DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.
Chapter 15 – Gryffindor Grace
On most mornings, Gryffindor Tower was a seething mass of laughing joking students all sporting the red and gold of the lion. The Common Room would be teeming with second and third years all waiting for friends and seventh years would be lounging around waiting for their afternoon classes to begin. This morning was proving to be very different. Not a single lion had dared place his paw near the portal leading from the Tower. While the much more even tempered lionesses had shrugged their shoulders and donned their silver and green cloaks, the lions of Gryffindor cowered in their dorms.
Glancing at the clock on the mantle, Hermione rolled her eyes and stormed over to stand at the bottom of stairs leading up to the boys' dorms. "Harry Potter! Get down here!" She bellowed loudly, crossing her arms and tapping one foot impatiently. Sighing in exasperation when her call failed to raise the raven-haired wizard, she placed her foot on the first stair and began the short climb.
Without preamble, she swung the door of the sixth year dorms open and stalked inside. Planting her hands on her hips, she looked at the still curtains and curled her lip. "You made your bed Harry, now lie in it." She snapped, jerking the long curtains aside and grabbing him by the shoulder. Shaking him ruthlessly, she turned her head at a muffled choking sound. "Up, Ronald. Now." Hermione growled, ducking to avoid the hand Harry was swinging blindly at her head.
"But Hermione," Ron whimpered plaintively, lifting the edge of his curtain so he could peer around the fabric. Seeing the angered look on his girlfriends face, his eyes widened and he slid off the bed. "Maybe you should get up Harry." The redhead suggested softly, wincing as Hermione gnashed her teeth.
On the other side of the room, Dean's curtains flew up and he leaned over the footboard of his bed. "Hermione," he began softly. "If you leave now we can all get another twenty minutes of sleep before we have to go to Charms."
"Dean." Hermione stated calmly, straightening as she let go of Harry's shoulder. "Breakfast is over. In exactly fifteen minutes you'll all be late."
Shaking his head, Dean waved his hand and began to explain his theory. "See, the Great Hall is only ten minutes from the Charms classroom. Now if we completely bypass the lower levels of the school we can make the trip in less then three minutes. Give or take a couple of seconds." He mused thoughtfully, chewing on his lower lip as he sat back.
Rolling back over, Harry raised a hand and covered his eyes against the sunlight pouring through the window. "What day is it?" He asked groggily, flopping back onto his pillow and dragging the sheets back into place.
"Wednesday." Hermione answered, stalking around to the trunk at the end of his bed. Tossing the lid open, she grabbed the first cloak and tie she came upon and quickly transfigured them to the Slytherin colours.
"So our humiliation isn't over." Harry muttered, tucking an arm under his pillow and watching Ron's fuzzy shape haphazardly drag on green and silver robes.
"It hasn't even begun," Hermione hissed. Wheeling around, she aimed her wand at the curtains on the beds and hissed a spell, watching in satisfaction as the long fabric was whisked to its place at the corner posts. Groans filled the room almost immediately. "Merlin, you're all worse then a bunch of first years. It's called pride, and I suggest you locate yours and come downstairs. Where's the Gryffindor grace and dignity?" Hermione demanded as she stormed from the room. Slamming the door behind her, she took a step away from the wood before turning around and bellowing, "You have five minutes!"
Three minutes later she smiled in triumph as the five sixth year wizards stood before. Walking around them, she inspected the cloaks and robes they wore. Her eyes searching for any sign of Gryffindor red or gold, upon finding none she grinned and gestured towards the portal. "That wasn't that hard was it?" She purred, picking her book bag up and flouncing towards the door.
"No." Harry grumbled, tugging unhappily at the collar of his shirt. "But don't be expecting me to sit at their table and cry them praises to the heavens."
"Amen." Dean and Seamus chorused, distastefully pulling on the Slytherin ties they wore. Muttering under her breath, Hermione allowed herself to be pulled to Charms. To her bemusement, they arrived and claimed their seats before the professor had placed a foot into the room.
XxXxX
"Looking good Potter!"
Harry grimaced as he ducked into History of Magic, dropping into his chair and sliding down until he was almost under the desk. He whimpered as someone else let out a girlish shriek, his name garbled into the middle of the high-pitched announcement.
"Tough luck, mate." Ron said, patting Harry awkwardly on the shoulder. The redhead sat down on one side of Harry as Hermione settled on the other. The pair exchanged a silent laugh over his head.
