Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters and all that jazz...
And I know that I use some pretty interesting phrases in this chapter, but that's bcuz I was in such a crazy mood today! lol Ihope you like it. R & R!!!
After Harry had told Hermoine everything, including what happened with Clara, he felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. At first, when he was telling her about the kiss, she started pursing her lips like she was trying with all her energy, to not say anything that might make Harry angry. Afterwards though, she gave him all the support and advice that he could ask for.
She told Harry that he shouldn't let Ron know what happened with Clara. This surprised him; he always thought that Hermoine would make him admit to Ron that he had kissed Clara, but if she insisted that he shouldn't, who was he to disagree? She also told Harry that as long as he made sure it didn't happen again, he hadn't done anything wrong. He didn't know why, but having Hermoine tell him that he wasn't such a bad person, made him feels so much better.
"Have you talked to her since?" asked Hermoine curiously. Harry shook his head in response, just as Ron strolled up behind them.
"Who are you talking about?" Ron asked suddenly, making Harry and Hermoine both jump at the sight of him.
Harry then tried to 'play it cool' and answered honestly, "Clara, her mother just died." It was weird how nervous he was getting while around his best friend, now that he felt so incredible guilty.
"Yeah I heard about that in the common room." Ron said nodding, before trying to casually add, "Do you suppose she needs someone to talk to?"
Harry gulped; he didn't know what Ron was getting at. It was sounding like he knew, Harry didn't know how Ron would know, but he had a sickening feeling that Ron somehow knew.
Harry was praying in his mind that he was wrong as Hermoine prodded, "What do you mean?" She looked a tad worried too about whether or not Ron knew what had happened.
"Well, maybe I could talk to her…and maybe let her know that I, you know." Ron finished looking a tad embarrassed. Harry felt even more guilt find its way in the pit of his stomach. He knew that if he started feeling any guiltier, he wouldn't be able to go another second without puking.
Harry didn't throw up, however, and so instead, he asked that question that had been burning in his mind since Clara's lips left his. "You still like her a lot, huh?"
Ron didn't just flush this time, he became full on, beat red as he slowly nodded his head. Harry's hopes were shattered as Ron admitted to still liking Clara. He had hoped that Ron would move onto someone else, or forget about her, but unfortunately, it seemed as if Ron liked Clara more then ever.
"Does Weasley actually think he has a chance with any girl in this school?" added a scoffing voice from behind them. Of course, it was Draco Malfoy, accompanied by Crab and Goyle, who interrupted their conversation. He looked very smug with himself as he scorned at them all.
"And you, of all people, would?" sneered Hermoine, with disgust. Harry smiled at her comment; he noticed that she was becoming increasingly good at insulting Draco Malfoy. Not that it was hard, he reminded himself.
"Stay out of this mudblood!" Draco said while glaring at her with pure loathing.
Now it was Harry's turn to take a crack at insulting Malfoy. As he stood up, he demanded, "Mudblood is she? Well, what makes you so much better? Because I can tell you right now, if you were half as talented as her at magic, you wouldn't have to have dear old daddy help you out." Harry noticed as he was talking, Draco clenched his jaw and his two cronies, Crab and Goyle, were cracking their knuckles to try and intimidate him. Too bad it didn't; not one bit.
"I wouldn't expect you to understand, Potter. You aren't exactly the brightest crayon in the box. All you can do is show off that hideous scar," as Malfoy hissed this with such satisfaction, Harry would have liked nothing better than to sock him in the face. If Draco really thought, for one minute, that Harry enjoyed the fact that his parents were murdered, that he took pleasure in constantly being stared at, or that Harry liked to always be in danger of Lord Voldemorts' murderous plots, then Draco was sadly mistaken. If it were up to Harry, his parents would still be alive.
"Show off? You think that I would want people to constantly look at me, that I want them to always remind me of what happened? Believe it or not, Draco, I would enjoy nothing less, then for someone else to have to deal with all the crap I've had to." Harry was now right in front of Malfoy and he was patiently waiting for him to throw just one punch, daring him, to just conjure one spell, and then Harry would be sure to make Draco regret it.
Harry noticed how Malfoy's eye had started to twitch, and he knew that Malfoy wanted to fight just as much as he did. As Crab and Goyle started to close in around Harry, Ron stood up by his side. Harry looked boldly at all three of them. He couldn't help but smile at himself as he thought of how stupid he was becoming. So far, within the month, he had screamed at his uncle, betrayed Ron, almost lost Hermoine as a friend, and he was about to fight with Malfoy. Harry shook his head as he thought to himself, It's been a busy month…
After what seemed like forever, Crab became impatient and swung his big, beefy arm at Harry. Crab's fist landed right across Harry's cheek, but for whatever reason, Harry barely even noticed. Within seconds, Harry pummeled Crab to the ground and was punching him in the face with so much pent up fury, that he was actually winning the fight. Harry didn't even detect the fact that Ron had joined in the brawl as well, until he saw Ron being knocked over by Goyle, and landing right in front of him. Harry took this chance to tackle Malfoy on the ground and get as many punches in as possible. He wanted revenge for everything Draco had done to him; he wanted Malfoy to know that Harry wasn't going to let him get away with those horrible things anymore.
