Next Chapter!
I want to thank all of those lovely people who found it in there heart to review the last chapter, even though I thought it was really bad.
Tylor. Thank you for your response of this chapter. I hope you enjoy all others as much. Keep reading and reviewing.
Marzipan. I've posted. I've posted.
Asaroth69. Don't worry. The denial won't last much longer.
Dragons Lover. I was wondering where you were. Thank you so much.
Gia. Continued. Continued.
chibidark angel. Thank you for the essay in a review. I love when people write their views like this.
Red dragon. Slash will be on the way!
S Wing. I'm glad you find it interesting.
By the way, I actually didn't mean for Hermione to be totally disliked by all so much. I was just so sick of reading her as the understanding type. Reading Aja's Love Under Will showed me a slightly different Hermione. Don't get me wrong. I like the understanding Hermione, I just wanted to try something different. (And I felt bad for Ron, always being portrayed as the bad guy!)
Well, here we go. I do not own the amazingly famous franchise known as Harry Potter. All I own Is my Harry Potter notepad and my Harry Potter folder.(Full of Anime pics!)
DARKNESS OR LIGHT. WHAT IS YOUR CHOICE?
Chapter 14 - The Day Before Halloween
Harry stood in the centre of the Gryffindor common room in the early hours of the morning, holding his wand in his hand, arms out, eyes closed and speaking quietly to himself.
"Relax. Breathe. Concentrate. I can do this." Swishing and flicking his wand, he began to chant.
"By use of my mind and use of my blood
Send me his thoughts and show what's inside
With two minds connected and powers in synch
Let me become him and help turn the tide."
Nothing. Not a flicker of an image. He sighed and pocketed his wand. Why was it that he only saw images when he wasn't trying? When he didn't want to? He had another dream the night before. He was standing in another village, screams and cries had filled the air and he could smell and see fire and smoke. These images and sounds were bad on their own, but while staring at the burning buildings, he saw a figure facing him, standing in the ruins. The face was not visible but all other aspects were. The figure was dressed in black. Black trousers, black top and a black cloak. The feet were bare and long straight black hair fell past the shoulders. The figure was silent, just facing him and not moving. As he stared, a cold, high laugh began and a name began to chant through the air. It got louder and faster until Harry had woken up shouting that name in the quiet dorm room.
"Vin." He whispered. "Who is that?" He flopped into a chair, staring into the fire. It was strange that he felt as if he should know who that person was. He got such a familiar feeling while standing, facing him but it wasn't a safe feeling. It was painful and scary.
"Harry?"
Harry groaned. Hermione.
"Yes 'Mione? What is it." He didn't feel up to dealing with Hermione at the moment. The guilt he was feeling about kissing two boys in the space of a few hours was still fresh in his mind and staring into her worried eyes made him feel bad. He most definitely did not want to see Ron at that moment either.
"How are you this morning?" She sat down in a chair next to him and reached out a hand to touch his shoulder. "You went to bed pretty early last night, before I had finished talking to Professor McGonagall."
"I was tired," Harry sighed, not really caring that his answer was a little abrupt. He stared back at his girlfriend with a self mocking smile. As far as he was concerned, he didn't have the right to call her that anymore but he didn't want to break up with her. As much as his emotions were confused at the moment, he did really care for Hermione and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.
"Anyway, did McGonagall agree to your extra credit assignments?"
"Yes," she replied, sitting forward in her chair. "Well, only for Arithmancy and Transfiguration."
Harry sighed again and closed his eyes, leaning back into the cushions of his chair. Schoolwork. He hadn't put any enthusiasm into schoolwork since he and Blaise had made the Memory Remake potion for their coursework. Incidentally, Snape had actually gave him quite a good grade for that one but all of his other work was failing. He blamed his grade problem on Draco. The guy was constantly on his mind, the kisses they had shared popping into his mind at opportune moments, like class.
