I do not own Harry Potter or gain anything from writing this other than the opportunity of expanding on an already brilliant universe for my own entertainment, and hopefully yours.

CHAPTER 5 - BLACK RIVER

The sixth year potions classroom was filled with fumes from the twelve cauldrons bubbling with purple liquid. At least the ones who'd brewed the Wound-Cleaning potion correctly had a bubbling purple potion at this point. The puke green and muddy brown Harry could spot a table over were less than promising. He was pleased to see, however, that his group of three had an equally perfect purple liquid throughout.

'Well done you three, well done,' Slughorn beamed proudly. 'A perfect brew as usual. I have half a mind to move Miss Granger over here to keep the brightest minds in the class together. Truly marvellous work.'

As Slughorn moved on to the next group of three, Sue Li leaned in to address her group.

'OK, now I'm starting to feel a bitguilty,' she said through a grin.

'Pah!' Tracey waved away the comment. 'It's worth it to see Granger sweat. Besides, we're just following a different set of instructions. Not our fault this Prince bloke was better than whoever wrote the textbook.'

'Tracey's right,' Harry agreed with a smirk. 'I do like making Hermione sweat.'

'Gross,' Tracey glared. 'Keep your exploits to yourself, Potter.'

'Jealous, Davis?' Harry questioned.

'In your dreams, Potter,' Tracey scoffed before failing to hold back a lopsided smile.

'I assure you, Tracey, you are,' Harry gave her his best roguish grin.

'Well that's the only place you'll be getting a piece, Harry.' Though her blush was a little more honest.

'I do love it when you slip and call me Harry,' he teased.

'So that's what you want? Me to say your name?' Tracey changed her voice to come out as a coquettish moan. 'Harry, Harry, oh Harry!'

'If you two are quite done!' Sue said loudly, earning a few strange looks from the surrounding tables.

'I've still got more in me but it did sound like Tracey was about to … finish, as it were,' Harry drawled.

Tracey snorted into her hands in an attempt to stifle her laughter.

Sue was hard at work bottling her finished product as she rolled her eyes at the duo.

When this group landed together at the beginning of the term, Harry was cautiously optimistic. The only two Water souls that fit the requirements in the school had practically fallen into his lap. Since then he's realized he was lucky for reasons far beyond that. The unlikely trio had soon become fast friends. Or at least as close as they could for three people who only spent time together in just the one classroom. The dark haired bespectacled pair that was Sue Li and Tracey Davis couldn't be any more different in terms of personality, but they were both incredibly intelligent, especially when it came to potions.

Sue Li was a serious, studious student who valued her grades above mostly anything else. While she occasionally expressed worries over the ethics of using Harry's potions textbook, it was more just lip service than anything. She had been incredibly grateful for the book and Harry's generosity regarding it, her grades in the class had never been better.

Tracey on the other hand was playful and even flirtier than Harry. At least she had been after an internal battle with herself on whether she should consort with a Gryffindor in that way. Once she allowed a trickle of teasing out and Harry reciprocated in kind, the flood gates seemed to open. When their work was done for the day the remainder of the class was usually spent trying to one up the other on shock value, Sue often being caught in the embarrassing crossfire.

Harry enjoyed their little game more than he outwardly admitted. In truth he was beginning to genuinely fancy the girl. Where he had once leaned heavily toward Sue for his first choice in Water soul, due to the fact Tracey was a Slytherin, Harry was now eager to spend more time with the flirty water serpent. The only question was how to advance things beyond the classroom.

When Slughorn assigned them a four thousand word essay on the properties and uses of Dreamless Sleep potion, Harry tried just that.

'Hey, what would you two think of working on the homework together after classes?'

'You really are trying to get into my pants, aren't you, Potter?' Tracey teased.

'Not more than a little bit,' Harry said coolly. 'Is that a yes?'

'I don't know,' Sue said hesitantly. 'I usually do my work alone.'

'Well we can just work in the same place,' Harry pointed out. 'Only talk to each other if we have a question or want a second opinion.'

'I suppose we can try it,' Sue sighed. 'Just don't expect me to carry you.'

'Oh no worries there,' Harry laughed. 'Though I can think of a few things we could get up to while I'm carrying you.'

Sue rolled her eyes at Harry's wink though her cheeks did take on a pink hue.

'Tracey?' Harry asked.

