In Reply:
canceria - Thank you so much, I agree with you, I like bringing out other characters that Harry is supposedly so close with, but those of who we never really delve into during the books.
ali - Really? I must be blooper prone! I could have sworn Lupin taught him in the History of magic class, but then again maybe they did more then one scene. I just can't remember. We'll just pretend this is a brand new lounge lol!
Grey Malfoy - They mention twice in the books that Witches and Wizards use love potions, but to what extent I don't know. In the second book, Gilderoy tells the students they should get Snape to teach them how, and in book three, Mrs. Weasley tells Hermione and Ginny about using them back when she was in school. Are you thinking or Irresistible Poison? (One of my all time FAVORITE Harry/Draco fics) In that, it is illegal.
AshFarley - VERY GOOD observation. Draco doesn't do ANYTHING he doesn't fully mean to ;o) Does that answer your thoughts? e.g
Cheerry-Bay - You'll just have to wait and see lol
CaelestisDiabolus - Thank you, and don't worry about my 'Draco's Rhapsody', it's content with the reviews it's got lol.
Silverhair (ff.net) & Jezzie1232 (e-mail) Jezz, you have no excuse you evil person! (jk) You have to go and see LOTR: FOTR & TTT! I can't believe you haven't seen it and didn't know who Orlando Bloom was lol. Here's a lesson for you. http://orlando.330.ca/pics/film/fotr10.jpg (Legolas, FOTR) http://orlando.330.ca/pics/film/ttt29.jpg (Legolas:TTT) And Silverhair...he is exceptionally hot as Legolas, but have you seen him in these? Orli's just as fine lol... http://orlando.glisten.net/gallery/arena01.jpg (No shirt, yowsa) http://orlando.glisten.net/gallery/arena02.jpg (Sexy hot eye thing, what IS that?) http://orlando.330.ca/pics/public/ukgala02.jpg (laugh, God he has a good laugh.) OK, people stop laughing, I just happen to have a little crush; you don't have to look at me like I'm nutz!
Disclaimer: Same as it was in Chapter one!
A/N So ya, I was gone four about fourteen hours on Tuesday/Wednesday on my LOTR lala-fest, and I got home about four AM. True, that sounds crazy but it was so much fun! Thank heavens for the three boys who brought a TV and let us watch movies :o) We watched, Spiderman, Monsters Inc. And Dumb and Dumber lol. AMC 24 in Mesa, AZ did a pretty good job hosting the movie. Good Lord, them LOTR men are purrrtty! Plus I smell some Legolas/Aragorn slash that will come from that movie. Two scenes in particular lol. ANYWHO'S, I re-uploaded all the chapters because I just noticed some errors I had to fix. (my head girl blooper is taken care of lol) Nothing major was changed, just one or two things here and there and some punctuation. And I remembered to point out Minerva was under the Love Potion too hehehe. Anywho's, just a head's up...I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story, cause I'm having a ridiculously fun time doing it! You are all great for reviewing, and I plan on thanking all the reviewers in my last chapter. BUT! I digress, here we go...
The Twelve Days Of Christmas By: Gum Acacia
On The Sixth Day Of Christmas, My True Love Gave To Me...
The next morning Harry woke up more irritable then usual. His jaw was achy, his neck felt stiff, he had a headache that was throbbing nonstop and also he was pretty sure he had bruised a rib or two. He wished yet again that Madam Pomfery would not be so bias as to who she healed. But it was common knowledge, especially among the boys, that she never consented to heal anyone who got into a fight unless something was broken. But it wasn't his ailments that were troubling him that morning. It was the dreams that had been plaguing him all night long. He couldn't remember them now, but he did know for certain that they all seemed to feature the same person. Draco Malfoy.
He had tried to convince himself that all his dreams must have been nothing more then a succession of Harry beating the hell out of Draco, but a voice in the back of his mind (probably the same traitor that had mentioned his lips) told him the context had been something else.
So, he woke up with a reasonably justified attitude. Seamus, believing him to just be upset about not winning the fight, left him alone. They boys went down stairs in companionable silence into the great hall, both ignoring the loud rumbles of their stomachs. They sat down, still silent, and began to eat as though they had both just completed a month long fast.
After almost finishing his second helping, Seamus looked up at for the first time noticed that Harry seemed to be as starved as he was. He grinned, and with his mouth still full of food asked a question that nearly caused Harry to choke. "Who did you dream of shagging?"
Harry coughed for a moment, he knew he must be blushing deeply and he cursed himself for being so easily embarrassed. "What are you talking about? I didn't dream of shagging anyone!"
Seamus noticed his quick blush, but for the moment chose to ignore it. "Oh, I just thought maybe you did. You never really eat that much in the morning, and I'm always starved after a good bawdy dream."
Harry noticed that Seamus was busy reaching for a third helping and decided to quickly change the subject. He gestured to Seamus' plate, "Well, who did you dream about?"
A devilish look crept over the Irish boys' face; "Let's just say it featured both Padma and Blaise and a very large bowl of black pudding."
Harry groaned, "Next time, don't tell me even if I ask!"
"What," Seamus exclaimed a look of feigned innocence covering his face, "I didn't tell you about the Unicorn horn!" Seamus burst into laughter at the total look of horror that blanketed Harry's face. "You're to easy, Potter."
"I know I've said this before Seamus, but you're really sick." Harry shook his head and pushed away his plate, suddenly losing his appetite.
"You've just yet to come into your sexual liberation! Trust me, one day you'll look at Unicorn horns in a whole new light." Seamus grinned again, enjoying Harry's obvious discomfort.
Harry was about to reply when Parvati Patil slammed herself down onto the bench next to Seamus. "Millicent got caught!" Her excitement seemed to roll off her in waves.
"What?" Harry asked.
"Millicent Bullstrode, she got caught doing her task last night, and she was supposed to do it without any of the teachers finding out! She cost Slytherin two hundred points! There in last place for the house cup now."
Seamus grinned obviously pleased about the latest news. "What was her task?"
