Chapter 5: Fun in Class and Library Fun
Disclaimer: I am not getting paid for this. All I've got is- :Checks pockets for lint: A gum wrapper. I am not the real owner, well not officially. :P
A/N: For anyone who is curious, this is how my story went on a long hiatus: What had happened, was that my computer got a virus, so for the rest of the summer, and until hmmmm, maybe a two months ago I did not have a computer with internet access, and about four months before that my old virus infected computer crashed. I am also having difficulty writing, cause me mum has taken an interest in what I do on the computer. I need a laptop. ..
On another note: I have an idea for a sequel, IF one is requested by at least five people or so. One good plea would be good enough. Sadly my standards are low. So if you want a sequel say so in your review. You will review right? Please do! - Kat
Thanks: Crystal blue dry ice: you know i love you girl, sorry for the scare i gave ye the other day. Mirazheshakramene: thank you, i feel loved. justanormalgirl357: i have posted and hopefully posting again soon, now that i'm on vacation, and have worked out a computer schedule. gazette: i would be sad, and your chant helped. thanks! Arynn Octavia: -blush-, thanks, and i must say THANK YOU for inspiring me to continue this. Akusaa: glad you like. hope you like even more.
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There's someone special in my life
Who doesn't know I care
I wish I could let him know it
But let it show I wouldn't dare
I don't want to even risk it
I don't want to even try
For if he knew I felt this way
I'd feel insecure and shy
I never thought I'd feel this way
I never thought I care
There's something in that smile of his
That makes me stop and stare
How can I tell if he likes me?
Will he ever look my way?
I'll keep my feelings hidden for now
And save them for another day.
(Someone Special, Anon)
Harry looked over the letter. How the hell did this person find a way to slip these poems in his robes was a mystery to him. He handed it over to Hermione, who was waiting rather impatiently for Harry to finish reading. She sighed at the end, just as she did with every other poem he had received.
"I wish someone would write me poetry like that." She said softly gazing at Ron.
"What kind of guy would write such sappy crap, only girls do that." Ron said absent mindly putting away his chess pieces, missing the hurt look on her face.
"Well, would you enjoy receiving poetry like this?" She asked slightly peeved.
"No."
"You guys please don't argue." Harry said exasperatedly. "I just want to know who's sending them, and how they're able to slip them into my pack and pockets."
"Well, this one was sent by magic." Hermione said turning away from Ron, unfolding the letter to point out a small swirl at the bottom of the blue parchment. "That's for transporting things, almost like a port key."
"Can we trace it?" Harry asked thinking of all the spy and cop shows that Dudley would watch.
"No, the most we could do is send it back." Hermione said apologetically, handing it back to Harry. They sat in silence, Ron grumbled his goodnights and made his way to the dormitory. Hermione stood up, beginning to say her good night, when Harry interrupted her.
"Hermione where's my quill?" He whispered, an idea blossoming in his mind.
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"Is she still out there?" Draco asked, shuffling the cards.
"Dunno, let me see." Blaise answered, getting up off of his bed. She crossed the room to the door and opened it, making Pansy tumble in. "We told you not to lean on the door."
Draco glared at her, "What did I say?"
"But Draaaaaccccccey, my entire life is devoted to you. Why are you choosing her over me?" She whined, in her nasal voice, huge tears forming in her eyes.
"How many times do I have to tell you that I only invited you to the yule ball to shut you up from continually asking me to go with you." He said crossly, before turning to Blaise. "Big mistake. She ranted on and on about how I chose her, nearly drove me insane. Hasn't left me alone since either."
"I can tell," was Blaise's answer as she floated the sniveling Pansy out of the room, and back out into the hall. She shut the door. "I think she's going to stay there all night."
She flopped back onto the bed, and picked up the cards dealt to her. They had been playing the muggle game of poker for the last hour. Loser had to answer any question asked truthfully. They were in the middle of their childhood.
"Full house of two's and an ace." Blaise said triumphantly, after receiving all her cards. Draco had spent the better half of the hour teaching her how to play. It was a game he had learned from his mother and they would play it together when he was sick, he would play solitaire when alone. He grinned, muggles always came up with fascinating things to entertain themselves with a life without magic.
"Shoot."
"Okay tell me everything significant that happened when you were six."
"Ummmm, birthday was the same as the one before. Got my first real broomstick. Fell off, broke my arm, and it flew through father's study room window."
