~And It Begins~
Hermione sat down next to Ron and turned around expecting to see Harry following her. She was surprised when all she saw was the wall behind her.
"Uh... Ron? Where did Harry go?" she looked across the room toward the Slytherin table, "In fact, where is Draco also?"
Ron kind of shook his head, "Probably took a wrong turn."
"Oh, Ron, how could they take a wrong turn just to get to the Great Hall? They were right behind us and they've been here for sev..." Hermione stopped at the look Ron was giving her. She began to flush as meaning took hold, "Oh."
Shouting could be heard just right outside the Great Hall doors.
Ron gave Hermione a second glance, "Or they could be ripping each other's throats out."
Hermione looked worried, "But, they were just fine a minute ago! What could make them start fighting?!"
The whole hall became quiet at the noise.
"Since everyone wants to know," Ron started, "We could just listen and find out."
Just as Ron said that, the Great Hall doors burst open. Harry and Draco came stomping in, red faced, looking as if flames were about to shoot right out of their mouths.
"You're nothing but an egotistical snot-nosed brat!" Harry yelled.
"Compared to being everyone's Golden Boy?! You have room to talk," Draco returned the anger ten fold.
Hermione gasped, Ron was shaking his head and muttering something about thinking it was women he didn't understand, and from across the hall Pansy looked as if she wanted to kill someone. Now, who, was a mystery.
"At least I don't lick my father's shoes!" Harry practically spat.
The hall gasped.
"At least I have a father!"
More gasps.
Harry's voice dropped drastically low and people were straining to hear what he was saying, "That was low, even for you."
"What are you going to do about it, orphan boy?" Draco challenged. The Gryffindor table started to yell in protest at the harsh blow.
"Oh, you wanna know what I'm gonna do about it?" Harry quirked an eyebrow. The whole student body saw the dangerous gleam in his emerald eyes. The Professors at the Head Table started to stand and try and break up the boys.
"Yeah, scar face, I do."
Harry moved his hands really quickly and the whole hall thought they were going to see a broken and bloody nosed Draco Malfoy go flying across the hall, but the noise of a fist contacting with bones never came. The crunching sound of something breaking didn't either, in fact, an entirely different sound was emulating from the two boys.
It took a minute for the actual image to sink in, but when it did, it hit, hard. Most students reacted in the same way, they fainted, and a few were going on about some sort of apocalypse coming. The very few who were left conscious were either the ones too shocked to move yet, too tired to gain enough energy to pass out, or already knew about the relationship. And all they could do was stare at Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy practically sucking each other's tongue out.
The two boys were engulfed in a hungry kiss for a total of two minutes before they broke apart. Draco winked at Harry as they parted, finally taking notion to the damage they had caused. More then three-fourths of the students were out cold, the other fourth was staring wildly, Hermione, Ron, and Pansy were watching them with confusion, Dumbledore had that blasted twinkle in his eyes, Snape was trying to look anywhere but at them, and the other Professors could only stare, frozen in their half standing position.
Harry broke from Draco's arms that had wrapped instinctively around his waist. Finally separating, the two went to their respectable house tables. Harry sat down across from Ron and Hermione.
All the two could do was stare, "Guys?"
Ron and Hermione shook their heads a bit to clear the images of what they had just seen.
"What was that about?" Hermione finally spoke, "What made you two start fighting?"
Harry let a crooked smile cross his lips, "Oh, that? That was just an act. Just to see how everyone would react when they saw us together. We knew they were going to find out about it eventually, but we figured we might as well get some entertainment out of it as well."
"It was all an act?" Hermione whispered.
Harry nodded his head and Ron burst out laughing, "Bloody hell! You have some weird means for entertainment! Great show. Maybe you two should become actors! You even had the Professors fooled!"
Harry smiled just when they heard the shriek of, "AN ACT!"
The trio turned to the cause of the loud noise. Pansy was towering over Draco who was looking like death was looming on him.
