-1In The Maze of Mirrors

by: Jenni M.

Chapter 6: Par Paris (Latin meaning- equal, like, a match)

Draco and Harry sat on the unforgiving floor for a long time, Harry drifting in and out of unsettling dreams. They basked in the warmth that cold stone could not draw away from them. After a while, they arose from their tangle of limbs realizing the blood, which lay upon them both, and the granite beneath their feet. Harry quickly willed away the blood and stains, once more surprising the Slytherin.

They were silent as they dusted them selves off; they were silent as they walked through the corridors and down a flight of stairs or two. They were silent as they reached a dark wooden door. Silent as they exchanged a glance, put up masks, and walked through said door, through the throngs of students and desks. They remained silent the entire potions class, save when they were answering the questions of the professor.

Malfoy was giving glares to all those asking where they had been, and they promptly shut up. Harry mused to himself about whether Malfoy was related to Snape or if it were just a Slytherin thing; that was until he remembered the glares that Pomfrey and McGonagall had thrown his way. This thought made him chuckle darkly for some reason, maybe it was just that the glares actually look humorous when one no longer fears a look.

If Harry said he were one of those people, he knew it would be a lie. He feared a look, but only when they were given by family, or a dementor, even though you cannot see their faces you know when they are looking at you.

If Draco had said he never feared a look, he would have lied so blatantly it was stupid. He feared a look as well; those looks he feared came from his father and his father's keeper. He feared them more than anything; when he felt those cruel cold eyes upon him, the bile would rise and his blood would freeze. Harry and he really weren't as different as everyone thought.

They were as he had thought before, a mirror image of the other. They were reflections, tricks of the light; they were a mimic of the other. They were also negatives of each other, so different and so far apart on this earth that they ended up making a full circle so different that it made them identical.

For Harry the class seemed monotonous, he found that potions had become surprisingly easy as of late, and that faking inadequacy was rather more difficult. One may have asked why he faked the lack of competency, and Harry himself could not answer, perhaps it was because he did not trust that had he shown skill his 'friends' would have ridiculed him for being like Hermione, she herself had stopped trying to be the best this year as Ron had started teasing her and mocking her intelligence.

'Most likely to make himself feel better about his stupidity-' thought Harry, '-The ass cant stand anyone being better than him, and yet his is too lazy to try and beat them, so he puts them down to his level instead of rising to theirs, or even to average.'

It was true that the youngest male Weasley's grades were below average; even Neville's were better; at least the bumbling boy tried, so the teachers still gave him credit. Ron would sit in class pretending to read but have his comics in his books. He would sneak food with him, and would take advantage of those vile candies his brothers produced last year, getting out of classes most days, and walking about or simply going back to sleep.

Hermione was quickly growing impatient with the bigoted slob she had thought herself in love with. The metaphorical honeymoon period had ended and as soon as that had happened Ron had gone back to his old disgusting self, often the cause of many fights between him and the rest of Gryffindor. Hermione had dumped him, but with him the brother of her best friend and the almost brother of Harry, she had trouble staying away from him.

So they went back out, and the honeymoon period came back for a while, he was convincing her of his change.

Nowadays he ignores Harry, he ignores Hermione unless she is willing to give him something. The strain on them is making them lash out at him when he does try to talk. Soon the break will happen and maybe it will make everything better, maybe it will make it worse, but something has got to give.

The class went on for ages, and all the while the professor never once took points from Harry or Draco, he even stayed clear of taking points from Hermione, he had seen her looking after Harry, seen her caring and her anguish at not being able to reach the boy, he had also seen Neville doing much the same, though try as he might to not take points from the blundering young man he could not help it. Though when his potion was right at the end, for the first time in history Severus Snape gave Neville Longbottom. . .

". . . Five points to Gryffindor, Mr. Longbottom." Snape ground out looking more than slightly green as he said the next. "And an excellent potion from Granger, Potter, and Malfoy, I should let you all work together more often." Ron looked slightly perturbed to say the least as he had been paired with Pansy and Goyle. Apparently Pansy like's redheads so he wasn't as upset as he normally would have been, that was until his cauldron exploded and brown muck landed on them all causing angry boils to form on their skin.

"GOYLE YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" Pansy and Ron shrieked. The others in the class laughed as the two were reprimanded by the professor.

