The Prince-Who-Lived

Chapter Thirty-three

The week before the Hogsmeade weekend left Harry feeling antsy. He remembered seeing Luna walk over to the Slytherin table and felt quite certain that she'd probably asked Alan out. It was eating at him, because ever since he'd really wanted to ask Susan out. He'd almost asked during Arithmancy last week, but Susan had been talking animatedly with Hannah, and hadn't waited behind, leaving him without a chance. Neville had encouraged it, telling him he'd ask someone interhouse if he weren't currently tied up with Hermione, a fact that had been reinforced by their very friendly studying that seemed to include referencing the other person's book a lot. It had gotten to the point that Harry had begun finding another corner to study in. Remaining had felt like he was invading their privacy.

With Neville moving into a relationship with Hermione, Harry found himself sitting and staring across the Great Hall with an absent look on his face. Beside him, Ron was fidgeting. Harry suspected he was having the same difficulty.

His staring made him jump when Susan and Hannah both stood up to leave the Great Hall, and Ron abruptly stood beside him. "Harry, come with me. I wanna ask Hannah, and you like Susan. Please?"

Harry looked up at Ron in surprise. Ron wasn't usually that brave when it came to girls. However, it was a good idea, so he grabbed his bag and jogged after Ron, cursing his friend's much longer legs. They were out in the Great Hall before Ron called out,

"Hannah, wait!"

Hannah stopped, and blushed when she saw it was Ron. Harry saw a small, hopeful smile on Susan's face and felt his own face colour even as he smiled back. He huffed as he stopped and then impulsively bowed.

"Would you honour me with your presence in Hogsmeade this weekend, Susan?" He asked. Beside him, Ron stammered through his own question with a brilliant colour to his face, clearly feeling put-upon by Harry's show. He hadn't intended to embarrass Ron; it was just the first way to ask that had come to his tongue without getting caught in a knot. Watching Susan, he smiled when she paused, before she curtseyed politely.

"Thank you, Harry. I accept." She straightened when he did and playfully asked, "Should I dress up for it, or no?" Harry's strengthened blush was answered in her cheeks, and she smiled shakily. "No need, I suppose?"

"No," Harry reassured her, "No need. That was just how it lined up best, asking like that."

Susan gave him another small smile, and then turned away to take Hannah's hand and hurry off to the Hufflepuff dorms. Ron scowled at him.

"Why'd you ask her like that?"

"It was the only thing that came out."

"You made me look bad!" Ron grouched. "I thought we were asking together."

"I'm not going on a double-date with you on the first time I go out with Susan!"

"Thanks, mate, I really appreciate it." Ron growled sarcastically. "Don't talk to me."

"No problem. Go pout upstairs, Ron."

Ron stormed off and Harry paused before he huffed and stalked down the hall. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alan look his way and then turn back to Blaise. The thought sent him up the next stairs, to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. They'd avoided it save for when they'd gone the week before to finish off Harry's Animagus. He hadn't managed to perfect the incantation that week, but since then, he was fairly confident in having it down. It was just after supper, Wednesday. Curfew wasn't for two hours, and he had his homework for the next day done. He could finish the stuff for Friday later. If, as he suspected, Alan followed him, he'd be able to work out the transformation fine.

Myrtle came out at his presence immediately. "Oh, Harry! How nice of you to visit me!"

"Yeah, it's good. Hey, has anyone been poking around here, and asking after me or Alan?"

"Yes!" Myrtle said with relish. "That horrible, ugly toad came in here and poked in all my corners, demanding to know what you and Alan did in here. I told her you just talked with me, and never came together, and you were both so very nice and polite." Myrtle frowned. "She didn't like that. She kept asking about the Chamber, and if you went down there and how to get in. She threatened to have me exorcised!" Myrtle cried. She swooped down to Harry's face and whispered, "Do you think she can do that? She was so very mad."

"I don't know much about exorcising," Harry allowed, "but feel free to go hide in the chamber if it helps if they come after you, alright?"

Myrtle smiled brightly. "Thank you so much! I knew you'd have a word for it."

Harry smiled, and then jumped as the door opened behind him. He whirled, drawing his wand in a smooth motion and then paused and smiled when he saw it was Alan. Alan raised his eyebrow at him and drawled, "What do you think you're doing in here, Potter?"

"Talking to Myrtle, Prince, like we promised. Do you ever bother coming in here?"

