A/N: I decided to just finish up Year Two in one go, so be warned that these chapters are really rough. I will be out of commision until around June due to Finals, which is why I'm suddenly posting up everything I have at the moment. I hope you enjoy the rest of year Two, I'll try to get started on Year Three as soon as I can.
Harry gave Draco another glare as the blonde put another roll on his plate without Harry asking him to. Draco figured the stronger Harry got, the more he could suppress... whatever it was that was... possessing him.
''What's wrong with you?'' Harry hissed as he stared at Draco with suspicious eyes. The way Draco had been acting all week, the mother-hening, the way he viciously told off the other Slytherins when they came close to Harry, and just earlier he had told Professor McGonagall that it was his fault Harry had messed up the test.
Although she didn't do anything about it, it was enough for her to also stare for a few moments at Malfoy before muttering something about the staff's broken coffee machine and walking away from them.
''Nothing'' Draco said quickly shoving food his in his mouth to avoid a further response. Draco made a face, he hated peas. Why did he even shovel peas into his mouth?
'Because you don't want to be killed in your sleep.' He mentally scolded himself. He made a wincing effort and swallowed the peas down and then picked up his own roll to eat it. Not bothering to take a breath in between.
Harry continued to stare, ''Do I need to take you the Hospital wing?''
''No, I'm fine!'' Draco replied quickly. Nodding frantically like a bobble head doll.
A few of the Slytherins looked up and stared. They had been trying to ignore Draco for most of the week, but it was difficult with him acting in such a bizarre way.
Harry's face squinted, ''Are you... sure? I mean... Not that I'm thankful that the whole 'Harry harassing' is over (Harry made sure to glance over at the Slytherins that were still staring. Millicent was the only one to at least look a bit guilty). But... you're being... really, really strange. Like... more than usual.''
''I'm fine!'' Draco repeated, yelling at Harry's face. Draco's expression turned to that of horror and then he quickly muttered a 'sorry' before trying to eat again, despite the fact that he was already full.
Draco wasn't sure whether he was going to be sick from the food or from knowing that he had yelled at Harry. Was that monster in him watching? Maybe he should sleep in the common room tonight, yes, if he screamed in there, maybe someone could hear better...
That night, Harry found Draco sitting in front of the fireplace writing in a black leather bound journal.
''Nice journal.'' Harry commented.
Draco quickly looked up and snapped his journal shut, trying to hide it behind him.
Harry raised a brow and then rolled his eyes and snorted, ''Like I want to see what you write in that thing.''
''You understand the definition of privacy Potter?'' Draco snapped.
Harry looked around, ''This is a public area. If you wanted to be alone, you should have been in bed.''
Draco bristled, but he took a few deep breaths and calmed down, ''Fine, so what are you doing up?''
Harry looked into the fire, ''Nothing, just couldn't sleep.''
Draco quickly stood up, ''Well, I'm feeling tired now, so I think I'll go back.''
Harry watched as the blonde rushed up the staircase as he tried to figure out what just happened.
The next day, Harry found Ron sitting with Ginny.
''It's okay...''
''No! I can't find it!''
''But you said that... It was just a stupid....''
Ginny gave Ron a cold glare and stomped off in the other direction.
Harry walked over to Ron, ''Something happen?''
Ron looked up and shook his head, ''You know, girls are just bloody confusing most of the time.''
Ron sighed, ''It's nothing really, besides, if we tried to look for what it, it'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack.''
Save for finding Justin being petrified and the school sinking into further paranoia, Harry thought things were a bit more normal than before. Draco was still odd, but better than a few days before when he was trying to force feed Harry anything that was on the table.
The problem now was that Draco was being overly saccharine with his disgusting flattering words and eagerness to share anything with Harry.
''Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey.'' Harry abruptly said, cutting of Draco in the middle of his brown nosing, ''You don't.... seem well...''
''I'm fine.'' Draco said airily.
Harry's hand suddenly shot out and Draco could barely keep himself from screaming. But instead of squeezing around his throat, the hand landed on Draco's arm. Then Harry leveled Draco a serious look, ''I don't know what's pissing me off more: the way you treated me before of the way you're treating me now. Is it too much to just ask you to just STOP? It's bloody annoying!''
