AN: Please Note; WARNING, this short fic contains implied SLASH. Rated M/R.
After much personal debate I decided to load this segment here rather than as a stand alone. It takes place in Harry's Sixth year and is strictly from Harry's POV. Enjoy. Blessings. LL
Nimbus; The Crown of My Enemy . . .
Do you suppose that I am the only one? The only one who sees?
Sure, I've heard what they all say . . .
"He's a sex god . . . "
"Did you know he can . . . ?"
"Saturday, yeah, at Hogsmeade . . . "
No. I realize that I am not the only one; but . . .
Do they notice the way that you walk into a room and then suddenly the space is too small to contain you?
Or is that just me? You know, when we are in the same room?
The Transfiguration classroom . . . the simple wave of your wand stills my heart.
Potions . . . even Snape with his fervor of billowing robes doesn't fit.
The Great Hall . . .
When you stride to your table and step in front of the blazing fire, its flames are diminished by your power.
Thus my fear.
Do you diminish me? My fire?
Heat escalates within me when you walk by in the Charms corridor . . .
You sneer at me and then say, "Move it, Potter."
Your shoulder shoves against mine . . .
Did you feel that?
I did. What is this, if not some form of anguish on my part?
My enemy.
Is that truly who you are? I only ask because sometimes I see . . .
Unexpected kindness expressed when you helped Luna after she had a visionary episode . . .
No one else saw.
In Potions, you passed a message to Justin, unseen by Snape. Justin got the answer to his question right and Snape was none the wiser of your covert assistance.
No one else saw.
You shared a look with the headmaster as you made your way to the Slytherin table in the Great Hall.
Even then . . . no one else saw.
My breath hitches as you lock your gaze with me across the infinite space between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables.
"You would do well in Slytherin . . . " That voice rings out through my head as you arch beautiful blond brow at me--across the infinite space between us. Your tongue comes out to lick your lip.
I've heard . . . nah.
My mind comes back to Choice . . .
A tiny little choice. We make them everyday, every moment. Which way will we turn? What are the ramifications of our choices?
"Bee in your bonnet, Potter?"
"I was just wondering if you put me in the right house?"
" . . . I stand by what I said; you would have done well in Slytherin."
"You're wrong."
All of that happened before I knew. Choices made without proper insight. I drop my gaze from your intensely powerful sterling cauldrons of emotion and look down at my steak and kidney pie. Memory come flooding back . . .
Ron and I were walking under the expanded invisibility cloak carrying a midnight snack up to the common room to share with the other Phoenix Angels when the Marauders' Map suddenly began to make strange changes that we had never seen before on its pages. At this time we had been using our favorite tool for mischief making for slightly more than three years.
The lines on the map showed a whole new area of Hogwarts just off of the infamous 3rd floor corridor. Driven by curiosity, or so we thought, we became distracted from our errand to gather and deliver food. Yes, even Ron, wanted to go investigate these strange new changes. Imagine our surprise when we encountered a life size portrait of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin in the space previously occupied by the door to Fluffy's room.
In his surprise, Ron dropped one of the éclairs on the floor making an incredible mess. Splat sounds combined with his own arrgh of frustration at being covered with his favorite cream filling filled the corridor.
"Who goes there?" Godric Gryffindor asked the éclair.
I was so surprised that I removed the hood of our cloak with an ear wide grin and arched brow. "Oh come on, how cliché can you get, sir?"
Salazar's grin in response was alarmingly familiar to me but I became distracted by him turning to his companion and hissing with amusement, "He is ssssooo correct, Griff."
I turned to Ron to see if he noticed the same thing that I did only to see by his expression that indeed he did.
How do you suppose that after almost 1000 years, I would find myself face to face with two faces so close in their appearance to my own? Salazar's emerald green eyes and grin were so uncanny that I found myself questioning my maternal family tree again. That was not the full picture however, because the messy black locks upon Godric's head in combination with his strong jaw line framed the green eyes and Salazar grin upon my own face.
Who goes there, indeed.
"I am Harry James Potter," I answered, "and my companion is Ronald Bilius Weasley. May I ask why your portrait has been previously unseen by either of us, sirs? Perhaps you are just another secret of our venerated Headmaster Dumbledore? We have both been in this corridor before and your portrait was not here."
"We can only be seen by our own heirs and anyone accompanying them," answered Godric Gryffindor. "We have only just been moved back to this location after a 100 year hiatus. How is it that you can be our heir? Where do our sangraal lines merge?" Godric Gryffindor asked as he drew his sword.
"I'm sorry sir," I told him apologetically, "I cannot give you an answer." Just as I finished speaking, the magic of the castle gave me a gift. In midair Godric's sword and Salazar's dagger appeared hovering right before my eyes.
My next question was directed to Ron. "I thought we have always been told that Voldemort is the heir of Slytherin, was everyone right in second year?"
I come back from that whirlwind of memory and push my food around on my plate. I have no appetite. Perhaps the sorting hat had been right all along?
What will come of this deep angst I feel? Something rises up within me as I try to force the issue down. You can't feel that way, Potter, I tell myself as I shift my position on the bench beneath me.
Exquisite rising of torturous sensations . . .
I raise my gaze to see you laughing with Crabbe. The sound carries across the Great Hall. Music to caress my being. How can this be?
My enemy.
A flash of sunlight comes through the window behind you as a cloud moves aside to allow illumination . . .
Illumination in the form of your shining nimbus . . .
My enemy.
Damn, and no one else saw . . . only me with my hidden angst and passion. I rise and leave the Great Hall. Expressions of my heated passion must be hidden.
I push the door to the boys bathroom open. Alone. Black and green flames engulf me as I seek anguished release . . .
Within an impulse of wind your vision comes to me . . .
Nimbus; the crown of my enemy.
I cry out with longing as physical release sets me free . . . temporary appeasement.
AN: The flashback is from Chapter Two of Beauty in Perfection; Stand by Me. This was just a very short drabble that needed to be expressed. The note passed to Justin is just used here as an act of uncharacteristic behavior from Harry's POV. In my fic Beauty, Justin is friends with Blaise Zabini. Harry would not know this at this time. Thanks for reading. Blessings. LL
Reviews are like Chocolate Frogs . . . there is a surprise card in each package.
Let me know what you think. Thank You . . . Blessings. LL
Review Responses - I was surprised to find two reviews for Segment Two when I checked my email. I hope these appear here so that you can catch them. LL
Rachy; I can't believe that I uploaded this new segment (#3) and went to check my email because I am still trying to figure out why I get a notice that my story has been updated - only to find two reviews. Imagine my surprise:grin: Thanks Much. Beauty in Perfection will be updated soon. Blessings. LL
Phoenix2005;Thanks for reviewing. :grin: Purple hair? I thought Piers got off easy. Harry could have put him in a tree for the the night or . . . just kidding. I admit that I tend to abuse poor Piers. The Marauder came out in Harry during that moment. Thanks for reviewing so quickly. Blessings. LL
(LL sneaking in to tighten and edit 1-16-08 ;o)
Blanket Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Co. and all other characters within Potter World do not belong to me. No infringement is intended. I am making no money here; just having fun. Kudos and blessings to the literary genius JKR. This disclaimer is meant to be effective throughout this whole fic. Where mentioned it also includes Pepsi, India Spice Tea and the Psycho Ballistics Delta .68 and last but not least, the Clifford the Big Red Dog book series. Use of these names is solely for entertainment purposes and isn't an endorsement of the product. I am making no money from them either.