Alan's face cracked into a wry smile. "Whenever the hens get too feisty. Right, Myrtle?"

"Oh yes, he comes in every once in a while. Doesn't even always go down the pipes. Sometimes they come after him; it's funny to see him get hauled back out." Myrtle laughed brightly. Alan coloured and snorted.

"See if I ever talk to you again." He drawled.

Myrtle came up behind him to look over his shoulder. "You threatened that last time, too, you know."

Alan rolled his eyes. "Fine, I desist. You win. I keep coming back. However, I think Harry came with a plan in mind, correct?"

Harry nodded slowly and then walked to open the Chamber. It was simple; Alan followed him down without a word, and the walk to the main room was silent, as it almost always was between them. Neither felt a need to talk. Alan opened the door to the main chamber, and then, once he entered, he immediately changed, darting to the chair and leaping to the back of it in one bound. He staggered, caught his balance and turned back to Harry with a smug look on his feline face. Harry smiled, and then paused, calling up the incantation in his mind. He didn't even speak it as the words rolled through the front, reminding him of his occlumency as they took all of his attention. He felt loose, free, insubstantial, and then everything settled into the state his trance had brought, except now he could move.

Harry shook his head and felt it roll down his spine. The feeling was what he would assume a dog felt when shaking, but he had no fur, only smooth, leathery scales. He took a moment to orient himself, and then a streak of dark fur ran across his vision. He reacted before he logically knew what was there, racing forward with four legs in a pounding, ground-eating run. He knew it was Alan, it was just play. He held back the need to jump and bite and kill, but let the need to chase run free.

They bounded the length of the chamber, and Alan turned quickly just before the statue, rebounding off the stone feet and running almost beneath Harry's feet. Purposefully, Harry snapped too late, and flexed and folded his spine at a nigh-impossible angle to copy the kneazle's move, turning and jumping a distance he never would have imagined crossing. He was one damn agile lizard!

They chased back and forth, Alan trying unsuccessfully to outmanoeuvre Harry and not quite succeeding. He was certainly a quick kneazle, but Harry had longer, stronger legs, with a whip-like tail to keep him balanced. Harry concluded he was pretty much a reptilian greyhound. He wondered whether he was faster than Neville or not. He suspected not; his chest wasn't deep enough, and he was smaller than the horse, although still larger than Blaise.

The hour went faster than he expected, chasing Alan around the chamber in pointless, endless circles. He was surprised when Alan changed back and consulted his watch. He sat down, wondering how funny it looked, and then jumped when Alan spoke. He sounded really weird!

"Harry, the hour's been and gone. We've been running around for nearly an hour and a half. You can change back."

Harry almost couldn't think of how to change back and nearly panicked. He needed to be human again! The change happened on that thought, a feeling of rearrangement even as he seemed insubstantial. Harry overbalanced and staggered a moment before he adjusted to the changed centre of balance and straightened.

"How come Blaise and Neville didn't seem disoriented?" Harry demanded.

Alan chuckled. "Number one, they're too stubborn. Number two, both of them sat shortly afterwards, didn't you notice?"

Harry paused to think about it and then laughed, a good, hard laugh. It felt nice.

It made him regret his fear again even more. Could he openly befriend Alan? Or should he wait, and tell his father more directly?

Why did it become more difficult now that he'd decided to do it?

He was looking forward to Hogsmeade. Hopefully Susan would be less complicated than this.

IIII

Alan waited patiently in the courtyard, leaning against the wall and watching for Luna's abrupt blonde hair, and, most likely, odd clothes. He was simply wearing jeans and a windbreaker – he refused to wear robes when he didn't have to. He'd been highly amused to see Geoffrey in his robes, but was simply waiting with bated breath for Umbridge to find out he'd slit the damn things up the sides to his hips. The excuse was for mobility. The reason was to thumb his nose at the Brits. Severus had been highly amused. Alan simply wasn't all that surprised, although he did ask if he could do the same to pair or two of robes for himself. Severus was a little conflicted, so he hadn't done it yet.

"Waiting on the space-case?"

Alan looked over and then smiled warmly at Blaise. The comment from him wasn't insulting – he'd lose a limb to his girlfriend if it were, as Ginny and Luna were good friends. She'd also -somehow, he wasn't sure how- pulled Dillan into her sphere of influence, but Blaise was her boyfriend and it was known throughout the entire school. The interest it had gathered had nearly blown up, until news got around of Ginny's dressing-down of her brother when he tried to argue with her about it. He hadn't succeeded. Alan suspected Harry had had a very hard time not laughing his ass off at it.

