Author's Note:
Reviews and Comments: To alix33: Thank you! To Emeralds and Rubies: Thank you for saying the Ron and Hermione moment felt like a Christmas present! Thanks for liking the restaurant idea and the connection to James and Lily. To MinervaMcGee: Thank you! To Steelcode: Thank you very much! Yes, Ron and Hermione are starting to hit it off. And sorry, unlike Harry and Ginny, the kiss is not what will bring them together. It was a fluke. 😉 To LifeonEarth: Thank you! I always loved Romione and I always wanted them to end up together in the books and I think JKR was wrong in saying they wouldn't have worked out together, but that's just me. They are perfect! And ha, yes, fuck Cormac. To Guest: Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! To smallwjl: Thank you very much! To akshutalankar: That is a very adept description of Cormac and I do agree. That's why I compared him to the tool from What A Girl Wants lol. Thank you! To speedsONEandONLY: Yes, Draco was there to hold Theo. I love that you call him a cinnamon roll! It's true, castrating Ernie would be less than he deserves. Yes, Ginny's seat is always in Harry's lap lol. Ha, it is a fluke, this time.
To criertuckyahoocom: Thank you for thinking the Romione scene was perfect! Maybe the prince will find a way to help Theo, we will see. Thank you! To Leaf Ranger: Hermione and Ron are a bit stubborn so we will see how that plays out, but yes, Hermione has realized Cormac is not for her. Thank you! To geekymom: Thank you! To Wolf's scream: Yes, the Romione encounter will give them both something to think about for a while. I thought that having a small little reminder that his parents fell in love when they were at Hogwarts was a nice idea and not really fortuitous, just sweet. Thank you. To notthatchhavi: Of course Harry piggybacked Ginny! I love them doing stuff like that. Ron and Hermione are moving a bit slow in that direction. I know, poor Theo, he really needs to ask for help. Thank you! To xXMizz Alec VolturiXx: Thank you very much! Yes, we'll see more of Charlie soon! I have some fun plans for his character in the future. Thank you! To Guest: Thank you! To Runningtwiceasfast: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the Romione scene in the water (so did they 😏). I love writing the development of Harry and Ginny's relationship. I love showing Ginny's strength and how Harry is being careful with her. They are taking things slow because they are young and because of Ginny's past. I like showing them slowly discovering each other. Thank you!
To Katie: Thanks for loving ASC! We'll see more of Sirius and Zee in this chapter, don't worry! I'm glad you liked Theo discussing their ship name lol. I felt like it was a fun thing for him to do. Thank you! To Krazyasibe: Thank you! To Saz J: Hermione is a minx and yes, she definitely got herself off in the shower to thoughts of Ron — she is a minx. Thanks for saying the chapter was worth the wait. Draco and Theo needed that moment and some Hinny fluff is always needed. Thank you! To boothbonesrule: Thank you for saying you love this story. We will see more of how James and Lily fell in love, slowly. Thank you very much! To Guest: Thank you. To J Jamie Dupane: Thank you for saying I've done a beautiful job at expanding the legend of the Chamber. I wanted to create more to it and the underground maze that we know would be part of it. You thought that Ron and Hermione would find a hidden library? That would be pretty amazing and unfortunately was not the case. Ron did but himself out there, even if it was an accident, but the two of them are very stubborn and will need to figure things out between them themselves. I love showing a bit of Luna. She's a difficult character to write so it's fun to show a bit of her intelligence. Thank you for finding my character development of Theo well done. I've been trying to show his growth and development from the beginning and I have so much more of Theo's story to tell. Thank you very much for such a beautifully written review! I truly cherish every word. To Miss Elyon: Thank you! To Guest: Thank you! To Matt9917: Thank you!
To Hellpony: I didn't mess up the Alice quote, it wasn't meant to be. I felt like coming from Luna, it just fit to come out of the blue like that and not be a direct quote. To Angel: Thank you! To RedheadLover: I'm glad you love Hinny, but sorry, I love Romione and will not be writing them with other people as endgame. Thank you. To xXQueenofDragonsXx: Thank you! To PurpleLotus: Yes, Harry has discovered his parents' old haunt and I love it being with Ginny. Thank you! To Pavk9918: Thank you very much! To vemilyus: Thank you very much! You should have read it with your girlfriend, LOL. To Matt71478: Thank you!
Thank you to Steel for the idea bounce on the Animagus scene.
Thank you Dusk for editing this for me — much appreciated!
My posting schedule: Once a week.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND THREE:
The One Where Minnie Walks In
By the time Monday came around, Harry found himself a little anxious to guest appear in McGonagall's class. The six of them were all set to report to the Transfiguration classroom at ten that morning to help teach her third years about the Animagus transformation. It was the last week of classes before the holiday, and everyone was starting to feel anxious.
Harry and Hermione were being signed out of Arithmancy for the morning, while Ron and Neville were missing Divination, and Ginny and Luna were missing Potions. They stood at the back of the class as the third years all filed in, and McGonagall clapped her hands to gain the class's attention just as Umbridge slithered into the room.
"Class, today, as you know, is a little different. I have combined my two third year classes into one to allow everyone to see the guests I promised. I have six students who, over the course of the last two years, have become Animagi. They are here today —"
"— Hem, hem," the annoying fake cough sounded from behind Harry.
Harry rolled his eyes at Ginny as Umbridge stepped forward.
"Professor McGonagall, if I may have a word?"
"Madam Umbridge, I am in the middle of teaching a class. If there is anything that you wish to tell me, I suggest that you do so at lunch," she said firmly, before promptly turning her back on her and addressing her class once more. "Now, as I was saying, these six students at the back of the classroom have all shown tremendous skill in the art of Transfiguration and —"
"— Hem, hem."
McGonagall huffed in annoyance. "What is it, Madam Umbridge?"
Umbridge smiled sweetly. "Allowing students to miss their lessons just to help you with your class is unacceptable, and in fact against the educational decree guidelines issued in the educational handbook that I passed out the other day. These students are out of bounds and skipping class, so they will have to be punished accordingly."
McGonagall glared at her. "I don't care what it says in your ridiculous handbook. These students are here to learn about the Animagus transformation today, and as I have helped the students behind you learn this difficult charm, I want them to present it to my class. I have already spoken to Professors Vector, Trelawney, and Snape who all agree that this is an acceptable use of their time. Not to mention, I've spoken to Professor Dumbledore about combining my two third year classes just for the day. Professor Sprout gave my third years their assignment last week to cover today's missed class. I can assure you, everything has been taken care of."
Umbridge looked like she was going to protest, but McGonagall merely turned back to the class.
"Class, I apologize for the interruptions. As I was saying last week, the Animagus transformation is a very difficult piece of magic than can only be mastered if you have the strength of mind as well as the strength of magic to force it into being. The charm itself requires constant discipline and repeating until the time is right for the transformation to take place. It —"
"— Hem, hem."
