Hello! I'm back again. And in even less time than it did to do chapter 2. I think. I also think I'm finally coming up with a plot. Surprising, huh? There will be more S+S and E+T in this chapter. I'm not very good at that sort of thing so please forgive whatever crappy work I do.
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8:00 found Sakura and Tomoyo sitting (or laying in Sakura's case) on couches in the Teachers' Lounge, chatting idly with a few other professors including Professor McGonagall. Sakura had closed her eyes, opened her mind, and directed her awareness to the Gryffindor Common Room. Everyone but Tomoyo thought she had fallen asleep.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and several others had just returned.
At that moment Syaoran and Meiling entered the Lounge.
"How was the first martial arts lesson?" asked Tomoyo as everyone looked up.
"Excuse me," said Syaoran, gritting his teeth and went through one of the many doors leading into extra rooms and slammed it shut. Immediately there was the sound of glass shattering and large thumps as of furniture hitting the wall.
Meiling sighed. "I had just gotten him calmed down, too."
The professors were staring at the door, eyes wide. Professor McGonagall had a hand over her mouth in shock.
"Don't you dare clean it up!" called Sakura. "I know it was you who tried to blow up Eriol's mansion last time you cleaned up after your tantrum!"
The crashes, which had become fewer and quieter, abruptly picked up speed.
"It's best he get rid of all of his frustration or who knows what might happen," explained Tomoyo.
"Does he do this often?" questioned Professor Sprout shakily.
"Only about once or twice a year," replied Sakura as Syaoran emerged looking just as expressionless as ever aside from his slightly disheveled look.
She opened her eyes. "I'll go clean up the mess." She disappeared into the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.
Tomoyo looked at Syaoran in sympathy. "That bad, eh?"
He fumed. "Half of them were tripping over their own feet and the other half tried to cheat with magic."
Meiling smirked. "After making an example of the first one I caught, the others stopped suddenly. I didn't hurt him," she assured the other professors quickly. "Much," she added under her breath so that they couldn't hear her.
The door Sakura had disappeared into had opened. "Come here Syaoran," ordered Sakura meeting him halfway. "I'm missing a piece of a vase and I think it got caught on you."
Her eyes quickly saw the sharp shard entangled in his robe sleeve. The area around his upper arm had been torn.
"Oh!" exclaimed Sakura in concern. "You cut yourself." She carefully grasped the glass, and placed her hand gently over the cut so that it just barely touched. The bleeding stopped and the cut healed.
"Thanks," muttered Syaoran, his cheeks tinted pink. He was exhausted from expending so much emotional and magical energy that he was unable to produce his trademark fire engine red blush.
Sakura looked at him sharply, not as naive as she had been in her cardcaptoring days, and then dismissed her thought, attributing his blush to the large roaring fire in the fireplace.
The other professors hid grins, a bit more able to see the obvious than the two involved. Meiling hovered behind Tomoyo who hovered behind Sakura and Syaoran with her camera mouthing 'kawaii,' barely able to keep from squealing.
Sakura, having changed her star staff into a wand topped with a star long ago, sent the piece of the vase back to its proper place.
She turned to her fellow professors and bowed. "I apologize for any inconvenience and hope I have adequately fixed the damage." She elbowed Syaoran sharply in the ribs.
Syaoran let out a gasp, glad Sakura hadn't put any more power into the jab and wished she had put in less. "I also apologize for losing my temper. We really should retire to our rooms now, though." He looked at Sakura. "Another day of teaching tomorrow."
Sakura scowled and muttered to herself as the four of them left. "What idiot would make school begin so early in the morning? Early bird catches the worm my ass. Early bird wants to catch some more sleep is more like it. The man must have been insane. Or a sadist." Sakura gave a decisive nod. "Yep, definitely a sadist."
As soon as the professors could not hear their voices anymore they broke out laughing. Oh yes, these new professors, no matter that they were still children, were going to make the year very interesting.
*~*
"I'll see you in the morning," Sakura told the others. "I want to go to the library. I know Eriol has the obvious books that would link us to Clow or the Cards, but I want to check for the more obscure titles, since I don't feel very tired."
