Warnings and notes: This is a slash fic, which means that it involves two guys having strong feelings for one another. This is your only warning; so if you do not like reading about two men in love, then don't read. Go read some other fic. Do not harass the author, please. And there is some strong language in here!
(Notes, old and new, are in the beginning and stuff)
Contents: This fic will contain Slash, sap, drama, angst (some fluff), adventure (let's hope), and some adult content.
Pairings: Draco/Harry, Ron/Hermione
Year: 6th
Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of these characters! J.K. Rowlings is the wonderful person who does, and I wish her luck with her next book.
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The Boding Prediction
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"The red rose whispers of passion, and the white rose breathes of love; oh the red rose is a falcon, and the white rose is a dove. But I send you a cream-white rosebud, with a flush on its petal tips; for the love that is purest and sweetest, has a kiss of desire on the lips. John Boyle O'Reilly, 1844-1890." Draco sighed, playing with the corner edge of the book's page. "Huh, sounds kinda mushy."
He'd been debating, ever since he sent Harry that first single white rose, if he should send another and put some kind of poem with it. For some reason, he had been thinking about giving him a different colored rose. An orange one, perhaps. Maybe even skip that color crap all together and get him a dozen red roses. But there was a problem with this.
"Does he even *like* getting flowers?" Draco sighed. Dumbledore had suggested the flowers thing, but Draco just couldn't see why Harry Potter of all people, would even like flowers. He noticed the shocked look on Harry's face, but still. . . "Did he like the rose I sent him?"
Deciding on waiting a bit more before sending another flower, or whatever he decided to get him, he folded the small parchment with the poem on it and stuck it into the drawer of his writing desk. "Maybe some other day." Draco mused aloud, smirk firmly in place.
That was when Goyle and Crabbe decided to walk in.
"So, Draco. . . about this protection thing?"
Draco's eyes rose up lazily to meet the other Slytherins' eyes. "Yes?"
"Well, me and Crabbe are confused. Do you have it on him so that he isn't able to touch people, except you, to put him through misery or are you doing it to really protect him?"
A couple things impressed Draco. One: that Goyle spoke that rather fluently, and two: that they had asked about this matter sooner than expected. But he also realized that Goyle forgot that Harry could also touch his two friends and not just him.
"Well, first of all," Draco sighed with annoyance, "It's none of your concern why I'm doing this. For all you know, I really just placed a type of curse that looks like the protection charm. And two, it probably won't last long anyways since Dumbledore and Professor Snape want me to take it off of him."
"Are you gonna do it?" Crabbe asked. "Cause if you're really protecting Potter. . ."
Draco shook his head and glared, "You two really are dense, aren't you? Well, yeah, eventually I'll take this spell off of him. But not right now. I wanna watch him suffer a while longer not able to touch most people."
"Good plan, Draco. You're the Dragon-man!"
Draco sighed, with annoyance, again. He was getting sick of Crabbe calling him that. He almost snapped at him when he realized that they were now staring straight at the newest white rosebud that he had on his desk.
"Um, Draco?"
Draco snatched the rose off of his desk and stuffed it into a drawer and then placed a locking spell on it. "That is NONE of your business! Now leave."
"Were you gonna send that to Potter??"
"No! I got the idea from Potter's secret admirer and I'm planning on giving it to Pansy. Now go! I want some time alone to think. Go!!" He shouted when they didn't budge. They turned and nearly ran into one another trying to get out of the room.
"Idiots."
~*~
Harry picked up the creamy white rose to place into a long, tall vase that Hermione had given him. The vase was a pearl color, which matched the white bud perfectly, and the design on it was a small green snake. It seemed to fit so well that it was eerie.
He just moved his thumb a bit too close to a thorn when he removed his hand from the stem. "AHH!" He jerked his hand away, holding his thumb. Crimson trickled down the green stem of the rose and down his finger.
"Are you ok, Harry?" Seamus asked when he heard Harry cry out.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." He glared at the rose, watching a drop of his blood dangle from the edge of a thorn. "Stupid git didn't even cut the thorns off!"
"So it's true then?" Seamus asked. "Did you really get this rose from Malfoy?"
Harry wanted to lie about the whole ordeal, but he knew that since Ron and Hermione already knew who it was from, it shouldn't matter if Seamus knew as well. "Yeah, it's true."
"Do you know why he did it?"
Harry shrugged. "Not really." It wasn't a lie. He had a sneaky suspicion, but then again, this was Malfoy. The friendly kisses that Draco gave him were probably to get him confused. Maybe that was why he sent him a rose, too. He was sure that there was no way that he was sending him the flower to apologize. Was Malfoy done with the whole thing, or was he going to receive more flowers? And more importantly, why did he actually *like* getting the rose from him?
