CHAPTER EIGHT
"Hey Gorgeous, it's only been an hour! Can't get enough of me?" Draco said immodestly, leaning back on his chair and putting his feet up on the table, despite the obvious risk to his life. Lara had found him in the library, and had seen Madame Pomfrey prowling the tables, just itching to kick someone out. If she caught Draco like that he would most likely be her first victim.
"You wish." Lara said, collapsing into to the chair next to him.
"Oh my Gosh, what the hell happened?" Draco said as he stared at Lara. He took his feet of the table and leaned forward, touching Lara's eye gingerly.
"What is it?" She asked worriedly.
"It's a bruise!"'
"Oh, I must've missed it from before." Lara said simply, putting her hand to the eye in question and instantly healing it.
"It was Potter wasn't it?"
"Yes, but I got him back just as badly."
"That's my girl!" Draco said warmly, embracing her in a tight hug and giving her a quick peck on the lips. "So what did you want to talk to me about."
"Nothing really. I just had to get out of that common room. They were all giving me weird looks."
"You told them?"
"Shouldn't I have?"
"No, I'm proud of you! I'm just surprised that's all."
"You didn't think I'd tell did them about you?" Draco shook his head. "Well I did, I don't care what they think. They're probably just jealous I'm going out with the sexiest guy in the year." Draco grinned.
"I knew you'd give in to me eventually."
"You're too stuck up for your own good."
"And you aren't."
"But that's the difference see, I deserve it."
"And the sexiest guy in Hogwarts doesn't?"
"You won't let me forget that will you?"
"Hell no." Draco said laughing, as Lara joined in. They were quickly silenced, however, by Madam Pomfrey, who took the opportunity to kick them out of the library. Neither of them seemed to mind very much.
*****************************************************
Relations between Lara and Harry worsened throughout the next week. They refused to sit next to each other during classes and avoided being in the same room. Only when their animosity reached such a height that they entered in an all out fist fight in the middle of dinner did the Headmaster finally step in.
"Larrissa and Harry, I want you in my office after dinner. This must not continue!" Dumbledore yelled at his two students who had each other by the throat. They both immediately let go and sported guilty looks on their faces, before taking seats at opposite ends of the Gryffindor table.
"I knew he'd interfere eventually." Hermione said reasonable as Lara plonked herself down next to her friend.
"Miserable sod. Doesn't have a life so he has to revolve around mine." She said pessimistically. Hermione frowned.
"Don't say that, he's an amazing wizard..."
"Who hasn't got enough common sense to see that his idea of pairing me with Potter failed miserably."
"It didn't fail..."
"Excuse me? Did you have your eyes closed during the part where Potter was trying to kill me?"
"No, but you haven't teamed up in battle yet. Who knows..."
"Maybe he'll infuriate me so much I'll turn around and curse him instead." Hermione slammed her pumpkin juice down on the table so hard that it's contents went everywhere, obviously reaching the limits of her patience.
"You are impossible."
******************************************************
"Okay, now explain to me what went on in the hall tonight." Dumbledore said patiently, leaning back in his chair. Lara and Harry were standing in front of his desk, hands behind them, and looking so much the part of guilty school kids.
"Well Sir, Mr. Potter over here got the sudden urge to throw a punch at me, and I was only defending myself." Lara said innocently. Dumbledore raised his eyes skeptically.
"Bull." Harry said shortly. "She insulted my Quidditch skills first."
"And then you hit her?"
"No, I insulted her back. That's when she hit me."
"Why you dirty rotten liar!"
"It's the truth and you know it!" Harry said defiantly.
"It was not..."
"Enough!" Dumbledore interrupted with his booming voice. "It is obvious that the two of you need time to sort out your differences."
"We've had three months and I still hate his guts Sir. I don't think more time is going to do anything more." Lara said. Harry glared at her out of the corner of his eyes.
"I think you two need time alone." Dumbledore said, rephrasing his previous comment. Both Lara and Harry bore identical looks of horror at this statement.
"Hell no!" Lara said, crossing her arms.
"I wouldn't go near that thing with a ten foot pole!" Harry said, crossing his arms in much the same fashion.
"You two need to learn to at least co-operate! The fate of the wizarding world depends on you two learning to work together."
"I can kill Voldemort alone!" Lara cried impatiently.