The whole scheme of avoidance he had been trying to establish wasn't working for him. After the kiss he had shared with Draco in the Quidditch stands, Harry seriously debated never stepping foot outside the Gryffindor tower again. It was still hard to believe that Draco had kissed him in front of Pansy and Ron without a trace of embarrassment or self remorse. Harry also couldn't believe that he actually responded the way that he did, like he was enjoying it.
He was startled out of his reminisce when he felt a pressure on his lap. Surprised, he saw Hermione sit across him, her arms across his chest and her face in his neck.
"Wha.... What are you doing?! Harry let out a sound of a man being strangled and the girl on his lap raised her eyes and stared at him coyly.
"You've been too tense lately," she answered with a gentle smile. "I'm just helping you relax, that's all." She then bent her head down and began to kiss his neck.
Harry didn't know what to do. He supposed it was normal in a relationship for a pair to do this, but to him, it felt wrong. He felt uncomfortable and nervous but he made no move to stop her and she went right on, continuing to kiss his neck over the hollow of his throat. He sat on his chair rigidly, hands clasped to the armrests and back straight.
"Hermione. You down here?" Harry heard the voice of Lavender Brown call from the staircase. "Your cat has shredded your potions homework! It's scattered all over your bed. I tried to stop him but he just clawed me" At this, Hermione sat up, staring in the direction of Lavenders voice.
"WHAT?" she shrieked, making Harry wince in pain. Hermione scrambled out of his lap and scrambled to and up the staircase to the dorm rooms without a backwards glance.. Harry breathed a sigh of relief and stood up. He heard the door which lead to the girls dorm room slam shut then heard another door open.
"Harry?" The questioning voice came down the staircase.
Harry didn't answer. If there was one person he was annoyed with at that moment, it was Ron! His supposedly 'best friend' who didn't lift a finger to pull Draco away when he was being attacked with a tongue. He walked over to the portrait hole and pushed the back of the painting, letting himself out of the common room quickly and headed down to breakfast.
~~
Draco knew before he even opened his eyes, that he had been talking in his sleep. He had woken himself up after a particularly load moan had emanated from his mouth. Blinking, he stared at his curtains blearily, wishing he could go back to sleep. He pulled himself up slightly and he heard muted whispers from across the dorm room mention his name.
"So, who's name was he calling?" That was Blaise
"I'm not sure. He moaned it more like, very loudly but it was distorted." That was Crabbe.
"Yes. I woke up to his moaning and when I checked on him, he was rolling around under the bedclothes. "Goyle." I could hear him mutter a name but who's name he was saying was unclear."
Draco cursed to himself. He decided that he had better start using a silencing charm around his bed from now on and maybe a locking charm on his curtains to stop unwanted people peering at him while he slept.
"Hey Draco. Are you awake yet?" Blaise called from across the room.
Draco grunted in response and leaned back against the headboard, pushing hair out of his eyes. It was Monday., the only school day before Halloween this week. Tuesday and Wednesday were days off and it was back to classes on Thursday. Tuesday was the day of Draco's 'night of seduction.' He groaned. Why on earth did he agree to do this? Harry would just try to run from him again, even if he was locked inside a hotel room. He would probably jump out of the hotel room window if he had half the chance.
"Come on Draco. You'll be late." Blaise pulled open the curtains around his bed and Draco growled at him menacingly.
"What have I told you about opening my curtains?" Draco threw back the bedclothes and stumbled out of bed. "Never touch them." He advanced on Blaise, who backed away with his palm's out in a placating manner.
"Whoa there Draco. I just need your advice on something."
"What am I? Editor of the help pages?" Draco muttered, pushing past Blaise and heading towards the bathroom. "What's the problem? No wait." Draco swirled on his heel and turned to the brown haired boy. "Ask me around lunchtime. Maybe then I'll be awake enough to listen." With that, he turned around again and entered the bathroom, closing the door after him.
It was about half an hour later when Draco entered the great hall for breakfast. The Slytherin table was full but he managed to squeeze a seat next to Pansy, who oddly wasn't sitting at the Gryffindor table with Ron that morning.
