The next day at breakfast, odd relationships where already showing up. Neville came into the great hall hand in hand with Luna Lovegood. They kissed, and went to sit at their house tables.
Not everyone was separating from their newly found couples. Fred and Gorge could be found sitting at the Slytherin table with none other than Pansy Parkinson sitting between them.
Everyone wanted to know the story on how they got over there, but no one was willing to go near the Slytherin table. So they would have to wait until lunch and make sure they sat at the Gryffindor table. On the positive side, no other Slytherin seemed to have been matched up with anyone, not even in their own house! Hermione was the only one to verbalize how sad it was.
Lunch was as shocking as breakfast. There was no need to drag the twins to the Gryffindor table, because they came on their own, and brought a guest. Pansy Parkinson was currently sitting at the Gryffindor table for all the school to see. Ron was the first to speak up.
"What in Merlin's name do you think you are doing!" Ron roared at the three.
"I believe that I am eating lunch with my two soul mates and boyfriends." Pansy replied not caring to look at the sun red face.
"I was not talking to you, snake." He hissed.
"Now Ronald,"
"That is no way to talk to -"
"- our girl" Ron received a death glare from both twins before they returned to their food.
"I can't believe you two-mmm!" Ron was cut off by Hermione's hand.
"So how did it happen?" Hermione inquired with a smile.
Now this brought a smile to all three faces.
"Why don't I tell the story boys?" Pansy immediately launched into the story.
"We were all on the quidditch pitch for one reason or another (practicing, or spying on the cutest boys I have ever laid my eyes on)." she was awarded a kiss on the cheek from each of said boys.
"When the twins decided to hit the showers, I gathered up the nerve up to follow them in and hid in the one if the corners. I had felt a tingle over my body early and was feeling lucky. Apparently, Hogwarts control is not limited to just the castle, but the whole grounds. You see, when the boys tried to leave, they found the door locked. Many explosive products later, they gave up, and started up a conversation.
"So why do you think Hogwarts locked us in?" Fred starts.
"How do you know it was Hogwarts?"
"Because of that feeling we both had before coming here."
"Oh right. But we already know we belong together, so why lock us up. Do you think we upset her?"
"Na, got to be something else. Speaking of us, ever feel like we are missing something, like a third person?"
"Yeah, now that you mention it. I mean we are perfect for each other, but there is something neither of us can fill. What if that third person was in here right now?"
"That would make sense."
"With that they both started looking around the room. It was not long until they found me." Pansy said, talking in a deep breath. Who knew, the girl liked to talk.
"We want to-"
"-take it from here." the twins interrupted.
"We found our little intruder in her corner,"
"And we could not just let her get way with watching us shower and everything-"
"-so we had a little fun."
"First lending her a hand off the floor
"-then a gentle nudge against the wall
"-And a little touch of our lips-"
"-to her hand,"
"The Neck,"
"The Cheeks,"
"The Lips,"
"That is it! I don't want to hear any more of this!" Ron moans in pain.
"Ah is the youngest boy Weasley too innocent to hear about how his brothers touched and felt me up before …"
"NOoooo. Harryy, save me!"
"Ron, if you don't learn how it works, how will you ever be able to please your girl? That is if you ever get up the nerve to ask her out." Harry sighed in frustration of his friend's lack of love life, as well as the lack of his own.
"Yeah Ronnie-kins, if you don't like it, just leave." Ginny piped in out of nowhere.
Grabbing a napkin and filling it with treats, Ron exited the Great Hall as fast as he could without losing any of his goodies.
"Do you think he will ever come around?" Hermione asked the willing crowd of people.
"Why don't you ask Hogwarts-"
"-to do you a little favor?"
"I'm sure she would-"
"-love to help you out" the twins and Pansy said.
"Yeah, maybe I will do that." Hermione was deep in thought now.
"So, Gin, found anyone you like yet? That is, besides me." Harry said, turning to the girl next to him.
"Well, not yet. Though I did feel that feeling the twins plus one were talking about." Ginny responded with an excited look on her face.
"Yeah, me too. The two 'love birds' and I felt it last night. I think it happened to everyone that will be matched. Don't go getting that look; you know I don't see you as anything more than a sister."
"Yeah, I know."
"Harry … Harry … HARRY!"
"Mmm…oh hey Luna."
"Harry, honesty, I have been trying to get you attention for the last three minute. Is that book so interesting?"
The book in Harry's hands was called Pure Dead Magic by Debi Gliori. Hogwarts' library had a pretty good section on muggle fiction.
Looking down at the book, Harry had been staring at page 110 for the last hour.
"Yeah, it's ok. It's got these cool creatures in the basement of the house, a screaming box, and this guy in a bunny suit."
"Really? That sounds fantastic! Wait, no that is not why I am here. I heard you had that feeling of Hogwarts looking inside of you."
"Yeah, so what?"
"So why are you not out there looking for your soul mate or mates?"
