One more chapter to go, and I bet you can guess what's going to happen (or have a really GOOD idea).
Thanks to: Without permission (Draco only, no Dobby for that one), HOnEySky(All hormones, no Dobby), Adia, sweetkaiser, wintermoon2(glad you liked it, and you shall soon see :)), The Wing Master, december jewel, Sowen, Carrot, Yana5, Very evil daughter of Lord Vol (YEP!), ura, StarBot, kt, psy, Violet Rose1, Anarane Anwamane, crazysnape, (coming up!) Ranma Hiqurashi and PsychicOracle! Thank you so much for all the reviews!
The only thing Dobby did last chapter was provoke Harry to give the present to Draco. The rest was all the boys. This chapter is entirely under their control, as will be the next. (Dobby has done his job:))
Enjoy this chapter, please read and review!
Chapter IX. Dinner With Dobby
Monday morning in the Great Hall brought the students down for breakfast, two of its current students staring into their oatmeal and trying very hard not to look at the other. Ever since Saturday Harry and Draco had been obsessed with what happened in Hogsmeade, even if they wouldn't admit it to anyone. Hermione had tried her best to pry information out of Harry, but for some reason, he wanted this to be just between him and Draco. He would need to find out on his own what was going on.
Suddenly loud screeches filled the air, hundreds of owls bringing packages and letters, dropping them in front of their recipients.
Harry looked up as a small envelope fluttered down into his oatmeal, with 'Harry Potter' written in fancy script writing. He looked up long enough to see a similar-sized envelope in Draco's hands.
"What is it?" Ron asked. "Who's it from?"
"No idea," Harry answered. He tore the letter open to find an invitation in gold lettering.
"Harry Potter's presence is requested for this evening for dinner and fine conversation. Please be across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy on the seventh floor at eight o'clock. Dress is semi-formal."
"It's an invitation to dinner." Harry finally answered." In the Room of Requirement."
"From who?" Ron asked. "Is it from Malfoy?"
"No," Harry shook his head, "but I would be willing to bet the envelope Malfoy got is just like mine. Well, with his name on it, of course..."
"Are you going, Harry?" Hermione smiled. "You are, aren't you?"
"I...I guess so. Maybe tonight we'll find out just who is behind all this."
At eight o'clock sharp, Harry made his way to the seventh floor to find the hallway deserted. He began to wonder if Malfoy really had received the same invitation. Or worse yet, what if he did and decided not to show up? Harry muttered under his breath as he shoved his hands into his black dress pants. He had been horrified to realize he had spent over an hour picking out his outfit and getting ready for the "date" tonight. He had finally settled on an emerald-green jumper to go with the pants.
"I even shined my shoes...." Harry mumbled.
"Talking to yourself again, Potter?" Draco smiled. "Or are you having another one of your spells?"
Harry nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Draco's silky voice. He turned to face his...his...
"Oh, my..." Harry opened his mouth before his mind caught up with him. Draco looked gorgeous. His charcoal-gray suit was tailor-made, perfectly draping his body. Harry was drawn to the pale yellow shirt, the gray tie lying against the buttons.
Draco raised one eyebrow. "See something you like?"
"Uh..."
Mercifully the door opened at that moment, a soft light flickering from inside.
"Should we go in?" Harry gestured.
"I guess so."
Draco walked past Harry, stopping long enough to whisper, "By the way, Potter, 'Oh, my' as well."
Once they were completely inside, the door shut slowly behind them. In front of them was a table set for two, flowers in the middle with three white candles among them. Several other candles floated in mid-air, the only lights in the room.
"This is...nice..." Harry whispered.
Draco motioned toward the table. "I guess we should sit down."
After the two had seated themselves, a small silence took over the room.
Harry leaned forward. "What do you think is going to....."
"GOOD EVENING!"
Dobby had walked out of a previously unseen side door, a pink flowered apron wrapped three times around his body and finally tied in the front. On his head was a homemade "chef's hat", bright blue and flopping toward the back.
"Welcome to Dinner with Dobby, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy! Dobby has prepared a wonderful feast for Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. Dobby will bring the soup out now!"
