See chapter one for disclaimers/suggestions/warnings
PREVIOUSLY:
Harry's first day at Hogwarts has him hiding the fact that he does not have any magic. No one has noticed yet. As the weeks have gone by, Harry has managed to keep his little secret to himself and he's grown a little closer to some of his fellow classmates. During breakfast, some commotion at the Slytherin table draws the attention of everyone, now, his professors have finally called him out on his lack of magic. Uh-oh.
Charms class was just as awful as Transfiguration.
It seemed that Professor Flitwick had also kept an eye on him and he made his move right before Harry could bolt for the next class.
"Mr. Potter?"
Harry stifled a groan. He turned to see the short fellow waiting, expectantly. "Yes, Professor?"
Professor Flitwick beckoned to him as the rest of the class filed out. "If you are not feeling well to participate in class, please visit the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey will set you straight to rights. You wouldn't want to fall behind…" The sentence trailed off and then the little professor returned his attention to the stack of summer homework on his desk.
Harry nodded, quickly, nervously and backed out of the room. He knew a dismissal when he heard one and if the Professor hadn't ordered him to see Madam Pomfrey, then there was no reason he really had to.
DADA class was strange.
Professor Terius seemed to be in an exceptionally dark mood as he selected a passage in their textbook and had them take turns all around the class reading it out loud. He moodily interrupted to correct speech and grammar several times in short, sharp phrases, but didn't make a single comment beyond that.
He paced the length of the classroom and up and down the aisles a few times.
At one moment, he lingered in front of Draco's desk and his eyes bored into the empty seat where Pansy Parkinson would have sat. He then resumed his pacing and at the end of the passage, scowled magnificently.
"Any questions regarding today's readings will be answered during the next class period. Choose one question that puzzles you and address it an essay of fourteen inches, due immediately upon the next class period." He frowned. There was still roughly about twenty minutes left of class time. "Chose a question with merit and reread this passage thoroughly to find supporting statements for your argument. Dismissed."
A slightly stunned class began to pack up and move out. They weren't about to complain of getting out early—well, none besides Hermione, that is—and she had learned with time not to speak up out of turn in this particular class.
"Mr. Malfoy, a word?"
Harry was swept up with the crowd and out into the hallway. He turned back in time to see Draco turning his head to show off the bruise on the side of his face. He wondered why Draco hadn't visited the infirmary for bruise salve. But the blond approached the agitated professor and the door swung shut before Harry could see more. He found himself wondering what the professor's reaction was.
A new burst of energy sang through him at being let out early. Harry charged along with the usual flow of students, thinking general happy thoughts. He had an idea of what to write for the essay and he had a sudden craving for fruit again. Halfway towards the Great Hall, Harry stifled a groan as he began to feel an all-too-familiar tiredness creeping into his very bones. The burst of energy had only been temporary—a warning at best, if he chose to look at it that way. He was not looking forward to carrying around Pepper-up Potions and napping at every available moment.
This week was sure to be a pain in more ways than one. He hoped no one would notice—without the usual rush and bustle of the first school week—it would definitely be a little trickier.
Harry grumbled to himself as he moved along to the next class and ran smack into Megan Jones.
There was a muffled grunt and the dark-haired beauty caught him easily by the elbow and steadied him with a smile. "Morning, Harry." She greeted, warmly. "You're out early." Her honey-colored gaze flickered from the DADA classroom door and then to the flow of students streaming out.
"Morning, Meg." Harry returned, pleased to be able to use the girl's first name and in shortened form no less. "Teacher Terius let us out early. Can I borrow your-"
"Lucky you." Meg praised. "Hmm, I think for four chocolate frogs, you can have it tonight and return it tomorrow in Potions." One honey-gold eye winked. "Or four chocolate frogs whenever you get them and you can borrow it for the same amount of time. Anything longer than that and we might have to work out new arrangements, Mm?"
Harry blushed. "O-only four?"
"You'd give me more?" Meg's smile upped several watts. "My sweet tooth will be happily drill its own cavity. But really, Harry, you're too sweet. Whenever you're offered a good deal, take it quietly and don't complain." She smirked. "They say it's that self-sacrificing habit you Gryffindors have that always cost you in the end." Her smile softened. "When you have the frogs, I'll have the book. Don't take too long, I haven't had a frog in…days."
"You really shouldn't eat so much of them, you know." Harry heard himself say. He was frantically trying to think of something else to keep the conversation going. The snatched moments they'd had to talk had never satisfied him at all. Not to mention that if the twins smelled delicious, then Megan was absolutely divine.
