A/N:
Kristin: Come on, girl. Chapter 6 is up. Put your head between your knees. Deeeeep breath. Deeeeep breath. :P
X
XIX
XIXIX "Hogsmeade With Vickie" XIXIX
"I was beginnin' ter think yeh'd forgotten 'bout me," said Hagrid as he opened the door to his house Thursday afternoon.
"Hagrid, we see you in class all the time," said Ginny, affronted.
"Oh, an' tha's the same as comin' ter visit, eh?" The group of Gryffindors looked at their feet guiltily. Hagrid smiled. "Well, come on in, then. I'll put the kettle on."
When they sat down, Fang ran over and put his head in Harry's lap. Harry laughed and rubbed Hagrid's giant boarhound behind the ears.
"So, Harry, how yeh been holdin' up?"
Harry rolled his eyes. That sure seemed to be the question of the week. "Fine."
Hagrid nodded. "Yeh look better, tha's fer sure."
"Yeah, now that he's started eating again," said Ginny. Harry cut her a look.
"And sleeping," agreed Ron. Then, noticing a glare from Harry, he said, "No offense, mate, but you were keeping us all up with those nightmares. Worse than Neville's snoring, even."
Ron then did an impression of Neville's snores that made everyone laugh.
It was true that Harry was eating and sleeping better. Lupin was recovering quickly at St. Mungo's, one of the teachers had apparently found a way to keep the bathroom walls graffiti-free, and the Slytherins were getting bored with their whispers, now that they didn't seem to be affecting Harry anymore. Keeping rested and well-fed seemed to be doing wonders for Harry's stress immunity.
"And I hear tha' Victor Krum has joined the Order," said Hagrid. "And tha' he's comin' ter meet with Dumbledore this weekend." Ron scowled into his teacup. "Are you goin' ter see 'em on Valentine's Day, Hermione?"
Hermione blushed, smiling, and said, "I'll see him on Saturday at Hogsmeade."
"Good, good. Now, who wants summat to eat? I got some pumpkin pastries."
The group politely declined, each one of them having had ample experience with Hagrid's cooking.
Hagrid looked slightly crestfallen. "Oh, come on—I bough' way too many at Honeydukes the other day."
Amazingly, upon hearing that the pumpkin pastries were from Honeydukes, the teens promptly realized that they were hungry after all. They ate their way through all of Hagrid's pumpkin pastries during their visit while Hagrid told them about how Grawp, his half-brother, was doing in the forest. He had stopped pulling up trees, but the Centaurs still didn't like him much. Dumbledore had helped Hagrid make peace with the Centaurs last summer, but their relations were still strained because of a certain Giant that lived among them.
When they left to head to dinner, they noticed a slight figure standing by the side of the lake alone. He had a camera with him, so the group recognized him immediately.
"Colin!" groaned Hermione. "What's he doing alone? No DA member..." she trailed off, realizing what exactly he was doing.
He was taking pictures of the lake view, but had somehow gotten the giant squid to pose for the shots! It would raise and lower its tentacles as Colin called for. The four Gryffindors had to just stare for a moment.
Harry broke the silence, saying, "Ginny, can you go keep watch for him until he comes in for dinner?" She nodded and took off. "Guys..." Harry turned to his two best friends on Earth. "I, uh, have something to... ask. Well, not really to ask, but to say... I mean—"
"Harry, just say it," said Hermione with a slight grin. She was watching Ginny run down toward the lake, and had the strangest feeling that Harry had something to say about Ron's sister.
"Well, it's about Ginny," said Harry. Hermione's grin widened.
"What's about Ginny?" asked Ron, still captivated by Colin's effect on the giant squid.
"Isn't it obvious, Ron?" asked Hermione, just a bit impatiently.
Harry brightened. "You mean, you already knew?"
"Of course," she said.
"And you're not mad?"
"Why would I be mad?"
"Well, I guess not mad—I just thought you two might be jealous, or offended, or something..."
"Hold on, mate," Ron interjected. "What are you talking about exactly?"
"About Ginny helping me lead the DA."
Hermione did a double take. "What?"
"I mean, um..." Harry was really nervous that he would say the wrong thing here. "You're both great wizards, but well, Ginny is too. And she really has a commanding presence with the group, and she's already like a leader among them—I mean, take the whole 'strength in numbers thing'—and I could really use help now that there are so many people—"
"Slow down, mate," said Ron. "Are you saying that you want Ginny..."
"To be your... second in command?" finished Hermione.
Harry looked at his feet. "Yeah...?"