"Yeah. Waiting on ginger-bread yourself?"

"Yeah." Blaise returned. "You aware that Harry and the littlest Weasley both asked their Hufflepuffs?"

"You think I wouldn't be?" Alan asked incredulously. "Or have you turned your ears deaf to the nefarious plans Daphne keeps coming up with to make Harry break out of his shell and ask her out? Or at least get Susan back for the perceived slight."

"Well, I usually try to tune her out, yeah." Blaise offered. "She's not got anything mean planned?"

Alan smirked. "I informed her of the risks of angering Potter by being too cruel, yes."

Blaise shook his head. "That'll be interesting. Ever consider setting her loose on the Umbitch?"

Alan's face blanked for a moment, before it cleared and he shook his head. "No." He sighed, rubbing his palm to his forehead. "No, because I know the Weasley twins have something fucking big coming and I really want to see that."

"Ah." Blaise allowed. He was watching him now, though, and Alan resented the attention. He was not delicate, dammit, and did not need watching. He opened his mouth to scathe Blaise, when his eyes fell upon a blonde and a redhead moving through the press towards them. Feeling a little foiled, Alan gave Blaise a scowl and sent a calm smile to their approaching dates. Luna came out first, and smiled dreamily up at him. Crab apples were today's earrings; Alan suspected they were actually the fruit itself, and wondered why she kept up with that, but found it endearing rather than annoying.

"You need to stop griping," Luna announced. "The delicate issue isn't really that inaccurate."

Alan stopped in place and just stared. She couldn't read minds; he'd have felt that! And wasn't that a little foolish of a line to start out on, poking at sore spots? What the freaking Hell …

"Luna, be nice." Ginny scolded. "You do know better than that. You must've hurt his feelings."

"But he needs to get over it." Luna answered, staring straight up at Alan with her distracted smile. "But I suppose I can wait till later. I'm looking forward to Hogsmeade, aren't you? Maybe I can learn more of what I shouldn't say."

Alan swallowed and smiled tensely back. She was a bit contagious, he supposed. He was feeling a lot more relaxed than normal, even. "Alright." He found himself saying. "Let's go, then?"

Luna gave him a brilliant smile and wound her arm over his left, leaning her head against his shoulder. She was a bit shorter than him, just tall enough for it to be quite comfortable. Alan led her out with only a short look behind himself to see Blaise already talking quietly with Ginny, who was watching him and smiling and nodding happily.

Thinking about Ginny made him wonder about Ron, and, additionally, Harry. Alan scanned the crowd for them, or at least Ron for Harry's height made him hard to spot, but the only redheads he found were the twins, heads together, talking fast as they filed out past a disapproving Filch. Mildly disappointed, Alan turned back to watching where he was going on the long walk out to Hogsmeade, and the comfortable silence.

"Does it still scare you that much to think of being delicate?" Luna asked absently.

Alan stiffened, but forced himself to relax. Luna was beginning to discomfort him. Her absent comments were ones he couldn't label as either purposeful or simply curious, and it frustrated him to not be able to tell. He labelled uncertainty as hostility, and it was a struggle to fight it back. "I don't know, Luna." Alan temporized.

"It isn't that bad to be thought delicate." Luna answered breezily. "A lot of people think things are delicate that aren't. It makes them underestimate them; they don't expect them to bounce back quickly. My mother died when I was nine, you know. I can see the thestrals. They're beautiful, aren't they?"

Alan wondered if Harry would say the same, with his interest in magical creatures. He thought they were a bit like the jabberwock – visually disturbing, certainly interesting, but to be admired from afar. They were nothing he wanted to go near if he didn't have to.

"Do you think I'm delicate?" Luna asked, turning to watch his face.

Alan stopped walking for a moment to look over her. Was she delicate? Yes, she certainly looked it. Her breezy attitude made her seem a pushover, insubstantial. So, "Yes, it does seem that way."

"You seem a bit delicate too. Most people are who have been hurt. But the seeming and the being are two different things, aren't they?" Luna's eyes cleared, focusing on his with determination. "I know you seem delicate, but you aren't. I know that too. Some of your friends don't, because you get lost in playing broken. They start to think it's not playing. Are you so sure it isn't?"