"As I have once told Mr. Potter, I do NOT tolerate profanity, and by the way Mr. Goyle was doing what was called for next, the only reason the potion became volatile, Parkinson, Weasley, was that you had both insisted that mandarin orange peel was part of this potion. Had you read the required text, or even remembered how mandarin reacts to bats blood, you would have known that it was used in pranks made for such things as boils, and acne. Though the only reason it exploded was the addition of the rats' spleen." Snape no longer cared about favoritism, as he was enraged at the stupidity of the students now covered in boils, Goyle had been just smart enough to realize that he should duck when the putrid orange potion started to boil and spark. "Therefore, twenty points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin and detention for both Weasley and Parkinson, and next time remember we are looking for a lavender color when making a calming draft."

Snape stalked to his desk and sat down after dismissing his grinning charges. He himself had to hide the smirk which threatened its way onto his face. Though he noticed that not even this episode had made Harry, or Draco smile at all, not a grin, not even a twitch of the mouth; the small smirk he had been sporting quickly disappeared. He quickly packed away his supplies into his desk and went to the back of his room up a flight of stairs and out into a hallway that led to his chambers. He intoned the password and made his way over to his bookshelf.

The book he was after was small and worn at the edges; the cover a dark blue, Ravenclaw blue, with silvery pages, the writing on which was the same blue as the cover, but the writing was not the most important part of the book, so he thought, he never bothered to read it. Severus scanned the pages and the photos there. All were of a young girl with wavy dark red hair, her eyes a vibrant jade green similar to her sons. This was Lilly's scrapbook; she had made it for her dearest friend many years ago. She had given it to him in seventh year, not long after the engagement to James, Severus had been a little miffed by it, Ravenclaws rarely marry Gryffindors, though he would not say hurt, he had never been anything more than a good friend to Lilly Evans, though after their marriage they were still close, after Harry was born, he didn't get to see her unless they met at Diagon alley. They only met once and she told him she was worried about Voldemort. He had told her about his master's plans to get at Harry, he had warned her and in the process exposed himself, and so he went to Dumbledore and told all. That was when he trusted the old codger.

Severus quickly jotted down a note about the book, slipped it inside the silvery pages and called over his great horned owl, Aeries, he wrapped his treasure in plain brown paper and string handing it to the arrogant bird after giving the creature a treat. He opened a small window at the top of the walls and placed the bird on the ground outside he told the large fowl to give this to one Harry Potter, and the owl took off.

Severus hoped Harry would appreciate it, though he knew he would. No one ever gave Harry anything of his mothers; they always thought he would appreciate his bratty father, rather than his quiet levelheaded mother. He knew that he had far more in common with his mother than his father, even in looks. His father had been a different build and his face had been rounder than Harry's, whose build was thin and tall, his face more angular and his nose less pronounced. His mother had been cousin to Severus' mother's side. They hated each other even when they were toddlers as James had always been rather selfish and loud, where Severus was quiet and too intelligent to squabble over toys.

Harry had been sitting at the dinner table when the owl arrived, he still had his bag with him as he had not had enough energy to make it up to Gryffindor tower, and once he received the package he decided to store it so he could look at it in solitude.

The day was Friday and tomorrow everyone would leave for the holidays leaving only a handful of students behind. The only ones he knew were staying in Gryffindor were Hermione and Neville, the rest were in other years but they were few maybe three or four, he knew Ginny had decided to stay in the village with her brothers rather than return home, so she would be visiting on Christmas as were the twins.

Hermione came to sit across from him and Neville on her right, he seemed a little pink in the face, Ron sat to Hermione's left which may have been a mistake considering her mood at the moment. Next to Harry sat Seamus, on his right, and dean on his left, lavender sat next to dean talking with Ginny across from her and Pavarti was next to Harry on his right in front of Ron.

Soon a conversation was struck up about Quidditch between Dean and Seamus who were looking at each other intently blushing from time to time; Ginny was having fun speaking with Lavender about the new clothes at the shops in Hogsmeade. Neville and Hermione were trying with difficulty to get Harry to eat as his stomach growled he gave in eating a small portion of ham and a biscuit.

There was a conversation going on between Pavarti and Ron where she kept giggling and blushing , and the it happened and all hell broke loose, he kissed her hand, seems innocent enough but it was the way Ron did it that pushed all the wrong buttons for Hermione. She stood up and faced him, all conversations stopped when a resounding, well deserved smack bruised the red heads cheek.