There were a few seconds of silence before Harry looked back up at his friends. Hermione was gaping at him. Ron had a confused look on his face and was looking toward the lake at his baby sister.
'Shit, they're mad,' thought Harry.
Hermione opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to regain her composure. Finally, she managed to say out loud, "I think she's perfect!"
Harry brightened at her acceptance. "Really?"
"Yeah!" Hermione exclaimed, still looking bewildered.
"Yeah, I hadn't thought of it before," said Ron, still looking at Ginny, "But she is really powerful, and damn, half the school adores her." He shrugged, as though none of that had ever occurred to him before.
Harry was relieved, but he had to ask just to make sure, "You mean you're not mad that I didn't ask either of you?"
"Nah," said Hermione, trying really hard to act nonchalant.
"Harry, you know with school, and Quidditch, and being prefect, I really don't think I could take any more responsibility," said Ron.
Harry laughed. He was so relieved; he just laughed.
He asked Ginny to help him lead the DA when she came in to dinner with Colin. She agreed immediately, and then got onto Harry for not eating enough dinner.
"Ginny," he whined. "I had five pumpkin pastries at Hagrid's this afternoon."
She conceded the point, and actually, didn't eat much herself.
That night, 11 new people joined the DA. Harry divided the DA into two overall groups of 38 and 40. He subdivided each group into four groups of eight or ten, each led by a veteran DA member. He and Ginny explained the spells and hexes they would be working on that evening to their respective groups. The groups then broke into their subgroups, and then into pairs to practice. Harry and Ginny walked among them to offer further instruction to the groups and the individuals.
It was the most successful DA meeting to date.
XIXIX
Harry awoke the next morning, Valentine's Day, to find his bed decorated with pink paper hearts, each one containing a picture of his own face.
"Oh no," he groaned sleepily.
Ron sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He took one look at Harry's bed and fell over laughing. "Oh Merlin, Harry! I think Dobby's got a crush on you!"
"Shut up, Ron," said Harry, trying to rip down the hearts. "He's just... got an overdeveloped sense of gratitude, is all."
"No!" said Ron, still rolling on his bed laughing. "Don't take them down. Guys! Wake up! You gotta see this!"
Dean, Neville, and Seamus all grumbled from being ripped from their sleep so suddenly, but got over it quickly as they watched Harry do battle with the hearts. Dobby had apparently done some sort of magic on them so that they could not be taken down.
Harry's room mates offered suggestions through their laughter about how to remove the offending hearts, but none of them got out of their own bed to help. Watching was far more entertaining.
In the end, the boys headed to breakfast, consoling Harry that Dobby would probably only keep the hearts up for Valentine's Day.
"And anyway," said Ron, "That's not a bad picture of you. And pink's definitely your color." The boys exploded in laughter. Harry just shook his head.
When they got to their table in the Great Hall, Harry noticed a single white rose was lying on the table in front of the place he normally sat during breakfast.
'It can't be for me,' he thought. But then he saw a piece of sealed parchment attached to it that clearly read, "For you, Harry Potter."
Harry's friends were all staring, wondering who had left the rose for Harry. Harry shrugged. He certainly hadn't been expecting anything from anyone.
"Well, open it," said Ginny, just a little snappishly.
Harry did so, and quickly read through the short note.
"I am haunted by phantom kisses,
stolen hours, the feel of your flesh.
Perhaps at our next rendezvous
we can have more."
Harry turned bright red. He knew that handwriting, or at least, he thought he did. After six years at this school, they had been paired up in class more than once. He had seen class notes, written assignments, even homework. But was this actually the same handwriting, or did Harry just want to believe it?
He looked up and across the hall to the Slytherin table, and saw a very beautiful and seductive smile waiting for him. They held eye contact for a second or two, no more. Harry was then certain beyond doubt that Malfoy had left him this note, this rose.
"Who's it from?" Hermione's voice shattered Harry's thoughts.
"Ah—I don't know," said Harry lamely.
He looked back to the Slytherin table. Malfoy was still smiling that same smile, but he wasn't looking at Harry any longer. He was looking at his girlfriend. He was looking around the table. He was glancing around the hall now and again.
Harry looked at the note once more, and then shoved it into his pocket, swearing to himself. He didn't know that that was Malfoy's handwriting. He didn't know that Malfoy had even consciously looked at him, much less smiled at him.
"Come on, you can tell us," urged Ginny.
