So, Harry Potter is not mine, and neither is Final Fantasy VIII. Though I would have liked them to be, because I would be richer than the queen if I owned both of them! Mwahahahaha!!!! But, as we all know, they belong to J.K Rowling and Squaresoft respectively. Don't sue me, I have nothing. No, really. Nothing at all.
This story WILL contain slashiness at some later point in time (hopefully when the plot has evened out slightly; it wouldn't be realistic if they were copulating like bunnies from the very start, now would it? ;p ) So, if you are not a fan of that kind of stuff, GO AWAY!!!! Leave now! I want to see no reviews that contain the words; "you have soiled my virgin eyes" Anything is welcome; real reviews, flames, random smattering of characters that are supposed to resemble words…. Oh, and suggestions!
Have fun!
///.o
Damn her to hell.
They had been wandering around the castle for what seemed like forever, encountering the various monsters that hid in the shadowed depths of the partially ruined structure. They had solved puzzle after puzzle, revealing the ward monsters that had been used as a way to bind their magic. Fighting each one, they had finally managed to regain all of their abilities that the sorceress had taken away upon their entry.
Then they had finally found themselves at her door.
Turning around, their dark-haired leader turned around to survey his five other companions. Frowning slightly, he ran his gloved fingers up over the scar on his forehead in what had now become a habitual gesture.
"Are you ready?"
~~~~~~~///.O~~~~~~~
Summer was finally coming to an end. The large, square, ugly houses of Privet Drive were blessedly silent as the dark haired boy worked at pulling the weeds out from under the hydrangeas in the backyard of number four. Pausing in his work, he leaned back and squinted up at the sky. Just two more weeks, and then I will never have to see the Dursleys again. Though Harry Potter had spent most of his life living in the same house as the Dursleys, he never really acknowledged them as his real family. They did not want a part in the "freakish nature" of his family heritage, and made it quite clear that they did not want him back after he had graduated from Hogwarts.
Not that he would have wanted to come back anyway.
Pulling up the last of the weeds from the dry, barren earth, Harry went back inside to have dinner - more of the meager meals that his aunt had been making lately, in her latest effort to get her "big-boned Duddy-kins" back to a more normal obese size. Excusing himself, he went up to his bedroom and lay down on his bed.
Just two more weeks.
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Harry awoke to a slight nipping at his ear. Sitting up and putting his glasses on, Harry looked to see Hedwig sitting on his pillow, looking at him expectantly. Tied to her leg was an envelope addressed to Harry in a familiar loopy scrawl. Quickly, he opened up the letter.
Hey Harry!
Sorry I haven't written more, but this letter will make up for that! Mum said you've got to come and stay with us till the end of the holidays, cause she hasn't seen you in such a long time. Everyone is going to be here; Hermione, Bill, Charlie and the twins and Ginny of course.
We'll come to pick you up tomorrow afternoon.
Make sure you're ready! We're taking you away from those muggles for the last time!
Ron
.
Harry couldn't help but smile. Quickly, he dashed off a letter to Ron. "I'll be waiting" tying the letter to Hedwig's leg, he watched as the owl flew off before beginning to pack the few belongings that he had accumulated over the years living with the Dursleys. With that done, he packed the books that he had been studying from for most of the holidays. Being friends with Hermione had one good aspect; his and Ron's studying habits had greatly improved over the years.
Settling down back into his bed, Harry closed his eyes. He would definitely not be sad when he left his aunt and uncle's home. I wonder if I should say anything to them tomorrow when I leave. Thinking that he would leave that to tomorrow, he fell asleep.
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Ron had said that he would be around at 4pm to pick Harry up from the Dursleys. So, at 3:55, Harry approached his aunt and uncle. Looking into the fierce, pig-like eyes of his uncle Vernon, he decided that he would make it short and to the point.
"Ron is coming to pick me up in a few minutes. I'll be spending the rest of my holidays with the Weasleys. I won't be coming back."
"Good riddance." sneered Vernon. "We'll never have to see you again? Dudley can have his room back?"
"Yes. Don't worry about the surveillance. They'll be gone." Harry looked at the reaction that he had hoped would appear.
"What survei—"
"And don't worry. I'm sure with me gone, there won't be anyone to try and kidnap or torture you to get to me. They know it won't work." He looked at the two ashen faces in front of him. I'll have to keep this picture in my mind forever. He heard the doorbell ring. Perfect timing. "Well. Goodbye." Turning around, he picked up his trunk that he had left at the bottom of the stairs and walked over to the door. Opening it, he saw the smiling face of Ron.
"Well. Are you ready?" he asked, taking Harry's trunk from him.
"I'm ready."
~~~~~~~///.O~~~~~~~
"Are you ready?"
