Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Like Characters are not mine. I made up the little fuzzball tho!
Chapter Three: "I Dub Thee…"
The alarm clock went off in the Slytherin 5th-year boys dorm. Draco groaned and stretched his legs. He could hear the other boys in the room pulling open their curtains and getting ready for the first day back at classes.
Just five more minutes…Suddenly Draco realized there was a warm weight pressed against his chest. His eyes snapped open. Staring back at him were two huge sparkling violet eyes inches from his face. Draco gasped in surprise and sat straight up in bed. The owner of the eyes in question tumbled down into his lap, making indignant little squeaking noises.
Then Draco remembered: The strange little purple cantaloupe-hedgehog-creature.
"Geez, you psycho little Fuzzball!" Draco whispered harshly. "Haven't you ever heard of giving someone their personal space?! Especially just before they wake up!"
The Fuzzball didn't seem to care what Draco was saying. It was bouncing around happily in his lap, its squeaking noises getting louder by the second.
"Shhh!" Draco hissed as he clamped his hand over the Fuzzball's mouth.
"Draco, are you getting up?" Goyle's voice came from across the room.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm going," Draco mumbled, trying to sound like he was just barely awake.
Oh no, what am I going to do with you all day? I have classes, and I can't just leave you here. The house elves will find you… or worse, you'll wander off and someone else will find you.
Draco was running out of time. He picked up the Fuzzball and stuffed it back into the pile of pillows.
"Okay," he whispered, "You stay here while I take a shower. Got that? Stay? Stay!"
As soon as Draco took his hands away the Fuzzball started to waddle out of its little hiding place.
"No, no, no! Stay! Stay!" Draco hissed.
The Fuzzball must have realized that he wasn't supposed to be making any noise, because he just stared quizzically back at Draco, his head cocked to one side. Suddenly the Fuzzball's ears perked up. He shuffled back into the space between the pillows with what appeared to be a contented little smile on his face. He closed his eyes and pulled his ears down to cover them.
Draco let out a short laugh. He thinks it's a game of hide and seek! Weird little fuzzball.
Draco quickly jumped through the space between his curtains and headed for the shower room, grabbing his robes along the way. "Geez Draco, a little anxious to get back to school, are we?" one of the other 5th-year boys shouted as Draco sprinted down the short side hall and into the showers.
When Draco had finished showering and dressing, he came stumbling back down the hall to his bed. The room was empty as all of the other boys had headed towards the Great Hall for breakfast. Draco flung back the velvet curtains around his head. Sure enough, the Fuzzball was still huddled in the pile of pillows, the same little smile plastered on its face.
Draco leaned down on the tousled sheets and whispered, "Found you!". The Fuzzball whipped back its ears and let out an excited little squeak. Draco laughed and pulled the creature into his arms.
"You know, you seem to have forgotten pretty quickly that you almost got eaten alive by that beast in the Forest last night!" Draco reprimanded the animal. It was wiggling happily in Draco's folded arms, oblivious to the fact that it wouldn't even be alive had it not been for Draco.
"Well, I'm not usually one for breakfast anyway. I don't think anyone will miss me if I just skip it this morning." Draco sat down on the bed, petting the Fuzzball.
"I don't suppose I can keep calling you 'The Fuzzball' now, can I? I should think of a name for you… hm?"
The Fuzzball regarded Draco with its curious violet eyes.
"Well, I don't know many cutesy names for little furry creatures, and there's no way I'm gonna call you Muffin or Fluffy or any of those horrid names Muggles have for their poodles."
The Fuzzball seemed perfectly happy that he would not have to be given either of those names. It waited patiently as Draco decided its fate.
"How about… Lawrence?"
Fuzzball cocked its head and Draco could have sworn it raised a non-existent eyebrow. It didn't seem sure if that was really something it wanted to be called.
"Well fine, Larry for short." Draco decided.
Larry smiled and wiggled his behind. Draco was sure that if Larry had a tail, it would be wagging.
"Alright, Larry…" At the sound if his name Larry's ears perked up. "I can't leave you here all day, so I have no other choice but to bring you with me to classes." Draco frowned down at the creature. I hope this doesn't turn out to be more trouble than it's worth…
Larry suddenly became quite still, directing his full attention at Draco.
"Oh, so is that your way of telling me you'll be a good little fuzzball?" Draco questioned suspiciously. Sighing, Draco ran his fingers through his thick blonde hair. "Alright then. You can stay inside my robe." Draco stood up and pulled open his robe, revealing a rather large inner pocket. He slid Larry inside of it so that just the creature's face and two tiny front feet were poking out. When he let the robe fall back into place, he could feel the lump that was Larry resting against his flank just above his right hip.
