Rights
The following morning was awkward. Draco and Tabby avoided eye contact. Hermione and Ron didn't quite know what to say to each other. Harry and Draco had already decided it would be impossible to make peace with each other. For the most part nobody said anything.
"OK enough," said Harry, fed up with the silence, "we aren't gonna get out of here till this is sorted, so we might as well get on with it."
"Well where do we start?" asked Ron.
"I guess, it's with me and Malfoy. Why don't you like me Malfoy?"
"I dunno, Potter, why don't you like me?"
"Well coz you're rude, nasty, selfish, and you call everybody names and think you're so above everybody, and you're not."
"OK, I guess that's fair. I think you are a goody-two-shoes. All you do is run around trying to find out what beast is roaming the castle. You think its up to you to be the big brave one to stand up to Voldemort."
"Well some of us have to, being as some of us support him."
"I don't support him."
"You're father does."
"Don't bring my father into this Potter."
"Why not, worried what Daddy'll think?"
You could almost see the point where Draco snapped. He whipped out his wand, and was about to curse when Tabby screamed, "Expelliarmus." Her disarming spell had been so powerful that not only Draco's wand, but Harry's who had been half way out of his pocket, Ron's who had been in his pocket and Hermione's all flew towards her. She caught them effortlessly. Draco clearly unsatisfied with that leapt on Harry, punching his stomach and clawing at his face. Ron dived forward eager to help. Tabby cried, "Stupefy", and all three froze for a moment before falling to the floor.
"Jesus Tabby, you're spells are strong," said Draco as his detangled himself from the heap on the floor.
"Well then maybe that will teach you not to start fighting again. I can do much worse you know. Much worse." There was no hint of mercy in her voice.
"OK we get the idea," said Ron irritably rubbing his elbow where he had hit it falling to the floor.
For the moment they seemed subdued. Tabby sat down at the newly conjured table with her head in her hands. This was impossible. How were they ever going to get on? She felt so emotionally drained. Draco had been occupying her thoughts all morning. What on earth was she going to do about him? Hermione punctured her thoughts by suggesting that it might be a good time to have some lunch.
After lunch the heavy silence settled back over the room.
"I can't stand more silence," said Tabby. Hermione nodded in agreement.
"We could stay in here for the rest of the year and we still couldn't be friends with Malfoy," said Harry.
"OK, fine, I have had enough. Harry, Draco you are both so childish. You don't even know why you hate each other so much. Sure you call each other names in the past, but that's not a reason for hatred. The cause is bad luck. You just haven't got to know each other well enough to find something you like. Now will you talk it out, without fighting, so we can all get out of this horrible room."
"What should we talk about?"
"Bloody hell, do I have to do everything round here? Talk about the weather, or Quidditch or I don't know anything."
"Well Potter I guess, you're good at Quidditch."
"You're not too bad yourself." They forced compliments and nice words. They gritted their teeth as they listened to each other talk. Tabby smiled, they were actually doing it, actually talking civilly. Well almost civilly.
Hermione was staring at Ron.
"I think we need to talk," she muttered and steered him over to the corner of the room. Harry and Draco we too concerned with being nice to notice, and Tabby, well, she knew what was going on.
"I did notice," said Ron shyly.
"Really?"
"Of course. I notice everything about you. You don't need to bother with all that though, you're fine how you are."
"Is it true you feel the same way as me?"
"I don't know how you feel."
"I feel infuriated at you."
"What?"
"For not telling me sooner."
"What? It was only hair."
"Not that."
"What?"
"Ron you're such a idiot."
"I'm not and idiot, you are!"
They fell into each other's arms, and shared the first of many kisses.
Harry and Draco where all talked out. They had talked about the weather, Quidditch, how hard classes were this year, and how good the food was. All in all the conversation had bored them both, so they had given up. Harry noticed Ron and Hermione sitting closely to each other. He smiled. Tabby had brought them together. His gaze shifted over to where Tabby was sitting. She must know exactly what Harry had been though all his life. Living in shadow of his past, trying to live up to his prophecy. He felt a bond between them. She was sitting at the table reading a book she had conjured for herself. He moved over to her.
"I know what its like you know. Living up to a prophecy I mean."
Tabby smiled, "Thanks Harry."
"Nobody should go though something like that alone. I mean I didn't have my parents but I have had great friends, and you, you never see your parents and you haven't really had any friends here, it must have been hard."
"You have no idea Harry."
"You're right, I don't. Maybe you could change that."
Tabby studied Harry's face. His eyes were soft, his concern genuine.
"I would love to Harry, I feel that you out of anyone I know would understand, but I don't think here is the right time. We will be out soon, then we can have a good talk, OK?"
"OK."
