Pawprints of the Panther
By: Lord Gavin Black
Disclaimer: I am not JK, therefore none of the HP characters are mine. I do, however, own (or am borrowing) RJ, Gina, Gabe, Joe, Ez, and any other characters who appear that are not cannon characters. But I'm sure you guessed that. This is a slash fiction (Male/Male). The rating is for the obvious slash, language,and drug use.
Chapter 4
RJ yawned and stretched, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He sighed as he remembered it was Saturday and he had finished the last of his homework the night before.
"Finally, a day of freedom," he said to himself as he stepped out of his bedroom and into the living room of his quarters.
"Not quite freedom."
"Dray! When'd you get here?" RJ asked, pushing his chocolate locks out of his eyes.
"I've been waiting for you to get up for an hour now. I want to go to Hogsmeade," he whined.
"Why? So you can go buy more robes?" RJ laughed, before making to sit on the couch.
"I don't think so," Draco said, as he pushed RJ back to the bedroom. "You're getting ready to go."
"Jesus Christ, Dray. I didn't know shopping was that important to you!"
"It's not! I just want out of this bloody castle for a while," Draco explained. "Now, shower and change. And I expect you to be dressed to go out, not lounge around the castle, Ralston."
RJ rolled his eyes and grabbed his shower bag. "Whatever you say, your majesty. Anything else I can do for you, your highness?"
Gina walked through the portrait and regarded the two young men curiously. "Well, if you're offering..."
"Don't even finish that sentence, Gina," RJ said as he passed her, placing a hand on her mouth. He turned his back to her as he walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him.
"Spoil sport," she said, before taking a sip of the coffee she held in her hand.
"Ralston! I expect you in the Great Hall in fifteen minutes! I'll have coffee for you," he yelled into the bathroom.
"Fine! Whatever! Go, Princess Dee!" RJ yelled over the sound of the running water.
Draco rolled his eyes and turned to Gina. "And just for that comment, he'll have to get his own coffee. Git."
Gina smiled and watched the young blonde walk out the portrait. Gina sat on the edge of RJ's bed as she heard the sound of RJ singing in the shower. She was glad to see that he was adjusting ever better than they had hoped. Her eyes gazed around the comfortable room, and by chance, landed on the opened wardrobe. A mischievous grin graced her face as she stood up. Gina giggled as she began pulling nearly all of RJ's clothes from the wardrobe.
"Oh, this is going to be good." Gina looked at the closed bathoom door with amusement before carrying the bundle of clothes out of the room. "I better get down to the Great Hall to see his entrance." Her nearly silent laughter could just be heard as the portrait closed behind her.
RJ poked his head out of the bathroom door and looked around. "Gina? You here?" He sighed and made his way through the living room, a towel wrapped around his waist. His eyes went wide as he walked in his room to his wardrobe and found it almost empty. He glared at the black leather trousers Gina had insisted he buy and the lightweight silver turtleneck. He quickly pulled them on and stood infront of the mirror.
"Dragonhide with that outfit, I should think," a voice said.
RJ looked around the room for where the voice was coming from, but he found no one. "Who's there?"
"Over here... yeah, that's it."
RJ turned to face the mirror and his eyes widened when he heard the mirror ding like a game show soundbyte. "You've got to be kidding me," he said, aloud. "The mirrors talk here, too? Jesus Christ on the fucking cross!"
"Oh stuff it, kid. Wear the dragon hide boots and get your cute arse down there to that boy!"
RJ grumbled as he sat down to pull on the boots and, with another wary glance at the mirror, he made his way out the portrait hole. He fussed with his chin length wavy hair and sighed. "Leave it to Gina to do this to me. Just bloody fantastic. And of course, it would have to be Draco. Now I'm going to look like a right idiot in all this. Damn it."
He quickly turned the corner and made his way into the Great Hall. He looked around and spotted Gina and Draco sitting at the long breakfast table with their morning coffee. He was thankful Draco's back was to him as he silently wished he could be out of the clothes.