The girl in question was stealing a tentative glance over at the table of Slytherins, apparently deep in thought. Harry had a fairly good idea of what she was thinking. The first time Harry had tried to be friendly with her outside the classroom she had snapped at him outwardly then tossed him a covert apologetic look. She was surrounded by Slytherins at the time and didn't want to be made an outcast because she was friendly with their most hated rival. She'd apologized properly in the next potions class but Harry waved her off saying he understood. Studying with Harry Potter would be considered high treason in Slytherin house.

'Where would we go?' she asked finally.

'Well I was going to say the library but …' Harry spared a quick glance at Malfoy, Nott and Zabini. 'If you like, we can go somewhere more private.

'I'll even share with you two one of my many secrets,' he added mysteriously.

Both girls just gave him identically sceptical looks.

'Look,' Harry said seriously, 'just meet me on the seventh floor in front of the tapestry with the dancing trolls at four. Or don't … I'll be there either way.'

The two gave each other questioning looks but never responded as Slughorn dismissed the class.

So it was at a quarter to four that Harry sat in the Room of Requirement with the Marauders Map opened, watching the two girls make their way to the seventh floor. He found it quite amusing how Tracey seemed to change her mind several times over as her dot walked down and up the stairs before finally relenting.

When the two were standing outside he closed his eyes and the door formed for them. The room was currently set up as a miniature library, the surrounding walls covered in shelves full of books. In the centre of the room was a large table with three cushioned chairs set around it. Harry sat in the middle of the table with his potions book open and an already begun essay in front of him.

The door opened and two tentative girls stepped inside.

'Welcome,' Harry intoned in his most epic voice, arms spread for the reveal, 'to the Room of Requirement!'

They stepped inside and gaped at the small library, looking mildly impressed.

'I want to make fun of you but this is pretty cool,' Tracey said.

'What is it?' Sue asked. 'Just a miniature secret library?'

'Not exactly,' Harry said thoughtfully. 'Better to show than to explain it.'

Harry closed his eyes and concentrated. Around him the book shelves disappeared and the walls expanded out. Duelling dummies popped out of thin air and a stack of pillows appeared in a bin, recreating one of the rooms Harry had often used for the DA the year before.

'Woah!' Tracey gasped.

'This is the place Terry and Anthony were talking about!' Sue said excitedly.

'Yeah, they were in the DA last year.' At their questioning looks, he elaborated. 'It was the group we formed to learn defense because Umbridge was … well, Umbridge.'

Recognition seemed to dawn on both their faces then their expressions turned angry.

'Thanks for inviting me by the way,' Tracey said coldly. 'I barely passed my Defense OWL because of that awful class.'

'Same,' Sue said. 'I suppose it's my own fault though. Terry told me about it. I just didn't want to get in trouble.'

'Sorry about that,' Harry said sincerely. 'I didn't know either of you then and we did end up getting sold out anyway.'

'That's right,' Tracey said thoughtfully. 'Pansy was talking about that for weeks.'

'I suppose at least we didn't end up like Marietta,' Sue grimaced. 'Granger can be pretty scary sometimes.'

Harry snorted. 'Tell me about it,' he closed his eyes and concentrated, the room reverting to the mini library. 'Shall we?'

'I guess that wasn't so bad,' Sue said with a small smile playing on her lips.

'This room is brilliant,' Tracey marveled, searching through the bookshelves. 'I haven't seen half of these books in the library.'

Harry was rolling up his parchment and stowing his supplies in his bag as he replied.

'It can do a lot more than a little library,' he told them. 'I can't say I've tried to push it to its limits yet.'

Tracey turned to him with a hopeful expression.

'Can we come back here?' she queried. 'On our own, I mean.'

'Of course you can,' Harry laughed. 'It doesn't belong to me. It's part of the school. Just walk past the blank wall outside three times thinking of what you want in your head and a door should appear. Something like: I need a place to study, I need a place to study, I need a place to study. Only way it won't work is if your command isn't clear enough or if it's already in use.'

'It really is brilliant,' Tracey said excitedly. 'I can't wait to show Daphne.'

'Just try not to tell too many people,' Harry pointed out, 'or you'll never get to use it.'

Sue lifted her bag over her shoulder and began heading for the blank wall slowly until Harry had the door appear again.

'Well I'm going to get some dinner,' Sue said, waving. 'See you in potions.'

The two others waved goodbye, Tracey fiddling with something on her bag while Harry waited patiently for her to finish.

'So,' Tracey turned to him shyly once the other girl was gone, 'what else have you used this room for?'