"Ouch." Blaise said sympathetically. Draco smiled softly, it was great having a real friend who could respond. And who understood so well. The 'ouch' had not been for the broken arm. The broken arm was trivial, nothing compared to the shattered window that would bring his father's rage upon him. And 'ouch' didn't even cover it.
'Yeah. It was also the year Father decided I was old enough to withstand the pain of the Cruciatus Curse."
Blaise's eyes widen. "He used it on you then? For a broken window? Wow. My father has only used it twice. Once when I came home after 'running away' for a week, and once because I spit in his face."
Draco shook his head. "My father seems to come up with any sort of excuse to beat me, or torture me. And me mum's always getting on his bad side for trying to protect me."
"Ouch." Was all Blaise could think of to say.
"No big." Draco said shrugging, "I'm use to it now. Ready for another round?"
They continued playing the game for a few more rounds, until they were just talking and sharing their secrets, the cards forgotten. Draco found himself telling things to her, that he had only shared with his journal. They were discussing favorite foods, steering away from the topic of psychotic families, when Draco frowned. He sat up, when something poked him in the side when he shifted, and pulled a parchment out of his pocket.
"I thought I got rid of this." He mumbled.
"What?" said Blaise, joining him.
Draco stayed silent, he trusted Blaise, but he still wasn't sure if he was ready to tell her everything. 'Well, she knows a lot already. And she's pretty calm and okay with anything I do tell her.'
Sighing he reached under his pillow, "We're friends now, right?"
She nodded, watching him intently.
"Then I think it's okay if I let you read this."
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Harry carefully placed his latest poem inside his trunk with the others. He had sent the letter back with a message scrawled on it. He had simply asked who it was, what house they were in, and why they had chosen him. He was still bothered that his secret admirer might only care about his fame. To his surprise the letter had been sent back minutes later. He hadn't expected an answer so soon, if he had received one at all.
The response written on the letter had hardly been helpful, Harry could imagine the girl had been giggling while she had written back. The response had been half answers to his questions. I am me, and no one else. I am not in Gryffindor. Because you are you.
He had frowned upon the last response. What had they meant by him being who he was?
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Cho smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Her straight hair was in a ponytail that had a slightly mussed look that sent out beauty even in imperfection. She then proceeded to carefully do her make up, making sure everything was perfect. Once finished she proceeded to paint her nails, dark blue. Finishing by meticulously arranging her robes after they had dried. Looking approvingly at her reflection once again she exited the bathroom with a puff of her latest perfume. She paused in her grand entrance to the world to watch October doing an odd sort of jig.
"Obie, what are you doing?"
October whirled around, "Oh, you're out, I have to pee really bad, and I know how you hate to be interrupted, but you took forever this morning."
She rushed past Cho, into the girl bathroom that all Ravenclaw seventh years shared. Cho sighed. Of all her friends, she was the oddball. She never wore make up, hardly did anything with her hair, read muggle books (had a muggle mum, and lived with her in the muggle world), and was also picky about where she peed. She hardly used the girls' bathroom out in the halls of the school. Always was complaining about things being unsanitary. Shaking her head Cho left the dormitory and went to the common room to wait with the rest of her friends.
"Dang girl, can you say glamorous?"
Cho blushed slightly and modeled herself to the group. "What do you think?"
All the girls agreed that she looked absolutely fabulous, and they carried on a conversation about hair and clothes and all sorts of girlie things down to the great hall after October had joined them again. As they entered the Dining hall Cho excused herself and took a detour route that led past where Harry was sitting with his friends. She smiled and waved at him. "Good morning Harry."
He returned the greeting politely. He turned and caught October rolling her eyes at Cho, causing him to grin at her. She smiled back at him, ignoring Cho's sudden glare.
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After breakfast, Harry headed off to Charms with Hermione and Ron. Leaving the great hall he noticed that Malfoy was heading outside with Blaise by his side. Pansy was hovering several feet behind them, glowering every time Blaise giggled. Harry frowned, feeling slightly jealous. He had gotten over the kiss, but he still was attracted to Malfoy for some reason. He returned his thoughts to his unusual breakfast. That was the third time that he had made some sort of contact with Cho's friend. He had also noticed how Cho went out of her way to say good morning to him. It didn't make sense. Did she want to be more than just friends? And what about her friend? She seemed interested in him as well.
He brooded on the possibility of one of them being his secret admirer, but before he could come to any reasonable conclusion, he was distracted by the day's lesson.