"Ronald Weasley you are the most unbelievable bastard living, it is over." With this she hurried out of the great hall, Neville followed making sure she was alright, on his way out he punched Ron. The conversations started up slowly and Ron and Pavarti were forced to leave out of awkwardness.

The meal continued as usual, though everyone from Gryffindor was glad it was over, they felt bad for Hermione. When the meal ended everyone went back to their dorms, every one except Harry, who went to his own rooms, and dismissed the house elves who had been waiting for him. They had cleaned his rooms and turned down the sheets of his bed also keeping the fires lit and crackling brightly.

The day had been Harry's first back in the school from the hospital ward, yet it was the most eventful one in a while. Soon he was drifting into a light sleep. He had been woken an hour later by a noise right outside his rooms. Harry got up from his warm bed reluctantly and walked to his door opening it quickly.

In fell Seamus and Dean, in an almost comical heap, they looked up in shock and saw Harry, and then they looked past him at his new room, slightly in awe mostly in embarrassment.

"Seamus, Dean, what were you doing at my door?" he regarded them both. The blush and swollen mouths said it all.

"Well, we didn't see that there was a door there . . . umm. . . Harry, you wont tell and one will you?" Seamus was the first to speak in the awkwardness.

"No, I wont; I was wondering when you two would figure it out, I guess it happened while I was in the hospital wing." Harry chuckled at their embarrassment. "Well I hate to be rude, but I was sleeping when you two came, so I am going to ask you to leave so I can get some sleep." They grinned and left quickly, shutting the door with a snap behind them.

Harry quickly realized he needs a shower, his hair is beginning to get oily and he feels dirty. He takes a pair of pajama pants out of his trunk and goes to the bath room, walking over to the shower he turns the shower head on adjusting the water until it is almost too hot, he takes his clothes off and his glasses off before stepping under the scalding spray, he revels in the feel of the hot water going through his lengthening hair, the feel of the droplets running down his chest and legs. His thoughts wander aimlessly and they land on Draco, Harry's heart quickens as his thoughts take another turn, and he whimpers as memories assault him once more, he slumps against the wall of the shower and starts to scrub his skin roughly leaving red marks where his nails hit his sensitive skin, the water making his nerves raw.

He rocks back and forth as he remembers all of the times his uncle or cousin had walked in on him coming out of the shower, the pain brought him back. Harry suddenly realizes where he was, 'you are at Hogwarts, Hogwarts is safe they cannot get you here' his thoughts brought him around to normal, getting up he washes the little bit of blood on his arms, where his nails had dug deep he adds bandages. It does not occur to use magic as his mind is too busy reprimanding him for losing control.

Harry fell into a fitful sleep that night, he got up in the morning at around eight to say goodbye to his friends and to see whether Draco had left or not, though he keeps telling himself he is only worried about Draco's safety not hoping he will stay just for Harry. That day he had had a lot of time to think, and he had thought of what Draco had said prior to Herbology and now it all made sense to him.

The boy wonder had wondered why he had not figured it out sooner, everything fit now, and yet now he felt empty he had no idea how to help, he was pretty sure he wouldn't have to return to the Dursley's home, but what of Malfoy, he would have to go home and he would have to have it repeated again, 'how does he stay so calm?' Harry thought, "how does he live knowing he can't escape it?"

A/N:

Anyways here are my shout-outs I thank all those who reviewed. ----

blackcatgrl- Thank you for finally reading my stuff Maggi, and I appreciate that you liked it. darkanglefrmhell- Glad you like it.

Bludvelvetrags4363376- thank you for saying I sound beautiful and stuff and you are correct I do cut but I have not in about 2 months as I am trying to stop desperately.

Vasquaz- I am ecstatic that you say it is one of your favorites, and I love the adjective you used made me happy to have someone praise my works.

KittenBabyGirl- I hope my email answered your question adequately.

Ash Knight- It is really awesome that you reviewed I read your stories on and I loved them.

Katy Kinneas- thank you for the compliments and all blush I am really happy you liked my last chapter, and all and yes homophobes and male Dursleys must die a horrible death, either that or we put them under cruciatus until their minds turn into oatmeal.

angel74- I have updated soon, well kind of soon. I am so glad you like it.