"You gonna be okay in there?" Draco asked. Larry let out a short happy squeak in response. "Alright then, here goes." Draco snatched up his wand and walked carefully to the door.
* * *
The Great Hall was very noisy, even for the first day of classes back at Hogwarts. The mail had just arrived, and hundreds of owls were swooshing around above the four long tables as Draco entered. He felt like all eyes were on him as he sauntered gracefully toward the Slytherin table. Sitting down, Draco nonchalantly glanced around the room, trying to see if anyone was giving him curious looks. Fortunately, all of the students were focused intently on either their food or their mail. Suddenly Draco caught sight of a pair of bright cinnamon eyes staring in his direction. Hermione Granger. She was looking over Draco with curiosity, but she quickly glanced away when Draco caught her stare.
She can't possibly tell that I'm hiding something… can she? No, she's just a mudblood, she has no special intuition.
Draco was thankful that Larry was keeping surprisingly still for being such an energetic creature. What kind of creature is he anyway? I'll have to find out today, check the library perhaps.
Draco returned the stiff greetings of his Slytherin classmates as he nibbled on one of the last donuts. He pulled out his course schedule from one of the outside pockets of his robe.
Oh bloody hell, Draco thought as he scanned the list. He was surprised and dismayed to see that almost all of his classes were doubled with the Gryffindors. Arithmancy, Potions, Care of Magical Creatures… Hey, that should come in handy, Draco thought, patting the place where Larry hid in his robe. Larry got so excited over this small gesture that he let out an almighty squeak of delight. Draco felt his cheeks turning red as a line of students heading towards the doors turned to see what the strange noise could have been. Thinking quickly, Draco feigned a small sneeze, which of course sounded nothing like Larry's squeak, but seemed to satisfy the young students. All except for Hermione, who stood staring at Draco, her eyes squinted in concentration. Draco tensed as he saw the girl's gaze travel down his robe.
"You'd better be careful Granger. I shudder to think what your boyfriend the Weasel will do if he catches you checking out another guy. Although with me, really, who could blame you?" Draco sneered at Hermione and ran his fingers through his hair. She was still staring at the hardly noticeable lump in Draco's robe, however. Draco saw a glint come into the girl's eyes as she looked up at him. A small smile played on her lips as she said quietly, "See you in Arithmancy, Draco. You and… well…" she leaned closer and whispered so only he could hear, "you and your bouncing little friend."
Draco hesitated a moment. How could she possibly know?! He attempted to recover himself: "'Bouncing little friend'? Honestly, the pet names you girls make up for, *ahem*" Draco raised his eyebrows suggestively.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean Draco." With these last words Hermione bustled away, heading towards the Arithmancy classroom. Draco let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding in. Looking around, he noticed that almost all of the students had left the Hall and the food had vanished from the plates.
Larry started the wiggle around inside his little pocket. Draco rubbed his hand over the lump, whispering "Shhh!". Larry calmed down a bit. God, I hope I can last all day like this, Draco thought as he hopped up from the table, grabbing his book bag and rushing out of the Hall. But how can I with that nosy mudblood staring down my back all day?
Draco turned a corner of the hallway in time to see Hermione's cohorts, Ron and Harry, heading the opposite way down the hall. That's right, they decided they couldn't handle all of the scary number charts in Arithmancy. The little gits would rather put up with Trelawny rambling on and predicting deaths, how fun. Well, that's a plus, two less Gryffindors I have to put up with. Draco skidded into the small classroom just in time. The last students were taking their seats. Draco strode to the front of the classroom, searching for an open chair. He found it: the last one. Right on the edge of the first table. Draco sat down quickly just as the bell rang. Only then did he turn to meet the classmate who occupied the chair next to him. Hermione Granger scowled under her thick frizzy brown curls.
Draco pulled his robe closer to his body to make sure the flap didn't hang out to reveal his secret pocket. Larry was wiggling excitedly inside of it. Draco tried to act normal, but he felt as though Hermione could see right through his disguise. Larry started to squeak softly. So softly that Draco believe he was the only one who could hear, but he was dismayed to see Hermione's face light up in a knowing smile. Draco was almost tempted to smack that smile off her face, but instead he hugged the quivering little creature closer to his body, praying that it would shut up.
* * *
tbc
Okay, I do have a general idea where this is going now. It will get to be more Draco/Hermione later on, I promise. Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed! You make me so happy! Glad you all thought Larry was so cute, cuz so do I!
Thank you:
Hermione
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PLEASE REVIEW, again or for the first time! Let me know what you honestly think!!!!
Love always,
But Siriusly