*None of these characters belong to me- they belong to J.K.Rowling.
-SLASH- warning! For all you Homophobes out there- this is not for your gentle little eyes.
Chapter 2: Concerto in Black Rose
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Harry and Ron finished their lunch, and were turning to go towards the Gryfindor common room when they suddenly heard the voice of their headmaster, Prof. Dumbeldor, rising above the usual tumult of lunch time.
"All students, your attention please, I have an important announcement to make".
Silnece immeresed as all students stopped talking and turned, a bit surprised, to look at their headmaster.
"I must order all the prefects from all houses to attend the staff table immediately. The rest of the students are asked to return now to their dormitories, and stay there until other instructions are given. Thank you".
The silence was broken at once with the creaky noise of chairs dragged back, and murmurs of confusion. Everybody were turning to their friends to ask them if they knew what happened, as they got up from their tables and started to jog out of the Great Hall and towards their dormitories.
"Ron, do you think Hermione knows we all need to go to our common rooms? I don't think she went in the direction of the Gryfindor tower when she burst away from here earlier".
Ron's face bacame pale in reaction to Harry's words.
"Okay, lets go and find her" he said, and they both snicked out of the group of Gryfindors and turned to the opposite direction.
"I just hope we won't have to fight any Mountain Trolls this time. My wand is still suffering from nightmares" Harry said and laughed together with Ron, both of them feeling a bit better.
They left the Great Hall, getting out through the same doors Hermione did.
They didn't walk much before they arrived at the same diverge of staircases Hermione arrived at, a quarter of an hour before them.
"What next?" asked Ron, and glanced at Harry, who looked perplexed himself.
"Well, it is quite obviouse that everything is somehow connected with Malfoy, so maybe Hermione went down to the dungeons".
"lets go then" said Ron, and started jogging down the stairs, with Harry following him.
Ron almost fell as he stumbled over a passed out Hermione.
"I think we found her" he said to Harry, while kneeling down, lifting Hermione's head off the floor, and checking her pulse.
"I'll go and call Madam Pomfry" Harry said and disappered up the stairs.
Ron stared at Hermione. He was a bit bewildered to addmit it, but Hermione's face, while not constricted as usual in anger or frustration, were kind of gentle and.. pretty. Specially in the tender light of the dungeons torches.
Ron removed a lock of hair from Hermione's closed eyes, and started to pet her head softly while waiting for Harry to come back.
A few minutes passed until Harry returned with Madam Pomfry, who were mumbling something about rioting in the corridors. She quickly put a floating spell on Hermione and pulled her towards the hospital wing, after telling Harry and Ron to return to their dormitories.
Assuming that it is better to listen to Madam Pomfry then to get into more trouble, Harry and Ron started to make their ways towards their common room. They both walked silently, submerged in thoughts about Hermione, though, Ron's were quite different then Harry's.
***
"Draco.. Draco wake up".
Draco moaned as he turned his head to look at the idiot that woke him up.
"Pansy, I thought I was clear when I told you not to enter our room ever again the last time you decided to come here" Draco said nastilly to Pansy Parkinson, who was kneeling above him.
Draco noticed the offence in her eyes in react to his words, as she told him that something happened, and that a gathering was called down at the common room.
"Thought that you would like to know, though now I reckon that I was wrong. Sweet dreams!" she said angrilly, turned away from Draco's bed, and burst out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Draco moaned again and got out of his bed. He threw a sleeveless black shirt on himself and came down to the common room.
Prof. Snape was standing in the middle of the room, while all Slytherins were sitting down in the comfortable couches and armchairs surrounding him. Draco grabbed a chair and sat down, yawning and gazing lazilly at Prof. Snape.
Finally, Snape spoke.
"A murder has been made this morning at Hogwarts" he said, dramatically.
"Cho Chang, a senior from the Ravenclaw house, was found dead an hour ago by the bank of the lake". Snape lingered a bit with that, and then continued again.
"After a quick checkup, it was found that Cho was poisened some weeks ago, and finally this morning the poisen took over her body and killed her. Anyone who knows anything about this saddening occurrence , must tell me or Prof. Dumbeldor about it immediately. You may now return to your private occupations, as for the rest of the lessons are cancelled this afternoon. You will hear more details at dinner" and Prof. Snape turned back and exited the room.
As soon as he gone out of the room all students began talking about what they have just heard. As predicted, Draco noticed, most of the boys were deeply concerened about the last news, as most of the girls stayed indifferent. They didn't care much for a Ravenclaw, and were just happy to have the rest of the afternoon free.
Draco got up from his chair and walked towards Blaize, Nott, Pansy and Millicent who were sitting in a corner, talking about what Snape has just told them all.