Opening the large double doors that led into the room, the six soldiers stepped into what they knew was going to be the battle to end all battles. All that they had done, all their actions had led to this one defining moment. If they failed, then the world as they knew it would be doomed. If they succeeded, the world would be saved, but at a cost. A cost that they were willing to take.
"Kursed SeeD! You have kome to try and stop me?! You will never be able to stop my Time Kompression! Hahahahaha!!!"
Looking up, they were all able to see the bizarrely dressed woman standing in front of them. So this was the sorceress.
"Kome! Fight me if you dare, akkursed SeeDlings! And when you fail, you will be sukked into time forever! I will take you three first!"
Are you ready? A small voice in his head asked him as the scarred brunette stepped forward.
I'm ready.
~~~~~~~///.O~~~~~~~
Harry spent most of his short stay at the burrow practicing quidditch with Ginny and Ron, and once Hermione arrived, in a rather large amount of studying as well. It had been decided that the last few days of their holidays would be spent in London, at The Leaky Cauldron.
Arriving in Diagon Alley, by way of floo powder, the Hogwarts students decided to shop for all of their school supplies first, and leave the rest of the time for them to go shopping for other things that they wanted, and to hang out and generally enjoy themselves. Ginny had spent a fair amount of time away from her family, telling them that she was just "hanging out" with friends.
Harry and Hermione had seen through the excuse though; they had seen Ginny disappearing into one of the many shops with another boy, a student in the same year as Ginny from Ravenclaw. Wisely, they had decided to keep that piece of information from Ron.
"Harry, have you thought about your wardrobe?" asked Hermione on the second last day of the holidays.
"Why would I?"
Hermione looked up at Harry. "Well, I don't know if you had noticed, but I do actually have to look up when I talk to you now…"
Looking slightly puzzled, Harry took a few steps towards Hermione. He had to tilt his head forwards in order to look at her face properly. "Wow, 'mione, you're right! Did you get shorter or something?"
"More like you grew an extra few inches during the holidays. You'll have to go and get fitted for some new robes for school. You wouldn't want to show up on your first day in too-small robes, now would you?"
"I suppose not. I wonder if Ron…"
"Sorry, Harry, but Ron is coming with me to go and find some new books from Flourish and Blotts. We'll meet you back at the Leaky Cauldron for dinner?" without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Ron's hand and dragged him away, smiling and waving jauntily at Harry.
Well, I guess they would want some time alone together. Shaking his head, he turned and walked down the alley towards Madam Malkins.
Pausing along the way, he entered the pet store and bought some treats for Hedwig. She had not been made to deliver anything in a while, and Harry knew that she had been feeling slightly restless lately. The problem of being stuck in one place all day was not helped by Pig, who was constantly flying around everywhere, knocking belongings to the ground.
Sighing slightly, Harry pushed the door of the store open. Looking around, Harry suddenly felt a vague sense of deja vu. Standing on the stool on one side was a blond haired boy, being measured for robes. It's like the first time that I was here to get school robes, only I know who I am talking to this time… "Malfoy." Looking up, the extremely bored boy turned his head slightly to the person that had addressed him.
"Potter"
"Here to get some new robes as well, I see." Said Harry, letting the eager assistant help him up onto the stool. Turning to face the blonde Slytherin, he noticed that the other young man had also grown slightly during the holidays.
There was a slight silence as the two boys looked at each other. Ever since the start of sixth year, there had been a kind of grudging truce between the rivals. Though at first Draco had been overly hostile at Harry for getting his father put into Azkaban, he had adjusted to his life without the tyrannical rule of his father and his sometimes bizarre orders. Harry had watched as Draco had become less of an asshole, and more like a normal person. Of course, he was still an asshole, but usually only when provoked.
"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Draco asked, watching for a reaction from the messy-haired boy.
"Yes. Of our first ever meeting. I didn't know who you were, and you had no idea of who I was. It was almost… pleasant." Harry answered, his emerald green eyes closing slightly as he remembered. How I thought that he looked rather otherworldly. That he was one of the most beautiful people I had ever seen. Too bad he turned out to be an ass.
"Well. I've been thinking Potter," Draco stepped off his stool. Walking over to Harry, he stopped directly in front of the boy-who-lived. "Would you like to start over again?"
"Start over?" Harry eyed the blond quizzically. "Like, become friends or something?" He found himself staring into pools of silver, searching for any signs of an ulterior motive. There were none.
"Something like that." Draco grinned up at him, extending out a hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Draco Malfoy."
Looking down at the hand that had been offered to him, Harry decided. Stepping off the stool so that he could look at Draco at exactly the same level, he extended his own. "Harry. Harry Potter. Nice to meet you, Draco."
A slightly callused, tan hand met a silky smooth, soft pale one.
They shook.