"The art of changing one's features lies mostly in transfiguration, but there a few charms that can be used to do so. They are temporary and usually short lived so they are mainly used to liven up festivities and the like." Flickwick cleared his throat before continuing. "Today's lesson is going to be learning how to use the Changling Charm to charm one's hair. This can be used for other features, such as noses, ears, and eyes. But you can only adjust one body part at a time, and because hair is rather easy to visualize, and be creative with, I chose it for today's lesson."
"Everyone get their wands out, and practice the proper wand formation before attempting it."
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"Now that we've discussed this enough, let's move on to actually doing it, shall we?"
Draco groaned as Pansy joined him and Blaise to form a group. She smiled sweetly at him, before glaring at Blaise, who ignored her. They were in Herbology potting fragrant ferns. The ferns would be potted, grown, then dried out and turned into potpourri. It's scent let one sleep peacefully and was useful for the restless or people in pain.
Unfortunately the scent of them while living could knock you out for hours, so they were required to wear nose plugs. After getting their potting tools and setting up their station, Draco sent Pansy off to get the nose plugs so he could talk to Blaise alone.
As soon as she joined the masses in the fight to get through to the table where the plugs were, Blaise took out Draco's journal and handed it to him.
"Stayed up all last night reading it in the common's after I left. Pansy would've jumped me if I went into the room with it. That's why you found me out there this morning."
"Now you know everything about me." Draco said, looking down at the thin book that held so much. "Every single thought, memory, opinion. I record nearly everything in that book. I can't believe you read it so fast."
"I'm a quick reader. And the first few years were easy, since you were so young. Plus I knew half the stuff in there already 'cause we had just talked about it."
Draco nodded placed the book in his bag, after she had read the other one, he didn't see any harm in letting her read his journal too. "Anyways, I was hoping you could help me with-"
His request was cut off as Blaise put a finger to his lips, while giving a fake smile of innocence to someone behind him. Pansy had returned. He turned to face her and took a nose plug out of her hand. She fasten hers on her nose before asking him what the book had been, the plug making her voice more nasal than usual. He grinned wickedly at Pansy as Blaise burst into a silent giggle fit behind her at the sound of her voice. Pansy looked at him confused, accustomed only to receiving hostility from him, and gave a small smile back, forgetting she had even asked him anything.
They turned to the task of removing the ferns from their protective containers and began to repot them. Through the lesson Draco would inquire about something, sending Pansy into small speeches and little rants, and Blaise into a hysteria of laughter. Draco tried his best to keep a straight face most of the time, so as not to clue in Pansy what he was doing, but she was lost in her own world most of the time.
By the end of class, Blaise was clutching a stitch in her side, and Draco was laughing openly. Pansy had thought that he had found on of her comments amusing and had begun to tell jokes. She beamed every time Draco laughed, making it funnier for the other two. Catching his breath, Draco shushed Pansy with a wave of his hand. "My turn."
He grinned, knowing that Pansy would laugh at any joke he told, whether it was funny or not. "What does a ghost say when it's sad?" He paused for a moment. "Boo hoo."
And just as he predicted Pansy began laughing as if it was the wittiest joke ever. Blaise was laughing so hard, tears of mirth rolled down her cheeks, and even Draco had to clutch at the table for support. The sound emitting from her mouth was hilarious. Even the groups nearby joined in on their laughter. And Pansy never knew they were laughing at her.
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Harry sighed as Hermione and Ron continued their argument after Charms.
" . . . absolutely ridiculous." Hermione was saying.
"Hey, I chose how I wanted my hair, now leave me alone." Ron said irritably. Notice I haven't said anything about yours."
"What about my hair?" Hermione asked her voice dangerously low.
Ron had given his flaming locks a Mohawk that was at least two inches long. Personally Harry thought it was brilliant, but he wasn't about to take sides in yet another argument between them. Hermione hand surprised him by giving herself curly hair that was cropped to just below her ears. It too, looked good, but he had expected her to go with sleek straight hair. He waited for Ron's response, hoping he wouldn't ruin things as he usually did, and for once he didn't.
"How despite it looks very pretty on you, I still prefer you're normal uncharmed hair." He said tugging gently on one of her tight coils. Hermione's eyes widen in surprise.
"Uhhh, I think I'll go to the library." Harry said, not wanting to ruin the moment. He rounded the corner just as Ron leaned forward to undoubtedly kiss her.
