After a wait that probably feels just as long to me as it felt to you, here are the next couple installments of Falling. I'm not responding to any reviews, so if you have something important to say, or a question, email me at angeldlsm00@hotmail. With my job now and just getting the internet back, updating is hard enough. I just don't have the time.
Part Thirty-Five: Enough
The week following Blaise's attack, there was an air of unease among the students at Hogwarts, the strain being especially strong between Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Classes were becoming increasingly difficult for the professors to teach, especially with the seventh years, as the feuds escalated and exploded any and every where. More and more students were receiving detentions and Filch was even more unhappy than usual. The only time Harry had ever seen him more miserable was during their second year in the months that his beloved cat, Mrs. Norris (who was currently not stalking the halls after almost being crushed during a particularly violent fight between two fifth years), had been petrified. Dumbledore was constantly asking any student with information on Blaise's attack to come forward. No one dared to speak up.
When he wasn't in class, David could often be found sitting by Blaise's bed, holding his hand, and trying to understand why he wouldn't go to the headmaster. Madam Pomfrey had refused to let Blaise out right away, despite his many protests that he was fine. Until his face was back to normal, there was no hope that he would be allowed to return to class. The swelling around his eye had gone down and all that was left of that particular bruise was a rather ugly purple splotch.
Draco was unusually quiet as January began to come to an end. Up until this point, there had been no rehash of the confrontation in Herbology that had upset Draco so much and made Harry even angrier and more frightened for his boyfriend than he had been to begin with. His classes were boring in comparison to that eventful return and Draco welcomed the contrary. The only problem Draco was really having was with David, who was distant from everyone lately and particularly avoidant of him.
With Blaise constantly claiming that he was only a warning, it was no small wonder that David was beginning to resent Draco. As it was before, Draco still had his good days and his bad days, though his bad days were worse than usual and occurring more often since the attack. It only served to make David feel guilty for ever feeling that resentment. The seesaw of emotions and instable equilibrium was sometimes too much and it made it hard for him to even face Draco anymore.
Now, less than two weeks after being admitted, Blaise was being released from the infirmary and permitted to return to his classes. It was a Monday morning when Blaise first appeared back in the Great Hall, sitting with the Slytherins against David's wishes, and determined to prove that he wasn't going to be hindered by what had happened to him. Draco could understand just where he was coming from. He, also, was filled with the same sense of determination, finding the strength to keep his head up from the only source that he felt he could really rely on: Harry.
Morning classes for Ravenclaw were Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures, which Draco was no better at in Ravenclaw than he had been in Slytherin. The only difference was that it was now Hufflepuffs who were thinking he was incompetent instead of Gryffindors. There was no way he could say which situation was better as he wasn't particularly fond of either house. Before this year, he would have leaned toward Hufflepuff, mostly due to the fact Harry was a Gryffindor. Now he was leaning the other way for the exact same reason. Things really had gotten rather curious this year.
After lunch and an especially boring Charms class that was more notes than practical application, Draco was dismayed to realize that Double Defense Against the Dark Arts was his final class. Having Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Ravenclaws hadn't been a problem when he was a Slytherin, but it wasn't a happy place to be when forced on the other end of the spectrum, especially when you weren't being held in anyone's good graces. The only positive point was that Professor Lupin was there, and even though Draco had never been particularly kind to him before, Lupin really had a way for looking out for him ever since he had begun dating Harry. It made classes not only tolerable, but sometimes borderline enjoyable.
Draco dropped his bag onto his desk and sunk into a chair near the front, the only place, he discovered that Crabbe and Goyle didn't dare to bother him. It must have been too close to Lupin for them. Padma and Mandy took seats on either side of him, but they had barely enough time to sit down before Lupin started class.
"You won't need your books today," he began, and everyone instantly cheered. "As you should all be well aware of, you're N.E.W.T.s are approaching faster than I'm sure you'd all like them to be and your class is rather behind on your curses."
From the back of the room there came a sound something like a snigger. Draco assumed it was from a Slytherin with a former Death Eater parent.
"Today," continued Lupin, ignoring the sound, "I want you to get into pairs and work on deflecting curses. If anything exceptionally wrong, to the point where it's beyond your repair, the uninjured party should come get me and I'll see what I can do. Now get into pairs and get started. I want you to concentrate on hexes but leave bonding curses for the next lesson."