"— can only happen once the potion has been brewed successfully and a lightning storm has altered the colour of the potion, allowing it to be consumed and your animal to be revealed to you," McGonagall continued, ignoring Umbridge completely. "The potion itself is difficult to brew, but the entire charm requires a great deal of determination and concentration, and it is not something to be taken lightly."
"Hem, hem."
"Only those willing to undertake the hard work will succeed at doing it."
"Professor McGonagall, if I could have a word?" Umbridge exclaimed loudly over the class.
McGonagall stared at her. "You can speak with me at lunch. Interrupt my class again, and I will have you removed."
Nyx stood up from under the desk, licking her lips, and growling low. She took a step towards Umbridge, blocking McGonagall. Umbridge turned sheet white, taking an automatic step back.
Harry snorted and Ginny elbowed him until he contained himself.
He watched as Umbridge took a seat at the back of the classroom — well away from Nyx, who continued to eye her. She pulled out a clipboard and began to scribble furiously.
Harry leaned down to Ginny. "What do you suppose she scribbles there?" he whispered. "McGonagall was mean to me today when I interrupted her. She will pay."
Ginny grinned and whispered back, "Or maybe, 'McGonagall's tiger tried to eat me. It was very unprofessional.'"
Ron, upon hearing them, leaned in with a snort. "Or, 'McGonagall wouldn't let me interrupt her, I wish I could take off house points.'"
Harry snorted as the three of them snickered. He grinned sheepishly at McGonagall who gave them a look before she turned back to the class.
"Over the last two years, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood have all learned how to become an Animagus. Does anyone remember what the first part of the Animagus transformation is? Yes, Mr Donovan?"
"You have to chew on a Mandrake leaf."
"Correct, five points to Hufflepuff. Mr Potter, why don't you tell us about your experience with the Mandrake leaf."
Harry cleared his throat before he headed to the front of the class. "I think that the Mandrake leaf was the most difficult part. We couldn't take one until the leaves were ripe, and then you had to keep it in your mouth for an entire month, not removing it for any reason. This was the hard part as it stayed there while I slept, while I ate, and while I brushed my teeth. It was rather bothersome, as it changed the way I tasted food. It left a bad taste in my mouth, and I felt like I still tasted salted seaweed weeks later. Most of the time I used a sticking charm, but it had to be constantly replaced, as the leaf was always moving around in my mouth."
McGonagall smiled. "How was the process of the potion brewing, Miss Lovegood?"
Luna moved up next to Harry. "We all pitched in to collect the ingredients for the potion, but Harry and Hermione brewed it together, since the two of them are the best at potions. It had to be kept in a dark room at all times, and many of the ingredients had to be obtained at the right moment, such as fresh morning dew untouched by human feet or sunlight for at least a week. Professor Hagrid had to help us find some."
"Mr Weasley, how long did you have to wait after you brewed the potion?"
Ron scratched his forehead as he spoke. "We had to wait until the next full moon, and then we had to spit our Mandrake leaves out under the rays of the moonlight to add it to the potion. We each had our own potion bowl to add our leaves to. Once our chewed leaves were added, we had to pour the concoction into a vial and shake it, before keeping it somewhere dark; somewhere it would not be subjected to sunlight until a lightning storm occurred."
"While you were waiting on lightning, was there anything else that was required, Miss Granger?"
"Yes. We had to perform a charm on ourselves every sunrise and every sunset until the lightning storm occurred," Hermione answered promptly. "We were to wave our wands in a circular motion counter-clockwise over our head as we said: 'Amato Animo Animato Animagus,' which basically means that we are intentionally transforming our mind to coincide with that of the animal. The charm helped us mentally and physically prepare for that."
"Exactly," McGonagall said. "Mr Longbottom, what happened when lightning struck?"
Neville cleared his throat. "Well, if we had brewed the potion correctly, it was supposed to turn a blood red. After the lightning storm, we checked the potion, and it was a blood red colour so we knew that it was safe to drink. After we drank it, an image of our animal appeared in our mind."
"Was it easy, Miss Weasley?"
Ginny shook her head. "No, not at all, Professor. It was painful. It felt like I had drunk hot sauce and it burned my throat and my stomach. I felt like the potion was boiling inside of me, but then there was this sound, and I could hear the heartbeat of my animal alongside my own. It was like an animal had bonded with me, chosen to share their soul with mine."
McGonagall gave her a rare smile. "Excellent way of putting it, Miss Weasley. For that's exactly what the Animagus transformation is. It's the spirit of an animal choosing to bond itself to the witch or wizard in question, so that when you see that animal in your mind's eye, that is the animal that has chosen you. The animal that you will become. Mr Potter, what happened after you saw your animal."
"We repeated the charm and tried to transform."
"Did it work?"
Harry shook his head. "Nah, nothing happened. It takes between two or three weeks for anything to happen normally. When it does, it's gradual — a paw, or an ear, or maybe a full leg. The first time I managed anything it was my whole arm and nothing else. I couldn't figure out how to change it back, or progress any further, for over an hour. It takes a lot of concentration and practice. Once you do finally become an animal, you're not big and powerful like you think, either. You're a little baby, and you need help with everything."
Ginny smiled. "My mum found me. I couldn't jump onto the bed or get out of my room, as I was too little, and I couldn't figure out how to transform back."
"I couldn't climb the stairs, they were too high for me," Harry admitted, chuckling.
"The transforming back was especially hard because as an animal, we don't have access to our wands," Neville told them.
"Not to mention that when you do turn back into yourself, you're usually buck arsed naked. No one ever mentions that you have to picture yourself wearing clothes first," Ron added as some of the students laughed.
"Language, Mr Weasley," McGonagall scolded, before nodding at a petite girl with long blonde hair. "Yes, Miss Payne?"
"How long did it take your animals to grow up? And do you think like an animal when you're in that form?"
Ron shrugged. "I feel like an animal. I can run and jump and do everything that the animal can do, but I have my own mind. I know that I am not an animal, but a wizard, and I think that that's the beauty of the Animagus transformation, you're not changing yourself, but just giving yourself a disguise."
"Well said, Mr Weasley. Five points to Gryffindor," McGonagall told him, making his ears flush.
"As to how long it took," Luna continued. "Just over a year for our animals to grow up. We had to practice on a regular basis, changing into our animal selves, running around and playing as our animals, as well as practicing to change back. Professor McGonagall helped us with that, and then helped us register our forms with the Ministry of Magic."
"Why is it illegal to become an Animagus, Professor?"
"Excellent question, Mr Sahni. Five points to Ravenclaw. It is not illegal to become an Animagus per say — but it is illegal to keep it a secret, as having the ability to transform into an animal at will is a great disguise, and some people take advantage of that. There was a wizard in the ninth century who did some terrible things, both as a wizard and in his animal form. He would change into his Animagus form of a bear and escape before anyone could accuse him," McGonagall explained. "Registration is for everyone's safety and for your own. If something were to happen and you were injured in your Animagus form to such an extent that you were unable to transform back, knowing that there is a witch or wizard who looks like that animal could save your life."