"Dobby?!" Harry yelled after Dobby as he disappeared into what turned out to be the makeshift kitchen the room had provided.
"Just one moment, Harry Potter, sir, Dobby must put the soup in the bowls before...whoops!"
A loud crash came from the kitchen; a small spray of soup flying out of the door.
Dobby leaned around the corner. "Ah, just one more moment..."
Finally Dobby returned with one half-filled bowl of soup that he placed in front of Harry, and one teacup full in front of Draco.
"Dobby did not have another bowl, Draco Malfoy. Dobby will be right back!"
Harry looked into the bowl, pea soup with whole dried peas floating on top like croutons.
"We should try to eat some of it," Harry whispered. "Dobby will be offended if we don't."
"I may be offended if we do..." Draco muttered.
Harry stifled a laugh as he brought the spoon to his mouth.
"Mph..." Harry brought his hand to his mouth. Not only was the soup ice cold, but it had flavors he had never tasted and wasn't sure he wanted to know what they were. Checking the door to make sure Dobby wasn't in sight, Harry ran to a potted plant in the corner and spit out the offending mouthful.
It wilted on contact.
Draco tried not to laugh out loud at the brunet's screwed-up face.
"I take it the soup is not quite to your liking?" Draco grinned.
"Did you bring your wand?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"Because you're going to want to use a disappearing spell on this stuff." Harry turned back toward the kitchen. "Hurry, before Dobby comes back..."
After the soup was zapped to another dimension, Dobby came back out to collect the bowl and cup. "Oh, wonderful! Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy ate all of Dobby's soup! Dobby was worried about his cooking. Professor Dumbledore Sir gave Dobby permission to use this room but only if Dobby promised not to cook with magic. Oh, Dobby is so excited! Dobby will get the main course!"
Harry and Draco looked at each other. "Professor Dumbledor?!" Draco whispered. "He knew about all this?"
"Sounds like it..."
"Here it is!" Dobby smiled as he laid two plates of ....something...in front of each guest.
"Dobby was going to make something called 'Chicken Delight', but Dobby could not get the chickens to be delighted. Dobby told them jokes, sang and even danced for the chickens, but the chickens only seemed to be slightly amused. Professor Hagrid did not seem pleased. Professor Hagrid said Dobby was putting them off their egg-laying. So Dobby decided to cook a vegetable lasagna. Dobby hopes Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy like this as much as the soup!"
Lying on the plates in front of them were heaps of...vegetables. Not pieces, slices, or dices, but whole vegetables covered in some type of sauce. There were whole tomatoes, broccoli, turnips, and what appeared to be some kind of squash. Covering this was a stack of stiff lasagna noodles, topped with cheese and more of the sauce.
"Dobby may have cooked the dish a bit too long, since Dobby had to throw away the blackened pieces of noodles, but hopefully it will still be to Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy's liking."
Long seconds passed as Dobby stared at the blond and the brunet, waiting for them to try the dish. Harry and Draco finally decided there would be no chance for a disappearing spell this time, so they picked up their knives and forks and began cutting....
No, sawing was more the word. The noodles were closer to crunchy than chewy, and the larger vegetables did not want to seem to give way.
"Uh, Dobby, how long did you boil the noodles?" Draco asked.
"Boil the noodles, Draco Malfoy, sir? Dobby did not boil them at all. The recipe did not say to boil them." Dobby's face dropped. "Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy do not like Dobby's cooking! Dobby did not boil the noodles like he should have! Oh, Dobby is most distressed...."
Harry saw Dobby heading for the wall to bang his head upon it.
"No, no, Dobby, stop!" Harry yelled. "It...it tastes better this way! Doesn't it, Draco?"
Draco stopped in mid-crunch. "Oh, yeah," he managed to get out. "Much better, really. I've never had lasagna like this before..."
Dobby walked back over to the table. "Really? Dobby's cooking is alright?"
"Wonderful!" Harry smiled. "Oh, Dobby, do you mind to get me another napkin? I seem to have-" Harry shoved it under his seat, "lost mine."
"Certainly, Harry Potter, sir! Dobby will be right back!"
