Title: Everything About You is a Rose
Disclaimers: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Summary: Harry has been receiving many mysterious roses from an anonymous person, which has left him clueless and annoyed. Add on to that problem, a least likely person he never thought would, is slowly becoming a part of his life, and he has no idea how to react to it.
Author's Note: Big thanks to those who have reviewed or read my first chapter. You do not know how much it means to me. From obvious hints, you can totally tell it is a H/D slash. So I hope that if you are a Harry and Draco shipper, you will enjoy the rest of this story.
Everyone's eyes bore down on the blonde Slytherin as they waited for the answer in suspense. Harry eyed Malfoy with amusement. He knew Snape favoured the prat, but what about Malfoy? What did he think of the cruel professor? It wasn't exactly a personal question, so Snape could not do anything about it and since the question was let out already, the chance of Snape preventing it, was very slim.
The Potion Master was clearly unhappy about this. Harry could tell, mostly, because he had a scowl on his face, but said nothing. This seemed odd to Harry because here was the perfect chance for Snape to yell at him, but he didn't.
The people on the sidelines to the situation were getting more and more anxious. Ron was beaming with pleasure to see Malfoy in this awkward situation. Hermione just looked at him disapprovingly, but her eyes revealed everything; she was amused just as much as everyone was.
"Well, Malfoy?" Harry wondered aloud after a while.
Malfoy closed his eyes, and his breath deepened. He clenched his fist tightly, causing his knuckles to turn white. Finally, he opened his eyes, and one side of his mouth lifted, leading to a semi-smile and a semi-smirk. Harry hadn't even known that expression existed. Apparently, even if it didn't before, it did now. That look made Malfoy's sharp face appear softer and less frightening. Nice even, but Harry wasn't about to go into any further details. It seemed so wrong coming from him.
"I think Professor Snape is the most handsome man who ever existed." Several students gasped in horror, while several others giggled. Harry, along with Ron, Hermione, Neville and a couple of more students, stared at Malfoy, speechless, eyes fully widened.
Malfoy continued dreamily, "What I wouldn't give to run my fingers through his rapturous hair and breathe in his musky scent."
This time, there was gagging throughout the classroom, and Snape seemed to be frozen on the spot. Harry just couldn't believe his ears. Was he hearing all of this right? Malfoy seemed to have ignored them because he didn't stop.
"My emotions towards him are like the ocean's tide; strong and everlasting. It will continue forever." He sighed, and some girls even joined him.
"Draco!" Pansy Parkinson shouted in disbelief. "You are delirious! Professor Snape, stop him! …Professor Snape?"
Snape, for all Harry could tell, was still motionless and had no expression imprinted on his face. The ebony-haired boy turned his attention back to Malfoy, missing the hint of diversion in Snape's eyes.
"I want to be able to hold him, feel him, and ki—"
"Mr. Malfoy, I think that's enough." Snape finally voiced, with a leer. "I think the students are scared and confused enough already."
Malfoy broke out in fits of sneering laughter. "That—Ha—was so—Ha Ha—funny!" Malfoy took a deep breath and regained his posture, but still had to try and suppress the giggles. "You should have seen your face Potter! And—and…" Malfoy started to laugh again.
Harry stared at him skeptically. He couldn't believe it. Malfoy had just made a fool out of him again and got away with it too. He looked around, and saw most of the students were in his position too. Ron was in a state of horror, while Hermione glared at him.
"Are you done yet?" Harry asked sarcastically looking at the laughing Slytherin.
"Chaos, panic, and disorder—yup, my work here is done." Malfoy replied.
"Now that we're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view and action, Mr. Malfoy," Snape said smirking, "Let me explain to some unfortunate souls," he looked at Harry, "that do not understand how Mr. Malfoy could do such an, inappropriate act."
Malfoy looked offended by that statement. "Inappropriate, but funny. You have to give credits to that!"
Either Snape didn't hear that or he chose to ignore the comment, and continued talking, "The Unmasking Potion, like I said, is not as strong as Veritaserum, so it can be fought off, if you concentrate on it hard enough. Mr. Malfoy here had demonstrated a remarkable display of power and resistance."
Malfoy smirked proudly as Snape rewarded Slytherin 20 points. The Gryffindors all groaned.
Class ended about five minutes later, and everyone was hyped up for their next class. They all had to admit that that had to have been one of the most interesting Potions classes they had had in a while. Harry also had to accept the fact that he was rather impressed with Malfoy's display of arrogance towards Snape, and he did not even get in trouble with Snape too, which peevedhim in an unnerving way. If Harry had done that, he would probably have earned himself detentions for the rest of his life, with Snape, scrubbing the dungeons floor and polishing trophies until his hands blistered.
Detention…shit, he remembered, while letting go a long sigh. Why couldn't he go one day without getting in trouble?
"That was…weird," Harry said after a while, whilst mulling things over.
"That was nothing," Ron replied, astonished, with his arms waving about frantically. "You should have seen Snape after we left. He smiled in a pleasant way. Pleasant! I didn't even know he knew how to do that!"