Harry, grinning at the girl, shut his eyes and concentrated. When he opened them they were standing in a bedroom much like the one he often spent time in with Luna. There was a four poster bed in the middle of the room beside a large active fireplace and a window on one side that looked down onto the Hogwarts grounds in an unobstructed view. The only difference to the room this time was that the bed linens and hangings were in silver and green, a few banners lined the wall with the Slytherin S-shaped serpent on them.

'So cool,' Tracey said, tracing her hand along the bedding.

She plopped down on the bed, asking her next question in an innocent voice.

'So how many girls have you brought up here and had your way with?'

Harry chuckled at her bluntness.

'You want the honest answer or the teasing answer?' Harry asked her, leaning against one of the four posters.

'Honest,' Tracey answered with a smirk.

Harry sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

'One,' he said, sitting on the bed, 'though she also had her way with me.'

Tracey scooched closer to Harry.

'So the rumours about you shagging every sixth year Gryffindor witch isn't true?' she asked teasingly.

'Definitely not,' Harry chuckled. 'Not a one actually.'

'Not Granger?' Tracey asked in surprise.

'She's been spurning my advances all year,' he waved away.

Tracey slid a little closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder, sighing in contentment.

'Why have you changed so much this year anyway?' she asked quietly.

Harry wrapped his arm around the girl beside him and nuzzled against her hair. She smelt of a particular flowery scent that Harry couldn't place but recognized it distinctly as hers. The feel of her warmth against his side and her scent sent a wave of pleasurable anticipation through his body.

'Short answer is I don't know how much longer I'll be alive,' he said honestly. 'Why not have some fun while I can?'

Tracey slapped his knee reproachfully but her heart didn't seem to be in it. Instead of commenting on it though she thoroughly changed the subject.

'You know, ever since first year all the girls in my house would constantly belittle you behind your back. We all hated you on principle alone.'

Tracey grabbed his arm and started tracing the lines of his hand slowly with a finger.

'I noticed it started changing over time though. We wouldn't talk about any other boy as much as we talked about you. We'd talk about how terrible it would be to have to be stuck with you on a project. Then how awful it would feel to kiss you. Or how it would be the absolute worst thing in the world to accidentally fall in love with you. It went from callus to bitter to depressing because we thought we knew that you hated all Slytherins.'

'You know I don't hate all Slytherins now though, right?' Harry asked.

'I do,' she said. 'Not sure what you're after from me exactly though. I think you like me, but I don't know if you're just after a one and done kind of thing.'

Harry snorted and fell back onto the bed. Thinking about how he actually felt about Tracey.

'I don't know exactly either,' he admitted after a moment. 'I've developed quite a crush on you if I'm being honest. I can't have a girlfriend right now though, wouldn't be fair for her or safe for that matter. So if I'm being brutally honest …'

'Just spit it out, Potter,' Tracey said, grinning over her shoulder at him.

'Friends with benefits?' he tried apprehensively.

Tracey just stared at him for a moment, a serious expression on her face. Just as Harry was about to back pedal she burst out laughing, lying down beside him.

'You've got some balls, Potter,' she laughed.

Harry leaned up onto his elbow and looked down at the laughing girl. He waited until she was finished giggling to lean in and kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his neck immediately, pushing her lips back into his eagerly. After kissing her for a little bit he realized how stiff and nervous she seemed. He pulled away and looked at her kindly.

'S - sorry,' Tracey mumbled, embarrassed. 'I've never really kissed a boy before.'

'It's fine, really,' Harry said, kissing her lightly. 'Do you know how exciting it is that I get to be your first kiss?'

Tracey shook her head quickly and visibly gulped.

'As far as first kisses go, that's something to brag about,' Harry teased, capturing her lips once more in a heated snog. 'Far better than mine,' he added breathlessly.

'Who was yours?' she asked, equally breathless.

'Cho Chang,' he answered dryly with a grimace. 'She was crying at the time, it was quite terrible actually.'

Tracey started laughing again despite herself, beaming at the boy who was making her feel so happy.

'We can do whatever you're comfortable with here tonight,' Harry said gently. 'We can kiss a bit and leave it at that, we could have sex, or, we could do anything in between.'

Tracey nodded in understanding then bit her lip and looked away.

'Just kissing maybe but …' When she hesitated, Harry gave her another lingering kiss, coming away again to see her looking at him with heavy lidded eyes. 'Can you maybe … t - take your shirt off?'

Harry gave his best roguish grin and sat up to do what she asked. Tracey let out an audible moan when he threw his shirt to the floor but she covered her mouth to stop the noise.

