Title: The Power of Seduction

Author: zimagesto

Disclaimer: don't own Harry Potter &/or co.

Summary: Something happened during the summer between the sixth and the seventh year and Harry isn't quite the same. Half-demons, assassins, fairies, annoyed Dumbledore and what would everything be without Voldemort to piss off?

Chapter 2

Harry smiled as he saw the Great Hall again. The teachers were seated on their usual seats and his eyes slid to where Severus Snape was sitting. For a few moments, their eyes connected and Harry smirked at his Professor, who only narrowed his eyes in response, making Harry smirk even more enthusiastically before seating at his table and noticing that Hermione was looking at him pensively.

"What?"

"What's going on between… never mind" she drifted off, catching his innocent looks that spoke of anything but innocence.

"Long story" he replied.

"What?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione and Harry in turns.

"Long story" Harry repeated. "Summer holidays can change many things"

"Looks also" Dean noticed, staring at him. "What happened to you?"

"I decided that I didn't like my looks, so…"

"You're a Metamorphmagus!"

"Um… no" Harry said, a thought crossing his mind. Was he a metamorphmagus? "Just my body decided it was growing time"

"And the glasses?" asked Seamus.

"Well, there's a spell to get rid of eye trouble" Harry replied. "Somebody did it for me"

"Why didn't they do it before?" Neville asked, deciding that he needed to join the conversation also.

'Because nobody really did know the spell and besides, the person who did it wasn't really human' Harry thought to himself, but on the outside, he just shrugged. "Don't know. Guess nobody thought of it… After all, there aren't too many people with glasses here, except McGonagall and the local eccentrics, aka Dumbledore or Trelawney so they might've decided I like my eyes that way, to resemble my father"

As he said that, everybody around him looked around the Hall and saw that, indeed, there weren't too many people with glasses around, except a girl in Hufflepuff.

"Well, you definitely look better without them" Ginny said with a smile and a wink and Harry smirked back at her in return.

"Do I, Ginny?" he asked, leaning in towards her in the same flirtatious way she'd done it.

"Oh, yeeesss"

"Ok, who are you and what have you done with Harry?" Hermione asked and Harry started laughing, as did Ginny. It took a moment before Ron joined in, realizing that the two had been joking around.

"Me? I'm definitely Harry" the green eyed young man replied, looking at Hermione innocently before smirking back towards Ginny. "So tonight, my place or yours?"

The others started laughing again and Harry he looked back towards the Head table and seeking Snape's eyes. Indeed, in less than ten seconds the man looked towards him and raised an eyebrow. In response, Harry smirked again, making the man raise his eyebrow even higher. And then, the younger man turned back towards his lovely companions. It was going to be a pleasant night.

The first years entered the Hall, looking just as scared as all the first years before them and McGonagall called them out for the Sorting. Harry looked at them with something akin to fondness and smiled at Ron's eagerness to get the Sorting over with and eat.

"Patience, my impatient apprentice" he said in a fluid way.

"Ha, ha" the redhead mumbled.

He turned his head back towards the Sorting and applauded politely as one of the kids got sorted into Gryffindor and came to sit down a few seats away from them. And soon enough, the Sorting was over and Dumbledore said a few words before they started eating, the main topic of the evening, being, of course, Harry's change. So he did what he'd prepared to do for a long time: not exactly lie, but omit the truth in such a way that nobody would even believe he was hiding something.

He told them about a wizard's –ok, she hadn't been a wizard- goodwill and how he'd helped the Boy-Who-Lived out of candor and how he'd started working out so he'd become more lean and muscular. He told them that he'd learnt another way of dealing with his problems and, finally he was able to stand up, be responsible and get rid of his complexes. All thanks to the good-hearted wizard who'd helped him cope –and now he was talking about a different person than the first time, who'd definitely been a witch-

So, he'd given them a very simplified version of the truth, omitting many things… but still, the truth!

And when everything was finally over and they went to the Tower, he felt quite good with himself. Ron asked him to stay a bit behind and Harry could guess what everything was about, so he simply told him he was tired and that they'd talk some other time. Right now, they both needed their sleep. Ron hadn't been pleased.

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Harry lay down in his bed, his new green silk pajamas feeling very nice against his skin. And he smiled. He really wasn't tired, although he knew he'd need sleep now. So he indulged himself in a fantasy… One that included her.

"I miss you" he imagined her whispering in his ear.

"Miss you too… you make a good pillow"

"The only reason why you miss me!"

"You know it's not… You're so beautiful… So wonderful…"

"You always say that"

"Not always. I should say it more"

He imagined how she'd smile then, climb on top of him and kiss him on the lips… on the neck… taking off his shirt… He definitely wasn't falling asleep thinking like that… Biting his neck slowly, removing his pants…

"Harry, mate" he heard a whisper and he groaned.

"Yes, Ron?"

"I want to talk to you"

"Obviously" he muttered. "Yes, Ron?"

The curtains around his bed shifted and a shape came through them and sat on his bed, muttering a silencing charm around the bed. Harry rolled his eyes before making more room for his pal.

"How was it… Getting laid, I mean?" he asked with such a childlike innocence that Harry could only laugh.

"Go to sleep, mate"

"Really, Harry… What did you do? I want to… with Hermione… And I'm scared shitless, what if I… you know…"

"Hermione?" Harry whispered.

"Um…"

"You two are dating!"

"More than a year now, mate, please don't get mad at me for not telling you but really you…"

"Shut it" Harry said. "I know why you didn't tell me, don't worry"

Ron breathed out a sigh of relief and Harry smirked.

"Scared you'll fail?" he teased.

"Shut it!" Ron borrowed the expression. "But um… some advice would be ok"

Harry smiled in the darkness, remembering his first time… But of course, Hermione wouldn't be as skilled as her. Oh, she'd been wonderful… so wonderful… He could only advise his friend according to how she'd advised him. And so he did, remembering all that she'd said, her slow words…

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AN: This is where I stop, since I'm starting to get memories and fantasies of my own here ;-)

Thanks to my wonderful reviewer: athenakitty!