Chapter 4
"Harry?"
No answer.
"Harry.?"
A muffled groan is heard and a head appears.
"What?"
"What's happened? Tell me." The hyperactive Irish boy leapt onto Harry's bed as Harry described what had happened.
"I said I loved him and he just looked at me. Looked at me, Seamus, then walked away! How could he do that? I thought, after everything, he might have started to love me. I must have been wrong. He's probably laughing at me right now in the Slytherin common room. Everyone, look what he made the boy who lived do! Look what Dumbledore's Golden Boy did in the dungeon! God I hate him. God, I love him."
As Seamus comforted Harry, Neville slipped back out of the room. He had had a crush on Harry Potter for as long as he could remember. He always became a nervous, clumsy wreck around the famous boy, though people often thought he was always like that. He felt a special link to Harry as Harry had lost his parents to Voldemort and so, in a way, had he.
He'd never hated anyone quite as much as Draco Malfoy. He was always taking everything that belonged to him; his remembrall, his attention, and now, his Harry. Except he wasn't his Harry, though he wanted him to be. He followed Harry round daily, practically worshipped him. And what did he get? A distraught Harry, wallowing in his unreciprocated love.
He would have to supply this love. He had been taking extra potions classes to make up for his abysmal grades and had just learnt the properties of a Polyjuice Potion. He would use this to gain Harry's love until it didn't matter that he wasn't Draco. Harry would love him anyway.
Professor Remus J. Lupin was quite amused by the expressions of his students as they sat down for class. Seamus Finnigan and Gregory Goyle were sneaking looks at each other when they thought no-one was looking, Dean Thomas was looking round and winking at Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, who looked thoroughly embarrassed, and Harry Potter was staring unwaveringly at Draco Malfoy, who in turn was receiving evils from that quiet boy, Neville Longbottom, which was quite usual.
Everyone perked up, however, when he announced it was time for Harry and Draco's demonstration.
Harry and Draco stood at the front of the class. Draco pointed his wand at Harry, who was staring blankly, and shouted "Imperius!"
Harry suddenly felt extremely lightheaded and clear minded. He still wanted to run up and kiss Draco but he no longer felt Draco would scorn him for it. He walked slowly up to the blond and put his arms around him.
// Ask him out, // Harry thought. // Now! Whilst you have the chance! //
He opened his mouth and said, "W-will. y-you.?" He stopped suddenly unsure of himself.
// Ask him, you damn fool! Do you want all the mudbloods to think you're a coward?//
He suddenly realised this was not his voice or thoughts. He'd never said, or even thought, the word 'mudblood.'
"No!"
"Very good, Harry! Look, you can see him; he's trying to fight it."
Harry pushed Draco away and ran out the room, crying. Ron stood up to follow him but Hermione pushed him down.
"This requires a little tact and a lot of sensitive prodding, Ron."
Hermione followed Harry back to the Griffindor common room but found his dormitory empty. She searched all the rooms but eventually came across him on her own bed.
"Harry!"
"Hello, Hermione." His voice was eerily calm.
"I've been searching for you. What happened? Are you alright?"
"Hermione, I've been thinking. I need a Polyjuice Potion. I need you to make it so I can find out what's going on with Draco and he'll only tell me if I'm a close friend. How soon can I have it?"
"About three and a half weeks, I've already been making one for someone. But Harry, are you sure?"
He nodded and left.
Almost four weeks later, Neville stood in Moaning Myrtle's disused girl's toilet. Hermione had left earlier saying he had to be gone within half an hour because someone else wanted some of the potion too. He added a single bleached blond hair, which he had taken off his hero's robes, into the disgusting mixture and swallowed as much as he could. He dropped the glass on the floor feeling absolutely wretched. Looking up into the mirror, he saw a surprised Draco look back at him.
He left the bathroom quickly; he only had an hour.
// I have to find Draco. I have to find out what is going on. Why did he walk out only to try and make me kiss him? Is his sole aim to publicly humiliate me? //
Harry made his way quickly up to the girls' bathroom where Hermione said the Potion would be. He didn't bother getting Goyle out of the way; he only wanted a short chat with Draco. He ran inside and saw an empty glass shattered on the floor. The other person must have been then. Harry wondered briefly who it was before shoving a hair into the drink. He couldn't believe Hermione had been right all those years ago when she said they might need body parts in the future. Hermione had been a great friend lately. She'd made this potion without asking questions; she'd seen he was upset and tried to comfort him. Something was up though. She got nervous every time Dean Thomas came around. Harry thought she might have been cheating on Ron but gave up on that train of thought when Ron acted similarly to her. Harry looked at his watch. Draco should be heading back to the common room now. Harry swallowed the potion and almost immediately bent over, smashing the glass and feeling immensely sick. As quick as it began, the feeling disappeared and Harry ran out the room as Goyle.
He ran straight to the Slytherin Common Room entrance but realised he didn't know the password.