Harry groaned as one of the Ravenclaw witches fluttered her eyelashes at him. "I'm going to kill Draco." He promised vengefully, glancing towards the ceiling as he made the statement.
"It's not their fault, Harry." Hermione argued, offering the disappointed witch a sympathetic smile. She reached over and straightened his tie, pulling on the dark green silk. "The Slytherin colours compliment your eyes. It makes them look bigger and consequently you prettier." She explained, rifling through her bag and pulling out a new quill.
Harry gasped and turned slowly to face Hermione. "Hermione," he gasped in shock. "I am the king of the forest. Under no circumstance should I be considered pretty. I am handsome and mighty." Ron choked back a snort, quickly placing a hand over his mouth in hopes of disguising it as a cough.
Hermione rolled her eyes and faced the front of the class. "Whatever you say Harry." She mumbled under her breath, reaching up and brushing a lock of her hair back from her face.
"Tell her, Ron." Harry ordered, grabbing the redhead by the shoulder and spinning him around to face the witch.
Ron sighed and picked up his quill, absently twirling it between his fingers. He shot Harry a look over his shoulder when the dark-haired wizard prodded him again. "Harry is not pretty. He is the king of the forest and because of this we all must bow down and be in awe of his might."
"Thank you." Harry said happily, flipping his textbook open. Pulling his inkpot closer, he scrawled the date across the top of the parchment. He paused in mid-stroke when a piece of parchment bounced off his shoulder and landed on the floor. Against his better judgement, he reached down and picked it up. His face blossomed red as he took in the short poem one of the Ravenclaws had proudly written in his name.
"Draco shall die by my hands." He hissed, one hand tightening around the quill he clutched. Ignoring the concerned look Hermione shot him, he shredded the ball of parchment and smiled slightly at the sob of heartbreak.
XxXxX
The night was bright. Stars carpeted the black sky and the moon glowed. Harry looked at Ron and rolled his eyes, absently spinning his telescope around. Astronomy was definitely not the most exciting class but at least they were outside.
"Five points from Gryffindor. Pay attention Potter." Snape fairly crowed, his pale face the only part of him visible as he slid out of the darkness to Harry's left. When the Potions Master turned his back, Harry made a face and exchanged a look with Ron.
Due to the Death Eater attacks, additional staff had been appointed to assist with the sixth year astronomy class. A pat on his shoulder had him smiling and meeting the knowing gaze of Professor McGonagall. With three professors supervising their studies, the Slytherins and Gryffindors were studiously ignoring each other. Though the odd elbow was exchanged, everyone seemed to be focusing on the sky rather then the inter-house battle that continuously raged.
"Attention everyone." The professor began, waving her hands above her head to make sure everyone realized she wanted their attention. "If you all focus on the tail of Ursa Minor you'll-"
"Harry!" Jerking at his hissed name, Harry slammed his eye into the optical piece of his telescope. Frowning, he rubbed his face and looked in the direction the call had come from. He groaned when his emerald eyes met the laughing orbs of Draco.
"What?" He hissed crankily, ignoring the glare Hermione shot him as she diligently followed the professor's instructions.
Smirking, Draco leaned slightly against his telescope and glanced around. "You've been avoiding me." He purred, face brightening as Harry's reddened in embarrassment.
Shaking his head, Harry narrowed his eyes and adjusted his telescope. Putting his back to the blond, he focused intently on the sky. "I have not." He protested quietly, spinning around and glaring angrily when Draco chuckled in disbelief.
"You missed both lunch and dinner. That had to be a first in Hogwart's history." Draco murmured, tipping his head to the side. "And I was really looking forward to seeing you wear my colours." The Slytherin mourned, jerking his attention back to his notes as Snape glided towards them. Harry quickly followed the blond's example, peering through the lens and ignoring the towering shadow he seemed to have acquired.
Gritting his teeth, he marked the first few stars down and began to outline the image they created. His shoulders relaxed when Snape moved away. He almost whooped with joy when the professor assigned their homework and released them. Packing his bag, he raised his eyebrows at Ron and suppressed a chuckle when the redhead nodded frantically. He looked beyond the Slytherins and smiled at the forbidding expanse of shadowed forest. It was a perfect night for a run.