Gina whistled as she noticed RJ walking towards them. Her eyes shining with amusement. "So glad to see you wearing the outfit I picked out, RJ."
"Oh shove off, Gina. I know you took the rest of my clothes so don't try and hide it," he grumbled, taking a seat next to Draco. He glanced over at the blonde's similar atire and shrugged.
"Well, you clean up rather well, Fannon." Draco said, regarding him over the top of his coffee mug. "My compliments on your style, Professor Vaughn."
"Why thank you, Mr. Malfoy. I see we have similar tastes in men's attire."
"Shit, I'm doomed," RJ sighed, looking around for his mug. "Dray, where's my mug? I thought you said I'd have coffee waiting."
"Stop your pouting, Princess Ralston. Get off your arse and get it yourself."
RJ rolled his eyes and made his way over to the coffee set and brought it back to the table. It was going to be a long day and he knew it. He decided two cups should be enough for the day.
"Damn, Dray. Is there some big sale going on in town or something?" RJ asked, rushing a bit to catch up with the longer legged teen.
"We wouldn't be late if you hadn't had to go back to your room to get your cloak," Draco said, his pace quicking.
"You're the one who insisted that I go get it," RJ argued, his hand reaching out to grab Draco's shoulder. "Dude, chill. It's ok. I'm sure we'll get to do everything you had planned"
"I reserved us a room at the Three Broomsticks for the day and I want to get there before they give it away. And... What did you say?"
"The what? Oh... yeah. Wait, that's a bar. Don't we have to be twenty-one to drink? What did I say when?"
Draco rolled his eyes. "Muggle-borns, I swear. And from America no less. Anyway, things are different here in the Wizarding World, Ralston. Do try and learn something during our outing. And to answer your next question, and I quote, 'Dude, chill... it's okay.'"
"Oh..." RJ thought for a moment as he walked in pace with Draco. He looked up at him and shrugged. "I'm not sure. It's just something I say. 'Dude, being you, calm down, everything's alright,' basically being it's meaning."
Draco shook his head and paused in front of the small tavern. He smiled and opened the door, ushering RJ inside. "Ladies first, you know."
RJ turned and cast a glare at Draco as he made his way further in the room.
"Madam Rosmerta, is my room still avaliable?" Draco asked, making his way to the bar.
"Yes, Draco, it is." The curvy woman behind the bar said, smiling. "And who's this young stud?" she asked, glancing over to RJ.
"He's a transfer from America. Ralston Fannon, Madam Rosmerta. Madam, Ralston."
"Please, call me RJ," he said, blushing slightly, but glaring at Draco. "I'd prefer it that way actually."
"Alright, RJ, Draco. Go on up. I'll have a few butterbeers sent up for ya. Room 3," she said, tossing a set of keys over the bar to Draco.
"Thanks, Rosie," he said, winking over at the witch, who was shaking her head.
RJ followed Draco across the bar area over to a staircase.
"You didn't get a room to try and seduce me, did you, Draco?" RJ asked, turning to the taller man.
Draco rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fannon, just... go upstairs. It's a sitting room, you miserable ponce."
"What's a ponce?"
"I'll explain later, Ralston. Just go up the stairs, damn it."
They pair walked up the narrow stairs and then down a hallway. Draco stopped in front of a door with an old bronze number three hanging on it.
"Here we are." Draco smiled and unlocked the door.
RJ walked into the room, his eyes taking in the surroundings. Soft light filtered in through the curtained windows that overlooked Hogsmeade. A small fire crackled and popped in the fireplace, giving off just enough heat to make the room comfortable. Two overstuff black chairs and a sofa were situated around a small table in front of the fireplace. The warm earth tones of the room gave off a comforting and soothing feeling to its occupants.
"There's no bed. Good, no seduction." RJ laughed, taking his cloak off and hanging it by the door. He walked over to the chairs and threw himself into the nearest one.
