Title: STIGMATIZED
Author: Me, of course
Rating: PG-13 as of now
Pairings: Right now none, soon to be D/H
stig·ma·tize v. To characterize or brand as disgraceful or ignominious. To mark with stigmata or a stigma.
ig·no·min·i·ous adj. Deserving disgrace or shame; despicable.
stig·ma n. A mark or characteristic indicative of a history of a disease or abnormality.
~*~
"I hate spiders…" Ron grumbled to Harry as they trudged through the insect-infested patch of weeds and only god knows what.
"Ron I don't fancy them either but Hagrid is counting on us to find the Flutterby Bush!" Harry's hair whipped around his eyes as he turned around furiously. Making a face he bent down to search through some grimy gourds that he thought resembled squashed pumpkins.
"I can't find the blasted plants anywhere!" Ron moaned, wiping some suspiciously green ooze off his pale, freckled-dotted hands.
"…And there are bugs everywhere Harry, honestly! Can't we do this during the day, I can't see a thing." Ron heard a sigh coming from his right side.
"Well…I am a bit tired." Harry mumbled.
"Yeah? I bet you are. Pretty rough day eh mate?" Ron started to detangle himself from a thick yellow vine.
"I bet it was oh so devastating to have Parvati wiggle her bum unto your lap during lunch, right?" Ron shot Harry a bitter look, smoothing out his threadbare and faded cloak.
"Ron, really. I didn't even mean for it to happen. Suddenly there just wasn't enough room on the bench at lunch." Harry ran a hand through his hair, checking for any foreign substances he may have attracted.
Ron grumbled again and Harry let out a bark of laughter.
"I just don't understand why suddenly all the girls are idolizing you this year. I'm every bit as attractive as you." Ron's face contorted into a frown. Harry rolled his eyes knowing that Ron wouldn't believe him even if he told him that Harry didn't want anybody idolizing him.
"I know mate, I know. The world works in mysterious ways," Harry said sarcastically.
"I resent that you know." Ron whined, removing some dried up dead leaves from his shirt.
"Can we please get going, Ron?" Harry slapped his hand to his forehead, shaking it with distaste.
"Yeah, yeah. What time is it Harry?" Ron asked buttoning himself up.
"Quarter past midnight." Harry read a clock from Hagrid's hut window.
Ron's eyes went wide.
"Harry you do realize I have two exams tomorrow afternoon! I need my precious beauty sleep. Us Weasley's are very temperamental, we don't get these dashing good looks by wandering around at all hours of the night, digging through…Well, I don't even know what we were digging through."
Harry stopped in his tracks, placing a hand over Ron's moving mouth.
"Shh! I think I hear something. Shut up!" Harry dragged them both over into a shadowed bush, making sure they couldn't be seen.
The crunching of leaves under feet drew nearer. Ron and Harry could both hear hushed voices whispering in hurried voices.
With wide green eyes Harry watched as Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson walked up to the backside of Hagrid's hut carrying a suspiciously overflowing box of…something.
Malfoy sniggered. Harry couldn't quite catch what he was saying but he heard bits and pieces.
"…Great oaf…won't know what hit him…" The telltale smirks of Malfoy's companions' confirmed Harry's suspicion that they weren't exactly here to sit around the fire for a cup of tea.
"…Over there…spread them out…" Pansy said in her shrill voice, giggling as she watched Crabbe and Goyle do her bidding.
Harry's brow furrowed in anger as he saw various colors and sizes of Dungbombs lined up in rows around Hagrid's hut. He looked over to Malfoy, watching the familiar pratty smile of his form slowly, his lips nearly curling.
"…Absolutely brilliant." Malfoy muttered, clearly very excited. His pale eyes shown, mouth clenched in a smile and fingers twittering.
"Harry…" Ron whispered, startling Harry.
"Bah! What is it Ron?" Harry's eyes grew impossibly wider.
"I can't see a bloody thing, what's going on out there? Is that…Malfoy?" His tone grew cold and his voice was laden full of disgust as he uttered 'Malfoy.'
"Yes it is. He's definitely not up to any good either." Harry muttered.
"Let's catch him then Harry! It'll be bloody brilliant! We'll take him out, together. We'll be the talk of the girls lunch table." Harry sighed. Ron was too predictable.
"Ron, if you remember clearly we aren't exactly legitimately suppose to be out here either." Harry hissed.
"What Malfoy doesn't know can't hurt him." Ron said in a singsong voice.
Immediately a light bulb went off in Harry's head. He nearly leaped up with excitement, grinning widely.
"I have the perfect idea Ron." He mumbled.
"Well go on then, tell me." Ron whispered back, fully interested in hearing what Harry could come up with this time around.
"Wait here." Harry started to get up.
"Wait here? Wait here?" Ron's voice cracked. "What kind of a friend are you?" He wailed.
"Wait here my arse." Ron said crossly, folding his arms over his chest.
Harry crept out of his hiding place moonlight suddenly bathing his skin. He knew he would be immediately recognized. His guess was right as he saw the pointy face of Malfoy twirl in his direction. Right away, Malfoy began to smirk.
"Potter." Malfoy spat.
"Malfoy." The usual exchange of surnames began each of their conversations. Harry's eyes twinkled.
"What the bloody hell are you doing out here Potter?" Malfoy said calmly yet firmly.
"I might ask you the same question…" Harry crossed his arms, staring Malfoy down. His best attempt at being intimidating was very lackluster.
"What does it look like I'm doing Potter? Taking a stroll in Hagrid's lovely gardens?" He said sarcastically. "You're breaking the damn rules as much as I am so why don't you get out of my hair before Crabbe and Goyle are forced to take some drastic measures."
