Chapter 2: Blabberers, Teeth & Break-Ups
Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling (although I hope you have enough brains to have already assumed as much). This story is merely for my entertainment and anyone else who chooses to read it. I am not profiting from the creation of this writing. I am in no way affiliated with or possess these characters.
Warning:SLASH
Harry sat in Potions, dutifully copying down the ingredients as they appeared on the board, preparing to concoct something called a Blabber-Be-Gone Potion, or as Snape like to call it, the Finally-Some-Peace-And-Quiet Potion. Invented by Sir Thomas Eckelbert in 1902 (as Hermione had happily informed the class) it was meant to shut up even the most obnoxious of blabberers. Hermione was particularly excited about this one – she couldn't wait to try it on Lavender and Parvati. Seldom and few apart were the days when the two gossips weren't causing Hermione grief of some sort.
Harry smiled briefly to himself. He was somewhat regretting that Colin Creevey wouldn't be studying the Blabber-Be-Gone Potion until next year. Colin, president of the Harry Potter Fan Club (both figuratively and literally, they met on Tuesdays at 7:30 pm) besides being the owner of a camera with a shutter that never shut, seemed to possess a mouth with the same unfortunate quality.
"Mr. Potter?"
Snape's voice cut into Harry's thoughts, and he mentally shook himself for giving his least favourite professor the chance to catch him off guard.
"Perhaps you'd like to explain to us why tongue of elthrak is such a crucial ingredient in the Blabber-Be-Gone Potion?"
Hermione was kind enough to wait three seconds (a personal best) before raising her hand eagerly. Harry simply shrugged.
"You don't know? Tsk tsk Potter, you of all people should realize the importance of paying attention, especially during such a riveting lesson. I'm sure you would find this particular potion to be quite useful, seeing as the company you choose to keep have such large mouths." He glared pointedly at Hermione, who dropped her arm to her side but glared right back at him.
"She needs such a large mouth to hold those giant buck teeth of hers." Malfoy remarked to Blaise, who smiled appreciatively.
Thankfully, Hermione missed this exchange, but Snape on the other hand…"I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy, did you wish to answer the question?"
Draco looked up, and smirked at Harry before responding. "Actually Professor, I did. The elthrak is a wildcat found in certain parts of Asia. They are mute and their tongues serve no purpose. Tongue of elthrak instigates the absence of speech. The creation of the Blabber-Be-Gone Potion in fact resulted in the well-known saying 'Cat got your tongue?' due to the role tongue of elthrak plays in the potion."
Snape appeared taken aback. "Excellent Mr. Malfoy, 15 points to Slytherin!"
The Gryffindors groaned collectively. "The elthrak can also be found in southern Europe." Hermione muttered to herself, obviously disappointed that Malfoy had been allowed to answer when she had not.
"And 15 points," Snape continued, "from Gryffindor, for inability to identify concepts."
Again, the Gryffindor side of the classroom groaned, but their professor simply turned back to the board. Harry turned to his friends to crack a joke regarding Snape's less-than-cheery mood (do you think he woke up on the wrong side of his coffin this morning?), but turned back again quickly. Ron was whispering something to Hermione which was making her blush beet red and giggle nervously as she watched the Potion Masters back carefully, in case he should turn around.
Harry sighed. Malfoy had been right about one thing the other night. Harry loved his friends, and he'd been the first to congratulate them when they finally realized their feelings for each other, but…well, they were rather sickening at times.
Sickening is an understatement. Harry thought grumpily, as the two lovebirds resumed their game of footsie under the desk.
Fortunately, the bell chose that moment to ring, ending the class to the joy of both the students and their professor, who, as usual, was the first to exit the classroom.
"Quidditch Practice tonight?" Hermione asked as they made their way through the dungeons.
"Nope, the Hufflepuffs have booked the pitch for tonight, we practice tomorrow." Harry responded somewhat sullenly.
"They'll need all the practice they can get, huh Harry? After all, when we whomp those pansies next week, we don't want to humiliate 'em too bad." Ron said eagerly.
No one had been surprised when Harry had been named captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, nor when Malfoy received the same honour. Although Malfoy was a formidable opponent, Harry suspected the rumour that wizarding pinball machines had been installed in the Slytherin common room might have influenced Malfoy's promotion to team captain, rather than his talent as a seeker. Ron, who would be entering his 2nd season as the Gryffindor Keeper, fully supported Harry's theory 100. Despite the fact that the 'Weasely is our King' buttons had been retired after their 5th year, Harry wasn't expecting Ron to be directing any warm fuzzies Malfoy's way anytime soon. At least, not in this century.
"Well, that's great that you two have a free night, you can get some of that Herbology text work out of the way." Hermione pointed out helpfully, holding the door to the Great Hall open for the boys.
"Oh come on Hermione, one night of fun won't kill us!" Ron whined, sitting down at the Gryffindor table for lunch.
"No, but it could kill your chances of passing Herbology." Hermione retorted.
