a/n re-formatted a few chapters as per a few complaints, happy holidays 31/12/18

Chapter 6

A new storm

Pansy and her friends bustled around getting ready for the start of the day. Pansy tried to put some make-up on without the others noticing but they were watching her like hawks. In the end she sighed thinking 'fuck it', happily getting on with it while trying to ignore the cat calls and looks and when she was done they all headed down to breakfast.

The group of witches sat at the top end of the Slytherin table, right in front of the teachers. Pansy had decided on that for Harry's protection and she made the girls leave the place opposite her right at the end of the table.

Tracey leaned across and whispered to her.

"You haven't asked him have you Pan's? Walking in with me was one thing but I don't think this is a good idea" she said.

Pansy paled but she had thought about it all night and whatever she had said to him it was his choice.

"I know Trace, but it's up to him in the end. We shall wait and see" she said.

Harry paced back and forth in a bathroom close to the dining hall.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck. What am I thinking?" he muttered to himself, then punched the wooden cubicle door. "Me sitting on the snakes table, with Draco's ex. She's pretty but is she was worth dying for?!" he thought. "Bollocks why not! You only live once" he concluded before walking to the entrance hall and looking into the dining hall.

He saw Pansy and three friends just below the teachers table and smiled to himself.

"Well if you down, go down big" and with a flick of his wand he conjured a single black rose, put on a big smile and headed into the hall.

He walked straight down the middle of the hall, drawing stares from more and more people. He saw Dumbledore looking at him, so Harry just smiled back as he turned towards Pansy. She just sat there with eyes wide and a gaping mouth.

"Morning ladies" he said as he sat down opposite Pansy. He handed Pansy the rose "this is for you Pansy, I hope you like it" and he leaned across the table and gave her a kiss on the cheek, as silence swept across the Hall. "Ok" Harry said loudly "what's for breakfast?".

Daphne, Milly and Tracey just looked in total amazement before realising how much money they will have to cough up. They shot looks at the surrounding tables and were drawn particularly to the mutterings coming from the Slytherins, but under the gaze of the now smiling headmaster, nobody would say or do a thing.

"Cat got your tongue Pans?" Harry asked while piling some bacon and eggs onto his plate. "How are the rest of you today? Hope you didn't get too much grief about our little walk yesterday Trace?" and he gave her a wink.

Tracey smirked.

"not too much. Just the normal pureblood bullshit but I'm guessing you've now outdone yesterday big time!" and she chuckled as the dining hall seemed to return to its normal chatter, apart from Malfoy and his little group.

"Well they can sod off. I was invited by a friend for breakfast, even though she now seems to be in a catatonic state!" he said with a smile "Pans, Pans you alright luv?".

Pansy just blinked until Millicent elbowed her.

"er what, who, oh yes I'm fine Potter. I mean Harry. I just can't believe you came" she said seemingly still in shock.

"Well you did invite me, and I always love a challenge" he said giving her a wink. "So how are you doing today Mills and Daph?" asked Harry, sporting the biggest grin.

"My name is Daphne not Daph, sounds like a bloody flower" Daphne grumbled, causing the group to laugh.

"Sorry. Daphne, how are you?" Harry corrected.

"I am fine thank you Harry, and you?" she asked with a small smile on her face.

"Oh, I'm good thanks. Just worried about catatonic Pansy here" he said while barking out a laugh. "What about you Mills?, if I may call you Mills" Harry gave Daphne a wink making the other girls snort with laughter.

Millicent leaned forward while almost knocking things over with her vast chest.

"You can call me whatever you want Harry" she growled in a sultry way and winking back.

"Good girl" he replied while blowing her a kiss making her blush "I'll call you Mills then hun" and then turning back to Pansy "You back with us yet luv?".

"I, I can't believe you've sat here" she stammered.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"c'mon Pansy, it'll be time for lessons soon. I'm guessing you'll all get the 'pureblood only' rants at you lot, and I'll get the 'anti Slytherin' garbage" he said with a sing song voice.