''uh...,'' Draco blinked a few times as he thought about it, 'What if I'm making the situation worse?'
Draco gulped and nodded, ''Okay, I'll stop.''
Expecting a less compromising answer, Harry froze and shot Draco a strange look. He seemed to have an internal battle for a moment before he finally shrugged and went back to studying.
Draco stared blankly at the textbook open in front of him and took a deep breath, 'I can do this...'
Christmas this year seemed as boring as the years before, but Harry took a lot of time this year's hols, catching up on his sleep. He had never imagined how precious it was until it was completely taken away from him.
For the first few days, Lily thought that Harry was sick and she would come in and sort of check on him, placing her cool hands on his brow.
Harry gave her a small smile, ''Just tired, the stuff that's happening at Hogwarts...Uh, sometimes I sort of can't stop thinking about it and I don't really get much sleep. I guess I just feel safer at home.''
It was the half truth, the basilisk running around was disturbing... but Harry didn't think that it would be wise to tell her about Draco and the rest of the house harassing him. Mum always told Dad everything and Harry shivered at the thought of his father storming over to the Malfoy Manor and demanding some sort of retribution. It wasn't that his father care that much about him, it was just that he had an over-inflammatory personality and probably would take the news as an insult from Malfoy or something.
Best leave it alone...
Harry snapped out of his mental dialogue and looked up at his mother, who was wearing a concerned and disquieting expression. She chewed on her lower lip, ''Jerry told us all about it.''
She gave a small gulp, ''I... I don't feel safe sending you boys back to school. Perhaps when this all passes...''
Harry's mouth was open, gaping at her, ''It's not that bad. I mean...''
''Jerry said that two kids have already been petrified, he's been injured badly and had to 'regrow' his bones... need I go on?''
'Well, actually, the need for a bone regrowing was Lockhart's fault.' Harry thought. But of course Jerry would leave that part out...
Harry shrugged, ''Well, I don't think it's that bad...I'm not that scared, mum. I mean, if Jerry wants to stay home, I'm perfectly okay with it.''
'Actually that's even better' Harry thought.
''But I would like to go back to school. I like Hogwarts. Mum... you're just overreacting...,'' Harry said calmly, trying to placate her.
Lily's expression soured, ''Are you criticizing me for caring about you?''
Harry looked stunned, ''N-no...''
Lily's eyes narrowed and then she looked downcast, ''Yes you are...I didn't realize it until you came back from school this summer...I didn't even realize it until you weren't there anymore and then when you came back during the summer, it was like seeing the big picture.''
Harry stared at his mother and gave a nervous laugh, ''Realize what?''
Lily looked up slightly, but her eyes were distant... disquieting.
''You don't see me... as your mother. I'm just someone that's here that takes care of you. I'm a just a guardian. Nothing more...You're only one step away from just calling me Lily instead of mother.'' Lily whispered, ''Has it always been like this?''
Harry looked away, he wasn't sure how to tell her, she looked so vulnerable and downtrodden at the moment that he couldn't. Listing all those things she had unconsciously done to him and how detached he felt from everyone...No, he still cared for her in his own way. Telling her anything in a cruelly blunt fashion would only hurt her more.
''Harry...'' Lily urged desperately.
''It's complicated.'' Harry replied in a childish whisper.
Lily bowed her head down, knowing that he wouldn't answer anymore than that. Because he didn't know either...what the situation was... where they stood.
''Is it too late?'' Lily asked Harry's slouched figure. His hair had grown longer and shaggy over the school year and now the fringe created a shadow over his face.
Harry gave a helpless shrugged and then murmured, ''You... you weren't supposed to... care. And I was just going to... I was just going to grow up and... I don't know. Move into my own house. And that would be that.''
Harry swallowed and gave a deep sigh, ''You're perfectly content with only Jerry...''
''But I have 'two' sons.'' Lily emphasized.
Harry shook his head, confused, ''Nobody is perfect, no one can ever 'not' show favoritism towards one child over the other... It's not a big deal. I'm used to it.''
''But you disregard any sort of love I try to...''