'Don't,' Harry said gently, moving her hands. 'I want to hear every sound you make.'

Tracey put her hands on his shoulders and pulled him down to her, taking the initiative for the first time.

'Sorry,' she mumbled against his lips and turned her head away embarrassed. 'I don't think I'm a very good kisser.'

Harry turned her back to face him and tasted her once more.

'You are,' he rumbled as he pulled away, grinning at the girl, 'but if you want to feel more comfortable doing it, practice does make perfect.'

Tracey bit her lip in excited anticipation and resumed practicing with Harry Potter. They practiced for far too long, missing dinner completely and coming close onto curfew. They went from passionate snogging to slow, experimental kisses.

Harry loved the feel of her hands and mouth on his chest, she seemed in awe of the boy's body and the three words that she surely heard rumour of. Harry's hands roamed her as well, avoiding her erogenous zones thoughtfully until she hesitantly moved his hands to touch her in a more risqué manner.

While no clothes but her robes were ever removed, she was certainly far more dishevelled by the time they were done.

'Have I ever mentioned how happy I am that you sat by yourself that first day in potions?' Tracey said as she trailed kisses down Harry's chest.

'One of my better ideas,' Harry admitted. 'One of the luckiest days of my life, to be honest.'

'No kidding,' she agreed.

'So what would my colour be?' Tracey asked, tapping the three tattoos, 'and my name?'

'Won't know your name until it happens,' he explained. 'You'll be a deep blue. You're Water.'

'Water huh?' Tracey said as she snuggled against his chest. 'Do I quench your thirst then?'

'You do,' Harry said, rolling them over so he was on top, 'but it doesn't take long until I want to drink you some more.'

Tracey squirmed under his weight and looked at him hungrily.

'You're going to ruin me, Harry Potter,' she sighed, 'but I am starving, and it's almost curfew. Ever been to the kitchens?'

'I have actually,' Harry said, rolling off her then putting on his most dignified voice. 'Would you do me the honour of joining me for a dinner date in the kitchens, Miss Davis?'

Tracey pinched his bum hard, making him jump and ruin the effect.

'I suppose so,' she sighed languorously. 'How are we going to get there without being seen together though?'

'Leave that, to me,' Harry said with a flourish of his Invisibility Cloak.

The walk down was silent but for the occasional yelp of surprise and a brief girlish giggle. They walked under the Invisibility Cloak together but neither could resist trying to make the other slip and make a sound at inopportune moments. The effect ended up being very confused or nervous looking students, darting out of corridors while keeping a suspicious eye on a suit of armor or portrait. By the time the two opened the hidden door to the kitchens, Tracey was running out from the Invisibility Cloak with a loopy laugh to avoid Harry's wandering hands.

'Tracey?'

Tracey spun fast to the source of the voice and froze. Her best friend, Daphne Greengrass, sat at the end of one of the kitchen tables, a chocolate gateau half eaten in front of her. Quickly schooling her features, Tracey walked primly up to the table and demurely sat down.

'Good evening, Daphne,' Tracey drawled. 'Enjoying a late night nibble?'

'Oh come off it, Trace,' Daphne groused. 'What are you up to?'

'If you must know,' Tracey continued in her highborn act after asking a house elf for two plates of dinner, 'I've been consorting with the enemy.'

'Nooooo,' Daphne said, thunderstruck. 'You shagged Potter!'

'SHHHH!' Tracey snapped. 'I did not shag Potter,' then shifted in her chair and curled a dark strand of hair around her finger. 'I just snogged him for a few hours.'

Daphne clamped her hands over her mouth and squealed.

'Tracey, I can't believe you did it!' she cried. 'Tell me all the dirty details!'

'Later,' she sighed. 'When he's not here. You can come out, Harry.'

Harry pulled off his Invisibility Cloak from his seat in front of Tracey, eyeing the food she'd got him appreciatively.

'Hey Greengrass,' Harry said casually. 'You're way different when you're not in class.'

Daphne immediately sat up stiffly, eyes wide on Harry. Then she turned an accusing glare on Tracey.

'Why didn't you tell me he was here?' she ground out in a whisper.

'I did,' Tracey said evenly before smirking, 'eventually. Besides, you don't have to hide behind your ice queen persona, Harry is nice.'

'Very nice if you play your cards right,' Harry said, winking at Tracey, making the girl blush. 'So why the persona, Daphne? Slytherin politics, I assume?'