The dark haired boy named Sahni raised his wand again. "But how would they tell you apart from any other animal?"
McGonagall smiled. "Another great question, Mr Sahni. Distinguishing marks must be recorded with the Ministry so that they can know the details of your disguise. Each Animagus has their own distinguishing qualities that showcase their true identity. I'll go first."
A moment later, a sleek grey cat with black stripes jumped up onto the desk and Harry walked over to her. "Can anyone see anything that might make you think this cat looks like Professor McGonagall?"
A girl with cornrows raised her hand. "The patches around her eyes, they are kind of shaped like her glasses."
"Yeah," Harry said. "Exactly. Also for those of you that have gotten in trouble with McGonagall before; this cat gives her exact stare."
A few of the students chuckled as McGonagall transformed back. "Mr Potter, why don't you go next?"
Harry changed into his wolf-dog and a few people gasped in surprise at his size.
"As you can see," McGonagall said, patting Harry on the head. "Mr Potter is a wolf-dog mix known as a Tamaskan. But his eyes are the same emerald green, which isn't a usual eye colour on dogs. And just here, over his eye, this white patch over the dark fur looks almost like a lightning bolt, distinguishing him as Harry Potter."
"Cool!" someone said as McGonagall smiled.
"Yes, it is very cool, Mr Donovan. Harry, why don't you walk around the class and let them see your form? Mr Weasley, you next." Ron transformed into his wolverine and she moved to stand next to him. "Mr Weasley is a wolverine — but see the intensity of his sapphire blue eyes, and how he has little brown spots on his snout, just like the freckles on his face?"
Ron moved around the classroom at McGonagall's instruction as Hermione transformed next.
"Miss Granger is a red fox. She has brown eyes as opposed to the amber of normal foxes, and the bushiness of her tail reflects her curly hair. Mr Longbottom," she began as Hermione moved around the room in her fox form and Neville transformed into his badger, " — is a badger. See the wide-eyed expression, the brown almost sable colour to his fur, reflecting his hair?"
Neville moved away as Luna changed into her hare.
"Miss Lovegood is a hare. Again, her bright blue eyes distinguish her as different from an animal — and for anyone who knows Miss Lovegood, she tends to look rather dreamy most of the time."
Luna hopped off as Ginny changed.
"Miss Weasley is a red panda. We can say the obvious here, and that the reds and golds of her fur are more vibrant than a regular red panda, as they reflect her own hair colour, but her eyes are also the same warm brown. Like her brother, she has a spattering of brown freckles on her snout."
As Ginny moved around the room to be looked at by the class, McGonagall continued.
"Now, it's easy for me to distinguish them from regular animals because I know who they are and what they truly are. By registering their forms, it allows others to know how to find them as well. Looking at them, you will have no idea that they are witches and wizards unless you look close enough to know the signs."
"Professor," a girl with light brown hair asked. "Is it true that you can be arrested if you haven't registered?"
"Yes," McGonagall said. "It is a misrepresentation of your identity, and if the Ministry were to discover that you had failed to report yourself as an Animagus, you could be arrested, fined, and even spend time in prison. It is a serious offence." She picked up the photos that she had collected and passed them around the class. "As you can see, we have photos of each student as they grew into their animal forms. See how small they were when they first transformed and how they've grown to become fully grown animals."
A few students made 'aww' sounds as they looked at the photos of the baby animals.
McGonagall pointed at a dark haired girl in the front row. "Yes, Miss Jameson?"
"Why did you all want to become an Animagus? I mean, sure it looks fun and everything, but what's the point?"
"Interesting question, Miss Jameson; five points to Gryffindor. Why did the six of you decide to become Animagi? Harry, would you like to answer this one?"
Harry transformed back into himself, making one of the students near him jump. "My dad was one along with his two best friends. I grew up hearing stories about them playing as animals, and my godfather was always changing into his Animagus form of a dog to play with me as a kid. It was great, and I guess I wanted to experience that for myself."
Ron nodded, changing back as well. "I thought it seemed fun. Harry was doing it, and we thought it would be fun if it was something we could all do together."
"I thought it would be marvellous to get to be an animal for a day," Luna said brightly, sitting on the desk of the boy who had been petting her as a hare a moment ago. "It seemed fun."
"Did you get to choose your animals?" a blond boy asked.
"No," Ginny said, moving to stand next to Harry. "The animals chose us."
"But you're a red panda," Sahni said, staring at her. "That's not exactly an animal that's native to Britain."
"I think the animals choose you based on your personality," Ginny told him. "Like Professor McGonagall said earlier, it's almost like the animal's soul finds you, so I imagine that they must see something in you that makes them decide to choose you to be their host."
"What's your favourite part of being an animal?" the freckled-faced boy in the back asked.
Harry grinned. "I like being able to run. It's freeing and the barking is fun too."
"I like the freedom of movement as well. As a badger I can waddle around or run, and I always have this need to roll over in the grass. The smell of vegetation is just amazing to me, and I find that I always want to bury my snout in the grass," Neville explained. "Plus, because I think like a wizard as opposed to the badger, I like trying to pick things up, thinking I have hands. It's just fun."
"What was the hardest thing to learn as an animal?" Jameson asked.
Ron scratched his forehead. "I think just being an animal. I can't speak for the others, but I noticed that my sense of smell increased as well as my hearing. It was like I was more aware of my surroundings, and it's something that I feel more attuned to as a wizard as well."
"What was the best thing to learn how to do as an animal?"
Hermione smiled. "Eating was fun. In your mind, you think like a witch and I wanted to reach for utensils before I'd remember and have to use my teeth. It's the little things you don't think of because, in your mind, you are still human and not an animal."
"Learning how to bark was the big one for me," Harry told them. "My godfather is a dog, so he would transform into his Animagus to help me practice, and because I was a puppy first, I had this little puppy yip that would make him laugh. He and Professor Lupin taught me how to howl. It was a lot of fun."
The six of them transformed again and prowled around the classroom to allow the students to better examine their forms. When Harry moved past Umbridge, she reached out to pet him. He growled at her, making her jump back in fright, before she scowled and began scribbling furiously on her clipboard just as the bell rang.
"I want you all to write about the pros and cons of becoming an Animagus, due the first class back after the holiday. Have a good Christmas."
The class filed out, everyone talking to each other in turn. McGonagall turned to the six of them with bright smiles.
"Thank you for your wonderful work today. Thirty points to each of you."
"You're welcome, Professor," Harry told her, his eyes on Umbridge.
McGonagall shook her head and urged them to head out to lunch as she turned to Umbridge. "You've already examined my class and my teaching methods, Madam Umbridge. By interrupting so rudely today, what did you hope to achieve?"
Umbridge gave her smug look before she turned, clipboard in hand, and walked out of the room.
McGonagall sighed. "Who knows what that was about."
Harry frowned at her. "Uncle Sirius is meeting with Richardson in January."
She nodded. "It can't come soon enough."