"And who's to say I'd even want to seduce you?"
RJ rolled his eyes. "Whatever Dray. What's a butterbeer?"
"It's what we're drinking. Why do you ask so many questions?"
"Why are you a right asshole all of a sudden?"
Draco shifted back in his seat and stared into the fire. "I'm sorry, RJ."
"It's fine. I'm sorry I ask so many questions, I just have no clue what's going on in this world. I'm so confused all the time. Just this morning the mirror in my bedroom started talking to me. Just... tell me what's wrong. I mean, you're the first friend I've made here and I just want to make sure everything's okay with you." RJ said, sitting up in his seat, his concerned eyes turned to Draco.
"You're the first friend I've made here, too," Draco said softly, his eyes focused on the fire. "That's why I wanted to bring you here today. There's some things I need to explain to you."
RJ sighed. "Dude, if you're gay. That's cool. I'm gay, too."
Draco's head snapped up and he looked at RJ in shock. His face slowly broke out into a smile and he chuckled. "Somehow, I knew that would happen."
"That what would happen? That I'd assume you're gay. Oh shit! I'm sorry, I totally didn't mean to..."
"Ralston! Shut up. No... what I meant was, you'd somehow say the right thing to ruin my brooding moods."
RJ raised his eyebrow over at his friend when a small pop sounded next to him. He turned and screamed in the face of a small, somewhat ugly, creature. "What the fuck is that?"
"It's a house elf, calm down. Thank you. Sorry," he said to the small creature as he took the case of butterbeers from it. The house elf sniffed and looked at RJ before disappearing from the room with anothere pop.
"Did I do something wrong? That little shit scared the fuck out of me."
"As if I couldn't already tell," Draco drawled. "And normally we try not to scream in the faces of our service."
RJ threw his hands up in the air. "How was I supposed to know? Dray, I've only been here for two months."
Draco sighed and handed RJ a butterbeer. "Here, this is butterbeer. And I can tell you've only been here for two months," he said, rolling his eyes.
"Just forget it, Dray. What did you bring me here to say?" RJ asked, twisting off the top of the drink and taking a small sip. He smiled to himself, the tatse was somewhat like a cross between butterscotch and cream soda.
"There are some things you need to understand about my past before term starts."
"I suppose you're going to tell me you're the biggest bully of the school and all the other kids fear you because you're supposedly evil." RJ laughed, taking another drink from the bottle in his hands.
"Well, right in one. Impressive," Draco said, dryly.
"You're not serious, Dray. You? Evil?" RJ laughed loudly, almost spilling his drink down the front of his shirt.
"Watch yourself, Fannon. I was put into Slytherin for a reason, you know."
"Why? Because you're a screaming queen who couldn't bear the thought of being in a different House?"
"No, because my father was a Death Eater," Draco said, quietly.
"Wait! Did you just say what I think you said? Your father was a Death Eater?" RJ stared at Draco, his face slack with shock.
"Yes, was. He was sentenced to Azkaban in my fifth year because of the bloody Boy-Who-Lived."
"Oh, you mean Harry Potter! I know who he is!"
"Don't say his name! Everyone knows who he is, Ralston. Misrable little prat," Draco groaned, shaking his head. "But that's not the point. My point is, I have the reputation of a Death Eater at Hogwarts. The Golden Trio even dubbed me a Death Eater in training. And I won't change."
"What do you mean you won't change?" RJ asked, setting his bottle down on the table between them. "Do you want to be seen as the big bully of Hogwarts?"
"Ralston, it's my final year here. I've been this way for six years, I can't exactly suddenly change over a summer. And the only summer that I've spent here, none the less. The other Slytherin's will think I'm a ponce."
"What is a ponce, anyway?" RJ asked, a small smirk growing on his face.
"It's you, dumbass."
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"A farie, queen, fag. Tink! A gay guy! How clueless can you be?"
