Punishment
Chapter 6 – Is That You, Sirius? And…-Gasp-?!?!
A/N: Okay, yeah. Thanks to Evil Story Penguins for telling me that something was wrong! This damn quick-edit thingy is ruining my fics! For, that, I am sorry. I dunno what to do now so I'm going to use smilies and stuff...
EDIT: Okay, so, it doesn't work either... WHAT DOES?!?! Grr... dammit.
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Harry's eyes blinked open. He looked to his right to see Draco and the sun. Well, rays of sunlight, anyway; the Venetian Blind were catching the full-blast of it. So, Harry just lay there, staring up at the ceiling as the sunlight danced on his upper arms. He put his palms to the back of his head. He looked at clock.
"Eight o'clock…" he observed.
He looked sideways and saw Draco, he had back turned to the wall and was turned to Harry. Harry smiled; Draco looked angelic in sleep, at least.
He thought of the situations they were in a long time ago, each memory playing a never-ending movie in his head. When he saw Draco in Madame Malkin's, when he saw him again in the train, the detention with Hagrid, when he saw Norbert for the first time, Malfoy was there… the Dueling Club in second year, his face when Harry spoke Paseltongue in Hogwarts, his first Quidditch match with Slytherin, when Ron tried to curse Draco for calling Hermione a Mudblood… Hermione's punch on Draco in third year, Draco getting hurt because he insulted a Hippogriff, the Quidditch Cup finals, Draco teasing him about the Dementors, Draco dressed as a Dementor with Crabbe, Goyle and Flint… ah, fourth year… Draco giving those interviews for Rita Skeeter, Draco making those Potter Stinks Badges, Draco… and who could forget? Draco Malfoy, the amazing Bouncing Ferret…
Harry chuckled. By the time he did, half an hour had already passed. He sat up and blood came in his head, he had to lean back again.
"Ow…" he whispered to himself, massaging his temples.
He tried to sit up again, this time slowly. Nothing happened and so he wore his slippers, reaching them with his feet. He put them on and went for a drink of water.
He stepped slowly down the stairs. He approached the refrigerator only to remember that he didn't have a glass. So, he reached for one and poured water from a pitcher that was already there yesterday. He drank it and finished it in a gulp. And just then, something came home to him that he hadn't thought of before. His eyes widened in realization. They hadn't eaten at all since lunch yesterday. What about ¯
"Breakfast?" he voiced his thoughts.
So, with that thought in mind, he decided to wake Draco up and then they could go around town and look for a nice place. He sighed, thinking that he should take a bath before he woke Draco up so he won't have to wait that long.
After he took a bath, Harry dressed in a pair of baggy denim pants with a lot of pockets sticking out in the strangest places. He had always been fond of baggy jeans, so he had gotten this yesterday; he also wore a shirt which they had made customized yesterday. The store they went to made it extremely fast so they didn't have to wait a day like it normally took. He smiled as he slipped the shirt on his naked torso. On the shirt was written:
"Master had presented us with clothes!"
Draco had one, too. But it was gray, Harry's was Forest Green. The store guy looked a bit confused when they had decided on this, but if he was, he didn't show other signs except that since he just made them choose the font (/Potter, what's a font?/) and a color for the font and the shirt and then he got to work.
He had dressed up in the bathroom, when he got out, he put his clothes in the laundry, which had also been there yesterday, and went back to the room. And there, he faces another problem. How does he wake Draco up?
---
After 5 minutes of thinking, the Golden Boy decided that he didn't know how to wake Draco wake up. It was a weird thing to ponder on, actually, for a person who'd beaten the Dark Lord. Imagine the Boy Who Lived thinking on how to wake his arch-nemesis.
Harry went in the bed room, eyes widening in the sight before him. Draco's covers had been kicked to the foot of the bed, his legs were spread apart, and his right arm was bent and thrown across his forehead, while the left one was across his stomach. His mouth was half-open and his chest was heaving up and down lightly.