"The only thing that bothered me is that Snape did not stop that ridiculous question," Hermione looked, and pointed, at Harry, "you asked in the first place."
"It wasn't that bad," Harry quietly mumbled to himself.
"You could have lost another 10 points for Gryffindor!" She went on lecturing.
Ron casually leaned against Harry and whispered, "'Mione seriously has a lecturing problem, doesn't she?"
"Do you think there is a cure?" Harry asked back equally as quiet.
"Honestly? Not at all, mate."
The two best friends laughed out loud, making Hermione to turn around and ask them what they were saying that was so funny.
"Nothing, 'Mione," they shrugged and said at the same time.
Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered to herself, "Boys."
"Let's go to Charms before we are late again she told them, as she pulled their arms as an indication for them to walk faster. And with anything involving school and Hermione together, they quickly obliged, even if they were not too happy about it.
"Oh god, Ron!" Hermione would usually yell at him, after he's stuffing his mouth with food. But this time, everyone around cried out just that in an en masse.
"That is just disgusting!" Seamus said with his nose wrinkled up.
"And I think I am going to throw-up," Neville added, his face turning green.
"If you can't stand this now, try living with him," Ginny put in, making faces at her brother, "for sixteen years and counting, too."
Harry sighed. He couldn't believe how his redheaded friendcould holdall of that food in his stomach, without getting sick afterwards, and manage to stay lean too. It was very impressive indeed. Maybe it's because of the intense Quidditch training he had put himself through. Ron had been practicing more and more every day, trying to improve his skills and determined to show everyone, especially the Slytherins that he was better than all of them, and all of his work did not go to waste. He was now the Captain of Gryffindor's Quidditch Team, and Harry could not imagine anyone better suited for the job than him. Even though he enjoyed the stimulating rush and the competition during the matches, and would not trade Quidditch for anything in the world, he realized that Ron really deserved all of this. Ron clearly had more experience and would make the team proud. He might even be the next Oliver Wood.
"Harry, look!"
Harry, who did not realize that he was grinning like mad, looked up to where Seamus was pointing. There, another rose dropped on his lap, but this time, the rose was lavender coloured, and it was a tawny owl, with white feathers at the tip of its wings, which had delivered it. Ron looked up from his food, while Hermione's eyes were still locked on the owl as it flew out of the Great Hall. On the sidelines, Seamus, and Ginny stared at the rose curiously. Harry couldn't see where Neville was anywhere. He guessed that Neville had to leave right after he finished dinner to do his homework.
"Another one?" asked Ron.
"Another one?" Seamus repeated with eyes opened wide, probably wondering what they were talking about.
"There's no note again," stated Hermione.
"Again?" Seamus asked again.
"Nope."
"Oh, come on! What's happening? I want to know too!" whined the curious, Irish Gryffindor, but the others ignored him still.
"And I still have no clue what it means," said Harry.
Seamus, who was going to open his mouth and ask again about the rose, was suddenly shut up by Ginny; the usually shy and quiet Ginny. Harry noticed this, but before he could say anything to her, she pulled the reluctant Seamus up by the arm and left.
"What was that all about?" asked Ron, after a moment of silence.
With a shrug, he began to eat his buttered scone.
"Harry!" Hermione suddenly yelled, making Harry look up at her, startled. "Your detention!"
Harry coughed through his bitten bun, spraying the crumbs everywhere on the table, and quickly sprinted out the Great Hall.
"Ew, Harry got crumbs all over me!" Ron cried out, while Hermione laughed at him, considering how he ate. The laughter became the last thing Harry heard from his friends.
Time went by, but it felt as Father Time had slowed it down on purpose just to torment Harry, who was currently on his hands and knees scrubbing the cold dungeon floor. It was bad enough that he had to clean the spills that happened that day, but with a toothbrush and no magic? This was too much for Harry. No magic was okay with him because he had done these dirty tasks at the Dursleys, but with a toothbrush? Even the Dursleys were not that cruel.
"Stupid Snape. Stupid Malfoy. Stupid dungeon floor," muttered Harry under his breath. "This is going to take me forever."
Finally, he decided to stop for a little bit. Even though the dungeons were freezing at this time of day, Harry could not help but wipe a bead of sweat off his forehead. He sat there for a while, looking around Snape's class. He wished he could destroy it with a bulldozer.
Then, he remembered the roses. He reached into his pockets and took them out. Surprisingly, they were not ruined one bit. The roses were as beautiful as they were when he had got them.
"What do they mean? What do they mean?"
This was way too much for Harry. Sure, he had gotten plenty of flowers and gifts before from screaming Harry Potter fans, saying how much they loved him, or how much they admired his good deeds. This sickened him greatly. They didn't like him for who he was,but because he was famous.
"The roses are probably from another one of them," he thought to himself.
He raised an eyebrow, and then said out loud, "But there's always been a note or something attached with the gift. Don't they want me know about them?"
White rose. Lavender rose. What can these stupid flowers mean? Do they even have a meaning to them? Harry sighed. Why must everything have to be so difficult for him? Couldn't there be some kind of cheat sheet for this?
