Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns all of these characters, except Aura Venezia,
and the later song lyrics belong to American Hi-Fi
WARNING: This story will contain SLASH. If you do not like it, please do not read it!
AN: I meant for the second part of the first chapter to be chapter two, but it didn't work right, so now chapter two is what would really be chapter three. Sorry about that!
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The next few weeks were about the same as the previous ones, sans Draco. Whenever Harry, Ron and Hermione were with Aura (which was becoming more and more often these days), Draco tended to avoid them like the plague.
"I wonder if Aura's honestly gotten to him, or if he's just trying to plan something really devious," pondered Ron, as the foursome sat in the common room.
"Knowing Malfoy, it's something devious," replied Harry.
"Have you two always been enemies?" Aura asked him.
"Yes," said Harry. "It has been his mission in life to be as mean as possible to Ron, Hermione and I."
"Have you ever thought that his mission might change? That maybe he isn't mean for the reasons you think he is?" she asked.
Ron snorted. "Of course not. Malfoy hates our guts, and we hate his. Everybody knows he's too uppity for his own good, and would never *dream* of being nice to anyone."
"Do you really all hate him so much? Do you really believe his hatred of all of you is what motivates him?" she asked, sounding almost sad. Ron and Hermione nodded energetically, but Aura noticed that Harry's agreement was not quite as enthusiastic.
In fact, Harry looked downright unconvinced. Switching around her chair to be next to Harry, Aura leaned over and quietly asked her question again. Ron and Hermione, now engaged in a debate of their own (Aura inwardly grinned and briefly contemplated what their lover's quarrels might one day be like), did not notice as she pressed Harry to offer an answer of his own.
"You don't really hate him, do you?" Aura asked, studying his face. His lanky form shifted uncomfortably in the armchair. She watched the deep green eyes shift back and forth from the reality of her, with her long, strawberry blonde hair and misty eyes, to what she was sure was the image of another blonde, this one with eyes of steel. "You also don't believe that he really hates you." This time, not a question.
Harry was silent for a long time. He had noticed Aura studying him, almost as if she could see through him. He shivered a little, thinking about the possibility that she might know how confused he really was. Of course, he could never admit to the feeling that there was something about Draco . No, there was nothing there, he insisted to himself. Nothing special at all about that hair, those eyes, the muscled flyer's body . Stop it Harry! He commanded himself. Stop thinking about such nonsense.
"What if it isn't nonsense? What if the contemplation is mutual?" Aura asked him suddenly.
"What!?" Harry asked. "What are you talking about?" he asked nervously. How could she possibly know? he thought wildly.
"Harry, if I asked you who you dreamt about, what would you tell me?"
Harry did not answer, but the lost look on his face was enough for Aura. Although he might not admit it yet, she knew whom Harry dreamt about. She knew whom they all dreamt about, late at night, when they thought no one would know. But nothing as mere as thoughts could be kept secret when a war was approaching.
WARNING: This story will contain SLASH. If you do not like it, please do not read it!
AN: I meant for the second part of the first chapter to be chapter two, but it didn't work right, so now chapter two is what would really be chapter three. Sorry about that!
__________________________________________________________________
The next few weeks were about the same as the previous ones, sans Draco. Whenever Harry, Ron and Hermione were with Aura (which was becoming more and more often these days), Draco tended to avoid them like the plague.
"I wonder if Aura's honestly gotten to him, or if he's just trying to plan something really devious," pondered Ron, as the foursome sat in the common room.
"Knowing Malfoy, it's something devious," replied Harry.
"Have you two always been enemies?" Aura asked him.
"Yes," said Harry. "It has been his mission in life to be as mean as possible to Ron, Hermione and I."
"Have you ever thought that his mission might change? That maybe he isn't mean for the reasons you think he is?" she asked.
Ron snorted. "Of course not. Malfoy hates our guts, and we hate his. Everybody knows he's too uppity for his own good, and would never *dream* of being nice to anyone."
"Do you really all hate him so much? Do you really believe his hatred of all of you is what motivates him?" she asked, sounding almost sad. Ron and Hermione nodded energetically, but Aura noticed that Harry's agreement was not quite as enthusiastic.
In fact, Harry looked downright unconvinced. Switching around her chair to be next to Harry, Aura leaned over and quietly asked her question again. Ron and Hermione, now engaged in a debate of their own (Aura inwardly grinned and briefly contemplated what their lover's quarrels might one day be like), did not notice as she pressed Harry to offer an answer of his own.
"You don't really hate him, do you?" Aura asked, studying his face. His lanky form shifted uncomfortably in the armchair. She watched the deep green eyes shift back and forth from the reality of her, with her long, strawberry blonde hair and misty eyes, to what she was sure was the image of another blonde, this one with eyes of steel. "You also don't believe that he really hates you." This time, not a question.
Harry was silent for a long time. He had noticed Aura studying him, almost as if she could see through him. He shivered a little, thinking about the possibility that she might know how confused he really was. Of course, he could never admit to the feeling that there was something about Draco . No, there was nothing there, he insisted to himself. Nothing special at all about that hair, those eyes, the muscled flyer's body . Stop it Harry! He commanded himself. Stop thinking about such nonsense.
"What if it isn't nonsense? What if the contemplation is mutual?" Aura asked him suddenly.
"What!?" Harry asked. "What are you talking about?" he asked nervously. How could she possibly know? he thought wildly.
"Harry, if I asked you who you dreamt about, what would you tell me?"
Harry did not answer, but the lost look on his face was enough for Aura. Although he might not admit it yet, she knew whom Harry dreamt about. She knew whom they all dreamt about, late at night, when they thought no one would know. But nothing as mere as thoughts could be kept secret when a war was approaching.