"Pureblood," he said. "Mudblood, Death Eater, Serpent tongue." None of these worked and Harry was beginning to panic when he saw Draco turn a corner.
"Malfoy. Need to talk. Forgot the password."
Draco was about to back off but started staring at Harry strangely and Harry wondered if the Potion had worn off already. However, he said, "Why are you wearing glasses?"
Harry panicked and said, "Reading glasses."
"I didn't know you could read. Hmmn."
Harry attempted to get Draco to open the common room door but he seemed to be trying to get away from 'Goyle.'
"Look Draco, I need to know. What's going on with you and m- Harry? That thing in Defence against the Dark Arts and now you seem to be avoiding him." Harry couldn't believe he'd been so direct but he didn't have much time and Draco didn't seem to want to hang around.
"Draco's avoid- I mean you think I'm avoiding Potter? How wonderful!" And before Harry could stop him the blond ran off. Harry could have sworn he was taller at the start of the conversation.
// Oh god, he hates me, he even wants his friends to know just how much he hates me. //
Harry was about to walk back to the toilets to change, he couldn't think of anything else to do but crawl up and cry, when Draco appeared suddenly from the opposite direction, now looking wounded.
"Draco?"
"Goyle! We need to talk."
Draco walked forwards and muttered the password, Voldemort, and they both went into the common room and through to Draco's dormitory.
"Gregory. It's off. The whole thing is off. I can't do that to Harry; it's hurting us both too much. I want to ask him out, go public. I dream about dancing at the Halloween ball. I know you're having fun with Seamus." Harry's eyebrows rose a few inches at this "but you have to stop before you hurt." Harry threw himself at Draco, forgetting he was still Goyle and kissed Draco several times on the lips.
"Get off me, you great poof, you've been hanging around Finnigan too long."
Harry felt his insides churning so he ran off. He was back to being Harry when he reached the Griffindor Common Room. When he ran inside, breathless and smiling hysterically, his friends stood up, worried.
"Harry.?" asked Ron.
"And where the hell have you been?" said Neville coldly.
Harry blinked twice at the icy tones from the usually pleasant boy but decided to ignore it and looked at the rest of his friends.
"HE LOVES ME!!!" Screamed Harry before throwing himself in front of the fire and staring dreamily at the flames. He ignored his friend's confused questions and left Seamus to fill in the details.
No one noticed Neville slip out of the common room to his dormitory and grab a small phial with a purple liquid in it, then head off to the Slytherin Common Room.
"Harry?"
No answer.
"Harry.?"
A muffled groan is heard and a head appears.
"What?"
"What's happened? Tell me." The hyperactive Irish boy leapt onto Harry's bed as Harry described what had happened.
"I said I loved him and he just looked at me. Looked at me, Seamus, then walked away! How could he do that? I thought, after everything, he might have started to love me. I must have been wrong. He's probably laughing at me right now in the Slytherin common room. Everyone, look what he made the boy who lived do! Look what Dumbledore's Golden Boy did in the dungeon! God I hate him. God, I love him."
As Seamus comforted Harry, Neville slipped back out of the room. He had had a crush on Harry Potter for as long as he could remember. He always became a nervous, clumsy wreck around the famous boy, though people often thought he was always like that. He felt a special link to Harry as Harry had lost his parents to Voldemort and so, in a way, had he.
He'd never hated anyone quite as much as Draco Malfoy. He was always taking everything that belonged to him; his remembrall, his attention, and now, his Harry. Except he wasn't his Harry, though he wanted him to be. He followed Harry round daily, practically worshipped him. And what did he get? A distraught Harry, wallowing in his unreciprocated love.
He would have to supply this love. He had been taking extra potions classes to make up for his abysmal grades and had just learnt the properties of a Polyjuice Potion. He would use this to gain Harry's love until it didn't matter that he wasn't Draco. Harry would love him anyway.
Professor Remus J. Lupin was quite amused by the expressions of his students as they sat down for class. Seamus Finnigan and Gregory Goyle were sneaking looks at each other when they thought no-one was looking, Dean Thomas was looking round and winking at Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, who looked thoroughly embarrassed, and Harry Potter was staring unwaveringly at Draco Malfoy, who in turn was receiving evils from that quiet boy, Neville Longbottom, which was quite usual.
Everyone perked up, however, when he announced it was time for Harry and Draco's demonstration.
Harry and Draco stood at the front of the class. Draco pointed his wand at Harry, who was staring blankly, and shouted "Imperius!"
Harry suddenly felt extremely lightheaded and clear minded. He still wanted to run up and kiss Draco but he no longer felt Draco would scorn him for it. He walked slowly up to the blond and put his arms around him.
// Ask him out, // Harry thought. // Now! Whilst you have the chance! //
He opened his mouth and said, "W-will. y-you.?" He stopped suddenly unsure of himself.
