By tati1
Disclaimer: sorry, but no, I do not own Harry Potter. Which really bites.WARNING: This story is R for a REASON! It is NOT NC-17, as I have read much, /much/ worse that was permitted, so I have abused nothing! Rated for violence, serious angst (later on), and rape. If you have a problem with it, go read something else because I didn't write it just to be safe. It's written because it's how and what I write. So buzz off. :{
(and if my mean attitude offends, I do apologize but I'm sorta protective of my work.)
A/N: Sorry I took so long, but my teachers seem to think winter break is the last time they'll see us and I've been really busy. Lots of tests.
Oh hey, I got a beta reader! Say thanks to Serpent of Light everyone! She's also on FictionPress as Kendra Seer. I'm there too as tati-tenshi.
Thanks for all the reviews and support; please keep them coming!
Jeez, I'm cheery today… 'tis a snow day for me! Everyone else gots to go to school, but I live on a snowed-in mountain so I hath all the luck! *parades around happily* Though I will miss the end of the Zorro movie in Spanish II … ah well, maybe I can rent it.
I hope you all have a good day,
tati1
Chapter 13 – To FlyLast time:
And yet, with luck, heart, and magic, perhaps those sorrowing would find their comfort soon. Perhaps they would gain their strengths.
They could always hope.
~*~*~
Harry woke to a soft tap on his shoulder, emerald gaze snapping aware to fix upon a silver-blonde form.
"Draco," said Harry, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to wake you for breakfast, if you have no objections, Potter."
"Thank you," said Harry, always polite. "And it's Harry, not Potter."
"Whatever you say … Potter." Harry looked at him uncertainly. "I was teasing?" Harry blinked.
"Oh. Sorry."
"It's not your fault," said Draco, sounding almost gentle. He was quick to resume his bossy nature though. "Come on, move it. I'm going to miss breakfast." Harry hastened to the bathroom to get changed, and Draco amused himself with scratching Sirius' ears until he returned. "Are you ready?" The smaller boy nodded and followed the blonde out to the Great Hall. Draco led Harry to the Slytherin table and pushed him onto the bench.
"Sit and eat," he ordered. Several of the Slytherins were looking a bit mutinous at the dark-haired boy situated at their table and Harry looked back nervously, not touching the plate Draco had shoved over. The Malfoy growled in frustration. "Did I say eat or was I hearing things?" he snapped. Emerald eyes narrowed at him and Harry folded his arms stubbornly.
"Why do you want me to? Why are you being so nice, anyway? I mean; you want to know about me. Fine. But what's with - ?" Draco cut him off; looking amused.
"It's called friendship, Harry." He watched Harry's expression, which bounced easily from fearful to hopeful and back again before the boy regained control of his emotions and smoothed his features. The Malfoy gave him a proud smile though Harry didn't really notice.
"Now eat," ordered Draco. "I won't repeat myself again." Harry gave a small smile and picked at his food thoughtfully.
Friendship? But, what was that, exactly? With Severus he had friendship, but with another kid ...? He had tried that, and look at what happened. The Weasley twins had used him; his House had intruded upon his carefully-won privacy; his Head of House hated him for reasons unknown ... and who would want to be friends with him, anyway? He wasn't worth anything; the Dursleys had drilled that firmly into his two-year-old mind ever so long ago ... so why was Draco trying? What were his motives? To learn about Harry, about the Muggle world ... he could do that without catering to a wimpy eleven-year-old ... Harry shook his head in confusion, and glanced at the blonde, who was watching him with an openness that must have surprised even the Malfoy heir ... And in that moment, Harry found himself trusting, and wanting to trust, and he turned back to his food with a bigger smile than before. Friends ... It had a nice ring to it.
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"We have flying lessons today," said Draco as he met Harry in the Great Hall for Lunch. "I can't wai – hey, what's wrong?" Harry shook his head, looking depressed, and moved to the corner of the Slytherin table, Sirius trailing behind him. The dog looked upset as well, and shot looks at Draco. 'What is it?' the blonde mouthed. The dog darted its eyes from Harry to the Great Hall doors, to the students and back again. Draco got it. "Have they been bothering you again?" he asked Harry, furious. The ebony-haired boy frowned and looked away.