Meg chuckled and the sound sent happy shivers through Harry. "Worried for my sugar intake? Don't worry, I'm not going to suddenly become-"
"Shut up! It's not my fault if you turn into a hyperized pixie-"
"Harry?" Ron stood in the hallway, staring at him a mixture of confusion and uncertainty. He'd seen Harry pulling away from them recently and now, of all people, he was chatting comfortably with a tall, Hufflepuff girl. Ron frowned, eyes narrowing and he spoke quickly, snagging Hermione's arm as she sailed past him.
"Ron, what did you-" She stopped and stared at Harry and the Hufflepuff. Her brow immediately furrowed. "Since when is Harry friends with the Hufflepuffs?"
"Never mind since when." Ron growled out. "Harry, Oi!" He stood on tip-toe to see over the bustling students. "Who's that? That a new girlfriend?"
Harry's face flushed a bright, uncomfortable red.
Megan's golden eyes flickered to his face and her smile melted away to the faintest hint of disapproval. "I'll go." She said softly. "Harry." She gave a quick, jerky nod and was gone in the passing flow of students.
Harry stared after her, feeling the absence as a very obvious loss that made him want to run after the girl and do…something, he didn't know what.
"Harry?" Ron was beside him, closer this time. "Harry, mate, what's going on? Who was that? I thought the Hufflepuffs weren't talking to you since, you know, with Cedric and all that. Hey, Harry? Are you alright?"
Harry jerked around to glare at him. "Yes. I'm fine. I was fine." Perfectly fine until you interrupted. He thought, darkly.
"Hey!" Ron held up his hands. "You know, you've been acting really strange lately." His eyes were accusing. "You hardly ever hang out with Hermione and me now and now you're getting all cozied up with a new girlfr-"
Harry tuned him out. He had to. If he listened, he had a feeling he'd punch Ron in the face, just to hear the sound his fist would make when it collided with the redhead's nose. Or jaw. Or head. Either of them, he wasn't going to be picky.
Potions was a curious affair.
Pansy was present.
Draco was paired with Millicent instead of her. The bruise on his face had disappeared and he spoke in quiet, deliberate tones, avoiding her seemingly without effort. His fellow Slytherins immediately moved independently between them, keeping them apart without a word from their still glowering Head of House.
Harry shrank slightly into Blaise when the scowling professor prowled the classroom, inspecting the individual cauldrons. Millicent was with Malfoy and that left Blaise with him, as much as he'd become accustomed to the stocky girl and her easy-going chatter, once in a while, Blaise did join their group. He'd slowly grown a little more comfortable with that, but for the moment, he wasn't really sure.
The Italian had barely spoken so far and he looked curiously at Harry for a moment, before directing the ingredients to the other side of the table. "Check if they need to be diced or sliced." He instructed.
Harry eyed the pile of twisted roots rather warily and then cautiously bent his head over the book, skimming for the necessary information.
"Something the matter, Harry?" Blaise murmured when Harry bumped into him for the half-dozenth time as they stood beside each other.
"Potter." The green-eyed boy corrected automatically. "Why do you always use my name?"
"Pot-ter, then." Blaise purred.
Harry felt his face heat and knew he was turning several shades of red. He should've kept his mouth shut for that point. He'd been learning to do that with Millicent, it was probably the best strategy with Blaise as well. He looked away as Blaise chuckled softly beside him. It made his temper spark and flare just a little bit. He could almost feel sorry for the Slytherin Ice Prince, if Blaise was constantly flirting with everything that moved... "You shouldn't be flirting with me if you're with Draco." He snapped.
Blaise stiffened beside him. "Excuse me?" The warmth faded from his voice.
Harry swallowed. The sudden shift of tone and emotion was trademark for a Slytherin and he'd just crossed a line that perhaps, he shouldn't have. "If you're with Draco, you shouldn't be…" He studiously kept his hands and eyes on the ingredients and cutting board.
Blaise's hand clamped down on his shoulder and turned him around. Dark purple eyes zeroed in on shining emerald orbs. "Listen close and listen well, Potter." He whispered, darkly. "That is none of your business. Whether I am with Draco or anyone else, is nobody's business. For your information, I am not! I would advise you to keep your suspicions of my personal life to yourself."