Parvati grabbed a grape from Seamus' plate and popped it into her mouth. "She was supposed to spend the entire night in the forbidden forest all by herself."
Harry's jaw dropped, "That's crazy!"
Parvati nodded, "I wouldn't have tried that for the world. She could have been eaten!"
"I doubt that," Seamus said glancing over to the Slytherin table, "she's scarier then anything they have in their, including werewolves!"
"Yes well, she still got caught." Parvati said laughing. "Which means Slytherin's down one. Which also means if they mess up two more, we'll win! That is, if the three of us don't manage to mess up ours. I've never been so thankful Filch patrols the school. Padma's done hers as well."
"And what," Seamus asked, his mouth full of grapes, "did the little minx do?"
"She charmed a suite of armor to follow Flitwick around. Whatever charm she used, it must have been a doosey because he still can't get rid of it!"
"She *is* quite talented with a wand," Seamus said winking at Harry.
Parvati excused herself, practically skipping, on her way to spread that morning's gossip. Harry noticed Seamus had returned his gaze back to the Slytherins' table. "What are you looking at."
Seamus pulled his eyes back to Harry. "Just trying to decide who looks worse this morning, them or us."
Harry turned around and noticed that Draco and Blaise had entered the room, Pansy Parkinson was busy fawning over both of them. "You'd think from the way she was acting, they were both about to die." Harry was pleased to notice Blaise had a superbly nasty looking black eye and the side of his nose looked bruised. Draco on the other hand seemed to have nothing more then a cut lip that looked a tad bit swollen causing his mouth to look slightly fuller then usual. 'Stop,' a voice screamed inside Harry's head, 'thinking about his lips!' He whirled around to face Seamus again, his cheeks blushing again as he did so. He really was picking up too many Weasley qualities.
Seamus noticed the other boys blush and calmly looked over from Draco and back to Harry. "So, who *did* you dream about last night?" Seamus was pleased at the slightly flustered look on Harry's face but wasn't permitted to question him any further as a loud noise drew his attention to the front of the room.
Every student in the hall seemed to fall silent. Harry could swear the sound of his own heartbeat must have been echoing throughout the room. Severus Snape was standing in front of the head table; his arms folded across his chest a deadly look of malice filling his eyes.
Harry noted somewhere in the back of his mind that Snape was dressed once again in his usual black robes, all traces of the carefree teacher he witnessed yesterday seemed gone never to be seen again. The scowl on the teachers' mouth seemed to be even more grave the Harry had ever seen, and he was scanning the crowd freezing the students with his glare.
He spoke what seemed to be barely above a whisper, but with the silence in the room, it indeed carried far. "Someone in this room, is responsible for what can only be considered as an attack on two of Hogwarts' Professors."
Harry felt a knot in his stomach, and he instinctively let his eyes slide over to where Lavender sat. She looked as though all color had retreated from her face, her eyes wide with worry. He quickly brought his eyes back to Snape; shocked to see the professors' eyes were fixed on him.
"I would take this opportunity to remind you, that it is against Hogwarts' rules to use a spell or potion on or against any of your teachers without there knowledge or consent. And when the culprit behind yesterdays little prank is caught, I assure you I will personally be responsible for their punishment and it will be the most severe as is in my power to bestow."
Harry was sure that at any moment one of the Slytherins' was sure to jump up and announce who had in fact been behind the task. But much to his surprise, all the students stayed quiet. "Further more, understand that as the potion used is known to impair thought and judgement, nothing that was said or done by either myself or Professor McGonagall should be taken as our own thoughts, actions or judgements." Snape pointedly glared at Harry here. Snape quickly finished his speech, and with a swirling of his cloak, quickly departed the room. Harry however noticed that before he left, he had caught Minerva's eye and both had blushed exceedingly.
"He thinks it was me," Harry mumbled to Seamus.
The blonde boy laughed, "Oh, relax Harry it's not like you actually did anything. You're starting to sound like Hermione again!"
Harry spent the rest of the morning at the table concentrating on *not* concentrating on Malfoy. The redundancy of the situation however, was not lost on him and soon he was beginning to feel irritable again. "I need to do something."
Seamus brought his attention once again back to Harry. "Like what, pray tell?"
Harry slammed his fist against the table, "I don't know, just something! I'm starting to feel like I'm trapped in my own skin."
Seamus let his eyes travel once again over to the Slytherin table; he paused for a moment taking in Draco's more then usual irritable manner and looked back at Harry. "You don't seem to be the only one with that problem," he said almost to himself.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing, Harry. Why don't we go see what old Dumbledore has in store for us, shall we?"
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, quickly getting to his feet eager to move heedless of the direction.
Seamus rolled his eyes, "Harry, this living in your own little world oblivious to anything that's not an evil threat to the wizarding world really has to stop, it's just not healthy." He said playfully pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. "Dumbledore said he was planning a surprise for today, had you been paying attention at dinner last night you might have heard him."
The two boys made their way up to the front of the great hall and Harry smiled as the Headmaster grinned at them both, eyes twinkling as he did. "Harry, Mr. Finnigan, what can I do for you both?"
"We were just coming to find out about today's surprise, Sir." Seamus said, his hands on the head table as he leaned slightly against it. "Our Harry here is starting to get a little Christmas cabin fever."
The headmaster grinned at Harry; he tilted his head down slightly as if trying to read the expression that was on the boys' face. Harry always hated it when he did this, as he was sure he was not only reading what was written on his face, but also what was hidden in his mind. "Really, Harry? I would have thought you would have been tired after such a busy week. Snowballs fights by the forest, other altercations in Hogsmeade..." He let the sentence trail off at the end and Harry tugged at his jumper, feeling suddenly trapped again.
Seamus quickly stepped in well aware of Harry's inability to cover his own arse when it came to the headmaster. "Oh yes well, what can you say Headmaster, I guess boys will always be boys, right?"
"Very true Mr. Finnigan, but I do always hope that as you young men mature you will become more reserved in your," he paused for a moment eyes dancing merrily as if he weren't handing out a slight reprimand, "disputes."
