Discaimer: I don't the Harry potter stuff

Chapter 25

The Start of term rolled nearer and by the time the first day had arrived Harry had not only completed his homework – he didn't feel right being given a reprieve but had also read through the book Draco recommended. Draco was right it was very good and he had managed to master the techniques in it, he now felt confident that the lessons wouldn't be too much of a problem. As the afternoon was turning into evening Harry was disturbed by a knocking on his door, he rose and opened it, Severus, Outkast and Dumbledore were standing there, he stepped back allowing them access.

"Harry how are you?" Harry shrugged slightly in answer to the headmaster. Albus continued

"Given your current…. Condition as well as the fact that undoubtedly  every student will now be aware of your home life we feel that you might find it more comfortable to stay here during term time" he waited for a reaction and when there was none carried on

"To do this though we are going to put a separate door to your room from a corridor, this is necessary so that your relationship to Severus remain secret" Harry nodded, the headmaster got out his wands and pointed it at the wall and muttered something, a door appeared immediately the headmaster walked through it and was followed by the rest of the occupants in the room the door was covered by a portrait of a knight holding a sword in one hand and had a snake coiled up the other, it shut when they had left

"Now Harry you need to set a password for the door" Harry nodded, already getting this was a trick to convince him to talk, he had already thought of a password

~Open~ he hissed in Parseltongue the snake looked at him

~That's not a good password~

~Doesn't have to be only three people speak the language of the snakes~

~Very well~ the portrait opened again, Harry went back into his room followed by

Severus, the others went off.

"Harry can I talk with you for a second" Harry turned from his desk and nodded

"I want to put a silencing spell on your room that way if I have some of my less desirable associates on fire call they won't know your are around is that ok?" Harry nodded again, Severus got up from the bed where he'd been sitting and went over to see what his son was writing, he picked up the transfiguration essay and raised an eyebrow

"I told you that you were not expected to hand work in" Harry shrugged he actually found it easier to do the work this year then he had done in past years due to the use of a desk and not having to do it late at night by torch light. Sev just sighed and rested his hand on Harry's shoulder

"You should get changed the feast will be starting soon" he gave Harry's shoulder a squeeze and left him to get ready. Harry left via his own door and wondered down to the main entrance to wait for his friends.

The carriages started to arrive, Harry waited as the students came in many of them cast him sympathetic looks on their way to the great hall. Finally the carriage he was waiting for showed up, Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Luna were all together, the ran up to him and Harry found himself receiving consecutive hugs from the girls, Ron just grinned

"Harry good to see you again how are you feeling?" Harry smiled back and shrugged Hermione sighed

"Still not talking huh?" Harry shrugged again and lead the way to the great hall they were at the entrance when Harry heard the Slytherin's approaching

"Well look who it is, Harry Potter the muggles sex toy" the boy sneered to the sniggers of the group Harry felt his face flush and stared at the ground

"Beat it Zabini" Ron shouted pulling his wand, several Gryffindor's followed suit, as did the Slytherin's. Great I can start the year by being the reason there was a riot Harry thought depressed.

"Aren't we clever Zabini, picking on a target that doesn't even talk back. My your father must be so proud" Harry's head shout up he knew that voice but it couldn't be, everyone was standing in stunned silence as the voices owner came into view. Draco Malfoy the Prince of Slytherin was standing between Blaise Zabini and Harry and sneering at Blasie

"No honestly you're doing you family proud that you spent a month thinking of a comment to throw at Potter and that was the best you could do" several people sniggered, Malfoy continued

"Next time Zabini pick a target that talks, this is too boring for words" with that he marched into the great hall followed by most of the Slytherin's leaving many stunned Gryffindor's outside. Harry shook it off and jogged in he caught Malfoy by the arm turning him round. He looked into the blonde boys eyes and shrugged, Draoc nodded he understood

"Don't get used to it Potter, but it really isn't fun watching him tear a mute apart, it's about as good as teasing muggles the entire thing is pointless" with that he walked away. Harry went to join his friends at the Gryffindor table, Ron was still in shock

"I never thought I'd see the day a Malfoy defended Harry" Harry nodded in agreement. Professor McGonagall led the first years in and the sorting commenced. At the end Dumbledore stood and gave the usual start of term announcements, before introducing the new staff:

"To teach defence against the dark arts we welcome back Professor Lupin who will be assisted by Prof…" he was cut off by a certain green and purple haired woman who coughed loudly and glared at him.

"Assisted by Outkast" he finished with that and raised his hands, the tables filled with food and noise erupted in the hall. Harry looked along the staff table, his father looked less then happy that Outkast was sitting on it, she had made an effort with he attire, she was indeed wearing robes al be it in black and red, but what really made Harry giggle was that she was still wearing her army boots and made no attempt to hide them. Hermione looked mortified

"I hope we have Lupin I mean what was the headmaster thinking letting Tom's sister teach" Ron nodded Harry glared at them.

"Hi Harry" Harry turned at his name, Dean Thomas looking at him,

"Look you probably don't want to talk about it, but was the Prophet's article correct?" Harry heard the noise level on the table drop, most of them were staring at him, Harry lowered his gaze to his food, there would be little point denying it as Ron and Hermione would correct him so he nodded glumly. The table was now in complete silence, which caused a lot of students from the other houses to look round. Harry felt the weight of their gazes and wanted nothing better then to get away.

