XVII. QUIZZICAL
"Harry, you know we want the best for you, right? Ron and I want you to be safe and, and," Hermione swallowed with glassy eyes. Her voice was trembling. "Stay alive. I know it's inevitable that you must face The Dark Lord by yourself. Even me and Ron won't be able to help you when the time comes for you to fight him. That's why you must take the training, Harry. Please."
Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting by the lake on lunch break. The spring breeze was cooled by the calm Great Lake. Not far from them, Ginny and Luna were collecting wildflowers. The girls looked heartwarming laughing together. It would be lovely to have a little sister like them, Harry thought.
"Yeah, I know," Harry replied. He gave his best friends reassuring smile. He wasn't mad at them. He knew Dumbledore used that exact reason to persuade Hermione and Ron to push Harry in taking the trainings. And it was inevitable indeed. It must be him and him only, to defeat Voldemort. He didn't understand though, why it had to be him. Maybe because Voldemort tried to kill him once and was unsuccessful?
Suddenly, Harry felt a tug in his chest.
"Huh?"
"Harry?" Hermione noticed the distraction on Harry.
"Uh…" Harry looked at Hermione. He wasn't sure himself. But, could it be…? "I need the bathroom. See you at Transfiguration class!" Harry stood up and waved toward the four of his friends before running toward the castle.
Harry followed the tug until he was standing before an alcove on the first floor with a big medieval gothic window. Draco Malfoy was sitting by the windowsill with the apatite dragon statuette hovering over his left palm. He gave Harry a surprised glance.
"Potter," Draco clutched the miniature and stood up. "What?"
"Oh, uh…" Harry scratched the back of his neck. "Something pulled me here?"
Draco gave him a recognition look.
"Follow me," Draco said after he made sure no one in the corridor saw them.
When they arrived at an unused classroom and went inside, Draco wasted no time and stood so close before Harry, towering him.
"Did you let Dumbledore in to the Black House?" Draco confronted.
"Yes. How did you know?" Harry had to look up to see Draco.
"Who else?" Draco bore Harry's eyes with his. "Why did you let them?"
Harry didn't understand why Draco was angry and disapproved by what Harry did with the house. His house.
"What is your problem, Malfoy? I can do anything I want with the house. It's my house!"
"It disturbs me because I am affected by it!" Draco seethed. Their faces almost touching each other now.
"What do you mean?" Harry tilted his head backward. Having Draco's face so close bore goosebumps on his skin. He felt intimidated.
Draco looked at him in the eye then sighed heavily. The blond stepped backward.
"You and your thick head. Salazar, from where should I begin!" Harry was about to say something else when they heard footsteps on the corridor. Afternoon class would start in few minutes. "We'll continue this tonight after dinner."
When they walked out of the empty classroom, the corridor was no longer deserted. Footsteps of the students in the corridor were paused. They stared at Harry and Draco with their wide eyes. Draco raised his chin and strode down the corridor all high and mighty while Harry looked at the floor, head bowed, feeling exposed.
~o~
It was hard to find empty class or alcove on Friday night. They were occupied by couples of students on their dates. Draco had no choice but to bring Harry to an unused room near the Slytherin Dungeon.
"So, the point is," Draco concluded after giving Harry a quite long explanation about the Black House ward, "you can control which part of the house accessible for guests, for certain period of time."
Harry made a big O with his mouth.
"I don't understand why you let them use the house if you didn't want it," Draco raised both eyebrows at Harry. Salazar, Potter was so easily intimidated, he thought.
"Well, it's not like I stay there the whole time…" Harry looked to the other way, avoiding Draco.
"Whatever. Now, do as I say. Close your eyes and concentrate on the ward..." Draco told Harry. He was guiding Harry in controlling the Black House ward so that they got their connection back. Draco didn't want to admit to Harry that he wanted the bond. However trivial it was, Draco was not a foolish to throw away what could benefit him. Besides, it bothered him that Harry could still trace him while he couldn't sense Harry.
After four minutes, they finished. Draco felt cold and biting sensation on his whole body. Two seconds later it was gone.
"Well, I think now we wait to know if we can sense each other again when they visit the house next time," Harry said.
"And when will they visit the house again?" Draco asked.
"I don't know their schedule," Harry answered.
Draco held himself not to roll his eyes. Stupid Potter.
"Potter, you remember that now you can sense when someone enters the house, don't you?" Draco waited few seconds until Harry processed his words.
"Oh." Harry nodded.
"Salazar!" Draco sighed dramatically. Potter was so slow! "So, when you feel the ward being breached, you come find me using the bond. See if it works again."