"Who do you think poisened her?" Draco heard Pansy asking. Draco motioned Nott to make Draco some room on the couch and set beside him. They lingered with the subject a bit, before the conversation turned into regular subjects.
***
Prof. Mcgonagall left the Gryfindor common room, with Harry following her. They both clambered through the hole and then McGonagall stopped, and stared at Harry with deep concern.
"Wh.. why did you ask me to follow you outside?" asked Harry, his heart pulsing quickly and his voice shaking, after hearing the shocking news of Cho's death.
"I asked you to follow me out, Harry, because I know you and poor Cho just broke up some months ago, and I wanted to tell you that if you need someone to talk to, or anything at all, you can always come to me or to Prof. Dumbeldor. I hope you know we are here for you, to help you deal with… with Cho's death" she breathed heavily before saying those last three words.
Harry definatelly wasn't dealing with the news. He was still shocked, too shocked to realize what McGonagall's words ment. Cho…? Dead..?
"I'm.. okay" he lied to her. "Is there anything els?" he asked, his voice quivering.
"No Harry.. I'm..I'm very sorry for your loss" she said with mercy.
"Umm… thank you" Harry said hesitatingly, turned back and entered the common room, leaving a very concerned McGonagall behind him. He signed Ron to follow him, and they both went up to their dorm.
"Harry, are you okay?" asked Ron, as for he couldn't think of anything els to break the silence.
"Of course I'm not okay Ron!!" Harry yelled at him, and then quickly added "sorry.. I shouldn't have yelled at you".
"That's okay, Harry, really… But.. Is there anything I can do? Do you want to talk about it?"
Harry sighed. "I don't know Ron.. Cho… I can't believe this.. why would sombody want to.. to.. poisen her for? What has she done to deserve this..? what.."
Harry burried his head in his pillow, and Ron heard his muffled dry sobs. Ron put a comforting hand on Harry's back and petted it softly, trying to comfort his agonized friend. Finally Harry stopped sobing and turned away from his wet pillow, to look at Ron.
"Thanx Ron.. I really appreciate you hanging around for me.. but.. I prefer to be alone now, if you don't mind".
"Sure I don't Harry.. and I will always be there for you. Remember that" and Ron got up from the bed and went out of the room. He went downstairs and asked his roommates not to disturb Harry and enter the dorm in the next hours. They all nodded with understanding and went back to talking about the news of Cho's death. Ron barely took part in the conversation, his heart longing for both of his best friends.
***
Harry grabbed his Invisibility Cloak and sneaked out of his dormitory and out of the common room. He knew exactly what to do. He sneaked down to the third floor, approached the statue of the humped witch, flicked upon her with his wand saying "Dissendium" and enetered the secret passageway to Hogsmede. He gone out of Honeydukes, and went to The Three Broomsticks. He bought himself a full crate of butterbooze (with Rosmereta gazing suspiciously at him) and returned to Hogwarts. He walked to the lake, covered in his Invisibility Cloak, and setteled on it's bank. He uncovered himself and took the first bottle, with one thought in his mind- Cho is dead.
Bottle after bottle was thrown empty aside, as he immersed into drunkenness.
He didn't notice at all that Draco was watching him all along, nor when Draco came and sat besides him.
"May I have one of these Potter?" Draco smiled with amusement as Harry jumped abruptly to the sudden sound of Malfoy's voice.
Harry was too drunk to fight with Malfoy, and so he let Draco have his last bottle of Butterbooze.
"Thanx" said Draco, and opened the bottle with his hand.
"What did you just say?" Harry suddenly asked, a confused expresion on his face.
"Jeez Potter, didn't realize you were that drunk so you forgot something you were asked barely a minute ago".
"No Malfoy, I am not that drunk. I ment I wasn't so sure if I heard correctly the last word you have said. I suppose it was Thank you?"
"Shut up Potter, or I'll go".
"Who wanted you to stay" Harry muttered.
"Oh.. so you want me to go and leave you here, drunk as hell and desperate?" Draco teased and glanced at Harry.
"Since when do you care, anyways" said Harry with a bit of anger.
"Since you bought me a bottle of Butterbooze of course" Draco smirked.
"I didn't buy it for you, Malfoy" Harry said, finally turning to look at Draco.
"Well, I'm the one who is drinking it. Cheers" and Draco gulped from the bottle triumphantly.
"So.." Harry chose to restrain Draco's last comment, "What are you doing here?"
"Watching over you, of course" Draco teased, as he looked at Harry with obviously fake concern.
"Very funny, Draco" Harry said, gulping again from his bottle.