"Well, I'm going down to the library to study. See you later, Harry."
"Yeah, see you." Harry said, still staring straight at the rose. He unwrapped his hand from around his finger and stuck his bleeding digit between his lips. The sharp, tangy taste of blood filled his mouth. He hoped that he didn't need to go to Madam Pomfrey. It wouldn't be a good idea to have more people know. Although, Harry never told Ron, Hermione, or Seamus to keep it a secret. "Oh — fuck."
~*~
Draco just made it to his prearranged appointment with Professor Trelawny. When he opened the door, she stood there, crystal ball before her, and a smile on her face.
"I knew it was you, Mr. Malfoy. Of course, I DO see all."
He groaned inwardly, "Professor Trelawny. . . you knew it was me because I'm the only one that made an appointment with you. . ."
"Silence!" she suddenly rasped, "I'm picking something up…" she placed a hand on her temple and the other hand on the crystal ball. "Oh yes, I see… you are troubled, Mr. Malfoy. You have been troubled by a dream…"
Well, duh! Draco wanted to say. Dumbledore had said that he already told her some of the reasons why he needed to be there. He crossed his arms over his chest and waited.
"You are. . . protecting someone!" She suddenly shouted.
Draco made a strangling noise. Of course he was, the stupid wench! Everyone knew about the Protection charm on Harry. He shook his head in dismay as he thought back to the conversation he had with Professor Snape.
~**~
"So, no matter how many times I ask, you won't do it?" Snape said with that shifty look in his eyes.
"No, sir. Sorry. It was as if. . . as if life itself stopped when…when Potter…"
Snape halted his sentence when he placed a hand on his shoulder, startling him. "Draco, I must tell you something that I haven't told any other student." Draco stood there, looking straight into the Professor's eyes, waiting for some kind of grave news about having nightmares about one's enemies. "You know that I don't care much for Potter. His father and I were rivals since day one."
Draco gasped, but stayed quiet, waiting for his favorite teacher to continue.
"He did something foolish once. And I'll never forget it. That is also why I had tried to save his son during your first year."
"What did he do, Professor?"
"He saved my life." Draco looked shocked. "Yes. James Potter saved my life. I owed him. So, that is why I am wondering why you have placed this Protection charm on Potter. Did he do something to make you want to repay him?"
Draco thought about this for a while, "Well. . . not really." Was that even the truth? Draco wasn't too sure himself.
"Then take the charm off of him. He is a big boy now and he doesn't need your protection, or your help. Do you understand?"
Draco nodded his head once, "Yes, sir."
^**^
"It is Harry Potter!" Professor Trelawny shouted, shaking Draco out of his reverie.
"Look, Professor, everyone *knows* that it's him! I'm supposed to tell you about my nightmare and you're supposed to explain to me what it means."
"Then come, sit here." She motioned at the chair in front of her. Draco obeyed, and sat down on the soft, cushioned chair. She began to mumble something and then she said, "Ok. Tell me about your nightmare, young Malfoy, and I will help you in any way I can."
"All right, here goes. But promise me that you won't tell anyone, ok?"
"Fine. I won't. Now, if you please. . ."
"Ok." Draco sighed, closing his eyes in concentration, trying his best to remember as much as he can. "I'm walking in a dimly lit hallway."
"You are in the dungeons!" She yelled.
"Er, yes. For what I could tell at the time. I feel as if I'm in a hurry to get somewhere. When I arrive at this room, Harry… I mean, Potter is already there… fighting something. Or he's *trying* to fight something. He's got his wand out… my heart's hammering in my chest as I pull out my wand to help him, I don't know why I feel like I have to, but I do. The thing that he's fighting isn't clear in my head for some reason, like it's not really there, but it is. Next thing I remember, the thing had a hold of him, shakes him wildly, and then he fell to the ground… bleeding everywhere… the horrible look in his lifeless eyes were facing me. As I screamed his name, feeling of something like doom filling me, and then I swished my wand at the monster… I'm not sure if I hurt it or what but the next thing I know I'm running over to Potter and then… everything goes black. Then I wake up."
Draco waited only for a few seconds, and then Trelawny groaned.
"Harry Potter will die! He will die!" She looked forlornly into her crystal ball, "He will perish if you take the Protection charm off of him!"
"I knew it!" Draco grinned.
"He will also perish if you leave it on him!"
Draco's face dropped. "What?"
