DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling
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Chapter 8 - Tree Top Conversation
Harry slitted one eye and groaned softly, raising a hand to his throat. The soft skin was healed under his fingers. Sighing in pleasure, he rolled over and looked at Ron's bed, grinning when he saw the red head curled up with his arm around Hermione's waist. Sliding from beneath the warm blankets, he moved towards the window and pushed against the pane, swinging the window open. Leaning his head over the ledge, he peered down and grinned at the beauty before his eyes.
"Harry?" Hermione's tired voice called, the words loud in the room full of sleeping people. Immediately a rash of moans and whimpers were heard from behind bed curtains. "Really people, it's half past ten on a Sunday morning, you should all be up and working. Not to mention you missed breakfast."
"Thank Merlin for lunch." Dean grumbled from his bed, his voice slightly muffled due to the concealing curtains. Hermione's sigh of disappointment was loud as she pulled herself from Ron's arms and propped herself up against the dark wooded headboard.
"Good morning Hermione." Harry whispered loudly from his place by the window. The gentle wind threaded fingers through his mussed hair and tugged lightly, drawing his attention back to the view from the Tower. The sun was already high in the blue sky and there wasn't a cloud in sight.
"How are you feeling Harry?" The witch asked carefully, ignoring the squeeze of warning Ron applied to her legs.
"Good, my headache is completely gone." Harry replied, putting his hands on the edge of the windowsill and pushing himself up onto the wood so he could lean comfortably against the frame. His gaze returned to the picturesque morning and he sighed in contentment, allowing Odin to surface and share the vision with him. The stag grunted and looked beyond the sprawling green lawn to the shadowed forest, his eagerness to run overwhelming the dark haired wizard.
"Are you sure? You just whimpered." Ron asked sleepily, his chin propped on Hermione's knee. Hermione settled her fingers in the soft curls and tightened her grip, smiling when Ron attempted to bat her hand away.
"It's just so nice out." Harry lied badly, snatching the pillow heaved at him from Seamus' bed and holding it out the window. A strong breeze tugged at the red pillowcase, ripping the cloth free from the pillow and sending it floating slowly away. "Oops."
"'Oops' what?" Seamus muttered, hand held above his eyes to block the light streaming into them. The group watched in startled comprehension as Harry pulled the pillow back in the window minus the gaudy cover. Snorts, laughter, and a sigh of disappointment from Hermione greeted the pillows return.
"I'll go get it." Harry said, diving off the ledge and pulling his broom from its case beneath the bed. Running a loving hand down the wood, he climbed back onto the frame and crouched in the opening, looking at the beckoning grass far below the window.
"Take the stairs." Warned Hermione, leaning forward like she was going to grab him before he could take the plunge.
"Where the hell is the fun in that Hermione?" Harry taunted, sliding carefully so he was sitting on the ledge outside the window. He glanced in the direction the pillowcase had flown and grinned when he saw it had gotten caught in the large branches of a Walnut tree. Hearing the creak of wood and the rustle of blankets, he pushed himself off the ledge and fell towards the ground, broom held tightly in one hand.
"Harry!" Hermione's deafening shriek followed his fall as he watched the ground rush up to meet him. At the last plausible second he whipped his broom beneath him and shot straight upwards, fighting the pull of gravity and speed. He soared back up to the window and hovered before the group of cheering Gryffindors, making a mock bow before glancing at Hermione.
"I'm going to take that broom from you." The Gryffindor witch warned, ignoring the guys calls of pleasure and admiration to Harry. Dropping back onto the bed, she glanced at Ron who was rubbing the side of his face and immediately felt remorseful. "Sorry for hitting you with my knee."
"That's okay." Ron mumbled, one hand running over the tender skin of his cheek. He smiled up at Hermione and ignored her muffled curse as she saw the blood on his lower lip. A flick of her wand healed the injured flesh and had it returning to normal.
Harry glided towards the pillowcase and frowned when it waved at him from just beyond his reach. Flying lower, he rested his feet on a branch and pulled his broom from beneath him, settling it carefully in the crook of several branches before reaching above him and pulling himself upwards. Climbing carefully towards the pillowcase, he clung to a branch as Odin protested their current location. Cursing, Harry snagged the red flag and looked downwards. His eyes closed as he began the process of feeling for a branch under him, bare toes searching for the rough bark of the tree.
The sudden sensation of his fingers slipping had him gasping and grabbing madly as he skittered downward. The distant cries of his friends were loud in his ears as he slipped further down the trunk. His fingers locked themselves around a branch as his upper body slammed into the thick wood, breath heaving out of his sore lungs. Opening his eyes, he looked down and groaned. His beloved broom lay on the grass among broken twigs and shredded leaves.
"I told you to take the stairs!" Hermione's voice rang out over the grounds, sending birds fleeing into the safety of the sky. Rolling his eyes, he waved the red pillowcase before perching himself carefully on the branch.
