Author's Note: Due to the stupidity of this author, a section was left out
of the previous chapter. This has been corrected. However, now I must ask
you to read at least the end of "The Next Step" so you won't be confused
with the content of all future chapters. Sorry for the mistake and thank
you for your patience.
Post Author's Note: Thank you so much to all my reviewers. It really makes my day when I find I have a new review.
***
Raising my arm to block the sun's unpretentious rays, I abruptly caught sight of the spec of Harry, speeding on his broomstick before performing a steep dive and recovering seconds before he hit the grey ground. The slight snow that had fallen yesterday had quickly transformed from a dainty sprinkling of white to a dirt-tainted sludge. The clouds did little to help the dismal setting, shrouding the sun in a forbidding casing so that a chance few beams could escape. As I watched Harry practice some of his more daring Quiddich moves, I thought of my conversation yesterday with Fred and George.
"I like Harry." I had confessed without much preamble.
"Well, sure, we like him, too. Why would that…"
"No, I mean, I like him." I repeated, breathlessly waiting for their reaction.
They exchanged identical glances before simultaneously cracking duplicate grins.
"Way to go, Ron!" "Always knew you were on the queer side."
Blushing madly, I continued. "Only thing is, I don't know if he's…well…."
"Gay? Course he is." "No doubt about it."
"How do you know?"
"We can smell our own kind." Fred replied with a sideways smirk at George.
Harry disappeared amidst a drab cloud. Scanning the sky, I saw him as he reappeared a few kilometers away.
"I don't know. I mean, I can't just walk up to him and say 'Oy, Harry, I like you in a way that's not entirely brotherly. Fancy a snog?'"
"Well, you could, but its not the most romantic way to go about it."
"Then what should I do?"
"Just give it time. If you, subtly, make it known your attracted to him, it won't be so big a shock when you tell him."
"And just when do you propose I tell him?"
"Is he staying here for Christmas?"
"Of course he is. Its not like those Muggles of his are going to welcome him with open arms."
"Tell him over the break, when its just the two of you."
"Are you sure?"
"Believe me," George said, smiling warmly at Fred. "Christmas is the best time to start a relationship."
A large bead of cold splattered my nose. As if that were some secret signal, I was suddenly bombarded by legions of equally frigid drops. Guarding my eyes, I spotted Harry landing a few meters away. Once he reached my side, we scrambled through the sludge, dodging the ice rain as best we could. At one particularly icy patch, Harry's foot slid, nearly knocking him over. Without a thought, I grabbed his hand and together we hastened toward the school, fingers entwined. When finally we were under a protective alcove, we struggled to catch our breaths: he leaning heavily against the granite wall and I with my hands on my knees, hunched over. As our breathing became less erratic, I noticed I still clutched his hand in mine. My heart started pounding with renewed vigor when I realized that, by still holding his hand, that placed it, rather excitingly, on my thigh. Slowly straightening, my eyes traveled up his arm, to his slightly flushed cheeks, fogged glasses, and questioning eyes. Before my mind had time to process the movement, I was leaning closer to his mouth. His eyes flashed a jolt of fear and I was jarred back to the reality of the moment. I am Ronald Weasley. And Harry Potter has no idea you're lusting after him. Embarrassed, he cleared his throat and looked away.
"Race you to the common room." He softly challenged.
A relieved smile skirted my face as I declared "You're on."
The moment the words left my mouth, he sped away, the sound of his laughter left in his wake. Before I could make a move to catch up, a large hand clamped my shoulder. Turning, I found Crabbe and Goyle, a strange look adorning their faces. A look that was almost… friendly?
"What do you two want?"
"We have a message for you. Draco says you're to meet him tonight. Same time, same place as Wednesday." Recited Goyle, a mysteriously triumphant grin cracking his face. Perhaps the grin is because he actually remembered something, I mused cynically. However, before I could comment, they were gone, as if swallowed by the shadows. Is that some sort of patented Slytherin trick, I wondered as I recalled how easily Malfoy had slid into the darkness after our first… meeting.