Harry decided to actually go to the library so he could read up on the other charms Professor Flitwick had assigned an essay on. He ran a hand through his hair. He had lengthened it, so it drooped framing his face and down his neck. He had decided to play with the color and had tinted in a way so that the red he had chosen only showed when his hair hit the light. He hadn't been able to look in the mirror yet, but as the halls grew crowded with students heading towards lunch, he grew slightly more confident with the style he had chosen. Many girls would stop to gape, and people who knew him shouted compliments across the hall.
He continued to the library rounding yet another corner, right into Cho.
"Oh, sorry. I wasn't-" Cho left her sentence hanging as she recognized Harry. "Harry? What happened to your hair? It- it's amazing."
Harry explained the charms lesson, and she remembered when she had had it. She told him she had gone for a long straight look, which confused him, because that was how her hair was anyways. To his great relief and her great annoyance, her group of friends appeared. She bade him farewell and to his surprise embraced him before scurrying off to join them.
Harry stood rooted to the spot. He had gotten over her after the whole incident in his fifth year, then earlier this year, he had tried to start their relationship again, but she had turned down his offer, and now it seemed like she wanted one. He was over her, that much was clear to him now. After his second attempt, he had realized what a fool he had been to even want a second chance. The only way he felt as if he'd ever think of her in that way was if she was the one sending him the poems.
The poems spoke of a love deeper than what he had experienced. One so strong and pure, nothing could break it. But somehow he felt that it wasn't her. It couldn't be her, could it?
"Earth to Harry. Come in Harry."
Harry blinked as a hand passed in front of his face, and saw Cho's friend standing in front of him.
"Sorry." He said. "I was just thinking."
She laughed. "That much was obvious."
"Er, sorry, but I don't know your name."
"October. Obie for short."
"Excuse me? Your parents named you October?" Harry asked, hastily adding. "I mean no offense but it's just a- a really unusual name."
"I know. Dunno, but I was born in October, so maybe they decided it'd be easy to remember my name and birthday that way. Anyways I just wanted to tell you how awesome your hair is. It's awesome."
"Uhhh, okay." Harry replied. "Is that really why you came? Just for that?"
"Yeah, I mean no offense to you, but I'm sure there's tons of people who'd like to get to know you just because of who you are, so I decided to join the masses. Besides you seem like a cool person, so I figured it would be cool to know you."
"Oh."
"Bye then."
"Bye." Harry said, before continuing to the library. That girl reminded him vaguely of Luna. He finally reached his destination, and to his relief it seemed as if it was empty.
He began wandering about picking up every other book that seemed promising. Shifting the books from on hand to the other, he felt as if he was being watched. 'Great now I'm being stalked.'
He backtracked a shelf and continued his search. Suddenly someone walked past him, making him jump, and causing him to drop one of his books.
"A bit twitchy, aren't we little pothead?"
Harry turned to face his stalker, who was picking up the book he had dropped. It was Malfoy. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I was looking up the charms Professor Flitwick assigned yesterday, but it seems someone else has been taking all of them." He replied. "I think you have enough, if you don't mind I'll take this one."
"Malfoy." Harry, called out to his retreating back.
"What?"
"I haven't told anyone." Harry had no idea why he was telling him this, but it was kind of true. Ron and Hermione had sort of figured it out on their own.
"Oh really?" Malfoy asked raising an eyebrow as he returned to Harry. "And what about you? Have you denied that it happened to yourself?"
"No." Harry replied confused.
"Well, then, if you don't mind I'd like to know one more thing." He whispered edging closer. "How is it that no matter how messy your hair is it always looks so damn . . .hot."
Malfoy ran his hand through Harry's transformed hair. Unfortunately for Harry, his hands were full of books, so he was powerless to stop the blonde from stealing a kiss from him. And no matter what he had told himself, he was even more powerless from stopping himself return the kiss. Mafloy ran his hands through Harry's hair again, caressing the locks, as he continued to press his lips to Harry's.
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Draco grinned as he heard the books drop and felt Harry's arms wrap around him. Today was a good day. He finally ended the kiss, chastening himself for letting into temptation. There was no way he'd risk an incident like the astronomy tower happening again, so he simply smiled at Harry. "See you later, Potter."
It was extremely difficult to keep to his usual degrading glare when his insides where fluttering with surrealistic happiness. He went to his dormitories to find Blaise curled in his chair, reading his black book. "Hey. You finishing that?"
"Yeah, you know Draco, you are really quite the writer. I can't believe you've gone as far as you have. I'm proud of you."
"Well, you'll be prouder then, when I tell you what I just did."
