Disclaimer: Same as before.
A/N: I might have said that Norwegians from the eastern part of Norway (it's called Østlandet) can't speak good English. My apologies. I'm a 'Bergen patriot'. (Those who are from Norway will know what I mean.)
Thanks to everybody who has reviewed! Love you all! Keep on doing it! ^_^ Especially thanks to Waterfall, Iris Pseudoporis/Girl Who's To Lazy To Log In, Krissy, BJD(even if you didn't review chapter 3), Blue Eyed Blond, and Imogen. And those who hasn't bothered to review: You are a very bad boy/girl. I'm gonna send you to Filch next time... Now, aurora borealis presents...(drums)
The Exchange Students
Chapter Four:
Draco hears Voices and Ron makes a Bet
"Wake up," Mats said and shook Harry's shoulder. (A/N: This is the first weekend after Harry & co. arrived at Trollheimen.)
"Mmph," Harry said and shoved his hand away.
"Oh, bugger."
SPLASH.
Harry jerked up, wide awake and drenched. Mats grinned, still holding a bucket.
"Care to help me wake up Ron?" he asked. Harry returned the grin. Silently they tip-toed over to where Ron lay. Mats leaned down and said into Ron's ear:
"Hermione stands in front of you...she says you two won't work out. 'Why?' you ask. She answers: 'I'm in love with Crabbe.'"
Ron jumped up from the bed, grabbing Mats' pyjamas collar. "You're dead, Crabbe," he growled. Mats and Harry burst out laughing. Ron seemed to wake up, and looked sheepishly at them.
"That wasn't nice," he said embarrassed.
"Ron, if you're so fixed up on her, why don't you just ask her to be your girlfriend?" Mats asked. Ron flushed more. "And don't say 'She doesn't like me' 'cause the way you two look at each other, I'm surprised you aren't married yet."
Now Ron's face had turned the colour of an over-ripe tomato.
"Mats," Harry said, halting Mats' next comment. "They just need time."
"Time my ass."
Changing the subject, Harry said: "Say, why did you wake us up anyway? It's nine o'clock in the morning, and Saturday."
"Oh, I just though you'd like to go down to the gym' with me."
"What's there?" Ron asked, just at the same time as Harry said:
"Mats, if you want to play more football, no thanks. I got enough of that yesterday."
The day before, all the boys from their class had had a game of soccer(except Draco and Crabbe). Harry had been tackled quite much – and since he was so fast, none of the tacklers came in clean and either made him fall and roll over a few metres, or smashed his legs. A rather painful experience.
"No football games. (A/N: When I write 'football', I meant the 'soccer' kind of football.) But Kjersti is probably doing her Martial Arts training..."
"What's 'Martial Arts'?" Ron asked curiously.
"Come and see. It's rather cool to watch. 'Sides, I have to ask Risevis something."
"Risevis? What would he be doing there?"
"I repeat: Come and see." Mats smiled.
"Okay. But maybe we should change first?"
"Good idea. Oh, I almost forgot. I thought we could take Draco with us." Ron and Harry looked dumbstrucked at Mats.
"Take with us Malfoy?"
"Why?"
"I'm gonna convert him." Seeing their expressions, he said: "Hey, I'm not kidding!"
"You're gonna convert him?" Harry repeated disbelieving.
"That will be the day!" Ron snorted.
"Hey, it's not like I'm saying it snows in Hell or something."
"Yes, you are."
Mats looked at them. "Okay, then. If you don't believe me... I'll make a bet with you, Ron."
"Me?" Ron looked bewildered.
"Yes, you. You know, it is rather annoying with you guys repeating all I say. Anyway, I bet...hmm...two galleons that I can make Draco 'a nice guy' before you go with Hermione out on a date. And-" Mats hold up a hand, "a 'date' means going to the cinema or a restaurant or something. Just the two of you. No Harry allowed."
Ron looked at Mats' hand, not noticing the twinkling of mischief in the eyes of the owner. He grabbed it.
"Deal," he said.
"Deal," Mats repeated. They shook hands. "Harry, you're a witness."
"Fine by me." Harry looked Mats in the eyes, trying to say: 'I know what you're up to and I think it's a very good idea.' Mats winked at him.
"Right," he said. "Let's wake up the sleeping beauty here." And he unceremoniously splashed the sleeping Draco with a bucket of cold water.
***
"I don't really understand why you had to bring me with you," Draco said.
"Aw, come on. It's gonna be fun."
"Yeah, right."
Draco was in a rather lousy mood. First these...idiots...(They're not 'idiots', a voice in his head said. They're your friends. Draco ignored it.)...had to wake him up. And with cold water. His hair wasn't even dry yet. Draco drew an impatient hand through his wet hair. Now where had he been? Oh, yes, the waking up. Now, if that wasn't enough, now suddenly Pansy had lost interest in him. Instead she spent all her time with that Norwegian, Mona. Draco supposed that he should be relieved, but with Pansy went his sense of superiority. Instead, he had got a...a... It's called conscience, the voice in his head said. Shut up, he told it.
They were now in the Tunnel Room with all the holes, names, and pillows. I have to ask Mats what the connection between the tunnels and their names are, Draco thought.
They went over to a hole named 'Treningsbaner' and jumped through it. Draco landed in a pile of pillows. Ron landed on him.
"Ow!" Draco said, glaring at Ron.
"Sorry..."
Draco was going to say a cold remark, but seeing Mats' look at him he stopped. Now why did I do that? he asked himself.
You know perfectly well why, that accursed voice said.
NO! I don't CARE what they think! I'm a Mal-
Just think, the voice interrupted. You are free here. No daily owls from your dad reminding you to uphold the family's reputation. No Slytherin House. No OTHER Houses. You've got the chance. Take it.
Was that what he wanted? Draco thought about the obvious, pure friendship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He had never had a friendship like that. His father had seen to that.
You don't have to be a Malfoy... the voice whispered inside his head.
"Malfoy, you all right?" Ron asked him again. Draco shook his head, as if coming from a trance.
"I'm fine," he snapped.
"Okay..." Ron said, taking back the hand he had offered to Draco.
Okay, voicie, Draco thought. I'm listening. He almost felt the voice sigh.
Thank God I'm patient, it mumbled.
Hey, I heard that!
Draco got an inner vision of someone laughing.
A/N: OK, this was a short chapter, but I just felt like having it as one for itself instead of in a larger chapter.
Next chapter: It's PARTY TIME!
Note: I wrote this chapter the day after I posted chapter three, in the middle of the night. Okay, I had to write it over to the computer afterwards, but...I'm missing my precious sleep for you guys! Anyway, I have been a bit busy(we have had some test and tomorrow I'm gonna play in a consert+I have a German test*shudder*. And we just had our first football match for this season: We WON 2-1! ^_^Congratulations to us!!!). The point IS: I haven't got so much time to write. AND: I have all the ideas, I just don't know how to start writing them!
Anywho, I hope to finish the next chapter soon! Please review, all of you, it's the only thing that keeps me going! (OK, the story which is trying to burst out of my head counts too, but that's beside the point.^_~) Even if you have reviewed on the previous chapters, please review now too! Then I know you're still reading this story.
aurora borealis ~~
