Chapter 9: Resisting.
Draco was highly confused as he was outside with Harry.
"Tell me again, Potter, why I'm out here?" he asked, looking around them.
They were out in the Quidditch pitch, very little daylight left in the day and they had their brooms with them.
"Ever since you were resorted into Gryffindor, you've been helping me get better at Quidditch," Harry told him, looking at him confused.
"Sorry, just…a lot has happened," Draco mumbled.
Harry nodded and said "We're ….a little different in Gryffindor,"
"That's stating a lot," Draco snorted, smiling.
Harry chuckled and then said "So, you kept telling me that I could stand on my broom,"
Draco felt like he was a child who was in the cookie jar before dinner. The weeks that he and Hermione skipped back to the beginning of the school year, to now the evening of the first Quidditch game against Slytherin, didn't involve this.
"I…uh…yeah. You can," Draco pushed through it.
"How? I've always managed to fall off," Harry told him, frustrated.
"Okay, then let's practice on the ground," Draco said next, putting their brooms on the ground.
Harry nodded and watched him carefully.
"You are flying forward, so that is pushing you back. When you stand here and here," Draco showed him next to the broom, standing close to the bristles of the broom and near the handle. "You have perfect balance. If you step backwards, you will be off balance. Same if you take a step forward, you will fall forward,"
Harry nodded taking in the information.
"Now, let's try it with just a few feet off of the ground. It won't hurt unless you do something to get yourself hurt in the first place," Draco said, looking at him.
Harry swallowed nervously as he got his broom, mounted it and just flew a few feet off of the ground.
"Okay, now, I stand where you suggested?" Harry asked, slowly getting ready.
"Don't be scared Potter. Flying is exactly like swimming," Draco told him, walking slowly around.
Harry glared at him a bit before standing up; Draco was there to put his hands on Harry's side.
"Whoa!" Harry said, almost losing his balance.
"POTTER!" Draco snarled at him.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Harry said, stepping to the middle of the broom stick and finding his balance.
Draco walked out of his reach and then said "You're balanced. Now, remember this area of your broom,"
"This is so cool, Draco," Harry said, smiling at him.
"Now, let's try it when you're flying, Potter. All of this will help you when you go up against my house," Draco said, not caring if he slipped up or not.
Harry nodded as Draco mounted his broom and flew 15 feet up.
"Go in a circle, show me what you got. Don't be scared, unless you are Potter!" Draco dared Harry.
Harry gave him a look as Draco then said "People will call you names, Potter. Got to get use to it somehow,"
Harry nodded and started to fly in circles at high speeds. Draco was chasing at him; giving pointers and such.
"You just spotted the snitch, it flew away, go get it!" Draco told him, "I'll tale you,"
Harry was already off; letting his imagination go. Draco held his breath as he saw what happened in his timeline come true: Harry dived down, he brought his broom up and then was standing on it, with his arm outstretched before him.
Draco was smiling as Harry then did something; he hopped down and flew to the ground.
Landing next to him, Draco then asked "You Ok, Potter?"
"I…whoa," Harry barely whispered, looking at Draco.
Not sure of what was going on, Draco slowly nodded. He got an idea on what was going on but, didn't say much more.
"How are you and Hermione?" Harry asked, changing the subject.
"We're good. Weasley keeps calling her names. I don't know what to do on that," Draco went along with it.
Harry heavily sighed and said "I honestly think he's jealous of her. Why, I can't understand of the reason of it,"
"Remember, Harry," Draco began looking at him.
"I know, he comes from a big family," Harry finished.
Draco nodded.
"Do you know anything about…well…?" Harry started but trailed off.
"About who?"
"….him?"
"I do, but I don't think you need to know of it now. Just that…he was a wizard, half-blood, who hated his muggle father for not being there for him. In many ways, you and everyone else should pity him, Harry," Draco answered, feeling his true age of 20 and not 11 years old right now.
Harry nodded as the darkness of the night surrounded them.
"We better get going. Wood will have our heads if you are out here more than we said," Draco said, shaking his head.
They headed back to the castle, talking more and more about Quidditch.
Biting her lower lip, Hermione took her wand with her as the whole school made their way out to the Quidditch pitch.
A hand grabbed hers and pulled her off to the owlry.
"Draco!" She hissed at him.
"Listen," He whispered low to her "we have to be a bit closer to the professors,"
"You honestly think I don't know that? What I'm terrified about is Harry really getting bucked off his broom this time around," Hermione whispered low to Draco.
"What would you do if he did?" Draco asked her, glancing over his shoulder.
No one was around them but it did echo a lot near the owlry building.
"Use my magic to stop him. If Dumbledore did it in our third year, then I can easily do it too," Hermione whispered back.
"There's another reason why I pulled you here," Draco said, swallowing nervously.
Hermione looked up into his eyes and asked "What is it?"
"What about the winter holiday?" He asked her.