"BOYS! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" shouted a professor, who oddly seemed far off.
Harry decided to stop punching the daylights out of Malfoy and to get up, but as soon as he did, Malfoy hit him with a cheap shot, right in the eye. That was it; Harry went right back to punching Malfoy anywhere he could.
"HARRY, GET OFF OF MALFOY! ….NOW BOYS!" screamed the professor again, who Harry now realized, was professor McGonagall. Although Harry didn't want to stop, he did. Slowly he lowered his arms and stood up, while still looking down. Harry didn't want to see everyone's eyes on him because he that they all were looking at him. Harry Potter, the psycho boy who lived, was what they were going to be whispering as he passed by.
"All of you, come with me!" ordered Professor McGonagall as she started walking them all out of the Great Hall. Harry continued looking at his feet as he followed everyone out, towards McGonagall's office. As Malfoy, Ron, Crab, Goyle, and Harry entered her crowded office, she closed the door.
Harry finally raised his gaze and looked at McGonagall. He had never seen her lips pursed so tightly before, and he hadn't even noticed since he had returned, how much older she looked. She didn't say anything to them for such a long time that Harry started to get rather nervous.
Harry was curious at how all the others looked after their scrap, and when he scanned the room, Harry was simply shocked at the condition everyone was in. Goyle was bleeding from above his eyebrow and his shoulder was already turning the darkest color of purple imaginable. Then, he turned his sights on Crab, who was bleeding from his lip and had a black eye, which Harry had so generously given him. As Harry then saw Ron, he couldn't help but cringe, for getting him into this. Ron had a deep gash on his cheek, probably because Goyle had a number of rings on his fat fingers, and his face seemed to be dripping with blood. Malfoy, however, was in the worst condition of them all. He had two black eyes, a bloody lip and Harry thought his nose was probably broken because it was at the ugliest angle conceivable. Harry was stunned at what he did to Malfoy, during their fight.
Finally though, professor McGonagall broke the deafening silence in the room, "What came over you boys? Did you even think that you could get expelled for causing a fight?" This was definitely not the first time Harry had to worry about being expelled and this time was no different. He hoped that it would turn out just like every other occurrence, and that was with just a warning. He could not go back to living on Privet Drive, especially after what happened. Harry sighed as he thought to himself how pathetic it would be to get expelled within the first few weeks of arriving.
"Malfoy, Crab, and Goyle…I have contacted Professor Snape, since I am not the one who has authority over you. He is on his way to my office and will punish all of you severely." McGonagall was looking around the room at their faces, but no one was making any eye contact. She then slowly added, "I know you all do not like each other, but I could never imagine that any of you would do such a thing" She was looking sternly around the room trying to instill guilt in them all. Harry didn't know about the rest of them, but he knew that he was feeling as guilty as possible.
"Minerva" said a sniveling voice from the doorway. The voice was Snape's, who was sneering from the doorway at Harry and Ron.
"I trust that you know the situation, and that these boys need to be punished?" answered Professor McGonagall stiffly.
"Yes, of course," He answered in an edgy tone before he added, "Dumbledor told me to send Harry to his office before you discipline them." Harry could tell that Professor Snape wasn't happy to hear that he was going to see Dumbledor. Snape probably thought that Harry was going to get out of a punishment, which was exactly what Harry was hoping as well. Usually when he saw Dumbldor, he got out of a punishment, which made Snape red with fury.
McGonagall got even more tight-lipped, if that was possible, and replied absently, "Very well." She nodded towards Harry motioning for him to follow Snape towards Dumbledore's office. Before leaving, Harry took one last glance towards Ron as he exited McGonagall's office.
As soon as they were out of earshot Snape said to Harry coldly, "I'd like to see you get out of this one, Potter." Snape was smiling smugly at him and Harry found it deeply annoying.
"Nice to see you too, Professor…" Harry mumbled back sarcastically. While he was already in trouble, Harry figured he mine as well talk back to Snape.
"Shut up, Potter." Snape said quickly before saying clearly, "Windex". Suddenly the wall before them opened up, to what Harry very well knew was Dumbldor's office. He strode inside and watched as Snape turned on his heel and walked away as the wall closed behind him.
As Harry looked at the familiar staircase leading up to Dumbledor, he gulped. He wondered if he really was going home tonight.