Chapter Two:
"So it's over with Pierce? Just like that?" Hermione Granger asked, taking a sip of orange juice. "I thought you said he was the 'Perfect Guy' and 'Your One True Love'."
"Jesus, Hermione," Harry snapped, looking around the table to make sure no one was eaves dropping on them. "Do you always remember everything that comes out of my mouth? That was a week ago, before I found out he was a pothead and nympho."
"Get used to it, mate," Ron Weasley said, shovelling a pile of sausages onto his plate. "Hermione will never forget anything, especially if it holds some sort of leverage." He looked at his girlfriend darkly.
"Give it a rest, Ronald," Hermione suggested. "You are blowing it way out of proportion. I just thought it would be best to remind yourself of the vow you made when we started going out."
"Uh oh." Having been Ron and Hermione's friend for almost six years he could smell a fight from a mile away. "What happened this time?"
Ron opened his mouth to speak but Hermione held up her wand and his voice died in his throat. He glared at Hermione angrily and took a large bite out of the sausage speared at the end of his fork, smiling evilly.
Only Harry noticed and he didn't mention it to Hermione. He had to see what Ron had up his sleeve. Then he'd bolt out of there as fast as he could. It didn't pay to get in the middle of one of Ron and Hermione's fights, which had quickly become legendary in the Gryfinndor Common Room. They weren't nasty, all out war. Just petty disagreements that got blown totally out of proportion by both parties because they were both so damn stubborn.
But despite that they still loved each other like they'd been married forever, and even more so then some married couples. Harry was still in shock that Petunia and Vernon had had sex to get Dudley. It conjured up nasty thoughts so he pretended Dudley came in the beaks of five, drunk storks who misread their orders and given the Dursleys a baby pig instead. Pity the tail Hagrid had given him had been removed, it suited him so well.
So all in all Harry thought Ron and Hermione were well off, and it made him so jealous. For them it was so easy. They were in love and that was that. For Harry is wasn't so simple. As hard as he tried no one loved him as much as he loved them. Cho… and now Pierce. Was he like a love repellent or something?
Harry looked up at Hermione to ask her how she was able to love Ron so much when he annoyed the crap out of her as she was lifting a class of orange juice to her lips. That's when Ron got his revenge. Without a second to loose he raised up his wand and brought it down. There was a low whipping noise as several strands of thread shot from the tip in the direction of Hermione's mouth. And before anyone knew what was going on her lips were sewed shut just as she tipped back the glass. So instead of going into her mouth the juice spilled down the front of her robes, soaking them through. Her eyes were like daggers as she glared at Ron silently laughing.
Harry shot out of his seat, grabbing his book bag. "I need to go to the library to finish Slughorn's essay." Neither Hermione or Ron acknowledged him; they only had eyes for each other right now. Harry could almost feel the love. "Well I'll see you then."
Out in the hall a few students shuffled around, going over homework or last minute quizzing before some test they had. Harry slipped his bag onto his shoulder, contemplating what he should in the half-hour before class started.
"Harry," called a tall Ravenclaw boy with short blue hair and a slightly round face from across the hall, waving happily.
"Oh crap," Harry thought. When he told Hermione that is was over with Pierce he'd meant to say that it was going to be, as soon as he broke up with him.
"Hi, Pierce." Harry walked up to him, twisting the strap of his bag nervously. He'd never broke up with anyone before so he had idea how someone would take getting dumped. Though he had a feeling that Pierce wouldn't mind. All he cared about was screwing and getting high. Harry on the other hand was quite in love with him, which was why he was still so reluctant to break up. "How's it going?"
"Good," Pierce went to grab Harry's hand but hen let if fall short when he realised that they were in the middle of everyone. " Can we go somewhere and talk?"
There was a solemnity to his voice that scared Harry. Pierce was usually upbeat and silly. It was almost like he was going to dump Harry, which wasn't fair because he was going to dump him first.