"Don't stay up too late," Syaoran said as they went in opposite directions.
"I won't," replied Sakura, smiling warmly.
Syaoran flushed and quickly walked away.
Tomoyo and Meiling exchanged knowing glances.
As Sakura neared the library door she heard voices.
"They don't have Sorcerous People P-T," Hermione was complaining. "It'll take forever for that person to bring it back and I'll have to wait to finish the whole series."
"If you want to finish the series, why don't you finish it and then read R-T when it comes in," suggested Ron.
"Read a series out of order?!"
"Uh oh," said Harry.
"Read a series out of order?!"
"Now you've done it," murmured Harry.
"Are. You. Crazy?!"
"That's, like, a personal sin to her," added Harry. "Up there with getting expelled."
Hermione stalked off, at loss for words and Harry and Ron followed at a safe distance.
"Good," murmured Sakura. Eriol had done what he said he would. No one would be able to read about Clow Reed and connect Keroberos and Yue back to them.
She entered the library and quickly skimmed through titles, piling books on a table that might have a reference to Clow Reed. Once she was done with one area she would read through the Index, and if it said anything about Clow, she teleported it back to her room.
Finally, unable to keep her eyes open any longer, she made her way back to her room.
Unknown to her, someone had been watching to make sure she got back without falling asleep along the way.
Syaoran.
*~*
The next day passed quickly to the Cardcaptor group as they planned how they were going to exorcise Malfoy and gathered any materials they thought they might need.
*~*
The castle was silent as Sakura's clock shone midnight in an empty room. The full moon was bright in a velvety sky full of stars.
A figure in a black cloak quickly crossed the grounds of Hogwarts in the direction of the Forbidden Forest.
"I really wish you wouldn't go tonight. I have a bad feeling about this," said a voice suddenly, startling the dark figure. "Severus."
Sakura was sitting on air gazing steadily at the Potions professor worriedly.
"Professor Kinomoto," greeted Snape coldly.
"Call me Sakura."
"Why are you floating?" Snape inquired without changing his tone.
"The ground is wet," replied Sakura matter-of-factly. She stood and walked over to him and touched the Dark Mark through his sleeve. "That should feel better."
Snape stared at her flexing his now pain-free arm.
"I wish you wouldn't go to Voldemort tonight."
"Headmaster Dumbledore wishes for me to spy on him."
"Only at your choice. I have a bad feeling. Tell him I warned you not to go. He'll understand."
Snape raised an eyebrow. "And I suppose you can see the future?"
Sakura shook her head. "Rarely and only in fragments. It's not like seeing the past that is usually more fixed."
Snape sneered. "If you're so adept in seeing the past, present, and future, perhaps you should have taught Divination."
Sakura glared at him, eyes filled with fire. "Do not sneer at me Severus Snape," she hissed. "I - we - have been through more than you can imagine. We have had to grow up too early, too quickly. We may act like 16 year olds, but that is all it is. An act."
She sighed, anger gone as quickly as it had come, and her eyes suddenly looked ancient to Snape, full of hidden pain.
"I don't know why I'm doing this. Maybe it's because you remind me of Syaoran. So cold and unreachable on the outside, until you get to know him. Here." Sakura held out a star charm on a chain. She made a motion and it appeared on his wrist. "It's long enough for you to reach it without taking it off and it's spelled to stay put and be hidden. If you find yourself in trouble, just squeeze the charm and say, 'Card Mistress.'"
Snape's eyes widened in recognition.
"Ah, so you're one of those bookie people who research anything and everything." She grinned impishly. "The opposite of me. I trust you and Albus will keep our secret? I mean, the Card Mistress, half reincarnation of Clow Reed, two members of the Li clan, and daughter of the owner of one of the largest toy companies in the world can't exactly walk around without being swarmed unless they're in disguise."
Snape was shocked at their list of titles.
"I love introducing the group to magic-using people. You get such fun reactions," giggled Sakura.
"You're not exactly what I had pictured for a master of the Clow Cards."
"What were you picturing? Someone older, taller, more serious, emanating power? And they're not Clow Cards anymore, they're Sakura Cards. I had to upgrade them."
