Death Threat
A/N. Look, a loooooooong chapter….well, long for me!!!! Enjoy!!!!!:}
Chapter Three: Guy To Guy
The Sunday after they had had gone to Hogsmeade was again sunny and they decided to go down to the kitchens to visit Dobby and Winky.
'I hope she's cheered up,' said Hermione anxiously as she watched Ron tickle the pear.
'She will have,' said Ron, though he looked unconvinced.
They were, as usual, greeted cheerfully by all the house-elves.
Dobby was almost beside himself with joy at seeing Harry again, and it took them a full minute to prize him away from Harry's waist.
Harry was surprised that all the house-elves seemed to know Jenny already so there was no need for introductions. She admitted to him she had always been in the kitchens with the house-elves during the summer holidays before she had met Harry.
When Hermione asked Dobby where Winky was his ears drooped slightly and he said in a quiet voice that he didn't really know but he did know that she was still being questioned about the Crouches.
They left the kitchens laid down with food and Harry thought it would likely last them up until Easter.
Harry, on the way back from the kitchens, was wondering whether Faith would have told Snape about their meeting in Hogsmeade, when they met Draco Malfoy. (A/N. The newly reformed pansy…)
Draco was quite obviously jealous of Harry's relationship with Jenny but they had become "friends". You couldn't really help it when you've had a month of detentions together. He was completely different without the influence of his father (A/N.*coughpansycough*) and seemed much happier for it. His mother, having recovered from her ordeal, had been moved into a small cottage in Hogsmeade where she could be protected. All the Aurors were looking for Lucius, now he had shown his true colours as a Death Eater.
But Narcissa had been right. As soon as the Aurors had got into the forest there was no sign that anyone had been there…except for the underground layer.
Neither Draco nor Narcissa had heard from Lucius.
'Hi,' said Draco, but Harry thought he saw a flicker of envy in his, now warmer, blue-grey eyes, when he saw Harry and Jenny holding hands.
Harry felt Jenny let go abruptly, knowing how Draco felt and not wanting to hurt him.
'Hi,' they said back.
'How's your mother?' asked Hermione, concerned.
'Oh, well, coping. You know how it is. We've basically got nothing. Mother has had to sell all our stuff now because Lucius ran off with all the money!' He spat the name as though it was something rude and horrific.
'Everything!' gasped Jenny, 'Oh, I'm so sorry! But how did your father get all the money?'
'I have no father,' said Draco coldly as a look of pure hatred stuck his eyes.
'Sorry…' Jenny whispered.
The fire in his eyes was alarmingly strong but it was gone as quickly as it had arisen.
'No, I'm sorry, it's just the way I feel. Anyway…we're not quite sure. I mean Gringotts hasn't been broken into. He must have got it out in a different name, the b…'
Draco never got to finish what he was going to call his father because Professor Lupin appeared round the corner, but they could guess it was along the same lines of what Lee Jordan had called him at the memorable Quidditch Final.
Lupin smiled at them but passed by.
'But you're not evil,' said Ron suddenly to Draco.
He looked confused and Ron's ears went red.
'What I mean is,' he stammered, 'You're in Slytherin…but…oh, leave me alone.'
Draco grinned.
'Must everyone in Slytherin be evil? I'm quite ambitious you know, is that a crime?'
'No?' said Ron hastily, 'I just…never really thought of it like that,' he finished lamely.
Draco laughed, not his usual cold laugh but more warm and friendly.
'Glad we got that cleared up. Anyway, I've got to go…bye.'
'Well, he's changed,' said Jenny, after placing her hand in Harry's again.
'Yeah,' Harry replied, watching him walk off.
That night Harry and Ron had a guy-to-guy talk. (A/N. I'm not a guy, do they have little chats like we do? Oh well, these two certainly do!!!!!:})
Perhaps I'll ask Hermione to marry me,' said Ron, with a dreamy expression oh his face as he lay back on his pillow.
Harry choked.
'You know I'm only joking, right?' exclaimed Ron, sitting up at Harry's indignation, 'I mean I like her and everything but I'm not crazy! You are so gullible sometimes!'
'I am not! I knew you were joking and wasn't worrying at all about your sanity!'
'Yeah, yeah,' said Ron sarcastically but he changed the subject.
'So, you and Jenny seem to be getting on well!'
'Yeah,' said Harry as it was his turn to look dreamy. He had told Ron about the night in the Astronomy Tower. He told Ron virtually everything.
'You two don't do a lot though, do you?' said Ron, snapping Harry out of his thoughts.
'What'd you have me do?' he asked alarmed, 'Just because we don't kiss at every possible moment like you and Hermione…'
He expected Ron to deny it but he just grinned and started talking again, as though Harry hadn't spoke.