"I swear, Dray, if you call me that again, I'll..."
"Do shut it, Tink. There's a bit more than that. Not to mention the fact that if I acted the way I act around you during school, I'd probably get turned over to You-Know-Who,"
"Who?"
"You-Know-Who, you know... Voldemort."
"Oh him. Yeah, what about it?" RJ said, shrugging.
"What about it? Lord Voldemort is the most powerful dark wizard in the world and you're just going to say 'oh him.'" Draco said, his eyes wide with shock. "He can kill you with a single curse and you're just going to brush it off like it's no big deal."
"Drake, it's not really a big deal to me. I'm new to this world. The things that scare you don't scare me. But, the things that are normal to you scare the shit out of me. Back where I'm from, people die in their sleep without ever knowing someone's trying to kill them." RJ said, his eyes darkening with rage.
"Why do I have the feeling I struck a chord with you?" Draco asked, his eyes filled with curiousity and concern.
"You have, Dray," RJ said, shaking his head slightly.
"What happened?" Draco asked, his eyes filled with concern.
RJ closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He opened them again and focused on the fire, not wanting Draco to see the fresh pain in them. "My parents, well... my adoptive parents. No... they were my parents. Those fuck heads who gave me up don't deserve to be called my parents. Anyway, they died. Someone snuck into our garage and turned on both cars and left them running overnight. The car exaust sufficated them."
"Where were you? Why weren't you harmed?" Draco asked quietly, not wanting to disrupt RJ's memory.
"I was with my best friend, Gabe, his boyfriend, Joe, and Gabe's sister, Ez. I didn't even know it at the time, but I saw the whole thing." RJ said, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"If you weren't there, how could you have seen it?" Draco asked, innocently curious.
"I had a vision, but I thought it was just because of the pot."
"Did you get hit on the head or something?"
RJ chuckled slightly, a small smile forming on his face. He knew that if not for anything else, he could rely on Draco to brighten his dark moods somehow. "No, marijuana. It's a Muggle drug."
Draco nodded, waiting for RJ to continue. When he didn't, Draco leaned forward in his chair and sighed.
"When Saint Potter sent my father to Azkaban I was finally free. I didn't have to take the Dark Mark anymore, I didn't have to be an arrogent prick. But then, that... fuck head, as you so aptly used, Voldemort, killed my mother. Tortured her right in front of me. I was lucky Sev was there or else I wouldn't be here."
"So basically we're both orphans," RJ said, a sad smile on his face.
"Basically." Draco shrugged. "No wonder we were such fast friends."
"Birds of a feather stick together."
Draco glanced over at RJ with a confused look on his face.
RJ chuckled and shook his head. "It's a Muggle thing, Dray."
Harry sat near the fire, a copy of the Animagus book in his lap. He looked up and rubbed his eyes under his glasses. He turned and looked at Ron who sat engrossed in the same book in the chair opposite him.
"How's it coming, boys?" Hermione asked, placing a tray of pumpkin juice and popcorn on the table between them. "You think you're ready?"
"I think so, Mione. Are Mr. and Mrs. W. in bed?" Harry said, turning to the witch and smiling.
Ron looked up at the family clock. "Yeah, Mum just fell asleep."
Harry jumped up from the armchair and smiled. "Let's do it tonight. We're all ready, aren't we?"
Ron shrugged. "I'm ready, I think. I'll listen to the incantation first before I go."
"Alright, I've been ready for ages. Let's go then," Hermione said, turning and walking out into the garden.
"Fine then, if you've been ready for so long, why don't you go first, Mione?" Ron said, crossing his arms over his chest.
Hermione just smiled and shrugged. "Works fo rme."
Harry and Ron stepped back and gave Hermione ample room to transform. She called out the incantation, her wand pointed to herself. As she finished speaking, she saw a bright blue light shoot out of her wand and hit her between the eyes. She clamped her mouth shut to keep herself from screaming as the changes shifted through her body.