"No," he said flatly. The lie in his voice was obvious, especially as a bruise was beginning to form on his thin cheek. Draco looked ready to kill someone.
"Who?" he demanded. "I'll kill them!" Harry's head shot up, startled. He grabbed the angry youth and restrained him.
"No!" he scolded. "It's not worth it; nothing happened! Stop that, you're making a scene!" With surprising strength for a child who looked so frail, Harry forced Draco to sit down, ignoring the curious glances shot by several of the students. "Calm down; what were you saying about flying?" Huffing, Draco shot him a glare but stopped fussing.
"First flying lesson is today, next class. I've been flying since I was really little, and I want to be there early. Come with me?" Harry nodded.
"Sure. I've never flown before, though …" Draco brightened.
"That's okay, it's easy!" he exclaimed. "All you have to do is …" Harry listened and nodded, and was surprised to find himself relaxing, albeit only slightly, as Draco's chatter eased his hurt mind. He smiled at the enthused blonde, and managed to easily dodge eating lunch. His stomach wasn't too steady after that fifth year had made him eat a Pufferpod in Herbology …
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"Flying is a difficult art," snapped Madame Hooch, the Flying Instructor. "I do not expect much, but in order to keep yourselves from breaking bones, please follow my instructions. Should you choose not to do so, detention with Caretaker Filch will look pleasant." Several of the students winced, though Harry wasn't among them. He was looking at the broom he was standing next to. It looked a mite big … The teacher interrupted his worried musings. "Hold your wand hand over the broom and say 'Up!'"
"UP!" shouted the class. Harry's broom thwacked solidly into his palm, and the boy eyed it warily. It was giving off an aura of … glee? He frowned at it. There was no way some evil broom was going to get the best of him! The aura subdued under his glare, and the broom actually felt meek. He nodded with satisfaction. It would behave.
"On my whistle, throw your leg over the broom and hover for a count of two before touching down," instructed Madame Hooch. "One, two, three -" An accident-prone Gryffindor Harry remembered as Neville Longbottom launched early, and his terrified shout echoed down as everyone stared. Draco muttered something about incompetent teachers as he leapt upon his own flying tool and chased after the terrified boy. Harry followed him, and found, to his delight, that this was easy! It was wonderful! He grinned and flew past a startled Draco to grab the front of Neville's broom on the left side. There was a pause as Draco caught up and seized the other end, and together they pulled the shaky boy to earth.
Neville promptly rolled off his broom and enveloped the two in a hug. Harry yelped and Draco froze. Neville didn't seem to notice, but let go only to grin at them and do it again. Draco shook his head in exasperation.
"Gryffindors," he muttered, but with no real heat. "Longbottom, get off me! This is altogether too public for sappiness!" He pushed futilely at the chubby youth, who merely winked at Harry and glomped Draco extra-hard. The dark-haired youth actually giggled at the horrified expression on Malfoy's face as he finally shoved Neville off. "That's it!" he wailed, smoothing his rumpled robes. "That's the last time I help anyone! Nothing's worth that!" He pointed at Neville accusingly and Harry laughed harder. Unfortunately, the moment was swiftly cut short as the class ran over to the trio (they had landed on the other side of the Quidditch Pitch) and Madame Hooch loomed over them.
"You three are coming with me!" she yelled, though she looked more excited than anything. Draco cocked his head curiously and fell into step behind the witch, who appeared to be struggling with a full-blown grin. Harry and Neville followed, and Hooch called over her shoulder to the rest of the milling Gryffindors and Slytherins, "Class dismissed for today! Go to your common rooms until your next class, whatever that may be!"
Once inside the Hogwarts walls the witch actually started running, and the three First Years were hard put to keep up with her. She skidded to a halt at the Hospital Wing.
"Longbottom, inside. Make sure you didn't suffer any injury," she ordered, and was off again. Draco sighed, waved a farewell to Neville, and ran to catch up to the departing Hooch and Harry. Neville blinked, shrugged, and smiled after them. Maybe they would be his friends …
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Hooch paused again at Flitwick's classroom.