Alan fell silent as she finished, leaving him to his thoughts by facing forward once more and restarting their walking. She'd given him a lot to think about; he hadn't expected her to analyze him so much, and so thoroughly. She'd echoed a complaint Lucille had made earlier in the week, that whenever he stepped outside the commons, he became so meek she feared it wasn't an act. He'd insisted it was, but a short thought to earlier, before Luna had arrived and when Blaise had accused him of being delicate, he remembered becoming meek without even thinking about it. Maybe that act wasn't worth its price. He'd have to step up. It's not like Umbridge could use the blood quill again.

Resigned to warming up his public act, Alan shook his head and turned back to attending to Luna. "What's your favourite place in Hogsmeade?"

Luna smiled dreamily up at him. "The Shrieking Shack, of course. I hear it's the most haunted place in Britain, but I can't seem to find any ghouls within. I've wandered there several times, in fact, and never found any ghosts, although I heard someone say that it had been screaming again my second year. Your third."

Alan nodded silently, wondering the same thing. "Well, I've yet to find anything telling us we can't go check it out. Do you want to go? It'd certainly be fun, I think."

Luna smiled brightly up at him, and then let go to run through the village, giggling. Alan blinked a moment, and then ran after her to catch up. He kept pace easily, but watching her smile and enjoy the running he laughed in return and enjoyed it without concerning himself with the people they passed.

Luna slowed before they were quite there, and Alan slowed with her. He could run further, Geoffrey had insisted on it, but it wouldn't have been much and he wanted to stay with Luna. They walked through the few trees before the fence lining the shack, laughing quietly together, and then they stared out at the rickety building with small smiles.

Luna eyed it and tilted her head with a small smile. "It's very old and shabby, isn't it?"

"Quite." Alan agreed. He eyed the simple fence, and then beyond to the boarded up house and it's rampant garden. "Care to head closer?"

Luna eyed him and then smiled dimly, walking over to eye the fence. "But how am I to get over the fence?" She asked.

Alan eyed her for a moment. She was a few inches shorter than him, and quite thin. He could probably do it … "I could lift you over, if you like."

She gave him a large smile. "Wonderful."

Alan smiled back and then did so, staggering a little but managing to get her across. He simply clambered over after her himself; that was what jeans were for, anyways. Luna was in plain school robes, which was almost a disappointment after her dress for the Yule Ball.

Up close, the Shack wasn't much different than it appeared from farther away. The doors were all locked and sealed shut with spells Alan didn't know offhand and didn't feel like trying to break for just exploration. Luna looked at seemingly unimportant areas that, when Alan looked closer, appeared to be scratched badly by something fairly strong.

"What might that be?" Alan asked.

"I don't think this place was haunted, or at least it wasn't just." Luna commented airily, fingering the scratches and stepping forward to eye a high-up window. "Could I take a look? There's a crack …"

Alan shrugged. "Get on my shoulders. You're a little wispy thing; it shouldn't be too hard."

Luna turned to smile at him, and did so. Alan stood with a bit of difficulty – he braced himself against the house to keep his balance as Luna leaned forward to look within. A small spell of hers sent light within and she hummed pleasantly. "Down." She asked. Alan gratefully did so. Light though Luna was, it didn't make holding her up much easier.

She giggled as she landed, and held onto his arm supposedly for support. "I was right." She tittered. "Scratches and claw marks everywhere."

"What do you think did it?" Alan asked.

"Werewolf. It must've been a student. Maybe this was for safety. Don't you think the claws could be that? Of course, it could be a warg too."

Alan looked the outside scratches over again and eyed the too high window with irritation. "Possibly. Wouldn't it be a little controversial to have a werewolf as a student at the school?" He was also wondering how it had gotten out of there to scratch the outside. What a meddlesome kid. Not that he really had room to talk …

Luna shrugged. "I heard the Shrieking Shack only got locked a few decades ago."

Alan gave her a wry smile. "Which meant that it was during Dumbledore's tenure. Figures." He eyed the shack once more and shrugged. "Well, whatever it is, it's not making anything more known to us. Any other plans?"

Luna hummed under her breath and grabbed his hand to pull him back to the fence. He helped her over once more, followed, and then they walked back to the village in silence. Luna half-skipped as she walked seemingly aimlessly around the village and Alan finally grabbed her hand to pull her closer.

"Luna, are you going anywhere at all?"

"Not really." She breezed. "Why, do you have somewhere in mind?"

Alan gave her a mildly frustrated smile and shook his head. "How about the Three Broomsticks? I'll buy you lunch."