Harry and Ron's eyes widened as they say her body shrink then suddenly fly up into the air as a large owl.
"An owl, I almost figured as much," Ron said, laughing as Hermione hooted at them from above.
Harry smiled as he watched her fly in circles around them. "Come on down, Hermione."
Hermione landed on his shoulder before carefully nipping his ear, hooting softly. She gracefully took off once more and landed in the spot where she was previously standing and transformed back into her human form.
"That was bloody cool! I was serioulsy flying! No broom or anything!" She said, running up to the two boys and hugging them tightly.
"Alright Ron, you next." Harry said, pushing Ron forward.
"Bugger! Why do I have to go next?"
"Because I said so, now go! You've had a month and a half. Let's do this!"
"Fine, Harry." Ron grumbled something under his breath and started off to the transformation spot. He reached into his pocket for his wand and sighed. Once the incantation was said a bright red light flew from the tip of his wand to his heart. He shook slightly as he felt the magic begin to effect his body.
"I wonder what he'll turn into," Hermione whispered to Harry. "I haven't the foggiest notion..."
Harry gasped as he saw the small red fox in the space that Ron once occupied. He smiled and turned to Hermione. "So far, everyone's fits. You as an owl for your knowledge. Ron as a fox for his cunning. I'm kinda worried what I'll be. Most likely, a black cat. They say they have the worst luck, don't they?"
Hermione only chuckled and shook her head. "You're impossible, Harry," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Harry, your turn. Let's see what your form is," Ron said, walking back up to the group after he had transformed again.
Harry nodded and stepped away from his two friends. He closed his eyes and spoke the incantation. He felt the magic surround him and quickly absorb into his skin. His body felt like it was on fire as he shifted down onto all fours. He slowly opened his eyes and looked over at Hermione and Ron before letting out a loud roar.
"The lion of Gryffindor. How fitting." Hermione said, smiling over at Ron.
Harry quickly changed back and smiled. "Sweet. So we have a fox, an owl, and a lion. Interesting."
"Now you know, we'll have to register ourselves with the Ministry," Hermione said, beginning to walk back into the Burrow.
Ron and Harry exchanged a look behind her back.
"Of course, Mione. We'll do that when we go for our school books," Harry said, a small smirk on his face.
Hermione quickly whipped around and faced them. "Don't even try and fool me, Harry Potter. You have no intention of ever informing the Ministry of your newest ability."
Harry suddenly turned serious. "You're right, Mione. I don't. Honestly, because there are too many spies for Voldemort located within the Ministry. I don't want that information to get to him until I'm ready for him to have it."
Hermione scowled for a moment before nodding her head. "I understand your logic. I may not like it, but it's the truth. Are you going to inform Dumbledore?"
"No. And that's it. End of discussion."
Hermione sighed and nodded. As much as she would have liked to talk him out of it, she knew his mind was made up and there was no way to change it.
RJ quietly shut the portrait door behind him, not wanting to wake Gina, who was asleep on the couch, and alert her of his entrance. He had just returned to Hogwarts when Dumbledore had caught him in the halls and brought him up to his office. At first RJ was scared he would be kicked out of his new home for breaking his curfew with Draco, but Dumbledore had never mentioned his late arrival back. Quite the opposite, in fact, Dumbledore was inviting him to meet with a few other Hogwarts students and leave the castle for a while. While RJ entertained the idea of leaving Hogwarts until the beginning of term, he realized he didn't want to leave Draco or Gina behind. In the end he had told Dumbledore, 'no thanks', and went on his way down to his chambers.
"And just where do you think you're trying to sneak off to, Peanut?" Gina asked, her eyes still closed as if she was asleep.
"Nowhere, Gina. I was just coming back in. I was in Hogsmeade with Dray, then Dumbledore caught me in the hall and took me back to his office. And please don't call me, Peanut," RJ said, dropping the bags he had from the few stores he had stopped in with Draco on their way home.