"No Sir, not a dispute just a minor misunderstanding." Seamus grinned and winked at Harry, "In fact Sir, I do believe that Mr. Zabini and I are on the right track to becoming fast friends." Harry had to pretend to cough to keep out from bursting into laughter.
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, "Really? Well, it is always pleasing to see members of opposite houses putting their differences aside for mutual agreement. Harry," Dumbledore said turning to face the boy, "are their any prospects of you and Mr. Malfoy coming to an equal understanding?"
Harry glared at Seamus as the blonde boy burst into laughter, his accent growing thick with mirth, "Well, I wouldn't go that far Sir, but I'm sure there's some potential."
Dumbledore informed the boys to meet at the Quidditch pitch at one o'clock, and Harry pulled a still laughing Seamus back to their seats.
"You really are a plague on my sanity, you do know that don't you?" Harry said kicking Seamus under the table, trying to keep the laughter that was already drawing much attention down.
"I'm sorry, but when he asked if you and Draco would ever do what Blaise and I will, I just couldn't help myself. The moment you two started snogging, you'd kill each other!"
Harry rolled his eyes managing for the first time not to fall into a fit of blushing. "Believe me, I'd kill him long before we ever had the chance to snog." Seamus just laughed and Harry went back once again to concentrating on not concentrating on Draco.
~*~*~*~
The Quidditch pitch looked as though it was a postcard for all things winter. The snow that had blanketed the ground was completely undisturbed and large icicles hung from the goal hoops, glittering as brightly as jewels. Harry glanced around him and for a moment felt overwhelmed by the beauty of Christmas.
Seamus had insisted that both boys change into something more festive per Seamus' temporary creed of 'Christmas or bust'. Seamus, who had the better fashion sense of the two, had loaned Harry a forest green jumper with silver trimming around the collar. He himself had chosen a bright red jumper that fitted very tightly to his form.
Harry had informed him that Seamus' jumper was now a size too small, when Seamus countered back with, exactly the point when trying to get someone's attention. Seamus had hoped that Harry wouldn't notice he had dressed him in Slytherin colors, praying that he would be to busy one again lost in his own world. Happily enough he didn't seem to notice.
They were now outside, cloaks pulled tightly around their bodies trying to keep warm in the bitter cold. About half the students has decided to turn up and were waiting patiently for the Headmaster who at the moment was making his way from the Quidditch shed, a large box floating beside him.
"Another Christmas swiftly approaching, another season biting at our heals." He moved to stand in the center of the group and lowered the box at his side to the ground. "And with the winter holidays comes a time of merriment and revelry. And so today I have arranged a series of games for you all," the crowd of students let out shouts of enthusiasm and the Headmaster held up his hands to silence them. "You may choose to participate in any of the games you wish, but you may also choose to remain a spectator, as I plan on doing."
Dumbledore listed all the games that would be available. There was going to be everything from a snowman contest (which all of the students would be able to enchant anyway they saw fit) to a life-size version of Wizards chess, something reminiscent to the chess board Harry and his friends had played on back in their very first year, and everything in between.
Harry was just about to agree to the snowman contest when Dumbledore cleared his throat, effortlessly obtaining everyone's attention once again. "There is also one more game that I thought might be interesting. A Snitch-off, if you will. It seems that three of our Quidditch seekers have opted to stay behind at Hogwarts for the holiday, and I think that makes for an excellent bit of amusement. Harry Potter, Stephen Cornfoot and Draco Malfoy, if you would kindly make your way to my side.
Harry made his way swiftly to where the Headmaster stood. Stephen and Draco also moved to stand by Dumbledore. "I thought it might be nice to have a little," he paused looking pointedly at both Harry and Draco," competition that was *properly* supervised."
Draco snorted, but Harry just nodded his head purposefully avoiding looking at either boy. Dumbledore pointed to the container he had set down beside himself. 'There are one hundred snitches in this box, and you will have ten minutes to catch as many as is possible. If you would kindly get your brooms, we will begin."
Harry held his wand forward closing his eyes focusing on the broomstick that was located underneath his bed. "Accio Firebolt," he shouted holding out his other hand calmly waiting for his broom to be summoned. Draco and Stephen followed suit, Draco with a Firebolt 3000 and Stephen with a Nimbus 2020.
All three boys took off their cloaks, mounted their brooms and quickly pushed off, Harry's stomach tightening in anticipation. He saw Seamus waving at him from the sidelines where it seemed like all of the school had turned up. His eyes were focused on the box beside Dumbledore's feet. With a wave of his wand the chest burst open, and the sky was filled with snitches darting in every direction. Harry was almost taken back by the loud buzzing noise they emitted never having played around more then one snitch at a time.
(A/N this would be a good time to put on Metallica's version of 'Carol of the Bells' as it really sets the mood. ;o)-- )
Harry set off with a brilliant burst of speed holding out his left hand and without any effort immediately caught two snitches. He held them tightly in his hand quickly realizing it was going to be quite an effort trying to hold on to more then one of these. He shoved both snitches into his pants pocket and set off again.
Harry pulled back around and saw that Malfoy looked like he was in a ball of floating snitches. He was waving his arms madly trying to grab them all. Harry put on another burst of speed in that direction quickly breaking up the nest of snitches that was hovering around the other boy. He managed to grab one more as he did so shoving it inside his pocket again. Harry heard Malfoy swear at him, but before he had time to reply the gray-eyed boy was off, pulling to the ground with a speed that nearly caused Harry's stomach to lurch.
Harry saw Stephen out of the corner of his eye; he appeared to be shoving a snitch inside the hat he had been wearing. He laughed at the look of pure determination on the boys' face. Harry pulled up higher almost choking as a snitch flew into his mouth. He quickly spit the snitch into his hands and forced it into the pocket with the other three. He really had to stop catching snitches that way.
Harry noticed Malfoy darting around down below him, so he quickly dropped down himself flying swiftly alongside the other boy. He felt the need to ram into him, but decided against it fully aware what Dumbledore had meant when he said this was a 'supervised' game.