Harry smirked. "I don't think so Malfoy. I'm serving detention right now." Draco grew suddenly ashen. "If I catch you doing anything…naughty I just might have to let somebody know."
"You're bluffing Potter." Malfoy's stern face scowled at Harry.
"Oh, I'm not Malfoy, you better believe it." Harry beamed and judging the rustling near the bushes, he knew that Ron was beaming with him.
Malfoy looked utterly deflated. "What do you want to keep quiet Potter? A few galleons for your charity case pal Ron? A new set of clothes?"
Malfoy gave him a look down. "Mind you, you could use one. "
Harry grew defensive. "Oh, pack it in Malfoy! You're such an insufferable git, I don't know how these three manage to survive you."
"If I've said anything to insult you, I've tried my utmost, believe me. But please Potter, breathe the other way. Your opinions are bleaching my hair." Malfoy snarled.
"Oh don't worry, it's already had enough of that."
"I'll have you know my hair isn't bleached a bit." Malfoy gingerly caressed his brightly blonde hair.
"I can tell you're lying – you're lips are moving." Harry jeered.
"Ah Potter, have we already so quickly gotten off the subject?" Malfoy turned the conversation around. "You wanted something from me…"
"Indeed." Harry put his hands in his robe pockets. "I want you to…" Harry searched his brain quickly, remembering he probably ought to have thought of this before hand.
Malfoy drummed his fingers on his arm, tapping his foot with impatience.
"I won't tell anybody about this if you…tutor Ron and I in potions until final exams!" Harry finished with a grin. He heard a distinct wail come from behind him.
Malfoy laughed. "Deal, Scar-face. Now go feed some poor muggle families or something and let me finish up here."
Harry did a double take. "What? Finish up? Aren't you going to clean up this mess or…something?" Harry asked desperately. He didn't want Hagrid to be stuck with a hut smelling of Dungbombs for a week or two.
"Potter I'm impressed. I've never met such a small mind inside such a big head before." Malfoy sneered, then shouting at Goyle and Crabbe to "Get back to work!"
"What? I'm…I…" Harry's mind was boggling. Did he really ask Malfoy for tutoring lessons when he could've asked for a new broomstick for Ron, or perhaps an expensive necklace to give to Parvati or Cho Chang?
"What's wrong Potter, don't get any attention back at home? Beat it. I'll owl you tomorrow morning about those damn tutoring lessons."
Harry stood still and watched as Malfoy sauntered towards Pansy, muttering to her.
"I…just…" Harry went numb. "I'm such an IDIOT!" He screamed at himself, turning towards the shrubbery Ron was hiding under.
"Tell me something I don't know Potter." Malfoy called after him, his ego obviously still intact from his encounter with Harry.
~*~
"Harry you're an IDIOT!" Hermione shouted at him from the vividly red armchair she was lounging in. She was still in her pajamas, rather annoyed at being woken up from a rather wonderful dream.
"I know, that's what I keep telling him!" Ron yelled, flailing his arms around. "Getting tutored by Malfoy, the idea is awful! Why didn't you ask for a new broomstick or something expensive? God only knows he can afford it!"
"I must say, getting higher marks in Potions is very important but even I think that you let a perfectly good chance to humiliate Malfoy slip by you. We could've made him put on a frilly dress and dance around in the Gryffindor common room or something."
"Oh!" Ron moaned again. "Harry you're an idiot." Ron fell on to the wide gold couch facing Hermione and held his face in his hands.
"I think that's the eighth time you've told me that in the past ten minutes Ron." Harry said, delving further into his book: Dissaparating Gone Wrong: 100 Horrible True Stories.
"Well I mean it." Ron said with a huff. "You could've at least not gotten me involved. I do not want or need any tutoring from that blonde swine."
"Then I'll tell him that." Harry said with indifference.
"But Harry that would be terrible! How would you survive Malfoy all on your own? Somebody's got to watch your back mate." Ron's eyes were wide and the mere possibility of Harry getting private tutoring lessons with their worst enemy.
"Then stop complaining already!" Harry shouted. "I've got worse things to worry about that that fat cow Draco Malfoy." The room went silent as Hermione and Ron gave him ashamed looks.
"We know Harry." Hermione said in a small voice. "I'm sorry." She reached an arm out to rub his shoulder gently as if he were a child. He shrugged it off moodily.
"We know Voldemort is out there, even if nobody wants to admit it. Don't worry about a thing, we'll be right by your side." She smiled warmly at him.
Harry was beginning to tire of the way everyone was treating him, like some toddler taking his first steps. His temper was gurgling inside of him, building up with every sympathetic word spoken.
"Yeah, me too mate." Ron said. "I understand you're going through a difficult time right now-"
"No Ron, the honest truth is you don't! You don't understand me at all and I'm tired of you both trying!" Harry stood up, throwing his book to the floor with a slam.
"Harry calm down, we know you're feeling helpless-" Hermione started to say, reaching out to him with one hand.
"Stop telling me how I feel! I don't feel helpless, I don't feel depressed or lost or whatever other mental illness you think I have. I'm thoroughly fed up with you, with Malfoy, with EVERYONE!" Ron gulped. Harry growled.
"Nobody really understands me anymore, not even you two so just bugger off!" Harry's clenched fist knocked the armrest of the couch as he stalked by it, stomping his feet towards the portrait hole.
"Harry stop, it's nearly one in the morning you can't go wandering off-" SLAM "…Now."
Hermione winced and the Fat Lady squealed as Harry slammed the portrait door behind him with a flourish.
End Chapter 1