Outkast looked around, she saw what was going on and guess what the boy had just asked Harry, she looked up the table and saw that Sev was also looking worried about how the boy would take to the attention. She caught his eye and raised an eyebrow he nodded. Albus looked at the pair of them knowing what was about to happen the twinkling in his eye was definetly working over time. Outkast took another bite of the food and sighed. With as much force as she could muster she swiped the dish from the table causing an almighty clang and shot out of her chair, most of the attention in the hall was on her now

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT I DO AND DON'T KNOW SEVERUS YOU CAN'T

EVEN COUT TO TWENTY ONE UNLESS YOU'RE NAKED" Sev also shot up

"AND WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU KNOW LITTLE GIRL YOU'VE HAVEN'T SEEN HALF OF WHAT I HAVE"

"I KNOW THAT MY BROTHER MAKES PEEVES LOOK LIKE A SANE UNPSTANDING MEMBER OF SOCIETY"

"HOW DO YOU KNOW? YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE ANYMORE"

"AND I SUPPOSE YOU DO?"

"THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS"

"IT IS"

"ISN'T"

"GO TO HELL!"

"YOU FIRST!"  Serverus reached for his wand and Albus shot up out his chair

"You two my office now" he glowered at each in turn and left the hall, Outkast glanced over at the Gryffindor table, Harry was nowhere in sight – mission accomplished. She stormed out the hall, Severus following with his robe bellowing behind him. The noise level in the hall slowly rose as the three left and the students turned their attention back to their food discussing the new teacher who had provoked an explosive reaction from the potions master.

"Wow what was all that about Harry?" Ron turned back to the table and saw that there was a gap opposite where Harry had been

"Where'd he go?"

"He slipped out while Snape and Outkast were proving their acting skills" Hermione said casually the Gryffindor's nearest looked at her

"You mean that was staged?" Hermione sighed

"Yes Seamus it was staged so Harry could get out" she rolled her eyes and went back to the food contemplating whether Outkast was so bad after all. Hermione wasn't the only one who had realised the fight wasn't real; Draco had watched Harry leave and had slipped out himself a few moments later.

Harry ran up to the third floor corridor before slowing he leant against a wall and waited for his breathing to slow he bent down and rested his hands on his thighs he didn't realise he had been followed until he felt a hand on his back he flinched and stood up quickly. Draco stood there with a raised eyebrow looking vaguely amused

"Quite a little show wasn't it?" Harry shrugged, he'd only caught the beginning when he worked out what they were doing he took his chance and headed for the door. Draco nodded

"You must have a lot of sway with the new Professor for her to do that" Harry looked around the corridor not focusing on anything.

"Harry stop acting like that and look at me" Harry obeyed looking straight into the eyes of his so called nemesis, Draco stood against the opposite wall, his gaze on Harry, he hadn't realised just how small the raven haired boy was until then, Draco was a good few inches taller. Harry was thinner too, not that Draco was big he wasn't but Harry was ungodly thin. Draco knew he like him for a long time but couldn't say anything what with them being enemies and all. He sighed

"Harry, you must have known that was likely to happen" Harry looked at the floor and nodded.

"Still weren't expecting it to be that bad huh?" He nodded again. Draco suddenly looked puzzled

"Where were you heading?" Harry smiled and went over to the portrait of the night, he hissed the password and the door swung aside. Draco raised an eyebrow and

followed Harry in. he looked around

"Your own room?" Harry flopped onto the bed and nodded. Draco tried to push his advantage

"So this will be above your father's quarters then?" Harry went to nod but then sat bolt upright his eyes wide. Draco smirked and sat on the edge of the bed

"Don't worry ever since the raid on Private Drive I knew I heard my father telling my mother what he'd found out, he swore her to secrecy. You see Harry I don't want to join the Dark Lord, and besides, Sev's my Godfather I knew something was up when he didn't come round this summer" Harry nodded, Draco rolled his eyes.

"Well seeing as we both missed dinner why don't you show me where the kitchen is and I'll order us some" Harry nodded and pointed to the door that led to the kitchen below.

"I don't know whether to berate you for causing a scene or congratulate you on your quick thinking" Albus said Outkast grinned

"I'll take both as a compliment so it's your choice" Severus had taken to scowling at her for her complete lack of respect for authority.

"One day you're going to rub the wrong person up the wrong way Outkast" He said she shrugged

"And what will they do? Snap my wand? Well if they did I'd need to find something else to replace the missing table leg" he rolled his eyes

"They could send you to Azkaban"

"Again? Please even Fudge isn't that stupid, I have both been there and done that and got out! And that was with the Dementors trying to stop me, so do you really think that would be a problem seeing as how this time Tom would help me. Obviously leading me to join him and then kill crush and destroy the planet" Severus shut up; she had a point she was pretty much untouchable because the light needed her and the dark wanted her and she wasn't too fussed either way. Severus studied her; she sat with her feet on the desk inspecting her nails, her multicoloured hair cascading down her back looking like she belonged in a dark underground club – which wasn't far from the truth, she had strong and striking features….Somebody curse me I'm doing it again he berated himself. The last thing either he or Harry needed in their lives was an eccentric opinionated and infuriating sorceress. He thought was broken by Dumbledore

"Well I think you two have been here long enough, why don't we go back now and try to look suitably berated" He rose Severus stood up, Outkast lazily swung her feet back to the ground and stretched.

"Sev why don't you go check on the kid, he isn't going to be too happy" Severus nodded and left.

Draco called the kitchens as Harry wondered around the kitchen looking for a glass. The door opened and Severus walked in. Harry stared at him wide eyed before bolting back to his room leaving Severus to contemplate Draco.