"Why are you here Parkinson? I thought you were stuck to Ron's hip just lately!" Draco sneered, grabbing a plate and throwing a few pieces of bacon and some sausages onto it. Parkinson gave him a look which clearly stated. 'what's with you this morning?' Draco shrugged at her and stuck a fork into one of the sausages.
"Ron is trying to make peace with Harry." Parkinson explained, leaning back on the bench. "After the fiasco you caused a yesterday afternoon on the Quidditch stands, Harry wont talk to him."
"I suppose Ron isn't talking to me either." Draco bit into his sausage, chewed and swallowed before continuing. "I screwed up royally. What a day."
"I'll say." Parkinson sipped her pumpkin juice. "Don't worry. Ron is still on speaking terms with you. The plan of seduction is still going ahead tomorrow."
"Who's worried? Draco sighed. "I'd rather it wasn't." He began to swirl his bacon around his plate. "You do realise how stupid the whole idea is?" Parkinson stared at him and he just stared right back. She had a thoughtful look on her face, then she smiled.
"It may be stupid, but it might just work." She downed her pumpkin juice and stood up, gathering her books into her arms. "Have a little faith Draco. Do you have any better ideas?"
Draco put a hand over his eyes and shook his head in a negative. "No, I guess not."
"Well, I'm going now. I've got Muggle Studies." Draco heard her move away, then he removed the hand covering his eyes and on a reflex, looked over at the Gryffindor table. Harry and Ron were in a discussion. Apparently they had resolved their differences and Ron was now telling him about Halloween. He shuddered. He didn't know whether he wanted tomorrow night to hurry up or take forever, but for right now, he had to get to Arithmancy.
He couldn't focus. The puzzle in front of him was just that. A puzzle! He absently noticed everyone else scribbling away on their scrolls, trying at least to solve it but Draco didn't even pick up his quill. He stared at the parchment in front of him, looking through it.
The ache that had been tormenting him for weeks had faded slightly when he had kissed Harry that night on the Quidditch pitch and he had been just left with longing. The ache had returned and he had eased it by kissing Harry in the Quidditch stands, or so he had thought. His chest was hurting again, right at that moment, distracting him from everything apart from the thoughts of Harry. The kisses weren't enough. He needed more, wanted more. He wanted Harry to respond to him. To return his emotions, his kisses.
"Draco Malfoy." Professor Lawson had halted in his pacing the Arithmancy classroom directly in front of Draco's desk. Have you already solved the puzzle, or should I take it that you weren't even trying?"
Draco started, then bowed his head and stared at the desk. "Sorry Professor Lawson," he muttered. "I was occupied." The Professor stared down at him with a smile. After Snape, Professor Lawson was his favourite teacher in Hogwarts. He had a wry sense of humour and was very understanding to his students.
"I could see that. Are you okay? Do you need help?" Professor Lawson leaned on Draco's desk and stared at him. "Your looking rather peaky Mr Malfoy. Maybe you need to see the nurse?"
"No. I'm fine." Draco picked up his puzzle and stared at it, trying to make sense of the figures on it. After a few moments, the Professor walked away and Draco sighed, then spent the rest of the class puzzling over the puzzle.
His mind was occupied all of the way up to lunch, leaving him feeling disorientated and tired. He sat down in the Great Hall and rested his head on his arms.
"Can we talk now?"
"Huh?" Draco looked up blearily from his spot at the dining table to see Blaise standing over him agitatedly. "What about?"
"You said this morning that you would listen, remember?" Blaise grabbed his arm and pulled him out of his seat and out of the Great Hall.
"Oh year. I forgot." Draco shook the sleep out of his eyes. "Editor of the help pages!" He followed Blaise down the corridor, into an empty room. "So what can I do for you?" Blaise closed the door to the room and leaned on it.
"Well, its about Harry."
Draco, who had been yawning and rubbing his eyes with his fingertips, suddenly snapped to attention. "What about Harry?" he asked suspiciously. Blaise stared at him, a smile on his face.
"Last night, just after I left you at the dinner table, I followed Harry to the entrance hall. After few minutes, he let me kiss him!"