Jogging to the common room, cautiously so as not to slip on the stone floor, I began to recall that night at Hagrid's hut anew. Really, I do wish Hagrid would come back from visiting Madam Maxime, if only so Malfoy didn't have a conveniently abandoned place for us to meet. Then again, knowing Malfoy, he would probably find someplace else to congregate, like the astronomy tower. Snorting at the thought of anyone as creative as Malfoy using something as cliché as the astronomy tower for a secret rendezvous, I muttered the newest password (snawzberry) to the Fat Lady, and climbed into the common room. Determined to enjoy my time with Harry, I resolutely went to get into dry clothes, pushing Malfoy as far from my thoughts as possible.
The rest of the day passed quickly. Harry and I played chess (which I won, spectacularly, several times)and joked around. When he performed certain mannerisms, like pushing his untidy hair out of his eyes, I struggled not to show any sign of how much it made my heart throb. How much my fingers ached to run through those raven strands. We were in the middle of our twelfth match of the day when the somber toll of the common room's grandfather clock indicated it was time for supper. Reluctantly, we put away the protesting chess pieces and made our way down to the Great Hall.
Taking my usual seat at Harry's side, I glanced over to the Slytherin table only to find Malfoy's regular seat occupied by an abnormal seventh year with black hair. Our eyes met long enough for my brain to register the fact that, even from a distance, they were an absurdly pale color. The open hostility he regarded me with was so complete, I looked away in immense discomfort.
"I learned the most fascinating thing about peasleybells while I was in the library today."
Turning to Hermione, I feigned interest as she continued talking, shoveling tasteless food into my mouth as quickly as possible as if, by doing so, I could make the time pass faster.
***
"You weren't at supper."
"How very observant, Weasley," I sarcastically drawled, turning from my earlier perusal of the window to face him in the candle's flickering light. The cold air had lightly stung his cheeks and nose, a red sheen glossing his ordinarily pale, freckled face. I let my eyes drink of his crimson hair and attractive appearance, before settling on those emerald eyes. A brief stirring of warmth was quickly smothered by my renewed resolve. I would not let him affect anything in me. I would perform my duty and walk away, untouched.
As if to prove this to myself, I glided to him, following until I had backed him into a wall, and systematically attacked his mouth with my own. When I tasted his resistance, I shifted my head to a better angle and continued until his tongue began to timidly return my caresses. Satisfied that I felt no rising feelings attempting to melt the ice of my heart, I abruptly pulled away. Draping myself into a crude, wooden chair, I watched as he struggled to gain control of his conflicting emotions. I waited until his eyes lifted to my own before speaking.
"I must apologize for neglecting you these past few days."
"Believe me, its no problem," he interrupted, straightening his shoulders boldly. "In fact, you can 'neglect' me as much…"
With a frosty glare, his cheeky response was cut short.
"You will meet me here every night directly after supper."
"Or what?"
"Or I will focus my amorous attentions on Potter. I must say, your attraction to him has made me notice how delightfully sweet his lips are. He probably wouldn't be too adverse to me tasting…"
"Leave Harry alone," he growled, fists clenching at his sides.
With a feline smile, I practically purred my response. "As long as you keep me entertained, I shall have no use for your Golden Boy."
The silence which met my statement was palpable. I could practically hear his mind screaming for some other option.
"Fine," he hoarsely whispered.
"Fine, what?"
"I'll meet you here," defeated, his gaze fell to the ground.
"Excellent," I replied. "Now come and seal our agreement with a kiss."
Grudgingly, he knelt in front of my chair and hastily brushed his mouth against mine. Before he could pull away, I fisted my hand into his hair and painfully forced him to meet my eyes.
"That was rather pathetic." Roughly, I released his hair. "However, I shall let you plead ignorance and allow it to pass. I suppose it is my duty to further your education in such matters. Now, go."
Gratefully, he leapt to his feet and sped out of the hut. Sitting a while longer, I examined my heart for any unwanted emotions. Finding none, I slowly made my way back to the dungeons.
Upon entering the common room, I found it to be empty save Carlos Jaggers, sitting in my armchair. Lazily beckoning with one hand, he indicated for me to approach. Wordlessly I obeyed, allowing him to settle me into his lap. His hands fumbled at the fastenings on my robe as his mouth slurped at my neck. Unmoving, I felt a hollow blackness fill my heart, eyes staring into the dark, as his fingers continued to stroke bared flesh. I let him do with my body as he wished and felt nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Post Author's Note: Thank you so much to all my reviewers. It really makes my day when I find I have a new review.