"What did Professor Dumbledore want?" she asked, opening her eyes and sitting up on the couch to look over at RJ. "And what did you buy?"
RJ rolled his eyes. "He invited me to another student's home for the rest of summer holidays. He said I passed the OWLS exam I took earlier this week and I was mostly caught up with the incoming 7th years, so I had earned the rest of the summer off. I'm supposed to be taking a few night lessons when term begins to finish catching me up."
"And..." Gina said, expectantly.
RJ sighed and picked up the bags from the floor. "Dray made me buy them," he explained, holding up the two pairs of leather pants and three more shirts.
"Finally, the beginnings of a decent wordrobe," she said, nodding her head. "So, when will you leaving for your trip?"
"I'm not. I didn't really want to leave you or Draco. I mean, you're the closest thing I have to family anymore. And you're only my old babysitter. And what's going to happen at the school and everything. I mean, we just up and disappeared. Isn't anyone going to wonder where we went? What about my friends, my Gabe? I'll never see them again." RJ's eyes filled with tears. "I don't want to leave you. I'm afraid I'll lose you, too."
Gina stood and rushed over to him, wrapping him in her arms. She stoked his hair and held him while he sobbed. She waited until he quieted down before she held him at arms length.
"You're not without a family, Ralston."
"I know what you're going to say, Gina. 'I'm your family now, and I'll never leave you.' But that's the same thing the Fannons said to me when they explained where I came from and now they're gone," he said, the tears beginning to flow.
She held him to her as she moved them to the couch. She sat him down and kissed him on the forehead. "I'll be right back, RJ. I'm going to get us some tea."
RJ looked up at her and nodded, sniffling. He took his wand from the waistband of his jeans and cast a charm on the fire to increase the heat. He was too engrossed with the dancing flames to notice Gina return with two cups of tea in her hands and a tea kettle floating behind. She placed a cup in his hands and smiled down at him.
"Ralston, when I said you're not without family, I meant that literally," she said, taking a seat next to him.
"If you even tell me you're my sister, I'll flip the fuck out." RJ said evenly, staring down into his tea.
"I'm not your sister. I'm your aunt." Gina smiled slightly, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you Roger's sister, or Alice's?"
"I'm not related to the Fannons, Ralston. I'm related to you. I'm your aunt."
"Wait!" RJ stood and stared down at Gina, pain and betrayal in his eyes. "Are you telling me, you know my birth parents and you've never told me anything about them? Where they are, why they haven't tried to contact me. Why the fuck they left me on the Fannons' doorstep almost seventeen years ago!" He threw the cup into the fire and turned on his heel. "No! Don't even bother answering that! I don't want to hear anything from you right now. I'm leaving tonight to take Dumbledore up on his offer. I'll see you at the beginning of term. And that's if I've even thought of forgiving you by then."
Gina sat on the couch, her mouth slightly open. "Ralston Jeremiah!"
RJ shook his head and walked into his room, shutting the door and warding it. He threw open his wardrobe and began to pack everything in a large trunk he found waiting for him in his room. RJ shook his head. "That man knows way too much."
He quickly pulled off the leather pants and the turtleneck throwing them in the trunk. RJ quickly pulled on a pair of loose jeans and a sweatshirt before opening the door to his room and brushing past Gina.
"Ralston, wait! You do have a brother and a sister!"
RJ turned on his heel and glared daggers at her. "That was the wrong thing to say to me right now, Gina. I'll see you when I see you." He opened the portrait door and slammed it behind him. He placed his back against the portrait and slid down to the floor, tears flowing freely from his eyes. He stared off into space for a moment before standing and shaking his head. He wanted to get as far away from Gina as he could right now, and if that meant sacrificing his time with Draco, then so be it.
A/N: Well readers... another chapter in RJ's story is written. And since I've gotten so far ahead with my writings, I've decided to post another chapter right away. So on to Chapter 5!Please Read and Review-LGB