Title: Sound Of My Voice
Author: GrapeSmshr
Rated: PG-13
Coupling: HP/DM slashy goodness
A/N: I can honestly say that I didn't expect such a huge response, especially for such a short little blurb. You guys amaze me every single time, you really do! And because of your oh-so-wonderful support, I decided to post the second chapter. As I said, this one is *much* longer compared to the first chapter. So read on and enjoy!
The loud bell sounded, signaling the end of class. Everyone packed away their Transfiguration books and shuffled out of the room, heading off in different directions to their following classes.
Dodging a group of giggling second-year Hufflepuffs, Ron Weasley turned to his companions and asked, "So what are we doing tonight? It's Friday, you know." It had been a hellish week all around, with mounds of quizzes and essays due. He was ready for some much needed fun, and he knew his friends were as well.
Rolling her eyes, Hermione Granger scolded semi-jokingly, "We're getting closer and closer to the N.E.W.Ts, you know. We should really spend the weekend studying."
"Oh, but studying is no fun!" Ron grabbed her hand and twirled her around the hall, to which she laughed merrily. "All I'm saying," he continued once they resumed walking, "is that I need a break." He turned around and began walking backwards, facing his two friends. "Are you up for it, Harry?"
Looking at his redheaded friend's grin, Harry Potter couldn't help but smile back. He as much as anyone could use a break right about now. He gave an incline of the head, which made Ron's grin widen, if that were possible.
"Wonderful! So tonight we'll--oof!"
"Learn how to walk?" came an icy retort from the ground. Picking himself up gracefully, Draco Malfoy smirked at a glaring Ron. "We can always count on you to have trouble mastering a skill most learn before their second birthday."
Stepping closer, the tips of Ron's ears turned the color of his hair as he opened his mouth, ready to deliver a scathing comeback.
But before he could deliver that comeback, Harry stepped in-between the two, placing a hand on each of their chests in a way that told them to back off.
"Get your hand off of me, Potter," Draco growled. But when the Gryffindor didn't comply, Draco made no effort to remove the hand. Instead he leaned forward in an attempt to get in Ron's face, but Harry held him at bay.
Finally tearing his eyes from the angry redhead, Draco turned his attention to Harry. Those green orbs were laced with exasperation bordering on amusement, but they were also clouded with tiredom. "I've got better things to do," he conceded haughtily, holding Harry's gaze for a moment longer before turning on his heel and sauntering off. "See you in Potions, Potter!" he called over his shoulder.
Shaking his head, Harry removed his hand from Ron's chest and gave him a lopsided grin, which instantly calmed him down.
The three resumed their walking down the hallway, parting ways as they all headed to different classes. This year was quite bizarre for Harry, as he was the only one of the three to continue on with Potions. As an aspiring Auror, he needed the class. But Ron and Hermione were pursuing other careers which did not need Advanced Potions classes, so Harry had sadly bid them farewell.
It was strange for him to be taking a class without his two best friends. He almost felt like he was missing two appendages. But after the first couple of months, he grew accustomed to their not being there. He even felt a surge of independence, as this was the first class he had taken without one or both of them. He couldn't say that he preferred their absence, but it was a refreshing change.
Spiraling down the familiar stairwell to the dungeons, a reverberated humming in the air as his shoes clicked loudly against the hard stone, Harry found his thoughts turning to that of a certain blonde rival, who was no doubt already in the classroom. Draco had this quirk of always being in the classroom at least five minutes early, no matter what class it was. Harry found this highly amusing; he noticed quite a few years ago that the Slytherin always had to show up at meals at least five minutes after they started.
But Draco's excessive timeliness was not what intrigued Harry the most. No, it would definitely have to be how surprisingly civil he was being towards Harry. While the two had spent most of their academic careers fighting with one another, that had pretty much stopped the past year. For whatever reason, Draco was being much more pleasant to Harry, especially after the war.
And pity didn't factor in, Harry believed. He knew better than to ever suspect that Draco Malfoy would pity Harry Potter. But whatever brought this change about, he didn't quite know.
The two were partnered in Potions, so Harry had a lot of time to actively study the blonde. And he did, on many occasions. Every so often, he would be caught by Snape, who berated him for his inattention. After Snape's back was turned, Harry would flip him off, and Draco would chuckle quietly under his breath, almost like he didn't want Harry to know that he was amused. Which Harry supposed was true. Malfoys seldom chuckled, especially in front of other people, especially Gryffindors.