"DRACO MALFOY! I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU DID THAT TO ME!"
Draco chanced a helpless glance over at Harry. Ron and Hermione snickered, but all Harry could do was return a sympathy look.
"YOU HAD ME THINKING THAT THE TWO OF YOU WERE GOING TO KILL EACH OTHER AND IT WAS ALL AN ACT FOR ENTERTAINMENT?!!"
Draco had actually taken to slouching down on the bench. In all accounts, he actually looked a bit frightened of the Slytherin girl. Well, she was pretty scary when she was pissed, and she looked pissed.
"DO YOU THINK THAT WAS FUNNY?!!" Pansy shouted to the near top of her lungs.
"Uh..." was all Draco could muster.
Quite suddenly, Pansy completely calmed down and plopped next to Draco on the bench, "Well, actually, it was, Draky Dear."
Harry wished Colin had been awake at that moment. The look on Draco's face was priceless. Absolutely priceless. It was a mix between shock, confusion, fright, and a pinch of anger. That was before Draco had the means to fall backwards completely out of his chair and onto the stone ground.
Pansy smirked and Harry giggled as her words filled his ears, "You aren't the only ones who can act, Draky."
|~*~|
It took around ten minutes for the hall to come alive again, literally. Students were finally off of the floor, though some were still in a daze. All that could be heard echoing off the walls was:
"Oh my God! Did you see that?!"
"How could you miss it?!"
"Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy... *together*?!"
"Awe! So cute!"
"They are so adorable together!"
The occasional "What the fuck?!" and "Holy shit!" were blended in there as well.
And on and on it went. In fact, it went on like that for the rest of the day, and continued for another three. Harry and Draco were quite accustomed to the stares and questions by now. It was becoming rather annoying now instead of amusing. They had to put up with even more questions as the whole concept finally sunk in to the heart of Hogwarts. It was like that until the weekend when Harry was finally able to get away from most of the interrogation by hiding in the Gryffindor common room.
Hermione was sitting in her usual chair next to the fire place doing, what else, reading a book. He pulled her over to the side, away from everyone else's ears. Ron was upstairs taking a nap since he had been complaining that he hasn't been able to get much sleep lately.
Hermione looked at Harry with concern, "Something wrong?"
"Not wrong per say," he started.
She rose her eyebrow and gave him a look that he had better elaborate, and fast.
"Well, you we're wondering how Draco survived the virus?"
She nodded her head looking enthusiastic.
Harry proceeded to go into detail about the little silver ring and what happened the night in the infirmary.
Hermione just stared in shock, "It did what?"
"It brought him back to life."
"But how?!"
"I was kind of hoping you could tell me. Neither me nor Draco know what the hell kind of magic it was and the person I sold it too didn't look into it either."
Hermione furrowed her eyebrows, "I'd have to take a careful look at the ring."
"We'd have to see Draco, and he's probably down in the Slytherin dormitories."
"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Hermione seemed as if she was actually looking forward to researching something again. Well, that was the image Harry drew up as he was practically dragged out of Gryffindor Tower.
It didn't take long for Harry to see the familiar eyes of the silver serpent guarding the Slytherin dorms.
"Do you have the password?" Hermione was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"Hermione, calm down," Harry sighed, "Do you really think it would be a good idea for two Gryffindors to go waltzing into the Slytherin common room uninvited telling the whole population that they know the password?"
Hermione actually looked guilty, "Guess not."
Harry shook his head and smiled. He rapped beside the serpent hoping someone would answer. In fact, someone did answer, and Blaise looked more then all too happy to be doing so.
Harry opened his mouth to ask about Draco, but he was cut off.
"Oh thank God. Just the person we really needed to see," Blaise had an annoyed grimace on his face.
"Who are 'we'?" Harry asked.
"The whole Slytherin population, that's who 'we' are."
"Something wrong?" Hermione asked.
Just as she asked that, a huge crash of glass breaking could be heard inside followed by a loud series of curses.