"While I'm thinking about it, you should be nicer to Harry. He'll need all the support he can get for what we're preparing him for. And you don't have to worry about him getting a big head. Considering what kind of people he's living with, it probably won't occur. And if it does Eriol will love to add ice to the swelled head."
"What do you mean the kind of people he's living with?" asked Severus suspiciously.
"You don't know?" asked Sakura in surprise. "Well, maybe Albus didn't tell you because he's protected, even if abused."
"Abused?! We'll discuss this later. If I'm late..." he trailed off and then hurried away.
Sakura watched him sadly and then appeared on the roof next to Syaoran.
"I wish he wouldn't go," she whispered.
"How did he take it?" questioned Syaoran.
"Pretty well actually. Nothing too major. Didn't faint or anything."
Syaoran chuckled. "I have a hard time imagining him fainting."
Sakura smiled back at him, the moonlight highlighting her beauty and making Syaoran catch his breath.
Suddenly he felt compelled to tell her. "Sakura," he began hesitantly, "...I love you."
Sakura stopped, surprised and not unhappy. "Really? I...love you too Syaoran," she replied shyly.
He kissed her then and she responded eagerly, their emotions, pent up since the fourth grade, allowed to pour forth in their full intensity.
Unknown to them, two pairs of eyes and one single watched them. Tomoyo sighed, the eye of the camera fixed on the couple. "Isn't it amazing what a truth spell mixed with a loose tongue potion will do?" she asked dreamily.
"What's amazing is that Snape didn't notice the missing ingredients," replied Eriol with a grin.
"That too," agreed Tomoyo. She gave Eriol a quick kiss. "One could get to like the mixture, ne?" she said as she bounded back inside.
Eriol stood still for a moment before allowing his small smile to grow. "You're not the only lucky one, my cute descendant," he whispered before heading back inside as well.
A couple of hours later found Yue basking in the moonlight. Ruby Moon, Spinel Sun, and Kero had retired to their rooms long ago. The guardians weren't needed this time.
"There he is," whispered Meiling to Sakura. They were in charge of retrieving Draco.
She turned to Sakura. "Can I do it please," she begged.
"Ummm...sure," replied Sakura hesitantly.
Draco felt a sudden sharp pain to his head and as the world faded, another sharp pain to his gut.
"He's gonna feel that in the morning," said Meiling in wicked delight.
"Meiling," said Sakura reproachfully, "he didn't need that second kick in the stomach. He was already going down."
"Just wanted to do a thorough job," replied Meiling innocently.
Sakura let it go and floated Draco behind her using her staff-become-wand with a star topping it, just as Eriol had a sun, Tomoyo a music note, and Syaoran's looked like a miniature version of his sword, minus the sharp edges. Meiling's was the most inconspicuous since it took after her wooden staff. Unfortunately, the guardians weren't compatible with wands or they could have had them use their false forms and hidden Kero and Spinel, therefore avoiding having to hide all references to Clow, and in turn, Keroberos and Yue.
Luckily, they didn't pass anyone as they made their way outside onto a hill where the others were waiting.
"Right," said Eriol efficiently. "Let's get started."
Yue watched idly from atop the roof as they began.
The five arranged themselves in a circle with Draco in the middle.
Suddenly Draco stirred and moaned, letting out a string of curse words as he tried to gaze blearily at the people around him.
"I didn't know that was possible commented Eriol as Meiling knocked him out again, none too gently.
They changed their wands back into their true forms and then Sakura left her spot first. She walked backwards in a circle around them holding her staff steadily, the star pointed at the ground. Pink light streamed out of the staff and settled into the ground. As she reached her spot in the circle Eriol began his backwards walk, and then Syaoran.
None could get into or out of the circle until they broke it.
Tomoyo floated the sage along the edges of the circle and Meiling made it burn. The smoke floated over the group, purifying them and preparing them to break a spell that gained power the longer it was with its victim.
Sakura floated agrimony and clove over Draco and burned half of them, letting the rest fall onto his body.
"Now," began Eriol softly, "point your staves at the boy and chant 'break and dissolve.'"
