Day Walker
Disclaimer: I only own Damien. Harry Potter and his friend belong to J.K Rowling. So does the scenery.
Summary: The last days before Christmas. The handing-over of gifts and departure of friends.
~Chapter 13~
~Goodbyes~
It was just four days left for Christmas and the last day of school before the vacation. Harry, Hermione and Damien were in Herbology. The class was coming to an end.
"Now, class, if you've finished cleaning up your plant tables, you can water the plants so that they don't die over the holidays." Professor Sprout smiled at the students. She was wearing a red hat over her wild hair and a red pair of robes with Christmas trees and bells on it. All the students knew that she always watered the plants herself when there wasn't any classes, but she still asked them to do it before every vacation. When all the plants were watered, the professor dismissed the class and wished them a merry Christmas before they all left the greenhouse.
"I'm looking forward to going home," said Hermione with a smile. "Not that I'm looking forward to leaving you guys, but it'll be quite nice to see my family again."
"We understand that," said Damien. "Don't we, Harry?"
"Yep! We sure do! We'll miss you though."
"I'll miss you too." Hermione sighed and smiled at the two boys walking next to her across the snowcovered grounds.
~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~
Harry and Damien met up with Draco outside the Demonic Languages classroom.
"Hello luv," said the blonde and kissed his boyfriend.
"Hey, D." Harry smiled. "Sorry Damien."
Damien laughed. "I understand. I really do! I would do that too if I was all open and stuff."
The two Gryffindors sniggered and shared a knowing look.
"What are you two not telling me? I hate when people do that... It should be a law against internal joking!" He looked very confused and he actually pouted.
"I never thought I'd get to see a Slytherin pout." Damien grinned. "Shall we tell him, Harry?"
"Well... Do you want him to know?"
"I'm not quite sure. But I guess he's trustworthy, don't you think?"
"I'm not quite sure actually." Harry grinned too.
Draco's eyes shifted between looking at Harry and Damien as they spoke. "Can somebody please tell me or stop talking about it or I swear I'll go bananas!"
"We're just teasing you, Draco." Damien shook his head. "I never doubted that I was going to tell you."
"Okay I'll calm down now." Draco took a deep breath and turned all his attention to Damien.
The half-blood vampire looked around to see if there was anyone there, but they were the only ones who arrived that early for class.
"Well... I sort of... I'm like... I'm dating Blaise!"
"Congratulations!" Draco smiled. "You deserve it. He's a nice guy, and cute too," he added with a grin.
"I think so too." Damien smiled at the thought of his boyfriend. They didn't get the chance to talk anymore about the subject before the rest of the students came around the corner, shortly followed by Professor Crow.
When they had all found their seats and had got their books up, the professor turned to the class and said: "Today, we won't be doing anything. We will just have a nice time and talk about our Christmas traditions. Doesn't that sound cosy?" He smiled at his class and sat down on top of his desk as he always did during class.
'I don't think I've ever seen him sit on the chair,' Harry thought.
"I'll start then," said Professor Crow. He told them a long story about spending Christmas with his parents and siblings in London. About turkey dinners and about decorating trees. "That was my tradition," he said when he had finished. "Anyone who would like to follow my lead?"
A skinny Hufflepuff girl rose her hand.
"Yes, Miss Carter. Please tell." The professor smiled at the girl.
She smiled back and started enlightening the class on her tradition.
'I'm so not telling about my traditions,' Harry thought. 'It's not like I have any... If you don't count being hungry and presentless as tradition though.' He snorted to himself. Damien and Draco looked at him with curious looks on their faces. He just shook his head at them.
"That sounds nice, Miss Carter," said Professor Crow. "Next please."
No hands in the air.
"Well, then I'll just have to choose a victim of my own then." Crow looked around the classroom. "Ah, Harry. Can you tell us about your Christmas traditions?"
"I don't have any outside of school. I stay here. End of story." Harry had an emotionless expression on his face.
"Okay. I won't ask again." The professor looked for another student to tell his or her story. The rest of the lesson was the same.
"You can leave now, kids. Except you, Harry. I would like a word with you, please."
Harry shrugged and packed his books. "Can you two wait for me in the Entrance Hall?" Harry said to Damien and Draco.
"Sure," the two boys replied in sync.
"Merry Christmas to you all!" Professor Crow cheerily sent them on their way.
Harry jumped up on the desk and waited for all the students to leave. When they had, Crow closed the door behind them.
"What's wrong, Harry? You're usually so forthcoming in class and all around a nice kid, and today you got a real attitude. Was it something I said?"
