Chapter 1: The Usual and A Secret Admirer

Disclaimer: No character that you can recognize is mine. The Great J. K. Rowling owns them. :hails the Great Rowling:

A/N: First story started nearly a year ago, had issues with computers, but I've been prompted to continue this. Was once known as Harry Potter and the Secret Admirer. (Crappy title I know.) It's been revised. Tiny details that I'm sure most won't notice, but I couldn't help it. Please review, it'll help. -Kat

"You're potions should be complete in a few minutes."

Snape prowled around the room pausing to sneer at every other Gryffindor. Harry looked down at his ingredients horrified. He began to do his potion at top speed mentally cursing himself for letting his thoughts drift. After hastily following the instructions, he glanced at Hermione's potion. It was a light shade of pink, unfortunately his had a more orange tinge to it, but that would have to do. He scooped some of the glop into a vial and lined up to turn it in. On his way to Snape's desk he passed by Neville whose potion was murky brown and currently melting his vial.

"What's up mate?" Ron whispered from behind Harry making him jump slightly. "You've been spacing out a lot lately."

"It's nothing." Harry muttered. Ron just snorted and gave him a 'you-can't-fool-me-I'm-you're-best-friend' look. Harry knew exactly what was bothering him, but he wasn't about to tell anyone. Especially not in Potions. They returned to their seats and began to pack their stuff.

"I thought Snape said he was going to give us something challenging." Hermione joined her two companions. "That was way too easy to even be considered hard. Do you think he's trying to catch us off guard? I mean, he didn't really tell us exactly when he was going to give it to us..."

"Hermione, I try not to think of this class, or him, or any horrible thing he might enjoy doing to us." Ron said shouldering his bag. "And I'd like to leave, we got Divination next."

"You do, I don't. I was smart and dropped it." Hermione said smugly.

Ron glared at Hermione as they headed for the door. They were about to leave, just before everyone else when Snape called out to them.

"Potter, come here."

Reluctantly Harry went to Snape's desk wondering how he had managed to upset him today. Malfoy, headed for the exit, took this as an opportunity to shove Harry.

"Excuse me." He said in mock apology, snickering as he blew past.

The other Slytherins followed suit and began to bump into Harry and shove him. He clutched his bag as they threatened to rip it from him, forcing himself not to shove any of them back.

"Come Potter, I haven't got all day." Snape snapped.

"Yes Professor." Harry muttered through gritted teeth thinking of nothing but revenge on Malfoy. And what a lovely revenge it would be.

"Here's your essay on the four Bane plants. It was very ill written. Don't expect me to go easier on you just because you're in the infirmary. That's not a valid excuse. As you should know I like to treat all my students equally. You may go."

Harry bit back several curses and snide remarks, and fumed out of Snape's class. Now he was going to be late for Divination. Today was not a good day, as usual. Shoving his essay in his bag he sprinted up and up and up the steps till he finally reached Trelawney's tower. Harry clambered up the steps and collapsed into a pouf next to Ron. The room was dimly lit by candles with eerie blue flames.

"Hey Harry, what did the ugly git want?"

"He just wanted to insult me, as usual. What're we doing?" Harry gestured at the candle in the center of their table. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Predicting you're death, as usual. We're suppose to 'divine the future in the spirals of smoke.' Whatever that means, if you look there's no smoke!"

"I guess its back to the usual. Let's see Ron, I'm going to say that you're going to have. . . good fortune, no wait you gotta suffer first so er. . . " Harry squinted at the candle trying to appear as if in deep thought as Trelawney passed by. "I'll say that you're going to have good fortune after you suffer from a great betrayal. How's that sound?"

"Gee, you're a wonderful friend. I think I just suffered." Ron muttered sarcastically, clutching his heart with his free hand as he began to scribble Harry's fate.

"How about poisoning?" He asked.

"Nah, too plain"

"Self combustion?"

"Too flashy."

"Disease?"

"We've done that already.'

"Suffocation?"

"Hmmm, that'll work as long as you say it's drawn out. Or have we used that?"

"No we used drowning."

"Oh." Harry shrugged, it was getting hard to keep track of all his deaths. He let his mind wander and as usual Malfoy's face came into his minds eye. Harry was disturbed that Malfoy's face kept appearing, even in his dreams. It had begun to haunt him as soon as he returned to Hogwarts for his sixth year. What bothered him further still was the fact that these feelings he felt towards Malfoy weren't new. It was as if they had been there all along, but had just laid dormant until now. Of course Harry hadn't given any girl a second thought since the whole fiasco with Cho and as Malfoy invaded his dreams more and more, Harry was wondering if he was queer.

"Okay class show your partner their future then turn in the papers to me." Professor Trelawney clapped and light filled the room. (A/N: Clap on, Clap off :P) "Don't turn out the candles, and don't worry Neville I'll light it again later. Oh and Harry dear, try not to be late again these are important lessons and I'd really hate to have to give you detention."

"Bitch." Ron muttered. "It wasn't your fault you were late."

Not only had he also been criticized in Transfiguration (For daydreaming :P), but Harry had gotten a load of homework to do. He picked at his meal, he had thought about it all day and now he was positive he was gay. He couldn't imagine himself kissing Cho, or any girl, Malfoy's face kept appearing instead. Now Harry was afraid to see the real Malfoy. What would he do? What if he found out that Harry had begun to fall for his enemy?

"Today sucked, as usual." Harry muttered.

"I know, Monday's are horrid. All the hard and boring classes in one day!" Ron asserted. He continued to rant about Monday's for a few minutes before abruptly changing it to Quidditch. Harry listened and concentrated on the conversation, trying to stop himself from continuing from seeing Malfoy smiling at him, and wrapping his arms around Harry getting closer and closer till-

"Come on Harry we got a shit load of homework to do."

"Yeah. . ." Harry followed Ron and Hermione to the common room. Deciding that if he was tired enough he wouldn't have to see Malfoy in his dreams too, Harry wrote essay after essay and was working on labeling his 'Alternate Universe' chart when even Hermione decided to call it quits.

"Wow Harry I'm proud of you. Of course you're probably only doing all this so you can practice Quidditch, but it's still good that you're doing all your work." Hermione smiled at him as she stumbled up the stairs to the girl's dormitory. "Don't stay up too long."

Harry sighed and continued to write names of stars and planets in minuscule writing. After dozing twice, he decided to leave something for tomorrow night. He began to gather all his things carefully putting them inside his bag, he couldn't remember the last time he had put so much effort into his work. Suddenly a piece of parchment fell out. It was a light shade of blue and folded neatly. On it was written in fancy writing: To: Harry Potter, From: You're secret admirer

A penny for your thoughts.