"WHAT?" Draco was furious. His temper got the better of him and he dove at the taller boy, grasping him by the collar and slamming him against the wall hard. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, HE LET YOU KISS HIM?" He knew he was practically screaming but he didn't care. He didn't remember the last time he felt so angry.
"Draco!" He felt arms encircle his waist from behind and saw hands removing his own from Blaise's shoulders. He was pulled away from Blaise and he landed in a heap on the floor and spotted Ron leaning over his shoulder. "What the hell is going on?" He asked, breathing heavily. Draco noticed Parkinson holding her hands against Blaise's torso, a worried look on her face.
"He... He... He..." Draco stuttered out. He pointed a shaking finger at Blaise and ground out. "He kissed Harry. I'll kill him. I'll...."
"Calm down Draco." Ron placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently. "I think it would be best if you let Blaise finish what he was saying before you kill him, okay!"
Draco nodded and looked up at Blaise who had a wide eyed expression on his face.
"Oh my...." Blaise whispered. "You are the other guy! You were the one he mentioned yesterday. You were the other guy who kissed him!"
"What did he tell you?" Draco hissed, glaring at Blaise. Ron kept hold of him and Pansy kept a hold of Blaise, making sure neither of them escaped. Escape wasn't on Draco's mind though, killing Blaise was!
"He told me he was testing a theory!" Blase said mutinously. At those words, Ron began to choke with laughter, shaking against Draco's back.
"He... Told... You... That?" Ron gasped out. "Oh that's classic!"
"What's classic?" Draco turned his head to look at Ron. "What do you mean?"
Ron reigned in his laughter and stared down at Draco. "That was what Blaise said to him, that evening in the potions classroom." He said quietly. "When Harry erased his memory, remember."
Draco nodded, then turned back to Blaise. "Okay, continue," he said, relaxing slightly." Blaise gave him and Ron a confused look, then continued.
"It was a theory on whether he liked to kiss boys or not."
At this, Ron began to snigger again and Draco elbowed him in the ribs, making him gasp in pain, then stared at Blaise. "Well, what was his answer?"
"He said that he didn't like guys in that way. That he was not gay. He was lying, I could tell." Blaise stared at Draco with an inquisitive look. "You like Harry, don't you?"
Draco opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. Why should he tell Blaise anything?
'Because he is your friend and he will have an excuse to go after Harry if you don't say anything' His inner voice said mockingly.
"No, I don't," he finally replied. He looked over his shoulder again and saw that Ron had opened his mouth, ready to protest and raised his hand to stop him. "I love Harry and he is mine, therefore, I won't tolerate you attempting to flirt with him."
The room went silent! He could see Blaise staring at him with an open mouth and Parkinson was smiling. Ron squeezed his shoulder and then let him go.
"Well, I thing Blaise has gotten the message." Ron broke the silence and stood up, beckoning Parkinson over to him. We're heading to Hagrid's for lesson. See you in a bit. One request, no killing." Parkinson slipped her hand in his and they both left the classroom, leaving Blaise and Draco staring at each other in strained silence.
"Well.." Blaise began, his face melancholy. "I guess I'll go too." He pushed away from the wall and made towards the door, but Draco's voice stopped him.
"I mean what I said Blaise. You wont have Harry. He is mine!" He watched as Blaise stopped at the door with tense shoulders, obviously upset about how things had turned out.
"I understand Draco," he whispered. "I'll leave him be. He doesn't like me like that anyway." Blaise then turned to face Draco with a very strained smile. "Draco, while telling me that he wasn't gay, there was something telling me that what he was saying wasn't entirely true. He's definitely in denial and I think you are the person he likes." Blaise turned back to the door and left the room, calling "Good luck" over his shoulder.
Draco slumped against the wall and sighed. Today was turning into a very strange and unnerving day!
~~
Harry watched as Blaise pulled Draco out of his seat at the dining table and pull him out of the door. He turned to Ron, whom he had decided to talk to again. (He had lost the argument with him. Ron had stated that he tried to stop Draco coming up the stairs, then he was too shocked to move. By the time he could, Harry had already ran! There was truth in this. He remembered Ron's voice telling Draco that it wasn't a good idea.)
