One and a Half Months Earlier...
~*~*~
Harry's emerald green eyes sparkled as Ginny walked down the aisle. With her flame red hair finally tamed, perfectly framing her delicate face and blue eyes, she was a vision of beauty. 'She looks like an angel,' he thought to himself. 'Wait a second... This ain't right...' He looked down, and saw his own lanky body in the tuxedo, not Neville's trimmed down body. He searched the crowd, full of beaming Weasleys, and sure enough, Neville was in the crowd, glaring at him. To his left, loomed a slimmer version of Dudley, smirking, whispering ideas of pure evil into his friend's ear. Harry called out desperately, "No, there's been some mistake! This is Neville's and Ginny's wedding, not mine!"
Malfoy grinned from Neville's right. "Congrats, Potter. You've always wanted the perfect fan for a lover..."
A bewildered groom turned to face the bride. "Ginny, I can't..."
"I know, Harry," came her soft reply. "Please, just let me share this dream."
"Dream?"
"Dream. You know that I've had this crush on you since my first year, and you've had that thing for... Well, you know."
"You knew about that?!"
"Don't worry, everyone did. But that's not the point. The point is, I found this spell to let us share dreams. I promise I'll never do it again, and I'll tell you how to, but let us share just one!"
"So you really are marrying Neville?"
"Next week." Then a relieved groom, and a happy bride, turned to face the minister. Ginny looked back, flustered. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I gotta pee. You're free from my fantasy." And with a sigh, she disappeared. As the entire place seemed to lighten up, the entire dream seemed to be torn apart, as his alarm clock ripped through his head.
~*~*~
Harry sat up, and turned off the blaring alarm before it awoke his roommate. "Too damn late, Potter," a voice snarled across the room.
Draco Malfoy sat up, shot Harry a rather nasty look, and grumblingly got up to make the coffee. 'I swear,' thought the Potions teacher, 'if he doesn't get a quieter alarm, I'm going to ask Minerva to switch my room assignments...'
Harry stretched, scratched, and rubbed the sleep from his body and mind. He did, after all, have to be in best shape for today. This was the day that the entire school was looking forward to. Not only did the students get to leave this hellhole for another year, but also this is the day that announced the house cup winner. For the past twelve years, since his seventh year, the House Cup has gone between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. This year was going to be different, he could feel it. He knew the house cup was closer to home this year. He was almost dancing!
~*~*~
Minerva stood, her stern face carefully taking in her surroundings. She smiled, one of the few given through the year. She began softly, but the entire dining hall turned quiet to hear her words.
"Congratulations, students! We have finished another year at Hogwarts! For a small portion of our population, we are sorry to loose such fine students, but you will go on to do great things for the wizarding world! We will have more teachers, more dragon observers, more ministry workers, and maybe even more muggle interpreters. All of you will be missed, no doubt, wherever you go! For the other eighty-seven percent of you, we will be pleased to have you back. Our hearts will remember you in daily activities. And remember, next year, we will not be so lenient with your public displays of affection!" She grinned as she glanced at Harry.
"Now is the time we are all waiting for. Mr. Hagrid, would you do the honors?" All eyes turned to the ancient half-giant, only able to stand because of the younger half-breed helping him stand.
"Surely, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid slowly walked behind the teacher's table, all the while, leaning on Meliana, the ever-graceful trainee. A small rope hung, and was gently tugged, revealing a mass of green and silver decorations, which flew to decorate the hall. An amazed look crossed almost all the Griffyndor members' faces, as the members of the Slytherin table began to hoot loudly. Hagrid could barely be heard above the noise, "Congratulations, Slytherin!"
As Meliana helped her mentor back to his chair, Minerva stood, a proud look upon her face. "I," she began, once again bringing volume to nothing, "would like to thank you for allowing me to rule this school in my own way. Have a great summer!"
~*~*~
While packing, Draco would not shut up about the House Cup. "Potter, you should have seen your face! You were like, 'Oy, we lost again! So much for that dream!' And did you see Minerva's face? She agreed with us! She was like..."
"Malfoy, can it. We get the picture."
"But, Potter, you haven't heard the best part! Then Hagrid..."
Harry simply rolled his eyes, and prayed that he would pass out because of lack of oxygen soon. He carefully put away his sneak-o-scope, and memorabilia from friends. As her gently put down Hermione's old book, Malfoy grabbed him by his waist, and pulled him into a happy dance. Harry slightly participated, but only enough to amuse him. When he wouldn't let go, he said sarcastically, "Would you let me go if I kissed you?"
"Damnit, Potter, you always know how to ruin a good moment between us," Draco said. He released his captive, and went to finish packing. He got bored, and decided to bug Potter some more. "So, Harry, my place or yours?"
"You ass! Why do you always ask that?"
Draco ran a hand smoothly across his platinum hair, and winked a blue eye at Harry. "Because, Kitten, I just wanted to know if you were ready to tell your parents yet." Harry looked up, and snarled. "Oh, baby! Do it again! I love it when you're mean to me!" Harry took off his shoe, and chucked it at Malfoy's head, which he easily caught. He looked at the shoe, and tsk-ed. "Potter, we'll have to teach you how to shine your shoes properly..."
