Harry Potter and the Emerald Raindrop

AkashaWinters

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the Harry Potter world. JK Rowling owns the Harry Potterverse anyone who doesn't know that should be exiled to Mars, I make exceptions only for poor penniless people in remote corners of third world countries, who cannot read and don't have the money to buy the overly priced one – thousand paged books. I make no money from my poor attempt at fanfiction. A necklace of raindrops was written by Joan Aiken, I do not own any of the rights etc.

Chapter 19

Break Me Off a Piece of That

Jay threw a sideways glance at Harry, "Oh, cheer up mate, you're not nearly as obvious as me" he assured him sending one of his most stunning smiles over to a Ravenclaw sixth year.

"Straight," Harry informed him miserably.

Snape made his way over to where the Golden Trio sat at the table. Potter, he noticed seemed very friendly with the Gypsy boy, what was his name now? Frox? No, Fox? He wasn't sure. The boy was tall, well muscled and tanned, like Harry, obviously something that came from spending long hours outdoors doing heavy labour. The boy had a wild crop of light brown hair and deep blue eyes, he sprawled in the seat next to Potter and Snape noticed there were more than a few people staring at him, the boy did seem to ooze charm and confidence.

As he approached, his sharp hearing picked up the conversation the two were having. "Oh, cheer up mate, you're not nearly as obvious as me" the boy assured a miserable looking Potter, the Gypsy boy sent a stunning smile over to a Ravenclaw sixth year boy, the poor boy looked mortified and ducked his head.

"Straight" Came the miserable statement from Potter. The other boy did not seem to be at all put of with his failure at flirting with the Ravenclaw and cast his eyes around no doubt looking for his next victim. His progress stopped abruptly and his jaw dropped down.

"Oh my GOD! Somebody break me off a piece of THAT!" He exclaimed, his eyes glued to someone seated at the far side of the room. This got Potter's attention, along with most of the Gryffindors in hearing range and a couple of the Ravenclaws on the table next to them. Potter's eyes followed Jay's line of sight, as did Snape's, and came to land on the Slytherin table.

"Who, Blaise?" Potter asked confused, but then realising Jay hadn't responded, eyes still glued to his victim, tried again, "the black-haired boy?" Snape had a sneaking suspicion that this was not who the boy was gapping gob smacked; his suspicions were confirmed seconds later.

"No, the BLONDE haired one! Please god-damn-it tell me he's not straight…he is just TOO HOT to be wasted on heterosexuals!" The boy exclaimed, he was starting to get a slightly flustered look about him. As if on cue, Draco decided to bite into a strawberry, before carefully removing the other so as not to get juice all over his mouth. The boy moaned and Potter's mouth fell open.

"You mean DRACO MALFOY?" He asked appalled, apparently the idea of finding the junior Malfoy attractive had never crossed his mind.

"You have to admit Harry, he may be a bit of an arrogant git, but he's not completely unfortunate looking" Granger put in conversationally, "Oh, don't look at me like that Ron!" Snape had to agree with Granger; Draco would be a VERY desirable young man if it weren't for his personality. He himself remembered lusting after Lucius in their school days, but compared to Draco, Lucius was nothing.

" 'Not completely unfortunate looking?'" The boy repeated, offended. "He's a SEX GOD, that's what he is!" Snape frowned; he didn't think he'd go that far.

"Well…" Potter replied flushing slightly, obviously realising Draco's potential for the first time. He felt a snarl build up him and was surprised to find he suddenly didn't like the idea of Potter finding Malfoy attractive and thought it was about time to step in.

"Mr. Fedox," Snape sneered at the still dreamy-eyed seventh year, "I would prefer it if you left you declaration of undying love towards the Mr. Potter, until you are outside of my ear shot so I do not have to be offended by your drawling." He had intended to throw the boy, but he had obviously been expecting some dig about him and Potter being an item (had he really become that predictable?) and instead seem to regain his relaxed composure and threw his arm lazily around Potter's shoulder and fixed his blue eyes on Snape's onyx ones.

"Ah, but are love just runs SO deep, Sir" the boy grinned back, several of the surrounding students sniggered at this and Snape glared. "And it's Ferox, Professor Snape, Jacob Ferox, and you are the Potions Master, am I correct?"

"You are Mr. Ferox, and that'll be ten points from Gryffindor for that public display!" Snape snapped as he tried to suppress the aggravating feeling that was building up in side him at the site of this Ferox boy with his arm round Potter. Wouldn't be jealousy now would it Severus? That voice suggested slyly. Ignoring it he turned to Potter and snapped, "Detention, eight pm, my office. Do NOT be late".

Lessons passed easily enough, today he had Double Astronomy, Divination and Care of Magical creature in the morning each of which Jacob had found dead easy and Harry, follow the trend from yesterday's lessons also found laughable. They had even spent they successful Divination lesson skrying in a bowl of water, laughing, as they were able predict the next sentences out of their friend's mouths and had fun butting in and twisting their meaning. This caused a lot of frustration amongst the other Gryffindors, as none of them were able to see anything in their bowls, Ron got particularly annoyed, feeling left out and stopped talking to him until Harry had apologised.