'All you do is hold hands…'
'There was that one time in the corridor we kissed…'
'Yeah, but you've never done it since!'
'In public no…but can you blame us?'
'Oh, come on, the only thing that happened was that Dumbledore walked in on you…'
'…To find me kissing his granddaughter!' Harry finished.
'You both went so red! It was so funny…' and Ron was off, into the usual hysterics that came with remembering that story.
'It wasn't funny!' exclaimed Harry over Ron's guffaws, 'It was lucky he didn't say anything, just smiled and walked off, or I'd be a nervous wreck passing him!'
'Don't you mean more of a nervous wreck!' Ron managed to splutter, 'You look like a startled rabbit every time you see him!'
'Grrr!' growled Harry as he proceeded to shut Ron up with a pillow.
'Cool. Pillow fight!' exclaimed Dean Thomas as he and Seamus Finnagan entered the dormitory. They picked up their own pillows and started to attack Ron, who, by this time, was screaming blue murder.
'What are you doing?' asked Hermione, as she appeared up the stairs, followed by Jenny, Becky Attwood and some other girls.
Seamus stopped with a look of horror on his face, whilst in the process of hitting Ron.
'You scared me then, Hermione. You sounded exactly like Professor McGonagall!'
Hermione scowled and crossed her arms.
All the other girls, and now boys, went back to their dormitories, disappointed at seeing no bloodshed, except Jenny and Hermione.
Becky Attwood nearly fell down the stairs on the way, causing them to laugh.
The two remaining girls walked in and sat down on Harry's bed where the pillow fight had previously been held.
'We'd better leave this little foursome alone!' said Dean as Seamus made kissing noises. Luckily, they left.
'I swear they are turning into the next Fred and George,' said Ron, shaking his head.
'Mmm,' agreed Jenny (A/N. She always says the same thing too…what is it with these repetitive people???!!!!:}) as she closed her eyes and snuggled up against Harry's ribcage.
This public-ish display of affection surprised him but he was pleased none the less.
'I'm tired,' she said, wrapping her arms around his waist and trying to get comfy.
'So you're going to go to sleep on me?' asked Harry amused.
'You betcha,' she said in the midst of a yawn.
They sat and talked for a while, well, Hermione, Ron and Harry, seeing as Jenny was apparently fast asleep, until Dean, Seamus and Neville came in and told the girls (actually just Hermione) to 'get out because we need to get changed.'
'Who's going to wake her up?' asked Harry, nodding towards Jenny.
'How about…umm…let me see….you?' said Ron sarcastically, 'She is asleep on you!'
'I know but…she hates being woken up!'
'Harry…' started Hermione dangerously.
'Ok, Ok, but…'
'Look, I'll do it!' said Ron.
'No, no, that might be a bad idea, just don't sur…' Harry started to warn Ron, remembering the foot incident.
Too late.
'WAKE UP!' yelled Ron down her ear.
Before Ron even knew what was happening, he had been flung backwards and had Jenny kneeling over him, wand at his chest. He gulped.
'Er…Jen?' said Harry tenderly, (A/N. He said it again….I think the record's got stuck here!!!!:}) trying to get her wand before she did anything drastic, 'It's just Ron.'
'Never ever do that to me!' she said shakily, taking her knees and wand off him.
'Now,' said Ron, breathing hard, 'What were you saying, Harry?'
'Try don't surprise her!' Harry finished.
Dean, Seamus and Neville were looking at her in complete shock at this over-reaction. Naturally they had no idea she was an Auror.
'I'm…er…paranoid,' she lied to them, 'I don't…er…like people…umm, Hermione, let's go!'
She grabbed Hermione by the arm but she shook her off and gave Ron a goodnight kiss, much to his obvious delight.
'Night Haz,' said Jenny, ruffling his hair as she went past.
The two girls left and went back to their dormitories.
'G'night Harry,' said Ron, still grinning from the kiss.
'Night Ron,' he said, closed the drapes and went to sleep, thinking about Jenny.
A/N. Well that was fun, wasn't it???!!! This was a sort of chapter-that-has-nothing-really-to-do-with-the-plot-but-just-fills-the-gaps type thing!!!!! Once again I'll apologise for Draco's behavior….he only pops up a few times just to make sure we haven't forgotten about him!!!!:}
Disclaimer: I own Jenny and Harry's nickname (Haz)….I'm proud of that!!!!! Hermione 2001 owns Becky Attwood but she lets me borrow her….luckily she probably won't read this so she won't know how evil I am to her character…..aaaaaand JK owns everything else…….apart from Draco's appalling behavior…..sadly, I own that!!!!:}