He suddenly realized that he was having conversation with Draco Malfoy, the most detested, spoiled, evil brat in the whole world. Well, excapt from Dudley…
Harry turned his look away, and stared at the dark, quiet lake. Draco also averted his gaze towards the lake.
The full moon was reflacting in the mirror-like water, illuminating the sky with a pale light.
Draco gulped from his bottle, feeling the alcohol spread into his blood stream, relieving his tight muscles.
"Actually when I heard about Cho's death I was kind of happy about it" said Draco, making harry choke in shock on his Butterbooze.
"I mean, I wasn't happy because she died. I was happy because I thought it would make you sad, and that thought warmed my heart" Draco clarified, smirking slightly, and taking another gulp.
"Oh" muttered Harry, not so sure what was he supposed to say about this. He was too drunk to think of anything nasty to answer him, and was still a bit shocked by Draco's saying, so he just took another gulp of his bottle.
"But now that I see how you deal with her death" Draco glanced at Harry, "or shall I say NOT dealing with her death, I can't really feel good about this" he finished, staring at the lake and wondering why he told that to Harry.
"I thought you hated me" Harry said, and stared with confusion at Draco.
"I do" said Draco, still staring at the lake.
"So why don't you feel happy about me falling apart, then?" Harry asked, wondering for a minute about the wierd dialog.
"I don't know.. I just don't, for some reason" Draco averted his look away from the lake and gazed back at Harry. "You really liked her, didn't you?"
"Ummm.. yeah" Harry said saddly, his thoughts turning back to Cho.
"I wish I could care that much of someone" Draco said, lowering his eyes.
"I'm sure you will, someday". Harry wondered why he was bothering to comfort Malfoy, of all people.
"That's weird, you know?" Said Draco, after a short thoughtful silence, and lay back to look straightly at the sky.
"What's weird?" asked Harry, and also lay back, putting his Butterbooze aside.
"That from all the people in the world, it's you and me sitting here now, comforting each other" Draco glanced at the Gryffindor lying besides him.
"That's exactly what I was thinking" Harry glanced back and smiled at the Slytherin.
Draco couldn't think of an appropriate answer, so he just smiled back.
"I guess that it's just because I'm too drunk" joked Harry, and they both laughed.
Harry and Draco kept silence, as they both were lying back on the humid grass, listening to the tender waves in the lake and staring at the moon.
After what seemd like a couple of hours, Draco thought that Harry might have follen asleep, and so he glanced at him to discover his eyes were wide open.
His eyes… Draco had never thought to look at Harry's eyes, and now he discovered they were just… beautiful.
They were emerald green, large and full of emotions. Right now they were very vague and foggy, as if he was immersed deep in a memory…. "Draco why are you staring at me?" Harry's reddish lips whispered at him…
"Draco, why – are – you – staring – at - me?" they said again, louder… oops!
"I'm not staring at you!" said Draco bewildered, while blushing slightly.
"Umm.. whatever" Harry was too tired and sorrowful to responed anything at all.. He was too blurred and his head was aching deeply. It felt as if a hundred hammers were banging on his temples.
"I think we should return to our dormitories" he heard himself saying.
"Umm.. yeah" said Draco, his cheeks still wearing a reddish hue, "I will accompany you to your dorms".
"I don't need your accompany" said Harry, who tried to stand up on his feet and after a second lost ballance and fell disgracefully on his bottom.
"Yeah, you don't need me at all" said Draco sarcastically, and extended his hand to help Harry get up.
Harry looked up at the extended hand, and they both remembered the first time Draco reached a hand towards Harry.
"You'll soon find that some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
Harry took Draco's offered hand and pulled himself up. One glance at the Blonde was enough to realize he was also remembering that memory.
Harry and Draco both walked slowly and carefully towards the Hogwarts castle.
They climbed up the stairs silently, Harry leanning on Draco so he will not fall, until they reached the Fat Lady's portrait, who was snoring slightly.
"Umm.. thanx Draco…" said Harry, blushing, "For everything..".
"You're welcomed" said Draco, smilling at the scarlet Harry infront of him. "So.. good night, I guess" he said, widening his smile kindly.
"Good night" answered Harry, and turned away. He was about to wake up the Fat Lady when he suddenly turned back, leaned towards Draco and gave him a soft, tender kiss on the cheek.
Harry glanced shyly at Draco, which was also now blushing deeply. He turned back, and heard Draco mumbling a confused "Thank you" before saying the password and clambering through the portrait hole.
***
Draco saw Harry disappearing through the portraite hole, and sighed.
He was still feeling the soft hovering of Harry's lips over his left cheek as he walked down to the dungeons and back to his room, acknoledgely heading for a sleepless night.
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