Hero Worship 4
'I have a fucking crush on Harry Potter…'
Colin turned his face into his soft down pillow, eyes squeezed shut trying to push the realization out of his thoughts. He'd gone to bed that night swearing just the opposite but now…after …after that there was no way he could deny it, though he was willing to take a bash at it. He took his frustration out on his pillow pounding his fist into the soft material before rolling over onto his back, laying spread eagle. Colin stared thoughtfully up at the top of his canopied bed, he tried to ignore the memories of the dream he'd been enjoying before waking up. Enjoying…yes a little too much; but it wasn't just a smutty wet dream…that was what was bothering Colin. It was so soft. He threw one arm over his eyes sighing heavily before forcing himself to get up. He could already hear his roommates starting to get up, Spike's alarm clock loud enough to wake up all of Gryffindor tower.
Colin threw back the curtains to his bed before slipping barefooted to the floor, his boxers wrinkled and hair sticking up from sleeping on it funny. He pulled his shower things out from under his bed grabbing a clean towel from his trunk and sleepily making his way out of his dorm without saying even good morning to his roommates. None of them but Alex was a morning person and he never started conversations anyway, just finished them.
He padded down the hall to the boy's shared bathroom; he could hear a few showers already going. Colin pushed open the heavy door to the bathroom, already getting a bit steamy inside. He walked down the row of large cubicle showers hoping there was an empty one for him to take. He didn't want one of the curtained ones; they never fully closed and were rather embarrassing that people could see you when you undressed. About half way down he found an empty cubical giving a short sigh of relief; locking the door behind him he stripped out of his boxers and started the water letting it warm up before getting in with his soap and shampoo.
Twenty minutes later Colin emerged clean, refreshed, and smelling quite nicely if he should say so himself, he'd bought some soap in Diagon Alley that the scent changed every time you used it; so today, he smelled like cinnamon. He hurried down the breezy hallway in just his towel his things clutched in one arm as he made his way back to his dormitory room. He refused to think about his dreams and the rather large part played in them by one Harry Potter.
One of his roommates Alex Lemont was already neatly dressed and on his bed reading before breakfast. He was a quiet one, he wasn't really friends with the other boys he shared a room with but Alex could be called for help on homework if you could stand feeling like an idiot. He tended to be very untactfully honest in his opinions if you asked them. People didn't go to Alex for an ego boost that was for sure.
Colin's other roommates, who were apparently off showering themselves right now, were quite different. Daniel or 'Spike' Bochin was more than his share of friendly even to Alex. He wasn't a dunce though he played one well, he was the leader if there was one in the group of four boys. He was called Spike for his odd hairstyle; he used an obscene amount of gel, in Colin's opinion, on his hair every morning making it stand on end in spikes; so he'd been dubbed 'Spike'.
The last boy who lived with Colin was named Mathew Wills. He was a quiet boy, he and Colin got on quite well sitting together occasionally in class; usually when Matt's best friend Daniel was being punished and having to sit somewhere else. He was Daniel's second; sadly, he was often in detention for his association with the other boy. Colin thought he was also suffering a bit like himself in regards to good ol' Spike.
Colin moved around to the far side of his bed pulling one curtain closed so he could dress without having to expose himself to the remaining roommate. He pulled on his gray slacks, then crisp white shirt, and gray vest finishing off the under-layer of his uniform. He'd save the robe until after fixing his hair; he was still feeling a bit hot from his shower. Colin stood in front of the long mirror toweling off his wet hair before running a comb through the light brown locks. He squeezed a bit of gel into his palm spreading it on both hands and then into his hair giving it a choppy controlled disheveled look. He liked it that way, it was after some American musician whose name he didn't remember; he'd had a young cousin say he looked like a girl with his hair like that but no matter.
By the time Colin finished dressing Spike and Matt were back in the room. Spike kidding poor Matt about being stuck with one of the curtained showers. He was laughing about the peek he'd gotten when Matt had been toweling off; the other boy's face matched the bedspreads in its crimson color as he chucked one of his shoes at his best friend. Spike ducked the shoe hit the wall with a dull thud before dropping to the floor. Alex just raised a brow not gracing them with a comment before going back to his book.
"Finished children?" Colin grinning at his two roommates stopping the banter and getting a pillow thrown at himself for his trouble. "Breakfast is starting soon, kids. Better get dressed." Colin was pressing his luck.
"Go on without us oh mature Mr. Creevey. We'll be down when we're dressed." Spike only just starting his long and drown out morning ritual of hair sculpting.