Harry shrugged again. "Nothing is wrong. Nothing that hasn't been wrong for the previous years of my life as well." He smiled, his grin loaded with sarcasm. "It wasn't anything you said, it was what you asked. I don't like talking about my family. Because I don't have any. I have an aunt and uncle that I spend my summers with and, god, how I hate that. Before I got here I never knew what it meant to get a present. Or what it meant to have a nice Christmas meal. The only tradition I've ever had when Christmas is concerned is to stay at this castle. It was the first place I felt welcome and at home. I lived in a cupboard under some stairs for eleven years, God damn it!" He breathed heavily to calm himself down. "So I would be grateful if you didn't ask me anything that has, or can have, something to do with family and parents. As you probably know, my parents were killed by..."
"By Voldemort, I know. I should have known better than to ask you today. I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me? I would like to keep a good rapport with all my students."
"I forgive you. You couldn't have known. Not many know how my life was before I was told that I was a wizard." Harry sighed.
"I was one of the many ignorants. If you ever want to talk, Harry..." Professor Crow ended his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
"I''ll remember that."
"Good. Now, go on. Don't want to keep your friends waiting." The professor winked at Harry, who smiled, got his stuff and left the room to meet up with his two friends in the Entrance Hall.
~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~
After breakfast the next morning it was time for most of the students to go home to their families. Harry met up with his friends down by the horseless carriages.
When Harry got there Hermione was there. She was the only one he was 'sending home' that year. He saw Damien walk down the road, towards Blaise who was standing by the far carriage. Blaise dissapeared behind the horseless carriage the moment before Damien reached it. He lingered beside the wagon for a little while before he also slipped behind it. If Harry hadn't been paying attention to them he wouldn't have noticed that they both went behind the carriage. He smiled to himself and turned back to Hermione who was chatting eagerly with Ginny. She was also going home for Christmas.
"Hey Hermione," he said.
"Hello."
"Draco won't come down he..."
She cut him off. "I know. He has to meet with the school counsellor."
Harry had a puzzled look on his face.
Hermione laughed. "I ran into him in the hall earlier and he told me. So we said goodbye there." She smiled again. I'm gonna miss you over the holidays." Her smile faded slightly.
"I'll miss you too!" He smiled at her. "Don't be sad, 'Mione. You'll come back, won't you?"
She laughed. "Yes, I'll definetly come back! And I will owl you during Christmas. By the way, I have something for you." She reached into her robes and took out a packet with black paper and red ribbons. She handed it to him. "Here you go, Harry." She got a stern look on her face. "Don't open it until Christmas."
"I promise! Cross my heart!" He drew a cross over his heart with his left index finger.
She grinned. "Okay. I choose to believe you."
"Thank you. I appreciate the trust." Harry grinned at Hermione.
Hagrid appeared behind Harry.
"The carriges are leaving soon, 'Mione," he said. "You better hurry."
"Thanks, Hagrid," she replied.
The half-giant smiled. "C'me 'ere!" He reached out and pulled her into a hug.
She laughed. "Let go of me, Hagrid. You're strangling me," she said in a jest.
He let go of her and smiled widely. "Safe trip 'ome, 'Mione. I 'ave to go now. 'ave to send them carriages off soon." He waved with his big hand and turned around, then he left them.
"I guess I'll have to get in a carriage." Hermione smiled a smile with a hint of sadness in it.
"I guess so." Harry pulled her into a hug. "Have a merry Christmas. Don't worry about me. I have both Draco and Damien here with me, and I love the castle when it's decorated and full of the Christmas spirit." He smiled back at her.
"Okay. I won't worry." The happy grin appeared on her face again.
"Good! Get on home now, 'Mione! I'll owl you your gift in a couple of days. It's not quite here yet," he said, thinking about the book on ancient latin he had ordered for her at the Flourish and Blott's. He expected an owl from them any day now.
She picked up her trunk with the weightless charm on it. "I will. Bye Harry. Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Hermione." He hugged her again and she got into one of the carriages.
Harry turned around for a second to look for Damien, who was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he saw Draco come running down the road. When he reached his boyfriend's side he panted and breathed heavily.
"I wanted to wave," he said inbetween breaths, and waved at Hermione, who had taken her seat next to Ginny Weasly. She waved back.
Harry just smiled and put his arm around Draco's waist. After a couple of minutes they heard Hagrid anounce the departure and the horseless carriages began to move.
"Bye," called Hermione to them.
"G'bye," they called back, and waved to her until they could only see a tiny spot way down the road.
When they headed back to the castle, Damien joined them.
"I'll miss him," he said.
"Off course, you will," the couple replied. "Off course, you will."
A/N: I'm so sorry it has taken so long to write this tiny chapter, but I've been so busy with school and work and everything. Please forgive me, and please review! *Smiles*
Disclaimer: I only own Damien. Harry Potter and his friend belong to J.K Rowling. So does the scenery.
