Author: Hiyo! Chapter Two is here! Yeah, same night... er, morning. Whatever. This is purely Harry Potter stuff. Next chapter will be where things start to get more entertaining. Please Review... Um... Yeah... It's nearly 3 am where I am in the world. Man am I tired... but I just HAD to write!
Meanwhile, in another dimension entirely, another moody blonde was also on the verge of an aneurysm. Draco Malfoy rubbed his pale temple gently. It did not do to have a headache as he did. Headaches cause frowning; frowning leads to wrinkles; Malfoys do NOT have wrinkles. The source of his pain was, as per usual, the Boy-Who-Lived and the Weasel. However, today the Gryffindor Golden Boy seemed more like a relieving presence than a cause. Instead, taking Potter's usual annoying place was, oddly enough, Neville Longbottom, a boy that took plants and Professor Snape far too seriously. The Weasel was most certainly NOT ceasing to be annoying. Draco sighed. This was NOT his day. He had been attempting to apologize for the past years of misdeeds, especially in light of Dumbledore's "death". That had shaken him out of his Death Eater-wannabe phase. Sure, the old coot had been annoying, but he hadn't deserved to be offed like that. (Not that he believed it, mind you… Snape wouldn't have actually killed the man, but he sure as hell wasn't divulging any part of the "plan" to Harry or to Draco…)
Harry also rubbed at a temple. The old fights were starting to get annoying. And frankly, he could use all the allies he got, be it Malfoy or any other Slytherin. He was finally beginning to see what Dumbledore had meant when he had often lamented the disunity among Houses. It was time to put that all aside and join forces. Voldemort was coming, and he would prey upon their distrust of each other until they were all broken. He was, frankly, sick of Ron and Neville yelling at the Slytherin boy in front of them. Hermione had long gotten tired of it and had disappeared rather mysteriously with Blaise Zabini. Harry only half-heartedly listened to Ron and Neville proclaim that Malfoy was trying to lure Harry into making a deal with him and would then betray him to the Dark Lord. Could the argument GET any older!
"Look, Malfoy…" Harry began. Neville and Ron immediately stopped talking, looking smug. Now Malfoy was going to get it. "Just show them your arm so that they stop yelling. Prove you don't have the Dark Mark." Harry was tired and wanted a nap. His head hurt, but headaches and colds were the only things untreatable by magic, so Madame Pomfrey was out of the question. Neville and Ron looked a little flabbergasted.
"But, Harry, he's gotta be one of them. I mean, he's a Slytherin!" Ron pointed out.
"Yeah, come on. Don't you remember all the mean things he's done to us? First year, he took my Remember-all; Second year, his father gave Ginny that diary, and he practically cheered for the 'Heir of Slytherin'; Third year, he got Hagrid sent to Azkaban and nearly got Buckbeak killed, not to mention that stunt where he dressed up like a Dementor; Fourth year, he was just a bloody git; Fifth year he…." Neville added, becoming more and more impassioned as he spoke. Harry cut him off.
"Is that really necessary? I mean, we've done some pretty bad stuff in return. Right, Ron?" Harry looked pointedly at his tall, red-haired friend. He knew that Ron would understand the meaning: the breaking into Slytherin House to "question" the Slytherin Ice Prince about the Heir of Slytherin while using an illegal potion to do so, the attempted hexing of the slugs, etc. Ron merely took a page out of Malfoy's book and picked imaginary lint off of his robes. "I accept your apology, Malfoy. And we will ALL attempt to enter into some sort of truce, if you'll kindly accept my apology as well." Harry just wanted to get this over with. He didn't really want to be friends with the blonde, but he really didn't want to have to fight on two fronts either. If there was something that Muggle history had taught him, it could be summarized into two things: don't split the party's ticket and don't fight a war on multiple fronts.
Malfoy dropped the hand from his temple and extended it to Harry. "All right, Potter. I accept the truce. And as proof to your buddies here, I'll show you my arm." Draco and Harry shook hands briefly before Draco rolled up both sleeves of his robes and held them out to Neville and Ron. Pristine, alabaster skin gleamed up at them. "Satisfied, Weasel, er, Weasley?" Draco amended with difficulty. Ron reluctantly nodded. Draco let down his sleeves and yawned obviously. "Well, not that you all aren't fascinating, but I do believe that I have more important things to attend to."