Harry gulped in the sight; his arch-enemy looked rather… ravishing… in that position. However, as much as Harry wanted to walk right up there and kiss his enemy as something had possessed him to do so; he had to wake this person up. Harry shook his head, surprised at what he had wanted to do. Taking a long breath, he walked to Draco's bed, his heels slapping against the cold tile.
He sat down on his bed, right across Draco's. He stuck his finger out, as if pointing at Draco, and moved it closer to Draco's pale skin. As he came closer to the inside his enemy's forearm, which was bent beside his head, he heart beat faster. Gently, he poked Draco. The contact sent shivers down his spine, and never, never had that happened when he touched other people like Ron or Hermione or Sirius. Only… Draco.
He looked expectantly at Draco. Nothing. He poked him again, anticipating more shivers. They came again. So, once again, he poked Draco. This time, Draco shifted a little and he also let out a groan. Harry smiled. He leaned closer to Draco's ear.
"Psst…" he whispered. "Draco, wake up. We're going to Smeltings today."
Slowly, but surely, the lids of Draco's eyes lifted and a pair of gray eyes blinked owlishly at Harry, drinking in the sight.
When what was before him registered, Draco let out a yelp of surprised and back himself up against the wall.
"Potter!!" he shouted, looking as though Harry had thrown him up again the wall.
Harry laughed. He just… laughed.
"Don't do that!" Draco said, clutching his chest and breathing faster than usual.
"Your reaction was priceless!!" said Harry, a ghost of a smile on his lips.
"What?" Draco said, still breathing too fast. "You'd be scared, too, if you woke up and the first thing you see is your was-arch-enemy bent across to you! Especially if your arch enemy was the Boy Who Lived!!" Draco growled.
Harry threw him a rueful smile. "Sorry, Draco."
Draco, still clutching his chest, nodded. "Okay… Just… Just don't do that."
"Okay." Harry smiled more broadly. Draco thought he was about to melt. "C'mon. We have to go to Smeltings today. And we have to go somewhere for breakfast, too."
"Right. Have you taken a bath already?" he asked. His breathing normal now, and he wasn't clutching his chest anymore, too.
"Yep. You can take a bath as long as you want. I'll be watching television."
"Watching Blue's Clues again?" Draco smiled in memory of the previous night.
"Hell no." Harry shook his head vigorously.
"Good." Draco walked out of the room to the part of the banister that was bent and provided the wall for their study room, which was just two or three feet outside their bedroom. "If I hear another chorus of Now it's time for so long but we'll sing just one more song…" Draco broke into chorus and Harry joined him.
"Thanks for doing your part, you sure are smart!" The both sang.
"Ha!" Draco said, getting some clothes now. "Yeah, we are smart, Steve. We as in, not counting you." He chuckled. "The time you'll be as smart as un, no less the kids watching your show, then we'd be dead. I can't believe people even watch that show." He grunted out, taking his pants off its hanger.
"Ah, well. As Dumbledore said, 'humans have the knack to pick what is exactly worst for them'. Or something like that." Harry said, getting the remote control and turning the television on.
"You quote the Headmaster now? Now I've seen everything." Draco went into the bathroom.
"Would you like yo buy our groceries today?"
"Groceries?" Draco's voice echoed off the bathroom walls.
"Yeah, like drinks and bread and stuff…" changing of channels was heard in Harry's background.
"Oh, okay." A swish of curtains and falling water filled the bathroom, making whatever Harry would say unhearable.
"Finally," Harry mumbled just loud enough so Draco could hear when he went out of the bathroom.
"Finally what?" said Draco, toweling his hair.
"Draco, you've been in there for, what, an hour?" Harry pointed out, gesturing toward the clock. "It's almost half past ten!"
Draco threw Harry an apologetic smile. "Sorry, time flew by." He walked out of the room, towel in hand.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Sure it did." He mumbled again. He followed Draco out and leaned against the wall facing the stairs.