Luna gave him a brilliant smile. "Wonderful. Maybe we can attract some princhetts!"

"And how do you attract princhetts?" Alan guardedly asked.

"Leaving a tip and sharing a meal." Luna promptly answered.

Alan blinked as he followed her. He thought mildly longingly of the discussion at the Shrieking Shack, and then caught up with her in the pub, ordering two meals and then tailed Luna to a table by a window. Just next to them, Alan was mildly surprised to find Neville and Hermione sitting alone in the booth, their heads pressed together over a page full of spiky runes. He wondered if they were actually discussing the runes or something else entirely, but then he was sitting by Luna and he smiled thinly at her. She gave him a curious, vacant look.

"You know, I'm not the only one playing a role in public." He said quietly. Luna just smiled at him. Alan frowned thoughtfully. "Why do you?"

"Why would I act like something other than what I am? I'm comfortable. Besides, the vacancy lets the wind clear the cobwebs away." She commented. "Like the Hogwarts song. 'Our heads could do with filling, with some interesting stuff, for now they're bare and full of air, dead flies and bits of fluff!'"

Alan winced at her singing, and gave her a stern look. She smiled vacantly back as the waitress placed their plates down, but Alan found a small tightening in the corners of her eyes that made him turn thoughtful again. What was she hiding? What was she doing, really? Her absent attitude was a puzzle and a half. Perhaps she was having trouble shedding her shell. "How about this: you try and shed your act and I'll put more work into mine."

"You were going to drop yours without compulsion." She accused. Her tone was surprisingly direct. "I'll be level with you since you can't seem to handle being thrown off course."

Alan winced; he hadn't wanted to make her angry. "It just seems hypocritical of you. What good does it do to be seen as a flake?" He toned it into an honest question, keeping accusation out of his tone.

Luna sighed and picked at her plate. She then snagged a chip off his plate and ate it. Alan determinedly waited her out. She finally gave, staring absently out the window with a tight expression that didn't suit her.

"It does little but divert attention. I'm strange enough acting normal, but when I'm aggressively strange they avoid me. Steal my things, laugh behind my back, but they don't go near me. It's better than it would be otherwise. My father reassured me I was normal, and now I'm seeing otherwise. But what is there to do? I am who I am. I won't change, not for them. Driving people away is easy. I felt … you didn't seem put off after the Yule Ball, even though I know you only asked me to keep the general populace off your back. I wondered if you'd accept when I asked, but it's not like it would get worse if you didn't. Now …"

Alan reached over and pulled Luna's left hand into his, smiling slightly without looking at her. "It's nice to talk to someone who's got a different view of things." He answered. "I knew a bunch of weird people back in America, who didn't care what others thought. Green, Andrew, Jannicke … they were all firmly determined to be themselves. Lyall … It's a wonderful thing to be who you are, but you should be careful not to be so weird as to drive away the people who actually like you. Sure, it works excellently against your enemies, but if you don't even stop it with your friends …"

Luna shrugged, and then looked back up at him. Her prominent grey eyes looked over at him with a look that was curious, but behind it Alan wondered if she wasn't scared as well. She'd asked him out. She hadn't known how he'd react, but she'd done so in front of his friends, his Slytherin friends. Most people would've been scared. Hell, sometimes he even found them scary. Alan gave her a warm smile back, and then reached across to steal one of her chips. She blinked at him, and he smiled.

"So, what do princhetts do anyways?"

Luna smiled back at him and then merely shrugged, her face becoming pleased and self-satisfied. She didn't answer. Alan raised his eyebrow and she leaned over to grab another of his chips.

"Lots of things." Her hand was lingering on his plate, her face halfway across the table. Feeling mischievous, Alan reached across opposite her arm and brought his own face closer to hers, bringing them to looking in each other's eyes with only several inches difference.

"Like?"

"They attract nargles too, even in the absence of mistletoe." Luna breathed.

"And what do nargles do?" Alan asked again, feeling the beginnings of irritation.

She hummed, and then leaned impossibly forward and placed a light kiss on his lips. Alan sat back quickly and stared back over at Luna who smiled from where she was bent rather fully across the table, and then leaned back to eat another of his chips.

"They encourage flirting."