"Umm… sure…"
They walked up to the first floor in silence, then locked themselves in an empty classroom they'd used many times before to make-out in. There was a small bed in the corner that Pierce had stolen from a storage room in the dungeons, its sheets perfectly folded and pressed.
Harry opened his mouth to speak, to dump Pierce first but fell silent at his boyfriend's raised hand. "Please Harry, let me say what I need to say."
'Here it goes, I'm going to be dumped now.'
"I wanted to apologise for my behaviour this weekend," Pierce, this time grabbing Harry's hand for real this time. Harry's eyes widened.
"Apologise?" Harry asked in awe, feeling that he had totally underestimated Pierce somewhere along the line. That wasn't right. Pierce was supposed to be dumping him."Yeah." Pierce smiled sheepishly. "I'm about as shocked as you."
Harry laughed, watching the bemused look on Pierce's face. How in the world could he have ever considered dumping him?
"The thing is, what you said was true. I do have a problem. I love you… I really do." His fingers caressed the back of Harry's hand. "But I didn't express it right. I thought love was shared through sex. It was what you said that had me thinking all weekend. So I decided to abstain from sex for a few weeks to see if maybe we can build our relationship on a different level."
Harry was completely taken aback. Pierce had said everything that he'd wanted to hear for so long. All thoughts of breaking up were lost.
"What do you think?" Pierce asked, looking nervous. The sun outside bathed him in a golden light and for a split second he looked like an angel.
"I think that I'm more in love you then I was before," Harry breathed, pressing himself against Pierce and wrapping his arms around his waist. His head titled up and stared into Pierce's face. Pierce bent his head down and their lips met tenderly, softly devouring each other. Harry's heart beat to quicken against his as they melted together in love, a thousand miles away from Hogwarts and anything else.
Pierce was the first to pull away, his eyes slowly caressing Harry's face and lips. "You are so beautiful."
"So are you," Harry whispered, backing away. He glanced down at his watch. "Shit! The bell rings in four minutes."
They both shouldered their bags and slipped out into the halls, which were by now almost empty, just a few stragglers who were too busy hurrying along to notice Harry and Pierce leave the room together.
"See you later?" Pierce asked, ruffling Harry's hair lovingly.
"We'll see," Harry teased. "Now get going or you'll be late."
"Love you," Pierce whispered before sprinting off down the corridor. His classroom was on the sixth floor on the other side of the castle.
"Love you, too," Harry said to his retreating back, before turning around and heading to his class at the end of the hall. He slipped into Transfiguration right as the bell rang. Hermione was sitting in the front, her homework sitting impressively before her. Her lips were back to normal, though more pursed than usual.
Her eyes met Harry's questioningly. She could tell he had been up to something, she could always tell.
"I'll tell you later," he mouthed.
He walked to that back of the classroom and took his normal seat next to Ron. His best friend was slouched low, glaring at Hermione's stiff back. He gave Harry a mere nod, before continuing to glare. Things must have gotten pretty bad after he left.
Professor McGonnagall walked in just as he was about to lean over and ask Ron what happened so he decided to wait until bed.
"Good morning, students. Please get out your essays and pass them to the front."
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Harry walked out of class with Hermione and Ron standing silently at his sides. Whenever they wanted to insult the other or make a point they'd do it through Harry.
"Harry, can you please tell Ronald that he sucks in bed?" Hermione said finally after several minutes of banal insults. Ron stopped, his face turning bright red with anger and humiliation. In Harry's opinion Hermione had taken it just a little too far.
"You know what?" he said in an annoyed voice. "You two can just settle this without me. I'm out of here." Before either of them could offer a lame apology he marched off, his shoes clacking angrily on the stone floor. God, they could be so bloody annoying sometimes. And did he really need to know about their escapades in the bedroom? No.
Turning a corner Harry was met with an image almost as disturbing as imagining his best friends shagging. Leaning against a wall, Draco Malfoy had Pansy Parkinson hanging onto his neck with her large red lips. But he didn't look like he was particularly enjoying it, in fact he looked down right sick.