***
Raising my arm to block the sun's unpretentious rays, I abruptly caught sight of the spec of Harry, speeding on his broomstick before performing a steep dive and recovering seconds before he hit the grey ground. The slight snow that had fallen yesterday had quickly transformed from a dainty sprinkling of white to a dirt-tainted sludge. The clouds did little to help the dismal setting, shrouding the sun in a forbidding casing so that a chance few beams could escape. As I watched Harry practice some of his more daring Quiddich moves, I thought of my conversation yesterday with Fred and George.
"I like Harry." I had confessed without much preamble.
"Well, sure, we like him, too. Why would that…"
"No, I mean, I like him." I repeated, breathlessly waiting for their reaction.
They exchanged identical glances before simultaneously cracking duplicate grins.
"Way to go, Ron!" "Always knew you were on the queer side."
Blushing madly, I continued. "Only thing is, I don't know if he's…well…."
"Gay? Course he is." "No doubt about it."
"How do you know?"
"We can smell our own kind." Fred replied with a sideways smirk at George.
Harry disappeared amidst a drab cloud. Scanning the sky, I saw him as he reappeared a few kilometers away.
"I don't know. I mean, I can't just walk up to him and say 'Oy, Harry, I like you in a way that's not entirely brotherly. Fancy a snog?'"
"Well, you could, but its not the most romantic way to go about it."
"Then what should I do?"
"Just give it time. If you, subtly, make it known your attracted to him, it won't be so big a shock when you tell him."
"And just when do you propose I tell him?"
"Is he staying here for Christmas?"
"Of course he is. Its not like those Muggles of his are going to welcome him with open arms."
"Tell him over the break, when its just the two of you."
"Are you sure?"
"Believe me," George said, smiling warmly at Fred. "Christmas is the best time to start a relationship."
A large bead of cold splattered my nose. As if that were some secret signal, I was suddenly bombarded by legions of equally frigid drops. Guarding my eyes, I spotted Harry landing a few meters away. Once he reached my side, we scrambled through the sludge, dodging the ice rain as best we could. At one particularly icy patch, Harry's foot slid, nearly knocking him over. Without a thought, I grabbed his hand and together we hastened toward the school, fingers entwined. When finally we were under a protective alcove, we struggled to catch our breaths: he leaning heavily against the granite wall and I with my hands on my knees, hunched over. As our breathing became less erratic, I noticed I still clutched his hand in mine. My heart started pounding with renewed vigor when I realized that, by still holding his hand, that placed it, rather excitingly, on my thigh. Slowly straightening, my eyes traveled up his arm, to his slightly flushed cheeks, fogged glasses, and questioning eyes. Before my mind had time to process the movement, I was leaning closer to his mouth. His eyes flashed a jolt of fear and I was jarred back to the reality of the moment. I am Ronald Weasley. And Harry Potter has no idea you're lusting after him. Embarrassed, he cleared his throat and looked away.
"Race you to the common room." He softly challenged.
A relieved smile skirted my face as I declared "You're on."
The moment the words left my mouth, he sped away, the sound of his laughter left in his wake. Before I could make a move to catch up, a large hand clamped my shoulder. Turning, I found Crabbe and Goyle, a strange look adorning their faces. A look that was almost… friendly?
"What do you two want?"
"We have a message for you. Draco says you're to meet him tonight. Same time, same place as Wednesday." Recited Goyle, a mysteriously triumphant grin cracking his face. Perhaps the grin is because he actually remembered something, I mused cynically. However, before I could comment, they were gone, as if swallowed by the shadows. Is that some sort of patented Slytherin trick, I wondered as I recalled how easily Malfoy had slid into the darkness after our first… meeting.
