up with a question as I moved my hand from her face to the back of her neck; tugging her towards me.

It was heaven all over again.

She was frozen for a few seconds, but as my lips continued to grace hers, all me emotions manifesting themselves in that action, she gave in easily. I wanted to express in that kiss, in the way I moved my mouth with hers, that it was all pure; that it was all real. I wanted her to know that I felt the same way to––that I always had.

And how it was accustomed in a girl like her, someone that was filled with complete passion and uncontrollable emotions, Nia tugged at the ends of my hair as I seized her ways and lifted her up. Her legs wrapped around my waist as I gently collided her back with the wall of the corridor; giving her some leverage.

And even though there was no possible gap left, even though my skin tingled and hormones were trying to burst out dancing, I pulled away. I stared into those blue eyes that were enchanting, smiling at her like she was the only thing in the world and she was all mine.

"I love you, Nia."

She rested her forehead against mine, our heartbeats pounding together, trying to control their erratic behavior. She smiled dimly, but completely true. "Took you a while, but I'm glad you figured that out."