"Oh." Alan managed intelligently. His mind was currently rerunning the small kiss, and he finally shook his head to bring himself out of it, turning back to attending to his lunch. Luna did the same, in her quiet manner. They were silent for most of the rest of the meal, but Alan was watching her, feeling confused. She was insecure, from what she'd said, uncertain of herself. But he was damned if she wasn't willing to take risks. They were almost finished when Alan noticed that Luna had a spare bite-sized piece of fish left. He looked up at her and found her staring without focus across the pub. He smiled lightly and leaned forward to snag the piece with his fork, pulling back and finishing it off. Luna's eyes returned to watching him, and he gave her a warm smile.

"Just trying to make sure we'd shared enough to keep the princhetts happy."

Luna blinked and smiled dreamily. "A good cause."

Alan finished off his butterbeer and then stretched, sighing. "It's further into the afternoon now. We could visit Honeydukes or somewhere if you like."

Luna hummed, fishing out a coin for a tip and Alan stood quickly to offer her his arm on the way out. She happily wound hers around his and followed him out. "Scrivenshaft's?" She asked blithely.

Alan happily took her in the direction, but paused before he let her hand go to enter. He leaned down and gently kissed her back, feeling a faint tremor run through him at the touch. He pulled back, and Luna smiled up at him as though drugged.

"I really think you're susceptible to nargles, Alan." She commented. She sounded as though she didn't even know she was talking to someone.

Alan laughed quietly. "I must be. But I don't mind, either."

"Good." Luna returned. "Because I like it."

Alan blinked and let her slip inside. He wondered whether a normal date would be going any better than this, before he followed her inside.

Returning back outside, Alan still argued with Luna despite having already pocketed the eagle feather quill. It had been expensive, but she had insisted on gifting him with it. She called it in return for the muggle pen he'd gifted her with the year before at Christmas. It had alternating pen tips, so as to write in four different colours. She hadn't gotten him anything then, and Alan finally gave up and kept it, gently holding her hand as they walked out.

One look at Honeydukes was enough to make Alan wince. Just outside the door, Ron and Hannah were standing a few feet apart; both of them with their feet planted and from what Alan could see of Ron's face, they were not currently on good terms with each other. They were far enough they couldn't hear, but it wasn't long before Hannah threw her hands up in frustration and then stormed away. Ron was left glowering and grinding his teeth before he, too, began the stormy walk back to Hogwarts.

"See?" Luna commented dreamily. "That's what happens when you keep the nargles at bay."

Alan couldn't help it; he burst out laughing. Luna looked at him with a faint, uncertain smile and Alan smiled back through his laughter until he could speak again.

"Just … I suppose that's a good thing of my susceptibility, eh?"

Luna's small smile widened. "Yes, it is."

She was so solemn Alan burst out laughing again.

IIII

Harry strode back to the common room that evening with a skip in his step and a nervous twinge to his hands. It had gone well, but it could have gone better. Both him and Susan had repeatedly gotten tongue-tied upon trying to hold a conversation, and once they'd decided to wander again after a rather nervous lunch, they'd come across Ron and Hannah's foolish argument. It had left Susan in a bad mood, and Harry had finally given in and walked her back to the school. He was still pretty hopeful about it, though, and entered the common room with a small smile.

He was walking over to the stairs to the boy's dorm when he wondered momentarily where Neville and Hermione were. He hadn't seen them in Hogsmeade. He turned to scan the common room and froze when he looked at their usual seats before the fire. A glance made him smile awkwardly before he coughed and wandered over. He wasn't noticed; Neville and Hermione were fully wrapped up in each other and the kissing was getting a little interesting to watch.

Harry coughed again.

Neville jolted upright, and Hermione squeaked as they came apart and glared up at the person interrupting them. Upon seeing Harry, Neville cut off one of his more common rude phrases.

"Harry, what's the bloody big idea of startling me?"

"Were you busy, Neville?" Harry offered, smiling bemusedly.

"Yes!"

Harry was impressed he managed the answer with a straight face. Hermione certainly didn't; she turned a rather brilliant pink and cuddled closer to Neville. Small snickers were breaking out in the areas nearby, and Neville finally huffed.

"Sit down, Harry, if you're going to talk. You're making a scene."

Harry sat, shaking his head quietly. "I don't know how you manage to be this shameless."

"Simple: I've already got them laughing at me for enjoying myself. I might as well handle the inevitable bearding with something resembling grace. Keeps the image positive. Stop huddling Hermione, or is my kissing that embarrassing?"