Soon soft chanting voices filled the air, holding a steady beat. Light passed like lightning between each staff and sword as the tension built. Sakura soon had beads of perspiration on her brow, as did most of her companions.
Suddenly something seemed to shatter soundlessly and Draco's aura flared brightly, free for the first time in his life.
Tomoyo teleported him back to his bed after Sakura, Eriol, and Syaoran broke the circle by pointing their individual staff (or sword) at the glowing circle and sucking it back into the staff, no energy wasted. (AN: Okay from now on if they're in a group and I say staves, it includes Syaoran's sword. He's so contrary. Everyone else has a staff, so he must have sword to make it so much more complicated to write. I'm done ranting, back to the story.)
Then they trooped wearily and silently to their rooms and almost instantly fell asleep.
*~*
Sakura slept fitfully, dreams full of half formed nightmares. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, she headed towards the Teachers' Lounge in hopes of finding someone to talk to.
At 5:00 in the morning Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch were the only ones up and had decided to relax by the fire for a bit.
They looked up as Sakura entered.
"Oh, hello dear, you're up early," greeted Madam Hooch.
"Good morning. Have a seat," added Professor McGonagall.
"Good morning," replied Sakura with a polite bow and collapsed on the offered seat.
"Trouble sleeping?" questioned Madam Hooch sympathetically.
"Yes," moaned Sakura, voice a bit muffled since she had her face in her hands.
"What was the troub-."
"Severus!" gasped Sakura feeling the tug of the charm and promptly disappeared.
Minerva and Hannah were staring at each other in disbelief, knowing full well that no one could Apparate or Disapparate from Hogwarts when Syaoran burst in, sword in hand.
His hair stuck up at wild angles as if he had just gotten out of bed. Eriol and Tomoyo entered the room a few steps behind him.
"What happened?" demanded Syaoran. "Where's Sakura?"
Minerva looked at Syaoran somewhat reproachfully. "We were talking when all of a sudden she said, 'Severus' and disappeared.
"Kuso!" swore Syaoran. "Why didn't you stop her?!"
"Syaoran!" commanded Eriol, totally serious.
Syaoran swung to face him and unthinkingly brought around his sword too.
Eriol parried it with his staff. "What could they have done? Think logically, Syaoran. What could they have done?"
Tomoyo glared at him. "We're worried about Sakura too. But we have got to think about this. She's kept us from following, we need to help her from here."
Syaoran still had a wild look in his eyes when Meiling burst into the room.
"Syaoran Li put that sword away or, so help me, I'll find a way to get engaged with you again!"
That brought Syaoran to his senses and he sheathed his sword.
"What is going on here?!" exclaimed Minerva as she stood.
Madam Hooch was watching them with a mixture of amusement and worry visible on her face.
Eriol had opened his mouth to explain when both sets of guardians rushed into the room.
"Where is she?" hissed Yue furiously.
"Sakura went to rescue Professor Snape," snapped Syaoran.
"After last night? And they didn't stop her?" demanded Yue.
"What could they have done Yue? Who here can stand up to your Mistress?" asked Tomoyo angrily.
"It's too crowded in here. Ruby Moon choose, false form or get rid of the wings. Spinel, Kero, Yue, false forms. I want a warning in case you decide to do something foolish," commanded Eriol in a tone that left no room to argue.
Of course Yue opened his mouth to argue when Yukito decided to take over. Sakura had made it so that he, like Yue, could see events taking place through the other form's eyes. Now that he was aware, Yukito could change back into himself at any time. They could also communicate with each other, which in this case, was not the best thing.
"Oooo, Yue! What a potty mouth!" exclaimed Yukito.
Everyone stared at him.
Yukito flushed. "Sorry. My four year old self is resurfacing." Then he frowned. "Wait a minute. I was born at 16 (AN: sorry, don't know the real age), so I was never four. Or was I four at 20?"
Eriol massaged his temples. "Thinking about that will only give you a headache."
"What is going on here?" demanded Hannah Hooch. "What is wrong with Severus?"
Tomoyo turned to the two professors, caught up in the disaster. "Voldemort has probably discovered Severus spying for Dumbledore. Sakura went to save him," she answered softly.