Slipping into the classroom, Harry took a seat next to Draco, who nodded his head in acknowledgment.
"Ready for another rousing class, Potter?" Draco asked with more than a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Meeting the Slytherin's gaze, Harry blinked a couple of times. He always assumed that this was Draco's favorite class, what with his being so talented at it, not to mention being taught by his own Head of House.
The question must have shown in Harry's eyes because Draco promptly answered, "This class bores me. I've been making potions practically since I started walking. The only reason I'm in here is because Severus asked. Otherwise I'd be in Advanced Arithmancy with your devoted follower, Granger."
At this Harry snorted. Hermione was as much a follower as he was a Death Eater. But he knew Draco knew that. It was proven a few years earlier when Hermione had soundly and rightly punched him. Harry doubted the blonde could readily forget that.
They sat in silence for a long moment. Harry was flipping through his book, trying to find the page they had stopped on in the last lesson. For the life of him, he couldn't remember where they were. Growling in frustration, he began flipping more rapidly through the pages.
Then a pale hand shot out and covered his own, flattening it against the table. Another pale hand swiftly turned the page to the right potion.
During this, Harry never looked up from the table, from the two hands that were all but melded together. He was downright fascinated by the fact that Draco had yet to remove his hand. Finally tearing his gaze away, he looked up to meet cloudy molten silver orbs.
What surprised him the most was that Draco was staring back, all traces of normal Malfoy aloofness gone. Instead there was a genuine curiosity and uncertainty melding with a spark of something else Harry couldn't quite identify. But it was intense, suffocating, and Harry had never felt so content drowning in a moment as this one.
Softly, yet with no hesitance, Draco asked, "Why don't you talk, Potter?"
And just like that, the moment was ruined. Swiftly jerking his hand away, Harry turned to the book and began reading, eyes scanning the words but not comprehending. He could feel Draco's eyes on him, searing into his flesh, trying to peer into his sole, but he refused to look up, absolutely refused.
There were certain things he wouldn't deal with, especially now, and certainly not with so-called arch-rivals. It was nobody's business but his own. But even as the thought entered his head, it was pushed right back out. He knew it wasn't true. It wasn't just his business because other people cared. Other people wished for his well-being.
Did that mean that Draco cared?
The idea was preposterous. Ridiculous even. But then his mind roamed to the past several months, when there had been no animosity between the two, no trouble started or petty fights instigated. And that was what they did best, so he couldn't help but stop and wonder if there was some underlying reason for the change.
Even so, though, he would not discuss his problems with the blonde. He wouldn't even bring them up with his best friends. Months later, he was still trying to repress his nightmarish thoughts and doomsday feelings. It wasn't something he really felt compelled to deal with in the company of other people, so he didn't.
All throughout class, Harry could feel the stares of Draco on him. There was no conversation as they focused on their potions, but Harry had the distinct impression that the Slytherin had something to say.
Despite the uncomfortable silence, the class wasn't too bad. If this whole mute business brought about anything positive, it would be the fact that he was no longer constantly verbally assaulted by Snape. That wasn't to say that they held any kind of respect for one another. But the snide comments and constant putdowns had pretty much disappeared. While there was the occasional indiscriminate look, Harry was all but ignored. It really was one of his more crowning achievements, getting Snape off his case.
At the end of class, Harry filled a vial with his potion, labeling it and placing it with the others on Snape's desk. He then cleaned up in record time, wanting to get out of the classroom as swiftly as possible so as to avoid any other questions. But even as he was walking out the door, he couldn't stop himself from glancing back. Once again he met those steely eyes, boring into him. Increasing his speed, Harry turned away and left.
Still intrigued? If so, then I'm doing something right! If not, well, remember when I said I was a fluffy author? I wasn't kidding! But I'm trying my best. In fact, I decided to change this fic around. Before I started it, I pretty much knew what was going to happen. But now I'm tempted to spin things in a different direction (thank you wintry; because of your review, I decided to lay off the cotton candy a bit and spend a little more time in Angst City). So it may be another week or two to get a new chapter out to you guys... This isn't going to be a super long fic, probably four or five chapters, but I'll see where my new thoughts take me. Anyway, please review! I absolutely love to hear from you, criticism and all!
Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed the first chapter. It means the world to me! I would thank everyone individually, but the majority of the reviews just said that the first chapter was too short and that I needed to update soon. So, was this soon enough for ya? ~*^
Author: GrapeSmshr
Rated: PG-13
Coupling: HP/DM slashy goodness
A/N: I can honestly say that I didn't expect such a huge response, especially for such a short little blurb. You guys amaze me every single time, you really do! And because of your oh-so-wonderful support, I decided to post the second chapter. As I said, this one is *much* longer compared to the first chapter. So read on and enjoy!
The loud bell sounded, signaling the end of class. Everyone packed away their Transfiguration books and shuffled out of the room, heading off in different directions to their following classes.
Dodging a group of giggling second-year Hufflepuffs, Ron Weasley turned to his companions and asked, "So what are we doing tonight? It's Friday, you know." It had been a hellish week all around, with mounds of quizzes and essays due. He was ready for some much needed fun, and he knew his friends were as well.
Rolling her eyes, Hermione Granger scolded semi-jokingly, "We're getting closer and closer to the N.E.W.Ts, you know. We should really spend the weekend studying."
"Oh, but studying is no fun!" Ron grabbed her hand and twirled her around the hall, to which she laughed merrily. "All I'm saying," he continued once they resumed walking, "is that I need a break." He turned around and began walking backwards, facing his two friends. "Are you up for it, Harry?"
Looking at his redheaded friend's grin, Harry Potter couldn't help but smile back. He as much as anyone could use a break right about now. He gave an incline of the head, which made Ron's grin widen, if that were possible.
"Wonderful! So tonight we'll--oof!"
"Learn how to walk?" came an icy retort from the ground. Picking himself up gracefully, Draco Malfoy smirked at a glaring Ron. "We can always count on you to have trouble mastering a skill most learn before their second birthday."
Stepping closer, the tips of Ron's ears turned the color of his hair as he opened his mouth, ready to deliver a scathing comeback.
But before he could deliver that comeback, Harry stepped in-between the two, placing a hand on each of their chests in a way that told them to back off.
"Get your hand off of me, Potter," Draco growled. But when the Gryffindor didn't comply, Draco made no effort to remove the hand. Instead he leaned forward in an attempt to get in Ron's face, but Harry held him at bay.
Finally tearing his eyes from the angry redhead, Draco turned his attention to Harry. Those green orbs were laced with exasperation bordering on amusement, but they were also clouded with tiredom. "I've got better things to do," he conceded haughtily, holding Harry's gaze for a moment longer before turning on his heel and sauntering off. "See you in Potions, Potter!" he called over his shoulder.
Shaking his head, Harry removed his hand from Ron's chest and gave him a lopsided grin, which instantly calmed him down.
The three resumed their walking down the hallway, parting ways as they all headed to different classes. This year was quite bizarre for Harry, as he was the only one of the three to continue on with Potions. As an aspiring Auror, he needed the class. But Ron and Hermione were pursuing other careers which did not need Advanced Potions classes, so Harry had sadly bid them farewell.
It was strange for him to be taking a class without his two best friends. He almost felt like he was missing two appendages. But after the first couple of months, he grew accustomed to their not being there. He even felt a surge of independence, as this was the first class he had taken without one or both of them. He couldn't say that he preferred their absence, but it was a refreshing change.
Spiraling down the familiar stairwell to the dungeons, a reverberated humming in the air as his shoes clicked loudly against the hard stone, Harry found his thoughts turning to that of a certain blonde rival, who was no doubt already in the classroom. Draco had this quirk of always being in the classroom at least five minutes early, no matter what class it was. Harry found this highly amusing; he noticed quite a few years ago that the Slytherin always had to show up at meals at least five minutes after they started.
But Draco's excessive timeliness was not what intrigued Harry the most. No, it would definitely have to be how surprisingly civil he was being towards Harry. While the two had spent most of their academic careers fighting with one another, that had pretty much stopped the past year. For whatever reason, Draco was being much more pleasant to Harry, especially after the war.
And pity didn't factor in, Harry believed. He knew better than to ever suspect that Draco Malfoy would pity Harry Potter. But whatever brought this change about, he didn't quite know.
The two were partnered in Potions, so Harry had a lot of time to actively study the blonde. And he did, on many occasions. Every so often, he would be caught by Snape, who berated him for his inattention. After Snape's back was turned, Harry would flip him off, and Draco would chuckle quietly under his breath, almost like he didn't want Harry to know that he was amused. Which Harry supposed was true. Malfoys seldom chuckled, especially in front of other people, especially Gryffindors.