As soon as Dobby was out of sight the wands came out again. Soon the lasagna was joining the pea soup in the outer world.
"Here is the napkin, sir..."
Dobby again was especially pleased that they had managed to eat all of the lasagna while he was gone, and offered them seconds, which they hastily turned down, claiming they were too full.
"But Dobby has not brought dessert out yet, sirs. Dobby has prepared something really special!"
As Dobby disappeared back into the kitchen, Draco leaned over the table. "I don't know if we can handle anything more "special" than these last two courses."
"He went to a lot of trouble for this," Harry whispered. "We can't hurt his feelings. You know how he is..."
"Yes, I know exactly how he is," Draco smiled." Have to give him points for trying.."
Dobby emerged from the kitchen with a mound of something white balanced on a plate in one hand, and a bottle in the other.
"Dobby has made Baked Alaska, sirs! Dobby found the recipe in a book. One of the pages was missing, but Dobby was sure he could figure out what it meant."
On the plate was a huge glob of vanilla ice cream, already melting onto the table. Dobby held up the bottle long enough for Harry to see the word "brandy" on the label.
"Dobby, I'm not sure this is a good...."
Dobby turned the bottle up and began pouring it upon the ice cream. "Dobby hopes Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy have enjoyed dinner tonight. Dobby was not sure sirs would like it!"
Draco's eyes widened at the amount of liquor running off the dessert. "Dobby, maybe you should stop...."
"Dobby hopes he has helped Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy find romance! Dobby has worked so hard..."
Finally, Dobby put the bottle down and took one of the floating candles out of the air. He lowered the flame toward the dessert.
"Dobby, don't!"
WHOOSH!!!!
"AIEEEEEE!"
Dobby ran around the room as the table turned into a flaming inferno. Harry and Draco both jumped back from the table, barely in time.
"FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!" Dobby yelled.
Draco picked up the pumpkin juice and poured it onto the flames. Most of the fire went out. Harry spelled a spray of water from the end of his wand to put out the rest. Afterwards the three of them looked at the smoking wreckage that was once a beautiful table.
"Well, that, was....interesting," Draco stated.
They turned to look at Dobby, who was sitting on the floor, taking long swigs from the bottle of brandy.
"Dobby has TRIED, Harry Potter! Dobby wanted to help Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy but Dobby has ruined the dinner! Dobby is so sorry, sirs. Dobby thought after Harry Potter gave Draco Malfoy a present and dinner that romance would follow. Oh, Dobby is so ashamed...."
Harry leaned down to the sobbing (and increasingly inebriated) house-elf.
"Dobby, have you been the one "helping" Draco and me for the last couple of weeks?"
"Yes, Harry Potter, sir. (Hiccup!) Dobby helped Draco Malfoy bring flowers and made sure sirs found the candy and..."
"And kissed in potions and bought lingerie?"
"Yesh..(Hiccup!) Dobby wanted to helpsh Parry Hotter and Maco Dralfoy...."
"Why?" Draco asked
"Becaush Harry Malfoy said hes was in loves with Draco Potter! Dobby overhearsh Henry Poller tell best friendsh!"
Harry helped the drunken elf up from the floor. "Dobby, I think you should lie down for a little while. And it might be best," Harry took the bottle of liquor from him," if you left this here."
"Yes, Dobby shoulds lie down. Dobby does not feelsh so good."
Harry helped him to the door. "For the record Dobby, you did fine. Maybe more than you know. Thank you."
Dobby's eyes swelled up with tears. "Really? Dobby did good?"
"Yes," Harry smiled. "You did good."
After he had left, Draco walked over to stand closer to the Gryffindor.
"Is it true?" Draco asked.
"Is what true?" Harry choked. He knew what was coming next.
"Did you really say you were in love with me?" Draco nearly whispered.
Harry thought for a moment. He had said it, but at the time it was meant as a joke. Still, what the hell, he wouldn't lie.
"Yes, I did." Harry nodded.
And this time he meant it.
Draco took a small bottle out of his jacket pocket, a bottle that looked vaguely familiar...
"In that case," Draco grinned as he held the Cinnamon Passion Gel toward Harry, "care to try out your present?"
