Author: Silvestra
Rating: R
Genre: Angst/Drama/Romance/Horror
Summary: When a bunch of students are locked inside the castle during a storm, curiosity and excitement take over fear and despair... (A/N: This idea has been boiling in my head for ages!)
Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to, I don't own Harry, Draco or any other character. They belong to Joanne Rowling, even though the "incredibly smart" plot twists and some characters belong to me.
WARNING!! Contains spoilers from OotP, including THE DEATH!! So if you don't want to be spoiled, don't read this and send me e-mails saying "WHY DID YOU SPOIL MY OOTP EXPERIENCE YOU HORRIBLE PERSON!" So don't tell me you didn't know there would be spoilers. You've been warned.
A/N: Thank you so much for the positive reviews, Kemenran, Sapphrine, Guardian of Dreams and eveylici0uz and everyone who have reviewed the earlier chapters...
Still no storm in this chapter :/ you have to wait for a while to get to the action, friends :) But there will be other interesting things happening in this chapter.
Warning: Some Harry/Ginny coming up... Draco and Blaise take a shower – yay!
So, on with the story!
*~*~*~*
"Stop right there, Potter," Malfoy demanded, pointing Harry with his wand. "You won't get away with this so easily!"
"What do you mean?" Harry snarled, looking into his eyes intensively. Malfoy smirked. He lowered his wand and walked to Harry.
"I haven't had my fun yet, Potter," he said and put his wand away.
"Your – your fun?" Harry said, feeling an uncomfortable lump in his throat. Malfoy nodded. Then he kissed Harry fiercely, pushing him to the ground...
"Harry?" Harry opened his eyes painfully and saw Ginny looking at him. Inside he was pretty angry with Ginny for breaking his good dream... Good dream? What the hell? That's not a good dream, Harry thought angrily, shaking his head.
"Ginny – what are you doing? You can't come to boys' dormitory," he hissed and looked at his watch. It was a little past midnight.
"Harry – come on, I need to talk to you," Ginny whispered, coming very close to Harry. Harry shuddered a bit but got up from the bed.
"About what?" he whispered as he pulled on his jeans, Ginny standing her back to Harry.
"Just – come on," she said seriously.
"Ok, I'm ready," Harry said and put on his glasses. Ginny looked at him for a while and smiled.
"Let's go," she said demandingly and grabbed Harry's arm.
*~*~*~*
"Where are we going?" Harry panted as they ran in the corridors. Ginny was surprisingly fast compared to Harry who was at least six inches taller than her and much stronger.
"Somewhere peaceful," Ginny said and slowed down a bit.
"You want to go outside?" Harry asked suddenly. Ginny looked at him, shaking her head.
"No, I know a good, empty classroom," she replied. "If only I remembered where it is..." she stopped for a moment, looking thoughtful.
"Ginny?" Harry said.
"Ah yes, now I remember," Ginny said, grinning. "Come, Harry," she said quietly and led him forward.
*~*~*~*
Ginny led him to an empty classroom, which had only a wooden bed with a sheet. No other furniture, no paintings – nothing.
"What room is this?" Harry asked, goggling at the bed.
"Ah – just a room I found once. No-one ever comes in here, anyways," she said and grinned. "Come on, sit down here," she said, patting the bed and sitting down on it. Harry hesitated but sat down next to Ginny.
"Ok," she said, taking a deep breath. "You know about Hermione and Ron, don't you?" she asked quickly. Harry blinked.
"What?" he asked, startled. Ginny rolled her eyes.
"You are so blind, Harry," she said, smiling. "They've been snogging in broomstick cupboards for the last two months," she said and examined Harry's face in the gloom lighting.
"Really?" Harry said, his eyes wide. Ginny nodded. "How do you know, anyway? I mean – they haven't probably told you, have they?" he said hastily.
"Well – Hermione kind of – well, it kind of slipped from her," Ginny admitted. "I wasn't supposed to know it and she was really embarrassed after telling me." She had a pause. "Oh – anyway, the thing is – um – " she had another pause. "I – I think Hermione's cheating on Ron." Harry burst into laughter.
"No way, Ginny! Hermione wouldn't- -" he started, but he saw Ginny's serious face and fell silent. "How – what – how do you know?" he asked, his throat dry.
"I am not sure – I mean – I've heard – and seen – but – oh Harry, that's not the point," she said, very quickly. "That's not really what I wanted to talk about," she said, blushing.
"Oh?" Harry felt his palms get sweaty.
"Yes – Harry – um –" she fell silent. "Dean." She said no more.
"What about him?" Harry asked, startled. Then it occurred to him that Ginny and Dean were dating. And when he saw the look on Ginny's face, he knew what it was about.