"What do you mean? We either can stay here or go home?" Hermione asked him, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
"I mean, how would you feel if I had no other choice but to go back there?" Draco asked her, his hands in his robe pockets.
Hermione felt like a bucket of ice cold water was dumped on her.
"How could I have been so stupid of this? Do you really want to go back? And you always have a choice, Draco," Hermione said, looking at him worriedly now.
Draco kicked a rock and mumbled out "Not really, no. And how can I when my father is now a bit worse than before?"
"How do you mean?" Hermione asked him as they were near the large rocks.
Draco looked around; his eyes moving over Hagrid's hut, the pathway that led to the lake and to the forbidden forest, the trees went on for miles.
"Not all of us have a choice, Hermione. I either come back home or I will be disinherited from my father and mother," he spoke softly but honestly to her.
"But, he can't do that!" She snapped at Draco in utter shock.
"He can and he will if I do not bend to his rules," Draco said, pulling out the letter that he got a few nights ago.
Hermione snatched it away and began to read it.
"Mr. Malfoy,
For you to be re-sorted into Gryffindor, you will come back home this holiday. Do not argue with me boy, you are a much further disgrace than I originally thought. A Gryffindor!?
Lucius,"
Hermione felt her anger boiling at this highly short letter.
"He will do far worse to me then just spanking my bare bum, Hermione," Draco whispered to her, seeing how upset she was.
"Stay here than. Forget"
"I cannot do that, Granger," Draco cut her off, glaring now.
"But Draco, he can't beat you for the hat choosing you to be in Gryffindor! It's …child abuse!" she argued back, her voice echoing around them.
A figure in a deep purple near black cloak walked slower than before.
"I have to go back, Granger. I have survived worse"
"Bloody fucking hell you have, Draco! You are his son! He cannot beat you like that just because the sorting hat of old said that you were a Gryffindor by Godric!" Hermione cut him off.
Draco heavily sighed and said softly "There's nothing to do to change his mind. Lucius Malfoy will do it whether I like it or not. We knew that this was a gamble, we knew that there was a price to be paid,"
"Draco you're 11 years old! You're just a kid! You're not supposed to fear your parents at all," Hermione argued back, tears trickling down her face.
"People can be the most horrendous when they don't get what they want. Look at my aunt, Hermione. She didn't want to follow in her parent's footsteps but what happened to her? Her memory was yanked from her own mind, breaking it and her. I don't want to go back home, but what choice do I honestly have?" Draco said, staring into her eyes.
"Bellatrix is who you're talking about?" Hermione whispered to him.
"Yes. And then my other aunt, Andromeda. She ran away when she turned 18 years old. Disinherited and blasted off of the tapestry for life, because she wanted a better life than what she grew up with," Draco said, paling.
Hermione blinked and then walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his shaking body.
The cloak figure looked down and walked further and further away from them, towards the pitch.
Draco clung onto Hermione as he tried to keep his emotions under control. He had to, like he repeated over to her, he had no choice but to go home and face what had happened.
A cry from far away broke as they looked up and saw a phoenix fly by them.
"Fawkes," Hermione whispered, smiling at the familiar bird.
"I do say, you two are almost late to the game," A gentle voice greeted behind them.
Draco turned and saw Professor Dumbledore standing there. He felt the soft press into his head and for once, let the old headmaster into his mind. Professor Dumbledore heavily sighed with sadness and retreated when he saw the problem that Draco would be facing at home.
"Professor," Hermione greeted him, wiping away her tears.
"What's that?" Draco asked, pointing to the bird that fluttered and landed on Professor Dumbledore's shoulders.
"This is a Phoenix, Draco. They are most loyal to whoever owns one. His name is Fawkes," Professor Dumbledore said, smiling.
"Don't they have healing powers through their tears? And to carry heavy loads?" Draco asked him, curiously walking to them.
Professor Dumbledore was shocked and then said smiling "Yes, and yes. Very good on you knowing all of that,"
"Thank you sir. It's just…they are beautiful creatures," Draco said, looking away from Fawkes stare.
"I will be attending your family holiday ball," Professor Dumbledore announced to them.
"Sir?" Both Draco and Hermione asked confused.
"This transition into Gryffindor hasn't been easy for you, Draco. In many ways, it has caused some …shall we say…feathers ruffled," Professor Dumbledore said with a knowing twinkle in his blue eyes.
"…Yes," Draco reluctantly said back.
"Just remember, to both of you," Professor Dumbledore fixed them both with a serious expression and tone, "That help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it,"
Hermione nodded as Draco stared at the ground.
"Now, I do believe we have a game to cheer on!" The headmaster smiled at them both and walked away.
"Come on," Hermione softly whispered to Draco.
Draco was pulled by his sleeve to the Quidditch pitch as the game began. They were sitting a lot closer than before.
"Do we have to?" He whined to her.