"You have to ask?" Blaise winced, "It's been like this since this morning."
Harry peaked in the common room, it was a mess. Everything was everywhere, and broken items laid all over the place.
"What's going on?" he finally asked.
Blaise inhaled, "Draco's been in an uproar all day. He lost his ring, or as he put it, 'someone stole it from him'."
Another crash came from inside.
"Get in here!" Blaise yelled as he pulled Harry into the common room with Hermione to follow after them.
"Draco!" Blaise yelled, "Get your sorry arse into the common room! Your boyfriend is here!"
Blaise seemed to study Harry for a moment, "By the way, Harry, nice performance in the Great Hall a few days ago."
Harry blushed.
Draco came stomping into the room completely missing Harry and Hermione, "What the hell did you say Zabini? I was all the way in my room trying to see if I could figure out who the fuck stole my ring!"
Harry watched as Draco's face turned a bit red. He walked up right behind him and lightly placed his hands on the blonde's shoulders. Harry got a reaction he didn't even expect.
Two hands wrapped tightly around the neckline of his robes and he was instantly shoved up against the nearest wall, banging his head in the process.
Harry groaned.
Draco immediately released him as he quickly found out who it was that had surprised him, "Harry!"
Harry closed his eyes against the searing headache, "Would you warn me the next time you are going to do that?"
"You shouldn't sneak up on me!"
"Sorry, next time I'll try to be somewhere where you can notice me better, like right in front of your face."
Draco scowled and completely stepped away finally taking notice to Hermione, who was looking a bit shocked, "What do you want, Granger?"
"Draco!" a high-pitched voice carried from towards the girl's dormitories. Pansy stepped out into the common rooms, "Just because you lost your ring doesn't mean you have to be such an arse to everyone!"
"I didn't lose it, Parkinson!" Draco shouted, "Somebody stole it!"
Pansy rolled her eyes, "You have been saying that since this morning! Will you shut up about it already?!"
Draco flashed burning eyes towards her. He looked like he was about to hit her, but Malfoy's don't hit women, they curse them. He took out his wand and pointed it steadily at her, "One more word and I will slice out your tongue!"
Harry moved in front of Draco covering the tip of the wand with his hands, "Calm down, Draco."
Draco looked straight into Harry's eyes, gave a swift nod, and stashed his wand away.
Harry sighed in relief, "Now, what happened?"
"Someone took my ring!"
"Are you sure it was stolen, Draco?"
Draco looked as if he was seeing red, "If one more person asks me that I am going to make sure they can't speak for a week!"
Harry shook off the threat, "I mean, did you see someone take it?"
"No."
"Then how do you know you didn't loose it?"
"Look, I had the ring on last night when I went to sleep. When I woke up it was gone," Draco waved his hand in front of Harry's face, "Do you see a ring on my finger, Harry?!"
Harry calmly moved Draco's hand down, "No, Draco. I don't. Maybe it fell off in your sleep."
"I checked! I checked in the sheets, under my pillow, behind my bed, *under* my bed, and on the floor!"
"Did you go anywhere else before you noticed it was missing?"
"No damit! I woke up and found it gone!"
Harry inhaled, "Ok, Draco. We'll find it."
Draco looked skeptical.
Harry pulled him into a hug, "I'll find it even if I have to turn Hogwarts upside down... just as long as I can use your bathroom first."
Draco tried to hold back a giggle. Harry could feel the blonde's body shake a bit. The Gryffindor pulled away from the warmth and headed toward Draco's room. He quickly scurried into the bathroom and relieved himself.
As Harry was washing his hands, a glint of silver caught his attention out of the corner of his left eye behind the toilet. He wrung out his hands and bent down on the balls of his feet.
Picking up the gleaming object, he smiled and cupped the small ring into the palm of his hand.
Meanwhile, far into the depths of the Forbidden Forest, someone in a black cloak and white mask was cursing openly about holey pockets and small bladders.