Three days passed. Ron and Hermione spent most of that time in each other's arms, giggling at private jokes. Harry and Draco tried to be pleasant to each other, they really did. It just wasn't working. Harry was reflecting on what Tabby had said, did she really want to talk or was that a way of ducking out of talking and that as soon as they got out of here they wouldn't talk again? Draco was also thinking about Tabby, she was so different, dangerous even, and Draco wanted her. He glanced over at Potter, what was it about him that infuriated him so much? Well right now it was the fact that Tabby had to get with him, which made it impossible for him to have a relationship with her.
"What do you think for Tabby," muttered Draco to Harry, once he was sure she was asleep.
"She's cool, I don't really know her.why?"
"I think she's cool, so brave for doing what she does."
"Yeah, you have to admire people like her, she puts herself out there."
"Do you think she's pretty?"
"Well I guess so, I haven't really thought about her like that before. She's always sort of been there but I haven't ever really looked at her. What's with all the questions?"
"I just wondered how you felt about her."
"Since when do you care about my feelings?"
"Since you got us locking in a room together where we have to care else we wont get out."
"OK OK," said Harry holding his hands up in a truce, "so you like her then?"
"Yeah, too much," said Draco, and for the first time Harry actually felt sorry for him.
"So why don't you tell her? She seems to like you."
"Been there, tried that."
"So what happened?"
"She, um, can't be with me."
"Why not?"
"It's not part of her 'mission'."
"But she wants to?"
"So she says."
"Well then what's the problem?"
"You."
"Come again," said Harry now completely confused.
"You are the problem. You always are."
Harry was too intrigued to become defensive at the jibe, "What are you talking about?"
"God Potter open your eyes. She's a powerful witch right?" Harry nodded, "and she's here to protect us from Voldemort, right?" another nod, "and who's the one who's most at risk?" Harry's jaw dropped.
"You mean the only reason she's here is coz of me?" Draco clapped. "But then, she's here to protect me, and if me and you are friends, her being with you shouldn't matter."
"You should know by now, that love is the strongest form of protection, Harry."
"Love? We are supposed to fall in love?"
"Which is why I cannot get involved. That's her calling; it's what she's destined to do. I can't stand in her way. I wouldn't want to."
"You really care for her?"
"Yes. I know that might be hard for you to comprehend. I'm in love with her."
Harry was shocked, he had never heard Draco talk with such compassion; he knew that he was telling the truth.
"I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for?"
"For being in the way. For being the only thing that's stopping you two having a happy ever after."
There was a loud click. Harry's head snapped towards the sound. It was the door. They were free.
The following morning was awkward. Draco and Tabby avoided eye contact. Hermione and Ron didn't quite know what to say to each other. Harry and Draco had already decided it would be impossible to make peace with each other. For the most part nobody said anything.
"OK enough," said Harry, fed up with the silence, "we aren't gonna get out of here till this is sorted, so we might as well get on with it."
"Well where do we start?" asked Ron.
"I guess, it's with me and Malfoy. Why don't you like me Malfoy?"
"I dunno, Potter, why don't you like me?"
"Well coz you're rude, nasty, selfish, and you call everybody names and think you're so above everybody, and you're not."
"OK, I guess that's fair. I think you are a goody-two-shoes. All you do is run around trying to find out what beast is roaming the castle. You think its up to you to be the big brave one to stand up to Voldemort."
"Well some of us have to, being as some of us support him."
"I don't support him."
"You're father does."
"Don't bring my father into this Potter."
"Why not, worried what Daddy'll think?"
You could almost see the point where Draco snapped. He whipped out his wand, and was about to curse when Tabby screamed, "Expelliarmus." Her disarming spell had been so powerful that not only Draco's wand, but Harry's who had been half way out of his pocket, Ron's who had been in his pocket and Hermione's all flew towards her. She caught them effortlessly. Draco clearly unsatisfied with that leapt on Harry, punching his stomach and clawing at his face. Ron dived forward eager to help. Tabby cried, "Stupefy", and all three froze for a moment before falling to the floor.
"Jesus Tabby, you're spells are strong," said Draco as his detangled himself from the heap on the floor.
"Well then maybe that will teach you not to start fighting again. I can do much worse you know. Much worse." There was no hint of mercy in her voice.
"OK we get the idea," said Ron irritably rubbing his elbow where he had hit it falling to the floor.
For the moment they seemed subdued. Tabby sat down at the newly conjured table with her head in her hands. This was impossible. How were they ever going to get on? She felt so emotionally drained. Draco had been occupying her thoughts all morning. What on earth was she going to do about him? Hermione punctured her thoughts by suggesting that it might be a good time to have some lunch.
After lunch the heavy silence settled back over the room.
"I can't stand more silence," said Tabby. Hermione nodded in agreement.
"We could stay in here for the rest of the year and we still couldn't be friends with Malfoy," said Harry.