Summary: The last days before Christmas. The handing-over of gifts and departure of friends.
~Chapter 13~
~Goodbyes~
It was just four days left for Christmas and the last day of school before the vacation. Harry, Hermione and Damien were in Herbology. The class was coming to an end.
"Now, class, if you've finished cleaning up your plant tables, you can water the plants so that they don't die over the holidays." Professor Sprout smiled at the students. She was wearing a red hat over her wild hair and a red pair of robes with Christmas trees and bells on it. All the students knew that she always watered the plants herself when there wasn't any classes, but she still asked them to do it before every vacation. When all the plants were watered, the professor dismissed the class and wished them a merry Christmas before they all left the greenhouse.
"I'm looking forward to going home," said Hermione with a smile. "Not that I'm looking forward to leaving you guys, but it'll be quite nice to see my family again."
"We understand that," said Damien. "Don't we, Harry?"
"Yep! We sure do! We'll miss you though."
"I'll miss you too." Hermione sighed and smiled at the two boys walking next to her across the snowcovered grounds.
~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~
Harry and Damien met up with Draco outside the Demonic Languages classroom.
"Hello luv," said the blonde and kissed his boyfriend.
"Hey, D." Harry smiled. "Sorry Damien."
Damien laughed. "I understand. I really do! I would do that too if I was all open and stuff."
The two Gryffindors sniggered and shared a knowing look.
"What are you two not telling me? I hate when people do that... It should be a law against internal joking!" He looked very confused and he actually pouted.
"I never thought I'd get to see a Slytherin pout." Damien grinned. "Shall we tell him, Harry?"
"Well... Do you want him to know?"
"I'm not quite sure. But I guess he's trustworthy, don't you think?"
"I'm not quite sure actually." Harry grinned too.
Draco's eyes shifted between looking at Harry and Damien as they spoke. "Can somebody please tell me or stop talking about it or I swear I'll go bananas!"
"We're just teasing you, Draco." Damien shook his head. "I never doubted that I was going to tell you."
"Okay I'll calm down now." Draco took a deep breath and turned all his attention to Damien.
The half-blood vampire looked around to see if there was anyone there, but they were the only ones who arrived that early for class.
"Well... I sort of... I'm like... I'm dating Blaise!"
"Congratulations!" Draco smiled. "You deserve it. He's a nice guy, and cute too," he added with a grin.
"I think so too." Damien smiled at the thought of his boyfriend. They didn't get the chance to talk anymore about the subject before the rest of the students came around the corner, shortly followed by Professor Crow.
When they had all found their seats and had got their books up, the professor turned to the class and said: "Today, we won't be doing anything. We will just have a nice time and talk about our Christmas traditions. Doesn't that sound cosy?" He smiled at his class and sat down on top of his desk as he always did during class.
'I don't think I've ever seen him sit on the chair,' Harry thought.
"I'll start then," said Professor Crow. He told them a long story about spending Christmas with his parents and siblings in London. About turkey dinners and about decorating trees. "That was my tradition," he said when he had finished. "Anyone who would like to follow my lead?"
A skinny Hufflepuff girl rose her hand.
"Yes, Miss Carter. Please tell." The professor smiled at the girl.
She smiled back and started enlightening the class on her tradition.
'I'm so not telling about my traditions,' Harry thought. 'It's not like I have any... If you don't count being hungry and presentless as tradition though.' He snorted to himself. Damien and Draco looked at him with curious looks on their faces. He just shook his head at them.
"That sounds nice, Miss Carter," said Professor Crow. "Next please."
No hands in the air.
"Well, then I'll just have to choose a victim of my own then." Crow looked around the classroom. "Ah, Harry. Can you tell us about your Christmas traditions?"
"I don't have any outside of school. I stay here. End of story." Harry had an emotionless expression on his face.
"Okay. I won't ask again." The professor looked for another student to tell his or her story. The rest of the lesson was the same.
"You can leave now, kids. Except you, Harry. I would like a word with you, please."
Harry shrugged and packed his books. "Can you two wait for me in the Entrance Hall?" Harry said to Damien and Draco.
"Sure," the two boys replied in sync.
"Merry Christmas to you all!" Professor Crow cheerily sent them on their way.
Harry jumped up on the desk and waited for all the students to leave. When they had, Crow closed the door behind them.
"What's wrong, Harry? You're usually so forthcoming in class and all around a nice kid, and today you got a real attitude. Was it something I said?"