"But Harry needs to kill him Lara, remember the prophecy?"
"How could I forget?" The girl muttered under her breath.
"I can kill Voldemort alone. I'm going to have to anyway." Harry said reasonably.
"You are going to deliver the final blow perhaps, but you will have to weaken him first. This takes power you do not possess."
"So what do you suggest Oh Noble One?" Lara said sarcastically.
"You two are going to be moved to a different part of the castle. You will have separate rooms but will share a study area, bathroom and common room."
"HELL NO!" Both of them yelled in unison.
"It has already been arranged. You will be partner for all your classes and this will continue until you have formed some sort of agreement."
"I'm not sharing a room with him." Lara said simply, as if it was the end of the matter.
"You will my dear, whether you like it or not."
"Surely you're not allowed to put a girl and boy in the same set of rooms. Isn't that against some law?" Harry said hopefully.
"There are wards around the rooms, you can't enter hers, she can't enter yours. Any...er... sexual activity will be detected." Lara snorted at this.
"Like I would anyway." She said. "In his bloody dreams."
"My nightmares more like." Harry retaliated.
"Save it for later you two. You will find your belongings are already in your respective rooms. Follow this light and you'll find your new living quarters." Dumbledore said, wrapping up the discussion as he waved his wand and a white light wafted out the end. Harry and Lara turned silently and headed down the stairs, the white light always a few metres in front.
Silently, the weaved through the halls until they reached a set of rooms near Gryffindor Tower. The light stopped at a door with a golden Hogwarts crest emblazoned on it. Lara reached out to open the door but found it locked.
"Damn it!" She cried. "Dumbledore forgot to give the password." No sooner were these words out of her mouth when the white light faded slowly and dropped to the ground. As it hit the ground, it had disappeared completely, but in its place was a small white piece of paper. Harry picked it up and saw three words written in what was unmistakably Dumbledore's writing.
"Contemno contra Amor." He read. The door opened slowly to reveal a large common room with two armchairs, a couch and a roaring fire. Lara opened the door wider and headed inside. She heard the click of the door as Harry closed it behind him. The two of them spent five minutes exploring their new dwelling.
The bathroom was to the right, and was quite large, with a bathtub, showers and toilets, plus two wash basins. The study room consisted of two heavy tables with several drawers filled with ink and quills and paper. Both doors to the bedrooms were on the left wall of the common room, and the rooms were identical, each with a large four poster bed, a mirror and chest of drawers as well as a small bedside table. Large plaques on the doors made it obvious which room belonged to who.
Once she had unpacked and made herself at home, Lara flopped down on the couch, intent on reading for a few hours.
"Don't you have homework?" Harry said irritably as he lugged a massive pile of books into the study room.
"Done." Lara said simply, smiling sweetly at him as he struggled to cross the room. "By the way, where's the little bit of paper? I want to know the password." Harry threw her the piece of paper that had miraculously emerged from the light they had followed. Lara looked down at the piece of paper, reading the inscription. She noticed immediately that it was written in latin; contemno contra amor, hate against love.
Interesting.
******************************************************
At about ten o'clock, Lara's eyes had begun to hurt from reading. She closed it shut and sat up groggily, making her way to her room where she changed into ther pyjamas, which consisted of a very short silk nightie. The rooms were heated far too well by the fires to be wearing anything warmer. Once changed, she made her way across the common room the bathroom, where she commenced brushing her teeth and hair.
She had just started on her teeth when Harry entered, dressed in emerald green silk boxers and looking just as tired as she was. Lara couldn't help but notice how well formed his body really was, but she'd rather die than admit it.
"I hope you're not trying to seduce me in that skanky little thing, cause personally, I reckon you look like a whore." Harry said simply as he gave his hair a quick brush and took out his toothpaste and toothbrush. Lara spat out into the bowl just as Harry started. Once she had rinsed her mouth out, she rounded on him.
"It's obviously got some effect on you, since you noticed."
"Other than to make me gag? Not really." Harry said casually after spitting out into his bowl. Lara didn't reply. Instead, she dried her hands and walked out of the room, too tired to argue. Harry followed seconds later, and less than fifteen minutes later they were both fast asleep in their beds.
******************************************************
"I heard you got relocated with Potter! You must've done something really bad to deserve that punishment Sweetheart!" Draco said the next morning. She had invited him to sit over at the Gryffindor table, ignoring the stares she was getting from her housemates.