Blaise and David immediately partnered up and headed to the other side of the room from the Slytherins.
"Draco?" questioned Padma, retracting her wand from her robes.
"Sure."
It was no more than ten minutes into class when a shriek distracted Draco long enough to get hit by Rictusempra, and Crabbe and Goyle, who were working together, started to chuckle trollishly. Padma apologized as she took the charm off Draco and helped him up off the ground to see what had happened.
Professor Lupin was on the other side of the room, kneeling next to Mandy and trying to convince her to take her hands away from her face. From the way things were sounding, she was sobbing, refusing to expose whatever the effects of the unknown hex had been, and Lupin was making no ground in convincing her that he could set it right. Lisa was now trying to help as well, and as she tried to coerce her friend, Lupin turned around and sternly told the class to get back to work.
"Sorry about hitting you," said Padma.
"It's not your fault. I got distracted."
"What do you think happened to her? Lisa wouldn't use anything that awful, would she?"
Draco cast a sideways glance to Crabbe and Goyle, still smirking, whispering, and staring in Mandy's general direction.
"Who said it was Lisa that did it?"
Frowning, Padma followed Draco's gaze and shook her head. "You don't think they'd have done it, do you? I mean, why would they go after Mandy? If they were going to hex someone, wouldn't it be you? Or even Blaise? Why Mandy?"
Draco shrugged, and headed away from Padma in the direction of his former friends. She stared, gaping, at his back as he walked away, and once her mind caught up with her, she was already following Draco in the same direction. Despite all of her thoughts telling her that this had to be a bad idea, she continued anyway and arrived just in time to hear Draco say, "You know, that wasn't really necessary."
"What wasn't necessary?" asked Crabbe.
"I'm sure we don't know what you're talking about, Draco," added Goyle.
"Mandy. You didn't have to hex her."
"Who said we hexed her?" said Goyle.
"Lisa wouldn't have known that hex, and if she would have, she would have never chanced using it on a friend. Some people know more about what it is to be loyal to your friends than others."
"Surely you aren't talking about us," said Crabbe, speaking in a drawl. "If there's anyone here who doesn't know what it means to be a loyal friend, I would have to say it's you. You're the one who betrayed your house."
"I quite agree," added Goyle. "If anyone knows about betraying their friends, it should be you. Well, you and Zabini, that is."
"Blaise?" Draco spit out. "Why Blaise? Blaise didn't do anything to you!"
Crabbe gave a trollish sort of chuckle. "I would have thought that was obvious. Speaking of which, did you see he's back in class? I hear Dumbledore still hasn't caught whoever it was that put Zabini in the infirmary in the first place. Honestly, I have to admit I'm surprised the little ferret didn't squeal to the headmaster by now."
"You know," drawled Goyle, "I always thought of Zabini as more of a rat. Draco's the ferret."
"Yes, that hurt me very much," said Draco, offhand, and sounding disgusted with the attempt to insult him. Padma would have laughed if it weren't for how very red Draco's face had been becoming over the course of this conversation. She wished Lupin would come over here and put an end to this. Nothing good could come of it, after all, but he was still busy trying to undo whatever had been done to Mandy.
"It must scare you," continued Goyle. "I mean, someone going around and beating queers, that is. You being one yourself, and all. Especially when you've come so close to death already. By the way, how is that coming? You still cutting yourself?"
"As a matter of fact, I'm not," replied Draco, a look of set determination in his eyes.
"They took your dagger away, didn't they?" said Crabbe. Draco, growing redder by the second, nodded. "Shame. It was rather nice. Then again, you can't really be trusted with it. Extreme measures had to be taken."
"Losing your father was such a tragic loss," said Goyle. "It really wouldn't be right to lose another Malfoy just yet, even if you are one of them."
"How is Potter?" drawled Crabbe. "You're still together, aren't you? I do hope no one gets to him. At least not for your sake, anyway. It really wouldn't be right, asking you to deal with another loss like that."
"You know," started Draco, his eyes blazing and jaw begging to tremble, "just because I've left Slytherin, it hasn't left an opening for impersonations."
"Excuse me?" said Crabbe, looking at Draco as if he had just gone crazy.