Hermione sat down next to Ron and turned around expecting to see Harry following her. She was surprised when all she saw was the wall behind her.
"Uh... Ron? Where did Harry go?" she looked across the room toward the Slytherin table, "In fact, where is Draco also?"
Ron kind of shook his head, "Probably took a wrong turn."
"Oh, Ron, how could they take a wrong turn just to get to the Great Hall? They were right behind us and they've been here for sev..." Hermione stopped at the look Ron was giving her. She began to flush as meaning took hold, "Oh."
Shouting could be heard just right outside the Great Hall doors.
Ron gave Hermione a second glance, "Or they could be ripping each other's throats out."
Hermione looked worried, "But, they were just fine a minute ago! What could make them start fighting?!"
The whole hall became quiet at the noise.
"Since everyone wants to know," Ron started, "We could just listen and find out."
Just as Ron said that, the Great Hall doors burst open. Harry and Draco came stomping in, red faced, looking as if flames were about to shoot right out of their mouths.
"You're nothing but an egotistical snot-nosed brat!" Harry yelled.
"Compared to being everyone's Golden Boy?! You have room to talk," Draco returned the anger ten fold.
Hermione gasped, Ron was shaking his head and muttering something about thinking it was women he didn't understand, and from across the hall Pansy looked as if she wanted to kill someone. Now, who, was a mystery.
"At least I don't lick my father's shoes!" Harry practically spat.
The hall gasped.
"At least I have a father!"
More gasps.
Harry's voice dropped drastically low and people were straining to hear what he was saying, "That was low, even for you."
"What are you going to do about it, orphan boy?" Draco challenged. The Gryffindor table started to yell in protest at the harsh blow.
"Oh, you wanna know what I'm gonna do about it?" Harry quirked an eyebrow. The whole student body saw the dangerous gleam in his emerald eyes. The Professors at the Head Table started to stand and try and break up the boys.
"Yeah, scar face, I do."
Harry moved his hands really quickly and the whole hall thought they were going to see a broken and bloody nosed Draco Malfoy go flying across the hall, but the noise of a fist contacting with bones never came. The crunching sound of something breaking didn't either, in fact, an entirely different sound was emulating from the two boys.
It took a minute for the actual image to sink in, but when it did, it hit, hard. Most students reacted in the same way, they fainted, and a few were going on about some sort of apocalypse coming. The very few who were left conscious were either the ones too shocked to move yet, too tired to gain enough energy to pass out, or already knew about the relationship. And all they could do was stare at Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy practically sucking each other's tongue out.
The two boys were engulfed in a hungry kiss for a total of two minutes before they broke apart. Draco winked at Harry as they parted, finally taking notion to the damage they had caused. More then three-fourths of the students were out cold, the other fourth was staring wildly, Hermione, Ron, and Pansy were watching them with confusion, Dumbledore had that blasted twinkle in his eyes, Snape was trying to look anywhere but at them, and the other Professors could only stare, frozen in their half standing position.
Harry broke from Draco's arms that had wrapped instinctively around his waist. Finally separating, the two went to their respectable house tables. Harry sat down across from Ron and Hermione.
All the two could do was stare, "Guys?"
Ron and Hermione shook their heads a bit to clear the images of what they had just seen.
"What was that about?" Hermione finally spoke, "What made you two start fighting?"
Harry let a crooked smile cross his lips, "Oh, that? That was just an act. Just to see how everyone would react when they saw us together. We knew they were going to find out about it eventually, but we figured we might as well get some entertainment out of it as well."
"It was all an act?" Hermione whispered.
Harry nodded his head and Ron burst out laughing, "Bloody hell! You have some weird means for entertainment! Great show. Maybe you two should become actors! You even had the Professors fooled!"
Harry smiled just when they heard the shriek of, "AN ACT!"
The trio turned to the cause of the loud noise. Pansy was towering over Draco who was looking like death was looming on him.