"Snapes watching us." Ron muttered as he shot a quick look over his shoulder. Harry nodded knowledgeably and kept walking. Upon entering the school, he picked up speed and grabbed Ron's wrist. Ducking down a dark hall, the pair prowled through the shadows. A scuffing noise from behind them had the pair slipping into the nearest shadows and cowering there as the footsteps drew closer.
"Hermione." Both breathed out in relief, stepping back into the center of the hall. Harry stilled when the shadows behind her stirred abnormally. The witch offered an apologetic smile as she stepped out of the shadows, quickly followed by Severus Snape.
"He caught me." She mumbled, dropping her gaze and glaring at the floor. Ron and Harry took several small steps back, their eyes locked on the smirk of glee plastered across the professor's face.
"Indeed I did." The older wizard said quietly, hands folded before him as he took trio in. His cloak swung out as he whirled around, taking a few steps before turning and raising an eyebrow at the immobile Gryffindors. "Follow me!" He barked, sneering when Ron jumped.
Rolling his eyes over the Potion Masters behaviour, Harry trekked quietly behind him. His eyes following the sweeping end of the black cloak as it billowed out behind the older wizard. Glancing around, he frowned when he noticed they were heading in the direction of the Headmasters chambers. "Where are we going?" He asked quietly, jumping when Snape answered in a voice made of velvet.
"I would hope you'd be able to recognize the entrance into Professor Dumbledore's office, Potter. Merlin only knows how many times you've been here before." Snape murmured, pausing to whisper the password.
As the gargoyle slid slowly aside, Hermione exchanged a disturbed look with Harry. "Professor," she said. "Shouldn't you take points and give us detention, then send us back to our House?"
Climbing the stairs, the Potion Master didn't even pause to glance back. His chuckle was slightly disturbing as he raised his hand to knock on the wooden door. Upon receiving the invitation to enter, he turned the knob and swept in. "New rules and curfews have been applied. With them comes the need for better discipline."
Dumbledore may have been dressed for bed. His robes were bright red and he wore a hat to match, his fingers idly stirring the small green candies resting in a brightly decorated dish on the edge of his desk. "Ah Severus, what seems to be the problem?" He asked cheerfully, reaching up and straightening the pointed hat.
"Students breaking curfew, sir." Professor Snape said, moving to stand before the fireplace as the three Gryffindors arrayed themselves before the large desk. They all stood with their heads down, arms wrapped around their waists as they shuffled in place.
"I see. Harry, what do you have to say for yourself?" Albus Dumbledore questioned, one hand rising to stroke the crooning phoenix that sat behind him on its perch. The fiery bird leaned into the touch and chirped softly, its wings raised slightly as if to take flight.
"We were returning to our dorms after class, sir." Harry began, shooting Snape a black look when the older wizard snorted in disgust at his answer.
Dumbledore held up a hand in a calming gesture. Tipping his head and listening, he smiled before he called enter. Seconds later a flustered McGonagall swept into the crowded chamber. Close on her heels were Blaise, Pansy, and Draco. The Slytherins looked around arrogantly, looking every bit the purebloods they were.
"They were wandering the halls, Albus." She explained, ignoring the outraged look on Snape's face.
"We were returning to our dorms, sir." Pansy corrected, her elbow slamming into Draco's side before he could open his mouth. Smiling sweetly, she glanced around the room, smirking when she laid eyes on the Gryffindors.
Leaning back in his chair, Dumbledore crossed his arms over his waist and linked his fingers together. "I must say it is a lovely night. When I was younger, I'd slink out of my bed to watch the stars. Tonight is indeed the perfect night for creeping around and this fine old castle has many good places from which to view the sky." Dumbledore stated, head tipped to the side. Sighing heavily, he sat back up and placed his forearms on the desk. "Times have become dangerous with so many people hiding in the dark. We cannot allow you to run around for fear that something unexpected may happen. These rules we've put in place are for your safety and we all must abide by them. From each of you I'll take ten house points and assign detention with Hagrid."
Harry bowed his head and nodded in acceptance. Peeking through the dark fringe of his bangs, he shot a glare at Snape before peering back at the headmaster. "We're sorry sir. It won't happen again." He apologized, Ron and Hermione's voices joining his as they asked for forgiveness.
"I understand. I was young once too." Dumbledore said with a smile, waving a hand he dismissed the group of them. "You may go now, I'll send your professors along in a minute to make sure you make it back to your dorms safely."