"I said I don't know," said Harry, a little too loudly. Ginny jumped. Harry looked at her and groaned. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"
But the flutter of owl's wings overhead called everyone's attention upward. And then, much to Harry's horror, owl after owl made its way down to their table, dropping piles of letters in front of Harry. They were addressed from all over the world.
Some of the handwriting appeared to be from adult witches, but most of the lettering was the very girlie bubbling of pre-teen witches. They were addressed to "My Valentine, Harry Potter," to "The Boy Who Lives From the Girl Who Loves Him," and to "The Boy Who Stole My Heart."
Harry panicked and, blushing furiously, tried to shove all the letters into his book bag, hoping beyond hope that no one would notice the hundreds of owls that were swarming down to his table.
His friends just sat back and laughed. Harry looked at them pleadingly, so they began shoving the letters into their bags as well, to help him carry them upstairs. The Great Hall was buzzing with snickers that Harry just knew were directed at him. He must look like a real clown trying to hide all of this.
And the owls kept coming.
Finally, Harry threw up his hands in exasperation and groaned, "What IS this?!" The letters were piling high. It was so ridiculous that even he had to sit back and laugh.
But then a sneering voice called out across the hall, "Hey Potter—is this from your new fan club? Imagine! All of this... For you, Harry Potter!" The Slytherin table laughed snidely, and something clicked in Harry's head.
The parchment with the rose said "For you, Harry Potter." Maybe it was from Malfoy after all. Maybe this was just some sick game of his.
Harry was furious, and confused, and hurt. And then Parvati Patil gasped and rushed over to him.
"Harry! You're not going to believe this!" she shrieked.
"What now?!"
She laid down a copy of Teen Witch Weekly on the table. A picture of him from last year smiled back up at him with the headline:
The Boy Who Lived, To Become A Heart-Throb!
—article by Rita Skeeter
"Oh no!" said Harry desperately. "Hermione, I thought you had contained her!"
Hermione snatched up the magazine and quickly read through the article, with Ginny, Neville, and Dean reading over her shoulder. They started out grinning, but the further they read, the harder they laughed.
Finally, Hermione choked out, "Harry, I'm sorry, but it's really not a bad article."
"What?!" Harry was incredulous.
"She's right," said Neville, who was laughing so hard he almost fell out of his chair. "She's painted you as the hottest Savior of the Wizarding World there ever was!"
Ginny, who was sitting on Hermione's other side, had folded her arms on the table and was laughing into them, tears streaming down her face.
Dean, who had been standing behind Hermione, was doubled over laughing until he was hyperventilating. "Oh, Harry... you... oh, man... fan club..."
"WHAT?!" Harry snatched the magazine back from Hermione. It was true. Rita Skeeter had started a Harry Potter Fan Club. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Ron looked over his shoulder, grinned at Harry, and said, "I bet Dobby's the president."
The table exploded in laughter once more. Harry just sat there, wide-eyed and helpless.
XIXIX
The rest of the day was an embarrassing sort of awful, which, Harry reasoned, was a much better sort of awful than, say, the 'waiting to hear if Lupin was going to recover' sort of awful. So he put up with the friendly taunting from his friends, the DA members, the Quidditch team, his House, and Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Houses as well. He put up with the dreamy eyes that the younger witches in the school were now showering upon him. He even put up with the snide remarks and mocking baby voices the Slytherins were now using to humiliate him regarding the fan club.
And he tried really hard to put up with the seductive looks Malfoy threw him when nobody else was watching, in between the far more common sneers and jeers. But, truth be told, he found those mixed signals from Malfoy far more upsetting than the whole fan club business.
That night, Hermione somehow convinced Harry that it would be a good idea to write Rita Skeeter and thank her for the positive article, and ask her politely to please deal with all fan club mail herself, since it was very distracting to have it arrive at school. Even a few minutes after the conversation, Harry couldn't quite remember why he had agreed to that, but knew that it had something to do with how Rita Skeeter really was trying to help Harry's reputation in the wizarding world, and that after her ruining a year of his life, and then Hermione ruining a year of her life, and then them working together to both revive her career and give Harry the chance to tell the world about how he really did witness Voldemort's return, that they really should try to continue to work together. She said she had a feeling it would be important.
Harry stared at the blank parchment and shook his head as Ginny sat down next to him in the common room.
"How does she do it?" he wondered aloud.
"How does who do what?"
"How does Hermione convince people of things so easily?" Ginny laughed. "I have no idea what I'm supposed to say to this woman."
Ginny leaned in. "I'll write the letter for you, if you want."
Harry looked at her, surprised. "Really?"
"Yeah, sure. I'm better with words than you are anyway," she said slyly.