Harry blinked. The Italian seemed to have done a complete personality change. He didn't like that. This side of Blaise wasn't very nice at all. He wondered, briefly, if the same would happen with Millicent. She was a Slytherin after all. Think, Harry, quick. He prompted himself. "I said if." He lifted his head a little higher. The height difference between them wasn't too noticeable, but he knew that Blaise stood tall on purpose to get his point across. He'd do the same. "If. I didn't say you were."
The hand on his shoulder squeezed painfully tight and then, Professor Snape cleared his throat from somewhere nearby and the offending hand gentled and fell back to Blaise's side.
Harry swallowed and edged away a few inches as he began the usual ingredient preparations. When he finished, he read out the instructions in a quiet monotone and let Blaise do the rest of the work.
An awkward silence settled over him as the time torturously ticked by.
"You shouldn't believe everything you hear." Blaise said, quietly. They'd reached the halfway mark for the potion and he directed Harry to start reading the instructions once more. "Especially among Slytherins."
"Obviously I know that now." Harry shot back. He glared at the taller boy. He couldn't even pinpoint why he'd bothered to speak up in the first place.
Blaise offered a rueful smile, hands extended in the closest he'd offer of an apology. "Then perhaps I've-"
Harry snorted. "Save your breath."
The class ended without further interaction or question between them.
"Time is up. Bottle and label your potions, leave them here on your way out." Professor Snape barked. He folded his arms into the sleeves of his robes and glowered at each student as they passed by his desk to do as he'd asked. "And Miss Parkinson and Mr. Malfoy, a word."
The two Slytherins in question were the last two left in the room as Harry waited for Blaise to leave first and caught the tail end of the crowd.
"Something the matter, Harry?" Millicent fell into step beside him, a steady hand on his shoulder when Harry jerked around in surprise.
"Millie!" Harry found himself relaxing and stiffened almost at once. "No, I just…it's nothing."
"Nothing doesn't leave a frown like that on your face." The Slytherin girl's smile didn't quite touch her golden-hued eyes. "Did Blaise say something to you?"
Harry blinked. "No. Why?"
"Good." Millicent examined her non-existent fingernails. They were filed down to the nubs. "Did he do anything unwanted?"
"What? No!" Harry sputtered, the moment his mind caught up to the insinuation.
"Wonderful. So what did you say or do that leaves you like this?"
"I didn't do anything!" Harry snapped, defensively. "Just-" Millicent's hand lightly brushed against his and a warm tingle shot through him, temporarily fudging his bolt of anger. It was calming, soothing and rather confusing. "I—it's nothing." He swallowed and jerked his hand away.
"If he ever does, you need only tell me." Millicent murmured, her gold eyes fixed deliberately on her habitual potions partner. "A snake has a better chance of fighting another snake. Good evening, Harry." And she melted into the crowd, disappearing before Harry could puzzle through that parcel of information.
He was left subconsciously holding his hand and wondering what exactly had just happened there.
Harry shook his head and trotted towards the Gryffindor Tower. It was dinner time and then homework time and then bedtime. He yawned. He'd go with bedtime and leave everything else for later. It had been too strange a day and he didn't feel like sitting through the leftover drama that was sure to be inside the Great Hall.
Somehow, he didn't think his stomach would mind.
Another yawn came through and Harry didn't bother to hide it.
A/N: Whew. I wasn't happy with the changes in this chapter, so I held onto it to keep tweaking it for a bit and finally, here we go. I was originally going to cut the scene with Blaise, but I figured I'd swap in Millie at the end and it worked out much better that way, a tad short for a chapter, but it worked and I'm happy enough to post it. Thanks for waiting! ^_^ (and welcome to the new readers!)
NOTE: This chapter was edited as per suggestions from several wonderful reviewers. Thank you! 05-29-2012
Penny is wise : Thanks for reading! Glad it was a good chapter.
Durzokylar: Sorry for the long wait! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. :)
Mana Tatsumiya : Thanks for voting! I've already closed the poll, but I hope you keep on reading. Megan is definitely going to be one of his mates.
KineX: Thanks for pointing that out. I did remember, but since this is AU (I'm very loosely following the faintest trail of canon, if at all!) and I wanted some pranking moments later on, I decided to keep the twins in there for now, especially since I don't plan for this to go through the entire Hogwarts Semester. ;)
Amanda Mau: Thanks for reading and commenting. At the moment, we have Harry and Megan as the first lovely couple, I haven't decided yet on who the second one will be, but it might be either Daph, Tonks or Millie, depending. It can go either way at the moment. ~_^
Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed! I appreciate it. If I missed your review, my apologies! FF has been eating my alerts and reviews, so I haven't seen them. :(