"Just because I've left Slytherin, it hasn't left an opening for impersonations," repeated Draco. "With the way you two are swaggering around, speaking in whole sentences, one would think you were trying to impersonate me. Even if I'm not a Slytherin anymore, I'm still the most dramatic and you don't do my drawl very well. I would like to advise you to stop trying."
"Why would we even want to be like you?" demanded Goyle. Padma noticed that when he spoke, the bored, drawling voice was gone.
"I don't know. You tell me. It's not that I mind, really. A few pointers, though? You aren't being dramatic enough and you have to sound very bored. Like you think you might just fall over and die from the boredom. Go ahead and pretend to be me all you like. Just don't go trying to take my boyfriend next. He's into blonds."
Padma had to cough very hard to hide the snigger that wanted to escape as Draco turned on his heels and headed back to where they had been practicing deflecting curses at the beginning of class. It had been a nice exit, certainly dramatic enough to live up to the Malfoy caliber, but his face was still flushed, eyes slightly tearing, and she knew they had gotten to him.
Draco was one of the first to leave class when Lupin dismissed them, shoving all of his things in his bad and heading out into the hall. The first thing he saw upon exit was Harry, leaning against the wall across from the door and grinning at him. Kali and Ron were beside him and, upon seeing Draco's crestfallen expression, Harry pulled him aside, placed a kiss on his forehead, and asked him what was wrong.
"Just class," said Draco, avoiding Harry's eyes.
"What happened, Draco? You were having a good day this morning, you were still having a good day at lunch in spite of the Care of Magical Creatures class. What happened in Defense?"
"We were deflecting curses and either Crabbe or Goyle decided to hex Mandy. I got angry and decided to exchange a few words with them. It was no big deal."
"You look like someone just killed your owl. That means it's a big deal to you. What did they say?"
"A lot of dung about it being a shame about what happened to Blaise, asking me if you were okay, insinuating that you would be next. It was no big deal."
"You keep saying that but you're a really bad liar, Draco." He brushed back Draco's hair and cupped the back of his head with his hand. "Did they say anything about your father?"
"That losing one Malfoy was tragic enough and I should be going, too. It was after they reminded me that I used to cut myself and I got so bad I had to have my dagger taken away from me. Reminding me I'm pathetic."
"Bastards," Ron muttered, directing his attention to the doorway where Crabbe and Goyle were now exiting.
"I've had enough of this shit," said Harry, briefly brushing his lips against Draco's before stalking past him and in the direction of the two Slytherins, who had now met up with Millicent Bulstrode and Pansy Parkinson. "Excuse me!"
"What is he doing?" Draco whispered to Kali. She shrugged.
"Excuse me!" said Harry, a little louder, and Goyle turned around to face him.
"Exactly who are you addressing?"
"You," answered Harry. "Him. All of you. Depends on which of you seems to be having this big problem with Draco all of a sudden."
Each of the four formed a small smirk, and Crabbe said, "Getting your boyfriend to fight your battles for you, Draco?"
"No," interrupted Harry. "Don't you talk to him. This isn't between you and Draco anymore. This is between you and me. I'm curious. What, exactly, makes you think it's a good idea to constantly remind him of all the shit he's gone through? Do you think it's decent of you to keep putting the idea of suicide into his head? Is it some sort of community service, ridding the school of queers? Or do you just like the idea of fucking with people? Is that what it is?"
"You aren't a part of this, Potter," interrupted Pansy.
"Oh yes I am," countered Harry. "I've been a part of this since you decided to bring up my name. The minute it left your lips I became a part of this. You included me and now you're going to have to accept that. Leave him alone."
"I'm not sure what, exactly, you're talking about, Potter," said Goyle. "We've never done anything of the sort to Draco. Perhaps he's been lying to you. Making excuses for his sick penchant for mutilating himself. I'm sure I don't know."
"I'm sure you do know," snapped Harry. "Honestly, do you actually think I'm stupid enough to believe you over him? If you don't want to deal with me, use better judgement in the future before you threaten my boyfriend."
"No one threatened him, Potter," Crabbe tried this time. "You're really taking this to an extreme, don't you think? Just because Zabini got hurt, it doesn't mean that it was us. It's unfair blaming us like this. You haven't any evidence and we are innocent until proven guilty."
Harry made a sort of scoffing noise. "I know all about what you did to Blaise and I know all about what you think you're going to do to me. Don't ever think you're actually going to get to me, and don't presume I'm going to let you get to him. I took on Voldemort -"
"I hate it when he does that," said Ron.