Harry shrugged again. "Nothing is wrong. Nothing that hasn't been wrong for the previous years of my life as well." He smiled, his grin loaded with sarcasm. "It wasn't anything you said, it was what you asked. I don't like talking about my family. Because I don't have any. I have an aunt and uncle that I spend my summers with and, god, how I hate that. Before I got here I never knew what it meant to get a present. Or what it meant to have a nice Christmas meal. The only tradition I've ever had when Christmas is concerned is to stay at this castle. It was the first place I felt welcome and at home. I lived in a cupboard under some stairs for eleven years, God damn it!" He breathed heavily to calm himself down. "So I would be grateful if you didn't ask me anything that has, or can have, something to do with family and parents. As you probably know, my parents were killed by..."
"By Voldemort, I know. I should have known better than to ask you today. I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me? I would like to keep a good rapport with all my students."
"I forgive you. You couldn't have known. Not many know how my life was before I was told that I was a wizard." Harry sighed.
"I was one of the many ignorants. If you ever want to talk, Harry..." Professor Crow ended his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
"I''ll remember that."
"Good. Now, go on. Don't want to keep your friends waiting." The professor winked at Harry, who smiled, got his stuff and left the room to meet up with his two friends in the Entrance Hall.
~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~
After breakfast the next morning it was time for most of the students to go home to their families. Harry met up with his friends down by the horseless carriages.
When Harry got there Hermione was there. She was the only one he was 'sending home' that year. He saw Damien walk down the road, towards Blaise who was standing by the far carriage. Blaise dissapeared behind the horseless carriage the moment before Damien reached it. He lingered beside the wagon for a little while before he also slipped behind it. If Harry hadn't been paying attention to them he wouldn't have noticed that they both went behind the carriage. He smiled to himself and turned back to Hermione who was chatting eagerly with Ginny. She was also going home for Christmas.
"Hey Hermione," he said.
"Hello."
"Draco won't come down he..."
She cut him off. "I know. He has to meet with the school counsellor."
Harry had a puzzled look on his face.
Hermione laughed. "I ran into him in the hall earlier and he told me. So we said goodbye there." She smiled again. I'm gonna miss you over the holidays." Her smile faded slightly.
"I'll miss you too!" He smiled at her. "Don't be sad, 'Mione. You'll come back, won't you?"
She laughed. "Yes, I'll definetly come back! And I will owl you during Christmas. By the way, I have something for you." She reached into her robes and took out a packet with black paper and red ribbons. She handed it to him. "Here you go, Harry." She got a stern look on her face. "Don't open it until Christmas."
"I promise! Cross my heart!" He drew a cross over his heart with his left index finger.
She grinned. "Okay. I choose to believe you."
"Thank you. I appreciate the trust." Harry grinned at Hermione.
Hagrid appeared behind Harry.
"The carriges are leaving soon, 'Mione," he said. "You better hurry."
"Thanks, Hagrid," she replied.
The half-giant smiled. "C'me 'ere!" He reached out and pulled her into a hug.
She laughed. "Let go of me, Hagrid. You're strangling me," she said in a jest.
He let go of her and smiled widely. "Safe trip 'ome, 'Mione. I 'ave to go now. 'ave to send them carriages off soon." He waved with his big hand and turned around, then he left them.
"I guess I'll have to get in a carriage." Hermione smiled a smile with a hint of sadness in it.
"I guess so." Harry pulled her into a hug. "Have a merry Christmas. Don't worry about me. I have both Draco and Damien here with me, and I love the castle when it's decorated and full of the Christmas spirit." He smiled back at her.
"Okay. I won't worry." The happy grin appeared on her face again.
"Good! Get on home now, 'Mione! I'll owl you your gift in a couple of days. It's not quite here yet," he said, thinking about the book on ancient latin he had ordered for her at the Flourish and Blott's. He expected an owl from them any day now.
She picked up her trunk with the weightless charm on it. "I will. Bye Harry. Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Hermione." He hugged her again and she got into one of the carriages.
Harry turned around for a second to look for Damien, who was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he saw Draco come running down the road. When he reached his boyfriend's side he panted and breathed heavily.
"I wanted to wave," he said inbetween breaths, and waved at Hermione, who had taken her seat next to Ginny Weasly. She waved back.
Harry just smiled and put his arm around Draco's waist. After a couple of minutes they heard Hagrid anounce the departure and the horseless carriages began to move.
"Bye," called Hermione to them.
"G'bye," they called back, and waved to her until they could only see a tiny spot way down the road.
When they headed back to the castle, Damien joined them.
"I'll miss him," he said.
"Off course, you will," the couple replied. "Off course, you will."
A/N: I'm so sorry it has taken so long to write this tiny chapter, but I've been so busy with school and work and everything. Please forgive me, and please review! *Smiles*