Chapter 1: True Love?
"And what would that be Potter?" sneered a cold voice from behind Harry's left shoulder. He turned to see Draco Malfoy smirking down at him.
"It's - It's a hat!" cried Harry indignantly throwing a half glance down at the old raggedy thing he held in his hand. Actually he wasn't even fully sure it was a hat, but he wasn't about to tell Malfoy that.
Draco's smirk widened and his eyes gleamed brightly as they once again scanned the large dirty scrap of a hat Harry was clutching so possessively in his hand. "Really? Why Potter," he said softly, "I do believe you spent too much time at the Weasley's - er-house," he said this word as though he deeply didn't believe it to be true, "you're even starting to shop like them! Though I don't believe I've even seen one of them where anything quite this horrid. even though Weasley's dress robes would've given it a good run for its riches." he added as an afterthought.
"Oh grow up Malfoy," Ron snapped at him, looking finally up from his breakfast, his face glowing an angry and embarassed red. "You're fifteen now are you a little too old to be playing these childish games? No one's afraid of you!"
Draco's eyes narrowed malevolently, almost to slits. "No one, eh? Is that why I heard a slight quaver in your tone? Are you sure that you're not afraid of me Weasley?" As he asked this he drew himself up to his full height and Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles behind him, menacing looks on their faces.
"Positive," said Ron stoutly, shoving a bit of toast into his mouth and grabbing his bag from beside his seat. "C'mon mate, we're gonna be late for Herbology," he beckoned to Harry avoiding Draco. Draco simply raised his hand and lazily pushed Ron back down in his seat. "No, no Weasley, finish eating, we all know that's the only reason your parents send you no talents to this school anyways: just so you actually get fed -"
"Cram it Malfoy," Ron responded, his face reddening again.
"No, no you do that just fine." Draco muttered distractedly since his gaze had now returned to Harry and the hat which was clutched in his hand. "Besides, Potter here's still gotta model for us right Potter?" Before Harry could even protest Draco had snatched the hat from his left hand, and thought shuddering slightly as small bits of dirt flecked his pale skin, jammed the hat over the top of Harry's raven coloured hair, knocking his glasses askew.
Harry quickly reached up to pull it off but stopped suddenly as a sweet, angel like voice cooed in his ears. "Lonely Harry Potter?" Harry jumped slightly and lowered his hand.
"I - well - I - um - " Harry stammered, throwing a glance across the Great Hall to where Cho Chang sat at the Ravenclaw table.
Draco raised his eyebrows at the hat, attempting to hold back his laughter in case he missed anything the soft voice might say. "Of course he's not!" he couldn't resist saying, loudly attracting people's attention from all around. "He's always got Granger and Weasel filth with him.
"Ah. but I did not mean friendship wise, Draco Malfoy," replied the hat sweetly.
"Neither did I," snorted Draco, completely over looking the fact that the hat actually knew his name.
"You've been searching, Harry Potter for a love -"
At this Draco couldn't control himself any longer, and the Great Hall positively echoed with his laughter, attracting anybody who wasn't already watching's attention.
"What would you say if I told you that I could spare you heart it's searching?"
"But - but - I'm not -"
"What if I could tell you who your true love really is?"
Draco's laughter was still echoing through the Great Hall as all eyes were fixed upon Harry. Everybody else but Draco were silent.
"I - I - I -" Harry continued to stammer, seemingly unable to form any words, or at least make them come out of his mouth. 'Tell it no!' his mind was screaming at him. 'Or take it off!' But there was a tug deep in his heart kept him from doing either of these things. 'Just do something before it blurts it all out!'
'So what do you say Harry Potter? Would you like to spare your heart it's searching and find out your destined love?' the hat cried theatrically out to the watching Hall, a couple people, mainly Fred and George Weasley cheered.
'I don't want everybody to know!' he thought frantically.
"Oh," whispered the hat in his ear. "You'd rather I told you in secret aye? But if you will be in love then everybody will eventually know -"
'Yes but I don't want to embarrass anyone," Harrry thought.
The hat gave a slight impish giggle. "Oh but are you sure that it is not yourself whom you are trying to protect?"
'Well - I -- "
"I thought so." the hat giggled again, causing Draco's pale eyebrows to raise again in suspicion. "Alright then, I won't tell the whole school that you are truly meant to be with - DRACO MALFOY!"
Harry's heart gave a terrible lurch as Draco's did the same thing. "What was that?" questioned Draco. "What -" he started again, but suddenly stopped as he put two and two together, watching Harry rip the hat from his head, a shocked look on his now pale face. "No," Draco said, setting his jaw firmly, all traces of a smirk gone. "It takes two to be a true love and never in a thousand year would I consider -- " but he didn't finish, instead just turned on his heel and stormed from the Great Hall, his face in an angry flush, Crabbe and Goyle following stupidly behind him.
As Draco disappeared out the door, all eyes in the Hall once again fell on Harry, who still sat, shockedly in his seat at the Gryffindor table, a pale faced Ron sitting next to him.
"No," Harry told himself firmly, "like Draco said it takes two to love. and. just no." he thought frustratedly. "Besides I like girls!" he added, throwing the hat angrily into a plate of nearby sausages, and looked across the table at Cho, who was staring across the Hall at him too. Their eyes met for a moment, then Cho lowered hers. Harry swore in his mind, then stood up, angrily throwing his bag over his shoulder.
::"C'mon Ron, we're late for Herbology," he muttered and walked from the Hall, only glancing at Cho, who just like everyone else, followed him out with their eyes, no one speaking a word.