"Other than beat him up; which I personally think is a service to the school, I haven't done anything." Draco smiled at his girlfriend.
"Was it that bad?"
"It's terrible, but as long as I don't provoke him he won't annoy me back. Even though it's just so tempting sometimes..." She said, smiling evilly.
"Hey Malfoy." Hermione said as she plonked herself down on the other side of Lara. She and Draco had formed and odd sort of relationship over the months. Through Lara they had reached an understanding, but ever since Lara had explained the true reason behind Draco's provocations (and ever since he had stopped calling her a mudblood) they had reach a level that you could call friendship.
"Hello Granger. Have you heard the news?"
"What news? By the way, where were you last night Miss Black?" Hermione said, putting her hands on her hips and giving her friend a motherly look.
"Same answer to both questions. I've gotten relocated, I'm now living in some random room near Gryffindor with Harry until we "sort out our differences." Like that'll ever happen."
"Come on Lara, this is obviously important to Dumbledore."
"I just don't understand why I have to make friends with some prat for the good of the wizarding community."
"You know exactly why." Hermione replied.
"It doesn't mean I have to do it." Lara argued childishly.
"What the hell is he doing here Black?" Harry yelled from across the hall. Immediately, the crowd inside the hall fell silence, sensing another confrontation.
"He's here on my request."
"Well he's leaving on mine."
"Look, I don't want to cause trouble, I'll just go." Draco said impatiently, rising from his seat and walking away, but not before he shared a lingering kiss with Lara.
"Sorry Sweetheart." She whispered before he walked away to join his own table. "Why do you have to be such a bastard Potter?" Lara yelled at the raven-haired boy who had just taken Draco's spot.
"I think you should be asking him that."
"He's no bastard. You could take a leaf out of his book!"
"So you want me to go and join Voldemort's little cult?" Harry roared back.
"Don't talk about things you don't understand Potter! He's been through more than you, and he's got a better heart than you ever will!" Lara said, before rising from her seat quickly and stomping off before Harry could retaliate.
*I have never met anyone so infuriating in my life!* She thought angrily.
"Hey Gorgeous, it's only been an hour! Can't get enough of me?" Draco said immodestly, leaning back on his chair and putting his feet up on the table, despite the obvious risk to his life. Lara had found him in the library, and had seen Madame Pomfrey prowling the tables, just itching to kick someone out. If she caught Draco like that he would most likely be her first victim.
"You wish." Lara said, collapsing into to the chair next to him.
"Oh my Gosh, what the hell happened?" Draco said as he stared at Lara. He took his feet of the table and leaned forward, touching Lara's eye gingerly.
"What is it?" She asked worriedly.
"It's a bruise!"'
"Oh, I must've missed it from before." Lara said simply, putting her hand to the eye in question and instantly healing it.
"It was Potter wasn't it?"
"Yes, but I got him back just as badly."
"That's my girl!" Draco said warmly, embracing her in a tight hug and giving her a quick peck on the lips. "So what did you want to talk to me about."
"Nothing really. I just had to get out of that common room. They were all giving me weird looks."
"You told them?"
"Shouldn't I have?"
"No, I'm proud of you! I'm just surprised that's all."
"You didn't think I'd tell did them about you?" Draco shook his head. "Well I did, I don't care what they think. They're probably just jealous I'm going out with the sexiest guy in the year." Draco grinned.
"I knew you'd give in to me eventually."
"You're too stuck up for your own good."
"And you aren't."
"But that's the difference see, I deserve it."
"And the sexiest guy in Hogwarts doesn't?"
"You won't let me forget that will you?"
"Hell no." Draco said laughing, as Lara joined in. They were quickly silenced, however, by Madam Pomfrey, who took the opportunity to kick them out of the library. Neither of them seemed to mind very much.
*****************************************************
Relations between Lara and Harry worsened throughout the next week. They refused to sit next to each other during classes and avoided being in the same room. Only when their animosity reached such a height that they entered in an all out fist fight in the middle of dinner did the Headmaster finally step in.
"Larrissa and Harry, I want you in my office after dinner. This must not continue!" Dumbledore yelled at his two students who had each other by the throat. They both immediately let go and sported guilty looks on their faces, before taking seats at opposite ends of the Gryffindor table.
