Behind the bench, Harry was kissed by a Veela and he loved it.
A pan of something partially solid smashed into the wall above them and clattered to the floor nearby. The two broke apart at the intrusion and stared at the pan for a second before looking at each other.
"-"
"Shh," Draco stopped Harry. He placed a chaste kiss on the savior's lips then stood and left him there.
Harry lent against the bench and stared at the food dripping down the wall, trying to calm his racing heart and then trying to start his comatose brain.
"HARRY!" Hermione flung herself behind the bench with him to avoid a jet of red.
"'Mione, are you okay?" Harry looked out towards where the jet came from. It was Pansy stalking up and down the Gryffindor table attacking younger students.
"I'll be okay. But we have to stop this," she motioned to the mess on the other side of the bench.
"I-" Harry was stopped when he saw Malfoy get on top of the Slytherin table and cast a huge ball of black light into the air. Everyone stopped to watch the ball unfurl into a phoenix and soar over them, as its wings touched students they fell asleep, dropping down wherever they stood. Soon the entire hall was silent and the phoenix dissipated.
"Mr. Malfoy, well done," Professor McGonaggle nodded to him and began to revive her students. She made them line up against the far wall with their backs to the rest of the hall. Snape was walking around doing the same thing, however the snakes were made to sit at their table, under the glaring eye of Malfoy.
Sprout and Flitwick moved about as well, careful to keep their houses separated. Dumbledore appeared from behind the staff table and smiled at the school. He stuck his finger in the pile of pudding near his plate and licked it clean. He nodded approval at the desert and then stood up fully.
"I hope you are all proud of the wonderous new décor you have provided for us. However it will rot if left too long. The first through third years will be cleaning the dishes and cutlery. Fourth and fifth years will clean the tables, benches and chairs while sixth and seventh years will clean the walls and floor," Dumbledore waved his wand and an artillery of buckets, rags, mops and brooms appeared. Sprout and McGonaggle ordered the younger years to follow them out to the kitchens as the dishes disappeared
"Now, I must go to meet some visitors, I'm leaving the prefects in charge, they have the power to do what they feel is necessary to punish you further." the Headmaster stood and left, the other teachers went too, giving disappointed looks to the students they passed. The fourth and fifth years to a some buckets and rags and began whipping down tables and benches.
"Okay, Ravenclaw, take the East wall, Hufflepuff the West, Slytherin will take the wall behind the staff table and Gryffindor will take the wall with the doors," Malfoy retained his position on the table and was watching with a careful eye the students cleaning tables.
Hermione stood and smiled at Harry. "I know you didn't do anything Harry, no worries about cleaning, why don't you help watch the behavior of the fourth and fifth years?"
"Sure."
Harry walked over and climbed on top of the Slytherin table with Malfoy.
"You don't mind me helping you, do you?"
"Not really Potter, I doubt you really did anything," Malfoy gave him a look and turned his head over his shoulder to glare at two chatting boys. "Work, don't talk."
"Oi, you two, get off of each other," a Ravenclaw prefect rushed over to two boys who'd started throwing punches near the corner with the Gryffindors.
"This is crazy, the houses attacking each other like this, shameful," Malfoy sneered at the students and stepped down onto a bench then across to the other table and up on top of it.
"It is," Harry agreed and started to walk up the table to keep the students working.
The fight in the corner burst into a screaming match with a few punches. Malfoy gave them a glare and took out his wand. Shouting a spell the two boys fell to the ground writhing in laughter. When he withdrew the spell they stood slowly. "Two months detention with Hagrid cleaning cages for Oobltros." the boys looked disgusted. Oobltros were being studied by the first and second years and, as cute as the small round things were, they did a massive amount of pooping which stunk incredibly but was used as fertilizer in the dry areas where they lived.
The Ravenclaw prefect turned red and stood up from the ground. She left promptly and went to chide a girl for not working.
"Come on, I can still see mashed potatoes on the legs of the benches. Actually work you sloth," Malfoy called to the group at the end of the table he was on. "Potter, you mind helping me out over here?"
"Course not," Harry jumped over and came up next to the other sixth year, "what do you need?"
"Just keep an eye on the other end," Malfoy motioned slightly. Harry noticed that students were giving Malfoy lusty looks as he had approached the blonde, being so close must have reactivated some of Draco's Veela powers again. Harry smiled as he remembered the recent kiss then went to the other end of the table.
Hermione came to the end of the table and motioned for Harry to join her on the ground. He did so and she led him away. "I have to tell you Harry, I've been working on the riddle that was left when Morag died."
"Oh?" Harry frowned.
"Yeah, I've been spending a little extra time in the library."
"Did you figure anything out?"
Hermione pulled out a sheet with the riddle scrolled on it. There will be crimes, never ending. The devourers of doom come and go as easily as rain. A bolt of white in a sea of black. Bring forth the Prince of Darkness and the white bolt. Sacrifice. "I took down some facts detailing other like occurrences. One, in 1453, involved two young men named Mikal and Pietro. Pietro was a very powerful young man, the General of the Auror Army fighting against the Dark Lord Sinestro. He was said to have a white lightning bolt tattooed on his back. Mikal was Sinestro's son, the Prince of Darkness he was rumored to be incredibly gorgeous. Sinestro's evil followers were called Adebo Funesto or Consumers of Death. So the riddle was originally applied to Mikal and Pietro and was decreed by an ancient Seer named Ficere. Get this, Ficere Trewal. The gene, the prophecy gene was passed through their family and I think that this riddle was told by Tains, who is related to the family, and is now being applied to you…and Malfoy."
"I knew that 'Mione, it's pretty obvious. But what are we going to do with it?"
Hermione looked taken a back for a second but moved on. "The book said that Pietro and Mikal didn't know about the prophecy when Pietro convinced Mikal to betray his father and help lead the final attack that destroyed Sinestro. However, in the battle, they were both injured, each left with a scar running from their left armpit to their ankle. It seriously impaired their life but they lived on, eventually becoming lovers and dying together at the age of three hundred and fourteen."
"Why so old?"
"The magic that entered them in the final battle gave them a very extended life span." Hermione said, sounding proud of herself for knowing the answer.
"So, I have to convince Malfoy to betray his father and help us destroy Voldemort then become his lover and die with him in really old age?"
"I-" Hermione made a small noise that sounded embarrassed. "Do whatever you want to Harry, but that's what happened with them and it's some sort of reference. Just keep it in mind."
Harry nodded. He looked back to see Malfoy sneering at one of the students at his feet, "I'll definitely keep it in mind. Maybe we should extend a hand of truce to him then?"
"You could, but, if you do, I don't really want him around too much, unless he proves to be really helpful and nice, which I'm rather certain he won't." Hermione gave Harry a look and then left.
Harry looked back and tried to decide how to approach the situation. How exactly do you make a truce with a boy you kissed just twenty minutes ago?
if you have suggestions of what harry should do and how, write them up in a review!
WEE! sorry for the wait.
love-Firestorm