"DRACO MALFOY! I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU DID THAT TO ME!"
Draco chanced a helpless glance over at Harry. Ron and Hermione snickered, but all Harry could do was return a sympathy look.
"YOU HAD ME THINKING THAT THE TWO OF YOU WERE GOING TO KILL EACH OTHER AND IT WAS ALL AN ACT FOR ENTERTAINMENT?!!"
Draco had actually taken to slouching down on the bench. In all accounts, he actually looked a bit frightened of the Slytherin girl. Well, she was pretty scary when she was pissed, and she looked pissed.
"DO YOU THINK THAT WAS FUNNY?!!" Pansy shouted to the near top of her lungs.
"Uh..." was all Draco could muster.
Quite suddenly, Pansy completely calmed down and plopped next to Draco on the bench, "Well, actually, it was, Draky Dear."
Harry wished Colin had been awake at that moment. The look on Draco's face was priceless. Absolutely priceless. It was a mix between shock, confusion, fright, and a pinch of anger. That was before Draco had the means to fall backwards completely out of his chair and onto the stone ground.
Pansy smirked and Harry giggled as her words filled his ears, "You aren't the only ones who can act, Draky."
|~*~|
It took around ten minutes for the hall to come alive again, literally. Students were finally off of the floor, though some were still in a daze. All that could be heard echoing off the walls was:
"Oh my God! Did you see that?!"
"How could you miss it?!"
"Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy... *together*?!"
"Awe! So cute!"
"They are so adorable together!"
The occasional "What the fuck?!" and "Holy shit!" were blended in there as well.
And on and on it went. In fact, it went on like that for the rest of the day, and continued for another three. Harry and Draco were quite accustomed to the stares and questions by now. It was becoming rather annoying now instead of amusing. They had to put up with even more questions as the whole concept finally sunk in to the heart of Hogwarts. It was like that until the weekend when Harry was finally able to get away from most of the interrogation by hiding in the Gryffindor common room.
Hermione was sitting in her usual chair next to the fire place doing, what else, reading a book. He pulled her over to the side, away from everyone else's ears. Ron was upstairs taking a nap since he had been complaining that he hasn't been able to get much sleep lately.
Hermione looked at Harry with concern, "Something wrong?"
"Not wrong per say," he started.
She rose her eyebrow and gave him a look that he had better elaborate, and fast.
"Well, you we're wondering how Draco survived the virus?"
She nodded her head looking enthusiastic.
Harry proceeded to go into detail about the little silver ring and what happened the night in the infirmary.
Hermione just stared in shock, "It did what?"
"It brought him back to life."
"But how?!"
"I was kind of hoping you could tell me. Neither me nor Draco know what the hell kind of magic it was and the person I sold it too didn't look into it either."
Hermione furrowed her eyebrows, "I'd have to take a careful look at the ring."
"We'd have to see Draco, and he's probably down in the Slytherin dormitories."
"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Hermione seemed as if she was actually looking forward to researching something again. Well, that was the image Harry drew up as he was practically dragged out of Gryffindor Tower.
It didn't take long for Harry to see the familiar eyes of the silver serpent guarding the Slytherin dorms.
"Do you have the password?" Hermione was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"Hermione, calm down," Harry sighed, "Do you really think it would be a good idea for two Gryffindors to go waltzing into the Slytherin common room uninvited telling the whole population that they know the password?"
Hermione actually looked guilty, "Guess not."
Harry shook his head and smiled. He rapped beside the serpent hoping someone would answer. In fact, someone did answer, and Blaise looked more then all too happy to be doing so.
Harry opened his mouth to ask about Draco, but he was cut off.
"Oh thank God. Just the person we really needed to see," Blaise had an annoyed grimace on his face.
"Who are 'we'?" Harry asked.
"The whole Slytherin population, that's who 'we' are."
"Something wrong?" Hermione asked.
Just as she asked that, a huge crash of glass breaking could be heard inside followed by a loud series of curses.
