Another addition to System Requirements. Enjoy!
I am dedicating this chapter to Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day for being my god, and introducing me to a whole new life, even though I have never met you. (Really! Its True!)
All the same warnings...mostly just people thinking of slash. No touching in this chapter. Accept maybe by Ron and Hermione. Have fun and please review.
Chapter 2: The Malfoy Job
It wasn't as if Harry Potter was an amateur when it came to matters of the heart. He knew everything...Or at least he thought he did. What was the truth was that he had no idea what to do with his new feelings for Draco Malfoy. The only thing he knew for a matter of fact was that he would never tell anyone. No one would ever find out his secret.
But he couldn't just watch Malfoy from afar. The Slytherin was in his head every moment, and his heart lept every time their eyes met. He was driving himself mad. He longed for contact; to feel the other's soft, perfect skin beneath his fingertips.
Harry lay face down on his bed. He felt someone prod his shoulder. He looked up through a hazy mist to see none other than Draco Malfoy smiling down at him. He clamped his arms around Malfoy's arm, savoring the tingling feeling that spread through his body. Suddenly the blonde frowned, and started to shake Harry from his grip.
"...Harry...Harry, you git...get off my bloody arm. Look, you've drooled all over my robes..." Harry looked up hastily. It wasn't Draco, it was Ron. He looked around. He wasn't in the dormitory, he was in transfiguration class. He must've fallen asleep during another one of Professor McGonnagal's lectures.
"Oh...sorry, Ron." Harry let go and wiped his face on his sleeve.
"...and it had better be done by Friday. No excuses. Class dismissed." McGonnagal finished.
An hour later, Harry, Ron and Hermione were walking aimlessly across the grounds. It was a beautiful summer day and they had a double free period for some strange reason. "I have to go to the bathroom," Ron announced suddenly.
"Thank you for letting us know," Hermione answered, not really paying attention. She was studying for their potions test next hour as they were walking. "You know, you two should really be studying...and the second ingredient for the truth serum is eye of newt..."
Ron, ignoring her studying comment, bayed farewell and ran off in the direction of the boys' bathrooms. Hermione immediately put away her book and stopped dead in front of Harry. "Harry, I need to ask you something."
Harry, immediately thinking he knew what it was, said, "Yes. Hermione, I know he likes you too. You've got to stop putting it off, nothing bad will come of asking-"
She blushed furiously. "It's not about that, Harry. It's not about me. It's about you." She started walking again, Harry jogging to keep up. "I noticed you've been acting so strange lately...and I was wondering what was going on."
If Harry had taken the truth serum, he would have said something like, "I've been wanting to snog Draco Malfoy!" But instead he said casually, "Nothing really."
"Okay, Harry, since you aren't telling me willingly I have to announce my suspicions." Hermione stopped, and looked up at Harry. She didn't seem disgusted. If anything, she seemed intrigued. "You're in love with Draco Malfoy."
"My god Hermione, why would you think something like that!" Harry shouted, panicking. She gave him a death glare and he sighed, changing his answer to, "Hermione, how the hell did you figure that out?"
She looked pleased with herself. "Well, muttering his name in your sleep, for one thing. You always seem to be dozing off in class. One sign of not sleeping at night. That usually means you're worried. And being in love with your male nemesis is something to be worried about. Also how you stare at him longingly in the halls and-"
"Enough!" The boy-who-lived commanded. "Alright, I'm madly in love with Malfoy! I can't stop thinking about him and whenever I see him I want to snog his brains out! Happy!"
"I'm sorry, Harry. I…I shouldn't have taken it so lightly. Ummm…is there anything I can do to help?"
"Yeah, give him a love potion," Harry said half-joking.
"Harry..."
"I'm just joking."
"I knew that."
"Not a word of this to Ron, alright?"
Suddenly there was a sound of crunching grass behind them. "Not a word of what to me?" Ron said slyly, a hint of jealousy in his voice.
"Nothing, Ron," Harry said quickly.
Harry's heart almost stopped when she started to speak, but then as her excuse unfolded, he was extremely thankful for Hermione's quick wit. "Ron, Harry asked me if he could copy my herbology paper and I said he could, but that I wouldn't let you copy also, because you need more practice at herbology, and-"
Ron looked extremely relieved. "Right, Hermione, I get it."
That night, Ron had gone to sleep early and Harry and Hermione were "studying for potions" in the library. Harry had become increasingly fed up with not being able to confide in anyone about his obsession, so a large portion of him was exceptionally pleased that Hermione had accidentally found out.
"…but Harry, it's not impossible for him to like you back, I mean he's always been a little obsessed with you, maybe its some twisted sort of hate-turned-to-love thing." Harry found it hard to believe that she was having a deep conversation with him, and at the same time scribbling down her essay. She was already halfway done by the time Harry got to putting the title on his parchment, which turned out to say "Malfoy's Roots" instead of "Comblin Roots". He ripped up the paper and tossed it behind him.
"That's impossible. I mean, what are the chances that he's queer, let alone that he likes me? He's probably really popular with the girls."
"Harry, you're popular with the girls, too. Really, I don't think it's at all impractical. More like probable. I think you could figure it out if you asked him the right questions." Even the world of dating seemed to her like a test or experiment that she could pass without a second thought.
Harry swelled with excitement. Probable? The fact that a relationship had even the chance of developing seemed like finding a million galleons to Harry. Was Hermione right? He tried to believe that she was, but his negative side started to show through. What if she's wrong and you blow it all by asking him some stupid question? What if he finds out and doesn't feel the same way? What if he still hates you? What if- Harry slammed his head down on the table. His restless mind drifted away, and he was floating in mist…
"Oh my- Harry, are you O.K.?" Hermione turned his Harry's head over, concerned that something terrible had happened. His eyes were closed and she thought she heard a snore. The Gryffindor girl smiled to herself. She continued her paper for about half an hour; then woke Harry and they went to bed.
The Malfoy Job / END
That SUCKED! I know, I know…but please don't be discouraged! The next chapter will be about our loveable Malfoy, and maybe by then I'll have thought up a plot…hey, why don't you guys review? I would love it if you would give me suggestions on where to go with the story. I think I should probably just stick to Malfoy's part of the story from now on, with small Harry's POV bits. Very small. Really tiny. Anyway, tell me what yall think on these topics, please.
To my reviewers, I love you to ity bity bits…and sorry if I spell your names wrong.
All-Knowing Alien: Thank you so much! And as for the real story, it remains a mystery…a mystery that not even I have uncovered the true meaning of…
Jessy: Yep, Draco is very blind. And as that was my aim, he will stay that way for quite a while. Yes, I am continuing…slowly…as school makes up most of my time…
Rae: I'm so glad you think so! And I sure am going to continue…I want to be one of those 20 chapter ones with a million gazillion reviews! Yaaay…
California Smells Funny: Yeah, in all those fics where there's no conflicting emotion, he seems so OOC that it kinda scares me…
MidnightsRose: I love it when people say that. It makes me feel fuzzy.
Dust to ashes: Yeah, thanks, but I don't think that 'update soon' thing is gonna happen…sorry…gomen na sai!