Harry laughed. "You know, I'd take offense to that, if it weren't true."
Ginny pulled the parchment over to her. "Now, you, go get some sleep. I want you rested up for our day at Hogsmeade."
Harry stretched. "Thanks, Gin. Who all's coming with us tomorrow?"
"Just Hermione and Victor. Ron didn't want to go with us, with Victor around, so he's going with Neville and Dean."
"What about Seamus?" asked Harry.
"Oh, he and Parvati are, you know..."
Harry was shocked. "You two broke up?"
Now Ginny was shocked. "Yeah, Harry, like two months ago!"
Harry shook his head. "Always the last to know. Are you okay with it?"
Ginny nodded, gaping at how thick he was.
"Well, goodnight, Ginny. I'll see you tomorrow." He got up, and called over his shoulder, "And thanks for doing the letter for me." He disappeared up the stairs.
Ginny slapped her hand to her forehead. "He. Has. No. I-. Dea." She looked down at the blank parchment and groaned, and then banged her head on the table.
XIXIX
Harry woke up Saturday morning, greatly relieved to see that Dobby had taken down his Valentine's decorations overnight. He met up with Ginny and Hermione, and the three made their way out of Hogwarts. When they passed the gate, he noticed Luna Lovegood walking by herself. She was wearing a huge pink hat and was looking all around in the sky.
"Alright, Luna?" called Harry. She looked over at him as though she barely recognized him. Then her eyes widened.
"Where are your hats?!" she demanded.
The three of them smiled. Harry said, "Oh no, I completely forgot!"
Luna was looking back up at the sky. "You've got to be more careful," she said. "The Giant Cricket Snakes may already be within jumping distance."
Harry noticed she was alone. "Who are you going to Hogsmeade with?"
"Myself," she said, contentedly.
"Why don't you come with us?" he asked. "That way your hat can protect us all." Hermione and Ginny were gaping at him. He became annoyed as he misread their looks. "You're always welcome with us," he stated definitively.
Ginny raised her eyebrows in amazement and gave Hermione a very meaningful look. It was lost on Harry, who was walking a little ahead of them with Luna.
Victor was waiting for them outside the Three Broomsticks. Hermione gave him a big hug. She was grinning from ear to ear. She introduced him to Ginny and Luna. He shook hands with Harry, saying that they should talk soon about what the Death Eaters were doing in Eastern Europe.
"But not today," Hermione cut in. "Today we are going to take a break from all of that and enjoy ourselves."
Ginny agreed and took Harry by the arm and pulled him into the Three Broomsticks. Luna followed them.
"Her-mo-ninny," said Victor, "Do you mind if ve sit alone? I vould like a vord vith you."
"Sure," said Hermione. She motioned to Ginny that they were going to go sit in the corner. Ginny led Harry and Luna to a free table against the opposite wall.
Harry looked to the door in time to see Malfoy walking in with Pansy on his arm. He took her to a table not too far from where Hermione and Victor were sitting, deep in conversation. Malfoy headed to the bar.
Harry offered to go get their drinks.
He stood next to Malfoy at the bar, unsure of what he should say, if anything. Malfoy looked at him blankly, and then over to Pansy. Once he saw that she was deeply absorbed in eavesdropping into Hermione and Victor's conversation, he turned back to Harry, and turned on the charm.
"Hey Potter," he said smoothly. "I believe we have some unfinished business. When am I going to get you alone again?"
Harry's heart was thudding in his chest as he looked at the suggestive smile leaning toward him. "Don't know, Malfoy," he said, his voice cracking just a bit. Malfoy looked pleased, aroused by a nervous Harry Potter. Harry cleared his throat. "Maybe when you stop being such a prick," he said, a little more smoothly.
Malfoy mimed hurt feelings. "Not fair, Potter," he pouted. "You know my situation. And anyway—"
He glanced back over to Pansy, and then sneered suddenly. He nodded toward Harry's table. "A threesome, huh? Can't say I agree with your taste—that wacko Ravenclaw, and... My, my, that Weasel girl sure does get around. Never thought you'd go for the slutty type," he said snidely. He dropped some coins on the counter and walked off with two butterbeers.
Harry looked after him for a second, and then turned back to the bar. He felt like he had just been kicked in the stomach. He ordered his drinks, and stared at the counter, fuming. This back-and-forth attitude Malfoy had was driving him crazy. Harry paid, and then picked up the butterbeers. The bottles rattled and he realized he was shaking. He took a deep breath and walked back to his table.