"Right. Okay," Harry nodded again. "So…"
"That's it for now. See yourself out of the dungeon." Draco left Harry alone and walked back to his dorm.
When Draco sat on his bed, he hypothesised that the bond between him and Harry was gradually strengthening through time. It was proved today. He was thinking of Harry that noon and some minutes later said teen was there before him. So when he wished to see Harry, the bond worked its magic and delivered Harry to him. Or communicated his wish to see Harry to the teen. How interesting.
It was still early to go to bed. So, Draco spent the Friday night reading Magic and Alchemy copies he brought from the manor's library.
It was merely one hour when Draco felt a tug in his chest. He sat up straight in alert. He put his book under the pillow and walked out of the Slytherin Dungeon. He stood still outside the common room entrance and waited; wand ready on his grip.
"Malfoy," Harry's voice greeted him five minutes later. Under the Invisibility Cloak, Draco presumed, since he couldn't see the Gryffindor.
"So I take it the bond is back," Draco said proudly. Of course he was proud. He guided an idiot in only one go and he succeeded. He should be proud of it! Draco smirked.
"You look so pleased with this, Malfoy," Harry said, still under the Invisibility Cloak.
"Anyone able to teach some thick head like you without repetition and succ—"
Draco's sentence was cut by a voice behind him.
"Malfoy? What are you doing in front of the door? Move!"
"Rowle," Draco greeted while turning his body to face Gurdsson Rowle, a seventh year Slytherin.
"Practicing a speech for your father's hearing?" Rowle said in mocking tone.
Draco didn't take the bait. It wasn't worth his time. He knew Rowle's brother, Thorfinn Rowle, was a low rank Death Eater. Their family hated the Malfoys because of that. Funny. So instead of giving Rowle reply, Draco left him and walked away.
When he arrived at one of empty rooms in the dungeon, he saw Harry took off the Invisibility Cloak.
"Dumbledore is in the Black House," Harry informed.
"Yes, I'm aware." Draco rolled his eyes. "Why else did you want to meet me?"
"Well, you said to go look after you when he came back to the house," Harry shrugged.
"Potter, it's nearly nine. Go back to your dorm before the curfew," Draco reminded the other teen. Then, after a quick thought, "How is your Occlumency?"
"I've only had the lesson twice, Malfoy," Harry told him, "What do you expect?"
"You're right. What did I expect from you," Draco said unimpressed, looked down his nose at Harry. But if Draco wanted to secure this beneficial bond they had, then he needed Harry to hide the bond well from the Dark Lord. He would test Harry's skill on Occlumency.
"Legilimens!" Without warning Draco casted Legilimency to Harry. Random images instantly flooding Draco's mind.
"AH!" Harry held his head and fell down. "What the hell, Malfoy?!"
Draco released his mind from Harry's head.
"Always on guard, Potter. Stay alert. People won't tell you first before they breach your mind!"
"Fvck you!" Harry spat in contempt. And when he stood up and turned his body to leave the room, Draco grabbed his wrist.
"Not so fast," Draco pulled the messy haired teen. Harry was almost stumbled upon him because of the sudden pull. "Huh, you can't even stand solid!"
"Fvck. You." Harry shoved him aggressively with his other hand. Did not expect it, Draco fell backward, taking Harry down with him. Their bodies collided.
"Get off me!" Draco shoved Harry back off of him.
Kicking Draco's leg, Harry grabbed his Invisibility Cloak from the floor and left the room. Draco stood up, brushed dusts from his clothes and left the empty room to go back to his dorm.
"Imbeciles."
Draco heard Bloody Baron drawled behind him, emerged from that empty room.
~o~
Harry woke up in foul mood because of his unpleasant encounter with Draco last night. He growled on his pillow when he remembered today was Saturday. He started to hate his training with Snape already. That killer professor mercilessly intruding his mind on the training. Harry growled even more when he remembered Draco also saw what's on his head last night.
"Merlin," Harry sighed. He should be worried about Voldemort who could intrude his head unnoticed and not complaining about those two annoying Slytherins.
He rolled over, staring at the ceiling.
Draco played with the dragon statuette Harry gave him, he recalled the memory from days ago. It made Harry smile. Even today Harry still had his doubt on his own decision of giving Draco the statuette. Harry found it in Sirius' vault at Gringotts. It had lain on an oakwood table in the corner. It must have been a special statuette if his deceased godfather kept it in his vault. But Harry found nothing special on the statuette. So, he guessed it was just some ordinary decoration or merchandise from Romania.
Oh little did Harry know how special that apatite dragon statuette was.