"Whatever you say. Alex? Join me?" Colin didn't get a verbal reply as much as a physical one; the quiet dark headed boy closed his book with a snap and slid off his bed.
"Sure." Alex didn't waste any words on the other boys as he slipped past Colin and out into the hall, the door's opening so abruptly getting a protest from the still half-naked Mathew. No apology was offered. Colin just slipped out after him.
Harry awoke early not bothering to wake Ron as he showered and dressed. Harry carefully tip toed his way out of the door and then down to the common room and out the portrait hole. He needed to go see Dumbledore today before class started, it was about the whole Head Boy mess. He didn't want Ron or Hermione tagging along, they didn't agree with his wanting to give the blasted title up. The halls were completely empty, most students still tucked into bed.
Harry tucked his hands into the pockets of his robe, the fingers of his right hand fiddling with the head boy badge tucked into his pocket. He'd refused to wear it. Harry's tie was still undone he didn't feel the need to tie it just yet. He found the old gargoyle with no problem; he had been here many a time over the past years he could walk there in his sleep. Now knowing the password was a different story…Harry figured he might as well, try sweets since that had always worked in the past, and if it isn't broke don't fix it.
'He's rather fond of the Weasley's shop...' Harry trying to decide where to start maybe just the typical wizarding candy would work.
"Fizzing Whizbees." Nothing.
"Pepper toads." Nothing.
"Chocolate frogs?" Nothing.
Harry took a breath to try again when a voice sounded behind him.
"Canary crèmes." Harry spun around to see Headmaster Albus Dumbledore standing behind him looking quite amused. The griffin responding to the password jumped to the side for the two men. Dumbledore motioned for Harry to precede him onto the moving staircase. They traveled up to the eccentric Headmaster's office where they were greeted by a sleeping Fawkes and portraits.
"Now, young Harry, what may I do for you at this early hour?" the headmaster took his seat behind his large claw footed desk waiting for Harry's answer as the boy took a seat across from him.
"I came to turn in my Head Boy badge sir. I don't want the position."
"Harry, we went through this in our letters. The board of governors declared you would be Head boy for all you've done in your years here." Dumbledore frowned slightly, the lines in his forehead being accented by the expression his half moon spectacles sliding down his crooked nose some.
"I know sir." Harry's statement reeking of defiance. "I don't deserve it. My grades are mediocre at best. Nothing compared to the Head Girl's. There is some other boy in my year I'm sure deserves it more than me."
"Harry, I can't go against the board. You know this. You've done so much for the Wizarding world they believe you deserve the title and I'm sure your classmates agree with their decision." Harry stood from the seat he'd taken.
"I refuse to accept it. If you don't give it to someone else I'll announce it myself." Harry's voice cold and rather jaded, he was so sick of being handed these honors when he knew he hadn't earned them. It only garnered scorn from him.
"This is a great honor you're turning down, Mr. Potter." Dumbledore was looking his age in the early morning light as he argued with the seventh year.
"I. Don't. Want. It. Give the honor to someone else." Harry set the unworn badge down on the headmaster's desk and turned leaving the office quickly before he could be called back.
The old wizard picked up the abandoned badge turning it over in his hands. He understood Harry wanted to be normal and just blend in. Nevertheless, that wasn't how it was working out for the boy. He'd done his best to shield him, but it hadn't worked. He had wished Harry would learn to take it better now that the threat was truly gone, but to no avail. He could only see the happy child he'd known slip farther away. He'd been told that Harry had even started distancing himself from Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger. A sad state of things, Harry was only going lower now he'd saved the world once more. A sad, sad state that boy was in.
Harry received several astonished looks from his roommates when he returned to his room to pick up his schoolbooks. Seamus was just getting out of bed when Harry returned his hair sticking up everywhere; Dean and Neville were both in various states of dress. And Ron…Ron wasn't anywhere to be found.
"He went looking for you. He woke us up looking for you Harry." Dean told him as he pulled on a clean undershirt. "Think he went to hunt up Hermione."
Harry's reply of 'It doesn't matter' raised brows, well except from the still out of it Seamus. Harry was just turning around his full backpack slung over one shoulder ready to head down to an early breakfast when Ron stormed in slamming the door.
"He's nowhere to be found! Where did the bas…" Ron shut his mouth with a snap as he noticed his best friend standing in the center of their shared room unmoving and obviously indifferent to his outburst. "Where the bloody hell have you been Harry!" Ron looked at the clock near his bedside checking the time. "Its 7 a.m. and you're already dressed and gone!"