"And what would that be Potter?" sneered a cold voice from behind Harry's left shoulder. He turned to see Draco Malfoy smirking down at him.
"It's - It's a hat!" cried Harry indignantly throwing a half glance down at the old raggedy thing he held in his hand. Actually he wasn't even fully sure it was a hat, but he wasn't about to tell Malfoy that.
Draco's smirk widened and his eyes gleamed brightly as they once again scanned the large dirty scrap of a hat Harry was clutching so possessively in his hand. "Really? Why Potter," he said softly, "I do believe you spent too much time at the Weasley's - er-house," he said this word as though he deeply didn't believe it to be true, "you're even starting to shop like them! Though I don't believe I've even seen one of them where anything quite this horrid. even though Weasley's dress robes would've given it a good run for its riches." he added as an afterthought.
"Oh grow up Malfoy," Ron snapped at him, looking finally up from his breakfast, his face glowing an angry and embarassed red. "You're fifteen now are you a little too old to be playing these childish games? No one's afraid of you!"
Draco's eyes narrowed malevolently, almost to slits. "No one, eh? Is that why I heard a slight quaver in your tone? Are you sure that you're not afraid of me Weasley?" As he asked this he drew himself up to his full height and Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles behind him, menacing looks on their faces.
"Positive," said Ron stoutly, shoving a bit of toast into his mouth and grabbing his bag from beside his seat. "C'mon mate, we're gonna be late for Herbology," he beckoned to Harry avoiding Draco. Draco simply raised his hand and lazily pushed Ron back down in his seat. "No, no Weasley, finish eating, we all know that's the only reason your parents send you no talents to this school anyways: just so you actually get fed -"
"Cram it Malfoy," Ron responded, his face reddening again.
"No, no you do that just fine." Draco muttered distractedly since his gaze had now returned to Harry and the hat which was clutched in his hand. "Besides, Potter here's still gotta model for us right Potter?" Before Harry could even protest Draco had snatched the hat from his left hand, and thought shuddering slightly as small bits of dirt flecked his pale skin, jammed the hat over the top of Harry's raven coloured hair, knocking his glasses askew.
Harry quickly reached up to pull it off but stopped suddenly as a sweet, angel like voice cooed in his ears. "Lonely Harry Potter?" Harry jumped slightly and lowered his hand.
"I - well - I - um - " Harry stammered, throwing a glance across the Great Hall to where Cho Chang sat at the Ravenclaw table.
Draco raised his eyebrows at the hat, attempting to hold back his laughter in case he missed anything the soft voice might say. "Of course he's not!" he couldn't resist saying, loudly attracting people's attention from all around. "He's always got Granger and Weasel filth with him.
"Ah. but I did not mean friendship wise, Draco Malfoy," replied the hat sweetly.
"Neither did I," snorted Draco, completely over looking the fact that the hat actually knew his name.
"You've been searching, Harry Potter for a love -"
At this Draco couldn't control himself any longer, and the Great Hall positively echoed with his laughter, attracting anybody who wasn't already watching's attention.
"What would you say if I told you that I could spare you heart it's searching?"
"But - but - I'm not -"
"What if I could tell you who your true love really is?"
Draco's laughter was still echoing through the Great Hall as all eyes were fixed upon Harry. Everybody else but Draco were silent.
"I - I - I -" Harry continued to stammer, seemingly unable to form any words, or at least make them come out of his mouth. 'Tell it no!' his mind was screaming at him. 'Or take it off!' But there was a tug deep in his heart kept him from doing either of these things. 'Just do something before it blurts it all out!'
'So what do you say Harry Potter? Would you like to spare your heart it's searching and find out your destined love?' the hat cried theatrically out to the watching Hall, a couple people, mainly Fred and George Weasley cheered.
'I don't want everybody to know!' he thought frantically.
"Oh," whispered the hat in his ear. "You'd rather I told you in secret aye? But if you will be in love then everybody will eventually know -"
'Yes but I don't want to embarrass anyone," Harrry thought.
The hat gave a slight impish giggle. "Oh but are you sure that it is not yourself whom you are trying to protect?"
'Well - I -- "
"I thought so." the hat giggled again, causing Draco's pale eyebrows to raise again in suspicion. "Alright then, I won't tell the whole school that you are truly meant to be with - DRACO MALFOY!"
Harry's heart gave a terrible lurch as Draco's did the same thing. "What was that?" questioned Draco. "What -" he started again, but suddenly stopped as he put two and two together, watching Harry rip the hat from his head, a shocked look on his now pale face. "No," Draco said, setting his jaw firmly, all traces of a smirk gone. "It takes two to be a true love and never in a thousand year would I consider -- " but he didn't finish, instead just turned on his heel and stormed from the Great Hall, his face in an angry flush, Crabbe and Goyle following stupidly behind him.
As Draco disappeared out the door, all eyes in the Hall once again fell on Harry, who still sat, shockedly in his seat at the Gryffindor table, a pale faced Ron sitting next to him.
"No," Harry told himself firmly, "like Draco said it takes two to love. and. just no." he thought frustratedly. "Besides I like girls!" he added, throwing the hat angrily into a plate of nearby sausages, and looked across the table at Cho, who was staring across the Hall at him too. Their eyes met for a moment, then Cho lowered hers. Harry swore in his mind, then stood up, angrily throwing his bag over his shoulder.
::"C'mon Ron, we're late for Herbology," he muttered and walked from the Hall, only glancing at Cho, who just like everyone else, followed him out with their eyes, no one speaking a word.