Draco shot froward and quickly veered in front of Harry causing him to nearly crash into the other boy. "Having fun yet?" the Slytherin shouted.
"Thrills," Harry shouted back, quickly rising thirty feet ignoring the sudden gnawing in his stomach and dizzy feeling in his head.
He spotted a small cluster of snitches and quickly shot for them, grabbing madly at them managing to catch three. He managed to squeak out an engorgement charm on his pockets and they quickly grew to an enormous size, he shoved the newly caught snitches inside and pulled around once again almost running straight into Draco.
"Trying to win this off my scraps, are you?" Harry shouted out pleased that he managed to speak without jumbling his words. The tension in his stomach was growing and he thought he heard a light ringing in his ears that had nothing to do with the humming of the pack of snitches flying all around.
Draco shot forward nearly causing Harry to fall off his broom, "I don't have to try and win at all. I will." Harry noticed that the silver gray of his eyes had the slightest hint of blue in them, which was brought out by the rich navy jumper he was wearing.
Not pleased again where is traitorous thoughts were taking him, he quickly shot down managing to pull what looked like a death drop into the crowd below him, pulling up at the last minute leveling out and grabbing another snitch as he did so. It was certainly easier when you had such a plethora to choose from.
He managed to grab a few more handfuls of snitches before he heard the loud explosion from Dumbledores' wand signaling the end. Harry flew back down to the ground in lazy circles; sure that he had managed to catch the most amount of snitches. His pockets were buzzing loudly, and his legs felt as if a hundred fingers were prancing about over his body trying to tickle him.
"Stephen Cornfoot," Dumbledore called out. The Ravenclaw stepped forward handing Dumbledore his hat; Dumbledore whispered a quick freezing charm over it and began to count out the snitches inside. "Seventeen," he announced the Ravenclaws screaming madly as he did so. "Very good job indeed!"
"Harry Potter." Harry moved towards the Headmaster, slightly waddling as he did so in an attempt to keep the snitches securely inside his pockets. Harry was grateful when the Headmaster froze their movements and began to count them out, "Thirty-one!" The Gryffindors in the crowd seemed to be having a fit. The noise of their screams seemed to echo in the air and Harry grinned proudly enjoying the look of disgust, which seemed to be covering half the Slytherin crowd. "Very good indeed, Harry."
"Draco Malfoy." Draco calmly stepped forward, a smug grin on his face. He glanced briefly at Harry and stopped in front of the Headmaster. Harry noticed for the first time that Draco's jumper seemed to be alive. It was stretched out, and it looked like it was moving in rolling waves on the other boys' chest. Dumbledore chuckled softly and directed the freezing charm at Draco's torso.
Draco lifted his jumper up and a pile of snitches fell to the ground. Harry noticed the brief flash of Draco's pale, well-toned stomach, he ignored the quick flush of heat that spread over him and instead gave what he hoped was a look of pure disdain to the blonde boy.
"Thirty-nine," Dumbledore calmly announced causing Harry's attention to snap right to the present. The Slytherins in the crowd gave an ear shattering round of applause and Draco smugly waved his hand to the crowd, grinning at the sea of angry faces that belonged to the Gryffindors.
"Congratulations, My. Malfoy. You will be pleased to know you have also beaten the school record which was set more than twenty years ago by Gryffindors own James Potter." There was a new look of life that had sprung up in Draco's eyes and he quickly turned to look at Harry, the sneer on his face causing Harry to wish they were alone so he could beat it off him.
"Thank you, Headmaster." Draco said, his voice full of sarcasm. "This is a great honor."
As the crowd began to split up, Seamus was instantly at Harry's side again trying to cheer him up. "Draco's a prat."
(...with swollen lips...) "I don't really want to think about him right now, Seamus."
"Alright mate, but I just wanted you to know he is."
(...and a flash of skin...) "I don't know what he is, and I don't really care if I ever find out."
They walked in silence back up to the castle, Harry feeling confused about the past week and even more so disappointed that it hadn't been he that had broken his father's record. Harry looked over at Seamus and noticed a small wistful grin on his face, "How did things go down on the ground?"
Seamus broke into a bigger grin; pleased he was aloud to share his news with his friend. "He noticed the jumpers!"
"Who did, and what do you mean jumpers?" Harry asked not following where Seamus was going.
"Blaise, of course! He noticed you were wearing Slytherin colors and he noticed that mine would be better suited for a fifth year. He kept staring at me, I tell you. It was brilliant."
"Seamus," Harry said, not paying attention to the last part, his voice deadly quiet, "you put me in Slytherin colors?"
The Irish boy looked as though he had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, he forced a small laugh. "Yes well, I thought it might be fun-"
Harry held up his hands interrupting him, "I don't want anything to do with Slytherin. Even if it's only their stupid colors!" Harry ripped of the jumper he was wearing throwing it at Seamus' feet, not caring that he was now freezing out in the snow wearing nothing but his pants, and feeling equally stupid he hadn't noticed what he was wearing. "I'm going to our room, I need to be alone for awhile."
Seamus nodded his head and watched as his friend made his way up to the castle, his skin turning a bit red from the cold. "Me and my big Irish mouth," he mumbled to himself. However, he noticed out of the corner of his eyes a very flushed looking Malfoy was watching Harry's every step. "Then again," he whispered softly, "maybe I'm not wrong after all."
A/N Ya, well. I can't wait for day eight argh lol. There's a tree that's all I'm saying! Anywho's, it was actually my MOM'S idea for Harry and Draco to have there snitch off. She's forty-eight years old, and she's a closet Draco/Harry nut ha! But, as it's totally sexy, I loved it. This is really starting to get sad, snowball fight, fist fight, snitch off, they need to just give in to their lusty snog filled thoughts lol. PS, I never said BRAVO to 'A Big Sign That Says Flame Me' for catching my little homage to Ferris Bueller lol!