The blond boy gave him a reproachful look. "Hmph. C'mon. Let's just get this grocery thing over with. I wanna see the so-called exclusive school." He smirked, throwing his towel over the banister.
"It'll be quick. We don't know how to cook yet, so -"
"Yet?" Draco looked at Harry in disbelief. "Yet?" he repeated. "You mean we have to… actually… learn?"
"Well, yeah. Unless you want to live off restaurants for the whole year." Harry looked skeptical.
"And how, per se, are we going to learn?" said Draco, making his way to the stairs, near where Harry was leaning.
Harry shrugged, following Draco down the stairs. "Dunno. I'm not sure if we learn that in Smeltings, too."
"I hope not…" Draco murmured, tapping his foot and looking impatient. "Come on then, Potter."
Harry chuckled. "It's been a while since you called me that."
Draco narrowed his eyes at him, his eyebrows crossing. "But didn't I just shout that at you when you woke me up?"
Harry looked thoughtful. "Oh yeah…" he looked at Draco. "Let's go, then. It's already five to eleven."
So they made their way out their house and walked past other houses and apartment, all with midnight-blue colored doors and golden brass numbers on them.
They were about to pass the Front Office again and Harry rolled his eyes, his pupils dangerously about to disappear.
"Oh no…" he whispered.
Draco gave a small chuckle. "I think she's taken a liking to me, too. She was quite… different… yesterday. Like she saw me for the first time." he crossed his eyebrows. "Weird."
"She likes you, too?" Harry raised an eyebrow as the girl at the Front Office saw them again.
/What? Afraid I'll take your girlfriend, Harry? Don't worry. She's all yours./
Harry threw a glare at Draco upon hearing his voice in his head.
As they passed, Harry expected the girl to start flirting with him again. What he got, though, was different. The girl simply sighed dreamily as they passed her, making Harry remember Luna Lovegood, a friend of Ginny's, which she had introduced at the Library. Luna was very… weird.
Harry threw all thoughts of Luna into the wind, getting back to reality. As they opened and passed through the navy blue gates, he said, "She is not my girlfriend. And I most certainly do not like her."
"That's what you say, but is it what you mean?" Draco said, wiggling his eyebrows at Harry.
"Yeah, mmm-hmm, please don't do that. It freaks me out." Harry said, throwing Draco an 'I'm-Weirded-Out' look.
"What? This?" Draco said, wiggling his eyebrows again.
Harry flinched. "Yeah."
Draco snickered. "You're weird, Harry."
Harry blushed lightly. "Come on… Let's just get it over with."
Draco drank in the sight of a blushing Harry, also registering the fact that it was him who made Harry blush. He definitely thought it was cute.
Wandering around town in the morning was a nice experience for both Harry and Draco. It was nice a chilly, but they both had their jackets on, so it didn't affect them that much. But still, the feeling of chill that wrapped around them comfortably and the wind that threw their hair back was a nice feeling.
"D'you even know where the grocery is?" Draco turned to Harry, some hair in his face because of the wind. He pushed it back, gliding a hand through his hair.
Harry smiled at the sight. "No, not really." He said, smiling.
"You don't?" his blond haired partner inquired. "Then how are you supposing we get there?"
"Maybe we could ask someone for directions." Harry suggested.
"But let's scratch police off our list, shall we?"
"Alright. How 'bout that guy over there?" Harry asked, pointing to a guy with long black hair that fell gently on his shoulders, beetle-black eyes and coat wrapped around his body.
"He looks kind of…" Draco searched for a word. "Mysterious." Draco concluded. "For lack of better word."
"Mysterious?" Harry repeated. "He looks more like Sirius."
"Hey! That rhymes!" Draco exclaimed, ginning.
Harry looked at him narrowed eyes and a lopsided pout on his face. "What?!"
"I dunno… it rhymes. You know, mysterious… Sirius…"
Harry shook his head. "Come on, let's just ask him."
"'Kay…" Draco said, following him.
As they neared the guy, Draco caught up with Harry, who the spot they were debating on first. The guy was loading some brown paper bags in his car and he looked nice enough.