"Or maybe you've forgotten. You can't honestly tell me that you think you'll succeed where he's failed. Stay away from me, stay away from my friends, and don't even think about going near Draco. I've had enough of you and your pathetic attempts to hurt my boyfriend."
As Harry moved to return to his friends, a soft murmuring came from behind him, and Kali shouted, "Expelliarmus," just in time to save Harry from whatever hex had been fired at him while his back was turned. Turning ever so slowly to the point where it was almost painful waiting in anticipation, Harry glared at the unarmed Slytherins.
"You were going to hex me?" he spit at them. "You were actually going to hex me?"
Goyle tried to speak but he seemed to be at a loss for words now that Kali was holding his wand.
It happened in a blur of black Hogwarts robes as Harry threw himself forward, landing square on Goyle's chest as he pinned him to the ground. All those years of Quidditch must have made Harry stronger than he looked because, if it weren't for the fact Crabbe and just decided to get into the fight, he might have had a chance of winning. Fists were flying in wild punches, Harry's wand lay forgotten on the ground. Kali barely had time to get it before Ron muttered something about getting their slimy, cheating Slytherin hands off his friend and he joined the fray.
In a bout of anger, Ron ripped Crabbe from Harry, once again giving him a fighting chance. Ron immediately punched Crabbe in the nose, sank his knee into his gut, and found himself rolling on the floor, his fists flying at anything that moved.
Kali, Draco, Pansy, and Millicent stood to the side, transfixed by the fight going on before them and no one being alert enough to stop it. Had they been, no one would have been brave (or crazy) enough to, anyway. There was a constant flow of curse words of the non-magical sort coming from Harry as he kicked, screamed, and took a few beatings of his own. Ron's infamous temper hadn't failed him, either, and he was only slightly calmer than Harry. Kali looked from Harry and Goyle to Ron and Crabbe to Lupin's open classroom door only a few meters away from them, wondering just when this was going to get broken up. Figuring this was her only chance and she was doomed for abetting the fight anyway, Kali began to shriek and ran, head-first, into Pansy Parkinson, body-checking her into the wall.
~*~
"Fighting in the hallway?" demanded Lupin, staring at the six students sitting before him.
Less than two minutes after Kali had started using muggle wrestling tactics on Pansy, Professor Lupin had come to see what all the noise was about and broke up all three fights. Draco and Millicent were allowed to leave as neither had been fighting nor knew how to stop what had begun, but Pansy, Kali, Ron, Harry, Crabbe, and Goyle were all led into Lupin's office and were now sitting across from him looking for the worse, with the exception of Kali, who had finished the fight with no more than a scratch or two.
"Honestly," Professor Lupin continued, "you're seventh years. You're supposed to be setting a good example for the younger students. That does not include fighting in the hallways. And Ron! You're Head Boy! The responsibilities of the job include helping around the school and counseling the younger students. There is nothing in there about lunging yourself at your peers. I'm going to let Professor McGonagall deal with you, as I believe she is your Head of House."
Ron's entire face fell. Professor Lupin was a wonderful, fair teacher and the person you'd most want catching you fighting in the hall. Professor McGonagall was very strict and gave little privileges to anyone. If there was one teacher who would be especially stern with him over this incident, it would be she.
"Well don't just sit there," said Lupin, waving his hand at Ron and looking tired. Wondering when the full moon was, Ron got up and left the office, dreading the thought of arriving at McGonagall's. "Kali, I am tempted to send you to McGonagall as well but as this is your first offense as far as fighting goes, I'm going to allow your father deal with you on this one."
Kali didn't look any happier about going to see Professor Snape than Ron looked about going to Professor McGonagall. She mumbled her goodbyes, stood up, and left Lupin's office.
"As for the rest of you, twenty-five points will be taken and three days detention with Filch for each of you. Mister Goyle, Mister Crabbe, Miss Parkinson, you may go. Harry, I'd like to speak with you for a minute."
Harry watched Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy leave before returning his attention back to Lupin.
"They were on Draco's case," started Harry the minute they had gone. "All I did was tell them to stay away from him and one of those little prats tried to hex me."
"So you lunged yourself at him?"
"Come on, Remus. I'm seventeen. Seventeen year old boys do stupid things like that. Don't you remember being seventeen?"
