The Nature Of A Man
Disclaimer: The usual. The characters in this story belong to J.K. Rowling and this work represents a poor fumbling attempt at a Harry Potter story. I really wasn't sure where the story was going but it's rated PG-13 just in case. Read and review. You like it or you don't, just drop me a line at jadewing@hotmail.com if you want to rant or praise longer. I've done two updates today since the second chapter is a little boring and this may make the story flow a little more. Let me know what you think anyway.
"Look, there's Hermione," Ron yelled, pointing at a distinct shape somewhere ahead, a figure of a girl waving at them merrily. Ron waved back and gave Harry an abashed look but Harry wasn't paying attention. His brow was furrowed and he looked deep in thought. Ron sighed to himself. Harry had been like this for a week now. In front of his Mum and Dad, Harry was the same cheerful, polite boy he used to be … but sometimes, when he was with Ron and he thought Ron wasn't watching, he got that look on his face. It would be nice to get the old Harry back.
When they saw Hermione, she ran towards them, giving Harry a hug and Ron a smile, and a quick hug, before frowning at Harry. Harry smiled back at her. He knew why she was concerned. He hadn't really been paying attention when she had hugged him and she had noticed. She gave him a thoughtful look. Sometimes, Hermione was just too smart for her own good. With cheer that he wasn't really feeling, he suggested, "Why don't we go have some ice-cream? My treat." Ron agreed happily, Hermione with a rather dubious mien. Her parents were dentists after all and probably didn't hold with ice-cream. Mrs. Weasley had taken Ginny to the apothecary and the twins had met up with Lee Jordan, of course, so the three of them were free this time.
"Well, I really have to go the apothecary too," Hermione fretted as she tasted her sundae.
"Oh, Hermione. You can do that later. We're having sundaes now … Relax and have fun." Ron gave her a meaningful look that Harry easily caught. He rolled his eyes. What now?
"Oh, yes. Erm, right." Hermione was quiet for a moment and Harry took the time to study her. She had changed. Her once bushy hair was now sleek and straight. After the first moment of shock, she had confessed that last year's incident with Krum had convinced her to do something about her hair. It still took hours to get it as it was now but even without any ministration, it was now less bushy than before. Her teeth were straight and pretty now thanks also to last year's debacle, and, all in all, Hermione really looked quite pretty. It was with a little surprise that Harry noted that all of them had grown up. Pretty much anyway, he thought wryly, as a Ron dropped a cherry and began trying to pin it down with his spoon. It got flattened rather messily in the end, earning a sharp glance from Hermione and a disapproving sniff.
"Harry, you look tired. Haven't you been sleeping well?" Hermione asked him, cocking her head to one side. Ron was watching him, the cherry long forgotten, his sundae melting in his bowl.
"Well," he began reluctantly. "I've been having these dreams."
The response was certainly the same as last time. Well, in Ron's behaviour anyway.
"Not You-Know-Who?" he asked in a quavering voice.
Hermione sighed and smacked him in the back of his head … and not too lightly either. Ron gave her an angry "What?" She shook her head. "He didn't even say it was Voldemort. Next time, let Harry finish."
Harry had to laugh at that. "Yes, it wasn't Voldemort." And he proceeded to tell them the dream, the dream that seemed to plague him on and off these past few weeks. Ron gave him a doubtful look when he was done and Hermione was frowning pensively. It felt a little stupid, telling them all about his dream. It sounded stupid to him, spoken aloud like that. "So, that's the dream. Am I just going crazy or what?"
Ron nodded. "You're definitely going bonkers, Harry." He paused. "Unless, Cedric is really coming after you for revenge?" He looked a little frightened at the prospect.
Hermione sighed loudly in exasperation. "I don't think so, Ron. I don't think it's that." She looked at Harry, pursing her lips in thought. "I think it's just guilt, Harry. You feel guilty about Cedric. But you're getting over it and once in a while, you get happy. And then you feel guilty because you're happy."
"Where did you get that? Reading another textbook?" Ron sneered.
"Well, it was just some light summer reading," Hermione told him huffily. "Barely a few hundred pages."
Ron groaned. "Not again."
Harry shook his head. "I don't think it's just that, Hermione. It felt a little like the old Voldemort dream, as if this was really happening."
"I knew it had something to do with You-Know-Who!" Ron moaned.
"It doesn't!" Harry snapped. "I just said it felt like it."
Hermione opened her mouth then hesitated. Harry noted that hesitation. Hermione was so rarely hesitant. "What? Spit it out, Herm."
"Well …" Hermione paused, clearly deep in thought.
"Yeah, out with it, Hermione," Ron added.
"Hush, I'm trying to think," she growled. She bit her lip. "The reason I don't want to say anything is because it's not really in my area of expertise. It's in yours actually."
"Wow, she actually admits that she doesn't know everything," Ron muttered.
Hermione flared up almost instantly. "Ronald Weasley, you can be such an idiot!"
Ron got that stubborn, muley, angry look on his face and seemed prepared to do battle. Harry sighed. "Back to the dream please, you guys?"
Hermione gave Ron a cold look and turned away huffily towards Harry. "Well, it's really Divination related. You would know if you gave a little effort in your Divination," she pointed out.
"Yes, yes, go on," Harry told her impatiently.
"Anyway, your dreams sound very much like a premonition. I remember the classic symptoms from my earlier readings of Unfogging the Future." At Harry's and Ron's blank look, she continued, a little exasperatedly. "You know, knowledge of the fact that you're dreaming, clear details, recollection of every nuance of the dream." Both of them still looked blank. "Honestly, don't you two ever read?" She threw her hands up in the air.