"Err…excuse, sir." Harry said.
The guy seemed to jump. He turned around. "Harry!"
Harry stared at the guy. And putting on a sizing look, as if thinking of who he was, placing him in his mind.
"Sorry, don't mean to be rude, but… who are you?" Harry asked, still thinking of who the man was.
He looked exactly like Sirius. But it couldn't've been Sirius was a wizard. He wouldn't go shopping around a Muggle town. Maybe this was one of Dudley's friend's parent or something… or some random guy who just happened to remember him.
The guy was about to say who he was when a familiar voice rang. "Hey, what's the hold up? Dumbledore's gonna get - Harry!"
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"People, people! Silence! We must get cracking, next school year for the Muggles is around the corner!"
Everyone silenced, looking up at the Headmaster.
"Okay, thank you. Now," he started, "our positions. I have asked Professor Snape and McGonagall to put together their brilliant minds and make a list of the chosen people and what job would befit them the best."
"First, those out of school. The Weasleys. Thank you so much, to you three. Arthur," the Minister of Magic looked up, "you will be in charge of security, monitor the boys and alert the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. Molly," the Minister's wife looked up, "you will be in charge of giving the boys food. However, as I have monitored them, Mr. Potter seemed very keen on learning how to cook. Mr. Malfoy was rather reluctant, but agreed. In the case that they do learn, you will be in charge of clean clothes for the boys. We have sent them a letter my Muggle post. Bill," the Minister's son looked up, "you will be in charge of giving them enough money. You need not loan them money, just make sure they have enough. In the case that they don't, alert me prior to sending them galleons." Dumbledore paused.
"Okay, next. Mundungus Fletcher and Arabella Figg. Please keep an eye on the boys, even Arthur may not be able to see their every move considering his position requires him to do a lot."
"You have our word, Dumbledore." Arabella said. She turned to Mundungus, "No more free cauldrons, understood?"
"Yeah, yeah…prom's, 'ayt, Figgy?"
"Thank you." Dumbledore consulted the list. "Aah, Percy. You are the one who send and receives the letter. When you receive a letter, you alert everyone if something has happened. If there are none, summarize and report. Understood?"
"Yes, Headmaster." Percy said, looking his pompous self.
"But, Headmaster, what about Percy's cauldron leak reports?" George said.
"Because that'll change the world. He puts five hours into those articles. Front page, ain't it, dad?" Fred said.
"Well, at least I'm Wizengamot Host!" Percy said with an air of arrogance.
"Boys," Molly said warningly.
Percy blushed, his mother was protecting him against his little brothers. But it didn't work anyway, since Fred and George continued.
"You'll be brought to the post-office in a limousine with little red flags at the front with PW WH written on it with golden lettering¯"
"For Pompous Wizard ¯"
"Was Here!"
The twins laughed and so did everyone else except for Percy, because he's the one being insulted, Molly, because she's the mother of the person being insulted and the people who are insulting, and Snape, because he's… well, because he's Snape. Even Dumbledore laughed appreciatively. They even exchanged high-fives.
"Yeah? Well, what are their jobs, Professor?" Percy asked Dumbledore, gesturing to the twins.
"Oh, well…" Dumbledore looked at the list again. "They… well, they basically make us laugh when we're down and if Harry and Draco are down, we're to send them to their house."
"Ha!" Fred and George told Percy. "We don't need a car! We can Floo there! Or Apparate there!"
"Quite right, quite right." Dumbledore said, a familiar twinkle in his eyes hit Percy. "But, of course, there's a 'but', Harry and Draco's house doesn't have a fire place."
Percy grinned. "Ha!"
"But we can Apparate. Right, dad?" George asked his father.
"I guess I can pull a few strings ¯" Mr. Weasley started but got cut off by his wife.
"Arthur! How are these two ever going to learn if we keep spoiling them?!" Molly said, more shouted, at her husband.
"Ah, of course, of course." Arthur said quietly. "Take the car, boys."