"Draco hush!" Hermione scolded him, watching the game.
Leaning against the railing, Draco was quiet.
"Hagrid!" Neville said smiling up at the half giant.
"'ello Neville," Hagrid replied, looking around excitedly.
"What are you doing here?" Neville asked him as people made space for him to sit.
"Oh, saw this game from my hut, but nothin' like bein' in the stands," Hagrid said, smiling when Gryffindor scored another point.
"Who's commentating these matches again?" Draco dully asked Hermione.
"Lee Jordan, why?" Hermione answered, not taking her eyes off of Harry.
"I think I could have lived through a less of…." He stalled and waited.
"Alicia throws it to the heavenly, beautiful, and gorgeous-"
"JORDAN!" Professor McGonagall scolded him; her face turning a bit red.
"Sorry professor! Sorry!" Lee said to everyone "The most spectacular being on this planet,"
"Jordan, I am warning you now: If you say one more word of your crush on Miss Johnson you will be serving detention until you graduate!" Professor McGonagall said in a huff.
"Passed it to Angelia," Lee said in a tiny voice; leaning far away from Professor McGonagall.
"That," Draco said to Hermione "Then I would have enjoyed this match even more so,"
Hermione chuckled and said "Come on, it's funny to listen and watch,"
"Eh, maybe," Draco grunted but there was a smirk on his lips.
It was then that Hermione saw it first: Harry's broom stick buck wildly.
"Here we go, Draco," Hermione whispered to him.
Draco snatched the binoculars from Hagrid's waist and looked around the stadium.
"Too late, come on," Hermione hissed, knowing exactly where to go.
"One of these days woman, I swear I'll get for you this," Draco huffed, following after her.
Ron and everyone else was staring in half awe and half horror as Harry did his best to hang on tightly.
Draco looked around them as they were near the professors in this stand. Hermione had silently crept the stairs and found Professor Snape's robes, pulled out her wand and thought of the same spell for bluebell flames.
Draco stared across the pitch as he saw Harry hanging onto his broomstick with just one hand on it.
Hermione pulled Draco back towards their seats; the person in the cloak saw them.
"Fire! We're on fire!" they both heard loudly as everyone then saw that instead of Professor Snape's cloak catching on fire, some parts of the banners were on fire.
Professor Snape pushed Professor Quirrell down and thus ended him jinxing Harry's broom. Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore quickly put out the flames to the stand.
Harry swung up and flew off in anger.
Hermione looked at Draco confusedly.
"But, it wasn't supposed-?"
"Shh. For now, just be thankful that it worked," Draco whispered, looking back up at the sky.
The people watched in confusion as Harry dived down.
"He saw it," Draco mumbled, watching Harry race after the Snitch.
Hermione clung to Draco as they all watched Harry still diving after the snitch.
"What…oh no. POTTER!" Draco yelled knowing exactly what move he was going to do.
Hermione just continued to watch as Harry then spun his broom as the snitch disappeared from sight. Harry toppled over his broom, rolled a couple of times and landed on his feet, holding his stomach.
"It looks like he's goin' to be sick!" Hagrid exclaimed as Draco was glaring at the Boy wonder.
Harry spat out something that was glint and gold into his waiting hands.
"Harry Potter has caught the snitch!" Lee Jordan yelled excitedly.
"I'm going to deck him," Draco mumbled to himself.
"What did he do, Draco?" Hermione asked him now that Harry was out of danger.
"He did that stupid move that I still have no idea where it came from. A Snitch of Time or whatever?" Draco growled low in his throat.
"But…didn't you teach him"
"Yes, but he decided to that trick," Draco cut her off as Ron and Hagrid were already leaving the stands.
It was only then that Draco saw the cloak figure, staring directly at him. Putting Hermione behind him and holding his wand out in an attack from this person.
The hand that was held up, Draco noticed that it was a woman and with the little breeze that kicked up, the hood fell on her shoulders.
"Draco," Hermione gasped, seeing the witch.
His heart pounded loudly in his chest, his eyes softening as he barely whispered "Mother,"
Author's Note:
Hello! Hello! Liked this story so far? Give it a follow! Is it your favorite? Why thank you, you are too kind. No, really, you are too kind for favoriting it. Want to tell me what you honestly think of it. I got my shields ready, so don't be afraid to give me a review!
I know: cliff hanger and short chapter. You guys are probably wondering why I didn't add all of the stuff in the Quidditch game in this chapter, yeah. Well we already KNOW what happens. Plus I do believe that if I copied the books within this fanfic, I would be crossing a line. We all fight it as writers: Plagiarism.
I only mention a few lines here or there, what's going on, how the characters really are and then add in my own of what I'm trying to tell to you as readers.
So, why is Narcissa at this game? Will Harry get the scolding from a dragon? And what will happen next? Just be PATIENT and you'll read when the next update is up, OK?
Alonia143.