~ ASC ~
Harry waited patiently for Defence Against the Dark Arts class to finish up the next day so that he could talk to his father. As everyone filed out of the classroom at the bell, he headed up to the front of the class with Hermione, Ron, and Neville as Remus turned to look at them.
"Hello, you four. What can I do for you?"
"Uncle Rem, we've been talking about Umbridge lately and how she's inspecting all of these classes and professors," Harry began.
Remus held up his hand. "Harry, we've been over this many times. Sirius is working on it with the Board of Governors."
"No, we know that. It's just that we think we might have a solution to Hagrid's inspection."
Remus raised an eyebrow. "A solution?"
"Once Hagrid's name was cleared three years ago, he was able to use magic legally, right?" Ron prompted.
"Right," Remus said carefully. "He never finished school, but he has the magical and legal ability to use magic now."
"Can't he just write his CRAWLS then?" Neville asked.
Remus stared at them flummoxed for a moment before his face broke out into a smile. "You four surprise me more often than not. Hagrid is qualified by his skill and love for animals, but having him write his CRAWLS would definitely go a long way in making sure that the Department of Education trusted him as a worthy professor."
"And is it true that you don't need to have written final school exams to write the CRAWLS examinations?" Hermione asked.
Remus nodded. "That's true. It's not necessary, as Newt Scamander is the one who came up with the test. He was expelled from Hogwarts himself, you know, so he wanted to make sure that the test was fair to everyone, even those who may not be book worthy in terms of testing."
"He was a genius," Neville said with a grin. "The witch who came up with the PLANTS examination had the same idea. It's about the practical and it should be."
"So, do you think that we can get Hagrid to write them?" Harry asked. "It seemed to be the main educational issue that Umbitch had, that he wasn't officially qualified or Ministry certified, and that he hadn't written his NEWTS. So, if he writes his CRAWLS, she can't use that against him."
"I think it sounds like you four put a lot of thought into this," Remus said. "Harry, why don't you talk to Zee and get her to help set up an agent from the DRCMC to set up a meeting and a test with Hagrid. When you have the details, you can let Hagrid know. He'd love to hear it from you. We all know that he'd pass the test easily, despite his bad choice in pets, the man has a big heart, and he knows his stuff."
"Agreed," Harry said.
"I just think that it's foul the way she's targeting all of you!" Hermione exclaimed. "She seems to be going out of her way to nitpick at personal and superficial things, rather than the important stuff. No one cares that Hagrid is a half-giant or that Flitwick is a half-goblin. It's absolutely disgusting that she focuses on that!"
Remus nodded. "Unfortunately, Hermione, blood is always the question. Purebloods and half-bloods are the only good witches and wizards; anyone else is considered lesser. It's awful, but it's still how a lot of people think. Maybe one day the world will see things clearer, but Umbridge was raised on bigotry and she obviously has no desire to change how she thinks."
Harry looked over at his friends who were all nodding at their professor's words. "I'll talk to Zee when I go home on Saturday and we'll see about getting someone out to talk to Hagrid after the holiday."
"Sounds like a plan," Remus said as students began to make their way into his class. "Now if you don't mind, I have a second year class to teach."
Harry nodded as they said goodbye and headed out. The four of them were done their with classes for the day and had planned on heading to the study hall until dinner. They had Defence Club that night, and Harry was looking forward to it. Remus had told them in the last lesson that tonight they would be merging with the Intermediate Level class to duel. It sounded fun, and gave them an opportunity to work with new people. Ron said that depending on how the duels went, some of the students from his group might even be moving into the Advanced Level.
Defence Club was always interesting, as it wasn't only about learning new spells, though Remus always made sure that they had those. It was about learning how to defend themselves. They were constantly duelling and going through obstacles; dodging spells, and doing their best to stay on their toes. It was always rather exciting.
He made a mental note to talk to Zee about Hagrid and followed his friends to one of the study rooms to start his homework. Only three more days of classes until they went home for the holiday and he couldn't wait. He had asked Ginny to come stay with him for part of it, and she had written home to ask her parents. He knew that she wanted to spend Christmas with her family, but he wanted to have her to himself for a bit, as selfish as that was. He tapped his quill on the table, wondering if she'd heard back yet, and sighed.
The holiday couldn't come fast enough.
~ ASC ~
Ginny had been waiting for Harry to come out of Defence Club that night and just as he came around the corner, she grabbed his hand and tugged him towards her. His look of surprise shifted into one of those slow smiles that sent heat piercing through her.
"Hi," he said, bending his head to kiss her softly.
She looped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, deepening the kiss just long enough to make him groan, before she pulled away. She linked her fingers with his again and gestured with her head as she led him along the corridor, out of the dungeons, and up a few flights of stairs before Harry stopped her in her tracks. He pinned her against the wall and captured her lips with his.
She loved when he was playful like this, she thought, her lips meeting his eagerly. His lips trailed over her jaw and down her neck, her hands in his hair.
"Not yet, Mr Potter."
He kissed her neck softly, his eyes full of desire when he pulled away. "What are you plotting?"
Ginny only took his hand again, leading him onward. They stopped to kiss a few more times, before Ginny finally pulled him inside of an abandoned classroom on the third floor, closing the door behind them.
Harry wasted no time in lifting her up onto the desk and kissing her deeply. His tongue danced with hers until he began to plant kisses along her jaw, down the side of her neck. The hot open-mouthed kisses on her skin made her toes curl in pleasure. Harry's mouth moved lower, finding the skin exposed where her shirt was unbuttoned. His one thumb rubbing the exposed skin, where her untucked shirt had ridden up. The other slowly moved to brush the side of her right breast, and after the third pass against her skin, his hand curved inward, wrapping around it.
Ginny gasped, but made no move to stop him as he caressed her gently — nor did she move when his other hand came up to touch her left breast. His thumbs brushed over her nipples through her shirt and bra, and the sensation sent heat through her. Her eyes met his as he rubbed and caressed, pushing them together as he explored, before he captured her lips again.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered. "All I want to do is touch you and kiss you."
She let her own hands slide up his back and around to his chest. "I can say the same."
"You have perfect breasts."
She laughed, the sound of reverent awe in his voice making her laugh. "Oh, I do, do I?"
He kept his eyes on hers and then he gently lowered his head to kiss them through the fabric. Ginny's breath hitched.
"Perfect," he said. "Because they're yours."
Ginny's hands wound their way into his hair; she was surprised at how wanton she felt. When Harry lowered his head and began to kiss her breasts again, she let her head fall back in pleasure. She had no idea anything could feel so good. She imagined him kissing her without her blouse and bra on. Desire raked through her at the image, and as his tongue flattened against her nipple, a soft suck through the fabric made her groan.
"Harry," she gasped.
His emerald eyes met hers. "Is this okay?"
Ginny tugged his face up to hers and captured his lips. The feel of his hands on her made her moan against his mouth. She slid her own hands around and boldly unbuttoned his shirt. He didn't stop her, and as she spread it open, before tugging her lips away from his to look him over. Lean muscles, and happy trail of dark hair that led beneath his trousers made her blush as she thought about where it led.