"I knew he'd interfere eventually." Hermione said reasonable as Lara plonked herself down next to her friend.
"Miserable sod. Doesn't have a life so he has to revolve around mine." She said pessimistically. Hermione frowned.
"Don't say that, he's an amazing wizard..."
"Who hasn't got enough common sense to see that his idea of pairing me with Potter failed miserably."
"It didn't fail..."
"Excuse me? Did you have your eyes closed during the part where Potter was trying to kill me?"
"No, but you haven't teamed up in battle yet. Who knows..."
"Maybe he'll infuriate me so much I'll turn around and curse him instead." Hermione slammed her pumpkin juice down on the table so hard that it's contents went everywhere, obviously reaching the limits of her patience.
"You are impossible."
******************************************************
"Okay, now explain to me what went on in the hall tonight." Dumbledore said patiently, leaning back in his chair. Lara and Harry were standing in front of his desk, hands behind them, and looking so much the part of guilty school kids.
"Well Sir, Mr. Potter over here got the sudden urge to throw a punch at me, and I was only defending myself." Lara said innocently. Dumbledore raised his eyes skeptically.
"Bull." Harry said shortly. "She insulted my Quidditch skills first."
"And then you hit her?"
"No, I insulted her back. That's when she hit me."
"Why you dirty rotten liar!"
"It's the truth and you know it!" Harry said defiantly.
"It was not..."
"Enough!" Dumbledore interrupted with his booming voice. "It is obvious that the two of you need time to sort out your differences."
"We've had three months and I still hate his guts Sir. I don't think more time is going to do anything more." Lara said. Harry glared at her out of the corner of his eyes.
"I think you two need time alone." Dumbledore said, rephrasing his previous comment. Both Lara and Harry bore identical looks of horror at this statement.
"Hell no!" Lara said, crossing her arms.
"I wouldn't go near that thing with a ten foot pole!" Harry said, crossing his arms in much the same fashion.
"You two need to learn to at least co-operate! The fate of the wizarding world depends on you two learning to work together."
"I can kill Voldemort alone!" Lara cried impatiently.
"But Harry needs to kill him Lara, remember the prophecy?"
"How could I forget?" The girl muttered under her breath.
"I can kill Voldemort alone. I'm going to have to anyway." Harry said reasonably.
"You are going to deliver the final blow perhaps, but you will have to weaken him first. This takes power you do not possess."
"So what do you suggest Oh Noble One?" Lara said sarcastically.
"You two are going to be moved to a different part of the castle. You will have separate rooms but will share a study area, bathroom and common room."
"HELL NO!" Both of them yelled in unison.
"It has already been arranged. You will be partner for all your classes and this will continue until you have formed some sort of agreement."
"I'm not sharing a room with him." Lara said simply, as if it was the end of the matter.
"You will my dear, whether you like it or not."
"Surely you're not allowed to put a girl and boy in the same set of rooms. Isn't that against some law?" Harry said hopefully.
"There are wards around the rooms, you can't enter hers, she can't enter yours. Any...er... sexual activity will be detected." Lara snorted at this.
"Like I would anyway." She said. "In his bloody dreams."
"My nightmares more like." Harry retaliated.
"Save it for later you two. You will find your belongings are already in your respective rooms. Follow this light and you'll find your new living quarters." Dumbledore said, wrapping up the discussion as he waved his wand and a white light wafted out the end. Harry and Lara turned silently and headed down the stairs, the white light always a few metres in front.
Silently, the weaved through the halls until they reached a set of rooms near Gryffindor Tower. The light stopped at a door with a golden Hogwarts crest emblazoned on it. Lara reached out to open the door but found it locked.
"Damn it!" She cried. "Dumbledore forgot to give the password." No sooner were these words out of her mouth when the white light faded slowly and dropped to the ground. As it hit the ground, it had disappeared completely, but in its place was a small white piece of paper. Harry picked it up and saw three words written in what was unmistakably Dumbledore's writing.
"Contemno contra Amor." He read. The door opened slowly to reveal a large common room with two armchairs, a couch and a roaring fire. Lara opened the door wider and headed inside. She heard the click of the door as Harry closed it behind him. The two of them spent five minutes exploring their new dwelling.