"I had something to do." Harry gave a light shrug pulling his backpack higher on his shoulders before taking steps towards the door only to be stopped by his best friend.
"What?" Ron was not letting this go. He had been worried when he'd found his friend's bed empty.
"I went to see Dumbledore." Harry was not offering up information freely giving as short an answer as he could get by with.
"About what, Harry?" Ron was pushing his luck.
Harry sighed with exasperation at the redhead. "I turned in the head boy badge. Curiosity satisfied yet? I'm going to breakfast." Harry pushed past Ron once more headed towards the door. He had finished with this conversation.
"That's all you'll say? You stupid ass, you pompous, stupid ass." Harry slammed the door as Ron yelled not letting the red head's temper stop him from leaving. He didn't care to be lectured it was his choice to make.
"Good morning Harry…" Hermione was at the foot of the boy's stair dressed in her robe her words soft and tentative as she addressed her friend. The head girl just got a mumble for her answer as Harry brushed passed presumably heading to the Great Hall and breakfast.
Ron was pasted seething he was completely furious. Harry had been brushing him off for days and he'd had it. He cared for Harry like a brother but he did not take getting the shaft very well. 'If that's how you want it FINE. Mr. Brilliant Potter can kiss my freckled ass.' Ron was still raving inside when he met Hermione to head to breakfast. She was thankfully silent.
Harry and only a few other students were in the Great Hall at this hour most of them trying to finish homework before their class. He was buttering his toast as Colin and a boy he did not recognize came into the hall. He waved Colin and the boy down. If they sat with him Ron and Hermione couldn't. It was a selfish petty plan but he didn't care right now.
Colin just shrugged at Alex taking a seat next to Harry and Alex across from him. "Good morning Harry." Colin was a bit confused and hesitant after this morning's dream but it would be strange if he passed up the opportunity. In fact, the only ones he figured that would pass up that opportunity to eat with Harry would be the Slytherins…
"Morning Colin. And who are you?" Harry nodded politely to the silent dark haired boy across from him; he seemed about Colin's age probably a roommate.
"Alex Lemont." His nod was curt and polite just a return to the one he had been given by the resident Golden Boy. Harry was immediately curious about how he and Colin were friends.
Colin reached for the waffles and drizzled just a slight bit of syrup on top foregoing the butter. 'Damn diet.' He did not notice the appraising glances going between Harry and Alex too intent on his breakfast. He tried striking up a light conversation, "You're up early Harry. Wanted to get here before everything was gone?"
It was a soft and naïve question and it made Harry smile, something he had not done in a while. "Something like that. McGonagal has a bitch of an essay due today I needed to add the last two inches."
"The Head Boy being a slacker? What are we coming too?" Alex interjecting his own comments before Colin could respond.
Colin's eyebrows shot up, he knew Alex was rude but that was…just cold. Harry did not seem to mind though that small smile Colin had been enjoying disappeared quickly before he responded to the other boy's questions. "I'm not the Head Boy. See a badge?"
"You turned it in?" Colin was shocked and just a bit dismayed he was Gryffindor through and through and he liked his house having both Head Boy and Girl this year. Also…everyone knew Draco Malfoy was just barely behind Hermione in grades. They couldn't have a Slytherin head boy!
"Yes Colin. I did." Harry watched the sixth year, he was obviously dismayed at the news. That Alex character did not seem to have any more opinions past his first sarcastic remarks.
"Well…as long as you're happy." Colin smiled lightly taking a sloppy bite of his waffle.
The conversation went to more neutral ground concerning schoolwork and classes with the occasional easy silence. Harry found himself comfortable for one of the first times since being back at Hogwarts this year. The company didn't expect anything from him past a comment here or there. Moreover, when he did speak, Colin seemed to actually listen. He'd gotten so sick of being just brushed off by Ron lately his words just passed off as nonsense. Harry found himself smiling at the sixth years rambling on about Hagrid's class. Apparently a Land-ray had tried to mate itself to one of his roommate's legs much to the amusement of the class. The sand dwelling cousins of the manta ray were large and tan colored and they could get quite strong.
"You get that essay done Harry?" Colin's light voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he just nodded noticing the tables had filled up without his notice. It was almost time for class. They'd been sitting here for a near hour. Harry tilted his head staring at his plate…he'd just spent longer talking to someone he barely knew in one morning than he had his best friends since he'd been here. Was that telling him something?