Unfortunately, the reminder brought more laughter from nearby, and any answer Hermione had was lost in another blushing fit. Neville gently stroked her chin, and kissed her forehead.

"Well, your mouth was divine." He whispered. Harry felt his own face heat up just listening. However, it made Hermione look up with a bit more confidence, so Harry shelved the embarrassment of listening to his utterly besotted friend and stood once more.

"You know," Harry offered, "I'll just leave you two to it and see about joining Ron as those who have not yet checked their brains fully for a woman."

Neville laughed. "I still get better test marks than you, Potter!"

Harry sent him a rude gesture and climbed back up the stairs. Their dormitory door was shut, but considering the mood Ron had left Hogsmeade in, it wasn't surprising. Harry knocked shortly before walking in. Ron's curtains were drawn, and Dean was working on homework. Not wanting to bother either, Harry fell onto his bed and sighed as he looked at Neville's empty bed and wondered for a moment why he felt so heavy now that Neville was clearly infatuated with Hermione. It felt a bit like he was losing him; even knowing the feeling was ridiculous. Neville was still there; just … he'd replaced Harry with someone else as his closest friend, or similar.

Harry rolled over onto his stomach and waved his wand to shut the curtains. It wouldn't change much. He was just being resentful. Neville wasn't even his best friend, Alan was. Neville was just … his brother. And the closest person he could hang with. He couldn't just hang with Alan, because he didn't want to give up the game yet about the Slytherins.

Harry beat his pillow and then cursed into the soft confines. He would get over this. It wouldn't change anything, and if it did it was simply inevitable and not something he should gripe about. Hermione was his friend too.

Maybe it was just hormones. Harry rolled onto his back and went to change.

If it was just hormones, he could live without the damn things. They made everything complicated.

IIII

Sunday rolled about in a sunny bliss against the encroaching winter, and last minute additions to homework were attended to from the grounds outside. Neville and Hermione seemed to have moved even closer to each other since their kiss last night, and Harry felt a little put off at the amount of casual touching that seemed to just 'accidentally' happen. Hermione fell into giggles several times, and Ron had a bit of difficulty getting their attention to help with his work. Finally, though, Neville sat up and directed Hermione to help Ron as he shifted around to Ron's other side to sit by Harry. Harry didn't immediately give him a response, but instead continued his blank stare at his Potions homework. Finally, Neville bumped his shoulder, and spoke.

"I'm not going to forget you, you know."

"Took you long enough to get around to remembering." Harry answered curtly. His self-recrimination for the sour answer went unseen.

"Yeah, well." Neville shrugged awkwardly. "It's new, and I don't want Hermione thinking I'm uncomfortable with her. It's hard, trying to keep it all in order."

Harry ran his hand over his hair. His stress made him not care how messy it would end up being. "I know, Neville, it just feels irritating to me."

"I can see that." Neville answered. "After all, you're not all that close with Ron, are you?"

"No." Harry answered in a small voice, not wanting Ron to hear. "And after he and Hannah had their little falling out, he's been a right prat about everything. I don't know whether Susan will talk to me anymore either. I don't have a clue how well our date went. I think it was walking a fine line between being nice and sucking miserably."

Neville was silent for a moment, and then answered, sounding almost sincere, "Glad you had such a wonderful first date."

Harry reached over and clocked him firmly across the back of his head. Neville took it with a mouthed complaint, and then a wry smile. Harry couldn't help but smile back, but he still returned with a rude gesture. Neville simply let it slide off with a friendly nudge and a return to their homework.

IIII

Monday went as expected. It was relatively boring, and none of the classes were unexpected until Defence, which always seemed to have something interesting going on. This time, Geoffrey walked in with an easy stride and eyed the class with a sigh.

"Well, as I've been teaching all of you, I've noticed a few of your struggle with some of your spells. It's been in all the classes, and thus I feel I should make a point here. I'm going to send a weak jinx at each of you in turn. Kindly perform the shield charm protego or get jinxed. It won't hurt, and I'll remove it immediately, but I would like to see just who manages this spell. Thus, Ms. Brown,"

Lavender squeaked. She didn't manage to hold the shield either. In fact, half the students didn't manage it. Dean's shield held long enough to stop the hex and then disappeared with a jolt, knocking his chair back an inch. Of all the Gryffindors, of which there were ten, only half managed their spells. The only one outside of Harry's group was another Gryffindor girl. Predictably, she belonged to an olf-fashioned pureblood family and had probably been taught at home. Geoffrey shook his head.

