Author's notes: I do not own Harry Potter or associates; they all belong to JKR. I do not own cliché storylines; they belong to the FF net writers.
The following is a story based on the cliché storylines I read from other authors, please do not flame me! I'm just trying to inject some humour into our lives! And besides, if these are cliché elements, you can't really say I snitched it from your fic, right?
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Lita-2003: Thanks for the review! Yup, this chapter is almost twice as long as the previous one.
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Princess-Fictoria: Yup, here you go! Update!
"And then what happened?" Harry questioned, as he noticed the redhead hem and haw.
"Erm… you were there hurtin' really badly, and Malfoy just came over and placed his hand on your head…" Ron stole a glance at Hermione, wondering if he should mention the word "heal". Hermione pursed her lips and gave an acute nod, hence Ron continued. "He sort of … helped you recover."
"What?" Harry exclaimed. "He helped me?" Confused, the bespectacled boy gapped his mouth and the trio remained silent for some time before the noise of someone rudely entering broke the silence.
"Harry! I heard you fainted! Are you all right?" Ginny, the youngest of the Weaseley rammed in.
"Yeah, I'm all right now," Harry answered awkwardly.
"Is it your…" pointing her finger to her forehead, Ginny meant to enquire about Harry's scar, which throbbed whenever they were near He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named.
"Eh, no. Just felt a like ditzy, that's all," Harry replied, darting his eyes to the other two seated Gryffindors, who seemed to squirm in their seats.
"All right then. Anyway, have you guys heard? Malfoy is a veela. Who is looking for a mate." Ginny asked, not knowing about the earlier encounter with Malfoy.
"What?" Harry vociferated louder than just now, his eyes wide with a shock.
"Yes! Everyone's talking about it! And Seamus was telling us that Malfoy most probably already know who his mate is, he distinctly saw Malfoy push his girlfriend away. You know, that Pansy Parkinson..." Ginny went on, not realizing that Hermione and Ron were very quiet, unlike their usual chatty selves.
"Ginny, Ginny, stop," Hermione put her hand up to Ginny to stop her rattling away. "Give Harry some time to digest the information."
"What do you mean?" Harry slit his eyes, pondering the hidden meaning in Hermione's words.
"Harry. Do tell me you haven't realized the gravity of the situation here," Hermione paused, as she composed her thoughts of breaking the news to Harry. It is indeed not an everyday affair where you find out that you have been betrothed to someone against your own wish. And what was worse- betrothed to your archenemy.
"What in Merlin's name is going on?" Harry questioned, his brows knotted furthered.
"Harry, now that you know that Malfoy is a mate-seeking veela, and that he sort of healed you just now… we are suspecting that you are his intended," clarified Hermione.
Harry paled. The word "intended" rang in his head, and he was reminded of the wispy voice he had heard earlier- "Harry Potteerrr… you are the intended…" More blood drained from Harry's face. He was shocked beyond words. He was to be betrothed to someone against his own wish. And what made it worse- he was betrothed to his archenemy. Feeling another dizzy spell coming on him, Harry gripped the upholstery tightly as he tried to banish the vertigo he was feeling.
Screams of his name was the last thing he heard before he blacked out again.
In another compartment, a particular blonde felt a piercing pain in his heart, as heat rose in him. "Not again," he thought, as he stood up and went in search of the source of his predicament. He trudged along the corridor of the moving train, the pain intensifying. "Damn, wrong direction again..." Draco scowled and turned around.
"Harry Potter! Will you stop it!" Draco lamented as he barged into the compartment again, throwing cold stares at the remaining Gryffindors and went straight for Harry. Grabbing him by the collars, Draco drew him up to a sitting position and proceeded to scowl at him. The three other occupants of the compartment remained wide-eyed, watching Malfoy's every move.
Just as the other time, Malfoy placed his palm on Harry's head and went into deep concentration. Ginny let out a gasp when she saw Malfoy glow bright red, Hermione clinged onto Ron, fearing the blonde would blow up. As Malfoy conducted the healing, Harry felt loved. He felt as though there was that other someone in the world who loved him, even though the love was unrequited. As he began to come round (again), Malfoy let go and swept away, just as he had done so previously.
"Did he do it again?" Harry asked meekly. The three could only nod their heads, as they were shocked. Harry thought about the feeling he had when Malfoy had his hand on him, the feeling of being loved… Harry gave a sigh. Ever since the death of Sirius, Harry had felt he could never be loved, nor love again. It seemed to him everyone who loved him eventually had to die. With that thought, he looked at the three, and sighed more.
The rest of the trip passed less eventful. They changed into their school robes, Ron and Hermione reporting for their duty to lead the first years, Harry and Ginny helping to lug their trunks to the carriages. Ever since witnessing Cedric's death during the Triwizard tournament, Harry was able to see the threstrals that helped pull the carriages to the castle.