"Professor? May I borrow Wood and Flint?" she asked. Draco started grinning in disbelief.
"No way!" he whispered. Harry looked at him oddly. "They're the Quidditch Captains for Gryffindor and Slytherin!" he hissed, looking thrilled beyond belief. Harry shook his head at the boy. He was turning out to be far more excitable than Harry had first anticipated. Perhaps he had been munching Sugar Quills …
His thoughts were again interrupted as two boys emerged from the Charms classroom; the Gryffindor looking confused and the Slytherin impassive, though curious. Harry watched the two warily. He remembered them. They were both in his classes as they were fifth years – Harry was skipping a class a week in order to take Flying – and as such, both were likely part of the factions that laughed at him in class and had essentially made life a living hell for the past two weeks. His fears were confirmed as Wood glared at him nastily, and Flint sneered.
What he had not anticipated however, was Draco's reaction to Harry's poor treatment. Upon seeing the rapid paling of Harry's features and the fury on the fifth years', his grin vanished, replaced with a sneer as he stepped defiantly in front of Harry, glaring at the two larger teens.
Hooch didn't notice. Indeed, she was already halfway down the hall, motioning eagerly for the four to follow her. Draco made sure that neither of the other boys went behind Harry, and pretended not to notice the sneers Marcus was directing at him. Harry too was looking at Draco, though there was more shock on his features than anything else. He was so preoccupied with this sudden twist that he nearly ran into Draco's back when Hooch turned into an office. Harry looked at the plaque on the door: Minerva McGonagall.
As unobtrusively as possible, Harry slid back to hide behind Draco, who didn't notice, and wished fervently that Sirius were with him right then and not in Dumbledore's office. It would have been nice to have something warm to hold onto, especially as nice and fuzzy a dog as the Animagus made. He didn't want to be near his Head of House any longer than absolutely necessary. The woman had it in for him, and he still hadn't a clue why.
The raised voices that Harry had dimly registered as coming from McGonagall's office cut off abruptly upon Madame Hooch's arrival.
"Minerva, Severus! Lucky I caught you two in the same place; else I would've had to hunt down the other one!" came the Flying Instructor's unhealthily cheerful voice. Draco twitched.
"Is she suicidal?" he muttered incredulously. "Those two together are like a box of firecrackers!" Wood grinned for a moment before scowling at the upstart little Slytherin, embarrassed at having been caught being nice to 'the enemy.' The conversation was continuing.
"Don't you have a class right now?" asked McGonagall, sounding exasperated.
"Why certainly. But never you mind; I dismissed them!" From the choking sounds, it appeared Snape was having an attack. "Don't get so uptight, Severus; they won't do anything!"
"So says the witch without volatile potions ingredients lying about her workroom!"
"Snape, get back here! I have extraordinary news; the reason why I dismissed my class! And they are standing just outside the door!" Hooch announced triumphantly. "Draco Malfoy and that Potter are the two most extraordinary talents on brooms I have seen since Higgs! Potter's as good as Charlie Weasley, once he's trained up a bit! You have got to put them on the Quidditch teams! Boys, don't stand there eavesdropping; get in the room!" The four youths jumped and hastened inside. The two fifth years were now looking at the younger boys with more speculation then malice. Obviously talent was something they wanted. Snape was looking pleased, but McGonagall's expression as she looked at Harry was barely short of what one would call 'murderous,' and the child knew it, staying very, very close to Draco, who was grinning ridiculously at Madame Hooch's words.
"Wood, Flint, the boys are naturals! How long have you been flying?" she suddenly snapped at Draco. The blonde grinned even more.
"Since I was three." The witch nodded approvingly.
"Potter?" Harry averted his eyes, looking uncomfortable. Great, now he'd be even more of a freakshow, as if his being alive wasn't bad enough (referring to a certain scar we all know and love/hate).
"First time," he sighed. The expected reaction came quickly.
"Nonsense! You were incredible!"
"It was my first time on a broom," he repeated. "I live with my Muggle relatives. Even if we had had an enchanted broom, they really don't like magic, so there's no way I would have been able to fly it. I'm sorry," he said, as Hooch seemed thunderstruck. She promptly whirled on McGonagall.