// Ask him, you damn fool! Do you want all the mudbloods to think you're a coward?//
He suddenly realised this was not his voice or thoughts. He'd never said, or even thought, the word 'mudblood.'
"No!"
"Very good, Harry! Look, you can see him; he's trying to fight it."
Harry pushed Draco away and ran out the room, crying. Ron stood up to follow him but Hermione pushed him down.
"This requires a little tact and a lot of sensitive prodding, Ron."
Hermione followed Harry back to the Griffindor common room but found his dormitory empty. She searched all the rooms but eventually came across him on her own bed.
"Harry!"
"Hello, Hermione." His voice was eerily calm.
"I've been searching for you. What happened? Are you alright?"
"Hermione, I've been thinking. I need a Polyjuice Potion. I need you to make it so I can find out what's going on with Draco and he'll only tell me if I'm a close friend. How soon can I have it?"
"About three and a half weeks, I've already been making one for someone. But Harry, are you sure?"
He nodded and left.
Almost four weeks later, Neville stood in Moaning Myrtle's disused girl's toilet. Hermione had left earlier saying he had to be gone within half an hour because someone else wanted some of the potion too. He added a single bleached blond hair, which he had taken off his hero's robes, into the disgusting mixture and swallowed as much as he could. He dropped the glass on the floor feeling absolutely wretched. Looking up into the mirror, he saw a surprised Draco look back at him.
He left the bathroom quickly; he only had an hour.
// I have to find Draco. I have to find out what is going on. Why did he walk out only to try and make me kiss him? Is his sole aim to publicly humiliate me? //
Harry made his way quickly up to the girls' bathroom where Hermione said the Potion would be. He didn't bother getting Goyle out of the way; he only wanted a short chat with Draco. He ran inside and saw an empty glass shattered on the floor. The other person must have been then. Harry wondered briefly who it was before shoving a hair into the drink. He couldn't believe Hermione had been right all those years ago when she said they might need body parts in the future. Hermione had been a great friend lately. She'd made this potion without asking questions; she'd seen he was upset and tried to comfort him. Something was up though. She got nervous every time Dean Thomas came around. Harry thought she might have been cheating on Ron but gave up on that train of thought when Ron acted similarly to her. Harry looked at his watch. Draco should be heading back to the common room now. Harry swallowed the potion and almost immediately bent over, smashing the glass and feeling immensely sick. As quick as it began, the feeling disappeared and Harry ran out the room as Goyle.
He ran straight to the Slytherin Common Room entrance but realised he didn't know the password.
"Pureblood," he said. "Mudblood, Death Eater, Serpent tongue." None of these worked and Harry was beginning to panic when he saw Draco turn a corner.
"Malfoy. Need to talk. Forgot the password."
Draco was about to back off but started staring at Harry strangely and Harry wondered if the Potion had worn off already. However, he said, "Why are you wearing glasses?"
Harry panicked and said, "Reading glasses."
"I didn't know you could read. Hmmn."
Harry attempted to get Draco to open the common room door but he seemed to be trying to get away from 'Goyle.'
"Look Draco, I need to know. What's going on with you and m- Harry? That thing in Defence against the Dark Arts and now you seem to be avoiding him." Harry couldn't believe he'd been so direct but he didn't have much time and Draco didn't seem to want to hang around.
"Draco's avoid- I mean you think I'm avoiding Potter? How wonderful!" And before Harry could stop him the blond ran off. Harry could have sworn he was taller at the start of the conversation.
// Oh god, he hates me, he even wants his friends to know just how much he hates me. //
Harry was about to walk back to the toilets to change, he couldn't think of anything else to do but crawl up and cry, when Draco appeared suddenly from the opposite direction, now looking wounded.
"Draco?"
"Goyle! We need to talk."
Draco walked forwards and muttered the password, Voldemort, and they both went into the common room and through to Draco's dormitory.
"Gregory. It's off. The whole thing is off. I can't do that to Harry; it's hurting us both too much. I want to ask him out, go public. I dream about dancing at the Halloween ball. I know you're having fun with Seamus." Harry's eyebrows rose a few inches at this "but you have to stop before you hurt." Harry threw himself at Draco, forgetting he was still Goyle and kissed Draco several times on the lips.
"Get off me, you great poof, you've been hanging around Finnigan too long."
Harry felt his insides churning so he ran off. He was back to being Harry when he reached the Griffindor Common Room. When he ran inside, breathless and smiling hysterically, his friends stood up, worried.
"Harry.?" asked Ron.
"And where the hell have you been?" said Neville coldly.
Harry blinked twice at the icy tones from the usually pleasant boy but decided to ignore it and looked at the rest of his friends.
"HE LOVES ME!!!" Screamed Harry before throwing himself in front of the fire and staring dreamily at the flames. He ignored his friend's confused questions and left Seamus to fill in the details.
No one noticed Neville slip out of the common room to his dormitory and grab a small phial with a purple liquid in it, then head off to the Slytherin Common Room.