Harry suddenly looked up with intense eyes, looking frightened, as if something horrible was crawling under his skin and he was helpless to get rid of it, ''Why are you doing this? Is it the holidays? You feel obligated to... atone for all those years ? I don't understand why you're doing this! People don't just suddenly change! Sure you'll be nice to me for the holidays, and then you'll feel better about your self. And then you'll just forget a week after we go to school...''
Harry then looked away again, but this time with a pondering expression on his face while he murmured again, ''People don't just change...''
'So why did Malfoy?... Something happened. Something big...did someone threaten him... no, who would? Hermione's been too busy with midterms and Ron with Ginny a lot. I don't see how they...'
''Honey?'' Lily asked as she put a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry considered flinching away, but...it didn't seem right and his mother was in such a fragile state... Maybe he'd just appease her for now.
''Yeah?''
''Can we at least try?''
Harry inwardly gave a defeated sigh, what could he say? 'No, I we can't, this can't possibly work because you don't even know me... You know your friends at the Wizarding Ladies Club better than me... ?'
Harry shrugged powerlessly, ''Sure...''
A/N: Umm, thank you to everyone who commented. Unfortunately I can't answer a lot of questions, sometimes even I'm not privy to what's going to happen next in the story, it just kind of flows out or I dream it up in the middle of the night and go into a writing frenzy... it's all a bit if a spur of the moment kind of thing. I apologize for my slow updates, RL problems ... school, bleh. It's week 9 and finals are coming soon, I'll probably be out of commission until around June 11th.
Oh, and as for the Yu Gi Oh... umm, the most I know about that anime is that my brother likes it, but that's it. Sorry, I guess the idea was just a coincidence.
Random off tangent note: I was just kind of hopping around fandom and I came across this story I really liked and I thought it was brilliant. But later on I found some people critisizing it rather harshly. And I guess, I'm somewhat sensitive to criticism, even if it isn't towards me, but I guess it kind of made me sick in the stomach in a scared sort of way. I mean, not everyone has all the free time in the world to write and refine their stories to near perfection and a lot of us aren't writing majors or anything. In fact my grammar can be quite horrible, I'm constantly reminded by my friend that my grammar can use a lot of work. I really apologize for all the grammar and spelling problems. I mean, I tend to get into writing moods where I can type up page after page, but a lot of times, I managed to drop words and type things incorrectly because my brain is getting ahead of my hands.
Harry gave Draco another glare as the blonde put another roll on his plate without Harry asking him to. Draco figured the stronger Harry got, the more he could suppress... whatever it was that was... possessing him.
''What's wrong with you?'' Harry hissed as he stared at Draco with suspicious eyes. The way Draco had been acting all week, the mother-hening, the way he viciously told off the other Slytherins when they came close to Harry, and just earlier he had told Professor McGonagall that it was his fault Harry had messed up the test.
Although she didn't do anything about it, it was enough for her to also stare for a few moments at Malfoy before muttering something about the staff's broken coffee machine and walking away from them.
''Nothing'' Draco said quickly shoving food his in his mouth to avoid a further response. Draco made a face, he hated peas. Why did he even shovel peas into his mouth?
'Because you don't want to be killed in your sleep.' He mentally scolded himself. He made a wincing effort and swallowed the peas down and then picked up his own roll to eat it. Not bothering to take a breath in between.
Harry continued to stare, ''Do I need to take you the Hospital wing?''
''No, I'm fine!'' Draco replied quickly. Nodding frantically like a bobble head doll.
A few of the Slytherins looked up and stared. They had been trying to ignore Draco for most of the week, but it was difficult with him acting in such a bizarre way.
Harry's face squinted, ''Are you... sure? I mean... Not that I'm thankful that the whole 'Harry harassing' is over (Harry made sure to glance over at the Slytherins that were still staring. Millicent was the only one to at least look a bit guilty). But... you're being... really, really strange. Like... more than usual.''
''I'm fine!'' Draco repeated, yelling at Harry's face. Draco's expression turned to that of horror and then he quickly muttered a 'sorry' before trying to eat again, despite the fact that he was already full.
Draco wasn't sure whether he was going to be sick from the food or from knowing that he had yelled at Harry. Was that monster in him watching? Maybe he should sleep in the common room tonight, yes, if he screamed in there, maybe someone could hear better...
That night, Harry found Draco sitting in front of the fireplace writing in a black leather bound journal.