"Oh – Ginny," Harry said, pulling her to a hug. He heard her sniff a couple of times. "Don't cry," he said quietly, caressing her back.
"I'm not crying," she muttered, inhaling Harry's scent. She pulled herself away from Harry. She looked into Harry's green eyes with her brown ones and Harry saw tears glimmering in her eyelashes.
"Ginny- -"
"Harry- -" they started at the same time. They laughed a bit. Suddenly Harry felt himself really nervous for some odd reason. And before he noticed, Ginny had leaned towards him and kissed him slightly on the lips.
"Ginny," he said again, looking at the girl. "I – I never knew," he said finally. Ginny blinked a couple of times.
"I'm not an eleven-year-old anymore," she said sadly. "I know what I want." Harry swallowed.
"And – what is it that you want?" he asked carefully. Ginny rolled her eyes.
"How thick can you get?" she said and laughed. Carefully she lifted her hand and put it on Harry's cheek. She felt Harry shiver.
Slowly, slowly, Harry leaned to Ginny and kissed her softly, his hands around her. Ginny kissed back just as softly and her hands wandered under Harry's sweater.
"Ginny," Harry said, parting their kiss. "I – I don't want to do this." He lowered his eyes and looked embarrassed. Ginny's mouth fell open.
"Why?" she blurted out.
"I – I am not ready," he whispered.
"I knew it," Ginny said, her voice shaking.
"It's not- -" Harry started, but Ginny interrupted him.
"It is about me! Oh my God, I don't know why I even bothered doing this," she said furiously.
"No, Ginny, listen! It's – I am – not ready. I like you really much. I really do. But – I just can't." He sighed deeply and looked at Ginny, who examined his words.
"Whatever," she snapped. She got up off the bed and walked out of the door.
*~*~*~*
Draco Malfoy woke up, shaking, covered in sweat and panting slightly. He didn't have to take off his pants to tell that he had just come – in his dreams. That hadn't happened in a long time.
And who did I dream about? He thought sarcastically while brushing his teeth, who else but Harry Potter! Shaking his head, he put away his toothbrush and looked at his reflection. His forehead was dripping sweat, his blonde hair was covered in sweat drops and there was a slight blush on his cheeks. He shook his head again, grabbed his towel and headed towards the Prefects' bathroom. It was only 7.20 am so he had time to take a relaxing shower.
When he got to the Prefects' bathroom, he noticed that he wasn't alone.
"Aye, Zabini," he said, nodding to the other Slytherin boy.
"Ciao, Malfoy," Blaise replied and started shampooing his shoulder-long, black, wavy hair he had inherited from his Italian father. He eyed Draco with his brown eyes, as Draco undressed and went under the shower, turning on the cold tap. Blaise smirked.
"Saw a good dream, I s'pose?" he said, laughing. Draco smirked and sighed as the cold water ran across his sweaty chest.
"Indeed," he muttered and grabbed the shower gel he had taken with him. Smelled like menthol and lime. A very Malfoy-ish mixture.
"By the way, that Michael was asking about you," Blaise said, opening the hair conditioner bottle. Draco turned his eyes towards Blaise.
"Michael?" he asked in disbelief. "Who?"
"Michael Lang, that Scandinavian guy," Blaise said. "You know – light brown hair, greenish eyes, a nice ass?" Draco let out a laugh. It was a common fact that Blaise looked at everyone – women and men – like that, after all he was bisexual.
"Oh, him," Draco said, after thinking a while. "Yeah, he's pretty good-looking, but I'm afraid I have to disappoint him. As I still am straight," he pointed out. Then he remembered his dream and went serious.
"Well, it's alright," Blaise said, smirking. "Leaves me more chances." Draco laughed again.
"Zabini, you're hopeless."
*~*~*~*
"Now would you please pay attention?" Professor Binns said with his drawling, dull voice. "This is very important information, concerning your N.E.W.T's!" he said sharply, but Hermione was the only one who listened. She shot her hand in the air. Binns blinked a couple of times. "Yes, Miss Green?"
"Granger. Professor, why did the incident of year 1794 affect the laws of Dragon Breeding?" Hermione asked eagerly.
"Oh well – you mean the incident of the illegally transported Swedish Short-Snout that Wulfric the Witless brought to Hogwarts?" he asked thoughtfully. Hermione nodded.
"Exactly. I would like to know why the law was changed only then and not in 1698, when an unrecognised witch brought a Hungarian Horntail to Surrey and- -"
Harry closed his eyes. He was not at all interested in hearing about illegal Dragon-breeding and it affections. He just wanted the lesson to finally end so he could go to his Quidditch practise. Apparently Juliet Donovan, one of the Chasers, was thinking along the same ways – she was leaning back against the wall – she was sitting in the back row – and looked longingly out of the window. She caught Harry's eye and smiled. Harry smiled back and rolled his eyes in boredom.