"WHAT?!" George shouted disbelievingly.
"Hey, George," Fred said, looking at Percy, "remind me again, why don't we want a car?"
George smiled mischievously. "Because Percy might joke us…" he looked at Percy, too.
"Boys…" Molly said behind them.
"Fred…George…" Percy stuttered.
"Percy…" Fred and George said.
"Any… jokes, dear brother?" they asked in a mock-nice voice.
"No," Percy said, sliding his glasses up his nose with his finger. "There's none…."
George and Fred jumped and clapped their hands once with a loud smack.
"Well, that seems to be in order." George said.
"We'll take the car." Fred added with a smile.
"Okay, next, our staff." Dumbledore said again. "Remus, you will be partnered with Alastor along with Tonks. You three should be the first in the scene may there be an accident. Let's hope not. You will be alerted by Arabella Figg and Mundungus Fletcher. Since Alastor and Tonks were not able to make it today, kindly tell them. Any questions?"
"No," Remus smiled.
"Okay, next for our staff, Severus Snape. Should there be any problem with Harry and Draco that may not be fixed by a spell, a potion should be in brew. I'm sure you understand as you and Minerva made this."
Snape nodded curtly.
"Last for our staff, but certainly not the least, Minerva McGonagall. You will be with Lupin. You requested to a back up. Or would you like to be with them?"
"I'd like to be with them." Professor McGonagall stated briskly.
"Okay…last, our students." Dumbledore looked at the list. "Hermione Granger, you and Ron Weasley," the two Gryffindor students looked up upon being addressed, "will be the ones in charge of what to write in the reply for the letter, as you are Harry's bestfriends. I'm not sure if Mr. Crabbe and Goyle are… trustworthy enough."
Ron snickered. "Oh, don't worry about them, Professor. They don't have enough brains to fill an egg cup."
Snape threw him a look and he shut up.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "And this comes from the person has an emotional range of a teaspoon."
Ron glared at her.
"Okay, since I've already said what Fred and George do, since Percy asked, I will introduce to you all, Sirius Black."
"No need, Dumbledore, they all know me." Sirius smiled.
"Sirius!" Ron exclaimed. "What're you gonna do?"
"I'm," Sirius said, throwing his chest out, "getting the groceries."
Everyone in the room hastily turned their snorts into coughs, even Snape.
"Humph."
"Okay, people, people, I have another to introduce. This one, I am sure, you all don't know. Come in, Kevin." A boy went inside, his hair was dirty blond and was spiked up, not really spiked, but it was put up. His face was flawless and a bit pale. His eyes were blue. His whole appearance gave off the first impression that he was a bit mean. "Everyone, this is Kevin Alexander Spiel Harold. His nick name is Alex. Alex, this is," Dumbledore gestured to people as he said their names, "Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley, Fred and George Weasley, Percy Weasley, Mundungus Fletcher, Arabella Figg, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They're all helping us with Harry and Draco. Any questions?"
The boy shook his head once.
"Alright, everyone this is Kevin Alexander Spiel Harold. He's also going to be helping us with Harry and Draco."
"Is he a Muggle?" Fred asked. Percy elbowed him. "Oof. What was that for, Perce?"
"Be a bit nicer, idiot." Percy.
"Oh yeah, you're nice, too. Hypocrite."
"Boys…" Molly said again.
"Yes, he is, indeed a Muggle. Come Alex, sit here." Dumbledore said, gesturing to seat.
At this sentence, everyone turned to Dumbledore.
"Albus," Snape said as Alex turned to him, "you do realize what you're getting yourself in to." He said in his silky voice.
"Yes, I believe I do."
"But isn't there some kind of Disillusionment Charm on the Castle, or something?" Ron asked.
"Yes," Hermione talked for the first time since Alex came in. His head snapped from Ron to Hermione, "there is a Disillusionment Charm. Along with an Unplottable one. But Charms can be erased as easily as they were put up." She turned to Dumbledore. "You put down the charm so he could see the castle, didn't you, Professor?"