Hannah gasped and Minerva sat down hard. "Bring her back, bring them both back. He'll kill them," she said urgently.
"No," growled Syaoran. "The worst he could do is to drain her magic before she gets Snape away. And she blocked herself so we can't go after her."
Hannah crossed her arms and glared. "She's just a child still. She teaches students older than she is."
"But she is also the Mistress of the Cards," replied Eriol.
They fell silent trying to assimilate this new information.
"It'll take her time to change the coordinates," Eriol though out loud, "and recharge. She has to be using Shield, which doesn't take much power, so even though she's using some energy, she's gaining more. I suppose we'll just have to wait."
Syaoran turned this over in his head. Something was wrong, but what was it?
He leaped up. "Shit! Oh bloody hell!"
Professor McGonagall looked at him, vaguely disapproving. Her mind wasn't totally on what was happening. She was suddenly making connections to the group that she had dismissed before.
He turned to Eriol, eyes wide. "She won't give away her identity. She'll use a rune spell, or worse, a wizard shield, and that'll use more energy than she can build up."
Eriol became suddenly efficient, refusing to panic. "I'm going to establish a connection. We can't follow her so we'll wend our power. Meiling, Syaoran, and Tomoyo get ready. I only have enough power to begin this spell."
He turned to the guardians. "I'm going to tie you four into the spell to stabilize it." Eriol's staff appeared in his hand and he began chanting. Then he stopped and thrust the staff downward. It was stopped by a force field several inches off of the floor. Eriol bore down on it, keeping it in place as sweat trickled down his brow.
Slowly a blurry picture formed and Eriol relaxed, leaning on his staff and panting.
"Now."
The three sent what power they could spare into the portal.
*~*
"Crucio!"
All was pain. No thought, no talk, no hearing. Only pain that wracked his whole body.
He was clenching something in his right hand. Five points bit into his palm.
Desperately he tried to relax his hand. What was it? Something... He couldn't think. Pain. That's all there was. No one would rescue him.
Rescue...Who...? She...Someone.
Star. It was a star.
He fought to think through the agony. Stars and cards. Star Cards? Not quite.
It was on the tip of his tongue. The one thing that would save him.
"Card....Mis....tress."
It was so quiet he was sure no one could hear him.
Suddenly someone appeared between him and his tormentor and doubled over in pain.
Severus relaxed as she stood and flung the spell onto one of Voldemort's followers. He lay there, his body bruised, bleeding, and broken.
A barrage of spell was sent at her. They bounced off an invisible shield up in a circle around both Sakura and Severus.
He could hear her muttering.
"Let's see...94°...double that then find the square root. Eight to the fifth power times negative 3.4. Add those two together...Right, got the coordinates. God, I hate math." Sakura had been forced to become very familiar with mathematical concepts once she had time to learn how to use sorcery other than the Cards. Sorcery contained more math than any other form of magic and Sakura hated it. True, in school she passed with flying colors and she loved using her magic, and using it quickly, but those were the good things.
"Allow for multiple curse, hex, and killing intention interventions."
She was getting tired now. He could see her trembling every time a spell hit the shield. Severus pushed himself painfully into a sitting position as her muttering came quickly, almost stumbling over words in her haste. He reached for his wand to help her as she cried out.
"No!" she shrieked. Sakura had finally gotten the numbers in line when she felt the energy she needed drain away into the shield. "It's too soon," she whispered. I can't give my identity away now.
Her eyes darted quickly to a point between her and Severus. A small tendril of magic appeared and threaded swiftly in her direction.
A smile of relief crossed her face as it entered her chest.
Tomoyo, she decided, and Syaoran and Meiling. Sakura kept still, preserving what energy she could as she waited.
The spells striking the shield were fewer and the shouts she had blocked out was reduced to enraged muttering.
Voldemort was livid. Those two should have been screaming in pain or dead by now.
"Now," murmured Sakura.
The features around them shifted and blurred, much different from Apparating and Disapparating. Severus felt a bit nauseated.
The appeared in the Teachers' Lounge.