"Potter!" came a stern voice nearby. "I don't hear scrubbing. The next time I don't hear the toothbrush scraping the floor, I will make sure you will be scrubbing for a long time."
Harry groaned and replied. "Yes, Professor Snape." Then he began muttering to himself and kneeled down once again to scrub the floor, "Stupid roses. Stupid fangirls…"
"What have you got there, Harry?" Ron asked loudly, appearing by his side with his red hair all over the place.
Harry shot up from his bed, squinted, then rubbed an eye with his hand, trying to make out his friend's face, but the only thing he saw was a blur of red hair. "Wha-?"
"Looks like you got another flower, mate," said Ron. "And it's orange this time."
"Wha-?" Harry repeated stupidly. It was still way too early for his brain to function properly. "Where?"
"I think your glasses will come in handy about now," laughed Ron. "Well, hurry up, and get the rose from the owl."
"Why don't you get it for me?" Harry asked, while putting on his glasses. He saw now that the rose this time was indeed orange, but the owl, as before, was different. This time, it was a miniature sandy brown owl, which reminded Harry a lot of Ron's Pigwidgeon, but this owl did not have the energy like Pig possessed.
"It won't let me come near the stupid flower," replied Ron. "I think you have to go and get it yourself."
Ron was right. When Harry came near the petit owl, it hooted happily and gave him the flower. Then it flew away.
"Note?" Ron asked came over by his side.
"Nope."
"Again?"
"Yup."
"That sucks."
"Yup." Harry paused, and looked at his friend, or rather, his nightclothes. "Ducky pyjamas?"
Ron blushed and exclaimed. "That's the only thing I have left that is clean alright!" Then he smiled. "What about you? Unicorn pjs?"
It was Harry's turn to blush. "Dudley went through a very weird phase alright?" The two boys collapse on their beds laughing. Harry, being careful not to squish the rose.
"What is all the noise?" Dean mumbled sleepily.
"Hey! Harry got another rose!" Seamus exclaimed excitedly. "Someonehas himself a girlfriend and didn't even tell us about her. I thought we were friends, Harry." He pouted, and faked a sad face.
"More like secret admirer," Ron said and joked. "It's okay to be jealous and a little love struck for someone. And did I mention desperate too?"
"Look who's talking," Seamus laughed. "Ooh, I wonder who it's from?"
Silence fell within the room, but then after a moment, it was interrupted when Harry collapsed and started laughing again.
"What?" Ron and Seamus said together in unison.
"I can't help thinking that you both are in desperate need of girlfriends!"
"Well…well…well what, Seamus?" Ron said, stuck for words.
His Irish friend shrugged, but with a grin, "Pillow fight!" he yelled.
Thousands of feathers flew around the room as a result. Soon, Dean and Neville woke up and joined in the pillow war because of the commotion. It would have been a miracle if anyone could sleep through the racket anyway.
"Hey! Not fair!" Harry shouted. "Four against one! Plus, you're messing up my hair."
Dean laughed. "That's for waking us up!"
Then Ron said while hitting Harry hard with his pillow, "Your hair is always messy anyways, Harry. So it doesn't really make any difference."
Harry stuck out his tongue, and the war continued. Soon, there was nothing was left of their pillows, which were flatter than sheets of parchment in their hands. The five boys fell down, grinning like mad. Harry hadn't had so much fun for such a long time. It reminded him of when they were just twelve years old; immature and carefree, instead of now, when hormones had finally been let loose and the only thing on the minds of teenage boys are girls, sex, imagery, pleasure, boys, and sex.
"I am so not cleaning this up." Ron said after a while.
"Boy, wouldn't the house elves have a lot to clean," Dean said.
"And of course, if the house elves had to clean this up for us, I bet you 10 Galleons Hermione will freak out. You know what her new rule is: 'You must never think that the house elves will clean after you voluntarily. Remember, they are forced to. They are not doing it for fun'," Neville said, mimicking Hermione.
"Are you guys awake yet?" came a voice very alike Hermione's outside their dorm door after three knocks on the door. "You better hurry up, or else you will be late for breakfast, then class later on." Yup, that was Hermione.
The Gryffindor boys sat up quickly after hearing this, and started cleaning instantly. It was not a good thing to let Hermione see their messy room like this. Her lectures might last until the next millennium. None of them wanted to mess around Hermione's SPEW foundation, and who knows? She could burst into their room any minute from now. That was so like Hermione.
"And besides," Harry thought while stuffing his pillow, "I need a pillow to sleep on tonight."
Author's Note: You know what to do. Click the "review" button and I will give you a cookie. Pretty please?
I know that the ending is a little weak, but I didn't know how to end it. Hope you guys don't send me any flames for that. Also, if you have any constructive suggestions, then please do! I am always open for (nice) criticism.
I would like to give special thanks to Staysa, Handsoff, Adelade, Tigris T Draconis, Kazzy, Bibbers, Tommi, Night, and Cursed Lone Wolf for their quick, but meaningful review. Love you all.
Also, the next chapter will be posted up soon, I just need someone to beta it for me first, which might take a while, but I promise to get it finished as soon as possible.