"Pass the pumpkin juice." Harry said, hoping to avoid yet another schoolwork related squabble. Ron nudged it in his direction and then resumed piling food onto his plate, daring Hermione to continue the topic. She sighed and muttered something about lost causes before reaching for the egg salad. They ate in silence for a few moments before Hermione spoke again.
"Did you hear Malfoy in Potions? He's got some nerve!"
"We know. He's an evil, ferret-faced git with too much time on his hands." Ron replied, grabbing the rolls.
"He's more than that, he's a good-for-nothing prat with a superiority complex that-"
"Your teeth are fine 'Mione, not at all bucky, or whatever he said." Ron assured her.
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked sharply.
Ron put down his spoon. "What are you talking about?" he said slowly.
"I'm talking about his 15 point answer that I should have been allowed to give!"
Ron gulped. "Err, that's…what…I'm…talking…about…too?" he tried.
"No it's not! What did he say about my teeth?"
"Harry! Help!" Ron muttered behind his hand. Hermione glared at him.
"There might have been a comment about the size of certain food chomping devices." Harry replied hesitantly.
"Well, that's just great! Y'know, I still don't know who told Madam Pomphrey that my teeth used to be bigger before she shrunk them, but they are going to get it good someday. I got detention and everything, plus she changed them back!" Hermione ranted.
"Hey, I like your teeth. They're cute. Like…a little beaver!" Ron said, trying to redeem himself. It didn't work.
Hermione stared at him, then stood up, grabbed his glass of pumpkin juice and dumped it over his head, before storming out of the Great Hall in a huff. Ron sat there dripping for a moment, before managing to speak.
"I tell you mate, that woman is bloody mad." Ron said, sputtering slightly. "Gone completely bonkers she has!"
Harry just laughed and threw him a napkin.
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Ginny watched Hermione go from where she sat with her friends, and wondered idly what her fool of a brother had done this time. Not that she had been staring in the Golden Trio's direction. Far from it. She'd merely been observing the intricate patterning that covered the walls of the-
Oh just stuff it she told herself. Nobody's listening, and it's not like you could be more obvious. You were staring at Harry. Again. What is that, the 56th time in the last four minutes? He's not going to come over here, and even if he did, it wouldn't matter. If you could go back in time you'd do the exact same thing and you know it. Nothing has changed.
"Ginny, what's up? You've been mopey all morning!" Fiona, a bubbly brunette in Ginny's year asked.
"Nothing's up, just…moping." She replied.
"That would explain the mopeyness." Luna commented absently, off in her own world as usual.
"This isn't still about Harry is it?" Elsa asked tentatively.
"Still? It was only last week Elle!" Ginny exclaimed.
"But you broke up with him Gin…shouldn't you be over it by now?" Fiona pointed out.
"I don't wanna talk about it, okay?" She snapped.
"Okay." They all agreed, not wanting to push it. Since the break-up she had been quick to anger. She still refused to discuss the details with any of them, and they were worried about her.
"Did you all read about the Jabberwocky's mating ritual in this month's edition of The Quibbler?" Luna started, "Apparently they…"
Ginny let Luna's voice fade into the background, and continued to mope.
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Draco sat at the Slytherin table, glancing over briefly to observe the Mudblood's departure of the Great Hall, before returning to his very meaningful, very top-secret conversation.
"You are getting it all wrong! You've completely missed the point!" Pansy said, clearly frustrated by Draco's lack of comprehension. "Draco? Are you even listening to me?!"
"Yes, I'm listening. Look, it just doesn't make any sense, alright? Why would Joey have broken up with Dawson if she was still in love with him?!" Draco asked, thoroughly exasperated.
"Because she needed to find herself! She wasn't anything without Dawson, don't you see?"
"I'm sorry, does she think she can do better than Dawson?"
"That's not the point, the point is that-"
"Because she can't. She's never had it as good as Dawson, so if she wants to just throw that away-"
"Draco let me explain-"
"Pansy," Draco stopped her, "Tell me you're not actually breaking off our relationship because of a muggle television show?"
"Well," she sniffed, "Joey had a point. I need to be by myself Draco. To grow as, as a person. To like, find myself and stuff." She wrinkled her brow. "Or something. Look," she took his hand, "We can still be friends."
Draco pulled his hand away. He couldn't believe this shit. Draco Malfoy did not get dumped. Not by anyone, and not for any reason. But especially not because of some teen soap opera called Dawson Stream or whatever Pansy had said. Draco Malfoy was the dumper, not the dumpee.
And to top it off, he was getting the "Let's be friends" speech?!
"Sure Pansy, great. Look, you can shove friends up your arse, alright?"
He got up abruptly, sending several plates, glasses, and pieces of cutlery in different directions, and 'accidentally' stomping on Neville's foot on his way out of the Great Hall.
"Well," Pansy turned to Millicent, who was sitting beside her looking rather unconcerned by the whole affair, "that went surprisingly well."
Neville hopped up and down in the corner on one foot, holding the other and whimpering quietly.
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