A preview for tomorrow - Seamus is driving Harry crazy with his Christmas jollies, who is still brooding about everything. He tries to hide, Seamus tries to seduce, and Draco has a stare that can petrify...
canceria - Thank you so much, I agree with you, I like bringing out other characters that Harry is supposedly so close with, but those of who we never really delve into during the books.
ali - Really? I must be blooper prone! I could have sworn Lupin taught him in the History of magic class, but then again maybe they did more then one scene. I just can't remember. We'll just pretend this is a brand new lounge lol!
Grey Malfoy - They mention twice in the books that Witches and Wizards use love potions, but to what extent I don't know. In the second book, Gilderoy tells the students they should get Snape to teach them how, and in book three, Mrs. Weasley tells Hermione and Ginny about using them back when she was in school. Are you thinking or Irresistible Poison? (One of my all time FAVORITE Harry/Draco fics) In that, it is illegal.
AshFarley - VERY GOOD observation. Draco doesn't do ANYTHING he doesn't fully mean to ;o) Does that answer your thoughts? e.g
Cheerry-Bay - You'll just have to wait and see lol
CaelestisDiabolus - Thank you, and don't worry about my 'Draco's Rhapsody', it's content with the reviews it's got lol.
Silverhair (ff.net) & Jezzie1232 (e-mail) Jezz, you have no excuse you evil person! (jk) You have to go and see LOTR: FOTR & TTT! I can't believe you haven't seen it and didn't know who Orlando Bloom was lol. Here's a lesson for you. http://orlando.330.ca/pics/film/fotr10.jpg (Legolas, FOTR) http://orlando.330.ca/pics/film/ttt29.jpg (Legolas:TTT) And Silverhair...he is exceptionally hot as Legolas, but have you seen him in these? Orli's just as fine lol... http://orlando.glisten.net/gallery/arena01.jpg (No shirt, yowsa) http://orlando.glisten.net/gallery/arena02.jpg (Sexy hot eye thing, what IS that?) http://orlando.330.ca/pics/public/ukgala02.jpg (laugh, God he has a good laugh.) OK, people stop laughing, I just happen to have a little crush; you don't have to look at me like I'm nutz!
Disclaimer: Same as it was in Chapter one!
A/N So ya, I was gone four about fourteen hours on Tuesday/Wednesday on my LOTR lala-fest, and I got home about four AM. True, that sounds crazy but it was so much fun! Thank heavens for the three boys who brought a TV and let us watch movies :o) We watched, Spiderman, Monsters Inc. And Dumb and Dumber lol. AMC 24 in Mesa, AZ did a pretty good job hosting the movie. Good Lord, them LOTR men are purrrtty! Plus I smell some Legolas/Aragorn slash that will come from that movie. Two scenes in particular lol. ANYWHO'S, I re-uploaded all the chapters because I just noticed some errors I had to fix. (my head girl blooper is taken care of lol) Nothing major was changed, just one or two things here and there and some punctuation. And I remembered to point out Minerva was under the Love Potion too hehehe. Anywho's, just a head's up...I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story, cause I'm having a ridiculously fun time doing it! You are all great for reviewing, and I plan on thanking all the reviewers in my last chapter. BUT! I digress, here we go...
The Twelve Days Of Christmas By: Gum Acacia
On The Sixth Day Of Christmas, My True Love Gave To Me...
The next morning Harry woke up more irritable then usual. His jaw was achy, his neck felt stiff, he had a headache that was throbbing nonstop and also he was pretty sure he had bruised a rib or two. He wished yet again that Madam Pomfery would not be so bias as to who she healed. But it was common knowledge, especially among the boys, that she never consented to heal anyone who got into a fight unless something was broken. But it wasn't his ailments that were troubling him that morning. It was the dreams that had been plaguing him all night long. He couldn't remember them now, but he did know for certain that they all seemed to feature the same person. Draco Malfoy.
He had tried to convince himself that all his dreams must have been nothing more then a succession of Harry beating the hell out of Draco, but a voice in the back of his mind (probably the same traitor that had mentioned his lips) told him the context had been something else.
So, he woke up with a reasonably justified attitude. Seamus, believing him to just be upset about not winning the fight, left him alone. They boys went down stairs in companionable silence into the great hall, both ignoring the loud rumbles of their stomachs. They sat down, still silent, and began to eat as though they had both just completed a month long fast.
After almost finishing his second helping, Seamus looked up at for the first time noticed that Harry seemed to be as starved as he was. He grinned, and with his mouth still full of food asked a question that nearly caused Harry to choke. "Who did you dream of shagging?"
Harry coughed for a moment, he knew he must be blushing deeply and he cursed himself for being so easily embarrassed. "What are you talking about? I didn't dream of shagging anyone!"
Seamus noticed his quick blush, but for the moment chose to ignore it. "Oh, I just thought maybe you did. You never really eat that much in the morning, and I'm always starved after a good bawdy dream."
Harry noticed that Seamus was busy reaching for a third helping and decided to quickly change the subject. He gestured to Seamus' plate, "Well, who did you dream about?"
A devilish look crept over the Irish boys' face; "Let's just say it featured both Padma and Blaise and a very large bowl of black pudding."
Harry groaned, "Next time, don't tell me even if I ask!"
"What," Seamus exclaimed a look of feigned innocence covering his face, "I didn't tell you about the Unicorn horn!" Seamus burst into laughter at the total look of horror that blanketed Harry's face. "You're to easy, Potter."
"I know I've said this before Seamus, but you're really sick." Harry shook his head and pushed away his plate, suddenly losing his appetite.
"You've just yet to come into your sexual liberation! Trust me, one day you'll look at Unicorn horns in a whole new light." Seamus grinned again, enjoying Harry's obvious discomfort.
Harry was about to reply when Parvati Patil slammed herself down onto the bench next to Seamus. "Millicent got caught!" Her excitement seemed to roll off her in waves.
"What?" Harry asked.
"Millicent Bullstrode, she got caught doing her task last night, and she was supposed to do it without any of the teachers finding out! She cost Slytherin two hundred points! There in last place for the house cup now."
Seamus grinned obviously pleased about the latest news. "What was her task?"