Harry kissed her cheek, her nose, her chin. "Ginny?"
Ginny stared at him for a moment before she placed both of her hands flat on his chest. "Yes?"
He sighed as her fingertips danced along his skin. She traced the contours of his chest and flirted around a nipple before she played with the dog tags he wore around his neck, tugging him closer.
"This wasn't why I brought you up here," she whispered.
Harry slid his hands down to rest on her waist, slipping under her shirt, gently brushing the skin of her hips. "Oh?"
Their lips met again — once, twice, three times — before she pulled away. "Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"I wanted to talk to you."
His lips pressed a gentle kiss under her ear. "I'm listening."
His tongue trailed over her earlobe, tracing her earrings until she pushed him away. "Wait."
Harry's hands were still beneath her shirt resting on her ribs. His hair was in a wonderful mess from her hands, his lips swollen from hers. "Yeah?"
Ginny bit her bottom lip. "You're terribly distracting."
He grinned slowly. "Am I?" He moved in to nip at her mouth again, but she placed a hand on his chest to stop him.
"I wanted to talk to you."
Harry let out a slow sigh and Ginny couldn't help but glance down at the noticeable bulge in his trousers before she bit her lip again.
"What's going on, Ginny?"
"I wrote to Mum about staying with you for part of the holidays."
Harry's eyes lit up. "Did she say yes?"
"She says that I can stay until Christmas Eve, but that I have to be home before midnight. She's invited you to come on Christmas Day, of course, but I told her that you had plans with your own family."
Harry grinned. "I'll take you until midnight. When would you arrive?"
"The twenty-first," she told him. "I mean, we haven't been dating that long, barely a month really, well, almost two, but I know that —"
"— Shh," he said, placing his finger over her lips. "Time is irrelevant to us, and you know it. I want you to stay with me."
Ginny smiled. "I want to stay with you, too."
Harry's hands slid up her back to play with her hair. "Now I want to kiss you again."
Ginny put her own hands back on his naked chest and grinned. "I'm going to kiss you again."
He smiled against her mouth and thought nothing felt more perfect.
They were both a little disheveled by the time they made it back to Gryffindor Tower an hour later. Hermione gave them an amused look as she glanced up from the book in her lap. Ron was destroying Neville in a game of chess. Harry took a seat in the chair next to Hermione. He smiled when Ginny merely slid into the chair with him and snuggled herself into the crevice between his warmth and the arm of the chair. He draped an arm around her and she cuddled closer.
"I could begin to hate the two of you, you know," Hermione said, an amused smile on her face.
Harry grinned. "Nah, you're too happy to see us happy."
Hermione only raised an eyebrow. "True. Harry, any news from Sirius after you told him about McGonagall's class?"
Harry shook his head. "No. Like I said, he's just recording everything for his meeting. I don't know what Umbitch hopes to achieve here. She's very well aware that she's on her last leg. If she's not, then she's even crazier than we thought she was."
"Well, we already know she's mental," Ginny replied. "But do you think Sirius will really be able to get her removed from the castle?"
Harry sighed. "To be honest, I have no idea, but I think that he has the potential to. I don't think anyone likes her, and from the trouble she's already caused, I can't imagine her doing anything good here."
Hermione tucked a bushy curl behind her ear. "Me neither, but when does anything ever go the way that we want it?"
Harry only nodded. The fact that Hermione had a point wasn't exactly comforting, but there was no way that the Ministry would keep Umbitch here once they learned what she was up to. He was confident that was true, but he also knew there were no guarantees.
He just hoped that Sirius knew what he was doing.
~ ASC ~
Sirius came home early the next afternoon and was surprised to find the cottage empty. Zee had gone back to work part-time last week, but he had become accustomed to having her home and waiting for him. His eyes lit up when he saw her walking over from her old cottage.
"Hey, what are you doing over there?"
Zee smiled at him as he engulfed her in his arms and bowed his head to kiss her. "Just making sure that everything is good. I know that I said that I was going to put the place up for sale, Sirius, but I think that we should keep it. It's the perfect place for my family to stay in when they come to visit. It keeps them close by, but still far enough away for us to have some privacy."
Sirius kissed her again, lingering over her lips. "Best idea I've heard all day."
"You're home early," she said as he linked his arm through hers and they headed through the front door of the cottage.
"Only had Terra Troop training and a quick meeting with the governors to go over the recent news of Umbitch at Hogwarts."
"Any news from Richardson?"
Sirius shook his head. "No, but we have that meeting with him at the end of January. Until then, I'm just recording what I know."
"So," she began. "Ginny will be coming to stay with us for a few days?"
Sirius grinned at her as they stepped into the cottage and took off their snow covered boots. "She is. Harry seems pretty excited about it."
"I'm going to clean up the guest room so that she can stay in there. Put some fresh sheets on the bed."
"I figured that she was going to kip in Harry's room?" At her look, he grinned. "Kidding."
"Sirius, we have to be responsible here."
"Zahira, they're not sleeping together. They've just started dating. The guest room will be perfect."
Zee looked slightly relieved. "I don't want Molly and Arthur to think that we're being irresponsible, either. Harry's never brought a girl home to stay before. Mandy came over for a few hours to watch a movie, but this… she's staying for three nights."
"Ginny has been in this house more times than I can count. She's had sleepovers in the tree house. She's helped me cook in the kitchen. Trust me, it will be fine."
"And the treehouse — I mean, letting them go out there is fine, but we should… you know — make sure that we check in on them from time to time."
Sirius grinned, pinning her against the doorway of the kitchen and kissing her deeply. "We will. Think of all the naughty things we can get up to while they're preoccupied themselves?"
"Not the point," Zee said sternly. His lips moved down her neck, biting down just hard enough for her to let out a soft whimper.
"Can you stop worrying now?"
Zee's hands gripped his waist, slowly sliding up his back as she stared up at him. "Someone has to worry."
Sirius' hand slid up her waist to cup a breast before he flicked open the button on her blouse, slowly parting it open. "I'm worried about the lack of attention your beautiful breasts have been receiving."
She snorted and then sighed when he unhooked her bra and her large breasts bounced before him. "Sirius…"
He lifted her up the wall, holding her in place with his thighs as he bent to suckle. He dropped her bra on the floor, pushing her opened shirt down her shoulders as he did. His fingers twisted the one nipple as his tongue worked in tandem on the other. Zee's head hit the wall as she gasped. His mouth wrapped around the mound, eagerly trying to pull as much of it as he could into his mouth just as the Floo lit up behind them.
Zee made to cover herself as Sirius slowly pulled his mouth away. He turned carefully so as to keep her covered, and smiled at the sight of McGonagall standing there.
"Minnie! What a surprise!"
McGonagall looked a bit flustered. "Er — sorry to interrupt."
Zee bit her lip, slipping into the kitchen and summoning her shirt and bra.
"Not a problem," Sirius said, gesturing for her to take a seat.
McGonagall made herself comfortable just as Zee stepped into the living room, fully dressed.
"Would you like a cup of tea, Minerva?"