"What's going on?" he asked. "Draco looks dead on his feet and Blaise looks anxious."
"Dunno." Ron replied, also staring at the now closed doors. "I'll go and check."
"I'll go with you." Pansy stood up from her seat next to Ron and they both headed out of the Great Hall. Hermione mumbled something from her seat across from Harry but he couldn't make out the words.
"What was that?" Harry asked. Hermione shook her head and smiled at him.
"Nothing. So, what happened between you and Ron? He was pretty depressed this morning when I found him in the common room." Harry looked at her and shook his head.
"Nothing of importance 'Mione. I just got something wrong and he corrected me on it." Harry looked down at his plate which was practically empty apart from a few beans and half a sausage. He had found a way to counter attack Hermione's mothering him about his eating habits. Arrive earlier than her, put a little bit of food onto his plate, move it around a little and then take small bites when she arrived, making it look like he had just finished. It had worked so far but she was still suspicious. He admitted he was feeling slightly weaker and he was definitely not hungry and it daunted him that thee first Gryffindor Quidditch match was coming up just after Halloween.
"Harry! Harry?" He was staring at a waving hand in front of his face and stared past it to see a concerned Hermione staring at him. The hand in front of his face belonged to Seamus.
"Hey mate. Are you okay?" Seamus removed his hand and smiled. "You were completely out of it."
"Yeah. Fine." Harry stood up and grabbed his bag. "I'm finished. Shall we go?"
Seamus and Hermione nodded. Seamus rose to grab Dean, and Hermione and Harry headed to the doors.
"Are you sure that you are okay Harry?" Hermione reached out and grasped his hand in hers. He hesitated for a moment, then squeezed it.
"I'm fine. I'm just really tired." He emphasized the point by yawning widely, realizing he really was tired, not just saying it. Hermione still looked concerned but let it pass. They waited outside the doors for Seamus and Dean then the four of them headed outside to Care Of Magical Creatures.
~~
If he had been with it, he would have realised that he had yawed about ten times while Hagrid was talking. All he did know was that he hadn't heard a single word that Hagrid had said and he got Hermione to repeat everything from the beginning.
"Honestly Harry, you should have gone to sleep last night." Hermione had scolded him. "Going to bed early is one thing, but not sleeping is another."
"I know." Harry yawned again. "I don't know why but I don't seem to be tired at night." He rubbed his eyes. "Mental stress!" He muttered to himself.
After two attempts to feed sugar to the winged horse they were studying and succeeding in poking it in the nose and the eye, Hagrid made him leave class early to get some sleep to help him stop acting like a walking hazard. He had stepped on Lavenders toe, pushed Millicent into Dean, making them topple over and kicking a clod of mud into Pansy's hair. Through her giggling, Hermione agreed with Hagrid and shooed him from class.
As it was the last lesson of the day, Harry decided to sit by the lake with the book he was studying. The afternoon was warm, strange for a late October day and Harry stretched luxuriously and yawned. When he reached the nice secluded part of the lake, by a large tree, he spotted a red headed girl sitting under it, writing something in her folder.
"Ginny?" Harry stopped by her and sat down. "What are you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be in class?"
The red haired girl looked up at him and smiled. "I could ask you the same thing Harry." She closed her folder and stared at him. "This is my period off. I've got Transfiguration in a few minutes." She leaned back against the tree and stared at Harry, who got the point and responded.
"They sent me out of class early because I was tired," Harry smiled. "I thought I'd come and relax out here." He then turned his head and stared out over the lake. "I just need my own space sometimes you know."
"Yes, I do"
Harry turned back to see Ginny staring at her lap, her hair covering her eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Are you happy Harry?" Ginny raised her head and stared at him. Harry made to answer that positively but he was cut off. "I want a real answer. I want you to think about if after I've said my piece."
Harry stared at her in surprise, not hearing this tone from Ginny before. Dumbly, he nodded in affirmation.