"Severus!" Minerva cried out, appalled at his beaten state.
Sakura supported him, staggering under his weight as he passed out. "You might...want...to levitate...him," gasped Sakura.
"Oh yes, of course," replied Minerva sheepishly. "Wingardium leviosa," she said.
Sakura sighed as her knees buckled underneath her and she fell into Syaoran's arms. She looked up at him, eyes glazed from fever. "I think I'm sick," she said simply before passing out. Almost immediately she began thrashing about, almost causing Syaoran to drop her.
"Okaasan! OKAASAN!" she sobbed.
"Is she alright?" asked Madam Hooch anxiously, leaning in to examine her.
"She doesn't take well to magic drains. We should get them both to the Hospital Wing," replied Eriol.
Hannah nodded. "You're right." She walked over to the fireplace and pulled one of the pictures on the mantle forward. The fireplace swung open to reveal a brightly lit tunnel.
"Well prepared I see," muttered Kero, hiding his concern as the large group entered. The door swung shut behind them.
*~*
"Harry, where are you going?" demanded Ron.
Harry looked up as he grabbed his invisibility cloak. "Don't you think it's a bit strange that both Professor Kinomoto and Snape weren't teaching today and Professors Hiiragizawa and Li looked half asleep?"
Hermione looked thoughtful. "Professor Li, the one who teaches Muggle Studies, and Professor Daidouji looked as if they hadn't gotten any sleep, also."
"And have you noticed how strange Malfoy has been acting today. He's been...nice."
Hermione stared at him.
"You know, he said sorry to me when he bumped into me in the halls," said Harry thoughtfully. "I thought I was imagining things."
"That settles things. Let's check out the Hospital Wing to see if Kinomoto and Snape are sick," said Hermione firmly.
Harry was about to protest their coming, but, seeing the looks on their faces, knew it would do no good.
He sighed and motioned for them to hurry under the cloak. The three of them, stumbling a bit, headed down to the Hospital Wing.
They barely made it past Madame Pomfrey and almost gave away that they were there when saw Snape.
Madam Pomfrey had already treated him, but the pile of blood soaked sheets told how badly he had been hurt.
On the bed behind them, next to a sleeping Snape, lay Professor Kinomoto. She was asleep as well, but fitfully. She tossed and turned, moaning at intervals.
Hermione reached out a tentative hand and snatched it back.
"She's burning up - literally," she whispered.
"It happens...whenever I'm drained. I...should be teaching in...a couple of...days," murmured Sakura in a moment of lucidity.
They jumped. "Does this cloak not work on anyone but witches and wizards?" demanded Harry.
Sakura chuckled. "I don't have...the magic to light...a candle with...right now. The cloak is not...sound-proof."
Harry flushed, glad that no one could see him.
"Is Snape - Professor Snape - alright? What happened?" asked Harry worriedly.
"He's fine. I would like...you to be...friendly to Draco. He's been different lately as...I'm sure you know. He needs...friends."
Harry nodded distractedly, and none of the three noticed that she had avoided the second question.
Sakura dropped of into sleep and the three left quietly.
At that moment Severus awoke and sat up, wincing at his headache. It felt like someone was using a jackhammer to crack it open.
"Otousan. Where's okaasan?" murmured Sakura in her sleep. "What's dead?'
Severus sucked in his breath. He realized that she was hallucinating and guessed that her mother had died when she was young.
He kneeled by her bedside and held her hand, awkwardly patting her head. He owed her his life. But if anyone saw him like this he'd kill whoever it was.
Sakura screamed. "A ghost!"
Severus gave a wry smile. He didn't know she was afraid of ghosts. She had hidden it well. He straightened suddenly, realizing that Poppy would arrive soon. But she didn't come and he realized that this someone must have convinced her to get some rest once her patients had stabilized.
Sakura blinked owlishly at him. "Oh hello," she said, then scowled. "You're not well yet. Get back into bed."
"It's a bit hard to sleep with someone screaming about ghosts," replied Severus dryly, but complied.
Sakura blushed. "It's my brother's fault. He scared me when I was little by telling me about the transparent people he kept seeing," she mumbled.