"He will die, also, if he is to go near the Slytherin dungeons! He will!"
"So, do I take the charm off of him or not?" Draco asked, feeling annoyed.
"It is up to you." She sighed, "Either way. . . he will die."
"Up to me? Look, you're supposed to be helping me figure out my dream, not tell me that he will die! So what does it mean??"
Trelawny looked up into his face, in an almost spooky way, and said, "you will change. And you will go through tough times."
"Well, duh." Draco said, huffing.
"And also… Harry will die. . ."
"You said that already!"
"By your hand, if you're not careful."
Draco's eyes widened. He tossed his head back and forth, recovering from shock. "Well, of course he will. He is supposed to die by MY hand!" He stood up with annoyance, "I'm leaving. It's been real, Professor."
"Take heed, young Malfoy! Take heed! It is dark times for you! For the both of you!"
Draco waved a hand behind him in a cocky manner and left.
~*~
In a rush, Harry popped in the last bit of a sandwich as he raced for the hospital wing. He wanted to make sure that he had enough time to talk with Professor Sprout and figure out how he could help, if at all. Not only that, but he wanted to visit with her and give her a 'get well soon' card that he made, and everyone had signed. The front of it had a picture of a Mandrake crying, and when you open it, the inside said, "If you don't get well soon, I will cry as loud as twenty Mandrakes!" Neville had helped him with that saying.
"Be as quiet as you can." Madam Pomfrey said, putting a finger to her lips. "She had just woke up and is experiencing a migraine."
Harry nodded and carefully took a seat next to Professor Sprout. She turned her head and looked at Harry for a moment before realizing whom it was, and then she smiled brightly.
"Hey, Harry." She said weakly.
"Hi, Professor Sprout. How do you feel?"
"Tired. It's like my whole body has been sucked dry of energy. Even when I eat and sleep as much as I can, I'm still as limp as a weed."
"Didn't they take the poison out of you yet?" Harry asked.
"They tried the best they could, but it had already went through my system. I've been given all the antidotes and elixirs they have."
Harry handed her the card with a reassuring smile on his face, "Here's a card from all of us Gryffindor sixth years."
Sprout took it with a smile, "Why thank you, Harry!" She looked at the front, opened it, and laughed when she read the words. "That was sweet! Tell everyone thanks."
"You're welcome." He smiled. "Um, Professor? Is it true that Madam Pomfrey's out of bezoars?"
Professor Sprout frowned, crinkling the little lines around her mouth. "It's true. They just. . . vanished."
"Like someone is playing a mean joke?"
"Seems like it." She sighed.
Peeves? Harry thought almost immediately, but then wondered why a poltergeist would want to poison Sprout. "Do you know where one could find… um, a goat? One that would have a bezoar inside?"
Professor Sprout looked shocked for a moment, but then shook her head. "No. All the goats were cleaned out the last time they restocked. It's like the person who took all of the bezoars knew exactly when to steal them all."
"And give you that dangerous plant." Harry said.
"Yes. I hope whoever did this gets taught a lesson." She frowned painfully.
"Me too, Professor. But is the so-called dangerous plant still at your greenhouse?"
"I think so. No one told me that it was moved, or that anyone would even try going near it… oh! Harry, no!" She cried suddenly, "Don't even think it! I forbid you to find it! I don't want you in this state as well! It's not a fun thing, let me tell you. And you'd miss out on your Quidditch matches and everything. Please, promise me that you won't go near that thing!"
Harry sighed, knowing that she was right. "Ok. I won't."
"Thank you. Well, I suppose I better sleep now. I feel even more drained than before."
Harry frowned, having a sinking feeling that he was to blame for her weariness. "Ok. I hope that they find a cure for you."
"I hope so too." She smiled optimistically. "See you later, Harry. And thanks for the nice card!"
Harry left, feeling good that he got to see that she was doing better, but depressed that he made her worry and more sleepy.
But on the way to his room, something just hit Harry. He suddenly remembered something that Draco had told him that day that he placed the Protection Charm on him.
~"I have put a Protection charm on you, which I tweaked myself, so that only me, your weasel friend, and Granger may touch you…
"Everyone and everything else that breathes—will—get—shocked…
"Everyone and 'everything'..."~
"Everything gets shocked." Harry felt a small smile creep over his face.
He turned and ran toward the greenhouse.
~TBC~
Well, things that are more 'creature-like' will get shocked. ^_^ Yeah, I know, the rose didn't fry. But why would I want Harry's first rose to be destroyed? Let's just say that things that act like a living thing get shocked.