"The boy must be on the team, Minerva! Please, please, please, please, please?!" The fifth years snickered; the woman was fanatical about the sport. Minerva looked irritated.
"I'm sure it's nothing Potter should be doing. He causes too much trouble anyway; he'd never stay on the team with the record he's been creating." Everyone (but Harry and Draco, who were not familiar with the habits of the Gryffindor Head of House) stared at the Professor in shock; Snape's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Minerva!" yelped Madame Hooch, "My friend, what has happened?! You were just as devoted as I! Has someone corrupted you?!" Draco snorted, but Harry saw McGonagall pale momentarily.
"Not at all; I simply cannot believe that a first year is capable of a spot on the team. We need someone who will win, which Potter is clearly not," said the female Animagus smoothly, but a nearly audible call of 'LIE' hung in the air. Madame Hooch didn't seem to notice.
"Well then, let us prove it to you!" she cried happily, and seized Draco and Harry; dragging them back out of the office and to the Quidditch Pitch, the rest of their little group following.
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"I can't believe we're on the team!" yelled Draco, jumping happily. Harry smiled slightly, in awe of what a sugar-high Draco was capable of. He was fairly sure the blonde had had too much dessert in 'celebration' at dinner. "Me, a Chaser! In my first year! That hasn't happened in - "
"A century," Harry finished, his smile growing. "Yeah, I know. You said that two minutes ago."
"Can I help it if I'm happy?" asked Draco, grabbing Harry and mussing his hair. The boy yelped and leapt away, scowling.
"As if it isn't messy enough already … you know, I think I liked you better when you weren't hyper," he muttered. Draco pouted, and Harry started to look unnerved. "Draco, don't do that! That is – really, really eerie. You're a Malfoy!" Draco calmed slightly at the reminder.
"Yes, well …" Harry's gaze was suddenly locked on something behind the blonde. "Harry?" He was suddenly pushed aside (not too harshly; no one wants to offend a Malfoy) as three Seventh Years advanced on Harry, whose countenance was now blank.
"Hi," said Harry. Then, to Draco, "You might want to leave."
"What?" asked Draco, furious. "You're not going to let them beat you, are you? You are! Harry - " The emerald gaze swept up to his own.
"I need this, Draco," he said simply, flinching slightly as a Seventh Year grabbed him. "I have to be taught my place."
"No you don't!"
One of the older boys yelled as they suddenly found themselves dancing in circles, courtesy of Draco's Leg-Tangling Curse. Another was promptly hit with Stupefy, and Harry blinked as Draco kicked the shins of whoever was holding him.
"No one touches Harry!" hissed the gray-eyed child. "Understood? Or trust me, your family will be in financial ruin so quick you'll think it was Hell-sent!" He grabbed Harry and dragged him down the corridor, muttering furiously to himself.
"Deserve it my arse! Who the fuck has been teaching you such nonsense, Harry?! You're the nicest person in this Merlin-be-damned school, and you better start figuring out how to be as awesome as you are without getting bullied because no one is touching you again! You got it?!" Harry stared mutely as Draco turned. The other boy was actually crying, looking furious and upset.
"Don't cry, Draco," said Harry softly, shocked. "Why are you crying? It's not that big a deal - " Draco pushed him against the wall.
"Not that big a deal?! This is your life, Harry! You're my friend! You're upset and you don't even know it! How long has this been going on?" he hissed, staring at the scarred boy. Harry averted his eyes. "Harry?"
"Well, I guess you could say all my life, but - " Draco released him in horror.
"All your life?! What - "
"I, erm, I've always been bullied a lot at school. It was how I was brought up." Harry wasn't lying; he was simply omitting the Dursley's role in the whole matter. Who knew how Draco would react if he learned that Harry was such a freak that not even his family cared … The blonde was shaking his head.
"That's it. We're going to see Severus."
"What?!"
*
A/N: Sorry for the delay! I had a writer's block! But my beta reader helped sort it out! *hides behind beta reader to escape angry reviewers* So sorry! I should be back on track now! Oh, how'd you like the chapter? Things should start going uphill for Harry from here, and the competition will begin in a chapter or three …
Please review! Updates will be next weekend!