"What, tormenting first years?" Neville shot out. Everyone looked a little surprised to hear Neville take on the bully that had plagued him almost worse than Professor Snape for all their years of school.
"No, Longbottom. I don't have that scheduled until after dinner." He flashed them all a wry smirk. "Currently, I am planning a rather long, complicated world takeover."
Ron stared at him blankly. Neville and Harry had caught the gleam of mischief and amusement in his eyes. It was a side they had never seen, but they decided to let Malfoy have his fun. Ron really needed to loosen up. Sure enough, Ron exploded.
"See! What did I tell you? He's an evil prat and will be until the day he dies!"
Neville and Harry snorted. Harry spoke up, helping Malfoy taunt Ron, for once. "Oh yes, Ron. Actually, the whole reason we've called this truce is because Malfoy has decided to let me be his right-hand man on his ruling council once he takes over. It's quite thrilling actually." Harry's dry tone was almost enough to make Malfoy smile. Almost.
"What! Are you suddenly going Dark on us, Harry?" Ron took the joke too seriously, as usual. Neville had to defend his friend against such ridiculous accusations.
"Oh, come off it, Ron. As if Harry would ever go Dark. Seriously. While he may not always have liked Dumbledore, he certainly wasn't about to join up with Voldemort. And can't you even recognize a joke when it's staring you in the face? Or has Malfoy been right about your brains being nonexistent all these years?"
"Neville! I can't believe you're saying these things! I mean, you're never assertive. Maybe you've just been playing the bungling idiot all this time. But, wait, that would imply that you could actually do Potions." Ron mock-mused.
"Shut up! Since when does my skill in Potions have anything to do with Harry going Dark?" Neville was indeed being more assertive than he had been in all his years at school. He was just finally sick of only being seen as timid and incapable; he was sick of feeling hopeless when he thought about his parents' condition. He just wanted to be braver, like Harry in his quest for vengeance for the deaths of his parents or even like Malfoy in his refusal to take the Mark.
"Well, considering that Snape is the teacher…"
"What! Quit changing the subject, Ron."
"I'm not! Snape is an easy connection to the Dark side."
Harry leaned over to Draco and whispered, "Dark Side? He makes this sound like a 'Star Wars' movie…"
Draco promptly and elegantly responded, "Say what? 'Star Wars'? 'Movie'?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Two words for you, my dear Draco," Harry's sarcasm was clearly evident to any who listened, "Muggle. Studies." Draco frowned and returned his attention to the bickering two before them. He had approached Harry with Blaise only since Blaise was unlikely to rush into a fight with the Weasel, unlike Crabbe and Goyle.
"You've been saying that since First Year, and NOTHING has ever come of it." Neville scoffed.
"Oh, come on! How many detentions has Harry gotten from the greasy git? How many House points does he continuously take from Gryffindor?" Ron's points were gradually becoming weaker.
"Look, Ron, the most that Snape could be is unjustly prejudiced. Sure, the man terrifies me and makes my life hell, but I don't think that means he's evil. Hell, my grandmother gives me just as much crap as he does, and SHE'S not Dark, now is she?"
Neville had a point. A few onlookers nodded their agreement. That woman was frightening, but was most assertive when it came to her views on Dark wizards. Harry and Draco felt their headaches coming back full force again.
"You think we should do anything about them?" Harry asked.
"Well, there's the killing curse…" Draco sounded almost wistful at the prospect. Harry nearly laughed.
"Somehow, I don't think that'll go over very well."
The argument continued to get louder and louder. Neville and Ron had conjured pillows and were beating each other with them to prevent any real damage from being done. But, the force with which they attacked sent feathers flying out of said pillows, showering everyone with the downy material. Draco's vein twitched irritably. He conjured something to beat the two with. Unfortunately, the first thing that came to mind was a paper fan.
Author: Thanks for Reading. Now, if you don't mind... please Review for me!