"I'm sorry, it's great to see you" she said and pulled his hands to hers "but I'm worried about the fallout" flicking her eyes around.

"Pans what is done is done. You've all been friendly to me since the train, so there must be a reason and I'm hoping it's not just you four wanting to befriend me. It would be nice to have a circle of friends from different house's" he said kindly while looking around at his new friends.

All four girls were nodding with smiles on their faces and in that moment, they all knew they would be friends forever, but all the girls wanted more and would battle against anyone who would hurt or offend Harry or their small group of friends.

"Well we know of one other who wants her own bit of Harry" whispered Milly with a small smile on her lips.

"If you say Ginny Weasley or Cho Chang, I know already and I'll give you a slap" he said with a chuckle.

Milly burst into a fit of laughter.

"I'm gonna hold you to that Potter. Never say no to a good spanking" she said blowing him a kiss which he did back.

"So, who is this unlucky girl" Harry asked with a grin, liking the fact that Pansy and his hands were still entwined.

"Susan Bones from Hufflepuff" Daphne whispered, "she came over and talked to us after you had yesterday".

Harry looked around to find Susan looking at him so he smiled and gave her wink, causing her to blush and put her head down.

"Who would have thought old busty bones liked me" he said, then paled when he realised what he had said "sorry".

But the girls just laughed.

"She isn't that busty" said Millicent stretching while pushing her chest towards harry.

All of them chuckled.

"I apologise to your girl's Mills" he said flicking his eyes to her chest "it's just what the lads call her".

Just then the students in the Hall started to move around getting ready for lessons.

"Right I better get going, but we'll have to do this again if I survive the day" Harry laughed, but once again as he stood up he leaned across and gave Pansy a kiss on her cheek making her blush beetroot red.

"No kisses for us then Potter?" Milly said with a chuckle.

With a big smile on his face he leaned and gave every one of his new friends a kiss on the cheek as well as Pansy again.

"Right I shall see you lovely ladies at 'Care of Magical Creatures'" he said give them a brief wave as he made his way out of the hall.

On his way, he locked eyes with Susan Bones which made him smile and give her a wink "good morning Susan, you're looking lovely today" he said without breaking a step leaving her gobsmacked in his wake.

Back at the Slytherin table the four girls were chatting together about the morning's events when they were interrupted.

"What do you think you are doing Parkinson? You're bringing your house and your family to shame" spat Malfoy with his two goons either side of him.

Unknown to him all four girls had pulled out their wands ready to fight if needed.

"Piss off Draco. If anyone has brought shame to our house it's you, and don't you dare talk about my family and what they think" Pansy spat back while standing up to face him down. "All that time we were betrothed you treated me like shit, you never once spoke to my family or even saw them, so don't even pretend to know what they think you little worm" the last bit was shouted bringing laughs from all houses including their own.

With a red-faced Draco was about to retort when a shadow was cast over them.

"Now now children. Let's keep our voices and tempers down" said the headmaster calmly "and ten points each for Miss Parkinson, Greengrass, Davis and as Mr Potter had told me once, the one and only Miss Bulstrode" which brought blood surging to Millicent's face and laughter from her friends "for trying to bring inter house cooperation" Dumbledore continued "and five points from Mr Malfoy for bringing disrepute to the noble house of Slytherin. Good day to you all" and he sang softly to himself as he walked away.

"This isn't over Parkinson" Draco whispered while clearly flushed pink with anger.

"You got that right you little prick" Pansy spat back and walked off with her friends in tow.

Hermione walked down the hallway trying to catch up her friend.

"Harry, Harry, will you slow down please" she called out.

"What is it Hermione? You gonna give me a bollocking about breakfast? Because I've already had that from the rest of the house and especially Ron" Harry said moodily.

"No I wasn't going to say that Harry".

"Then what is it? We're going to be late for class and I know you wouldn't want that" he said in a sarcastic tone.

She just stood there with her hands on her hip with an angry look on her face.