Daphne seemed torn between yelling at her friend, snubbing Harry, and just answering the question honestly. She ended up with a middle ground.

'Not that it's any of your business, Potter, but yes,' she said levelly. 'What's it to you?'

'Just trying to get to know my friend's friend is all,' Harry shrugged.

'Friend?' Daphne asked coldly. 'Do you snog all your friends, Potter?'

'Just the pretty ones,' Harry said with a smirk, making Tracey roll her eyes with a pleased smile. 'But in all honesty, no. Just doesn't seem like the right time for anything more. What with the state of things and who I am and all.'

Daphne regarded him curiously, taking in what he said and what she'd heard about him. Harry returned her gaze calmly, not for the first time enjoying the blonde haired Slytherin beauties appearance. As Seamus Finnegan so often elegantly put, "She's a bloody bombshell, even if she is a snake". She also had a reputation of snubbing any advances made toward her. The "ice queen" of Slytherin was not to be trifled with by any ill meaning boys.

'So you're just after a quick shag with my best friend, are you?' Daphne accused.

'Not quick, no,' Harry said with a raised eyebrow. 'I plan on turning her into a puddle of happiness and pleasure. If that's what she wants, of course.'

Tracey had a goofy smile on her face and Daphne turned a deep shade of pink.

'You're certainly confident, I'll give you that,' Daphne snapped.

'Oh enough, Daphne,' Tracey finally cut in. 'Lay off him, will you? He was a perfect gentleman with me tonight, he's just enjoying teasing you I think.'

'I'll stop if you really don't want me to,' Harry said apologetically. 'I just figured a friend of Tracey might appreciate a bit of sass.'

Tracey laughed sweetly then returned her attention to her food, though keeping one curious eye on her two friends.

'Fine,' Daphne sighed, 'I'll lay off. A bit. So you two really aren't dating or anything then?'

'Well,' Harry said with a questioning eye at Tracey who just shrugged, 'more something of a "friends with benefits" kind of thing. I get how that would bother you as her friend though. She's not the only girl I'm with like that.'

Daphne gave him a scathing look but then let out a sigh and picked at the remains of the gateau.

'Well at least you're honest about it,' she mumbled, 'and if Tracey is fine with it I can't really complain, can I?'

'Also leaves him open for you to get some action too,' Tracey said nonchalantly, failing to keep the grin off her face.

Daphne just stared daggers at her, red faced, pointedly not looking at Harry.

'She's interested?' Harry asked Tracey curiously.

'More than interested,' Tracey confirmed. 'She's had a bit of a thing for you since fourth year. Nothing gets a girl randy like watching a bloke take on a dragon.'

'Tracey,' Daphne growled warningly.

'Not like she's the only one, even in Slytherin,' Tracey continued. 'She's just the only one who's admitted it. To me at least.'

Daphne's head fell down into the table and groaned in frustration.

'Why are you doing this to me,' she whined.

'Oh relax, Daph,' Tracey chided, 'Harry doesn't care. If anything he's thinking up a way to sneak you a kiss tonight without offending me. Which I wouldn't be by the way, I know you do that with other witches, and to be honest I don't think I would mind watching.'

'Noted,' Harry chuckled. 'But I'm not about to steal a kiss from you without warning,' he added, attempting to put Daphne at ease. 'I'm game if you are though.'

Daphne kept her head down with her arms covering her face.

'Are you done eating now?' her muffled voice sounded. 'It's almost curfew.'

'In a minute,' Tracey said, then turned her attention to Harry, becoming shy. 'When can we do that again?'

Harry beamed at her, wracking his brain for when would work best. 'Well I'd ask if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend but I suppose you wouldn't be able to because of the other Slytherins.'

Tracey sighed and looked at her friend who had finally popped up, a frown on her face.

'It's so stupid,' Tracey complained. 'I almost want to just go with you and damn the consequences.'

'I agree with you, Trace but you can't,' Daphne reasoned. 'Not even because of what our house would do or say. There are too many of them connected to Death Eaters. Your family could be in danger.'

'I know, I know,' Tracey grumbled. 'Is it OK if we just keep things in the Room?'

'Of course that's OK,' Harry smiled sincerely. 'I'll see you there tomorrow after classes then.'

Tracey squirmed in her seat sexily giving Harry a coquettish smile. Daphne just rolled her eyes, looking away pointedly when Harry moved around the table to kiss her best friend. At least until she thought they couldn't see her, but Harry still caught a glimpse of the look of desire on Daphne's face as she watched him give Tracey a thorough snogging.