Draco flopped onto his bed and proceeded to tell her of his daring in the library, the two of them acting like Cho and one of her friends. It was odd how they had instantly connected. Trusting each other with everything as if they had known each since they could talk and been fast friends for years. He covered his mouth with his pillow as he giggled, thinking of the blissful sensation that had run through his body when they had kissed, and he didn't care what Blaise thought because she was actually giggling next to him. He liked her even more because of it. Maybe this was how Harry had felt all along, having friends like Hermione and Ron.
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Harry woke up feeling very rested. He had made the team do practice plays endlessly, and had exhausted not only them, but himself in the process. He couldn't get the library out of his mind, and had yet to tell Ron and Hermione about it. His feelings were jumbled. He enjoyed being kissed by Malfoy after all he had developed a crush on the blonde in the beginning of the year, but he did have feelings for his secret admirer as well. But after the way Malfoy had acted the first time, did either even have a chance of surviving? He shook his head distracting his thoughts with Quidditch again, they had a game today. He was positive they were going to win against Ravenclaw, which had surprisingly gotten a lot better this year.
He dug through his trunk, making the contents inside more messy and tangled, looking for some clean clothes. He had been so swamped with homework and Quidditch practices lately he had hardly given neatness a second thought. He frowned at it as he pulled out Malfoy's robes, extremely scrunched and wrinkled. 'Forgot I had this. I should give them back.'
He was so engrossed with finally taking the time to sort everything back into neat little piles, he didn't even realize that he no longer thought of Malfoy as an enemy and wouldn't mind giving him back his robes instead of setting them on fire despite everything that had happened. Finally finished with his task Harry changed into some relatively clean clothes, finishing off with just a spritz of his new mint cologne, before donning his Quidditch robes.
He smiled at the little green bottle fondly. It did not only smell good, the bottle was cute looking too, although it had a long and extremely thin neck, it was a squat bottle with a fat, rounded bottom, etched with leaves. But most of all it was the color of his eyes, although it did remind him of himself, he thought more about his mother. He returned the bottle to its place and went down to the common rooms to wait for his two best friends to awaken and join him so they could eat breakfast together.
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"Slow down Ron, you're going to choke if you keep eating at that pace."
"Sorry 'Mione, but Harry made us work real hard yesterday for the match and I'm starved."
Hermione gave Ron a disgruntled look before turning to Harry. "So, heard from you're SA yet?"
"No." Harry sighed. He got knots in his stomach every time he thought of his mystery crush. Maybe it had been a joke after all.
"His SA?" Ginny asked sitting down next to them.
"Secret Admirer." Ron supplied.
"Ron! Harry doesn't want the whole world to know."
"But Ginny already knew about it, didn't she?"
"Yeah." Harry supplied. Soon they were joined by Cassie, Dennis, and the rest of the team. After eating they dilgently went down to the Quidditch pitch, just as the rest of the school came down for breakfast. With the exception of Ron who stayed behind to give his own special good-bye to Hermione. Harry had been so caught up in his own problems he hadn't been able to talk to either of them about it yet. He hadn't even told about the incident in the library.
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As always Harry was surrounded by a huge mob, with another spectacular display of his flying aerobatics. Gryffindor won again with no problems dispite the recent improvement in the opposing team.arry sighed and let the mob of fans engulf him, knowing Ron and Hermione would save him soon. But to his surprise they did not come. Salvation instead came in the form of Ginny, Cassie, and Luna. They dragged him out, Luna creating an aisle by holding out her glowing hands. Harry hadn't bothered to ask what they were about.
Once free Ginny told him that Ron and Hermione were busy celebrating in their own way. Harry grinned and nodded. They had liked each other for so long, he didn't mind their need to spend time together. He headed back to the Quidditch locker rooms, his mind on removing his robes, if Hufflepuff lost to Slytherin next week, which was practically a given, he'd have to face Malfoy again. Sighing he took his wand out of his robe (he decided to always keep it on him). With it came out a familiar blue shaded parchment. Harry whirled around searching the shrinking crowd for a clue. Nothing. He searched his brain for anyone who could have been close enough to slip it in his pocket. Cho was there, with her gang of friends, several second year Hufflepuffs, other Ravenclaws, and Gryffindors everywhere. Harry bit off an angry cry, he never paid attention to the fawning crowd and for once he wish he had. Sighing he unfolded the letter in defeat, at least he had that, maybe it'd give him a clue. .
And I leave you there. A penny for your thoughts.