"Alright, everybody out of your desks. You will not leave this class without knowing a few simple spells well enough to keep you on your feet. First off, we'll be learning the basic shield charm. It will keep you safe from many different spells, and although it has a few obvious failings, it is necessary. If someone casting against you is simply powerful, it won't help much, or if they cast an unforgivable or several other complicated, high-level spells, they'll just breeze right through your shield. That's when you dodge." He sniped. "We'll go over that in detail in December, which will be all improvisation. For now, you will learn this. It'll be helpful if someone is not expecting you to fight back. It will at least give you time. Now then, stand up, partner up, and practice. After this, you'll learn disarming, stunning, and then, after break, I'll have all of you do a project to perfect one offensive spell of choice, in which I will give you as much aid as you need. But that's all later. Practice!"

The class was almost too easy for Harry and his friends until Geoffrey turned on them and shot a spell that shattered each of their shields. He bore down on their group with a serious look.

"I can see you all think this is too easy right now, but you're also not using the spell as well as you could. Only one of you is average in power," He gave a short nod at Ron, "and the rest of you should be strong enough to make me eat my spells. But you're not charging your shields enough. You have to add more concentration when up against someone who is sending everything they've got at you, or else your shield will crumple. Some people can't make up for it, but you, Harry, Neville and Hermione, each of you are above average in power. No one in this classroom should be able to overwhelm your shield, Harry, and additionally, if you can cast with all your power, no one should be able to shield against you either. You are one of two students in your year that has exceptional strength. Use it."

He turned away from Harry to look at Hermione, Neville and Ron. "And you, it doesn't matter that the word 'average' came up. I am not one of the stronger wizards out there. I get marginalized as 'average' all the time. But I know how to use what I have and can easily get the results I need, or, in fact, overwhelm someone stronger, because I know how to cast spells to their best effect. And I also know what spells would have the best effect even if they are not overly powerful. Pay attention, learn, and concentrate on keeping the power of your spell high. Now,"

Harry anticipated the coming spell and had his shield up. He still didn't manage to block the spell and swore as he waited for Geoffrey to counter it. Neville, Hermione and Ron were similarly out of sorts, Ron swearing angrily. Geoffrey rocked back on his heels and ended the spells, smiling roguishly.

"Concentration for strengthening spells is not something often learned; most people settle for what they currently have. The best book that describes it isn't in print here in Britain. I'll get you a copy in a few days. For now, keep what I said in mind."

He left their group to correct Lavender once more, and Harry gave Neville an exasperated look. Neville was looking thoughtful once more, and Ron and Hermione looked scolded.

"What are you pondering now, Neville?" Harry asked gruffly.

"How did he know so much about our strengths?"

"It's a deeper form of legilimency, difficult but useful. Alan knows it, so I presume Geoffrey learned it first and then taught it to him." Harry answered negligently. "It's supposedly harder than regular legilimency, but some people just know innately about someone's strength. My mother has it."

"Great." Neville drawled.

Harry just rolled his eyes and hexed him again. As expected, Neville blocked it easily. Harry noted with some concern that Ron now had a small, mutinous look on his face. It didn't bode well. The reason was obvious, really, and Harry wished Geoffrey had kept his mouth shut. It had long been completely silently understood that Harry, Hermione, and Neville were better than Ron in pretty much everything. Ron had been silently resentful, but had never spoken up about it. It was just understood. But to be told, to his face, that he wasn't as strong as them, and by a teacher he liked …

Harry turned aside and forced the thought away. He couldn't do anything about the truth. "Neville, how do you think you put more power into a spell?"

Neville looked at Hermione and shrugged. "He said something about concentration, maybe. I wouldn't know …" However, Neville was eyeing Harry carefully and Harry nodded slightly. It might be related to Occlumency, and while nobody knew it, both Harry and Neville knew the discipline. But Harry didn't want to try it right then. Suddenly succeeding would only make Ron more resentful.

Neville noticed the change in expression and gave a neglectful shrug, turning to talk to Hermione again and effectively skiving off the rest of the lesson.

A/N: Yes, late Thursday but I said Thursday and I made it. Sorry. hangs head in shame And growing up happens. Gotta love it. Just you wait, we'll hit Christmas and get them back to school and then the shit will hit the fan. grins So, things keep moving, and reviews are always appreciated; if you make me happy enough, the schedule might fluctuate. Thank you very much for reading!

Fire & Napalm