Jogging to the common room, cautiously so as not to slip on the stone floor, I began to recall that night at Hagrid's hut anew. Really, I do wish Hagrid would come back from visiting Madam Maxime, if only so Malfoy didn't have a conveniently abandoned place for us to meet. Then again, knowing Malfoy, he would probably find someplace else to congregate, like the astronomy tower. Snorting at the thought of anyone as creative as Malfoy using something as cliché as the astronomy tower for a secret rendezvous, I muttered the newest password (snawzberry) to the Fat Lady, and climbed into the common room. Determined to enjoy my time with Harry, I resolutely went to get into dry clothes, pushing Malfoy as far from my thoughts as possible.
The rest of the day passed quickly. Harry and I played chess (which I won, spectacularly, several times)and joked around. When he performed certain mannerisms, like pushing his untidy hair out of his eyes, I struggled not to show any sign of how much it made my heart throb. How much my fingers ached to run through those raven strands. We were in the middle of our twelfth match of the day when the somber toll of the common room's grandfather clock indicated it was time for supper. Reluctantly, we put away the protesting chess pieces and made our way down to the Great Hall.
Taking my usual seat at Harry's side, I glanced over to the Slytherin table only to find Malfoy's regular seat occupied by an abnormal seventh year with black hair. Our eyes met long enough for my brain to register the fact that, even from a distance, they were an absurdly pale color. The open hostility he regarded me with was so complete, I looked away in immense discomfort.
"I learned the most fascinating thing about peasleybells while I was in the library today."
Turning to Hermione, I feigned interest as she continued talking, shoveling tasteless food into my mouth as quickly as possible as if, by doing so, I could make the time pass faster.
***
"You weren't at supper."
"How very observant, Weasley," I sarcastically drawled, turning from my earlier perusal of the window to face him in the candle's flickering light. The cold air had lightly stung his cheeks and nose, a red sheen glossing his ordinarily pale, freckled face. I let my eyes drink of his crimson hair and attractive appearance, before settling on those emerald eyes. A brief stirring of warmth was quickly smothered by my renewed resolve. I would not let him affect anything in me. I would perform my duty and walk away, untouched.
As if to prove this to myself, I glided to him, following until I had backed him into a wall, and systematically attacked his mouth with my own. When I tasted his resistance, I shifted my head to a better angle and continued until his tongue began to timidly return my caresses. Satisfied that I felt no rising feelings attempting to melt the ice of my heart, I abruptly pulled away. Draping myself into a crude, wooden chair, I watched as he struggled to gain control of his conflicting emotions. I waited until his eyes lifted to my own before speaking.
"I must apologize for neglecting you these past few days."
"Believe me, its no problem," he interrupted, straightening his shoulders boldly. "In fact, you can 'neglect' me as much…"
With a frosty glare, his cheeky response was cut short.
"You will meet me here every night directly after supper."
"Or what?"
"Or I will focus my amorous attentions on Potter. I must say, your attraction to him has made me notice how delightfully sweet his lips are. He probably wouldn't be too adverse to me tasting…"
"Leave Harry alone," he growled, fists clenching at his sides.
With a feline smile, I practically purred my response. "As long as you keep me entertained, I shall have no use for your Golden Boy."
The silence which met my statement was palpable. I could practically hear his mind screaming for some other option.
"Fine," he hoarsely whispered.
"Fine, what?"
"I'll meet you here," defeated, his gaze fell to the ground.
"Excellent," I replied. "Now come and seal our agreement with a kiss."
Grudgingly, he knelt in front of my chair and hastily brushed his mouth against mine. Before he could pull away, I fisted my hand into his hair and painfully forced him to meet my eyes.
"That was rather pathetic." Roughly, I released his hair. "However, I shall let you plead ignorance and allow it to pass. I suppose it is my duty to further your education in such matters. Now, go."
Gratefully, he leapt to his feet and sped out of the hut. Sitting a while longer, I examined my heart for any unwanted emotions. Finding none, I slowly made my way back to the dungeons.
Upon entering the common room, I found it to be empty save Carlos Jaggers, sitting in my armchair. Lazily beckoning with one hand, he indicated for me to approach. Wordlessly I obeyed, allowing him to settle me into his lap. His hands fumbled at the fastenings on my robe as his mouth slurped at my neck. Unmoving, I felt a hollow blackness fill my heart, eyes staring into the dark, as his fingers continued to stroke bared flesh. I let him do with my body as he wished and felt nothing. Absolutely nothing.