The bathroom was to the right, and was quite large, with a bathtub, showers and toilets, plus two wash basins. The study room consisted of two heavy tables with several drawers filled with ink and quills and paper. Both doors to the bedrooms were on the left wall of the common room, and the rooms were identical, each with a large four poster bed, a mirror and chest of drawers as well as a small bedside table. Large plaques on the doors made it obvious which room belonged to who.
Once she had unpacked and made herself at home, Lara flopped down on the couch, intent on reading for a few hours.
"Don't you have homework?" Harry said irritably as he lugged a massive pile of books into the study room.
"Done." Lara said simply, smiling sweetly at him as he struggled to cross the room. "By the way, where's the little bit of paper? I want to know the password." Harry threw her the piece of paper that had miraculously emerged from the light they had followed. Lara looked down at the piece of paper, reading the inscription. She noticed immediately that it was written in latin; contemno contra amor, hate against love.
Interesting.
******************************************************
At about ten o'clock, Lara's eyes had begun to hurt from reading. She closed it shut and sat up groggily, making her way to her room where she changed into ther pyjamas, which consisted of a very short silk nightie. The rooms were heated far too well by the fires to be wearing anything warmer. Once changed, she made her way across the common room the bathroom, where she commenced brushing her teeth and hair.
She had just started on her teeth when Harry entered, dressed in emerald green silk boxers and looking just as tired as she was. Lara couldn't help but notice how well formed his body really was, but she'd rather die than admit it.
"I hope you're not trying to seduce me in that skanky little thing, cause personally, I reckon you look like a whore." Harry said simply as he gave his hair a quick brush and took out his toothpaste and toothbrush. Lara spat out into the bowl just as Harry started. Once she had rinsed her mouth out, she rounded on him.
"It's obviously got some effect on you, since you noticed."
"Other than to make me gag? Not really." Harry said casually after spitting out into his bowl. Lara didn't reply. Instead, she dried her hands and walked out of the room, too tired to argue. Harry followed seconds later, and less than fifteen minutes later they were both fast asleep in their beds.
******************************************************
"I heard you got relocated with Potter! You must've done something really bad to deserve that punishment Sweetheart!" Draco said the next morning. She had invited him to sit over at the Gryffindor table, ignoring the stares she was getting from her housemates.
"Other than beat him up; which I personally think is a service to the school, I haven't done anything." Draco smiled at his girlfriend.
"Was it that bad?"
"It's terrible, but as long as I don't provoke him he won't annoy me back. Even though it's just so tempting sometimes..." She said, smiling evilly.
"Hey Malfoy." Hermione said as she plonked herself down on the other side of Lara. She and Draco had formed and odd sort of relationship over the months. Through Lara they had reached an understanding, but ever since Lara had explained the true reason behind Draco's provocations (and ever since he had stopped calling her a mudblood) they had reach a level that you could call friendship.
"Hello Granger. Have you heard the news?"
"What news? By the way, where were you last night Miss Black?" Hermione said, putting her hands on her hips and giving her friend a motherly look.
"Same answer to both questions. I've gotten relocated, I'm now living in some random room near Gryffindor with Harry until we "sort out our differences." Like that'll ever happen."
"Come on Lara, this is obviously important to Dumbledore."
"I just don't understand why I have to make friends with some prat for the good of the wizarding community."
"You know exactly why." Hermione replied.
"It doesn't mean I have to do it." Lara argued childishly.
"What the hell is he doing here Black?" Harry yelled from across the hall. Immediately, the crowd inside the hall fell silence, sensing another confrontation.
"He's here on my request."
"Well he's leaving on mine."
"Look, I don't want to cause trouble, I'll just go." Draco said impatiently, rising from his seat and walking away, but not before he shared a lingering kiss with Lara.
"Sorry Sweetheart." She whispered before he walked away to join his own table. "Why do you have to be such a bastard Potter?" Lara yelled at the raven-haired boy who had just taken Draco's spot.
"I think you should be asking him that."
"He's no bastard. You could take a leaf out of his book!"
"So you want me to go and join Voldemort's little cult?" Harry roared back.
"Don't talk about things you don't understand Potter! He's been through more than you, and he's got a better heart than you ever will!" Lara said, before rising from her seat quickly and stomping off before Harry could retaliate.
*I have never met anyone so infuriating in my life!* She thought angrily.