"Hey," Harry and Ginny plopped down on the seats in a carriage and greeted Luna. Luna Lovegood- daughter of the editor of The Quibble, looked up from her magazine and smiled at the two. They have been on amiable terms ever since the episode at the Ministry of Magic last year.
"Trying to break the ancient runes huh?" Ginny gestured at Luna's magazine, held and read upside down. Luna grinned and went back to her magazine. Harry gave a bleak smile, his heart still laden with the problem of being Draco's intended. Having done their duties in ushering the first years to their boats, Ron and Hermione hopped onto the carriage.
"'Arry, you won't believe what happened. Draco Malfoy was actually be nice to the first years. Last year he was still manhandling them and this year he actually talked to them nice…" Ron's voice trailed off as he caught the stares from Ginny and Hermione. Something told him he had to shut up. Harry did not respond much, just a blank look on his face. Ron gave an apologetic look, making a mental note to mention that git infront of Harry again.
The carriages made their way up to the castle, and throughout the journey Harry kept staring at his worn sneakers- clearly hand-me-downs from Dudley. Despite warnings and threats from Tonks and company to the Dursleys at Kings' Cross the beginning of summer, nothing much changed. Except that they left him alone most of the time and Dudley steering clear from him.
The chattering crowd entered the Great Hall, leaving the trunks and luggages to the house elves. As they waited for the sorting ceremony to be over, Harry couldn't help but look towards the Slytherin table. There sat Malfoy, his archenemy, the godson of his most hated teacher, as well as the Veela he was betrothed to. Harry cringed at that thought, the thought to have to one day mate with the one person who tormented him the past five years.
As each house warmly welcomed the new first-years, Professor Dumbledore rose and walked towards the pulpit to speak.
"Welcome back to a new year. I have promised you to be Headmaster, and I shall remain one. I welcome back our beloved teachers, Professor Sibyll Trelawney as well as Rubeus Hagrid, your teacher in Care of Magical Creatures, and last but not least, Professor Remus Lupin, who has kindly volunteered time to teach Defence Against The Dark Arts." On seeing Professor Lupin back, Harry grinned, for he was by far, the best Professor they have had for this subject. He was after all the person to teach Harry most of his defences.
"And as usual, I must forewarn that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to all students, especially the few privileged sixth-years who have had the opportunity to come into close encounter with the inhabitants," Dumbledore winked at Harry, who chuckled. "Our caretaker, Mr Filch has kindly put up a list of banned items on his office door, as well has kindly remind all students that magic is not allowed in hallways. After which I have only a couple more words to say – tuck in." With a wave of his hand, food piled up on the tables and everyone tucked in. Ron stacked his plate high with food, gorging and stuffing his face. Hermione looked at him with distaste as she resumed a conversation with Ginny. Harry poked at a piece of bacon and shifted it around on his plate, having no appetite for any food.
"Oi 'Arry! How was summer?" Seamus Finnigan, who sat next to Harry asked suddenly.
"Hmm? Summer? As usual I guess," Harry replied, not wanting to recount the boredom he endured.
"I had a great time! Mother was pressing Father to get me a headstart in Muggle Studies, and Father introduced me to all sorts of interesting gadgets, and even took me to Muggle London! Oh yes, I met Ron's Dad at Muggle London too. Apparently was there to fix another one of those regurgitating toilets. Father was so turned off at the idea, and started to question me if I had jinxed the toilet at our house. Haha…" Seamus laughed, Harry gave an appreciative chuckle. Seamus edged in closer to Harry, who felt odd at this gesture.
"Oi 'Arry!" Seamus' laughters stopped as his voice lowered down to a whisper. "I heard you're gay, is it true?"
Harry gasped. "What?"
"Nothin', just heard it from some of the Slytherins, saying they caught sight of you and Ron in Diagon Alley…" Seamus trailed off, his eyebrows raised.
"Me and who?" Harry shouted, startling some of the people around him.
"Shush! I told you it's hearsay! Those darn Slytherins, must have been spreading rumours about you…" murmured Seamus.
"Who did you hear it from?" Harry enquired.
"I heard Bulstrode and Goyle talking about it…" Seamus replied, looking at Harry solemnly.
Harry made no respond but to grit his teeth.
"Well, so you're not gay, right? I mean if you are… I thought…" Seamus dared not complete his sentence.
"Then what?" Harry barked.
"I thought… we could…" Seamus moved closer to Harry, his mouth lingered dangerously near his neck and ear. "Get together." Seamus whispered in a voice Harry thought was a bad attempt of being sensual. Seamus' hot breath bothered Harry, who squirmed and tried to push Seamus away.
Seamus eventually backed off, but a particular jealous veela had not stayed in his seat long enough to see him retreat. He was already storming out of the Great Hall to stop himself from hexing that Finnigan to hell and back.
R&R!