Parvati grabbed a grape from Seamus' plate and popped it into her mouth. "She was supposed to spend the entire night in the forbidden forest all by herself."
Harry's jaw dropped, "That's crazy!"
Parvati nodded, "I wouldn't have tried that for the world. She could have been eaten!"
"I doubt that," Seamus said glancing over to the Slytherin table, "she's scarier then anything they have in their, including werewolves!"
"Yes well, she still got caught." Parvati said laughing. "Which means Slytherin's down one. Which also means if they mess up two more, we'll win! That is, if the three of us don't manage to mess up ours. I've never been so thankful Filch patrols the school. Padma's done hers as well."
"And what," Seamus asked, his mouth full of grapes, "did the little minx do?"
"She charmed a suite of armor to follow Flitwick around. Whatever charm she used, it must have been a doosey because he still can't get rid of it!"
"She *is* quite talented with a wand," Seamus said winking at Harry.
Parvati excused herself, practically skipping, on her way to spread that morning's gossip. Harry noticed Seamus had returned his gaze back to the Slytherins' table. "What are you looking at."
Seamus pulled his eyes back to Harry. "Just trying to decide who looks worse this morning, them or us."
Harry turned around and noticed that Draco and Blaise had entered the room, Pansy Parkinson was busy fawning over both of them. "You'd think from the way she was acting, they were both about to die." Harry was pleased to notice Blaise had a superbly nasty looking black eye and the side of his nose looked bruised. Draco on the other hand seemed to have nothing more then a cut lip that looked a tad bit swollen causing his mouth to look slightly fuller then usual. 'Stop,' a voice screamed inside Harry's head, 'thinking about his lips!' He whirled around to face Seamus again, his cheeks blushing again as he did so. He really was picking up too many Weasley qualities.
Seamus noticed the other boys blush and calmly looked over from Draco and back to Harry. "So, who *did* you dream about last night?" Seamus was pleased at the slightly flustered look on Harry's face but wasn't permitted to question him any further as a loud noise drew his attention to the front of the room.
Every student in the hall seemed to fall silent. Harry could swear the sound of his own heartbeat must have been echoing throughout the room. Severus Snape was standing in front of the head table; his arms folded across his chest a deadly look of malice filling his eyes.
Harry noted somewhere in the back of his mind that Snape was dressed once again in his usual black robes, all traces of the carefree teacher he witnessed yesterday seemed gone never to be seen again. The scowl on the teachers' mouth seemed to be even more grave the Harry had ever seen, and he was scanning the crowd freezing the students with his glare.
He spoke what seemed to be barely above a whisper, but with the silence in the room, it indeed carried far. "Someone in this room, is responsible for what can only be considered as an attack on two of Hogwarts' Professors."
Harry felt a knot in his stomach, and he instinctively let his eyes slide over to where Lavender sat. She looked as though all color had retreated from her face, her eyes wide with worry. He quickly brought his eyes back to Snape; shocked to see the professors' eyes were fixed on him.
"I would take this opportunity to remind you, that it is against Hogwarts' rules to use a spell or potion on or against any of your teachers without there knowledge or consent. And when the culprit behind yesterdays little prank is caught, I assure you I will personally be responsible for their punishment and it will be the most severe as is in my power to bestow."
Harry was sure that at any moment one of the Slytherins' was sure to jump up and announce who had in fact been behind the task. But much to his surprise, all the students stayed quiet. "Further more, understand that as the potion used is known to impair thought and judgement, nothing that was said or done by either myself or Professor McGonagall should be taken as our own thoughts, actions or judgements." Snape pointedly glared at Harry here. Snape quickly finished his speech, and with a swirling of his cloak, quickly departed the room. Harry however noticed that before he left, he had caught Minerva's eye and both had blushed exceedingly.
"He thinks it was me," Harry mumbled to Seamus.
The blonde boy laughed, "Oh, relax Harry it's not like you actually did anything. You're starting to sound like Hermione again!"
Harry spent the rest of the morning at the table concentrating on *not* concentrating on Malfoy. The redundancy of the situation however, was not lost on him and soon he was beginning to feel irritable again. "I need to do something."
Seamus brought his attention once again back to Harry. "Like what, pray tell?"
Harry slammed his fist against the table, "I don't know, just something! I'm starting to feel like I'm trapped in my own skin."
Seamus let his eyes travel once again over to the Slytherin table; he paused for a moment taking in Draco's more then usual irritable manner and looked back at Harry. "You don't seem to be the only one with that problem," he said almost to himself.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing, Harry. Why don't we go see what old Dumbledore has in store for us, shall we?"
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, quickly getting to his feet eager to move heedless of the direction.
Seamus rolled his eyes, "Harry, this living in your own little world oblivious to anything that's not an evil threat to the wizarding world really has to stop, it's just not healthy." He said playfully pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. "Dumbledore said he was planning a surprise for today, had you been paying attention at dinner last night you might have heard him."
The two boys made their way up to the front of the great hall and Harry smiled as the Headmaster grinned at them both, eyes twinkling as he did. "Harry, Mr. Finnigan, what can I do for you both?"
"We were just coming to find out about today's surprise, Sir." Seamus said, his hands on the head table as he leaned slightly against it. "Our Harry here is starting to get a little Christmas cabin fever."
The headmaster grinned at Harry; he tilted his head down slightly as if trying to read the expression that was on the boys' face. Harry always hated it when he did this, as he was sure he was not only reading what was written on his face, but also what was hidden in his mind. "Really, Harry? I would have thought you would have been tired after such a busy week. Snowballs fights by the forest, other altercations in Hogsmeade..." He let the sentence trail off at the end and Harry tugged at his jumper, feeling suddenly trapped again.
Seamus quickly stepped in well aware of Harry's inability to cover his own arse when it came to the headmaster. "Oh yes well, what can you say Headmaster, I guess boys will always be boys, right?"
"Very true Mr. Finnigan, but I do always hope that as you young men mature you will become more reserved in your," he paused for a moment eyes dancing merrily as if he weren't handing out a slight reprimand, "disputes."