"I do. I read Quidditch through the Ages," Ron informed her haughtily. Harry simply shrugged.
They decided to split up after the sundae. "Mum's meeting me at Madame Malkin's. She's getting me totally new robes," Ron told them.
"I'll be heading to the Emporium," Hermione told them. She pulled out a long list from her bag. It had to be a several feet long, at the least. "I need to stock up on some ingredients."
Ron snatched the list from her. "Tumbleweed, aspearth blossoms, powdered scorpion stings … Hermione, we don't even use some of these ingredients!"
She snatched it back with a scowl. "Might I remind you how many times we had to steal from Snape's cupboards? This is just in case. You never know what we might need this year."
Harry nodded. "Good thinking, Hermione."
"So, where are you going to be, Harry?" Hermione tucked the list back into her bag.
"Flourish and Blotts, I think. I need to get some reading material for this year."
Hermione smiled in approval; Ron gave him a flat look of disbelief. He laughed. "See you there then."
The walk to Flourish and Blotts was pleasant. He caught sight of many witches and wizards about, studying the various goods on display. The voices, the topics reminded him just how different this life was.
"So, I told him he could take the broom and chuck it where …"
"Did you hear the Wyrd Sisters on last night? Absolutely divine …"
"Mad, he is. Using that Freezing Charm in plain sight of all those Muggles …"
Harry even thought he caught a glimpse of Hagrid but it turned out to be someone else. Anyway, in his last letter, Hagrid had informed them that he would be out of the country for the holiday. Harry rather missed the Hogwarts game-keeper and he wondered if Hagrid would be back in time for the start of the school year. Hopefully, his "business" wouldn't take up too much of his time. Harry sighed to himself. He found himself yawning and clapped one hand over his mouth. The dreams were really getting to be a problem. He didn't have them every night but when he did have them, they kept him up the whole night. For the week that he had been at the Weasleys', he had experienced that dream only twice but it was still a rather nerve-wracking experience. Hermione's words came back to him. Could it just be guilt? No, it's more than that, he thought to himself. There was a feeling of urgency in his dreams, a feeling of … impending events. Could it be Divination?
Flourish and Blotts was rather empty this time. There were a few witches and wizards browsing in the shop, perusing several books. The shop was a large one, stretching out far beyond what seemed possible. He remembered hearing once that the presence of books always made a shop seem bigger than it possibly could be. He headed upstairs, glancing casually at a few titles, lingering over a few. Nothing interesting caught his eye at all. No book, at least. He stopped at the sight of a familiar pale blonde boy flipping through a book. Draco Malfoy had grown up as well. He was taller than he was last year and it was with some irritation that Harry judged Malfoy to be an inch or two taller. The Slytherin was absorbed in his book, his pale head bent over it. He was clad in black robes, lined with silver at the hems and embroidered in silver at the shoulders in abstract designs. His hair wasn't slicked back as it usually was. It had grown slightly longer and was hanging loosely. Malfoy brushed one lock away irritably and Harry felt this strange sensation at the sight of it. There was just something strange about the sight of Malfoy today and he was at a loss to explain just what was different.
And then Harry realized that he wasn't feeling anything when he looked at the Slytherin. That was what was different. Usually when confronted with Malfoy, he always had this sick, sullen feeling in his stomach, a feeling he attributed to his dislike of the cunning, nasty Malfoy. But, this time … nothing. No sensation. I can't be bothered with him anymore, Harry thought. Not even enough to evoke any response this time. He was pleased with the thought.
Silver-grey eyes lifted up and noticed Harry. A sneer marred those fine lips and Malfoy set down the book. Somewhat distractedly, Harry noted the title. Love Signs. The Slytherin took a step towards Harry and raked his eyes up and down Harry's form. "A little alone, aren't we, Potter? Where's the Mudblood and the Weasel?"
A flash of anger burnt in Harry but he suppressed it. Instead, he smiled pleasantly at Malfoy. "Nice to see you, too, Malfoy. How was summer?"
At the dumbfounded look on Malfoy's face, he had to choke back a laugh. Instead, his smile got bigger. Malfoy took a threatening step towards Harry and hissed, "Excellent. I spent it laughing about what happened to Diggory. Funny thing was, I just thought of you suddenly and how you were involved in the whole thing."
Harry could feel his smile slipping but he kept it on with a grim effort. "That's nice, Malfoy. Good to see you looking so upbeat. I had an excellent summer as well …"
"Didn't you hear what I said, Potter?" Malfoy shouted.
"Yes, of course. Why?" Harry gave him a bright smile.
"I just made fun of Granger, and Weasley and I laughed about Diggory," he said incredulously. "Aren't you going to do anything about it?"
"Why? Doesn't matter. As I was saying …" And he began babbling about what he had done at the Weasleys. Malfoy's sneer had vanished, replaced by a look of confusion, and in that instant, Harry realized how different the Slytherin looked without that smug look on his face or that sneer that always seemed to be on his lips. "Well, I've really got to run, Malfoy. See you in school. Goodbye." He waved merrily to Malfoy.
"Bye," the Slytherin replied, still looking confused.
Harry disappeared around the corner and began laughing to himself. It certainly was entertaining to see how being nice to Malfoy actually disconcerted the Slytherin. He made a vow to be nicer to the Slytherin from now on. It certainly worked better than being nasty to him. He remembered the book Malfoy had been reading though and he snuck a look around the corner. The Slytherin was gone. He hurried over to where Malfoy had left the book. There it was. Love Signs. He picked it up and began flipping through it. When he set it down, he felt absolutely mystified. The book detailed ways to discover if a person was your true love. On a sudden impulse, Harry headed down to pay for the book. He had a use in mind for this book.