He saw her grin suddenly and felt uneasy.
"You're losing your touch, you know. Harry, Hermione, and Ron came by to see what happened. They seemed quite worried about you." Sakura smirked.
"Liar," replied Severus.
"Am I?" she questioned sleepily.
Severus was silent and soon both were asleep once more.
*~*
"God dammit, Ron, we're going to be late to Potions! Snape'll kill us!" snarled Harry.
"Well it's not my fault," snapped Ron as they raced to the dungeon. "That stair hardly ever moves. I can't believe it extended 5 stories.
They screeched to a halt outside of the door and slammed it open.
Snape looked up coldly and waited for the inevitable excuse.
"Sorry we're late, Professor but the staircase-" said Harry hastily.
"It's not our fault we're late, the staircase moved us-" began Ron at the same time.
"One excuse at a time Potter, Weasley," said Snape.
"The staircase we were using took us up to the 8th floor and we had to take the long way around," explained Harry.
Snape sighed and, remembering what Sakura had told him, merely said, "I trust it won't happen again," before turning back to the class. He meant to have Sakura tell him about Harry's home life before he forgot. Abuse....
Ron and Harry froze, wondering if they had misheard and the student's mouths had dropped open in astonishment.
"Um...Professor?" began Harry hesitantly.
"Do you not understand that when in class you are to be seated? Do you want me to take points from Gryffindor?" asked Snape sardonically.
Numbly Harry took an open seat, not noticing it was next to Malfoy. He could have sworn he saw a glint of amusement in Snape's eyes. Had hell frozen over? He looked out one of the windows, fully expecting to see flying pigs. Nothing.
He tensed when he saw who he was sitting next to. "Hello Malfoy," he greeted coldly.
Draco seemed to shrink inside of himself and ducked his head. "Hello," he murmured.
Suddenly he remembered what Professor Kinomoto had told him two days ago in the Hospital Wing. "Are you okay?" he whispered, glancing surreptitiously at the lecturing Snape."
"I'm fine," said Malfoy in surprise.
Harry took a deep breath. Might as well go for it.
"Would you like to be friends? I see that you haven't been hanging out with many Slytherins lately," he whispered quickly.
Draco looked at him hopefully and Harry knew he had done something right.
"Yes," he replied in what Harry perceived as relief.
Snape raised an eyebrow in their direction. "Is their something you two would like to share with the class Draco, Harry?"
They shook their heads and avoided making eye contact.
Then Harry glanced up in surprise. He had used his first name!
Snape glared at him, cold as ever, but Harry could have sworn he saw his mouth twitch at the corners.
Harry grinned to himself. Whatever was happening, he hoped it would last.
*~*
Halloween passed quickly with nothing out of the ordinary. Nakuru and various other members of the gang still liked to pop up in beside Harry unannounced and startle Harry and his friends, which now included Draco who was as much a friend now as he had been an enemy before.
Harry, Draco, Hermione, and Ron had progressed from jumping 10 feet in the air to 6 feet whenever one of the gang popped up.
And then suddenly Christmas arrived in a blanket of snow.
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I'm finally done with this chapter! Halleluiah! I wanted to do a Christmas chapter for Christmas (*sarcastically* What an original idea!) so I crammed all of my pre-Christmas ideas into this chapter. I hope it wasn't confusing or anything. Snape and Malfoy are sooooo out of character that I don't even have to say anything. And the best part about it is Meiling got to kick Draco's @$$ before he became too nice for it to be ethical. Not that it was exactly ethical to begin with.... I really, really want to get a Christmas chapter out before Christmas and I promise I'll work as fast as I can to meet that deadline. If for some reason or another I don't get it done or it's really short, please don't yell at me. This chapter is extra long as insurance. Oh, one more thing. Don't expect a whole lot of romance, because I suck at it. I don't like really cheesy ones, but that's about all I can write.
Good news: "Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty we're free at last!" No more school for two weeks!
Bad news: I'll be busy doing last minute shopping, etc. (because everyone knows I'm a last minute person), so I might have trouble finishing ch. 4 in time for X-mas.
Ja ne!
~Mystical Magician