"No Sir, not a dispute just a minor misunderstanding." Seamus grinned and winked at Harry, "In fact Sir, I do believe that Mr. Zabini and I are on the right track to becoming fast friends." Harry had to pretend to cough to keep out from bursting into laughter.
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, "Really? Well, it is always pleasing to see members of opposite houses putting their differences aside for mutual agreement. Harry," Dumbledore said turning to face the boy, "are their any prospects of you and Mr. Malfoy coming to an equal understanding?"
Harry glared at Seamus as the blonde boy burst into laughter, his accent growing thick with mirth, "Well, I wouldn't go that far Sir, but I'm sure there's some potential."
Dumbledore informed the boys to meet at the Quidditch pitch at one o'clock, and Harry pulled a still laughing Seamus back to their seats.
"You really are a plague on my sanity, you do know that don't you?" Harry said kicking Seamus under the table, trying to keep the laughter that was already drawing much attention down.
"I'm sorry, but when he asked if you and Draco would ever do what Blaise and I will, I just couldn't help myself. The moment you two started snogging, you'd kill each other!"
Harry rolled his eyes managing for the first time not to fall into a fit of blushing. "Believe me, I'd kill him long before we ever had the chance to snog." Seamus just laughed and Harry went back once again to concentrating on not concentrating on Draco.
~*~*~*~
The Quidditch pitch looked as though it was a postcard for all things winter. The snow that had blanketed the ground was completely undisturbed and large icicles hung from the goal hoops, glittering as brightly as jewels. Harry glanced around him and for a moment felt overwhelmed by the beauty of Christmas.
Seamus had insisted that both boys change into something more festive per Seamus' temporary creed of 'Christmas or bust'. Seamus, who had the better fashion sense of the two, had loaned Harry a forest green jumper with silver trimming around the collar. He himself had chosen a bright red jumper that fitted very tightly to his form.
Harry had informed him that Seamus' jumper was now a size too small, when Seamus countered back with, exactly the point when trying to get someone's attention. Seamus had hoped that Harry wouldn't notice he had dressed him in Slytherin colors, praying that he would be to busy one again lost in his own world. Happily enough he didn't seem to notice.
They were now outside, cloaks pulled tightly around their bodies trying to keep warm in the bitter cold. About half the students has decided to turn up and were waiting patiently for the Headmaster who at the moment was making his way from the Quidditch shed, a large box floating beside him.
"Another Christmas swiftly approaching, another season biting at our heals." He moved to stand in the center of the group and lowered the box at his side to the ground. "And with the winter holidays comes a time of merriment and revelry. And so today I have arranged a series of games for you all," the crowd of students let out shouts of enthusiasm and the Headmaster held up his hands to silence them. "You may choose to participate in any of the games you wish, but you may also choose to remain a spectator, as I plan on doing."
Dumbledore listed all the games that would be available. There was going to be everything from a snowman contest (which all of the students would be able to enchant anyway they saw fit) to a life-size version of Wizards chess, something reminiscent to the chess board Harry and his friends had played on back in their very first year, and everything in between.
Harry was just about to agree to the snowman contest when Dumbledore cleared his throat, effortlessly obtaining everyone's attention once again. "There is also one more game that I thought might be interesting. A Snitch-off, if you will. It seems that three of our Quidditch seekers have opted to stay behind at Hogwarts for the holiday, and I think that makes for an excellent bit of amusement. Harry Potter, Stephen Cornfoot and Draco Malfoy, if you would kindly make your way to my side.
Harry made his way swiftly to where the Headmaster stood. Stephen and Draco also moved to stand by Dumbledore. "I thought it might be nice to have a little," he paused looking pointedly at both Harry and Draco," competition that was *properly* supervised."
Draco snorted, but Harry just nodded his head purposefully avoiding looking at either boy. Dumbledore pointed to the container he had set down beside himself. 'There are one hundred snitches in this box, and you will have ten minutes to catch as many as is possible. If you would kindly get your brooms, we will begin."
Harry held his wand forward closing his eyes focusing on the broomstick that was located underneath his bed. "Accio Firebolt," he shouted holding out his other hand calmly waiting for his broom to be summoned. Draco and Stephen followed suit, Draco with a Firebolt 3000 and Stephen with a Nimbus 2020.
All three boys took off their cloaks, mounted their brooms and quickly pushed off, Harry's stomach tightening in anticipation. He saw Seamus waving at him from the sidelines where it seemed like all of the school had turned up. His eyes were focused on the box beside Dumbledore's feet. With a wave of his wand the chest burst open, and the sky was filled with snitches darting in every direction. Harry was almost taken back by the loud buzzing noise they emitted never having played around more then one snitch at a time.
(A/N this would be a good time to put on Metallica's version of 'Carol of the Bells' as it really sets the mood. ;o)-- )
Harry set off with a brilliant burst of speed holding out his left hand and without any effort immediately caught two snitches. He held them tightly in his hand quickly realizing it was going to be quite an effort trying to hold on to more then one of these. He shoved both snitches into his pants pocket and set off again.
Harry pulled back around and saw that Malfoy looked like he was in a ball of floating snitches. He was waving his arms madly trying to grab them all. Harry put on another burst of speed in that direction quickly breaking up the nest of snitches that was hovering around the other boy. He managed to grab one more as he did so shoving it inside his pocket again. Harry heard Malfoy swear at him, but before he had time to reply the gray-eyed boy was off, pulling to the ground with a speed that nearly caused Harry's stomach to lurch.
Harry saw Stephen out of the corner of his eye; he appeared to be shoving a snitch inside the hat he had been wearing. He laughed at the look of pure determination on the boys' face. Harry pulled up higher almost choking as a snitch flew into his mouth. He quickly spit the snitch into his hands and forced it into the pocket with the other three. He really had to stop catching snitches that way.
Harry noticed Malfoy darting around down below him, so he quickly dropped down himself flying swiftly alongside the other boy. He felt the need to ram into him, but decided against it fully aware what Dumbledore had meant when he said this was a 'supervised' game.