"That would be lovely, thank you, Zee."
Zee nodded and tried not to blush as she hurried off.
"I didn't mean to interrupt," McGonagall said, clearly embarrassed. "It's the middle of the afternoon, so it seemed like a good time to — never mind."
Sirius grinned at her. "Nooners are the best kind, Minnie."
McGonagall chose to ignore that as Zee came back with three cups of tea. "Thank you, Zee."
Zee sat down next to Sirius as he linked his fingers with hers. "Is Harry all right?"
"Oh, yes, he's fine. Marvellous even, I'd say. He's been looking more than a little happy and lit up since he kissed Miss Weasley in front of the whole school," she said, her eyes smiling even as she tried to keep her stern look of disapproval upon her face.
"Proud of that boy's boldness," Sirius said. "You have to admit: It was a good move."
McGonagall only pursed her lips in response. "I had the six of them in my class on Monday to showcase their Animagus forms to my third years, and Umbridge decided that she needed to crash it." She reached down into her bag and pulled out the handbook. "Here are the new Ministry handbooks detailing educational demands."
Sirius accepted the book and flipped through it, his eyebrows rising. "Any student not attending class for any reason will be immediately suspended. Any student in a class not their own will be immediately suspended. Any student found not doing homework when not in class will be punished accordingly. What is this rubbish? Don't get me wrong, obviously students should be attending classes at all times, but there are circumstances? And not doing homework, how much homework does she think they have? They deserve lives!"
McGonagall nodded. "She demanded that the six students I had guest speaking be punished for missing their classes, even though I had already previously discussed it with their professors and with Professor Dumbledore. She rudely interrupted my lesson multiple times, and it was only when Nyx growled at her that she backed down. She spent the majority of my class scribbling notes. I found it extremely disrespectful, not only to my authority as a teacher, but to the students attempting to learn."
Sirius closed the handbook and tossed it on the coffee table. "I agree. This is good stuff, Minnie. This is what I need to take to Richardson along with the other governors. There's only two days left until the students come home for Yule. Let's hope she keeps her ridiculous penchant for trouble in check until then."
"She plans on sitting in on Sybil's class tomorrow afternoon… I can only imagine how she is going to harass that poor woman," McGonagall told them.
Zee frowned. "What subject does she teach?"
"Divination," Sirius told her. "Should be interesting, anyway."
McGonagall nodded as she finished her tea and stood up. "Well, I must head back to the castle for dinner. I just wanted to let you know — and really, Sirius, next time I suggest you close your Floo off."
Sirius only smirked at her as she disappeared through the fire before he turned back to Zee. "Now, where were we?"
Zee placed a hand on his chest. "Close the Floo first, Mr Black."
Sirius did as she asked, grinning when she removed her shirt and bra for him once more. "My goddess."
His mouth immediately went back to her breasts as Zee's hands fisted in his hair, holding him against her. And when his fingers danced along her ribs, over her navel and below the waistline of her trousers, she simply arched into him. She tugged his own shirt off, tugging at his clothes until they were both naked on the sofa. Her hands stroked over his firm arse as she bent and licked him from base to tip.
The groan he made only made her smile as she stood up. "I think it's time you stop treating me like I'm made of glass."
Sirius only lifted an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Zee bent down to kiss him, tugging him to his feet. "I'm not injured anymore, Sirius. I'm back to work, I feel great, and I want you to fuck me. Hard."
Sirius' heart pounded wildly at her words and lust shot straight through him. "Oh really?"
"Yes," she said cheekily, before she turned her back on him. She moved the coffee table out of the way, sneaking a look at him over her shoulder. "I need you to hold my legs up."
Sirius' eyebrow rose as she bent down to stand on her hands. He gripped her thighs, sending a delicious look to her round arse. "Oh, I like this already."
Zee grinned, wrapping her legs around his waist, her fingers clutching the rug. "Fuck me."
Sirius didn't need to be told twice. He slid into her deeply and she groaned. Sirius' grip tightened on her thighs as he moved his hips, watching her bum bounce before his eyes closed. Merlin, he'd missed her. He'd missed sex. He'd missed this, he thought.
"Faster," she urged.
He did as she demanded. Harder and faster as she gasped and grunted, her curvy arse jiggling with every thrust — and then he slowed, pulling himself out, and falling to his knees. He adjusted her legs at his waist and turned her around before he lifted her legs and stared at her.
"Lean back on your arms, lift yourself."
She did, and then he was inside of her again. She cried out in pleasure, his thumb working her clit as he drove into her with reckless abandon. She panted his name when she came, shuddering around him desperately, and he followed her over. He collapsed on top of her, moving to the side to face her.
"I love shagging you."
Zee chuckled, sighing into his neck. "I can say the same."
Sirius cupped her breast as he kissed her neck. "I think I promised you I'd leave you in a whimpering puddle, didn't I?"
Zee moved to straddle him, reaching behind her to cup his balls. "You always leave me in a whimpering puddle," she murmured, her other hand reaching up to cup her breast.
Sirius watched her touch herself, and then he put his hands on her waist and tugged her up his body. She moaned when his mouth reached her. Yeah, he knew exactly how to please her, and he planned on spending as much time as possible doing exactly that.
~ ASC ~
The next day, Ron was trying not to fall asleep in Divination class. He jolted when Dean kicked him, gesturing to Umbridge, who had walked in. The four of them turned to watch her, clipboard in her hand, and a falsely sweet smile on her face.
"Professor Trelawney, did you get my note about coming to sit in on your class today?"
Trelawney nodded stiffly, her large coke-bottle glasses making it hard to see her eyes. "I did."
Umbridge smiled. "Well, let's see how well you teach the art of prediction."
Trelawney looked extremely offended. "You do not teach prediction, Madam Umbridge. You teach the art of reading tea leaves and the stars, to look for signs of the future."
"Hmm," Umbridge said, looking to her clipboard to scribble furiously.
Ron leaned into Neville. "I don't think that's a great start."
Seamus snorted. "Whenever she scribbles furiously, I just assume we failed."
Dean grinned at him. "We better pay attention. I think the art of prediction might help us learn how to play better poker, or at least how to bluff."
Ron's eyebrow rose in question. "What's poker?"
Trelawney huffed in annoyance, interrupting their conversation. "Now, let us get back to discussing your dream diaries, and why interpreting dreams is so important to us as witches and wizards in determining the outcome for your future."
"Professor Trelawney, are dreams really worth studying?" Umbridge called out. "Seers are either real or fake, and those in between are not capable of interpreting the signs correctly anyway."
"They are if they are properly taught! The Inner Eye is not for everyone and you, my dear, most certainly do not have the gift!"
Umbridge smirked and made some more notes. "Your grandmother was the great Seer Cassandra Trelawney, was she not? Named after the Cassandra of Greek mythology?"
"Yes," Trewlaney replied stiffly.
"And you are the first in your family to share her gift, is that right?"
Trelawney stared directly at her, her lips pursed in anger. "That's right."