Harry and Jay had gone to visit Gavin and Megan at lunch and Jay had enthusiastically told his uncle all about his school (he had never attended a school before as all the gypsy children studied with the gypsy elder from a young age).

Afternoon lessons had been Herbology, which again Jacob had a natural talent for and Harry was improving at, and Charms, which the Gypsies did not attend along with Defence and Transfiguration as these subjects were very wizarding and wand orientated and the Gypsies had their own way of going about this. Eventually after some lazy hours not really working on his transfigurations essay. Harry glanced at the common room clock (just like the one in their bedroom) was pointing at 'time to get up' and 'DETENTION' which had presumed to mean that he should probably get moving or he was going to be late.

"Get up Potter!" Snape snarled as Harry knelt on the ground in front of his professor. Sweat was dripping down his forehead and felt dizzy. They had been back at school for almost two weeks now and his skills in Occulemency had much improved, although Snape could still break threw his walls if he used enough force. But, he could never stay inside his mind for very long. But today was different, Harry felt ill…very ill. He kept being knocked to the ground, as Snape delved openly through his thoughts, he had just stumbled across a particular memory, Harry did not want to share with him, with a huge amount of effort, he managed to force Snape out. The damage had been done though, as Snape now stared at him, a strange look had some across his face as he registered what he had just seen.

He tried to make it to his feet but he was having little success, everything was spinning around him. Something was definitely wrong, he had been at this for barely five minutes, but he could feel his control slipping away. As he slumped to the floor a strong arms came to wrap around him. He felt himself being lifted and carried somewhere, several minutes latter he registered those nice strong arms had left him and he was lying on something soft. The last thing he registered before he blacked – out was a potion being gently persuaded down his throat, a hand massaging his neck until he swallowed.

Snape threw a handful of power in the fire and yelled for Poppy, before spinning around to tend to the young man on his couch. Harry looked very pale, his face was dripping with sweat as though he had a fever and he was moaning quietly. Snape grabbed a blue potion from a shelf and gently persuaded the boy to swallow then grabbed a wet cloth and began to mop at his forehead in an attempt to cool him down. Potter had gone quiet now and Snape was started to getting extremely worried. As Popper climbed out of the fireplace he moved up so that she could examine the boy closely, but would not move away completely, an irrational sense of overprotection for the boy seemed to grip him. He was still coming to terms with what he had just seen.

The headmaster appeared moments later out of the fireplace, "Poppy", he questioned, his voice a little strained.

The Medi-Witch sighed and straightened up. "I honestly don't know Albus. He has a high fever, quickened heart rate; his vitals aren't looking good at all. Severus has given him a stabilising potion which seems to be keeping in the world of the living for the time being, but he's not responding to any of my normal charms or potions, his fever seems somehow magically induced."

The headmaster's gaze turned to the potion's master who knelt next to the unconscious boy, gently mopping his forehead, his face was as always, blank, but he could feel his concern showing threw his eyes as Albus' light blue drilled into him. "Tell me what happened, Severus." The old wizard asked gently.

Somewhere from the depths of the darkness came light...

A gentle mist was swirling around him in this grey world and he could and he could hear the trickle of water from a small stream and felt a gentle breeze on his skin. He realised he knew this place; he had been her many times before.

"Hello?" He called out; his voice seemed to echo a bit.

"Hello," replied the voice of a child. "I've lost my friend Laura, can you help me find her?"

He looked around but could not see the voice anywhere. "Where are you?"

The child's voice laughed at him "I am in the wind and the water. Where are you?"

"I am in Hogwarts" he replied, confused. "Where do you think Laura is?"

"Hiding," the child replied sadly, "far, far away".

Suddenly the scene changed, he was no longer in the damp place with the trickling stream but in a freezing world of snow and ice and another voice echoed around him.

"His is a great an evil power, he cannot be defeated by mere mortals. There will be great losses and great sacrifice. We have waited a thousand years, but now you are ready, child. You must search for the weapon of the North Wind, for only death lies down other paths."

The scene died away, blackness engulfed him, but for mere seconds only. Images began to bombard him, growing in intensity, images of deaths; his friends, his family, the Order, his teachers, the gypsies, muggles, centaurs, birds, dragons, unicorns and blood everywhere, crimson warmness seeping into his bones, feels of love, loss, grief, pain, hatred, anger pulsed threw him, as flashes of colour passed in front of his eyes. Endless images of endless possibilities all ending in death, destruction, genocide, slaughter. Then finally, the images slowed, he saw a new path, love, loss, grief, pain and death, but also happiness, life and hope. Then finally…. peace.

Chapter 20…Lauretta and Lockhart...just what did Snape see? And Hermione's research turns out a new piece of the puzzle.

Special Thanks go to:

Rayz – Your wish is my command. Hope you noticed it took me only an hour to write and update chapter 18. :-)