''Nice journal.'' Harry commented.
Draco quickly looked up and snapped his journal shut, trying to hide it behind him.
Harry raised a brow and then rolled his eyes and snorted, ''Like I want to see what you write in that thing.''
''You understand the definition of privacy Potter?'' Draco snapped.
Harry looked around, ''This is a public area. If you wanted to be alone, you should have been in bed.''
Draco bristled, but he took a few deep breaths and calmed down, ''Fine, so what are you doing up?''
Harry looked into the fire, ''Nothing, just couldn't sleep.''
Draco quickly stood up, ''Well, I'm feeling tired now, so I think I'll go back.''
Harry watched as the blonde rushed up the staircase as he tried to figure out what just happened.
The next day, Harry found Ron sitting with Ginny.
''It's okay...''
''No! I can't find it!''
''But you said that... It was just a stupid....''
Ginny gave Ron a cold glare and stomped off in the other direction.
Harry walked over to Ron, ''Something happen?''
Ron looked up and shook his head, ''You know, girls are just bloody confusing most of the time.''
Ron sighed, ''It's nothing really, besides, if we tried to look for what it, it'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack.''
Save for finding Justin being petrified and the school sinking into further paranoia, Harry thought things were a bit more normal than before. Draco was still odd, but better than a few days before when he was trying to force feed Harry anything that was on the table.
The problem now was that Draco was being overly saccharine with his disgusting flattering words and eagerness to share anything with Harry.
''Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey.'' Harry abruptly said, cutting of Draco in the middle of his brown nosing, ''You don't.... seem well...''
''I'm fine.'' Draco said airily.
Harry's hand suddenly shot out and Draco could barely keep himself from screaming. But instead of squeezing around his throat, the hand landed on Draco's arm. Then Harry leveled Draco a serious look, ''I don't know what's pissing me off more: the way you treated me before of the way you're treating me now. Is it too much to just ask you to just STOP? It's bloody annoying!''
''uh...,'' Draco blinked a few times as he thought about it, 'What if I'm making the situation worse?'
Draco gulped and nodded, ''Okay, I'll stop.''
Expecting a less compromising answer, Harry froze and shot Draco a strange look. He seemed to have an internal battle for a moment before he finally shrugged and went back to studying.
Draco stared blankly at the textbook open in front of him and took a deep breath, 'I can do this...'
Christmas this year seemed as boring as the years before, but Harry took a lot of time this year's hols, catching up on his sleep. He had never imagined how precious it was until it was completely taken away from him.
For the first few days, Lily thought that Harry was sick and she would come in and sort of check on him, placing her cool hands on his brow.
Harry gave her a small smile, ''Just tired, the stuff that's happening at Hogwarts...Uh, sometimes I sort of can't stop thinking about it and I don't really get much sleep. I guess I just feel safer at home.''
It was the half truth, the basilisk running around was disturbing... but Harry didn't think that it would be wise to tell her about Draco and the rest of the house harassing him. Mum always told Dad everything and Harry shivered at the thought of his father storming over to the Malfoy Manor and demanding some sort of retribution. It wasn't that his father care that much about him, it was just that he had an over-inflammatory personality and probably would take the news as an insult from Malfoy or something.
Best leave it alone...
Harry snapped out of his mental dialogue and looked up at his mother, who was wearing a concerned and disquieting expression. She chewed on her lower lip, ''Jerry told us all about it.''
She gave a small gulp, ''I... I don't feel safe sending you boys back to school. Perhaps when this all passes...''
Harry's mouth was open, gaping at her, ''It's not that bad. I mean...''
''Jerry said that two kids have already been petrified, he's been injured badly and had to 'regrow' his bones... need I go on?''
'Well, actually, the need for a bone regrowing was Lockhart's fault.' Harry thought. But of course Jerry would leave that part out...
Harry shrugged, ''Well, I don't think it's that bad...I'm not that scared, mum. I mean, if Jerry wants to stay home, I'm perfectly okay with it.''
'Actually that's even better' Harry thought.
''But I would like to go back to school. I like Hogwarts. Mum... you're just overreacting...,'' Harry said calmly, trying to placate her.