End of Chapter IX.
Thanks to: Without permission (Draco only, no Dobby for that one), HOnEySky(All hormones, no Dobby), Adia, sweetkaiser, wintermoon2(glad you liked it, and you shall soon see :)), The Wing Master, december jewel, Sowen, Carrot, Yana5, Very evil daughter of Lord Vol (YEP!), ura, StarBot, kt, psy, Violet Rose1, Anarane Anwamane, crazysnape, (coming up!) Ranma Hiqurashi and PsychicOracle! Thank you so much for all the reviews!
The only thing Dobby did last chapter was provoke Harry to give the present to Draco. The rest was all the boys. This chapter is entirely under their control, as will be the next. (Dobby has done his job:))
Enjoy this chapter, please read and review!
Chapter IX. Dinner With Dobby
Monday morning in the Great Hall brought the students down for breakfast, two of its current students staring into their oatmeal and trying very hard not to look at the other. Ever since Saturday Harry and Draco had been obsessed with what happened in Hogsmeade, even if they wouldn't admit it to anyone. Hermione had tried her best to pry information out of Harry, but for some reason, he wanted this to be just between him and Draco. He would need to find out on his own what was going on.
Suddenly loud screeches filled the air, hundreds of owls bringing packages and letters, dropping them in front of their recipients.
Harry looked up as a small envelope fluttered down into his oatmeal, with 'Harry Potter' written in fancy script writing. He looked up long enough to see a similar-sized envelope in Draco's hands.
"What is it?" Ron asked. "Who's it from?"
"No idea," Harry answered. He tore the letter open to find an invitation in gold lettering.
"Harry Potter's presence is requested for this evening for dinner and fine conversation. Please be across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy on the seventh floor at eight o'clock. Dress is semi-formal."
"It's an invitation to dinner." Harry finally answered." In the Room of Requirement."
"From who?" Ron asked. "Is it from Malfoy?"
"No," Harry shook his head, "but I would be willing to bet the envelope Malfoy got is just like mine. Well, with his name on it, of course..."
"Are you going, Harry?" Hermione smiled. "You are, aren't you?"
"I...I guess so. Maybe tonight we'll find out just who is behind all this."
At eight o'clock sharp, Harry made his way to the seventh floor to find the hallway deserted. He began to wonder if Malfoy really had received the same invitation. Or worse yet, what if he did and decided not to show up? Harry muttered under his breath as he shoved his hands into his black dress pants. He had been horrified to realize he had spent over an hour picking out his outfit and getting ready for the "date" tonight. He had finally settled on an emerald-green jumper to go with the pants.
"I even shined my shoes...." Harry mumbled.
"Talking to yourself again, Potter?" Draco smiled. "Or are you having another one of your spells?"
Harry nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Draco's silky voice. He turned to face his...his...
"Oh, my..." Harry opened his mouth before his mind caught up with him. Draco looked gorgeous. His charcoal-gray suit was tailor-made, perfectly draping his body. Harry was drawn to the pale yellow shirt, the gray tie lying against the buttons.
Draco raised one eyebrow. "See something you like?"
"Uh..."
Mercifully the door opened at that moment, a soft light flickering from inside.
"Should we go in?" Harry gestured.
"I guess so."
Draco walked past Harry, stopping long enough to whisper, "By the way, Potter, 'Oh, my' as well."
Once they were completely inside, the door shut slowly behind them. In front of them was a table set for two, flowers in the middle with three white candles among them. Several other candles floated in mid-air, the only lights in the room.
"This is...nice..." Harry whispered.
Draco motioned toward the table. "I guess we should sit down."
After the two had seated themselves, a small silence took over the room.
Harry leaned forward. "What do you think is going to....."
"GOOD EVENING!"
Dobby had walked out of a previously unseen side door, a pink flowered apron wrapped three times around his body and finally tied in the front. On his head was a homemade "chef's hat", bright blue and flopping toward the back.
"Welcome to Dinner with Dobby, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy! Dobby has prepared a wonderful feast for Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. Dobby will bring the soup out now!"