~*~*~
Harry's emerald green eyes sparkled as Ginny walked down the aisle. With her flame red hair finally tamed, perfectly framing her delicate face and blue eyes, she was a vision of beauty. 'She looks like an angel,' he thought to himself. 'Wait a second... This ain't right...' He looked down, and saw his own lanky body in the tuxedo, not Neville's trimmed down body. He searched the crowd, full of beaming Weasleys, and sure enough, Neville was in the crowd, glaring at him. To his left, loomed a slimmer version of Dudley, smirking, whispering ideas of pure evil into his friend's ear. Harry called out desperately, "No, there's been some mistake! This is Neville's and Ginny's wedding, not mine!"
Malfoy grinned from Neville's right. "Congrats, Potter. You've always wanted the perfect fan for a lover..."
A bewildered groom turned to face the bride. "Ginny, I can't..."
"I know, Harry," came her soft reply. "Please, just let me share this dream."
"Dream?"
"Dream. You know that I've had this crush on you since my first year, and you've had that thing for... Well, you know."
"You knew about that?!"
"Don't worry, everyone did. But that's not the point. The point is, I found this spell to let us share dreams. I promise I'll never do it again, and I'll tell you how to, but let us share just one!"
"So you really are marrying Neville?"
"Next week." Then a relieved groom, and a happy bride, turned to face the minister. Ginny looked back, flustered. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I gotta pee. You're free from my fantasy." And with a sigh, she disappeared. As the entire place seemed to lighten up, the entire dream seemed to be torn apart, as his alarm clock ripped through his head.
~*~*~
Harry sat up, and turned off the blaring alarm before it awoke his roommate. "Too damn late, Potter," a voice snarled across the room.
Draco Malfoy sat up, shot Harry a rather nasty look, and grumblingly got up to make the coffee. 'I swear,' thought the Potions teacher, 'if he doesn't get a quieter alarm, I'm going to ask Minerva to switch my room assignments...'
Harry stretched, scratched, and rubbed the sleep from his body and mind. He did, after all, have to be in best shape for today. This was the day that the entire school was looking forward to. Not only did the students get to leave this hellhole for another year, but also this is the day that announced the house cup winner. For the past twelve years, since his seventh year, the House Cup has gone between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. This year was going to be different, he could feel it. He knew the house cup was closer to home this year. He was almost dancing!
~*~*~
Minerva stood, her stern face carefully taking in her surroundings. She smiled, one of the few given through the year. She began softly, but the entire dining hall turned quiet to hear her words.
"Congratulations, students! We have finished another year at Hogwarts! For a small portion of our population, we are sorry to loose such fine students, but you will go on to do great things for the wizarding world! We will have more teachers, more dragon observers, more ministry workers, and maybe even more muggle interpreters. All of you will be missed, no doubt, wherever you go! For the other eighty-seven percent of you, we will be pleased to have you back. Our hearts will remember you in daily activities. And remember, next year, we will not be so lenient with your public displays of affection!" She grinned as she glanced at Harry.
"Now is the time we are all waiting for. Mr. Hagrid, would you do the honors?" All eyes turned to the ancient half-giant, only able to stand because of the younger half-breed helping him stand.
"Surely, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid slowly walked behind the teacher's table, all the while, leaning on Meliana, the ever-graceful trainee. A small rope hung, and was gently tugged, revealing a mass of green and silver decorations, which flew to decorate the hall. An amazed look crossed almost all the Griffyndor members' faces, as the members of the Slytherin table began to hoot loudly. Hagrid could barely be heard above the noise, "Congratulations, Slytherin!"
As Meliana helped her mentor back to his chair, Minerva stood, a proud look upon her face. "I," she began, once again bringing volume to nothing, "would like to thank you for allowing me to rule this school in my own way. Have a great summer!"
~*~*~
While packing, Draco would not shut up about the House Cup. "Potter, you should have seen your face! You were like, 'Oy, we lost again! So much for that dream!' And did you see Minerva's face? She agreed with us! She was like..."
"Malfoy, can it. We get the picture."
"But, Potter, you haven't heard the best part! Then Hagrid..."
Harry simply rolled his eyes, and prayed that he would pass out because of lack of oxygen soon. He carefully put away his sneak-o-scope, and memorabilia from friends. As her gently put down Hermione's old book, Malfoy grabbed him by his waist, and pulled him into a happy dance. Harry slightly participated, but only enough to amuse him. When he wouldn't let go, he said sarcastically, "Would you let me go if I kissed you?"
"Damnit, Potter, you always know how to ruin a good moment between us," Draco said. He released his captive, and went to finish packing. He got bored, and decided to bug Potter some more. "So, Harry, my place or yours?"
"You ass! Why do you always ask that?"
Draco ran a hand smoothly across his platinum hair, and winked a blue eye at Harry. "Because, Kitten, I just wanted to know if you were ready to tell your parents yet." Harry looked up, and snarled. "Oh, baby! Do it again! I love it when you're mean to me!" Harry took off his shoe, and chucked it at Malfoy's head, which he easily caught. He looked at the shoe, and tsk-ed. "Potter, we'll have to teach you how to shine your shoes properly..."