"Remember being seventeen? Sirius Black was one of my best friends, Harry. I know all about seventeen year old boys lunging themselves at other people. In fact, Sirius sometimes attacked people randomly just because he was in the mood. That doesn't mean you should be doing it, and if you are, don't be doing it in front of my classroom. If you insist on attacking Slytherins, do it by Trelawney's room. And don't call me Remus."
"You told me to call you Remus."
"Not in school, Harry. As long as you're here at Hogwarts, it's Professor Lupin."
"Yes, sir," replied Harry. "I'm really sorry but I'm sick of the way they treat Draco. It's just not right. Can't you do something about it?"
"The most I can do is pay closer attention to them in class, Harry, and I'll try to do so if you wish." Harry nodded. "Nothing can be done unless someone comes forward. The headmaster has been saying so ever since your friend, Blaise, landed in the infirmary. You don't know anything about that, do you?"
Harry swallowed hard. "No, sir."
Lupin looked unconvinced but he nodded. "Very well. I suggest you return to your common room before dinner and expect an owl tomorrow about the details of your detention."
Harry nodded before getting up and leaving Lupin in his office alone.
~*~
"How did it go?" asked Kali, once Harry entered the common room.
"You're back already?" was all he said, and she nodded.
"Daddy took five points, sighed, lectured me briefly, sighed again, and gave me a detention with him for tonight. He'll probably force me to make some potion and I'll be down there until I'm old and gray trying to get it right. How did you fair?"
"Twenty-five points and three detentions with Filch. The Slytherins got the same thing."
"You shouldn't have been fighting in the halls," Hermione piped up and they looked around the room, trying to locate the voice. Her head popped up from behind a tall stack of books in the corner and she gave each of them a disapproving look. "Was Ron in on this too? He knows he shouldn't be fighting! What kind of example is that for the Head Boy to set?"
"What are you doing back there?" asked Kali.
"Studying for my N.E.W.T.s, of course. We only have five months left, you know. You had better start studying, too. I've already begun color coding my notes. I could do it for you, too, if you'd like. We're going to need a study schedule, of course, and group sessions would be a good idea. We can make up practice quizzes for each other. Oh! And exams!" Hermione seemed very excited as she disappeared behind the books again and the sound of a quill scribbling frantically could be heard.
When Ron entered a few minutes later, Hermione peeked out to give him a stern sort of look and then she disappeared once again. He flopped onto the couch beside Kali, draped his arm around her shoulder, and pulled her into him, burying his face in her hair.
"It was that bad?" said Harry. Ron nodded.
"I lost fifty points and I have two weeks detention. Part of that is with Filch, part of it is with Madam Pomfrey, and the rest of it is with Snape. McGonagall hates me."
"She doesn't hate you, Ron," came Hermione's voice. "If you don't want to be punished, you shouldn't be fighting."
"That's what McGonagall told me," he said, miserably. "She told me I should just be happy that she isn't revoking my Head Boy title. I don't think I could take it if she had done that."
"You'll be okay, Ron," said Kali, patting his hand. "I'll ask Daddy to be somewhat reasonable to you."
"By the way," said Harry, "there's a notice up on the bulletin board. I guess you probably already know, Hermione, but there's a Hogsmeade weekend on Valentine's day."
"I knew that," added Ron. "Hermione isn't the only one who pays attention at those dreadful meetings Dumbledore makes us go to. I don't know what is so wonderful about being Head Boy. It's boring."
"It's a wonderful privilege and you should be honored that you have it," snapped Hermione.
"Are you going to be able to go with us?" asked Kali. "I mean, I know you've been working at your brothers' store on weekends."
Ron nodded. "Yeah, but Fred and George gave me off for Valentine's Day. They said something about having already filled my position and that I should be with my girlfriend on such a special occasion. I'm kind of scared about what they've cooked up. I promised them, however, that I would visit. Curiosity is getting the better of me. I have to know what they're planning. Perhaps I've been spending too much time with you, Harry. I'm getting nosy."
"Sod off, Weasley," said Harry, laughing. "You know, it's almost time for dinner. I say we get going. You coming, Hermione?"
"In a minute. Let Servius know."
The three exchanged grins. "Sure, Hermione. Whatever you say," said Harry, and they disappeared into the hallways before she could hear them laughing.