"You have to ask?" Blaise winced, "It's been like this since this morning."
Harry peaked in the common room, it was a mess. Everything was everywhere, and broken items laid all over the place.
"What's going on?" he finally asked.
Blaise inhaled, "Draco's been in an uproar all day. He lost his ring, or as he put it, 'someone stole it from him'."
Another crash came from inside.
"Get in here!" Blaise yelled as he pulled Harry into the common room with Hermione to follow after them.
"Draco!" Blaise yelled, "Get your sorry arse into the common room! Your boyfriend is here!"
Blaise seemed to study Harry for a moment, "By the way, Harry, nice performance in the Great Hall a few days ago."
Harry blushed.
Draco came stomping into the room completely missing Harry and Hermione, "What the hell did you say Zabini? I was all the way in my room trying to see if I could figure out who the fuck stole my ring!"
Harry watched as Draco's face turned a bit red. He walked up right behind him and lightly placed his hands on the blonde's shoulders. Harry got a reaction he didn't even expect.
Two hands wrapped tightly around the neckline of his robes and he was instantly shoved up against the nearest wall, banging his head in the process.
Harry groaned.
Draco immediately released him as he quickly found out who it was that had surprised him, "Harry!"
Harry closed his eyes against the searing headache, "Would you warn me the next time you are going to do that?"
"You shouldn't sneak up on me!"
"Sorry, next time I'll try to be somewhere where you can notice me better, like right in front of your face."
Draco scowled and completely stepped away finally taking notice to Hermione, who was looking a bit shocked, "What do you want, Granger?"
"Draco!" a high-pitched voice carried from towards the girl's dormitories. Pansy stepped out into the common rooms, "Just because you lost your ring doesn't mean you have to be such an arse to everyone!"
"I didn't lose it, Parkinson!" Draco shouted, "Somebody stole it!"
Pansy rolled her eyes, "You have been saying that since this morning! Will you shut up about it already?!"
Draco flashed burning eyes towards her. He looked like he was about to hit her, but Malfoy's don't hit women, they curse them. He took out his wand and pointed it steadily at her, "One more word and I will slice out your tongue!"
Harry moved in front of Draco covering the tip of the wand with his hands, "Calm down, Draco."
Draco looked straight into Harry's eyes, gave a swift nod, and stashed his wand away.
Harry sighed in relief, "Now, what happened?"
"Someone took my ring!"
"Are you sure it was stolen, Draco?"
Draco looked as if he was seeing red, "If one more person asks me that I am going to make sure they can't speak for a week!"
Harry shook off the threat, "I mean, did you see someone take it?"
"No."
"Then how do you know you didn't loose it?"
"Look, I had the ring on last night when I went to sleep. When I woke up it was gone," Draco waved his hand in front of Harry's face, "Do you see a ring on my finger, Harry?!"
Harry calmly moved Draco's hand down, "No, Draco. I don't. Maybe it fell off in your sleep."
"I checked! I checked in the sheets, under my pillow, behind my bed, *under* my bed, and on the floor!"
"Did you go anywhere else before you noticed it was missing?"
"No damit! I woke up and found it gone!"
Harry inhaled, "Ok, Draco. We'll find it."
Draco looked skeptical.
Harry pulled him into a hug, "I'll find it even if I have to turn Hogwarts upside down... just as long as I can use your bathroom first."
Draco tried to hold back a giggle. Harry could feel the blonde's body shake a bit. The Gryffindor pulled away from the warmth and headed toward Draco's room. He quickly scurried into the bathroom and relieved himself.
As Harry was washing his hands, a glint of silver caught his attention out of the corner of his left eye behind the toilet. He wrung out his hands and bent down on the balls of his feet.
Picking up the gleaming object, he smiled and cupped the small ring into the palm of his hand.
Meanwhile, far into the depths of the Forbidden Forest, someone in a black cloak and white mask was cursing openly about holey pockets and small bladders.