Umbridge merely tilted her head. "So, predict something for me."
Trelawney looked flabbergasted. "I beg your pardon!"
"You're a Seer; predict something. Tell me my future."
Trelawney snorted. "My dear, the Inner Eye does not work on command! I cannot possibly just predict something because you declare it so!"
Umbridge rolled her eyes and began to write on her clipboard again, speaking aloud to herself as she wrote. "Fails to perform the ability she was hired for."
"Well, I — wait! I think I see something — yes! There is darkness in your future… you're in grave, grave danger!"
Umbridge merely lifted an eyebrow. "Very good." She scribbled furiously for a moment before she looked around the class. "Divination is a huge waste of time, as your professor has just proven. I hope you have a good holiday, Professor Trelawney, because it doesn't look like you'll have a job waiting for you when you come back."
Then she turned and walked out of the classroom with a skip in her step as Trelawney stared after her, eyes wide in shock.
Ron looked at his friends. "She can't fire the professors, can she?"
Neville shook his head, his eyes on Trelawney, who looked like she was going to cry. "I have no idea."
Dean lifted the corner of his dream diary and passed it over to Seamus. "I'm sure Dumbledore won't let her fire Trelawney."
Seamus shook his head. "Dumbledore might not be able to stop it — I mean, she's still here, right?"
The four of them looked at each other as Trelawney ordered them to look at their dream diaries, but none of them knew what to say.
Ron and Neville immediately filled Harry and Hermione in over lunch. Harry's eyebrow rose.
"There's no way that she can fire her! They're supposed to be examining the curriculum, not the professors!"
Hermione shook her head, looking over at Umbridge, who was eating as happily as if she'd made someone's day. "I don't know. Does anyone really know what the Department of Education is hoping will happen by having her here?"
"Oh!" someone shouted.
Harry turned to look and watched as Umbridge jumped up in alarm, her hands over her face, which was covered in blood. It kept pouring from her nose in waves, and she was trying (without much success) to escape away from the table without anyone seeing her.
Ginny slid on the bench next to Harry. "She'll be fine. Can you pass me that salad?"
Neville snorted. "Way to be concerned, Ginny."
She shrugged. "Sudden onslaught of nose bleeding… come on, you guys know what that is."
Harry frowned before it dawned on him. "Nosebleed Nougat."
Ginny wiggled her eyebrows. "She'll be fine."
Harry looked down the table where Fred and George were talking to Lee Jordan and he grinned at them. Fred winked before he turned his attention back to Lee.
"I wonder what spurred that on," Harry said, drinking his pumpkin juice.
"Do they really need a reason?"
Harry had to agree with his girlfriend's sentiment. Fred and George most definitely did not need a reason. Besides, as Ginny stated, she would be fine.
By dinner time, the rumours were flying that Umbridge was suffering from a bad stomach bug, as her symptoms now included extreme vomiting and diarrhea. Madam Pomfrey was doing what she could to assist her, but nothing seemed to be working.
Ginny said as much to Fred when he sat across from them in the Gryffindor common room that night. "Don't you lot think that you've had your fun by now? If this goes on too long, it could be dangerous."
"It could," Fred said carefully. "We gave the other pills to McGonagall, who gave us detention for the next three nights. It seems that Madam Pomfrey misplaced them when ordering up Umbitch's next round of medicines."
Ginny laughed. "Oh, how sad."
Harry grinned at them as he finished writing his letter to Sirius. "You two have decided to play practical jokes on her then?"
Fred shrugged. "A few of them. It was Ginny's idea to levitate the nifflers into her office."
"It only scratched her in her attempt to get her ring off, but she screamed bloody murder," Ginny told him.
Harry laughed. "Don't even try to be innocent."
"In my defence, it was after our Animagus day with McGonagall. I didn't like the way that she spoke to her."
"I didn't either," Harry admitted, sealing the envelope. "I wrote everything in here to Uncle Sirius. He's making detailed notes to present to Richardson in January. She can't stay here. She's horrible."
He wanted to make sure that Sirius had every detail possible so he didn't forget it, even though they were heading home in two days. He didn't want to miss anything if Sirius was bringing this to the head of the education department. He hurried off to mail the letter as Fred tugged his sister over to show her something.
Fred and George's business endeavours were really taking off. Ginny had told him that they were selling products like crazy to not only Gryffindors but all over the school. They were making good money and it seemed like they were coming out with new inventions every week. They were going to be incredible businessmen when they finished school in June.
Harry made his way out of Gryffindor Tower quickly and checked his watch halfway to the owlery, bitter that he had forgotten his invisibility cloak. He had fifteen minutes until curfew and he didn't want to risk getting caught by Umbitch again. With how her day had gone, she'd probably dock another fifty points from him for being out of bounds. He headed up the tower stairs just as he heard a grunt. Harry strained his ears to listen. That definitely hadn't sounded like an owl.
Harry picked up his pace, moving quicker up the stairs, but when he turned the corner to the owlery, he blanched at the sight before him.
Ernie Macmillan was standing over a doubled over Theodore Nott, the former with an erection sticking out of his trousers. Theo's mouth was bleeding, and Ernie's hand was gripped tightly in Theo's hair as he punched him hard in the gut.
"I said, get on your knees, Cocksucker!"
Theo's eyes were full of hate as he slowly moved to his knees.
Harry's wand flashed before he even consciously considered what he was doing. "Flipendo!"
Macmillan cursed as he flipped backwards, flying into the wall of the tower, his wand in his hand.
"Potter, no!"
Harry ignored him and bound and tied Macmillan to the wall.
"I'm a prefect, Potter!"
Harry silenced him and turned to Theo who was still kneeling, mouth bleeding. He held a hand out to him. "Do you need to go to the hospital wing?"
Theo shook his head. "No, I — he — I'm fine. Let him go."
Harry's eyes narrowed. "Not a chance. Why are you up here alone? Malfoy and Zabini are supposed to be walking with you everywhere. Is this the asshat who attacked you last time?"
Theo shook his head. "No — Potter, you misunderstood! We were role playing. I — I like it — Right, Ernie? He's... Harry you can't tell anyone, it's a secret."
Harry stared at him for a long moment. Theo's expression was completely blank and he honestly couldn't tell if he was lying or not. But he didn't like the look of Theo's fat lip, nor the blood that dripped from the side of his mouth.
"So he's your secret boyfriend? I didn't know that you were gay, Macmillan. How does Sally-Ann feel about her boyfriend being gay?"
Macmillan's eyes flashed in anger before he masked it. "Er, yeah, yeah, she doesn't know. It's… we're keeping it a secret."
Harry snorted. He really didn't believe that, but when he looked back at Theo, he sighed. He had to trust him. He unbound Ernie and nodded. "All right, well, I'm sorry that I misunderstood. It's almost curfew though, so we better get back to our own dorms."
They nodded and Theo headed out the door. Macmillan made to follow, but Harry put his hand on his shoulder.
"You wait a moment."
Macmillan only turned to him. "What do you want, Potter?"