"Dobby?!" Harry yelled after Dobby as he disappeared into what turned out to be the makeshift kitchen the room had provided.
"Just one moment, Harry Potter, sir, Dobby must put the soup in the bowls before...whoops!"
A loud crash came from the kitchen; a small spray of soup flying out of the door.
Dobby leaned around the corner. "Ah, just one more moment..."
Finally Dobby returned with one half-filled bowl of soup that he placed in front of Harry, and one teacup full in front of Draco.
"Dobby did not have another bowl, Draco Malfoy. Dobby will be right back!"
Harry looked into the bowl, pea soup with whole dried peas floating on top like croutons.
"We should try to eat some of it," Harry whispered. "Dobby will be offended if we don't."
"I may be offended if we do..." Draco muttered.
Harry stifled a laugh as he brought the spoon to his mouth.
"Mph..." Harry brought his hand to his mouth. Not only was the soup ice cold, but it had flavors he had never tasted and wasn't sure he wanted to know what they were. Checking the door to make sure Dobby wasn't in sight, Harry ran to a potted plant in the corner and spit out the offending mouthful.
It wilted on contact.
Draco tried not to laugh out loud at the brunet's screwed-up face.
"I take it the soup is not quite to your liking?" Draco grinned.
"Did you bring your wand?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"Because you're going to want to use a disappearing spell on this stuff." Harry turned back toward the kitchen. "Hurry, before Dobby comes back..."
After the soup was zapped to another dimension, Dobby came back out to collect the bowl and cup. "Oh, wonderful! Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy ate all of Dobby's soup! Dobby was worried about his cooking. Professor Dumbledore Sir gave Dobby permission to use this room but only if Dobby promised not to cook with magic. Oh, Dobby is so excited! Dobby will get the main course!"
Harry and Draco looked at each other. "Professor Dumbledor?!" Draco whispered. "He knew about all this?"
"Sounds like it..."
"Here it is!" Dobby smiled as he laid two plates of ....something...in front of each guest.
"Dobby was going to make something called 'Chicken Delight', but Dobby could not get the chickens to be delighted. Dobby told them jokes, sang and even danced for the chickens, but the chickens only seemed to be slightly amused. Professor Hagrid did not seem pleased. Professor Hagrid said Dobby was putting them off their egg-laying. So Dobby decided to cook a vegetable lasagna. Dobby hopes Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy like this as much as the soup!"
Lying on the plates in front of them were heaps of...vegetables. Not pieces, slices, or dices, but whole vegetables covered in some type of sauce. There were whole tomatoes, broccoli, turnips, and what appeared to be some kind of squash. Covering this was a stack of stiff lasagna noodles, topped with cheese and more of the sauce.
"Dobby may have cooked the dish a bit too long, since Dobby had to throw away the blackened pieces of noodles, but hopefully it will still be to Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy's liking."
Long seconds passed as Dobby stared at the blond and the brunet, waiting for them to try the dish. Harry and Draco finally decided there would be no chance for a disappearing spell this time, so they picked up their knives and forks and began cutting....
No, sawing was more the word. The noodles were closer to crunchy than chewy, and the larger vegetables did not want to seem to give way.
"Uh, Dobby, how long did you boil the noodles?" Draco asked.
"Boil the noodles, Draco Malfoy, sir? Dobby did not boil them at all. The recipe did not say to boil them." Dobby's face dropped. "Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy do not like Dobby's cooking! Dobby did not boil the noodles like he should have! Oh, Dobby is most distressed...."
Harry saw Dobby heading for the wall to bang his head upon it.
"No, no, Dobby, stop!" Harry yelled. "It...it tastes better this way! Doesn't it, Draco?"
Draco stopped in mid-crunch. "Oh, yeah," he managed to get out. "Much better, really. I've never had lasagna like this before..."
Dobby walked back over to the table. "Really? Dobby's cooking is alright?"
"Wonderful!" Harry smiled. "Oh, Dobby, do you mind to get me another napkin? I seem to have-" Harry shoved it under his seat, "lost mine."
"Certainly, Harry Potter, sir! Dobby will be right back!"
As soon as Dobby was out of sight the wands came out again. Soon the lasagna was joining the pea soup in the outer world.