"I'm never going to hear the end of this one." Harry muttered as he swung his legs, raising a hand to shade his eyes as he searched the windows of the tower. He grinned when he saw a glaring Hermione standing in the window with her arms crossed over her chest, eyes narrowed and lips moving in a silent curse.
"Gentlemen, it must be our lucky day." The voice had Harry cringing as he dropped his gaze back to the ground. Three Slytherins stood at the base of the tree, all of them wearing evil smirks as they peered up at him.
"I shouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning." Mourned Harry, fingers digging into the rough bark as he pulled his feet under him and stood with the thought of climbing higher.
"Did you know lions are one of the few breeds of cats that don't climb trees well." Theodore Knott purred, wand dangling from his relaxed fingers. "Guess you missed that little fact eh, Potter?"
"Haha, that's hilarious. Shouldn't you be curled under a rock somewhere?" Harry growled, his eyes returning to the tower window. Hermione and the others had disappeared, most likely on their way down to retrieve him.
"It's rather early for you to be out Theodore." A cool voice interjected, bringing the oral battle to a halt. Harry closed his eyes and whimpered, head thudding against the trunk of the tree, his day had just gotten worse.
XxXxX
Draco crossed his arms over his chest and tapped one boot impatiently, eyes locked on his fellow Slytherins. He ignored the whimper from above him as he glided forward and planted a boot firmly on the broom lying on the grass. Bristling in outrage, Theodore opened his mouth and took a step forward in an effort to threaten the blonde. Draco smiled sweetly as he tapped the other wizard under the chin with his wand, biting down the overwhelming laughter he felt at the look of fear crossing all three faces.
"Leave." He ordered as he turned slowly on his heel, eyes ghosting over the trunk of the tree before beginning to travel up into its green canopy. His wand was slid back into its sheathe as he listened to the sound of retreating steps, sighing as he began to pace back and forth. 'Tell me Potter; are you really this stupid or is your luck just this bad?"
"Mind your own business Malfoy." Harry said quietly, reseating himself on the branch he had been clinging to moments ago.
"Here's the thing Potter, you are my business." Draco growled, tipping his chin up and meeting the fierce green eyes of Harry. The black haired wizard muttered something and looked in the direction of the castle. "I suppose you're looking for the cavalry."
"Unfortunately the cavalry ran into Professor Snape, they shall be detained for an unknown period of time." Pansy called upwards into the branches, looking at the ground with a lip curled in distaste before seating herself on the grass.
Harry narrowed his eyes as Blaise stalked into the shadows created by the tree and flopped down next to Pansy, leaning back on his elbows to stare at him. "Do you honestly have nothing better to do, Malfoy?"
"It's Sunday Potter, we've completed our schoolwork and felt a walk was in order. It was just our luck that we happened to pass by a small pride of lions caught in the jaws of a large snake." Draco replied, tucking his hands behind his back and beginning to walk around the trunk. He smiled when Beau rumbled happily, the massive tiger swinging his tail playfully. Sighing, he looked at Potter who was glaring down at him like a spiteful kitten.
Blaise chuckled as Harry mushed the red pillowcase up and threw it down at Draco, the pair returning to their glaring match. "What lovely pajamas you are wearing Harry."
"Shut up!" Harry snapped, wobbling uneasily on the branch as his face flushed red. He stood again and placed one hand on the tree, searching the castle desperately for some sigh of rescue. The emerald cotton pajamas he wore had been a gift from Hermione, a much appreciated and loved gift.
"The Forbidden Forest is a dangerous place, Potter." Draco stated quietly, hands folded neatly before him. He paused in his circling and looked up at the sky, chewing on his lip in thought. "One never truly knows what they will run into. Wolves, thestrals, werewolves, centaurs, giant spiders. . .the list goes on. Not exactly the best place for a lone stag. I advise you to mind your self while romping around with the Weasel and the mudblood." Spinning around, Draco set off for the castle, cloak and robe snapping in his wake.
"We'll be watching you Potter." Blaise called as he rose fluidly, one hand held out to help Pansy to her feet. The Slytherins gave him a final glare before nodding and chasing after their leader.
XxXxX
Draco stalked towards the castle, his hands shoved deeply into the pockets of his robe. He slowed as Pansy and Blaise caught up too him, taking the couple of steps into the castle and turning down a long corridor.
"What exactly was that?" Pansy asked, raising an eyebrow as Draco stopped next to a window and leaned against the wall, eyes narrowed on the large tree in the distance. The distant calling ov voices and the pounding of feet had Pansy and Blaise grabbing for their wands, freezing when Draco held up a hand.
"Potter is the last hope of the wizarding world. We all know what will happen if Voldemort wins. Unless of course you want to become a mindless worm bowing and scraping before a wizard who doesn't even deserve our respect." Draco murmured, blue eyes focused on the Gryffindor rescue attempt occurring out on the yard. He smirked as he watched Hermione shake a finger while telling Harry off, the dark haired wizard having no way of escaping the angry lecture.