"OK, fine, I have had enough. Harry, Draco you are both so childish. You don't even know why you hate each other so much. Sure you call each other names in the past, but that's not a reason for hatred. The cause is bad luck. You just haven't got to know each other well enough to find something you like. Now will you talk it out, without fighting, so we can all get out of this horrible room."
"What should we talk about?"
"Bloody hell, do I have to do everything round here? Talk about the weather, or Quidditch or I don't know anything."
"Well Potter I guess, you're good at Quidditch."
"You're not too bad yourself." They forced compliments and nice words. They gritted their teeth as they listened to each other talk. Tabby smiled, they were actually doing it, actually talking civilly. Well almost civilly.
Hermione was staring at Ron.
"I think we need to talk," she muttered and steered him over to the corner of the room. Harry and Draco we too concerned with being nice to notice, and Tabby, well, she knew what was going on.
"I did notice," said Ron shyly.
"Really?"
"Of course. I notice everything about you. You don't need to bother with all that though, you're fine how you are."
"Is it true you feel the same way as me?"
"I don't know how you feel."
"I feel infuriated at you."
"What?"
"For not telling me sooner."
"What? It was only hair."
"Not that."
"What?"
"Ron you're such a idiot."
"I'm not and idiot, you are!"
They fell into each other's arms, and shared the first of many kisses.
Harry and Draco where all talked out. They had talked about the weather, Quidditch, how hard classes were this year, and how good the food was. All in all the conversation had bored them both, so they had given up. Harry noticed Ron and Hermione sitting closely to each other. He smiled. Tabby had brought them together. His gaze shifted over to where Tabby was sitting. She must know exactly what Harry had been though all his life. Living in shadow of his past, trying to live up to his prophecy. He felt a bond between them. She was sitting at the table reading a book she had conjured for herself. He moved over to her.
"I know what its like you know. Living up to a prophecy I mean."
Tabby smiled, "Thanks Harry."
"Nobody should go though something like that alone. I mean I didn't have my parents but I have had great friends, and you, you never see your parents and you haven't really had any friends here, it must have been hard."
"You have no idea Harry."
"You're right, I don't. Maybe you could change that."
Tabby studied Harry's face. His eyes were soft, his concern genuine.
"I would love to Harry, I feel that you out of anyone I know would understand, but I don't think here is the right time. We will be out soon, then we can have a good talk, OK?"
"OK."
Three days passed. Ron and Hermione spent most of that time in each other's arms, giggling at private jokes. Harry and Draco tried to be pleasant to each other, they really did. It just wasn't working. Harry was reflecting on what Tabby had said, did she really want to talk or was that a way of ducking out of talking and that as soon as they got out of here they wouldn't talk again? Draco was also thinking about Tabby, she was so different, dangerous even, and Draco wanted her. He glanced over at Potter, what was it about him that infuriated him so much? Well right now it was the fact that Tabby had to get with him, which made it impossible for him to have a relationship with her.
"What do you think for Tabby," muttered Draco to Harry, once he was sure she was asleep.
"She's cool, I don't really know her.why?"
"I think she's cool, so brave for doing what she does."
"Yeah, you have to admire people like her, she puts herself out there."
"Do you think she's pretty?"
"Well I guess so, I haven't really thought about her like that before. She's always sort of been there but I haven't ever really looked at her. What's with all the questions?"
"I just wondered how you felt about her."
"Since when do you care about my feelings?"
"Since you got us locking in a room together where we have to care else we wont get out."
"OK OK," said Harry holding his hands up in a truce, "so you like her then?"
"Yeah, too much," said Draco, and for the first time Harry actually felt sorry for him.
"So why don't you tell her? She seems to like you."
"Been there, tried that."
"So what happened?"
"She, um, can't be with me."
"Why not?"
"It's not part of her 'mission'."
"But she wants to?"
"So she says."
"Well then what's the problem?"
"You."
"Come again," said Harry now completely confused.
"You are the problem. You always are."
Harry was too intrigued to become defensive at the jibe, "What are you talking about?"
"God Potter open your eyes. She's a powerful witch right?" Harry nodded, "and she's here to protect us from Voldemort, right?" another nod, "and who's the one who's most at risk?" Harry's jaw dropped.
"You mean the only reason she's here is coz of me?" Draco clapped. "But then, she's here to protect me, and if me and you are friends, her being with you shouldn't matter."
"You should know by now, that love is the strongest form of protection, Harry."
"Love? We are supposed to fall in love?"
"Which is why I cannot get involved. That's her calling; it's what she's destined to do. I can't stand in her way. I wouldn't want to."
"You really care for her?"
"Yes. I know that might be hard for you to comprehend. I'm in love with her."
Harry was shocked, he had never heard Draco talk with such compassion; he knew that he was telling the truth.
"I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for?"
"For being in the way. For being the only thing that's stopping you two having a happy ever after."
There was a loud click. Harry's head snapped towards the sound. It was the door. They were free.