Harry stared at him. "There's no way that you're gay, Macmillan. The look of anger on your face at the mere thought of me saying it says it all. I don't know what Perks sees in you, as we both know that you are a self-righteous prick and pompous arse. I also don't know what I walked in on here tonight, but we both know that Theo just saved your arse. Touch him again, for any reason, and I will make you wish you hadn't."
Macmillan snorted. "I'm the prefect here, Potter, not you. I think it's best if you remember who's in charge."
"I think it's best if you remember whose name holds more weight," Harry declared. "Stay away from Theo."
Macmillan sneered. "Just because your godfather blows everyone in the Ministry doesn't mean you can get away with telling me what to do. You may be The Boy Who Lived or the Chosen One or whatever it is they're calling you nowadays, but you don't own me! I'll stay away from Theo when I'm ready to stay away from him, and not a moment before. He's a cocksucker! Perks doesn't put out. A bloke has to get off somehow."
"You're a prick," Harry told him. "But I won't tell you again, and if you think that I'm alone, you're wrong. A lot of people in this school care about Theo, and if I tell even one of them that you are hurting him in any way, you will have the wrath of the school come down on you."
"Going to sic your little girlfriend on me? Like that whore could do anything to stop me."
Harry's fist shot out before he had even comprehended what he was doing, hitting Macmillan's nose with a satisfying crunch.
"Fuck! You broke my bloody nose!"
Harry grabbed a fistful of his hair as Snape came in behind Ernie. "I'll do worse if I see you around Theo again."
"What is going on up here?" Snape demanded, a letter in his hand as Harry let go of Macmillan.
"Potter broke my sodding nose!" Macmillan exclaimed.
Snape pulled the prefect towards him and quickly healed it with a loud crack that made Macmillan swear. "Thirty points from Gryffindor, and detention when you come back after the holiday, Potter. Macmillan, get back to your dorm."
As soon as the prefect left, Snape sneered at Harry
"You might think that your above the rules, Potter, but you're not, no matter how much that idiot Black tells you otherwise."
Harry glared at him. "Neither is Macmillan, and yet he's been using his power of authority against Theo. A broken nose was the least I could do." He marched over to Hedwig to send his letter as Snape spoke.
"What does Nott have to do with you punching Macmillan?"
Harry stared back at him. "I found Macmillan punching Theo and Theo claimed that I was 'misreading the scene.' You tell me, Sir."
He sent his letter off and then he stormed out of the owlery before Snape could question him further. He hesitated only a moment before he marched towards the Slytherin dorms. He asked the portrait for the fifth year male prefect and waited, hands in his pockets.
The portrait opened a few minutes later and Draco stepped out, his eyebrow rising at the sight of Harry.
"Potter, what the hell do you want?"
"Well, for you to not be a wanker would be nice, but I'm not here to ask for miracles."
Draco scowled at him.
Harry cleared his throat. "Just saw Theo up in the owlery."
"Is sending a letter a crime? Merlin, don't you have anything better to do than to report to me on Theo's whereabouts?"
"It is when he's alone," Harry said quietly. "I thought that you and Zabini were going to flank him."
"Well, the bastard snuck away."
Harry nodded. "Well, I found him on his knees, mouth bloody, and doubled over in pain, as he was being punched. He told me that he liked it; that he wasn't hurt. I don't know him very well, and maybe that is the sort of thing he likes, but I rather doubt it."
"Who was it?" Draco demanded, his voice like steel.
"Macmillan."
Draco's eyes narrowed. "No fucking way he'd touch that pompous knob head!"
Harry shrugged and reiterated what had happened.
"And you just let him go?" Draco asked incredulously. "Merlin, Potter, I thought you were smarter than that!"
Harry stared at him. "I did let him go, because Theo asked me to! And then when Theo left, I broke Macmillan's fucking nose. Now I'm telling you."
Draco nodded, swallowing slowly. "Okay."
Harry nodded and turned to leave.
"Potter!"
Harry turned to look back at him as he spoke.
"Thanks for breaking his nose."
Harry nodded. "Find out the truth."
Then he turned and headed out of the dungeons, wondering what Draco was going to do about his friend, and wondering if he had done the right thing. He found Ginny in the common room, laughing with Colin, and he tapped her on the shoulder.
"Hey, can we talk for a minute?"
She nodded, her eyes sobering as she looked at him. "Everything okay?"
Harry shook his head. "I'm not sure. Colin, you can listen to this as well." He reiterated what had happened in the owlery and about his conversation with Malfoy. "Does that sound like Theo? You two know him much better than I do."
"He doesn't like Macmillan. He came into the library once when we were working, and Theo tensed right up," Colin told him. "Unless something changed, I can't see them being secret boyfriends."
Ginny bit her bottom lip and shook her head. "It doesn't sound like him at all, but… why would he protect Macmillan if it wasn't true?"
Harry shrugged. "That's what's bothering me about it. Something is strange about the whole thing. Malfoy said that he would get to the bottom of it. Is Theo going home?"
Ginny nodded. "Yes. He was supposed to stay with the Malfoys, but changed his mind. I tried to convince him to come to the Burrow for Christmas, but he said that he had something important to do. He says that he needs to figure out what's happening with some things. Theo's trying to gain control of his family estate."
"Yeah, I know. Uncle Sirius recommended a lawyer for him. He's not spending Christmas alone, is he?"
Ginny shook her head. "Not if I can help it."
"Good," Harry said, rolling his shoulders. "I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens then. But for now, as long as Theo is going home, we don't have to question the Macmillan thing until January."
Colin and Ginny both nodded, but Harry knew that they were even more worried about their friend than before.
~ ASC ~
Draco had kept his eye on Theo over the next two days, barely letting his friend out of his sight to use the toilet. When Saturday morning came around, he watched Theo pack his bag to go home and took a seat on his bed.
"Are you sure that you want to go home?"
Theo nodded. "I need some time to think and the Nott Manor will help with that. Father is going to be in Croatia anyway, and I have some things to take care of."
"Mother is worried about you spending Christmas alone."
"I won't be alone," Theo told him. "I have Kiki and the others."
"Three house elves are not exactly the same as family, Theo."
Theo ignored him and kept packing.
Draco sighed. "Are you going to spend time with Ernie?"
Theo's shoulders tensed for only a moment. "No."
"Potter told me what he saw in the owlery."
"Potter has a big mouth."
"You let him hit you?"
Theo finally met his friend's eyes. "Look, I've been seeing Macmillan in secret since the beginning of the year. He doesn't want to admit that he's gay so we're keeping it on the down low. Just let it go."
Draco grabbed his shoulder. "Is he the one who beat you up, Theo?" When Theo didn't answer him, his eyes narrowed. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Why would you let anyone hurt you like that?"
"He doesn't hurt me!" Theo exclaimed. "Let it go, Draco! What I do with my personal life and who I choose to spend it with is my decision, not yours!"
He zipped his bag and stormed out of the dorm and Draco glared at his retreating back. He didn't believe a single word his friend had just said.