"Indeed up to your usually standards, Miss Granger." Hermione beamed.
"So…" Ron started, "why's he here?"
"Alex," Dumbledore started, "goes to Smeltings. He will be keeping an eye for Harry and Draco. Arabella and Mundungus can only see them outside, not in school. Alex will keep up reported."
"How do we know we can trust him?" Sirius asked. Alex looked at him.
"He has allowed us to use the Veritaserum. He knows a lot about wizards. Any more questions?"
"When do we get out car?" Fred asked, he glanced at George and both grinned evilly.
"When we need you." Dumbledore smiled. "Anymore? No? Okay, the meeting is over." Everyone went their ways, only the teachers and students remained in the room
"Alex," Fred said, putting a hand on Alex's shoulder, "make them sad, okay?"
George grinned at them both, crossing his arms over his chest. "We're counting on you."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Sure."
He had a voice that sounded partially like Draco, but it was a bit young-sounding, making him sound like a young Draco. And he looked like Draco, too.
"Great."
"Please forgive my brothers, they're not… normal." Percy said.
"Are they ever?" Ron asked rhetorically.
Alex smiled, these people seemed nice.
"Would you like to test out stuff in your school? Just don't tell mum. She always goes ballistic." Fred said.
"Fred," Hermione finally came in, "don't! You know we're not allowed to do that! You'll just get yourself in trouble, and then you'll be expelled, and honestly don't want that to happen! And then you'll get caught, Alex!" She turned to him. "And then you'll get caught! And then they're gonna ask you where you got it and that'll land the twins in Azkaban! And then you'll get expelled! And then no one will look after Harry and Draco! And then, what if an accident happens?! And then they might die!! Oh my god!!!!! And ¯" Hermione continued rambling.
"Don't mind her. She's weird when she's beside herself." George said.
Ron smiled. "That's true."
Alex said one thing that made Ron glare, made the twins raise their eyebrows and made Hermione stop rambling and yet not get mad, and all those don't happen often.
"I think she's kind of cute."
Ron rounded on him. "Hands off, Alex. She's mine."
Alex smiled. "I was merely stating my opinion."
Percy ogled at him. He chuckled. Ron continued glaring.
"Dumbledore?" a voice said from the door way. It was Sirius.
"He's not here." Fred said quietly.
"Oh." Sirius said, he saw Ron standing in front of Hermione, looking at Alex. Alex was smiling at Ron and Hermione was blushing. Percy was just ogling, and Fred and George were in one corner, looking at the scene in amusement. "Come on, then, Alex. Let's get you back to your house. I'm going to the grocery."
"So am I." said a voice.
Everyone turned to where the voice sounded, which was behind Sirius. Ron's glare didn't soften one bit, Hermione bit her lip, Fred and George joined Percy in ogling.
"Oh, it's you." Ron said.
The speaker smiled. "Yes, it's me."
"And what if you see Harry?" Hermione asked.
"So?" the person smiled. "What d'you think I'll do? Throw him cheese?"
"I 'spect he'll hex to oblivion, after what you've done to him." Said Ron, smirking.
"I'm sure he'll keep it down if I'm there." Sirius said, not liking the tension.
"Come on then." The speaker said, smiling at Alex, who blushed.
"Who're you?" he asked timidly.
"Oh," it was Ron, everyone turned to him, even Sirius, the twins and Percy. "Her?" he pointed to the person behind Sirius.
Alex nodded. "Yeah."
"She's Cho Chang."
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Ahh! Such a long time since I updated! Sorry everyone! A lot of people got mad because I wasn't updating. Sorry if someone was OOC or something… do you like Alex? Okay, fine, so he didn't show much. Sorry, guys! As much as I hate original characters, I need them in this fic, obviously. I promise, it'll be nice! Please review!!!!!!
EDIT: Yay! The '-'s worked!! Wohoo!!!! Celebrate good times, come on!!!! -hem- sorry... REVIEW!!