Hermione whispered thank you then grabbed the sleeves of the Harry and Ron, dragging them towards the door with one last glare at Snape. A scramble occurred as the Slytherins reached the door at the same time as the Gryffindors. Hermione smiled innocently as her boot came down on Pansy's, grinning evilly at the hiss of pain. Curling his lip in warning, Ron growled at Blaise. Flashing him one last fanged smile before trailing his girlfriend down the stairs, Ron fled the scene. The three Slytherins turned to look at Harry.
Sensing danger, Odin came to the top of his mind. Breathing deeply, the massive stag swung his head around internally, carefully weighing the danger level. Finding himself surrounded by members of his counterparts herd, he tipped his head antlered head. Grunting in anger over being woken for nothing, the stag shot Harry a baleful gaze before settling back into the depths of his mind.
Rubbing the back of his head, Harry shuffled forward before bolting down the stairs. He was almost to the bottom when, a hand closed around his wrist. Pale long fingers tightened, and pulled him back slowly, knocking him off balance on the steep stairs. Opening his mouth to cry out, he found a second hand quickly placed over the gaping orifice.
"Imagine that Harry, detention. Together. Again." Draco whispered into his ear, the hand over his mouth sliding down to cup the front of his throat.
Harry swallowed at the chuckles from Pansy and Blaise, tipping his head back and rolling his eyes to meet Draco's. A faint memory slunk into his mind and Harry grined suddenly. "With Hagrid. I wonder, Draco, will you run screaming from the Forbidden Forest again?" He broke into laughter as he was abruptly shoved away from Draco. Catching his balance, he jumped down the last few steps and turned to look at the blond gliding slowly down the stairs.
Blue eyes blazed in anger. "If you tell anyone about that, Harry, I will hunt you down." Draco threatened, one finger raise in warning. The raven-haired wizard danced out of reach as the Slytherin stalked angrily after him.
"I didn't think Malfoy's screamed." Blaise said with interest. He winked at Pansy before loping towards Harry and throwing an arm around his neck in a companionable way. "Do tell, Harry."
"Harry!" Draco yelped as he noticed the glint in the other wizard's eyes. Sticking out his lip, he pouted playfully, hands clasped before him.
Tipping his head, Harry shook Blaise's arm off and took a few more steps backwards. He smiled sweetly as he pulled the silver and green tie off, looking down at the Slytherin colours he'd been forced to wear all day. " What's it worth? Is it perhaps worth wearing Gryffindor colours tomorrow?"
Draco shook his head and smirked at Gryffindor. "How Slytherin of you, Harry." He murmured thoughtfully, glancing at the Slytherin cloak the other wizard still wore. "And if I refuse?"
"So, Blaise." Harry began, grinning as Draco gasped. "Draco got Ron, Hermione, and I in trouble for being out after curfew. So we had to-"
"Enough!" Draco called, snatching the tie from Harry's hands. Glaring at his best friend, he extended his hand. "I'll wear Gryffindor colours tomorrow but that story never gets told again."
The proffered hand hovered between the pair for a moment before Harry reached out and took it. Shaking quickly, he let go and backed up. Glancing down the hall, he nodded at the approaching professors before returning his attention to Draco. "Agreed." Harry shot the blond one final look before trotting down the dark hall towards Gryffindor Tower.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review!
rayama – lol, should we give this one to Harry?
MAnny2003 – Draco's added term will appear in several chapters, for now it remains a secret.
Iredesent – lol, I wish I could of pushed Harry into it but I that's just not the way the chapter ended up. I would have loved to deck him out on silver and green from top to bottom
karenelaine – The humor aspect of this story has arisen due to the seriousness of my other fic. I lighten my writing in this and it makes me feel just a tad bit happier. Other houses may get involved but I can totally see a small games war occurring between the Snakes and the Lions.
parseltongue girl – ew?
Chilaro – lol, glad you'll stick with it even though its gonna be kinda slashy (mind you I'll keep it light)
LandUnderWave – lol, indeed he does.
websurffer – Odin crashing around the dungeons in search of the flag would've been funny, could you imagine the look on poor Snape's face? lol
NinjaoftheDarkness – lol, everybody forgets now and then. Last year I got lost on the way to one of my classes and spent five minutes trying to remember where I was going before I gave up. I went back to my rez room and took a nap instead.
Murphyangel – Draco's term will show up in a future chapter, I know what the term is just not when to add it in.