"Ever since you started dating Hermione, you've been nervous, edgy. You hardly ever smile when you are with her or not. Just recently, you've been even more spacey than usual, thinking about things I presume. There are times during your space case moments, when a dreamy smile appears on your face. This doesn't last though, because then, a worried look replaces it."
"You're pretty observant." Harry acknowledged wryly. Ginny nodded.
"I always am when it comes to you," she replied. Her hands reached out and grasped the sides of his face and she pulled herself forward until she was face to face with him. "Well Harry? Are you happy?"
Harry stared into her brown eyes, the reply of yes in his mind. "No," was said. He was surprised that it came out against his will. Ginny gave him a knowing look and Harry felt a need to explain himself and opened his mouth to do so. He stopped when Ginny shook her head and smiled at him.
"You don't need to say anything Harry," she whispered. It's okay. Just, please try to find what does make you happy, grasp it and don't let go." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, right on the edge of his lips, then leaned her forehead on the same spot. "Be happy Harry."
Harry watched as she got up and ran back across the grass towards the castle, then he leaned back in the grass, closing his eyes and sighing. He wasn't happy? Did everyone see it or was it just Ginny? No, Ron had mentioned it too. He was too tired to reflect on it more and he soon dozed off into a light sleep.
~~
Draco headed in the same direction that Harry had gone fifteen minutes earlier. He had looked so tired and phased out during the lesson but had found it highly amusing, watching him have klutz attacks. Ron had suggested after lesson that he see if Harry was okay and that he would keep Granger occupied for a while. Draco agreed readily, the pain in his chest not having subsided in the slightest.
He reached the lake, then turned, the large oak tree coming into sight at once and also, the figure lying asleep under it. Harry. Draco let out a breath and crept forwards quietly. He noticed that Harry was asleep on his back, arms behind his head and one knee was bent, his foot on the ground. He seemed to be in a light sleep and his eyelids were twitching behind his glasses, which he had forgotten to take off.
Draco's heart stopped. He wanted to touch the boy in front of him so badly that he couldn't stop himself kneeling on the ground and crawling towards him. He reached out and removed the glassed from Harry's face. This gentle touch made Harry mumble and fidget, nearly waking up. Draco pulled his wand from his pocked and performed a sleep spell. Harry settled down again, falling into a deep sleep. Draco sighed and put his wand back into his pocket, along with Harry's glasses, then reached out and touched his face with trembling fingers. Silk was what Harry's skin felt like on his cheekbones and his chin felt slightly rough due to a sprinkling of stubble. Draco knew that this was wrong but he couldn't seem to find it in him to stop. Harry was like a drug!
His trembling fingers unbuttoned the top of Harry's robes and pushed them open, revealing his shirt and tie. The tie was un-knotted and the shirt was unbuttoned and pushed away, revealing Harry's naked torso and the half circle snake necklace that he had seen before. Nearly moaning with want, Draco leaned down and kissed Harry's collarbone, his tongue tracing the bone to the hollow of his throat. He then proceeded to nibble on his Adams Apple. His hands stroked down Harry's chest, brushing over his nipples down to his waist. It was then that Draco came back to himself and sat up. This wasn't helping his lust for Harry at all. Harry was asleep and unresponsive to his emotions. He wanted Harry to want this. To be awake and experiencing it.
Numbly, Draco re-buttoned Harry's shirt, did up his tie then fastened his robe, his hands still shaking slightly and the pain in his chest affecting his breathing.
"Tomorrow Harry." Draco leaned down until his lips were level with Harry's. Tomorrow we will see what I can do to get you to admit your feelings." He touched Harry's lips with a chaste kiss, then got up and walked away, back towards the castle. He totally forgot that Harry's glasses were still inside his robes pocket.....
Okay. The next chapter is finished finally and it is the longest I've done. Please review it. I'm trying to reach 100.
Also, next chap involves a hotel room. How should I do this? I want to slash it, but not fully. Harry is not ready for that. If someone could tell me how to do this, I would be very grateful. As I've said, I'm not good at romance scenes.
Well, see you next chapter
Love
Rie
xx