"Please, Mr. Potter, pay attention!" said Binns' whining voice and Harry jerked his eyes away of Juliet. "I am pretty sure you can not name the League of the Officially Legalised Dragon-Tamers," he said sharply and looked at Harry. Harry closed his eyes and opened them again.
"No, sir, I'm sorry," he said. Binns looked at him very angrily.
"That does it," Binns said, his voice chalky, "I want each of you to write an Essay about the Officially Legalised Dragon-Tamers," he said, ignoring the fact that Hermione's hand was still as high as she could reach without standing up. She gave up, lowering her arm and putting her parchment, ink and quills away bitterly.
*~*~*~*
"He is horrible," she said through gritted teeth when she, Ron and Harry walked towards the Quidditch Pitch. Ron sneered.
"You just say so because he didn't let you name all the Officially Legalised Whatsits," he said and Harry grinned. Hermione opened her mouth.
"Ron! Honestly – you should know, Charlie is one of them!" she said sharply. Ron blinked.
"He is?" he said blankly. "Wow! I never knew," he grinned. Hermione rolled her eyes but Harry noticed the sly smile on her lips. And for a moment Harry thought about what Ginny had said. I – I think Hermione's cheating on Ron. Harry saw no sign of this when he watched Ron and Hermione's friendly "arguing" about different Quidditch teams. And he saw absolutely no signs of Ron and Hermione's secret relationship.
"Okay, Ron," he said. "We should be going, the practise is starting," he said. Ron smiled and gave Hermione a peck on the cheek.
"See you after the practise," he said and Harry saw the look Hermione gave him. Meet me in the broomstick storehouses after practise and we'll snog. Harry shook these thoughts from his head, lifted his Firebolt on his shoulder and started walking towards the dressing rooms.
*~*~*~*
"Hi Harry," said Juliet who had just arrived and was carrying her Nimbus 2001 broomstick. Harry nodded her as a greeting and sat down on the bench to adjust his Quidditch shoes. Juliet looked around. "Where is everyone?" she asked. Harry lifted his gaze.
"Um – Ron's in the toilet. Dean and Seamus said they'd grab a toast and come after that, I don't know about Dinah and Fiona, though," he said. Juliet looked at him for a moment.
"Oh – okay," she said and went to the girls' dressing room to change on her Quidditch robes.
"You ready, mate?" Ron said when he came from the toilet. Harry got up and nodded, grabbing his broomstick.
"Yeah," he said. "Seamus and Dean are coming, and so are Dinah and Fiona. In the meantime we could just – you know, practise by ourselves," Harry said, smiling.
"Alright," Ron said.
*~*~*~*
Ron and Harry flew around for a while, Ron defending the hoops and Harry trying to score. Then the girls arrived, flying on their brooms and looking sour.
"Why's that look for?" Ron shouted as Dinah flew closer.
"Those bloody Slytherins!" she shrieked. "They hexed Seamus so that he wouldn't be able to practise!" Harry and Ron's mouth fell open.
"Who did it?" they asked at the same time, flying lower. Dinah was red with anger and hardly made it to the ground without falling down.
"Blaise Zabini! That son of a bitch! I will fucking curse him - - Madame Pomfrey says that Seamus has to be in the Hospital Wing for two weeks!" she said through gritted teeth.
"That- -" Harry couldn't hear what Ron was about to call Zabini, because Harry stormed off the Quidditch Pitch and towards the Slytherin dungeons.
*~*~*~*
"Hello, Potter- -"
SMACK.
"YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" Harry yelled on top of his voice, his fist hitting Blaise's jaw. Blaise fell back, holding his mouth which started to bleed. He spat out blood and coughed. Harry was fuming.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Blaise shouted, holding his jaw.
"YOU HEXED SEAMUS!!" Harry roared. Blaise goggled at him.
"I didn't!" he said.
"YES YOU DID!"
"I SURE AS HELL DIDN'T! I was on my way to Snape's office!" Blaise shouted, getting on his feet.
"Shut the fuck up! Dinah Pierce saw you hex Seamus! I don't think she'd lie!" Harry yelled, clenching his hands into fists and back again.
"BELIEVE ME!" Blaise shouted.
"Now, you listen, you piece of shit- -"
"Harry, wait!" Harry heard Hermione's voice.
"Hermione? What are you doing here?" Harry and Blaise both looked at her, startled.
"I – I saw it. It wasn't him." Harry's mouth fell open.
"But – but how would you know?" he asked. Hermione looked at Blaise and blushed.
And then Harry understood.
*~*~*~*
There :) quite a cliffhanger, isn't it? *grin* Read and Review, make my day!