His face was paler than normal and his grey eyes were hollow and bloodshot, ringed by large black circles that stood out prominently on his white skin. Usually his pale blonde hair was slicked back but now it hung limply in his face, swaying whenever his body moved.
As if he felt Harry watching him Draco looked up and stared right back, his empty eyes suddenly full of fear, anger, and anguish all at the same time. A red blush was slowly creeping up his face. "What the hell are you looking at?" he croaked, definitely a far cry from the cool, confident, slimy way he usually spoke. Though Harry could still see a faint mask of the superiority he normally carried.
"I was just thinking that you two should get a room," Harry said back, trying to force out as much malice and disgust as he could with the statement. It worked, the only hint of power Draco seemed to have shattered and he just looked away, softly touching Pansy's face as she glared comically at Harry.
"Leave him alone, Potter. My poor Draco isn't feeling well. Right sweety?" She looked up at Draco lovingly, pushing some of his hair away from his face.
"Right," Draco agreed, giving Harry a fleeting glance that was barely noticeable. But Harry saw it and for a split second he thought Draco was going to burst into tears.
Then Pansy took over again and Draco was relinquished to the shadows. "So get lost, Potter. Before I take away points for harassment."
"Whatever," he muttered, walking away. Pansy was getting a lot more nasty now that she had been made a prefect. How it had happened Harry was unsure, all he knew is that if he was Head Master she wouldn't even be allowed in. Her or Draco. After they ganged up with Umbridge last year, Harry had absolutely no trust in their character. They were evil through and through.
As he walked down the halls Harry wondered what was wrong with Draco. It just wasn't today, it had been the last couple of months. He had stopped abusing his power, he talked less, and spent more time out of sight. And his appearance got more slovenly every time Harry saw him. "Probably all depressed cuz his daddy is in jail now."
The sound of screaming roused Harry from his thoughts. All around the hall people were backing up against walls, pointing at the ground. Looking down Harry saw a little mouse running right towards his feet.
Harry moved to the side to let it past but it stopped in front of him, staring up expectantly. Its little nose twitched so fast that it almost looked like it wasn't moving at all. That's when Harry noticed a ring around its neck. Silver, set with sapphire. The same one Pierce wore.
Leaning down Harry picked up the mouse and brought it up to his face to study it more carefully. People began to back away from him, staring at the mouse like it was liable to jump out of his hands and attack them.
Harry jumped in surprise as it burst into flames. Someone screeched. As the smoke cleared a small origami mouse sat in Harry's hand, surrounded by a rings of ashes.
After blowing off the ash Harry unfolded the paper, pocketing the ring to return to Pierce later. His boyfriend's large, neat handwriting filled the paper.
"Hope the mouse didn't scare you too much. Just a little bit." Harry laughed. "So I was thinking maybe we could sneak out tonight and go down to Hogsmeade. There's this new little café some friends told me about. It is supposed to be quite cool. Write you're your answer at the bottom of the page and refold it. Once you put the ring back around its neck it should turn into a mouse and come back to me. Waiting for a reply. Love, Pierce."
Harry went all warm inside as he pulled out a quill and ink, quickly penning, "Yes" at the bottom of the page. After putting his stuff away in his bag Harry folded the mouse back up and slipped the ring around its neck.
Instantly it became a mouse. Harry lowered it to the ground and it scurried off, dashing between the legs of frightened students. Watching it go Harry hoped that it didn't run into Mrs. Norris on its way back.
Harry had a free hour so he decided to spend it by the lake, under the beech tree. McGonnagall had assigned a lot of book work and it was best that he got a head start on it. Especially since he would probably be out all night. It made him happy to finally see Pierce making an effort. He'd known he had it inhim, it was just a matter of getting through to him. And judging by his behaviour Harry had done a rather good job.
Outside the castle the day was mildly warm, a perfect spring day. Harry breathed in a the fresh air and was happy to be alive.
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