Luna was telling Ginny everything she would ever want to know about the Giant Cricket Snakes of Transylvania. Harry set their drinks down and Ginny looked up.
"Harry! What's wrong?" Harry shook his head and glanced over his shoulder toward Malfoy's table. He opened his mouth, but Ginny cut him off. "Oh no!"
Harry sat down with his back to the wall and immediately saw what she was referring to. Victor was patting Hermione on the shoulder. She was crying. "Oh no," he echoed.
The three stared in sympathetic sadness as Victor apparently broke up with Hermione. Through the murmur of the crowded room, they clearly heard a female laughing snidely. Hermione and Victor looked over and glared. Harry followed their eyes to see Pansy and Malfoy openly laughing at Hermione's heartache.
Harry clenched his fists, shaking again, and watched a guilty looking Victor Krum lead a heartbroken looking Hermione outside. Then he looked back to Malfoy, who was looking straight at him, his smile seductive and snide at the same time.
Ginny looked from the door, to Luna, to Harry, and said, "Well, this day's a bust. I'm gonna go check on Hermione." She got up and left.
Harry was still watching Malfoy. He had his arm around his girlfriend, who was still laughing at the door. Malfoy licked his lips, giving Harry his very best bedroom eyes. He mouthed "Watch" at Harry, and reached up and turned his girlfriend's face back to his, breathing her in, kissing her passionately. All the while, his seductive eyes were on Harry.
Harry couldn't breathe. His heart was pounding. His fists were clenched. His eyes were glued to Malfoy's. He was angry and hurt. He was confused, because as pissed off as he was at Malfoy at this moment, he wanted to be the one over there with him.
Luna grabbed Harry's shoulder and gently turned him toward her. Harry jumped slightly. He had forgotten she was there. She leaned in to him, saying sweetly, "Harry, don't let him get to you." Harry's eyes widened for a moment, but Luna just smiled. She leaned in closer, right into his face. "He's playing power games with your emotions. Don't worry," she said, "Your secret is safe with me."
She closed the gap between them and kissed him very gently and lovingly on the mouth. After a few moments, she pulled back slightly. "That was so he doesn't think he has the upper hand," she said. Harry smiled at her, truly thankful that she was there. "Now, you can kiss me again if you want, to make it look convincing, but do it with your eyes closed or else he'll know it's for him."
Harry nodded with his eyes. Luna reached up and wrapped her hand around Harry's neck, pulling him back in. Harry took her in his arms, running his hands up her back and into her hair. Her pink hat fell off, but neither of them paid it any mind, as their mouths opened and their tongues caressed each other passionately.
"Wow," Harry breathed, as they pulled away.
"Don't look at him," Luna warned, staring deep into his eyes. "Take me by the hand, and lead me out the door."
Harry smiled at her and complied. After a few steps, Luna pulled him back to their table, blushing, and grabbed her forgotten hat.
Harry marveled at her, wide-eyed. She had to be the best actress he had ever seen.
She replaced her hat and smiled shyly up at him. Harry grinned back.
He chanced a glance around the Three Broomsticks as they left, and noted that Malfoy was still going through the motions of making out with Pansy, and was still watching Harry, failing to mask an unusual look in his eyes. Harry didn't let his glance linger long enough to figure out if it was a look of hurt or jealously.
About halfway down the block, Harry suddenly stopped walking and turned to Luna. He took her in his arms and swung her around happily.
"You are the best witch in the whole world!" he said, hugging her tight. "Luna, I—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," she said, pushing him back. She had a dreamy, if not bewildered, look in her eyes. "That's as far as it goes. No offense, Harry, but you're really not my type. We're JUST FRIENDS."
Harry laughed. He was going to say 'Luna, I owe you,' but realized Luna must have thought he was about to profess his love.
He tried to look a little sad, and said, "I understand."
XIXIX
XIX
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A/N:
Usually Immaculate Aristocrat: Thank you! And Happy New Year to you!
Wildvictoria-: Thank you. I thought he would kind of have to act that way, yeah?
Fantasy 101: Thanks for coming back! And, have patience, all in good time.
Chekiita: No! That would be so uncharacteristic. He couldn't possibly! And no, I don't enjoy giving Harry a hard time. These are just the steps they have to go through to get through the story. Thanks for reading!
Wintermoon2: Wild, huh? But he's got to use his brains if he's going to manage Malfoy. And mocking him is definitely got to hurt that arrogant pretty-boy!
Marilyn,MyBitterness: Ooh... I anxiously await that story. Thanks for coming back!