Draco shot froward and quickly veered in front of Harry causing him to nearly crash into the other boy. "Having fun yet?" the Slytherin shouted.
"Thrills," Harry shouted back, quickly rising thirty feet ignoring the sudden gnawing in his stomach and dizzy feeling in his head.
He spotted a small cluster of snitches and quickly shot for them, grabbing madly at them managing to catch three. He managed to squeak out an engorgement charm on his pockets and they quickly grew to an enormous size, he shoved the newly caught snitches inside and pulled around once again almost running straight into Draco.
"Trying to win this off my scraps, are you?" Harry shouted out pleased that he managed to speak without jumbling his words. The tension in his stomach was growing and he thought he heard a light ringing in his ears that had nothing to do with the humming of the pack of snitches flying all around.
Draco shot forward nearly causing Harry to fall off his broom, "I don't have to try and win at all. I will." Harry noticed that the silver gray of his eyes had the slightest hint of blue in them, which was brought out by the rich navy jumper he was wearing.
Not pleased again where is traitorous thoughts were taking him, he quickly shot down managing to pull what looked like a death drop into the crowd below him, pulling up at the last minute leveling out and grabbing another snitch as he did so. It was certainly easier when you had such a plethora to choose from.
He managed to grab a few more handfuls of snitches before he heard the loud explosion from Dumbledores' wand signaling the end. Harry flew back down to the ground in lazy circles; sure that he had managed to catch the most amount of snitches. His pockets were buzzing loudly, and his legs felt as if a hundred fingers were prancing about over his body trying to tickle him.
"Stephen Cornfoot," Dumbledore called out. The Ravenclaw stepped forward handing Dumbledore his hat; Dumbledore whispered a quick freezing charm over it and began to count out the snitches inside. "Seventeen," he announced the Ravenclaws screaming madly as he did so. "Very good job indeed!"
"Harry Potter." Harry moved towards the Headmaster, slightly waddling as he did so in an attempt to keep the snitches securely inside his pockets. Harry was grateful when the Headmaster froze their movements and began to count them out, "Thirty-one!" The Gryffindors in the crowd seemed to be having a fit. The noise of their screams seemed to echo in the air and Harry grinned proudly enjoying the look of disgust, which seemed to be covering half the Slytherin crowd. "Very good indeed, Harry."
"Draco Malfoy." Draco calmly stepped forward, a smug grin on his face. He glanced briefly at Harry and stopped in front of the Headmaster. Harry noticed for the first time that Draco's jumper seemed to be alive. It was stretched out, and it looked like it was moving in rolling waves on the other boys' chest. Dumbledore chuckled softly and directed the freezing charm at Draco's torso.
Draco lifted his jumper up and a pile of snitches fell to the ground. Harry noticed the brief flash of Draco's pale, well-toned stomach, he ignored the quick flush of heat that spread over him and instead gave what he hoped was a look of pure disdain to the blonde boy.
"Thirty-nine," Dumbledore calmly announced causing Harry's attention to snap right to the present. The Slytherins in the crowd gave an ear shattering round of applause and Draco smugly waved his hand to the crowd, grinning at the sea of angry faces that belonged to the Gryffindors.
"Congratulations, My. Malfoy. You will be pleased to know you have also beaten the school record which was set more than twenty years ago by Gryffindors own James Potter." There was a new look of life that had sprung up in Draco's eyes and he quickly turned to look at Harry, the sneer on his face causing Harry to wish they were alone so he could beat it off him.
"Thank you, Headmaster." Draco said, his voice full of sarcasm. "This is a great honor."
As the crowd began to split up, Seamus was instantly at Harry's side again trying to cheer him up. "Draco's a prat."
(...with swollen lips...) "I don't really want to think about him right now, Seamus."
"Alright mate, but I just wanted you to know he is."
(...and a flash of skin...) "I don't know what he is, and I don't really care if I ever find out."
They walked in silence back up to the castle, Harry feeling confused about the past week and even more so disappointed that it hadn't been he that had broken his father's record. Harry looked over at Seamus and noticed a small wistful grin on his face, "How did things go down on the ground?"
Seamus broke into a bigger grin; pleased he was aloud to share his news with his friend. "He noticed the jumpers!"
"Who did, and what do you mean jumpers?" Harry asked not following where Seamus was going.
"Blaise, of course! He noticed you were wearing Slytherin colors and he noticed that mine would be better suited for a fifth year. He kept staring at me, I tell you. It was brilliant."
"Seamus," Harry said, not paying attention to the last part, his voice deadly quiet, "you put me in Slytherin colors?"
The Irish boy looked as though he had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, he forced a small laugh. "Yes well, I thought it might be fun-"
Harry held up his hands interrupting him, "I don't want anything to do with Slytherin. Even if it's only their stupid colors!" Harry ripped of the jumper he was wearing throwing it at Seamus' feet, not caring that he was now freezing out in the snow wearing nothing but his pants, and feeling equally stupid he hadn't noticed what he was wearing. "I'm going to our room, I need to be alone for awhile."
Seamus nodded his head and watched as his friend made his way up to the castle, his skin turning a bit red from the cold. "Me and my big Irish mouth," he mumbled to himself. However, he noticed out of the corner of his eyes a very flushed looking Malfoy was watching Harry's every step. "Then again," he whispered softly, "maybe I'm not wrong after all."
A/N Ya, well. I can't wait for day eight argh lol. There's a tree that's all I'm saying! Anywho's, it was actually my MOM'S idea for Harry and Draco to have there snitch off. She's forty-eight years old, and she's a closet Draco/Harry nut ha! But, as it's totally sexy, I loved it. This is really starting to get sad, snowball fight, fist fight, snitch off, they need to just give in to their lusty snog filled thoughts lol. PS, I never said BRAVO to 'A Big Sign That Says Flame Me' for catching my little homage to Ferris Bueller lol!
A preview for tomorrow - Seamus is driving Harry crazy with his Christmas jollies, who is still brooding about everything. He tries to hide, Seamus tries to seduce, and Draco has a stare that can petrify...