"Here is the napkin, sir..."
Dobby again was especially pleased that they had managed to eat all of the lasagna while he was gone, and offered them seconds, which they hastily turned down, claiming they were too full.
"But Dobby has not brought dessert out yet, sirs. Dobby has prepared something really special!"
As Dobby disappeared back into the kitchen, Draco leaned over the table. "I don't know if we can handle anything more "special" than these last two courses."
"He went to a lot of trouble for this," Harry whispered. "We can't hurt his feelings. You know how he is..."
"Yes, I know exactly how he is," Draco smiled." Have to give him points for trying.."
Dobby emerged from the kitchen with a mound of something white balanced on a plate in one hand, and a bottle in the other.
"Dobby has made Baked Alaska, sirs! Dobby found the recipe in a book. One of the pages was missing, but Dobby was sure he could figure out what it meant."
On the plate was a huge glob of vanilla ice cream, already melting onto the table. Dobby held up the bottle long enough for Harry to see the word "brandy" on the label.
"Dobby, I'm not sure this is a good...."
Dobby turned the bottle up and began pouring it upon the ice cream. "Dobby hopes Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy have enjoyed dinner tonight. Dobby was not sure sirs would like it!"
Draco's eyes widened at the amount of liquor running off the dessert. "Dobby, maybe you should stop...."
"Dobby hopes he has helped Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy find romance! Dobby has worked so hard..."
Finally, Dobby put the bottle down and took one of the floating candles out of the air. He lowered the flame toward the dessert.
"Dobby, don't!"
WHOOSH!!!!
"AIEEEEEE!"
Dobby ran around the room as the table turned into a flaming inferno. Harry and Draco both jumped back from the table, barely in time.
"FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!" Dobby yelled.
Draco picked up the pumpkin juice and poured it onto the flames. Most of the fire went out. Harry spelled a spray of water from the end of his wand to put out the rest. Afterwards the three of them looked at the smoking wreckage that was once a beautiful table.
"Well, that, was....interesting," Draco stated.
They turned to look at Dobby, who was sitting on the floor, taking long swigs from the bottle of brandy.
"Dobby has TRIED, Harry Potter! Dobby wanted to help Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy but Dobby has ruined the dinner! Dobby is so sorry, sirs. Dobby thought after Harry Potter gave Draco Malfoy a present and dinner that romance would follow. Oh, Dobby is so ashamed...."
Harry leaned down to the sobbing (and increasingly inebriated) house-elf.
"Dobby, have you been the one "helping" Draco and me for the last couple of weeks?"
"Yes, Harry Potter, sir. (Hiccup!) Dobby helped Draco Malfoy bring flowers and made sure sirs found the candy and..."
"And kissed in potions and bought lingerie?"
"Yesh..(Hiccup!) Dobby wanted to helpsh Parry Hotter and Maco Dralfoy...."
"Why?" Draco asked
"Becaush Harry Malfoy said hes was in loves with Draco Potter! Dobby overhearsh Henry Poller tell best friendsh!"
Harry helped the drunken elf up from the floor. "Dobby, I think you should lie down for a little while. And it might be best," Harry took the bottle of liquor from him," if you left this here."
"Yes, Dobby shoulds lie down. Dobby does not feelsh so good."
Harry helped him to the door. "For the record Dobby, you did fine. Maybe more than you know. Thank you."
Dobby's eyes swelled up with tears. "Really? Dobby did good?"
"Yes," Harry smiled. "You did good."
After he had left, Draco walked over to stand closer to the Gryffindor.
"Is it true?" Draco asked.
"Is what true?" Harry choked. He knew what was coming next.
"Did you really say you were in love with me?" Draco nearly whispered.
Harry thought for a moment. He had said it, but at the time it was meant as a joke. Still, what the hell, he wouldn't lie.
"Yes, I did." Harry nodded.
And this time he meant it.
Draco took a small bottle out of his jacket pocket, a bottle that looked vaguely familiar...
"In that case," Draco grinned as he held the Cinnamon Passion Gel toward Harry, "care to try out your present?"
End of Chapter IX.