Slipping into the classroom, Harry took a seat next to Draco, who nodded his head in acknowledgment.
"Ready for another rousing class, Potter?" Draco asked with more than a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Meeting the Slytherin's gaze, Harry blinked a couple of times. He always assumed that this was Draco's favorite class, what with his being so talented at it, not to mention being taught by his own Head of House.
The question must have shown in Harry's eyes because Draco promptly answered, "This class bores me. I've been making potions practically since I started walking. The only reason I'm in here is because Severus asked. Otherwise I'd be in Advanced Arithmancy with your devoted follower, Granger."
At this Harry snorted. Hermione was as much a follower as he was a Death Eater. But he knew Draco knew that. It was proven a few years earlier when Hermione had soundly and rightly punched him. Harry doubted the blonde could readily forget that.
They sat in silence for a long moment. Harry was flipping through his book, trying to find the page they had stopped on in the last lesson. For the life of him, he couldn't remember where they were. Growling in frustration, he began flipping more rapidly through the pages.
Then a pale hand shot out and covered his own, flattening it against the table. Another pale hand swiftly turned the page to the right potion.
During this, Harry never looked up from the table, from the two hands that were all but melded together. He was downright fascinated by the fact that Draco had yet to remove his hand. Finally tearing his gaze away, he looked up to meet cloudy molten silver orbs.
What surprised him the most was that Draco was staring back, all traces of normal Malfoy aloofness gone. Instead there was a genuine curiosity and uncertainty melding with a spark of something else Harry couldn't quite identify. But it was intense, suffocating, and Harry had never felt so content drowning in a moment as this one.
Softly, yet with no hesitance, Draco asked, "Why don't you talk, Potter?"
And just like that, the moment was ruined. Swiftly jerking his hand away, Harry turned to the book and began reading, eyes scanning the words but not comprehending. He could feel Draco's eyes on him, searing into his flesh, trying to peer into his sole, but he refused to look up, absolutely refused.
There were certain things he wouldn't deal with, especially now, and certainly not with so-called arch-rivals. It was nobody's business but his own. But even as the thought entered his head, it was pushed right back out. He knew it wasn't true. It wasn't just his business because other people cared. Other people wished for his well-being.
Did that mean that Draco cared?
The idea was preposterous. Ridiculous even. But then his mind roamed to the past several months, when there had been no animosity between the two, no trouble started or petty fights instigated. And that was what they did best, so he couldn't help but stop and wonder if there was some underlying reason for the change.
Even so, though, he would not discuss his problems with the blonde. He wouldn't even bring them up with his best friends. Months later, he was still trying to repress his nightmarish thoughts and doomsday feelings. It wasn't something he really felt compelled to deal with in the company of other people, so he didn't.
All throughout class, Harry could feel the stares of Draco on him. There was no conversation as they focused on their potions, but Harry had the distinct impression that the Slytherin had something to say.
Despite the uncomfortable silence, the class wasn't too bad. If this whole mute business brought about anything positive, it would be the fact that he was no longer constantly verbally assaulted by Snape. That wasn't to say that they held any kind of respect for one another. But the snide comments and constant putdowns had pretty much disappeared. While there was the occasional indiscriminate look, Harry was all but ignored. It really was one of his more crowning achievements, getting Snape off his case.
At the end of class, Harry filled a vial with his potion, labeling it and placing it with the others on Snape's desk. He then cleaned up in record time, wanting to get out of the classroom as swiftly as possible so as to avoid any other questions. But even as he was walking out the door, he couldn't stop himself from glancing back. Once again he met those steely eyes, boring into him. Increasing his speed, Harry turned away and left.
Still intrigued? If so, then I'm doing something right! If not, well, remember when I said I was a fluffy author? I wasn't kidding! But I'm trying my best. In fact, I decided to change this fic around. Before I started it, I pretty much knew what was going to happen. But now I'm tempted to spin things in a different direction (thank you wintry; because of your review, I decided to lay off the cotton candy a bit and spend a little more time in Angst City). So it may be another week or two to get a new chapter out to you guys... This isn't going to be a super long fic, probably four or five chapters, but I'll see where my new thoughts take me. Anyway, please review! I absolutely love to hear from you, criticism and all!
Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed the first chapter. It means the world to me! I would thank everyone individually, but the majority of the reviews just said that the first chapter was too short and that I needed to update soon. So, was this soon enough for ya? ~*^