"Careful Draco." Blaise hissed, frantically searching the hall for anyone who might be eavesdropping on the conversation.
"Relax, there's no one here but us and the Gryffindor Rescue Squad." Draco said while indicating the group gathered beneath the large tree. All three winced when Potter's broom was thrown into the air. "They may have courage and bravery but they certainly lack basic strategy skills."
"Let me get this straight: we're now supposed to watch our own backs as well as Potters?" Pansy asked softly, her attention locked on the blonde wizard smiling faintly at the scene unfolding before their eyes.
"Harry is a smart guy, when he notices we aren't attacking him anymore he'll put his small mind into gear."
Draco smiled as Harry floated to the ground on his broom, the Gryffindors erupting into cheers as his feet touched the green grass. The victory was short lived as Hermione grabbed him by the ear and began to drag him towards the castle, ignoring the boos her movement caused.
"Potter has the worst of luck." Blaise muttered, cringing at Hermione's hold on Harry.
Pansy snorted and shook her head, hair flopping around with the intensity of the maneuver. "If I ever caught you or Draco doing something so stupid I'd do the exact same thing. Then again I'm a Slytherin so I probably wouldn't have grabbed you by the ear." She murmured thoughtfully, smiling in pride as the Gryffindor witch's stern voice floated to them as she lectured."
"Right." Blaise shuddered, taking a peek at Draco to see how the other wizard had reacted to Pansy's statement. His eyebrows drew down as Draco continued to stare into the sky, a small grin playing across his features. "Forget it."
"We should head up and see if we can get an early lunch." Pansy suggested, entwining her arm through Draco's and snatching Blaise's hand up. Pulling them towards the Great Hall, she smiled to herself at the distant look on Draco's face. It seemed that the Slytherin tiger was being tamed by a Gryffindor lion.
XxXxX
"And if I ever see you jump out a window again, broom in hand or not, I'll spell your legs to feel like they're broken so you understand what would happen if you didn't get on your broom fast enough." Hermione ranted, fingers twisting on Harry's earlobe in an attempt to keep his attention. "And furthermore, if we ever have to rescue you from a tree I will not be impressed. You don't want me unimpressed, Harry, bad things happen."
"Sure Hermione." Harry mumbled, ignoring the witch's gasp and yank as she interpreted his agreement as sarcasm.
"I mean it Harry. Are you listening? You don't look like you're listening." Hermione snarled, stomping down the corridor in the direction of Gryffindor House. She narrowed her eyes at the hushed whispers from behind her and glared over her shoulder in warning, smirking when the wizards went silent.
"Hermione, I'm sure Harry's listening. In fact, he probably has every word of your moving speech memorized." Dean said as he trotted to walk beside the witch, giving Harry a friendly slap on the back in a show of support. He held his hands up in surrender when Hermione tipped her head and raised an eyebrow.
"Hey Hermione, can you finish your lecture in the Great Hall cause we're hungry and we'd hate to miss your words of wisdom." Seamus called, patting his stomach.
Harry muttered a quiet insult at his friend before struggling free of Hermione's grip, brushing his pajama pants in an effort to remove clinging bits of bark. "Hermione, I'm a grown boy. If I have the sudden urge to jump out of window just to see if I can fly, nothing you say will stop me. Furthermore, I have to go change into proper clothes before I can go to lunch because bad things happen when I miss two meals in a row."
"You said it mate." Ron hollered, pumping his fist in triumphant before blushing at Hermione's face. Switching to groveling, he grabbed her hand and placed a quick kiss on her wrist, eyes pleading silently. "Fine, go do what you want. It seems like my presence only makes you stupider anyway." Hermione grumbled, tugging her hand free and marching onward, halting halfway up the brightly lit staircase she turned and looked down at them. "If anyone needs me I'll be studying in the Common Room."
"Well, who's for lunch?" Ron asked into the silence, chewing his lip at the calculating expressions on the faces of his fellow wizards. "What?"
"We're we just insulted? I think she called us stupid!" Dean said thoughtfully raising his eyebrow before waving his own question away. "I really need to eat something. Halfway through Hermione's lecture I zoned out, which was really unusual. Generally I make sure I memorize the best parts to use later."
Leading the way to the Great Hall, Harry sighed and ran a hand up his broom. The warm wood comforting as his mind replayed the conversation he'd had with Draco. Odin grunted internally and flipped his tail, chewing slowly in agreement with Harry's thoughts. Draco had revealed himself and told Harry to be careful in the same conversation. Sighing, he dragged his fingers through his messy hair and glanced down at his pajamas. He was never going to live this one down either.
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A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Hope everyone has a wonderful Labour Day long weekend.
LandUnderWave – lol, that's okay, when I was done writing I rewarded myself with a bowl of chocolate ice cream.
NinjapftheDarkness – ah College Residence, it's like living with six hundred brothers and sisters who drink all night and sleep all day. . . don't worry though, they grow on you.