"Harry James Potter, I just wanted to say how proud of you I am, trying to make friends in new houses" she shouted before spinning and walking away again.

"Sorry Hermione" he shouted as he chased her down and grabbed her arm. "I am sorry. I've had nothing but grief from everyone so far. I don't know what they think is worse, the fact that I sat at another table or the fact that I kissed a Slytherin" he said.

"Well Harry, from what I hear the boys are angry because you are talking to the Slytherins. Apart from Neville, he said fair play on you" she said ending with a giggle "but the girls hate it because you are spending time with and kissing Slytherin girls, and all of them apart from your good friend me, want you for themselves".

"No, they don't".

"Harry, you stupid naive boy. Over the summer, you've turned into some kind heartthrob. The chosen one" she said as she watched him roll his eyes. "Don't you roll your eyes at me Potter. I tell you what, for once keep your eyes open and watch girls reactions when you walk about, then tell me I'm wrong!" and with a flick of her hair she stalked away.

Harry followed and headed into his class and noticed there wasn't a spare seat with the Gryffindor's. Hermione looked guiltily towards him and mouthed sorry.

"Fine" he said and looked around until he saw a place next to Susan Bones. With a smile on his face he walked up to her.

"Anyone sitting here Susan?" he asked.

Susan blushed "oh no, Harry please" she gestured to the seat next to her but tried not to look at the frowning friend Hannah Abbott who she had shifted out of her usual seat to sit next to Neville when she heard all the 'anti Harry' grumblings and took a guess, and it worked.

"So how was your summer Harry?" she whispered kindly.

Harry looked into her hazel eyes and smiled.

"Not too bad thanks Suze, how was yours? I heard your aunt manage to fight of an attack from Deatheaters last week" he said in soft tones then placed his hand on hers "I'm so glad she's ok. She stood up for me last year, so I owe her everything" giving her hand a squeeze.

This made her heart melt as she looked into his caring eyes.

"Thank you, Harry. It was a close-run thing but she managed to get away" she explained as her eyes started to well up.

Harry's face dropped and he reached around and gave her a one-armed hug.

"Sorry Suze, I didn't mean to upset you. I can't believe it's our first chat and I've made you cry" he said softly "smooth Potter, real smooth!".

Susan gave a snort of laughter making a few of her Hufflepuff colleagues turn around and glare at him. She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the side of his mouth.

"You didn't upset me Harry. It's good just to know you care. Us war orphans have to stick together" giving him a shove with her elbow and a wink.

As the lesson progressed they grew more comfortable with each other, laughing and joking around which caused Professor Flitwick, the Charms Teacher, to dock 2 points from each of them for messing about in class, as well as Neville and Hannah who received the same points deducted as they hit it straight off, despite their first misgivings.

Hannah managed to catch Susan's eye and gave her a beaming smile with a 'thumbs up' while pointing at Neville.

"Looks like your friend and Nev are hitting it off Suze" Harry said in her ear making her giggle. "I bet I'm going to get the blame for corrupting two pretty Hufflepuffs and losing them points".

"Well this pretty Hufflepuff is liking being corrupted, and by the looks of it Hannah doesn't care either!" she said back quietly making sure the teacher didn't hear. "It's just unfortunate my Gryffindor is just a bad boy who likes to get into trouble while stealing girls hearts from all of the houses but his own!" and gave his earlobe a nibble making him jump.

"MISS BONES" shouted the teacher "I'm sure if Mr Potter has trouble with his hearing, he'll go and see the Matron. He certainly doesn't need you sticking your tongue in it!" causing Harry and Susan to blush and the rest of the class to burst out laughing.

Towards the end of the lesson Harry passed a note to Susan saying sorry for getting her in trouble today, but can he sit by her in the next lesson they have together, which made her day and she agreed to it straight away whilst feeling sure Hannah wouldn't mind either. As they both tidied away Harry and Susan beamed at each other and parted company quietly, as they were still being watched by students and teacher alike.