Lily's expression soured, ''Are you criticizing me for caring about you?''
Harry looked stunned, ''N-no...''
Lily's eyes narrowed and then she looked downcast, ''Yes you are...I didn't realize it until you came back from school this summer...I didn't even realize it until you weren't there anymore and then when you came back during the summer, it was like seeing the big picture.''
Harry stared at his mother and gave a nervous laugh, ''Realize what?''
Lily looked up slightly, but her eyes were distant... disquieting.
''You don't see me... as your mother. I'm just someone that's here that takes care of you. I'm a just a guardian. Nothing more...You're only one step away from just calling me Lily instead of mother.'' Lily whispered, ''Has it always been like this?''
Harry looked away, he wasn't sure how to tell her, she looked so vulnerable and downtrodden at the moment that he couldn't. Listing all those things she had unconsciously done to him and how detached he felt from everyone...No, he still cared for her in his own way. Telling her anything in a cruelly blunt fashion would only hurt her more.
''Harry...'' Lily urged desperately.
''It's complicated.'' Harry replied in a childish whisper.
Lily bowed her head down, knowing that he wouldn't answer anymore than that. Because he didn't know either...what the situation was... where they stood.
''Is it too late?'' Lily asked Harry's slouched figure. His hair had grown longer and shaggy over the school year and now the fringe created a shadow over his face.
Harry gave a helpless shrugged and then murmured, ''You... you weren't supposed to... care. And I was just going to... I was just going to grow up and... I don't know. Move into my own house. And that would be that.''
Harry swallowed and gave a deep sigh, ''You're perfectly content with only Jerry...''
''But I have 'two' sons.'' Lily emphasized.
Harry shook his head, confused, ''Nobody is perfect, no one can ever 'not' show favoritism towards one child over the other... It's not a big deal. I'm used to it.''
''But you disregard any sort of love I try to...''
Harry suddenly looked up with intense eyes, looking frightened, as if something horrible was crawling under his skin and he was helpless to get rid of it, ''Why are you doing this? Is it the holidays? You feel obligated to... atone for all those years ? I don't understand why you're doing this! People don't just suddenly change! Sure you'll be nice to me for the holidays, and then you'll feel better about your self. And then you'll just forget a week after we go to school...''
Harry then looked away again, but this time with a pondering expression on his face while he murmured again, ''People don't just change...''
'So why did Malfoy?... Something happened. Something big...did someone threaten him... no, who would? Hermione's been too busy with midterms and Ron with Ginny a lot. I don't see how they...'
''Honey?'' Lily asked as she put a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry considered flinching away, but...it didn't seem right and his mother was in such a fragile state... Maybe he'd just appease her for now.
''Yeah?''
''Can we at least try?''
Harry inwardly gave a defeated sigh, what could he say? 'No, I we can't, this can't possibly work because you don't even know me... You know your friends at the Wizarding Ladies Club better than me... ?'
Harry shrugged powerlessly, ''Sure...''
A/N: Umm, thank you to everyone who commented. Unfortunately I can't answer a lot of questions, sometimes even I'm not privy to what's going to happen next in the story, it just kind of flows out or I dream it up in the middle of the night and go into a writing frenzy... it's all a bit if a spur of the moment kind of thing. I apologize for my slow updates, RL problems ... school, bleh. It's week 9 and finals are coming soon, I'll probably be out of commission until around June 11th.
Oh, and as for the Yu Gi Oh... umm, the most I know about that anime is that my brother likes it, but that's it. Sorry, I guess the idea was just a coincidence.
Random off tangent note: I was just kind of hopping around fandom and I came across this story I really liked and I thought it was brilliant. But later on I found some people critisizing it rather harshly. And I guess, I'm somewhat sensitive to criticism, even if it isn't towards me, but I guess it kind of made me sick in the stomach in a scared sort of way. I mean, not everyone has all the free time in the world to write and refine their stories to near perfection and a lot of us aren't writing majors or anything. In fact my grammar can be quite horrible, I'm constantly reminded by my friend that my grammar can use a lot of work. I really apologize for all the grammar and spelling problems. I mean, I tend to get into writing moods where I can type up page after page, but a lot of times, I managed to drop words and type things incorrectly because my brain is getting ahead of my hands.