"Who says I have one."
"What do you mean?"
"Just because some school searched my soul, does not mean I have a soul mate. Besides, it has to be a student in Hogwarts for Hogwarts to do anything about it. I doubt anyone in this school likes me for me."
"What am I? Chop liver! I am disappointed in you Harry Potter. You should be more positive about all of this."
"Exactly my point"
Luna sighed with a shack of her hair. "You could be happy Harry, if you only tried." And she walked out of the library, leaving Harry alone in his hidden corner.
'What does she know? All she sees is The-Boy-Who-Lived like everyone else. I bet no one in this school has ever even had the faintest idea, that the me they see could possibly not be all of me. I am the boy who survived the killing curse. I am the golden Gryffindor, standing tall for the small. I am the brave hero here to save the day! I am the boy who has nowhere to hide. I am the boy with no parents to hold me. I am the boy who is broken on the inside. I am the boy that will die for the people that don't give a shit about who I am, only what they want me to be.'
Escaping from reality, Harry returns to reading the book in his hands.
"Draco! Where are you?" Pansy sang all through the Slytherin common room. She, unlike others, has no problem making a fool of herself within Slytherin boundaries.
"Draco, there you are!" He was sitting on a green chair with sliver embroidery, near the fire.
"Draco darling, I have heard the greatest news from Luna."
"Luna? You mean that Ravenclaw chick that is now dating the clumsiest Gryffindor?"
"Now Draco, that is not a nice way to talk about someone else's boyfriend. When you get to know her, she is very sweet."
"Fine, I will be nice about your out-of-house friend, including your latest Gryffindor toys, if you stop putting my name at the beginning of every sentence."
"Oh, very well, on to the news. You see I have been working really hard figuring out who all felt Hogwarts last night. What I found is that almost everyone 4th year and up felt it. The ones who did not either already were dating, or…well I'm not quite sure. Anyway, of the people who felt it, one sixth of them have already found their mate! Isn't that splendid?"
"What is wrong with you? I know you like gossip, but you sound like you came out of a muggle black and white film about the Civil War. To be exact, you sound like "Little Women"."
"Oh good. I knew you'd be the one to tell if it worked or not."
"Tell what? Is this another twin thing?"
"Ye-ap. You see, muggle movies are becoming more popular. And wouldn't it be great if you could pop to your favorite candy store, buy a sweet, and start sounding like your favorite character from any movie. Those two think of everything."
"Right. So besides using me as a test subject, what do you want?"
"Oh right, I have not gotten to the best part of my news you see Ha-mmm…what did you do that for?" Pansy remarked, removing Draco's hand from her mouth.
"My room. Now."
*To Draco's Room*
Draco's Room was amazing. Older year Slytherins make their own bedrooms. The dungeons are full of empty rooms. Once a Slytherin knows how to make a room and lock the door, they don't have to stay in the dorm.
The floor was a deep blue plush carpet. The tables were rich brown oak. His bed was a true Slytherin, royal green silk comforter with silver snakes along the edges. Pillows, black as the night. The ceiling reached 15 feet above their heads. The walls changing colours as you watch; dark blues, greens, even reds danced on the walls, never stopping and never in a rush.
"Christopher Columbus. No matter how many times I'm in here, I will never cease to be amazed at what you did with this place."
"Yeah, yeah. Now, your news."
"Oh, right. Harry has yet to find his mate and he felt it like the rest of us. What if he is yours?"
"You know I am not that lucky. He will never see past my mask."
"Now don't say that."
"You know it's true. Him and his 'hero buddies' will never let me in."
"Now hang on just a minute. The twins let me in without a second thought. And they are great friends of Harry. They say that Harry would love to get to know the real you. Harry does not let on too much of what he knows. I have it from a reliable source that Harry is also Bi."
"That's great. Now he can go shack up with either sex and his famous status will give him whoever he wants."
"You know Harry is not like that. You use to talk constantly about how you know Harry had a mask on and that one day you would be the one to see the true him. The Harry that is more than a face in the news! What happened to that confident Draco?"
"He went to Azkaban with his father. Who would want a death eater's son as a mate?"
"Oh Draco…"
"Get out. Now. I need time alone."
"Ok, but if you miss dinner, I am coming in to get you."
"Why can't I just copy you like I always do?"
"You cannot rely on me for all your work Ronald. If you don't do it, you will never learn, fail your OWLS, and fail at any job you get."
"Hermione, that is not true. I learn best when copying your work. You make it easy to understand."
"Then study with me, and do your own work."
"But…but…"
"Exactly, you are just lazy. You are so irresponsible."
"You are such a girl! Always talking like my mom."
"WHAT! THAT IS IT RONALD WEASLEY! I AM FED UP WITH YOUR… AHHhh! Hermione screamed as she fell though the floor.
"HERMIONE!" was the last thing Ron said before screaming as well. Hogwarts was eating people! I don't think they will be seen again for some time, maybe longer.